Our Anglican Identity
Anglican
Anglican is a term that simply means “English.” Anglican Churches are a collection of Churches around the world that have their origin in the Church of England. Anglican Churches do not have a formal shared structure or governing organization. Rather they have a shared belief and a shared tradition. The shared belief is written down in the Holy Bible and the Creeds. The shared tradition is, in part, embodied in the Book of Common Prayer.
History of the Anglican Church
There is a public perception, especially in the United States, that Henry VIII created the Church of England in anger over the Pope’s refusal to grant his divorce, but the historical record indicates that Henry spent most of his reign challenging the authority of Rome, and the divorce issue was just one of a series of acts that collectively split the English church from the Roman church in much the same way that the Orthodox church split from Rome five hundred years before.
So what is Anglicanism and how did the Catholic Faith come to Britain? Did it come from ‘the Romans’ in the person of St. Augustine of Canterbury in the sixth century, and therefore, is Anglicanism merely an off-shoot of the Roman Catholic Church from the time of the Reformation? Or is Anglicanism a branch of the Christian Church that was formed much earlier?
We don’t know the exact date Christianity was introduced into England. But the Church was planted in Britain (England specifically) as early as the first century. The earliest written reference to Christians in Britain dates from about the year 200. The earliest Christians were probably Romans who came to England as part of the Roman occupation. Or they may have been refugees from persecution in Gaul. (Tradition variously names St. Paul, St. Joseph of Arimathea or one of our Lord’s followers as bringing the Christian Faith to Britain. None of those claims can be substantiated and we cannot rely upon romantic nostalgia when it comes to history—although there is much fascinating circumstantial evidence to support some of them).
However, factual evidence shows that the Faith was indeed in Britain from the earliest times. Its early existence is proved by there being the ancient Sees of London, York and Lincoln, by the presence of British Bishops at the first Councils, and by the recorded martyrdom of a Christian named Saint Alban in 304. In the fifth century the Romans left England and the land was invaded by the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes. The invaders were not Christian and Christianity died in England, but was kept alive by the British who retreated into Wales. In the sixth century, Pope Gregory the Great sent St. Augustine to Britain to evangelize the Anglo-Saxons. When St. Augustine got to Britain he met with Bishops of the original British Church. St. Augustine wrote to Pope Gregory to tell him that Christianity was indeed already alive and well in England; that it held the same Faith and subscribed to the same Creeds. (It did, however, celebrate Easter on a different date and had some different customs.) Augustine asked for Papal instruction. Pope Gregory advised him not to try to change these customs, but to ask if the British Bishops would like to accept Papal Jurisdiction. This Augustine did. However, the British Bishops courteously declined the offer, stating that their allegiance was to the Archbishop of Caernarvon (Wales). But they sent back their love and respect “to the Bishop of Rome, whom you call the Pope”.
Now with the presence of Rome in Britain—Roman Christians came for the purpose of missionary activity—a system of dual jurisdictions arose and lasted from the time of Augustine’s arrival in 597 until 663. Then in 663, at the Synod of Whitby, political maneuvering and pressure forced the ancient Celtic-British Church to accept the Primacy of Rome. It wasn’t until 871 years later—with the Reformation—that the British Church came out of Roman control. For it was at the Reformation that Christians sought to reform any abuses that had arisen within the Church over the centuries (examples being the rise of superstitions, the selling of indulgences, and the idea of the primacy of the Pope). The Church of England did a good job with reform. It came out of the Reformation as pretty much the same Ancient and Apostolic body that it was before it took allegiance to Rome. It changed no essential of Faith and Practice, and still held onto the Catholic Faith with its Ministry, the Word and the Sacraments in their integrity, and with all the privileges of the Ancient Faith of the Holy Catholic Church. It is this Faith that was eventually spread worldwide first by English colonization and then by English-speaking missionaries.
Summary
What is Anglicanism?
To be Anglican is to be a Catholic Christian. Anglican’s are not Protestants in the same sense that Presbyterians are. (The Church of England’s Prayer Book never once uses the word “Protestant.” In the American Prayer Book, it appears only once and that is in the title “Protestant Episcopal Church.” This is for reasons of legal designation, even as Roman Catholics are officially called “The Holy Roman Church.”) As Romanists are called “Catholics,” owning the supremacy of the Roman Pontiff, so also are Anglicans “Catholics,” protesting against this Papal claim.
