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What four elements are included in the Lambeth Quadrilateral?
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Anglicanism
The stately Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England. The cathedral is the seat of the archbishop of Canterbury, the mother church of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion, and part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Lambeth Quadrilateral consists of four essential elements that serve as a foundation for the Anglican Communion and its ecumenical discussions. These elements are:12
- Holy Scripture: The Bible is accepted as the rule and ultimate standard of faith.12
- The Creeds: The Apostlesā Creed and the Nicene Creed are held as the sufficient statement of the Christian faith.12
- The Sacraments: The two sacraments ordained by Christ himselfāBaptism and the Lordās Supperāare recognized as essential.12
- The Historic Episcopate: The episcopate, or church government led by bishops, is maintained as a key component of church order.12
While the first three points are widely accepted by other Christian groups, the historic episcopate has historically been the primary challenge in achieving full union with other Protestant churches.1