VOLUME 40, NUMBER 4 FALL A.D. 2011

Frontispiece from an anonymous, early 19th century Companion to the Altar

In Memoriam: The Rev’d Canon Peter Chase (1921-2011), 2

From the President: Magi Were the First Keepers of the Church’s Treasure J. Robert Wright, 3

The Liturgical Anglican: Making the Most of Holy Women, Holy Men Robert F. Solon, Jr., 5

Julian Casserley’s Hope for 2050: A New Interpretation C. Don Keyes, 8

The Historical Anglican: Companions to the Altar Sean Wallace, 14

The Quarterly Gazette of The Anglican Society and The General Theological Seminary IN MEMORIAM

The Rev’d Canon Peter Chase (1921-2011)

HE REVEREND CANON PETER CHASE, former editor of The Anglican, died in November 9, 2011 at the age of 90, in Providence, Rhode Island, where he lived with his wife Virginia since retirement in T 1986.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 22, 1921, Peter was the adopted son of Helen G. Chase. Enlisting in the Coast Guard in 1942, he was commissioned an officer in 1943. He participated in the Normandy invasion on D-Day with Allied Forces on Juno Beach. When the USS Turner exploded off New York Harbor in 1944 he rescued 45 Navy sailors and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal. He remained in the US Coast Guard Reserves, retiring as a captain in 1981.

Canon Chase graduated from Deerfield Academy, Brown University, and the General Theological Seminary. Ordained in 1951, he served as curate and then priest-in-charge of Trinity Church, Newport, Rhode Island, until 1954. He attended St Augustine’s College in Canterbury, England, for a year, and in 1955 became chaplain at South Kent School in Connecticut From 1960 to 1973 he served at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. He then became rector of St. James’ Church, Greenfield, Massachusetts, where he served until retirement.

Requiescat in pace et resurgat in gloriam. Amen.

Page 2 The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 FROM THE PRESIDENT

Magi Were the First Keepers of the Church’s Treasure J. Robert Wright

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly the church’s “special exhibition,” constantly on with great joy; and going into the house they saw the display and perpetually available, where its gold and child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and frankincense and myrrh shine brightest, where its worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they identity is most clear, where God’s gifts are known to offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh” us in the Breaking of the Bread and the prayers. It is in (Matthew 2:10-11). this way that we ourselves, like the wise men of old, are enabled to worship God in spirit and in truth. HE CHURCH, LIKE JERUSALEM, is built There is no further reference to the Magi as a city that is at unity within itself, and a beyond chapter 2 in St. Matthew’s Gospel, nor in any T church building, infinitely more than being of the other Gospels, nor anywhere else in the New merely a museum, is a repository of sacred treasures. Testament, but in addition to the obvious implication A very important function, especially but not that a church building can be seen as both a spiritual exclusively of the clergy, is to be remembrancers, and a physical house of treasures in the care of the living reminders so to speak, of the heritage and whole Body of Christ, there are at least three other treasures of that church which has authenticated and points to consider as we reflect upon the feast of the ordained them as its public representatives, to be Epiphany that is recently in our memories. The first curators charged with preserving the treasures and point is that, in early Christian art beginning with the gifts that constitute its distinct identity and keeping earliest known depiction of the Magi in the Catacomb them ready for use. This curatorial role is no mere of Priscilla underground northeast of the city of Rome, static preservation of the status quo, of course, for the dating from the very early third century, the Magi are treasures of the church consist, as St. Lawrence depicted bending their knees towards the divine Child proclaimed on his way to the gridiron, first of all in and his Holy Mother. “Going into the house they saw the people themselves, the living stones upon which the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down the church is founded and established, together with and worshipped him,” the Scripture says, and the the Sacred Scriptures and the Gospels contained Greek word it uses here for “worship” can be within. God’s greatest gift to us is the gift of Jesus, his explained as meaning “on their knees.” So important own life and death and resurrection for our sakes, as was this point in early Christian art that as the Arian well as the story of the Hebrew people that preceded controversy raged over the church from the fourth to him, and all this, in turn, is enshrined both within the the sixth or seventh centuries a sure sign, a visual Bible and within the church building and its contents statement, that a given church was following the faith that are also part of the treasure which the church of the early ecumenical councils and did not, like the must preserve and re-present. All these treasures that Arian heretics, deny the divinity of Christ, was the help to define our Christian identity exist for the fact that its iconography would depict prominently the purpose of enabling people to re-live, here and how, Magi on bended knees acknowledging that Jesus was that central message of the Gospel, that God so loved and is the Son of God. The wise men knew who Jesus us, that Christ died and rose again for us, and that if really was. We ourselves still make that public we by faith accept and confess him as Lord we too acknowledgment in the Liturgy when we bend our may live in his risen life and spread his Good News to own knees in genuflection and adoration. others. Above all else it is the Eucharist, the Holy A second point of interpretation for our Mass, that summarizes and makes present once again reflection is the fact that the names and races and the entirety of this treasure in all its splendor, so that number of the Magi whom we celebrate and whose people can share in it here and now. The Eucharist is roles we emulate in Epiphany processions are non-

The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 Page 3 Biblical and probably non-historical. They did begin An even stronger doctrinal association was to appear early in post-Biblical writings, however, given very early at the beginning of the second attesting to truths that were deep within the church’s Christian century by Saint Ignatius of Antioch, as he faith, and they provide an example of the historical expanded and commented directly on the Epiphany development of the church’s belief in the catholicity narrative from St. Matthew’s Gospel in his “Epistle to or universality or inclusivity of Christ’s vocation of the Ephesians” (ch. 19): “A star shone forth in the Lordship for all the races and peoples of the world. heaven brighter than all other stars, and its light was asdfa ineffable, and its novelty caused amazement; and all the rest of the constellations with the sun and the moon formed themselves into a chorus around that star, which far outshone all the rest of them, and there was perplexity to know whence came this strange appearance which was so unlike the rest of them. And from that time onward, every sorcery and every spell was dissolved. The ignorance of evil was abolished and the ancient kingdom was destroyed, since God was becoming manifest in human form to bring

Adoration of the Magi, newness of eternal life. That which had been prepared Wall Fresco in the Catacomb of Priscilla, Rome, by God was having its beginning. Hence everything early third century. was shaken, for the destruction of death was under way.” This, Ignatius tells us, was the meaning of the Each King was seen to represent one of the three great Magi at the Great Epiphany. races and colors of Gentile humanity—black and The significance of this story for Ignatius (and yellow and white. The visit of the three Kings, also for Saint John Chrysostom nearly 300 years later) therefore, has been seen as a strong affirmation, with was that magicians, who were also astrologers, were powerful visual application, of the Christian belief being led by that star to One whose power was greater that the church is meant to be inclusive not exclusive, than theirs, and greater than the other stars. Magic was that the diversities of humankind are essentially one in being destroyed by the Incarnation, and the visit of the their worship of the same Christ as Lord. Distinctions Magi symbolized its surrender. They presented the of race, color, and national origin certainly exist in the gifts that they could offer: the gold which represented world by nature, but by grace these distinctions are their wealth, and the materials of their trade, frank- counted as nothing in the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus incense and myrrh, in submission to the One who was Christ. This truth, the church came to believe early in about to bring an end to magic and make such things its history, is what the Epistle to the Ephesians is redundant. The child whom Herod would soon seek to talking about when it says that “the Gentiles are destroy, and who would eventually be put to death and fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and rise again, is more powerful than they because His partakers of God’s promise in Christ Jesus through the power is neither human nor magical. His authority Gospel.” This is also why Psalm 72, verses 10 and 11, came from God’s love that was to be exercised wholly came to be applied liturgically to the Epiphany feast: for the sake of others, the Gospel of which God’s “The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring church would serve as custodian, unlike magic which presents; the Kings of Arabia and Saba shall offer was an attempt to deny the humanity of others and to gifts. All Kings shall fall down before him, all nations rule by force of one’s own selfish will. For good shall serve him.” And this, likewise, is the reason for reason the Magi brought gifts and fell down and the association with Isaiah 60, verse 3: “The Gentiles worshipped Jesus, and so do we. shall come to thy light, and Kings to the brightness of thy rising.” The visit of the three Kings, therefore, is a vivid picture, even iconic in nature, of the catholicity, universality, inclusivity of the church.

