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We are meeting in serious times for which we need to go back to the basics of true and traditional Anglicanism. But first we need some context at this literal turning point juncture in world history, (which it is) for us in Jesmond, in Newcastle, in the United Kingdom, and, globally. An excellent summary of that context was given in the current (4th March) edition of the fortnightly Church of England Newspaper. I make no apology for reading this Leader Comment, as it is a fuller version of what I wanted to say and I’m sure it needs our consideration. It is headed: “The West’s naïve idealism must be rejected” and it reads as follows:

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine brings the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse thundering back into Europe bringing conquest war famine and death. How could it come to this within a century of 1945.It is now clear that Putin believes that the Ukrainian territory is belonging to Russia as in the days before 1917 when the Tsars ruled a vast Russian empire, an empire broken up at the end of the Soviet era. No amount of diplomacy was going to shift him from that position - he was planning to take the regions by force and calculated that it would meet no resistance in terms of military strength.His war machine has been massing on the Ukrainian border for weeks, while he lied repeatedly and denied that he would invade. Like Hitler in 1936 when he marched into the demilitarized Rhineland territories breaking the treaty of Versailles, Putin’s brutalist approach has paid off.So why has the West failed to protect the young democratic state of the Ukraine, why did it not allow it to join NATO and have a defended border? Clearly the West did not imagine that such a coup could happen in this day and age.The belief of the West has been that liberal democracy has conquered everywhere, that it is now the new norm, permanently fixed, as Francis Fukuyuama’s book “The End of History” argued. That book came out before the Twin Towers were reduced to rubble by Islamic extremists. It is not true that all nations and peoples find liberal democracy compelling. The Afghans did not and most of the Islamic world does not.Like-wise within the West itself the confident hope of Tony Blair and his administrations, that religiously-driven people would soon appreciate a soft version of religion and embrace constitutional democracy, did not materialize. Life in the west brings vast material goods, free health and education, as well as plentiful food and housing but to the religiously-driven person these things are secondary. In fact, Western freedoms, including sexual licence are seen as the marks of a corrupt and sinful society.The secular liberal dream has not captured the minds of the world’s peoples, although it does capture Western governments totally. Theologically put, in this world-view there is no shadow of brokenness or corruption in the human psyche, humanity is not fallible or fallen. In fact there is an upward curve of goodness baked in to humanity; progress to constant peace, and goodwill is in the nature of things.Presumably this is why nations such as Germany disarmed. In fact, no European country has a robust and feared military clout - it was no longer needed, all was love and peace. But now, the bucket of very cold water that has been flung at us by Putin reveals how naïve we were.Those four Horsemen of the Apocalypse seek and ride out to kill and conquer whatever the damage they cause. The derided Christian insight that we are fallible and sinful, capable of very bad things indeed, needs to be reclaimed notwithstanding the liberal naïve idealism that dominates our culture now.It is arguable that the West has begun to rot inwardly, attacking itself obsessively like a rheumatic disease eating at the joints and sinews of the body politic. We are accused of racism, of slavery, of homophobia, of transphobia, of failing to care for the planet. All these accusations have been inserted into our educational system, into the civil service, and into the media and their plutocratic elite. Western liberal democracy has been so vilified that it is no longer seen as anything worth defending. If our society hates itself, why should its opponents not seek to pull it down. The indulgence of vast Russian wealth flooding into the UK is part of this syndrome, as is the welcome given to the Chinese Communist Party into the most sensitive parts of our economic fabric. It is now doubtful that the UK will act military in defence of Ukraine. Russia is not economically poor, sitting on the vast gas reserves. It can weather sanctions.And China is another massive military presence hostile to the ever weaker West, constantly threatening to conquer Taiwan just as Putin has taken Ukraine, Crimea and parts of Georgia, without any pain. China may well feel emboldened to take Taiwan, confident that the USA has shown it will not ultimately intervene.The relations between Russia and Ukraine also have a religious dimension. The Eastern Orthodox patriarch of Moscow has already prevented the Orthodox in the Ukraine from having its own patriarch, as this would take territory from Moscow. An invasion of Ukraine will surely impose a real strain within the Orthodox worldwide family.Estonia is also seeking its own autocephalous Orthodox identity, that is being pushed back by Moscow. Which does raise the question as to whether the West now should urgently look to defend the formerly Russian controlled states of the Baltic, surely next on Putin’s bucket list for the days of the Tsars?

And that is the world at this time. But what is basic to the True and Traditional Anglican at any time including now? The answer is God, revealed to us in Jesus Christ. But, you say there are so many views about Jesus, so where do we find the Anglican view? Answer: the Law of the Land. Being an Established Church its Measures have the same force as Acts of Parliament. And there is a Church of England Worship and Doctrine Measure (1974) and in that it says, in effect, (as most here should know) the Canon of Canons is Canon A5 entitled Of the doctrine of the Church of England. That is what gives you traditional Anglicanism, and it says:

The doctrine of the Church of England is grounded in the Holy Scriptures, and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures. In particular such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal.

