ADDRESS Address by by The Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall The Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall Archbishop of Brisbane Archbishop of Brisbane to the to the First Session of the 79th Synod Third Session of the of the Diocese of Brisbane 76th Synod of the Diocese of Brisbane Friday 22 September 2017 Saturday 1 June 2010 6
ADDRESS by The Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall Archbishop of Brisbane to the First Session of the 79 th Synod of the Diocese of Brisbane Friday 22 September 2017 Welcome to this First Session of the 79 th Synod of the Diocese of Brisbane. I especially welcome any members who are here for the first time. If any of the procedures are confusing or you are not sure how to go about something, please don t hesitate to ask. There are plenty of people only too happy to assist. 17 th Session of General Synod Early this month the General Synod of our Church met in Maroochydore. Our top priority was to address matters raised for the Anglican Church of Australia by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 1 of 26
As you know the Royal Commission began its work in 2013 and is due to provide its final report to the Governor-General on 15 December this year. Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald personally addressed the General Synod and very directly indicated the Commission s and the wider Australian community s perceptions and expectations of this Church. I encourage you to read the full text of what Commissioner Fitzgerald said to the General Synod. His address is on the General Synod website and it makes salutary reading. Here I want to draw to your attention some of what the Commissioner said that particularly struck me. Commissioner Fitzgerald identified arresting facts about child sexual abuse in the Anglican Church and its organisations. He drew attention to significant failings in the Church both to keep children safe and to respond to reports of abuse. And he presented key challenges to the Anglican Church of Australia going forward. Facts In terms of facts, Commissioner Fitzgerald told the General Synod that - The Royal Commission has held 57 public hearings, over more than 440 days, hearing from over 1,200 witnesses; The Commissioners have held more than 7,200 private sessions and read over 1,000 written accounts of abuse; More than 2,250 people have been reported to authorities, mostly police, for possible investigation. Of those, 106 referrals to police in every state and territory have been made related to Anglican institutions; President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 2 of 26
Almost 60% of people in private sessions reported abuse in a religious institution; Overall 9% of survivors reported abuse in an Anglican institution, the second highest number in any religious setting; Eight case studies examined Anglican institutions: the North Coast Children s Home in Grafton Diocese, The Church of England Boys Society in Tasmania, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane dioceses, The Hutchins School in Tasmania, St Paul s School in Brisbane, the Diocese of Newcastle and Anglican-affiliated schools Trinity Grammar and the King s School in Sydney; Of the people attending private sessions, only 34% have ever reported their abuse to the relevant institution; 22 out of the 23 Anglican dioceses received one or more complaints between 1980 and 2015; Overall 1,085 complainants alleged child sexual abuse in 1,119 complaints to Anglican dioceses; 75% of complainants were male, 25% were female; On average survivors, both boys and girls, were 11 years of age when abused; The average time between abuse occurring and being reported was 29 years; 569 alleged perpetrators were identified and there were another 133 whose identity was unknown; 94% of alleged perpetrators were male, 6% were female; The Commission has also undertaken an extensive policy and research program involving over 70 key experts across more than 30 universities and research centres. President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 3 of 26
Put together this work shows that there are unique characteristics of religious organisations that contribute to the risk of abuse, that act as a barrier to reporting of abuse and that have a negative impact on those organisations responses to abuse. The Commission has found that - the word of a minister was automatically accepted over the word of a child; the status given to people in religious ministry blinded community members to seeing the signs of abusive behaviours and gave unfettered access to children in multiple environments; perpetrators used their special relationship with God to intimidate, manipulate and disempower victims, both to abuse them and to inhibit their reporting the abuse; sometimes children were told they were the wrongdoer, they had committed a sin and they would be punished if they ever told; distinctive impacts of abuse in a religious organisation include loss of faith, spiritual confusion, estrangement from religious community and roots, family breakdown, loss of trust in authority; and abuse has severely damaged religious organisations themselves: disbelief has been replaced by anger, shame and confusion as to the true values of the church which have been so compromised in responding to claims and complaints. Failings These are some of the key facts and findings of the Commission. They point to significant failings on the part of this Church as well as others. Commissioner Fitzgerald highlighted the following: Anne Hywood, the General Secretary of the General Synod, in the Anglican review public hearing in March this year, acknowledged this Church s failings. She said President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 4 of 26