Page 4 The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 THE LITURGICAL ANGLICAN

Making the Most of Holy Women, Holy Men Robert F. Solon, Jr.

Congregational Research 4 indicates that most Episcopal churches celebrate the Eucharist on weekdays currently less than 52 times a year or less than once a week, as illustrated in Figure 1 on the following page. Another way to view weekday Eucharist offerings is by month, as visualized in Figrue 2. The average for all Episcopal churches is about 3 Eucharists per month, with the very largest parishes offering an average of more than 12, or three per week. How does this relate to HWHM’s expansion of the number of commemorations? To fully utilize HWHM, the average number of total weekday Eucharists per year would need to approach the 228 OLY WOMEN, HOLY MEN: Celebrating total yearly commemorations on the proposed the Saints 1 (henceforth HWHM) is a major calendar. And even now, only a few parishes (those expansion of The Episcopal Church’s with Average Sunday Attendance [ASA] of 401+, H 5 publication Lesser Feasts and Fasts (LFF), which currently ~3% of all parishes) offer enough weekday contains the propers and brief biographies of all saints Eucharists to fully explore even the existing 130 and commemorations in The Episcopal Church’s commemorations listed in the calendar. liturgical calendar. The 2009 General Convention So although the intent of the call by the 2003 authorized trial use of HWHM and invited feedback General Convention to revise LFF to “reflect our from users as input (presumably) to a decision at the increasing awareness of the ministry of all the people 2012 Convention in Indianapolis. The Standing of God and of the cultural diversity of the Episcopal Committee on Liturgy and Music has set up a blog to Church, of the wider Anglican Communion, of our collect input and discussion and is in the process (as ecumenical partners, and of our lively experience of of this writing, June 2011) of reviewing every sainthood in our local communities” may well be commemoration in HWHM day by day. 2 HWHM fulfilled in the suggested commemorations of contains over one hundred new commemorations, HWHM, the fact remains that most Episopal churches raising the number of total commemorations, if simply don’t even observe very many of the existing approved, to 228 and leaving 78 ferial or open days on commemorations. It may be that Eucharistic the calendar, up from 130 commemorations and 202 commemorations of those we deem worthy are not the ferial days as listed in the current calendar of the Book best way to in fact remember them, since currently of Common Prayer. 3 there isn’t actually the opportunity for most Episcopal It seems as if the assumption of the SCLM is parishes to do so. that a daily celebration of the Eucharist in every parish is normative. Given the large increase in the number

of entries in the calendar suggested by HWHM, and The Rev’d Robert F. Solon, Jr., M.B.A., M.Div., is Vicar that all the propers are intended for use in the of St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Vernon, New Jersey. Eucharist, it seems useful to inquire about actual He is pursuing a Th.D. degree at The General patterns of Eucharistic observance within The Theological Seminary in New York. Episcopal Church. Data from the Officer for

The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 Page 5

Figure 1

The vertical axis indicates the total average number of weekday Eucharists offered by each size category of parish. For example, the average total number of weekday Eucharists offered by parishes of 50 average Sunday attendance (ASA) is 14.8 for the entire year, or a little more than one a month. (Note that weekday Eucharists can include the Principal Feasts of Christmas, Epiphany, All Saints, and the Triduum services of Maundy Thursday and [depending on how it is reported] Good Friday.) ______

Figure 2

Perhaps turning to the Daily Office is a way to the Office privately than presumably attend a weekday encourage wider use and observance of not only the Eucharist, and so encouraging commemoration in the new commemorations of HWHM, but also the Office may be a better way to reach Convention’s existing ones of LFF and even the Holy Days intention. Cranmer’s revision of both the Eucharistic appointed by the calendar. Far more people observe lectionary and especially the Daily Office lectionary

Page 6 The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 was intended at least in part to re-acquire a more in- the Eucharist, as the place for regular course (i.e., sequential or nearly so) reading of commemorations of saints. Scripture, rather than the disjointed readings which Attention might even be given to re- occurred as the number of saints multipled in the examining the list of Major Feasts, dominated now by calendar of his day. His goal was that the majority of the Apostles and Evangelists, nearly all men. These the Bible would be publically read and heard on an occasions are considered of high importance by the annual basis. That principle has been carried forth Church, and the lessons at the Eucharist are presumed from the first Prayer Books through the American to be of greater importance and value than the Books and down to the Daily Office lectionary of the supporting readings in the Daily Office. Most current Book of Common Prayer, which offers in- individuals may rarely if ever have an opportunity to course readings from the Old Testament, New attend a Eucharist on a Major Feast anyway, because Testament, and the Gospels for every day of the year. they are by their nature offerred during the week and The only interruptions are for the Principal and Major may only in certain circumstances be transferred to a Feasts of the year, which have special readings Sunday. Perhaps rubrically reiterating that a assigned, with the rubrical permission to combine Eucharistic proper of a Major Feast may be observed readings on other days if desired to make up for the in the Daily Office, in lieu of the existing readings, readings missed during the observance of a higher- would still preserve the spiritual value of those ranking Feast. readings. The Psalm, first reading and second reading If Cranmer’s pedagogical principle is still from the Eucharistic proper could be read at Morning deemed worthy, then other ways must be found to Prayer, and the Gospel and saint’s biography at appropriately commemorate the saints of the Evening Prayer, with Psalmody selected from the Calendar. HWHM adds extensively to the options existing MP and EP lectionaries. In this way, available for a weekday Eucharist, which already individuals may enter more deeply into the worship of include the Various Occasions and the Common of the Church at the Eucharist even if they cannot Saints from the BCP, a 2-year daily lectionary, and a actually attend one. six-week thematic lectionary cycle that explores The publication of HWHM calls into question various aspects of Christian life and spirituality the entire raison d’etre of both our Eucharistic and (printed in LFF and reprinted n HWHM.) Given The Daily Office lectionaries, as well as the actual purpose Episcopal Church’s current pattern of Eucharistic of why and how we honor those we believe to be observance, which requires a priest or bishop and particular examples of Christian faith and life. In light which is offerred frequently only in a small number of of the patterns of worship our Church actually offers, parishes, perhaps the Daily Office is a better place to perhaps extending the trial use of HWHM for another focus the exploration of the lives of the saints. triennium, coupled with a sustained study of worship One option which seems to be permitted by practice, and the implicit and explicit intentions of the existing rubrics would be to use the biographical worship contained in the Book of Common Prayer, entry from HWHM as the second reading at Evening would be appropriate next steps to take. Prayer, along with the Collect for the commemoration as one of the Collects at the Prayers. In this way, the NOTES saint of the day is commemorated and the in-course 1 Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints (New York: reading of Scripture and Psalmody is preserved, all Church Publishing, 2010). without a Eucharist, meaning the observance can be 2 The blog for the Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music accomplished privately for those who do so. More is at http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/ (accessed May drastically, (and requiring amendment to the Book of 23, 2011).

Common Prayer itself) it may even be desired to 3 See HWHM, 7-21. withdraw the general permission to observe 4 Dr. Kirk Hadaway, Officer for Congregational Research, commemorations in the calendar with a Eucharist, email to author, March 25, 2011. unless the saint in question is the patron of a parish or Notes for this article continue below, on page 13. for some other locally appropriate reason. Doing so would focus attention on the Office itself, rather than

