Exploring The Book of Common Prayer

An American Prayer Book (2009): The Holy Communion

2012-02-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

To give my readers some idea how the 1662 Book of Common Prayer might be rendered into modern English and adapted for use on the North American mission field in the twenty-first century, I am posting the General Notes and The Holy Communion from An American Prayer Book, an unpublished Anglican service book that I compiled in 2009. The principles that guided my compilation of An American Prayer Book may be found in my article, “A New American Prayer Book.” The order for the administration of the Holy Communion in An American Prayer Book is substantially that in the 1662 Prayer Book but in modern English and with a number of additions and alterations from the 1926 Irish Prayer Book, An Australian Prayer Book (1978), and other sources.

GENERAL NOTES

Where they occur, the directions to stand, sit, or kneel are suggestions only.

The words in square brackets may be omitted.

Words in bold type are said or sung by the congregation.

All persons, clergy or lay, reading any part of the services in this book shall speak distinctly, reverently, and in an audible voice.

All persons present in the time of divine service shall audibly with the minister make the answers appointed and in due place join in such parts of the service as are appointed to be said or sung by all present.

In addition to the places where they are printed in the service, traditional versions of texts may be used.

Where a rubric states a section is to be ‘said,’ this is to be understood to include ‘or sung’ and vice versa.

Where parts of the service are sung to a musical setting, the words for which these settings were composed may be used.

Hymns may be sung in these services otherwise than where provision is made for them. In the selection of hymns, careful attention should be given both to the appropriateness of the words to the themes of the Bible readings and the sermon and also to the relation of the hymn chosen to the position within the service.

Metrical psalms may be substituted for prose psalms. Hymns may be substituted for canticles.

Informal worship songs may be used in addition to or in place of hymns. The same attention should be given to the selection of these songs as to hymns.

A sermon should be preached on Sundays and on the major feast days.

A sermon may be preached without the use of Morning or Evening Prayer or any other prescribed service provided that one or more prayers from this book precede and follow the sermon.

The use of the terminology, ‘the sermon’, does not rule out a variety of ways of proclaiming the message of the Gospel; these may include less formal exposition of Scripture, drama, interviews, discussion, audio-visual aids, and other techniques.

A short period of silence may be kept at any point in the service at the discretion of the minister. Appropriate points for silence are before the Collect of the Day, after each reading, after the sermon, in the Prayers, and after the Communion.

Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, the Alternative Forms of Morning and Evening Worship, the Litany, and The Holy Communion may be used as separate services, or in any combination, at the discretion of the minister. One or more of these services, in whole or in part, may be omitted.

The minister who officiates at Morning or Evening Prayer or the Alternative Forms of Morning and Evening Worship may be a priest, deacon or a licensed catechist or reader or other authorized lay person.

The Psalms, the Reading from the Old Testament, and Reading from the New Testament at Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer may be taken from one of the modern lectionaries of the Church of England or another Province of the Anglican Communion. The Psalms and the Readings may also be taken from Proper Lessons To Be Read at Morning and Evening Prayer, on the Sundays, and Other Holy-Days Throughout the Year and the Psalm from Proper Psalms on Certain Days or The Calendar, with The Table of Lessons and The Psalter of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer or any other approved source such as the Table of Proper Psalms for Sundays and Holy Days, The Psalter and the Table of Lessons of the Church of Ireland’s 1926 Book of Common Prayer.

Whatever lectionary is being used for the Sunday or weekday services will normally determine the selection of the readings for the Alternative Forms of Morning and Evening Worship. On occasion one of the readings may be presented in dramatized form.

A time of Children’s Ministry may be associated with the readings at Morning and Evening Prayer, in the Alternative Forms of Morning and Evening Worship, and at The Holy Communion.

The priest who presides at The Holy Communion must be episcopally ordained.

When the bishop is present, it is normal for him to preside over the celebration of The Holy Communion and to preach. Even when he does not preside, he pronounces the Absolution and the Blessing.

A deacon may read the Gospel, preach the Sermon when licensed to do so, read the Prayer of Intercession, prepare the elements of bread and wine, administer the Communion, perform the ablutions, and dismiss the people.

Lay persons may read the Old Testament Lesson, the Epistle, the Gospel, and the Prayer of Intercession. A licensed catechist or reader may preach the Sermon and licensed communion assistants may distribute the consecrated elements of the Lord’s Supper.

The Ten Commandments should be read at least one Sunday of the month, and are especially appropriate on the feasts of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost (Whitsunday). They are also appropriate to read on the Sundays in Advent and Lent.

The Exhortation on pages 132-134 should be read at least three times a year and is especially appropriate on the feasts of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost (Whitsunday). It is also appropriate to read at the beginning of Advent and Lent.

Baptized persons who are communicant members of other Churches that subscribe to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and are in good standing in their own church shall be admitted to the Holy Communion.

Additional notes for the conduct of these services will be found at the beginning and the end of each service.

THE HOLY COMMUNION, ALSO CALLED

THE EUCHARIST AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

The celebration of The Holy Communion is the action of the whole people of God. The ministry of the members of the congregation is expressed through their active participation in the liturgy, and by some of them reading the Lessons and leading the Intercessions. It is highly desirable that a different person read each Lesson and a different person lead the Intercessions.

Communicants should partake of the Lord’s Supper regularly and frequently, after careful preparation

The minister shall frequently remind the people of what is required of those who come to receive the Lord's Supper, as set forth in the Catechism and the Exhortations.

It shall also be his duty to warn individually any whom he knows to be living in grievous sin, that they presume not to come to the Lord's Table until they give evidence that they truly repent; and if they do not heed his warning, he shall refuse to administer the Communion to them.

He shall deal in the same manner with those between whom he perceives malice and hatred to exist, not allowing them to be partakers of the Lord's Table until they be reconciled. But if one of the parties is willing to forgive and, to the best of his ability, to make whatever amends may be proper, and the other party refuses to do so, the Minister shall admit the penitent person to the holy Communion and refuse him that is obstinate.

Before repelling any from the Lord's Table under the provisions of this rubric, the minister should consult with the bishop.

After so repelling any, he shall within fourteen days give a written account to the bishop, who shall take such action as he deems necessary.

And there shall be no celebration of the Lord’s Supper, except when there are three (or two at least) of the people to communicate with the priest.

The bread and wine for the communion shall be provided at the expense of the parish.

It is sufficient that the bread be such as is usually eaten.

If any of the consecrated bread and wine remains, it shall not be carried out of the church, but the priest, and such other communicants as he shall request shall consume it after the Communion or immediately after the Blessing.

For the significance of kneeling to receive the Lord’s Supper, see the declaration that is printed at the conclusion of the Communion Service in The Book of Common Prayer of 1662.

Notwithstanding anything contained in these rubrics, when circumstances require it, communicants may stand to receive the Communion at the Lord’s Table or may remain in their seats and receive Communion where they are seated.

When the minister gives notice of the celebration of communion, he may read this Exhortation.

Dearly beloved, on …… next, I intend, through God’s assistance, to administer to all who shall be spiritually and devoutly disposed, the most comforting sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, to be received by them in remembrance of his meritorious cross and passion, by which alone we obtain forgiveness of our sins, and are made partakers of the kingdom of heaven. For this reason it is our duty to give our most humble and heartfelt thanks to our heavenly Father that he has given his Son our Savior Jesus Christ, not only to die for us, but also to be our spiritual food and sustenance in that holy Sacrament. This is so divine and strengthening a thing to those who receive it worthily, and so dangerous to those who presume to receive it unworthily; my duty is to exhort you, in the meantime, to consider the dignity of that holy mystery and the great peril of the unworthy receiving of it, so that you may search and examine your own consciences (and that not lightly, and after the manner of dissemblers with God,) but so you may come holy and clean to such a heavenly feast, in the marriage –garment required by God in holy Scripture, and be received as worthy partakers of that holy Table.

The way to prepare yourselves is to examine your life and conduct by the rule of God’s commandments, and wherever you see you have offended, either by will, word, or deed, there to lament your sinfulness and to confess your sins to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life. And if you think that you have injured not only God but also your neighbor, then you must ask his forgiveness as well, and make good, to the full extent of your ability, any injury or wrong that he has suffered at your hand. You must likewise forgive others who have injured you, if you desire God to forgive your offenses. For if you receive the Holy Communion without God’s forgiveness, you only increase the judgment under which you already stand. Should any you be a blasphemer of God, a hinderer or slanderer of his Word, an adulterer, or be in malice, or envy, or in any other serious offence, repent of your sins, or else do not come to that holy table; [from fear that, after taking of that holy Sacrament, the devil enter into you, as he entered Judas, and fill you full of wickedness, and bring you to destruction both of body and soul.]

And since no one should come to the Lord’s table without a full trust in God’ mercy and a quiet conscience, if there is any one of you who cannot quieten his conscience by these means, but needs further help or counsel, let him come to me, or to some other discreet and learned minister of God’s word, and open his grief, that by the ministry of God’s holy word he may receive the benefit of absolution, together with spiritual counsel and advice, and so be quietened in his conscience, and resolve all scruples and doubts.

Or he may use this Exhortation.

Dear brothers and sisters, on …… I intend, by God’s grace, to celebrate the Lord’s Supper: to which, in God’s behalf, I bid all who are here present; and implore you, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, that you will not refuse to come to the Lord’s Supper, being so lovingly called and bidden by God himself. You know how grievous and unkind a thing it is, when a man has prepared a sumptuous feast, spread his table with ample fare, so there lacks nothing but the guests to sit down; and yet those who are called (without any cause) most unthankfully refuse to come. Which of you in such a case would not be moved? Who would not think a great injury and wrong done to him or her? On account of which, most dearly beloved in Christ, take good heed for fear that you, withdrawing yourself from this holy Supper, provoke God’s indignation against you. It is an easy matter for a man or a woman to say, I will not communicate, because I am otherwise hindered with worldly business. But such excuses are not so easily accepted and taken into account by God. If anyone says, I am a grievous sinner, and therefore I am afraid to come: Is this not reason for you to repent of your sins and to amend your life? When God calls you, are you not ashamed to say you will not come? When you should return to God, will you excuse yourselves, and say you are not ready? Consider earnestly with yourself how little such pretended excuses will be of use with God. The invited guests who refused the feast in the Gospel, because they had bought a farm, or would try their yokes of oxen, or because they were married, were not so excused but counted unworthy of the heavenly Feast. I, for my part, shall be ready; and according to my office, I bid you in the Name of God, I call you in Christ’s behalf, I exhort you, as you love your own salvation, that you will be partakers of this Holy Communion. And as the Son of God did condescend to yield up his soul by death upon the Cross for your salvation; so it is your duty to receive Communion in remembrance of the sacrifice of his death, as he himself has commanded: which if you neglect to do, consider with yourselves how great injury you do to God. And how grievous punishment hangs over your heads for this injury; when you willfully abstain from the Lord’s Table, and separate from your brothers and sisters, who come to feed on the banquet of that most heavenly food. If you earnestly consider these things, you will by God’s grace return to a better mind: for obtaining of which we shall not cease to make our humble petitions to Almighty God our heavenly Father.

THE HOLY COMMUNION

A psalm, hymn, canticle, or anthem may be sung as the ministers enter.

The minister may greet the people.

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

In Eastertide
Christ is risen. Alleluia! Alleluia!
He is risen indeed. Alleluia! Alleluia!

A sentence of Scripture may be read (see pages 10-14, 18-19, and 33-34), and the minister may introduce the theme of the service.

The Litany may be said or sung. If this is done, the Lord’s Prayer, the Collect for Purity, the Ten Commandments, the Summary of the Law and the Intercession of this Order may be omitted.

The minister, standing at the north side of the Table, leads the people in the Lord’s Prayer and the Collect for Purity, the people kneeling. The Lord’s Prayer may be omitted at the discretion of the minister.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. AMEN.

or

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. AMEN.

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

The priest, or one of the other ministers, reads aloud the Ten Commandments; and the people ask God’s mercy for their past transgressions, and grace to keep God’s laws in the future.

God spoke these words, and said; I am the Lord your God: You shall have none other gods but me.
Lord, have mercy on us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

You shall not make for yourself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth: you shall not bow down to them, nor worship them. [For I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments].
Lord, have mercy on us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

You shall not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain. [For the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his Name in vain.]
Lord, have mercy on us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. [Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. On it you shall do no work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and made it holy.]
Lord, have mercy on us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

Honor your father and your mother: [that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you].
Lord, have mercy on us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
You shall not murder.
Lord, have mercy on us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

You shall not commit adultery.
Lord, have mercy on us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

You shall not steal.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Lord, have mercy on us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

You shall not covet [your neighbor’s house, you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, or his female, or his ox, or his ass, nor anything that is your neighbor’s].
Lord, have mercy on us, and write these your laws in our hearts.

Or this

Our Lord Jesus said: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Lord, have mercy on us, and write these your laws in our hearts.

The minister says

Let us pray.

He then says the Collect of the Day. Other Collects contained in this Book or authorized by the Bishop may follow.

A Reading from the Old Testament (or as appointed) may be read. It is introduced, The Reading from the Old Testament is written in the ... chapter of ... beginning at verse…; and at the end, Here ends the reading.

A psalm may follow the Old Testament reading. ‘Glory to the Father…’ may be omitted.

The Epistle or Reading from the New Testament is read. It is introduced and concluded in the same manner as the Old Testament reading.

A canticle, hymn, psalm, anthem, or acclamation may be sung.

The people stand for the Gospel, which is introduced The holy Gospel is written in the .….. chapter of the Gospel according to Saint.….., beginning at the ……verse.

The people may respond:
Glory to you, Lord Christ.

After the Gospel, the reader may say
This is the gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon may be preached here, or after the creed.

The Nicene Creed or the Apostles’ Creed is said or sung, all standing.

I believe in one God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten of his Father before all ages, God from God, Light of Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, and was incarnate from the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, for our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe one, holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. AMEN.

or

We believe in one God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten of his Father before all ages, God from God, Light of Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, and was incarnate from the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, for our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe one, holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. AMEN.

The Sermon is preached here if it has not been preached earlier.

The minister begins the Offertory, saying one or more of the sentences on pages 15-17.

While these sentences are being read, the offerings of the people are collected and brought to the minister, who reverently presents and places them on the holy table.

A hymn or anthem may also be sung during the collection.

And when there is a communion, the priest then place sufficient bread and wine on the Table or he may do so immediately before the Exhortation.

The minister may here bid special prayers and thanksgivings.

Then the person or persons appointed begin the Prayer of Intercession.

The Prayer of Intercession may follow the form printed below or one of the forms given on pages 79-86. If one of the forms on pages 79-86 is used, it concludes with the following:

Merciful Father,
accept these our prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Savior Jesus Christ. AMEN.

This form may also be read as continuous whole without the versicle and response after each paragraph.

Let us pray for the Church and the world, and let us thank God for his goodness.

Almighty and ever-living God, we are taught by your holy Word to make prayers and supplications, and to give thanks for all people. We humbly implore you most mercifully to receive our prayers, which we offer to your Divine Majesty, asking you to inspire continually the universal Church with the spirit of truth, unity and concord, and to grant that all who confess your holy Name may agree in the truth of your holy Word, and live in unity and godly love.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray that you will lead the nations of the world into the ways of righteousness and peace and guide their leaders in wisdom and justice to act for the good of all people. Bless, especially we ask, the President of the United States of America, [the members of his Cabinet, the members of Congress and the Supreme Court, and the Governor of this State (or Commonwealth)]. Grant that he may impartially administer justice, restrain wickedness and vice, maintain true religion, and uphold integrity and truth.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Give grace, heavenly Father, to all bishops and other ministers [especially N our bishop and…], that, by their life and teaching they may set forth your true, life-giving Word, and rightly and duly administer your holy sacraments.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Guide and prosper, we pray, those who are laboring for the spread of the gospel among the nations, and enlighten with your Spirit all places of education and learning; that the whole world may be filled with the knowledge of your truth.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

And to all your people give your heavenly grace; and especially to this congregation here present, that they may receive your holy Word with reverent and obedient hearts, and serve you in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

And we humbly implore you in your goodness, Lord, to comfort and sustain all who in this transitory life are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity [, especially…].

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

And we also bless your holy Name for all your servants who have died in the faith of Christ. Give us grace so to follow their good examples, that with them we may be partakers of your heavenly kingdom.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Grant this, Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our only Mediator and Advocate, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. AMEN.

If there is no communion, the service concludes here with the Lord’s Prayer, other authorized prayers at the discretion of the minister, and the Grace or the Blessing.

THE PENITENTIAL PREPARATION

The priest places on the holy Table sufficient bread and wine for the communion (if he has not already done so). He may read this Exhortation.

Dearly beloved in the Lord, in coming to the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Savior Christ, consider how Saint Paul urges all persons to examine themselves, before they presume to eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. For as the benefit is great, if with a truly repentant heart and a lively faith we receive that holy sacrament; (for then we spiritually eat the body of Christ, and drink his blood; then we dwell in Christ, and Christ in us; we are one with Christ, and Christ with us;) so is the danger great, if we receive the sacrament unworthily. For then we are guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord; we eat and drink judgment on ourselves, eating and drinking without discerning the body of Christ. Judge yourselves truly, brothers and sisters, that you will not be judged by the Lord; repent truly for your past sins; have a lively and steadfast faith in Christ our Savior; amend your lives, and be in perfect love with all people; so you will be worthy partakers of these holy mysteries. And above all things you must give most humble and heartfelt thanks to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, for the redemption of the world by the death and passion of our Savior Christ, both God and man. He humbled himself, even to the death on the cross, for us unhappy sinners, who were in darkness and the shadow of death; that he might make us the children of God, and exalt us to everlasting life. And in order that we should always remember the exceeding great love of our Master, and only Savior, Jesus Christ, who died for us, and the innumerable benefits which he has, by the shedding of his precious blood, obtained for us, he has instituted and ordained holy mysteries, as pledges of his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death, to our great and endless strengthening and comfort. To him, therefore, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, let us give (as we are obligated to do) continual thanks; submitting ourselves wholly to his holy will and pleasure, and studying to serve him in true holiness and righteousness all the days of our life.

Then the priest or one of the other ministers says

You who truly and earnestly repent of your sins, and are reconciled and at peace with your neighbors, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking in his holy ways, draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to strengthen and comfort you. But first, let us make a humble confession of our sins to Almighty God.

A pause for self-examination may be observed.

All then say this General Confession, kneeling

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, maker of all things, judge of all people, we acknowledge and lament our many sins and the wickedness we have committed time after time, by thought, word and deed against your divine majesty. We have provoked your righteous anger and your indignation against us. We earnestly repent, and are deeply sorry for these our wrongdoings; the memory of them weighs us down, the burden of them is too great for us to bear. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father. For your Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, forgive us all that is past; and grant that from this time forward we may always serve and please you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

The priest (or the bishop if he is present) stands and pronounces this Absolution.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who in his great mercy has promised forgiveness of sins to all who with heartfelt repentance and true faith turn to him: have mercy upon you; pardon and deliver you from all your sins; confirm and strengthen you in all goodness; and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

The priest says one or more of these sentences.

Hear the comfortable words that our Lord Jesus Christ says to those who truly turn to him.

Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11: 28

For so God loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.John 3: 16

Hear also what Saint Paul says.

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.1 Timothy 1: 15

Hear also what Saint John says.

If anyone sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins.1 John 2: 1, 2

A hymn may be sung.

THE THANKSGIVING

Then the priest says

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right, and our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, holy Father, heavenly King, almighty and eternal God

On certain days a special preface is said here; otherwise the priest and people together continue

Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and saying:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Glory to you, O Lord most high.

Special Prefaces

In Advent
Because you sent your Son Jesus Christ to redeem us from sin and death and to make us inheritors of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may with joy behold his appearing, and in confidence may stand before him. Therefore with angels, etc.

At Christmas, Presentation, Annunciation
Because you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to be born for us. By the work of the Holy Spirit he was made true man of the flesh of the Virgin Mary his mother. He was without sin, to make us free from all sin.Therefore with angels, etc.

At Epiphany and the Transfiguration
Because in coming to dwell among us as man, your Son Jesus Christ revealed the radiance of your glory and brought us out of darkness into your own marvelous light. Therefore with angels, etc.

In Lent
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who was in every way tempted as we are; yet remained sinless. By his grace we are able to overcome our sinful desires and to live not for ourselves, but for our Lord who died for us and rose from the dead. Therefore with angels, etc.

In Passiontide and Holy Week
Through Jesus Christ our Lord who, though he is one with you and the Holy Spirit, humbled himself and was obedient, even to death on a cross, that we might have life through him. Therefore with angels, etc.

In Eastertide
But chiefly we praise you for the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true Passover lamb who was offered for us and has taken away the sin of the world. By his death he has destroyed death; by his rising to life again he has restored to us eternal life.Therefore with, etc.

In Ascensiontide
Through your most dearly loved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. After his glorious resurrection, he revealed himself to all his apostles. In their sight, he ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us, so that we might also ascend to where he is and reign with him in glory.Therefore with angels, etc.

On the Day of Pentecost (or Whitsunday)
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whose sure promise the Holy Spirit came down from heaven upon the apostles with the sound of a mighty wind and in tongues of fire. He came to teach them and to lead them into all truth. He enabled them to speak other languages and gave them continuing boldness to preach fervently the gospel to all nations. By that gospel we have been brought out of darkness and error into the light and into true knowledge of you and of your Son Jesus Christ. Therefore with angels, etc.

On Trinity Sunday
Who is one God, one Lord, not one person but three persons in one substance. What we believe of the glory of the Father, we believe also of the glory of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, without any difference or inequality.Therefore with angels, etc.

On All Saints and Saints’ days
Who, in your multitude of saints has given us an example of godly living; that rejoicing in their fellowship, we may run with perseverance the race that is set before us, and with them receive the crown of glory, that does not fade. Therefore with angels, etc.

On other occasions
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, the true high priest who has cleansed us from sin and made us a royal priesthood called to serve you for ever. Therefore with angels, etc.

After each of these prefaces the priest and people together continue

Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and saying:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Glory to you, O Lord most high.

Then the priest kneels down at the Lord’s Table, and all join the priest in this prayer

We do not presume to come to this your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table. But you are the same Lord, whose nature is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. AMEN.

When the priest has so arranged the bread and wine, that he may with more conveniently and appropriately break the bread before the people and take the cup into his hand, he, standing at the north side of the Table, says this Prayer of Consecration.

All glory to you, almighty God, our heavenly Father, for in your tender mercy you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world; and who instituted, and in his holy gospel commanded us to continue, a perpetual memory of his precious death, until his coming again:

Hear us, merciful Father, and grant that we who receive these gifts of your creation, this bread and this wine, according to your Son our Savior Jesus Christ's holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed body and blood; who on the night he was betrayed, (Here the priest is to take the paten) took bread; and, when he had given thanks, (And here to break the bread) he broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying: Take, eat; (And here to lay a hand on all the bread) this is my body which is given for you: Do this in remembrance of me. In the same manner, after supper he (Here the priest is to take the cup) took the cup; and, when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying: Drink this all of you, (And here to lay a hand on the vessels in which is wine to be consecrated) this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

All answer AMEN.

THE COMMUNION

The priest receives the communion in both kinds himself, and then distributes it similarly to the other communicants; first to any bishops, priests, and deacons, who are present, and then to the other communicants; into their hands, all kneeling.

When the minister delivers the bread, he says

The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for you, preserve your body and soul to everlasting life. Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your heart by faith with thanksgiving.

or

Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your heart by faith with thanksgiving.

When the minister delivers the cup, he says

The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for you, preserve your body and soul to everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ's Blood was shed for you, and be thankful.

or

Drink this in remembrance that Christ's Blood was shed for you, and be thankful.

When occasion requires, the minister may say the Words of Administration once to each row of communicants, or to a convenient number within each row, instead of saying them to each communicant separately.

During the Communion hymns, canticles, psalms, and anthems may be sung.

If the consecrated bread or wine proves insufficient for the communion, the priest is to set apart more, beginning at Our Savior Christ on the night… to consecrate the Bread; and at Likewise after supper… to consecrate the Cup.

When all have communicated, the minister reverently place upon the table what remains of the consecrated elements, covering them with a clean white cloth; or else, at his discretion, reverently consumes them.

AFTER COMMUNION

The priest says

Let us pray.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. AMEN.

or

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. AMEN.

Then all say one or both of these prayers

O Lord and heavenly Father, we your humble servants entirely desire your fatherly goodness to mercifully accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Grant that by the merits and death of your Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we and your whole Church may receive forgiveness of our sins and all other benefits of his passion. And here we offer and present to you, O Lord, ourselves, our souls and our bodies, to be a reasonable, holy and living sacrifice; and we pray that all who are partakers of this holy communion may be filled with your grace and heavenly benediction. Although we are unworthy, through our many sins, to offer you any sacrifice, yet we pray that you will accept this the duty and service that we owe, not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences, through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory be yours, almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

Almighty and ever-living God, we heartily thank you that you graciously feed us, who have duly received these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ. By this you assure us of your favour and goodness towards us; that we are truly members of the mystical body of your Son, the blessed company of all faithful people, and that we are also heirs, through hope, of your eternal kingdom, by the merits of the precious death and passion of your dear Son. We humbly implore you, heavenly Father, to so assist us with your grace that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and to do all the good works which you have prepared for us walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory, now and for ever. AMEN.

This Hymn of Praise (Gloria in Excelsis) is said or sung. Other versions of this canticle may be used, or when appropriate, another suitable hymn of praise.

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly king,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. AMEN.

Then the priest (or the bishop, if he is present) says this Blessing or one of the Blessings on pages 110-111.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be amongst you and remain with you always. AMEN.

The priest or one of the other ministers may dismiss the people with these or similar words

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. In the name of Christ. AMEN.

or

In Eastertide:
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia! Alleluia!
In the name of Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!

or

Go in peace to share the good news. In the name of Christ. AMEN.

or

In Eastertide
Go in peace to share the good news. Alleluia! Alleluia!
In the name of Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!

The ministers and people depart.

Collects which may be said after the Collect of the Day, or before the Blessing, at the discretion of the minister. Other Collects may be sanctioned by the bishop as need require.

Be with us, Lord, in all our prayers, and direct our way toward the attainment of salvation, that among the changes and chances of this mortal life, we may always be defended by your gracious help; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Lord God Almighty, we rejoice that you are the sovereign Lord who rules over all: may the nations of the world hear your voice and the people acknowledge you. Banish the darkness of sin and unbelief. Break down every barrier that stands in the way of triumph of your Word and gospel and hasten the day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We ask this in his name, and to his glory. AMEN.

Almighty Lord, and everlasting God, we pray that you will direct, sanctify, and govern our hearts and bodies in the ways of your laws, and in the works of your commandments; that through your most mighty protection, here and ever, we may be kept in body and soul to give glory to your holy name; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Almighty God, grant, we pray, that the words, which we have heard today, may through your grace be so grafted in our hearts, that they may produce in us the fruit of good works to the honour and praise of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Go before us, Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favour, and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun, contin¬ued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy name, and finally by your mercy attain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Lord Jesus, you bid your disciples to “go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation…” Grant that we too shall be committed to this commission. Send us Lord wherever you choose, whenever you will, and we shall gladly go in your name and by the power of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

O God our Father, We pray that you will release the power of the Holy Spirit in all who believe, that we may become powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ our Lord who died and rose again and now reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. AMEN.

O God our Father, give us your passion for your Word and boldness in telling our neighbor about your grace, may the Holy Spirit convict the lost and draw them to the Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

In Ember seasons and at other times

Almighty God, giver of all good gifts, you have appointed various orders of ministry in your Church; give grace to those who are now called to the sacred ministry. So fill them with your truth and clothe them with holiness that they may faithfully minister to the glory of your name and to the benefit of your people. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Almighty God, look with compassion on the world you have redeemed by the death of your Son Jesus Christ. Move the hearts of many to offer themselves for the sacred ministry of your Church, so that by their lives and labours your light may shine in the darkness and the coming of your kingdom advanced; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our needs before we ask and our ignorance in asking; have compassion n our weaknesses, and give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Heavenly Father, you have promised through your Son Jesus Christ, that when we meet in his name, and pray according to his mind, he will be among us and hear our prayer: in your love and mercy fulfill our desires, and give us your greatest gift, which is to know you, the only true God, and your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

1. Announcements may be made before the service begins, before the sermon, after the Nicene Creed, or after the Prayers.

2. If there is no Communion, the priest, a deacon, or a licensed catechist or reader may say all that is appointed, until the end of the Prayer of Intercession, together with one or more of the Collects and the Lord's Prayer, concluding with the Blessing or the Grace.

The First Reformed Episcopal Prayer Book: Evening Prayer

2011-08-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

This article is the second in a series of articles on the 1874 Book of Common Prayer, the first Prayer Book of the Reformed Episcopal Church. The first article in this series was posted on Exploring The Book of Common Prayer on March 4, 2009. However, the university student who was assisting me with my research had to pull out of the project due to his academic load and other demands upon his time, and I had to shelve the project. He had access to a copy of the 1874 Prayer Book and was copying the services for me and sending them to me.

Recently I located two electronic editions of the 1874 Prayer Book on the Internet, which were not available at that time. I decided to dust off the second article that I had written for the series and to post it. I thought that Anglicans Ablaze readers might like to compare the 1874 Prayer Book with the latest Reformed Episcopal Prayer Book, A Modern Language Version of the Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, and the 2003 Prayer Book, upon which it is based.

In 1873 Bishop George David Cummins and a group of ministers and laymen of the Protestant Episcopal Church, frustrated by the strong opposition to their proposals for the revision of the 1789 Prayer Book in the General Convention, and concerned over the growth and increasing influence of Tractarianism and ritualism in the Protestant Episcopal Church, founded the Reformed Episcopal Church. The Evangelical party in the Protestant Episcopal Church had sought the addition of alternative wording or forms to the Offices of Baptism so that Evangelical ministers could in good conscience use the 1789 Prayer Book. They were convinced that these offices contained an incipient Catholic theology that was incompatible with the teachings of the Bible and the Reformation. The General Convention, however, had proven unreceptive to their proposals. An earlier Evangelical proposal that would have suppressed ritualism in the Protestant Episcopal Church had been defeated in the General Convention, and the High Church party had been emboldened by its defeat. Cummins and his fellow Evangelicals had come to believe that their only hope of a revised Prayer Book and a reformed Church lay outside of the Protestant Episcopal Church.

The Order for Evening Prayer in the 1874 Prayer Book follows the pattern of the Order for Morning Prayer with some notable exceptions. The seasonal Opening Sentences of Scripture are omitted. The Collect for the day is omitted altogether. In the Order for Morning Prayer it is optional. The Prayer for the Congress and the Litany are omitted. In place of the Litany are printed A Prayer for Ministers and People and A Prayer for All Conditions of Men.

Like the 1789 Prayer Book, the 1874 Prayer Book omits the Magnificat and the Nunc dimittis and adds the Bonum est confiteri (Psalm 92) as an alternative to the Cantate Domino (Psalm 98) and the Benedic, anima mea (Psalm 103) as an alternative to the Deus misereatur (Psalm 67). The replacement of the Magnificat and the Nunc dimittis with Psalms is a revision that the Puritans had sought in the Prayer Book in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Prayer for All in Civil Authority is an adaptation of the Prayer for Civil Rulers in the 1786 Proposed Prayer Book. A Collect for Aid against Perils is taken from the 1789 Prayer Book. One of the peculiarities of the early American Prayer Books is their omission of the traditional Collect for Aid against Perils:

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

For those wishing to use the 1874 Order for Morning Prayer, it has been reproduced below.

The words in square brackets may be omitted.
Words in bold type are said or sung by the congregation.

THE ORDER FOR EVENING PRAYER

The Minister shall begin the Evening Prayer by reading one or more of the following Sentences.

Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him. Hab. ii. 20.
From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name and a pure offering; for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of Hosts. Mal. i. 11.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. St. John iv, 24.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm. xix, 14.
When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Ezek. xviii. 27.
I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Psal. ii. 3.
Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Psal. li. 9.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psal. li. 17.
Rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Joel ii. 13.
To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him: neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws which he set before us. Dan. ix. 9, 10.
O Lord, correct me, but with judgment: not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Jer. x. 24. Psal. vi. 1.
Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. St. Mat. iii. 2.
I will arise, and go to my father; and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. St. Luke xv. 18, 19.
Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Psal. cxliii. 2.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 St. John i. 8, 9.

Then the Minister shall say,

Dearly beloved brethren, the scripture moveth us in sundry places, to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness, and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God, our heavenly Father, but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we might obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together, to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore, I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me, with a pure heart and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying:

A general Confession, to be said by the whole Congregation; with the Minister, all kneeling.

Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred and strayed like from thy ways lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind, in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life; To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

The Minister, still kneeling, shall say the following prayer for forgiveness.

O almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who direst not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live, pardon and accept, we beseech thee, all those who truly repent and unfeignedly believe thy holy Gospel. Grant us true repentance and thy Holy Spirit, that those things may please thee which we do at this present ; and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; so that at the last we may come to thy eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The people shall answer here, and at the end of every Prayer, Amen.

Then the Minister shall say the Lord's Prayer; the people repeating it with him, both here, and wheresoever else it is used in Divine Service.

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, As it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Then likewise he shall say,

O Lord, open thou our lips.
Answer. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Here all standing up, the Minister shall say,

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Minister. Praise ye the Lord.
Answer. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall follow a portion of the Psalter. After which may be said or sung, the Gloria Patri, or else the Gloria in Excelsis.Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Or this.

Gloria in Excelsis
Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee, for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.
For thou only art holy, thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Then shall be read the first lesson, from the Old Testament. After which shall be said or sung the following Anthem.

Note, that before every Lesson, the minister shall say, Here beginneth such Chapter, or Verse of such Chapter, of such a Book: And after every Lesson, Here endeth the first or second Lesson.

Cantate Domino. Psalm x cviii.

O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvelous things.
With his own right hand, and with his holy arm, hath he gotten himself the victory.
The LORD declared his salvation; his righteousness hath he openly showed in the sight of the heathen.
He hath remembered his mercy and truth toward the house of Israel; and all the ends of the world have seen the salvation of our God.
Show yourselves joyful unto the LORD, all ye lands; sing, rejoice, and give thanks.
Praise the LORD upon the harp; sing to the harp with a psalm of thanksgiving.
With trumpets also and shawms, O show yourselves joyful before the LORD the King.
Let the sea make a noise, and all that therein is; the round world, and they that dwell therein.
Let the floods clap their hands, and let the hills be joyful together before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth.
With righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Or this.

Bonum est confiteri. Psalm xc ii.

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy Name, O Most Highest.
To tell of thy loving kindness early in the morning, and of thy truth in the night season,
Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the lute; upon a loud instrument, and upon the harp.
For thou , LORD, hast made me glad through thy works; and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of thy hands.

Then shall be read the second lesson, taken out of the New Testament.

And after that, shall be sung or said this Anthem.

Deus misereatur. Psalm lxvii.

GOD be merciful unto us, and bless us, and show us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us;
That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations Let the people praise thee, O God; yea, let all the people praise
thee.
O let the nations rejoice and be glad; for thou shalt judge the folk righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.
Let the people praise thee O God; yea, let all the people praise thee.
Then shall the earth bring forth her increase; and God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing.
God shall bless us and all the ends of the world shall fear him.

Or this

Benedic anima mea Psalm ciii

PRAISE the LORD O my soul; and all that is within me praise his holy Name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits;
Who forgiveth all thy sin, and healeth all thine infirmities;
Who saveth thy life from destruction, and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness.
O praise the LORD, ye Angels of his, ye that excel in strength; ye that fulfil his commandment, and hearken unto the voice of his word.
O praise the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye servants of his that do his pleasure.
O speak good of the LORD, all ye works of his, in all places of his dominion;
praise thou the LORD, O my soul.

Then shall be said the Apostles’ Creed, by the Minister and the people, standing: And any church may insert after the words, Was crucified, dead and buried, the words, He descended into Hell, or the words, He went into the place of departed spirits.

I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth; And in, Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints; The forgiveness of Sins The resurrection of the body, And the life everlasting Amen.

Or this.

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible:
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation, came down from Heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. And I believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church; I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the Resurrection of the dead, And the Life of the world to come. Amen.

[Note. By “One Catholic and Apostolic Church” is signified “The blessed company of all faithful people;” and by “One Baptism for the remission of sins” the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.]

Then the Minister shall say,

The Lord be with you.
Answer. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

O Lord show thy mercy upon us.
Answer. And grant us thy salvation.
Minister. O God, make clean our hearts within us;
Answer. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

A Collect for Peace.

O God from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace, which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee, we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

A Collect for Aid against Perils.

O Lord, our heavenly Father, by whose Almighty power we have been preserved this day; By thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer for the All in Civil Authority.

O Lord, our heavenly Father, the high and mighty Ruler of the universe, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth; Most heartily we beseech thee, with thy favour to behold and bless thy servant the President of these United States, and all in authority, legislative, judicial, and executive; and so replenish them with the grace of thy holy Spirit, that they may always incline to thy will, and walk in thy way. Endue them plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant them in health and prosperity long to live; and finally, after this life, to attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Ministers and People.

