"The only well ordered Vine-yard": when Latitudinarians and Laudians agree

From Simon Patrick's 1662 pamphlet A brief account of the new sect of latitude-men - a defence of those termed by opponents 'Latitudinarians' - another example of how the Church of England was viewed as a via media between Rome and those churches whose experience of Reformation lacked wise moderation and prudence. As stated in an earlier post, and contrary to MacCulloch's assertion, this understanding of the reformed ecclesia Anglicana was no Laudian innovation but, rather, characteristic of standard Conformist apologetics. And here Patrick, as a representative of the "Latitude-men", praises this understanding of the Church of England in terms indistinguishable from the Laudians and their successors:

The Church of Rome is a luxuriant vine, full of superfluous branches, and overrun with wild grapes, from whence many a poysonous and intoxicating potion is pressed forth; But the greatest part of Reformers have done like the rude Thracian in the Apologue, who instead of moderate pruning and dressing his vines, as his more Skillfull Athenian Neighbours did, cut them up by the Roots; but the Church of England is the only well ordered Vine-yard.

From Hooker to Donne, from Herbert to Taylor, from Laud to Patrick, this vision of the ecclesia Anglicana and its Reformation was commonplace and mainstream, standing against those agitating for a 'further Reformation' aimed at profoundly altering the character of the English Church.

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Why I support the ordination of women: a High Church reflection

A number of commenters on this blog have asked about my occasional expressions of support for the ordination of women to all three orders. With some hesitation, I have decided to post a summary of my own views on this matter. The hesitation is because I have sought on this blog to focus on issues and themes which can unify those who identify with or have respect (grudging or otherwise!) for what we might term 'classical' Anglicanism (the Anglicanism of the Formularies and - yes - of the Old High Church tradition). Some oppose the ordination of women (and I have friends and colleagues who do so, Anglo-Catholic, High Church, and Reformed Evangelical). Some of us support it (again, friends and colleagues covering a wide range of theological traditions). Below, I have organised my thinking around 5 points (needless to say, no reference to Dort is implied). 1. The Declaration for Subscription required of clergy in the Church of Ireland states: (6) I promise to submit ...

How the Old High tradition continued

Charles Gore's 1914 letter to the clergy of his diocese, ' The Basis of Anglican Fellowship ', can be regarded as a classical expression of the Prayer Book Catholic tradition. A key part of the letter - entitled 'Romanizing in the Church of England' - addressed the "Catholic movement", questioning beliefs and practices within it which tended to "a position which makes it very difficult for its extremer representatives to give an intelligible reason why they are not Roman Catholics". Gore provides the outlines of an alternative account and experience of catholicity within Anglicanism, defined by three characteristics. What is particularly interesting about these characteristics is their continuity with the older High Church tradition. Indeed, the central characteristic as set out by Gore was integral to High Church claims over centuries: To accept the Anglican position as valid, in any sense, is to appeal behind the Pope and the authority of t...

'Whether the Lutheran Churches have right Ordinations and perfect succession of Bishops': Jeremy Taylor, 'Episcopacy Asserted', and Lutheran orders

Amidst the bitter controversies over episcopacy in the Three Kingdoms during the early 1640s, controversies which had become war in Scotland in 1637 and then in England in 1642, Jeremy Taylor wrote his Laudian defence of episcopal order, The Sacred Order and Offices of Episcopacy Asserted and Maintained . He proposed in this work that the non-episcopal Reformed churches could have had episcopally-ordered clergy: Those good people might have had order from the bishops of England or the Lutheran churches, if at least they thought our churches catholic and Christian. Leaving aside the reality that, for example, French Protestants would have been placed in an invidious political position if they had done as Taylor proposed, it is the reference to "the Lutheran churches" which is significant. To begin with, a large portion of the Lutheran churches - those in the German lands - were governed by a system of superintendency. It is almost inconceivable that Taylor was not aware of th...

laudable Practice

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