Church Institutions…

*The following explanation of the Religious Institutions and Events may help to clear up some confusing terms and titles you will encounter whilst studying Sh. The info is cribbed from English Institutions by Aug. Western PhD. Oslo 1938. p.33-39.

The Reformation really started with a Catholic priest called Martin Luther. Luther refused to follow a direct order from the Pope in Rome and nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Church, The Pope ex-communicated him for refusing to believe that people need the priest as a buffer between them and God.

*The Reformation happened not only for the Protestants but the Catholics as well culminating in new theological decisions made at the Council of Trent, 1545-1563. The biggest difference for the Protestants was the ability to read and interpret the Bible on their own. People were slowly moving away from church and religion to concentrate on making money, building businesses and raising families.

*The biggest fear shared by both Protestants and Catholics at this time was the Devil and witchcraft. They both used the Devil as propaganda: to the Protestant pastors the Pope was the Antichrist; and in Catholic exorcisms the demons screamed Protestant doctrines as they fled from the bodies of their victims.

*The Jesuits, a Catholic order founded by Ignatius Loyola, 1491-1556, echoed the new introspective character of religion. You were alone with your bible and faith to fight any devils you may be exposed to in your meditations. Isolation provokes terror and terror creates an exaggerated view of the Devil’s power.

*Loyola had systematic rules for spiritual training. He insisted that no-one is free from the temptations of the Evil one who seeks to persuade man that worldly pleasures and sensual delights are the key to happiness. He felt that the action of a good spirit in our hearts would promote peace, joy, hope, faith, charity and elevation of mind. The action of an evil spirit will bring upset, depression, concern with worldly things, and dryness of the soul. The way to defeat the devil is through undying faith.

*There was at the same time an intellectual movement that promoted scepticism, which proved an intense reaction against any belief in the powers of evil. Johan Wier in 1563 wrote a book called ‘On Magic’.

The famous humanist philosopher, Michel de Montaigne, 1533-1592, argued that the evidence for witchcraft was too shaky to justify putting people to death. This intellectual scepticism lead some people to the subjective view that there is neither a God nor a Devil and a belief only in things that they can experience.

*Now the Catholic Church was still very much an institution in the workaday calendar year lives of the Common people. The Saints days and Holy days offered many forms of Entertainment and Celebration. The Catholic Church was a charitable institution, despite its corrupt state the closer you got to Rome. Daily meals were served to the poor, sick and destitute who asked for charity. These charitable practices were abolished after Henry 8th divorced his first wife and made himself head of the Church of England.

*The ‘new’ religious beliefs adopted in favour of Catholicism was Protestantism, which took a stricter and more sober line. There are 39 Articles of Religion, drawn up in the reign of Elizabeth 1st and sanctioned by parliament, which are the test of Orthodox churchmanship subscribed to by the clergy.

*The 37th Article states that the Sovereign is supreme over all persons and all causes, ecclesiastical and civil. The power of the Pope in Rome was hereby completely smashed. This belief of the divine right of kings is strong in Shakespeare.

*The Church of England doctrine was not that radically different from the Roman Catholic Church doctrine at this point. The C.of E. occupies a middle position in Protestant belief between the Church of Rome and the Reformed Church of Geneva.
The Church of England has a standard of Doctrine and form of worship in the Book of Common Prayer.

*However there are several parties one can distinguish within the C.of E.

-The High Church gives place to those points of Doctrine and ritual that distinguishes it from the Calvinistic churches of the Continent and the Protestant Nonconformists of England and gives high place to the claims of the Episcopate.

-The Low Church places little emphasis on the Episcopate and therefore differs marginally from the Protestant Nonconformists.

-The Broad church refers to those members who believe the Church of England should be comprehensive and tolerant, and admit variety of opinion in matters of doctrine and ritual.

*There are three orders of ministers in the Church of England: Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.

*The Crown nominates the highest positions in the Church.

-The Archbishop of Canterbury is the Lord Primate of All England. His residence is Lambeth Palace in London.

-The Archbishop of York is the Lord Primate of England.
The 2 Archbishops are addressed as Most Reverend.

* In total there are 38 Bishops and each has a Bishopric or Diocese. Each Diocese has a Cathedral Church with an ecclesiastical council or Chapter. Bishops are addressed as Right Reverend. The larger Bishoprics usually have assisting bishops, known as Suffragan.

* The Chapter has a president, the Dean. The Dean is addressed as Very Reverend.  Four clergymen known as Canons assist him. Dioceses are further split into 2 or more Archdeaconries each with an Archdeacon. The churches in the district of the diocese are Parish Churches. The Archdeacon supervises the Clergy in his district’s parishes.

*Deacons are clergymen in the first year after their ordination. Deacons are not allowed to administer the Holy Communion.

*A Chaplain is a clergyman who conducts divine service in some special chapel, e.g. of the King, Queen or private person, a college, prison, hospital in the army and navy and the like.

*The Parish priest is known as:
-A Rector or Parson if he receives Greater and Lesser Tithes.
-A Vicar if he only receives the Lesser Tithes.

-A Tithe is a tenth of what a person makes or produces in a year and was given to the Church. Traditionally Greater Tithes consisted of corn and Lesser Tithes were fruit.

*The Rector and Vicar are called the Incumbents of the Parish.
The Curate is appointed and paid by the incumbent of the Parish.

*Each parish must take care of its church property and buildings. The Vestry is organised from volunteer members of the Parish church. The vicar or rector is then their chairman. Two Churchwardens are appointed for tasks around the church property, and two Overseers were appointed to have charge of the poor. The expenses necessary for the maintenance of the church and to pay for the Clergy were taken out of Tithes.