Almighty and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift; Send down upon all Bishops, and other Ministers, and upon the Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and, that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honor of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ.Amen.

A Prayer for all Conditions of Men.

O God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for thy holy Church universal that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those who are any ways afflicted or distressed in mind body or estate; that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities; giving them patience
under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

A General Thanksgiving, to be said by the People, with the Minister.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving kindness to us, and to all men: We bless thee for our creation, preservation and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies that our hearts may be, unfeignedly thankful, and that we may shew forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives; by giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.

Here may be used any of the occasional prayers, or extemporaneous prayer.

A General Supplication

Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise, that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name, thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Cor. Xiii. 14.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

Here endeth the Order of Evening Prayer.

Related Article: The First Reformed Episcopal Prayer Book: Morning Prayer

A Modern Language Version of the Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer: The Order for the Administration of the Lord’s Supper (Part 3)

2011-07-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

The Alternate Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion

In this fourth article of my series on A Modern Language Version of the Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer , I examine the Alternative Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the Communion Office of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version. This form is substantially the Communion Office of the 1928 BCP from the General Intercession through the Exhortations with a number of additions and alterations.

In the Alternative Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP’s Modern Language Version the Invitation to Lord’s Table from the 2003 Episcopal BCP is retained. In the rubric that precedes the General Intercession and which comes from the 1928 Communion Office the phrase “secret intercessions,” which in the Form for the Celebration of Holy Communion is replaced by “private intercessions” is retained. Why the Invitation to the Lord’s Table from 2003 Episcopal BCP and the phrase “secret intercessions” in the rubric preceding the General Intercession is retained in this form in the Modern Language Version and not in the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the Modern Language Version is anyone’s guess.

The same rubrics and texts for the General Intercession, the Exhortation, the Invitation, the Confession, the Absolution, the Comfortable Words, the Sursum Corda, the Preface, the Proper Prefaces, and the opening paragraph of the Prayer of Consecration are used in the Alternate Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion as are used in the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office and its Modern Language Version. The reader is referred to my discussion of these rubrics and texts in my article on the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion. The Confession from the Holy Communion, Order Two in Contemporary Language, from the Church of England’s Common Worship (2000) has been provided for comparison with the Confession in the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion and the Alternate Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the Modern Language Version.

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, maker of all things, judge of all people, we acknowledge and lament our many sins and the wickedness we have committed time after time, by thought, word and deed against your divine majesty. We have provoked your righteous anger and your indignation against us.We earnestly repent, and are deeply sorry for these our wrongdoings; the memory of them weighs us down, the burden of them is too great for us to bear. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father. For your Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive us all that is past; and grant that from this time forward we may always serve and please you in newness of life, to the honour and glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Salutation has been prefixed to the Sursum Corda in the Alternate Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the Modern Language Version. To reiterate what I noted in my previous articles in this series to Anglo-Catholics and Roman Catholics the Salutation is more than a greeting or an introduction to a call to prayer but is a prayer for the priest, in which the congregation ask God to arouse the special grace given to the priest in ordination so that God will accept the offerings that the priest makes on the behalf of the people, at the Daily Offices, in the form of prayers and intercessions, and at the Mass, in the form of the representation or reiteration of Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross. This interpretation of Salutation is closely tied to the Medieval Catholic view of the sacerdotal character of the ministry of the priest who acts as an intermediary between the faithful and God, and is intimately associated with the Medieval Catholic doctrines of Baptismal Regeneration, Eucharistic Sacrifice and the Real Presence. This special grace is believed not only to infuse the water in the baptismal font with power to remove sin when the priest blesses the water but also to transmogrify the bread and wine of the Holy Communion into the substance of the body and blood of our Lord when the priest recites the Words of Institution over the elements. Having brought Christ into being in the bread and wine in this manner, the priest extinguishes Christ by eating the bread and drink the wine, thereby by repeating Christ’s death and sacrifice for the remission of sin for the living and the dead. Before consuming the elements priest elevates them for the faithful to gaze upon and worship.

The Benedictus has been added to the Sanctus in this form in the Modern Language Version as in the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the Modern Language Version. This, like the Invitation to the Lord’s Table and the Salutation prefixed to the Sursum Corda, is an addition to the 1928 Communion Office. The reader is also referred to my discussion of the Benedictus in my article on the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion.

The Prayer of Consecration in the Alternate Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version is the 1928 Prayer of Consecration, which is adapted from the 1764 Scottish Non-Juror Prayer of Consecration. In the Modern Language Version of the 1928 Prayer of Consecration a number of changes have been made in the wording of the prayer, which I did not examine in my article on the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion. While retaining “oblation” in the phrase “(by His one oblation of Himself once offered),” the Modern Language Version of the prayer substitutes “offering” for “oblation” in the next phrase, “a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, offering, and complete payment….” It also substitutes “payment” for “satisfaction.”

It is noteworthy that An Australian Prayer Book (1978), A Prayer Book for Australia (1995), and the Church of England’s Common Worship (2000) retain “oblation” in the first phrase and “oblation” and “satisfaction” in the second phrase. The Prayer Book of the Church of England in South Africa (1992) substitutes “by his one offering of himself, never to be repeated” for the first phrase and “a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice…” for the second phrase. The Church Society’s An English Prayer Book (1994) replaces the first phrase with “by his once and for all offering of himself” and the second phrase with “a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice…”; The Anglican Mission’s An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) retains “by his one oblation of Himself once offered” but substitutes “a full satisfaction, perfect self-offering and sufficient sacrifice…” for the second phrase.

This raises the question to what extent, if at all, the REC Standing Liturgical Communion studied how other more recent service books have translated these phrases into modern idiom. It appears to have adopted a “cut and paste” approach to rendering the Tudor English texts into contemporary English. A number of the Tudor English texts, when translated in this fashion, not only loose their eloquence but also the new wording changes their doctrine. With such texts a dynamic equivalency translation may be warranted in order to preserve their doctrine as well as make the most effective use of modern idiom.

While “required” is substituted for “bounden” in the Modern Language Version of the Sursum Coda, “bounden” is retained in the concluding paragraph of the Modern Language Version of the 1928 Prayer of Consecration in the Alternative Form of the Celebration of the Holy Communion. “Required” is also substituted for “bounden” in the Modern Language Version of the First Post-Communion Prayer—“the Prayer of Oblation”—in the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion. The decisions that the REC Standing Liturgical Commission made as to the retention or replacement of particular words in the Tudor English texts appear to be inconsistent and arbitrary. What principles guided the REC Standing Liturgical Commission in their translation of these texts into modern idiom is not discernable. In a number of ways their translation of the texts is reminiscent of the Prayer Book revision of the 1970s.

Implicit in the 1928 Prayer of Consecration is the doctrine of eucharistic sacrifice of the 1764 Scottish Non-Juror Prayer of Consecration upon which it is based. In the 1928 Prayer of Consecration and the 1764 Scottish Non-Juror Prayer of Consecration the Words of Institution precede the Oblation and the Invocation. The Oblation consists of an Anamnesis and an Oblation of the Bread and Wine—the Major Oblation. Thomas Deacon explains this doctrine of eucharistic sacrifice in his Comprehensive View. The priest, he writes:

“…does as Christ did...he next repeats our Saviour’s powerful words ‘This is my Body,’ ‘This is my Blood’ over the Bread and Cup. The effect of the words is that the Bread and Cup are made authoritative Representations or symbols of Christ’s crucified Body and of His Blood shed; and in consequence they are in a capacity of being offered to God as the great Christian Sacrifice....God accepts the Sacrifice and returns it to us again to feast upon, in order that we may be thereby partakers of all the benefits of our Saviour’s Death and Passion. The Bread and Cup become capable of conferring these benefits on the priest praying to God the Father to send the Holy’ Spirit upon them. The Bread and Cup are thereby made the Spiritual, Life-giving Body and Blood of Christ, in Power and Virtue.”

In the pre-Reformation Medieval Catholic doctrine of eucharistic sacrifice, the priest, having consecrated the Bread and Wine by the recitation of the Words of Institution over the elements and thereby transformed them into the Body and Blood of Christ, at the Major Oblation reiterated or represented Christ’s sacrifice for the remission of the sins of the living and the dead.

The 1549 Prayer of Consecration differs from the 1764 Scottish Non-Juror and 1928 Prayers of Consecration in that the Invocation precedes the Words of Institution and asks God to bless and sanctify the elements with the Holy Spirit and the Word. The Invocation in 1764 and 1928 Consecration Prayers ask God to bless and sanctify them with the Word and Holy Spirit, reversing the order, which also reflects the order of the Words of Institution and the Invocation in these prayers. The 1549 Consecration Prayer has no Oblation. The Anamnesis follows the Words of Institution and the “oblation of the Church” follows the Anamnesis. A rubric preceding the “oblation of the Church” directs the priest not to elevate the Bread and Wine or show them to the people, practices associated with the Major Oblation, the Medieval Catholic doctrine of eucharistic sacrifice, and the Medieval Catholic practice of eucharistic adoration.

Archbishop Cranmer sought assiduously to avoid any suggestion of eucharistic sacrifice in the 1549 Consecration Prayer, which is not the case in the 1764 Scottish Non-Juror and 1928 Consecration Prayers. Nor is it the case in the Consecration Prayer in the Alternative Form of the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office and its Modern Language Version. This represents a significant departure from the eucharistic theology of the 1963 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its predecessors, including the 1662 BCP, which reject any notion of sacrifice related to the Holy Communion beyond our sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise and our offering of ourselves, our souls and our bodies of the First Post-Communion Prayer of the 1662 BCP.

As in the 1928 Communion Office the Lord’s Prayer and the Prayer of Humble Access follow the Prayer of Consecration and precede the distribution of the Communion in the Alternate Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion. As in the 1928 Communion Office a Prologue is prefixed to the Lord’s Prayer. A rubric permitting a hymn follows the Prayer of Humble Access, except in the Modern Language Version.

The Agnus Dei follows the Prayer of Humble Access in the Alternate Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the Modern Language Version. A rubric permitting a hymn follows the Agnus Dei.

The placement of the Lord’s Prayer and the Prayer of Humble Access (and the Agnes Dei in the Modern Language Version) before the distribution of the Communion delay the actual reception of Communion and minister to the idea to an objective presence, which is why Archbishop Cranmer placed the Prayer of Humble Access after the Sanctus and the Lord’s Prayer after the distribution of the Communion in the 1552 Communion Office and dropped the Agnus Dei from that Communion Office. The latter had strong associations with the doctrine of Transubstantiation and the practice of eucharistic adoration.

A congregation that says or sings the Agnus Dei Sunday after Sunday or hears the priest say or the choir sing this devotion every Sunday is going to conclude that Christ is objectively and even substantively present in the eucharistic elements irrespective of what the rubrics say. The saying or singing of the Agnes Dei is a common practice in Anglo-Catholic congregations using the 1928 Communion Office and is associated with belief in the Real Presence and the doctrine of Transubstantiation and adoration of Christ present in the elements. Since the nineteenth century Anglo-Catholic congregations have used this devotion for that purpose in England and the United States. The printing of the Agnes Dei in the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion and the Alternative Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office’s Modern Language Version gives this practice the color of liturgical authorization.

The remainder of the Alternative Form of the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office and its Modern Language Version is identical to 1928 Communion Office after the Prayer for Humble Access. As in the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion no provision is made for the singing of hymns, anthems, Psalms, canticles, and worship songs during the distribution of the Communion. The rubrics for consecration of additional Bread and Wine are the same as in the 1928 Communion Office. The result is the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office has two forms for the consecration of additional Bread and Wine, which does not make any sense. A rubric after the Blessing permits a hymn following the conclusion of the service.

The following rubrics follow the Alternate Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion.

GENERAL RUBRICS
¶ If any consecrated Bread or Wine remain, apart from that which may be required for the Communion of the sick, the Celebrant or Deacon and other communicants shall reverently eat or drink it, either after the Communion of the people or immediately after the dismissal.

¶ If among those who come to be partakers of the Holy Communion, the Minister shall know any to be an open and notorious evil liver, or to have done any wrong to his neighbours by word or deed, so that the congregation be thereby offended; he shall warn him, that he presume not to come to the Lord’s Table, until he have openly declared himself to have truly repented and amended his former evil life, that the congregation may thereby be satisfied; and that he has recompensed the parties to whom he has done wrong; or at least declare himself to be in full purpose so to do, as soon as he conveniently may.

¶ The same order shall the Minister use with those, between whom he perceives malice and hatred to reign; not permitting them to be partakers of the Lord’s Table, until he know them to be reconciled.

And if one of the parties, so at variance, be content to forgive from the bottom of his heart all that the other has trespassed against him, and to make amends for that wherein he himself has offended; and the other party will not be persuaded to a godly unity, but remain still in his frowardness and malice; the Minister in that case ought to admit the penitent person to the Holy Communion, and not him that is obstinate. Provided, That every Minister so repelling any, as is herein specified, shall be obliged to give an account of the same to the Ordinary, within fourteen days after, at the farthest.

¶ When the Minister gives warning for the celebration of the Holy Communion, he may read this Exhortation.

It is unclear whether these rubrics apply to both the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion and the Alternative Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion or the Alternative Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion only.

If these rubrics apply to both forms, it would appear that the 1662 Declaration on Kneeling applies only to the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion since it is printed after that form. The implication is staggering. Clergy who use the Alternative Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion are free to preach and teach that Christ is substantively present in the eucharistic elements and that the priest reiterates or represents Christ’s sacrifice for the remission of sins for the living and the dead in the Eucharist. If the 1662 Declaration on Kneeling applies to both forms, it should have been printed with the General Rubrics.

It is noteworthy that the first rubric makes provision for the Reservation of the Sacrament for the sick and the Ablutions at the Roman position after the Communion of the people as well as the Anglican position after the Blessing. The second and third rubrics retain archaic and unfamiliar language and the fourth rubric permits the use of an abbreviated version of the Warning of a Celebration of the Holy Communion. The first and fourth rubrics are not found in the 1928 Communion Office; the second and third rubrics are. No provision is made for Ante-Communion if there is no Communion, which is a useful option especially when a congregation contains a large number of unbaptized people, and for which a number of other more recent service books do make provision in recognition of its usefulness.

If the rubrics apply only to the Alternative Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion, my observation that the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion permits the communion of the wicked and makes no provision for the Ablutions stands.

In the Declaration of Principles that the Reformed Episcopal Church adopted on December 2, 1873, the REC condemned and rejected five erroneous and strange doctrines as contrary to God’s Word. They included that Christian Ministers are “priests” in another sense than that which all believers are “a royal priesthood”; that the Lord’s Table is an altar on which the oblations of the Body and Blood of Christ is offered anew to the Father; and that the Presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper is a presence in the elements of Bread and Wine.

The Order for the Administration of the Holy Communion in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and its Modern Language Version affirm in one form or another all three doctrines that the REC condemned and rejected in its Declaration of Principles in 1873. The 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office not only represents a serious departure from the eucharistic theology of the 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office and its predecessors, including the 1662 Communion Service, but it also comprises a repudiation of the doctrinal position of the 1873 REC Declaration of Principles.

The 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office shows how a denomination can within less than a generation succumb to what its founders regarded as false teaching and which they sought to leave behind them in the Protestant Episcopal Church. It is further evidence that North America has no Anglican jurisdiction that may be accurately described as Protestant, Reformed, and evangelical in character.

A Modern Language Version of the Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer: The Order for the Administration of the Lord’s Supper (Part 2)

2011-07-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

The Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion

By Robin G. Jordan

In this third article in my series on A Modern Language Version of the Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer I examine the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the Communion Office of the Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and its Modern Language Version. I had originally intended to examine both the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion and the Alternative Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the same article. Among my aims were to give readers a better idea of where the Communion Office of these two books stands in relation to the Communion Service of the 1662 BCP, the Communion Office of the preceding Reformed Episcopal BCPs, and the Communion Office of the 1928 BCP; and to provide them with a clearer picture of the theology of the Communion Office of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version. I soon discovered that in order to examine each form in detail and to fulfill these aims, I would need to tackle each form in a separate article. This also accounts for the length of this particular article.

The Form for the Celebration of Holy Communion brings together elements from the Communion Offices of several Prayer Books, including the 1662 BCP, the 1785 Proposed BCP, the 1928 BCP and its predecessors, and the 1963 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its predecessors. When compared with the Communion Office of the 1963 Reformed Episcopal BCP and the 1956 Free Church of England BCP, another Prayer Book that stands in the Reformed Episcopal Prayer Book tradition, it reveals a decided shift in theology from the Communion Offices of earlier Reformed Episcopal Prayer Books.

The Celebration of the Holy Communion in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office begins with an Invitation to the Lord’s Table in these or similar words.

Our fellow Christians of other branches of Christ’s Church, and all who love our Divine Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in sincerity, are affectionately invited to the Lord’s Table.

This Invitation is a longstanding feature of the Reformed Episcopal Communion Office and is also found in the 1956 Free Church of England Communion Office. In the latter the Invitation to the Lord’s Table follows the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church militant and the Warning for the Celebration of the Holy Communion or the First Exhortation and precedes the Second Exhortation (if said) and the Invitation to Confession. A branch of the Reformed Episcopal Church was established in England in 1877. The Free Church of England and the Reformed Episcopal Church in England merged in 1927, and the Free Church of England Prayer Book incorporates material from the 1874 Reformed Episcopal BCP.

In the Modern Language Version of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office, the Invitation to the Lord’s Table has been changed. It extends an invitation to the Lord’s Table only to the members of other denominations baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which is a departure from the Reformed Episcopal Church’s longstanding practice and the practice of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office, which requires only a sincere love of Jesus Christ for admission to Holy Communion in Reformed Episcopal churches. This alteration excludes Quakers, Pentecostals, and Salvation Army members from Holy Communion in Reformed Episcopal churches. The Society of Friends and the Salvation Army do not practice water baptism. A number of Pentecostal churches baptize in the name of Jesus. The historic Reformed Episcopal practice was, until the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP’s Modern Language Version, to admit to the Lord’s Table those who believed in their own hearts that they were followers of Jesus Christ irrespective of whether they were baptized. It was similar to the practice of the Congregational churches of the nineteenth century. This is not the same practice as modern-day open communion, which admits non-believers as well as believers to the Lord’s Table. The Reformed Episcopal practice was to open the Lord’s Table to all followers of Jesus Christ. This practice was one of the Reformed Episcopal Church’s distinctives as a denomination.

The rubric that follows the Invitation to the Lord’s Table and precedes the General Intercession, which is also known as the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church militant, is taken from the 1928 BCP and authorizes the Presbyter to make Special Biddings before the Bidding of the General Intercession. In the Modern Language Version of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office “private intercessions” has been substituted for “secret intercessions” in this rubric.

The rubrics of the 1962 Canadian Communion Office permit the Minister making the Special Biddings to provide short periods for silent prayer. The rubrics of number of more recent service books also allow members of the congregation to ask the prayers of the congregation and permit them to pray extemporaneously as well as silently in response to prayer requests and concerns of their fellow congregants. The Communion Office in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version would benefit from similar provisions.

After making Special Biddings, the rubric directs the Presbyter to say the Bidding of the General Intercession and then the General Intercession. The 1962 Canadian Communion Office permits a minister other than the priest to make the Special Biddings and the Bidding of the General Intercession before the General Intercession. More recent service books, for example, An Australian Prayer Book (1978), the Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer (1979), the Church of England’sThe Alternative Service Book 1980, the Church of Ireland’s Alternative Prayer Book 1984, the Anglican Church of Canada’s Book of Alternative Services (1985), the Church of Nigeria’s Book of Common Prayer (1990), the Anglican Church of Kenya’s Our Modern Services (2002, 2003), A Prayer Book for Australia (1995), the Church of England’s Common Worship (2000), the Diocese of Sydney’s Supplemental Sunday Services (2001), and the Church of Ireland’s Book of Common Prayer (2004) permit deacons and authorized laypersons to say the General Intercession. This is attributable to the Liturgical Movement that sought to restore the roles of the deacon and the laos, the people of God, in the celebration of the Holy Communion, as they were in the Primitive Church, with the deacon and the assembled people of God playing a much greater role in the liturgy.

During the Middle Ages the priest gradually usurped the roles of the deacon and the other ministers in the liturgy. The Mass became something that the priest did for the church for the dead and the living. It ceased to be a service of public corporate worship in which the faithful participated and became a magic ritual that the priest performed. The laity, if present, was reduced to the role of passive spectators who played no part in the liturgy. Their presence, however, was not required. Masses were offered privately in chantries and side chapels as well as “publicly” in the chancel. In the latter case the priest said the Mass inaudibly, hidden from the profane gaze of the laity behind a rood screen. After the consecration the priest showed the consecrated elements to the laity and elevated the elements so that the laity might adore the bread and wine. The Medieval Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation taught that with the priest’s recitation of the Words of Institution Christ had entered them and they became his Body and Blood. The priest then immolated Christ again by consuming the bread and wine, repeating once more Christ’s sacrifice for the remission of sins.

The laity did not receive communion except at Easter and then only in one kind—the bread—and outside of the Mass. The chalice was withdrawn from the laity in part out of the belief that if they drank the wine as well as the bread, they too would be immolating Christ, something that only priests should do, having been set apart to make offerings for the church, as the priests of the Temple had been set apart to make offerings for the people of Israel.

The English Reformers rejected the companion doctrines of Eucharistic Sacrifice, Transubstantiation, and the sacerdotal character of the priesthood. Archbishop Cranmer’s liturgical reforms translated the services of the Church into a language understandable to the people, made them in to services of public corporate worship, gave the people a corporate vocal part in the services, and transformed the Mass into a Communion service, in which the communion of the people replaced the display and elevation of consecrated elements for their adoration.

While the reformed services gave a much greater role to the people than their role in the pre-Reformation Medieval Catholic services, in which their role was negligible if non-existent, the priest continued to play a dominant role in the reformed services. In this regard they are not entirely free of the sacerdotalism of the pre-Reformation Medieval Catholic Church.

A number of the earlier proposals for further reform of the Church’s services that the Puritans championed would have given an even greater role to the presbyter. These proposals would have done away with versicles and responses, eliminated the people’s response after each Commandment in the Decalogue and each Suffrage in the Litany, and would have replaced the Collects with the longer prayers that the Puritans preferred.

The Puritan’s later proposals would have reduced the role of the people to singing metrical Psalms and saying “Amen” after the presbyter’s lengthy extemporaneous prayers. This would become their role when the Book of Common Prayer was abolished during the Interregnum and replaced by a Directory of Public Worship. The pastor read the lessons, preached the sermon, and said the prayers.

The rubrics of the Celebration of the Holy Communion—both in 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office and its Modern Language Version, follow the rubrics of 1928 Communion Office. The large vocal part they give to the presbyter, or priest, cast him in a sacerdotal role as an intermediary between the congregation and God, making prayers and offerings for the congregation. The rubrics substitute “priest” where “minister” is used in the 1662 Communion Service, and make no provision for a minister other than the priest to say the first two Exhortations or lead the people in saying the General Confession as does the 1662 Communion Service.

The rubrics of the Celebration of Holy Communion also represent a departure from the historic practice of the Reformed Episcopal Church as well as that of the Church of England. The 1785 Proposed BCP, the 1874 Reformed Episcopal BCP, 1956 Free Church of England BCP, and the 1963 Reformed Episcopal BCP substitute “minister” for “priest” in the rubrics throughout the book. Where “minister” is used, it is implied that the minister may be a deacon or licensed lay reader as is the case in the 1662 BCP. As late as 1983 the Reformed Episcopal Church permitted its bishops to license deacons to administer the sacrament of the Holy Communion. Since that time the practice has been quietly dropped. It was one of the Reformed Episcopal Church’s denominational distinctives, a practice that the REC shared with the Church of England in South Africa.

The Bidding of the General Intercession is taken from 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office and omits the phrase “here in earth,” which Cranmer added to this bidding to make emphatic his excision of every vestige of commemoration of the saints and prayer for the dead from the 1552 BCP. Both the 1662 Communion Service and 1956 Free Church of England Communion Office retain this phrase.

The General Intercession in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office is an adaptation of the General Intercession in the 1928 Communion Office and represents a significant change in the theology of the Reformed Episcopal Communion Office. The General Intercession in the 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office substitutes the phrase “…to accept our alms, and…” for the phrase “…to accept our alms and oblations, and…” in the 1662 General Intercession. The phrase “…and oblations” was omitted from the General Intercession in the 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office and the 1956 Free Church of England Communion Office due to the controversy over the meaning of the term “oblations” in the nineteenth century and reflects the influence of the 1874 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office upon the two books. Anglo-Catholics interpreted “oblations” to mean the bread and wine while the received understanding was that the “oblations’ referred to the people’s devotions, their gifts of money for other purposes than relieving the needs of the poor. If there are no alms or oblations, the rubrics of the 1662 Communion Service direct that the phrase “…to accept our alms and oblations, and…” should be “left out unsaid.” If there are no alms, the rubrics of the 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office and the 1956 Free Church of England also direct that the phrase “to accept our alms” should likewise be “left out unsaid.”

The General Intercession in the 1928 Communion Office and the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office retain the phrase “…to accept our alms and oblations, and…” and adopt the Anglo-Catholic interpretation of “oblations.” As in the General Intercession in the 1928 Communion Office the phrase “…alms and…” is italicized and bracketed in the General Intercession in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office. The rubric directing the leaving out unsaid of the phrase “…alms and…” is retained from the 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office. This change represents a complete turnaround in the theology of the Reformed Episcopal Communion Office and comprises a repudiation of the doctrinal position of the Reformed Episcopal Church’s Declaration of Principles. As in the 1928 Communion Office the presbyter, or priest, is praying not only that God accept the oblation of bread and wine but also the oblation of the Body and Blood Of Christ offered anew to the Father.

In the Modern Language Version of the General Intercession “we humbly beseech thee most mercifully to accept our [alms and] oblations, and to receive these prayers, which we offer unto thy Divine Majesty…” has been altered to, “In Your mercy accept our [alms and] holy offerings, and receive these our prayers, which we offer unto Your Divine Majesty….” Having substituted “beg” for “beseech” elsewhere in the book the REC Standing Liturgical Commission abruptly for no apparent reason reverts to “beseech” in the next petition of the General Intercession:
“…..beseeching You to inspire continually the universal Church with the spirit of truth, unity, and harmony….” “Beseech” is also used subsequently in the prayer for all those in authority. The Standing Liturgical Commission three petitions later goes back to using “beg” in place of “beseech.”

As noted in my previous articles, “beseech” could have been retained as in a number of other more recent service books or other synonyms for “beseech” could have been used such as “entreat” or “implore.” See my first article on Morning and Evening Prayer in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version for a discussion of the drawbacks of substituting “beg” for “beseech”

The General Intercession contains no petition for the Queen, her Council, and all those in authority for use in the Dominion of Canada in place of the petition for civil rulers. The Church of Ireland has parishes in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and the General Intercession in the 1926 Irish Communion Office contains such a prayer for use in Northern Ireland and a prayer for civil rulers for use in the Republic of Ireland. The prayer for use in Northern Ireland is taken from the General Intercession in the 1662 Communion Service.

NI. [We beseech thee also to save and defend all Christian Kings, Princes, and Governors; and especially ELIZABETH our Queen; that under her we may be godly and quietly governed: And grant unto her whole Council, and all that are put in authority under her, that they may truly and indifferently minister justice, to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of thy true religion and virtue.]

The prayer for use in the Republic of Ireland is the identical to the prayer for civil rulers used in the General Intercession in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office.

The late Massey Shepherd Jr. in The Oxford American Prayer Book Commentary discusses the General Intercession under the heading, “The Prayer for the Church.” He points to our attention:

It is noteworthy…that the prayer for civil rulers refers only to those who are ‘Christian,’ since this is a prayer for the Church and its several members. Non-Christian rulers may be well expected to administer justice impartially, and to punish wickedness and vice, but they cannot be thought of as maintaining ‘thy true religion and virtue.’

The REC Standing Liturgical Commission in substituting “all those in authority” for “all Christian rulers” in the Communion Office in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP’s Modern Language Version fails to make this important distinction. With this alteration in the General Intercession the Commission appears to lose sight of the fact that the General Intercession is a prayer for the Church as the Bidding of the General Intercession affirms.

The General Intercession in the Communion Office in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern language Version omits the petition for the departed, “…to grant them continual growth in thy love and service….” This prayer, along with the petition for acceptance of the oblation of bread and wine and the oblation of the Body and Blood Of Christ offered anew to the Father, is a particular feature of the General Intercession in the 1928 Communion Office.

The rubric permitting the Presbyter to say an Exhortation—an adaptation of the First Exhortation from the 1928 Communion Office—after the General Intercession and requiring it to be said on the First Sunday in Advent, the First Sunday in Lent, and Trinity Sunday is adapted from the rubrics of the 1928 Communion Office. The First Exhortation from the 1928 Communion Office is itself an adaptation of the Third Exhortation from the 1662 Communion Service. The requirement that the people should stand for this Exhortation is peculiar to the Reformed Episcopal Communion Office. It is found in the 1963 Reformed Episcopal BCP as well as 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version.

The rubrics of the 1662 Communion Service and the 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office requires that the Exhortation should be said at all celebrations of the Holy Communion. The rubrics of the 1963 Reformed Episcopal Office modifies the language of the Exhortation, abbreviate it, and permit the omission of the second half of the shortened Exhortation except at the first Communion in Advent, in Lent, and after Whitsunday. A comparison of this Exhortation with the Exhortation in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office shows that the latter is closer to the First Exhortation in the 1928 Communion Office.

The rubric before the Invitation comes from the rubrics of the 1662 Communion Service. The same rubric also precedes the Invitation in the 1928 Communion Office. In the Modern Language Version of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office’s Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion, the rubric has been altered as follows:

Then shall the Presbyter say to those who come to receive the Holy Communion. And note, That is the Exhortation above has not been said, the people may remain kneeling, the Presbyter using the words devoutly saying in place of devoutly kneeling.

In addition to containing a typographical error, the addition to the rubric is unnecessary. In the 1926 Irish BCP, the 1928 BCP, the 1928 Proposed English BCP, and 1962 Canadian BCP the preceding Exhortation may be omitted on most Sundays. These Prayer Books make no provision for the alteration of the words of the Invitation on Sundays when the Exhortation is omitted, and none is needed.

A rubric permitting the substitution of alternative wording is needless because this kind of substitution falls in the category of variations that a minister may at his discretion make and use that are not of substantial importance in any form of service prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer or elsewhere. In this particular case the minister might omit the phrase “devoutly kneeling” if it was warranted. Such variations have historically been canonically allowable provided they are reverent and seemly and are neither contrary to nor indicative of any departure from the doctrine of the Church.

This addition to the rubric preceding the Invitation is very revealing in regards to how the REC Standing Liturgical Commission sees rubrics. The rubrics of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version are much more prescriptive than is desirable on the North American mission field. In a Prayer Book designed for the North American mission field, flexibility is definitely a must. Where they occur in the rubrics, directions to stand, sit, or kneel should be suggestions only. The phrase “meekly kneeling upon your knees” or “devoutly kneeling” should be omitted from the Invitation altogether, as in An Australian Prayer Book (1978).

You who do truly and earnestly repent of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking in His holy ways, draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to strengthen and comfort you. But first, let us make a humble confession of our sins to Almighty God.

This version of the Invitation recognizes that the Invitation is first an invitation to Communion and second an invitation to confession. It may be used in both traditional and non-traditional settings. It makes allowances for circumstances in which kneeling is not practicable.

I have been involved in two Anglican (Episcopal) church plants over the past 25 years, as well as four non-Anglican new church starts. In none of the settings in which we gathered for worship was kneeling feasible. We tried hassocks, or kneeling cushions, but people had difficulty lowering themselves onto the hassocks without the back of a pew in front of them; they also had trouble getting off their knees. Kneeling was especially challenging for the older, heavier, and less physically active members of the congregation and those who had arthritis or rheumatic joint disease, or had undergone hip and knee replacement surgery. The struggle to kneel and to rise from kneeling became a serious disruption in the flow of the service and interfered with the whole atmosphere of the service at a critical juncture.

The rubric preceding the Confession in the Communion Office in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version is taken from the rubrics of the 1928 Communion Office. The Confession comes from the 1662 Communion Service, and is also used in the 1928 Communion Office.

The Modern Language Version of the Confession substitutes “deeply mourn” for “bewail” and “many” for “manifold.” Even though the sentence “we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness” contains the same number of syllables with these substitutions, it looses the cadence of the Tudor English version. A dynamic equivalency translation of this sentence from Tudor English into contemporary English might have been a more effective use of language. The Modern Language Version of the Confession also substitutes “many sins” for “misdoings.” One of the reasons that the Confession is so eloquent in Tudor English is Cranmer’s use of synonyms, often in pairs, for example, “sins and wickedness.” This eloquence is lost with the substitution of “many sins” for “misdoings” as “many sins’ had been used earlier in the Confession. The contemporary English version of the Confession in An Australian Prayer Book (1978), the Prayer Book of the Church of England in South Africa (1992), and A Prayer Book for Australia (1995) retain “misdoings.”

The aim of the REC Standing Liturgical Commission appears to have been to keep as much as possible of the language to which existing REC congregations are accustomed rather than making the language more understandable to those for whom Tudor English is not a second language and thereby making the services of the Prayer Book more accessible to them. While the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP’s Modern Language Version replaces the second person familiar “thou” and “thee” and a small number of other unfamiliar and archaic words, it retains many words like “unto,” “grievous,” and “hereafter” that other more recent service books also replace along with grammatical structures and phraseology that are no longer used in contemporary English. Consequently, its language is tends to sound contrived, formal, and old-fashioned to the modern ear. Where word substitutions are made, they are apt to be rather pedestrian. The REC Standing Liturgical Commission might have done better to assemble in a single book the best of the contemporary English versions of the Tudor language texts from the historic Prayer Books, those that are both eloquent and theologically sound, than to attempt its own translation of these texts or to use one of the earlier word-for-word translations of the texts into contemporary English.

The rubric preceding the Absolution is also taken from the rubrics of the 1928 Communion Office. The Absolution comes from the 1662 Communion Service, and is also used in the 1928 Communion Office. The 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office omits the Absolution, a rejection of the notion of priestly absolution and a peculiarity of that Communion Office. However, the 1956 Free Church of England Communion Office retains the Absolution.

The Modern Language Version adds “singing” to the rubric preceding the Sursum Corda. This permits the Anglo-Catholic practice of singing the Sursum Corda. The Modern Language Version also prefixes the Salutation to the Sursum Corda. As noted in the first article in this series, the frequent use of the Salutation is one of the characteristics of unreformed Catholic liturgies. Medieval Catholics believed and modern day Anglo-Catholics and Roman Catholics continue to believe that the Salutation is more than a greeting or an introduction to a call to prayer but is a prayer for the priest, in which the congregation ask God to arouse the special grace given to the priest in ordination so that God will accept the offerings that the priest makes on the behalf of the people, at the Daily Offices, in the form of prayers and intercessions, and at the Mass, in the form of the representation or reiteration of Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross. This interpretation of Salutation is closely tied to the Medieval Catholic view of the sacerdotal character of the ministry of the priest who acts as an intermediary between the faithful and God, and is intimately associated with the Medieval Catholic doctrines of Baptismal Regeneration, Eucharistic Sacrifice and the Real Presence. This special grace is believed not only to infuse the water in the baptismal font with power to remove sin when the priest blesses the water but also to transmogrify the bread and wine of the Holy Communion into the substance of the body and blood of our Lord when the priest recites the Words of Institution over the elements. Having brought Christ into being in the bread and wine in this manner, the priest extinguishes Christ by eating the bread and drink the wine, thereby by repeating Christ’s death and sacrifice for the remission of sin for the living and the dead. Before consuming the elements priest elevates them for the faithful to adore.

The Modern Language Version substitutes “good” for “meet” in the Sursum Corda and the Preface. “Meet,” however, means “proper, fitting.” The Modern Language substitutes “required” for “bounden” in the Preface. This also is a mistranslation. “Bounden” means “binding.” The root word is “bind.” “Required” has three syllable; “bounden,” two. A paraphrase of “it is very meet…duty” that retains the eleven syllables of the original would be “It is very fitting, right, and our duty….” This omits the word “bounden,” or “binding.” “Bounden,” or “binding,” is used as a qualifying adjective to make the word “duty” more emphatic, and therefore its omission does not change the essential meaning of the phrase. Substituting “good” for “meet” and “required” for “bounden,” however, does alter its meaning.

The rubrics preceding the Proper Preface and the Sanctus are taken from the rubrics of the 1928 Communion Office. They direct the priest to say or sing the Proper Preface and “Therefore with Angels and Archangels…” and the priest and the people to say or sing the Sanctus.

The Communion Offices of the 1552 BCP, 1559 BCP, 1604 BCP, 1637 Scottish BCP, 1662 BCP, 1785 Proposed BCP, 1789 BCP, 1874 Reformed Episcopal BCP, and the 1956 Free Church of England BCP do not separate “Therefore with Angels and Archangels…” from the Sanctus and in these Communion Offices the priest and the people say or sing “Therefore with Angels and Archangels…” and the Sanctus. As the rubric following Proper Prefaces in the 1637 Scottish Communion Office states, “After which Preface, shall follow immediately this doxologie.” The 1637 Scottish BCP, sometimes erroneously described as the “Laudian Liturgy,” recognizes that “Therefore with Angels and Archangels…” and “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts…” comprise a single unified formula glorifying God.

