Thomas Rattray is described by Grisbrooke as a divine of great ability, both as a theologian and a liturgist (Grisbrooke, 1958: 136).  His principal work, published in 1744, following his death, was entitled The Ancient Liturgy of the Church of Jerusalem, being the Liturgy of St. James, being freed from all latter Additions and Interpolations of whatever kind, and so restored to its Original Purity: By comparing it with the Account given of that Liturgy by St Cyril in his fifth Mystagogical Catechism, And with the Clementine Liturgy.  This work, as the name suggests, was an attempt to restore the Liturgy of St James to its original state and thus provide a pure liturgical product, free from later additions.  Rattray believed, quoting the Nonjuror Dr Hickes, that in so doing he would be accessing “the consentient Doctrine and Practice of the ancient Catholick Church” (Rattray, 1744: xii).  Rattray was attracted to the 1718 Liturgy of the Nonjurors, since it too was based on primitive liturgical practice (see Case Study 2.27 Nonjuror Liturgies).  Rattray used it as a temporary measure while he constructed his own eucharistic liturgy, based on his own study of ancient liturgical material.  As a result of his work on the Liturgy of St James, a eucharistic liturgy entitled An Office for the Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist, being the Ancient Liturgy of the Church of Jerusalem, to which Proper Rubricks are added for Direction (edn. Grisbrooke, 1958: 319-332) was also published posthumously in 1744.  Grisbrooke (1958: 139) describes this liturgy as the most satisfactory and the most scholarly of all the liturgies collected together in his work Anglican Liturgies of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries.  Despite this the liturgy was little used since “it was too far removed in character from the service with which priest and people were familiar to allow it any chance of being adopted in its own form by the Church” (Dowden, 1922: 74).  Even though Rattray’s Liturgy was little used it had a profound influence upon later liturgical development in Scotland (i.e. the 1764 Scottish Liturgy – see Case Study 2.17 for this liturgy) and in turn on other Anglican liturgical products (e.g. the Prayer Books of the American Church – see Case Study 4.54 which includes information on the liturgical products of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America).

Thomas Rattray’s theology of the Eucharist will be examined in this case study, through reference to his works, including the liturgy of 1744.

In another work published posthumously in 1748 and entitled Some Particular Instructions Concerning the Christian Covenant, and The Mysteries by which it is Transacted and Maintained, Collected from the Sacred Scriptures, and earlier Writers of the Christian Church; and from approved Divines of the Church of England, Rattray speaks of the New Covenant which Christians enter through Christ, the divine Word or Logos.  Here he argues that Christians enter the Covenant by Baptism, but that the Eucharist perpetually renews them in that Covenant.  He explains this in these words:

“When we are thus initiated into the Christian Covenant, regenerated both by water and the Holy Ghost, and made living members of Christ’s mystical body, the Church, we have then access to the Father by Him, and freedom to draw near unto God, and join with the Church in offering to Him the Sacrifice of the holy Eucharist, the proper worship of the faithful, and communicating in the divine mysteries of His holy Altar; which is as necessary for continuing and maintaining our interest in this Covenant, as Baptism is for entering us into it; and by which we are nourished and grow up in the spiritual life, which must languish and decay without this heavenly food, in the same manner as our animal life would do without our daily bread.” (Rattray, 1748, in Works, 1854: 4-5).

Rattray in this passage describes the Eucharist as a sacrifice, which is offered to God by the Church and is the source of nourishment for Christians in the Covenant.  In order to gain a fuller understanding of what Rattray meant by the sacrifice and presence of Christ in the Eucharist it is necessary to look at an extended passage from his 1748 work, which provides the theological underpinnings of his liturgical work. There are obvious links here to the work of the Nonjurors, especially relating to the notion of the offering of Christ at the institution of the Eucharist and of the role of the Holy Spirit.  Rattray says:

“1.  That our Lord Jesus Christ, as our High Priest after the order of Melchisedeck, in the same night in which He was betrayed, did (while at His own liberty, and before He was in the hands of His enemies) offer up Himself a free and voluntary sacrifice to His Father, to make satisfaction for the sins of the world under the symbols of bread and wine, the bread representing His Body, and the wine His Blood: And having eucharistized or blessed them, that is, not only giving thanks to God over them, and praised Him as the Creator and Governor of the world, and the Author of bread and all other fruits of the earth, for His making such plentiful provision of good things for the use of man; and for the signal instances of His providence, towards the Jewish nation in particular, as was the custom of the Jews, and towards all mankind also in general, especially for their redemption by His own death, but likewise offered them up to God, as the symbols of His Body and Blood, and invocated a blessing, even the Divine power of the Holy Spirit, to descend upon them; [Rattray states in a note here, that “the blessing or eucharistizing the Bread and Cup, imports likewise a prayer for the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them, to make them His spiritual Body and Blood”] having, I say, thus eucharistized, or blessed them, He gave them to His disciples as His Body broken, and His Blood shed [Rattray states in a note here, that “He does not say, which shall be given, and, which shall be shed, in the future time, but, which is given, &c. in the present time, and that not to them, but for them; and therefore must have then given, or offered to God the bread and cup, as His Body and Blood, i.e. He must by these symbols have given or offered to God His Body and Blood as a sacrifice to be slain on the cross for the sins of the world.] for them and for many, even as many as should believe and obey Him, for remission of sins.

