DECLARATION OF PRESBYTERIAN CATHOLIC PRACTICE & PRINCIPLES

By Wyatt Pruitt

1. We hold that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments (66 books) are the inerrant and infallible Word of God, by which all traditions are tested, and is the only infallible authority in the life of all believers. We believe that the other books, called Apocrypha, are not to be used for the establishment of doctrine, but are good to read as a part of the Apostolic Tradition, context, and instruction in manners.
2. We hold that the Holy Scripture is clear in all things necessary for salvation but that the teachings of the whole church militant and triumphant (Catholic) are necessary as guard rails from committing heresy.
3. We hold to the first Six Ecumenical Councils as they are in conformity to Holy Scripture, the Apostle’s Creed as the Baptismal Symbol, the Nicene Creed as the Sufficient Statement of the Christian Faith, and the Athanasian Creed as upholding proper Trinitarian theology. These alone shall be used as the Church’s confessions of faith in worship as they have been accepted by the Catholic Church.
4. Open to ecumenical dialogue on the Seventh Ecumenical Council
5. We believe, receive and hold fully to the Westminster Standards as the Reformed Standards of dogma. We hold to the unaltered Augsburg Confession, as the protestant Ecumencial Council, Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms as the basic teaching of the Christian faith, and the Scots Confession, Geneva Catechism, 1637 Scottish Book of Common Prayer as the application of our Presbyterian distinctive, Knox’s Forme of Prayers of 1562. We believe that these confessions, catechisms, and liturgies are not only compatible, but congruent with one another. We hold to them as a return to the Reformation principles of Ecclesia Reformata, Semper Reformanda.
6. We believe as there is one Gospel there is also one Holy Order: that of Melkizedek. There is only one high priest of this order and that is Jesus Christ who is sitting at the right hand of the Father advocating on His elects’ behalf. This order is higher than that of the Levites and is its fulfillment. This order is both Biblical, Patristic, and necessary. This Order is in three offices, Bishop, Presbyter, and Deacon. As presbyterians we advocate for adaptation of the episcopate to an emphasis on a synodal model of the presbyterate using the general principles of the Church of Scotland’s First Book of Discipline. We believe in a return to the primitive government of the early church. As St Ignatius of Antioch says, “Take care to do all things in harmony with the will of God. The bishop presides in the place of God and the presbyters in the place of the council of the apostles. Without these, you cannot have the Church.” We believe that Apostolic Succession is necessary for the visible unity of the church, but also more importantly uphold the succession of Apostolic Doctrine. We uphold that the Holy Order is male because ministers represent Christ, who is male, and the Laity represent the Bride who is female.
7. We recognize that there are two sacraments of the Gospel, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord -ministered with unfailing use of Christ’s words of institution and of the elements ordained by Him, along with the other commonly called sacraments, that are not to be noted as Sacraments of Christ’s Gospel and are not necessary for salvation but are partly states of life of which God has promised to administer his sanctifying grace. These being, Confirmation, Matrimony, Ordination, Reconciliation, and Holy Unction.
8. We believe that, in the Sacrament of the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, Jesus Christ is truly, really, substantially, but spiritually present in the body and blood in the outward and visible sign of bread and wine
9. We believe that the ancient practice of the daily office, weekly Holy Communion, and daily personal devotion, should be encouraged and practiced among Presbyterian churches as a return to the Reformation call to the laity participating in the means of grace: Word and Sacrament.
10. We advocate that church membership should require that if a family have infants or small children that they be baptized lest the church let that family sin. That to be a communicant member it is to be required that one be confirmed by the Bishop of the church and until this is done one may not come to the Lord’s Table. That it be a requirement to membership that one holds to the three ecumenical creeds and submit to the government of the Church. We advocate for the use of a small catechism such as Westminster Small Catechism, Luther’s Small Catechism, or the Prayer Book Catechism to be used for membership.
11. We believe that all of these doctrines are not incompatible with the Westminster Standards of Faith and fully receive those Standards as statements of Catholic faith in response to controversies of their time.