The 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office also does not separate the words “Therefore with Angels and Archangels…” from the Sanctus and, as in the 1789 BCP, the rubrics direct the minister and the people to say or sing “Therefore with Angels and Archangels….” and the Sanctus. The rubrics of The Holy Communion, First Order, in An Australian Prayer Book (1978) permit the people to say or sing “Therefore with Angels and Archangels…” with the priest. As we have seen, the rubrical change in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version is a departure from the historic practice of the Reformed Episcopal Communion Office, which is closer to the practice of the 1662 Communion Service than that of the 1928 Communion Office.

The Modern Language Version adds the Benedictus to the Sanctus. In the 1552 Prayer Book Cranmer dropped the Benedictus because it suggested an objective presence in the consecrated elements. The 1559, 1604, 1637 Scottish BCP 1662, 1785 Proposed BCP, 1789 BCP, 1874 Reformed Episcopal BCP, 1928 BCP, 1956 Free Church of England BCP, 1963 Reformed Episcopal BCP, and 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP all omit the Benedictus. The 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book and the 1929 Scottish Prayer Book, which show the influence of the Anglo-Catholic movement, permit the optional use of the Benedictus after the Sanctus. The 1962 Canadian BCP, which also displays the same influence, permits its optional use after the Sanctus or immediately before the Communion as a pre-Communion devotion. In this position the Benedictus’ suggestion of an objective presence in the consecrated elements is unavoidable. As we shall see, the 1662 Declaration on Kneeling, also known as “the Black Rubric,” which is printed at the end of the 1962 Canadian Communion Office, does not preclude belief in such presence. In the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP’s Modern Language Version, the use of the Benedictus after the Sanctus is obligatory.

The Proper Prefaces and the rubrics that precede them come from the Proper Prefaces in the 1928 Communion Office. The number of Proper Prefaces have been increased to nine. The 1963 Reformed Episcopal BCP, like the 1663 BCP, has only five.

As in the 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office and the 1662 Communion Service the rubric that follows the Sanctus directs the priest to kneel down at the Lord’s Table and say the Prayer of Humble Access, in the name of all those who are to receive the Communion. The actual rubric is adapted from the rubric preceding the Prayer of Humble Access in the 1928 Communion Office. A number of the more recent service books such as An Australian Prayer Book (1978), the Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer (1979), the Church of England’s Alternative Service Book 1980, the Church of Ireland’s Alternative Prayer Book 1984, A Prayer Book for Australia (1995), the Church of England’s Common Worship (2000), and the Church of Ireland’s Book of Common Prayer (2004) permit the people to join the priest in saying the Prayer of Humble Access.

A longstanding feature of the Reformed Episcopal Communion Office, which is also a feature of the Free Church of England Communion Office is this Prayer of Humble Access.

We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to commemorate in this breaking of bread the death of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, that we may feed on him in our hearts by faith, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.

It has been replaced by the Prayer of Humble Access from the 1662 Communion Office and relegated to the Prayers and Thanksgivings where it is titled “An Alternate Prayer of Humble Access to Holy Communion.” In the 1956 Free Church of England Communion Office it is printed in the Communion Office after the Prayer of Humble Access from the 1662 Communion Service. The language of the latter prayer has been altered

We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so spirituallyto eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and spirituallyto drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.

A rubric follows the Prayer for Humble Access in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office, drawing attention to the rubric “at the end of this Form for Holy Communion,” a reference to the 1662 Declaration on Kneeling printed at the end of the form.

The rubric preceding the Prayer of Consecration is adapted from the rubric before the Consecration Prayer in the 1662 Communion Service. The omission of the word “before” and the rubric at the beginning of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office permit both the westward and the eastward positions. The priest may either face the congregation across the table—the position of the priest in the Primitive Church, or face the table with his back to the congregation, the position of the priest in the Medieval Catholic Church. The latter position has strong associations with the Medieval Catholic doctrines of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, Transubstantiation, and the sacerdotal nature of the priesthood. The westward position, while it is more primitive than the eastward position has attracted these associations since its reintroduction in the 1960s. The priest is viewed as an icon of Christ, making prayers and offerings for the congregation. This view, however, has no basis in the teaching of the apostles of Christ found in the New Testament.

The Prayer of Consecration is taken from the 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office and begins with the words, “All glory be to thee…,” which were first used in the 1755 Scottish Non-Juror Prayer of Consecration and is not used in the 1662 Consecration Prayer. As in the 1552, 1559, 1604, 1662, and 1785 Proposed BCPs the Consecration Prayer consists of the narrative of the Institution, introduced by an Anamnesis of the Passion and an Epiclesis, in which the priest calls upon God to grant that those who receive the bread and wine may be partakers of Christ’s Body and Blood. The Greek root word of Epiclesis, which is Epicleo, means to call upon. The particular form of this Epeclesis is consistent with the teaching of the Bible and the Reformation. The English Reformers found no support in Scripture for the practice of blessing inanimate objects (e.g., bread, wine, water, oil, salt, medallions) or invoking the Holy Spirit upon them. The English Reformers, however, did find ample evidence that people, not inanimate objects, are blessed in the Bible. At the Last Supper Jesus gave thanks over the bread and wine, blessing the name of God, as was the Jewish custom.

The rubric in the Prayer of Consecration directing the presbyter to perform the Manual Acts and the rubrics following the Consecration Prayer permitting a hymn, directing the presbyter to first receive communion in both kinds and then deliver the same to any clergy present in like manner and after that to the people, “into their hands, all devoutly kneeling,” and requiring sufficient opportunity to be given to those present to communicate are taken from the 1928 Communion Office. The last rubric was added in the 1892 Communion Office due to the growing practice of Masses without communion in the Protestant Episcopal Church, one of the pernicious effects of the Anglo-Catholic movement in the late nineteenth century.

It is noteworthy that the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version contains no rubric prohibiting the priest from elevating the consecrated elements or showing them to the people after the Words of Institution.

In the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP’s Modern Language Version of the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion the Agnes Dei is printed after the Prayer of Consecration and before the rubric permitting a hymn. Among the reasons that Cranmer dropped the Agnus Dei and the Peace from the Communion Office of the 1552 BCP and placed the Exhortation, Invitation, Confession, Absolution, and Comfortable Words before the Preface and the Prayer of Humble Access after the Sanctus was the belief that the long interval between the Words of Institution and the actual reception of the Communion ministered to the idea of an objective presence. The Agnus De had strong associations with the practice of the elevation and adoration of the consecrated elements. The Medieval Catholic Church believed that Christ entered the Bread and Wine at the priest’s recitation of the Words of Institution and transformed them into his Body and Blood. The priest lifted up the elements for the people to gaze upon and worship while the choir or clerks sang the Agnus Dei. In this position the Agnus Dei not only ministers to the idea of an objective presence in the elements but also comprises an act of adoration of Christ present in the elements. This raises the question why the REC Standing Liturgical Commission placed the Agnus Dei after the Prayer of Consecration in the Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP’s Modern Language Version. No rubric precedes the Agnus Dei directing who is to say or sing it, and the absence of a rubric making its use optional means that its use is obligatory. While a number of more recent service books, which have been influenced by the Anglo-Catholic movement, permit its optional use, they do not make its use obligatory. Sensitive to its past associations with the doctrines of the Eucharistic Sacrifice and Transubstantiation and the practice of eucharistic adoration, a number of these service books allow its use not before the distribution of the Communion but during the distribution of the Communion.

The Communion Office in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version drop the following rubrics related to the delivery of the Bread and Cup, which appear in the Communion Office in the 1963 Reformed Episcopal BCP.

Then shall the Minister first receive the Communion himself, and proceed to deliver the same to the Ministers assisting, and, after that, to the People. And before delivering the Bread, he shall say, to al the Communicants then around the Table,

The Body of our LORD Jesus Christ, which was given for you, preserve your bodies and souls unto everlasting life.

And when he delivereth the Bread, he shall say,

Take and eat this bread in remembrance that Christ died for thee, and feed on him in thy heart, by faith, with thanksgiving.

And before delivering the Cup, he shall say, to all the Communicants then around the 'Table,

The Blood of our LORD Jesus Christ, which was shed for you, preserve your bodies and souls unto everlasting life.

And when he delivereth the Cup, he shall say,

Drink this wine in remembrance that Christ's Blood was shed for thee, and be thankful.

The rubrics of An Australian Prayer Book (1978) permit the use of the 1552 Words of Distribution as alternative Words of Distribution at the delivery of the Bread and Wine.

The rubrics of the 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office do not require the people to kneel to receive communion.

Similar rubrics are found in the Communion Office of the Prayer Book of the Church of England in South Africa (1992). Its rubrics permit the people to receive communion kneeling at the Lord’s Table or in their seats.

A number of other more recent service books permit the people to stand or to kneel to receive communion. When the Holy Communion is celebrated in non-traditional settings, this kind of flexibility regarding the posture of the communicant’s body when receiving communion is highly desirable. What matters most when receiving communion is the posture of the communicant’s heart (See Articles XXV, XXVIII, and XXIX and the Catechism of the 1662 BCP).

The rubrics relating to the delivery of the Bread and Wine from the Communion Office of the 1963 Reformed Episcopal BCP should have been retained as an alternative form for the delivery of the Bread and Wine in the Communion Office of the books that have succeeded it. They would prove quite useful in non-traditional settings where kneeling is not practicable.

The Communion Office in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version is poorly designed for use on the North American mission field. It assumes that the congregation celebrating Holy Communion will be using the traditional setting of a cathedral, collegiate chapel, or parish church, not the non-traditional setting of a private house, fire station, school cafeteria, apartment complex commons room, funeral home chapel, movie theater, hotel conference room, community center, or any of number of other suitable places where new congregations and even long-established congregations hold services of public worship.

A number of people are unable to leave their seats or kneel due to age, infirmity, and physical disability; the Communion Office in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version make no provision for such persons.

The rubrics that precede the Words of Distribution at the delivery of the Bread and the Wine are taken from the 1928 Communion Office.

The 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version, unlike other more recent service books, make no provision for the singing of hymns, anthems, Psalms, canticles, and worship songs during the distribution of the Communion. The performance of choral music and the singing of congregational songs during the distribution of the Communion has become a widespread parochial custom in Anglican churches. In a number of congregations the distribution of Communion is not only accompanied by the singing of Communion songs but is also followed by a time of open worship. The absence of any provision for the singing of Communion songs during the distribution of the Communion limits the usefulness of the two service books on the North American mission field.

The rubric relating to the consecration of additional Bread and Wine come from the 1662 Communion Service, as does the rubric relating to the covering of any remaining elements with a fair linen cloth. The rubric directing the presbyter and the people to say the Lord’s Prayer appears to have been composed for the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office. The Preface to the Lord’s Prayer comes from 1928 Communion Office.

A peculiarity of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office is that that the rubrics require that the presbyter should say both Post-Communion Prayers. The latter prayers are taken from 1662 Communion Service, in which the rubrics direct the priest say one of the two prayers. The 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office has three Post-Communion Prayers, adapted from the 1662 Post-Communion Prayers, and the rubrics give the minister the option of saying one or more of these prayers. The rubrics of the Holy Communion, First Order, in An Australian Prayer Book (1978) give the priest the option of saying one or both of the prayers. The rubrics of a number of more recent service books permit the people to join the priest in saying the Post-Communion Prayer.

The rubric preceding the Gloria in Excelsis is adapted from the rubrics of the 1928 Communion Office. The rubrics of the 1662 Communion Service and those of the 1962 Communion Office do not direct all to stand nor do they permit the substitution of a suitable hymn in place of the Gloria in Excelsis. Both provisions are two of the better features of the American Prayer Book. A number of more contemporary service books have adopted these features, permitting the substitution of other versions of the Gloria in Excelsis, and when appropriate another suitable hymn of praise, including canticles like the Te Deum, Benedicite, Benedictus es, Great and Wonderful, and Glory and Honour. They also allow use of metrical settings of the Gloria in Excelsis and the other canticles. These provisions enable congregations to sing the canticles when the musical resources of the congregation, its composition, and/or the acoustical environment in which the congregation is worshiping precludes chant.

The Communion Office of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Prayer Book and its Modern Language Version drops the Prayer for Grace that was a feature of the close of the Communion Office of the 1963 Reformed Episcopal BCP. It omits the Blessing from the 1963 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office and retains the alternative Blessing.

In the Form for the Celebration of Holy Communion the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version make no provision for the priest with assistance of one or more communicants to reverently consume any remaining consecrated bread and wine after the Blessing. The omission of this rubric, which is found in the 1928 BCP as well as the 1662 BCP, is tacit recognition of the practice of the Reservation of the Sacrament. This practice is associated with belief in an objective presence in the consecrated elements.

The 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version drops the following rubrics from the end of the Reformed Episcopal Communion Office.

If among those who come to be partakers of the Holy Communion, the Minister shall know any to be an open and notorious evil liver, or to have done any wrong to his neighbors by word or deed, so that the Congregation be thereby offended; he shall advise him, that he come not to the Lord’s Table until he have openly declared himself to have truly repented, and amended his former evil life, that the Congregation may thereby be satisfied; and that he hath recornpensed the parties to whom he had done wrong; or at least, declared himself to be in full purpose to do so, as soon as he possibly may.

The same order shall the Minister use with those betwixt whom
he perceiveth malice and hatred to reign.

In conducting this Service, except when kneeling, the Minister
shall face the People.

[Note.—The act and prayer of consecration do not change the
nature of the elements, but merely set them apart for a holy use:
and the reception of them in a kneeling posture is not an act of
adoration of the elements.]

In their place it substitutes a rubric permitting a hymn and the Declaration on Kneeling from the 1662 Communion Service. For comparison the adaptation of the same Declaration on Kneeling at the end of the 1956 Free Church of England Communion Office has been provided:

Whereas it is ordained in this Office for the Administration of the Lord’s Supper, that the Communicants should receive the same kneeling; (which order is well meant, for a signification of our humble and grateful acknowledgement of the benefits of Christ therein given to all worthy Receivers, and for the avoiding of such profanation and disorder in the Holy Communion, as might otherwise ensue;) yet, lest the same kneeling should by any persons, either out of ignorance and infirmity, or out of malice and obstinacy, be misconstrued and depraved; It is hereby declared, That thereby no Adoration is intended, or ought to be done, either unto the Sacramental Bread or Wine there bodily received, or unto any Real, Essential, or Corporal Presence of Christ’s natural Flesh and Blood in, or with the Elements of Bread and Wine. For the Sacramental Bread and Wine remain still in their very natural substances, and therefore may not be adored; (for that were Idolatry, to be abhorred of all faithful Christians;) and the natural Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ are in Heaven, and not here; it being against the truth of Christ’s natural Body to be at one time in more places than one.

The act and prayer of Consecration do not change the nature of the Elements, but only set them apart for a holy use.

The 1956 Free Church of England’s Declaration on Kneeling combines both the 1552 and 1662 Declarations on Kneeling. It goes even further than the 1662 Declaration on Kneeling to exclude the theory of Transubstantiation and to discourage any belief in an objective in the elements. Note the last sentence in which it is stated, “The act and prayer of Consecration do not change the nature of the Elements, but only set them apart for a holy use.” This is one of the rubrics that the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version dropped from the end of the Reformed Episcopal Communion Office. It precludes any kind of change in the nature of the elements.

The history of the Church of England from the 1830s to the present, partiularly the rise of the Anglo-Catholic movement in the nineteenth century, shows how ineffective the 1662 Declaration on Kneeling was in discouraging belief in an objective presence in the consecrated elements and the practice of eucharistic adoration. This accounts for the stronger language of the 1956 Free Church of England’s version of the Declaration on Kneeling.

The 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version in their adoption of the 1662 Declaration on Kneeling do not close the door to belief in the Real Presence in the consecrated elements. A number of twentieth century Anglo-Catholic theologians have argued that the 1662 Declaration on Kneeling exclude only belief in an immoderate realism, that is so say, that is, the belief that the words the Body and Blood of Christ mean the material body and blood of Christ. The 1662 Declaration on Kneeling, they maintain, does not exclude belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the elements, based upon moderate realism, “where sign and signified are identified and where the sign instantiates the signified.” C. B. Moss identifies the Real Presence as “the result of the change effected by consecration of the bread and wine.” He argues:

That the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ is implied by Scripture and was explicitly taught by the Fathers. … We must hold that the living Christ is personally present and that we receive Him when we receive the consecrated bread and wine. It seems better to say “The Bread becomes the Body of Christ” than to say “The Body of Christ is present”, because the word “present” must be used not in the ordinary sense but in the mysterious sense, undefined because heavenly. It is easier to say what this “presence’” is not, than what it is. It is not natural, or physical, or local. The Body of Christ does not move through space. … The Body and Blood of Christ do not possess the properties of bread and wine.

Moss further argues that there is a change in the bread and wine. This change does not affect the natural qualities of Christ’s body and blood nor does it affect the natural qualities of the bread and wine. Rather it is a spiritual and heavenly change. While it is a spiritual and heavenly change, it is a real change. It is not imaginary. The presence of Christ is a spiritual and heavenly presence resulting from the change in the bread and wine in which they become the body and blood of Christ after a heavenly and spiritual manner.

In dropping the rubric denying any change in the nature of the elements from the Communion Office, the Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version permit this view of the Real Presence. The other changes in the Communion Office also permit the view of Eucharistic Sacrifice associated with this doctrine. In this theology of the Eucharistic Sacrifice the sacrifice of Christ is seen as being offered in the Eucharist. However, there is no repeating of the sacrifice of the cross. There is also no addition to that sacrifice. Rather Christ is viewed as perpetually offering his body and blood at the heavenly altar. The Church in its offering of alms, bread and wine, and selves participates in this perpetual offering and sacrifice of Christ through its mystical union with Christ. This theology of the Real Presence and its companion theology of the Eucharist Sacrifice is given expression in the 1979 BCP.

As J. I. Packer has shown in The Thirty-Nine Articles: Their Place and Use Today, the notion of Christ’s perpetual offering of his body and blood and his sacrifice is neither consonant with Scripture nor the Thirty-Nine Articles. This includes the Carolinean and Wesleyan notion of pleading Christ’s death.

Anglo-Catholic theologians like Moss use selected expressions and phrases from the Thirty-Nine Articles and the 1662 BCP to support their claims. However, they interpretation of these formularies is disconnected from the historical context of the formularies and the views of those who drafted them and sanctioned them.

In the omission of the rubric directing the presbyter, or priest, to bar from the Lord’s Table evil livers and those between whom he perceives malice and hatred sanctions the communion of the wicked, which the English Reformers and the Thirty-Nine Articles reject. This further shows the influence of the Anglo-Catholic movement.

What may be seen in the Communion Office of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version to this point is a good example of how Prayer Book revision may used to introduce significant changes in the eucharistic theology of a Prayer Book under the guise of enriching the services of the Prayer Book and adding a greater variety of options from which service planners may choose and, in the case of the Modern Language Version, of ostensibly making the Prayer Book more understandable and accessible. This happened with the 1928 BCP, the 1928 Proposed English BCP, the 1979 BCP, the Anglican Church of Canada’s Alternative Book of Services (1985), and other more recent service books. In this particular case the changes made in the Reformed Episcopal BCP replace the conservative Reformed Evangelical theology of the earlier Reformed Episcopal BCPs with a liberal Anglo-Catholic theology akin to that in the 1979 BCP.

The Alternative Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion in the Communion Office of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Prayer Book and its Modern Language Version is substantially the Communion Office of the 1928 BCP from the General Intercession through the Exhortations with a number of additions and alterations. In my next article I will examine this form with my focus primarily upon these additions and alterations along with the eucharistic theology of the Alternative Form for the Celebration of the Holy Communion.

A Modern Language Version of the Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer: The Order for the Administration of the Lord’s Supper (Part 1)

2011-07-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

By Robin G. Jordan

In this second article of my series on A Modern Language Version of the Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, I examine the Order for the Administration of the Lord’s Supper, or the Holy Communion in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version from the beginning of the service to the rubrics immediately before The Celebration of Holy Communion. The Communion Office in the latter not only uses a contemporary form of English but it also contains a number of alterations and additions. A Modern Language Version of the Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer was authorized for use at the 53rd General Council of the Reformed Episcopal Church. It is not yet in print.

The opening rubric of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office is taken from 1928 Book of Common Prayer, with three alterations. “Holy Table” has been changed to “Table;” presbyter” has been substituted for “priest.” “…standing reverently before…” has been changed to “…standing reverently facing…” As in the 1928 BCP the first Lord’s Prayer may be omitted at the discretion of the priest.

The rubrics at the beginning of the 1662 Communion Service direct that the Table “shall stand in the Body of the Church, or in the Chancel…, and the Priest standing at the north side of the Table shall say the Lord’s Prayer, with the Collect following, the people kneeling. The rubrics at the beginning of the 1662 Communion Service make no provision for the omission of the first Lord’s Prayer.

The Scottish Bishops replaced “Priest” with “Presbyter” in the 1637 Scottish Prayer Book, hoping to gain Scottish Presbyterian clergy’s acceptance of the book. The introduction of the book at St. Gile’s Cathedral in Edinburgh caused a riot. The Scottish Bishops withdrew the book.

It is noteworthy that the rubrics at the beginning of the 1637 Scottish Communion Office direct the Presbyter to stand at “the north-side or end” of the Table. They also make no provision for the omission of the first Lord’s Prayer.

The optional omission of the first Lord’s Prayer of the Communion Service has been a feature of the American Prayer Book since the 1789 BCP. The Communion Office of the 1785 Proposed BCP, which was used in the REC after its founding in 1873, the first Lord’s Prayer is omitted altogether.

The opening rubric of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office permits the president to take the eastward position, facing the table, his back to the congregation, at the very beginning of the celebration of the Holy Communion. This is the position of a sacrificing priest and is associated with the Medieval Catholic doctrines of the Eucharistic Sacrifice and the Real Presence.

A second rubric at the beginning of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office permit the singing of a Psalm, hymn, or anthem during the entrance of the minister. This rubric also permits the minister to say a Sentence of Scripture, followed by the Salutation. As I noted in my first article in this series, the frequent use of the Salutation is one of the characteristics of unreformed Catholic liturgies. Medieval Catholics believed and modern day Anglo-Catholics and Roman Catholics continue to believe that the Salutation is more than a greeting or an introduction to a call to prayer but is a prayer for the priest, in which the congregation ask God to arouse the special grace given to the priest in ordination so that God will accept the offerings that the priest makes on the behalf of the people, at the Daily Offices, in the form of prayers and intercessions, and at the Mass, in the form of the representation or reiteration of Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross.

This interpretation of Salutation is closely tied to the Medieval Catholic view of the sacerdotal character of the ministry of the priest who acts as an intermediary between the faithful and God, and is intimately associated with the Medieval Catholic doctrines of Baptismal Regeneration, Eucharistic Sacrifice and the Real Presence. This special grace is believed not only to infuse the water in the baptismal font with power to remove sin when the priest blesses the water but also to transmogrify the bread and wine of the Holy Communion into the substance of the body and blood of our Lord when the priest recites the Words of Institution over the elements. Having brought Christ into being in the bread and wine in this manner, the priest extinguishes Christ by eating the bread and drink the wine, thereby by repeating Christ’s death and sacrifice for the remission of sin for the living and the dead. Before consuming the elements priest elevates them for the faithful to adore.

For this reason Archbishop Cranmer did not use the Salutation at all in the 1552 Communion Service. The Scottish Bishops, following Cranmer’s example, did not use the Salutation in the 1637 Scottish Communion Service. Nor did the Restoration Bishops use the Salutation in the 1662 Communion Service.

As early as the 1930 Reformed Episcopal BCP the Salutation was used at the beginning of the Reformed Episcopal Communion Office as the first versicle and response of an opening set of versicles and responses. It is quite evident that the editors of the 1930 Reformed Episcopal BCP were not familiar with Anglo-Catholic beliefs regarding the Salutation; otherwise, at that particular time in the history of the Reformed Episcopal Church they most likely would not have included it. The Reformed Episcopal BCP, however, at that stage was already showing the influence of the 1928 BCP and other High Church Anglo-Catholic liturgies. It raises questions about liturgical scholarship in the REC in the opening decades of the twentieth century.

The rubrics that follow the Collect for Purity are taken from corresponding rubrics in the 1928 BCP, except in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP recension “minister” is substituted for “priest.” As in the 1928 Communion Office the Decalogue may be shortened by the omission of the indented passages. As in the 1928 Communion Office the Decalogue is required only once a month; our Lord’s Summary of the Law and the Kyries may be used in their place at other times. As in the 1928 Communion Office the Summary of the Law may be said in addition to the Decalogue.

In the 1662 BCP the full Decalogue must be “rehearsed” at every celebration of the Holy Communion or, when there is no Communion, at every service of Ante-Communion. The rehearsing of the Ten Commandments is an important Reformed feature of the classical Anglican Prayer Book. Its optional omission, whatever the rationale, represents a significant departure from the 1662 Prayer Book’s Reformed theology. It also contributes to the dilution of the classical Anglican Prayer Book’s doctrine of sin.

The Collect for grace to keep the Commandments has been a feature of American Communion Office since the 1789 BCP. It was originally taken from the 1764 Scottish Non-Juror Communion Office, as was the Summary of the Law as a permissive addition to the Decalogue. It is redundant if the Decalogue is used since the people have prayed for grace to keep that Commandment after each Commandment. While the use of the Collect of the Commandments is optional in the Communion Office of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP, the rubric permitting the optional use of the Collect has been omitted in the Communion Office of its Modern Language Version, and permission to dispense with the Collect has been withdrawn.

The rubric that follows the Collect of the Commandments in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP prescribes the use of a Prayer for the Queen and All in Civil Authority at celebrations of the Holy Communion in Canada. This represents an innovation particular to the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP since the rubric after the Decalogue in the 1662 Communion Service requires the use of one of two Prayers for the Queen and the rubric after the Summary of the Law in the 1962 Canadian Communion Office permits the optional use of the first of these two Prayers. While the first of these two Prayers contains a brief supplication for the Church, the chief concern of the two Prayers is the Queen, or the reigning English monarch. The inclusion of supplications for the Governor-General, Lieutenant Governors, and all in authority are an innovative feature.

The 2003 Reformed Episcopal Church BCP’s Modern Language Version contains a second innovation peculiar to that book. The rubric after the Collect of the Commandments prescribes the use of A Prayer for the President of the United States and All in Civil Authority at celebrations of the Holy Communion in the United States. This Prayer elevates the President of the United States to the level of a reigning monarch, which is unusually in a republic that has a democratic government. A survey of Prayer Books of Anglican Provinces supports the conclusion that this Prayer is indeed an innovation and represents a major departure from Anglican practice. A number of these Anglican Provinces are republics with state presidents. None of them, however, substitute a prayer for the state president, much less the state president and all in civil authority, where the 1662 BCP prescribes a prayer for the reigning English monarch. The rubric that follows the Collect of the Commandments in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP’s Modern Language Version also prescribes the use of a Prayer for the Queen and All in Civil Authority at celebrations of the Holy Communion in Canada.

The inclusion of these innovations in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version raise questions regarding not only the liturgical scholarship of the REC Standing Liturgical Commission but also their understanding of the political systems in Canada and the United States.

A Prayer for the Queen, or reigning English monarch, is included in the 1662 BCP because the Queen is not only the head of state, she is also supreme governor of the Church. She is no longer the supreme governor of the Anglican Church of Canada and therefore a Prayer for the Queen is optional. In a number of Anglican Provinces in which the Queen is the titular head of state, a petition for the Queen may be included in the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church Militant or its equivalent in the Communion Office.

In any event the Prayer for Queen and All in Civil Authority in the Communion Service of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Day Version and the Prayer for the President of the United States and All in Civil Authority in the Communion Office of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP’s Modern Day Version are redundant since the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church Militant contains a petition for Christian rulers in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and for those in authority in its Modern Language Version. The required use of the Prayer for the President of the United States and All in Civil Authority in the Communion Service of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP’s Modern Day Version also unnecessarily politicizes the Communion Office and may create problems of conscience like the prayer for the King did at the time of the American Revolution.

A better provision is found in the rubrics of the 1926 Irish Prayer Book. It permits one or more additional Collects or Prayers to be said after the Collect of the Day, or before the Blessing at the discretion of the minister.

A rubric following the Collect of the Day permits the optional reading of an Old Testament Lesson. The rubric prescribes how the Old Testament Lesson should be introduced and concluded and gives the reader the option of concluding the reading with these words, “This is the Word of the Lord,” to which the people respond, “Thanks be to God.” These two optional provisions are found in a number of the more recent service books. The rubrics of the 1662 Communion Service make no provision for an Old Testament Lesson since it was assumed that the Holy Communion would never be used separately from Morning Prayer, which had an Old Testament Lesson.

A second rubric after the Collect of the Day requires that if an Old Testament Lesson is read, a Psalm or canticle must said or sung after it. This rubric further requires this Psalm or canticle must end with the Gloria Patri. This provision also raises questions regarding the liturgical scholarship of the REC Standing Liturgical Commission. The Gloria Patri is traditionally omitted with Gradual Psalms. This ancient custom would also apply to canticles used in place of a Gradual Psalm. The rubric regrettably makes no provision for the omission of the Psalm or canticle, which would be desirable on occasion. It also makes no provision for the optional use of a metrical Psalm or canticle, an anthem setting of the Psalm or canticle text, or another appropriate hymn or anthem in this place. Such flexibility is desirable especially in a modern language service for use on the North American mission field.

A third rubric following the Collect of the Day prescribes how the Epistle should be announced and concluded. It gives the reader the option of concluding the reading with these words, “This is the Word of the Lord,” to which the people respond, “Thanks be to God.” This optional provision is also found in a number of the more recent service books.

The rubrics that follow are taken from 1928 BCP. They permit the singing of a hymn or anthem after the Epistle. They prescribe the use of the Gloria Tibi before the Gospel and the Laus Tibi after the Gospel. They give permission to omit the Creed from the Communion if said before in Morning Prayer, and allow either the Nicene Creed or the Apostles’ Creed, except that the Nicene Creed must be said on at least the five great festivals. The Nicene Creed is printed in the service.

The preceding rubrics make no provision for the singing of an alleluia or another suitable acclamation, a Psalm, or a canticle before the Gospel. A number of more recent service books permit the ancient practice of greeting the proclamation of the Gospel with the singing of an alleluia or an alleluia and one or more verses of Scripture. In Lent they allow the singing of a Scripture verse in place of the alleluia. New or small congregations with limited musical resources may easily learn a number of alleluias and acclamations to sing before the Gospel.

A number of the more recent service books permit the singing of a Psalm or canticle in place of a hymn or anthem after the Epistle when two Lessons are read. When three Lessons are read, they also permit the singing of a canticle after the Epistle in recognition that a celebration of the Holy Communion will be the only service on Sunday morning for most congregations and these congregations will otherwise have no opportunity to sing a canticle.

One of the major drawbacks of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version is that they allow very little flexibility in the use of music and as a consequence their usefulness on the North American mission field is limited. They appear to assume that the congregation using their services will be worshiping in a traditional setting with good acoustics and will have abundant musical resources and strong musical leadership.

Three rubrics follow the Nicene Creed. The first two sentences of the first rubric is adapted from the rubrics of the 1928 BCP; the last sentence of the first rubric is adapted from rubrics of the 1662 BCP. Why this last provision was included in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Variation is questionable as the reason for its inclusion in the 1662 BCP was political.

The making of announcements at this place in the service contributes to a lengthy delay between the reading of the Lessons and their exposition in the Sermon. A number of more recent service books permit the making of announcements at various places in the service, leaving which place to the discretion of the priest officiating at the service. They also permit other persons beside the officiating priest to make the announcements.

The second rubric permits the singing of a hymn or anthem and is a concession to a longstanding parochial custom in churches that use the 1928 BCP. A criticism of this practice is that it further separates the Lessons from their exposition in the Sermon and if poorly chosen, may draw attention away from the major themes of the Lessons.

The third rubric is adapted from the rubrics of the 1928 BCP and directs that the Sermon should following Announcements (and the hymn or anthem if one is sung) and that after the Sermon the Presbyter to return to the Table and begin the Offertory with one or more Offertory Sentences.

The Offertory Sentences are used in the Communion Office of the following Prayer Books: Acts 20:35 (1928), Matthew 5:16 (1662, 1928), Matthew 6:19, 20 (1662, 1928), Matthew 7:12 (1662), Luke 19:8 (1662), 1 Corinthians 9:11 (1662), 1 Corinthians 9:13,14 (1662), 2 Corinthians 9:6,7 (1662, 1928), Galatians 6:6,7 (1662), Galatians 6:10 (1662, 1928), 1 Timothy 5:6,7, 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Hebrews 6:10 (1662, 1928), Hebrews 13:16 (1662, 1928), 1 John 3:17 (1662, 1928); Proverbs 19:17 (1662), Psalm 41:1 (1662), Deuteronomy 16:16-17 (1928). Space does not permit me to analyze these Offertory Sentences for strengths and weaknesses.

The first rubric that follows the Offertory Sentences is adapted from a rubric in the 1928 Communion Office. It permits the singing of a hymn or anthem during the gathering of the people’s offerings.

The second rubric following the Offertory Sentences directs that the Presbyter “prepare the Table arrange such Bread and Wine on the Table as he shall think sufficient.” While this rubric does not prescribe the offering of the bread and wine before it is placed on the Table as do the rubrics of the 1928 Communion Office, it does not prohibit this practice. The rubrics of the 1662 Communion Service are more specific: “And when there is a Communion, the Priest shall then place upon the Table so much Bread and Wine, as he shall think sufficient.” The “Minor Oblation” has no place in a 1662 celebration of the Holy Communion.

The third rubric following the Offertory Sentences is an adaptation of a rubric in the 1928 Communion Office. The 1928 rubric refers to “the alms for the poor and other offerings of the people” in contrast to the 1662 rubric which refers to “the Alms for the Poor and other devotions of the people.”

The fourth rubric following the Offertory Sentences countenances a number of practices that the best liturgical authorities characterize as placing an undue emphasis on the Offertory, a secondary rite in the Communion, and as giving a triumphalist Pelagian cast to the Offertory. This includes the practices of dedicating the congregation’s offerings with the singing of Thomas Ken’s doxology, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow,” the elevation of the alms basin before the Table, in imitation of the wave offering of the Temple, and similar practices. These practices are not part of a 1662 celebration of the Holy Communion. They are not consistent with the spirit of the 1662 rubric that directs the priest to “humbly present and place” the alms basin upon the holy Table. They are countenanced by The Hymnal (1940) and earlier Episcopal hymnals.

The practice of dedicating the people’s offerings is traceable to the late nineteenth century. The 1892 BCP permitted the singing of a hymn or anthem at the presentation of the people’s offerings; at that time a Presentation Sentence was added to the end of the Offertory Sentences, “All things come of thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee. The presentation of the people’s offering was featured in various other ways.

During the early part of the nineteenth century Communion was infrequent and the typical pattern on Sunday was Morning Prayer, Litany, Ante-Communion, and Sermon. A collection was taken before or after the Sermon and a number of these practices sprang up around the presentation of this collection. Later in the nineteenth century Morning Prayer would be separated from Communion and the pattern on Sunday in a number of Episcopal parish churches would become Morning Prayer and a Sermon with a collection taken before or after the sermon. Whatever became the customary practice in a parish church on Ante-Communion or Morning Prayer Sundays was also followed on Communion Sundays. The rubrical provision for a Presentation Hymn and the addition of a Presentation Sentence to the Offertory Sentences in the 1892 BCP were concessions to what by then were established parochial customs. Non-Episcopal, non-liturgical churches followed similar practices during the same period. Whether the Episcopal Church influenced them or they influenced the Episcopal Church may be a question like “What came first—the chicken or the egg?” The singing of a doxology at the presentation of the people’s offerings is a distinctively American practice.

The only historic Communion Office that contains a Presentation Sentence is the 1764 Scottish Non-Juror Communion Office in which the rubrics direct the presbyter to humbly present the basin, with the oblations in it, before the Lord and to set it upon the holy table, saying:

Blessed be thou, O Lord God, for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine: thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all: both riches and honour come of thee, and of thine own do we give unto thee. Amen .

The presbter was then directed to “offer up and place the bread and wine prepared for the sacrament upon the Lord’s table.” In the 1764 Scottish Non-Juror Communion Office the Sursum Corda immediately follows the offering of the bread and wine. The Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church is said after the Prayer Of Consecration and before the Communion.

In the 1662 Communion Service and the 1789 Communion Service General Intercession—the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church Militant—follows the Offertory and contains a supplication in which the priest asks that God accept the people’s alms and oblations. Dedicating the people’s offering is unnecessary.

The Offertory is one of three places in the Communion Service that is prone with the passage of time to accumulate a clutter of redundant devotions. The other two places are the opening and the close of the service. As in the 1928 BCP and its predecessors, the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church Militant follows the Offertory in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Communion Office. The inclusion of a rubric countenancing these practices at the Offertory again raises questions about the liturgical scholarship of the REC Standing Liturgical Commission.

