THE NINTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

August 1, 2010

St. George’s, Raleigh, NC

Good morning.  It is always good to visit with you here at St. George’s and especially when we have confirmation and reception of new members into the body of Christ.  It is very impressive to add this many people to the St. George’s parish family.  I commend all of you for your loyalty and support and your hard work.

Last Sunday we celebrated the feast of St. James, the Apostle, the brother of John. Today we are celebrating the Feast of St. Peter in Chains.  The scripture appointed in place of the Epistle is taken from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles.  This book, written by St. Luke, is essential for us because it describes the beginning and formation of the Christian Church.  St. Peter, St. James and St. John were very import in the development of the early church.

There are several questions we should ask about the Church.  What is the Church?  What is the true Curuch?  What is true religion?  How do we determine what is the true Church?  How do we determine what is true religion?  True religion is, of course, the Church; the Church which was founded by Jesus Christ Himself.  In our creed it is called:  “The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.”  

It is one, because there can be only One Church of our Lord.  It is Holy because He established it Himself.  It is Catholic because it is universal; we must realize and understand that we are Catholic, not Protestant.  We are not Roman Catholic, but universal Catholics.  It is apostolic because it is founded on the teachings of our Lord given to the original apostles and passed down through the centuries by Apostolic Succession.

This means that we have to trace the Church through history from Pentecost, when Our Lord sent the Holy Ghost down on the apostles, until today.   Our early Church Fathers, by the Grace of God, and guidance of the Holy Spirit, set down the beliefs, doctrines and teachings that were delivered to them from the original apostles.   We have to eliminate those elements, doctrines, teaching, practices which have been introduced by man that are not in accord with the true Church.   If teachings and practices are not true, then they are false.  A big question is, “How do we know the difference?”

The early church fathers were very careful and deliberate in the way by which they formulated doctrine for us.  This was accomplished by Ecumenical Councils, which were councils of all the Bishops meeting to discuss false teachings, and heresies as they arose within the church, and to arrive at the truth.  From the councils the basic doctrines and beliefs of the church were put in writing, the first being the Nicene Creed.  Others then followed from the next six councils.

We need something to use as a guide to determine whether a teaching or belief is true or false.  There is a test that has been used throughout the centuries to determine the validity of teachings.  It is called the “Vincentian Canon.”  It is called the threefold test of Catholicity laid down by St. Vincent of Lerins.  Little is known of his life.  He died sometime before 450 AD.  However, we know that he was a monk on the island of Lerins and was the author of “Commonitorium” which was written to provide a guide in the determination of the true Catholic faith and contains the famous Vincentian Canon.  The Canon or test is the following: “quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab ominbus”: “what has been believed everywhere, always and by all.”   “What has been believed everywhere, always and by all.”

By this triple test of eccumenicity, antiquity, and consent, the Church is to differentiate between true and false traditions.   St. Vincent described it as follows: “In ancient times, our forefathers sowed the seeds of the wheat of faith in that field which is the Church.  It would be quite unjust and improper if we, their descendents, gathered, instead of the genuine truth of wheat, the false tares of error.  On the contrary, it is logically correct that the beginning and the end be in agreement, that we reap from the planting of the wheat of doctrine, the harvest of the wheat of dogma.  In this way, none of the Characteristics of the seed is changed, although something evolved in the course of time from those first seeds and has now expanded under careful cultivation.  What may be added are merely appearances, beauty, and distinction, but the proper nature of each kind remains.”

St. Vincent’s defense of the traditions of the Fathers and his condemnation on innovation and novelty in the Church are as appropriate today as they were in his time:

He wrote:  “The Church of Christ, zealous and cautious guardian of the dogma deposited with it, never changes any phase of them.  It does not  diminish them or add to them; it neither trims what seems necessary, nor grafts things superfluous; it neither gives up its own nor usurps what does not belong to it.  But it devotes all its diligence to one aim: to treat tradition faithfully and wisely; to nurse and polish what from old times may have remained unshaped and unfinished; to consolidate and to strengthen what already was clear and plain; and to guard what already was confirmed and defined.  After all, what have the councils brought forth in their decrees but what before was believed plainly and simply might from now on be believed more diligently; that what before was preached rather unconcernedly might be preached from now on more eagerly.”

We must be founded and established on and in true religion.  With the events that have become public in the Roman Church and the teaching and practices of other denominations, each one of us should be prepared to defend our faith and our church at any time.  Each and every teaching must pass the test of the Vincentian Canon.  If someone has an idea of a new way of teaching or worship, it must be put to the test.  Has it been believed everywhere, always and by all?  That may seem very simple, in fact too simple, but it is not.  Nothing that man has introduced will pass the test.

If we think carefully and are well informed about what we refer to as the continuing Anglican tradition, we will understand that there are very few whose teachings and beliefs pass the test.  This is something for which we are blessed to be members in the Anglican Province of Christ the King.  It is true, that a lot of people could care less about the test of true religion, they are going to do their own thing, so don’t bother them with the facts.

So when someone says to us, “Please tell me about your Church.  What do you believe?  How do you worship?”   The answer that we are a Traditional Episcopal Church and we use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, while a true statement, is not complete nor is it a sufficient answer.   We should be prepared to explain what it means to pass the test of Catholicity.  Believe what we learn and learn what we believe about God’s One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.  This may be our opportunity to help someone who is seeking true religion and the true Church.  So know your Church.   Don’t miss an opportunity!  After all, shepherds don’t make sheep; sheep make sheep.

St. Paul always had words and prayers of encouragement for the churches he had established.  I offer a prayer for us that St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians:

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is breadth, and length, and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now unto to him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory to the church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

I charge all you to continue to proclaim, protect, and defend our faith delivered to us by the saints.  In so doing, St. George’s will continue to grow and spread the good news of the true Church.