is truly one of the masterpieces of the liturgy. It grew over the years. Reed says the germ was from the Leonine Sacramentary, but the Gelasian Sacramentary augmented it with "forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid" and the 1549 Prayer Book added: "always more ready to hear than we to pray." Finally, Bishop Cosin in 1662 altered the conclusion "giving us those good things we are not worthy to ask." The result is a prayer worthy of praying on this Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, and indeed committing to memory.
Here's its classic form from The Lutheran Hymnal:
Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve: Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy, forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and meditation of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord...
4 comments:
Pastor Weedon, I was accepted into the Wittenberg Trail. I appreciated your quotation from the Collect for Trinity 11 as it is written in TLH. The collects in the TLH are the same collects word for word from the Book Of Common Prayer. I am a minister with a denomination of Anglicans who left the Episcopal Church 25 years ago. We adhere to the Protestant face of Anglicanism. The orginal Protestants were Lutherans. I have been studying Lutheran Christian doctrine for some time. Recently I finished reading that classic book on the Lord's Supper by Martin Chemnitz. I am reading the Two Natures in Christ by Chemnitz. Both books have been translated by Jacob Preus. I beleive the Lutheran doctrine on Baptism and the Lord's Supper are biblically sound and I believe these doctrines are true. The 39 Articles attempted to keep as many people as possible in the Church of England hence the 39 Articles are a mixture of the Lutheran and Reformed doctrines.
The Reverend Robert Placer
Dear Pr. Placer,
Yes indeed. The 39 Articles are a most curious mix. I'm glad you're working through the Chemnitz works - he is something else! I love reading his stuff. Another one you might enjoy reading is Krauth's *Conservative Reformation* - he engages Anglicanism specifically several times in the work.
Pax!
Yes, Pr. Weedon, I saw Krauth's book on the web site for New Reformation Press. I shall buy that book to read how he egages with Anglicanism. In Reformed Theology there is an incipient rationalism whenever the Sacraments of the Baptism and the Lord's Supper are discussed. This is just an obeservation and I am always open to correction when in error; but, historically in North America Unitarian congregations came out of Calvinist congregations in New England, and yes King's Chapel in Boston was an Anglican parish that became Unitarian. I have never heard of a Lutheran congregation becoming Unitarian. Perhaps the Lutheran doctrine of the sacraments prevents Unitarian thinking?
I would think that's a good assessment and insight - and I'd add that the Lutheran doctrine of the sacraments is intimately tied up with the confession of Justification by faith, and that this is THE article which, when held and taught purely, keeps all the others intact.
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