The Five Solas and the New Settlement

By Robin G. Jordan
Special to VirtueOnline
12/02/2008

The five solas are the five great pillars of the Reformation: sola scriptura, solus christus, sola gratia, sola fide, and soli Deo Gloria. They lie at the heart of classical Anglicanism and the Reformed-Evangelical tradition in the Anglican Church.

Sola Scriptura The principle of sola scriptura, literally, "by scripture alone," insists that the Bible is the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. It is the "Formal Principle" of the Reformation. The principle of sola scriptura stands against the Roman view that tradition is also the word of God and shares authority with scripture. It also stands against the sixteenth century Anabaptist view that direct revelations of the Holy Spirit to the individual supersede scripture and render scripture superfluous.

The phrase was used by the Reformed party as early as 1526. Martin Bucer used it in 1536. Bucer was the leader of the Reformation at Strasbourg. He came to England at the invitation of Thomas Cranmer in 1549, and was appointed Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge. He died two years later. Bucer wrote the Censura, a critique of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer, and influenced the development of a Reformed liturgy, the 1552 Book of Common Prayer, in the Church of England. The classic Anglican Prayer Book, the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, is basically the 1552 Prayer Book with some alterations and additions.

Cranmer affirms the principle of sola scriptura in his Confutation of Unwritten Verities: "Whatsoever the church teacheth you out of the Canonical books of the Bible, believe that; but if they teach you anything beside (I mean, which is not agreeable with the same) believe neither that nor them...cleave ye fast to the sound and certain doctrine of God's infallible word, written in the Canonical books of the New and Old Testament."

He also affirms this principle in the Homily titled A Fruitful Exhortation to the Reading of Holy Scripture: "Let us reverently hear and read Holy Scripture, which is the Food of the soul. Let us diligently search for the well of life in the books of the New and Old Testament, and not run to the stinking puddles of men's traditions, devised by men's imaginations, for our justification and salvation."

We find the same principle reflected in Articles VI, VIII, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIV, XXVIII and XXXIV of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion adopted by the Church of England in 1571. The principle of sola scripture holds that the Bible is sufficient: It tells us all that God wills to tell us and all that we need to know for salvation and eternal life. It is the only the authority that we need to determine matters of faith and practice. We do not need the confirmation of experience or tradition or the insights of psychology or science.

The principle of sola scriptura recognizes the three great creeds of the Christian church because what they teach is clearly found in scripture or is unambiguously derived from scripture.

The principle of sola scriptura subjects the church to scripture and not the scripture to the church. It also subjects the General Councils to scripture. It does not recognize any claim that General Councils are infallible or that they can override or go beyond scripture. It further subjects to scripture every doctrine and every practice, every tradition and every ceremony.

In his Apology of the Church of England, also known as the Apology of the Bible, John Jewel articulates the principle of sola scriptura especially as it applies to the Church and ecclesiastical doctrine: "We receive and embrace all the canonical Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament, giving thanks to our God, who hath raised up unto us that light which we might ever have before our eyes, lest either by the subtlety of man, or by the snares of the devil, we should be carried away to errors and lies. Also that these be the heavenly voices, whereby God hath opened unto us His will: and that only in them man's heart can have settled rest; that in them be abundantly and fully comprehended all things, whatsoever be needful for our salvation...that they be the very might and strength of God to attain to salvation: that they be the foundations of the Prophets and Apostles, whereupon is built the Church of God: that they be the very sure and infallible rule, whereby may be tried, whether the Church do stagger, or err, and whereunto all ecclesiastical doctrine ought to be called to account: and that against these Scriptures neither law, nor ordinance, nor any custom ought to be heard: no, though Paul his own self, or an angel from heaven, should come and teach the contrary."

The idea of a singular authority of Scripture lay in a large part behind the English Reformers' translation of the Bible and liturgy into the vernacular, into a language understood by the people.

Perhaps no one says it more clearly what is the word of God for Anglicans than Richard Hooker: "We therefore have no word of God but the Scripture, in this present question we are, when the WORD OF GOD, always to mean the SCRIPTURE only."

Solus Christus The principle of solus Christ, or "Christ alone," recognizes that we have only one mediator-Christ himself. In his Apology Jewel affirms this principle as he does the principle of sola scriptura: "Neither have we any other mediator and intercessor, by whom we may have access to God the Father, than Jesus Christ, in whose only Name all things are obtained at His Father's hand. But it is a shameful part, and full of infidelity, that we see every whore used in the churches of our adversaries, not only in that they will have innumerable sorts of mediators, and that utterly without the authority of God's word (so that, as Jeremy saith, 'The saints be now as many in number, or rather above the number of the cities;' and poor men cannot tell to which saint it were best to turn them first; and though there be so many as they cannot be told, yet every one of them hath his peculiar duty and office assigned unto him of these folks, what thing they ought to ask, what to give, and what to bring to pass): but besides this also, in that they do not only wickedly, but also shamefully, call upon the Blessed Virgin, Christ's mother, to have her remember that she is the mother, and to command her Son, and to use a mother's authority over Him."

