Conference yukon::christian

A brief Anglican history:

  King Henry VIII was a loyal Catholic Churchman, who wrote a treatise
  on the sacraments to oppose the views of Martin Luther.  The Pope, pleased,
  conferred on him the title "Defender of the Faith," which English monarchs
  still use.  Henry considered his marriage to Catharine of Aragon an invalid
  one, and appealed for an annulment of it.  The Pope, for political reasons,
  refused.  But in 1533, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer declared the marriage
  null and void.  The Convocations of Canterbury and York voted that no
  foreign bishop should have power in England, thus renouncing the authority
  of the Pope.  In 1534, Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy, which severed
  relations between the pope and England.  But no changes were made in the
  doctrines of the Church.  The usual sacraments and services continued.  The
  same priests carried on the same work they had been doing.  The continental
  protestants made no headway in England, and to prevent them doing so, the
  Six Articles were passed by Parliament in 1536.  Edward VII, 10 years old,
  became King in 1547.  During his reign, services were translated into English,
  and the Prayer Book was published in 1549 and revised in 1552.  In 1553, Mary
  became Monarch and restored the Papal authority over the English Church.
  
  Elizabeth I ascended the throne in 1558.  Papal power was again renounced.
  The Prayer Book was restored.  Roman doctrines concerning the Intermediate
  State were eliminated.  Confession was made voluntary.  Granting of indul-
  gences was condemned.  Clergy were permitted to marry.  Communion was to be
  administered in both Bread and Wine.  Baptism and Holy Communion were declared
  generally necessary for salvation.  The Scriptures, practices, and Creeds of
  the early Church were declared the authority for right belief.  The Apostolic
  Succession was continued unbroken.
  
  Englishmen on the continent still received Communion in the Catholic Churches
  there, and continentals in England received Communion in the Catholic Church
  of England.  Communion was broken off in 1570, when the Pope excommunicated
  Queen Elizabeth, and forbade the use of the Prayer Book.  Of the 9,400 priests
  in the English Church at that time, only 189 followed the Pope and left the
  Church of England.
  
  In England, there were four religious attitudes:  (1) The Romanists, who
  wished to restore Papal power in England; (2) The Episcopalians, who wished
  to continue the Catholic Church, including the episcopate, but free of papal
  power; (3) The Puritans or Nonconformists, who wished to remain in the Church,
  but "purify" it of Catholic practices and protestantize it; and (4) The
  Congregationalists, who wished to eliminate the national Church and have each
  congregation to be independent.  The first group were predominant in Ireland;
  the second in England; the third in Scotland, where the Bishops were
  eliminated, and Presbyterian organization and theology adopted by the Scottish
  Church.  In Ireland, many people withdrew from the Episcopal Church and
  affiliated with Roman parishes.
  
  Attempts were made to keep all Englishmen in the one Church of England, but
  civil war raged from 1642 to 1649, and the Congregationalists, headed by
  Oliver Cromwell, won.  The monarchy was abolished.  The King, Charles I,
  was beheaded, and so was the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud.  Bishops
  were driven into exile, and the Prayer Book was forbidden.  In 1658, Cromwell
  died, the monarchy was restored, the Bishops returned from exile, the Prayer
  Book was revised and republished, and those who would not accept the doctrines
  and worship of the Church of England left the Church and affiliated with
  protestant denominations.  King James II tried to restore Papal power in
  England.  He was deposed and went into exile, and William and Mary were
  called to the throne.
  
  Many of the conscientious clergy of the Church, while disagreeing with
  James's Romanizing attempts, could not bring themselves to swear allegiance
  to William and Mary, while James II was still alive.  They were deprived of
  their offices, and many of them went to Scotland and became part of the new
  Scottish Episcopal Church, which had re-introduced the Apostolic Succession
  and the Catholic Faith into Scotland.  After this great loss of leadership,
  the Church of England went into a decline, became completely subservient to
  the government, and almost died.  The Methodist movement, led by John Wesley,
  a priest of the Church of England, tried to bring new life into the Church
  of England, but after Wesley's death, his followers left the Church and the
  Methodist societies became a separate denomination.  Some of his followers,
  however, remained in the Church, as Anglican Evangelicals.
  
