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Article X

Of Free Will.

The condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith, and calling upon God. Wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.

ISA 64:5-6

You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness,
who remembers You in Your ways.
You are indeed angry, for we have sinned—
In these ways we continue;
And we need to be saved.
But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousness are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.

(NKJV)

John 6:44

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

(NKJV)

Ephesians 2:4-5

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

(NKJV)

So we see that man as we are can not chose unless God has brought light to us and light is the general call that the Fathers has given in the death of Christ and the preaching of the word. We need the spirit to move us but we also need to chose Christ should we turn away we will be left in our dead state. So God can and has drawn all men but men chose to either give up their nature or hold on to it.

I will admit here that I do believe in the free will of man so that is where I stand and my view of this article comes from.

Written by:

Allen Bailey; aspirant of the Anglican province of America

Let us bring back the power of the Church

 

 

This is a call to all Catholics (Anglican. Orthodox, and Roman) brothers we need to return to being one body, that body that was of old. We need to obey Christ’s pray, where He said in John 17:20- 23 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will^[e] believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” With this we see that He called us to be one, but yet brothers we are set apart dose our Lord want this? Of course not! We see the power of the church in the past, when it was united. The first three hundred year were of great saints and martyrs who with there blood and lives built the Church, but because of are petty differences we are willing to disobey Christ and not unite under Christ and work out the differences in councils. The thought that there hasn’t been a true ecumenical council in over a thousand years pains my heart and I am just a man, how dose our Lord feel?

To those of the Latin rite I speak now to you about the one you call Pope, yes he has the right to be first among equals. The first among the six great patriarchies (Rome, Constantinople, Canterbury, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem) but to clam infallibility is going to far, being just a man you put yourself to high and also the five other patriarchies disagree with this statement of the roman church. So in that you have stepped outside of the rest of the body. So to you I say that you need to get back in line with the church, and lower your position back to where it was granted to you. Along with that both Anglicans and Orthodox allow there priest’s to marry, so I would say to rethink your stand point on that because again the rest of the church has said it is fine for there priest’s to marry .Also another thing to think about is purgatory again the rest of the church doses not stand on this. I would also say take the advice of the five other equals you have around you.

My eastern Orthodox brothers the only thing I have right now to say about you is that your churches are too focused on the there ethnicity then the fellowship and acceptance of Gods people. I would urge you to look from where you are from and look to the bigger picture of the church.

To my own now you Anglicans I call you out, those who have departed from the ancient faith of our fathers. Women are not to be ordained in to any office of the church. Now Didascalia said this “For it is not to teach that you women . . . are appointed. . . . For he, God the Lord, Jesus Christ our Teacher, sent us, the twelve [apostles], out to teach the [chosen] people and the pagans. But there were female disciples among us: Mary of Magdala, Mary the daughter of Jacob, and the other Mary; he did not, however, send them out with us to teach the people. For, if it had been necessary that women should teach, then our Teacher would have directed them to instruct along with us.” He said this in 225A.D. So we see that women are not to be part of the clergy and there has been many more that are against this and by many I mean all orthodox believers. This is the council of laodiceas ecumenical council decree
“[T]he so-called ‘presbyteresses’ or ‘presidentesses’ are not to be ordained in the Church. “Now we see the church as a whole has said it is wrong to have woman in any clergy order, so I would say reform yourselves and join back with orthodoxy. The Latin and Eastern churches have said it is wrong to have women clergy, you need to listen to the rest of the church, and you’re five other equal brothers. I have heard that you Archbishop of Canterbury are part of druidism and if this is true I need no defense you are outside what the churches allows. I beg you my grace repent from your ways and lead the Anglican Church to her former glory. I as of right now do not care about the Episcopal church of America, You have a female archbishop, female clergy, and ordain homosexuals into clergy offices instead of having them repent of their ways and change their lives. As of now you stand condemned by your own actions according to Holy Scripture, the Churches decrees through history and the Church today. I tell you repent and change your ways so that your churches may be salvaged and rejoin the whole body.

Now last Protestants I am telling you the Reformation is over. The things your father’s hated are no longer there in some of the catholic faiths; you could join the Anglican Church and be in line with the fathers of the church or the Eastern Orthodox. There is no need to go to Rome if you hate it that bad, but I will let you know the beliefs you hold are not proven in history, be it believer only baptism, immersion only, only two clergy offices, there is no sacramental things or churches being independent of each other what ever your clam to Protestantism is. It can be disprove by history and if you feel like saying history is wrong then you have destroyed your own faith and have made it that there is no such things as orthodoxy in the church and it is all one big cult and people can believe whatever and it is ok and no one is wrong. If you want to say the Bible says well the Bible was established by a church council and you’re relaying on history, so if you want to use one part you have to use it all or be inconsistent.