The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 Page 7 C. Don Keyes

Julian Casserley’s Hope for 2050: A New Interpretation

Y RECENT ARTICLE on Julian Victor humble enough to accept the inevitable Langmead Casserley (1909-1978) in The change and wise enough to confine M Anglican, Vol. 40 (No.2) 2011, asks the themselves to the modes of change that “burning question of how to do what the Incarnation conduce to survival. In this mutable world, requires in our seemingly hopeless age.” It concludes immutability is in a subtle process of change. with Casserley’s assertion from possibly 1950, “Nothing remains except to endure the absurdities Casserley had taught at the General Theological with heroic defiance to the end.” The present article, 1 Seminary from 1952 to 1959, but probably wrote is an interpretation based partly on continental those predictions during his professorship at Seabury- philosophical perspectives (as suggested below). I Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL, recast my question by asking what kinds of heroic from1960 until he retired in 1975. He died in 1978. I endurance might have produced Casserley’s strange visited Mrs. Casserley’s home in Kittery, Maine, in hope for 2050 in the mid-1960s, almost a century August of 1982 to see his unpublished manuscripts, ahead of time: one of which was his incomplete “Theology of Man” containing the excerpts quoted above and below It is safe to say that by 2050 the world in (without citations). At that time I was in despair, but which we have grown up and with which we his defense of human transcendence in the same are familiar, our type of civilization, culture unfinished essay provoked me to hope in a new way: and society, will have been entirely swept “To transcend is to be there… and yet to preserve an away. No doubt some old landmarks will inner impenetrability which not only is not pierced but survive but many will have disappeared could not be pierced.” Transcendence means to climb altogether. Yet, of course there will be a real over, surpass, or go beyond. Human transcendence continuity. That new technological and social surmounts, instead of being enslaved by, the spirit of world will be inhabited by our grandchildren the times, especially when the popular culture has or great-grandchildren, and they will be aware enshrined cynicism, boredom, and apathy as final. of us as part of their history. No doubt many Casserley’s way of climbing over these spiritual vices of them will tend to laugh at us, or even to is not naïve, for he takes the grimness of human dismiss us as representatives of an odd or existence well into account: immoral phase of their development which will by then will have been condemned out of In Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire in hand almost universally. Nevertheless the England there stands the 15th century tomb of wisest historians of the time will no doubt Archbishop Wakeman. The monument find in us something to admire as well as consists of two tiers. At the top, we see the much to censure. But perhaps the most dead Archbishop carved in stone lying in state familiar landmark that will still be surviving in the splendor and dignity of his Arch- in undiminished vigor will be the Christian

Church. It has sometimes been observed that The Rev’d C. Don Keyes, Ph.D., Th.D., is Professor of in a world of total change nothing whatever Philosophy and director of the Julian Casserley has come to stay but the gospel. But the Research Center at Duquesne University. Canonically Church and the gospel will survive, if they do resident in the Diocese of New York, Father Keyes serves survive, not because they have refused to as Priest Associate at the Church of the Transfiguration change but because they will have been in Manhattan.

The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 Page 8 episcopal robes. On the lower tier, beneath of “God” means he finds himself forgetting him, a rat and a worm are gnawing at a what the word man means. handful of bones which are all that remains of this once powerful and dreaded prelate. This Human transcendence and divine transcendence are is the theme that Pascal in the 17th century not opposites that exclude each other, according to was to call ‘the grandeur and misery of man.’ Casserley. Nor does he believe, as some do today, that Even Teilhard de Chardin, almost drunk as he theism and humanism are incompatible. Forgetfulness sometimes seems with the thought of man’s of the one is forgetfulness of the other. Similarly advancing technological mastery of this recovery of the consciousness of either kind of world, writes also of each man’s diminish- transcendence facilitates recovery of the other. Human ment as he approaches death with the transcendence can be attained by either defiance or sensitive mastery and acuteness of perception affirmation . Casserley’s hope is the result of the which reveal him as by no means unaware of capacity to transcend, or by believing that one is the paradox and tragedy of the morality of the already transcending. hero. Yet, of the two, the misery of man is perhaps the more typical 20th century theme. Four Moments of Human Transcendence Book after book seems to debunk man in First, hope affirms the future. It transcends almost masochistic fashion, by dwelling on dread because it has a purpose. That is true for the dethronement of man as knowledge individual persons as well as groups, both large and progresses. small. Casserley teaches that modern technology does not have to destroy us. It may do so, but this is not Casserley also knows how forcefully the absurdities of inevitable, for there are multiple possibilities, and it is today’s cynicism can destroy hope by debunking all conceivable that we could put our technology to good that has value, as he continues to say: use. Teilhard de Chardin, who reminds us that the truths of science and religion do not contradict one There are, of course, many human beings another, believes that evolution might continue to today, as always who hide from life so improve the human species. He inspired Casserley and successfully, who are so stupefying diverted, others to synthesize evolution and eschatology, with rather than stimulated by their experience, that the result that history has a purpose that justifies our they know no peak moments at all. For them, sacrifice and challenges our despair. Many people fear both irreligion and religion are alike the kind of historical change he predicts for 2050. impossible. For many modern writers ours is a Casserley, however, characterizes that crisis as time in human history in which such a bleak supreme adventure. He writes, “When the Christian apathy and mediocrity has wrapped itself tradition is truest to itself, Christian existence is around the consciousness of man more conceived in eschatological fashion. It is life lived on successfully, perhaps, than ever before. For the edge of the world, life in which all is perpetually them modern or contemporary man is ‘come energizing and stimulating crisis. It is an absorbing of age,’ blasé, unresponsive to the beauties, drama without intermission. Perhaps another way of subtleties and surprises of life, blighted and expressing what I mean by the edge of the world blasted with an icy, aged maturity. How would be on the eve of the next great evolutionary should man, who has lost all consciousness of transformation.” his own transcendence, understand the Second, hope recollects the past. It transcends transcendence of God? Knowing neither what remorse because it is rooted in a spiritual heritage that it is to transcend, nor to be transcended, he preserves what is best and noblest. Casserley could can neither affirm nor deny God. He is affirm the future and face the present as adventure, incapable of both theism and atheism alike. because his resources were not limited to the present, For the word of God, meaning absolute and and he did not bow to the trends of the times and the ultimate personality, no longer conveys fads of the present age. He could see through them, anything to him. Not knowing what the word and they did not capture him. His faith was simply the

The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 Page 9 universal Christian revelation, not limited to any not annihilated by revelation, but rather preserved and particular historical period and not tied to any specific elevated by biblical faith. As a result, Casserley political system, economic status, or class- rejects the view that the fall of man is total and that consciousness. Casserley’s position defies all such human nature is completely depraved. The fall of man distinctions and can be reduced to none of them. In has affected every aspect of human existence, but it matters of culture, his mind has the kind of has not totally destroyed all that is of value in magnanimity that the ancient Roman Stoic humankind. What would happen if we believe that the philosopher Seneca says belongs in its nobility to the fall of Adam man depraved us in all respects? We vast expanse of all epochs. Casserley’s rooting in the might start acting accordingly. Western spiritual heritage is an instance of what he calls “cultural conservatism.” We can be culturally Indeed, would the tragedy of man be so tragic conservative without accepting political and economic if his Fall were total? Surely, the tragedy of conservatism. He writes, “More and more, the human existence as we know it lies precisely conservatives will have to be of the cultural type, in the way in which it brings conflict and because the political and economic types will tend deformation into the very length and breadth inevitably to disappear as it becomes more and more and depth of our human beings. A total Fall, a lucidly clear that radical institutional changes are complete corruption might at least have inevitable, and will indeed shortly have taken place spared us that, for it is not our experience that quite irreversibly.”2 the conflict is known only in the mind of the Casserley’s traditionalism is not convention- converted man who still belongs to a fallen al, but partakes of the noösphere (Teilhard’s term that world, who is still tempted and still sins. We includes science, religion, the arts, and so forth). find, on the contrary, crowding in upon us Casserley believes in preserving what ought to be every day, evidence of the immense stable in a changing world. In his book, No Faith of destructive scale and scope of the conflict in My Own, he writes that the Judeo-Christian heritage every man, whatever he may be. In other “is to society as the spirit is to the body, as the words, a picture of man deeply and gravely intellect is to the instincts, as the memory of the past wounded by the Fall, desperately ill as a and the preservation of the future are to the mind consequence of the Fall, and yet still in some absorbed in the existing joys of the moment.” As a sense man, fits the actual situation of being a result, the Church has a responsibility to safeguard the fallen human being and our existential cultural heritage. He argues that “in our modern, experience of that predicament, very much increasingly non-Christian world the traditionally better than any doctrine of total fall. 4 reverenced ideals of historical, scientific and rational integrity, and the essential truths and values of As Casserley sees the situation, therefore, the fall humanism, are gravely challenged as Christianity permeated all aspects of life and made them itself, and . . . as the present situation develops, the ambiguous, but it did not completely destroy the task of defending them will tend more and more to be image of God in us or utterly put out the light of undertaken by Christian thinkers and the Christian reason, which Hooker believes leads to us to Church.”3 Cultural conservatism of Casserley’s type is knowledge of what is supersensible. not hidebound to past folklore, but a springboard, not Casserley rejects the kind of English a straightjacket, but a launch pad into the future. Puritanism that says we can use reason only on Third, hope is rational. It transcends worldly things, but has nothing to do with our conventional and ideological stupidities by rising into knowledge of God. According to him, reason is more the light of reason. Casserley follows Richard Hooker, than calculative thinking. He believes that the archetypal Anglican theologian and thereby the debunking of reason devalues human existence. The mainstream of the Western spiritual heritage. This spirit of our times today is prejudiced against anything includes the Catholic belief that grace perfects nature except the calculative use of reason. He affirms the and does not destroy it, that the best in paganism is majesty of reason, which includes uplifting feelings

