THE AFFIRMATION OF SAINT LOUIS

   IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY GHOST. AMEN.

The Continuation of Anglicanism

    We affirm that the Church of our fathers, sustained by the most Holy
Trinity, lives yet, and that we, being moved by the Holy Spirit to walk
only in that way, are determined to continue in the Catholic Faith,
Apostolic Order, Orthodox Worship and Evangelical Witness of the
traditional Anglican Church, doing all things necessary for the continuance
of the same.  We are upheld and strengthened in this determination by the
knowledge that many provinces and dioceses of the Anglican Communion have
continued steadfast in the same Faith, Order, Worship and Witness, and that
they continue to confine ordination to the priesthood and the episcopate to
males.  We rejoice in these facts and we affirm our solidarity with these
provinces and dioceses.

The Dissolution of Anglican and Episcopal Church Structure

    We affirm that the Anglican Church of Canada and the Protestant
Episcopal Church in the United States of America, by their unlawful
attempts to alter Faith, Order and Morality (especially in their General
Synod of 1975 and General Convention of 1976), have departed from Christ's
One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.  The Need to Continue Order in
the ChurchWe affirm that all former ecclesiastical governments, being
fundamentally impaired by the schismatic acts of lawless Councils, are of
no effect among us, and that we must now reorder such godly discipline as
we strengthen us in the continuation of our common life and witness.  The
Invalidity of Schismatic AuthorityWe affirm that the claim of any such
schismatic person or body to act against any Church member, clerical or
lay, for his witness to the whole Faith is with no authority of Christ's
true Church, and any such inhibition, deposition or discipline is without
effect and is absolutely null and void.  The Need for Principles and a
ConstitutionWe affirm that fundamental principles (doctrinal, moral, and
constitutional) are necessary for the present, and that a Constitution
(redressing the defects and abuses of our former governments) should be
adopted, whereby the Church may be soundly continued.

The Continuation of Communion with Canterbury

    We affirm our continued relations of communion with the See of
Canterbury and all faithful parts of the Anglican Communion.  [Note:Because
of the action of General Synod of the Church of England,Parliament, and the
Royal Assent, the College of Bishops of theAnglican Catholic Church is
obliged no longer to count the See ofCanterbury as a faithful part of the
Anglican Communion.] WHEREFORE, with a firm trust in Divine Providence, and
before Almighty God and all the company of heaven, we solemnly affirm,
covenant and declare that we, lawful and faithful members of the Anglican
and Episcopal Churches, shall now and hereafter continue and be the unified
continuing Anglican Church in North America, in true and valid succession
thereto.

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

    In order to carry out these declarations, we set forth these
fundamental Principles for our continued life and witness.  PREFACE:In the
firm conviction that "we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ," and that "there is no other name under heaven given among men by
which we must be saved," and acknowledging our duty to proclaim Christ's
saving Truth to all peoples, nations and tongues, we declare our intention
to hold fast the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Faith of God.  We
acknowledge that rule of faith laid down by St.  Vincent of Lerins:  "Let
us hold that which has been believed everywhere, always and by all, for
that is truly and properly Catholic."

I. PRINCIPLES OF DOCTRINE

  1.  The Nature of the Church

    We gather as people called by God to be faithful and obedient to Him.
As the Royal Priestly People of God, the Church is called to be, in fact,
the manifestation of Christ in and to the world.  True religion is revealed
to man by God.  We cannot decide what is truth, but rather (in obedience)
ought to receive, accept, cherish, defend and teach what God has given us.
The Church is created by God, and is beyond the ultimate control of man.
The Church is the Body of Christ at work in the world.  She is the society
of the baptized called out from the world:  In it, but not of it.  As
Christ's faithful Bride, she is different from the world and must not be
influenced by it.

  2. The Essential of Truth and Order

    We repudiate all deviation of departure from the Faith, in whole or in
part, and bear witness to these essential principles of evangelical Truth
and apostolic Order:  Holy ScripturesThe Holy Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments and the authentic record of God's revelation of Himself, His
saving activity, and moral demands -- a revelation valid for all men and
all time.

  The Creeds

    The Nicene Creed as the authoritative summary of the chief articles of
the Christian Faith, together with the "Apostles' Creed, and that known as
the Creed of St.  Athanasius to be "thoroughly received and believed" in
the sense they have had always in the Catholic Church.

