Anglican Decline and Its Biblical Remedy

Crisis Magazine ^ | March 3, 2015 | TYLER BLANSKI

[NYer]

Ping!

[Alex Murphy]

Turn away from the Catholic Church, and to whom will you go? It is your only chance of peace and assurance in this turbulent, changing world. There is nothing between it and skepticism, when men exert their reason freely. Private creeds, fancy religions, may be showy and imposing to the many in their day; national religions may lie huge and lifeless, and cumber the ground for centuries, and distract the attention or confuse the judgment of the learned; but on the long run it will found that either the Catholic Religion is verily and indeed the coming in of the unseen world into this, or that there is nothing positive, nothing dogmatic, nothing real in any one of our notions as to whence we come and whither we are going. Unlearn Catholicism, and you become Protestant, Unitarian, Deist, Pantheist, Sceptic, in a dreadful, but infallible succession.

You were saying something about "keep going after Catholics and Mormons because they're the ones ruining the world today"?

[RnMomof7]

There are actually 3 "branches" of Anglicans ...The "catholic" branch that would run to Rome if rome allowed married priests http://www.anglicancatholic.org/

...an "evangelical branch " that would be considered very liberal http://www.eaca.org/wp/

..And the Charismatic branch that is conservative in its world view and closer to traditional protestant positions on things like communion http://www.theaccc.org/

[.45 Long Colt]

“Turn away from the Catholic Church, and to whom will you go? It is your only chance of peace and assurance in this turbulent, changing world.”

There’s a lot to debate in this article, but I can’t begin to say how strongly I disagree with that statement by Newman. Any born again, bible-believing Christian should know it’s a lie. Maybe the Catholic needs Rome because they don’t have inner peace and real assurance. And how could they? If I believed salvation was based on my decision and my good works I would be terrified of death. If I believe I was headed to Purgatory, that would scare me all the more.

But I don’t believe any of that. Purgatory is a lie. And my salvation was by the grace of God, not some decision this fickle sinner made. My peace and assurance are in Him. He’s the one I turn to for rest, not a church. He says come to ME and I will give you rest. I have assurance because His Word is sure and He keeps His promises. He’s mighty to save and He saves to the uttermost. He’s the alpha and omega, the author and finisher of my faith.

It’s not about a church, it’s not about a pope, it’s all about HIM.

“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” Romans 11:36

[sean327]

Every Catholic I know believes that the only way to heaven is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. I was taught this from day one by my very conservative Catholic parents, my priests and at catechism. That is what I hear at Mass every Sunday, so keep spouting your ignorance of that which you know absolutely nothing about. I am just as much of a Christian as you are.

[Campion]

If I believed salvation was based on my decision and my good works I would be terrified of death.

No Catholic who knows their faith thinks that their salvation is "based on [their] decision and [their] good works". Can we please just put that canard to rest, or are you going to insist on telling me I'm a bad Catholic because I know full well that I am saved first, last, always, and only by the grace of God won on the hill of Calvary?

[Rodentking]

Then, there is a fourth branch, the scripturally based http://www.anglicanorthodoxchurch.org

[Mad Dawg]

The "catholic" branch that would run to Rome if rome allowed married priests

"Rome" allows married priests and has allowed married priests.

Your source here is APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION ANGLICANORUM COETIBUS

It's happened already.

[Mad Dawg]

What do you find frightening about Purgatory?

[.45 Long Colt]

http://catholicexchange.com/what-is-purgatory-like

Why would anyone not fear what is described there?

[.45 Long Colt]

You said the only way to heaven is to “accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.” And Rome teaches there is no salvation apart from participation in the sacraments mediated through its priesthood.

The Bible says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

So Rome says you have to participate in her ceremonies while Scripture says salvation is by grace, a gift of God.

[RnMomof7]

Had the blessing of sitting next to a rather famous Charismatic Anglican on a flight.. a late booking meant he and his wife had to fly "cattle" class ". I happened to notice his reading material and asked if he was a pastor.. he and I had an hour long talk about Christ and doctrine.. I found him to be a man of God .. he was the one that taught me how the branches differ...

That is the branch that is so active in Africa where we hear of the church speaking out against homosexuality ... their view of communion is also very protestant

[RnMomof7]

Sounds like a branch i could attend

[bonfire]

From Plano, TX by any chance?

[frog in a pot]

BFL.

Thanks, all. The original article together with the comments appears to present a knowledgeable, “spirited” discussion!

[.45 Long Colt]

I don't know if you are a good catholic or bad catholic. I don't care about your relationship to Rome. All that matters is your relationship with Christ. Also, I don't believe Rome teaches it's based solely on a free will decision or works, so there's no canard to put to rest. That said, Rome does teach that works are part of the grounds of justification making salvation a reward.

Rome does not acknowledge sanctification and justification as separate works of God in salvation. It makes human works the basis for justification which merit eternal life:

"Justification...is not the remission of sins merely, but also the sanctification and renewal of the inward man. If any one saith, that the good works of the one that is justified are in such manner the gifts of God, that they are not also the good merits of him that is justified, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, and does not truly merit increase in grace, eternal life, and the attainment of eternal life, if so be, that he depart in grace, and an increase in glory, let him be anathema"

(The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent. Found in Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1910), Decree on Justification, Chapter VII, Canons X, XXXII).

Ludwig Ott emphasizes this in these words:

"Justification is the declaration of the righteousness of the believer before the judgment seat of Christ...The Council of Trent teaches that for the justified eternal life is both a gift or grace promised by God and a reward for his own good works and merits... According to Holy Writ, eternal blessedness in heaven is the reward...for good works performed on this earth, and rewards and merit are correlative concepts"

(Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma (Rockford: Tan, 1974), pp.254, 264).

John Hardon likewise confirms this point of view when he writes:

Habitual or sanctifying grace is a supernatural quality that dwells in the human soul, by which a person shares in the divine nature, becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit, a friend of God, his adopted child, and able to perform actions meriting eternal life

(John Hardon, The Question and Answer Catholic Catechism (Garden City: Image, 1981), Question #1074).

So Roman Catholic theology teaches that justification is obtained by receiving grace through baptism, and is maintained through the sacrament of penance, the mass and the works of sanctification which in turn merit eternal life. It is important to point out that sanctification in Roman Catholic theology is not only the righteous acts of individuals cooperating with the grace of God but participation in the sacraments of the Church. A state of sanctifying grace, by which a person is justified, cannot be maintained apart from the sacraments. Justification then is not by grace alone (in the biblical sense) or on account of Christ alone (in the biblical sense). Therefore it is not by faith alone (in the biblical sense). In fact, the Council of Trent condemned the teaching of justification by faith alone stating:

If anyone saith that by faith alone the impious is justified in such wise as to mean that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtaining the grace of Justification...let him be anathema...After this Catholic doctrine on justification which whosoever does not faithfully and firmly accept cannot be justified...(The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent. Found in Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1910), Decree on Justification, Chapter XVI, Canon IX). There's much more here... http://www.christiantruth.com/articles/RCJustification.html

[ImaGraftedBranch]

It took me a few attempts, but I think I digested it all. Bookmarked.

Nice post.

[ImaGraftedBranch]

Amen.

[vladimir998]

“Purgatory is a lie.”

No, but Protestantism is.