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Be Prepared To Make A Defense
Preface
The following mongraph was written in May, 2004. In August that year I helped lead my parish
to disassociate from the Episcopal Church, USA, and find provisional
oversight in the Diocese of Luweero, Anglican Church of Uganda. Since then the
Episcopal Church has widened the gulf between itself and the One, Holy, Catholic
and Apostolic faith, wherein Holy Scriptures contain all doctrine required as
necessary for eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Meanwhile,
orthodox Anglicans in America are drawing ever closer together, praying that in
God's timing we will constitute new dioceses and eventually a new, Godly,
Anglican province in this land.
Ron Speers
Chairman, Executive Committee
The Association of Western Anglican Congregations
October 8, 2007
Be Prepared To Make A Defense
A Message to Orthodox Episcopalians
Today's disconnect in ECUSA (Episcopal
Church, USA) has been long in the making. This
monograph argues that the heated issues, the causes celebre, that have rent
the Church now and in the past are symptomatic rather
than causal. A causes celebre, like a red herring, can be used to divert
attention from the real goal. In the 1970s the causes celebre was female ordination, supported by
many faithful people, but the liberals' real target
was the orthodox 1928 Book of Common Prayer (BCP).
Now, a quarter-century later, gay issues are the causes celebre, but the jugular issue is the
authority of Holy Scripture. Orthodox Episcopalians
need to understand and articulate how this is so.
People assume there are two sides to a story, particularly when those having a
controversy seem honorable enough. With all the publicity about the goings-on in
ECUSA, our worldly friends and acquaintances could hardly be faulted for a
perception that orthodox believers are on the losing side, if not the wrong side
of history. That is not the case. We may be a minority voice in ECUSA, but the
vast majority of Anglicans stand with us in numbers that dwarf ECUSA, which is
but one of thirty-eight provinces of the Anglican Communion. When conversation
turns to the current state of the Episcopal Church, we need a ready explanation
of the true situation. Scripture tells us, Always be prepared to make a defense
to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with
gentleness and reverence. 1 Pet 3:15 (Quotes are RSV)
*****
The starting point in explaining the liberalization of ECUSA is that the
disconnect between liberals and orthodoxy isn't fundamentally about gay issues,
as one might suppose from the media attention. The real disconnect results from
a virulent heresy in ECUSA. This heresy was highlighted in the media surge
surrounding the 2003 Convention when FOX-TV's Bill O'Reilly interviewed a
revisionist spokesman. Asked about the guiding authority of Anglicanism, the
Rev. Ed Bacon stated that Scripture isn't the ultimate authority. He answered
that "the Holy Spirit working in community" is the ultimate spiritual authority.
Since the actions taken at the Convention were contrary to God's Word, the
notion that the Church navigates by the Holy Spirit is really a none-to-subtle
claim that those who ruled the Convention were gifted with superior knowledge in
spiritual matters. Here is the age-old gnostic heresy in new clothes!
[Gnosticism derives from Greek philosophy and oriental mysticism and stresses
salvation through gnosis, a positive, intuitive knowledge in spiritual matters.]
*****
Nothing could be farther from Anglican practice than a vacuous, supposed
equivalency between majority rule and the operation of the Holy Spirit.
Anglicanism looks to Scripture, Tradition and Reason as the ultimate authority
in spiritual matters. These three sources of spiritual guidance have been
likened to a tricycle, where Scripture is the large wheel up front that we steer
with, that supplies the power. Understanding is enriched and steadied by the
lesser wheels of Reason and Tradition. Reason in this sense isn't the
unrestrained intellect in free-flight, it's informed reason that interprets
Scripture in the light of other scripture and Tradition. Tradition isn't the
pharisaical tradition of men (making void the Word of God Mk 7:13); instead,
it's the sum of what most saints of the Church have believed at most times in
Church history, including what the martyrs died for, and martyrs are dying for.
This doesn't mean that Tradition is infallible, but it certainly means that
Tradition is to be soberly regarded.
*****
Church liberals think that doctrine should derive from revelations that are
superior to Scripture. Whenever someone claims to have a more profound
understanding of Christ than is revealed in Scripture, they are gnostic and
heretical. Their's is a fundamentally different God than the God of the Bible.
[Indeed, The Rev. Robert J. Sanders, PhD, in "To Stay or Not To Stay," Trowel &
Sword, Vol. 4, No 2., makes the point that the notion that the Word of God
should be read in the light of secular culture is insidious because, while it
embraces the foundational documents: Scripture, Creeds, liturgy, and worship, it
reinterprets them.]
Gnosticism was spread in the Church by a movement called "Higher Criticism,"
which is rooted in German theological scholarship of two and more centuries ago.
