Prayer Book Tyranny

Sarah Hey at Stand Firm posted this very interesting bit of information.

First, TEC is still the only province that does not allow use of an "authorized" but older prayer book in entirety. TEC does allow limited use of portions of another prayer book with the bishop's permission -- but that is far far different from blanket allowance of use of older, orthodox Prayer Books with no additional permission needed by bishops. Even Canada allows that.

But loving, inclusive, affirming TEC does not. And we all understand why -- it's because the gospel & propaganda the national church is promoting must be the only one available, since it cannot bear to compete. Other provinces may have their strange or heretical books -- but they still allow the older authorized Prayer Books' use.

I came in under the 1979 BCP and it's the only one I really know. But the more I study it and compare to the 1928 American BCP and the 1662 BCP, the more I realize the objections to the '79 book are not just about knee-jerk conservatives wanting to have antique language in their worship. There are substantial theological changes in the '79 book. No wonder we are forbidden to use the old book. We might actually prefer it and that would threaten the "new thing" theology.

"The Prayer-book is but an humble handmaid of the Scriptures"

Stopped today in one of my favorite used bookstores, Catnap Books. It's a rather tiny store, but someone in the area seems to have a lot of really interesting Anglican books in their attic. I usually find something worth buying every few months. Today was no exception. I picked up "Thoughts on the Services: Intended as an introduction to the Liturgy, and an aid to its devout use" by A. Cleveland Coxe, published in 1866. The pages are rather brown and spotted, but the binding is fairly good.

There are some delightful jems in the book. I start with this ode to the BCP:

Let us also observe that the Morning Prayer, the Litany, the Holy Communion, and the Evening Prayer, are so many distinct services, and may be used entirely apart, although the law of convenience has fogged our congregations generally to celebrate three of them together; and often to use the fourth immediately afterwards. It is only by this common abuse that our worship can be made wearisome. A stranger to the Order of worship, should be informed of these simple facts, and then invited to open the Prayer-book, where he will observe that its first pages are devoted to the most careful provision for the reading of Holy Scripture, in public and in private. The profuse employment of Scripture, as a feature of this great system, is to be specially remarked. The Psalms are to be read twelve times a year; the Old Testament once, and the New Testament twice;while over and above, there is such an arrangement of special Psalms and Lessons as forces on every mind, without a word of comment, the harmony of all the parts of Scripture, and the true law of its interpretation.The Prayer-book, then, is but an humble handmaid of the Scriptures, which nobody can use, as designed, withut becoming throughly versed in the Word of God

The Liturgy of the Notices