Documents of the Christian Church

by Bettenson, Henry; Maunder, Chris

• ISBN13: 9780192880710
• ISBN10: 0192880713
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-09-16
• Publisher: OXFORD UNIV PR

Summary

Since its first publication in 1967, this collection of writings from the most important moments in the history of Christianity has established itself as a classic work. Now incorporating a wealth of new material, this new edition will be an essential reference source for anyone interested in the history of the Christian Church. While retaining the original material selected by Henry Bettenson, Chris Maunder has added a substantial section of more recent writings. These new entries illustrate the Second Vatican Council; the theologies of liberation; Church and State from 'Thatcher's Britain' to Communist Eastern Europe; Black, feminist, and ecological theology; ecumenism; and inter-faith dialogue. The emphasis on moral debate in the contemporary Churches is reflected in selections dealing with modern issues such as homosexuality, divorce, AIDS, and in-vitro fertilization. With the publication of this new edition, Documents of the Christian Church provides insights into the whole 2000 years of Christian theological and political debate.

Author Biography

Chris Maunder is Senior Lecturer in Theology and Religious Studies at the University College of Ripon and York St John.

Table of Contents

Part I THE EARLY CHURCH (TO THE COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON, 451)	1	(96)
Section I The Church and the World	1	(24)
I. References to Christianity in Classical Authors	1	(4)
(a) Tacitus: The Trial of Pomponia Graecina. The Neronian Persecution
(b) Suetonius: The Expulsion of the Jews from Rome. The Neronian Persecution
(c) Pliny (the Younger): Christians in Bithynia. Trajan's Policy towards Christians.
II. Christianity and Ancient Learning	5	(2)
(a) Justin: The `Liberal' View
(b) Tertullian: The Negative View
(c) Clement of Alexandria: Another `Liberal'.
III. Church and State	7	(18)
(a) The Rescript of Hadrian to Caius Minucius Fundanus
(b) Tertullian on Persecution
(c) Christian Loyalty to the Emperor
(d) The Neronian Persecution: Martyrdom of SS. Peter and Paul
(e) Martyrdom of Polycarp
(f) Persecution at Lyons and Vienne, 177
(g) Persecution under Decius
(h) Persecution under Valerian
(i) The Rescript of Gallienus, 261
(j) Persecution under Diocletian, 303-305
(k) Attempt to Restore Paganism under Maximin, 308-311
(l) Edict of Toleration, 311
(m) `Edict of Milan', March(?) 313
(n) Constantine's Support of the Church
(o) Constantine's Legislation in Favour of the Church
(p) A Letter from Hosius, Bishop of Cordova, to Constantius
(q) Julian the Apostate on Toleration
(r) Julian on Christianity. The Worship of Jesus and the Martyrs
(s) Gratian on the Trial of Bishops. Jurisdiction of the Roman See
(t) Gratian's ruling on Ecclesiastical and Civil or Criminal Cases, 376
(u) Theodosius I on Catholic and Heretic
(v) The Edict of Valentinian III, 445. The Primacy of the Pope.
Section II Creeds	25	(4)
I. The Apostles' Creed	25	(2)
(a) `The Old Roman Creed'
(b) A Gallican Creed of the Sixth Century.
II. The Nicene Creed	27	(2)
(a) The Creed of Caesarea
(b) The Creed of Nicaea
(c) The `Nicene' Creed.
Section III The Earliest Testimony to the Gospels	29	(3)
I. The Tradition of the Elders	29	(1)
II. The Evangelists and their Sources	30	(1)
III. The Muratorian Canon	31	(1)
Section IV The Person and Work of Christ	32	(17)
I. Ignatius	32	(1)
II. Irenaeus	32	(2)
(a) The `Recapitulation' in Christ
(b) The Sanctification of each Stage of Life
(c) The Redemption from the Power of Satan.