In confronting our failings, we are ashamed. We have had to face that we have not always protected the children we were trusted to care for. It is clear that there were times when we did not act as we should and we allowed harm to continue; we did not believe those who came forward, we tried to silence them; we cared more about the church s reputation than those who had been harmed. Religious leaders accepted advice without due regard to the damage already suffered by survivors. Procedures were used that caused further trauma often leading to people giving up on just claims because of the brutality they experienced. Advice to act in the best interests of the church backfired and severely damaged the reputation of the church; Church disciplinary procedures have been confused about forgiveness and accountability. Some perpetrators were not held to account and went on to reoffend after they had been forgiven ; Conflicts of interest have not been sufficiently identified and resolved, leading to severely flawed processes which have been unjust to victims and ultimately to perpetrators too. They have made institutions look at best incompetent and at worst biased; Anglican organisations have taken legalistic and hard-line approaches to survivors; President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 5 of 26
Anglican organisations have failed to follow their own policies for handling complaints and responding to survivors; CEBS branches were allowed to operate in an autonomous and unregulated way. Combined with the nature of their activities such as overnight trips and camps, that provided access to boys and opportunities for abuse; The CEBS national council considered but decided not to make an apology to victims; Tasmania, Adelaide and Brisbane conducted three separate inquiries but there was no inquiry into whether there was an organised network of offenders within CEBS or a culture that facilitated abuse, despite knowledge of relationships between offenders; Bishops and other senior leaders o supported cultures which minimised the nature and impact of offending; o allowed perpetrators to continue to hold positions of authority; and o prioritised the reputation of the Anglican Church and of individual members of the Church, particularly those in positions of power and influence, above the needs of children; Some laity and clergy seem to continue to hold on to long discarded myths including: o that children are not reliable witnesses; o that adult survivors who take a long time to disclose lack credibility; o that survivors are only after money; and President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 6 of 26
o that the problem has been exaggerated or that this is an historic issue which has passed. This is a long list of significant failings on the part of the church, church leaders and lay members. Key Issues A significant agenda emerges from these key facts and failures. Commissioner Fitzgerald highlighted these: Anne Hywood told this year s review hearing Our actions in responding to child sexual abuse cannot be limited by our structures, our culture or our differences. We recognise the imperative for a nationally consistent approach to child protection and a structure to deliver the best possible response to those who have been harmed in our care. We accept the challenge - and we are committed to taking action; The Commission will indicate that structural, governance and cultural factors may have contributed to the occurrence of abuse or affected the church s response to abuse; The way in which authority is dispersed in the Anglican Church of Australia has contributed to the lack of a nationally consistent approach across dioceses, which the Commission has found difficult to understand. On the one hand, more than any other issue in the life of the church, child protection is the area on which there has been greatest cooperation. But on the other, there have been and remain different President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 7 of 26
approaches in different dioceses. The lack of a coherent, nationally consistent approach to survivors allows untenable and damaging myths to persist; Child safety must be embedded across all parts of the Anglican church. It is everyone s responsibility. Every member of the General Synod and every member of this diocesan Synod is to be an advocate for child safety in every parish, school and organisation affiliated with the Anglican Church; Most dioceses have robust child protection systems in place but some do not. The Anglican Church of Australia is still working to achieve uniform minimum standards across the board. The Commission has published 10 standards it says are applicable to all institutions and which all need to put into place. Together they seek to place the interests of children above all other considerations. All members of the Church need to understand this commitment and all policies and procedures adapted to enshrine this approach; There is no national approach, or agreed minimum standards for selecting, screening and training ordination candidates. Nor is there a national approach, or agreed minimum standards for professional supervision and support for clergy. There is a need for formal oversight and accountability for Anglican leaders; The Commission acknowledges the considerable work that has been done on professional standards and regulating behaviour of clergy and lay church workers but expects a more consistent approach across dioceses and affiliated organisations, President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 8 of 26
