The Anglican faith is a
combination of Catholic, Lutheran and Calvinistic doctrines. In England,
several centuries before the Reformation, there arose opposition to the
despotism of the Roman Catholic Church, primarily concerning national, economic
and religious matters. The English were irate over the constant interference of
the Roman bishops in the interior affairs of England; the abnormal ties Rome
had with England’s secular and political affairs; the financial drain caused by
the huge church taxes to support Rome; the undisciplined Roman clergy; and so
forth. The impetus for severance from Rome came from King Henry VIII when the
pope did not grant him a church divorce from his wife, Catherine of Arragon.
At first, no obvious church reform took place, except that King Henry
declared himself head of the Church, closed many monasteries, and changed the
system of "tithing," which previously was a church tax paid directly
to Rome. Later, under the influence of Protestants surging into England, the
king assigned a review of all the teaching of the churches apart from Rome. In
1536, the elected Parliament issued the "Ten Members on Religious
Dogma," a mixture of Protestant and catholic doctrines. In 1552, a
42-article document appeared, presenting a new confession of faith., After
this, "Small Catechism" appeared. In it are described many
rituals--the blessing of water, the ringing of church bells--which were
superstitious in nature.
At this time, during the reign of Edward VII, these rules were reviewed, and
the 42 articles were formally accepted and published concerning the English
faith. Thus was established the Anglican (Episcopalian) Church of England.
A religious battle occurred soon after in 1559 with the Queen publishing a
new confession of faith made up of 39 articles affecting both clergy and
laymen. In this decree there were dogmas in agreement with Orthodoxy: one God
in three Persons, the Son of God, rejection of purgatory and individualism, and
a rejection of the pope as head of the Church. Worship was to be performed in
English not Latin. But this worship retained the delusion concerning the
descent of the Holy Spirit "and from the Son." From the Lutherans they
accepted the delusion of justification by faith and rejected the seven
Ecumenical Councils as well as reverence for icons and holy relics. In the
Church of England, the King of England is, to this day, the head of the church.
Further, the 25th Article on confession rejects the Sacrament of confession.
The Orthodox Church cannot agree with this creed, and there is no hope to
change the views of the Anglican Church, because she is dependent on the
Parliament, among whom many Masons are included, people of the Jewish faith and
even atheists. The English Parliament, in regards to religious matters, has the
decisive word in church affairs. The King is the head of the Church of England
and makes a declaration at his coronation, "I denounce and sincerely promise,
before God, that the sacrament of communion is not transubstantiation of the
Body and Blood of Christ, before or after the blessing of the sacred gifts, by
whomever it is performed, and I believe that recognition and worship of the
Virgin Mary and saints, and the sacrificial liturgy is alien to Protestant
teaching." In 1927 and again in 1928, the Parliament twice rejected the
prayer book of their spiritual leaders and the House of Lords, because it
included the role of the Holy Spirit and also the administration of sacraments
for those who were ill.
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