The Church in Relation to Scripture

Quotations from E. Harold Brown, An Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles (commenting on Article XX, Of the Authority of the Church)

Our Lord gave authority to His Church to bind and to loose, and to excommunicate those who would not hear the Church.  The Apostles enjoined that heretics, persons that teach false doctrine or deny the truth, should be shunned, excommunicated, and put out of the Church.  Now, if the Church has no power to determine what is truth and what is false, such authority would be a dead letter, the Apostles' injunctions would be vain.  All heretics claim Scripture as on their side.  If the Church is not allowed to exercise authority in controversies of faith, she could never reject heretics, unless indeed they went so far as to deny the truth of Scripture altogether.  In order therefore to exercise that discipline and power of the keys which Christ committed to her, the Church must have authority to decide on what is truth, and what is falsehood. . . . .

Her [the Church] ministers are enjoined to teach and to preach the truth of the gospel; not simply to put the Bible into the hands of the people, and leave them to read it.  Their commission is, "Go and teach all nations . . . teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:19:20).  They are "by sound doctrine to convince the gainsayers" (Tit. 1:9).  They are "to feed the Church of God" (Acts 20:28): to give "the household of God their portion of meat in due season" (Luke 12:42).  The chief pastors of the Church are to "commit to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also," that truth which they have themselves received (2 Tim. 2: 2).  And they are enjoined to "rebuke men sharply, that they may be sound in the faith" (Tit. 1:13).

All this implies authority - authority to declare truth and maintain truth, to discern truth from error, to judge when controversies arise, whether one party is heretical or not, and to reject from communion such as are in grievous falsehood and error. . . .

But the authority of the Church is not a supreme and independent authority.  In matters of faith, it is the authority of a judge, not the authority of a legislator.  Truth comes from God, not from the Church.  The written Word of God is the record of God's truth; and no other record exists.  He alone is the legislator, and the Scriptures contain the code of laws which He has ordained.  To maintain those laws and truth connected with them, and, so far as possible, to enforce them, is the duty of the Church.  But she has no authority either to alter or add to them.

She may judge therefore, but it must be according to the laws which have been made for her.  She has authority, but is an authority limited by the Scriptures of truth. . . .

This is exactly the limitation, which we find the Article truly assigns to the authority of the Church.

1. She must not ordain anything contrary to God's Word written, nor explain one place of
   Scripture so as to contradict another.
2. Besides the written Word, she ought not to enforce anything to be believed for necessity of
   salvation.
   

But since no daily responses are given from heaven, and the Scriptures are the only records in which God has been pleased to consign his truth to perpetual remembrance, the full authority which they ought to possess with the faithful is not recognized, unless they are believed to have come from heaven, as directly as if God had been heard giving utterance to them.

A most pernicious error has very generally prevailed--viz. that Scripture is of importance only in so far as conceded to it by the suffrage of the Church; as if the eternal and inviolable truth of God could
depend on the will of men. With great insult to the Holy Spirit, it is asked, who can assure us that the
Scriptures proceeded from God; who guarantee that they have come down safe and unimpaired to our
times; who persuade us that this book is to be received with reverence, and that one expunged from
the list, did not the Church regulate all these things with certainty? On the determination of the Church, therefore, it is said, depend both the reverence which is due to Scripture, and the books which are to be admitted into the canon.

These ravings are admirably refuted by a single expression of an apostle. Paul testifies that the Church is "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets," (Eph. 2:20). If the doctrine of the
apostles and prophets is the foundation of the Church, the former must have had its certainty before
the latter began to exist.

Nothing therefore can be more absurd than the fiction, that the power of judging Scripture is in the Church, and that on her nod its certainty depends. When the Church receives it, and gives it the stamp of her authority, she does not make that authentic which was otherwise doubtful or controverted but, acknowledging it as the truth of God, she, as in duty bounds shows her reverence by an unhesitating assent.

It is necessary to attend to what I lately said, that our faith in doctrine is not established until we
have a perfect conviction that God is its author. Hence, the highest proof of Scripture is uniformly
taken from the character of him whose Word it is.