  In the 19th century, the Anglo-Catholic movement began at Oxford University.
  This movement remained in the Church, revitalized the Anglican Churches
  throughout the world, usually against violent opposition from the Bishops
  and the government, revived a more faithful adherence to the Church's
  Catholic doctrine, discipline, and worship, and transformed the life of
  the Anglican Church all over the world.

The worldwide Anglican Communion consists of the following member
Churches:

The Anglican Church of Australia
Igreja Episcopal do Brasil
The Church of the Province of Burundi
The Anglican Church of Canada
The Church of the Province of Central Africa
Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sud de Las Americas
The Province of Ceylon
The Chung Hua Sheng Kung Hui (The Holy Catholic Church in China)
The Church of England
The Church in the Province of the Indian Ocean
The Church of Ireland
The Nippon Seikokai (The Holy Catholic Church in Japan)
The Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East
The Church of the Province of Kenya
The Province of Melanesia
The Church in the Province of Myanmar (Burma)
The Church of the Province of New Zealand
The Church of the Province of Nigeria
The Church of the Province of Papua New Guinea
The Philippine Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church of Rwanda
The Scottish Episcopal Church
The Church of the Province of Southern Africa
The Province of Sudan
The Church in the Province of Tanzania
The Church of Uganda
The Episcopal Church in the United States of America
The Church in Wales
The Church of the Province of West Africa
The Church in the Province of the West Indies
The Anglican Church of Zaire

In addition, the following non-autonomous Churches are under metropolitan
jurisdiction of other provinces:  The Lusitanian Church (Portugal), The
Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church, The Episcopal Church in Cuba, and
Dioceses in Bermuda, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Malaysia,
Korea, and Singapore.

The following Churches are in Full Communion with the Anglican Churches:
The Church of Bangladesh, The Church of North India, The Church of Pakistan,
The Church of South India; the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar; The Old
Catholic Churches in communion with the See of Utrecht (in Europe -- the
Polish National Catholic Church in the U.S. has terminated intercommunion
in response to the ordination of women by the U.S. and Canada).

For information about one specific, and very unique, Episcopal parish, you may
visit the Web Site I maintain for The Church of the Advent in Boston:

		http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~ai072/advent.html

One of the great treasures of Anglican heritage is The Book of Common Prayer,
a religious and literary masterpiece, and one of the greatest influences on
the English language.

The English translation of the Psalter contained in the Book of Common
Prayer precedes the King James translation by almost a century, and has
dramatically influenced many writers.  Many famous English poets, such
as John Donne and George Herbert, were Anglican priests.

Possibly the quintessential Anglican prayer is the Collect for Purity which
begins most celebrations of the Holy Communion:

	Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires
	known, and from whom no secrets are hid:  Cleanse the
	thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit,
	that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy
	Name; through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The language of prayer is important and leads to the maxim "lex orandi,
lex credendi" which can be expressed in English as "In the manner in which
we pray, so shall we believe."

/john

cool site. i loved the graphics on the front page, the painting on the clergy
page.

	Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast
	made and dost forgive the sins of those who are penitent: Create
	and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting
	our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee,
	the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through
	Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the
	Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN. 

	But I said I thought the site was cool! :-)

	We beseech thee, O Lord, to further with thy gracious favour
	the fast, which we have here begun:  that we, who with our
	bodies therein do thee outward worship, may inwardly perform
	the same in singleness of heart.  Through Jesus Christ our
	Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour
	and glory, world without end.  Amen.

In the epistle of James we read, "Is any sick among you?  let him call for 
the elders of the Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with 
oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, 
and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall 
be forgiven him."  Holy Unction (or the Laying on of hands) is that 
anointing by which God's grace is given for the healing of mind, body, and 
spirit.  Jesus healed the sick and forgave the sinner.  The Church is in 
the business of forgiveness and the healing of all infirmities.  The rite 
concludes with strong words of affirmation of the Lord, "who is a strong 
tower to all who put their trust in him, to whom all things in heaven, or 
earth, and under the earth bow and obey: Be now and evermore your defense, 
and make you know and feel that the only Name under heaven given for health 
and salvation is the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

	O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, we pray thee to
	set thy passion, cross, and death, between thy judgment and
	our souls, now and in the hour of our death.  Give mercy
	and grace to the living, pardon and rest to the dead, to
	thy holy Church peace and concord, and to us sinners
	everlasting life and glory; who with the Father and the
	Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, now and for ever.
	Amen.