III. Tertullian: The Incarnation of the Logos	34	(1)
IV. Dionysius, Bishop of Rome, 259-268, on the Trinity and the Incarnation	34	(2)
V. Athanasius on the Atonement	36	(1)
(a) Salvation by Restoration
(b) Salvation by Revelation.
VI. The Atonement: the Transaction with the Devil	37	(1)
VII. Heresies concerning the Person of Christ	38	(11)
(a) Docetism
(b) Gnosticism:
(1) The Syrian Type
(2) The Egyptian Type
(3) The Judaizing Type
(4) The Pontic Type
(c) Monarchianism:
(1) Patripassianism
(2) Sabellianism
(d) Arianism:
(1) The Letter of Arius to Eusebius
(2) `The Arian Syllogism'
(3) The Letter of the Synod of Nicaea, 325:
Condemnation of Arius
(e) Attempts to Overthrow the Nicene Formulas:
(1) The Dedication Creed, 341
(2) The Blasphemy of Sirmium, 357
(3) An Attempted Compromise, the `Dated Creed', 359.
Section V The Problem of the Relation of the Divinity and the Humanity in Christ	49	(8)
I. Apollinarianism An Examination of Apollinarianism.	49	(1)
II. Nestorianism	50	(2)
(a) The Anathemas of Cyril of Alexandria
(b) Cyril's Exposition.
III. Eutychianism	52	(5)
(a) The Admissions of Eutyches
(b) The Tome of Leo
(c) The Definition of Chalcedon, 451.
Section VI Pelagianism. Human Nature, Sin, and Grace	57	(11)
I. The Teaching of Pelagius	57	(1)
(a) Letter to Demetrias
(b) Pelagius on Human Freedom
(c) Pelagius Denies Original Sin.
II. Teaching ascribed to Pelagius and Coelestius	58	(1)
III. The Doctrine of Augustine	59	(5)
(a) The Saying which Troubled Pelagius
(b) Augustine on Grace: Prevenient Grace. Irresistible Grace
(c) Augustine's Teaching on Predestination
(d) Augustine's Conception of Freedom
(e) Freedon and Grace.
IV. The Council of Carthage, 417. Canons on Sin and Grace	64	(1)
V. The Synod of Arles, c.473. `Semi-Pelagianism'	65	(1)
VI. The Council of Orange, 529. Reaction from `Semi-Pelagianism'	66	(2)
Section VII The Church, the Ministry, and the Sacraments	68	(18)
I. The Christian Ministry at the End of the First Century	68	(1)
II. The Ministry and Sacraments	69	(1)
III. A Church Order of the Second Century	69	(3)
IV. Christian Worship in the Second Century	72	(2)
V. Apostolical Succession	74	(7)
(a) The First Extant Use of the Technical Term
(b) Irenaeus on Tradition and Succession
(c) Tertullian on Tradition and Succession
(d) Tertullian on the Priesthood of the Laity
(e) Cyprian on the Unity of the Church
(f) Cyprian on the Episcopate.
VI. Eucharistic Doctrine	81	(3)
(a) Ignatius
(b) Irenaeus
(c) Early Eucharistic Canon
(d) Tertullian on the Eucharist
(e) Cyprian on the Eucharist.
VII. Two Heresies on the Nature of the Church and the Ministry	84	(2)
(a) Montanism
(b) Donatism.
Section VIII The Authority of the Holy See	86	(5)
I. The Claims of Rome, 341	86	(1)
II. Appeals to the Roman See	87	(1)
III. Jerome on the Roman See	88	(1)
IV. Innocent I, 401-417; on the Papal Authority	88	(1)
V. Papal Authority defied by the African Bishops	88	(1)
VI. The African Bishops on Appeals to Rome	89	(1)
VII. Rome and Constantinople	90	(1)
(a) Council of Constantinople, 381
(b) Council of Chalcedon, 451.
