Chapter 7: The Church's Authority in Discipline

It was the declared aim and object of the Anglican Reformers to return to the faith and practice of the Primitive Church. They justified the changes they made by appealing to Scripture and Antiquity,^[1] and believed that due weight and authority must be given to the ancient customs of the Church. In reviewing the Ceremonies that had been in use before the Reformation, they rejected those which ‘blinded the people, and obscured the glory of God,’ but retained others for the sake of ‘order in the Church’ and ‘edification’. To those who objected to the retention of any of the old Ceremonies, they pointed out that ‘without some Ceremonies it is not possible to keep any order or quiet discipline in the Church,’ and therefore ‘where the old may be well used’ they ought to be reverenced ‘for their antiquity’, in preference to ‘innovations and new‑fangleness, which (as much as may be with the true setting forth of Christ’s Religion) is always to be eschewed.’^[2] The Anglican attitude to Tradition was well expressed by Bishop Francis White:^[3] ‘Genuine Traditions agreeable to the Rule of Faith, subservient to piety, consonant with Holy Scripture, derived from the Apostolical times by a successive current, and which have the uniform testimony of pious Antiquity, are received and honoured by us,’ and he gives as examples of such traditions: ‘The historical tradition concerning the number, integrity, dignity, and perfection of the Books of Canonical Scriptures,^[4] the Catholic exposition of many sentences of Holy Scripture,^[5] the Holy Apostles’ Creed, the Baptism of Infants, the perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the religious observance of the Lord’s Day, and of some other Festivals, as Easter, Pentecost, etc., Baptizing and administration of the Holy Eucharist in public assemblies and congregations, the Service of the Church in a known language, the delivering of the Holy Communion to the people in both kinds, the superiority and authority of Bishops over Priests and Deacons in jurisdiction and power of Ordination, etc.’^[6] Other examples of tradition which we follow include the Observance of Lent,^[7] the use of the Sign of the Cross in Baptism,^[8] and the holding of ordinations at the Ember Seasons.^[9]

While resisting the Roman Catholic demand for universal uniformity of Traditions and Ceremonies, the Article also strongly condemns those who go to the opposite extreme and claim the right of exercising their private judgement to decide whether traditions should be observed. Such individualists are condemned on the grounds that:

(a) They offend against the common order of the Church. The Article is supported by the Preface Concerning Ceremonies (1549) which emphasizes that ‘the wilful and contemptuous transgression and breaking of a common order and discipline is no small offence before God. “Let all things be done among you”, saith St. Paul, “in a seemly and due order;” The appointment of the which order pertaineth not to private men; therefore no man ought to take in hand, nor presume to appoint or alter any public or common^[10] order in Christ’s Church, except he be lawfully called and authorized thereunto.’ (b) They offend against authority.^[11] Every Clerk in Holy Orders who signs the Declaration of Assent is a man ‘under authority’,^[12] and is not free to do or to teach whatever he pleases. ‘Acting under the order of lawful authority is the antithesis of acting according to one’s own caprice or fancy. It excludes eccentricity, unrestraint, indiscipline, idiosyncrasy. It implies control, submission, regularity, orderliness.’^[13] Since laymen, in most cases, share in making the laws governing Traditions, Rites, and Ceremonies, they are also under a moral, if not a legal, obligation to observe such laws.^[14]

(c) They wound ‘the consciences of the weaker brethren,’ for they may by their bad example weaken the scruples of others. St. Paul regarded such conduct as a serious sin, declaring ‘When ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.’^[15]

^[1]The primitive beliefs and customs not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. Cp. Preface to the Ordinal: ‘It is evident to all men diligently reading Holy Scripture and ancient Authors . . .’

^[2]The quotations are from the Preface Concerning Ceremonies (1549).

^[3]Bishop of Ely, 1631-1638.

