The controversy was sparked by , the newly appointed Bishop of Bangor.
: Hoadly rejected the doctrine of apostolic succession , claiming it encouraged a "spiritual power" that wrongly sought to control human conscience. The Church of England and the Bangorian Controv...
: Hoadly's radical Erastian views—denying the spiritual authority of the church—faced immediate backlash from figures like William Law , Thomas Sherlock , and Andrew Snape . Core Theological Arguments The controversy was sparked by , the newly
The dispute revolved around the fundamental nature of the Christian Church and its relationship to the state: Core Theological Arguments The dispute revolved around the
: In 1716, Hoadly published Preservative against the Principles and Practices of Non-Jurors , attacking the "Non-juring" clergy who had refused to swear allegiance to the Hanoverian King George I.
: On March 31, 1717, Hoadly preached a sermon before the King titled "The Nature of the Kingdom, or Church, of Christ" . Based on John 18:36 ("My kingdom is not of this world"), he argued that Christ had not delegated any temporal authority to his representatives.
: Hoadly viewed the Church as an invisible society where individual sincerity was the only true test of faith. Opponents argued this denied the Church's role as a visible, authoritative institution.