especially around child safety. Such consistency is not inhibited by theological difference on child safety, but by structural and cultural barriers to working together; A national approach to redress for survivors is also required including three elements: o a direct personal response from the institution concerned where the survivor wants that, recognising that some survivors want no contact at all with the institution in which they were abused; o an independent assessment and monetary payment as a tangible acknowledgment of the seriousness of the harm suffered; and o counselling and psychological support as required through the survivor s lifetime. The proposed national redress scheme is intended to be an independent way to deal with claims and to bring about fair decisions for survivors. Some survivors do not sufficiently trust individual institutional arrangements and the diversity of such schemes makes for inconsistent treatment of survivors; In the wider context of civil litigation the Commission is recommending that the onus of proof be reversed in relation to the duty of care owed by an institution so that the institution will have to demonstrate that it has properly exercised such care; The Commission is encouraging institutions to adopt a model litigant approach to litigation and to embrace trauma informed approaches to complaint handling, redress and care; President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 9 of 26
The Commission is also recommending criminal penalties for failing to report suspicions of child sex crimes as well as a new failure to protect offence where a person with knowledge and authority in an institution fails to protect a child from significant abuse; The Commission will recommend broadening mandatory reporting requirements that will affect all people in religious ministry; In all of these proposals the Commission is seeking to push institutions to recalibrate their attitudes and responses to child sexual abuse. Ultimately changing the culture of institutions is what s needed. And cultural change needs to be embraced, taught and sustained by all of us. The ultimate aim is for this [and every] institution to act in the best interests of the most vulnerable, both children and survivors of abuse. Commissioner Fitzgerald told the General Synod that restoring the trust and confidence of the community will rest on [our] willingness and ability to bring about reforms... those that do not change will lose the confidence of the Australian community. General Synod Developments In response to this very direct challenge by Commissioner Fitzgerald the General Synod achieved unprecedented collaboration and unanimity. It passed canons to provide for uniform minimum standards and guidelines for Safe Ministry to Children, which will basically enshrine in canon law the provisions in Faithfulness in Service concerning ministry with children; President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 10 of 26
uniform episcopal standards rules in relation to child protection matters; and for a priest to report certain matters revealed in confession. These are very significant developments indeed and represent a big step down the road Commissioner Fitzgerald encouraged us to take. It s one thing for the General Synod to pass those canons. We now need to adopt them for them to take effect in this diocese, as does every other diocese in the country. Because of the fundamental significance of these initiatives and because of the evident desire of the General Synod that all dioceses move as quickly as possible to implement these changes, they are being brought to this session of Synod at very short notice, rather than being delayed for another 9 or 12 months. I encourage you to listen carefully to the more detailed explanations that will be offered by the Chancellor and other members of the General Synod. Even with short notice I hope and pray we will take this step at this time and play our part in putting in place a coherent and nationally consistent approach to child protection and Episcopal standards for this Church. Church in society There can be no doubt that the scandals around child sexual abuse have severely damaged the standing in wider society of this and other churches. The churches failings have hugely undermined its authority to speak in the public square about other issues. Our failures have accelerated the erosion of public confidence in and affiliation with churches which has been evident in census figures for over a century. These failings have provided further impetus to detractors and opponents to the extent that on an almost daily basis Christians are told, in no President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 11 of 26
uncertain terms, to keep their religious views out of public debates and their convictions to themselves. Recently the senior journalist Paul Kelly (2017), in the context of the same-sex marriage debate, has drawn attention to the dismissive attitude of politicians to the need to protect religious freedom. Last month he wrote The resistance [to protecting religious freedom] falls into three categories: those who care only about achieving same-sex marriage; those who think protection around the ceremony is the only thing that matters; and those, like the champions of progressive ideology, who see this social change as an integral step in driving religion from the public square. Last year, in the midst of the euthanasia debate in Victoria, Andrew Denton (Kelly, 2016) called on those opposed to euthanasia on religious grounds to step aside from the debate asserting that there was a hidden theocrcay at the heart of government that was blocking the introduction of what he euphemistically called assisted dying laws. People with religious views should stay out of the debate, he insisted. May your beliefs sustain you and those you love, he said, but do not impose them on the rest of us. Other journalists and apologists respond raising questions about the implications for Australia of losing touch with our social and moral roots in Christianity, but the tide is certainly running in the other direction and gaining pace. A thorough and careful analysis of these dynamics is beyond the scope of this address, but a key question for us, spiritually and missionally, is how are we to go about faith and life in an increasingly hostile environment such as we now experience. President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 12 of 26
