Article XVII
Of Predestination and Election
Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby, before the foundations of the world were laid, He hath constantly decreed by His counsel secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom He hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation as vessels made to honour. Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to God’s purpose by His Spirit working in due season; they through grace obey the calling; they be justified freely; they be made sons of God by adoption; they be made like the image of His only-begotten Son Jesus Christ; they walk religiously in good works; and at length by God’s mercy they attain to everlasting felicity.

As the godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly things, as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal salvation to be enjoyed through Christ, as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God: so for curious and carnal persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ, to have continually before their eyes the sentence of God’s Predestination is a most dangerous downfall, whereby the devil doth thrust them either into desperation or into wretchlessness of most unclean living no less perilous than desperation.

Furthermore, we must receive God’s promises in such wise as they be generally set forth in Holy Scripture; and in our doings that will of God is to be followed which we have expressly declared unto us in the word of God.

Thus towards this present conversation not has a “I told you so response” the Church of England held to the intent of the Scriptures when it comes to doctrine of the double predestination of the wicked and elect. Such examples of such vindication are seen by the theologian of the Church of England, Augustus Toplady. It is very hard to ignore or maim the text of the 39 Articles to support the illogical and ultimately insane idea that man has free will…but this statement does not ignore the fact that salvation will show itself over time in ones life….but let that not loose the fact that justification or being declared dikiaos by God alone is the source of our salvation ultimately in union with what Christ Jesus has done for those given to Him (for it is the mercy and will of God alone that saves).
So may this clarify the historical reality of the true Reformation of the Church of England not in the divorce of Henry VIII, but under the great young King Edward VI. Just because Anglo Catholicism is popular today doesn’t mean Anglicanism is Anglo-Catholic, that’s like saying modern evangelicalism is based on evangelical decisions cards-when the decision cards are just an error that has become insidious in the evangelical community….but it doesn’t mean that the meaning of evangelicalism has changed….its just ignored….. of preference and a rebellion heart!

Speaking as an Anglo-Catholic (used to be Baptist, was brought up Lutheran) I would object to that comment just a little. While the liberals are most certainly not reformed, many Anglo-Caths would be proud to claim reformed theology as the protestant part of our DNA.

This of course doesnt make us as purely reformed as some of our more evangelical communion mates but there is that influence without a doubt in us as well.

I call Anglicanism the best of all worlds. It is living proof that one can have it all in an integrated and balanced form. That is what attracted me to it initially and after 4 years, I still affirm it without reservation.

Two other notes: Because of Anglicanism’s genius for integration, it can be easily abused by cafeteria types who aren’t really interested in thoughtfully integrating the various traditional insights into a living whole. Many liberals consider themselves Anglo-Catholic but in fact are AC in form only without holding any form of orthodox belief. On the other hand, there are many AC’s like myself who consider ourselves very much the evangelicals at heart and in spirit. For the record, we orthodox cannot and do not consider the radical liberals among us to be true Anglicans. For us true Anglicans are discerned by a core of orthodox beliefs which we all share whole-heartedly. For this reason Anglicans of all ecclesiastical stripes have found common cause and unity in defending our tradition from those who no longer believe in it but still like to dress up on Sundays and put on an elaborate show.

But kudos to this guy for moving into AMiA.

RE Orthodox and Catholic: We can no longer say that it is East v. West. There are plenty of Orthodox churches in the US, including Western Rite parishes. And plenty of Eastern Catholics over here, though the numbers are decreasing thanks to a) low birthrates, b) emmigration, and c) it is illegal for Muslims to leave Islam. I am thinking of Coptic Catholic, Chaldean Catholic, and Maronite, and Melkite. Those are Catholic–in communion with Rome but they have their own liturgy and language and bishops.

Blessings. Drop by islamdom.blogspot.com and let me know your questions about Islam or Eastern Christianity, or if you are called to be a missionary here.

God bless, ya’ll.

Of course, I like all this as long as it is still grounded in the Creeds and a foundation of Christian orthodoxy.

Neither a staunch Arminian nor a staunch Calvinist would like his approach. But I do and my guess is that many protestant Anglicans would fit here.

Maybe we can call them the John Stott wing.