"Holy affections at His holy altar": the warmth of High Church Receptionist piety

A final extract from from George D'Oyly, in Sermons, chiefly doctrinal, with notes (1827), this time from Sermon VI, a fine example of the warm piety flowing from the Receptionism ("there is no presence of Christ in the Eucharist to him who unworthily receives") of the Hackney Phalanx:

Thither let them bring, what all may bring with them if they will, some feelings of devout affection towards God, some emotions of sorrow for their many errors and miscarriages, some sincere resolutions of amending their conduct for the future; and He who wills the death of no sinner, who calls to those who are laden with their sins to come to Him and He will give them rest—He will in His gracious mercy, approve their services, however imperfect, will accept their tribute, however insufficient. He will gladly receive them prostrate before His altar, and will grant unto them pardon and grace. He will enable them so spiritually to eat the flesh of their Redeemer, and to drink His blood, that their devout affections will he quickened, their good dispositions strengthened, their holy ardour improved ...

May then every congregation of Christians come to a fuller sense of the great importance of this holy rite of the Lord's supper celebrated in special remembrance of the cross and passion of their blessed Redeemer, and ordained by His express command. May all feel it to be a solemn and serious duty to attend, as occasions may present themselves, with devout dispositions and holy affections at His holy altar; a duty which they owe to Him, in grateful remembrance of all that He has done for them, a duty which they owe to themselves, from the inestimable spiritual benefits specially annexed to the worthy celebration.

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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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