The ThirtyNine Articles: 19-21, Church matters

In this section, we will be looking at the articles that describe the corporate entity of the church.  This section is about authority.  What is interesting is that after declaring the authority of scripture, authority is now given to the church.  Understanding that there is Biblical precedent for such authority and also that the Reformation is a rebellion against the Papacy, these articles are to be read carefully within that context.

XIX. Of the Church.

The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered, according  to Christ’s ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same. 

   As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch have erred, so also the Church of Rome has erred, not only in their living and manner of ceremonies, but also in matters of faith.

While the first sentence is rather benign, the second sentence is a ton of bricks falling on the hopes of all future ecumenical movements.  The historical grounds for these claims will have to be addressed.  It can be said on this blog that Rome at least has already been addressed.  The Council of Trent predates these 39 Articles by some 8-9 years.  But what of the first three churches and their errors?

XX. Of the authority of the Church.

The Church has power to decree Rites or Ceremonies, and authority in controversies of faith; And yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain anything that is contrary to God’s word written, neither may it so expound one place of scripture, that it be repugnant to another. Wherefore, although the Church is a witness and a keeper of holy writ; yet, as it ought not to decree anything against the same, so besides the same, ought it not to enforce any thing to be believed for the necessity of salvation.

When you stop laughing for a minute, we’ll try to wade through this line of reasoning.  What we have here is the perception that papal decrees that are viewed by Rome as having authority equal with scripture have in fact not been consistent with Scripture.  This article forbids such decrees that contradict scripture.  What is not described at all is the hierarchy of the church that will be making these decisions concerning controversies of faith.  There is an open view of what the church corporate might be that makes these decisions.  But the next section is important as well in this regard.

XXI. Of the authority of general Counsels.

General Counsels may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of princes. And when they be gathered together (forasmuch as they be an assembly of men, whereof all be not governed with the spirit and word of God) they may err, and sometimes have erred, even in things pertaining unto God.  Wherefore, things ordained by them as necessary to salvation, have neither strength nor authority, unless it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture.

Setting aside the issue of royalty in England, the issue is the authority of Councils.  Clearly, this is a stab at the Council of Trent.  And yet, it opens the door for future councils of the Anglican Church and instructs them concerning Scriptural authority.  Of side interest is the notation concerning princes.  This is the second intrusion of the world of men into this document and there will come shortly a post dedicated to the peculiarities of time, place and culture that runs through these Articles.

Focusing now on the largest unresolved issues of this group, let us discuss the Five Sees of the original church.  From the seventh century, there was the idea that all Christendom would be administered, and even ruled, by a council of the five most prominent churches of the early church.  These five were Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem.  The Quinisext Council of 692 was rejected in the West, that is, in Europe.  The only See that really accepted this council, at least theologically, was Constantinople.  The rise of Islam in the seventh century led to the capture of Antioch, Alexandrian and Jerusalem, leaving only Constantinople in a position to oppose Rome.  From the earliest days, these two disagreed on many issues.  Eventually, this led to schism into Rome and Eastern Orthodox churches.  I do not have the knowledge to know why the Church of England would omit the Eastern Orthodox Church while including those that fell to Islamic conquests in this Article.  I will make inquiries from Anglican scholars and update this post when I discover the facts.

The last unanswered question from these articles is the negative discussion of church authority in the vacuum of a positive statement from scripture.  This will be buried within the Second Book of Homilies, no doubt, but it bears pointing out that these negatives were so egregious to England that they were made to be explicit points in the Articles of Faith.

The next section through 31 are hodgepodge of doctrines that are all important in their own right, but I will be handling them together in order to hasten the conclusion of this series.  The last two sections will concern the Homilies and then the remaining Articles.

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