Jackson on Article XIX: Of the Church

The Article necessarily limits its definitions to “the visible Church of Christ.’’ ‘* What we have to deal with here,’’ says Bishop Harold Browne (p. 461),* ‘‘ is the Church of God, con- sidered as Christ’s ordinance in the world, for the gathering together in one body of all be- lievers in Him, and making them partakers of the various means of grace.’’ The idea of a ‘* Church ’’ was familiar to the Jews from “‘ the Congregation ’’ of Israel in the Old Testament (Acts vii., 38). So that the disciples would feel no surprise at our Lord’s reference to His Church (Matt. xvi., 18). Nor would they think it strange that he should institute two sacraments, ‘‘ the one expressing the distinctness of the Church from the world, and the other the unity of the Church within itself.’’?+ For the Jewish Church had its Circumcision and its Passover. But our Lord lifted the old idea to a higher level, and, as His teaching about ‘‘ the Kingdom of God ”’ shows, He designed that His Church should be both universal in its scope and spiritual in character.

“The Article gives us three essential marks of a true Church, viz., (a) the profession of faith, (b) the preaching of the pure word of God, and | (c) the right administration of the Sacraments. The expression ‘‘ duly (recte) administered ’’ re- fers to the use of the right matter, water in Baptism and bread and wine in the Lord’s Sup- per, and of the right form of words, the Baptismal formula (Matt. xxviii., 19), andsour Lord’s words in the Institution of the Lord’s Supper (Matt. xxvi., 26-29; Mark -xiv., 22-25; Luke xxi., 17- 20; 1 Cor. xi., 23-25). . It is also thought that the word ‘‘ recte ’’ may include the necessity of ad- ministering the Sacraments with “‘ the right use of Ecclesiastical Discipline,’’ as is more explicitly stated in the Homily for Whitsunday.

The last section of the Article repudiates the claim to Ecclesiastical Infallibility, especially that of the Church of Rome.* Like other great and ancient Churches, such as the Church of Jerusa- lem, Alexandria, and Antioch, ‘ the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also in matters of Faith.’’ These are enumerated by Bishop Browne (who quotes from Barrow ‘‘ On the Pope’s Su- premacy ’’) as follows:—(1) Seven Sacraments, (2) Trent Doctrine of Justification and Original Sin, (3) Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Mass, (4) Transubstantiation, (5) Communicating under one kind, (6) Purgatory, (7) Invocation of Saints, (8) Veneration of ‘relics, (9) Worship of Images, (10) The Roman Church to be Mother and Mis- tress of all Churches, (11) Swearing obedience to the Pope, (12) Receiving the decrees of all Synods and of Trent. All members of the Church

*Por the attitude of the Reformed Church towards the Roman claims to infallibility see Jewel’s ‘‘Apology,’’ part iv.

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of Rome are required to receive these things as Articles of Faith; and every priest is required to swear that they form part of the Catholic Faith, without which none can be saved (see Harold Browne, pp. 467 and 468).

ARTICLE XX. Or THE AUTHORITY OF THE

Notes

• “Exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles.” : t Sesley’s ‘‘ Ecoe Homo,’’ pp. 193 and 194.