Vernon Staley
A. R. Mowbray, Fourth Edition, revised 1927.
If you are wanting an up-to-date manual on how to lead services in the traditional style, this is no longer the most suitable book for the job. But if you are wanting to read a throw-back into how things used to be done and why, as well as reading some entertainingly strong opinions, it is worth a browse.
The book begins with some principles of what ceremonial is and why we need it:
“As soul and body belong to God, it is a clear duty to use both in His service.” (Page 5).
“External worship, or ceremonial, is not to be used as the substitute for, but as the vehicle for expressing and embodying, the worship in spirit.” (Page 10).
He has no truck with those who like a free-and-easy worship style and who object to spending money beautifying the church building:
“God is dishonoured by bare, ill-kept churches, and by mean and slovenly services. Notice the complaint of God, spoken by Haggai, the prophet, “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?” – Hag. i. 4. (Page 14).
In 1559 a rubric (direction) was put into the Book of Common Prayer:
“that such Ornaments of the Church and of the Ministers thereof at times of their Ministration, shall be retained, and be in use, as were in this Church of England but the authority of Parliament, in the second year of the reign of King Edward VI.” (Page 71).
Consequently the author spends much time justifying particular traditions. For example, if someone says we shouldn’t have incense in church, he will seek to prove that incense was used in 1548, and therefore it is legitimate to still use it today. But that sort of debate doesn’t really have any currency today and I think we can skip over it.
Chapter 5, “The Canons of the English Church” is also out of date because the Canons (legal rules) of the CofE have changed a lot since this book was written.
He gives some explanations and directions of particular points of ceremonial, some of which have largely died out, but many still continue:
Use of the word “altar”
He writes that although the Book of Common Prayer uses the term “the holy table” rather than “altar”, this is because during the time of the Reformation it was necessary to counter Roman Catholic abuses of the meaning of the eucharistic sacrifice. It is OK for us to use the term “altar” today:
“the terms ‘the table,’ the holy table,’ ‘the Lord’s table’ are exclusively used in the Prayer Book, The reason for this is, not that the English Church does not regard the Eucharist as a commemorative sacrifice, but that she lays particular stress on the idea of communion, as a primary purpose of our Lord in instituting this holy sacrament. The fact that, at the time of the Reformation, the idea of communion was much obscured by uncatholic notions concerning the nature of the Eucharistic sacrifice, led to the omission of the word ‘altar’ from the service book […] But we must remember that we have the highest authority for using the term ‘altar.’ Our Lord Himself, in the Sermon on the Mount, in speaking to Christian people under the Gospel, used the word – “If though bring thy gift to the altar…”” (Pages 100-101).
The position of the altar
I have been in churches where the drum kit is in the most prominent position of the church, and a portable table is wheeled on if or when it comes to the bit on celebrating the Eucharist. Vernon Staley would be turning in his grave:
“The altar itself […] should be the most prominent feature in every church. This should be so, because of the dignity of the Holy Mysteries which are there celebrated, and because of the sacramental presence of Jesus Christ there vouchsafed.” (Page 103).
Bowing towards the altar on entering the church
“The custom of making a reverence towards the altar, on entering and on leaving a church, is a perpetual reminder of the truth, that God’s special presence is vouchsafed in His house, and that the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist is sacramentally vouchsafed at the altar.” (Page 25).
What to put on the altar
If the church does not have a rood (crucifix) beam or rood screen, a cross should be placed on the altar. (Page 112).
There should only be one or two candles on the altar (page 120), additionally there can be a pair of tall standing candlesticks placed north and south beside the altar.
There is no authority to put flower vases on the altar. (Page 123).
How to administer communion
As someone who is a server at my own church, which includes distributing the chalice of wine / Christ’s blood at Holy Communion, there is a huge variety of what people do with the chalice:
• some merely nod at the chalice and move on;
• some dip their wafer / host in the chalice (called intinction);
• some don’t touch the chalice with their hands and you have to tip it into their lips, which is difficult to judge when they have received some, without spilling it because you can’t see the contents of the chalice as you are tilting it;
• some steady the bottom of the chalice with one hand whilst you continue to hold it with both and they steer the angle;
• some grab the chalice with both hands and take it from you entirely.