The Offertory Sentences are followed by seven rubrics that are titled “Concerning the Celebration.”

¶ In the absence of a Presbyter, a Deacon may say all that is before appointed unto the end of the Gospel.
¶ Lay persons appointed by the Celebrant shall normally be assigned the reading of the Lessons which precede the Gospel.
¶ It is the Bishop’s prerogative, when present, to be the principal Celebrant at the Lord’s Table, and to preach the Gospel.
¶ At all celebrations of the Liturgy, it is fitting that the principal Celebrant, whether Bishop or Presbyter, be assisted by
other Presbyters, and by Deacons and lay persons.
¶ It is appropriate that the other Presbyters present stand with the Celebrant at the Lord's Table and join in the consecration of the gifts, in breaking the Bread, and in distributing Communion.
¶ A Deacon shall read the Gospel and shall also serve at the Lord’s Table, preparing and placing on it the offerings of Bread and Wine, and assisting in the ministration of the Sacrament to the people. In the absence of a Deacon, these duties may be performed by an assisting Presbyter.
¶ Here, in place of all that follows, may be used the ALTERNATE FORM FOR THE CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION.

These rubrics with the exception of the first and last rubric are taken from the notes, titled “Concerning the Celebration” that precede The Holy Eucharist: Rite I and the Holy Eucharist: Rite II in the 1979 BCP. The first rubric comes from the General Rubrics at the end of the 1928 Communion Office. The final rubric appears to be an adaptation of an unidentified rubric or an original composition of a combination of the two. The location of these notes in 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version is unusual.

A number of more recent service books have similar notes, usually preceding the Communion Office. In these more recent service books it is not unusually to find provisions that permit deacons and lay readers to say all that is appointed through the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church Militant in the absence of a priest and that allow lay readers and other lay persons to read the Gospel and to offer the General Intercession, to assist at the Lord’s Table, and to distribute the Communion. It is also not unusual to find provisions that permit deacons and lay readers who are licensed to preach to give sermons during celebrations of the Holy Communion or in the absence of a priest and which allow lay persons with the permission of the rector or priest in charge of the congregation to make addresses. They exhibit much greater flexibility than does the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version, and give a much larger role to the laity in not only celebrations of the Holy Communion but also other services. In a service book in a mission field like North America such characteristics are highly desirable.

As we have seen, to this point the Communion Offices of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version owe much more to the 1928 BCP and its predecessors—the 1789 BCP and 1892 BCP, and even its successor, the 1979 BCP, than the 1662 BCP. In the third article in this series I will be examining the Form for the Celebration of Holy Communion and the Alternative Form for the Celebration of Holy Communion in the Communion Offices of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version.

A Modern Language Version of the Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer: Morning and Evening Prayer

2011-06-21T06:08:00.000-07:00

By Robin G. Jordan

In this article series I will be examining A Modern Language Version of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. I will also be looking at the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer since the two books are essentially the same book, except that the Modern Language Version has been rendered into contemporary English. The 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and its Modern language Version are for a large part based upon the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. The 1928 BCP was the first major revision of the American Prayer Book and introduced far-reaching and even radical changes in the American Prayer Book. The 1928 BCP would move the American Prayer Book much further away from the doctrine and liturgical usages of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer than its predecessors. In this article I examine the Orders for Morning and Evening Prayer in the Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version.

With some notable exceptions the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and its Modern Language Version slavishly follows the 1928 BCP in their Orders for Morning and Evening Prayer, both in their choice of rubrics and texts. Consequently, the Daily Offices in the two books suffer from the same defects as the Daily Offices in the 1928 BCP.

As in the 1928 BCP the Penitential Sentences have been replaced by a selection of Seasonal Sentences, eliminating what Samuel Lueunberger identifies as an important evangelistic or revivalistic element in the 1662 Prayer Book. Those using the book are not given the option of reading a Seasonal Sentence and then a selection of Penitential Sentences before the Exhortation. An Australian Prayer Book (1978) contains this option, preserving the evangelistic or revivalistic element of the Penitential Sentences while making provision for a Seasonal Sentence.

As in the 1928 BCP, the rubrics of Morning and Evening Prayer permit the omission of the Exhortation, which, like the Penitential Sentences, constitutes an important evangelistic or revivalistic element in the 1662 BCP. A short Invitation, “Let us humbly confess our sins unto almighty God,” may be substituted for the Exhortation.

The substitution of “beg” for “beseech” in the Exhortation in Morning and Evening Prayer and elsewhere in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer’s Modern Language Version is a poor choice. To beseech is to ask earnestly for something, to entreat. While to beg can mean to ask earnestly, it has acquired in modern usage a number of negative associations, for example, to ask for something by the way of alms, to panhandle, to clamorously or noisily ask for something, and to wheedle.

A number of modern language service books retain “beseech” rather than replacing it with another word. It is not completely an archaic or unfamiliar word. While it may not be used in everyday English, it is found in literature, for example, “she gave him a beseeching look.”

“Entreat” or “implore” would have been a better choice of word than “beg”. Both words are closer to “beseech” in meaning and both words, like “beseech,” contain two syllables. They also do not have the negative associations attached to them that “beg” does.

The book’s editors also show a lack of consistency in their handling of archaic or unfamiliar words. For example, they retained “pray,” used in the sense of asking earnestly a person to do something, in the Exhortation in Morning and Evening Prayer while substituting “beg” for “beseech.” Instead of the awkward and inconsistent phrase “I pray and beg you” in the Exhortation, a better choice of phrase would have been “I beg and entreat you.” It retains the meaning, emphasis, and cadence of the original phase “I pray and beseech you.” Cranmer often paired two words with the same meaning for emphasis.

As in the 1928 BCP, the rubrics of Morning and Evening Prayer in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version permit the substitution of the Absolution from the Order for Holy Communion in place of the Absolution or Remission of sins printed in the service. When the minister is a deacon, licensed lay reader, or other lay person, the rubrics direct that he remain kneeling and read the Collect for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity, a provision that is found in the 1926 Irish Prayer Book.

As in the 1928 BCP the rubrics of Morning and Evening Prayer in both books also permit the omission of the General Confession and the Absolution or Remission of sins. As in the 1928 BCP, if the Exhortation, the General Confession, and the Absolution or Remission of sins are omitted, the rubrics direct the minister to pronounce the Salutation, “The Lord be with you. And with your spirit,” followed by an invitation to pray, “Let us pray,” after the Seasonal Sentence and before the Lord’s Prayer.

In the 1662 BCP the Salutation is used to introduce the Lesser Litany in Morning and Evening Prayer. It is not used anywhere else in the two services. Indeed Cranmer makes very sparing use of the Salutation in the 1552 Book of Common Prayer and the Restoration Bishops followed his practice in the 1662 Prayer Book.

The frequent use of the Salutation is one of the characteristics of unreformed Catholic liturgies. Medieval Catholics believed and modern day Anglo-Catholics and Roman Catholics continue to believe that the Salutation is more than a greeting or an introduction to a call to prayer but is a prayer for the priest, in which the congregation ask God to arouse the special grace given to the priest in ordination so that God will accept the offerings that the priest makes on the behalf of the people, at the Daily Offices, in the form of prayers and intercessions, and at the Mass, in the form of the representation or reiteration of Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross. This interpretation of Salutation is closely tied to the Medieval Catholic view of the sacerdotal character of the ministry of the priest who acts as an intermediary between the faithful and God, and is intimately associated with the Medieval Catholic doctrines of Baptismal Regeneration, Eucharistic Sacrifice and the Real Presence. This special grace is believed not only to infuse the water in the baptismal font with power to remove sin when the priest blesses the water but also to transmogrify the bread and wine of the Holy Communion into the substance of the body and blood of our Lord when the priest recites the Words of Institution over the elements. Having brought Christ into being in the bread and wine in this manner, the priest extinguishes Christ by eating the bread and drink the wine, thereby by repeating Christ’s death and sacrifice for the remission of sin for the living and the dead. Before consuming the elements priest elevates them for the faithful to adore.

Like the 1928 BCP the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version dilute the 1662 BCP’s doctrine of sin. The 1928 BCP embodies the early stages of the reinterpretation of the Bible and accompanying change in attitude toward sin that has come to characterize the modern-day Episcopal Church. In their slavish use of texts and rubrics from the 1928 BCP the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version adopt the same doctrinal position, which plays up God’s love while playing down His wrath. This represents a decided shift away from Reformed theology to a more unreformed Catholic, semi-Pelagian, and liberal theology.

The services of Morning and Evening Prayer contain two versions of the Lord’s Prayer. The second version is more commonly used in non-liturgical churches and is rarely found in Anglican service books. Indeed the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version are the first Anglican service books in which I have come across it. In more than 25 years of studying The Book of Common Prayer, its history, its language, and its revision I have examined a large number of historic Prayer Books and more recent service books.

As in the 1928 BCP Psalm 95:1-7 and 96:9 and 13 are substituted for Psalm 95 for the Venite in both books, and the Venite may be omitted on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. As in the 1928 BCP and the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book (a High Church, Anglo-Catholic revision of the 1662 BCP, which the English Parliament rejected) a number of seasonal Invitatories, or Antiphons, that were prefixed to the Venite in the Medieval Breviary and which Cranmer omitted as part of his reform of the Daily Offices have been restored.

The rubrics of Morning Prayer in the 1662 BCP direct that Psalm 95 should be said or sung, except on Easter Day upon which the Easter Anthems are appointed, and on the nineteenth day of every month when it is read in the ordinary course of the Psalms.

The 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version make no provision for the use of other versions and forms of the Venite, except that the whole text of Psalm 95 may be used in place of Psalm 95:1-7 and 96:9 and 13. They do not make any allowances for congregations that worship in acoustical environments not conducive to chanting the Psalms and canticles of the Daily Offices, lack the strong music leadership required for good chant, are unable to chant, or contain large numbers of children. Singing the Venite is much more effective than reciting it. When Morning Prayer is a congregation’s principal service on Sunday morning, the lack of a provision for the optional use of other versions and forms of the “Venite” is a serious drawback.

As in the 1928 BCP the Gloria Patri may be said or sung after each Psalm and each canticle at Morning and Evening Prayer (the practice of the Western Church) and must be sung or said after the whole portion of Psalms (the practice of the Eastern Church). The latter provision has been a distinguishing characteristic of the American Prayer Book and originally came from 1689 Proposed English Prayer Book, also known as “the Liturgy of Comprehension.” As in the 1928 BCP and the earlier American Prayer Books the canticle Gloria in excelsis may be substituted for the Gloria Patri after the whole portion of Psalms at Evening Prayer.

In the 1789 BCP the Gloria in Excelsis could also be substituted for the Gloria Patri at the end of the whole portion of Psalms at Morning Prayer, restoring this canticle to its ancient place in the Morning Office, but this provision was dropped in the 1892 BCP. Its restoration to the Order for Morning Prayer either after the whole portion of Psalms or after the First or Second Lesson is desirable. The Gloria in Excelsis may be sung after the Second Lesson at Morning Prayer in the Church of England’s Alternative Service Book 1980, the Church of Ireland’s Alternative Prayer Book 1984, and 2004 Irish Prayer Book. In these service books the Jubilate may be used as an alternative Invitatory Psalm to the Venite, which is consistent with its function as Psalm of Entrance in the Book of Psalms.

The appending of the Gloria Patri, or Lesser Doxology, to the Gloria in Excelsis, or Greater Doxology, at Evening Prayer in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer's Modern Language Version is superfluous. The Gloria in Excelsis is a thoroughly Christological and Trinitarian doxology, and the appending of the Gloria Patri to it makes no sense and defeats the whole purpose of the rubric permitting the substitution of this great hymn of praise for the more pedestrian Gloria Patri. It ranks among serious defects of the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer’s Modern Language Version.

After every Lesson the minister is given the option of saying, “This is the Word of the Lord,” to which the people respond “Thanks be to God.” This option is not found in the 1928 BCP but it is found in a number of more recent service books, including the 1979 BCP, the Church of England’s Alternative Service Book 1980, and the Anglican Church of Canada’s 1985 Book of Alternative Services.

As in the 1928 BCP a rubric before the Magnificat at Evening Prayer permit the use of any one Lesson followed by any one of the evening canticles.

As in the 1928 BCP, a rubric before the Te Deum at Morning Prayer and a similar rubric before the Magnificat at Evening Prayer allow the minister to pass at once to the Holy Communion, after any one Canticle of Morning or Evening Prayer has been said or sung following the First Lesson.

The Order for Morning Prayer in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer’s Modern Language Version contains two versions of the Benedicite. In the second version the words “praise Him, and magnify Him for ever” may be omitted except after verses 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 28, 31, and 32. The rubrics of the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book permits a similar abbreviation of the Benedicite. As in the 1928 BCP the canticle Benedictus es, Domine is offered as a third alternative after the First Lesson. The Psalm, Magnificate Dominum, from Psalm 34, is also provided as an alternative to the Te Deum or Benedicite. This alternative is peculiar to the Reformed Episcopal Prayer Book tradition and is found in the 1930, 1932, and 1963 Reformed Episcopal BCPs as well as the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version.

The 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version make no provision for the omission of the nine verses appended to the end of the Te Deum.. This verses, beginning “O Lord, save your people…” and concluding “O Lord, in you have I trusted…,” were originally capitellum, a selection of verses taken from the Psalms and used as supplications in the ancient cathedral office of Lauds. They first became attached to the Gloria in Excelsis, which was originally a canticle in the office of Lauds, and subsequently became attached to the Te deum. A number of more recent service books omit them from the Te Deum or permit their omission. The rubrics of 1979 BCP authorizes their use as alternative Suffages before the Collects at Morning Prayer, restoring them to their ancient use as capitellum.

As in the 1928 BCP the rubrics of Morning Prayer permit the use of a truncated version of the Benedictus Dominus Deus after the Second Lesson. This was a peculiarity of the 1789 BCP and one of its chief defects. Alternately the Jubilate Deo may be used.

As in the 1928 BCP, the Magnificat, Cantate Domino, or Bonum est confiteri may be said or sung after the First Lesson at Evening Prayer, and the Nunc dimittis, Deus misereatur, or Benedic, anima mea may be sung or said after the Second lesson.

The 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern language Version make no provision for the use of a number of canticles that enjoy wide use in more recent service books such as the First Song of Isaiah, Gloria in Excelsis, Glory and Honor (Dignes es), and Great and Wonderful (Magna et mirabilia), which have proven their usefulness in worship, and for which numerous high quality musical settings are available. They also make no provision for the substitution of hymns for the canticles as well as other versions and forms of the canticles. This greatly limits the usefulness of the services of Morning and Evening Prayer in the mission field, in non-traditional settings or with congregations lacking strong musical leadership, unable to chant, or containing large numbers of children.

As in the 1928 BCP a rubric permits the substitution of the Nicene Creed for the Apostles’ Creed at Evening Prayer.

As in the 1928 BCP the Lesser Litany and the second Lord’s Prayer are omitted in the Orders for Morning and Evening Prayer in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version. The Lesser Litany is the remains of a longer Litany that eventually replaced the capitellum in the ancient cathedral offices of Lauds and Vespers. The only place that the Salutation is used in the Orders for Morning and Evening Prayer in the 1662 BCP is immediately before the Lesser Litany and it introduces the Prayer Section of the Daily Offices.

The omission of the second Lord’s Prayer from Morning Prayer in the 1928 BCP, the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version is a serious defect. It shows a lack of familiarity with the history of the Daily Offices. The second Lord’s Prayer was originally the only Lord’s Prayer in the Daily Offices and formed the original conclusion of the Daily Offices. When the bishop or a priest officiated at the Daily Offices, they concluded with a Collect. The bishop might then bless the congregation but this episcopal blessing was not a part of the Daily Offices. However, when a deacon or a reader officiated, they concluded with the Lord’s Prayer. The initial Lord’s Prayer was a later Medieval addition as were the Suffrages and Collects that follow the second Lord’s Prayer. It was a private devotion of the priest who said it inaudibly before the Daily Offices, and was not a part of the Daily Offices. Cranmer appears to have retained the initial Lord’s Prayer in the 1549 BCP because its recitation at the beginning of the Daily Offices as a preliminary devotion had become a long-standing practice by the sixteenth century. The 1549 Prayer Book was only a partially reformed service book designed to ease the transition from the pre-Reformation Medieval service books to a fully Reformed liturgy. In the 1552 Book of Common Prayer, which reflects Cranmer’s mature thinking, the initial Lord’s Prayer comprises a part of the initial Penitential Section of Morning and Evening Prayer and constitutes a response to the minister’s words in the Absolution or Remission of sins, “Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance….” If the General Confession and the Absolution or Remission of sins ae omitted, the initial Lord’s Prayer should also be omitted.

As in the 1928 BCP, if it has not already been said, the Lord’s Prayer may be said after the Apostles’ Creed or Nicene Creed and the Salutation at Evening Prayer.

The editors of the 1928 BCP’s use of the unreformed Medieval Breviary and the Orders for Morning and Evening Prayer of the partially reformed 1549 Prayer Book as models for the Daily Offices in the 1928 American Prayer Book partially explain their defects. In modeling the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version upon the 1928 American Prayer Book, the Standing Liturgical Commission of the Reformed Episcopal Church perpetuated the same defects in these two books.

As in the 1928 BCP the Suffrages at Morning Prayer are abbreviated to two versicles and responses in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version; a fuller set of Suffrages, also taken from the 1928 BCP, is provided for use at Evening Prayer.

The substitution of word “harmony” for “concord” in A Collect for Peace is unnecessary. “Concord” is retained in this Collect in a number of the more recent service books, for example, the 2004 Irish Prayer Book. “Concord” is not an archaic word. While it may be unfamiliar to some American, its omission from the Collect will further contribute to its disappearance from Americans’ vocabularies. One of the reasons is that Americans are unfamiliar with a number of words is their shrinking vocabularies. If we keep dropping words from the Prayer Book because they are no longer used in the popular culture, we may eventually find ourselves worshiping God with grunts and monosyllables.

“Harmony” is also not really a good substitute word for “concord,” which means “harmonious relations.” “Harmony” is also comprised of three syllables while “concord” is comprised of two syllables. The addition of a third syllable affects the cadence and rhythm of the Collect.

The contemporary English version of A Collect for Peace in the Order for Evening Prayer in the Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer’s Modern Language Version would benefit from redrafting. It tries to follow exact structure of the Tudor English version and substitute contemporary English words for the Tudor ones, principally “thou” and “thee.” The result is awkward and stilted, and inferior to contemporary English version of this Collect used in a number of more recent service books. For example:

O God from whom all holy desires, all good judgments, and all just works proceed: Give to your servants that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments, and that we, being defended from fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

The invariable use of “beg” as a substitute word for “beseech” detracts from the contemporary English version of A Collect for Aid against Perils. The following contemporary language version of the same Collect comes from the 2004 Irish Prayer Book and substitutes “we pray” for “we beseech thee” and “in your great mercy” for “by thy great mercy.”

Lighten our darkness, O Lord, we pray and in your mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The first two of the three rubrics that follow A Collect for Grace at Morning Prayer are taken from the 1928 BCP; the third rubric comes from the 1662 BCP. In the 1662 Prayer Book the third rubric follows immediately after A Collect for Grace and precedes the rubrics directing how the service may be concluded. Its relocation to after the rubrics directing how the service may be concluded opens this rubric to more than one interpretation. First, the hymn or anthem may be sung after the Third Collect where it is sung in the 1662 BCP and most other Anglican service books. Second, the hymn or anthem may be sung at the conclusion of the service. What is the intent of the REC Standing Liturgical Commission in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version is unclear.

The rubric authorizing the singing of a hymn or anthem is placed immediately after A Collect for Peace at Evening Prayer and the REC Standing Liturgical Commission’s intent is quite clear: the hymn or anthem is to follow the Third Collect.

The rubrics that precede the State Prayers in the Orders for Morning and Evening Prayer in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Prayer Book’s Modern Language Version conflict with the second rubric after A Collect for Grace at Morning Prayer and the second rubric after A Collect for Aid against perils at Evening Prayer, which gives the minister discretion to end the service “with such general intercessions taken out of this Book, with extemporaneous prayers, or with the Grace, as he shall think fit.” The rubrics refer to the first of each selection of the State Prayers as “the State Prayer” but actually they all are State Prayers and should have been identified as such.

The rubric, “The following State Prayer and the one after shall be said by the Parishes in the United States of America,” refers to the two versions of A Prayer for the President of the United States and All in Civil Authority, which were taken from the 1928 BCP. As in the 1928 BCP, the rubric “Or this,” is inserted between the two prayers. The rubric preceding the two prayers appears to direct the saying of both prayers by REC parishes in the United States whenever Morning Prayer is read. If the saying of one of these prayers is optional, the rubric preceding the two prayers should read, “One of the following State Prayers may be said by Parishes in the United States of America and its territories.” This rubric would be consistent with the second rubric after A Collect for Grace.

The rubric, “The following State Prayer and the three after shall be said by the Parishes in Canada,” is also unclear as in the previous case. It also appears to direct the saying of four prayers by REC parishes in the Dominion of Canada. If the saying of these prayers is optional, the rubric preceding should read, “The following State Prayers may be said by Parishes in the Dominion of Canada.” This rubric would be consistent with the second rubric after A Collect for Grace.

In the Order for Morning Prayer in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer’s Modern Language Version the rubrics immediately preceding the State Prayers and the misidentification of the State Prayers are not the only problem as far as the State Prayers are concerned. The first version of A Prayer for the President of the United States and All in Civil Authority is poorly worded. “Does” in contemporary English is not used in quite the same way as “dost” in Tudor English. “O LORD, our heavenly Father, the high and mighty Ruler of the universe, Who dost from Thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth…” should have been rendered, “O LORD, our heavenly Father, the high and mighty Ruler of the universe, Who from Your throne beholds all the dwellers upon earth….” As previously noted “beg” is a poor substitute for “beseech,” which is particularly true in this prayer. A better choice would have been to retain “beseech” or to substitute “implore” for “beseech.” For example, “Most heartily we implore You, with Your favor to behold….” Or the word order might have been rearranged. “We most heartily implore You with Your favor to behold and bless….” In recasting Tudor language prayers in modern idiom, qualifying clauses like “Who from Your throne…” are often rephrased in the following manner, “O LORD, our heavenly Father, the high and mighty Ruler of the Universe, You behold from Your throne all the dwellers upon the earth. We most heartily implore You, with Your favor, to behold and bless….

To endue means to clothe. “Clothe them plenteously with heavenly gifts” would be more faithful to the original meaning of the first version of A Prayer for the President of the United States and All in Civil Authority.” “Empower” changes the meaning of the prayer and is usually is used in conjunction with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The phrase, “heavenly gifts,” in this prayer may refer to more than charismata, or manifestations of the Spirit. The use of “empower” limits the meaning of this phrase, and may give it a meaning different from the one that was originally intended by the drafter of the prayer.

In the 1962 Canadian Prayer Book only a Prayer for the Queen and A Prayer for the Clergy and People are required. The minister may choose from one of three Prayers for the Queen printed in the Order for Morning Prayer—the Prayer for the Queen’s Majesty, the Prayer for the Queen and Commonwealth, or the Prayer for the Queen and All in Authority. Or the Prayer for the Queen, the Prayer for the Royal Family, or the Prayer for the Common Wealth from the Prayers and Thanksgivings may be said. In none of the Prayer Books used in countries in which the Queen of England is the head of state such as Canada and Northern Ireland is a prayer for the Prime Minister placed before the Prayer for the Sovereign. In former English colonies in which there is both a head of state, e.g. President, and a head of government, e.g. Prime Minister, the prayer for the head of state precedes the prayer for the head of government.

A Prayer for the Queen’s Majesty in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer’s Modern Language Version is poorly worded for the same reasons as the first version of A Prayer for the President of the United States and All in Civil Authority. A Prayer for the Royal Family is also poorly worded, substituting “empower” for “endue,” when “clothe” or “give” would have preserved the original meaning of the prayer.

The use of “beg” in place of “beseech” detracts from A Prayer for the Governor-General of Canada and A Prayer for All Conditions of Men. “Entreat” would have been a better choice in A Prayer for Governor-General of Canada and “pray for” in A Prayer for All Conditions of Men. For example, “…we earnestly entreat You…” and “…we humbly pray for all sorts….” The retention of “beseech” or the use of a selection of substitute words for “beseech” would have been preferable to the rather unimaginative and wooden use of “beg” in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer’s Modern Language Edition.

The rubric that follows A General Thanksgiving in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP, “Note, That the General Thanksgiving may be said by the congregation with the Minister” is omitted in its Modern Language Version. Unless this omission was an error, congregations using the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer’s Modern Language Version no longer have permission to say A General Thanksgiving with the minister, as with the omission permission to do so has been withdrawn. If the omission is not an error, then it represents a significant reduction of the corporate vocal part of the people in the service, which is unwarranted. One of the reasons that people are attracted to liturgical forms of worship is that they provide greater opportunity for congregational participation than do non-liturgical forms of worship. Consequently a number of Anglican provinces have not only adopted modern language in their more recent service books but they also increased the people’s corporate vocal part in the services. Its deliberate omission would represent a major step backwards.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer’s Modern Language Version is poorly worded. As previously noted, “does” in contemporary English is not used in quite the same way as “dost” in Tudor English. The following modern language version of A Prayer of St. Chrysostom is used in a number of more recent service books.

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised that when two or three are gathered together in your Name you will grant their requests; Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of your servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

Note how the rephrasing of the qualifying clause as well as the substitution of “to” for “unto” and “have promised” for “dost promise.”

The substitution of “communion” for “fellowship” in 2 Corinthians 13:14, also known as the Grace, in 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer’s Modern Language Version is unnecessary. “Communion” is no more familiar than “fellowship”; “fellowship” is retained in the more recent service books that I have surveyed.

The REC Standing Liturgical Commission is inconsistent in its omission and retention of archaic and unfamiliar words, phrases, and expressions in the 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer’s Modern Language Version. The guiding principles behind what is omitted and what is retained are unclear.

The Reformed Episcopal BCP and its Modern Language Version make no provision for a sermon at Morning or Evening Prayer. They contain no equivalent of the following rubrics at the conclusion of the Orders for Morning and Evening Prayer in the 1962 Canadian Prayer Book.

A Sermon may be preached here and the offerings of the people received and presented at the Lord's Table. Or the Sermon may be preached immediately after the Hymn or Anthem following the Third Collect. The Minister shall then proceed to the intercessions and thanksgivings, ending with the Prayer of St Chrysostom and the Grace.

Among the principal reasons that Bishop George David Cummins and the founders of the Reformed Episcopal Church left the Protestant Episcopal Church was their belief that 1789 Book of Common Prayer, the first American Prayer Book, contained “germs of Romanism”: incipient in the 1789 BCP was pre-Reformation Medieval Catholic and post-Tridentian Roman Catholic doctrine. Whether this truly is the case is debatable. The Tractarians’ reinterpretation of the 1789 BCP in “a Catholic sense,” however, made them suspicious of its doctrinal content to the point that they were no longer comfortable using the 1789 Prayer Book. The 1928 revision, adopted at a time in the history of the Protestant Episcopal Church when Anglo-Catholicism and Broad Church Latitudinarianism were the dominant theological streams in the Protestant Episcopal Church, on the other hand, unquestionably incorporates both pre-Reformation Medieval Catholic and post-Tridentian Roman Catholic doctrine and practice. It is also more theologically liberal in doctrine than its predecessors—the 1789 and 1892 BCPs.

For the Reformed Episcopal Church’s Standing Liturgical Commission, the “true and authoritative standard of worship and prayer” as far as the Daily Offices are concerned appears to be the High Church, Anglo-Catholic, Broad Church Latitudinarian 1928 American Prayer Book, not the more Reformed 1662 Prayer Book. As we further examine these two books, we will see that this is to a large extent true for the other services in the two books.

The 2003 Reformed Episcopal Book of Common Prayer has been advertised as being based upon the 1662 BCP. As we shall see, this claim is patently untrue. A more accurate description is that the 2003 Reformed Episcopal BCP is an adaptation of the 1928 BCP for use in the Reformed Episcopal Church. This description also applies to its Modern Language Version. The two books might also be described as being designed to facilitate the transition of the Reformed Episcopal Church to the 1928 BCP as its principal service book, retaining some token elements from earlier Reformed Episcopal Prayer Books to mollify old-timers and to make the change to the High Church, Anglo-Catholic, Broad Church Latitudinarian liturgy of the 1928 BCP easier. They certainly give this appearance. The Reformed Episcopal Church’s adoption of a Prayer Book based on the 1928 BCP shows how far the REC has drifted from its Protestant and evangelical roots.

The First Reformed Episcopal Prayer Book: Morning Prayer

2009-03-04T07:10:00.000-08:00

By Robin G. Jordan

This article is the first in a series of articles on The Book of Common Prayer authorized for the use of the Reformed Episcopal Church in 1874. It was the first Prayer Book of the newly formed Church. Like the 1786 Proposed Book of Common Prayer and the 1789 Book of Common Prayer of the Protestant Episcopal Church, the 1874 Book of Common Prayer of the Reformed Episcopal Church was a local adaptation of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. This article briefly examines the Order for Morning Prayer of the 1874 Prayer Book, and compares it with the 1786 and 1789 Prayer Books.

The word “daily” is omitted from the title, “Order for Morning Prayer.” Eleven additional Sentences are added to the Opening Sentences of Scripture from 1789 Order for Morning Prayer. The Exhortation is based on that in the 1552 Prayer Book with one alteration. The words “saying after me” are changed to “saying with me.”

The Absolution from the 1789 Communion Service, recast as a Prayer, replaces the Declaration of Absolution, or Remission of Sins, from the 1786 and 1789 Orders for Morning Prayer. The latter has been a part of the Prayer Book since 1552 but first the Puritans and then the Evangelicals objected on Scriptural grounds to the words, “…hath given power, and commandment, to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins….” For the same reason they objected the Special Form of Confession of Sins and Absolution in the Visitation of the Sick and to the words, “Whose sins thou dost forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins thou dost retain, they are retained…” in the Form and Manner of Ordering of Priests. The 1786 Proposed American Prayer Book substitutes the Absolution from the Communion Service for the Absolution in the Visitation of the Sick and the 1789 Ordinal provides alternative wording for “Receive the Holy Ghost for the Office and Work of a Priest…” that omits the references to receiving of the Holy Ghost and forgiving and retaining of sins. This alternative wording was eliminated by the 1928 revision.

The Versicles, “O God, make speed to save us,” “O Lord, make haste to help us” are omitted. As in the 1789 Order for Morning Prayer, the last four verses (8-11) of the Venite are omitted and verses nine and thirteen of Psalm 96 substituted for that section. In the 1786 Order for Morning Prayer Psalm 95 is used in its entirety.

The 1874 Order for Morning Prayer omits all repetitions of the Gloria Patri except the one printed after the opening versicle and that at the end of the psalmody of the day. From the sixteenth century on Anglicans had objected to the repetition of the Gloria Patri after each Psalm and after the 1662 revision, after each section of Psalm 119. In the Eastern Church the Gloria Patri is recited only after each group of Psalms. The Gloria in Excelsis is also provided as an alternative for use at the end of the psalmody. In the Western Church the Gloria in Excelsis was used in the morning office from the fourth century on and was apparently one of the most popular daily office canticles. By the eleventh or twelfth century it had migrated to the Mass and was customarily sung on Sundays and certain other feast days. It was dropped from the daily office around that time. In the 1786 and 1789 Orders for Morning Prayer it was restored to the morning office, only to be eliminated by the 1892 revision. In the Eastern Church the Gloria in Excelsis is used in the morning office to this day.

The 1874 Order for Morning Prayer substantially adopts the 1786 and 1789 version of the Te Deum but omits the word “pure” from the clause, “When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man: thou didst humble thyself to be born of a pure Virgin….” In this regard the 1874 Te Deum is closer to that of the 1662 Prayer Book in which the same clause is rendered, “When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man: thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb…” As in the 1789 version of the Te Deum, the clause “Thy honorable, true, and only Son…,” is altered to “Thine adorable, true, and only Son….” The 1786 version of the Te Deum alters the clause, “O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us: as our trust is in thee…” to “O Lord, let thy mercy be upon us: as our trust is in thee…” and omits the final clause, “O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.” The 1789 version of the Te Deum retains the altered clause and restores the final clause. The 1874 version of the Te Deum does likewise. The 1874 Order for Morning Prayer, like the 1786 order, omits the Benedicite and provides no alternative to the Te Deum. The 1874 order, also like the 1879 order, abbreviates the Benedictus to four verses, printed after rather than before the Jubilate. The lack of an alternative for the Te Deum and the truncated Benedictus are a major defect of the 1874 Order for Morning Prayer. The apparent rational for shortening the Benedictus was to make it the same length as the Jubilate. The 1874 order does not print the Gloria Patri after any of the canticles. It must be assumed that it was not intended that the Gloria Patri should be recited after any of them. The 1789 order prints the Gloria Patri after certain canticles but then permits its omission after these canticles.

In the Apostles’ Creed alternative wording may be substituted for the clause, “He descended into Hell…,” or it may be omitted altogether. Its omission is justified elsewhere on the basis that the clause was not included in the earliest versions of the Apostles’ Creed. As in the 1789 Order for Morning Prayer the Nicene Creed may said in place of the Apostles’ Creed.

The Lesser Litany and the Lord’s Prayer are omitted. The omission of the second Lord’s Prayer is a peculiar feature of the early American Prayer Books that was incorporated into the 1874 Prayer Book. The recitation of the Lord’s Prayer before the opening versicle is a survival of the private use of the Lord’s Prayer as preparation for the daily office and is a relatively late development. Although Archbishop Cranmer incorporated it into the Order for Morning Prayer, following the example of Cardinal Quinon, it is really not a part of the morning office. If any of the uses of the Lord’s Prayer in the Order for Morning Prayer are to be omitted, it is this use. The second use of the Lord’s Prayer at the beginning of the prayers of the office is much more ancient. It was originally the conclusion of the morning office. Its omission suggests a lack of familiarity with the history and development of the morning office. Its omission from the 1786, 1789, 1874, and 1892 Orders for Morning Prayer is one of the major defects of these orders.

The Suffrages are abbreviated, as in the 1789 Order for Morning Prayer. Omitted are the following versicles and responses:

Minister. O Lord: bless and preserve these United States;

Answer. And mercifully hear us, when we call upon thee.

Minister. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

Answer. And make thy people joyful.

The Collect for the day is optional. The wording of A Prayer for our Civil Rulers and A Prayer for Congress is slightly altered. In the 1789 Prayer Book, A Prayer for Congress is not printed after A Prayer for our Civil Rulers but at the beginning of the Prayers and Thanksgivings.

As in the 1786 Order for Morning Prayer, the Litany is printed in the 1874 Order for Morning Prayer. However, the Litany in the 1874 Order for Morning Prayer may, unlike in 1786 order, be omitted. Its mandatory use in the 1786 order accounted to a large extent for the unpopularity of that order. It made the service too long. The wording of the 1874 Litany is substantially that of the 1789 Litany. There are two significant changes. The petition, “That it may please thee to illuminate all Bishops, Priests, and Deacons…” is altered to “That it may please thee to illuminate all Ministers of the Gospel….” An additional petition, “That it may please thee to send forth laborers into thy harvest…” is added to the Litany. These two changes give the 1874 Order for Morning Prayer something that is lacking in the 1662, 1786, and 1789 orders—a theology of missions.

The rubrics of the 1874 Order for Morning Prayer permit the minister to begin the Litany at the words, “O Christ, hear us” or to omit everything from the words, “O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: Have mercy upon us…,” to the prayer, “We humbly beseech thee, O Father….” In permitting the omission of this section of the Litany the 1874 order follows the 1789 order. The 1786 order requires that entire Litany should be said or sung.

A General Thanksgiving is printed after the Litany. The rubric preceding it directs that it is to be said by the people with the minister. In the 1786 and 1789 orders only the minister may say the General Thanksgiving. The rubric following A General Thanksgiving authorizes the use of occasional prayers or extemporaneous prayer at that point in the service. The service concludes with A Prayer of St. Chrysostom and The Grace. A Prayer of Chrysostom is retitled A General Supplication.

For those wishing to use the 1874 Order for Morning Prayer, it has been reproduced below. Most of the original punctuation has been observed except for the canticles. It is recommended that several of the penitential sentences should be read after a general or seasonal Opening Sentence of Scripture. During Lent the use of Psalm 95 is recommended in place of the abbreviated version of the Venite printed in the order. If a less festive alternative to the Te Deum is desired, the Song of Isaiah (Isaiah 12:2-6) is recommended:

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

The use of the full version of the Benedictus is also recommended.

The words in square brackets may be omitted.

Words in bold type are said or sung by the congregation.

THE ORDER FOR MORNING PRAYER

The Minister shall begin the Morning Prayer by reading one or more of the following Sentences.

Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him. Hab. ii. 20.

From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name and a pure offering; for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of Hosts. Mal. i. 11.

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. St. John iv, 24.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm. xix, 14.
When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Ezek. xviii. 27.