Now, what is highly significant in that Canon, are the words "as are agreeable to the said Scriptures". For these were an addition to those in the original Canon proposed at the 1930 Lambeth Conference and subsequently were repeated in the Church of England’s official Report of 1947 entitled The Canon Law of the Church of England. That read:

The doctrine of the Church of England is grounded in the Holy Scriptures and in the teaching of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church.

Not only did that mean all of the teaching of the Fathers and Councils of the Church, so whatever you wanted. Also that same teaching was put on a level with, and so equal to, the teaching of the Holy Scriptures. So when the new Canons were finally promulged by the Convocations of Canterbury and York in 1964 and 1969, its doctrine regarding the 'teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church' were not given blanket approval, until there were added the words "as are agreeable to the said Scriptures". And this was literally a watershed moment, historical for the Anglican Tradition – for which we must thank God, for it now legally is and has to be, Biblical.

What does this mean? When the rub came over the virginal conception of Jesus and his empty tomb that was very significant. So we’ve got a way back to the basics of Anglicanism, the Bible. But where do your doctrine of God find that it's biblical? Answer – the 39 Articles and Article 8 entitled, Of the Three Creeds.

The Three Creeds, Nicene creed, Athanasius’s Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostles’ Creed, ought thoroughly to be received and believed: [listen] for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture.

And that Anglican belief in our Triune God is fully stated in the Athanasian Creed (which Anglicans are supposed to recite 13 times a year). And it is so important for it gives you a Christian World View which helps you in your thinking about the Bible, Morals, and Society. This Creed is about the Trinity. We know only two things for sure about it. One it wasn’t written by Athanasius, and, two, he would have approved of every word of it. The Trinity, of course, is a mystery which you can believe without understanding because you know it is true from your Christian experience. However, the value of the Creed is that it rules out teachings (or heresies) about God that are ruled out by the Bible but sadly can still come up. Someone has well said, “almost every section is the tombstone of a buried error.” So here is the version in the Book of Common Prayer, the version readily available, and called by the original Latin of its first two words, Quicunque Vult:

Whosoever Will be saved: before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith [Catholic in the Creeds means the Churches that confess the Faith as agreed as a result of the first four ecumenical (worldwide) Church Councils] Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled: without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons: nor dividing the Substance.For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son: and another of the Holy Ghost [or, of course, Spirit]. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one: the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.Such as the Father is, such is the Son: and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate [uncreated], the Son uncreate: and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible [Latin: inmensus, so better ‘infinite’], the Son incomprehensible: and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal: and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals: but one eternal.As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated: but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty: and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties: but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God: and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods: but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord: and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords: but one Lord.For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity: to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion: to say there be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none: neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons: one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other: none is greater, or less than another; But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together: and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid: the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved: must thus think of the Trinity.Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation: that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is that we believe and confess: that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds: and Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world; Perfect God, and Perfect Man: of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting; Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead: and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood. Who although he be God and Man: yet he is not two, but one Christ; One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh: but by taking of the Manhood into God;One altogether, not by confusion of Substance: but by unity of Person.For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man: so God and Man is one Christ. Who suffered for our salvation: descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty: from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies: and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting: and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.This is the Catholic Faith: which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

The Creed not only affirms but defines the doctrine of the Trinity and the paradox, namely that, the Threeness of the persons does not violate the oneness of the substance, while the oneness of the substance in no way impairs the real distinction of the persons. We can’t go through it in detail, but a word about background. The creed seems to have come from a time when the Goths and Vandals swept across Europe in the 5th and 6th centuries. Many of the Goths were Arians, who, as Arius a 4th century presbyter from Alexandria, didn’t believe that Jesus was fully God. And they persecuted ferociously those who held the simple faith in the Holy Trinity and so in the deity of Jesus. Some of the martyrs’ words while in terrible pain being burnt alive were remembered (like our martyrs’ words in the 16th century. Here are two:

By the majesty of God, by the Day of Judgment, by the brightness of the coming of Christ, hold fast more firmly the Catholic faith;

and

Fear the eternal punishment – hold gallantly to the faith.

But why were they willing to die rather than give up their faith in the Trinity? The answer is, as E L Mascall says:

If Christianity is true, the Trinity is not a doctrine: the Trinity is God. And the fact that God is Trinity – in a profound and mysterious way there are three divine Persons eternally united in one life of complete perfection and beatitude – is not a piece of gratuitous mystification, thrust by dictatorial clergymen down the throats of an unwilling but helpless laity, and therefore to be accepted, if at all, with reluctance and discontent. It is the secret of God’s most intimate life and being, into which, in his infinite love and generosity, he has admitted us, and it is therefore to be accepted with amazed and exultant gratitude.

So our personal God with his world, and whom human beings depend on for their existence from moment to moment, is not one solitary monad, but three Persons, united in one perfect life, whose reality, of course, we only very imperfectly understand at the moment. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13.12:

now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.

So seeing the reality of God is the great hope of heaven; as Jesus said (Matthew 5.8):

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God

And the final word be with John, and with this I close, 1 John 3.2-3:

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.