Page 10 The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 and beneficial emotions. For example, Plato’s reason Hegelianism, and still keep his method in the is the means by which our minds are able to Phenomenology of Spirit and Science of Logic, which apprehend eternal ideas such as the just and the fair. preserves both sides of conflicting truth claims Aristotle’s rational contemplation is the most divine through going up to higher positions that allow both of activity in which human beings can engage. St. them to exist. Similarly Casserley’s theological Thomas Aquinas’ beatific vision of God is an message is capable of seeing the truth of both sides of intellectual act. an issue and surmounting the conflict; it is not either- Casserley believes the “perennial or, but both-and. philosophy,” which includes modern and contem- Fourth, hope triumphs aesthetically. It porary sources. Among other things, this means transcends banal taste by feeding upon the beauty and recognizing that no one system or historical period has sublimity that heal the wounds of life. These aesthetic all the truth; that despite the very great disagreements feelings transfigure our existence. Consequently, among philosophers, there is nevertheless an Casserley’s aesthetic sense of faith, which resonates underlying unity. We must be open to truth wherever with Kant’s Critique of Judgment, is the heart of his it is found, as Casserley says, “The important thing in theology of hope, the lifeblood that sustains endurance Catholic Christianity is not the extent of our basic of the world’s absurdities. Casserley claims that lack agreement but the way in which we agree about the of faith comes partly from the inability to look at importance of our disagreements.” Casserley is a theological concepts aesthetically. His resistance to both-and thinker. I had studied philosophy with debunking the sublime and beautiful, so popular in the Gustav Emil Mueller, a thinker in Hegelian tradition, 1960s and 1970s, heroically defied the absurdities of at the University of Oklahoma. When I asked those times. Casserley his impression of Hegel’s method, he said The three foregoing moments of human that he believed there was value in it. He understood transcendence are essentially aesthetic in their perfectly how I could be Anglo-Catholic and, in constant appropriation of beauty and sublimity. The matters of philosophy, Hegelian. So I wondered if light of reason that guides faith uses analogical, as there might be some Hegelian element in his thought, opposed to scientifically literal, thinking. All our too, as there seems to be in his Graceful Reason. The knowledge of God is symbolic (as Kant shows), and intent of the following quotation is less to characterize (following Ricoeur) so are myths that narrate symbols, Hegelianism than to describe Anglicanism’s interest rituals that enact them, and theological theories that in trying to grasp both sides of a position. explain them. Casserley’s theology of hope draws In some respects it does seem to me that the from the aesthetic character of nature and the fine arts, whole mind and bent of Anglicanism is rather as well awe-provoking biblical events and urgent synthetic or Hegelian. Many so-called dialectical messages from the heights and depths of theological theologians seem to delight in multiplying “either-or” symbols. It recollects what is noblest and best from situations, by impaling the reader on the horns of one the past through taste that affirms life and puts dilemma after another. But the Anglican mind always spiritually dead elements to flight. And (borrowing dislikes arbitrary “either A or B” situations and tends terms suggested by Vaihinger and Kierkegaard) it acts to say, “surely, we can have both A1 and B1.” I say as if possibilities that quicken the spirit were alive in both A1 and B1 and not both A and B because a true such a way that they turn them into reality in the synthesis does more than merely lump together its two future . The event that comes from the future is the terms in a bare paradox. Instead, it transforms and present . enriches the meaning of each term in the very process of reconciling it to the other. A true synthesis is Primordial Authority neither a compromise nor a self-contradiction, but a Authoritarian authority coerces . It requires more profound apprehension. 5 submission to external power. It turns doctrines into dry bones, a set of alien laws imposed upon indi- Neither Casserley nor I followed Hegel’s tendency to viduals from the outside. By contrast, primordial glorify the state in his later writings. Certainly, one authority persuades . It dwells on the edge of can repudiate that and many other kinds of revelation, repeats the event of the inception of the

The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 Page 11 truth of doctrines, and displays the birth certificate we must admit, and again very thankfully, that (Heidegger’s term) of the inception. Primordial many of the best contemporary Roman authority chooses freely because it aesthetically theologians in fact put all their concentration appropriates the symbols of the spiritual heritage and and emphasis on the catholic elements in their events that gave rise to them. Instead of acquiescing, it inheritance while quietly allowing the purely rejoices in the symbols of faith as one does in a loved Romanist elements to fall into the work of art. Primordial authority is undetermined background. 9 obedience to rules esteemed because they constitute the essence of the beauty and sublimity of what the The traditionalism of The Book of Common Prayer, believer repeats. The Definition of Chalcedon does the tendency to preserve archaic liturgical expressions, not have primordial authority because the institutional and the search for Patristic theological grounding are church decreed that it is true, but mainly because it not reactionary, but are culturally conservative in theoretically repeats the origin of the mighty events of Casserley’s sense of the term. This kind of God’s action in Christ and also because of the traditionalism does not submit, but springs from elegance of the dialectical perfection of the concept aesthetic urgency. Casserley writes, “The Book of that Christ is truly divine and perfectly human, and Common Prayer is an essentially conservative these two natures are inseparable, yet not confused. institution. In theory at all events it surrenders no part Believing a religious symbol aesthetically means that of the liturgical heritage of Western Christendom, it has life and death importance. The aesthetic except in order to remove unworthy innovations and authority of liturgy is a model for other types of manifest corruptions.”10 authority. As Casserley writes, “It is the function of Casserley’s hope that the Christian Church the liturgy to repeat and perpetuate the patterns of the will survive with “undiminished vigor” is based on the divine redemption which we proclaim in the gospel provision that Christians will be “humble enough to and expound in our theology. In this sense the liturgy accept the inevitable change and wise enough to is obviously the most authoritative element in confine themselves to the modes of change that Christian practice and provides us with the touchstone conduce to survival.” That vigor would not be of authority.”6 diminished even if Christians were to become a Casserley believes that the authority of minority. 11 As defiance, that means the various traditional Anglicanism is based on its synthetic as traditions of faith would have to resist fads ready to well as symbolic character. Continuing his statement reduce their truths to the absurdities of the times. As quoted earlier from Graceful Reason that “the whole affirmation, that would require them to recollect and mind and bent of Anglicanism is rather synthetic or heroically hold fast to the primordial events of faith as Hegelian,” he writes, “A true synthesis is neither a such, the Life, Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and compromise nor a self-contradiction, but a profounder Second Coming of the Incarnate Christ. apprehension.”7 Cassserley’s later book, Christian Community, claims that, in essence, Anglicanism Epilogue synthesizes Catholic tradition with evangelical faith, Just as Casserley resisted the aesthetic since “Catholicism and the Reformation protest are absurdities of the 1960s and 1970s, he had also theologically compatible; more than that indeed, each resisted the English government’s compromise with logically necessitates the other.”8 The fulfillment of Hitler in the 1930s. His sense of the non-authoritarian this kind of synthesis appeals to the meaning of what character of primordial authority, whose heart was the it synthesizes rather than conforming to external rules belief that the touchstone of the authority of liturgy is that stand at a distance from the process: aesthetic, might have made him especially suited to detect the characteristics of tyranny. He acted like one It is not only possible to accept and proclaim of Plato’s guardians whose musical education trained the catholic faith in its integrity apart from the them first and foremost to recognize what is foul even Roman magisterium , this is also very much in non-aesthetic areas of life. John Poulos, a General the easiest and best way of doing it. Of course Theological Seminary alumnus, told me about how

Page 12 The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 Casserley’s parishioners criticized him for preaching 2 Julian Langmead Casserley, In the Service of Man: against England's compromise with Hitler in 1938. Technology and the Future of Man (Chicago: Regnery Company, 1967), 11.

3 Julian Langmead Casserley, No Faith of My Own (London: He apparently took a horrified view upon Longmans, Green, and Co., 1950), 159.