Spiritually, I have no doubt that humility is required of us. Our own failures have drastically undermined the trust people once had in the church. That will be regained only slowly, over time, by us living humbly with integrity. Recall Commissioner Fitzgerald s words at the conclusion of his address to the General Synod. Living humbly, acting justly, demonstrating kindness and generosity, as the prophet Micah urged, acting in the interests of others, might also be the most effective missionary strategy, too. Early this year I heard a lecture from a Romanian Orthodox theologian, Doru Costache, who introduced me to the anonymous second century letter to Diognetus. At that time the church was in a similar position to the one we find ourselves in now: on the back foot, regarded with suspicion and hostility, struggling to find ways to commend itself and the gospel message. In this short letter, the author reminds Diognetus that Christians are to be in the world but not of the world. Christians do not set themselves apart from others by unique dress or language or habits. They are embedded in society, incarnated in a particular time and place. But their calling is to be to the world like the soul is to the body, Diognetus is told. Embodying the gospel is what communicates it. Living out a different kind of wisdom to what the world regards as wise. Embodying the paradox that we find life by forgetting ourselves in love for our neighbours. This is to imitate God who offered himself entirely for the life of the world. President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 13 of 26
Chapter five of the letter says this: CHAPTER V -- THE MANNERS OF THE CHRISTIANS. For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 14 of 26
rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred. This is what mission looks like in our day and age, as it did in the second century: not looking backwards to empire, but incarnating the life of Christ. What does the Lord require of you to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6.8). People I want to record our thanks to Bishop Paul Smith, Bishop of the Queensland District of the Lutheran Church of Australia, for agreeing to honour us with his presence and to preach the Synod Sermon at the Eucharist in St John s Cathedral on Sunday morning. You will be aware that next month we mark the 500 th anniversary of Luther s nailing his 95 theses to the door of the University Church in Wittenberg, setting in train the processes of reformation in continental Europe. Along with our claim to catholicity and our embracing of critical reflection we Anglicans are also heirs to the legacy of the reformation movements in England and the continent. So we are grateful for Bishop Paul Smith s ecumenical friendship and his contribution to this Synod on this historic anniversary. Without diminishing the extraordinary contributions of all who make up the rich and diverse life of this diocese, I do want briefly to acknowledge the wonderful service of four of our number, for whom this will be their last Synod. President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 15 of 26
The Venerable Michael Chiplin OGS, Archdeacon of Oxley (2006-2017), Rector of Indooroopilly from 1998 Michael has been a faithful pastor and has upheld high liturgical standards throughout his ministry. He has nurtured people in their calling to ordained ministry and been a wise and experienced guide to many others. Beyond the parish of Indooroopilly Michael has been generous in serving the wider diocese. As a member of the former Property and Finance Board and its successors, Michael s keen eye for property and financial matters has been appreciated. As Archdeacon for Oxley since 2006 Michael has survived two regional bishops and nearly a third. His ministry in other dioceses prior to coming to Indooroopilly has also been highly regarded, as has his work with the Oratory of the Good Shepherd. We wish him well in his retirement beginning next year, which I am pleased to say will be in Brisbane. The Reverend Gay Nye, Leader of the Household of Deacons (2006-2017) From 2006 to 2017 Gay Nye served as Leader of the Household of Deacons and for even longer has been an active contributor to the household. Her ministry has been greatly appreciated both by deacons and many others. Gay has been unstinting in upholding the distinctive diaconal vocation and in supporting and forming people for diaconal ministry. Gay has brought experience and conviction to bear as the church in this diocese and beyond has searched for creative ways to deploy deacons in the 21 st century. I hope our own Commission on the Diaconate will assist us to move forward and I thank Gay for her President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 16 of 26
assistance with that and for her service in the Leader s role since 2006 as well as for the years prior to that as Assistant to the Leader of the Household (from 2003). The Rt Rev d Alison Taylor Bishop Alison Taylor s pastoral ministry among the clergy and people of the Southern Region has been greatly valued. Her special care for schools and for the School s Commission staff has been enormously important and greatly appreciated. As have her contributions to Diocesan Council, Gaiters and the PMC. Bishop Alison plans to return to Melbourne in 2018 where she and Trevor will be close to family and long-standing friends. Bishop Alison also plans to undertake doctoral research in theology related to the work of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Sexual Abuse, an area of ongoing vital importance to the Church. Bishop Alison s generous willingness to share her experience, wisdom and sound judgment in all sorts of ways together with her theological insight has made her a real strength in the episcopal team. We thank Alison for all she has given us and assure her and Trevor of our prayers as their time in Brisbane draws to its conclusion and they prepare to return to Melbourne. Mother Eunice SSA Officially Mother Eunice SSA is now Sister Eunice but perhaps like me you will instinctively continue to know her as Mother. President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 17 of 26