2.  That this sacrifice of Himself, thus offered up by Him as a High Priest, was immediately after slain on the cross, and after He had, by the power of the Spirit raised Himself from the dead, He entered into heaven, the true Holy of holies, there to present this His sacrifice to God the Father, and in virtue of it to make continual intercession for His Church, whereby he continueth a Priest for ever.

3.  That He commanded the Apostles, and their successors, as the Priests of the Christian Church, to do (i.e. to offer) this (bread and cup) in commemoration of Him or as the memorial of His one Sacrifice of Himself once offered for the sins of the world, and thereby to plead the merits of it before His Father, here on earth, as He doth continually in heaven; and appointed it to be the only Sacrifice of prayer and praise in the Christian Church, instead of the manifold sacrifices, whether bloody or unbloody, under the Law.

4.  That therefore in celebrating this Christian Sacrifice, the people are to bring their oblations of bread and wine, which the priest receiving, presenteth in their name to God on His Altar, thereby offering to Him a part of His own out of what He hath given them, as a tribute to Him and an acknowledgement of His right over them and all they enjoy: the Priest having thus placed the bread and wine on the altar, and called to the people to ‘Lift up their hearts’, and they having answered, ‘We lift them up unto the Lord’; he proceeds to give praise and thanks to God for the creation of the world and all things therein, visible and invisible; for all His benefits and the gracious effects of His providence towards mankind; for preparing them for the coming of Christ, particularly by the Law and the Prophets; and for sending Him in the fullness of time to take our nature upon Him, and to redeem us by His death.  And in this act of praise and thanksgiving, the people are to join with the Priest in repeating the seraphick hymn, ‘Holy, holy, holy &c’, which in all liturgies ever made a part of it.  Then the priest rehearseth the history of the institution, not only to show the authority by which he acteth, contained in the words, ‘Do this’, (i.e. ‘offer this bread and cup’) ‘in commemoration of Me’; but also, that by pronouncing over them these words, ‘This is My Body’, ‘This is My Blood’, he may consecrate this bread and cup to be the symbols or antitypes of the Body and Blood of Christ. [Rattray adds a note here, saying “Besides, it is by virtue of these words, spoken by Christ, that the following prayer of the priest is made effectual for procuring the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them, whereby they become the spiritual and life-giving Body and Blood.”]  Then as Christ offered up His Body and Blood to God the Father, under the symbols of bread and wine, as a Sacrifice to be slain on the cross for our redemption; so here the priest offereth up this bread and cup as symbols of this Sacrifice of His Body and Blood thus once offered up by Him; and thereby commemorateth it before God with thanksgiving; after which he prays that God would favourably accept this commemorative Sacrifice by sending down upon it His Holy Spirit, that by His descent upon them He may make this bread and this cup (already so far consecrated as to be the symbols or antitypes of the Body and Blood of Christ, and offered up as such) to be verily and indeed His Body and Blood; the same Divine Spirit by which the Body of Christ was formed in the womb of the blessed Virgin, and which is still united to It in heaven, descending on, and being united to these elements, and invigorating them with the virtue, power and efficacy thereof, and making them one with it.  Then the priest maketh intercession, in virtue of this Sacrifice thus offered up in commemoration of, and union with the one great personal Sacrifice of Christ, for the whole Catholick Church, and pleadeth the merits of this one Sacrifice in behalf of all estates and conditions of men in it, offering this memorial thereof, not for the living only but for the dead also, in commemoration of the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, and of all the Saints who have pleased God in their several generations from the beginning of the world; and for rest, light and peace, and blessed resurrection, and a merciful trial in the day of the Lord to all the faithful departed.