Section IX Doctrine and Development. The Vincentian Canon	91	(2)
Section X Christian Inscriptions	93	(4)
Part II FROM THE COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON TO THE PRESENT	97	(355)
Section I From Chalcedon to the Breach between East and West	97	(9)
I. The Eastern and Western Churches	97	(8)
(a) The Henotikon of Zeno, 482
(b) The `Three Chapters'
(c) The Monothelite Controversy
(d) The Iconoclastic Controversy
(e) Nicholas I on the Apostolic See.
II. The Breach between East and West, 1054	105	(1)
Section II The Empire and the Papacy	106	(21)
I. Charlemagne and Education, 789	106	(1)
II. `The Donation of Constantine', Eighth Century	107	(3)
III. Church and State	110	(11)
(a) Decree on Papal Elections, 1059
(b) Letter of the Synod of Worms to Gregory VII, January 1076
(c) Deposition of Henry IV by Gregory VII
(d) Gregory VII's Letter to the Bishop of Metz, 1081.
IV. The End of the Struggle over Investiture	121	(2)
(a) The Concordat of Worms, 1122
(b) Innocent III on Empire and Papacy.
V. The Pope and Imperial Elections	123	(1)
VI. The Bull `Clericis Laicos', 1296	124	(2)
VII. The Bull `Unam Sanctam', 1302	126	(1)
Section III Monasticism and the Friars	127	(19)
I. The Rule of S. Benedict	127	(14)
II. The Rule of S. Francis	141	(5)
Section IV The Church and Heresy	146	(3)
I. The Episcopal Inquisition and the Secular Arm	146	(1)
II. The Justification of the Inquisition	147	(2)
Section V The Conciliar Movement	149	(2)
I. The Decree of the Council of Constance, `Sacrosancta'	149	(1)
II. The Bull `Execrabilis' of Pius II	150	(1)
Section VI Scholasticism	151	(16)
I. S. Anselm's `Ontological Proof' of God's Existence	151	(1)
II. S. Anselm on the Atonement	152	(2)
III. S. Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274	154	(13)
(a) Aquinas on Belief
(b) Aquinas on the Incarnation
(c) Aquinas on the Atonement
(d) Aquinas on the Eucharist: The Doctrine of Transubstantiation.
Section VII The Church in England until the Reformation	167	(35)
I. Gregory the Great and the Church of England	167	(2)
(a) Letter of Gregory to Eulogius, Patriarch of Alexandria, 598
(b) Gregory's Advice to Augustine on Liturgical Provision for England, 601
(c) Gregory's Scheme of Organization for the English Church, 601.
II. The First National Synod of English Clergy The Council of Hertford, 673	169	(2)
III. William the Conqueror and the Church	171	(1)
(a) Refusal of Fealty to the Pope
(b) The Royal Supremacy.
IV. Henry and Anselm	172	(2)
(a) The Constitutional Position of the Archbishop. Henry's Letter to Anselm, 1100
(b) The Settlement of Bec, 1107.
V. The Constitutions of Clarendon, 1164	174	(4)
VI. The Pope's Interdict on England, 1208	178	(1)
VII. John's Concession of the Kingdom to the Pope, 1213	179	(2)
VIII. John Ecclesiastical Charter, 1214	181	(2)
IX. The Church Clauses of Magna Carta, 1215	183	(1)
X. Statutes of Provisors and Praemunire	183	(8)
(a) Provisors
(b) Praemunire.
XI. Wycliffe and the Lollards	191	(11)
(a) Propositions of Wycliffe condemned at London, 1382, and at the Council of Constance, 1415
(b) The Lollard Conclusions, 1394
(c) De Haeretico Comburendo, 1401.
