The Revised Liturgy

T seems probable that, if only the Divine Liturgy had been left untouched, the rest of the revised aver Book might have been accepted without serious pposition. In this article, therefore, the writer's aim s to justify the proposed changes in the Lord's Own ervice by showing that in its new form the Order of oly Communion will be essentially more truly " evan- elical," and will approximate far more closely to rimitive models than does our existing one. Now in all the earliest forms of Liturgy known to us, he act of Consecration is on the following plan. The !lest begins by reciting the Narrative and the Words f Institution used by our Lord at the Last Supper,* hus indicating his authority for what he is doing. Next a pronounces the " Anamnesis," or Commemoration f our Lord's Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension, 0 show that he is acting in fulfilment of the command : ' Do this in remembrance of Mc " (ds rir !AP ardignom). pally he utters the " Epiclesis," or Invocation ,f the Holy Spirit, praying that He may hallow the read and Wine, that they may be to the faithful eipients the Body and Blood of Christ. At this point it is necessary to notice a very important ivergence between the Churches of Western and of 'Hereinafter termed, for the sake of brevity, " The Narrative*" Eastern Europe. As time went on, the former laid ever more stress upon the recital of the Narrative, until it came to be held that the actual Consecration was effected by the Priest himself, in virtue of his pro- nouncing the words : " This is My Body (Blood)." As a result of this hyper-sacerdotal theory, the Epiclesis dropped out of the Western Liturgies. In the Eastern Church, on the other hand, the whole of the " Anaphora,"* at any rate as far as the Epiclesis, is regarded as con- stituting the act of Consecration ; and the hallowing; of the Elements is expressly attributed to the agency of the Holy Spirit, not to the words or gestures of the Priest. The Eastern concept, therefore, is obviously far more truly " evangelical," far less really " sacerdotal," than the Western ; and, as we shall see, the Liturgy in the Revised Prayer Book approximates much more closely to the former than to the latter.

Let us now trace the history of our present Communion Office from that of Sarum onwards.

In its main structure, the earlier part of the Sarum Rite was similar to that of our present Liturgy, save that it did not include the Deealogue, and the Gloria in Excelsis came at the beginning. Incidentally it 'The central portion of the Liturgy, from the Sunium Cords to the Lord'. Prayer.

*The somowhat faint-hearted allusion to the departed in Prayer for the Church Militant was added at the revision of. the Prayer Book under Charles II in 1002, as were also the words " and oblations."

may be remarked that neither the Gloria nor the Nicene Creed is found in the early fornis of Liturgy. The former was at first recited only at the Christmas Mid- night Mass, and even then by Bishops only. It forms, of course; an echo of the Angels' Song on the night of our Lord's Nativity, and naturally, therefore, stood at the very outset of the Service.

After the Offertory came the Anaphora, beginning with the Sursum Corda, Preface, Sarictus and Bene- dictus Qui Vella. Then followed the Canon, consisting of (a) The Intercession (for the living, with a Commem- oration of Saints), (b) The Narrative, (c) The Oblation (with prayers for the departed, and second Commem- oration of Saints), (d) The Lord's Prayer.

No provision is made in the Sarum Rite for com- municating the laity, for, generally speaking, save at Easter, there were never any communicants.

The First English Prayer Book (1549) followed the above order, though the ceremonial details were very greatly simplified. Cranmer, however, added a form of Epielesis. Unfortunately he inserted it, not in the traditional place where it should rightly come, viz., at the Oblation, but immediately before the Recital of the Words of Institution. This forms the chief blot (from the litUrgiologist's point of view) upon the Book of 1519. With a view to emphasizing the importance of actual Communion, Cranmer added (after the Con- secration) an act of Preparation, consisting of the Invitation, Confession and Absolution, Comfortable Words, and Prayer of Humble Access, none of which had existed in the Sarum Rite. There followed the Communion of Priest and People, then the Prayer of Thanksgiving, and the Peace and Blessing, these last being likewise new features in the reformed Service.

