Green on Article XX: Of the Authority of the Church

Composed by the English Reformers. In 1553, and in the first draft of 1563, the Article began with the words, “It is not lawful for the Church to […] Ecclesiae non licet quic¬ quam instituere ”). The important clause at the beginning (in thick type in the Latin) appears in the Latin edition of 1563 as expressly sanctioned by the Queen ; and the Article, with this clause added, was approved by Convocation, ratified by the Crown, and enforced by Parliament in 1571. The Wurtemburg Con¬ session may have been the model from which the new clause was taken. Cf. the Article “ De Ecclesia ” : —

“ Credimus et confitemur … quod haec Ecclesia habeat jus judicandi de omnibus doctrinis … quod haec Ecclesia habeat jus interpretandae Scripturae… . Quare et Ecclesia sic habet auctoritatem judicandi de doctrinis, ut tamen contineat se intra metas Sacrae Scripturae, quae est vox sponsi sui, a qua voce nulli,

ne angelo quidem, fas est recedere.”

§ 2.— OBJECT.

The object of the Article in its present form seems to be to guard against —

(a) Undue exaggeration of the authority of the Church on the one hand, and

( b ) Undue depreciation of that same authority on the other.

§ 3.— EXPOSITION.

(1.) The Authority of the Church.

The Church hath power (jus) to decree Rites or Ceremonies, and authority in controversies of Faith.

This Article stands in close relation to the preceding. The Church being a visible society of men, Divinely organised, it follows that there must be an inherent power of ordering whatever is necessary for the corporate life of her members ; like other societies, she must have authority to enact and enforce the rules which her members are bound to observe. Thus —

(a) The Church has the right of decreeing forms of worship and rites or ceremonies, wherewith to consecrate, or to cele¬ brate, events in the lives of her children.

(b) Moreover, since controversies on matters of faith are con¬ stantly liable to occur, she must have power to settle points of dispute which may arise from time to time.

That the Church has this twofold authority is affirmed in our Article.

(a) By the power which she has to decree rites or ceremonies, the Church ensures that all things are done, in accordance with the Apostolic precept, “ decently and in order ( 1 Cor. xiv. 40). The custom of the “ churches of God ” is quoted by S. Paul as deciding a controverted ceremonial matter (1 Cor. xi. 16). We may add that Christ Himself recog¬ nised the right of the Jewish Church to ordain ceremonies when He bade His disciples observe and do the things commanded by those who sat in Moses’ seat (S. Matt, xxiii. 2, 3); and when He express^ declared that while the great Moral Commandments of the Law have the first claim, yet, at the same time, the ceremonial precepts of the Church should not be passed over (S. Matt, xxiii. 23).

( b ) Wo have already seen that to the Church as a whole the Lord has given the promise that she shall be led into all truth (S. John xvi. 13); she is the pillar and ground of the truth ( 1 Tim. iii. 15); she has, therefore, authority to determine doctrine. The authority attaching to decisions of the Church is stated by our Lord Himself (S. Matt, xviii. 1 7) ; and we may see examples of the exercise of that authority in the New Testament ; e.g., when disputes arose concerning circumcision and other matters, the ques¬ tion, which agitated the whole Christian community, and in which the freedom of the Gospel was involved, was decided by a decree of the Church, after a representative Council held at Jerusalem (Acts xv. 19—29). See also the charges given by S. Paul to Timothy and Titus respectively, which imply an authority of the Church in matters of faith (1 Tim. i. 3 ; Tit. iii. 10). It is on the principle that the Church has such authority that Creeds and Formu¬ laries of Faith have in all ages been constructed and promulgated.

(2.) The Authority of the Church limited by Holy Scrip¬ ture.

The Divinely inspired Scriptures are entrusted, not to the individual, but to the Church, which is a witness and keeper of Holy Writ. (Cf. Rom. iii. 2.)

(i.) The Church is a witness, inasmuch as in her life, as the visible Kingdom of Christ on earth, she testifies to the truth of His Gospel and His promises ; she lets her light shine before men in defence and confirmation of the Gospel.

(ii.) The Church is also the keeper of Holy Writ ; she hands on from age to age the Sacred Books, promulgating them as the Word of God in succeeding generations, and guard¬ ing them from corruption or perversion.

In Holy Scripture we have the infallible truth of God, but we, in our apprehension of it, are fallible ; how, then, can we guard against receiving it wrongly ? In order that Divine truth, as embodied in Holy Scripture, may pass into the minds of men, that same Holy Spirit, Who inspired Scripture, is Himself given to the Church to lead and guide into all truth (S. John xvi. 13).

It is not lawful for the Church to ordain anything that is contrary to God’s Word written.

(a) As regards Rites or Ceremonies.

These must not be contrary to Scripture, but at the same time it is not necessary that they should have the express authority of Scripture.

The Church hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies, … yet ... it ought not to decree anything against the same (viz.. Holy Writ).

Cf. what is laid down in Article XXXIV. : —

“Traditions and ceremonies … may be changed according to the diversities of countries, times, and men’s manners, so that nothing be ordained against God’s Word.”

Thus, e.g> the use of the surplice in Divine Service, and of the sign of the Cross in Baptism, are Ceremonies decreed by the Church, and not contrary to Holy Scripture, although, at the same time, neither have they direct Scriptural sanction.

(b) With regard to Doctrine.

In this case it is necessary that what is laid down by the Church should have the express authority of Scripture.

The Church hath … authority in controversies of Faith : … yet … besides the same (viz., Holy Writ) ought it not to enforce anything to be believed for necessity of salvation.

Our Article further makes it clear what is meant when it is said that doctrine laid down by the Church should have the express warrant of Scripture ; it is meant, not that a text or two must be found to support it, but that the Church must see that such doctrine is consistent with the whole tenor of Scripture.

neither may it so expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another.

On the subject dealt with in this Article the words of the Creed of Pope Pius IV. should be compared : —

“Apostolicas et ecclesiasticas traditiones, reliquasque ejusdem Ecclesiae observations et constitutiones firmissime admitto, et amplector.

“ Item sacram Scripturam juxta eum sensum, quern tenuit et tenet sancta mater Ecclesia, cujus est judicare de vero sensu et interpretatione sacrarum Scripturarum, admitto, nec earn unquam nisi juxta unanimem consensum Patrum accipiam, et interpre¬ tabor.”

s

Two incidental, but significant, points should be noted in the above extract : —

(i.) t: Ecclesiastical traditions ” have the first place, being men¬ tioned before the Holy Scripture.

(ii.) While of the former it is said “ fir missime admitto,” with regard to Holy Scripture the formula used is simply u admitto.”

See also the decree of the Council of Trent, “ De Canonicis Scripturis ” (Session IY.) : —

“ Synodus … orthodoxorum patrum exempla secuta, omnes libros tam Yeteris, quam Novi Testamenti, cum u triusque unus Deus sit auctor, nec non traditiones ipsas, turn ad fidem, turn ad mores pertinentes, tanquam vel ore tenus a Christo, vel a Spiritu Sancto dictatas, et continua successione in ecclesia catholica con- servatas, pari pietatis affectu et reverentia suscipit et veneratur.”