If, then, we would consult most effectually for our consciences, and save them from being driven about in a whirl of uncertainty, from wavering, and even stumbling at the smallest obstacle, our conviction of the truth of Scripture must be derived from a higher source than human conjectures, Judgments, or reasons; namely, the secret testimony of the Spirit.

Nay, if we look at it with clear eyes, and unblessed Judgment, it will forthwith present itself with a divine majesty which will subdue our presumptuous opposition, and force us to do it homage.

Still, however, it is preposterous to attempt, by discussion, to rear up a full faith in Scripture. True, were I called to contend with the craftiest despisers of God, I trust, though I am not possessed of the highest ability or eloquence, I should not find it difficult to stop their obstreperous mouths; I could, without much ado, put down the boastings which they mutter in corners, were anything to be gained by refuting their cavils. But although we may maintain the sacred Word of God against gainsayers, it does not follow that we shall forthwith implant the certainty which faith requires in their hearts. Profane men think that religion rests only on opinion, and, therefore, that they may not believe foolishly, or on slight grounds, desire and insist to have it proved by reason that Moses and the prophets were divinely inspired. But I answer, that the testimony of the Spirit is superior to reason. For as God alone can properly bear witness to his own words, so these words will not obtain full credit in the hearts of men, until they are sealed by the inward testimony of the Spirit. The same Spirit, therefore, who spoke by the mouth of the prophets, must penetrate our hearts, in order to convince us that they faithfully delivered the message with which they were divinely entrusted.

Add, moreover, that, for the best of reasons, the consent of the Church is not without its weight.  For it is not to be accounted of no consequence, that, from the first publication of Scripture, so many ages have uniformly concurred in yielding obedience to it, and that, notwithstanding of the many extraordinary attempts which Satan and the whole world have made to oppress and overthrow it, or completely efface it from the memory of men, it has flourished like the palm tree and continued invincible.

Add that it was not a single city or a single nation that concurred in receiving and embracing it. Its authority was recognized as far and as wide as the world extends--various nations who had nothing else in common entering for this purpose into a holy league. Moreover, while we ought to attach the greatest weight to the agreement of minds so diversified, and in all other things so much at variance with each other--an agreement which a Divine Providence alone could have produced--it adds no small weight to the whole when we attend to the piety of those who thus agree; not of all of them indeed, but of those in whom as lights God was pleased that his Church should shine.

When the question is then raised about seeking revelation in places other than scripture; or whether we stand bound to yield to traditions urged by the Church of Rome we answer NO. Tradition carries not the same authority because it is passed down deformed. -- Look at how little of the divine the heathen have received from their oral traditions.-- Imagine if the Church of God were dependent on that path of transmission!

There is no defect in Scripture, so anyone may "have the light of his natural understanding so
perfected .... that there can be no want of needful instruction" for any good work God would have that person do. Thus Nature and Scripture serve jointly and are so complete that we deny the argument that traditions must be added as part of supernatural necessary truth. They are neither in Scripture nor otherwise sufficiently by any reason proved to be of God. Rites and customs -- even those deemed apostolic -- can be changed.

Together we reaffirm the Anglican Christianity that finds expression in the historic standards of the
ecumenical creeds, the Thirty-Nine Articles , the Solemn Declaration of 1893 and the 1962 Book of
Common Prayer . Respect for these standards strengthens our identity and communion. In humility we recognize we have often been ashamed of the gospel we have received and disobedient to the Lord of the Church. God helping us, we resolve to maintain our heritage of faith and transmit it intact. This fullness of faith is needed both for Anglican renewal and the effective proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We invite all Anglicans to join us in affirming the above as essentials of Christian faith, practice, and
nurture today. In this declaration we believe that we are insisting upon only what is genuinely essential.  In regard to non-essentials we would recognize and respect that liberty and that comprehensiveness which have been among the special graces of our Anglican heritage.

Participants in Essentials '94 with the Sponsoring Bodies:

     Anglican Renewal Ministries of Canada
     Barnabas Anglican
     The Prayer Book Society of Canada

21 June 1994, Montreal, Canada
 

6. The Authority of the Bible

The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are "God's Word written," inspired and
authoritative, true and trustworthy, coherent, sufficient for salvation, living and powerful as God's
guidance for belief and behavior.

