We have seen how John Shepherd, in his A Critical and Practical Elucidation of the Book of Common Prayer, Volume I (1796), robustly critiqued the indicative form of absolution - 'I absolve thee' - as a medieval innovation, unknown to the Primitive Church. The fact remains, however, that this form of absolution was in the Prayer Book's Visitation of the Sick, to be given to those who, being seriously ill, "humbly and heartily desire it". It is this which allows Shepherd to emphasise the very particular context in which the Prayer Book provides for use of the indicative form of absolution:
The piety of the church would not refuse to any of its members at the point of death, the satisfaction of receiving absolution in the most plenary, and authoritative form. But her prudence has with equal caution restricted the use of a form, which from its very nature, is more liable than any other, to be mistaken or abused.
What is more, in the Visitation of the Sick this absolution is preceded by the minister asking the sick person to affirm the Apostles' Creed, the basis of saving faith; "examine whether he repent him truly of his sins, and be in charity with all the world"; to seek to be reconciled with those they have wronged; and - regarding the last will and testament - "to be liberal to the poor". This, says Shepherd, makes the indicative form of absolution in this office no different to the absolution at Morning and Evening Prayer:
In other words, before the minister pronounces this absolution, he is to examine whether the sick person be a true penitent, and sincere believer; that is, whether he be entitled to pardon by God, "who pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel".
It is, Shepherd declares, "as guarded as any indicative form can be":
It is, strictly speaking, nothing more than the precatory and declaratory forms united, and applied to a particular case.
The very particular context provided by the Visitation of the Sick, therefore, ensures that the indicative form of absolution conforms to the doctrinal emphasis of the absolution at Morning and Evening Prayer, which Shepherd again quotes:
Now, since this very form declares that remission is granted only to the true penitent believer, that is, to him alone whom God has already pardoned and absolved, and who cannot therefore need absolution from the hands of man, it must necessarily follow, that "the power to absolve, left by Christ to the church, and by his authority committed to the priest," is purely ministerial, or as our church elsewhere expresses it, "the power and commandment given by God to his ministers to declare and pronounce to his people being penitent, the absolution and and remission of their sins".
Shepherd here provides a convincing, coherent reading of the Prayer Book's use of the indicative form of absolution in the Visitation of the Sick. It ensures that the use of the indicative form in very specific circumstances is dependent upon and coheres with the doctrinal understanding of absolution embodied in the regular Prayer Book forms of absolution at Morning and Evening Prayer and in the Communion. What is more, the wise and prudent "caution" surrounding the indicative form means that it is not to be a normative form of absolution.
Comments
Post a Comment