NOTE: 14

A THEOLOGICAL INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND   14

PREFACE. 16

INTRODUCTION.. 23

§ 1. THE RELATION OF THEOLOGY TO RELIGION.. 23

§ 2. THE PLACE OF THEOLOGY IN THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.. 24

§ 3. THE NECESSITY OF THEOLOGY.. 27

§ 4. PREJUDICE AGAINST ALL THEOLOGY.. 29

THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES: THEIR HISTORY AND PLACE IN THEOLOGY   32

§ 1. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE TIME. 32

§ 2. FORMULARIES OF THE ENGLISH CHURCH UNDER HENRY VIII 34

(a) 10 Articles and Bishops’ Book. 34

(b) The King’s Book. 36

§ 3. THE 42 ARTICLES. 36

§ 4. THE 39 ARTICLES. 42

(a) Their History. 42

(b) Chief Differences from 42 Articles. 43

(c) Estimate of Their Value. 47

§ 5. CONTRAST BETWEEN CREEDS AND ARTICLES. 48

§ 6. HISTORY OF SUBSCRIPTION TO THE ARTICLES. 50

ARTICLE I:THE BEING OF GOD.. 53

§ 1. THE UNITY OF GOD AGAINST POLYTHEISM... 53

§ 2. HUMAN ATTEMPTS TO CONCEIVE OF GOD.. 58

(a) His Personality. 58

(b) Anthropomorphism.. 60

(c) His Attributes. 64

§ 3. GOD AND THE WORLD.. 66

(a) Creation. 66

(b) Preservation. 67

§ 4. DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY.. 70

(a) Facts that have to be explained. 71

(b) Beginnins of Theological Reflection. 75

(c) Language and Ideas of the Time. 79

(d) Church’s Aim in Constructing Her Theology. 84

(e) Rejected Attempts to Explain the Facts. 86

(f) Language Finally Selected by the Church. 94

(g) Reasonableness of the Doctrine. 99

ARTICLE II: THE INCARNATION AND ATONEMENT. 103

§ 1. Son took man’s nature. 103

(a) Person of Christ 104

(b) Rejected Attempts to Explain the Facts. 105

(c) Formula of Chalcedon. 110

(d) How can we best conceive of the Incarnation?. 121

(e) Special difficulties. 123

(f) The Virgin-birth. 132

§ 2. The Atonement 143

(a) The Fact and Explanations. 143

(b) Meaning of ‘Sacrifice’ 145

(c) Language of Scripture. 147

(d) Contrast with Old Testament Sacrifices. 149

(e) Wrath of God. 153

(f) Atonement Objective or Subjective?. 155

ARTICLES III-IV: THE RESURRECTION, THE ASCENSION AND THE JUDGMENT  160

(ARTICLE III: GOING DOWN INTO HELL) 160

(ARTICLE IV: OF THE RESURRECTION) 161

§ 1. The Descent into Hades. 161

§ 2. The Resurrection. 166

(a) Apostolic Teaching. 166

(b) Evidence. 168

(c) Nature of the Risen Body. 171

(d) Alternative Attempts to Explain the Facts. 176

§ 3. The Ascension. 182

(a) The Evidence of Scripture. 182

(b) Outward Fact and Inward Meaning. 183

(c) The Ascended Christ 185

§ 4. Return to Judgment 190

ARTICLE V: THE HOLY SPIRIT. 198

§ 1. Teaching of the New Testament 198

§ 2. Teaching of the Early Church. 199

§ 3. Conflict of Macedonianism.. 201

§ 4. Double Procession. 203

(i) Temporal Mission. 203

(ii) Eternal Procession. 204

(iii) Conflict between East and West 205

ARTICLES VI—VII: THE SCRIPTURES. 208

(ARTICLE VI: SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE) 208

(ARTICLE VII: OLD TESTAMENT) 212

§ 1. The sufficiency of Scripture. 213

(a) Church and the Bible. 214

(b) Bible and the Living Christ 215

(c) Witness of the Early Church. 216

(d) Place of Tradition. 218

§ 2. The Canon of Scripture. 219

(a) Inspiration. 219

(b) Is Scripture Uniquely Inspired?. 222

(c) Formation of the Canon. 225

(d) Permanent Value of the Old Testament 233

ARTICLE VIII: OF THE THREE CREEDS. 238

§ 1. The origin of Creeds. 238

(a) Baptismal 238

(b) Conciliar 244

§ 2 The Apostles Creed. 246

(i) Its Origin. 246

(ii) Its Development 248

(iii) Its Title. 250

(iv) Its Use. 251

§ 3. The Nicene Creed. 252