5.  That this bread and cup, being thus offered up to God as the symbols and antitypes of the Body and Blood of Christ, and returned back by Him invigorated with the life-giving power thereof, by the descent and operation of the Holy Spirit upon them, whereby they are made that very Body and Blood in virtue and effect, are as such first received by the Priest himself, and then by him, or the Deacons as ministering to him, distributed in the Name of God to the people; who by being thus entertained by God or what had been offered up to Him, and feasting together at His table, do (according to the manner of transacting covenants used from the beginning) renew their covenants with Him and with one another; and by these pledges are assured of His being reconciled to them, and of their being in a state of favour with Him, and of peace and friendship one with another; and by this partaking of the Sacrifice of Christ, have a title to all the benefits purchased by it, which are the conditions on God’s part of the New Covenant, of which He is the Mediator: and by eating and drinking His Body and Blood are made one body and one spirit with Him (it being the Spirit of Christ descending upon, and united to the bread and wine, which makes them His Body and Blood) and thereby our bodies, as united to and nourished by His Body, have a title to a glorious resurrection, being to be quickened by His Spirit, which this dwelleth in us.  And thus we have union and communion with the Father and the Son, in the Holy Spirit (as the bond of this mystical unity) with one another also, even all our fellow-members of Christ’s mystical body, the holy Catholick Church.” (Rattray, 1748, in Works, 1858: 14-21).

It is important to note in this extended passage that Rattray points in paragraph 1 to the offering in the Eucharist as being derived from the institution of the Eucharist, and that it was at the institution that Christ took bread and wine and having blessed them, offered them to God, as symbols representing his body and blood.  This is an expression of moderate realism, since the signs are clearly identified with the signified, but not in any immoderate manner.  The signs are symbols, representing Christ’s body and blood and the offering of Christ as a sacrifice.  In paragraph 2 Rattray states that the offering in the Eucharist was followed by Christ being slain on the cross and that in heaven he continues his offering for ever.  This perpetual offering of Christ is linked with the offering in the Eucharist spoken of in paragraph 3, whereby the bread and cup are said to be offered in commemoration of Christ and as a memorial of his sacrifice.  The sacrifice in the Eucharist is therefore a pleading of the merits of Christ’s sacrifice on earth, and as such is an expression of moderate realism.  In paragraph 4 the bread and wine are described as ‘oblations’, which are to be offered to God on the altar in the Eucharist.  The offering in the Eucharist is clearly linked with the offering of Christ’s body and blood, under the symbols of bread and wine.  There is no new offering in a fleshy or immoderate manner, but rather a pleading of the sacrifice.  This is moderate realism.  The role of the Holy Spirit is crucial for Rattray.  It is the Holy Spirit that makes the bread and wine ‘to be verily and indeed His Body and Blood’.  The Spirit is said to be united to the bread and wine, with the effect that they are invigorated with virtue, power and efficacy, clearly being no longer ordinary bread and wine.  In paragraph 5 Rattray speaks of the role of the Spirit again, saying that by the descent and operation of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine, ‘are made that very Body and Blood in virtue and effect’.  This again is moderate realism, since while emphasising that the Spirit makes the bread and wine Christ’s body and blood, this is not in a fleshy or immoderate manner, but in virtue and effect.

Rattray’s eucharistic liturgy of 1748 will now be considered to ascertain the eucharistic theology expressed therein.  The liturgy ordered the traditional position for the altar, that is, at the eastern end of the church, with the priest standing before it and the people facing it (The Liturgy of Thomas Rattray, edn. Grisbrooke, 1958: 319-320).  At the Offertory, bread and wine mixed with water are ordered to be brought to the priest at the altar, who reverently places them on the altar.  This has been preceded by the reading of offertory sentences, taken from various editions of the Book of Common Prayer (The Liturgy of Thomas Rattray, edn. Grisbrooke, 1958: 321-322).  The content of these offertory sentences seem to relate both to the offering of alms and the offering of bread and wine.  There is no set offertory prayer, as in the Nonjurors’ Liturgy of 1718, but the rubrics direct that the priest should pray silently at the time of the offertory (The Liturgy of Thomas Rattray, edn. Grisbrooke, 1958: 322).  There is however, no specific direction about what the content of this silent prayer should be.  The eucharistic prayer begins with the dialogue, ‘Lift up your hearts, etc.’ and then the priest, turning to the altar says the Preface, based on the Liturgy of St James, followed by the Ter Sanctus and Benedictus (The Liturgy of Thomas Rattray, edn. Grisbrooke, 1958: 323).  The eucharistic prayer continues with prayer of praise to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and then praise for creation of the world and humanity.  This is followed by a summary of salvation history leading to the coming of Christ into the world (The Liturgy of Thomas Rattray, edn. Grisbrooke, 1958: 324).  This leads to the institution narrative, which is reproduced here:

“And when the Hour was come, that he who had no Sin, was to suffer a voluntary and life-giving Death upon the Cross for us sinners, in the same Night that he was betrayed, or rather offered up himself for the Life and Salvation of the World, taking Bread into his holy and immaculate Hands, [Here the priest is directed to take the paten into his hands] looking up to heaven and presenting it to Thee his God and Father, he gave Thanks, sanctified, and brake it, [Here the priest is directed to break the bread] and gave it to His Disciples, saying Take, eat, ‘THIS IS MY BO+DY which is broken and is given for you: For the Remission of Sins.

