Exhortations in Holy Communion (1928 BCP)

Exhortations in Holy Communion (1928 BCP) are the three pastoral addresses appointed around the Communion of the people in the 1928 American Book of Common Prayer. They belong to the latter part of Holy Communion, after the sermon, offertory, intercession, and before or near the communicants' confession and reception. Their purpose is not to interrupt the sacrament with moralism, but to prepare communicants by repentance, faith, charity, self-examination, and thankful remembrance of Christ's death.

Prayer Book Text

The 1928 rubric makes the first exhortation discretionary at most celebrations, but mandatory on three doctrinally weighty Sundays: the beginning of Advent, the beginning of Lent, and Trinity Sunday. This gives the exhortation a seasonal teaching role as well as an immediate eucharistic function.

At the time of the celebration of the Communion, the Priest may say this Exhortation. And Note, that the Exhortation shall be said on the First Sunday in Advent, the First Sunday in Lent, and Trinity Sunday.

The first exhortation begins with Saint Paul's warning in 1 Corinthians 11. It names both sides of the sacrament: great benefit for the penitent believer, and grave danger in careless reception. Its required qualifications are concrete: repentance, lively faith, amendment of life, and charity with all.

Dearly beloved in the Lord, ye who mind to come to the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ, must consider how Saint Paul exhorteth all persons diligently to try and examine themselves, before they presume to eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup. For as the benefit is great, if with a true penitent heart and lively faith we receive that holy Sacrament; so is the danger great, if we receive the same unworthily.

The second exhortation is for advance notice of Communion. In 1928 the minister must give warning on the preceding Sunday or holy day, but may read only as much as seems pastorally convenient. Its emphasis is preparation during the "mean season": conscience is to be searched, wrongs repaired, forgiveness offered, and troubled communicants directed to pastoral counsel.

When the Minister giveth warning for the Celebration of the Holy Communion, (which he shall always do upon the Sunday, or some Holy-day, immediately preceding,) he shall read this Exhortation following, or so much thereof as, in his discretion, he may think convenient.

The warning exhortation identifies Holy Communion as remembrance of Christ's cross and passion, remission of sins, spiritual food, and heavenly feast. It then turns that theology into pastoral discipline: communicants are to examine life and conversation by God's commandments rather than approach the Table lightly.

the most comfortable Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ; to be by them received in remembrance of his meritorious Cross and Passion; whereby alone we obtain remission of our sins, and are made partakers of the Kingdom of heaven.

The same exhortation preserves a classical Anglican account of auricular counsel without making private confession compulsory. A troubled conscience may seek the ministry of God's Word; the stated end is comfort, counsel, quietness of conscience, and removal of scruple.

if there be any of you, who by this means cannot quiet his own conscience herein, but requireth further comfort or counsel, let him come to me, or to some other Minister of God's Word, and open his grief; that he may receive such godly counsel and advice, as may tend to the quieting of his conscience, and the removing of all scruple and doubtfulness.

The third exhortation addresses negligence in coming to Communion. Its imagery is that of a prepared feast refused by invited guests. In 1928 it may be used instead of the warning exhortation when the priest sees the people negligent to communicate.

Wherefore, according to mine office, I bid you in the Name of God, I call you in Christ's behalf, I exhort you, as ye love your own salvation, that ye will be partakers of this holy Communion.

Scriptural Foundations

The first exhortation explicitly depends on Paul's direction to the Corinthians. The Prayer Book does not use self-examination to drive communicants away from Christ. Rather, it requires judgment of oneself so that penitence, faith, amendment, and charity may lead to worthy reception.

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

The exhortation to negligent communicants alludes to Christ's banquet parables. The Prayer Book's argument is pastoral and biblical: refusal of the feast is not humility when God is the one who calls. The proper answer to fear of sin is repentance and amendment, not settled absence from the Lord's Table.

Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

Historical Development

The roots of these exhortations reach back to the 1548 Order of the Communion, the first English Communion service used with the Latin Mass. Its proclamation already joins communion in both kinds, reverent reception, self-examination, and the Pauline warning against unworthy eating and drinking.

willing every man, with due reverence and Christian behaviour to come to this holy Sacrament and most blessed Communion, lest that by the unworthy receiving of so high mysteries they become guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord, and se eat and drink their own damnation; but rather diligently trying themselves

The 1548 text also contains the ancestor of the later warning exhortation. It asks hearers to come with repentance, faith, obedience, thanksgiving, and reconciliation, and it explicitly treats private confession or counsel as available for troubled consciences without condemning those satisfied with general confession.

if there be any of you whose conscience is troubled and grieved in any thing, lacking comfort or counsel, let him come to me, or to some other discreet and learned Priest taught in the law of God, and confess and open his sin and grief secretly

Francis Procter and Walter Howard Frere give the clearest historical interpretation. They identify the exhortations as a distinctive feature of the reformed Communion offices and explain that their language was comparatively stable while their liturgical arrangement changed between 1548, 1549, 1552, and 1662.

