The name that the liturgy took on in the reign of Elizabeth is quite appropriate. The service is extremely threatening. It begins thus ( Thanks, as always, to the Society of Archbishop Justus for keeping such resources accessible :
BRETHREN, in the prymitive churche there was a godlye disciplyne, that at the begynnyng of lente suche persones as were notorious synners, were put to open penaunce, and punished in this worlde, that theyr soules myght bee saved in the day of the lord. And that other admonished by theyr example, might he more afrayed to offende. In the steede [stead] whereof until the saide disciplyne maye bee restored agayne; (whiche thynge is muche to bee wyshed,) it is thoughte good, that at thys tyme (in your presence) shoulde bee read the general sentences of goddes Cursyng agaynste impenitente sinners.
As far as I can tell (and I suspect Derek would know better), the reference is to an ancient custom in which the notorious sinners of the church were forbidden from the congregation of the faithful (and thus the Eucharist and the other Sacraments except in hora mortis ) from Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday. The Holy Martyr and Patron ++Thomas Cranmer evidently desired the restoration of this custom to England. But with all due respect to him, the union of the spiritual and temporal power which he suffered to be established in the realm of England would make this scheme dangerously troublesome. The admixture of the temporal and spiritual swords naturally led to forms of civil action against the sinners and dissidents of the Church of England, which did not tend to their repentance but to their obstinancy (and in some cases, such obstinancy as would befit martyrs).
In addition, since the sixteenth century, there has grown up a greater respect for the individual conscience that would blister at such strong communal action (and potentially authoritarian and hypocritical,too). This summer, I read an article in Christianity Today about the ineffectiveness of church discipline and what could be done about it. I frankly find it symptomatic of the greatly weakened communitarian impulses of Americans as both citizens and Christians. But knowing something of the situation of the plainer Anabaptists, the old Kirk in Scotland, or the Roman Catholic Church in certain eras, there are some advantages to the greater liberty of the individual in relation to the community.
Perhaps, the most humorous example of this is a case from the medieval ecclesiastical courts in England, in which a man is summoned for having fornicated with the same woman for the third or fourth time. The man admitted his fault but claims that the court had warned him that if he offended further, he was to be whipped seven times around the cathedral. Fortunately, the court was wise enough to check the record and discover that he was supposed to be compelled to marry the woman in question. And thus it appears that the man preferred to be beaten within an inch of his life than marry his girlfriend. Or more keenly, the man tried to play on the sadistic impulses of the court in order to avoid the justice actually prescribed by the Law of God.
Thus, Cranmer's reluctant substitution for more effectual public penance may have been the cleverer idea. And since the ecclesiastical and penitential jurisdiction over the laity long has failed in England and mutated into a civil jurisdiction in North America that is not far from eroding completely, the Commination stands as a very brilliant idea for the mutual humiliation of the community on the starting line of Lent. For we are all sinners, as Paul reminds us in Romans, and our righteousness cannot come from the Law. The notorious are in as much fear and promise of mercy as the less notorious. Lutherpunk writes of the season that it is the time to put ourselves before "the mirror of the Law" and see where the blemishes are.
The curses are these [numbering mine]:
[1] CURSED is the man that maketh any carved or molten image, to worship it.
And the people shall answer and say, Amen.
Minister. [2] Cursed is he that curseth his father or mother.
Answer. Amen.
Minister. [3] Cursed is he that removeth his neighbour's landmark.
Answer. Amen.
Minister. [4] Cursed is he that maketh the blind to go out of his way.
Answer. Amen.
Minister. [5] Cursed is he that perverteth the judgement of the stranger, the fatherless, and widow.
Answer. Amen.
Minister. [6] Cursed is he that smiteth his neighbour secretly.
Answer. Amen.
Minister. [7] Cursed is he that lieth with his neighbour's wife.
Answer. Amen.
Minister. [8] Cursed is he that taketh reward to slay the innocent.
Answer. Amen.
Minister. [9] Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, and taketh man for his defence, and in his heart goeth from the Lord.
Answer. Amen.
Minister. [10] Cursed are the unmerciful, fornicators, and adulterers, covetous persons, idolaters, slanderers, drunkards, and extortioners.
Answer. Amen.
And knowing the general hermeneutical bent of the Lord in the Gospel of Matthew, these curses are far more general and potentially metaphorical than their literal interpretations. [1] concerns our general idolatry of objects or reified persons. [4] condemns those who play on their neighbor's credulity as well as those who fool the literally blind. [6] probably covers all of the advantages we take due to our lack of accountability on the Internet. [9] is especially fun, since it also includes putting trust in ourselves more than trust in God. I like that [10] begins with the unmerciful... Do not call anyone to repentance without calling yourself all the more. Of all of these taken broadly, I am guilty. Lord have mercy.
