Often, The Episcopal Church is called a “bridge church” between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Many couples who join The Episcopal Church do so when a Catholic marries a Protestant. Both find in The Episcopal Church a theology and a style of worship that honors the faith traditions in which they were formed.
The foundation of faith in The Episcopal Church is often described using the image of a Three-legged stool.
The first leg of the stool is Holy Scripture. The catechism in the Prayer Book says of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament that “God inspired their human authors” and that “God still speaks to us through the Bible” (BCP 853). The Old Testament conveys the story of the covenant relationship between Israel and God. The New Testament reveals the Incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Holy Scripture serves as the touchstone of our lives.
Sigh. There is no three legged stool. The quote is:
“What the Scripture plainly delivers, to that the first place both of credit and obedience is due; the next whereunto is whatsoever any man can necessarily conclude by force of reason; after these the voice of the Church succeeds.†Book V, 8.2
And Hooker uses “reason”, not as we do today, but in the sense of holy spirit inspired “reason”.
There is no three legged stool.
But, Br. Michael, it’s just not the same soundbite when one proclaims that the Anglican church aspires to ride a tricycle.
In truth, we have not outgrown the tricycle, as TEC would have us believe.
#1, Br. Michael – thank you for posting the words and reference. I’ve met very few clergy who’ve actually read any Hooker, much less able to quote anything. One quibble: having read and studied Hooker, I’d say that “reason” is more closely termed “natural law,” ala Calvin; as opposed to, as I read your comment, “inspiration.”
My fav quote: “… yet better it were to be superstitious than profance; to take from thence [Scripture] our direction even in all things great and small, than to wade through matter of principal weight and moment without even caring what the law of God hath either for or against our designs.” Law 1.15.4, Keble.