English Orthodoxy - The Ten Articles, #2

QUOTE:

Secondly, As touching the holy sacrament of baptism, we will that all bishops and preachers shall instruct and teach our people committed by us unto their spiritual charge, that they ought and must of necessity believe certainly all those things, which hath been always by the whole consent of the Church approved, received, and used in the sacrament of baptism; that is to say, that the sacrament of baptism was instituted and ordained in the New Testament by our Saviour Jesus Christ, as a thing necessary for the attaining of everlasting life, according to the saying of Christ, “No man can enter into the kingdom of heaven, except he be born again of water and the Holy Ghost.”

And finally, if they shall also have firm credence and trust in the promise of God adjoined to the said sacrament, that is to say, that in and by this said sacrament, which they shall receive, God the Father giveth unto them, for His son Jesus Christ's sake, remission of all their sins, and the grace of the Holy Ghost, whereby they be newly regenerated and made the very children of God, according to the saying of St John and the apostle St Peter, Do penance (repent) for your sins, and be each of you baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and you shall obtain remission of your sins, and shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. And according also to the saying of St Paul, “God hath not saved us for the works of justice which we have done, but of His mercy by baptism, and renovation of the Holy Ghost, whom He hath poured out upon us most plentifully, for the love of Jesus Christ our Saviour, to the intent that we, being justified by His grace, should he made the inheritors of everlasting life, according to our hope.” (The Ten Articles, 1536, Thomas Cramer)

Commentary:

The second of the “Ten Articles” of dogma in the first English reformation, addresses certain points of commonality as well as difference between the more Ancient & Orthodox English view, & the relatively new & prevailing Roman view of the day. Cranmer identifies three points in this article.

He begins by asserting that baptism finds its authority in that which hath been always by the whole consent of the Church approved, received, and used in the sacrament of baptism. It is here that we find the historic catholic methodology for determining dogma in the first millennium catholic church. Cranmer for the 2^nd time in as many articles defers to the Vincentian canon. This is the canon which taught that catholic dogma is that which has been believed by all, everywhere, at all times. This position directly opposed Rome’s view which taught that the church was still receiving revelation from God, and thus what it decided by papal decree and concilliar action could be added to dogma, even if it was new or even if it opposed that which had been believed by all, everywhere, at all times.

Yet, at the same time we see that because it is that which the church had always been believed, the English church like Rome affirmed that Baptism is a thing necessary for the attaining of everlasting life, according to the saying of Christ. This stands in direct opposition to the reformation’s teachings in all other places.

In addition to that point of agreement, we also see that the English church like Rome affirmed the ancient view that baptism brought about spiritual regeneration: the Father giveth unto them, for His son Jesus Christ's sake, remission of all their sins, and the grace of the Holy Ghost, whereby they be newly regenerated and made the very children of God.

In short, there are a great many points of agreement between the English church and Rome, due to the fact that Rome still retained many ancient dogmas & practices that where believed by all, everywhere, at all times. Nevertheless, it is inevitable that there be disagreements due to the innovative freedom that Rome gave herself.

The cry out of Canterbury in 1536 was, “out with that new fangled Roman Catholicism, they're just too revisionist.”