Chamberlain's (and England's) 1938 treachery 4 Julian Langmead Casserley, Graceful Reason (London: in regard to Czechoslovakia, a view he took to Longmans, Green, and Co., 1955), 49.

the pulpit as well as elsewhere, much to the 5 Ibid., 22.

consternation of church people as well as 6 Julian Langmead Casserley, Christian Community (New York: Longmans, Green, 1960), 95. other people, even being threatened with 7 Casserley, Graceful Reason, 23. punitive actions during the following two 8 Casserley, Christian Community, 135. years. When Casserley told his story in our 9 Ibid., 141. theology class, 30 years ago, he was 10 Ibid., 154. illustrating his version of “prophetic 11 Casserley quotes Ibsen’s Dr. Stockman: “Minorities are preaching” and the eternal Word of God. He sometimes right but majorities never, and a wise majority made the point that by 1939, flocks of people will cherish its minorities as a man in the dark will value his torch.” Casserley, No Faith of My Own, 139. were re-rallying to him with sentiments of embarrassed admissions that he'd been right as well as suffered for being so. Casserley then said, “The point is that I could count on NOTES, continued from page 7 above.

Hitler to show others where I was right.” 5 Episcopal Congregations Overview: Findings from the 2010 Faith Communities Today Survey. I argue that his heroic defiance of Hitler was a http://www.episcopalchurch.org/109378_ENG_HTM.htm (accessed May 23, 2011). transcendently inspired act of hope, and would have 6 HWHM, x. remained so even if nobody subsequently conceded 7 For example, at the time of this writing, the website that he was right. dailyoffice.org has recorded more than 1,000,000 unique visits in its online service. Clearly people are using the NOTES Office, even if they are not doing so publicly.

8 1 The present essay is based on articles by the author published See, for example, Marion J. Hatchett, Commentary on the in St. Luke’s Journal of Theology (SLTJ) in 1984 and 1988. American Prayer Book (New York: HarperSanFransisco, 1995), 91, 108-111, 324-326. Its original source is a speech I gave to the clergy of the 9 Diocese of New York in the fall of 1983. An edited version Although not a given, parishes and institutions that offer a of it first appeared as the Introduction to my edition of daily Eucharist frequently offer the Daily Office as well, Casserley’s No Faith of My Own and Graceful Reason by permitting such locales to still observe the commemorations the University Press of America in 1984, which I then of the Calendar. Alternatively, a commemoration may published as “Human Transcendence: Clue to Julian always be observed at the Prayers of the People in a Casserley’s Hope for the Twenty-first Century” SLJT, Eucharist, even if the occasion of the day is of some other March 1984, Volume XXVII Number 2. I recast the episode saint or theme.

about Casserley’s 1938 denunciation of Hitler and 10 Page 935 of the 1979 BCP, referring to the Daily Office “Primordial Authority” from my “Casserley’s Critique of Lectionary, notes that “on Special Occasions, the officiant Power,” SLJT, Volume XXXII Number 1 (1988). The may select suitable Psalms and Readings.” This would seem present article is published by kind permission of Sewanee to permit substitution of the Eucharistic readings into the Theological Review, successor publication to SLTJ . I thank Office when pastorally desirable. Katherine Weber, who gave editorial assistance during the earlier stage of its preparation, and Richard Hall during the later.

The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 Page 13 THE HISTORICAL ANGLICAN

Companions to the Altar Sean Wallace

became more and more available to the laity. After the Reformation there was an explosion of devotional manuals, especially among the continental Protestant churches and, after the Restoration in 1662, in the Church of England. They remained popular well into the 19th century, and there were dozens, if not hundreds, of titles and printings. In 1827, William Goodhugh in the theology section of his The English Gentleman’s Library Manual recommended a list of nineteen devotional manuals which should grace the shelves of every good English gentleman’s library. 1 There is precious little scholarship on this genre of Christian literature. Information on the early history, i.e., the late Middle Ages, of devotional “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink manuals may be found in Gary Macy’s article this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the “Commentaries on the Mass during the early body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine Scholastic Period,” 2 and in Eamon Duffy’s Marking himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the Hours: English People and the Prayers 1240- that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, 1570. 3 Charles Bodington’s work, Devotional Books, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not published in 1903, nobly attempted to provide a discerning the Lord's body” (1 Corinthians 11:27-31, survey of devotional manuals and commentaries from AV). antiquity through the nineteenth century, and his work remains the best source of scholarship for devotional N ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ANXIETY manuals after the Reformation. 4 One segment of this and consternation has occurred in the minds tradition, however, has received virtually no scholarly A of Christians and a tremendous amount of attention: those devotional manuals which either ink spilled by scholars and theologians about these entitle themselves “Companion to the Altar” or which verses from the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church include Companions within them. The purpose of this in Corinth. What exactly does “unworthily” mean? essay, then, is to examine for the first time this What constitutes “worthiness”? And what is involved particular subset of devotional manuals. An historical in the self-examination which Paul suggests? This fear survey of Companions will be provided with short of unworthiness led, in part, to the practice of analyses of the contents of the more important Confession before Mass and to reception of the Holy examples. Communion at mass only once a year, by presumably Companions to the Altar were published as well-prepared communicants. It also led to the individual volumes and also bound into The Book of development of devotional manuals and com- Common Prayer for the convenience of the worshiper. mentaries, which were designed to teach and assist the Most were published without author attribution, and worshiper in his or her preparation for mass and although it is often possible to identify the author by

provide additional material for prayer and meditation.

These devotional commentaries began to appear in the The Rev’d Sean Wallace, M.Div., S.T.M., D.M.A., is an late Middle Ages, but with the invention of the honorary Priest Assistant at the Church of the Resurrection printing press in the middle of the 15th century, they in New York.

Page 14 The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 Table I ______comparing the text to Companions for which the author is known, many Companions are truly Various Short Titles of Companions anonymous. This makes it impossible to determine with absolute certainty how many Companions were
A Christian’s Companion to the Closet and Altar actuall published. One would have to examine every
A Companion for the Altar Companion extant and every Book of Common Prayer
A Companion to the Altar which contains a Companion in every book collection
A New Companion to the Alter [sic] and library all over the world in order to provide a
A New Week’s Preparation . . . with A comprehensive survey. This is beyond the scope of Companion for the Altar . . . any study. Because of this, much of the present study
Companion to the Altar is limited to the information available through online
The Best Companion to the Altar library catalogues and bibliographic resources. 5 While
The Companion, or Spiritual Guide, at the these resources are invaluable, they are not without Altar error. Additionally, the analysis of the contents of
The Companion to the Altar
some Companions was limited to those which were The Communion-Service . . . the Best Companion to the Altar physically available to the author.
The Sacrament Book . . . A Companion, or Four different Companions, by anonymous Spiritual Guide, at the Altar authors, were identified by J. Robert Wright in his ______book Prayer Book Spirituality: A Devotional Companion to the Book of Common Prayer from Some Companions simply provide materials for this Classical Anglican Sources. 6 Wright provides excerpts preparation but leave the timing of it to the user; from each, but offers no other scholarship or others suggest a somewhat regimented schedule over commentary. Christopher Webber, in Give us Grace: the course of a week or at least the Sunday morning An Anthology of Anglican Prayers, provides an before attending church. The authors of Companions excerpt from one Companion, but, again, provides no take two basic approaches to their work. Some seem scholarly information other than very short to perceive the Companion as a collection of introductory paragraphs. 7 Charles Bodington’s additional prayers and meditations for personal use Devotional Books, despite the comprehensive nature both before, during, and after Communion; others take of its coverage, only references one Companion; a more didactic approach and include a devotional however Bodington does provide some information on commentary on the rubrics and the actions of the that particular Companion as well as a survey of its minister, both of which are often included in the text contents. of the Companion, with instructions and recom- A second difficulty in a survey of mendations to the communicants as to their own Companions to the Altar are the titles given to such actions and piety. This second type is like a volumes.8 The number of different Companions, spiritually-annotated tour guide of a service, with combined with the numerous reprints, led to the use of appropriate prayers and thoughts for meditation. Many many different titles, sometimes applied to the same also contained additional devotions to be read after the work as publishers added materials, such as service or when arriving home. theological essays and expositions, and sought to As mentioned previously, Companions, distinguish their editions from those of other especially the shorter ones, were often bound into the publishers. Table I provides a list of the various short Book of Common Prayer for the sake of convenience titles, both authored and anonymous, discovered in the so that the communicant did not have to balance two course of this study. books (or three with a hymnal). For this reason also, The content of Companions varies Companions sometimes duplicated the rubrics from considerably. Most have some introductory the Prayer Book, so that the communicant could exhortation to a proper preparation and a “worthy simply use the Companion. The Companion which receiving of the Lord’s Supper.” The recommended were bound with the Prayer Book appeared in various manner of the preparation generally consists of three places: at the very beginning, just after the activities: prayer, self-examination, and meditation.

