Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Westminster Confessions (25.5-6) and WLC (61)

What would preclude any Reformation Anglican--repeat any Reformation Anglican-- from "confessing this" as his or her faith? The frequent jibe is that the WCF is too detailed and, as James Innes Packer once opined, leaves little elbow room for freedom. Of course, JIP says one thing and does another. What's the problem here? Simply because Presbyterians confess it? On the basic of Article VI of the XXXIX Articles, Scriptural supremacy, what is unbiblical here? Even Confessional Lutherans, insofar as I understand their documents, would have no problem here.

Of course, the Tractarians will take issues with it, but they toss the XXXIX Articles anyways, something that governed the Church of England for centuries.

Expect no interactions on such a question from the blogospheres that I frequent. As you'll notice in the sidebar of RA, we tour quite a few of them.

WCF 25.6
October 25, 2009

Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter 25: Of the Church

6: There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ.[501] Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof.

WCF 25.5, LC 61
October 24, 2009

Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter 25: Of the Church

5: The purest Churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error;[498] and some have so degenerated, as to become no Churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan.[499] Nevertheless, there shall be always a Church on earth to worship God according to His will.[500]

Westminster Larger Catechism

Q. 61. Are all they saved who hear the gospel, and live in the church?

A. All that hear the gospel, and live in the visible church, are not saved; but they only who are true members of the church invisible.[260]

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