medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Bill East wrote:
>
> Cranmer went through several opinions during his life, reflecting
> pretty accurately the opinions of those holding political power at the
> time. It would appear that at the time he wrote the second prayer book,
> of 1552, he had rejected any kind of presence at all in the consecrated
> elements. He appears to have been in a minority of one on this issue.
> The first prayer book of Elizabeth modified the 1552 book, insisting
> for example that any of the consecrated elements left over after
> Communion must be reverently consumed, not tossed away - as was
> permitted by the previous book. And many other small but significant
> changes were made, strengthening the notion of a real presence of
> Christ.
>
You're being rather naughty here - the wording of the 1559 rubric is exactly
the same as the 1552 one: "And yf anye of the breade or wyne remaine, the
Curate shal haue it to hys owne use."
The 1559 book omitted the additional rubric (the so-called "Black Rubric",
added during printing) from the 1552 book which ruled out the real presence:
"Although no ordre can be so perfectlye devised, but it may be of some,
eyther for theyr ignoraunce and infermitie, or els of malice and obstinacie,
misconstrued, depraved, and interpreted in a wrong part: And yet because
brotherly charitie willeth, that so much as conveniently may be, offences
shoulde be taken awaye: therefore we willing to doe the same. Whereas it is
ordeyned in the booke of common prayer, in the administracion of the Lord's
Supper, that the Communicants knelyng shoulde receyve the holye Communion.
whiche thynge beyng well mente, for a sygnificacion of the humble and
gratefull acknowledgyng of the benefites of Chryst, geven unto the woorthye
receyver, and to avoyde the prophanacion and dysordre, which about the holy
Communion myght els ensue: Leste yet the same kneelyng myght be thought or
taken otherwyse, we dooe declare that it is not ment thereby, that any
adoracion is doone, or oughte to bee doone, eyther unto the Sacramentall
bread or wyne there bodily receyved, or unto anye reall and essencial
presence there beeyng of Christ's naturall fleshe and bloude. For as
concernynge the Sacramentall bread and wyne, they remayne styll in theyr
verye naturall substaunces, and therefore may not be adored, for that were
Idolatrye to be abhorred of all faythfull christians. And as concernynge the
naturall body and blood of our saviour Christ, they are in heaven and not
here. For it is agaynst the trueth of Christes true natural bodye, to be in
moe places then in one, at one tyme."
John Briggs
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