Higher Criticism picks apart the Bible with academic skill. For example, it
compares Gospel themes, stories and events to pre-existing mythology, exploits
actual and supposed inconsistencies in the Gospels, and of course disbelieves
the miracles. In sum, it redefines God the Son as a mythological figure or if an
actual historical figure, then as a teacher but certainly not deity. By the
1960s Higher Criticism was dominating America's seminaries which, in ECUSA's
case, began turning out "learned" priests, who become bishops. And now a
majority of the House of Bishops are liberal. Since this was years in the
making, what happened in 2003 was but the latest major battle in a war commenced
no later than 1976, the convention year of female ordination and of the new
Prayer Book. If, as many believe, the question of ordination of women isn't
central to the Christian faith, it is certainly true that the changes made to
the Book of Common Prayer concerned matters of the faith.
*****
The BCP traces back in substantial part to the first Book of Common Prayer,
issued in 1549. The 1549 Prayer Book bound Anglicans together, for the first
time, in common doctrine and worship, and set the Church apart from other
churches by its incorporation of Scripture into worship. To strip ECUSA of its
reliance on Scripture it was first necessary to strip some bothersome provisions
from the BCP. Liberals succeeded in doing this at the 1976 Convention. Compare
the 1928 and 1979 BCP provisions concerning consecration of a bishop. The 1979
version deleted the age-old oath of a bishop to drive out false doctrine
contrary to God's Word. In its place, a bishop now promises to "interpret" the
Gospel, "enlighten minds," an "stir the conscience" of his people.
1928 BCP: Are you ready, with all faithful diligence, to banish and drive away
from the Church all erroneous and strange doctrine contrary to God's Word; and
both privately and openly to call upon and encourage others to the same?
(Deleted in 1979)
1979 BCP: Will you boldly proclaim and interpret the Gospel of Christ,
enlightening the minds and stirring up the conscience of your people?
For centuries a bishop promised to lead a chaste life. This was deleted and
inclusiveness entered the BCP in its place.
1928 BCP: Will you deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly,
righteously, and godly in this present world; that you may show yourself in all
things an example of good works unto others, that the adversary may be ashamed,
having nothing to say against you?
1979 BCP: As a chief priest and pastor, will you encourage and support all
baptized people in their gifts and ministries, nourish them from the riches of
God's grace, pray for them without ceasing, and celebrate with them the
sacraments of our redemption?
Some bishops left ECUSA over the changes to the BCP, and a few largely anglo-catholic
denominations were formed, but most Episcopalians dutifully accepted the
proffered explanation of the new BCP as being a needed updating with
contemporary language.
*****
"Progressive Revelation" is a theme of today's liberals. It is the notion that
God Himself is developing continuously, along with the creation, so that today
Christ is being revealed to us in new and different ways. This is a reappearance
of Process Theology, based on the philosopher Hegel's notion that one idea
attracts its opposite, which results in a new idea, and so on adinfinitum (which
is to say God is making it up as he goes along!). But Scripture tells us Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Heb 13:8 The satirist
Garrison Keeler may have summed-up ECUSA's final outcome in one of his Prairie
Home Companion monologues. Several years ago he told a story about a fellow
named Bob, over in St. Cloud, Minnesota, near the mythical Lake Woebegone. Bob
invented a new religion called Bobism. In Keeler's parody, advertising lures the
faithful to the Bobist Temple, proclaiming: "Bobism -- the religion that changes
to meet your needs!"
*****
In sum, the Convention of 2003 and subsequent consecration of the openly gay
Bishop of New Hampshire resulted from relentless pressure brought by liberals in
the years since 1976. The causes celebre (contemporary language, female
ordination, gay ordination/marriage) continue to evolve, but the lethal thrusts
are consistent: the Bible isn't authoritative, say the liberals, and it needs to
be interpreted in the light of our culture. Like all heresies this exalts
criticism above belief, yet the gospels were written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his
name. Jn 20:31
*****
Are there words of explanation, words of hope we can offer to curious friends
and acquaintances, and words of comfort for hurting brothers and sisters
grieving for their Church? Yes, emphatically. The truth about the present state
of ECUSA can be communicated succinctly.
Tell them that though gay issues are the causes celebre getting all the
publicity, what's really going on is a struggle between today's cultural
humanism, on one hand, and what most Christians have believed at most times in
history, on the other.
Tell them that what's really at stake is the revelation of Jesus Christ in Holy
Scripture, and Scripture as the ultimate authority in spiritual matters.
Tell them that the liberals have revived the old gnostic heresy, in which
revelations of Christ supposedly come from knowledge that is outside of and
superior to the Bible.
Tell them that throughout the ages Christ's Church has been beset with heresies,
and that somehow it will defeat this heresy, too.
And tell them we have Christ's promise, where he says the gates of hell shall
not prevail against his Church! Mt 16:18
Ron Speers
Lay Member and former Senior Warden
St. James Episcopal Church
Newport Beach, California
May 2004
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