I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Psal. ii. 3.

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Psal. li. 9.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psal. li. 17.

Rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Joel ii. 13.
To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him: neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws which he set before us. Dan. ix. 9, 10.

O Lord, correct me, but with judgment: not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Jer. x. 24. Psal. vi. 1.

Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. St. Mat. iii. 2.

I will arise, and go to my father; and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. St. Luke xv. 18, 19.

Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Psal. cxliii. 2.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousess. 1 St. John i. 8, 9.

FOR ADVENT

Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Rev. i. 7.
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Rev. xxii. 20.
Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. St. Matt. iii. 2.

FOR CHRISTMAS

When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Galatians iv. 4, 5.

FOR EPIPHANY

The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John i. 14.

FOR GOOD FRIDAY

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every man to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah liii. 6.
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree. 1 Peter ii. 24.

FOR EASTER

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet he shall live. John xi. 25.

FOR ASCENSION DAY

Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Psalm lxviii. 18.

FOR WHITSUNDAY

When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father: even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. John xv. 26.

FOR TRINITY SUNDAY

Through him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Ephesians ii. 18.

Then the Minister shall say,

Dearly beloved brethren, the scripture moveth us in sundry places, to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness, and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God, our heavenly Father, but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we might obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together, to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore, I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me, with a pure heart and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying:

A general Confession, to be said by the whole Congregation; with the Minister, all kneeling.

Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred and strayed like from thy ways lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind, in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life; To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

The Minister, still kneeling, shall say the following Prayer.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of thy great mercy hast promised forgiveness of sins to all those who, with hearty repentance and true faith, turn unto thee; have mercy upon us; pardon and deliver us from all your sins; confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The people shall answer here, and at the end of every prayer, Amen.

Then the Minister shall say the Lord's Prayer; the people repeating it with him, both here, and wheresoever else it is used in Divine Service.

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, As it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Then likewise he shall say,

O Lord, open thou our lips.
Answer. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Here all standing up, the Minister shall say,

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;

Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord.

Answer. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall be said or sung following, except on those days for which other Anthems are appointed.

Venite, Exultemus Domino
O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving: and show ourselves glad in him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God: and a great King above all gods. In his hand are all the corners of the earth: and the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands prepared the dry land. O come, let us worship, and fall down: and kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is the Lord our God: and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: let the whole earth stand in awe of him.For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: and with righteousness to judge the world, and the people with his truth.

Then shall follow a portion of the Psalter. After which may be said or sung, the Gloria Patri, or else the Gloria in Excelsis.

Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Or this.

Gloria in Excelsis
Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee, for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For thou only art holy, thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Then shall be read the first lesson, from the Old Testament. After which shall be said or sung the following Anthem.

Note, that before every Lesson, the minister shall say, Here beginneth such Chapter, or Verse of such Chapter, of such a Book: And after every Lesson, Here endeth the first or second Lesson.

Te Deum Laudamus
We praise thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlasting. To thee all Angels cry aloud: the Heavens, and all the Powers therein. To thee Cherubim, and Seraphim: continually do cry, Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Sabaoth. Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty: of thy Glory. The glorious company of the Apostles: praise thee. The goodly fellowship of the Prophets: praise thee. The noble army of Martyrs: praise thee. The holy Church throughout all the world: doth acknowledge thee. The Father: of an infinite Majesty; Thine adorable, true: and only Son; Also the Holy Ghost: the Comforter, Thou art the King of Glory: O Christ. Thou art the everlasting Son: of the Father. When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man: thou didst humble thyself to be born of a Virgin. When thou hast overcome the sharpness of death: thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers. Thou sittest at the right hand of God: in the Glory of the Father. We believe that thou shalt come: to be our Judge. We therefore pray thee, help thy servants: whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood. Make them to be numbered with thy saints: in Glory everlasting. O Lord, save thy people: and bless thine heritage. Govern them: and lift them up for ever. Day by day: we magnify thee; And we worship thy Name: ever world without end. Vouchsafe, O Lord: to keep us this day without sin. O Lord, have mercy upon us: have mercy upon us. O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.

Then shall be read the second lesson, taken out of the New Testament. And after that the following anthem.

Jubilate Deo. Psalm c.
O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands: serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song. Be ye sure that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves : we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with Praise: be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name. For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting: and his truth endureth from generation to generation.

Or this.

Benedictus St. Luke i. 68.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel: for he hath visited and redeemed his people; And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us: in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of, his holy Prophets; which have been since the world began; That we should be saved from our enemies: and from the hands of all that hate us.

Then shall be said the Apostles’ Creed, by the Minister and the people, standing: And any church may insert after the words, Was crucified, dead and buried, the words, He descended into Hell, or the words, He went into the place of departed spirits.

I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth; And in, Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints; The forgiveness of Sins The resurrection of the body, And the life everlasting Amen.

Or this.

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible: And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation, came down from Heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. And I believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church; I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the Resurrection of the dead, And the Life of the world to come. Amen.

[Note. By “One Catholic and Apostolic Church” is signified “The blessed company of all faithful people;” and by “One Baptism for the remission of sins” the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.]

Then the Minister shall say,

The Lord be with you.

Answer. And with thy spirit.
Minister. Let us pray.

O Lord show thy mercy upon us.
Answer. And grant us thy salvation.

Minister. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

Answer. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then may follow the Collect for the day, except when the Communion Service is read; and then the Collect for the day shall be omitted here.

A Collect for Peace
O God; who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom, Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we surely trusting in thy defence; may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Collect for Grace
Lord our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day; Defend us in the same with thy mighty power, and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may, by thy governance be righteous in thy sight through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for all in Civil Authority, which may be omitted when the Litany is used at Morning Service.
O Lord, our heavenly Father, the high and mighty Ruler of the universe, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth; Most heartily we beseech thee, with thy favour to behold and bless thy servant the President of the United States, and all in authority, legislative, judicial, and executive; and so replenish them with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that they may always incline to thy will, and walk in thy way: Endue them plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant them in health and prosperity long to live; and finally, after this life, to attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[A Prayer for Congress. To be used during the Session
Most gracious God, we humbly beseech thee, as for the people of these United States in general, so especially for their Senate and Representatives in Congress assembled: that thou wouldest be
pleased to direct and prosper all their consultations to the advancement of thy Glory, the good of thy Church, the safety, honor, and welfare of thy people; that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavors, upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations. These and all other necessaries, for them, for us, and thy whole Church, we humbly beg in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ, our most blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.]

The LITANY, or General Supplication, which may be used at Morning Service, and at other times, as the Minister shall think fit.

O God the Father of heaven: have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O God the Father of heaven: have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world: have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world: have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father, and the Son: have mercy us miserable sinners.

O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father, and the Son: have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, three Persons, and one God: have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons, and one God: have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers; neither take thou vengeance of our sins: spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and be not angry with us for ever.
Spare us, good Lord.
From all evil and mischief; from sin, from the crafts and assaults of the devil; from thy wrath, and from everlasting damnation;
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all blindness of heart; from pride, vain-glory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness;
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all inordinate and sinful affections; and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil;
Good Lord, deliver us.
From lightning and tempest; from plague, pestilence, and famine; from battle, and murder, and from sudden death;
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all sedition, privy conspiracy, and rebellion; from all false doctrine; heresy and schism; from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word and Commandment;
Good Lord, deliver us.
By the mystery of thy holy Incarnation; by thy holy Nativity and Circumcision; by thy Baptism, Fasting and Temptation;
Good Lord, deliver us.
By thine Agony and Bloody Sweat; by thy Cross and Passion; by thy precious Death and Burial; by thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension; and by the coming of the holy Ghost;
Good Lord, deliver us.
In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment.
Good Lord, deliver us.
We sinners do beseech thee to hear us, O Lord God, and that it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy Church universal in the right way;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to bless and preserve all Christian Rulers and Magistrates; giving them grace to execute justice, and to maintain truth;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to illuminate all Ministers of the Gospel with true knowledge and understanding of thy Word; and that both by their preaching and living they may set it forth, and show it accordingly;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to send forth laborers into thy harvest;
We beseech, thee to hear us, good Lord
That it may please thee to bless and keep all thy people;
We beseech, thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to give to all nations unity, peace, and concord;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to give us a heart to love and fear thee, and diligently to live after thy commandments;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to give to all thy people increase of grace, to hear meekly thy Word, and to receive it with pure affection, and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to bring into the way of truth all such as have erred, and are deceived;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to strengthen such as do stand, and to comfort and help the weak-hearted, and to raise up those who fall, and finally to beat down Satan under our feet;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee succor, help, and comfort all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to preserve all who travel by land or by water, all women in the perils of childbirth, all sick persons, and young children, and to show thy pity upon all prisoners and captives,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to defend, and provide for, the fatherless children, and widows, and all who are desolate and oppressed
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to have mercy upon all men;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to give and preserve to our use the kindly fruits of the earth, so that in due time we may enjoy them;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to give us true repentance, to forgive us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances, and to endue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit to amend our lives according to thy holy Word;
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
Son of God: we beseech thee to hear us.
Son of God: we beseech thee to hear us.
O Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world;
Grant us thy peace.
O Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world;
Have mercy upon us.

The Minister may, at his discretion, begin the Litany here, or omit all that follows, to the Prayer, “We humbly beseech thee, O Father,” etc.

[O Christ, hear us.

O Christ, hear us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Christ have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Then shall the Minister, and the people with him, say the Lord’s Prayer, if it has not been previously said.

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, As it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Minister. O Lord, deal not with us according to our sins.

Answer. Neither reward us according to our iniquities.

O God, merciful Father, who despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desire of such as are sorrowful; mercifully assist our prayers which we make before thee in all our troubles and adversities, whensoever they oppress us; and graciously hear us, that those evils, which the craft and subtilty of the devil or man worketh against us, may, by thy good providence, be brought to nought; that we thy servants, being hurt by no persecutions, may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
O Lord, arise, help us, an deliver us for thy Name's sake.

O God, we have heard with our ears, and our fathers have declared unto us, the noble works that thou didst in their days, and in the old time before them.
O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us, for thine honor.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
From our enemies defend us, O Christ.

Graciously look upon our afflictions.

Pitifully behold the sorrows of our hearts.
Mercifully forgive the sins of thy people.

Favourably with mercy hear our prayers.

O Son, of David, have mercy upon us.

Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear us, O Christ.

Graciously hear us, O Christ; graciously hear us, O Lord Christ.

O Lord, let thy mercy be showed upon us.

As we do put our trust in thee.

We humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities; and for the glory of thy Name, turn from us all those evils that we most justly have deserved; and grant that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore, serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honour and glory, through our only Mediator and Advocate Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A General Thanksgiving, to be said by the People, with the Minister.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving kindness to us, and to all men: We bless thee for our creation, preservation and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies that our hearts may be, unfeignedly thankful, and that we may shew forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives; by giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.

Here may be used any of the occasional prayers, or extemporaneous prayer.

A General Supplication
Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise, that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name, thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Cor. Xiii. 14.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

Here endeth the Order of Morning Prayer.

An Anglican Prayer Book (2008): The Catechism and the Order of Confirmation

2008-04-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

Introduction
In this eighth article in my series on An Anglican Prayer Book (2008), I examine the Catechism and the Order of Confirmation of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008). The Anglican Mission in the Americas and the Prayer Book Society of the USA jointly produced An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) principally as a service book for Anglican Mission churches but with an eye to its adoption by other Anglican jurisdictions in the United States, Canada and other countries. The services of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) have been described as revised versions of the services of the classical Anglican Book of Common Prayer of 1662. An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) contains a number of deviations from and additions to the services of the classical Anglican Prayer Book, drawn from the 1928 American Prayer Book, the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book, and the 1962 Canadian Prayer Book. Consequently, An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) bears a greater resemblance in the doctrinal content and forms of the services to these major Prayer Book revisions of their day than it does to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The doctrine of the classical Anglican Prayer Book, a standard for Anglican doctrine for the Anglican Mission and the Common Cause Partners, is for a large part altered or obscured. This is particularly evident in the Catechism and the Order of Confirmation of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008).

Promotions of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) present the book as showing the different "classical" treatments of the same services in the 1662, 1928 American, and 1962 Canadian Prayer Books. An Anglican Prayer Book (2008), however, does not offer for examination the services of these three Prayer Books in parallel for comparison but brings together into revisions of the classical Anglican Prayer Book services elements from the services of the three books and the alternative services of the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book and other unidentified sources. What is unsaid is that An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) has a theology of its own and that theology is a far cry from the Biblical and Reformation theology of the 1662 Prayer Book. The contribution of the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book to the revised services of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) is also unacknowledged. (To see how elements of the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book were incorporated into the rites of Baptism of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008), please read the supplemental article, "Another Source for An Anglican Prayer Book (2008)," posted on Exploring An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) at http://exploringananglicanprayerbook.blogspot.com/ )

An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) substitutes different standards for Anglican doctrine and for the Anglican tradition of worship for what the Anglican Mission adopted in its Solemn Declaration of Principles and ratified in the Common Cause Partnership Theological Statement. This may be attributed in part to the tendency of the compilers of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) to gloss over the significant theological differences between the 1928 American revision, 1928 proposed English revision, and 1962 Canadian revision and the 1662 Prayer Book. In order to see the differences between the Catechism and the Order of Confirmation of these three books, Services in Contemporary English from The Book of Common Prayer of 1662, and An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) and the Catechism and the Order of Confirmation of the classical Anglican Prayer Book, a brief examination of the origin of Confirmation as a rite, its history, and its development in Anglicanism is warranted.

A Post-Apostolic Rite
In the Bible we find no credible evidence that the apostles, much less our Lord, instituted the rite of Confirmation. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament we find a number of passages that describe the practice of laying on of hands [1] but none of these passages describe a primitive form of Confirmation. In its normal descriptions of baptism the New Testament makes no mention of the laying on of hands—not in crowds like the three thousand (Acts 2:41), the five thousand (Acts 4:4) or the Corinthians (Acts 18:8); not in households like that of Cornelius (Acts 10:48), Lydia (Acts 16:15), the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:33), Crispus (Acts 18:8) or Stephanas (1 Cor 1:16); and not among individuals like the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:38) or Paul (Acts 9:19). What we do find is that baptisms in the New Testament Church included prayer for the Holy Spirit and laying on of hands only in unusual circumstances. We find no evidence that any New Testament baptism included an anointing. [2]

We do not find any evidence in Acts 8 and 19 that Luke was establishing a precedent—that Luke’s intention was that prayer for the Holy Spirit and the laying on of hands should be seen as an accompaniment to all baptisms for all time and for all churches. In the Bible mandatory practices are prescribed or commanded. While our Lord commanded us to baptize and be baptized and to give thanks over bread and wine and to share them in remembrance of him, we find no injunctions to invoke the Holy Spirit upon those who have been baptized and to lay hands upon them.

In the New Testament we find a close association between hearing the Word of God and believing in Jesus Christ and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. [3] The New Testament also associates the gift of the Holy Spirit with baptism. [4]

In his commentary upon Acts William Larkins points to our attention:

"The clear teaching of the apostles and their customary practice is that the giving of the Spirit is a birthright of every Christian, received at conversion (Acts 2:38; 1 Cor 12:3, 13). Acts gives no consistent pattern for a second-stage giving of the Spirit by apostolic laying on of hands, as Roman and Anglo Catholic teaching on confirmation would assert, or with extraordinary manifestations such as prophesying and speaking in tongues, as Pentecostal and charismatic teaching on baptism with the Spirit would contend (Acts 8:14-17; 10:44-48; 16:31-34; 19:1-6). Therefore the Samaria experience must be viewed as extraordinary, not normative." [5]

Larkins goes on to explain that the mission of the Church was cross-cultural and not just to the Jews but to all nations. God delayed the Holy Spirit in the case of the Samaritans in order to preserve the church’s unity and its mission’s integrity in the face of centuries of enmity between Jew and Samaritan:

"If God had not withheld his Spirit until the Jerusalem apostles came, converts on both sides of the cultural barrier might have found Christ without finding each other. Neither Samaritan nor Jewish Christians would have been assured that the Samaritans were truly regenerate and the spiritual equals of regenerate Jews (compare Acts 15:8-11). What Luke teaches us, then, is that the unity of the church and the unhindered advance of its mission into all cultures is so important to God that he will delay giving to a converted people what is their birthright, the salvation blessing of the Spirit, in order to ensure that these realities will be fully preserved. So the church today should deal with the matter of the Spirit's coming from the same standpoint." [6]

In the combination of questions that Paul asks the Ephesians in Acts 19 it is clearly evident that Paul assumes a convergence of faith, the gift of the Spirit and baptism at conversion. [7] Based upon their responses Paul concludes that the Ephesians are unconverted. His corrective is to preach the gospel to them, emphasizing that Jesus is the Messiah who was to come, to whom John’s message pointed. [8] Larkin stresses:

"Not as part of baptism but in order to communicate to these twelve that they are now incorporated into the church and the Spirit has indeed come, Paul lays hands on them (compare Acts 8:17). The Lord in his mercy gives outward manifestations, "other languages" (the NIV margin should be followed if the parallel to Pentecost [2:4] is to be fully shown) and prophecy,
confirming to them that full salvation blessings are indeed theirs now." [9]

Larkin summarize what may be learned from Acts:

"As we reflect on conversion experiences at Pentecost, in Samaria and at Caesarea with Gentile God-fearers, what is unique to the various first-century situations and what is normative for all time? Unique items, given to demonstrate to various groups and to Jewish Christian observers the direct incorporation of various groups of non-Jews into the body of Christ, are the apostolic laying on of hands and the extraordinary manifestations of the Spirit's presence, speaking in other languages and prophecy. Necessary precedents having been set, there is no need in God's economy for their normative repetition in every Christian's experience (Acts 15:7-11). But "repentance, faith in Jesus, water baptism and the gift of the Spirit . . . belong together and are universal in Christian initiation" (Stott 1990:305; Lk 24:46-47; Acts 2:38-39).Separating from Unbelieving Tradition (19:8-10)" [10]

The post-apostolic rite of Confirmation was originated in fourth and fifth century Gaul. The development of the rite was accidental. The bishop’s post-baptismal anointing and imposition of hands became disconnected from the rite of Baptism and eventually acquired a theology significance of its own, one that has over the centuries diminished the meaning of Baptism. [11]. What the apostles had done in Acts 8 and 19 bore a superficial resemblance to what the Western Church was doing, and it was on the basis of this superficial resemblance that the Western Church connected its practice with that of the apostles. The Western Church began to interpret Acts 8 and 19 as the origins of Confirmation. It read its own later practice back into the two Acts passages. Its misinterpretation of these two passages became enshrined in the tradition of the Medieval Church and formed an integral part of its view of the theological significance of Confirmation. The idea developed that Confirmation was a completion of Baptism and that the Holy Spirit was given at Confirmation and not Baptism. The rite of Confirmation would eventually be seen as necessary for salvation.

In the Letter to the Hebrews "instruction about washings," or "cleansing rites," and "laying on of hands" are mentioned in a list that includes repentance from "useless rituals," faith toward God (but not Christ), the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:2). The juxtaposition of "washings’ and "laying on of hands" in the same list reinforced the opinion in the Medieval Church that the rituals of Baptism and Confirmation were joined together in the New Testament Church. However, this interpretation of Hebrews 6:2 is purely conjecture. There is nothing in the passage or its context to support it. The authorship of the Letter to the Hebrews is traditionally attributed to Paul. Nothing in Paul’s writings support this view. The New Testament practice of laying on of hands includes healing and setting apart and commissioning for ministry. Nothing in the Letter to the Hebrews precludes Hebrews 6:2 being a reference to one or both of these practices.

The reference to "washings" and the imposition of hands in Acts 6 is cryptic. We cannot beyond possibility of doubt say to what this passage is referring. While Hebrews 10:22 appears to refer to Baptism, we do not know with certainty of what the "washings" of Hebrews 6:2 is speaking. Baptism in the New Testament is generally referred to in the singular. The particular word used in Hebrews 6:2 is derived from the Greek verb "to wash" and has associations with ritual purification. As we have seen the reference to the imposition of hands may be to healing of the sick or to ordination and commissioning. The arguments made for one interpretation or another are inconclusive. The text is obscure and therefore susceptible to oegesis. Such a passage does not offer proof that the rite of Confirmation is apostolic.

By the twelfth century Hugo of St. Victor and other medieval theologians were calling the rite of Confirmation a sacrament. At the Council of Florence in 1439 Pope Eugene IV designated Confirmation as a sacrament by papal decree. From then on Confirmation was a recognized part of the sacramental system of the Church of Rome. It was not only believed to confer grace but also to be equal in power to the other sacraments of the Church. It was viewed as an objective rite that functioned ex opere operato, conferring the gift of the Holy Spirit regardless of the faith of the recipient.

A Bastard Sacrament
The Protestant Reformers rejected Confirmation as a sacrament. Among their principal objections were that Christ did not institute Confirmation. The rite had no real Scriptural basis. It was a development of the late patristic and early medieval period. The Church of Rome used Confirmation to deny that the Holy Spirit was given at Baptism and to maintain that the Holy Spirit was given only through the laying on of hands and anointing. The Church of Rome also taught that Confirmation completed Baptism.

The German Reformer Martin Luther at various times dismissed Confirmation as "Affenspiel," or "monkey business;" "Lügenstand," or "fanciful deception;" and "Gaukelwerk," or "mumbo-jumbo." [12] The Swiss Reformers Ulrich Zwingli, Heinrich Bullinger, and John Calvin also rejected Confirmation. Calvin referred to Confirmation as one of the five "bastard sacraments" of the Church of Rome and as "a noted insult to Baptism." [13]

Like the Continental Reformers, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformers rejected the medieval sacramental system but retained its vocabulary. They, however, applied the term "sacrament" only to the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They concluded from their study of the New Testament that Christ had instituted and the apostles had confirmed only these two ordinances as sacraments for the church. They also retained the idea that the sacraments are means of grace, vehicles through which God applies grace to believers. Like their Reformed brethren on the Continent they insisted that such grace only accompanied the proper administration and appropriation of the sacraments.

A Catechetical Rite
In the fifteenth and sixteenth century a number of reformers desired a ritual for children by which they would appropriate the baptismal promises and vows made on their behalf at their baptism. John Hus, the Bohemian Brethren, and the humanist reformer Erasmus advocated such a ritual. We also find this desire for appropriation of baptismal promises and vows among Reformed theologians. Calvin, while he decisively rejected Confirmation as a sacrament, believed that the examination in the catechism and blessing of adolescents baptized as infants was an ancient custom. He wrote: "This laying on of hands, which is done simply by way of benediction, I commend, and I would like to see restored to its pure use in the present day." [14]

Martin Bucer, the leader of the Reformation in Strasbourg, advocated a catechetical process that included instruction, public profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and laying on of hands. Bucer was forced to leave Strasbourg in 1549 after he refused to sign the Augsburg Interim. He came to England at Cranmer’s invitation in the same year and was appointed the Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge. Cranmer, influenced by the Bohemian Brethren and Bucer, reformed the medieval sacrament of Confirmation into a catechetical rite for children that included prayer and laying on of hands. Children were, upon completion of this rite, admitted to the Lord’s Supper.

In the First Book of Common Prayer of 1549 the section entitled "Confirmacion, wherin is conteined a catechisme for children" includes an explanatory rubric, a Catechism, and an Order of Confirmation. The explanatory rubric that precedes the Catechism contains no suggestion that Confirmation is a sacramental rite instituted by Christ or the apostles. It also rejects the Medieval idea that Confirmation establishes the salvation of the confirmand.

"To the end that Confirmation may be ministered to the more edifying of such as shall receive it (according unto Saint Paul’s doctrine, who teacheth that all things should be done in the Church to the edification of the same) it is thought good that none hereafter shall be confirmed, but such as can say in their mother tongue the Articles of the Faith, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, and can also answer to such questions of this short Catechism as the bishop (or such as he shall appoint) shall by his discretion appose [=examine] them in. And this order is most convenient to be observed for divers considerations.

First, because that when Children come to the years of discretion and have learned what their Godfathers and Godmothers promised for them in Baptism, they may then themselves with their own mouth, and with their own consent, openly before the Church, ratify and confirm the same: and also promise that by the grace of God, they will evermore endeavour themselves faith fully to observe and keep such things as they by their own mouth and confession have assented unto.

Secondly, forasmuch as Confirmation is ministered to them that be baptized, that by Imposition of hands and prayer, they may receive strength and defense against all temptations to sin, and the assaults of the world and the devil: it is most meet to be ministered when children come to that age that partly by the frailty of their own flesh, partly by the assaults of the world and the devil, they begin to be in danger to fall into sundry kinds of sin.

Thirdly, for that it is agreeable with the usage of the Church in times past: whereby it was ordained that Confirmation should be ministered to them that were of perfect age, that they being instructed in Christ’s Religion, should openly profess their own faith, and promise to be obedient unto the will of God.

And that no man shall think that any detriment shall come to children by deferring of their confirmation, he shall know for truth that it is certain by God’s Word, that children being baptized, have all things necessary for their salvation, and be undoubtedly saved."

The insertion of a Catechism into the Prayer Book is a development of the Reformation. The 1549 and 1552 Catechisms covers the promises and vows the godparents made at the candidate’s baptism, the Apostles’ Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.

What may be significant for our purposes is not the 1549 Order of Confirmation but the 1549 Order of Baptism. For Cranmer the Holy Spirit was given in Baptism. After the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed the priest adds the following prayer: "Almighty and everlasting God, heavenly Father, we give thy humble thanks, that thou hast vouchsaved to call us to knowledge of thy grace, and faith in thee: Increase and confirm this faith in us evermore: GIVE THY HOLY SPIRIT TO THESE INFANTS, that they may be born again, and be made heirs of everlasting salvation, through our Lord Jesus Christ: Who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

After the infant has been baptized and vested in a white "Crisome," the priest anoints the infant upon the head, saying these words.

"Almighty God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath regenerated thee by water and the Holy Ghost, and hath given thee remission of thy sins: HE VOUCHSAVE TO ANOINT THEE WITH THE UNCTION OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT, and bring thee to everlasting life. Amen."

Cranmer’s wording of this prayer and the anointing that accompany it suggests that he sought to incorporate into the 1549 Order of Baptism at this juncture in the service elements of the medieval rite of Confirmation, juxtaposing them in close proximity to the water baptism. The words, "…anoint thee with the chrism of salvation," accompany the first post-baptismal anointing in the Sarum rite. Cranmer substitutes for these words those that accompany the second post-baptismal anointing that the bishop normally performs in the Roman rite. This second post-baptismal anointing is a peculiarity of that rite. [15] The incorporation of these elements into the 1549 Order of Baptism further suggest that Cranmer, even at this stage, regarded the rite entitled as "Confirmation" in the 1549 Prayer Book in the Reformed sense of a catechetical rite for children.

In determining the theology of a particular rite in the 1549 and 1552 Prayer Books, we must look at the entire rite and not the individual elements in isolation from each other. We must also be wary of taking just a quick glance. Rather we should closely scrutinize each element, how it fits with the other elements, the overall arrangement of elements, and what that tells us. A casual examination of rubrics and texts of the Prayer Book may led us to make conclusions that a closer look does not support. As with Scripture we must not come to the book with a fore-drawn conclusion of what a specific part of it means. We must not put too much weight upon superficial resemblances and the like.

Both the 1549 and 1552 versions of the prayer, "Almighty and everliving God, who hast vouchsafed to regenerate…" are adapted from a Latin prayer that appears in the rite of Confirmation in the Medieval Sarum service books but which originally came from the Gelasian Sacramentary where it appears in the rite of Baptism. The fourth century writings of Ambrose of Milan also locate the prayer for the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the baptismal rite. [16] After a quick glance in which they note the reference to the Holy Spirit and the "gifts of grace" in both versions of the prayer, some infer that both prayers are petitions that God give to the confirmand His Spirit and with the Holy Spirit the gifts of the Spirit. They do not note the differences between the two prayers. They also do not consider the other elements in the two rites and how they affect the meaning of the two prayers.

In the Second Book of Common Prayer of 1552 Cranmer dropped the prayer "Sign them, O Lord…" from the Order of Confirmation. It contained the phrase, "Confirm and strength [sic] them with the inward unction of thy Holy Ghost, mercifully unto everlasting life." He revised the prayer, "Almighty and everliving God, who hast vouchsafed to regenerate…". He struck out the words, "Send down from heaven we beseech thee (O Lord) upon them thy Holy Ghost the Comforter, with the manifold gifts of grace," and replaced them with the words, "…strengthen them, we beseech thee, (O Lord,) with the Holy Ghost the Comforter, and daily increase in them the manifold gifts of grace…". He moved the prayer to a position immediately before the laying on of hands. He altered the words accompanying the laying on of hands to "Defend, O Lord, this child with thy heavenly grace, that he may continue thine for ever, and daily increase in thy Holy Spirit more and more, until he comes unto thy everlasting kingdom. Amen." These alterations presuppose that the confirmand has received the Holy Spirit (which should indeed be the case if the confirmand has heard the message of the gospel and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, or as Cranmer himself believed had been given the Holy Spirit in Baptism). In the rubrics after the order of Confirmation "the Curate of every Parish, or some other at his appointment" was directed to "diligently upon Sundays and holy days half an hour before Evensong" to catechize the children of the parish and further directed "all Fathers, Mothers, Masters, and Dames" to cause their children, servants, and apprentices to attend these sessions. The final rubric, "And there shall none be admitted to the Holy Communion: until such time as he be confirmed" was revised to "And there shall none be admitted to the Holy Communion, until such time he can say the Catechism and be confirmed." These changes placed greater stress upon the learning of the Catechism that preceded the Order of Confirmation.

Whether we take full note of the peculiarities of a specific rite of Confirmation determines how we understand that rite. Colin Buchanan points this fact to the attention of John Hartley in response to a comment Hartley had made, "One of its disadvantages of the BCP baptism service is that the BCP sees the giving of the Holy Spirit as belonging more to confirmation than to baptism, so the service seems to us a bit inadequate by biblical standards." The 1662 Order of Confirmation is not susceptible to this understanding as Buchanan draws to Hartley’s attention. [17] Either Hartley did not look too closely at the rite or he failed to distinguish between receiving the Holy Spirit and increasing in the Holy Spirit. The 1662 Order of Confirmation certainly contains three prayers that include references to the Holy Spirit but they are not "prayers for the Holy Spirit". All three prayers presume that the confirmands already have the Holy Spirit! This points to the danger of assigning a particular interpretation to a rite without really looking at the rite itself, which has unfortunately happened throughout a large part of the history of Anglicanism for the past 400 years.

With the ascension of Mary Tudor to the English throne in 1553, the 1552 Book of Common Prayer and its catechetical rite for children was abolished and the Medieval Sarum service books and their sacrament of Confirmation were restored. Mary died in 1558 and her younger sister Elizabeth ascended the throne. The Elizabethan Act of Uniformity of April 1559 reestablished the 1552 Prayer Book and its reformed rite. Except for a few small but significant changes in 1604, this rite would be the one used in the Church of England until the revision of the Prayer Book at the Restoration in 1661.

In his Apology of the Church of England, John Jewel, Bishop of Salisbury under Elizabeth I, wrote the classical defense of Reformed Anglicanism against Roman Catholic charges. The Apology served as an interim confession of faith of the Church of England until the adoption of the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion in 1571. The churchwardens of all English parish churches were required to obtain a copy of the Apology and place it where the parishioners could read it. Jewel limited the sacraments to two: "We acknowledge that there be two sacraments which, we judge, properly ought to be called by this name; that is to say, baptism and the sacrament of thanksgiving [eucharist]. For thus many we see delivered and sanctified by Christ, and were allowed of the old fathers, Ambrose and Augustine." [18]

The Homily on Common Prayer and the Sacraments from the Second Book of Homilies published early in the reign of Elizabeth I recognizes only two sacraments—Baptism and the Lord’s Supper:

"And as for the number of them, if they should be considered according to the exact signification of a Sacrament, namely, for the visible signs, expressly commanded in the new Testament, whereunto is annexed the promise of free forgiveness of our sin, and of our holiness and joining in Christ, there be but two: namely Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord." [19]

The homily goes on to acknowledge that "ancient writers" have given the name of sacrament to "any thing whereby an holy thing is signified," including "not only the other five, commonly of late years taken and used for supplying the number of the seven Sacraments: but also to divers and sundry other ceremonies, as to oil, washing of feet, and such like…". However, in doing so, these writers did not intend that these rituals should be generally considered to be or regarded as "in the same signification" as the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. [20]

After drawing attention to Augustine’s affirmation of only two Christian sacraments in his writings—Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, the homily further points to our attention:

"And although there are retained by the order of the Church of England, besides these two, certain other Rites and Ceremonies about the institution of Ministers in the Church, Matrimony, Confirmation of the children, by examining them of their knowledge in the articles of the faith, and joining thereto the prayers of the Church for them, and likewise for the visitation of the sick: yet no man ought to take these for Sacraments, in such signification and meaning, as the Sacrament of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are: but either for godly states of life, necessary in Christ’s Church, and therefore worthy to be set forth by public action and solemnity by the ministry of the Church, or else judged to be such ordinances, as may make for the instruction, comfort, and edification of Christ’s Church." [21]

As we can see, the homily, when referring to the rite of Confirmation describes it in terms of the examination of the children in their knowledge of the articles of the faith, to which is joined "the prayers of the Church for them." It makes no mention of laying on of hands or sealing with the Holy Spirit. It appears to categorize Confirmation with "such ordinances, as may make for the instruction, comfort, and edification of Christ’s Church."

The Homily Concerning the Coming Down of the Holy Ghost and the Manifold Gifts of the Same for Whitsunday from the Second Book of Homilies also makes no mention of the laying on of hands. In what the Thirty-Nine Articles describe as containing " a godly and wholesome Doctrine" and judge should be "diligently and distinctly" read in churches to the people that they may understand them, we should reasonably expect to find some mention of the imposition of hands in connection with the gift of the Holy Spirit if it figured in the authorized teaching of the Elizabethan Church. But it is conspicuous by its absence. What the Homily on the Coming Down of the Holy Ghost for Whitsunday emphasizes is the evidence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer—what the apostle Paul calls "the fruits of the Spirit." The homily is sharply critical of those who claim to have received the gift of the Holy Spirit but do not evidence its fruit. [22]

In one of his sermons Edwin Sandys, an exile during the reign of Mary and the bishop of Worchester and of London and Archbishop of York during the reign of Elizabeth I, affirms the Reformed view of the sacraments. They "are two in number, instituted by Christ to be received of Christians: By the one, which is baptism, we are received and incorporated into the church of Christ; by the other, which is the eucharist or the Lord’s supper, we are nourished and fed unto life everlasting" [23]

The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, the Church of England’s official confession of faith, agreed upon by Convocation in 1562 and enacted into law by Parliament and given the royal assent in 1571, is based upon the Forty-Two Articles of 1553. Article XXV. "Of the Sacraments" also affirms the Reformed position:

"There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.

Those five, commonly called Sacraments, that is to say, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures; but yet have not the like nature of Sacraments with Baptism and the Lord's Supper, for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God."

Puritan Objections
During the reign of Elizabeth I the Puritans raised a number of objections to Confirmation. In Worship and Theology in England from Cranmer to Hooker 1534-1603 Horton Davies lists their three main objections:

"The Puritans objected to Confirmation as virtually the creation of a third sacrament, which since it required a bishop for its administration, seemed to reduce the significance of the other two sacraments which required no bishop for their administration. It was also felt that the Lord’s Supper added the grace of Confirmation of Baptism and that a separate service of Confirmation was therefore otiose. In the third place, the Puritans objected to the laying on of hands in a manner that was un-Apostolic while claiming to follow the model of the apostles." [24]

At the Hampton Court Conference of 1604 the Puritans drew to the attention of James I and the English bishops that the Thirty-Nine Articles were a contradiction of the teaching of the Prayer Book since Confirmation was, according to Article XXV, "a corrupt following of the Apostles." James and the bishops dismissed this objection as frivolous. [25]

A Holy Rite
In the 1604 revision of the Elizabethan Prayer Book of 1559 the title of the section of the Prayer Book containing the Catechism and the Order of Confirmation was changed from "Confirmacion, wherein is conteined a catechisme for children" to "The Order of Confirmation, or laying on of hands upon children baptised, and able to render an account of their Faith, according to the Catechisme following." The text in the 1559 Catechism "First, that I should forsake the devil, and all his workes and pompes, the vanities of the wicked worlde, and al the sinful lustes of the fleshe…" was altered to "First, that I should forsake the devil, and all his workes, the pompes and the vanities of the wicked worlde, and al the sinful lustes of the fleshe…". The questions and answers on the sacraments were also added in 1604. These began with the following question and answer:

"How many sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church?
Answer. Two only, as generally necessary to salvation, that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord."

The title of the Order of Confirmation itself was changed from "Confirmation" to "Confirmation, or laying on of hands." The linking of Confirmation with laying on hands in the title of the section of the Prayer and the Order of Confirmation was intentional. While the 1559 Order of Confirmation connected the laying on of hands in the rite with the apostolic practice of laying on of hands, neither the Preface to the 1559 Catechism nor the 1559 Order of Confirmation itself directly stated or implied that the rite was apostolic. In linking Confirmation and laying on of hands together the 1604 revision takes the position that the apostles instituted the rite.

