Laud's defence of Protestant belief in the Real Presence

For [Bellarmine] himself, but in the very Chapter going before, quotes four Places out of Calvin, in which he says expresly, That we receive in the Sacrament the Body and the Bloud of Christ 'Verè', truly. So Calvin says it four times, and Bellarmine quotes the places; and yet he says in the very next Chapter, That never any Protestant said so, to his Reading. And for the Church of England, nothing is more plain, than that it believes and teaches the true and Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist ... And the Church of England is Protestant too. So Protestants of all sorts maintain a true and Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist; and then, where's any known, or damnable Heresie here? As for the Learned of those zealous men that died in this Cause in Q. Maries days, they denied not the Real presence simply taken, but as their Opposites forced Transubstantiation upon them, as if that, and the Real presence had been all one ... Now that the Learned Protestants in Queen Mary's days, did not deny, nay did maintain the Real presence, will manifestly appear. For when the Commissioners obtruded to Jo. Frith the Presence of Christ's natural Body in the Sacrament, and that without all figure, or similitude: Jo. Frith acknowledges, That the inward man doth as verily receive Christ's Body, as the outward man receives the Sacrament with his Mouth: And he addes, That neither side ought to make it a necessary Article of Faith, but leave it indifferent. Nay, Archbishop Cranmer comes more plainly, and more home to it than Frith. For if you understand (saith he) by this word really, 'Reipsa', that is, in very deed and effectually; so Christ by the grace and efficacie of his Passion, is indeed, and truly present, &c. But if by this word Really, you understand Corporalitèr, Corporally, in his natural and Organical Body, under the Forms of Bread and Wine, 'tis contrary to the Holy Word of God. And so likewise Bishop Ridley. Nay, Bishop Ridley addes yet farther, and speaks so fully to this Point, as I think no man can adde to his Expression: And 'tis well if some Protestants except not against it. Both you and I (saith he) agree in this: That in the Sacrament is the very true and natural Body and Bloud of Christ, even that which was born of the Virgin Mary; which ascended into heaven, which sits on the right hand of God the Father, which shall come from thence to judge the quick and the dead. Onely we differ in 'modo', in the way and manner of being. We confess all one thing to be in the Sacrament, and dissent in the Manner of Being there. I confess Christs natural Body to be in the Sacrament by Spirit and Grace, &c. You make a grosser kinde of Being, inclosing a natural Body under the shape and form of Bread and Wine. So far, and more, Bishop Ridley. And Archbishop Cranmer confesses, That he was indeed of another Opinion, and inclining to that of Zuinglius, till Bishop Ridley convinced his Judgement, & setled him in this Point. And for Calvin, he comes no whit short of these, against the Calumny of the Romanists on that behalf. Now after all this, with what face can A. C. say (as he doth) That Protestants deny, or doubt of the true, and Real presence of Christ in the Sacrament?

Laud's defence of Protestant belief in a true and real participation in the Lord's Body and Blood in the Eucharist, from A relation of the conference between William Laud, late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and Mr. Fisher the Jesuite.

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...

Pride, progressive sectarianism, and TEC on Facebook

Let me begin this post with an assumption that will be rejected by some readers of laudable Practice , but affirmed by other readers. Observing Pride is an understandable aspect of the public ministry of TEC. On previous occasions , I have rather robustly called for TEC to be much more aware and respectful of the social conservatism of the Red states and regions in which it ministers. A failure to do so risks TEC declining yet further into the irrelevance of progressive sectarianism. At the same time, TEC also obviously ministers in deep Blue states and metropolitan areas - and is the only Mainline Protestant tradition in which a majority of its members vote Democrat .* With Pride now an established civic commemoration, particularly in such contexts, there is a case for TEC affirming those aspects of Pride - the dignity of gay men and lesbian women, their contribution to civic life, and their place in the church's life - which cohere with a Christian moral vision. (I will n...

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