4-Why I Use the 1662 Book of Common Prayer

The text is immediately below. Below that are my own observations, correlation, interpretation, and applications.

Why I use the 1662 Book of Common Prayer for daily and evening Prayers?

The Absolution, or Remission of sins, to be pronounced by the Priest alone, standing; the people still kneeling.

ALMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live; and hath given power, and commandment, to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins : He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him, 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 his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Observations.

1. At the outset of any worship, prior to praises and worship, prior to hearing God’s word, and prior to any other prayers, the matter of “sin” as an obstacle is handled and handled well leading one again to Christ alone. This is far better than Presbyterian forms of worship, by far. We saw one Presbyterian clerk, this week in fact, call it the "Anglican Popish service." This too, done in a forum with many nation's leaders and without rebuttal. Their better educated Churchmen don't make such silly statements. The Lutherans are far better here. Expect nothing from the revivalists. Phoohey at that ignorance.

2. As previously noted, moderns in U.S. churches haven’t stretched this far.

3. As to Shepherd-theology and Westminster Seminary and his concern for good works, had he been disciplined—for years—on Prayer Book piety, we believe his concerns would have been addressed.

4. Notice the word “priest” in the red rubric. We take issue with that here. This has yielded all manner of mischief for Anglicans. While Protestant and Reformed Anglicans have always taught the “priesthood of all believers,” yet this term—here and elsewhere—has practically and pastorally created the distinction between the cleric and laity. A revision or the rubric, to wit, The Absolution, or Remission of sins, to be pronounced by the Priest alone, standing; the fellow priests still kneeling. This would accord with the NT and teach the people about their priestly duties.

5. Reformed Churchmen have rightly taught that Christian ministers are NOT “priests” in any other sense than that which all believers are a “royal priesthood,” offering up the sacrifices of themselves (faith, duty, loyalty, dedication and consecration, Romans 12.1-2) and their praises.

6. Cranmer’s 1552 Book of Common Prayer had the term “ministers” to avoid this problem, but Queen Exegete the First and her acolytes, bishops, were—in their minds—wiser than Cranmer. Cranmer was closer to the Reformation. Reformed Anglicans were not heard in the 1662 revision--unfortunately.

7. The “absolution” or “remission of sin” probably frightens some but a few observations here. If the introductory sentences are exegeted carefully, one will see that absolution, the life of repentance, and the life of faith are daily and life-long. The revivalists have none of this in their thinking.

a. The power or authority resides with those lawfully called and ordained. That is another issue. This service does not authorize self-appointed cowboys for divine worship. Authority for Lutherans, Anglicans and Presbyterians is carefully exercised and care governs whom they ordain. If you go to a doctor, do you want him trained or self-appointed? If fly by air, do you want a trained pilot or some fella "who feels the needs and has a Word?" Examine the Scriptures re: ministerial authority.

b. The authority is to declare the “Gospel” authoritatively.

c. Notice “He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel.” Christ alone pardons and absolves penitent sinners, not the cleric.

d. The declaration applies to those “that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel.” There is no universalism.

e. Having said this, we feel the revision by the old Reformed Episcopal Church (before she yielded to Tractarians and modern muddlers and manglican movers of mediocrity, ACNA) was excellent. The edit was: “…but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live, hath in holy Word given assurance that He pardoneth and absolveth all those who truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel.” This edit preserves the church from sacerdotalism. The old REC surely made an excellent advance and revision of the BCP.

f. We invite “new joins” or the “unconverted” to follow us, to repent and believe the Gospel. Let that be pointed out often. There may be grounds to edit the rubric to this effect, calling sinners to Christ, the "new joins." Having said that, we invited them as well as justified saints to follow us as we continue the good works of repentance, change of life, habit, custom, or practices unbefitting the life of the saint. Notice: “Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit.” Luther would agree.

g. This is a life-long war. It is not the oft-seen practice of “once saved, so I can live as I please and still have remission.” That perversity is not here. It is a life-long fight. “…and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure, and holy.” New joins need to be told this. Saints, if at ease in Zion, need to get in the game in the Church Militant.

h. The book is eminently Christological. The declaration closes with “through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Cranmer pruned, ruthlessly, all saint or Marian invocations. The Tractarians hate this observation. The new ACNA leadership does nothing to correct its anti-Reformers.

Interpretation.

This superior discipline of Morning Prayer, vastly in conflict with American devotional patterns, is excellent as an evangelistic tool and for a tool of growth in grace for the Christian. It needs the recommended edits above to be suitable for a discerning Confessional Reformed Churchman. (Expect nothing from ACNA clerics for Anglicans reading this...some of them think the Reformation a "heresy.")