Originally a Brisbane girl who worshipped at St Matthew s Mitchelton, Sr Eunice came to the Community in 1965, was professed 1967, elected Mother in 1982 and remained in that office until 2017 except for two years. So she has been professed 50 years and has been Mother for 33years. After training as a teacher and further training at the House of the Epiphany in Sydney under the Rev d Frank Coaldrake, Sr Eunice served with ABM at Lockhardt River and at St Paul s Mission on Moa Island, teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children until called to religious life. Following some theological study Sr Eunice served in Tufnell Home. Then came the Wafer Room work, until she moved to Townsville in 1972 to St Anne s School (1972-1978). There Sr Eunice worked in administration, teaching and with boarders, until returning to Brisbane and St Margaret s School. Following election as Mother, Eunice was influential in the spiritual lives of the Sisters and many others in the diocese. She was a foundation member of the St Margaret s Council and the driving force behind the formation of the SSA Schools Trust (St Margaret s and St Aidan s) inaugurated in 2003. In his book Educating Girls since 1895, Ray Geise summed up Mother Eunice s ministry in these words: compassionate and caring, friendly and welcoming, humble and unassuming: these are just some of the qualities Mother Eunice has in abundance. They are the foundations of the style of leadership she has brought to her role as Mother, and her President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 18 of 26
vision and courage have been shown in her work for the Schools of SSA. The depth of her own spirituality is clearly seen in her own prayer life and in her everyday dealings with those around her. Her contribution and influence has been recognised in the Eunice Science and Resource Centre. She has been held in high regard by the parents, teachers and staff, Old Girls and students of both St Aidan s and St Margaret s as well as those associated with The Cathedral School of St Anne and St James in Townsville and All Souls St Gabriel s School in Charters Towers. As Mother Eunice relinquishes the role of Mother after so many years we record and express our thanks to God for her lifetime of faithful service. With deep gratitude for all God has given to us we renew our commitment to do all we can in this Synod and beyond to further God s mission for the sake of the world he loves and gave himself for in Christ. President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 19 of 26
References Kelly, Joe 2016 in The Australian 11 August 2016. Kelly, Paul 2017 Rights clash looms in same-sex debate. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/clash-or-rights-looms-in-same-sexmarriage-debate/news-story/e3ab746122ca9f5d8fa5788b6f765c52 accessed 12/8/2017 President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 20 of 26
The Epistle to Diognetus CHAPTER I -- OCCASION OF THE EPISTLE. Since I see thee, most excellent Diognetus, exceedingly desirous to learn the mode of worshipping God prevalent among the Christians, and inquiring very carefully and earnestly concerning them, what God they trust in, and what form of religion they observe, so as all to look down upon the world itself, and despise death, while they neither esteem those to be gods that are reckoned such by the Greeks, nor hold to the superstition of the Jews; and what is the affection which they cherish among themselves; and why, in fine, this new kind or practice [of piety] has only now entered into the world, and not long ago; I cordially welcome this thy desire, and I implore God, who enables us both to speak and to hear, to grant to me so to speak, that, above all, I may hear you have been edified, and to you so to hear, that I who speak may have no cause of regret for having done so. CHAPTER II -- THE VANITY OF IDOLS. Come, then, after you have freed yourself from all prejudices possessing your mind, and laid aside what you have been accustomed to, as something apt to deceive you, and being made, as if from the beginning, a new man, inasmuch as, according to your own confession, you are to be the hearer of a new [system of] doctrine; come and contemplate, not with your eyes only, but with your understanding, the substance and the form of those whom ye declare and deem to be gods. Is not one of them a stone similar to that on which we tread? Is not a second brass, in no way superior to those vessels which are constructed for our ordinary use? Is not a third wood, and that already rotten? Is not a fourth silver, which needs a man to watch it, lest it be stolen? Is not a fifth iron, consumed by rust? Is not a sixth earthenware, in no degree more valuable than that which is formed for the humblest purposes? Are not all these of corruptible matter? Are they not fabricated by means of iron and fire? Did not the sculptor fashion one of them, the brazier a second, the silversmith a third, and the potter a fourth? Was not every one of them, before they were formed by the arts of these [workmen] into the shape of these [gods], each in its own way subject to change? Would not those things which are now vessels, formed of the same materials, become like to such, if they met with the same artificers? Might not these, which are now worshipped by you, again be made by men vessels similar to others? Are they not all deaf? Are they not blind? Are they not without life? Are they not destitute of feeling? Are they not incapable of motion? Are they not all liable to rot? Are they not all corruptible? These things ye call gods; these ye serve; these ye worship; and ye become altogether like to them. For this reason ye hate the Christians, because they do not deem these to be gods. But do not ye yourselves, who now think and