Sir, - I refer to Seamus de Barra's letter of January 7th. He writes about "Anglicans who believe that membership of the Anglican communion, in itself, is sufficient for salvation". Nowhere does any member church of the Anglican Communion teach or preach such doctrine. Anglicans believe that salvation comes only through faith and discipleship in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and it is only through Him and the merits of what He achieved for humankind at Calvary whereby we are saved from our sins and its consequences. His (and no other) is the only name under Heaven by which we can be saved.
All the various churches within the Anglican family subscribe to the Primacy of Scripture in determining what is or is not of faith and what is relevant for salvation. Our articles of religion state that only scripturally based teaching can be deemed necessary.
"Whatsoever is not read in Scripture nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any one, that it should be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requisite necessary to salvation."
Whilst God's word clearly speaks of Heaven and Hell, the doctrine of Purgatory has no support in the Canon of Scripture, nor was it taught by any of the Apostles or early church fathers. Rather it was promulgated from the 6th century onwards and only became an article of faith in 1439. The Reformation which restored the primacy of scripture swept away this human creation.
Incidentally, the Eastern Orthodox Church was never taught the doctrine of Purgatory and as far as I understand, it has no part in the tenets of Presbyterianism either. - Yours, etc.,
24 Wendell Avenue,
Portmarnock,