"This most holy Religion of the Anglicane Church": the Royal Martyr and the Church of Ireland's 1870 Declaration
On this eve of the commemoration of the Royal Martyr, there is perhaps no better way of illustrating this than by comparing the text of the Church of Ireland's Declaration with the words of the Royal Martyr, the King who - in the words of Jeremy Taylor - "died in the profession of her Religion".
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The Church of Ireland doth, as heretofore, accept and unfeignedly believe all the Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, as given by inspiration of God, and containing all things necessary to salvation; and doth continue to profess the faith of Christ as professed by the Primitive Church.
Neither shall we ever give Way to the Authorising of any Thing, whereby any Innovation may steal or creep into the Church; but to preserve that Unity of Doctrine and Discipline, established in the Time of Queen Elizabeth, whereby the Church of England hath stood and flourished ever since - the Royal Martyr, 10th March 1628.
The Church of Ireland will continue to minister the doctrine, and sacraments, and the discipline of Christ, as the Lord hath commanded; and will maintain inviolate the three orders of bishops, priests or presbyters, and deacons in the sacred ministry.
His Majesty is not satisfied with your Answer concerning the Apostles exercise of Episcopal Government, which you would put off, by referring it to their extraordinary Calling. Our Saviour himself was the first and chief Apostle, and Bishop of our Souls, by the Father, and Anointed by the Holy Ghost, to be both the Teacher and the Governour of his Church. By that Mission he receiv'd Authority, and by his Unction ability for those works which he performed in his own person whilst he lived upon the earth. Before he left the world, that the Church might not want Teaching and Governing to the worlds end, he chose certain persons upon whom he conferred both these Powers, whereby they became also Apostles and Bishops, by making them partakers both of his Mission before his Ascension, As my Father sent me, so send I you and of his Vnction shortly after his Ascension, when he poured upon them the Holy Ghost at Pentecost. The Mission both for teaching and governing (at least for the substance of it) was ordinary, and to continue to the end of the world (Matt.xviii. 18, 20.) and therefore necessarily to descend, and be by them transmitted to others, as their Substitutes and Successors ... as also that there may be produced either from the very same Writers, or from others of as good authority or credit, testimonies both for number and clearness far beyond those by you mentioned, to assert the three different Degrees or Orders (call them whether you will) of Ecclesiastical Functions, Bishop, Presbyter, and the Deacon ... And whereas in the conclusion you beseech His Majesty to look rather to the Original of Bishops than to their Succession; His Majesty thinks it needful to look at both; especially since their Succession is the best clue, the most certain and ready way to find out their Original - the Royal Martyr, October 1648.
The Church of Ireland, as a reformed and Protestant Church, doth hereby reaffirm its constant witness against all those innovations in doctrine and worship, whereby the Primitive Faith hath been from time to time defaced or overlaid, and which at the Reformation this Church did disown and reject.
I do promise in the presence of Almighty God, and as I hope for His Blessing and Protection, that I will to the utmost of My Power defend and maintain the true Reformed Protestant Religion established in the Church of England; and, by the Grace of God, in the same will live and die - the Royal Martyr, 19th September 1642.
The Church of Ireland doth receive and approve The Book of the Articles of Religion, commonly called the Thirty–nine Articles, received and approved by the archbishops and bishops and the rest of the clergy of Ireland in the synod holden in Dublin, A.D. 1634; also, The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the use of the Church of Ireland; and the Form and Manner of Making, Ordaining and Consecrating of Bishops, Priests and Deacons, as approved and adopted by the synod holden in Dublin, A.D. 1662, and hitherto in use in this Church.
That the Articles of the Church of England (which have been allowed and authorized heretofore, and which Our Clergy generally have subscribed unto) do contain the true Doctrine of the Church of England agreeable to God's Word: which We do therefore ratify and confirm, requiring all Our loving Subjects to continue in the uniform Profession thereof, and prohibiting the least difference from the said Articles - the 1628 Declaration of the Royal Martyr, prefixed to the Articles of Religion.
This most holy Religion of the Anglicane Church, ordain'd by so many Convocations of Learned Divines, confirm'd by so many Acts of National Parliaments, and strengthned by so many Royal Proclamations, together with the Ecclesiastick Discipline and Liturgy thereunto appertaining, (which Liturgy and Discipline the most eminent of Protestant Authors, as well Germans as French, as well Danes as Swedes and Switzers, Belgians as Bohemians, do with many Elogies, and not without a kind of envy, approve and applaud in their publick Writings ... this Religion, We say, which Our Royal Father of blessed Memory doth publickly assert in that His famous Confession address'd (as We also do this Our Protestation) to all Christian Princes, this, this most holy Religion, with the Hierarchy and Liturgy thereof, We solemny protest that, by the help of Almighty God, We will endeavour, to Our utmost Power and last period of Our Life, to keep entire and inviolable, and will be careful, according to Our duty to Heaven, and the tenor of the aforesaid most sacred Oath at Our Coronation, that all Our Ecclesiasticks in their several degrees and incumbences shall preach and practise the same - the Royal Martyr, 16th May 1644.
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