Section VIII The Reformation on the Continent	202	(39)
I. The Lutheran Reformation	202	(34)
(a) The Bull Unigenitus of Clement VI, 1343
(b) The Machinery of Indulgences. Instructions issued by Albert of Mainz
(c) The Ninety-Five Theses, 1517
(d) The Leipzig Disputation, 1519
(e) Two Treatises of 1520:
(1) The Appeal to the German Nobility
(2) The Babylonish Captivity of the Church
(f) The Diet of Worms, 1521. Luther's Final Answer
(g) The Short Catechism, 1529
(h) The Confession of Augsburg, 1530.
II. Calvinism	236	(2)
III. The Peace of Augsburg, 1555	238	(1)
IV. The Edict of Nantes, 1598	239	(1)
V. The Peace of Westphalia, 1648	240	(1)
Section IX The Reformation in England	241	(31)
I. The Reformation under Henry VIII	241	(19)
(a) The Submission of the Clergy, 1532
(b) The Legal Principle--The Restraint of Appeals, 1533
(c) The Ecclesiastical Principle--The Dispensations Act, 1534
(d) The Supremacy Act, 1534
(e) Abjuration of Papal Supremacy by the Clergy, 1534:
(1) By the Convocation of Canterbury
(2) By the Convocation of York
(f) The Pope's Condemnation of Henry, 1535
(g) The Royal Injunctions:
(1) 1536
(2) 1538
(h) The Six Articles, 1539.
II. The Elizabethan Settlement	260	(12)
(a) The Supremacy Act, 1559
(b) Elizabeth's Act of Uniformity, 1559
(c) Parker's Advertisements', 1566
(d) The Papal Bull against Elizabeth, 1570
(e) Act against Jesuits and Seminarists, 1585
(f) Act against Puritans, 1593
(g) Act against Recusants, 1593.
Section X The Roman Catholic Church from the Counter-Reformation to the Second Vatican Council	272	(26)
I. The Jesuits	272	(3)
(a) Rules for Thinking with the Church
(b) Obedience of the Jesuits.
II. The Council of Trent, 1545-1563	275	(6)
(a) On Scripture and Tradition
(b) On Original Sin
(c) On Justification
(d) On the Eucharist
(e) On Penance
(f) On the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
(g) On Purgatory and Invocation of Saints
(h) On Indulgences.
III. The Tridentine Profession of Faith, 1564	281	(1)
IV. Arminianism. The Five Articles of the Remonstrants	282	(2)
V. Jansenism. The `Five Propositions', 1653	284	(1)
VI. The Gallican Declaration, 1682	285	(1)
VII. The Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, 1854	286	(1)
VIII. The Syllabus of Errors, 1864	287	(1)
IX. The Doctrine of Papal Infallibility, 1870	288	(1)
X. Pope Leo XIII on Anglican Orders, 1896	289	(1)
XI. The Roman Catholic Church and Social Problems	290	(7)
(a) Rerum Novarum, 1891
(b) Quadragesimo Anno, 1931
(c) Mater et Magistra, 1961.
XII. The Doctrine of the Assumption. Munificentissimus Deus, 1950	297	(1)
Section XI The British Churches in the Seventeenth Century	298	(47)
I. Anglicanism of the Seventeenth Century	298	(13)
(a) The Church of England: Jeremy Taylor
(b) The Catholic Church
(1) William Sherlock
(2) Richard Hooker
(3) Richard Field
(c) Roman Catholicism: John Cosin
(d) Justification: William Beveridge
(e) The Eucharist:
(1) Lancelot Andrewes
(2) Jeremy Taylor
(f) Confession: John Cosin
(g) Prayer for the Dead: Herbert Thorndike.
II. James I and the Puritans	311	(5)
(a) The Millenary Petition
(b) The Book of Sports, 1618.
III. The Solemn League and Covenant, 1643	316	(3)
IV. Presbyterianism. The Westminster Confession of Faith, 1643	319	(4)
V. Baptist Confessions of Faith	323	(2)
(a) The First Confession, 1646
(b) The Second Confession, 1677.
