Anglican Article of Religion XXII. Of Purgatory.
"The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons,
Worshipping and Adoration, as well of Images as of Relics, and also Invocation
of Saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of
Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God."
Over the last two centuries, there have been serious debates about the interpretation of the Thirty-nine Articles and about the character of Anglicanism. Some interpreters have downplayed certain facts of history and the plain meaning of the Thirty-nine Articles, especially Article XXII. There have been claims that the word "Romish" does not refer to the official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages, at the Council of Trent, or since. It has been claimed by some that the adjective "Romish" merely refers to abuses that Thomas Cranmer saw in the 1530s and 1540s when he first started to compose drafts for the Articles.
However, if one looks at history, such an interpretation of the Articles did not arise until the 1840s and has not been accepted by most Anglicans or others. Historically, Anglicans of different perspectives, Roman Catholics, and various Protestant observers all have understood Article XXII as a rejection of Roman Catholic tendencies (official and unofficial) on certain issues.
Recognizing this fact does not mean that Anglicans despised all ancient or medieval catholic traditions. However, it does mean that Anglicans shared the general Reformation rejection of certain aspects of medieval and Tridentine Roman Catholicism.
So what does Article XXII mean for modern Anglicanism? This Article reflects an enduring Anglican principle. That principle is that we are not bound by the understandings of the Roman Church, at popular or official levels, in the sixteenth century or in the twenty-first century. Rather, Anglican allegiance should be first to Scripture, then to ancient Christian tradition, and thirdly to sixteenth-century formularies. Any other approach is not historically Anglican.
So what does Article XXII mean for modern Anglicanism? This Article reflects an enduring Anglican principle. That principle is that we are not bound by the understandings of the Roman Church, at popular or official levels, in the sixteenth century or in the twenty-first century. Rather, Anglican allegiance should be first to Scripture, then to ancient Christian tradition, and thirdly to sixteenth-century formularies. Any other approach is not historically Anglican.
