Posted on 07/24/2005 3:53:29 PM PDT by sionnsar
As has been widely reported in the Anglican blogosphere recently, Bishop Andrew Smith has taken steps to inhibit the rector of St. John's, Bristol--which church is one of the "Connecticut Six." This action on Bishop Smith's part appears to be another in the seemingly unending series of heavy-handed power plays by revisionist bishops in ECUSA. Indeed, Bishop Smith, according to this article, has warned the Panel of Reference set up by Abp. Rowan Williams that it will play no role in the battle for alternate Episcopal oversight (AEO) in the diocese of Connecticut. This simply adds insult to injury, as the saying goes, and reinforces those who would say that this bishop should be disciplined.
As I have quoted here before, T. P. Boultbee, in his book on the Thirty Nine Articles, wrote about Article XXVI:
God may honour His own sacraments and word in spite of man’s guilt; but it is contrary to reason, to experience, to history, to Scripture, to suppose that an ungodly, still less a vicious, ministry can issue in anything but an ungodly and corrupt state of the people. No conspicuous work of grace has shown itself apart from a faithful, devoted, prayerful administration of the word and ordinances of Christ.Again, the bishops of the Episcopal Church need to police themselves, and remove those who do not have "servant hearts" from their ranks. It begins to seem that there are more bishops in ECUSA who do not have "servant hearts" than those who have them.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.
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