(i) Creed of Nicaea. 252

(ii) Creed of Nonstantinople. 254

§ 4. Athanasius’ Creed. 258

(i) Its Date and Authorship. 259

(ii) Its Meaning and Value. 264

(iii) Its Authority and Use. 269

ARTICLES IX-X AND XV-XVI: THE NATURE OF MAN.. 272

(ARTICLE IX: ORIGINAL SIN) 272

(ARTICLE X: OF FREE WILL) 273

(ARTICLE XV: OF CHRIST ALONE WITHOUT SIN) 274

(ARTICLE XVI: OF SIN AFTER BAPTISM) 275

§ 1. The true nature of man. 275

(a) Teaching of the Old Testament 276

(b) Revelation in Christ 278

(c) Contrast with Other Views. 278

§ 2. Man’s Present Condtion. 279

(a) Meaning of ‘Sin’ 280

(b) Story of the ‘Fall’ 281

(c) ‘Original Sin’ 282

(d) Sinlessness of Christ 284

(e) Causes of ‘Original Sin’ 285

(f) Modern Explanations of ‘Original Sin’ 291

§ 3. (a) Grace. 299

(a) Meaning of Grace. 299

(b) Free-will. 302

(c) The relation of grace to free-will. 304

ARTICLES XI-XIV AND XVII-XVIII: SALVATION.. 313

(ARTICLE XI: Justification by Faith) 313

§ 1. ‘Justification by faith.’. 313

(a) Origin of the Language (Article XI) 313

(b) Spiritual Value of the Doctrine. 319

(c) Its Perversions. 321

(ARTICLE XII: SANCTIFICATION) 324

(ARTICLE XIII: WORKS BEFORE JUSTIFICATION) 325

(ARTICLE XIV: WORKS of SUPEREROGATION) 327

§ 2. Sanctification (Article XII) 327

(a) Need of Holiness. 327

(b) Need of Good Works. 331

(c) Idea of Merit 332

(ARTICLE XVII: PREDESTINATION) 339

(ARTICLE XVIII: SALVATION ONLY BY THE NAME OF CHRIST) 341

§3. Predestination and Election (Article XVII) 341

(a) The Question at Issue. 341

(b) Teaching of Scripture. 345

(c) The Language of the Articles. 348

(d) God’s Omniscience and Man’s Free Will 348

(e) The moral effect of the doctrine of Predestination. 351

(f) Position of the Heathen (Article XVIII) 352

ARTICLE XIX: THE CHURCH.. 354

§1. THE VISIBLE CHURCH.. 354

§ 2 WHY DO WE NEED A CHURCH?. 357

§ 3. FOUR NOTES OF THE CHURCH.. 359

(a)Unity. 361

(b) Holiness. 372

(c) Catholicity. 374

(d) Apostolicity. 375

ARTICLES XX-XXII: THE CHURCH’S AUTHORITY IN DOCTRINE. 377

§ 1. Meaning of ‘Authority’ 377

§ 2. Distinction between Discipline and Doctrine (Article XX) 380

§ 3. Interpretation of the Faith. 382

(a) Church as Judge. 383

(b) Development of Doctrine. 384

(c) Test of True Development 387

(ARTICLE XXI) 403

§ 4 Place of General Counsils (Article XXI) 403

(a) Growth of Synods. 403

(b) First General Council 405

(c) Test of a General Council 406

§ 5. ‘Infallibility’ of the Church and ‘Private Judgment’ 410

(a) Guidance of the Holy Spirit 411

(b) Duty of the Individual 412

(c) Roman Exaggeration of Authority. 413

(d) Protestant Neglect of It 414

§ 6. Limitation of the Church’s Auhority (Article XXII) 415

(ARTICLE XXII) 416

(a) Purgatory. 416

(b) Pardons. 427

(c) Images. 432

(d) Invocation of Saints. 438

ARTICLES XXIV AND XXXII-XXXV: THE CHURCH’S AUTHORITY IN DISCIPLINE  448

(ARTICLE XXXIV Of the Traditions of the Church) 448

§ 1. The position of National Churches (Article XXXIV) 449

(a) What Is a National Church?. 449

(b) Growth of Customs. 452

(c) Change of Customs. 455

(ARTICLE XXIV: COMMON TONGUE) 462

§ 2. Examples of This Use of Authority. 462

(a) Use of a Common Language (Article XXIV) 462

(ARTICLE XXXII: MARRIAGE OF PRIESTS) 464

(b) Marriage of the Clergy (Article XXXII) 464

(ARTICLE XXXIII: EXCOMMUNICATION) 472

§ 3. Excommunication (Article XXXIII) 472

(a) In Scripture. 472

(b) In the Primitive Church. 475

(c) In the Church of England. 476

(ARTICLE XXXV: HOMILIES) 479

§ 4. Homilies (Article XXXV) 480

ARTICLES XXIII AND XXXVI: THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH.. 481

