Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Thursday, December 25, 2014

25 December. 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Christmas Day


25 December.  1662 Book of Common Prayer.  Christmas Day.  Some necessary adjustments were made for the Eskimo.com and a few comments were chilled.


Christmas-Day. Some observance of the Nativity of Our Lord might have existed early in the Church. Given that the early churches were avidly reading the Apostolic memoirs (cf. Justin Martyr), the Nativity of Christ might have been—well—a much more frequent reminder.  It is akin to those who heavily read the Bible, front to back, say, once per month.  That is, they’d be reviewing the Nativity in Matthew, Luke and John 12-13 times per year.  But in ancient days the exact day of Our Lord's birth was considered to be unknown. Clement of Alexandria names, as conjectural dates, May 20th and April 21st. He seems to discourage, as over-curious, any inquiry into the matter. In the Western Church, December 25th appears to have been selected in early times; in the East (as still in the Armenian Church), the Nativity was blended with the Epiphany and was kept on January 6th; not till about the time of Chrysostom did the Western usage prevail.  Today, in modern Greece, the old calendar date obtains for their purist stream while the majority has adopted 25 Dec.  Whatever the date, we rightly focus and remember the Nativity of the “Word made flesh.” The Light of the world still shines and shall shine in the lives, minds and hearts of the elect.  His Majesty shall do all His will and all those given to Him shall hear His voice and come to Him. Alleluia!

The Nativity of our Lord, or the Birth-day of Christ,
Commonly called Christmas-Day.

The Collect.

 

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

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