"The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, Worshipping and Adoration, as well of Images as of Relics, and also Invocation of Saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God.

"How does this match up with our Articles of Religion? For example: General Councils ...may err, and sometimes have erred, even in things pertaining unto God. Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength nor authority, unless it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture."

The Rt. Rev. Ray R. Sutton, Bishop Coadjutor in the Diocese of Mid-America of the Reformed Episcopal Church in the Anglican Church in North America (REC), wrote to VOL offering a qualifying point of view. (The REC has been and continues to be a board member of Forward in Faith NA.)

Referencing the seven ecumenical, he wrote. "In recent years a Reformed Episcopal Bishop has been invited to sit on the board. The invitation of an REC clergyman is done within the historic, ESA-to-FIFNA-commitment to an evangelical and catholic together vision. When Bishop Richard Boyce retired I was elected to take his place.

"At one level, the additional references are nothing new to the Anglo-Catholic stream of the Anglican Way. After all it's no secret, although Evangelicals and Charismatics have been included in FIFNA for years, that the latter is an Anglo Catholic organization. At the request of many of its own constituency, the board simply thought it was important to reflect fully in its statement what Anglo Catholics have always maintained. If this sense in which these views are meant is not clear, I write in FIFNA's charitable spirit to offer some clarification at least about the Seven Ecumenical Councils.

"The statement embracing all Seven Ecumenical Councils is to be understood within the historic, normative understanding of the Church of England and the Communion's view of these councils. Yes the Anglican Way has emphasized the foundation of the first four councils but it has never completely rejected the rest. The sense in which the Ecumenical Councils have been received has perhaps been best summarized in C. B. Moss's important work entitled, The Church of England and the Seventh Council. He explains, "It [the COE] accepts their [the Ecumenical Councils] decisions on matters of faith, matters necessary to salvation, that is to spiritual health and right understanding of the Gospel: not necessarily their anathemas (though it accepts the principle of anathema, Articles 18 and 33), nor their Canons, which may not be suitable for the very different conditions in which we live now. The Church of England and presumably all the other Anglican Churches accept these dogmas, freely and not under compulsion, because they believe that they are proved by Holy Scripture, and are necessary to the right understanding of it." (p. 5) This summary I think makes clear that the COE and the Anglican Way have accepted the faith and morals of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, not necessarily the anathemas or the canons."

Sutton, who is rector of the Church of the Holy Communion in Dallas, Texas, and professor of Scripture and Theology at Cranmer Theological House in Houston, Texas opined, "I realize that not all Evangelicals and Charismatics will find the aforementioned explanation acceptable. At the same time many, and I might add, more and more Evangelicals and Charismatics do, judging by the growing number participating in the assemblies, events, and local chapters of Forward in Faith. No matter the complete agreement, all those in the various streams of the Anglican Way are always welcome to come, seek, and learn in charity with us from the Lord Jesus, who gave His Blessed Life on the Cross of Calvary for the sins of the world. I hope my comments in some small way provide a little clarification."

Dr. Michael Howell, Executive Director of Forward in Faith says the Anglican Way has never embraced every aspect of all of the councils. "For example, one of the mandates is not wearing shoes to the council." He pointed to C. B. Moss's book The Church of England and the Seventh Council which can be found here http://anglicanhistory.org/cbmoss/seventh.pdf

END