Compare/Contrast: Cranmer and Jefferts Shori on Justification: 1662 Point of View | Anglicans In The Wilderness

Of Justification « 1662 Point of View Anglicans In The Wilderness

We are thankful to Hudson at AiW for posting Archbishop Cranmer's sermon on justification, a good reminder of the Reformed faith of the Church of England. Ever timely. A theme by which the church stands or falls. Article 11 has been integral to classical and confessional Anglicanism, as with our Reformation cousins, Confessional Lutheran and Reformed Churchmen. Yes, thematic to St. Paul in his magum opus, "The Epistle to the Romans." Master Romans this scribe has often encouraged young Churchmen in the way. Cranmer's sermon is vintage. It is reminescent of Hooker's famous sermon on justification in the Reformed and Protestant tradition of classical Anglicanism.

We put Archbishop Cranmer's article against Ms. Jefferts-Shori, TEC's PB.

A good opportunity exists for young Churchmen to compare and contrast Thomas Cranmer of Canterbury, the ever-close and cautious scholar of Scriptures and antiquity, with Ms. Katharine Jefferts Shori of 815 Park Avenue, NYC, a graduate of a liberal Episcopal grade school and biblical lite-weight. The former was grave and serious; the latter is irrreverent and indifferent, unstudied and dismissive.

I might add that my parish Rector, Mariners' Anglican Church, just referenced Cranmer versus Shori on justification, coming down in favour of the English Reformer and giving Schori the "heave-ho," overboard. He was nice, but Ms. Jefferts Shori was clearly tossed.

As informed, reformed and transformed Churchmen, ever-conforming our minds to Christ's Word (Rom.12.1-2), Ms. Shori is deformed, defective and destructive. She is, by no means, an Anglican.

As an hasty aside, do not expect the new schism, the ACNA and its leaders, to profoundly appreciate Cranmer or the "Thirty-nine Articles of Religon." The new ACNA leaders come from the same seminaries, but I digress. Back to compare/contrast of Cranmer and Schori.

Katharine Jefferts Schori's apostate comments are found elsewhere and at: http://scottrichardslive.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/the-great-western-heresy/

Episcopal Bishop calls individual salvation ‘heresy,’‘idolatry’

ANAHEIM, CA - Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori says it’s “heresy” to believe that an individual can be saved through a sinner’s prayer of repentance.

In her opening address to the church’s General Conference in California, Jefferts Schori called that “the great Western heresy: that we can be saved as individuals, that any of us alone can be in right relationship with God.”

The presiding bishop said that view is “caricatured in some quarters by insisting that salvation depends on reciting a specific verbal formula about Jesus.”

According to Schori, it is heresy to believe that an individual’s prayer can achieve a saving relationship with God. “That individualist focus is a form of idolatry, for it puts me and my words in the place that only God can occupy.”

It seems as if the Episcopal Church has had more than its share of polarizing moments as of late.

The ordination of openly gay Bishop V. Gene Robinson caused a number of congregations to sever ties with the main body.

Last month a group of 700 Bible believing parishes officially united as the Anglican Church in North America.

So it is no wonder that Reverend Schori would take a dim view of those who don’t march in lock step with directives from upper management.

But to declare the notion that “we can be saved as individuals, that any of us alone can be in a right relationship with God” as worthy of dropping a theological “H” bomb seems a little bit over the top.

Does the Bible teach that salvation is an “individual” experience?

Uh, yes. Yes it does.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” (Romans 10:12-13)

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)

As far as Ms. Schori’s complaint about using “a specific verbal formula about Jesus”, it would seem that the Apostle Paul might disagree with her as well.

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:8-11)

So it would seem that Schori finds herself without a Biblical leg to stand on in this discussion.

And really, this is the underlying issue here.

What has befuddled senior Episcopalian leadership is the fact that so called “breakaway” parishes seem to be more concerned about biblical authority, rather than bureaucratic authority.

The ordination of an openly gay bishop certainly sounds trendy and hip, but can’t be supported by Scripture.

So when the rank and file Episcopalians who read their Bibles happen across a verse like -

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (I Corinthians 6:9-11)

- they are faced with a choice:

Do we follow the teaching of Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori-

or the Scriptures?

And perhaps that is what inspired the Reverend to drop the “Heresy” bomb in her speech.

Jefferts Shori is representative of religious people who have long ago cast off the authority of the Scriptures as the basis of their world view and decision making.

And when you are confronted by those who question policy and perspective, but you are no longer willing to say, “Here’s what God says in His Word..”

then what do you do when someone has the nerve to ask, “Says who?”

You can give them a rambling amalgamation of philosophy, psychobabble and spiritual platitudes, but what do you do with those who aren’t impressed with your answer?

You try to intimidate them.

Or belittle them.

Or brand them with a heavy sounding epithet of shame – “Heretic”.

Now if Jefferts Shori was objecting to the idea that we can be saved by mindlessly mouthing some spiritual platitude, she would have a point.

I have been asked, “Will saying just a little prayer save someone who was incredibly evil?”

And my answer is, “No.”

We aren’t saved by saying “a little prayer”.

We are saved because Jesus Christ willingly died a horrible death on a cruel Roman cross to pay the price for my sins – personally and individually.

The “little prayer” is simply the biblically prescribed way of laying hold of that gift.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:(John 1:12)

How interesting that a religionist who prides herself on tolerance would use such a harsh,ugly and intolerant word to describe the beliefs of those who simply take the Bible seriously.

But then, its pretty obvious those in the Anglican communion who take the Bible seriously aren’t taking the pronouncements of Jefferts Shori very seriously either.