suppose [such to be gods], much more cast contempt upon them than they [the Christians do]? Do ye not much more mock and insult them, when ye worship those that are made of stone and earthenware, without appointing any persons to guard them; but those made of silver and gold ye shut up by night, and appoint watchers to look after them by day, lest they be stolen? And by those gifts which ye mean to present to them, do ye not, if they are possessed of sense, rather punish [than honour] them? But if, on the other hand, they are destitute of sense, ye convict them of this fact, while ye worship them with blood and the smoke of sacrifices. Let any one of you suffer such indignities! Let any one of you endure to have such things done to himself! But not a single human being will, unless compelled to it, endure such treatment, since he is endowed with sense and reason. A stone, however, readily bears it, seeing it is insensible. Certainly you do not show [by your conduct] that he [your God] is possessed of sense. And as President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 21 of 26
to the fact that Christians are not accustomed to serve such gods, I might easily find many other things to say; but if even what has been said does not seem to any one sufficient, I deem it idle to say anything further. CHAPTER III -- SUPERSTITIONS OF THE JEWS. And next, I imagine that you are most desirous of hearing something on this point, that the Christians do not observe the same forms of divine worship as do the Jews. The Jews, then, if they abstain from the kind of service above described, and deem it proper to worship one God as being Lord of all, [are right]; but if they offer Him worship in the way which we have described, they greatly err. For while the Gentiles, by offering such things to those that are destitute of sense and hearing, furnish an example of madness; they, on the other hand by thinking to offer these things to God as if He needed them, might justly reckon it rather an act of folly than of divine worship. For He that made heaven and earth, and all that is therein, and gives to us all the things of which we stand in need, certainly requires none of those things which He Himself bestows on such as think of furnishing them to Him. But those who imagine that, by means of blood, and the smoke of sacrifices and burnt-offerings, they offer sacrifices [acceptable] to Him, and that by such honours they show Him respect,--these, by supposing that they can give anything to Him who stands in need of nothing, appear to me in no respect to differ from those who studiously confer the same honour on things destitute of sense, and which therefore are unable to enjoy such honours. CHAPTER IV -- THE OTHER OBSERVANCES OF THE JEWS. But as to their scrupulosity concerning meats, and their superstition as respects the Sabbaths, and their boasting about circumcision, and their fancies about fasting and the new moons, which are utterly ridiculous and unworthy of notice,--i do not think that you require to learn anything from me. For, to accept some of those things which have been formed by God for the use of men as properly formed, and to reject others as useless and redundant,--how can this be lawful? And to speak falsely of God, as if He forbade us to do what is good on the Sabbath-days,--how is not this impious? And to glory in the circumcision of the flesh as a proof of election, and as if, on account of it, they were specially beloved by God,--how is it not a subject of ridicule? And as to their observing months and days, as if waiting upon the stars and the moon, and their distributing, according to their own tendencies, the appointments of God, and the vicissitudes of the seasons, some for festivities, and others for mourning,--who would deem this a part of divine worship, and not much rather a manifestation of folly? I suppose, then, you are sufficiently convinced that the ChriStians properly abstain from the vanity and error common [to both Jews and Gentiles], and from the busy-body spirit and vain boasting of the Jews; but you must not hope to learn the mystery of their peculiar mode of worshipping God from any mortal. CHAPTER V -- THE MANNERS OF THE CHRISTIANS. For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 22 of 26
each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred. CHAPTER VI -- THE RELATION OF CHRISTIANS TO THE WORLD. To sum up all in one word--what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world. The invisible soul is guarded by the visible body, and Christians are known indeed to be in the world, but their godliness remains invisible. The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it, though itself suffering no injury, because it is prevented from enjoying pleasures; the world also hates the Christians, though in nowise injured, because they abjure pleasures. The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them. The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves that very body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, and yet they are the preservers of the world. The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle; and Christians dwell as sojourners in corruptible [bodies], looking for an incorruptible dwelling in the heavens. The soul, when but ill-provided with food and drink, becomes better; in like manner, the Christians, though subjected day by day to punishment, increase the more in number. God has assigned them this illustrious position, which it were unlawful for them to forsake. CHAPTER VII -- THE MANIFESTATION OF CHRIST. For, as I said, this was no mere earthly invention which was delivered to them, nor is it a mere human system of opinion, which they judge it right to preserve so carefully, nor has a dispensation of mere human mysteries been committed to them, but truly God Himself, who is almighty, the Creator of all things, and invisible, has sent from heaven, and placed among men, [Him who is] the truth, and the holy and incomprehensible Word, and has firmly established Him in their hearts. He did not, as one might have imagined, send to men any servant, or angel, or ruler, or any one of those who bear sway over earthly things, or one of those to whom the government of things in the heavens has been entrusted, but the very Creator and Fashioner of all things--by whom He made the heavens--by whom he enclosed the sea within its proper bounds--whose ordinances all the stars faithfully observe--from President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 23 of 26