Rejoice now, all ye heavenly legions of Angels: all high things that
pass understanding: and celebrate the divine mysteries with exultation,
and for the King that cometh with victory, let the trumpet proclaim
salvation.

Sing with joy, O earth, illumined with this celestial radiancy: and
enlightened by the eternal God, thy glory, believe and know that
thou has put away the darkness of all mankind.

So likewise let our Mother, his holy Church, welcome the bright
beams of light shed upon her: and let his holy courts be filled
with the praise of his people.

It is very meet and right, that with the service of our lips we
should glorify thee, and with heart and soul should praise thee,
O God the Invisible and Almighty, and likewise thy only-begotten
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, who paid for us to thee,
O Eternal Father, the debt of Adam's transgression: and with his
dear Blood wiped away the reproach of our former offenses.

Now therefore we sacrifice our Passover, wherein for us the very
Lamb of God is slain, by whose blood the doors of the faithful
people are made holy.

Now is come the night, wherein our fathers, the children of Israel,
were led forth out of Egypt; thou dividedst the sea, and madest
them to go on dry land in the midst of the waters.

Yea, now is come the night, that with the fiery pillar hath purged
away the darkness of our condemnation.

Now is come the night, whereby all that believe in Christ upon the face
of the earth, delivered from this naughty world and out of the shadow
of death, are renewed unto grace, and are made partakers of eternal
life.  Now is come the night, wherein the bonds of death were loosed,
and Christ harrowing hell rose again in triumph.

For wherefore should man be born into this world, save that being
born he might be redeemed?  How wonderful then, O God, is thy
loving-kindness unto us thy children!  Behold, what manner of love
he hath bestowed upon us:  who to redeem a servant, delivered up
his only Son!

O how great is thy providence in man's necessity, to make by the
Blood of Christ from Adam's sin our salvation!  O blessed iniquity,
for whose redemption such a price was paid by such a Saviour; O
night verily blessed, to thee alone that time and that hour were
made manifest, when our Saviour Christ rose again from death unto
life!  Now is come the night, whereof David said: Behold, the night
is as clear as the day:  Then shall my night be turned into day.

The mystery therefore of this most holy night putteth to flight the
deeds of darkness, purgeth away sin: restoreth innocence to the
fallen, and gladness unto them that mourn: casteth out hatred,
bringeth peace to all mankind, and boweth down mighty princes.

Therefore in this night of grace, accept, 0 holy Father, the
evening sacrifice of this lighted candle, which as at this time thy
holy Church maketh before thee, and offereth to thee by the hands
of thy servants, the work of the bees thy creatures. Ye hear,
brethren, the meaning of this pillar we have set up, whereunto
in God's honor the bright flame of fire doth set light. Which though
it be never so much divided, yet knoweth not variableness nor loseth
aught of its splendor.  For the wax that melteth doth but feed the
flame, for thereunto have the creatures of God's hand brought it
forth, that it should give light in darkness.

0 night verily blessed, which did spoil the people of Egypt, and
enrich the Hebrews!  0 night, wherein heaven and earth are joined,
and mankind is brought close to God.

We pray thee therefore, 0 most merciful: that this candle which
we have lighted and consecrated before thee in thy own name,
may continue to shine forth without ceasing, and may vanquish
all the shades of darkness. That being accepted before thee as a
sweet savor, it may be numbered with the lights that thou hast
kindled. May the day-star find it burning when he dawneth into
day: the day-star that riseth, and knoweth not his going down:
but coming forth from the places of darkness gladly giveth forth
light unto all creation.

We beseech thee, therefore, 0 Lord most merciful: that thou
wouldest direct and guide us thy servants, and the hearts of
all thy faithful family: and all those also that minister in thy
service: so helping us with continual grace, that we may
pass our time in rest and quietness, in the glad solemnity of
our redemption. Do thou also have respect unto those who
rule in authority over us, and by the unspeakable gift of thy
love and pity direct their thoughts unto righteousness and
peace, that they, together with all thy people, may come
from the toils of this world unto their heavenly country.

Through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord: Who liveth
and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one
God, world without end. Amen.