



Produced by Elaine Laizure from images generously made
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[Transcriber's Note: Footnotes have been moved to the end of the
document.]



RITUAL CONFORMITY.


INTERPRETATIONS OF THE RUBRICS OF THE PRAYER-BOOK, AGREED UPON
BY A CONFERENCE HELD AT ALL SAINTS, MARGARET-STREET, 1880-1881.



PARKER AND CO.

OXFORD, AND 6 SOUTHAMPTON-STREET,

STRAND, LONDON.

1881.



PREFACE.


At a Conference of some friends interested in the subject of Ritual,
held on January 17, 1880, the following propositions were, amongst
others, agreed to:

I. That the evil of unnecessary Diversity in Ritual, as practised
in various Churches aiming at the maintenance of Catholic doctrine
and usage in the Church of England, is real and great.

II. That an effort to moderate it should be attempted, resting
mainly on the united opinion of some of those who have given
special attention to the theory and practice of Ritual, in their
private capacity of Students or Parish Priests.

III. That the effort should take the form of a body of Comments upon
the Rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer, and that these Comments
should include cautions against practices which are infractions of
the law and usage of the Church of England.

With the view of carrying these propositions into effect, it was
arranged that a series of meetings should be held; and the Vicar
of All Saints, Margaret-street, kindly provided a room at the
clergy-house for the meetings of the Conference.

Those who had met in the first instance were duly summoned, and
others were invited to join them. The meetings were held at first
on two consecutive days in alternate weeks, (since some of the
members came from a considerable distance). Latterly, in order to
expedite the work, meetings were held on three consecutive days in
alternate weeks. In all, forty-eight meetings were held between
January 17, 1880, and July 13, 1881.

It was thought possible that by the co-operation of several minds,
information might be collected from sources not commonly accessible,
and perhaps hardly within the reach of any one individual. Among
the members of the Conference also were those who had had experience
of parish-work, as well as those who had devoted time and attention
to historical enquiry into the origin and meaning of the Rubrics of
the Prayer-Book, or who had made ancient Liturgies their special
study: some, it may be added, combined these various qualifications.
A hope therefore was entertained, as the second proposition implies,
that by considering on very wide grounds (both practical and
historical), and not from any one point of view, the various
divergencies of ritual practice, some agreement might be arrived
at even on the most controverted points.

This hope has been realized. It was found that points which
seemed at first to afford no basis on which agreement was at
all probable, were settled, after long discussion, almost (if not
quite) unanimously; but this involved expenditure of time, and
much investigation into matters on which existing text-books were
often silent.

With regard to the actual diversities in ritual which came under
the attention of the Conference, some appeared to be such direct
infractions of the Rubrics that no explanation of the Rubrics could
make their irregularity more evident. Others seemed to arise from
well-meant attempts to interpret the Rubrics. These last formed
the chief subject of the labours of the Conference.

The main line of procedure laid down was a true and loyal adherence
to the spirit of the Prayer-Book. A mere literal interpretation of
the Rubric was found in many cases to be insufficient. Even if the
existing Prayer-Book had been composed for inaugurating some new
religious system, it would be scarcely reasonable to depend upon
the abstract meaning of the words employed, without any reference
to the circumstances under which the book had been written. But
when we remember that the Prayer-Book of 1662 was the last of
several revisions of the original English Prayer-Book of 1549,
which was itself avowedly based upon the Ancient Liturgies, and
carried on the existing and ancient worship of the Church of
England (with such reformation as was considered needful), no mode
of interpretation could be more misleading if rigorously insisted
on, or so likely to cause error in practice.

The Prayer-Book, however, in spite of the Revision of 1662, retains
many vestiges of the foreign Protestant influence, which affected
the Revision of 1552. With these the Conference have attempted to
deal in a loyal spirit. However much they may be regretted,
Churchmen are bound to accept them. For it must be clearly
understood that nothing was further from the intention of the
Conference, than to attempt Revision. So far from this, it was
hoped by some that a careful series of notes explaining the true
character of disputed Rubrics might go some way to allay the
present agitation for change.

The Conference cannot be blind to the conviction that they have to
face much modern prejudice. On the one hand there is still rife in
the Church of England the Puritan spirit, which condemns in one and
the same category things essentially Roman, and things which are
really primitive, but which have been retained by Rome. On the
other hand, there undoubtedly exists an occasional reaction from
this Puritan spirit, which has produced a prejudice in favour of
things--whether primitive or not--simply because they are Roman.
The Conference have felt that to yield either to one or the other
prejudice was not the right way of dealing with the Prayer-Book.

They have also been brought face to face with what are called
"Legal decisions" on some questions of Ritual. Apart from the fact
that the courts have given directly opposite decisions on the same
question, and have given reasons in one case inconsistent with the
reasons given for their decision in another; apart also from
the fact that these are chiefly decisions of secular courts in
purely spiritual matters; the Conference have been precluded from
entertaining them, as guides or as helps, in consequence of the
courts having generally acted upon principles of interpretation
entirely different from those which the Conference had adopted.

