Monday, September 22, 2008

On the 1662 Book of Extraordinary Prayer (#2)

I've been meaning to keep my series going on the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

On Friday night, at my Home Group Bible Study, I read aloud parts of the 1662 BCP. Do you know who loved it? Everyone under 21! They called it 'Hard Core'! I'll post about their thoughts in a few days.

In the meantime, from the Preface to the 1662 comes an interesting piece of history. In the Preface, there is a mention of some additions that they made on the earlier editions (1559). And one of them is the provision of Baptisms for adults. They called it The Ministration of Publick Baptism to Such as are of Riper Years. They give two reasons why, in those 100 years, such a requirement was needed. They included the prayers for...
...an Office for the Baptism of such as are of Riper Years: which, although not so necessary when the former Book was compiled, yet by the growth of Anabaptism, through the licentiousness of the late times crept in amongst us, is now become necessary, and may be always useful for the baptizing of Natives in our Plantations, and others converted to the Faith.
Ah. Those pesky Baptists with their licentiousness! And those natives on 'our plantations'! Their Changin' our prayer book!

:)

Tell me -- I get the feeling that America (and American Christianity) was, in 1662, already having its effect on the world.

________________________

2 comments:

mark said...

Justin,

That's really encouraging to hear your young guys like the old 1662!

Interestingly enough, I took our uni-age ministry away for a weekend earlier in the year and we did standard 1662 morning prayers as devotionals each day - they loved it! and now each week at bible study we include bits and pieces from time to time.

Without over-emphasising the whole ancient-future thing, I would just simply say that there's great and beautiful theology to be find there and it certainly touches the affections!

Anonymous said...

Ahh yes, my "gangsta hardcore" quote.

But it's SOOOOO good!!! You have no idea!!!