The Anglican tradition has historically been both catholic and reformed. The word “catholic” means universal; we affirm the doctrines of the universal church taught in three ancient ecumenical creeds: the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. Similarly, we observe the seven sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Marriage, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick. We also uphold the historic threefold church hierarchy of bishops, priests, and deacons in an unbroken line of succession that can be traced back to the apostles. However, we are not part of the Roman Catholic Church. We believe in the three solae of the Protestant Reformation: Sola Scriptura (Scripture is the only infallible authority for doctrine and practice), Sola Fide (justification through faith alone), and Sola Gratia (salvation is accomplished by God’s grace, not human effort).