They have, moreover, found themselves in opposition to much modern
practice, originating in carelessness and neglect in the due
performance of the Services of the Church during past generations,
but alien to the spirit of those Services, though often mistaken
for their exponent.

The Conference have had to investigate the origin and to consider
the meaning of many practices, which appear either to be enjoined
or implied in the existing Rubrics, and have, in the light of these
investigations, set down unflinchingly what they believed to be
the true interpretation of these Rubrics. At the same time, they
have not shut their eyes to ancient customs, which, though less
prominently connected with the Rubrics, appear to have held on
concurrently with the Prayer-Book; being consistent with its
principles, and not authoritatively condemned either by name or
by implication.

The Comments, which have been the result of their discussions, the
Conference have printed, in the hope that they will be received by
others as suggestions towards the solution of difficulties which
must press upon all who desire to obey the spirit as well as the
letter of the Prayer-Book.

The entire adherence of any one to all the interpretations here
offered is not to be expected. Indeed, those members of the
Conference who have had experience in parish-work, are well aware
that in comparatively few villages it is possible to carry out
the fuller Ritual which the Prayer-Book admits: this can only
be successfully adopted in large towns, or where endowments are
provided, or other resources are available, for sustaining a high
Ritual.

It should be said, in conclusion, that amongst the members of the
Conference, some have taken part in the work to a greater extent
than others, and are consequently more directly responsible for
the Comments, and able to give a fuller assent to them. It was
impossible to consult every member upon each individual point.
All that was done to ensure the expression of the general sense
of the Conference, was to determine to insert no comment which was
not approved of by two-thirds of the members present. Practically,
it was found that in very few cases a formal division was called
for, the agreement to the final form of the comments being generally
unanimous.

   (_Signed_,)

      B. COMPTON, _Chairman_.

   Wm. Jno. Blew.        H. G. Morse.
   J. H. Blunt.          James Parker.
   Wm. Cooke.            Thos. W. Perry.
   C. L. Courtenay.      James Baden Powell.
   J. Fuller Russell.    R. F. Wilson.
   R. F. Littledale.     Chr. Wordsworth.



INTERPRETATIONS OF THE RUBRICS OF THE PRAYER-BOOK.

_THE PREFACE_.


1. It hath been the wisdom of the Church of _England_, &c.

It is important to bear in mind, in interpreting the prefaces and
rubrics of the Prayer-Book, that they were written at various
times, and that their language is not generally the current
language of our own day, but the technical language of the times
at which they were respectively written.

The first section, headed "The Preface," was added in 1662 to the
second, entitled "Concerning the Service of the Church," which is
the original Preface to the Prayer-Book of 1549, with some important
additions and slight omissions made in 1552.

The "Order how the Psalter is appointed to be read," dates mainly
from 1549.

The "Order how the rest of Holy Scripture is appointed to be
read," with the Tables of Proper Psalms, and Lessons, and the
Calendar--originally forming part of the book of 1549--was adopted
with slight alteration in 1662, but was much varied in 1871.



_CONCERNING THE SERVICE OF THE CHURCH_.


2. There was never any thing by the wit of man so well devised, &c.

It seems that, having regard to the circumstances under which this
rubric was framed, the 'diversity to be appeased,' and the 'doubts
to be resolved,' concerned only the manner of saying and singing
the Morning and Evening Prayer, not the manner of administration
of the Sacraments or other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church. Nor
were any 'parties' contemplated as likely to 'doubt, or diversely
take anything,' except the clergy. The contemporaneous Latin
translation of the English Prayer-Book expressly confines this
provision of resort to the Bishop of the diocese to questions
arising _inter ministros_. The Bishop of the Diocese was the proper
person to resort to, both on account of his sacred office, which
gave him authority, and also as being at that time the person
likely to be best informed on questions of this kind, as the
Epistle, and Gospel for Quinquagesima Sunday (with the addition of
the Collect of Ash Wednesday), but the Scotch Prayer-Book directs
the use of the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for Ash Wednesday only;
and Bishop Cosin directed the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for
Quinquagesima Sunday to serve only until Ash Wednesday.

When more than one Collect is appointed for the day, by reason of
the coincidence of Holy Days, the question arises which Holy Day
should take precedence.

Coincidence includes (_a_) occurrence (i.e. the falling on the
same day of two occasions having special services), and (_b_)
concurrence, when the one falls on the morrow of the other.

By taking precedence is meant, that when two Holy Days occur, the
Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, the Proper Psalms and Lessons (if
any) of the superior day should be used.

But in certain cases of occurrence, noticed in the following Table,
a memorial of the inferior day should be made, by using the Collect
appointed for it in addition to, and after, the Collect for the
superior day, at all services at which the Collect for the day is
to be said.

In other cases, the services of the inferior day must be entirely
omitted for that year, or transferred to the morrow, or some
subsequent date, in accordance with ancient custom. The Prayer-Book
gives no directions for such transference, but the total loss for
the year of such Festivals as the Annunciation of the Blessed
Virgin, or of the Dedication and the Title of a Church, would be
much to be regretted.