whom the sun has received the measure of his daily course to be observed--whom the moon obeys, being commanded to shine in the night, and whom the stars also obey, following the moon in her course; by whom all things have been arranged, and placed within their proper limits, and to whom all are subject--the heavens and the things that are therein, the earth and the things that are therein, the sea and the things that are therein--fire, air, and the abyss--the things which are in the heights, the things which are in the depths, and the things which lie between. This [messenger] He sent to them. Was it then, as one might conceive, for the purpose of exercising tyranny, or of inspiring fear and terror? By no means, but under the influence of clemency and meekness. As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so sent He Him; as God He sent Him; as to men He sent Him; as a Saviour He sent Him, and as seeking to persuade, not to compel us; for violence has no place in the character of God. As calling us He sent Him, not as vengefully pursuing us; as loving us He sent Him, not as judging us. For He will yet send Him to judge us, and who shall endure His appearing?... Do you not see them exposed to wild beasts, that they may be persuaded to deny the Lord, and yet not overcome? Do you not see that the more of them are punished, the greater becomes the number of the rest? This does not seem to be the work of man: this is the power of God; these are the evidences of His manifestation. CHAPTER VIII -- THE MISERABLE STATE OF MEN BEFORE THE COMING OF THE WORD. For, who of men at all understood before His coming what God is? Do you accept of the vain and silly doctrines of those who are deemed trustworthy philosophers? of whom some said that fire was God, calling that God to which they themselves were by and by to come; and some water; and others some other of the elements formed by God. But if any one of these theories be worthy of approbation, every one of the rest of created things might also be declared to be God. But such declarations are simply the startling and erroneous utterances of deceivers; and no man has either seen Him, or made Him known, but He has revealed Himself. And He has manifested Himself through faith, to which alone it is given to behold God. For God, the Lord and Fashioner of all things, who made all things, and assigned them their several positions, proved Himself not merely a friend of mankind, but also longsuffering [in His dealings with them.] Yea, He was always of such a character, and still is, and will ever be, kind and good, and free from wrath, and true, and the only one who is [absolutely] good; and He formed in His mind a great and unspeakable conception, which He communicated to His Son alone. As long, then, as He held and preserved His own wise counsel in concealment, He appeared to neglect us, and to have no care over us. But after He revealed and laid open, through His beloved Son, the things which had been prepared from the beginning, He conferred every blessing all at once upon us, so that we should both share in His benefits, and see and be active [in His service]. Who of us would ever have expected these things? He was aware, then, of all things in His own mind, along with His Son, according to the relation subsisting between them. CHAPTER IX -- WHY THE SON WAS SENT SO LATE. As long then as the former time endured, He permitted us to be borne along by unruly impulses, being drawn away by the desire of pleasure and various lusts. This was not that He at all delighted in our sins, but that He simply endured them; nor that He approved the time of working iniquity which then was, but that He sought to form a mind conscious of righteousness, so that being convinced in that time of our unworthiness of attaining life President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 24 of 26
through our own works, it should now, through the kindness of God, be vouchsafed to us; and having made it manifest that in ourselves we were unable to enter into the kingdom of God, we might through the power of God be made able. But when our wickedness had reached its height, and it had been clearly shown that its reward, punishment and death, was impending over us; and when the time had come which God had before appointed for manifesting His own kindness and power, how the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us, He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors! Having therefore convinced us in the former time that our nature was unable to attain to life, and having now revealed the Saviour who is able to save even those things which it was [formerly] impossible to save, by both these facts He desired to lead us to trust in His kindness, to esteem Him our Nourisher, Father, Teacher, Counsellor, Healer, our Wisdom, Light, Honour, Glory, Power, and Life, so that we should not be anxious[ concerning clothing and food. CHAPTER X -- THE BLESSINGS THAT WILL FLOW FROM FAITH. If you also desire [to possess] this faith, you likewise shall receive first of all the knowledge of the Father. For God has loved mankind, on whose account He made the world, to whom He rendered subject all the things that are in it, to whom He gave reason and understanding, to whom alone He imparted the privilege of looking upwards to Himself, whom He formed after His own image, to whom He sent His only-begotten Son, to whom He has