Tradition

   The received Tradition of the Church and its preachings as set forth by
"the ancient catholic bishops and doctors," and especially as defined by the
Seven Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church, to the exclusion of
all errors, ancient and modern.

 Sacraments

    The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, the Holy Eucharist, Holy
Matrimony, Holy Orders, Penance and Unction of the Sick, as objective and
effective signs of the continued presence and saving activity of Christ our
Lord among His people and as His covenanted means for conveying His grace.  In
particular, we affirm the necessity of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist (where
they may be had) -- Baptism as incorporating us into Christ (with its
completion in Confirmation as the "seal of the Holy Spirit"), and the Eucharist
as the sacrifice which unites us to the all-sufficient Sacrifice of Christ on
the Cross and the Sacrament in which He feeds us with His Body and Blood.

  Holy Orders

    The Holy Orders of bishops, priests and deacons as the perpetuation of
Christ's gift of apostolic ministry to His Church, asserting the necessity of a
bishop of apostolic succession (or priest ordained by such) as the celebrant of
the Eucharist -- these Orders consisting exclusively of men in accordance with
Christ's Will and institution (as evidenced by the Scriptures), and the
universal practice of the Catholic Church.

  Deaconesses

    The ancient office and ministry of Deaconesses as a lay vocation for
women, affirming the need for proper encouragement of that office.

  Duty of Bishops

    Bishops as Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds and Teachers, as
well as their duty (together with other clergy and the laity) to guard and
defend the purity and integrity of the Church's Faith and Moral Teaching.
Use of Other FormulaeIn affirming these principles, we recognize that all
Anglican statements of faith and liturgical formulae must be interpreted in
accordance with them.

  Incompetence of Church Bodies to Alter Truth

    We disclaim any right or competence to suppress, alter or amend any of
the ancient Ecumenical Creeds and definitions of Faith, to set aside or
depart from Holy Scripture, or to alter or deviate from the essential
pre-requisites of any Sacrament.  Unity with Other BelieversWe declare our
firm intention to seek and achieve full sacramental communion and visible
unity with other Christians who "worship the Trinity in Unity, and Unity in
Trinity," and who hold the Catholic and Apostolic Faith in accordance with
the foregoing principles.

II.  PRINCIPLES OF MORALITY

    The conscience, as the inherent knowledge of right and wrong, cannot
stand alone as a sovereign arbiter of morals.  Every Christian is obligated
to form his conscience by the Divine Moral Law and the Mind of Christ as
revealed in Holy Scriptures, and by the teaching and Tradition of the
Church.  We hold that when the Christian conscience is thus properly
informed and ruled, it must affirm the following moral principles:

  Individual Responsibility

    All people, individually and collectively, are responsible to their
Creator for their acts, motives, thoughts and words, since "we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ . . ."

Sanctity of Human Life

    Every human being, from the time of his conception, is a creature and
child of God, made in His image and likeness, an infinitely precious soul;
and that the unjustifiable or inexcusable taking of life is always sinful.

  Man's Duty to God

    All people are bound by the dictates of the Natural Law and by the
revealed Will of God, insofar as they can discern them.

  Family Life

    The God-given sacramental bond in marriage between one man and one
woman is God's loving provision for procreation and family life, and sexual
activity is to be practiced only within the bonds of Holy Matrimony.

  Man as Sinner

    We recognize that man, as inheritor of original sin, is "very far gone
from original righteousness," and as a rebel against God's authority is
liable to His righteous judgment.

  Man and God's Grace

    We recognize, too, that God loves His children and particularly has shown
it forth in the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that man cannot
be saved by any effort of his own, but by the Grace of God, through repentance
and acceptance of God's forgiveness.

Christian's Duty to be Moral

    We believe, therefore, it is the duty of the Church and her members to
bear witness to Christian Morality, to follow it in their lives, and to
reject the false standards of the world.

III.  CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES

    In the constitutional revision which must be undertaken, we recommend,
for the consideration of continuing Anglicans, the following:

  Retain the Best of Both Provinces

    That the traditional and tested features of the Canadian and American
ecclesiastical systems be retained and used in the administration of the
continuing Church.

  Selection of Bishops

    That a non-political means for selection of bishops be devised.