The liturgy then continues with one of the greatest Scriptural montages I know of in all in Christian literature. It builds rhetorically with a warning that the day of the Lord is nigh, and hell following after. This is the closest thing to fire and brimstone I know of in the Anglican world. But then it turns to speak comfortable words to us, offering repentance and forgiveness through the merits of Jesus Christ. For our same Awful Judge is also our Advocate and Savior. If I ever were asked to give such a strange creature as an Anglican revival sermon it would be,
NOW seeing that all they are accursed (as the prophet David beareth witness) who do err and go astray from the commandments of God; let us (remembering the dreadful judgement hanging over our heads, and always ready to fall upon us) return unto our Lord God, with all contrition and meekness of heart; bewailing and lamenting our sinful life, acknowledging and confessing our offences, and seeking to bring forth worthy fruits of penance. For now is the axe put unto the root of the trees, so that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God: he shall pour down rain upon the sinners, snares, fire and brimstone, storm and tempest; this shall be their portion to drink. For lo, the Lord is come out of his place to visit the wickedness of such as dwell upon the earth. But who may abide the day of his coming? Who shall be able to endure when he appeareth? His fan is in his hand, and he will purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the bam; but he will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. The day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night: and when men shall say, Peace, and all things are safe, then shall sudden destruction come upon them, as sorrow cometh upon a woman travailing with child, and they shall not escape. Then shall appear the wrath of God in the day of vengeance, which obstinate sinners, through the stubbornness of their heart, have heaped unto them, selves; which despised the goodness, patience, and long, sufferance of God, when he calleth them continually to repentance. Then shall they call upon me, (saith the Lord,) but I will not hear; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me; and that, because they hated knowledge, and received not the fear of the Lord, but abhorred my counsel, and despised my correction. Then shall it be too late to knock when the door shall be shut; and too late to cry for mercy when it is the time of justice. O terrible voice of most just judgement, which shall be pronounced upon them, when it shall be said unto them, Go, ye cursed, into the fire everlasting, which is prepared for the devil and his angels. Therefore, brethren, take we heed betime, while the day of salvation lasteth; for the night cometh, when none can work. But let us, while we have the light, believe in the light, and walk as children of the light; that we be not cast into utter darkness, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Let us not abuse the goodness of God, who calleth us mercifully to amendment, and of his endless pity promiseth us forgiveness of that which is past, if with a perfect and true heart we return unto him. For though our sins be as red as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow; and though they be like purple, yet they shall be made white as wool. Turn ye (saith the Lord) from all your wickedness, and your sin shall not be your destruction: Cast away from you all your ungodliness that ye have done: Make you new hearts, and a new spirit: Wherefore will ye die, O ye house of Israel, seeing that I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God? Turn ye then, and ye shall live. Although we have sinned, yet have we an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins. For he was wounded for our offences, and smitten for our wickedness. Let us therefore return unto him, who is the merciful receiver of all true penitent sinners; assuring ourselves that he is ready to receive us, and most willing to pardon us, if we come unto him with faithful repentance; if we submit ourselves unto him, and from henceforth walk in his ways; if we will take his easy yoke, and light burden upon us, to follow him in lowliness, patience, and charity, and be ordered by the governance of his Holy Spirit; seeking always his glory, and serving him duly in our vocation with thanksgiving: This if we do, Christ will deliver us from the curse of the law, and from the extreme malediction which shall light upon them that shall be set on the left hand; and he will set us on his right hand, and give us the gracious benediction of his Father, commanding us to take possession of his glorious kingdom: Unto which he vouchsafe to bring us all, for his infinite mercy. Amen.
Next time, it's going back in, mmkay.
Until next time, the Holy Brothers pray that you may spend this day in a suitable admixture of pancakes and shrivening with Aves and maple syrup.
4 comments:
Advantage of the internet without accountability? Ouch. Dear brother, how often must I accuse myself? My conscience, as you can see, has been pricked these last few days, and I've sent off an apology to the good reverend sir. Though I could also see this having to do with [7].
Part of Cranmer's substitution of public penance was also concerned with undoing the confessional which was seen as a continuance of indulgences and other practices that were not in line with justification by grace. Much of Cranmer's theology in fact is rooted in that dogma, and in fact, the 1552 Prayer Book (the one most in line with his theology as it developed) have often been commented on as the liturgical expression of that dogma.
Useful information as always. And I'm really not trying to needle your conscience. It was more of a general observation.
Yup--in the early church there was a state of people called Penitents. Roughly analogous to the widows and Virgins this was a life-long status where you repenteted of (typically) big public sins for the *rest of your life*. Generally--it sucked; people hated it. Think bread and water for life and no sex--even if you were married (poor spouse!). One of the ways around it, of course, was that one only had to do this penance if one sinned after baptism. The result was that many starting deferring baptism 'til the deathbed so that they would be pure and sinless (and not have to go through this). Of course that's not a good idea... It pretty much died out as an actual pratice by the seventh century or so. What really caught on then was something the Irish monks were doing--private confession--but that wasn't formalized until 4h Lateran (1215).
In the 13th century, there is an example of the no-sex penance for a man we might call a child molester (it's unclear what the age of his stepdaughter victim was). However, since the theology of the marital debt rules the roost, he was permitted to "pay the marital debt with weeping" if his wife so demanded.
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