The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 Page 15 Communion Service; just before the metrical psalter, the late 19th century, one finds the following and at the very end. The Companion normally had its comment: “In no department of Divinity has so little own title page and did not appear in the Table of been affected as in the publication of Companions to Contents of the Prayer Book itself. the Altar; the New Companion, as it is called, being It is difficult to know how popular these considerably more than a century old; and the new Companions were with the laity. The sheer number of editions being only reprinted with new title pages. On titles, editions, and reprintings suggests that they were this subject complaints have frequently and justly very popular indeed. Publishers did not necessarily been made.” 9 keep records on how many books were printed and In the course of the present inquiry, sixteen how many sold, and simply because publishers found Companions were discovered — nine for which the a market for their books does not necessarily mean author, or at least an attribution to an author, is that the laity used them regularly or that it had any known; seven produced by anonymous authors. profound effect on their spiritual lives. In Volume Several of these will now be considered Five of The Church of England Quarterly Review of chronologically in the order in which they were first published. The earliest known Companion is by Thomas Comber (1645-1699), who was Dean of Durham from 1689 to 1699. Comber was the author of several works, the most famous of which was A Companion to the Temple: or, A Help to the Devotion of the Book of Common Prayer, which was originally issued in four parts between 1676 and 1679. Second to this, Comber was well- known for his A Companion to the Altar. Or, an Help To the worthy receiving of the Lord’s Supper; by Discourse and Meditation upon the whole Communion Office. To which is added, an Essay Upon the Offices of Baptism and Confirmation , which was first published in 1675. It went through six editions by 1721, the third of which was reprinted in 1802. The Essay upon the Offices of Baptism and Confirmation mentioned in the title was originally published as part of Part III of his A Companion to the Temple. Given this fact and the original dates of publication for A Companion to the Temple and A Companion to the Altar, it is likely that there is considerable overlap between the two. A side-by-side comparison is warranted. Comber’s Companion was suffi- ciently famous as to be quoted by E. B. Pusey in a letter addressed to the Archbishop of Canterbury and published under the title Habitual Confessions Not

Title page of Thomas Comber’s A Companion to the Altar, 1675. Discouraged by the Resolution Accepted by

Page 16 The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 the Lambeth Conference: A Letter to His Grace the analysis the various parts of the service. Given its Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. 10 Pusey, in defending scholarly nature, it seems unlikely that it was used the use and importance of private auricular extensively by the average church-goer. Not only does confession, quotes many Anglican authors, including Comber provide prayers and thoughts for meditations Comber: at the various points in the service, he also provides a detailed theological and spiritual commentary and Dean Comber says, “We direct some to various learned discourses. It is an extensive work and confess their faults and reveal their doubts to deserving of further study. the priest, especially in these three cases In 1700, William Vickers (fl. 1700-1719) [unclear reference].” The second is, “when we published A Companion to the Altar, Shewing the cannot conquer some lust or passion.” He Nature and Necessity of a Sacramental Preparation in adds, “I do most heartily wish we were more order to our receiving Holy Communion Wherein frequent in these applications to our those Fears and Scruples about Eating and Drinking Ministers; it would argue that we were more Unworthily and of incurring our own Damnation concerned for a pardon and more sensible of thereby are proved groundless and unwarrantable, our guilt; “we wish, that our people, even in unto Which has been added Prayers and Meditation the time of health (when their conscience is Preparative to a Sacramental Preparation according troubled for some great sin, or their souls are to what the Church of England requires of her assaulted with a violent temptation), would Communicants. 13 Nothing is known about Vickers come and make their case known to their himself, but if the number of editions and reprints of a spiritual Physician;” “if this were constantly work is an indication of popularity, then his practised in our health, we should not only be Companion was extremely popular, going through rarely assisted in order to the continual twenty-two editions and 111 printings over the course regulation of our lives; but when sickness and 130 years between 1700 and 1830. Most of these were death comes, the holy man would be better printed anonymously. 14 There is some confusion in the able to assist us, as being no stranger to the title. Sometimes it was published under the title The state of our souls, and we ourselves should Companion to the Altar . . . and sometimes A have less work to do, when our last conflict Companion to the Altar .... This is such an easy error comes” [emphasis as in original]. 11 to make that it has crept into library catalogues as well, making editions at times difficult to identify Thomas Brownell, in his famous The Family accurately. It was also published under the short title Prayer Books, quotes extensively from Comber’s A Companion to the Altar: Shewing the Nature and works in the running commentary. Unfortunately, Necessity of Sacramental Preparation, in Order to the Brownell only gives the attribution “Dean Comber” Worthy Receiving of The Holy Communion. and does not indicate in the commentary or in the Vickers is well-known today by scholars of introduction which work by Comber he is quoting. No Jane Austen (1775-1817). One of the few books doubt there are many passages from A Companion to owned by Austen was Vickers’ Companion . She the Altar, especially in the commentary on Holy wrote about it in her diary, and Austen’s great niece Communion. A detailed analysis of Brownell’s referred to Vickers as “a book of devotions always sources would need to be undertaken to make an exact used by Jane Austen.” 15 Vickers’ Companion was determination. 12 translated into Welsh, the only Companion As far as can be determined, Comber’s encountered in this study to be translated into another Companion was never bound into a prayer book. It is language, and it was also edited by William D. Hassell quite a long work and makes for a sturdy volume of for use in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the 496 pages by itself. It is an highly academic and United States of America. Only one copy of that work intellectual work with extensive side notes in Greek survives in the U.S., at the library of the of North and Latin, and references to patristic writers and Carolina at Chapel Hill; it was not possible, therefore, church councils. Comber also provides numerous to provide a comparison for this study to see what, if many tables and diagrams which break down for anything, had been changed from Vickers’ original.

The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 Page 17 accompanying self-examination, including a set of meditations on each of the Ten Commandments; through the service of Holy Communion itself; to prayers after the service to be said at home. The Companion ends with prayers for Morning and Evening Prayer and before going to bed. In 1738 and 1739, there were published anonymously Part I and Part II, respectively, of The New Week’s Prepara- tion for a Worthy Receiving of the Lord’s Supper. It reached at least thirty-seven editions by 1782 and was reprinted until the middle of the 19th century. There is a tremendous amount of confusion and contradiction in the bibliographic record about this Companion. The problem is that the two Parts were originally published with different titles, and although the two Parts were published together in one volume as early as 1739, each part continued to be published individually. Part I is entitled The New Week’s Preparation for a Worthy Receiving of the Lord’s Supper, as recommended and appointed by the Church of England, Consisting of Suitable Meditations and Some Necessary Forms, with A Companion for the Altar; Also, Meditations and Morning and Evening Prayer, for the Closet or Family, &c, Together With Instructions how we should conduct ourselves after partaking of the Lord’s Supper; and a Scriptural Title page of William Vickers’ A Companion to the Altar, eighth edition, 1723. Explanation of It. Part II is entitled The New Week’s Preparation for the Worthy Vickers’ Companion is very different from Receiving of the Lord’s Supper, As Appointed and that of Thomas Comber. Depending on the printing of Practised by the Church of England: Consisting of a given edition, Vickers’ work runs between forty to Meditations, Prayers, and Hymns, suitable for the fifty pages, being mostly a collection of prayers with Sunday-Evening on Sacrament Day, and for the references to Scripture after each. There is no Morning and Evening of Every Day in that Week, with commentary except the Preface, which is half the A Form of Self-Examination: And in the Course these length of the work. Although the Preface does not Meditations, those Doubts and Scruples, which are specify as much, the prayers are arranged in order for apt to disturb and render the Minds of devout use on a Sunday or any day on which a person attends Communicants uneasy, are clearly and finally Holy Communion. It begins with “A Prayer to God removed. Adding to the confusion is that in the for His gracious Assistance and Direction in our combined editions, sometimes the title of Part I served Sacramental Preparation”; then several prayers

