The Prayer Book Explained Part 5

The Absolution.

As G.o.d's answer to Confession, this is p.r.o.nounced by G.o.d's own messenger. The messenger must have full credentials; i.e. a Deacon must not say the Absolution.

Both here and in the Confession, the _t.i.tles and Attributes_ of G.o.d should be noticed. His power and mercy were made the grounds of our appeal to Him. His mercy and authority are now made the grounds of His answer. The fulness of the declaration of them gives emphasis to the declaration of pardon which follows.

We find four parts in the Confession and the same parts in the Absolution, viz.

1. The t.i.tle and Attributes of G.o.d.

2. The substantial part, i.e. Confession or Absolution.

3. The prayer which is founded thereon.

4. The appeal through our Lord.

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Rubrics.

Before the invention of printing (15th century), the directions in Law Ma.n.u.scripts had been written in red, in order to distinguish them from the Statutes. This distinction had been made also in Service Books and it has been continued to our own time. But every sheet which contains both black and red letters requires to be twice pa.s.sed over a printing press. Hence, for cheap books, italics are used instead of red letters to distinguish the directions from the prayers, &c. The directions are called Rubrics (from Lat. _ruber_=red) whether the distinction is made by the colour or the type.

The rubrics about the Confession and the Absolution were in 1662 made more clear. The habit had grown up in some churches for the Priest to say the Absolution kneeling. The word _all_ was therefore inserted in the rubric about Confession, and the words _standing, the people still kneeling_ were added to the rubric about Absolution. Thus _all kneeling_ includes the minister.

This Introductory Part of the Service was composed for the Revision of 1552, and was then printed only in the Morning Service, with a rubric ordering it to be used _at the beginning of Morning Prayer, and likewise of Evening Prayer_. In 1662 it was first printed out in full in the Evening Service, and the rubric was altered to agree therewith.

_Simplification of rubrics_. One aim of the Revisers was simplicity of rules. As they sought Variety of wors.h.i.+p without excess, so they desired Order of {33} wors.h.i.+p without complexity of regulations.

Anyone, looking casually over the Prayer Books of the Sarum and other Uses before 1549, will be struck at once by the redness of many of the pages. This redness indicates rubrics, and helps us to realise what is meant in the Prayer Book Preface (Concerning the Service of the Church, Section 2) by _the number and hardness of the rules called the Pie, and the manifold changings of the Service_[2].

In order to provide for the many occasions when a difference was to be made, rubrics had been multiplied and inserted at the places to which they applied. The Revisers (1) collected as many as possible at the beginning of each Service, or at the end; and (2) reduced the number of rubrics thus collected together, by reducing the number of variations which were to be provided for.

Duplication of Phrases.

It has often been noticed that pairs of words having nearly the same meaning frequently occur in the Prayer Book. This doubling of an idea may be called 'Duplication'.

Duplication is of two kinds: either the words coupled together are so nearly identical in meaning that one is but a repet.i.tion of the other; or else the {34} second word shows an advance upon the first. The former kind may be called 'parallel duplication' and is used for emphasis: the latter kind may be called 'progressive duplication', because it is used to represent the living idea which advances even while it is being uttered. Instances of both abound in this part of the Service, as well as in the Collects and other prayers which we shall notice later on.

Examples of Duplication.

1. _Exhortation_.

Parallel. _goodness_ and _mercy_.

_a.s.semble_ and _meet together_.

Progressive.

( _acknowledge_ ... . . suggesting reluctance.

( _confess_ ... ... . " willingness.

( _sins_ ... ... ... the outward act.

( _wickedness_ ... ... the inward fault.

( _dissemble_ ... ... pretend they are not there.

( _cloke_ ... ... . . cover them up.

( _requisite_ ... ... what we should like.

( _necessary_ ... ... what we must have.

( _pray_ ... ... ... ask earnestly.

( _beseech_ ... ... . " more earnestly.

( humble, lowly ( att.i.tude with regard ) Distrust ( ( to the past ) of Self.

( ( penitent ( att.i.tude with regard ) Shame for ( ( to the present ) sin.

( ( obedient ( att.i.tude with regard ) Resolution ( ( to the future ) to leave ( ) the sin.

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2. _Confession_.

Parallel. _erred_ and _strayed_.

Progressive.

( _device_ ... ... ... . an act of the mind.

( _desire_ ... ... ... . an act of the heart.

( _left undone_ ... ... . Omission.

( _done_ (wrongly) ... ... Commission.

Cf. _sins, negligences and ignorances_ Litany.

( _spare_ ... ... ... . with regard to the past.

( _restore_ ... ... ... " " " the future.

( _G.o.dly_ ... ... ... . duty to G.o.d.

( _righteous_ ... ... . . " " man.

( _sober_ ... ... ... . " " self.

3. _Absolution_.

Parallel. _declare_ and _p.r.o.nounce_.

_truly_ (with truth), _unfeignedly_ (without pretence).

Progressive.