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Against an overly angelic anthropology: the Convocation Book, natural law, and the commonwealth

Speaking of "the High Church divines ... from Andrewes to Gibson", G.W.O. Addleshaw in his classic The High Church Tradition (1941) points to the Convocation Book (1606) - the work of the Convocation of the Church of England, addressing 'the Government of God's Holy Catholic Church, and the Kingdoms of the Whole World' - as "the most useful exposition of their views" on the ecclesiastical and civil polities.  The extract below (Book II.ii) grounds the civil polity in natural law and the Augustinian-Thomist insistence that grace does not destroy nature, an insistence shared by Hooker when he declares "that grace hath use of nature" (LEP III.8.6).  This vision of the commonwealth has significance in both delivering the Church and the Christian proclamation from, in the words of John Hughes, "an overly angelic anthropology" and in rightly ordering common life in the polity towards the Good and the True.

It is a certain rule in Divinity, that Grace doth not destroy Nature. The Doctrine of the Seed of the Woman, that was foretold should break the Serpents head, did not abolish the Moral Law. The Ceremonies in the Old Testament, which shadowed and signified the mercies of God in Christ, had no power to extinguish the Laws, first imprinted in men's hearts; and afterward ingraven in Tables of stone by the Finger of God. The Prophets foretelling the coming of Christ, and the merits of his Passion, did likewise reprove all sins and offences committed against the Ten Commandments. Christ testifieth of himself, that he came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets, but to fullfil them. By his Death he hath delivered us from the Curse of the Law; but not from the obedience of it. And St. Paul saith, that the Apostles did not make the Law of none effect through Faith but they did thereby establish the Law.  For that Faith doth only apprehend Christ truly to Salvation, which worketh by Charity; that is, which purgeth the Conscience from dead works, to serve the living God; and bringeth forth by the Spirit, Obedience to the Precepts and Laws of God. 

 It hath been shewed by us at large in the former Book, that although the Son of God having made the World, did by his mighty Power and divine Providence, retain, as it were, in his own hands, the general Rule and Government of it: yet for a more visible benefit and comfort to Mankind, he did divide and distribute the same into divers Countries, Principalities, and Kingdoms: and ordaining civil Magistracy, did not only appoint Soveraign Princes and Kings as his Deputies and Lieutenants upon Earth, to rule and govern under him, such Countries and Kingdoms as he had allotted unto them; but did likewise tie Mankind by one of the Moral Laws ingraven in their hearts, that they should honour them, serve them, and be obedient unto them. Which particular Commandment was no more abolished by the Incarnation of our Saviour Christ, than were all the rest. 

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