promised a kingdom in heaven, and will give it to those who have loved Him. And when you have attained this knowledge, with what joy do you think you will be filled? Or, how will you love Him who has first so loved you? And if you love Him, you will be an imitator of His kindness. And do not wonder that a man may become an imitator of God. He can, if he is willing. For it is not by ruling over his neighbours, or by seeking to hold the supremacy over those that are weaker, or by being rich, and showing violence towards those that are inferior, that happiness is found; nor can any one by these things become an imitator of God. But these things do not at all constitute His majesty. On the contrary he who takes upon himself the burden of his neighbour; he who, in whatsoever respect he may be superior, is ready to benefit another who is deficient; he who, whatsoever things he has received from God, by distributing these to the needy, becomes a god to those who receive [his benefits]: he is an imitator of God. Then thou shalt see, while still on earth, that God in the heavens rules over [the universe]; then thou shall begin to speak the mysteries of God; then shalt thou both love and admire those that suffer punishment because they will not deny God; then shall thou condemn the deceit and error of the world when thou shall know what it is to live truly in heaven, when thou shalt despise that which is here esteemed to be death, when thou shalt fear what is truly death, which is reserved for those who shall be condemned to the eternal fire, which shall afflict those even to the end that are committed to it. Then shalt thou admire those who for righteousness' sake endure the fire that is but for a moment, and shalt count them happy when thou shalt know [the nature of] that fire. President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 25 of 26
CHAPTER XI -- THESE THINGS ARE WORTHY TO BE KNOWN AND BELIEVED. I do not speak of things strange to me, nor do I aim at anything inconsistent with right reason; but having been a disciple of the Apostles, I am become a teacher of the Gentiles. I minister the things delivered to me to those that are disciples worthy of the truth. For who that is rightly taught and begotten by the loving Word, would not seek to learn accurately the things which have been clearly shown by the Word to His disciples, to whom the Word being manifested has revealed them, speaking plainly [to them], not understood indeed by the unbelieving, but conversing with the disciples, who, being esteemed faithful by Him, acquired a knowledge of the mysteries of the Father? For which s reason He sent the Word, that He might be manifested to the world; and He, being despised by the people [of the Jews], was, when preached by the Apostles, believed on by the Gentiles. This is He who was from the beginning, who appeared as if new, and was found old, and yet who is ever born afresh in the hearts of the saints. This is He who, being from everlasting, is to-day called the Son; through whom the Church is enriched, and grace, widely spread, increases in the saints. furnishing understanding, revealing mysteries, announcing times, rejoicing over the faithful. giving to those that seek, by whom the limits of faith are not broken through, nor the boundaries set by the fathers passed over. Then the fear of the law is chanted, and the grace of the prophets is known, and the faith of the gospels is established, and the tradition of the Apostles is preserved, and the grace of the Church exults; which grace if you grieve not, you shall know those things which the Word teaches, by whom He wills, and when He pleases. For whatever things we are moved to utter by the will of the Word commanding us, we communicate to you with pains, and from a love of the things that have been revealed to us. CHAPTER XII -- THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE TO TRUE SPIRITUAL LIFE. When you have read and carefully listened to these things, you shall know what God bestows on such as rightly love Him, being made [as ye are] a paradise of delight, presenting in yourselves a tree bearing all kinds of produce and flourishing well, being adorned with various fruits. For in this place the tree of knowledge and the tree of life have been planted; but it is not the tree of knowledge that destroys--it is disobedience that proves destructive. Nor truly are those words without significance which are written, how God from the beginning planted the tree of life in the midst of paradise, revealing through knowledge the way to life, and when those who were first formed did not use this [knowledge] properly, they were, through the fraud of the Serpent, stripped naked. For neither can life exist without knowledge, nor is knowledge secure without life. Wherefore both were planted close together. The Apostle, perceiving the force [of this conjunction], and blaming that knowledge which, without true doctrine, is admitted to influence life, declares, "Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth." For he who thinks he knows anything without true knowledge, and such as is witnessed to by life, knows nothing, but is deceived by the Serpent, as not loving life. But he who combines knowledge with fear, and seeks after life, plants in hope, looking for fruit. Let your heart be your wisdom; and let your life be true knowledge inwardly received. Bearing this tree and displaying its fruit, thou shalt always gather in those things which are desired by God, which the Serpent cannot reach, and to which deception does not approach; nor is Eve then corrupted, but is trusted as a virgin; and salvation is manifested, and the Apostles are filled with understanding, and the Passover of the Lord advances, and the choirs are gathered together, and are arranged in proper order, and the Word rejoices in teaching the saints,--by whom the Father is glorified: to whom be glory for ever. Amen President s Address to Synod 22 September 2017 Page 26 of 26