The Arrow's Path

Continuing on through the first paragraph of the original preface to the Book of Common Prayer, we read (emphasis mine): "There was never any thing by the wit of man so well devised, or so sure established, which in continuance of time hath not been corrupted: as, among other things, it may plainly appear by the common prayers in the Church, commonly called Divine Service: the first original and ground whereof, if a man would search out by the ancient fathers, he shall find, that the same was not ordained, but of a good purpose, and for a great advancement of godliness: For they so ordered the matter, that all the whole Bible (or the greatest part thereof) should be read over once in the year, intending thereby, that the Clergy, and  especially such as were Ministers of the congregation, should (by often reading, and  meditation of God's word) be stirred up to godliness themselves, and be more able to exhort  others by wholesome doctrine, and to confute them that were ...

I have been promising for some weeks to do a series on the Preface to the First Book of Common Prayer. I have been researching that topic, but then I hit vacation and &c., and have not gotten around to posting on this yet. I am about to remedy that now.  Before I get into that, a little preface on the Preface might be in order. We, Episcopalians, take the Book of Common Prayer for granted. As is common in most Church life, the things we do, we often do without really stopping to think why we do things a certain way. "We've always done it this way!" In some ways, this is actually a true statement, at least as it pertains to how worship came to be governed in what became the Church of England via the English Reformation and the Church of England's theological descendants like the Episcopal Church in the USA. The Book of Common Prayer was the brainchild of a man named Thomas Cranmer. I have written on this before at some length. (I was halfway through seminary b...

I have gotten some interesting feedback for idea topics from my query yesterday on what to do for a new series of blog entries, now that I have finished my 39 Articles in 39 days series. A commentary on the "Tracts for the Times" which spawned the Tractarian movement in the early 1800's was suggested on Facebook. Other suggestions were to compare and contrast the Canons of the Mass between the BCP and the Novus Ordo. Both of those ideas interested me, but both are some heavier duty academic lifting that I do not have time to engage in at the moment.  My wife also suggested doing a Saint of the Week commentary, which I may do in addition to a longer series.  I have to figure out what saint to pick from. I, personally, refuse to use that new Holy Women, Holy Men monstrosity (or as I refer to it, Holy Women, Holy Weirdos ) that General Convention is trying to foist on us because it is just any and every "saint" that someone somewhere wanted to add to the calend...

Well, my friends, I have made it to the end of this series on the Anglican Articles of Religion from 1563. I did a commentary on each article on the 39 days leading up to Pentecost, which is tomorrow. I have actually enjoyed doing this series. I thought I would get bogged down, but I largely did not do huge amounts of research. Sometimes it is fun to just shoot from the hip and see what you hit. I will attempt to do a final recap tomorrow, but for today, the final article is Article 39: XXXIX. Of a Christian man's Oath As we confess that vain and rash Swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ, and James his Apostle, so we judge, that Christian Religion cloth not prohibit, but that a man may swear when the Magistrate requireth ,  in a cause of faith and charity, so it be done according to the Prophet's teaching,   injustice, judgement, and truth. Of all the topics to end with, I have always found this topic to be a curious grand finale. A Grand...

Today's article (We are nearing the very end!) deals with the interesting theological concept of things held in common by the community:  XXXVIII. Of Christian men's Goods, which are not common The Riches and Goods of Christians are not common, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, as certain Anabaptists do falsely boast. Notwithstanding, every man ought, of such things as he possesseth, liberally to give alms to the poor, according to his ability. This article clearly calls out the Anabaptists by name. Anabaptist, of course, is an umbrella term for quite a few strands of Radical Reforming Protestantism. I have gone into this discussion before. I will only note that one should be sure not to confuse the term Anabaptist with Baptist, as the two are completely different. Most known of the Anabaptists in America are the Amish, Mennonites, and Hutterites. I mention the Hutterites because there are several Hutterite colonies in South Dakota. In fact, th...

I am nearing the end of the blog series on the Articles of Religion. There are only two more after today. Today's is a piggyback on yesterday's article concerning the legal and proper procedure for the Consecration of Bishops. Today's article is cut of the same cloth, but in the civic realm: XXXVII. Of the Civil Magistrates The King's Majesty hath the chief power in this Realm of England, and other his Dominions, unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm, whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil, in all causes doth appertain, and is not, nor ought to be, subject to any foreign Jurisdiction. Where we attribute to the King's Majesty the chief government, by which Titles we understand the minds of some slanderous folks to be offended; we give not our Princes the ministering either of God's Word, or of the Sacraments, the which thing the Injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen do most plainly testify; but that only prerogative, ...

Today's article is one that the American prayerbook tradition has always either rewords or added some manner of Roger Maris asterisk to:     XXXV. Of the Homilies The second Book of Homilies, the several titles whereof we have joined under this Article, doth contain a godly and wholesome Doctrine, and necessary for these tunes, as doth the former Book  of  Homilies, which were set forth in the time  of Edward  the Sixth; and therefore we judge them to be read in Churches by the Ministers, diligently and distinctly, that they may be understanded  of  the people. Of the Names of the Homilies 1. Of the right Use of the Church 11. Of Alms-doing 2. Against peril of Idolatry 12. Of the Nativity of Christ 3. Of repairing and keeping clean of Churches 13. Of the Passion of Christ 4. Of good Works: first of Fasting 14. Of the Resurrection of Christ 5. Against Gluttony and Drunkenness 15. Of the worthy receiving of the Sacrament of the...