The principle of solus christus is reflected in Article XVIII and Article XXXI. Only by one name may we be saved and that name is Christ's. In his offering of himself upon the cross Christ made full satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. We have no need of any other sacrifice than his.

Jewel articulates the classical Anglican and Reformed-Evangelical view of Christ's sacrifice for our redemption in his Apology: "We say also, that every person is born in sin, and leadeth his life in sin: that nobody is able truly to say his heart is clean: that the most righteous person is but an unprofitable servant: that the law of God is perfect, and requireth of us perfect and full obedience: that we are able by no means to fulfil that law in this worldly life: that there is no one mortal creature which can be justified by his own deserts in God's sight: and therefore that our only succour and refuge is to fly to the mercy of our Father by Jesu Christ, and assuredly to persuade our minds that He is the obtainer of forgiveness for our sins; and that by His blood all our spots of sin be washed clean: that He hath pacified and set at one, all things by the blood of His Cross: that He by the same one only Sacrifice, which He once offered upon the Cross, hath brought to effect and fulfilled all things, and that for that cause He said, when He gave up the ghost, 'It is finished,' as though He would signify, that the price and ransom was now full paid for the sin of all mankind. If there be any, then, that think this Sacrifice not sufficient, let them go, in God's Name, and seek another that is better. We, verily, because we know this to be the only Sacrifice, are well content with it alone and look for none other: and, forasmuch as it was to be offered but once, we command it not to be renewed again: and because it was full and perfect in all points and parts, we do not ordain in place thereof any continual succession of offerings."

Sola Gratia The principle of sola gratia, or "grace alone," holds that we are saved by God's sovereign will alone. Bucer used the phrase in a number of his writings, first in 1536 and again in 1545. Peter Martyr Vermiligi used the phrase in his 1558 lectures on Romans. Like Bucer, Vermigli played an important role in the English Reformation. Vermigli came to England at Cranmer's invitation in 1547 and was appointed Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford. When Mary ascended the English throne, Vermigli returned to the Continent. He successively held professorial chairs at Strasbourg and Zurich. He would become John Jewel's mentor when he fled into exile during the Marian persecutions.

The principle of sola gratia is reflected in Article XVII

Sola Fide The principle of sola fide, or "faith alone," recognizes that we are justified by one means and one only-faith. It is the "Material Principle" of the Reformation. In the words of Article XI "we are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deserving." As Article XII reminds us, any good works we do are the consequences or "fruits" of faith. They cannot justify us in the eyes of God. By our works, as a tree is known by its fruits, our faith is known.

The phrase sola fide is found in the works of Johannes Oecolampadius (1524, 1534), Martin Bucer (1527, 1534, 1536, 1545), Heinrich Bullinger (1534, 1557), and Peter Martyr Vermigli (1549). Oecolampadius, Bucer, Bullinger, and Vermigli all influenced the English Reformers.

Johannes Oecolampadius was the leader of the Reformation at Basel. Cranmer met Oecolampadius on an ambassadorial mission to Germany for Henry VIII. He married Oecolampadious's niece.

Heinrich Bullinger was a Swiss Reformer and Ulrich Zwingli's successor in Zurich. Bullinger corresponded with a number of the Reformers in England. He actually had greater influence upon the English Reformation than John Calvin. He has been described as "the friend of the English Reformation."

The Catechism of Dean Alexander Nowell shows Bullinger's influence. Nowell was Prebendary of Westminister during the reign of Edward VI and Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, London, during the reign of Elizabeth I. He fled to Strasbourg during Mary's reign. Nowell wrote his Catechism at the request of Convocation in 1563. Convocation gave Nowell's Catechism official sanction in 1570. The canons of 1578 enjoined the exclusive use of Nowell's Catechism except at the universities. Among the catechisms used in England before Nowell's was Oecolampadius' and Bullinger's. Bullinger's would continue to be used at Oxford University after 1578.

In the reign of Elizabeth I Bullinger's doctrinal sermons, collectively known as the Decades, were imposed by Convocation upon the less educated clergy as their body of divinity.

Soli Deo Gloria The principle of soli Deo Gloria, or "for the glory of God alone," recovers the scriptural doctrine that everything we do should be done for the glory of God and not for our own glory. Our attitude should be that expressed in Article XIV: "We are unprofitable servants."