A “Catholic” then is one who holds to “that which has been believed at all times, everywhere, and by all” and to hold to the whole Faith – the Faith “once delivered unto the saints”. As stated above, at the time of the Reformation, the Church of England did indeed hold on to “that which has been believed at all times, everywhere, and by all.” It held on to the ancient Faith, the Apostolic foundations, Episcopal succession, the ancient Sacraments, the Creeds, etc. She reformed herself in the truest sense of the word. She kept the good and threw out the bad. To be Catholic means to hold to the singular Faith given by Christ and His Apostles and not to turn to what is necessarily popular or the fashion of the day. To be Catholic means not to let the Faith be compromised or given up to majority vote. This brings us to the reason why we have “continuing movements” today, and specifically why we have the Anglican Province of Christ the King.
The Anglican Province of Christ the King
An Anglican Church
Canon 1.01. This Anglican Province of Christ the King consists of certain Dioceses in the United States of America of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, each composed of Clergy and Laity continuing in their membership in and allegiance to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church after the National Church of their former ecclesiastical obedience, the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, departed from the Doctrine, Discipline and Worship of the Church of England as set forth in the Book of Common Prayer established and authorized in the year 1789.1
The Province of Christ the King is committed to traditional forms of doctrine and liturgy. The Province is a body composed of five dioceses with parishes and missions throughout the United States.
How Did We Start?2
The Province of Christ the King formed in 1978 to ensure the continuation of historic Anglican Christianity in America. The need for a new Province arose because of changes in 1976 in the fundamental faith and practice of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA). The radical restructuring of the Episcopal Church came to a head at the 1976 Episcopal Convention in Minneapolis, MN. At this meeting the ECUSA adopted sweeping changes to accommodate new beliefs and practices. These changes, which culminated in approval of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, included: the teaching of new and unorthodox theology which, in effect, abrogated the historic teachings of the Faith; failure to uphold scriptural standards of morality in the church; ordination of women to the priesthood; and, finally a growing confusion about the nature of human sexuality. This has resulted in the church’s increasing tolerance of “same-sex marriages” and tacit complicity in abortion as a convenient means of birth control.
The Congress of Saint Louis
In 1977 concerned Episcopal clergy and laity who objected to these radical changes gathered in St. Louis, MO. They set forth a statement of faith called the Affirmation of Saint Louis, which expressed their commitment as Episcopalians to orthodox Christianity.
The Continuation of Anglicanism3
We affirm that the Church of our fathers, sustained by the most Holy Trinity, lives yet, and that we, being moved by the Holy Spirit to walk only in that way, are determined to continue in the Catholic Faith, Apostolic Order, Orthodox Worship and Evangelical Witness of the traditional Anglican Church, doing all things necessary for the continuance of the same. We are upheld and strengthened in this determination by the knowledge that many provinces and dioceses of the Anglican Communion have continued steadfast in the same Faith, Order, Worship and Witness, and that they continue to confine ordination to the priesthood and the episcopate to males. We rejoice in these facts and we affirm our solidarity with these provinces and dioceses.
Fundamental Principles4
In the firm conviction that “we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,” and that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved,” and acknowledging our duty to proclaim Christ’s saving Truth to all peoples, nations and tongues, we declare our intention to hold fast the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Faith of God. We acknowledge that rule of faith laid down by St. Vincent of Lerins: “Let us hold that which has been believed everywhere, always and by all, for that is truly and properly Catholic.”
Apostolic Succession
At the very center of the Anglican Church are its bishops. Bishops are the spiritual successors of the Apostles. Every Anglican bishop has been consecrated by other bishops, who were in turn consecrated by other bishops. This process forms a chain (called Apostolic Succession) that leads back to the 12 apostles, who were the first bishops.
Apostolic Succession and the APCK
The next step after the Congress of St. Louis was the creation of the Diocese of Christ the King, whose purpose was to put the St. Louis statement of faith into action. Six Western parishes joined together and elected as their Bishop the Rev. Robert S. Morse, Rector of Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church in Oakland, CA. On January 28, 1978, in Denver, CO, Father Robert S. Morse was consecrated Bishop. The Rt. Rev. Albert A Chambers, retired Episcopal Bishop of Springfield, Illinois, was chief consecrator who acted to preserve the American Episcopate.
What We Believe
The Essentials of Truth and Order5
Holy Scripture. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the authentic record of God’s revelation of Himself, His saving activity, and moral demands—a revelation valid for all men and all time.
The Creeds. The Nicene Creed as the authoritative summary of the chief articles of the Christian Faith, together with the Apostles’ Creed, and that known as the Creed of St. Athanasius to be “thoroughly received and believed” in the sense they have had always in the Catholic Church.
Tradition. The received Tradition of the Church and its teachings as set forth by “the ancient catholic bishops and doctors,” and especially as defined by the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church, to the exclusion of all errors, ancient and modern.