In the 1559 Order of Confirmation the word "bothe" was struck from the versicle and response, "Our helpe is in the name of the Lorde." "Aunswere. Whiche hath made bothe heaven and earth." The versicle "Lorde hear our prayer" was altered to "Lorde hear our prayers."

In the early seventeenth century High Church Caroline divine Jeremy Taylor, referring to Confirmation as a "Holy Rite," described the rite in sacramental terms but stopped short of calling it a sacrament. He argued that Confirmation was apostolic on the flimsy basis of Acts 8 and 19 and Hebrews 6. He took the position that the Holy Spirit is bestowed through the laying of hands at Confirmation:

"But the principal thing is this: Confirmation is the consummation and purification, the corroboration and strength, of baptism and baptismal grace; for in baptism we undertake to do our duty, but in Confirmation we receive strength to do it. In Confirmation we receive the Holy Ghost as the earnest of our inheritance, as the seal of salvation." [26]

The High Church Caroline divines, however, rejected the Roman Catholic sacramental system. Bishop Lancelot Andrewes wrote:

"For more than a thousand years the number of seven Sacraments was never heard of. How, then, can the belief in seven Sacraments be catholic, which means, always believed?" [27]
Archbishop John Bramhall who, with John Cosins, defended the Church of England from its Roman Catholic critics during the Interregnum and worked assiduously to keep the Royal family then in exile from becoming Roman Catholic, wrote:

"Our Church receives not the septenary number of the Sacraments, that being never so much as mentioned in any Scripture, council or creed, or father, or ancient author, but first divided in the twelfth century by Peter Lombard; decreed in the fifteenth century by Pope Eugenius IV, and established at Trent." [28]

A Restored Rite
With the abolition of episcopacy and the banning of the Prayer Book in 1646 the rite of Confirmation fell into abeyance. By the end of the Interregnum in 1660 a large segment of the population was unconfirmed, and was not particularly "desirous to be confirmed."

The Restoration revision of the Prayer Book of 1662 is substantially the 1552 Prayer Book with some modest changes. The Restoration bishops separated the Catechism from the Order of Conformation and dropped the explanatory rubric at the beginning of the Catechism. They changed the title of the Catechism to "A Catechism that is to say an instruction to be learned of every person, before he be brought to be confirmed by the bishop. They slightly altered the rubrics at the beginning and end of the Order of Confirmation, combined them, and moved them to the end of the Catechism, except for the rubric, "And there shall none be admitted to the Holy Communion, until such time he can say the Catechism and be confirmed." This rubric was altered to "And there shall be none admitted to the holy Communion, until such time as he be confirmed, or be ready and desirous to be confirmed." and moved to the end of the Order of Confirmation. They gave much greater emphasis to the public examination and instruction of children, servants, and apprentices in the Catechism in the rubrics at the end of the Catechism. Curates were directed to catechize the children on Sundays and holy days after the second lesson at Evening Prayer, instead of half an hour before Evening Prayer, as previously had been the case. This meant that the children’s parents and masters would be present during the catechizing and would benefit themselves from overhearing the examination and instruction of the children.

The Restoration bishops added a fuller version of the Ten Commandments and made two emendations to the section of the Catechism on the sacraments, which had been added in 1604. They altered the answers to the questions:

"What is the outward visible sign or form in Baptism?"

"Why then are infants baptized, when by reason of their tender age they cannot perform them?"

They, however, did not add any additional sections to the Catechism.

The Restoration bishops added to the Order of Confirmation a Preface drawn from the opening part of the explanatory rubric dropped from the beginning of the Catechism:

"To the end that Confirmation may be ministered to the more edifying of such as shall receive it, the Church hath thought good to order, That none shall be confirmed but such as can say the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments; and can also answer to such other Questions, as in the short Catechism are contained: which order is very convenient to be observed; to the end, that children, being now come to the years of discretion, and having learned what their Godfathers and Godmothers promised for them in Baptism, may themselves, with their own mouth and consent, openly before the Church, ratify and confirm the same; and also promise, that, by the grace of God, they will evermore endeavour themselves faithfully to observe such things, as they, by their own confession, have assented unto."

They also added the ratification and confirmation of the baptismal promise and vow to the Order of Confirmation and inserted the collect, "O Almighty God Lord, and everlasting God, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to direct, sanctify, and govern…" after the prayer, "Almighty and everliving God, who makest us both to will and to do such things as be good and acceptable unto thy Majesty…".

During the period immediately following the restoration of the Stuart monarchy the Church authorities sought to impose the requirement of knowledge of the Catechism as the prerequisite for full, participatory membership in the Church of England, including admission to the Lord’s Supper. In this effort they succeeded. However, they were not successful in reducing the low number of Confirmations. Until the very late seventeenth century both clergy and laity showed little interest in Confirmation. During this period Confirmation was presented as an opportunity to make a public profession of faith and to ratify and confirm the baptismal promise and vow made on one’s behalf at Baptism. [29]

A Sacred Thing, A Mystery
In the seventeenth and eighteenth century the Non-Jurors and the old High Church party continued to maintain and teach that the rite of Confirmation was an apostolic ordinance and that the bishop conferred the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands at Confirmation. Bishop of Connecticut Samuel Seabury, the first American bishop and a High Churchman, favored a theology emphasizing sacramentalism and apostolic succession and promoted this view of Confirmation in the fledgling Protestant Episcopal Church. So did Bishop of New York John Henry Hobart, a leading High Churchman of the early nineteenth century.

The Order of Confirmation of the First American Prayer of 1789 closely follows that of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. We do not see evidence of Anglo-Catholic or High Church influence in the American Prayer Book until the revision of 1892. The Preface was made optional and the following lection was added:

"Hear the words of the Evangelist Saint Luke, in the eighth Chapter of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles.

WHEN the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost."

Both changes were significant. The option of omitting the Preface enabled the bishop and other ministers to reduce the catechetical emphasis of the rite. The lection, Act 8: 14-17, suggested that confirmands received the Holy Spirit when the bishop laid hands upon them. It made the rite more sacramental.

During the early part of the nineteenth century the Tracts for the Times were published in England. Their publication marked the emergence of the Oxford Movement, also known as the Tractarian Movement and the Anglo-Catholic Movement, which eventually displaced the old High Church party in the Church of England and changed the identity of High Church school of churchmanship in Anglicanism.

The later Tractarians—also known as the "Ritualists" and the "Romanizers"—represented not only a revolt against the Evangelical and Latitudinarian parties but also the old High Church tradition. [30] They did not disguise their sympathy for the Church of Rome. They rejected the English Reformation and the Elizabethan Settlement and celebrated the decrees of the Council of Trent and the Counter-Reformation. They broke down the hedge that separated the Church of England and the Church of Rome and imported Roman doctrine and practices, including the Roman sacramental system into the English Church. They argued that the Church of Rome had preserved the ancient traditions of the Church in their purest form. As the justification for their introduction of Roman doctrinal and worship innovations that had never been a part of the English Catholicism before the Reformation they claimed that if the Reformation had not occurred, these innovations would have become a part of the Catholic religion in England as they had in other countries that had not experienced the influence of the Reformation. They engaged in liturgical experimentation, altering the services of the Prayer Book and adding elements from the Medieval and Roman service books. They created much turbulence in the Church of England with their defiance of measures adopted to discourage their ritualism and Romanization of the English Church.

The Tractarian Movement quickly spread to the Protestant Episcopal Church where it flourished. The principal check to its growth and influence, the church’s Evangelical wing, almost half of its bishops and a third of its clergy in the 1840s and 1850s, was removed with the succession of the more conservative Evangelicals in 1872 and the subsequent conversion of the remaining Evangelicals to Broad Church liberalism.

A Sacrament in Everything But Name
By the 1920s the Anglo-Catholic party had attained a decided ascendancy in the Protestant Episcopal Church. In 1925 the General Convention under Anglo-Catholic leadership passed a resolution abolishing the Thirty-Nine Articles as a doctrinal statement of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The 1925 General Convention also gave initial approval to a proposed revision of the American Prayer Book that made a number of radical changes in that Prayer Book. [31] The resolution doing away with the Articles was to come before the 1928 General Convention for a second vote but was quietly dropped after the proposed Prayer Book revision was given final approval.

The 1928 revision added the following prayer to the Prayers and Thanksgivings:

"For those about to be Confirmed

O GOD, who through the teaching of thy Son Jesus Christ didst prepare the disciples for the coming of the Comforter: Make ready, we beseech thee, the hearts and minds of thy servants who at this time are seeking to be strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, that, drawing near with penitent and faithful hearts, they may be evermore filled with the power of his divine indwelling; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

The prayer clearly ties the gift of the Holy Spirit to the laying of hands at Confirmation.

The 1928 revision made several changes in the Catechism and the Order of Confirmation of the American Prayer Book. Among these changes was that two Office of Instructions replaced the Catechism. The questions and answers in the First Office were based upon the 1662 Catechism, exclusive of those on the sacraments. The questions and answers in the Second Office were principally based upon a supplement to the 1662 Catechism that the lower house of the Convocation of Canterbury compiled in 1887 but which was never authorized. [32] The Second Office of Instruction contains following questions and answers:

Question: What is your bounden duty as a member of the Church?
Answer: My bounden duty is to follow Christ, to worship God every Sunday; and to work and pray and give for the spread of his kingdom.

Question: What special means does the Church provide to help you do all these things?
Answer: The Church provides the Laying on of hands or Confirmation, wherein, after renewing the promises and vows of my Baptism, and declaring loyalty and devotion to Christ as my Master, I receive the strengthening gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Two prayers conclude the Second Office of Instruction. The first prayer also suggests that the Holy Spirit is given at Confirmation:

"Grant, O Lord, that they who shall renew the promises and vows of their Baptism, and be confirmed by the Bishop, may receive such a measure of they Holy Spirit, that they may grow in grace unto their life’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

The 1662 Preface was dropped from the Order of Confirmation. A form for presenting the confirmands to the bishop similar to that at Ordination was added. As in the 1892 American Prayer Book, the Order of Confirmation contains the lection from Acts 8. In addition to ratifying and confirming the solemn promise and vow he made, or that was made in his name, at his baptism, the confirmand also promises to follow Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

With these changes the Order of Confirmation was transformed into a sacramental rite, completing the transition away from the catechetical rite of the 1789 American Prayer Book begun in the 1892 revision. In the 1928 American Prayer Book Confirmation is a sacrament in everything but name only. The absence of a specific reference to Confirmation as a sacrament, however, does not keep the teaching of the 1928 American Prayer Book from being a contradiction to Article XXV.

In 1928 the English Parliament rejected for a second time a proposed revision of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The measure authorizing the use of the new book had been approved in the Convocations of Canterbury and York and the Church Assembly, and passed in the House of Lords but had been defeated in the House of Commons in 1927. After further revision the book and the accompanying measure were resubmitted to the English Parliament only to be defeated again in the House of Commons. In defiance of the English Parliament a resolution authorizing the use of the alternative versions of the services in the book was approved in the Upper House of the Convocation of Canterbury in 1929 and a number of the revised services were used in some dioceses of the Church of England in subsequent years.

The proposed 1928 revision of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer added a number of new prayers to the Prayers and Thanksgivings. They included the following prayer:

"For Candidates for Confirmation.

Let us pray for those who are being prepared for Confirmation.

V. Let thy loving Spirit lead them forth;
R. Into the land of righteousness.

O GOD, who through the teaching of thy Son Jesus Christ didst prepare the disciples for the coming of the Comforter: Make ready, we beseech thee, the hearts and minds of thy servants who at this time are seeking the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, that, drawing near with penitent and faithful hearts, they may be filled with the power of his divine indwelling; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Like its counterpart in the 1928 American Prayer Book, this prayer ties the gift of the Holy Spirit to the laying on hands at Confirmation.

An Alternative Order for Confirmation of the 1928 Proposed English Book of Common Prayer moves the 1662 Preface to the beginning of the rite where it becomes an introductory rubric. The words "…ratify and confirm the same…" are altered to "… ratify and confess the same…". The rite substitutes the following Preface for the 1662 Preface:

"Dearly beloved in the Lord, in ministering Confirmation the Church doth follow the example of the Apostles of Christ. For in the eighth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles we thus read :—

They therefore that were scattered abroad went about preaching the word. And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ. When they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John : who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: for as yet he was fallen upon none of them : only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

The scripture here teacheth us that a special gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed through laying on of hands with prayer. And forasmuch as this gift cometh from God alone, let us that are here present pray to Almighty God, that he will strengthen with his Holy Spirit in Confirmation those who in Baptism were made his children.

You, then, who are to be confirmed must now declare before this congregation that you are stedfastly purposed, with the help of this gift, to lead your life in the faith of Christ and in obedience to God’s will and commandments; and must openly acknowledge yourselves bound to fulfil the Christian duties to which your Baptism hath pledged you."

The Preface states that Acts 8 teaches that the gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed through the laying of hands, inferring that the imposition of hands is the normal vehicle through which God imparts the Holy Spirit. Acts 8, however, as we have seen, describes an unusual situation. It cannot bear the weight of such a claim.

The bishop, in requiring the renewal of baptismal vows, is given the choice of asking a single question or three questions, before he proceeds with the confirmation. The single question is taken from the 1662 Confirmation Service, except that the words "ratifying and confirming" have been altered to "ratifying and confessing…". The three questions are adapted from those addressed to the baptismal candidate in the rite of Baptism for adults in the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book. After the renewal of the baptismal vows An Alternative Order for Confirmation is substantially the 1662 Confirmation Service with the exception of the blessing and the final rubric. A charge to the confirmands precedes the blessing:

"Go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage; hold fast that which is good; render to no man evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted ; support the weak; help the afflicted; honour all men; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. And the Blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be upon you, and remain with you for ever. Amen."

The final rubric takes from the minister of the parish the determination of whether an individual is ready and desirous to be confirmed and therefore may be admitted to the Holy Communion and gives it to the bishop:

"And there shall none be admitted to the Holy Communion, until such time as he be confirmed, or be found in the judgement of the Bishop to be ready and desirous to be confirmed."

Beginning in the nineteenth century Anglicans became involved in a prolonged debate about the role of the Holy Spirit in the rites of Baptism and Confirmation. This debate was engaged far more vigorously in England than in the United States. In the late nineteenth century A. J. Mason argued that, while Baptism cleanses from sin, it is incomplete without the seal of the Spirit that Confirmation bestows. [33] In the twentieth century Gregory Dix went further than Mason and drew a sharp distinction between baptism of water and baptism of the Holy Spirit. He insisted that the Holy Spirit was operative not in Baptism but in Confirmation. [34] Geoffrey Lampe built a stronger case from many of the same sources from the Bible and the Early Church that the Holy Spirit is fully at work in Baptism. [35] Dix’s two-stage theory of Christian initiation, however, received much more attention in the United States than did Lampe’s rebuttal of that theory. [36]

In 1962 the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada authorized for use the last exclusively traditional language Prayer Book produced in the twentieth century.
The Prayers and Thanksgivings of the 1962 Canadian Prayer Book included two prayers for those being prepared for Confirmation:

"O GOD, who through the teaching of thy Son Jesus Christ didst prepare the disciples for the coming of the Comforter: Make ready, we beseech thee, the hearts and minds of thy servants who at this time are seeking the gifts of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, that, drawing near with penitent and faithful hearts, they may be filled with his power; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or

O ALMIGHTY God, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: We humbly commend unto thee those who are about to renew before the Church the solemn vows of their Baptism, and to seek thy heavenly grace in the laying on of hands. Guard them from the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and give them grace to devote themselves wholly unto thee, body, soul, and spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

The first prayer expresses the view that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are conveyed through the laying of hands. The second is not as explicit but expresses a similar view, that the laying on of hands is a vehicle through which God applies grace. Both are in essence saying in contradiction to the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion that the laying of hands is a sacrament.

A number of revisions were made in the 1662 Catechism. The following questions and answers were inserted in those on the sacraments:

Catechist. Why then are infants baptized?
Answer. Infants are baptized so that, being received into Christ's Church, they may grow in grace and be trained in the household of faith.

Catechist. How can infants promise repentance and faith?
Answer. Their Godfathers and Godmothers make the promise for them.

Catechist. When do they take this promise upon themselves?
Answer. When they are confirmed by the Bishop and, through prayer and the laying on of hands, are strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

A Supplementary Instruction was added to the Catechism. It includes these questions and answers:

Question. What is the work of the Church in the world?
Answer. The work of the Church in the world is to offer to God on behalf of all men the worship which is his due; to make known to all men the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and to unite all men to God in one family.

Question. How did our Lord provide for the life and work of the Church?
Answer. Our Lord sent his Holy Spirit upon the Church and upon his Apostles.

The Order of Confirmation begins with the presentation of the confirmands to the bishop similar to that at Ordination. It is followed by a challenge by the bishop also similar to the one used at Ordination:

Bishop. Take heed that the persons whom ye present be duly prepared and meet to receive the laying on of hands.
Minister. I have instructed them and inquired of them and believe them so to be.

The presentation and the challenge carries the implication that Confirmation is the "ordination of the laity," which is how proponents of the two-stage theory of Christian initiation frequently described "the distinctive grace of Confirmation" in the twentieth century.[37]

The 1662 Preface has been replaced by a longer Preface implying that Confirmation is an apostolic rite:

"Brethren, these are they to whom we purpose, God willing, to administer the Apostolic rite of the laying on of hands.

The Church has thought good to order that none shall be confirmed, but such as can say the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, and are further instructed in the Church Catechism, set forth for that purpose.

We are assured that these persons present, being by baptism members of Christ's Church, are prepared as aforesaid, and we are assembled here to bless them by the laying on of hands with prayer.

This order is very convenient to be observed.

First. Because it is evident from sundry places in holy Scripture that the Apostles prayed for and laid their hands upon those who were baptized; and the same is agreeable with the usage of the Church since the Apostles' time. This holy rite is reckoned in the Epistle to the Hebrews to be one of the first principles of Christ.

Secondly. In order that persons, having come to the years of discretion, may acknowledge openly the vows made at their Baptism and dedicate their lives to the will of God.

Thirdly. In order that by prayer and laying on of hands they may be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, manfully to fight under the banner of Christ crucified, against sin, the world, and the devil, and to continue Christ's faithful soldiers and servants unto their life's end."

The Preface is followed by two lections, the first from Acts 8 and the second from Acts 19. These lections with the reference to Hebrews 6 in the Preface form the basis of the 1962 Canadian Prayer Book’s claim that the rite of Confirmation is apostolic. As we have seen, there is no credible evidence to support this claim. Acts 8 and 19 describe unusual circumstances. The laying on of hands to which Hebrews 6 refers is unclear.

As in the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book, the bishop, in the 1962 Canadian Order of Confirmation, in requiring the renewal of baptismal vows, may ask a single question or three questions, after which he proceeds with the confirmation. After the Renewal of the Baptismal Vows the 1962 Canadian Order of Confirmation follows the 1662 order except that "Confirm and…" has been added to the phrase "…strengthen them, we beseech thee…" in the 1552 prayer, "Almighty and everliving God, who hast vouchsafed to regenerate…". "Confirm" appears to be used in the sense of God establishing the salvation of the confirmands and points to the sacramental character of the Canadian rite.

For those occasions when Confirmation follows immediately after Baptism, a shortened form is provided.

Scriptural Initiation
In 1964, two years after the authorization of the 1962 Canadian Prayer Book, John Stott gave an address on the subject of "The Baptism and Fullness of the Holy Spirit" to the Islington Conference of Evangelical clergy. Stott subsequently expanded his talk and the Intervarsity Fellowship published it in booklet form. The following summary of Baptism and Fullness was taken from Roger Steer’s Guarding the Holy Fire: The Evangelicalism of John R. W. Stott, J. I. Packer, and Alister McGrath:

"First, he argued, the fullness of the Holy Spirit was one of the distinctive blessings of the new age. Just as the ministry of John the Baptist was to baptise with water, so the characteristic of the ministry of Jesus would be to baptise with Holy Spirit. When we repent and believe, Jesus not only takes away our sins, but also baptises us with the Holy Spirit. It is this "baptism" or "gift" of the Spirit which makes our experience of the fullness of the Spirit possible.

Second, the fullness of the Holy Spirit is the universal blessing for all who repent and believe. Since Pentecost, the Spirit has come to indwell all believers. The general teaching of the New Testament is baptism, including baptism in the Spirit, is an initial experience. True, there are a few narrative passages in Acts which may suggest a special experience subsequent to conversion, but they occurred in special circumstances and are not normal for us today. The norm of Christian experience is a cluster of four things: repentance, faith in Jesus, water baptism, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Though the perceived order may vary a little, the four belong together and are universal in Christian initiation. The laying-on of apostolic hands, together with tongue-speaking and prophesying, were special to Ephesus and to Samaria (as described in Acts), in order to demonstrate visibly and publicly that particular groups were incorporated into Christ by the Spirit. The New Testament does not suggest that these specific episodes would be the normal experiences of Christians. The emphasis of the New Testament is not to urge on Christians some new and distinct blessing, but to remind them of what by grace they are, and to recall them to it.

Third, the fullness of the Holy Spirit is a continuous blessing to be continuously and increasingly appropriated. In response to the invitation of Jesus recorded in John 7, we are to keep coming, to keep believing and to keep drinking of the living water he offers.

As for the supernatural signs associated with Pentecost, they are no more typical of every baptism of the Spirit than those on the Damascus road are of every conversion. What is the evidence of the Spirit’s indwelling and fullness? As with baptism, so with fullness, the chief evidence is moral not miraculous. The chief mark of a person filled with the Spirit of God will be seen in the Spirit’s fruit (love, joy, peace…), not the Spirit’s gifts. It is wrong to think of being filled with the Spirit as a sort of spiritual inebriation in which we lose control of our selves. Under the influence of the Spirit we gain control of ourselves." [38]

Steer goes on to write:

"Stott ended his booklet with a plea to his readers constantly to seek to be filled with the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, to walk in the Spirit. ‘Can we not gladly occupy this common ground together,’ he asked, ‘so that there be no division among us?’ The main condition of being filled is to be hungry. In this life we can never be filled to hunger no more. Jesus said, ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness’ (Matt. 5:6), implying that hungering and thirsting after righteousness is as much a permanent state of the Christian as being ‘poor in spirit’ or ‘meek’ or ‘merciful.’ ‘So let neither those who have had unusual experiences, nor those who have not, imagine that they have ‘attained’ and that God cannot fill them any further with himself!’" [39]

Stott’s emphasis upon repentance and faith in Jesus, the moral nature of the chief evidence of the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and hungering and thirsting after righteousness is particularly important today when individuals whose lives fall far short of the moral and ethical standards that God has set for followers of Christ in the Scriptures claim to have the Holy Spirit solely upon the basis of their baptism, confirmation, or such manifestations as glossolia, or speaking in tongues, which they attribute to the Holy Spirit. Or they maintain that the Holy Spirit is operative in their efforts to normalize in the Church and in society at large life styles that are from the viewpoint of the Bible displeasing to God, going as far as claiming special illumination of the Holy Spirit that supercedes and supplants the clear teaching of the Bible.

In 1968 the bishops of the Anglican Communion meeting at Lambeth commended a sections report on baptism as full initiation to the continuing study of the Church as a statement of the views of the bishops concerned.

In 1970 the General Convention of the Episcopal Church USA considered a proposal for reuniting the rites of Baptism and Confirmation into a single rite. This proposed rite restored the prayer for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to its original position in the baptismal rite. It also restored the post-baptismal anointing that Cranmer had dropped from the 1552 Prayer and made it optional. While the proposal made the bishop the chief minister of the reunited rite of Baptism and Confirmation, it also authorized the priest to act in the absence of the bishop as Vatican II had authorized the delegation of the laying on of hands and anointing by Roman Catholic bishops to Roman Catholic priests. The House of Bishops recognizing that Episcopalians who had been taught that Confirmation was an apostolic rite separate from Baptism and was the completion of Baptism might not accept the proposed rite suggested a compromise. In this compromise the baptismal rite retained the prayer for the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the priest laid hands on the newly baptized and anointed the newly baptized with chrism. This anointing with chrism is what originally was "confirmation" in the early Western Church and is "confirmation" in the Eastern Churches to this day. A second rite, entitled "Confirmation," would consist of the candidates’ personal appropriation of the promises and vows made on their behalf at their baptism, followed by the imposition of hands and prayer by the bishop. The compromise recognized that the two rites are open to two different interpretations. The first rite may be interpreted as a reunited rite of Baptism and Confirmation and the second rite as simply the candidates’ owning of their Baptism-Confirmation. Or the first rite may be traditionally interpreted as Baptism and the second rite as Confirmation. This compromise, with some changes, eventually became the rites of Baptism and "Confirmation" in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

Traditionalist Anglo-Catholics have criticized the 1979 rite of "Confirmation" because it does not contain those elements that they believe are essential to the sacrament of Confirmation. However, the 1979 rite of Baptism is, from the standpoint of those who crafted the rite, the rite in which the newly baptized is "confirmed." Marion Hatchett advocates that the title of "Confirmation" for the second rite should be replaced with the original title for the rite from Prayer Book Studies 18, which is "Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows with the Laying on of Hands by a Bishop." [40] This might reduce the confusion that its present title creates.

In 1971 the report of the Commission on Christian Initiation to the General Synod of the Church of England explicitly linked the receiving of the seal of the Spirit in baptism with "sacramental completeness of initiation" in baptism. This reports, also known as the Ely Report, stated, "Baptism cannot be added to or supplemented or ‘completed’. It is the one and complete sacrament of Christian initiation." [41]

In 1977 J. I. Packer wrote I Want to Be a Christian as companion to his widely read Knowing God. I Want to Be a Christian is an overview of Christianity that covers "the content of the three formulae that have always been central to Christian catechizing"—the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, as well as baptism and conversion. It is a useful popular level group study resource and has gone through a number of printings. In Chapter 11 - Baptism, Confirmation, and Confession Packer quickly dispels the notion that in the rite of Confirmation the bishop’s laying on of hands and prayer for strengthening of the Holy Spirit means that the fullness of the Holy Spirit has been withheld in some way from us up to that point or that through Confirmation we receive the Spirit and his benefits in unique ways that we otherwise cannot. "Such ideas are common," Packer writes, "but are really superstitions, reflecting medieval belief that confirmation is a sacrament, which Peter and John were administering when they laid hands on the Samaritans after praying for the Spirit (Acts 8:14-17), and that sacraments are ordinarily the only means of conveying the blessings they signify." [42]

"The gesture of laying hands on the person you pray for as a mark of goodwill and concern as did Peter and John to the Samaritans, and Paul to the Ephesian disciples, and the Antioch leaders to Paul and Barnabas (Acts 19:6, 13:4), and Paul and an unidentified eldership to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Timothy 4:14)," in the sense of sign that is given by God and which guarantee a particular blessing, Packer goes on to write, is not a sacrament. The New Testament knows only two sacraments in this sense—Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Scripture also shows that the gifts of grace signified and guaranteed to believers by the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper may be given apart from them. [43]

After emphasizing the New Testament idea of initiation as becoming a Christian-in-the-church, Packer further stresses:

"Certainly, too, scriptural initiation involves faith, exercised and professed; reception into the believing community by baptism in the triune name; and receiving, or being sealed with, the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13ff.; 4:30). But it is not true, as some has supposed, that confirmation supplements baptism by signifying the gift of the Spirit. In the New Testament baptism signifies all aspects of entering new life in Christ, including the gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 12:13). Confirmation, however, is not part of scriptural initiation, for it is not a biblical ordinance at all." [44]

Packer goes on to ask the rhetorical question, "But if it is just church tradition, why practice it? Is it worth retaining?"

Packer’s answer to this question is "Yes." He gives two reasons for doing so—one theological and one pastoral. First, the rite of Confirmation provides for one element in Christian initiation, which infant baptism does not provide—the opportunity to profess our faith personally before the church. Publicly professing our faith is God’s will for those who are old enough to do so (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 1 Timothy 6:12). A personal profession of faith shows that we are ready to properly appropriate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper and to receive the grace that God applies to believers through this vehicle. Second, Confirmation is the point in Christian nurture where we exchange "junior, sponsored membership" for "adult membership in our own right, based on personal acceptance of the commitment to faith and renunciation of the devil, the world, and the flesh which our sponsors made on our behalf." We confirm in our own person the solemn promise and vow made in our name at our Baptism. The church, having heard us confirm our faith by professing it, prays with the bishop that we may be confirmed and strengthened by the Holy Spirit for the fulfillment of our commitment. [45]

In 1987 Michael Green also sought to clear away a number of misconceptions about Baptism and Confirmation in his book Baptism. In discussion of the relationship of Baptism and Confirmation he first draws to the attention of his readers what Confirmation is not:

"Confirmation is not the topping up of baptism as the entry into the Christian life. There is no justification for such a view in the New Testament. It is no supplementary rite. Repentance, faith and baptism are the human conditions for receiving the new life in Christ, membership of his family, the forgiveness of sins and gift of the Spirit. Baptism alone is the rite which initiate a person into the church; not baptism and something else, i.e. confirmation." [46]

Green then point to our attention what Confirmation is:

"It is first and foremost, a profession of faith….Confirmation is, second, a domestic rite bringing the candidate into full accreditation and recognition within a particular branch of the Christian church…. Third, confirmation is a commissioning for service…." [47]

Pentecostalism places "baptism in the Spirit" after water-baptism as a "second-blessing". Modern charismatics in the Roman Catholic Church have embraced the Pentecostal two stage theory of Christian initiation and equate "baptism in the Spirit" with the rite of Confirmation and laying on of hands and anointing. Charismatic Anglo-Catholics have taken a similar view of the relationship of Confirmation and "baptism in the Spirit."

Green draws to our attention that the passages of Scripture that those who subscribe to the Pentecostal explanation of Spirit-baptism cite as proof of their position, do not, upon careful reading, support that position. [48] He concludes from the seven references to "baptism in the Holy Spirit" in New Testament that Spirit-baptism is not a second experience, but "an unrepeatable, if complex, plunging into Christ, with repentance and faith, justification and forgiveness, sonship and public witness, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the seal of belonging, all being part of initiation in Christ.’ [49] While all these parts of Baptism belong together, we may experience them at different times in our lives. What some Christians call "baptism in the Holy Spirit" is the discovery in actual experience what has been potentially ours all the time in our baptism. Green suggests that "release" in the Spirit may be a better term. We "posses our possessions"—we notice and use for the first time what has been ours all along, experiencing a new dimension in our Christian life and fresh manifestations of the Holy Spirit. [50]

At the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation in 1991 a new consensus appeared to have emerged on the role of the Holy Spirit in baptism. This consensus asserted unequivocally that baptism is complete sacramental initiation, including the gift of the Holy Spirit, but did not identify the seal of the Spirit with any particular portion of the rite. However, the Anglican service books that have been published since 1991 suggest that this consensus has not been received throughout the Anglican Communion. [51] Anglicans continue to appear to be divided in their understanding of the meaning of Confirmation as they have for the past 400 years.

Trial and Error
It is against this backdrop that we must first examine the doctrine of the Catechism and the Confirmation Service of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, which with the Holy Scriptures and the Thirty-Nine Articles form the standard of doctrine and worship that the Anglican Mission adopted in its Declaration of Solemn Principles and the CCP Theological Statement. We then shall examine the doctrine of the Catechism and the Order of Confirmation of Services in Contemporary English from the Book of Common Prayer of 1662 (2006), which was authorized for restricted trial use in the Anglican Mission for a limited period of time, and is the predecessor of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008). We will conclude with an examination of the doctrine of the Catechism and the Order of Confirmation of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) and a comparison of that doctrine with that of the 1662 Prayer Book.

The 1662 Catechism is, with the addition of 1604 explanation of the sacraments and a number of alterations, the 1549 Catechism. Its original purpose was to serve as an exposition of the baptismal covenant. The 1662 Catechism has not only been used as manual of instruction for those preparing for Confirmation but also as an authorized statement of doctrine. The 1662 Catechism recognizes only two sacraments that Christ has ordained in his Church—Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. The Catechism further defines a sacrament as "an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given unto us, ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure thereof." Like the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, the 1662 Catechism teaches that in order to be properly regarded as a sacrament, the sign must be instituted or commanded by Christ. Neither the apostolic practice of laying on of hands or the post-apostolic rite of Confirmation meet this definition. We have already taken note of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer’s emphasis upon the public catechizing of the young.

The three prayers containing references to the Holy Spirit in the 1662 Confirmation Service do not ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit or the gifts of the Spirit. Rather they are petitions for the continued working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the confirmands. They presuppose that the confirmands have received the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is at work in their lives. The first prayer asks for the strengthening of the Holy Spirit and the increase of the gifts of grace. The second prayer–the 1552 benedictory prayer said at the laying of hands—asks God to defend the confirmand with his heavenly grace so he may continue God’s forever and daily increase in the Holy Spirit more and more until he comes to God’s everlasting kingdom. The first two prayers bring to mind the words of the 1549 and 1552 Preface:

"Secondly, forasmuch as Confirmation is ministered to them that be baptized, that by Imposition of hands and prayer, they may receive strength and defense against all temptations to sin, and the assaults of the world and the devil: it is most meet to be ministered when children come to that age that partly by the frailty of their own flesh, partly by the assaults of the world and the devil, they begin to be in danger to fall into sundry kinds of sin."

The two prayer and the preface acknowledge that the confirmands need fresh daily supplies of grace to help them to weather the temptation to sin and the assaults of the world and the devil and to persevere until the end.

The two prayers with their petitions for daily increasing in the gifts of grace and daily increasing in the Holy Spirit point to the continuous blessing of the fullness of Holy Spirit that is the believer’s to continuously and increasingly appropriate:

"‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive." (John 7:37-39 NIV).

The Holy Spirit is a fountain welling up within the heart—the innermost being—of the believer, filling us with his presence and working within us.

The third prayer, or collect, was adapted from a prayer in the Order of Confirmation of the Cologne Church Orders. It first appeared in the 1549 Prayer Book and is filled with Scriptural language and references:

"Almighty and everliving God, who makest us both to will and to do those things that be good and acceptable unto thy divine Majesty" comes from Philippians 2:13.

"Let thy fatherly hand…ever be over them" is gathered from 1 Kings 8:24; 1 Chronicles 29:12,16; Ezra 7:9,28; Nehemiah 2:18; Job 10:9-10, 27:11; Psalm 31:5, 119:173, 139:5, 144:7; Isaiah 50:2, 59:1, 66:14; Ezekiel 3:14; Daniel 5:23; Luke 1:66; and 1 Peter 5:56 for starters.

"…let thy Holy Spirit ever be with them" is a positive rewording of Psalm 51:11, "Cast me not away from thy presence: and take not thy holy Spirit from me."

"…so lead them in the knowledge and obedience of thy Word, that in the end they may obtain everlasting life…" is derived from Deuteronomy 12:28, 30:16; Ezekiel 37:24; John 3:36; Romans 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; Hebrews 5:9; 1 Peter 4:17; 1 John 5:2, and other passages of Scripture.
The laying on of hands is seen in this prayer as way of certifying—or assuring—the confirmands of God’s "favor and gracious goodness toward them," and not as a vehicle through which the Holy Spirit or his gifts or some previously absent benefits of the Spirit or aspects of his ministry are conveyed. Only in this first sense is the imposition of hands seen as following the example of the apostles.

The three prayers echo the kind of sentiments that we find in the prayers of the apostle Paul in his epistles, his prayers for those among whom he labored. These prayers reveal his pastor’s heart and his ongoing concern for their spiritual well-being and growth. They are the type of prayers that the confirmand would need at this important stage in his faith journey, at which he owns for himself his baptism and the baptismal promises and vows made on his behalf, and publicly professes his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

As in the 1552 Order of Confirmation, the prayers of the 1662 Confirmation Service are a large part of the service. As we have seen, the laying on of hands is not even mentioned in the description of Confirmation in the Elizabethan Homily on Common Prayer and the Sacraments, only the examination of the children in their knowledge of the articles of faith and the prayers of the Church. The particular interpretation of the imposition of hands given in the 1549 prayer, "Almighty and everliving God, who makest us both to will and to do those things that be good and acceptable unto thy divine Majesty…" is that of a gesture of benediction reminiscent of Genesis 48:8-20 and Mark 10:13-16. As in the 1552 Order of Confirmation, the laying on of hands and accompanying prayer in the 1662 Communion Service are a benedictory ritual and nothing more. Those who interpret the 1662 rite as sacramental are assigning their own interpretation to the rite and not paying attention to the rite’s interpretation of itself.

Confirmation in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer may be accurately described as a rite in which persons come to age of discretion and instructed in the essentials of the Christian faith confirm—or ratify—the vows made for them at baptism, and in doing so publicly profess their faith before the church. The church in turn offers support to them in form of prayer with laying on of hands.