The five solas are not confined to the Thirty-Nine Articles. They are also reflected in the classic Anglican Prayer Book-The Book of Common Prayer of 1662-and the Ordinal of 1661. In The Shape of the Liturgy Dom Gregory Dix begrudgingly acknowledges that the Communion Service of the classic Anglican Prayer Book is "the best exemplification of the doctrine of justification by faith alone in the Reformation liturgies"

The Ordinal declares that the presbyters are called to be "Messengers, Watchmen, and Stewards of the Lord; to teach, and to premonish, to feed and provide for the Lord's family; to seek for Christ's sheep that are dispersed abroad, and for his children who are in the midst of this naughty world, that they may be saved through Christ for ever." They are charged to be "a faithful Dispenser of the Word of God, and of his holy Sacraments." But nothing is said to the effect that they are sacrificing priests who mediate between man and God. The Ordinal acknowledges only one mediator-Christ.

As the day approaches for the unveiling of the draft constitution of the new Anglican Church in North America, a question that is on the mind of Reformed-Evangelical Anglicans like myself is how are the five solas going to fair in the new province. Does the draft constitution give ample room to these basic principles of the Reformation and of classical Anglicanism? Does it give large enough space to the Reformed-Evangelical tradition?

Anglo-Catholics are already talking about the role they intend to play in the new Anglican Church in North America and the steps that they are planning to take to ensure that the Catholic tradition grows and thrives in the new province. Reformed-Evangelical Anglicans need to be doing the same thing for themselves and their own tradition. They cannot count on the judicatory to which they belong to do it for them.This is the lesson I learned from the Anglican Mission in Americas' collaboration with the Prayer Book Society of the USA on An Anglican Prayer Book (2008).

The AMiA's Solemn Declaration of Principles stipulates that alternative rites developed for use in the Anglican Mission must conform to the doctrines and forms of the classic Anglican Prayer Book-the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) does not meet this requirement. It draws heavily from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, the 1962 Canadian Book of Common Prayer, and the 1928 English Revised Book of Common Prayer and embodies their Catholic theology and not the biblical-Reformation theology of the 1662 Prayer Book. The so-called "1662 English Order" for the Holy Communion is filled with Catholic elements that are not found in the 1662 Prayer Book.

Yet two senior bishops of the Anglican Mission, in contradiction to the Solemn Declaration of Principles of that body, endorsed the service book. This is included one of the bishops who had been instrumental in drafting the declaration. They may have had their reasons for doing so. But it shows that Reformed-Evangelical Anglicans cannot expect their bishops or their judicatory to go to bat for them.

Six groups of Reformed-Evangelical Anglicans can be found in the formerly Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and Common Cause Partners such as the Anglican Mission in Americas and the Reformed Episcopal Church.

The first group consists of graduates of the Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry and their congregations.

The second group consists of pastors who came from these bodies and trained in Reformed-Evangelical seminaries and their congregations.

The third group consists of candidates for Holy Orders coming from the same bodies and training in Reformed-Evangelical seminaries.

The fourth group consists of Reformed-Evangelical pastors who came from outside of these judicatories, who were attracted to Anglicanism's historical formularies and liturgical worship, and are now serving congregations in one of the same judicatories. This group also includes their congregations. The fifth group consists of the Reformed-Evangelical pastors and congregations in the Reformed Episcopal Church, which have remained faithful to the doctrines and principles of the REC founders. The sixth group consists of Evangelical pastors who, while they may have not studied in a Reformed-Evangelical seminary, embrace Reformed doctrines and principles and their congregations.

The members of these six groups need to network with each other to make certain that the Reformed-Evangelical tradition also flourishes in the new Anglican Church in North America. The Heritage Anglican Network can help to facilitate this process. Through the Heritage Anglican Network Reformed-Evangelical Anglicans can link together in Canada and the United States and form linkages with Reformed-Evangelical Anglicans outside North America. The Heritage Anglican Network web log at http://heritageanglicannetwork.wordpress.com/ was launched to provide a meeting place for Reformed-Evangelical Anglicans on the Internet.

The formation of the new Anglican Church in North America offers wonderful opportunities for gospel ministry in the world's largest English speaking mission field. At the same time the new province offers serious challenges. The new province will bring together a number of disparate groups of people with different views of the character of Anglicanism, of the history of the Anglican Church, and of the place of their own school of thought and that of other schools of thought in the Anglican tradition. These groups, while they may share some common ground, also have fundamentally different and unharmonious doctrinal beliefs and practices.

In the Episcopal Church their common struggle with the so-called liberal or progressive school of thought dominating that province has diverted their attention from these differences. The formation of the new province eliminates that distraction. Hopefully the compilers of the draft constitution will have learned a lesson from the serious theological conflicts of the last 40 odd years and will have provided ample breathing space for these disparate groups in the new province rather than throwing them together to fight for who has the run of the house and who is relegated to the broom closet under the stairs. If they have not made such provision, the grand experiment of the new Anglican Church in North America will be short-lived.

---Robin G. Jordan is a long-time Anglican who lives and writes in western Kentucky. He is a founding member of the Heritage Anglican Network and the administrator of its web log.