In the Consecration of Bishops service in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer the Bishop to be consecrated is asked a series of questions which all center around the Word of God.
The Archbishop asks the follow series of questions:
- Are you persuaded that the Holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all doctrine required of necessity for eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ?
- Are you determined out of the same Holy Scriptures to instruct the people committed to your charge, and to teach or maintain nothing as required of necessity to eternal salvation, but that which you shall be persuaded may be concluded and proved by the same?
- Will you then faithfully exercise yourself in the same Holy Scriptures, and call upon God by prayer, for the true understanding of the same; so as ye may be able by them to teach and exhort with wholesome doctrine, and to withstand and convince the gainsayers?
- Be you ready, with all faithful diligence, to banish ad drive away all erroneous and strange doctrine contrary to God’s Word; and both privately and openly to call upon and encourage others to the same?
What do you see in all of these questions? Fidelity to the Holy Scriptures. There is not a mention of adhering to any other source of teaching.
In the last collect contains the follow prayer: “….and so endue him with thy Holy Spirit, the he, preaching Thy Word, may not only be earnest to reprove, beseech, and rebuke with all patience and doctrine;…..”
The Bishop of the Church of England is charged with preaching and teaching the Word of God only and driving away any false teaching. This is where the battle rages in the Church: the place of the Word. Is it central or is it ignored. The Minister’s job is to preach the Word only and defend the flock from lies. There is no room or permission for any other source to be brought into the Church.
Wage war against the temptation to bring in other sources and press forward in your effort to know and preach the Word of God.
Views from an Evangelist 