Sacraments. The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, the Holy Eucharist, Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, Penance and Unction of the Sick, as objective and effective signs of the continued presence and saving activity of Christ our Lord among His people and as His covenanted means for conveying His grace. In particular, we affirm the necessity of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist (where they may be had)—Baptism as incorporating us into Christ (with its completion in Confirmation as the “seal of the Holy Spirit”), and the Eucharist as the sacrifice which unites us to the all-sufficient Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and the Sacrament in which He feeds us with His Body and Blood.
Holy Orders. The Holy Orders of bishops, priests and deacons as the perpetuation of Christ’s gift of apostolic ministry to His Church, asserting the necessity of a bishop of apostolic succession (or a priest ordained by such) as the celebrant of the Eucharist—these Orders consisting exclusively of men in accordance with Christ’s Will and institution (as evidenced by the Scriptures), and the universal practice of the Catholic Church.
Incompetence of Church Bodies to Alter Truth. We disclaim any right or competence to suppress, alter or amend any of the ancient Ecumenical Creeds and definitions of Faith, to set aside or depart from Holy Scripture, or to alter or deviate from the essential prerequisites of any Sacrament.
Unity with Other Believers. We declare our firm intention to seek and achieve full sacramental communion and visible unity with other Christians who “worship the Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity,” and who hold the Catholic and Apostolic Faith in accordance with the foregoing principles.
Christian Duty6
Canon 11.05. It shall be the duty of a baptized member of the Church in this Province: (a) to observe the Lord’s Day, commonly known as Sunday, by attending Divine Worship unless reasonably hindered, and, in the event of such hindrance, to read privately either the office of Morning Prayer or the office of Evening Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, if at all possible; (b) to observe his or her baptismal vows and to live so as not to give scandal to the Church of God; (c) to observe the Canons of this Province with respect to Holy Matrimony; and (d) to contribute to the support of the Church as evidenced by the books of the Treasurer of the Parish or Mission.
Canon 11.06. It shall be the duty of a Communicant of the Church in this Province: (a) to comply with and observe all of the provisions of Canon 11.05; (b) to be present every Sunday, unless prevented by reasonable cause, at a celebration of the Holy Communion; (c) to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Communion or the Lord’s Body and Blood at least three times a year, once being at Christmastide, once being at Eastertide, and the third being Whitsuntide; (d) to observe the Feasts and Fasts of the Christian Year as and in the manner in which they are set forth in the Book of Common Prayer
Anglican Christian Duty
Principles of Morality7
Individual Responsibility: All people, individually and collectively, are responsible to their Creator for their acts, motives, thoughts and words, since “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ...”
Sanctity of Human Life: Every human being, from the time of his conception, is a creature of God, made in His image and likeness, an infinitely precious soul; and that the unjustifiable or inexcusable taking of life is always sinful.
Man’s Duty to God: All people are bound by the dictates of the Natural Law and by the revealed Will of God, insofar as they can discern them.
Family Life: The God-given sacramental bond in marriage between one man and one woman is God’s loving provision for procreation and family life, and sexual activity is to be practiced only within the bonds of Holy Matrimony.
Man as Sinner: We recognize that man, as inheritor of original sin, is “very far gone from original righteousness,” and as a rebel against God's authority is liable to His righteous judgment.
Man and God’s Grace: We recognize, too, that God loves His children and particularly has shown it forth in the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that man cannot be saved by any effort of his own, but by the Grace of God, through repentance and acceptance of God’s forgiveness.
Christian’s Duty to Be Moral: We believe, therefore, it is the duty of the Church and her members to bear witness to Christian Morality, to follow it in their lives, and to reject the false standards of the world.
Conclusion
Our Anglican Identity
The origins of the APCK are in the ancient Church
It is Catholic
It is Apostolic
It is Scriptural
It is Creedal
It is Sacramental
It is Traditional
Our Anglican identity is expressed in a Book of Common Prayer that reflects these elements.
For the Church
O gracious Father, we humbly beseech thee for thy holy Catholic Church; that thou wouldest be pleased to fill it with all truth, in all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, establish it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of him who died and rose again, and ever liveth to make intercession for us, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
1928 Book of Common Prayer, p. 37.
Written by Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud (d. 1645)
This tract was adapted from a workshop given at the 2004 Synod of the Diocese of the Eastern States, Anglican Province of Christ the King.
1 From the “Canons of the APCK.”
2 From “About the Province - Questions & Answers”
3 From the Affirmation of Saint Louis, Introduction.
4 From the Affirmation of Saint Louis, Preface.
5 From the Affirmation of Saint Louis, Section I., Sub-section 2.
6 From “Canons of the APCK.”
7 From the Affirmation of Saint Louis, Section II.
WHAT IS AN ANGLICAN?