The Exhortations are a special feature of the reformed offices. They have passed through many changes, not so much in language as in arrangement.

Procter and Frere further explain the practical reason for advance warning: the exhortation was to be heard by those who needed it, and time was left for communicants who desired pastoral ministry for conscience.

This secured (i) that the Exhortation was read to those who needed the Exhortation, and (ii) that time was allowed for those who desired it to come to the Minister "for the quieting of their conscience and receiving the benefit of absolution."

The official Church of England text of the 1662 Holy Communion office shows the direct predecessor of the 1928 form. Its order differs from the 1928 American arrangement, but the same three pastoral emphases remain: advance preparation, warning to the negligent, and immediate self-examination before receiving.

At the time of the Celebration of the Communion, the Communicants being conveniently placed for the receiving of the holy Sacrament, the Priest shall say this Exhortation.

E. Clowes Chorley places the 1928 revision in its broader American setting. He notes that the new book was formally adopted by the General Convention of 1928 and that a major characteristic of the revision was flexibility and shortening, including relief from constant repetition of the Communion exhortation beginning "Dearly beloved brethren."

It is no longer compulsory every Sunday to recite the Exhortation beginning, "Dearly beloved brethren" which was in danger of losing its force by constant repetition.

Theological Use

The exhortations hold together doctrines that are easily separated. They speak of Christ's Body and Blood, remembrance of his meritorious cross and passion, remission of sins, spiritual feeding, thanksgiving to the Holy Trinity, self-examination, reconciliation, and ecclesial counsel. They therefore interpret Communion as evangelical, sacramental, penitential, and pastoral at the same time.

The first exhortation is especially important for Anglican eucharistic theology. It does not define the manner of Christ's presence in speculative terms, but it requires the communicant to receive with "true penitent heart and lively faith." The benefit is received by faith; the danger belongs to presumption, impenitence, malice, and careless handling of holy mysteries.

The warning exhortation gives a practical rule for preparation. Examination is by "the rule of God's commandments"; sin against neighbors requires reconciliation and restitution; forgiveness of others belongs to coming rightly to the Table; and unresolved spiritual distress may be brought to a minister of God's Word. This is a restrained Anglican form of pastoral confession: real counsel and absolution are available, but the ordinary pathway remains repentance, general confession, faith, and charity within common prayer.

The exhortation to the negligent should be read with equal care. It does not encourage automatic reception or casual frequency. It calls those who are absent from the sacrament to repent, amend, and come because Christ has commanded remembrance of his death and because the Lord's Supper is a banquet prepared by God. Its severity serves invitation: fear of sin is answered by repentance, not by refusing the feast.

Use in Worship and Catechesis

In parish worship the 1928 rubrics give the priest discretion while preserving the exhortations' formative force. The first exhortation must be heard on Advent I, Lent I, and Trinity Sunday; the warning exhortation may be shortened; and the negligence exhortation is reserved for pastoral need. In teaching, the three texts can be read as a sequence: examine yourselves, prepare during the week, and do not neglect the Communion to which God calls his people.

For Reformed Episcopal and classical Anglican use, the exhortations are particularly useful because they join high sacramental reverence to plain evangelical repentance. The communicant comes neither trusting personal righteousness nor despising the sacrament, but hearing Scripture, accepting pastoral warning, confessing sin, receiving absolution, and drawing near with faith.

See Also

• Book of Common Prayer (1928)
• Holy Communion (1928 BCP)
• Invitation to Confession in Holy Communion (1928 BCP)
• General Confession in Holy Communion (1928 BCP)
• Absolution in Holy Communion (1928 BCP)
• Comfortable Words (1928 BCP)

External Links

• 1928 Book of Common Prayer: Holy Communion
• The Order of the Communion, 1548
• Church of England: The Lord's Supper or Holy Communion
• Procter and Frere: A New History of the Book of Common Prayer, chapter XII
• E. Clowes Chorley: The New American Prayer Book, chapter VII