VI. Selections from the Agreement of the People, 1649	325	(1)
VII. Selections from the Instrument of Government, 1653	326	(1)
VIII. `The Humble Petition and Advice', 1657	327	(2)
IX. The Independents (Congregationalism). The Savoy Declaration of Faith and Order, 1658	329	(2)
X. The Clarendon Code	331	(5)
(a) The Corporation Act, 1661
(b) The Conventicle Act, 1664-1670
(c) The Five-Mile Act, 1665.
XI. The Test Act, 1673	336	(1)
XII. The Quakers	337	(5)
XIII. The Declaration of Indulgence, 1688	342	(3)
Section XII The British Churches in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries	345	(14)
I. The Deistic Controversy of the Eighteenth Century	345	(4)
(1) Matthew Tindal
(2) John Toland
II. The Organization of the Methodists	349	(2)
(a) The Deed of Declaration, 1784
(b) The Plan of Pacification, 1795
(c) The Model Trust Deed, 1832.
III. John Keble's Assize Sermon, 1833	351	(3)
IV. Tract XC. Remarks on Certain Passages in the Thirty-Nine Articles, London, 1841	354	(5)
Section XIII The Roman Catholic Church at the Second Vatican Council	359	(10)
I. Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy	359	(1)
II. Dogmatic Constitution on the Church	360	(3)
(a) The `People of God'
(b) Collegiality
(c) The Role of Mary.
III. Decree on the Catholic Eastern Churches	363	(1)
IV. Decree on Ecumenism	363	(1)
V. Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions	364	(1)
VI. Declaration on Religious Liberty	365	(1)
VII. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World	366	(3)
(a) The Church in Dialogue and Service
(b) The `Signs of the Times'
(c) The `Common Good'
(d) Equality and Social Justice
(e) Total Warfare.
Section XIV The Twentieth-Century World Churches: Justice, Peace, and the Environment	369	(35)
I. The Call for Peace	369	(3)
(a) Quaker London Yearly Meeting, 1915
(b) John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, 1963
(c) Before It's Too Late, WCC, 1984.
II. Resistance in Nazi Germany	372	(3)
(a) Karl Barth, Epistle to the Romans, 1928
(b) The Barmen Declaration, 1934
(c) Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter of 21 July 1944.
III. Black Theology in the 1960s	375	(4)
(a) Martin Luther King, Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963
(b) National Committee of Negro Churchmen on `Black Power', 1966
(c) James H. Cone, Black Theology and Black Power, 1969.
IV. The Origins of Liberation Theology	379	(6)
(a) Paul VI, Populorum Progressio, 1967
(b) Latin American Bishops' Conference at Medellin, 1968
(c) Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation, 1971
(d) Latin American Bishops' Conference at Puebla, 1979.
V. Liberation Theology and the Vatican	385	(5)
(a) Leonardo Boff, Church: Charism and Power, 1981
(b) SCDF, Instruction on Certain Aspects of the `Theology of Liberation', 1984
(c) SCDF, Instruction on Christian Freedom and Liberation, 1986
(d) Tissa Balasuriya, Mary and Human Liberation, 1990.
VI. The Ordination of Women	390	(1)
(a) Letters of Archbishop of Canterbury to Paul VI and Cardinal Willebrands, 9 July 1975
(b) SCDF, Inter Insigniores, 1976.
VII. Feminist Theology	391	(4)
(a) Rosemary Radford Ruether, Sexism and God-Talk, 1983
(b) Letty M. Russell, Feminist Interpretation of the Bible, 1985
(c) Mercy Oduyoye, Who Will Roll the Stone Away?, 1990.
VIII. Ecotheology	395	(2)
(a) Matthew Fox, Original Blessing, 1983
(b) Jurgen Moltmann, God in Creation, 1985
(c) Chung Hyun Kyun, Ecotheology, 1994.
IX. South Africa and Third World Solidarity	397	(3)
(a) Kairos Document, 1985
(b) The Road to Damascus, 1989.