The Trinitarian, Christ-centered, redemption-orientated faith of the Bible is embodied in the historic
ecumenical creeds and the Anglican foundational documents. To this basic understanding of scripture,
the Holy Spirit leads God's people and the church's counsels in every age through tradition and reason
prayerfully and reverently employed.

The church may not judge Scriptures, selecting and discarding from among their teachings. But the
Scripture under Christ judges the church for its faithfulness to his revealed truth. (Dt 29:29; Is 40:8;
55:11; Mt 5:17-18; Jn 10:35; 14:26; Rom 1:16; Eph 1:17-19; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:14-17; 2 Pet 1:20-21. Cf
Articles VI-VIII, XX.)

Next, what about the issue of the influence of tradition on interpretation?  Over against the claims of the Roman Catholic church to exercise final control of the results of interpretation, the Reformers insisted that church tradition was not another authority alongside the Bible.  Rather church tradition must continually be re-subjected to the criticism of the Bible. . . . the Reformation principle is not the same as saying that church tradition does not exist or that we can ever totally eliminate its influence on the way we interpret the Scriptures. . . . We do not need to cling tightly to our previous beliefs in order to be safe.  In fact, we will not be safe if we are not open to having the Bible challenge even views that we dearly cherish.

Article VI

Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scripture for Salvation

Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.

In the name of Holy Scripture, we do understand those Canonical books of the Old and New
testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church.

Of the names and number of the Canonical Books.

     Genesis.
     Exodus.
     Leviticus.
     Numbers.
     Deuteronomy
     Joshua.
     Judges.
     Ruth.
     The First Book of Samuel.
     The Second Book of Samuel.
     The First Book of Kings.
     The Second Book of Kings.
     The First Book of Chronicles.
     The Second Book of Chronicles.
     The First Book of Esdras.
     The Second Book of Esdras.
     The Book of Esther.
     The Book of Job.
     The Psalms.
     The Proverbs.
     Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher.
     Cantica, or Songs of Solomon.
     Four Prophets the Greater.
     Twelve Prophets the Less.

     All the books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive,
     and account them canonical.

And the other books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of
manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine. Such are these following:

     The Third Book of Esdras.
     The Fourth Book of Esdras.
     The Book of Tobias.
     The Book of Judith.
     The rest of the Book of Esther.
     The Book of Wisdom.
     Jesus the Son of Sirach.
     Baruch the Prophet.
     The Song of the Three Children.
     The Story of Susanna.
     Of Bel and the Dragon.
     The Prayer of Manasses.
     The First Book of Maccabees.
     The Second Book of Maccabees.

Article VII

Of the Old Testament

The Old Testament is not contrary to the New; for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting
life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both
God and man. Wherefore there are not to be heard which feign that the old fathers did look only for
transitory promises. Although the law given from God by Moses, as touching ceremonies and rites,
do not bind Christian men, nor the civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any
commonwealth; yet, notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the
commandments which are called moral.

Article VIII

Of the Three Creeds

The three Creeds, Nicene Creed, Athanasius' Creed, and that which is commonly called the
Apostles' Creed, ought thoroughly to be received and believed; for they may be proved by most
certain warrants of Holy Scripture.

Article XX

Of the Authority of the Church

The Church hath power to decree rites or ceremonies and authority in controversies of faith; and yet
it is not lawful for the Church to ordain anything 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 be
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 anything to be believed for necessity of salvation.

Article XXXIV

Of the Traditions of the Church

It is not necessary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one or utterly alike; for at all times
they have been diverse, and may be changed according to the diversity of countries, times, and
men's manners, so that nothing be ordained against God's word.

Whosoever through his private judgment willingly and purposely doth openly break the traditions
and ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the word of God, and be ordained and
approved by common authority, ought to be rebuked openly that other may fear to do the like, as he
that offendeth against common order of the Church, and hurteth the authority of the magistrate, and
woundeth the conscience of the weak brethren.

Every particular or national Church hath authority to ordain, change, and abolish ceremonies or rites
of the Church ordained only by man's authority, so that all things be done to edifying.

    Copyright 2001-2008 © Providence Reformed Episcopal Church    †    Site hosted by          and