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'An excellent office': Introducing Shepherd's reflections on Prayer Book Holy Communion

In March 2023, laudable Practice commenced near weekly posting of extracts from John Shepherd's A Critical and Practical Elucidation of the Morning and Evening Prayer of the Church of England (1796). That the series did not conclude until 23rd May 2024 is an indication of the richness of Shepherd's commentary; and, of course, of the theological and devotional depths of Prayer Book Matins and Evensong.  

Today we begin to consider Shepherd's reflections on the Prayer Book order for the Holy Communion. This was published as A Critical and Practical Elucidation of the Book of Common Prayer, Volume II (1801):

The Eucharistic Sacrifice, or the celebration of the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord, is a duty enjoined by the positive command of our Lord himself: it is likewise the most efficacious mean of pardon and of grace, and consequently one of the most essential parts of the Christian worship. This service ought therefore to be performed with proportionable care and solemnity. The Church of England has accordingly furnished us with an excellent office for the administration of this rite, and the fault is entirely our own, if we do not communicate with suitable devotion and effect.

This short introductory paragraph is significant in three ways. Firstly, from the very outset, it demonstrates how mainstream, conventional opinion in the Church of England during the 'long' 18th century was perfectly at ease with a sacrificial terminology for the Eucharist. Such terminology is, of course, inherent to the Prayer Book rite: "we thy humble servants entirely desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving ... And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice unto thee". Secondly, as I have sought to previously indicate, there was a rich and vibrant sacramental theology and piety evident in the pre-1833 Church of England. Hence Shepherd's statement that the Sacrament is "the most efficacious mean of pardon and of grace". Thirdly, Shepherd's confidence in the Prayer Book Communion rite - "an excellent office" - reflected 18th century Anglicanism's delight in the Prayer Book, and particularly in its eucharistic rite. Mindful that later 19th century Anglo-catholics would be regarding the Prayer Book rite as insufficient and lacking - a view which came to be shape a liturgical consensus in 20th century Anglicanism - it is refreshing to read Shepherd's quiet confidence and delight in the Prayer Book rite. Hopefully this series of posts will share something of that confidence and delight.

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