"By a slow and imperceptible progress": Secker on the fruit of the Spirit

From Thomas Secker's Sermon CX - 'The only Satisfying Evidence that a Portion of theSpirit of God is Imparted to Men, is the UniformDisplay of Practical Piety and Virtue' - on Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit. In referring to the "inward motions of the Holy Spirit", Secker stresses "we have seldom, if at all, an immediate and distinct perception of these influences". This was a common defence of Anglican experience and pastoral practice, later repeated, for example, by Mant. It can be seen as having a continued relevance in Anglican thinking, challenging some of the emphasises within 'Weird Christian' discourse and the assumptions that often underpin advocacy within contemporary Anglicanism of congregationalist or sectarian models in opposition to parish and national church:

Nor is it any real [objection] from experience, that we have seldom, if at all, an immediate and distinct perception of these influences. For our fellow-creatures influence us often very strongly, without our perceiving it; much more then may the Almighty. And that the operations of his power, in the works of grace, should be secret, and silent, and commonly gradual, is by no means improbable, since they are so in the works of nature. This gives occasion in each for the thoughtless to forget God, but for the considerate to admire him the more; who, by a slow and imperceptible progress, for the most part, brings to perfection the fruits of the Spirit, as he doth those of the earth; and the former, if due cultivation be not, wanting, with infallible success; filling the heart of the Christian always, as well as of the husbandman usually, with food and gladness.

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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...

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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