The Catechism of Services in Contemporary English from The Book of Common Prayer of 1662 is substantially that of the Catechism of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The Order of Confirmation includes a shortened form to accompany Baptism. This form consists of the presentation of the candidates to the bishop, a contemporary language version of the versicles and responses beginning "Our help is in the name of the Lord, a contemporary version of the 1962 Canadian revision of the prayer, "Almighty and everliving God, who hast vouchsafed to regenerate…," and the laying of hands with a brief prayer or blessing for the candidate. The form contains two brief prayers and a blessing for use with the imposition of hands. The first prayer is a contemporary English version of the 1552 prayer, "Defend O Lord…;" the second prayer is taken from Order of Confirmation of The Episcopal Church’s 1979 Book of Common Prayer and also appears in the Order of Confirmation of the Anglican Church of Kenya’s Our Modern Services:

"Strengthen, Lord, your servant N with your Holy Spirit; empower him for your service; and sustain him all the days of his life. Amen."

The blessing is used when the bishop recognizes an individual from another Christian body and receives that individual into membership. It is adapted from the one in the Order of Confirmation of The Episcopal Church’s 1979 Book of Common Prayer:

"N. we recognize you as a member of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, and we receive you into the membership of this Communion. May God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve and keep you. Amen."

The long form for Confirmation consists of a contemporary English adaptation of the 1962 Canadian Preface, two optional lections: Acts 8 and Acts 19, the 1962 Canadian renewal of baptismal vows (first option), a contemporary language version of the versicles and responses beginning "Our help is in the name of the Lord, a contemporary English version of the 1962 Canadian revision of the 1559 prayer, "Almighty and everliving God, who hast vouchsafed to regenerate…," the laying of hands with a brief prayer or blessing, the versicle and response "The Lord be with you" "And with your Spirit," an invitation to prayer, two versions of the Lord’s Prayer—one traditional and one contemporary, and contemporary English version of the 1549 prayer, "Almighty and everliving God, who makest us both to will and to do such things as be good and acceptable unto thy Majesty…;" the collect, "O Almighty God Lord, and everlasting God, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to direct, sanctify, and govern…;" and the 1549 blessing, "The blessing of God Almighty, the Father…". The Preface modeled on that of the 1962 Canadian Order of Confirmation, the two optional lections taken from Acts, the contemporary English version of the 1962 Canadian revision of the 1552 prayer, "Almighty and everliving God, who hast vouchsafed to regenerate…," and the second prayer for use with the laying on of hands make the long form for Confirmation more sacramental than catechetical. With the title of Services in Contemporary English from The Book of Common Prayer of 1662 we would reasonably expect the Order of Confirmation to be a contemporary English translation of the 1662 Order of Confirmation. This, however, is not the case. Like the 1962 Canadian Order of Confirmation, it bears a family resemblance to the Alternative Order of Confirmation of the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book.

It is worthy of note that the Alternative Order for the Ministration of the Publick Baptism of Infants and the Alternative Order of Confirmation of the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book are the only two rites from that Prayer Book, which are no longer authorized for use in the Church of England. Their view of Baptism and Confirmation does not square with the Church of England’s doctrinal position on Baptism as the one and complete sacrament of Christian initiation. On the other hand, the 1662 Prayer Book’s rites do.

The Catechism of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) is essentially the Catechism of Services in Contemporary English from The Book of Common Prayer of 1662, to which has been added a section entitled "The Church and Ministry" adapted from the Second Office of Instruction of the 1928 American Prayer Book. This section includes the following questions and answers:

Question: What is your binding duty as a member of the Church?
Answer: My binding duty is to follow Christ, to worship God every Sunday in his Church; and to work and pray and give for the spread of his kingdom.

Question: What special means does the Church provide to help you to do all these things?
Answer: The Church provides the Laying on of hands, or Confirmation. Here, after renewing the promises and vows of my Baptism, and declaring my loyalty and devotion to Christ as my Master, I receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit to give me inner strength.

First, these questions and answers suggest that the church is not the Body of Christ but a building—"to worship…in his Church…". This view is not Scriptural. The answer would conform to the teaching of Scripture if "in his Church" were dropped. It is not found in the 1928 Second Office of Instruction from which these questions and answers were adapted. Or if it were replaced by "with his gathered Church" or a similar phrase.

Second, these questions and answers take the position that the laying on of hands and confirmation are synonymous. This is emphasized by the placement of the comma after "laying on of hands." As we have previously seen, while the laying on of hands is an apostolic practice, it is not an apostolic ordinance. Confirmation itself is a post-apostolic rite.

Third, they suggest that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are solely given through the imposition of the bishop’s hands at Confirmation, a view which we have also seen is not biblical. They further suggest that the gifts of the Spirit are given separately from the gift of the Spirit. While the Spirit may have been given at Baptism, his gifts were withheld. In saying that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given through the laying on of the bishop’s hands, they may also be expressing in muted form the unscriptural doctrine that the Holy Spirit is given through the imposition of the bishop’s hands. This doctrine ties the imparting of the Holy Spirit to a physical action and denies the sovereignty of God to give the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit as he wills (John 3:5-8, Hebrews 2:4). The Scriptures tell us the circumstances under which the Spirit was given in conjunction with the laying on of hands were unusual. The most we may conclude from these passages is that God may bestow the gift of the Holy Spirit at the imposition of hands under particular circumstances but he does not do so invariably under all circumstances. The Scriptures, however, link the hearing of God’s Word, faith in Christ, and the gift of the Spirit. [52] Baptism is also included in this equation.

Fourth, they take the position that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given for the purpose of giving the confirmand "inner strength," a decidedly unscriptural view. The New Testament tell us that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to individual members of the Body of Christ for the building up of the whole Body of Christ. If, for example, we are given the gift of faith, it is to strengthen the faith of our fellow Christians. They are not gifts to ourselves but to the entire Church! If we see the gifts of the Spirit as gifts to ourselves, we fall into the same snare as the Corinthian pneumatics. Paul’s teaching was intended as a corrective to their misunderstanding of the place of the gifts of the Spirit in the Body of Christ. Even the gift of tongues, of a personal prayer language, is ultimately for the building up of the church. Those who receive the gift of tongues are released to pray in new ways and through that gift to minister to their fellow believers in new ways. It is not given to them so they can think of themselves as super-Christians as did the Corinthian pneumatics and become puffed up with pride and self-importance.

The section adapted from the Second Office of Instruction of the 1928 American Prayer Book also contains a number of questions and answers on the historical threefold ministries of the Church. These questions and answers repeatedly refer to the second ministry as that of "Priest." The Church’s threefold ministries are derived from the New Testament ministries of deacon; presbyter, or elder; and overseer, or bishop. The New Testament recognizes only two priesthoods—the unique priesthood of Christ and the royal priesthood of all believers. These questions and answers do not contain an explanation that as used in the classic Anglican Prayer Book the word "priest" is a contraction of the word "presbyter." In their repeated reference to the second ministry as that of "Priest" they take a decidedly unbiblical position.

The Order of Confirmation of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) is also essential the Order of Confirmation of Services in Contemporary English from The Book of Common Prayer of 1662 with a small number of significant changes. The title of the longer form for Confirmation has been changed from "The Order of Confirmation or Laying on of Hands upon those that are baptized and have come to years of discretion" to Confirmation or laying on of Hands on those who are baptized and are ready to publicly declare their commitment to Christ." The optional lections from the Acts of the Apostles have been dropped. The first prayer for use with the laying on of hands has been altered from "Defend, Lord, this your servant…." to "Confirm and defend, Lord, this your servant." The contemporary English version of the 1552 blessing has been replaced with a contemporary English version of the blessing from the 1928 Proposed English prayer Book, "Go forth into the world in peace…".

At first glance the addition of the words "Confirm and…" to the prayer "Defend, Lord, this your servant…" appear redundant since the bishop has already prayed earlier in the rite that God confirm and strengthen the confirmands with the Holy Spirit. Its addition, however, does not appear to be accidental and suggests that the compilers intended to alter the meaning of this prayer.

I have searched for possible sources of this addition. This search was limited to the few books of my library that I have with me here in Kentucky and the electronic editions of Anglican service books available on the Internet. In the 1549 rite of Confirmation before the bishop signs the sign of the cross on the foreheads of the confirmands and lays hands upon their heads, the minister reads the following prayer "Sign them (O Lord) and mark them to be thine for ever, by virtue of thy holy cross and passion. Confirm and strengthen them with the inward unction of thy holy ghost unto everlasting life." The Church of England’s Alternative Service Book 1980 moves the prayer, "Defend, O Lord, your servant…" to a position after the laying on of hands and substitutes for this prayer the words "Confirm, O Lord, your servant N with your Holy Spirit" at the laying on of hands. Both the Church of England’s Common Worship (2001) and the Church of Ireland’s Book of Common Prayer (2004) change the wording of "Defend O Lord, your servant…" to "Confirm…O Lord, with your heavenly grace…". The one book to which I presently do not have access, the Anglican Church of Canada’s Book of Alternative Services (1985) may be the source of "Confirm and defend, Lord…".

By adding the words "confirm" to the 1552 benedictory prayer at the laying on of hands the compilers of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) appear to be placing greater emphasis upon the laying on of hands and making this action the focal point in the rite where God "confirms"—establishes—the salvation of the confirmand through the bishop’s laying on of hands. This clearly goes beyond the 1662 Prayer Book’s understanding of the rite of Confirmation, and expresses a sacramental view of the imposition of hands.

The 1662 rite of Confirmation is catechetical. Based upon the Catechism, the Preface of the longer form for Confirmation, the contemporary English version of the 1962 Canadian revision of the prayer and the two prayers for use at the laying on of hands in both forms for Confirmation, the rite of Confirmation of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) is sacramental, with the laying on of hands represented as a sign of receiving or sealing with the Holy Spirit. The Anglican Mission has adopted the Holy Scriptures, the Thirty-Nine Articles, and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as its standards of faith and practice. However, both the Catechism and the Order of Confirmation of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) do not conform to these standards. Here again, it is quite reasonable to expect that they should.

Conclusion
A great deal of work went into An Anglican Prayer Book (2008), it must be acknowledged, and those who worked to translate the traditional language of the earlier prayer Books into a form of contemporary English suitable for worship deserve our thanks and commendation. At the same time An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) is a flawed book. Its theology does not adhere to those standards that Anglican Mission has adopted. The doctrinal content of the book is a contradiction of the teaching of the Holy Scriptures and the formularies to which the founders of the Anglican Mission committed themselves and their posterity. The book also does not make sufficient allowances for the peculiar needs of the twenty-first century mission field.

Anglican Mission clergy and congregations that are committed to the Anglican Mission’s adopted standards for doctrine and worship will need to work out with their bishop what Prayer Book will be used at Confirmations. They may wish to ask their bishop to use the Confirmation Service from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer since it clearly adheres to those standards.

The Anglican Mission’s College of Bishops would do well to appoint a task force to revise the Catechism of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) so that it is compatible with the Holy Scriptures and to draft a revision of the Order of Confirmation of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) so that it is closer to the 1662 Confirmation Service. (Contemporary English versions of the Catechism and the Order of Confirmation, modeled upon those of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, may be found at Exploring An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) at http://exploringananglicanprayerbook.blogspot.com/ )

One option that the Anglican Mission’s College of Bishops might want to pursue is to undertake a revision of the Prayer Book that is basically a contemporary English "translation" of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, which, like the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book, would have additional alternative versions of services, the use of which by congregations would be purely permissive. A major drawback to this approach, however, is that it would result in a Prayer Book that would only conform in part to the adopted standards of doctrine and worship of the Anglican Mission. But at least the resulting Prayer Book would have one set of rites that met these standards.

We cannot hope for a renewal of biblical Anglicanism in North America, using a Prayer Book that in a number of significant ways is not really Scriptural and gives more weight to "the traditions of men" than to the Word of God. Such a Prayer Book does not restore the Bible to its rightful place in the Christian life. Rather it perpetuates the very conditions that have undermined the authority of Scripture in The Episcopal Church and other Anglican provinces. The presence of unscriptural doctrinal content also greatly weakens the effectiveness of the Prayer Book through the power of God’s word to transform lives. It keeps alive unscriptural teaching in the Church.

The 1662 Book of Common Prayer is not perfect. But the 1662 Prayer Book is much more Scriptural than a number of subsequent Anglican service books, including An Anglican Prayer Book (2008). It is regrettable that the compilers of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) did not devote their energies and resources to rendering into good contemporary liturgical English the services of the 1662 Prayer Book and incorporating into these services a measure of flexibility essential for the twenty-first century mission field. Instead they compiled a service book that is not only notable for its deviations from the Biblical and Reformation theology of the 1662 Prayer Book but also for its obliviousness to the realities of the twenty-first century.

(Anyone who has not had an opportunity to read the previous articles in this series will find them archived at http://exploringananglicanprayerbook.blogspot.com/, as well as on the Virtue Online website.)

End Notes:
[1] See Genesis 4:8, 14-15; Leviticus 24:14; Numbers 8:10, 27:18-23; Deuteronomy 34:9; Job 9:33; Matthew 8:3,15, 9:18,25, 19:13,15; Mark 1:31, 5:23,41 6:5, 7:32, 8:23, 25,10:16, 16:18; Luke 4:40, 8:54, 13:13; Acts 3:7, 6:6, 8:17,18,19, 9:12,17, 28:8, 13.3; 1 Timothy 4:14, 5:22; 2 Timothy 1:6; and Hebrews 6:2.
[2] See Paul Turner, "Biblical Roots of Confirmation," http://www.paulturner.org/confirmation_roots.htm See also Paul Turner, Ages of Initiation: The First Two Christian Millennia (Collegeville, Mn.: Liturgical Press, 2000).
[3] See John 7:38-39; Acts 6:5, 11:24, 10:44-46, 11:13-17, 15:6-9, 19:2; Romans 10:17, 8:15-16; Galatians 3:3,5,14,26; 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; and 1 John 3:23-24, 4:13-15.
[4] See Matthew 3:11,16; Mark 1:8,10; Luke 3:16, 21-22; John 1:32-33, 3:5; Acts 1:5, 2:38, 9:17-18, 11:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:4-5; and Titus 3:5.
[5] See William J. Larkin, Acts, Volume 5, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, Ill.: Intervarsity Press, 1995) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/index.php?action=getBookSections&cid=5&source=
[6] Ibid., http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/index.php?action=getCommentaryText&cid=5&source=1&seq=i.51.8.1
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid. http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/index.php?action=getCommentaryText&cid=5&source=1&seq=i.51.18.3
[9] Ibid.
[10]Ibid.
[11] See Paul Turner, "Biblical Roots of Confirmation," http://www.paulturner.org/confirmation_roots.htm See also Paul Turner, Ages of Initiation: The First Two Christian Millennia (Collegeville, Mn.: Liturgical Press, 2000).
[12] See Ted Peperkorn, "Confirmation in the Early Church: A Historical Survey from the Early Church to the Present," http://blog.higherthings.org/peperkorn/article/460.html
[13] See James A. Whyte, "Confirmation/Admission to the Lord’s Supper," The Westminster Handbook to Reformed Theology (Louisville, Ky.: John Knox Press, 2001) p. 40.
[14] Ibid., p. 40. See also John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion 4.19.4,13.
[15] See Marion J. Hatchett, "The Rite of Confirmation in the Book of Common Prayer and in Authorized Services 1973," Anglican Theological Review 56 (1974), p. 30.
[16] See Ruth A. Meyer, "By water and the Holy Spirit: Baptism and confirmation in Anglicanism," Anglican Theological Review, Summer 2001. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3818/is_200107/ai_n8993961/pg_1
[17] See John Hartley, "Downgrading 1662 Confirmation?" Baptismal Integrity, http://www27.brinkster.com/johnhartley/bi-up45-p8.html See also Colin Buchanan, Anglican Confirmation (Grove Liturgical Study 48; Nottingham: Grove Books, 1986).
[18] See John Jewel, The Works of John Jewel; The Third Portion, Vol. III, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1843) p. 62
[19] See Ian Lancashire (ed.), "Homily on Common Prayer and the Sacraments," The Second Book of Homilies, Short-Title Catalogue 13675, Renaissance Electronic Texts 1.1 (Toronto: University of Toronto, 1994). http://www.anglicanlibrary.org/homilies/bk2hom09.htm
[20] Ibid.
[21] Ibid.
[22] See Ian Lancashire (ed.),"Homily on the Coming Down of the Holy Ghost for Whitsunday," The Second Book of Homilies, Short-Title Catalogue 13675, Renaissance Electronic Texts 1.1 (Toronto: University of Toronto, 1994). http://www.anglicanlibrary.org/homilies/bk2hom16.htm
[23] Edwin Sandys, The Sermons of Edwin Sandys, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1841) p. 87.
[24] See Horton Davies, Worship and Theology in England from Cranmer to Hooker 1534-1603 (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1970), p. 267.
[25] W. H. Griffith Thomas, The Principles of Theology: An Introduction to The Thirty-Nine Articles (Philadelphia, Pa.: Philadelphia Theological Seminary, 1996) p. 354.
[26] Gerard Austin, The Rite of Confirmation: Anointing with the Spirit, (Collegeville, Min.: Liturgical Press, 1985) pp. 71-72.
[27] W. H. Griffith Thomas, The Principles of Theology: An Introduction to The Thirty-Nine Articles (Philadelphia, Pa.: Philadelphia Theological Seminary, 1996) p. 354.
[28] Ibid., p. 354.
[29] See James F. Turrell, "Confirmation, Catechizing, and the Initiation of Adults in the Early Modern Church of England" (Ph.D. diss., Vanderbilt University, 2002).
[30] See Kenneth Rexroth, "The Evolution of Anglo-Catholicism," (Continuum, 1973). http://www.bopsecrets-org.pem.data393.net/rexroth/essays/anglo-catholicism.htm
[31] See E. Clowes Chorley, The New American Prayer Book: Its History and Contents (New York: Macmillan Company, 1929). http://anglicanhistory.org/bcp/chorley1929/index.html
[32] See Marion J. Hatchett, Commentary on the American Prayer Book (San Francisco: Harper, 1995), pp 573-574.
[33] See Arthur James Mason, The Relation of Confirmation to Baptism (London: Longman, Green and Co., 1891).
[34] See Gregory Dix, Confirmation, or Laying on of Hands? (London: S.P.C.K., 1936) and Gregory Dix, The Theology of Confirmation in Relation to Baptism (Westminster, Md.: Dacre Press, 1946).
[35] See G.W.H. Lampe, The Seal of the Spirit: A Study in the Doctrine of Baptism and Confirmation in the New Testament and the Fathers (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1951).
[36] See Massey Shepherd, The Oxford American Prayer Book Commentary (New York: Oxford University Press, 1950), p. 271 and The Worship of the Church (Greenwich, Conn.: Seabury Press, 1952), pp. 166-186; and Associated Parishes, Christian Initiation: Part I-Holy Baptism (1953) and Christian Initiation: Part II-Confirmation (1954).
[37] See Ruth A. Meyer, "By water and the Holy Spirit: Baptism and confirmation in Anglicanism," Anglican Theological Review, Summer 2001 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3818/is_200107/ai_n8993961/pg_1
[38] See Roger Steer, Guarding the Holy Fire: The Evangelicalism of John R. W. Stott, J. I. Packer, and Alister McGrath (Grand Rapids, Mi.: Baker Books, 1998) pp. 229-230.
[39] Ibid., p. 230.
[40] See Marion J. Hatchett, "Unfinished Business," Leaps and Boundaries: The Prayer Book in the 21st Century (New York: Morehouse Publishing, 1997).
[41] See Christian Initiation: Birth and Growth in the Christian Society, (Westminster: Church of England Board of Education, 1971) pp.30-31.
[42] J. I. Packer, I Want To Be A Christian (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 1977) p. 149. I Want to Be a Christian, retitled Growing in Christ, was republished by Crossway in 1994 and 2007.
[43] Ibid., p. 149.
[44] Ibid., pp. 149-150.
[45] Ibid., p. 150.
[46] See Michael Green, Baptism (London: Hoddard and Stoughton, 1987) p. 102.
[47] Ibid., pp. 104-105.
[48] Ibid., p. 130.
[49] Ibid., pp. 131-134.
[50] Ibid., pp. 136-138.
[51] See Ruth A. Meyer, "By water and the Holy Spirit: Baptism and confirmation in Anglicanism," Anglican Theological Review, Summer 2001 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3818/is_200107/ai_n8993961/pg_1
[52] See endnote [3].

An Order of Confirmation

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The following Order of Confirmation is substantially that of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer with several additions and alterations that do not change the Biblical and Reformation theology of the 1662 Order of Confirmation. One of the additions is an alternative prayer for the strengthening of the Holy Spirit. This prayer recognizes that the Anglican Church does not hold one sole doctrine in regards to baptismal regeneration but tolerates two different schools of thought upon the matter.

AN ORDER OF CONFIRMATION

This order of Confirmation may be used after the first reading at Morning or Evening Prayer or after the first reading or Gospel at The Holy Communion.

If the order is used as a separate service, it may begin with a hymn, canticle, or psalm, and the bishop may greet the people. This order may also follow immediately after the baptism of those who answer for themselves. When this occurs, the renewal of the baptismal promise and vow is omitted if the congregation were present at the baptism. [1]

The candidates for confirmation and/or reception stand before the bishop. The bishop (or some other minister appointed by him) reads the following Preface:

Out of the belief that Confirmation should be ministered to the building up of those who are to receive it, the Church has thought good to order that none shall be confirmed, but those that know and understand the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, and have been further instructed in the essentials of the Christian faith. This order is very convenient to be observed to the end that children, being now arrived at the age of discretion, and having learned what their godparents promised for them in Baptism, may themselves, with their own mouths and consent, openly before the church ratify and confirm the same, and also promise that, by the grace of God, they will endeavor faithfully to observe all things that they, by their own confession, have agreed to.

The bishop may then address the congregation and the candidates. [2]

The candidates may be invited to give their testimony. [3]

Then the bishop asks the candidates:

Do you here, in the presence of God and this congregation, renew the solemn promise and vow that you made or that was made in your name, at your Baptism? Do you ratify and confirm that solemn promise and vow; and acknowledge yourselves bound to believe and to do all those things that you then undertook, or your sponsors undertook for you? [4]

The candidates answer:

I do.

Then the bishop says:

Our help is in the Name of the Lord

Answer. Who has made heaven and earth.

Bishop. Blessed be the Name of the Lord

Answer. Now and for evermore.

Bishop. Lord, hear our prayer.

Answer. And let our cry come to you.

The bishop continues:

Almighty and ever-living God, by whose grace these your servants have
been born again of water and the Spirit, and have received forgiveness of all their sins; Strengthen them, we pray, O Lord, with the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, and daily increase in them your plentiful gifts of grace; the spirit of wisdom and understanding; the spirit of guidance and strength; the spirit of knowledge and true godliness; and fill them, O Lord, with the spirit of your holy fear, both now and for ever. Amen.

or

Almighty and ever-living God, you did condescend to receive these your servants into the Church by Baptism, and have given them grace to profess their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ anew, or for the first time, through the renewal of the solemn promise and vow that they made or that was made in their name, at Baptism; Strengthen them, we pray, O Lord, with the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, and daily increase in them your plentiful gifts of grace; the spirit of wisdom and understanding; the spirit of guidance and strength; the spirit of knowledge and true godliness; and fill them, O Lord, with the spirit of your holy fear, both now and for ever. Amen. [5]

The candidates kneel before the bishop who lays his hands upon the head of each and prays the following prayer:

Defend, O Lord, this your child N [or this your servant N] with your heavenly grace, that he may continue to be yours for ever; and daily increase in your Holy Spirit until he comes to your everlasting kingdom. Amen.

When there are those present who come from other Christian bodies to be received into membership, then each kneels before the bishop who says:

N we recognize you as a member of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, and we receive you into the fellowship of this Communion. May God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve and keep you. Amen. [6]

A hymn may be sung and the bishop may address the newly confirmed. [7]

Then the bishop says:

The Lord be with you.

Answer. And also with you.

Let us pray,

If the Lord’s Prayer is not used elsewhere in the service, it is now said. [8]

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are your now and for ever. Amen.

or

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The bishop says this prayer:

Almighty and ever-living God, who make us both to will and to do those things that are good and acceptable to you; we humbly pray for these your servants upon whom (after the example of your holy apostle) we have now laid our hands, to assure them (by this sign) of your favor and gracious goodness towards them. Let your fatherly hand, we ask, ever be over them; let your Holy Spirit ever be with them; and so lead them in knowledge and obedience of your Word, that in the end they may obtain everlasting life; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

This prayer, or some other suitable collect, may be added, in which all may join: [9]

Almighty and everlasting God, be pleased, we pray, to direct, sanctify, and govern our hearts and bodies in the ways of your commandments; that through your most mighty protection, both here and ever, we may be kept safe in body and soul, and joyfully serve you in the work of the gospel to which you have called us; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. [10]

A hymn may be sung. [11]

The bishop then blesses those who have been confirmed, saying:

The blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon you, and remain with you, for ever. Amen.

A reading from the New Testament may follow.

A sermon may be preached here.

Morning or Evening Prayer may resume at the Apostles’ Creed or at the prayers. The Holy Communion resumes at the offertory. [12]

When Confirmation is ministered only to those who answered for themselves at their Baptism, the Preface is omitted. [13]

Endnotes:
[1] These four rubrics were adapted from the Order of Confirmation, First Form, of An Australian Prayer Book (1978).
[2] This rubric was taken from the Order of Confirmation of the 1926 Irish Prayer Book.
[3] This rubric was taken from the Order of Confirmation of the Anglican Church of Kenya’s Our Modern Services (2002, 2003).
[4] The renewal of the baptismal promise and vow was adapted from that in the Order of Confirmation of the 1789 American Prayer Book.
[5] This alternative prayer was adapted from the prayer, "Almighty and everliving God, who didst vouchsafe to receive these they Servants into thy Church by Baptism…" in the Order of Confirmation of the 1786 Proposed American Prayer Book.
[6] This recognition, reception, and blessing of those coming from other Christian bodies was taken from the Order of Confirmation of the 1979 American Prayer Book.
[7] This rubric was taken from the Order of Confirmation of the 1926 Irish Prayer Book.
[8] This rubric was taken from the Order of Confirmation, First Form, of An Australian Prayer Book (1978).
[9] The first part of this rubric was taken from the Order of Confirmation of the 1926 Irish Prayer Book and the second part from the Order of Confirmation, First Form, of An Australian Prayer Book (1978).
[10] This version of the collect, "Almighty and everlasting God, be pleased, we pray, to direct, sanctify, and govern our hearts and bodies in the ways of your commandments…" was taken from the Order of Confirmation, First Form, of An Australian Prayer Book (1978).
[11] This rubric was taken from the Order of Confirmation of the 1926 Irish Prayer Book.
[12] These three rubrics were adapted from the Order of Confirmation, First Form, of An Australian Prayer Book (1978).
[13] This rubric was taken from the Order of Confirmation of the 1926 Irish Prayer Book.

The Catechism

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The following Catechism is that of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer with one addition (see endnotes), rendered into contemporary English.

THE CATECHISM

Instruction in Christian faith and conduct for those who are to be confirmed and for those who are to answer for themselves in baptism.

THE COVENANT OF BAPTISM

This section is for those who were baptized as infants. [1]

Question
What is your name?
Answer
My name is.....

Question
Who gave you this name?
Answer
My parents and godparents, at my baptism in which I was
made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the
kingdom of heaven.

Question

What did your parents and godparents do for you at your
baptism?
Answer
They promised and vowed three things in my name: first, that I would renounce the devil and all his works, the empty display and false values of the world, and all the sinful desires of the flesh. Secondly, that I should believe all the articles of the Christian faith as set out in the Apostles’ Creed. And thirdly, that I would obey God's holy will and commandments and walk in them all the days of my life.

Question
Do you think yourself bound to believe and do as they have promised for you?
Answer
Yes, certainly; and by God’s help I will. And I heartily thank God our heavenly Father that he has called me to this state of salvation through Jesus Christ our Savior. And I pray to God to give me his grace, that I may continue in this state to the end of my life.

THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

Catechist
Recite the articles of your belief, the Apostles’ Creed
Answer
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Question
What do you chiefly learn from these articles of your belief?
Answer
First, I learn to believe in God the Father, who has made me and all the world. Secondly, in God the Son, who has redeemed me and all mankind; Thirdly, in God the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies me and all the elect people of God.

THE COMMANDMENTS

Question
You said, that your parents and godparents did promise for you, that you should keep God’s commandments. Tell me how many are there?
Answer
Ten.

Question
What are they?
Answer
Those which God spoke in the twentieth chapter of Exodus, saying:
all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of
Egypt, out of the house of bondage;
1. You shall have none other gods but me.
2. You shall not make for yourself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth: you shall not bow down to them, nor worship them. For I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
3. You shall not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain. For the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his Name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. On it you shall do no work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and made it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, or his female, or his ox, or his ass, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

Question
What do you chiefly learn from these commandments?
Answer
I learn two things: my duty towards God and my duty towards my neighbor.

Question
What is your duty towards God?
Answer
My duty towards God is, to believe in him, to fear him, and to love him, with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul and with all my
strength; to worship him, to give him thanks, to put my whole trust in
him, to pray to him, to honor his holy name and his word; and to serve
him truly throughout my life.

Question
What is your duty to your neighbor?
Answer
My duty to my neighbor is: to love him as myself, and to do to others as I wish they would do to me; to love, honor and care for my parents; to honor and obey all that are put in authority over me; to submit to my teachers and spiritual pastors; to be respectful and courteous to all; to
hurt no one by word or deed; to be true and just in all my dealings; to bear no malice or hatred in my heart; to keep my hands from pilfering and stealing and my tongue from evil speaking, lying and slandering; to keep my body in temperance, soberness and chastity; not to covet nor desire
things that belong to other people; but to learn to work honestly for my own living and to do my duty in that state of life to which it shall please God to call me.

PRAYER

Catechist
You know that you are not able to do these things in your own strength, nor to walk in the commandments of God, and serve him, without his special grace, which must learn at all times to call for by diligent prayer. Let me hear therefore if you can say the Lord's Prayer.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory; for ever and ever. Amen.

Question
What do you desire of God in this prayer?
Answer
I desire my Lord God our heavenly Father, who is the giver of all goodness, to send his grace to me, and to all people, that we may worship him, serve him and obey him, as we ought to do. And I pray God that he will send us all that we need both for our souls and bodies; and that he will be merciful to us and forgive us our sins; and that it please him to save and defend us in all dangers, spiritual and bodily; and that he will keep us from all sin andwickedness, and from our spiritual enemy, and from everlasting death. And this I trust he will do, of his mercy and goodness, through our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore I say, Amen, So be it.

THE SACRAMENTS

Question
How many sacraments has Christ ordained in his Church?
Answer
Two only, as generally necessary to salvation; that is to say baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which is also known as the Holy Communion.

Question
What do you mean by this word ‘sacrament’?
Answer
I mean an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, given to us, ordained by Christ himself, as a means by which we receive that grace and a pledge to assure us of it.

Question
How many parts are there to a sacrament?
Answer
Two; the outward visible sign, and the inward spiritual grace.

Question
What is the outward visible sign or form in baptism?
Answer
Water; in which the person is baptized ‘in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit’.

Question
What is the inward and spiritual grace?
Answer
A death to sin, and new birth to righteousness; for, being born with a sinful nature, and being the children of wrath, we are by this new birth made the children of grace.

Question
What is required of persons to be baptized?
Answer
Repentance, by which they forsake sin, and faith, by which they firmly believe the promises of God made to them in that sacrament, and through which, when they believe, they are accounted righteous before God solely on account of the merits of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Question
Why then are infants baptized, when by reason of their age they can
neither repent nor believe?
Answer:
Because they promise to repent and believe by their parents and godparents, whose promise, when they are old enough to do so, they themselves are bound to keep.

Question
Why was the sacrament of the Lord's Supper ordained?
Answer
For the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ, and of the benefits we receive by it.

Question
What is the outward part or sign of the Lord's Supper?
Answer
Bread and wine, which the Lord has commanded to be received.

Question
What is the inward part, or thing signified?
Answer
The body and blood of Christ, which are truly and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper.

Question
In what manner are the body and blood of Christ taken and received in the Lord’s Supper?
Answer
Only in a heavenly and spiritual manner; and the means by which they are taken and received is faith. [2]

Question
What are the benefits of which we are partakers by this?
Answer
The strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the body and blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the bread and wine.

Question
What is required of those who come to the Lord's Supper?
Answer
They must examine themselves to see whether they truly repent of their sins, and that they firmly intend to lead a new life. They must have a living faith in God's mercy through Christ with a thankful remembrance of his death; and they must be in charity with all people.

Endnotes:
[1] The two explanatory rubrics and the section headings are taken from the Catechism of An Australian Prayer Book (1978).
[2]This question and answer are the only addition to the Catechism of The Book of Common Prayer of 1662. They were adapted from a question and answer added to the Catechism in the 1926 Irish Prayer Book. The answer to the question is taken from Article XXVIII of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion of 1562.

Another Source for An Anglican Prayer Book (2008)

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In my examination of the alternative rites of Baptism and Confirmation in Services in Contemporary English from the Book of Common Prayer of 1662 (2006) and An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) I have often been struck by the similarities between these rites and the ones in the Church of England’s Proposed Book of Common Prayer of 1928. Although the Thirty Nine Articles of 1562 and the BCP of 1662 are the doctrinal standards for the Anglican Mission none of these rites produced for the use of the Anglican Mission are contemporary English "translations" of the 1662 rites of Baptism and Confirmation. The compilers of Services in Contemporary English from the Book of Common Prayer of 1662 (2006) and An Anglican Prayer Book (2008), as I have previously noted, used a significant amount of textual material from the 1928 American BCP and the 1962 Canadian BCP and arranged this material as it is arranged in these service books. They also used material from another source—the 1928 Proposed English Book of Common Prayer.

I was pleased to discover that a number of the rites of the Proposed English BCP of 1928 are now available online at http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/CofE1928/CofE1928.htm , enabling me to compare these rites with those in Services in Contemporary English from the Book of Common Prayer of 1662 (2006) and An Anglican Prayer Book (2008). My own copies of the 1928 Proposed English BCP are in storage in Louisiana with most of my books. My comparison of the rites of Baptism in the 1928 Proposed English BCP with those in Services in Contemporary English from the Book of Common Prayer of 1662 (2006) and An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) confirmed what I had suspected. The compilers of these books of alternative rites also borrowed from the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the history of the 1928 Proposed English BCP, the proposal for a new English BCP originated in a Royal Commission report in 1906. Work on this new Prayer Book took twenty years and was finished in 1927. During the development of the proposed Prayer Book the decision was made that each congregation would decide which services in the new book it would use so as to avoid as much conflict as possible with traditionalists. With these open guidelines the Church of England Convocations and Church Assembly granted approval of the book. The proposed revision was then sent to Parliament for final authorization. The book was much more Catholic in tone than the 1662 BCP and met stiff opposition in Parliament. MPs William Joynson-Hicks and Rosslyn Mitchell argued that the proposed book was "papistical," restored the Roman Mass and implied the doctrine of Transubstantiation. Parliament rejected the book. The proposed book was revised to make it more acceptable to Parliament and once more sent to Parliament in 1928. Parliament rejected it again. In defiance of Parliament the Upper House of the Convocation of Canterbury authorized the book for use.

Here is what my comparison of the three books revealed.

The first question for godparents and the first question for adult baptismal candidates in the Promises in the rite of Baptism in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) appear to have been taken from the alternative rites of Baptism in the 1928 Proposed English BCP.

The 1928 Proposed English BCP uses the recast version of "Almighty, everliving God, whose most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins…," preceded by the Sursum Corda (also begun with the versicle and response, "The Lord be with you" "And with thy spirit."), and consequently its Orders of Baptism suffers from the same tendencies as the 1928 American and the 1962 Canadian Baptismal rites with a shift of focus to the minister’s blessing or consecration of the water in the font and an emphasis upon the Holy Spirit’s working being objectively on the water. The sacerdotalism in the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book is even more pronounced than in the 1928 American BCP and the 1962 Canadian BCP. The rubrics for the Order of Private Baptism of Children direct the minister first bless or consecrate the water with the prayer, "Almighty, everliving God, whose most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins, did shed out of his most precious side both water and blood…" when baptizing a child or an adult in case of necessity in a private home. The rubrics do include following provisions:

"But when no such lawful Minister can be procured, and extreme urgency shall compel, one of them that be present shall name the child, and pour water upon it, saying, N., I baptize thee In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. And then they that he present shall say the Lord’s Prayer. And afterward notice of the Baptism shall be given forthwith to the Minister of the Parish.

And let them not doubt, but that the child thus privately baptized either by the Minister of the Parish, or by some other Minister, or by one of them that be present, is lawfully and sufficiently baptized, and ought not to be baptized again."

These provisions, with the Flood Prayer, do check the book’s sacerdotalism to some extent, at least in the Baptismal rites.

The prayer, "Grant, Lord, that being buried with Christ by baptism into his death…" in the rite of Baptism in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) appears to have been taken from An Alternative Order for the Ministration of the Publick Baptism of Infants. In this Order the Thanksgiving after the Baptism is divided into a thanksgiving and a prayer:

"WE yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for thine own child by adoption, and to incorporate him into thy holy Church. Amen."

