'Mild, tranquil, and dignified': 1826 advice on reading the Prayer Book liturgy

In his Instructions in Reading the Liturgy of the United Church of England and Ireland (1826), the Rev'd John Henry Howlett (1781–1867) described the most appropriate tone for the reading of Prayer Book divine service - "mild, tranquil, and dignified":

What can be more so, than to hear the language of the meek and lowly Jesus, delivered with a stern, haughty, authoritative tone? "In our blessed Lord's discourses and instructions, (says Paley) all was calmness. No emotions, no violence, no agitation, when he delivered the most sublime and affecting doctrines, and most comfortable or most terrifying predictions. The prophets before him fainted and sunk under the communications which they received from above; so strong was their impression, so unequal their strength: but truths that overwhelmed the servants of God, were familiar to his Son" (Paley's Sermons, edited by E. Paley, Vol. ii. p. 34.) This striking peculiarity in our Lord's discourses and instructions, should be carefully remembered by the Minister when he reads them to his flock. Every thing that savours of boisterousness or violence, of pomposity or haughtiness of manner, should be studiously avoided. Such a style is indeed unsuited to every part of the Service, but it is more especially disgusting when adopted in reciting the words of our heavenly Master. Let the manner on such occasions be particularly mild, tranquil, and dignified.

Howlett's description evokes words from Morning and Evening Prayer:

Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy ...

Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him, which we do at this present; and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure, and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

These words required a "mild, tranquil, and dignified" tone and delivery. The invitation and grace they proclaim are obscured and disordered if they are delivered in a stern, pompous, hectoring, or agitated tone. They are words, we might say, that require modesty and grace in their delivery in order that they might be received with modesty and grace.

The quotation from a sermon by William Paley rather beautifully centres this on Christ. It is the grace and gentleness of Christ that it is to be heard in the tone accompanying these words.

He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench ...

'No emotions, no violence, no agitation', for these distract from the word of Christ addressing us; indeed, they draw attention to and focus on the one who is the servant proclaiming the Master's word. Such a tone echoes the Sons of Boanerges and their call for fire from heaven:

But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

It is the "mild, tranquil, and dignified" word of Christ that is to be heard, addressing us in grace and truth, not in hectoring or violent tones, not obscured by emotion and agitation.

'Mild, tranquil, and dignified': such is Prayer Book piety. That which "savours of boisterousness or violence, of pomposity or haughtiness of manner" is not fitting for divine service according to the Book of Common Prayer. As the congregation is to receive the word of Christ "with meek heart and due reverence", so the ministers of Christ are to minister and proclaim it "with meek heart and due reverence". The calm and sober tone and delivery of ministers aids and represents this, embodying the character of Prayer Book piety.

(The painting is William Teulon Blandford Fletcher's 'The Sabbath Day', c.1916-17, portraying worship in a Church of England parish church.)

Why I support the ordination of women: a High Church reflection

A number of commenters on this blog have asked about my occasional expressions of support for the ordination of women to all three orders. With some hesitation, I have decided to post a summary of my own views on this matter. The hesitation is because I have sought on this blog to focus on issues and themes which can unify those who identify with or have respect (grudging or otherwise!) for what we might term 'classical' Anglicanism (the Anglicanism of the Formularies and - yes - of the Old High Church tradition). Some oppose the ordination of women (and I have friends and colleagues who do so, Anglo-Catholic, High Church, and Reformed Evangelical). Some of us support it (again, friends and colleagues covering a wide range of theological traditions). Below, I have organised my thinking around 5 points (needless to say, no reference to Dort is implied). 1. The Declaration for Subscription required of clergy in the Church of Ireland states: (6) I promise to submit ...

How the Old High tradition continued

Charles Gore's 1914 letter to the clergy of his diocese, ' The Basis of Anglican Fellowship ', can be regarded as a classical expression of the Prayer Book Catholic tradition. A key part of the letter - entitled 'Romanizing in the Church of England' - addressed the "Catholic movement", questioning beliefs and practices within it which tended to "a position which makes it very difficult for its extremer representatives to give an intelligible reason why they are not Roman Catholics". Gore provides the outlines of an alternative account and experience of catholicity within Anglicanism, defined by three characteristics. What is particularly interesting about these characteristics is their continuity with the older High Church tradition. Indeed, the central characteristic as set out by Gore was integral to High Church claims over centuries: To accept the Anglican position as valid, in any sense, is to appeal behind the Pope and the authority of t...

1928 practices and the 1979 book: unthinking conservatism or popular piety?

Those responsible for Earth & Altar - a new blog emanating from a group within TEC - are to be congratulated for an excellent contribution to wider Anglican discussion and debate. The commitment to "an expansively conceived credal orthodoxy as fully compatible with LGBTQ inclusion, gender equality, and racial justice" is an important part of a wider retrieval of creedal orthodoxy within what we might call the post-liberal generation. It is in this spirit that I want to respond to a recent post on the site by Andrew McGowan , Dean of the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and Professor of Anglican Studies at Yale Divinity School. Against the background of another round of "ill-defined" liturgical revision in TEC, he understandably urges that a fuller reception of the 1979 BCP should occur before further reforms. In doing so, however, he takes aim at what he describes as "clinging to the ritual structures of 1928" while using the text of 1979. We ...

laudable Practice

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