Staley states that what should happen is:
“communicants are to take the chalice into their hands, in order to guide it to the mouth. But it is best, for safety, for the priest to retain a slight hold of the chalice also, but the foot and bowl, whilst the hands of the communicant are placed on the knot which divides the stem of the vessel.” (Page 126).
Clerical attire
Staley does not mince his words in what he considers should and should not be worn:
“There is neither precedent nor authority for the use of the foreign biretta, at any time and specially in church, by the English clergy; and, therefore, the use of such a thing is to be rigorously suppressed by the well-affected.” (Page 169).
“The surplice is appointed by the rubrics of 1549 to be worn by the clergy, “in the saying or singing of Matins and Evensong, baptising, and burying.” The surplice, then, is the ordinary garb of the minister in all services other than the Eucharist… The short, tight-fitting, surplices, seen abroad and in many of our English churches, are a modern abomination, for which neither authority nor precedent can be pleaded.
The custom of placing lace upon these diminutive garments is as the addition of insult to injury.” (Pages 169-171).
Which way clergy should face
When my own church was built in 1893, the altar was against the East wall of the Church and for many decades the clergy used to celebrate the Eucharist facing East, with their back to the congregation. At some stage the altar was moved away from the wall and the priest now stands behind it to celebrate the Eucharist facing the people.
Nowadays probably 99% of Eucharistic Services in the CofE the priest will be facing the people at the celebration of the Eucharist, because it is considered more inclusive to all be gathered around the Lord’s table, and rude or excluding for the priest to celebrate with their back turned. However, the disadvantage is that the focus is not on God, but on the clergy and their performance like an actor on a stage – “look at me”. Whereas the original direction of the priest facing East along with the people is that the priest is one of us, and we are all facing the same direction looking towards God.
Staley says that the clergy should face depending on what they are doing. On speaking to the congregation, face them. On speaking to God, face the same way as the congregation (i.e. back to the congregation):
“In divine service the clergy act in a twofold capacity – they represent God to man, and man to God … in addressing the people in God’s name, they should face the congregation; whilst, in addressing God as the leaders of the people, they should look in the same direction as those whose devotions they are leading … The adoption of the eastward position of the celebrant at the altar is grounded on the truth, that the Eucharist is a sacrifice which the priest offers in person and on behalf of the Christian people.” (Pages 186-8).
Don’t sit for the prayers
Today when its time for the prayers, most members of the congregation sit down, perhaps crouched over with the head in the hands – the ‘hair wash’ position. Staley objects – the congregation should show their humility by kneeling, or for certain prayers standing, the exception being those members who are infirm:
“There is absolutely no authority for sitting or ‘squatting’ during prayers in church. […] “No man dare sit at prayers who is possessed with an awful sense of his distance from God, and considers how mean a creature he is, and how unworthy to receive the smallest favour from His hands. It is not to be expected indeed that a man should bow his knees to God, when he is lame of the gout, or lies sick of a fever, or some other disease; but setting such cases aside, bending of the knees is necessary.” Bp. Patrick, Works, Vol. iv. pp. 752, 753.”” (Page 190).
In my wife’s Roman Catholic Church all the congregation together kneel down for certain prayers during the Mass – there is a loud clattering as the kneeler part of the pews are lowered onto the floor for this. Everyone follows suit without complaint. But I wonder what the reaction would be in my CofE church if the priest gave an announcement that everyone must kneel down for the prayers unless they were too ill to do so? I expect there would be several complaints after the service.
Put away that baptismal shell
Our church has a beautiful Mother of Pearl shell, carved with a scene of St John the Baptist baptising Jesus, used at baptisms, but Staley says we shouldn’t:
“According to the rubric the water is not to be sprinkled, but poured, upon the child: this may be done from the hollow of the right hand, no authority being forthcoming … for the use of a shell.” (Page 204).
In summary, this book gives some food for thought. Perhaps there are more traditional practices that we could return to. There can be wisdom in the old ways, without our worship having to become a museum piece.
June 2023
Adrian Vincent