The Order of 1540 is clear, logical, and intelligible. ' %Ye begin by " Lifting up our hearts unto the Lord " ; we join with angels and archangels in the glorious act of adoration that we know as the Sanctus ; while we arc still lifted up in heart to the Celestial Sphere we straightway unite with our Great High Priest in the Heavenly Intercession and the pleading of the merits of His Atoning Sacrifice ; we listen to His voice bidding us " draw near and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort " ; we prepare to receive it worthily by con- fession. Having made our Communion we return thanks and arc dismissed with the Blessing. - But what arc we to say of the Order of 1552 ? From a liturgical point of view it is impossible to " make sense " of it. The Canon has been broken in pieces, and its component parts scattered promiscuously about the Service, seemingly without rhyme or reason; the Prayer of Humble Access is separated from the rest of the Act of Preparation ; moreover, where it now stands, it produces the effect of bathos, exquisite as it is in itself : for, having been lifted up into Heaven to join with the Angelic Choir in the Sanctus, we suddenly drop down to earth again to express our unworthiness to approach the Holy Table ; the Prayer of Oblation (no longer even obligatory) comes after Communion-- quite the wrong place, for obviously we slmuld offer to God before we receive from Him ; the Gloria in Excelsis has been removed from its traditional place. By the addition of the words " militant here in earth " to the bidding of 1549 (which ran simply, " Let us pray for the whole state of Christ's Church,") and by the rigid excision of all direct reference to the faithful departed * and to the Saints in glory, we are to all intents and purposes robbed of the great doctrine of the Communion of Saints. Lastly, the Epiclesis has disappeared, mid the Act of Consecration has been whittled down to th bare Narrative and Recital of the Words of Institution. It fills us with amazement that Cranmer should bay, been guilty. of this very grave liturgical error, for to limit the Act of Consecration to the repetition by th, Priest of the Words of Institution is more " sacerdotal' than anything in the Roman Mass !

Such then is the—very unliturgieal—Liturgy, which has come down to us from 1552. Certain changes iver, made under Elizabeth in 1559, and under Charles If in 1662, but these did. not affect the main structure of the Service.

We must now consider the proposed changes in tie Revised Prayer .Book.

" The Intercession" is once again headed " Let is pray for the whole state of Christ's Church." In if new form it includes petitions " for all nations," that God will lead them " in the way of righteousness and peace " ; for the Bishop of the Diocese ; for missionaries; for the faithful departed ; also a brief commemoration of the Saints in glory.

Following the Intercession conies " The Preparation," consisting of the Invitation, Confession and Absolution (two alternative forms), the Comfortable Words, and the Prayer of Humble Access. As we have seen, these all followed the Consecration in the 1549 Book. The objection to the proposed position is that the eommuni• cants are bidden to " draw near " before the Consecration has taken place, i.e., before the Sacred Feast is ready.

Next comes " The Consecration," consisting of the Sursum Corda, Preface, Sanctus, and Benedictus (optional), followed by the Narrative, the Oblation, together with the Anamnesis and the Epiclesis (now restored to its proper position), and the Lord's Prayer. Then follows the Communion of Priest and People. Presumably it was unavoidable, but it seems a pity that provision should be made for four different methods of admin. istration. After Communion come the Thanksgiving, the Gloria in Excelsis, and the Peace and Blessing. Broadly speaking, the main order of the 1549 Book has been followed.

On the whole, it may be said that the Bishops have produced a Liturgy which is beautiful, dignified, and truly " Catholic," in the very best sense of that word. There is a very great deal for which churchmen will be profoundly thankful. We have recovered our lost heritage of the doctrine of the Communion of Saints, and we have got back the Eucharistic Canon—a really liturgical one. For these we owe an unspeakable (kilt of gratitude to the Bishops. It is earnestly to be hoped that their devoted labours during the past twenty years will not be thrown away, but that all parties in the Church will loyally accept their final findings. The Bishops have spoken with a united—or nearly united—voice, and loyalty to the Episcopate is of the essence of the spirit of true Catholicism. I believe that the vast majority of churchmen, who are content to accept the via media between the two extremes of Romanism and Protestantism, will cheerfully waive their personal likes and dislikes, and recognize with gratitude how manifestly fair the Bishops have shown themselves. All parties will surely be ready to sacrifice something for the peace of the Church as a whole. Quinquagesima Sunday is upon us, bringing the whale" some reminder : " Love seeketh not its own."

*The Intercession originally stood apart Gfro.niKtliPe°Clani-ot:Daa4" still does in the Liturgies of the Bastern Church.