Thomas Secker and Anglican Enlightenment

One of the most intriguing books I have recently read has been William Bulman's Anglican Enlightenment: Orientalism, Religion and Politics in England and its Empire, 1648–1715 (2017). The book convincingly demonstrates how the Enlightenment discourse of civic peace became influential in the post-1660 High Church tradition, displacing public appeals to confessional and sacerdotal claims. Bulman argues that in the early 18th century, amidst the rage of party in Church and State, the use of civic peace discourse was lost by the High Church tradition. A strong case can be made, however, that the discourse (if it did disappear) returned to the High Church tradition and was profoundly influential. In his 1758 sermon for the 5th November commemoration, Thomas Secker exemplified how the mid-18th century High Church tradition continued to deploy Enlightenment civic peace discourse:

For indeed the Spirit of Persecution is Rebellion against Christ, under Pretence of a Commission from him: it is the Man of Sin, sitting as God in the Temple of God. And where it is not designed Impiety, it is the grossest Ignorance, both of the Attributes of our Maker, and the Precepts of our Redeemer, as the Words of the Text expressly declare: 'These Things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor me'. And the Remedy for this Evil is, not casting off the Regard, which we owe to God, but establishing just and worthy Notions of his Service in the Minds of Men: which, in Proportion as they prevail, will banish Enthuiasm and Superstition from off the Earth: whereas, if true Religion be once lost, every absurd Opinion, as well as mischievous Practice, may spring up in its stead. If Atheism could take place, it must visibly be the Ruin of Society. But it cannot. There is an irresistible Bent in the human Mind to reverence an invisible Power: and if Men are not directed to do it in a right Manner, they will do it in a wrong.

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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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