(ARTICLE XXIII: Ministering in the Congregation) 481

(ARTICLE XXXVI: CONSECRATION OF BISHOPS AND MINISTERS) 482

§ 1. Need of a Ministry (Article XXIII) 483

(a) Inward Call 483

(b) Outward Call 483

(c) Ordination. 484

§ 2. ‘Apostolic Succession’ 485

(a) Historic Facts. 485

(b) Interpretation of the Facts. 492

(c) Historic Ministry. 494

(d) Nonconformists. 496

§ 3. Roman Denial of our Orders (Article XXXVI) 503

(a) Insufficiency of form.. 504

(b) Lack of Intention. 506

§ 4. Papal Claims. 509

(a) Historical Growth of the Papal Power 510

(b) Arguments Used to Defend It 516

ARTICLES XXV-XXVI: THE SACRAMENTS. 523

(ARTICLE XXV: SACRAMENTS) 523

De Sacramentis. 523

(ARTICLE XXVI: UNWORTHINESS OF MINISTERS) 525

§ 1. History of the Word ‘Sacrament’ 526

§ 2. Value of the Sacraments. 527

(a) Matter Not Evil 528

(b) Sacraments are Very Old. 529

(c) Sacraments an Extension of the Incarnation. 530

(d) Necessary Condition of the Social Side of Religion. 531

(e) Primary Elements of Sacraments. 531

§ 3. Their Place in the Christian Life (Article XXV) 532

(a) Badges and Tokens. 532

(b) Means of Grace. 533

(c) Pledges of God’s Good Will 533

(d) Aids to Faith. 534

§ 4. Number of Sacraments. 534

§ 5. Special Difficulties Connected With. 536

(a) Penance. 536

(b) Extreme Unction. 541

§ 6. Co-operation of Man. 543

ARTICLE XXVII: HOLY BAPTISM... 545

§ 1. History of Baptism.. 546

(a) Jewish Baptism.. 546

(b) Institution of Christ 547

§ 2. Meaning of Baptism.. 549

(a) Language of Scripture. 549

(b) Membership of Christ 551

(c) Regeneration. 553

§ 3. Infant Baptism.. 556

(a) Its History. 556

(b) Its Value. 557

§ 4. Baptism and Confirmation. 560

ARTICLES XXVIII-XXXI: THE HOLY COMMUNION.. 563

(ARTICLE XXVIII: LORD’S SUPPER) 563

(ARTICLE XXIX: WICKED DO NOT EAT) 565

§ 1. Its History. 565

(a) Institution. 566

(b) Primitive Practice. 567

§ 2. Its Meaning. 571

(a) Sign of Fellowship. 571

(b) Sacrament of Redemption. 572

(c) Feeding on the Body and Blood of Christ 573

§ 3. Relation of the Gift to the Elements. 575

(a) Receptionism.. 576

(b) Real Presence. 577

(c) ‘Transubstantiation’ 583

§ 4. Two Difficulties. 589

(a) Reception by the Wicked (Article XXIX) 589

(b) Reservation. 590

(ARTICLE XXX: OF BOTH KINDS) 600

§5. Communion in Both Kinds (Article XXX) 600

(ARTICLE XXXI: OF THE ONE OBLATION OF CHRST FINISHED ON THE CROSS) 604

§ 6. The Eucharistic Sacrifice (Article XXXI) 604

(a) Language of Scripture. 604

(b) In What Sense a ‘Sacrifice’?. 606

(c) Teaching Repudiated in the Article. 610

(d) Truer View.. 614

ARTICLES XXXVII—XXXIX: CHURCH AND STATE. 618

(ARTICLE XXXVII: CIVIL MAGISTRATES) 618

§ 1. The relations between Church and State. 619

(a) In Scripture. 619

(b) Under Christian Emperors. 621

(c) In mediaeval Times. 623

§ 2. Teaching of the Article (Article XXXVII) 626

(a) ‘Royal Supremacy’ 626

(b) Changes Made at the Reformation. 627

(c) Claims of Elizabeth. 630

§ 3. Position Today. 632

(a) Transference of Authority from Crown to Parliament 632

(b) Appointment of Bishops. 633

(c) New Legislation and the Enabling Act 634

(d) Position of Privy Council 637

(e) How Far Are These Due to Establishment?. 640

(f) Return to First Principles. 643

§ 4. Right of State to Employ Force. 646

(a) Police Action. 646

(b) War 647

(c) Capital Punishment 649

(ARTICLE XXXVIII: GOODS NOT IN COMMON) 651

§ 5. Recognition of Property (Article XXXVIII) 651

(ARTICLE XXXIX: OATHS) 654

§ 6. Use of Oaths (Article XXXIX) 654