The following Table exhibits the precedence of Holy Days:

  First Sunday in Advent takes precedence of St. Andrew's Day.

  Fourth Sunday in Advent takes precedence of St. Thomas' Day.

  St. Stephen's Day              |
  St. John the Evangelist's Day   \  take precedence of First
  Holy Innocents' Day             /  Sunday after Christmas.
  The Circumcision               |

  The Epiphany takes precedence of Second Sunday after
  Christmas.

  The Conversion of St. Paul takes precedence of Third Sunday
  after Epiphany, but memorial is to be made of the Sunday.

  The Purification takes precedence of Fourth Sunday after
  Epiphany, also of Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima
  Sundays, of which three Sundays memorial is to be made.

  Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima Sundays take
  precedence of Conversion of St. Paul and St. Matthias' Day.

  Ash Wednesday takes precedence of St. Matthias' Day.

  Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Sundays in Lent take precedence
  of the Annunciation.

  The services of the season from Evening Prayer on Wednesday in
  Holy Week till Saturday in Easter Week, both inclusive, take
  precedence of the Annunciation.

  First Sunday after Easter takes precedence of the Annunciation,
  St. Mark's Day, and SS. Philip and James' Day.

                              | take precedence of Second,
  St. Mark's Day,            /  Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays
  SS. Philip and James' Day  \  after Easter.
                              |

  Ascension Day takes precedence of SS. Philip and James' Day.

  The Services of the season from Whitsun Eve till Saturday in
  Whitsun Week, both inclusive, take precedence of St. Barnabas' Day.

  Trinity Sunday takes precedence of St. Barnabas' Day.

  St. Barnabas' Day, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, St.
  Peter's Day, St. James' Day, St. Bartholomew's Day, St. Matthew's
  Day, St. Michael and All Angels' Day, St. Luke's Day, SS. Simon
  and Jude's Day, All Saints' Day, take precedence of all Sundays
  after Trinity.

  The Feasts of the Dedication and Title of a Church rank as
  principal festivals; but may not be observed on Advent Sunday,
  Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Epiphany, between the Fifth Sunday
  in Lent and Low Sunday inclusive, Ascension Day, or from Whitsun
  Eve to Trinity Sunday inclusive.

Octaves are not mentioned by name in the Prayer-Book, but are
implied in the rubrics preceding the Proper Prefaces of the
Communion Office. It has been suggested by the Convocation of
Canterbury that the Collects for St. Michael's and All Saints'
Days should be repeated on the seven days following those days
respectively. Such additions would be in the nature of new Octaves.
But the first of these days had no Octave in the Sarum or the Roman
Use: the second has an Octave in the Roman Use, but had none in the
Sarum Use. If any such additional Octaves are introduced, the
Festival of the Epiphany at least should have this distinction.
A general permission might also be given to individual churches
to keep the Octaves of their title or dedication.

7. _PROPER LESSONS_

To be read at Morning and Evening Prayer, on the Sundays, and other
Holy-days throughout the Year.



_LESSONS PROPER FOR HOLY-DAYS_.


8. _PROPER PSALMS ON CERTAIN DAYS_.

9. _THE CALENDAR, WITH THE TABLE OF LESSONS_.

The Black-letter days, especially those that commemorate Scriptural
persons and events, should be observed if possible. They may be
marked by sermons and suitable hymns.

10. _TABLES AND RULES_

For the Moveable and Immoveable Feasts; together with the Days of
Fasting and Abstinence, through the whole Year.

11. _RULES_ to know when the Moveable Feasts and Holy-days begin.

12. _A TABLE_ of all the Feasts that are to be observed in the
Church of England throughout the Year.

  All Sundays in the Year.
            | The Circumcision of our Lord
            |   JESUS CHRIST.
            | The Epiphany.
            | The Conversion of S. _Paul_.
            | The Purification of the Blessed
            |   Virgin.
  The       | S. _Matthias_ the Apostle.
  Days     /  The Annunciation of the
  of the   \    Blessed Virgin.
  Feasts    | S. _Mark_ the Evangelist.
  of        | S. _Philip_ and S. _James_ the
            |   Apostles.
            | The Ascension of our Lord
            |   JESUS CHRIST.
            | S. _Barnabas_.
            | The Nativity of S. _John_ Bapt.

            | S. _Peter_ the Apostle.
            | S. _James_ the Apostle.
            | S. _Bartholomew_ the Apostle.
            | S. _Matthew_ the Apostle.
            | S. _Michael_ and All Angels.
            | S. _Luke_ the Evangelist.
  The       | S. _Simon_ and S. _Jude_,
  Days     /    Apostles.
  of the   \  All Saints.
  Feasts    | S. _Andrew_ the Apostle.
  of        | S. _Thomas_ the Apostle.
            | The Nativity of our Lord.
            | S. _Stephen_ the Martyr.
            | S. _John_ the Evangelist.
            | The Holy Innocents.

  _Monday_ and _Tuesday_ in _Easter-week_. _Monday_ and _Tuesday_
  in   _Whitsun-week_.

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