Page 18 The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 as the overall title, and sometimes the title of Part II the carnal and wanton appetites and wishes of was used as the overall title; and as additional the unmarried nuns and friars . . . they pollute materials, such as theological essays and sermons the soul with luscious images, warm it with were added, the title pages changed even further. irregular ferments, and fire it with a false The New Week’s Preparation was published passion; dissipating all due composure and in a deliberate attempt to supplant the older A Week’s recollection of mind and laying open the heart Preparation towards a Worthy Receiving of the Lords to all the wild extravagancies of frantic Supper, published originally in 1679 by Samuel enthusiasms; a manner of address much fitter Keble. 16 The older Week’s Preparation was also for a dissolute lover than an acceptable published anonymously, but it came to be known as worshipper of the all pure and all knowing Keble’s Old Week’s Preparation after the publisher God . . . For these reasons, I thought it my and reached its 52nd edition in 1757. It, too, was duty, as a Christian, to explode that fulsome reprinted well into the 19th century, indicating that and luscious method of the “Old Week’s perhaps the efforts of The New Week’s Preparation Preparation,” which has most scandalously were not entirely successful. The “old” Week’s put into the mouths of the devout reader such Preparation was not included in this study because it carnal expressions as are there mentioned: and does not claim to be a Companion to the Altar. in their stead I have endeavoured to substitute The New Week’s Preparation is the most such prayers and meditations as may be documented of the Companions examined for this warranted from the word of God. 19 present study. Both Wright and Webber include short excerpts from it; Bodington devotes provides a The editor of an 1855 publication of The Old summary and excerpts; 17 and in his commentary on a Week’s Preparation labeled the language of The New collection of John Henry Hobart’s letters, Arthur Week’s Preparation as being of a “dryer, colder spirit, Lowndes devotes several pages to a short summary of and in a lower tone,” 20 but this is hardly an adequate its history and extensive excerpts from the Preface. 18 rejoinder given the rhetoric above. In the Preface of The New Week’s The content and structure of The New Week’s Preparation, the author explains why he has published Preparation assumes that a person is going to take the this volume, and he does not attempt to hide his Holy Communion only once a week and that the rest disdain for the old Week’s Preparation: of the week should be spent in meditation, prayer, and self-examination in preparation for Sunday. Monday I am persuaded also that the present proprietor morning serves as a model for the rest of the week. It of Keble’s “Old Week’s Preparation,” cannot begins with a prayer to be said upon arising from bed, desire the continuance of a book which has which can be used each day, followed by a form for already been found so injurious to christianity self-examination to be used each day, followed by [sic ], for it abounds with rapturous and meditations and prayers for morning and night. Each wanton expressions, and warmth of day of the week follows the same pattern with constitution. Not reason much less religion different morning and evening meditations. Each day has the chief and sovereign influence . . . Here also has additional prayers and verses of scripture for the true spirit of devotion which is in its own meditation and at least one prayer “for our nature a liberal and reasonable service, is Sanctification, preparatory to a worthy receiving of made wholly to evaporate in unnatural heats, the Holy Sacrament.” Sunday contains the morning and ecstatic fervours such as are a disgrace meditation, prayers before going to church, followed and reproach to the dignity of a rational by the Companion to the Altar. This Companion nature. And instead of speaking the languages presents the rubrics from the Book of Common Prayer of serious, rational, and unaffected piety, they followed by parallel columns with the minister’s abound wholly with rapturous flights of words and actions on one side and “Directions” for the unhallowed love and strains of mystical communicant on the other. Personal prayers are also dissoluteness, or as an ingenious author terms included at the various salient points in the service, it, spiritualized concupiscence, invented by but the “directions” are not prayers but instructions as

The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 Page 19 to how one should act, what one should be thinking The author of this work was simply identified as “A and concentrating on, and how one should Clergyman of the Church of England.” This appropriately engage in acts of piety. Part I ends with Companion went through three printings on its own an essay entitled “How to live well after a worthy and then became associated with and included in receiving of the Holy Sacrament,” which is followed James Cookson’s The Family Prayer Book, published by a collection of general prayers for various several times between 1783 and 1789. 21 occasions. The last Companion to be considered is that Part II is best categorized as “additional by John Henry Hobart (1775-1830), the influential materials.” There are numerous additional prayers and powerful third bishop of New York in the which can be substituted for those in Part I, a Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of catechism, additional meditations for each day, America. It was first published in 1804 under the title including hymn texts for meditation and/or singing. A Companion for the Altar or Week’s Preparation for The “Companion for the Altar” section along with the the Holy Communion: Consisting of a Short Sunday meditations and the essay “How to live well Explanation of the Lord’s Supper and Meditation and after a worthy receiving of the Sacrament” from Part I Prayer proper to be used before and during the were excerpted and published separately under two different titles (with “Prince Eugene’s Prayer” added) several times during the first half of the 19th century. These editions are interesting because they are very small, 5½ inches by 3½ inches, and less than ¾ of an inch thick. These were clearly designed for the convenience of the communicant and could be carried inconspicuously in one’s pocket. Before moving to the last major Companion to be treated in this study, several less famous Companions should be noted. Samuel’s Colby’s The Communion- Service of the Church In the Book of Common Prayer, The Best Companion to the Altar, published in Dublin in 1701, was typical in that is contained the rubrics with commentary and additional prayers, and, like The New Week’s Preparation, although nearly forty years earlier, was set in parallel columns. A New Companion to the Alter [sic ] for the Holy Communion of our Lord’s Supper, published anonymously in 1755, was simply an unstructured collection of various prayers and meditations to be used at the discretion of the worshipper. Neither this work, nor that of Colby, became particularly popular. More popular, how- ever, was The Companion, or Spiritual Guide, at the Altar, containing Prayers, Ejaculations, Meditations, and the Order for the Administration of the Lord’s Supper. Title page of John Henry Hobart’s A Companion to the Altar, 1804.

Page 20 The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 receiving of the Holy Communion, according to the communion [The Protestant Episcopal form prescribed by the Protestant Episcopal Church Church] . . . [Hobart] considers it essential to in the United States of America. 22 Like the other the efficacy of the sacrament, that it should be popular Companions encountered in this study, it was administered by those who are invested with republished several times, reaching its 24th edition by lawful authority to administer it, and that this 1857. It was also published in England in 1849, edited authority is only derived, by an outward by John Collingwood. This edition, which was itself a commission, from the Bishops of the Church. reprint of the 21st American edition with an added For this opinion . . . [he] was attacked in the preface by Collingwood, was recently reprinted, public press, charged with bigotry, making Hobart’s Companion the only one available in intolerance, and pride, and reviled with the a modern reprint. 23 utmost bitterness and scorn. He repelled these Hobart’s Companion was apparently quite attacks in a better spirit, and was also popular with Episcopalians. Daniel Nash, a priest with vindicated by others, with no less dignity and whom Hobart corresponded for many years, wrote to calmness, than ability and force. 27 him on May 12, 1810: “Your Companion to [ sic ] the Altar is read by the people of the best information and Webber states that Hobart’s Companion is an highly esteemed.”24 In a letter of February 16, 1809 American version of The New Week’s Preparation, Joseph Jackson informed the bishop: “I have sent to but this is not entirely accurate. 28 Hobart’s Companion Baltimore more than once for your Companion to [ sic ] is certainly structured like the old Week’s Preparation the Altar, & I have understood that hardly a copy was and The New Week’s Preparation in that it provides to be had. Is there not a call for a new Edition?” 25 daily meditations and prayers for the week prior to William Berrian in The Posthumous Works of the Late attendance at Holy Communion on Sunday morning, Right Reverend John Henry Hobart notes that but the section on Holy Communion is more or less Hobart’s Companion “has, in great measure, just a recreation of the service from the American superseded every other work of this kind in this Book of Common with additional prayers provided at section of the Church” and that “thousands upon various points, and it does not come close to the detail thousands have found it a help to their meditations, of The New Week’s Preparation. Hobart’s work was and a guide to their devotions; and have risen from a indeed more of a compilation of material, which perusal of it with a kindling soul, and an elevation of Hobart fully acknowledges in his Preface: sentiment, which have prepared them to receive the supper of the Lord with the greatest advantage, In the explanation of the sacrament of the comfort, and delight.” 26 Lord’s Supper prefixed to this work, the Despite its popularity among Episcopalians, author has endeavoured to use, as much as Hobart’s Companion was vehemently attacked in possible, the words of the Church in her other circles, particularly by the Presbyterians, for its Catechism and Office for the Communion. In high views on the nature of the priesthood. William this introductory treatise he has also made free Berrian notes something of this controversy: use of an excellent Tract on Holy Communion by Bishop Gibson, and of Sermon of the late In the spring of 1804 he [Hobart] published Bishop Seabury, on the same subject . . . It is his Companion for the Altar, a work which, necessary also to remark, that the devotions to though humble in its pretensions, was raised be used at the administration of the Holy to an unexpected degree of importance by the Communion, are not all of them entirely notice which it attracted among the Clergy of original. But for the rest of the work, the other denominations, and by the obloquy meditations and prayers to be used in the which it brought upon him for the fearless week before he receiving of the Communion, expression of his sentiments. It was written the author is solely responsible [emphasis as with the purest and holiest intentions, and in original]. 29 with an especial view to the spiritual advantage of the members of our own