X. Faith, Society, and the Economy	400	(3)
(a) Church of England, Faith in the City, 1985
(b) WCC, Christian Faith and the World Economy Today, 1992
(c) CCBI, Unemployment and the Future of Work, 1997.
XI. The Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe	403	(1)
(a) Pastors Rainer Eppelmann and
(b) Klaus Kaden, We Were the People.
Section XV The Twentieth-Century World Churches and Inter-Faith Dialogue	404	(7)
I. Jewish-Christian Relations	404	(3)
(a) The Ten Points of Seelisberg, 1947
(b) WCC, The Theology of the Churches and the Jewish People, 1948
(c) WCC, `Final Reflections', 1988.
II. Muslim-Christian Relations. Christian-Muslim Conversations, WCC, 1969	407	(1)
III. The Parliament of the World's Religions. Declaration Toward a Global Ethic, 1993	408	(2)
IV. Christianity and the New Age Movement. Methodist Conference Report, 1994	410	(1)
Section XVI The Twentieth-Century Churches and Christian Unity	411	(25)
I. Ecumenism and Anglicanism	411	(7)
(a) Letter `To All Christian People', 1920
(b) The Oecumenical Patriarch, Encyclical on Anglican Orders
(c) Statement agreed between the Old Catholic Churches and the Anglican Communion, 1931
(d) Paul VI and Michael Ramsey, The Joint Declaration of Cooperation, 1966
(e) ARCIC II, Church as Communion, 1990
(f) The Porvoo Declaration, 1992.
II. Christian Unity in the British Isles	418	(3)
(a) Church of Scotland Act, 1921
(b) The Welsh Covenant, 1975
(c) The Swanwick Declaration, 1987.
III. Taize and Reconciliation. Brother Roger, No Greater Love, 1990	421	(2)
IV. The Church of South India. Basis of Union, 1946	423	(3)
V. The World Council of Churches	426	(2)
(a) Constitution of the World Council of Churches, 1948
(b) Amended `Basis' in the Constitution, 1961
(c) The Orthodox Churches and the World Council of Churches, 1991.
VI. Ecumenism in the USA. Consultation on Church Union, 1964	428	(1)
VII. Ecumenism and Roman Catholicism	429	(3)
(a) Paul VI and Athenagoras I, The Common Declaration, 1965
(b) John Paul II and Bartholomew I, Common Declaration, 1995
(c) Towards a Common Understanding of the Church, 1991.
VIII. Lima Report: Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry	432	(3)
(a) Baptism Eucharist and Ministry, 1982
(b) Sharing a Common Life in Christ, 1993.
IX. Lutheran-Reformed Relations. Towards Church Fellowship, 1989	435	(1)
Section XVII The Twentieth-Century Churches: Sexuality and Procreation	436	(16)
I. Sexuality	436	(4)
(a) Towards a Quaker View of Sex, 1963
(b) SCDF, Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, 1986
(c) Methodist Report on Human Sexuality, 1990
(d) URC Working Party, Homosexuality: A Christian View, 1991.
II. Marriage and Divorce	440	(2)
(a) Church of England, Marriage and the Church's Task, 1978
(b) ARCIC II, Life in Christ, 1994.
III. Contraception	442	(2)
(a) Lambeth Conference, 1930
(b) Paul VI, Humanae Vitae, 1968.
IV. The Embryo--Abortion and Bioethics	444	(4)
(a) Church of England, Personal Origins, 1985
(b) SCDF, Respect for Human Life in its Origin, 1987
(c) ARCIC II, Life in Christ, 1994.
V. AIDS. WCC, Facing AIDS, 1997	448	(2)
VI. Moral Controversy within Roman Catholicism. John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor, 1993	450	(2)
Appendix. A List of Councils	452	(1)
Bibliography	453	(3)
Acknowledgements	456	(3)
Index	459