The Primary Doctrinal Standards of this Church are the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, which are the inspired and inerrant Word of God and contain all things necessary unto salvation, worship, and holy living. All other doctrinal standards are anchored and subordinate to the Word of God, and may never be suffered to contradict it. We affirm that all other doctrinal standards are harmonious with the divine revelation of sacred scripture; and we accept them as true, reliable, and historic witnesses to the same.

The Creeds express the consensus of distilled orthodox Trinitarian belief in the Early Church. They were especially concerned with how we understand the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost in relation to one another; but also the relationship between the humanity and divinity of Christ. The Creeds represent the Ancient and Historic roots of the faith, and we still wholly believe and cherish them today.

• The Nicene Creed

• The Apostolic Creed

• The Chalcedonian Creed

• The Athanasian Creed

The 5 Solae represent the driving principles behind the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation began as an attempt to return the Church to the doctrinal and practical clarity of the Early Church, and these principles strongly informed the development of Protestant theology in the 16th Century. It is important to note that each of these specifically deal with how we understand Salvation. They are as follows:

• Sola Scriptura — We are saved according to the authority of Scripture Alone.

• Sola Gratia — We are saved by the Grace of God Alone.

• Sola Fide — We are saved through Faith Alone.

• Solus Christus — We are saved within the Person and Work of Christ Alone.

• Soli Deo Gloria — We are saved unto the Glory of God Alone.

During the Protestant Reformation it became necessary to clarify the theological differences between the Church of England and the Church of Rome, and thus the English Articles of Religion were composed by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer with the help of Continental Reformers—such as Martin Bucer and Philip Melancthon— originally published in 1553, and gently revised in 1571. The Articles broadly yet succinctly outline the doctrinal foundation of the Anglican Tradition, and constitutes our primary confessional document.

In addition to the Reformation in England (reflected by the Articles of Religion), the Reformation throughout Continental Europe also produced a variety of wholesome Biblical confessions and catechisms. We affirm the following to be sound expositions of doctrine harmonious with the Primary Doctrinal Standards of this Church. They are reflective of the Magisterial Protestant heritage to which we belong and fondly share with our Reformed and Lutheran brethren. While they are not held as binding confessions confessions within this parish, they are approved and esteemed for use in teaching and training in Absolution Church.

• The Heidelberg Catechism

• The Augsburg Confession

• Luther’s Large and Small Catechisms

• The Canons of Dordrecht