Today's article is something that I think the modern Church might well consider re-applying to today's world. XXXIII. Of excommunicate Persons, how they are to be avoided That person which by open denunciation of the Church is rightly cut off from the unity of the Church, and excommunicated, ought to be taken of the whole multitude of the faithful, as an Heathen and Publican, until he be openly reconciled by penance and received into the Church by a Judge that hath authority thereunto. The Episcopal Church's current mantra is "radical inclusiveness." I do not claim to support, or even fully understand, what exactly this terms means. Frankly, I recoil from buzzwords like this because I find them simplistic sloganisms that are self-congratulatory to the point of being patently self-righteous. My other pet peeve is the one about 'Episcopalians don't check their brains at the door,' the logical inference being that other Christians are just ignorant ...

Today's article is on the ever-fixated upon teaching of the Catholic church on the issue of celibacy in the clergy. XXXII. Of the Marriage of Priests Bishops, Priests, and Deacons are not commanded by God's Law, either to vow the estate of single life, or to abstain from marriage: therefore it is lawful for them, as for all other Christian men, to marry at their own discretion, as they shall judge the same to serve better to godliness. This, and Marriage in general, was a major issue for the Reformers, Luther in particular. Luther, though, had all sorts of baggage on the issue. He was a former Augustinian priest who ended up marrying a former Catholic nun. As such, he, like most other Protestants after him, began to understand marriage as nothing more than a civil contract for two people to live together. The Church would simply "add some God stuff" to it and out of the oven can a Christian marriage. As such, Protestants seldom understand or agreed with mandator...

Anyone familiar with the Rite I service in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer will likely have heard the phraseology of this 31st Article of Religion in the Eucharist Prayer (emphasis mine): All glory be to thee, Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for that thou, of thy tender mercy, didst give thine 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 did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his precious death and sacrifice, until his coming again. I always have to be sure to take this paragraph slowly when I am the Celebrant because I get thrown off if I rush through it with so many uses of the word 'oblation.' The word oblation means the making of a prayerful offering. This is actually one of the 7 types of prayer that the Catechism ta...

Today's article has to deal with one of the Reformation era liturgical bugaboos for Protestants:   XXX.  Of both kinds   The Cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the Lay-people: for both the parts of the Lord's Sacrament, by Christ's ordinance and commandment, ought to be ministered to all Christian men alike. One of the unfortunate customs that evolved in the Western church during the Middle Ages, partly out of theology and partly out of fear of the plague, was the practice of the priest not giving the chalice of wine to the laity during Communion. In actual fact, in the high Middle Ages, the laity would not receive either the wine or the bread all, or if they did, it was only once a year or so, and then only in bread form. The priest did everything and consumed everything. Or if there was a deacon, the deacon might be allowed to partake of the Eucharist. Practically speaking, people looked onto the Bread and Wine and did not receive them. Again,...

Today's article is one of the longest in the Articles of Religion. I am not sure word count wise, but it certainly has the most paragraphs.  So, marching headlong into the issue of Sacraments: XXV. Of the Sacraments Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession, but rather they be certain sure witnesses, and effectual signs of grace, and God's good will towards us, by the which he doth work   invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our Faith in him. 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 like nature...

Today's Article does not get more Anti-Catholic and Anti-Eastern Orthodox than this: XXII. Of Purgatory The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, Worshipping and Adoration, as well of Images as of Reliques, and also invocation of Saints, is a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God. So, in one swoop, the Anglican church bemoaned the manifold sins and wickedness of the doctrines of Purgatory, Pardons (and indulgences which we have already discussed), and Worshipping and Adoration of Icons and Holy Relics and the broadly vague "invocation of Saints."  That is so broad a swath of theological topics that Puritans were obsessed with that I am not sure where to begin. I suppose going in order is the best manner. So, batting lead off: Purgatory . This is a particularly vexing doctrine for many Protestants, and I think also for some Catholics because the Church mishandled the teaching of it o...

Today's article begins the section of the Articles of Religion having to do with the principle question of "What is the Church?" As one can imagine, this was one of the primary questions of the Reformation. In their rebellion against Rome, Protestants had to scramble to be able to justify their breaking with the Catholic Church and Tradition and still legitimately call themselves the Church and not be some rag tag band of heretical schismatics, which Rome was more than happy to label them as such.  Different branches of Protestantism came up with differing definitions of what the Church is and what the Church was not. Again, one must put aside the modern notion of "denominationalism." Most of the Reformers never dreamed that what they were doing to reform the Church was simply a matter of going off and forming their own little sect or denomination, one amongst many. What the principle Reformers were doing, they believed, was going off and re-forming the One T...

Okay, everyone exhale. Today's article is the last in the Articles of Religion's section on purely doctrinal matters. The next section won't make your head hurt nearly as much because it is about the Church, its Sacraments, and Ministers, but we will get to that tomorrow. For today, this article talks solely about how Salvation is attained.  XVIII. Of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the Name of Christ They also are to be had accursed that presume to say, That every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that Law, and the light of Nature. For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved. Basically, this is the Easter proclamation. Salvation comes from Christ and Christ alone. We do not receive salvation by blinding following the Law of Moses or whether we belong to this or that religious sect. Salvation comes only from belonging to Christ.  In ...

XVI. Of Sin after Baptism Not every deadly sin willingly committed after Baptism is sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after Baptism. After we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and by the grace of God we may arise again, and amend our lives. And therefore they are to be condemned, which say, they can no more sin as long as they live here, or deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly repent. Today's article above is a cutesy amalgam of Reformed and more Catholic notions pertaining to sin. Catholic moral theology is very dense, to the point that some Anglicans refer to it as casuistry. Boiled down, Catholic moral theology makes the distinction between mortal and venial sin. By that, the Catholic Church believes that some sin is more heinous than others. I tend to agree with this notion (big surprise).  For instance, if I stump my toe ...