To end with this is a cry to the church let us be one as Christ has prayed let us find a way to unite in body and voice so we can shake the world once again as be did in the days of old.

Written by:

Allen Bailey; aspirant of the Anglican province of America

Great martyrs

Do not forget those who have died for us and what we have now. Let all the Anglicans never forget Thomas Crammer, Hugh Latimer, and Nicholas Ridley. These are our first martyrs after reclaiming what was ours to begin with and Rome took control of in the 500′s. So after a 1000 years of Romes oppression, we in the 1500′s took our archbishopric back.Thomas Crammer Archbishop of Canterbury

Hugh Latimer Bishop of Worcester

Nicholas Ridley Bishop of Rochester

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Article IX

Of Original or Birth Sin.

Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam, (as the Pelagians do vainly talk;) but it is the fault and corruption of the Nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit; and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserveth God’s wrath and damnation. And this infection of nature doth remain, yea in them that are regenerated; whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek, φρονημα σαρκος, (which some do expound the wisdom, some sensuality, some the affection, some the desire, of the flesh), is not subject to the Law of God. And although there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized; yet the Apostle doth confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the nature of sin.

WE all are born with sin in us just because we are human because once Adam fell sin has infected us and can only be removed by baptism

This is what Pelagius believed

(1)

1. Even if Adam had not sinned, he would have died.
2. Adam’s sin harmed only himself, not the human race.
3. Children just born are in the same state as Adam before his fall.
4. The whole human race neither dies through Adam’s sin or death, nor rises again through the resurrection of Christ.
5. The (Mosaic Law) is as good a guide to heaven as the Gospel.
6. Even before the advent of Christ there were men who were without sin.

This is why this article needs to be written and tell of how baptism is need and that one thing that isn’t spoken about here such as infant baptism because of one of the things that was told was about how children need to be baptized.

Here are the ending cannons against him

(1)

1. Death did not come to Adam from a physical necessity, but through sin.
2. New-born children must be baptized on account of original sin.
3. Justifying grace not only avails for the forgiveness of past sins, but also gives assistance for the avoidance of future sins.
4. The grace of Christ not only discloses the knowledge of God’s commandments, but also imparts strength to will and execute them.
5. Without God’s grace it is not merely more difficult, but absolutely impossible to perform good works.
6. Not out of humility, but in truth must we confess ourselves to be sinners.
7. The saints refer the petition of the Our Father, “Forgive us our trespasses”, not only to others, but also to themselves.
8. The saints pronounce the same supplication not from mere humility, but from truthfulness.
9. Some codices containing a ninth canon (Denzinger, loc. cit., note 3): Children dying without baptism do not go to a “middle place” (medius locus), since the non reception of baptism excludes both from the “kingdom of heaven” and from “eternal life”.

So this is just one more reason we need to find ourselves in line with history so we don’t find ourselves in this heresy that was dealt with already and I have met people who really believe Pelagius was right but this is foolish because the whole church dealt with him and he was condemned as a heretic. So this is just a brief aid to help understand the article.

By: Allen Bailey aspirant of the Anglican province of America

 

 

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Article VIII

. Of the Three Creeds.

HE three Creeds, Nicene Creed, Athanasius’ Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostles’ Creed, ought thoroughly to be received and believed; for they may be proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture.

The Apostles’ Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic* Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

The Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy Catholic* and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead; and the life of the world to come. Amen.

 

The Athanasian Creed Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic* faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal. As there are not three Uncreated nor three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none: neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before or after other; none is greater or less than another; But the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal: so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity. Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood; Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God; One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead; He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give an account of their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire. This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.

These are the three creeds that bind the church and that these three are affirm by the scripture. Now do not take this as the councils because there are seven ecumenical councils that bind the church and all have to accept. They are

First Council of Nicaea, (325)

First Council of Constantinople, (381)

Council of Ephesus, (431)

Council of Chalcedon, (451

Second Council of Constantinople, (553);

Third Council of Constantinople, (680–681)

Second Council of Nicaea, (787)

These seven councils bind all men and must be believed but this will be dealt with later for now the three creeds are to be accepted because they speak nothing against the holy Writ.