  Tri-partite Synod

That the Church be generally governed by a Holy Synod of
three branches (episcopal, clerical and lay), under the presidency of the
Primate of the Church.

  Scriptural Standards for the Ministry

    That the apostolic and scriptural standards for the sacred Ministry be
used for all orders of Ministers.

  Concurrence of all Orders for Decisions

    That the Constitution acknowledge the necessity of the concurrence of
all branches of the Synod for decisions in all matters, and that
extraordinary majorities be required for the favorable consideration of all
matters of importance.

  Re-establishment of Discipline

    That the Church re-establish an effective permanent system of
ecclesiastical courts for the defense of the Faith and the maintenance of
discipline over all her members.

  Constitutional Assembly to be Called

    That our bishops shall call a Constitutional Assembly of lay and
clerical representatives of dioceses and parishes to convene at the
earliest appropriate time to draft a Constitution and Canons by which we
may be unified and governed, with special reference to this
Affirmation, and with due consideration to ancient Custom and the
General Canon Law, and to the former law of our provinces.

  Interim Action

    In the meantime, trusting in the everlasting strength of God to carry
us through all our trials, we commend all questions for decision to the
proper authorities in each case:  Episcopal, diocesan, and parochial,
encouraging all the faithful to support our witness as subscribers to this
Affirmation, and inviting all so doing to share our fellowship and the work
of the Church.

IV.  PRINCIPLES OF WORSHIP

  Prayer Book -- The Standard of Worship

    In the continuing Anglican Church, the Book of Common Prayer is (and
remains) one work in two editions:  The Canadian Book of 1962 and the
American Book of 1928.  Each is fully and equally authoritative.  No other
standard for worship exists.

  Certain Variances Permitted

    For liturgical use, only the Book of Common Prayer and service books
conforming to and incorporating it shall be used.

V. PRINCIPLES OF ACTION

  Intercommunion with other Apostolic Churches

    The continuing Anglicans remain in full communion with the See of
Canterbury and with all other faithful parts of the Anglican Communion, and
should actively seek similar relations with all other Apostolic and
Catholic Churches, provided that agreement in the essentials of Faith and
Order first be reached.  Non-Involvement with Non-Apostolic GroupsWe
recognize that the World Council of Churches, and many national and other
Councils adhering to the World Council, are non-Apostolic, humanist and
secular in purpose and practice, and that under such circumstances, we
cannot be members of any of them.  We also recognize that the Consultation
of Church Union (COCU) and all other such schemes, being non-Apostolic and
non-Catholic in their present concept and form, are unacceptable to us, and
that we cannot be associated with any of them.

  Need for Sound Theological Training

    Re-establishment of spiritual, orthodox and scholarly theological
education under episcopal supervision is imperative, and should be
encouraged and promoted by all in authority; and learned and godly bishops,
other clergy and lay people should undertake and carry on that work without
delay.

  Financial Affairs

    The right of congregations to control of their temporalities should be
firmly and constitutionally recognized and protected.

Administrative Matters

    Administration should, we believe, be limited to the most simple and
necessary acts, so that emphasis may be centered on worship, pastoral care,
spiritual and moral soundness, personal good works, and missionary
outreach, in response to God's love for us.

The Church as Witness to Truth

    We recognize also that, as keepers of God's will and truth for man, we
can and ought to witness to that will and truth against all manifest evils,
remembering that we are as servants in the world, but God's servants first.

Pensions and Insurance

    We recognize our immediate responsibility to provide for the
establishment of sound pension and insurance programs for the protection of
the stipendiary clergy and other Church Workers.

Legal Defense

    We recognize the immediate need to coordinate legal resources,
financial and professional, for the defense of congregations imperiled by
their stand for the Faith, and commend this need most earnestly to the
diocesan and parochial authorities.

  Continuation, Not Innovation

    In this gathering witness of Anglicans and Episcopalians, we continue
to be what we are.  We do nothing new.  We form no new body, but continue
as Anglicans and Episcopalians.  NOW, THEREFORE, deeply aware of our duty
to all who love and believe the Faith of our Fathers, of our duty to God,
who alone shall judge what we do, we make this Affirmation.  Before God, we
claim our Anglican/Episcopal inheritance, and proclaim the same to the
whole Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with the Father and
the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end.  Amen.

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