^[4]It should be observed that the decision as to which Books should be in the Bible is a matter of Tradition. Dean Robinson points out that at gatherings for Christian Worship in the early Church some Christian writings were read as well as passages from the Old Testament. ‘At first there was no rule of limitation, apart from the judgement of the bishop of each church as to what tended to edification. But soon a tradition grew up in the greater churches as to what was and what was not of apostolic origin. Some books were not read in certain churches, though afterwards they were universally accepted; such were the Epistle to the Hebrews, which some assigned to St. Paul, while others did not; the Revelation of St. John; and the Second Epistle of St. Peter . . . . By the end of the second century nearly all the books of our present New Testament were accepted by the general consent of all the churches.’ Excluded Books of the N. T., p. x.

^[5]Cf. Article XX (Wm. Payne’s Dictum).

^[6]A Treatise of the Sabbath Day (1635), p. 97 f.

^[7]Penitential Service: ‘Brethren, there hath been from ancient times a godly custom in the Church...’

^[8] ‘The sign of the Cross is by this Office appointed to be used in Baptism according to the ancient and laudable custom of the Church.’– Rubric following Baptism of Infants.

^[9]Irish Prayer Book, Canon 18: In accordance with the ancient custom of the Church, whereby certain times were allotted in which only Sacred Orders might be given or conferred . . . only upon the Sundays immediately following . . .Ember weeks.

^[10]The word ‘common’ does not mean ‘vulgar’ but ‘common to all’, as in ‘Common Prayer’. The Traditions and Ceremonies of the Church are part of the heritage of the whole Church, accepted by the representatives of the whole Church in a Synod or Convocation, and therefore no individual man has any right to alter or depart from them to satisfy his personal whims or fancy.

^[11]The Article mentions the Magistrate because when it was drawn up the ordinances of Religion were enforced by the State.

^[12]Cf. Declaration of Assent (Canon Law of C. of E., p. 215).

^[13]The Hon. Mr. Justice Vaisey, in Canon Law of the C. of E. (1947) p. 221, and Heb. 13:7.

^[14]E.g., in the Church of Ireland such laws are made by the General Synod comprising representatives of the laity of the Church as well as representatives of the Clergy.

^[15]1 Cor. 8:12.


