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In the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.
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 Canterbury*
We affirm our continued relations of communion with the See of Canterbury and
all faithful parts 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 North America, in true and
valid succession thereto.
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 Essential
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 preachings 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.
III.
CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES
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 Catholic Churches, provided
that agreement in the essentials of Faith and Order first be reached.
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.
Now, therefore,
deeply aware of our duty to all who love and believe the Faith of our Fathers,
of our duty to God, who alone shall judge what we do, we make this Affirmation.
Before God, we claim our Anglican/Episcopal inheritance, and proclaim the same
to the whole Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with the Father and
the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
*Nota Bene:
The Affirmation of St. Louis was set forth in 1976, as a statement of faith in
the Continuing Catholic Church. In 1992, the See of Canterbury of the Church of
England, approved the ordination of women to the priesthood, removing itself
from intercommunion with the Continuing Catholic Church.
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