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Church of India - CIPBC (Church of India, Pakistan, Burma & Ceylon) The 2nd Province of the Anglican Catholic Church
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Introduction
to the Affirmation of In
1977 an international congress of nearly 2,000 Anglican bishops, clergy and lay
people met in In
January 1978 Bishop Chambers expanded that jurisdiction and devolved it upon
others, by taking order for the consecration of four more bishops. From these
four bishops have come two jurisdictions, the Anglican Catholic Church and the
Anglican Province of Christ the King, which now maintain orthodox Anglicanism in
The
Below
is the text that affirms the establishment of the orthodox jurisdiction, The
Anglican Catholic Church, in which traditional Anglicanism has been maintained. The
Text of the Affirmation of IN
THE NAME OF THE FATHER The
Continuation of Anglicanism 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. The
Dissolution of Anglican and Episcopal Church Structure We
affirm that the Anglican Church of Canada and the Protestant Episcopal Church in
the United States of America, by their unlawful attempts to alter Faith, Order
and Morality (especially in their General Synod of 1975 and General Convention
of 1976), have departed from Christ's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. The
Need to Continue Order in the Church We
affirm that all former ecclesiastical governments, being fundamentally impaired
by the schismatic acts of lawless Councils, are of no effect among us, and that
we must now reorder such godly discipline as we strengthen us in the
continuation of our common life and witness. The
Invalidity of Schismatic Authority We
affirm that the claim of any such schismatic person or body to act against any
Church member, clerical or lay, for his witness to the whole Faith is with no
authority of Christ's true Church, and any such inhibition, deposition or
discipline is without effect and is absolutely null and void. The
Need for Principles and a Constitution We
affirm that fundamental principles (doctrinal, moral, and constitutional) are
necessary for the present, and that a Constitution (redressing the defects and
abuses of our former governments) should be adopted, whereby the Church may be
soundly continued. The
Continuation of Communion with We
affirm our continued relations of communion with the See of Canterbury and all
faithful parts of the Anglican Communion. [Note: Because of the action of
General Synod of the Church of England, Parliament, and the Royal Assent, the
College of Bishops of the Anglican Catholic Church is obliged no longer to count
the See of Canterbury as a faithful part of the Anglican Communion.] WHEREFORE,
with a firm trust in Divine Providence, and before Almighty God and all the
company of heaven, we solemnly affirm, covenant and declare that we, lawful and
faithful members of the Anglican and Episcopal Churches, shall now and hereafter
continue and be the unified continuing Anglican Church in FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES
In
order to carry out these declarations, we set forth these fundamental Principles
for our continued life and witness. PREFACE:
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." I.
PRINCIPLES OF DOCTRINE 1.
The Nature of the Church. We
gather as people called by God to be faithful and obedient to Him. As the Royal
Priestly People of God, the Church is called to be, in fact, the manifestation
of Christ in and to the world. True religion is revealed to man by God. We
cannot decide what is truth, but rather (in obedience) ought to receive, accept,
cherish, defend and teach what God has given us. The Church is created by God,
and is beyond the ultimate control of man. The
Church is the Body of Christ at work in the world. She is the society of the
baptized called out from the world: In it, but not of it. As Christ's faithful
Bride, she is different from the world and must not be influenced by it. 2.
The Essentials of Truth and Order We
repudiate all deviation of departure from the Faith, in whole or in part, and
bear witness to these essential principles of evangelical Truth and apostolic
Order: Holy
Scriptures
The
Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and 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 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. Deaconesses
The
ancient office and ministry of Deaconesses as a lay vocation for women,
affirming the need for proper encouragement of that office. Duty
of Bishops
Bishops
as Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds and Teachers, as well as their
duty (together with other clergy and the laity) to guard and defend the purity
and integrity of the Church's Faith and Moral Teaching. The
Use of Other Formulae
In
affirming these principles, we recognize that all Anglican statements of faith
and liturgical formulae must be interpreted in accordance with them. 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 pre-requisites 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. II.
