"That we might one day celebrate an Advent indeed": an Advent sermon in the midst of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms

Henry Hammond preached his sermon 'The Christian's Obligations to Peace and Charity' at Carisbrooke Castle before an imprisoned Charles I, on the Third Sunday in Advent, 1647, in the midst of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Hammond evoked the Advent hope in the face of the turmoil and blood-letting experienced in these Islands during those years, a powerful example of the significance of Advent observance in the Caroline Church.

Isaiah 2.4.

They shall beat their Swords into Plough-shares, and their Spears into Pruning-hooks.

The day is the Third of Advent, designed by the Church for the Celebration of the closer and nearer approach of the Majesty of Heaven to this lowly sinful Earth of ours ... And the Text is a piece of an Advent Chapter, the very Contents bespeak it so, Isaiah prophesying the coming, i.e. Advent, of Christ's Kingdom. All the unhappiness of it is, that this part of the Prophecy about transforming of Swords, seems not yet to be fulfilled in our ears; that after so many Centuries, Christ is not yet so effectually and thoroughly born amongst us, as was here foretold; that those glorious effects of his Incarnation are not yet come to their full date: i.e. in effect, that Christ is come to his birth, and with him all the well-natur'd charitable qualities, all the unity and peace and bliss in the world, and through the contrivances the Enemy-power, there is not liberty or strength to bring forth; all the precious issues of Christianity are resisted, and obstructed, and stifled in the Womb; the temper of the pretending world being so strangely distant from the temper of Christ, the prophecies of his coming having so little of the Sword in them, and the practice of Christendom so nothing else. Blessed Lord! that we might once be able to reconcile these contrary ... that we might one day celebrate an Advent indeed, and that the completion of the Prophecy of this Text, might be an Ingredient in the Solemnity; that this of ours, might be one of those Nations and People judged and rebuked, i. e. convinced and converted by the Incarnate Saviour: for then would these words of the Text be verifi'd of us, They shall beat their Swords, &c.

... to exorcize and conjure all the swords and spears out of the world, to work new transfigurations and metamorphoses among us, to return the Bears and Vultures into their old humane shapes again, and proclaim an universal truce to all the military affections we carry about us, to our wraths, our covetings, our aspirings, a Sabbath, a Jubilee of rest and peace ... a catholick constant harmony and accord, a present pacification of all our intestine broils, and so a quiet and rest unto our souls: and till this be done, till this Advent Prophecy be fulfilled in your ears, you must know, there is little of Christianity among us, little of Evangelical graces or Evangelical Spirit, nothing but Legal at the best. That in God's good time there may be more, not in the brain or tongue, to elevate the one or adorn the other, but in the ... the depth and sincerity of the heart, more of the work and power, the spirit and vital energy of the Gospel, God of his infinite mercy grant us all, even for the sake and through the operation of his Son Jesus Christ, that wonderful Counsellor, that mighty God, that Father of this Evangelical state, that Prince, and that God of peace; to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be ascribed, as is most due, the honour, the glory, the power, praise, might, majesty, and dominion, which through all ages of the world hath been given to him that sitteth on the Throne, to the Holy Spirit, and to the Lamb for evermore. Amen.

It is worth noting that Hammond also uses the term 'celebrate' with regards to Advent, as earlier seen in Donne and Cosin.

(The photograph is of Carisbrooke Castle.)

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...

Pride, progressive sectarianism, and TEC on Facebook

Let me begin this post with an assumption that will be rejected by some readers of laudable Practice , but affirmed by other readers. Observing Pride is an understandable aspect of the public ministry of TEC. On previous occasions , I have rather robustly called for TEC to be much more aware and respectful of the social conservatism of the Red states and regions in which it ministers. A failure to do so risks TEC declining yet further into the irrelevance of progressive sectarianism. At the same time, TEC also obviously ministers in deep Blue states and metropolitan areas - and is the only Mainline Protestant tradition in which a majority of its members vote Democrat .* With Pride now an established civic commemoration, particularly in such contexts, there is a case for TEC affirming those aspects of Pride - the dignity of gay men and lesbian women, their contribution to civic life, and their place in the church's life - which cohere with a Christian moral vision. (I will n...

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