	The Church's Authority in Discipline
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Title Contents Preface Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Site Search: powered by FreeFind Copyright & Credit	It was the declared aim and object of the Anglican Reformers to return to the faith and practice of the Primitive Church. They justified the changes they made by appealing to Scripture and Antiquity,^[1] and believed that due weight and authority must be given to the ancient customs of the Church. In reviewing the Ceremonies that had been in use before the Reformation, they rejected those which ‘blinded the people, and obscured the glory of God,’ but retained others for the sake of ‘order in the Church’ and ‘edification’. To those who objected to the retention of any of the old Ceremonies, they pointed out that ‘without some Ceremonies it is not possible to keep any order or quiet discipline in the Church,’ and therefore ‘where the old may be well used’ they ought to be reverenced ‘for their antiquity’, in preference to ‘innovations and new‑fangleness, which (as much as may be with the true setting forth of Christ’s Religion) is always to be eschewed.’^[2] The Anglican attitude to Tradition was well expressed by Bishop Francis White:^[3] ‘Genuine Traditions agreeable to the Rule of Faith, subservient to piety, consonant with Holy Scripture, derived from the Apostolical times by a successive current, and which have the uniform testimony of pious Antiquity, are received and honoured by us,’ and he gives as examples of such traditions: ‘The historical tradition concerning the number, integrity, dignity, and perfection of the Books of Canonical Scriptures,^[4] the Catholic exposition of many sentences of Holy Scripture,^[5] the Holy Apostles’ Creed, the Baptism of Infants, the perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the religious observance of the Lord’s Day, and of some other Festivals, as Easter, Pentecost, etc., Baptizing and administration of the Holy Eucharist in public assemblies and congregations, the Service of the Church in a known language, the delivering of the Holy Communion to the people in both kinds, the superiority and authority of Bishops over Priests and Deacons in jurisdiction and power of Ordination, etc.’^[6] Other examples of tradition which we follow include the Observance of Lent,^[7] the use of the Sign of the Cross in Baptism,^[8] and the holding of ordinations at the Ember Seasons.^[9] While resisting the Roman Catholic demand for universal uniformity of Traditions and Ceremonies, the Article also strongly condemns those who go to the opposite extreme and claim the right of exercising their private judgement to decide whether traditions should be observed. Such individualists are condemned on the grounds that: (a) They offend against the common order of the Church. The Article is supported by the Preface Concerning Ceremonies (1549) which emphasizes that ‘the wilful and contemptuous transgression and breaking of a common order and discipline is no small offence before God. “Let all things be done among you”, saith St. Paul, “in a seemly and due order;” The appointment of the which order pertaineth not to private men; therefore no man ought to take in hand, nor presume to appoint or alter any public or common^[10] order in Christ’s Church, except he be lawfully called and authorized thereunto.’ (b) They offend against authority.^[11] Every Clerk in Holy Orders who signs the Declaration of Assent is a man ‘under authority’,^[12] and is not free to do or to teach whatever he pleases. ‘Acting under the order of lawful authority is the antithesis of acting according to one’s own caprice or fancy. It excludes eccentricity, unrestraint, indiscipline, idiosyncrasy. It implies control, submission, regularity, orderliness.’^[13] Since laymen, in most cases, share in making the laws governing Traditions, Rites, and Ceremonies, they are also under a moral, if not a legal, obligation to observe such laws.^[14] (c) They wound ‘the consciences of the weaker brethren,’ for they may by their bad example weaken the scruples of others. St. Paul regarded such conduct as a serious sin, declaring ‘When ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.’^[15] ^[1]The primitive beliefs and customs not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. Cp. Preface to the Ordinal: ‘It is evident to all men diligently reading Holy Scripture and ancient Authors . . .’ ^[2]The quotations are from the Preface Concerning Ceremonies (1549). ^[3]Bishop of Ely, 1631-1638. ^[4]It should be observed that the decision as to which Books should be in the Bible is a matter of Tradition. Dean Robinson points out that at gatherings for Christian Worship in the early Church some Christian writings were read as well as passages from the Old Testament. ‘At first there was no rule of limitation, apart from the judgement of the bishop of each church as to what tended to edification. But soon a tradition grew up in the greater churches as to what was and what was not of apostolic origin. Some books were not read in certain churches, though afterwards they were universally accepted; such were the Epistle to the Hebrews, which some assigned to St. Paul, while others did not; the Revelation of St. John; and the Second Epistle of St. Peter . . . . By the end of the second century nearly all the books of our present New Testament were accepted by the general consent of all the churches.’ Excluded Books of the N. T., p. x. ^[5]Cf. Article XX (Wm. Payne’s Dictum). ^[6]A Treatise of the Sabbath Day (1635), p. 97 f. ^[7]Penitential Service: ‘Brethren, there hath been from ancient times a godly custom in the Church...’ ^[8] ‘The sign of the Cross is by this Office appointed to be used in Baptism according to the ancient and laudable custom of the Church.’– Rubric following Baptism of Infants. ^[9]Irish Prayer Book, Canon 18: In accordance with the ancient custom of the Church, whereby certain times were allotted in which only Sacred Orders might be given or conferred . . . only upon the Sundays immediately following . . .Ember weeks. ^[10]The word ‘common’ does not mean ‘vulgar’ but ‘common to all’, as in ‘Common Prayer’. The Traditions and Ceremonies of the Church are part of the heritage of the whole Church, accepted by the representatives of the whole Church in a Synod or Convocation, and therefore no individual man has any right to alter or depart from them to satisfy his personal whims or fancy. ^[11]The Article mentions the Magistrate because when it was drawn up the ordinances of Religion were enforced by the State. ^[12]Cf. Declaration of Assent (Canon Law of C. of E., p. 215). ^[13]The Hon. Mr. Justice Vaisey, in Canon Law of the C. of E. (1947) p. 221, and Heb. 13:7. ^[14]E.g., in the Church of Ireland such laws are made by the General Synod comprising representatives of the laity of the Church as well as representatives of the Clergy. ^[15]1 Cor. 8:12.
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