Boultbee (12-51): Reformed Theology of the Church of England: Thirty-nine Articles

An Introduction to the theology of the Church of England, in an exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England by Thomas Pownall Boultbee (London: Longmans, Green & Co., n.d.)

In general, this book, thus far, is unremarkable, except at points. We are not sure of his intended audience, a factor that governs the content. A college level class? A graduate or doctoral level? In general, it is orthodox, classical and close to the Articles of Religion. As a stand-alone text, it is unsuitable for a graduate level theological student. As such, however, it surely stands as a stern rebuke to Anglican liberalism.

Boultbee’s book is free and downloadable at:
http://books.google.com/books?id=1tECAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=boultbee&hl=en&ei=PV3jTLT6GIP88Aavu-mEDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

For our comments on Boultbee (i-xix): Thirty-nine Article, see:
http://reformationanglicanism.blogspot.com/2010/11/boultbee-i-xix-protestand-reformed.html

For our comments on Boultbee (xxi-pg.12): Thirty-nine Articles
http://reformationanglicanism.blogspot.com/2010/11/boultbee-i-pg12-thirty-nine-articles.html

What we offer below are isolated comments and quotes on Boultbee, 12-51.

Pg.12ff, gives a standard and orthodox treatment of the Trinity, suitable for beginners and as a handbook for—perhaps—a first or second-year college student. Of interest, historically, is pg.14.

The Trinitarian controversy in the Church of England belonged chiefly to the commencement of the eighteenth century. In 1685 the celebrated work of Bishop Bull appeared, the Defensio Fidei Niceni. It is a learned investigation of the opinions of the fathers of the first three centuries on the doctrine of the Trinity. It remains the standard work on that part of the subject. Bishop Bull died in 1709, and the controversy took another form, mainly in consequence of the publications of Dr. Samuel Clarke, which were considered to be a revival of Arian opinions. This led to the valuable treatises of Waterland on the Trinity; they appeared in succession for some years, and remain as a copious storehouse of theology on the various points of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.

Pg. 16, Boultbee will continuously invoked John Pearson’s classic on the Creeds. Pearson on the Creed is recognizably a classic of scholarship, albeit so little known.

For reasons already stated, we shall again recur to 'Pearson on the Creed.'

Pg. 22ff. Fairly standard material re: Christ, His Person, natures, incarnation and death. Not worth citing anything.

Pg. 26, do we have an odious Arminian before us? We believe we do. Boultbee needs to back up and do more work on theology proper and the divine attributes. We will soon see with Article 17.

But if all this is undeniable, it is manifest that great caution is needed in stating the doctrine of the atonement. It is in theology, as a science, as it is in other sciences. In astronomy the results of multitudinous observations give certain facts, which must be all accounted for and included in any theory of the science which claims acceptance. In theblogy each passage of Scripture is a fact; and the undoubtedly ascertained qualities of man's nature are other facts. Any doctrinal theory, in order to be true, must unite in itself, and take account of, all these facts. If itf ails to unite them (within those limits which are possible to man), it is not a true doctrine. If the results of our induction, carefully conducted, lead to two apparently conflicting doctrines, it does not follow of necessity that either is false. For example, the free-will of man, to such an extent at least as to make him responsible, is an unquestionable fact of Scripture and experience. The foreknowledge of God, and His universal sovereignty, are necessary deductions of reason and clear assertions of Scripture. Perfectly to reconcile these with man's free-will may be impossible. This need not distress us when we have carefully followed our facts to the verge of the infinite or the unknown. There we must leave them, and we need have little difficulty in feeling assured that the missing facts which would reconcile the apparent contradictions in our deductions lie within, and probably not many steps within, the dark margin it which we pause.

Pg. 37, some helpful notes on the alteration of the Creed and double procession, as well as corruption in the Eastern and Western branches. Food for thought.

The history of this doctrine may be briefly recapitulated. The original form of the Nicene, or rather the Constantinopolitan, Creed declared that the Holy Ghost proceeded from the Father. At the close of the sixth century the words and from the Son were added by the Provincial Council of Toledo, in Spain. Thence the clause appears to have gradually found its way into Gaul, in portions of which kindred Gothic races were settled. Nearly two hundred years afterwards, this dogma of the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son, as well as from the Father, found a strenuous supporter in Charlemagne. He called a council of his own bishops at Frankfort, in which this doctrine was affirmed, and the Pope was afterwards addressed on the subject of the defect of the Creed on this important matter. The Pope declined to make any change in the Creed. Nor, so far as can be clearly ascertained, was the alteration ever made officially and authoritatively. Gradually and stealthily the change spread. About the year 1014 it had established itself in Rome, and was adopted in the Pontifical services.

The opposition called forth in the Eastern Church is well known. The presumption of the Western portion of the Church in venturing to alter the Creed confirmed by all the great General Councils, added to the assumptions of the Pope, made the great schism between the East and the West which has never been closed. It has, perhaps, been a divine mercy that, in the midst of so general a corruption of Christian doctrine, the Papal tyranny should have thus received a check ; and that a perpetual protest should have been made against it by a Church scarcely purer than itself in point of doctrine.

Nothing could well be more unsatisfactory than the mode in which this additional, clause found its way into the Creed. Nevertheless we see that it is distinctly affirmed by the Church of England; and the fact of its truth, or otherwise, is quite distinct from any particular time or mode of its promulgation.

Pg. 47ff. Unremarkable comments, except for an interesting and classical view of Scriptures.

THE PROOF FROM SCRIPTURE.

Passages bearing on this Article may be arranged in the following manner:—

1. Texts which imply or assert the Inspiration of Scripture,
such as these :

'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God' (2 Tim. iii. 16).
' Which He promised afore by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures' (Rom. i. 2).
' The oracles of God' (Rom. iii. 2).
' One jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled' (Matt. v. 18).
' The Scripture cannot be broken ' (John x. 35).
' In the words which the Holy Ghost teacheth ' (1 Cor. ii. 13).
' The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue' (2 Sam. xxiii. 2).
' Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth' (Jer. i. 9).
' Which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before' (Acts i. 16).
' If any man shall add, .... and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out ofthe book of life,' &c. (Rev. xxii. 18,19).
' No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation : for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man : but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost' (2 Pet. i. 20, 21).

2. Texts appealing to the Scripture as authoritative; for
example:

' What things soever the law saith ' (Rom. iii. 19).
' What saith the Scripture ? ' (Rom. iv. 3).
' The Scripture saith' (Rom. ix. 17).
' The Scripture foreseeing' (Gal. iii. 8).
` That the Scripture might be fulfilled ' (John xix. 28, 36).
` As the Scripture hath said ' (John vii. 38).
' This Scripture must needs have been fulfilled which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before ' (Acts i. 16) ' Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith' (Heb. iii. 7). ' David himself said by the Holy Ghost' (Mark xii. 36).

3. Forms perpetually recurring, such as these :
`Thus saith the Lord;' ' The Lord hath spoken; ' ' The voice of the Lord;' ' The word of the Lord by the mouth of;' &c.

4. Duties which we owe to the Scripture. Search the Scriptures (John v. 39). Meditation therein (Ps. cxix. 15). Love (Ps. cxix. 97). Obedience (Rom. xvi. 26). They must be taught (Deut vi. 7). They must be used against our spiritual enemies (Eph.vi. 17).
5. Effects of Scripture on the Believer. It makes wise unto salvation (2 Tim. iii. 15). It perfects, thoroughly furnishing unto all good works (2 Tim. iii. 17).
It converts the soul (1 Pet. i. 23).
It causes growth in grace (1 Pet. ii. 2).
It sanctifies (John xvii. 17).