Mr. Stephen Cooper

I am very proud to present several facsimiles by Mr. Stephen Cooper (below). These facsimiles are about pamphlet-size, yet offer a vital apologetic against the ecclesiastical isolationism of the Anglican Catholic Church, enshrined in their constitution and canons by men of dubious opinions like Andrew Stahl . Most of these writings date back to the 1990′s, providing an interpretation of the Affirmation of St. Louis that was true to the majority present at the 1977 Congress, namely, those “middle-of-the-road” Episcopalians who identified with a church both “protestant” and “catholic”.  Mr Cooper tells us something of this “old-ACA” position as it came from constituent members like AEC and AECNA.  He also provides a solid gravity against the unpredictable vertigo of Clavierism, yet between the two we get a feel for ‘continuing epsicopalianism’. 

Basilikon Doron

James VI and Mary, Queen of Scots

Tudor and Stuart Catholicism is often shoved from center-stage by the cacophony of Puritan agitation. As a result, the sixteenth and seventeenth century Religious Settlement is frequently portrayed as a compromise with Puritan minds, having scant theological or moral basis. Missed is the Crown’s timely intervention against religious fanaticism, particularly how royal family and marital ties shaped church conservatism. Personal affections for “catholic” cousins, uncles, and spouses among the nobility did much to moderate church policy. The writings of James VI to his eldest son, Henry, effuses with this sentiment, “as a witness to my Son, both of the honest integrity of my heart, and of my fatherly affection and natural care” (McIlwain, p.5); generally privileging family, natural succession, and continuation of custom against factional advantage and religious radicalism. Basilikon Doron therefore anticipates a conservative element where later Stuarts, even Charles I and James II, might tolerate and indulge secular and loyalist catholics (1).

Salisbury’s Orb

Normally I try to stay on topic, or follow some sort of theme, but last week Anglican Rose received a very nice plug from Fr. Anthony Chadwick who’s a chaplain in the Traditional Anglican Communion serving Normandy, France. Our Pax Dei page was used at Chadwick’s blog, As the Sun in its Orb (SarumUse), to bounce around questions regarding a ‘northern catholic’ identity. Chadwick broaches this subject by asking, “What is classical Anglicanism?”

Section V

The history of the Continuum has been marked by on-and-off ecumenicism with “orthodox” parts of TEC, these being dioceses and parishes that have more or less  suppressed women’s ordination.  In the course of this ecumenicism two opinions emerge. The first opinion recognizes various degrees WO has been accepted, holding out a possibility that certain quarters of realignment Anglicanism might reverse ordinations into priesthood or even diaconate. The second is certain that wrong intent and compromise of sacramental integrity automatically nullifies every charism for Holy Orders, making extreme disassociation with respect to neo-Anglicanism necessary.  Since the receding of FACA, the latter opinion has made headway among Continuing churches, justifying de facto policies of strict non-involvement. Extreme non-involvement has direct bearing upon the future of North American Anglicanism, hindering what might be dubbed “solidarity” with faithful parts orbiting about Lambeth.

Connecticut Concordate

His Grace, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Seabury

The Connecticut Concord was signed Nov. 14 1784 by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Samuel Seabury as a condition to his elevation to the episcopate while in Aberdeen Scotland.  The Concordant established several points for the primitive source of doctrine, certain manners regarding territorial integrity,  and perpetual goodwill between churches. However, the Concordate’s principle article had the Connecticut church adopt, as far as possible, the communion office belonging to the first prayer book of Edward VI, it being most agreeable with primitive pattern.  It’s from this Concordant that the  American High Church party, starting with the New Englanders, as well as later traditionalist Anglicans, would make the  1549 BCP a moniker.

Hardwick on Method

After a fairly long post on the recent Brockton Consultation, the question remains by what doctrinal standard shall the Continuing movement rally itself? Will it be a strict or nominal reading of the St. Louis Affirmation? What will be the status of the 39 Articles? Some traditionalists mistrust the Thirty-Nine Articles because they believe the Settlement comprehensive to puritanism and therefore unstable. Hardwick’s historical method instructs the proper reading of Articles precluding such worries.  

The Bartonville Factor

A recent APA Logo

* AR usually avoids news items, but this event will likely have consequences in North American Anglicanism that will last for some time.

The World Consultation of Continuing Anglican Churches, held Nov. 3-5th 2011, recently provided a showcase of ‘lesser’ St. Louis jurisdictions in North America. In attendance were ACA, APA, and DHC. Surprisingly, two of the ‘big three’ churches (PCK, UEC) were absent. Mark Haverland, as the Archbishop of the ACC, represented the mainline of the  St. Louis Congress. The Consultation itself was hosted by the Anglican Church in America (ACA) which recently declined membership in the Roman Ordinariate allowing ACA’s anglo-papist wing to go their own way.

The Consultation wasn’t unique. Back in 1999, the same “lesser” St. Louis churches were represented at Bartonville where unity in the continuing movement was likewise considered. The first Bartonville gathering occured with the witness of REC. Bartonville would eventually loose momentum, later gaining a second wind in FACA. But FACA’s  involvement in ACNA has caused some to move away from REC toward the St. Louis’ “big three” (1), changing their point of unity from a revised 1893 Solemn Declaration to the St. Louis Affirmation. This signals a new direction for Bartonville churches but not without painful withdrawals from FACA-style ecumenicism.