PRINCIPLES OF MORALITY The
conscience, as the inherent knowledge of right and wrong, cannot stand alone as
a sovereign arbiter of morals. Every Christian is obligated to form his
conscience by the Divine Moral Law and the Mind of Christ as revealed in Holy
Scriptures, and by the teaching and Tradition of the Church. We hold that when
the Christian conscience is thus properly informed and ruled, it must affirm the
following moral principles: 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 and child 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. In
the constitutional revision which must be undertaken, we recommend, for the
consideration of continuing Anglicans, the following: Retain
the Best of Both Provinces That
the traditional and tested features of the Canadian and American ecclesiastical
systems be retained and used in the administration of the continuing Church. Selection
of Bishops
That
a non-political means for selection of bishops be devised. Tripartite
Synod
That
the Church be generally governed by a Holy Synod of three branches (episcopal,
clerical and lay), under the presidency of the Primate of the Church. Scriptural
Standards for the Ministry That
the apostolic and scriptural standards for the sacred Ministry be used for all
orders of Ministers. Concurrence
of all Orders for Decisions That
the Constitution acknowledge the necessity of the concurrence of all branches of
the Synod for decisions in all matters, and that extraordinary majorities be
required for the favorable consideration of all matters of importance. Re-establishment
of Discipline That
the Church re-establish an effective permanent system of ecclesiastical courts
for the defense of the Faith and the maintenance of discipline over all her
members. Constitutional
Assembly to be Called That
our bishops shall call a Constitutional Assembly of lay and clerical
representatives of dioceses and parishes to convene at the earliest appropriate
time to draft a Constitution and Canons by which we may be unified and governed,
with special reference to this Affirmation, and with due consideration to
ancient Custom and the General Canon Law, and to the former law of our
provinces. Interim
Action
In
the meantime, trusting in the everlasting strength of God to carry us through
all our trials, we commend all questions for decision to the proper authorities
in each case: Episcopal, diocesan, and parochial, encouraging all the faithful
to support our witness as subscribers to this Affirmation, and inviting all so
doing to share our fellowship and the work of the Church. IV.
PRINCIPLES OF WORSHIP Prayer
Book -- The Standard of Worship In
the continuing Anglican Church, the Book of Common Prayer is (and remains) one
work in two editions: The Canadian Book of 1962 and the American Book of 1928.
Each is fully and equally authoritative. No other standard for worship exists. Certain
Variances Permitted
For
liturgical use, only the Book of Common Prayer and service books conforming to
and incorporating it shall be used. V.
PRINCIPLES OF ACTION Intercommunion
with other Apostolic Churches The
continuing Anglicans remain in full communion with the See of Canterbury and
with all other faithful parts of the Anglican Communion, and should actively
seek similar relations with all other Apostolic and Non-Involvement
with Non-Apostolic Groups We
recognize that the World Council of Churches, and many national and other
Councils adhering to the World Council, are non-Apostolic, humanist and secular
in purpose and practice, and that under such circumstances, we cannot be members
of any of them. We also recognize that the Consultation of Church Union (COCU)
and all other such schemes, being non-Apostolic and non-Catholic in their
present concept and form, are unacceptable to us, and that we cannot be
associated with any of them. Need
for Sound Theological Training Re-establishment
of spiritual, orthodox and scholarly theological education under episcopal
supervision is imperative, and should be encouraged and promoted by all in
authority; and learned and godly bishops, other clergy and lay people should
undertake and carry on that work without delay. Financial
Affairs
The
right of congregations to control of their temporalities should be firmly and
constitutionally recognized and protected. Administrative
Matters
Administration
should, we believe, be limited to the most simple and necessary acts, so that
emphasis may be centered on worship, pastoral care, spiritual and moral
soundness, personal good works, and missionary outreach, in response to God's
love for us. The
Church as Witness to Truth
We
recognize also that, as keepers of God's will and truth for man, we can and
ought to witness to that will and truth against all manifest evils, remembering
that we are as servants in the world, but God's servants first. Pensions
and Insurance
We
recognize our immediate responsibility to provide for the establishment of sound
pension and insurance programs for the protection of the stipendiary clergy and
other Church Workers. Legal
Defense
We
recognize the immediate need to coordinate legal resources, financial and
professional, for the defense of congregations imperiled by their stand for the
Faith, and commend this need most earnestly to the diocesan and parochial
authorities. Continuation,
Not Innovation In
this gathering witness of Anglicans and Episcopalians, we continue to be what we
are. We do nothing new. We form no new body, but continue as Anglicans and
Episcopalians. Reprints
of this document are available from the Anglican
Parishes Association. |
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