The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011 Page 21 The “explanation of the sacrament” to which Hobart these prayers have not found their way into the refers is an introductory essay entitled “Short various modern sources for prayers used by churches Introduction to the Lord’s Supper, Stating the Nature in the Anglican tradition. There is also tremendous of the Ordinance, and the Necessary Preparation for amount of scholarship to be done. Even in the course it.” This is an edited version of the essay “A Familiar of this short survey one of anonymous Companions and Comprehensive Explanation of that Part of the excerpted by Wright remains unidentified, which Church-Catechism, which Relates to the Sacraments, simultaneously demonstrates something of the especially of the Lord’s Supper, as warranted and bibliographic work in this area and the need for more supported by Scripture” from Part II of The New serious and sustained study. Future scholarship should Week’s Preparation. Hobart has updated the language, include a thorough analysis of the contents of the shortened some sections, and rearranged and several Companions to determine to what extent combined others. In a few places he has written his material is original and to what extent is it borrowed own material (without notice), and he added his own and what sources were used; some attempt to footnotes and Scriptural references. Hobart’s determine the authors of those Companions published Companion was compiled and written in about four anonymously and more information on the authors weeks, 30 perhaps in response to some perceived who are known; a theological analysis, especially of pressing pastoral need, and this hastiness led to the commentaries on Holy Communion; and an critiques of its literary style. Berrian, despite his evaluation of where Companions fit into the overall defense of Hobart generally and his belief that genre of devotional manuals. Even the few Hobart’s Companion was to be highly commended as Companions examined here contain enough material an aid to meditation and prayer and for its correct to warrant an extended essay on each. It is hoped that exposition of the Holy Sacrament, nevertheless notes this first attempt at scholarship will serve, in some that: way, as a beginning to a greater appreciation of these interesting and deserving works. if it be regarded merely in a literary view, and examined with the severity which is NOTES

commonly applied to other works, it might 1 William Goodhugh, The English Gentleman’s Library undoubtedly be shown, that it abounds in Manual; or the Guide to the Formation of a Library of violations of correctness and taste. It was Select Literature; accompanied with Original Notices, Biographical and Critical, of Authors and Books (London: written in great haste, amidst the pressure of William Goodhugh, 1827), 17.

parochial engagements, and with all the 2 Gary Macy, “Commentaries on the Mass during the Early exuberance of youthful feeling. The style is, Scholastic Period,” in Medieval Liturgy: A Book of Essays, therefore, too loose and diffusive . . . and the ed. Lizette Larson-Miller (New York and London: Garland passionate expressions of devotion lose much Press, 1997), 25-29; and in idem Treasures from the Storeroom: Medieval Religion and the Eucharist of their force and effect by frequent repetition. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press/Pueblo, 1999).

There is not only a want of condensation in 3 Eamon Duffy, Marking the Hours: English People and their the matter, but also of simplicity in the Prayers 1240-1570 (Yale: Yale University Press, 2007). language; so that, while it is not as fit as it There is also some information in idem, The Stripping of the Altars: Traditional Religion in England c. 1400-1580 (Yale: might before the illiterate, it is also apt to Yale University Press, 1992). 31 offend the taste of the fastidious and refined. 4 Charles Bodington, Devotional Books (London: Longmans, . Green & Co., 1903; reprint, Whitefish, MT: Kessinger, 2007). Companions to the Altar are a vital and rich 5 area of scholarly inquiry, not deserving to be left Primarily PINTARD, the catalogue of the General Theological Seminary; the catalogue of the New York ignored by history. There are some very lovely and Public Library, and, most importantly, WorldCat, which moving prayers in these volumes, and since accesses academic library catalogues from all over the Companions to the Altar are very much a world. phenomenon of the Church of England and its 6 J. Robert Wright, ed., Prayer Book Spirituality: A Devotional daughter churches, it is tragic that at least some of Companion to the Book of Common Prayer Compiled from

Page 22 The Anglican Fall A.D. 2011

Classical Anglican Sources (New York: Church Hymnal 17 Wright, 339ff; Webber, 182; Bodington, 256-261.

Corporation, 1989). 18

7 Arthur Lowndes, ed., The Archives of the General Christopher Webber, Give Us Grace: An Anthology of Convention, vol. III, The Correspondence of John Henry Anglican Prayers (Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse, 2004. Hobart: 1802 to September 1804 (New York: Printed 8 The titles of many devotional manuals are quite long, so privately, 1911), 191-195.

foreshortened titles will be used in the table and throughout 19 The New Week’s Preparation for a Worthy Receiving of the this essay for the sake of convenience. Lord’s Supper (London: Hodgson and Co., 1823), i-ii. 9 The Church of England Quarterly Review, Vol. 5 (London: 20 William Fraser, ed., The Old Week’s Preparation Toward a William Edward Painter, 1889), 267f. Worthy Receiving of the Holy Sacrament of the Lord’s 10 Oxford: James Parker; London: Rivingtons, 1878. Supper (London: J. H. and James Parker, 1855), xi.

11 Ibid., 23; Here, Pusey is quoting from the 3rd ed. (London: J. 21 An extended excerpt may be found in Wright, 318ff.

Macosk for Robert Littlebury and Robert Scott, 1681), 132- 22 New York: Peter A. Mesier, 1804.

134. 23 21st ed., New York: Stanford & Swords, 1847; reprint, 12 Thomas Church Brownell, The Family Prayer Book (New edited by John Collingwood, with a Preface, London: York: Alexander V. Blake), 1841. Francis and John Rivington,1849; reprint of English ed.,

13 WorldCat indicates the existence of a Companion by the under the title, A Companion to the Altar: or Week’s exact same long title, but notes that the work is not by Preparation for the Holy Communion (Charleston, SC: Bibliolife, 2009). Vickers and that the preface is dated to 1732 and signed by “I.B.” This may be some edited version of Vickers’ work 24 Arthur Lowndes, ed., The Archives of the General with a new preface, but it was unavailable for the current Convention, Vol. IV, The Correspondence of John Henry study: [Long title], Birmingham: T. Warren, Jr., 1765, Hobart: May 1808 to February 1811 (New York: Printed issued with Warren’s edition of the Book of Common privately, 1912), 407.

Prayer; reprint, Derby: T. Timer, 1778. 25 Ibid., 168.

14 One of the excerpts listed as “Anonymous” in Wright (no. 26 William Berrian, The Posthumous Works of the Late Right 79, 340ff) is actually taken from the Preface of Vickers’ Reverend John Henry Hobart, D.D., Bishop of the Companion . Protestant Episcopal Church in the State of New-York, with

15 Michael Wheeler, “Religion,” in Jane Austen: In Context, 9 A Memoir of His Life, 3 vols. (New York: Swords, Stanford, vols., ed. Janet Todd (Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1838), I:95.

2009), I:410. See also Laura Mooneyham White, Jane 27 Ibid., I:90-91.

Austen’s Anglicanism (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2011), 51. 28

16 Webber, 181. A Weeks [ sic ] Preparation towards a Worthy Receiving of 29 John Henry Hobart, A Companion for the Altar or Week’s the Lords Supper, after the warning of the Church for the Preparation for Holy Communion (New York: Peter A. Celebration of the Holy Communion; in Meditations and Mesier, 1804), i-ii.

Prayers for Morning and Evening for every day of the week; 30 Berrian, I:96. also Some Meditations to live well after receiving the Holy 31 Ibid. Sacrament (London: Samuel Keble, 1679). Webber includes two prayers from this devotional book. See Webber, 128.

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