"GRANT, O Lord, that, being buried with Christ by baptism into his death, he may also be made partaker of his resurrection; so that, serving thee here in newness of life, he may finally, with the rest of thy holy Church, be an inheritor of thine everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

What I had thought was an adaptation of the Exhortation to Godparents from the 1962 Canadian BCP in The Public Baptism of Infants in Services in Contemporary English from the Book of Common Prayer of 1662 (2006) was actually taken from the 1928 Proposed English Prayer Book.

"YOU who have brought this child to be baptized into the family of Christ’s Church, must see that he be taught the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, as set forth in the Church Catechism, and all other things which a Christian ought to know and believe to his soul’s health. See also that he be virtuously brought up to lead a godly and christian life."

1927:
"See also that he be brought to the Bishop to be confirmed by him; so that, strengthened with the gift of the Holy Spirit, he may come with due preparation to receive the blessed sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ."

1928:
"See also that he be brought to the Bishop to be confirmed by him; so that, strengthened with the gift of the Holy Spirit, he may come with due preparation to receive the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, and go forth into the world to serve God faithfully in the fellowship of his Church."

The 1962 Canadian Exhortation to the Godparents is itself an adaptation of the 1928 Proposed English Exhortation to the Godparents:

"Take care that he be taught the Creed, the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer, and be further instructed in the Church Catechism; and then that he be brought to the Bishop to be confirmed by him; so that he may be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, and may come to receive the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, and go forth into the world to serve God faithfully in the fellowship of his Church."

The 1928 Proposed English Exhortation to the Godparents asserts that the Holy Spirit is conferred through the laying on of the bishop’s hands at Confirmation. The 1962 Canadian adaptation alters the language of the Exhortation to bring it closer to the doctrine of the 1662 BCP. The 1662 BCP, like its predecessors, the 1552, 1559, and 1604 Prayer Books, takes the position that the Holy Spirit is given in Baptism. In the 1552 Order of the Public Baptism of Children the priest prays:

"Almighty and everlasting God, heavenly Father, we give thee humble thanks, that thou hast vouchsafed to call us to the knowledge of grace, and faith in thee: increase this knowledge, and confirm this faith in us evermore: GIVE THY HOLY SPIRIT TO THESE INFANTS, that they may be born again and be made heirs of everlasting salvation, through our Lord Jesus Christ: who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen."

In the 1552 Order of Confirmation the bishop prays that God will "strengthen" the candidates with the Holy Spirit and "increase" in them the gifts of grace. When the bishop lays hands upon them, he prays that the candidates will remain God’s for ever and "increase" in the Holy Spirit. After laying hands upon them, he prays that God’s hand will always be over them and that the Holy Spirit will not depart from them.

The 1552 Prayer Book represents Archbishop Cranmer’s mature theology. The evidence is that the 1549 Prayer Book was only a transitional book designed to prepare the English people for a more reformed liturgy. Cranmer was already working on the Second Prayer Book at the time of the publication of the First Prayer Book. [1] The 1552 Book of Common Prayer was the definitive Prayer Book of the Church of England for almost 100 years, and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer is substantially the 1552 Prayer Book.

The prayer, "Almighty God, our heavenly Father, whose blessed Son shared at Nazareth…" in the rite of Baptism in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) also appears to have been taken from An Alternative Order for the Ministration of the Publick Baptism of Infants.

In my forthcoming article upon the Catechism and the Order of Confirmation of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008), I will be looking at what else the compilers of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) may have borrowed from the 1928 Proposed English BCP and how it affects the doctrine of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008). One thing that is becoming increasingly apparent from my examination of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) is that its compilers, in their selection of what they put into that book, were not trying to produce a contemporary language form of the classic Anglican Book of Common Prayer of 1662. For this reason I must regard with incredulity the following statement of Peter Toon who guided the process:

"One major reason why I worked with the AMIA to produce and publish AN ANGLICAN PRAYER BOOK (2008) …was that it represented an serious attempt to keep the doctrine piety and devotion of the historic Anglican Prayer Book (1662) in ‘contemporary’ English."

But where is the 1662 Book of Common Prayer's Biblical and Reformation theology in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008)? The book may retain the outward appearance of the Reformed model of the 1662 but it has been largely emptied of the 1662 Prayer Book's doctrinal content where it matters most or that content has been diluted. When the Anglican Mission has adopted the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as its doctrinal standard, it is only reasonable to expect the service book that it has prepared for the use of its churches to adhere to the doctrine of the 1662 Prayer Book.

Endnote:
[1] Roger Beckwith, "‘For the More Explanation’ and ‘For the More Perfection’: Cranmer's Second Prayer Book," Churchman Issue 2002 116/3

An Anglican Prayer Book (2008): Baptism

2008-04-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

Before we examine the Office of Baptism in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008), we first need to take a look at the Baptismal Offices in The Book of Common Prayer of 1662 and the theology embodied in those offices. In its Solemn Declaration of Principles adopted at Kampala in 1999, the Anglican Mission in America affirmed as its standard for doctrine and worship, the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England and the 1662 edition of the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal. Article III, Section 2 (a) of the Solemn Declaration of Principles state that "The theology set forth in the 1662 edition of the Book of Common Prayer and Ordinal shall be the theology to which alternative liturgical texts and forms will conform."

In its ratification of the Theological Statement of the Common Cause Partnership the Anglican Mission accepted the 1662 Prayer Book as a doctrinal standard and the 1662 Prayer Book, with the Books that preceded it, as a worship standard. This means that the services of the 1662 Prayer Book and the doctrine expressed in them have at least on paper normative status. Any service for Baptism that the Anglican Mission adopts is expected to conform to the Biblical-Reformation theology of Baptismal Offices in the 1662 Prayer Book.

We also need to take a look at the Office of Baptism in the 1928 American Prayer Book and the Baptismal Offices in the 1962 Canadian Prayer Book. The Office of Baptism in the 1928 American Prayer Book and the Baptismal Offices in the 1962 Canadian Prayer Book deviate in a number of significant ways from the Baptismal Offices in the 1662 Book of Common both in content and doctrine. As we shall see in our examination of the Office of Baptism in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008), it has more in common with the 1928 American and 1962 Canadian Baptismal rites than it does the 1662 rites.

The order for the Public Baptism of Infants in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer is substantially that of the 1552 and 1559 Prayer Books with some textual changes. The most significant textual change in the order for the Public Baptism of Infants is the addition of brief sentence for the blessing of the water in the font to the prayer, "Almighty, everliving God, whose most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins...." In the 1552 and 1559 versions of this prayer the minister prays, "Regard, we beseech thee, the supplications of thy congregation; and grant that all thy servants which shall be baptized in this water, may receive the fullness of thy grace..." In the 1662 version, however, he prays, "Regard, we beseech thee, the supplications of thy congregation; sanctify this water to the mystical washing away of sin; and grant that this child, now to be baptized therein, may receive the fullness of thy grace...". The use of a sentence for the blessing of the water in the font appears to have been suggested by a sentence in the 1637 Scottish version of the prayer: "Regard, we beseech thee, the supplications of thy Church, and grant that all thy servants which shall be baptized in this water (which we here bless and dedicate in thy name to this spiritual washing), may receive the fullness of thy grace..." The wording, however, appears to have been taken from the wording of a sentence in the 1637 Scottish version of the Flood Prayer, "...and by the baptism of thy well beloved Son Jesus Christ, didst sanctify the flood Jordan, and all other waters, to the mystical washing away of sin: Sanctify this fountain of baptism, thou which art the Sanctifier of all things...," the wording of which in turn is derived from the wording of the 1549 invocation of the Holy Spirit upon the water in the font (see below). This sentence is enclosed in brackets and is accompanied by the following rubric: "The water in the font shall be changed twice in the month at least: And before any child be baptised in the water so changed, the Presbyter or Minister shall say at the font the words thus inclosed [ ]."

Other significant changes in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer are the rubrics concerning the private baptism of infants and their reception into the congregation, the order for the Public Baptism of Those of Riper Years, and the rubrics concerning the private baptism of adults and their reception into the congregation. The 1552 and 1559 Prayer Books permit lay baptism in cases of necessity provided that those present pray for grace and say the Lord's Prayer. After the child is named, the 1552 and 1559 rubrics direct that the child should be baptized with the words, "I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." If the child survives, the 1552 and 1559 Prayer Books provide a set of questions that the minister of the parish is to use "to examine and try" those bring the child to church in order to determine if the child has been lawfully baptized. These questions ask by whom the child was baptized, who was present, whether God was called upon for grace, with what matter the child was baptized, and with what words. The 1552 and 1559 Prayer Books also provide a form for the reception of the child into the congregation.

The First Book of Common Prayer of 1549, it must be noted, also permits the lay baptism of infants in cases of "great cause and necessity." The 1549 Prayer Book contains a similar set of questions for examining and trying those who bring a child into the church when the child has been privately baptized. It also contains a form for the reception of the child into the congregation.

The Puritans took great exception to private baptisms as well as baptisms by laypersons especially women. These baptisms were one of their main objections to the Book of Common Prayer. The Puritans did not believe that the gospel sacrament of baptism should be administered by anyone other than a minister of the gospel. As a concession to the Puritans the Restoration bishops changed the rubrics concerning the private baptism of infants so as to permit only the minister of the parish, or in his absence any other lawful minister that could be procured, to baptize a child in a case of necessity in a house. The rubrics of the 1662 Prayer Book direct the minister and those present to call upon God and say the Lord's Prayer, and "so many of the Collects appointed to be said before in the Form of Publick Baptism, as the time and present exigence will suffer," after which, "the child being named by someone present," the minister is to baptize the child with the words, "N., I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." After the baptism the minister is directed to give thanks to God and to say the collect, "We yield thee hearty thanks...." The 1662 Prayer Book also provides a set of questions for the use of the minister of the parish to examine and try those bringing a child to church in order to determine the lawfulness of the child's baptism if the child was baptized by another minister. These questions ask by whom the child was baptized, who was present, with what matter the child was baptized, and with what words.

Except for the provision that an ordained minister baptize a child in case of necessity and use some of the prayers from the Form for Publick Baptism, the provisions in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer for the private baptism of infants are substantially those of the 1552 and 1559 Prayer Books.

In A Body of Divinity Being the Sum and Substance of the Christian Religion early seventeenth century Archbishop of Armagh and primate of Ireland James Ussher explains the Puritan objection to lay baptism:

"May none but a lawful Minister baptize?

No. For Baptism is a part of the public Ministry of the Church, and Christ hath given warrant and authority to none to baptize, but those whom he hath called to preach the Gospel: Go, Preach, and Baptize. Mat. 28.19. Those only may stand in the room of God himself, and ministerially set to the seal of the Covenant. And it is monstrous presumption for Women, or any other private persons (who are not called) to meddle with such high Mysteries; nor can there be any case of necessity to urge, as will appear afterwards." [1]

Catholic doctrine permits lay baptism in cases of necessity but the Puritans rejected this doctrine.

With the exception of the minister of baptism, the doctrine of baptism of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer is the same as that of the 1552 and 1559 Prayer Books. The Flood Prayer acknowledges that God, by the baptism of his Son Jesus Christ in the Jordan river, "sanctified water to the mystical washing away of sin." The 1662 Prayer Book, like the 1552 and 1559 Prayer Books, does not require the blessing or consecration of the water in which a child or an adult is baptized in a private home or another setting beside the parish church. The sentence for the blessing of the water in the font in the 1662 orders for the Public Baptism of Infants and Those of Riper Years in actuality is not needed. A second blessing or consecration of the water is not essential to the sacramental efficacy of baptism.

If we examine the passages of the New Testament that relate to Baptism, we find no passage that enjoins the practice of blessing or consecrating the water in the font. While the Bible does not explicitly prohibit the blessing or consecration of water, it does not appear to be consistent with Biblical practice. The practice in the Bible is to dedicate or set apart inanimate or material objects to God for holy uses such as in the worship of the Temple in Jerusalem but this process does not involve the pronouncing of God's blessing upon these objects or the invocation of the Holy Spirit upon them. In the Bible God's blessing is pronounced upon people and not inanimate or material objects. In "1552 And All That (or how twentieth century revisions have eroded the insights of the Reformers in the Communion services of the Church of England)," an article published in the Churchman, David Wheaton, a former Principal of Oak Hill College, make a number of observations concerning the role of the Holy Spirit in the Communion Service, which are also relevant to the role of the Holy Spirit in the Office of Baptism. He writes:

"Apart from the Holy Spirit's part in the Trinitarian work of creation, the Bible teaches that the Spirit works in persons and not on inanimate objects."

After suggesting that his readers' look at Genesis 1:2, the first person plural in Genesis 1:26 and John 1:3, Canon Wheaton goes on to write:

"The only example of the Spirit's working on inanimate objects could appear to be in Ezekiel 36:6, 9, 10. Here the activity of the breath of God (the same word is used for 'Spirit" in v 14) in bringing life to dry bones is a re-enactment of what He did in Gen 2:7, and so is in fact operating on human beings." [2]

This may explain why Cranmer dropped from the 1552 Prayer Book the 1549 invocation of the Holy Spirit not only upon bread and wine but also upon the water in the font. The latter was quite elaborate:

"O most merciful God Our Savior Jesus Christ, who hast ordained the element of water for the regeneration of thy faithful people, upon whom, being baptized in the river of Jordan, the Holy Ghost came down in the likeness of a dove: Send down we beseech thee the same thy Holy Spirit to assist us, and to be present at our invocation of thy holy name: Sanctify + this fountain of baptism, thou that art the sanctifier of all things, that by the power of thy word, all those that shall be baptized therein, many be spiritually regenerated, and made children of everlasting adoption. Amen."

The rubrics of the 1549 Prayer Book direct that the water in the font should be changed "every month once at least, and afore any child be Baptized in the water so changed," the priest should say the preceding prayer at the font, followed by the 1549 versions of "O merciful God, grant that the old Adam..." and "Almighty, everliving God, whose most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins...." The 1549 version of the latter prayer contains the petition, "Regard, we beseech thee, the supplications of thy congregation, and grant that all thy servants which shall be baptized in this water prepared for the ministration of thy holy sacrament, may receive the fullness of thy grace...." In the 1552 Prayer Book a revised version of this prayer is placed immediately before the Baptism and a revised version of "O merciful God, grant that the old Adam..." is placed before it. The rubric for the monthly replacement of the water in the font and its consecration before a baptism is dropped with the prayer for the blessing or consecration of the water in the font.

When the 1552 and 1559 Office of Baptism is interpreted in light of biblical teaching of the Holy Spirit, it can be seen that the working of the Holy Spirit is to be understand as not being objectively on the water in the font, but in the child or adult undergoing baptism. The brief sentence for the blessing of the water in the font in the prayer, "Almighty, everliving God, whose most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins...," in the 1662 Baptismal Offices seeks to shift the Holy Spirit's working to the water in the font but that working can still be understood as largely in the baptismal candidate. This sentence asks God to make holy for the purpose of baptism what the Flood Prayer declares that God has already made holy for that purpose and hence is redundant, except perhaps for the foregoing reason.

The sentence in the 1637 version of the prayer, "Almighty, everliving God, whose most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins...," conforms more to the biblical idea of dedicating inanimate or material objects to God for holy purposes if the words "which we here bless..." are understood in the biblical sense of "for which we here give thanks...." In Matthew 14:19 we read that Jesus "blessed, and brake and gave the loaves to the disciples, in Matthew 26:26 we read that Jesus "took bread, and blessed, and brake it," and Mark 14:22 we read that "he took bread, and when he had blessed, brake it, and gave it to them..." These passages and 1 Corinthians 10:16 which refers to "the cup of blessing which we bless..." are not biblical examples of the pronouncing of God's blessing upon inanimate or material objects. They are references to the Jewish custom of blessing, or praising, God as a form of thanksgiving at meals. In the passage "He took bread and blessed..." God is the object of Jesus' blessing, not the bread, as is shown clearly by the corresponding words "gave thanks" in Luke 22:19 and 1 Corinthians 11:24. In the New Testament "the word 'bless' is never used directly of material objects as though conveying some special force." The blessing is "an acknowledgment of God as the Giver, the full phrase being to 'bless God for the thing.'" [3] In 1 Corinthians 14:16 the same word in the Greek used for "bless" in Matthew 14:19 and 26:26, Mark 14:22, and 1 Corinthians 10:16 is used to refer to ecstatic praise: "Else if thou bless with the spirit, how shall he filleth the place of the unlearned say the Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest." In this passage blessing is clearly identified with giving of thanks. For this reason the New International Version (1985) renders 1 Corinthians 10:16 as "the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks..." The following rewording of the sentence makes explicit this understanding: "Regard, we beseech thee, the supplications of thy Church, and grant that all thy servants which shall be baptized in this water (for which we here give thanks, and which we dedicate in thy name to this spiritual washing), may receive the fullness of thy grace...."

The relevance of the foregoing discussion will become more evident with our examination of the Office of Baptism in the 1928 American Prayer Book, the Baptismal Offices in the 1962 Canadian Prayer Book and the Office of Baptism in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008).

The Office of Baptism in the 1928 American Prayer Book combines the forms for the Public Baptism of Infants and Those of Riper Years into one rite, drops the Flood Prayer, and recasts the prayer, "Almighty, everliving God, whose most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins...," so that the structure of the prayer parallels that of the Prayer of Consecration in the Communion Office of the 1928 American Prayer Book. The prayer is preceded by the Sursum Corda that begins with the versicle and response, "The Lord be with you" "And with thy spirit". In its omission of the Flood Prayer and its recasting of the prayer "Almighty, everliving God, whose most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins...," the 1928 American Prayer Book shifts the emphasis from God's sanctification of water for the sacramental use of baptism by the baptism of his Son Jesus Christ in the river Jordan to the minister's blessing or consecration of the water in the font. The 1928 American Office of Baptism places much greater emphasis upon the Holy Spirit's working being objectively on the water in the font than do the 1662 Baptismal Offices. The 1928 American Baptismal rite is much more open to the Anglo-Catholic view that through the priest "the Holy Spirit works to affect the miracle of the Eucharist, and of Baptismal regeneration" (see "An Anglican Prayer Book (2008): The Order for Holy Communion-Part I." This article is archived at http://exploringananglicanprayerbook.blogspot.com as well as on the Virtue Online website.) This is not surprising since the 1928 American Prayer Book was adopted when Anglo-Catholicism was in the ascendancy in the Protestant Episcopal Church. However, the 1928 American Prayer Book provides a form for the private baptism of infants and adults in cases of necessity and this form provides a check to this interpretation of Baptism as the form does not require any blessing or consecration of the water used for such baptisms and "in cases of extreme sickness, or any imminent peril, if a Minister cannot be procured," permits any baptized person present to administer baptism using the prescribed form.

The order for the Baptism of Children in 1962 Canadian Prayer Book permits the omission of the Flood Prayer or the prayer, "Almighty and immortal God, the aid of all that need, the helper of all that flee to thee for succour...". The order for the Baptism of Those of Ripe Years takes elements of the Flood Prayer and the prayer, "Almighty and immortal God, the aid of all that need, the helper of all that flee to thee for succour..." and combines them into a single prayer. Both rites use the recast version of "Almighty, everliving God, whose most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins..." from the 1928 American Office of Baptism, preceded by the Sursum Corda beginning as in the 1928 American Baptismal rite with the versicle and response, "The Lord be with you" "And with thy spirit." The order for the Baptism of Those of Riper years may be followed immediately by the order for Confirmation. The 1962 Canadian Baptismal rites exhibit similar doctrinal tendencies as the 1928 American Baptismal rite. However, the retention of the option of the Flood Prayer in the order for the Baptism of Children and the form for the Ministration of Private Baptism serve as a check to these tendencies. The rubrics in the form for the Ministration of Private Baptism include the following instructions:

"When any Child who has not received holy Baptism is critically ill, the Minister of the Parish (or, in his absence, any other lawful Minister) should be called upon to administer the Sacrament without delay, and if no lawful Minister may be had, and the Child is in danger of death, ANY PERSON PRESENT should pour Water upon him and, naming him, say: N. I BAPTIZE thee In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Then shall be said the Lord's Prayer."

The Office of Baptism in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) adopts the model of the Office of Baptism in the 1928 American Prayer Book, combining the order for the Public Baptism of Infants and the order for the Public Baptism of Adults from its predecessor, Services in Contemporary English from The Book of Common Prayer of 1662, into a single rite. The Office of Baptism An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) retains the Flood Prayer from the Baptismal Offices of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and its predecessors.

The Office of Baptism in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) would have greatly benefited if the compilers of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) had followed more closely the pattern of the Office of Baptism in the 1928 American Prayer Book and kept the questions for godparents separate from those for adult candidates for baptism or done a better job of combining the questions. In either case they should have used all of the questions from the Office of Baptism of the 1928 American Prayer Book, which are an improvement over the ones in the Baptismal Offices of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. What they have done is to reduce the questions from the 1928 American Prayer Book to the ones concerning the renunciation of the devil, the world, and the flesh; the desire to be baptized in the Christian faith; and the keeping of God's will and commandments, and to insert the Apostles' Creed after the renunciation of the devil, the world, and the flesh without any introductory words such as:

"Priest. Let us recite the Articles of our Belief.

Then shall be said by the Priest and the persons to be baptized, and the whole Congregation, the Apostles' Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth..."

The insertion of the Apostles' Creed into the questions without any introduction interrupts the sequential movement of this part of the liturgy. The transition from the preceding liturgical element-the question concerning the renunciation of the devil, the world, and the flesh and its response-is not a smooth one. It is like driving down a hardtop road and suddenly hitting a stretch of gravel without a sign to warn the driver. In a well-crafted liturgy each liturgical element flows smoothly out of the preceding element. As I pointed to the attention of the reader in "An Anglican Prayer Book (2008): The Order for the Holy Communion - Part II," the compilers of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) did not provide an Invitation to Prayer before the Prayer of Intercession in the Order for the Holy Communion. An Invitation to Prayer would have greatly smoothed the transition from the Offertory to the Prayer of Intercession, warning the congregation of the impeding movement from one liturgical element to the next. Attention to such factors in crafting a liturgy not only enhances the worship experience for the congregation but also simplifies the task of the worship leader. He does not need to give directions to the congregation because the directions are incorporated into the liturgy. The compilers of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) did not pay enough attention to transitions and the flow of the liturgy. The result is a liturgy that feels like it has been patched together. Most liturgies are cobbled together from other liturgies but in a well-crafted liturgy the congregation and the worship leader do not notice it.

In the questions from the Office of Baptism in the 1928 American Prayer Book the godparents are asked if they promise to ensure that the child learns the essentials of the Christian Faith and that he, as soon as he is adequately instructed, is brought to the bishop to be confirmed by him. Adult candidates for baptism are asked if they believe in Jesus Christ and whether they accepts Jesus, and desires to follow him as his Savior and Lord. These three questions arguably more important than the question concerning believing all the articles of the Christian faith. An adult candidate for baptism can mentally assent to all these articles but if he has not trusted in Jesus and surrendered his life to him, he is not saved. The Scriptures teach, "whoever believes in Jesus and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16 NIV). They do not teach that whoever assents to the Apostles' Creed will be saved.

The phrase "Blessed Lord, who live and govern all things, forever and ever. Amen" in the prayer, "Merciful God, grant this Child/your Servant may die to sin...," an adaptation of the prayer, "O merciful God, grant that the old Adam...," from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer is awkward and ungrammatical. The compilers of An Anglican Prayer (2008) must have relied too heavily upon their computer's software to catch spelling and grammatical errors. My computer also did not catch this error. In grammatically correct English this phrase is "Blessed Lord, who lives and governs all things." The adaptation also lacks the Scriptural allusions of the older versions of the prayer.

An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) drops a number of Scriptural allusions that are found in the 1662 Prayer Book and the Books that preceded it. With the paucity of the Opening Sentences of Scripture in the Daily Services and the omission of the Offertory Sentences, the full texts of the Propers, and the Psalter An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) contains considerably less Scripture than the older Prayer Books. One cannot obtain the same kind of benefit from An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) that one could obtain from the older Prayer Books with their numerous quotations from Scripture.

An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) adopts the recast version of "Almighty, everliving God, whose most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins...," preceded by the Sursum Corda (also begun with the versicle and response, "The Lord be with you" "And with thy spirit."), and consequently its Office of Baptism suffers from the same tendencies as the 1928 American and the 1962 Canadian Baptismal rites with a shift of focus to the minister's blessing or consecration of the water in the font and an emphasis upon the Holy Spirit's working being objectively on the water. The only check to these tendencies in the Office of Baptism in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) is the Flood Prayer, as An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) contains no form for the private baptism of children and adults in cases of necessity. Consequently, the Office of Baptism in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) is decidedly less Scriptural in regards to the role of the Holy Spirit in the service than the Baptismal Offices of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and its predecessors, the 1552 and 1559 Prayer Books.

The 1662 Book of Common Prayer and the Books that preceded it, provide for two modes of baptism-dipping (immersion) and, in cases of weakness, pouring (affusion). The 1928 American Prayer Book and its predecessors, 1979 and 1892 American Prayer Books also make provision for two modes of baptism-dipping and pouring. So does the 1962 Canadian Prayer Book. Services in Contemporary English from The Book of Common Prayer of 1662, the predecessor of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008), also provided for these two modes of baptism.

Immersion is the most common mode of baptism described in the New Testament. "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straight away from the water..." (Matthew 3:16 ASV). "...and they both went down into the water, both Philip and eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water..." (Acts 8:38-39 ASV). But it is evident from the circumstances under which a number of converts were baptized such the jailer in Philippi and his household that immersion was not the only mode of baptism used in New Testament times.

The early Church practiced two modes of baptism-immersion and affusion. The latter was usually reserved for the sick and dying and involved copious amounts of water when an ample supply of water was available. The two modes of baptism in the Book of Common Prayer can be traced to the practices of the early Church. While pouring became the more common practice in the Episcopal Church, dipping has not disappeared from North American Anglicanism. Indeed full and partial immersion are enjoying something of a revival in the Anglican Mission and other Anglican jurisdictions with the increasing number of baptisms of adults and older children. The Anglican Mission in the Americas website features a picture of a priest or deacon baptizing a young girl in a swimming pool. The same picture appears in the Anglican Mission brochure, "Who We Are," published in 2008. However, the compilers of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) were apparently out of touch with who the Anglican Mission is because for some unexplained reason they omit dipping, or immersion, as a mode of baptism from the Office of Baptism in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008). The omission of this mode of baptism cannot be justified on the grounds of insufficient Scriptural warrant, lack of precedence, or even disuse.

An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) does appear to take a step toward comprehensiveness in the invitation to prayer, "Brothers and Sisters in Christ..." and the prayer, "Grant, Lord, that being buried with Christ by baptism...," that follow the signing of the newly baptized upon the forehead with the cross. The invitation to prayer is an adaptation of the 1662 Invitation to Prayer, "Seeing now, dearly beloved brethren, that this child is regenerate...". The prayer is an adaptation of the 1662 Thanksgiving after the Baptism, "We yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant..."

The reference to the child being regenerate in the original invitation to prayer and the reference to God having regenerated the child in the thanksgiving have been the cause of a heated dispute between Anglicans. Anglo-Catholics argue that the regeneration invariably accompanies baptism. They claim that the 1662 Book of Common Prayer teaches their view of the sacrament of baptism, pointing to the wording of the Invitation to Prayer and the Thanksgiving that follow the signing of the newly baptized on the forehead with the cross. Evangelicals, on the other hand, argue that the 1662 Prayer Book uses the language of charitable supposition, presuming that the newly baptized is regenerate even though he may not be. They point to the examples of those who showed evidence of regeneration apart from baptism in the New Testament (the thief on the cross, Paul, Cornelius, and Lydia) and those who were baptized but did not show evidence of regeneration (Simon Magus). They point to the numerous people who have been baptized but have never shown any evidence of regeneration in their lives. In the United States in the nineteenth century the dispute over baptismal regeneration became so intense that a number of conservative Evangelicals in the Protestant Episcopal Church left that church and formed the Reformed Episcopal Church. For over sixty years the Protestant Episcopal Church was effectively without an Evangelical wing as those Evangelicals who did not leave became Broad Church Liberals. The Protestant Episcopal Church would develop collective amnesia about its Evangelical heritage. Evangelical Episcopalians had played a significant role in the early development of the church. In England the dispute over baptismal regeneration lead to a famous court case that resulted in the Gorham Judgment in 1850. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council issued the following ruling:

"That baptism is a sacrament generally necessary to salvation, but that the grace of regeneration does not necessarily accompany the act of baptism that regeneration invariably takes place in baptism; that the grace may be granted before, in or after baptism; that baptism is an effectual sign of grace, by which God works invisibly within us, but only in such as worthily receive it-in them alone it has wholesome effect; that in no case is regeneration unconditional." [4]

This ruling did not bring the dispute over baptismal regeneration to an end. But it did reject baptismal regeneration as the official doctrine of the Church of England.

The Invitation to Prayer, "Brothers and Sisters in Christ..." and the prayer, "Grant, Lord, that being buried with Christ by baptism..." appear to take a compromise position. The first acknowledges that the newly baptized "has received the Sacrament of new birth and been received into the family of Christ's Church." The congregation is invited to give thanks to "Almighty God for these benefits" and to pray that the newly baptized "may lead the rest of his Christian life according to this good beginning." The revised Invitation to Prayer mutes the strong language of "Seeing now, dearly beloved brethren, that this child is regenerate...," but it does not rule out baptismal regeneration: it just is less explicit. The second reduces the 1662 Thanksgiving after the Baptism to a brief petition:

"Grant, Lord, that being buried with Christ by baptism into his death, this Child/Person may also be made partakers of his resurrection; so that, serving you on earth in newness of life, he may finally, with the rest of your holy Church, be an inheritor of your everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

The prayer does lose something in the process of abbreviation and revision and does, in my opinion, need more work. However, the compilers of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) do deserve commendation for this attempt to make the language of the prayer acceptable to both Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals.

The revised Invitation to Prayer and the adaptation of 1662 Thanksgiving after the Baptism were originally introduced in Services in Contemporary English from The Book of Common Prayer of 1662.

The compilers of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) dropped their adaptation of the 1962 Canadian Exhortation to the Godparents in the Service for the Baptism of Infants in which they went beyond the language of the 1962 Canadian Prayer Book and spoke of the newly baptized being "strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit" at Confirmation. The 1962 Canadian Prayer Book only speaks of the newly baptized being "strengthened by the Holy Spirit" at Confirmation. As I draw to the reader's attention in my article, "A Plea for a Biblically Faithful Mission-Oriented Prayer Book," the view that the bishop with the laying on of hands confers the gift of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation is only the interpretation of the theological significance of Confirmation of one theological stream in Anglicanism:

"While Evangelicals in the Anglican Church agree with Anglo-Catholics that the bishop, when he lays hand upon the candidate for confirmation, prays for the strengthening of the Holy Spirit, they reject as contrary to the Scriptures the Anglo-Catholic doctrine that the gift of the Holy Spirit is imparted with the laying of hands at Confirmation. They point to those passages in the New Testament that teach and show that the Holy Spirit is received apart from the laying on of hands. The 1662 Confirmation Service is silent on this point. The bishop prays for the strengthening gifts of grace for the candidates. He then lays hands on each candidate and prays that God will defend him, and that he will increase in the Holy Spirit more and more each day until he comes to God's everlasting kingdom. The 1662 Confirmation Service speaks of the bishop laying his hands on the candidates to certify, or assure them, 'by this sign', of God's 'favour and gracious goodness toward them.' It does not suggest that either the gift of the Holy Spirit or the gifts of the Holy Spirit are conferred at Confirmation."

I further note:

"From his writings I gather that Dr. Toon is a proponent of the two-stage theory of Christian initiation that was popular in the earlier part of the twentieth century and which was a point of heated dispute among Anglicans then (and still is now) and subscribes to this interpretation of Confirmation's theological significance. Other reputable Anglican theologians like Michael Green and J. I. Packer would strongly disagree with him. Dr. Toon's views, however, were given expression in the trial services, violating what might be described as the 'neutrality' of the 1662 Prayer Book."

The adaptation of the 1962 Canadian Exhortation to the Godparents in the Service for the Baptism of Infants does not appear to have been left out due to its particular interpretation of the theological significance of Confirmation. The model of the Office of Baptism in the 1928 American Prayer Book that was adopted for the Office of Baptism in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) does not contain an exhortation to the godparents of newly baptized infants or an exhortation to newly baptized adults. The rubrics at the end of the Office of Baptism direct the minister to address the parents and the godparents concerning their responsibilities to the newly baptized infant and the newly baptized adults concerning confirmation and first communion either at the end of the office or later in the service.

The rubrics at the end of the Office of Baptism appear to tie the first communion of newly baptized adults to their confirmation. However, the introductory notes at the beginning of the Office of Baptism state, "In some cases First Communion may precede Confirmation." The introductory notes at the beginning of the order for the Holy Communion further states, "only those who are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and duly prepared in mind and heart should receive Holy Communion." They do not insist upon confirmation as a prerequisite for admission to the Lord's Table. The Exhortation on page 51 of the Order for the Holy Communion also addresses those intending to receive Holy Communion as "Fellow baptized Christians...." It appears from these provisions in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) that newly baptized adults and older children should be able to take their rightful place at the Lord's Table. Classical Anglicanism has insisted upon confirmation before first communion only to ensure that "those who receive the sacrament of our redemption by Christ's death" do so "rightly, worthily, and with faith," for only to those who receive the sacrament in this manner is "the bread a partaking of the body of Christ and the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16)". "All in whom a vital faith is absent" are "in no sense...partakers of Christ." [5] The rubric at the end of the order for Confirmation in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer permit the admission to the holy Communion of those who are "ready and desirous to be confirmed." If had not been for this provision, North American Anglicans in the Colonial church would have never received Holy Communion as they had to travel to England to be confirmed. Adults and older children who have been adequately prepared for baptism and have made a profession of faith in baptism should be "ready and desirous to be confirmed." Otherwise, churches using An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) are faced with the inconsistency of admitting one group-visitors-to the Lord's Table solely on the basis of their baptism while barring another group-the adults and older children that they baptized on profession of faith-from the Lord's Table because they have not yet been confirmed.

One way out of this dilemma may be to adopt the course that the Anglican Church of Kenya's Our Modern Services takes. It provides a rite for the admission to the Holy Communion of children who were baptized as infants. Pre-conditions of their admission are that they display evidence of faith and are prepared to "rightly and worthily" receive the sacrament of Holy Communion. Confirmation in Our Modern Services, while retaining the candidate's confirmation of the vows made at his baptism and the laying on of the hands of the bishop as a sign by which candidate is assured that he can rely upon God's confirmation and strengthening of him in his life as a Christian, is largely a rite for bringing a person into full standing in the Anglican Church of Kenya and a commissioning for service. Only young people who have been baptized, instructed, and admitted to the Holy Communion may be confirmed.

The compilers of An Anglican Prayer Book (2008) do not provide a form for the private baptism of children and adults in cases of necessity. Such a form is useful in evaluating the theology of baptism given expression in a particular edition of the Book of Common Prayer. The 1662 Prayer Book and the Books that preceded it, the 1928 American Prayer Book and the 1662 Canadian Prayer Book all contain forms for the private baptism of children and adults. These forms are substantially the same. They primarily differ on who is the right minister to baptize in emergencies or cases of urgent necessity. Only the 1549, 1552, and 1559 Prayer Books and the 1962 Canadian Prayer Book take the primitive Catholic position that baptism is so absolutely indispensable that anyone can baptize in cases of necessity. The 1662 Prayer Book requires a minister of the gospel to baptize and the 1928 American Prayer Book adopts a similar position but permits a baptized layperson to baptize if a minister cannot be procured.

The omission of a form for the private baptism of children and adults in cases of necessity does raise questions as to the theology of baptism given expression in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008). As I have previously noted, the presence of such a form in a number of Prayer Books serves as a counterbalance to the sacerdotalism evidenced these books. This counterbalance is largely missing from An Anglican Prayer Book (2008), which has only the Flood Prayer to check such tendencies in its Office of Baptism.

In my next article I will be examining the Catechism and the two orders for Confirmation in An Anglican Prayer Book (2008). Anyone who has not had an opportunity to read the previous articles will find them archived at http://exploringananglicanprayerbook.blogspot.com, as well as on the Virtue Online website. I am also posting supplemental articles on Exploring An Anglican Prayer Book (2008), which were prompted by readers' comments and questions.

End Notes:
[1] James Ussher, A Body of Divinity Being the Sum and Substance of the Christian Religion, Birmingham, Alabama: Solid Ground Christian Books 2007, pp. 372-373
[2] David Wheaton, "1552 And All That (or how twentieth century revisions have eroded the insights of the Reformers in the Communion services of the Church of England)," Churchman Issue 2002 116/4
[3] W. H. Griffith Thomas, The Principles of Theology: An Introduction to the Thirty Nine Articles, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Theological Seminary 1996, p. 391
[4] Michael Green, Baptism, London: Hodder and Stoughton 1987, p. 57
[5] Philip Edgcumbe Hughes, "The Thirty-nine Articles A Re-statement in Today's English," Theology of the English Reformers, Abington, Pennsylvania: Horseradish 1997