"They had received the apostles' doctrine by a succession of bishops": Rogers on the historic succession

Rogers's Conformist account is not only evident in the narrative he gives of the Elizabethan Succession in the Preface of The Catholic Doctrine of the Church of England. It is also very evident in his actual reading of the Articles.

For example, in his discussion of Article 36, 'Of the Consecration of Bishops and Ministers', Rogers gives a significant statement on episcopal succession:

They gloried much, and greatly, that they had received the apostles' doctrine by a succession of bishops, that they were the successors in the apostles' doctrine of the godly bishops, and that bishops succeeded in the room of apostles.

Their godly monuments, and worthy labours and books yet extant, do shew, that bishop was of Lyons, Irenaeus; of Antioch, Ignatius; of Carthage, Cyprian; of Hierusalem, Cyril; of Alexandria, Athanasius; Basil, of Caesarea; of all Thracia, Asia, and Pontus, Chrysostom; Hilary of Poitiers; Augustine of Hippo; Ambrose of Milan: all of these most notable instruments for the advancement of God's honour and glory in their days.

Finally, from the apostles' days hitherto there never wanted a succession of bishops, neither in the east nor western churches.

It is important to note here that this is very similar to Laud's account of the episcopal succession: a good and historic sign of apostolic doctrine, but not necessary. Hence, Rogers does not refer to episcopal succession in his discussion of Article XIX on the "marks and tokens" of the visible Church nor in his discussion of Article XXIII on the necessity of ordination for authority to minister the Word and Sacraments. In fact, regarding Article XXIII, he makes a point of referring to the Helvetic, Belgic, Gallican, and Augsburg Confessions - none of which, of course, required episcopal ordination - declaring "So testify with us the true churches elsewhere in the world". None of this, however, prevents Rogers from making a claim for episcopal succession that Laud would also make. As Laud stated:

that from the Apostles' times, in all ages, in all places, the Church was governed by Bishops.

In other words, the Conformist claim is that episcopal succession is a historic, good, and seemly but not necessary sign of succession in apostolic doctrine. This was also characteristic of much Laudian understanding of the episcopal succession, as the words of Laud and Bramhall demonstrate.

Comments

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...

1928 practices and the 1979 book: unthinking conservatism or popular piety?

Those responsible for Earth & Altar - a new blog emanating from a group within TEC - are to be congratulated for an excellent contribution to wider Anglican discussion and debate. The commitment to "an expansively conceived credal orthodoxy as fully compatible with LGBTQ inclusion, gender equality, and racial justice" is an important part of a wider retrieval of creedal orthodoxy within what we might call the post-liberal generation. It is in this spirit that I want to respond to a recent post on the site by Andrew McGowan , Dean of the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and Professor of Anglican Studies at Yale Divinity School. Against the background of another round of "ill-defined" liturgical revision in TEC, he understandably urges that a fuller reception of the 1979 BCP should occur before further reforms. In doing so, however, he takes aim at what he describes as "clinging to the ritual structures of 1928" while using the text of 1979. We ...

laudable Practice

Search This Blog