By: Allen Bailey, aspirant of the Anglican province of America

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Article VII

. Of the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to Mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the Law given from God by Moses, as touching Ceremonies and Rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the Civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth; yet notwith-standing, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral.

Christians as this article states that the laws that are moral should be followed completely and they are bound to us. These are the things which are good to be done and helpful to your fellow man

By: Allen Bailey aspirant of the Anglican province of America

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Article VI

Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation.

Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church.

Of the Names and Number of the Canonical Books

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth,

The First Book of Samuel, The Second Book of Samuel, The First Book of Kings, The Second Book of Kings, The First Book of Chronicles, The Second Book of Chronicles, The First Book of Esdras, The Second Book of Esdras,

The Book of Esther , The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or Preacher, Cantica, or Songs of Solomon, Four Prophets the greater, Twelve Prophets the less.

And the other Books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine; such are these following:

The Third Book of Esdras, The Fourth Book of Esdras, The Book of Tobias, The Book of Judith, The rest of the Book of Esther, The Book of Wisdom, Jesus the Son of Sirach,

Baruch the Prophet, The Song of the Three Children, The Story of Susanna, Of Bel and the Dragon, The Prayer of Manasses, The First Book of Maccabees, The Second Book of Maccabees.

All the Books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received,
we do receive, and account them Canonical.

We believe that the Holy Writ does have everything in it for salvation and that those book that are in the Bible as we have it today is just bring reaffirmed as correct. The book known as the in Protestant circles as the Apocrypha

1 Esdras
2 Esdras
Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah
Song of the Three Children
Story of Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
Prayer of Manasseh
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees

These books are not worthless they can be read from in church or personal life they help us see history or help in guiding our lives to live more Godly but we can not make doctrine with them.

Now these books that are called the Apocrypha that are in the Roman Catholic cannon

Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah
Song of the Three Children
Story of Susanna
Bel and the Dragon

1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees

These from the Apocrypha are in the Greek Orthodox Cannon

1 Esdras

Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah
Song of the Three Children
Story of Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
Prayer of Manasseh
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
3 Maccabees
4 Maccabees
Psalm 151

Now also let me make a note that these next writing are Apocryphal like for the New Testament and they are

1 and 2 Clement

Shepherd of Hermas

Didache

Epistle of Barnabas

Apocalypse of Peter

The Protevangelium of James

Third Epistle to the Corinthians

These books were accepted as good in the early church but not inspired and some almost made it into the cannon but because of the time they were written or because of uncertainness of content they were left out. I have read most of these and there is nothing unchristian in them. The only two I can not speak for is The Apocalypse of Peter and The Protevangelium of James

We should read those book that are good and do not defy the Holy Writ because they help us our live or show us what they church was doing then. So let these things give flavor to your faith, but the holy writ in its self is complete and good for all things.

By: Allen Bailey aspirant of the Anglican province of America

 

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Article V

Of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory, with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.

This statement is correct to the west but those who look to the east for their theology. They would say this is incorrect and way is become something called the Filioque clause. The east says the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, Where as the west says the Holy Spirit proceeds from Father and Son.

The history of the Clause came about by the franks and their king Charlemagne who forced this to be added into the Nicene Creed in 800’s the Pope of the time Pope Leo III forbade it but was forced to accept it later.

I myself refuse to say the clause for the historical reason of that it was not part of the original creed. So I do not think it right to use something that was changed by one or a few men. I will stand with what the Church said as a whole and that was the Nicene Creed without the Filioque cloause.

Now you have to make your decision after your study of this clause and its history, to say this clause or not.

 

By: Allen Bailey aspirant of the Anglican province of America

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Article IV

Of the Resurrection of Christ.

Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of Man’s nature; wherewith he ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge all Men at the last day.

This article is affirming the scriptures saying that Christ had a physical body he rose in. Let me make my point by pointing back to St. Thomas the Apostle he touched our Lord (John 20:27-29) so Christ could have been no less then in a physical body

By: Allen Bailey aspirant of the Anglican province of America

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Article III

Of the going down of Christ into Hell

As Christ died for us, and was buried, so also is it to be believed, that he went down into Hell.

Jesus went the sheol or hell or the abode of the dead. A waiting place till judgment day and showed those waiting He came. So this article does not defy scripture, tradition, or the seven ecumenical councils.

By: Allen Bailey aspirant of the Anglican province of America