In like manner after Supper he took the Cup, [Here the priest is directed to take the chalice into his hands] and having mixed it of Wine and Water he gave thanks, sanctified, and blessed it, and gave it to his Disciples, saying, Drink ye all of this, THIS IS MY BLO+OD of the New Testament, [Here the priest is directed to lay his hands on each vessel of wine to be consecrated] which is shed and given for you and for many, for the Remission of Sins.  Do this in Remembrance of me.” (The Liturgy of Thomas Rattray, edn. Grisbrooke, 1958: 324).

The offering up of Christ is here associated with the institution of the Eucharist and the death of the cross.  The image of Christ presented in this institution narrative is that of him offering up the bread and wine to God as himself.  The signs of the bread and wine are closely linked with the body and blood of Christ in a moderate realist fashion.  The use of small black crosses (+) in the text indicates the signing of the bread and the wine by the priest, following the example of Christ who sanctified and blessed the elements at the institution of the Eucharist.  Such signing is suggestive of setting the bread and wine apart and of indicating a higher state for it than common bread and wine.

An anamnesis follows with the offering of the sacrifice being described as an “unbloody sacrifice” (The Liturgy of Thomas Rattray, edn. Grisbrooke, 1958: 325).  The epiclesis is next in the following words:

“Have Mercy upon us, O Lord God, Almighty Father, have Mercy upon us according to thy great Mercy, and send down thy holy Spirit upon us, and upon these Gifts which are here set before Thee, that by his Descent upon them, he may make this Bread [Here the priest is directed to lay his hands upon the bread] the holy BO+DY of thy Christ, and this Cup [Here the priest is directed to lay his hands on each chalice] the precious BLO+OD of thy Christ; that they may be to all who partake of them, for the Sanctification of Soul and Body, for bringing forth the Fruit of good Works, for Remission of Sins, and for Life everlasting.” (The Liturgy of Thomas Rattray, edn. Grisbrooke, 1958: 325).

The request of the epiclesis is that God will send the Holy Spirit on both the people and the gifts of bread and wine, once the bread and wine have been placed on the altar.  The purpose of this request is that the Holy Spirit will ‘make this Bread the holy Body of thy Christ, and this Cup the precious Blood of thy Christ’.  The word ‘make’ suggests that the bread and wine is in some way changed, so that it is no longer common bread and wine.  It seems that Rattray is in no way suggesting a change in substance here, such that the bread and wine are made the fleshy body and blood of Christ (immoderate realism) but he is arguing that they are made something more than they were.  The association of the sign with the signified is heightened by the use of the ‘make’.  It would appear that it is the presence of the Holy Spirit ‘invigorating’ the bread and wine that makes them the body and blood of Christ.  The sense of them being made something that they were not is not in terms of any natural substance, but rather in a spiritual sense and in virtue and power.  This is the language of moderate realism. 

Following the intercession prayer the Deacon is directed to pray the following prayer ‘for the Gifts’.  He says:

“Let us pray for the Gifts which are offered to the Lord God; that the Lord our God, receiving them upon his heavenly Altar for a sweet-smelling Savour, would send down upon us the divine Grace, and the Gift of his holy Spirit.” (The Liturgy of Thomas Rattray, edn. Grisbrooke, 1958: 328).

It seems that the gifts are viewed as being effective in winning the favour of God, since through them and their worth, divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit is more likely to be received in the Eucharist.  Rattray clearly sees the gifts as powerful and efficacious.

The words of administration taken from St Cyril (Mystagogical Catechesis, Book V) are simply, “The Body of Christ” and “The Blood of Christ”, to which the communicant answers “Amen” (The Liturgy of Thomas Rattray, edn. Grisbrooke, 1958: 330-331).  These words suggest a realist understanding of the presence of Christ in the bread and wine.  As the bread is placed into the hands and as the wine is drunk by the communicants these actions are associated with the statements, “The Body/Blood of Christ”, suggesting that what is being delivered to the communicant is in fact the body and blood of Christ.  In view of Rattray’s moderate realism (i.e. the bread and wine being Christ’s body and blood in virtue and effect) in his other works and in other parts of the liturgy, it is fair to conclude that, despite the very realist words of administration, the meaning here at the time of the delivery of the elements is also moderate realism.  The bread and wine remain bread and wine, but they are nonetheless the body and blood of Christ in virtue and effect.

The final rubrics direct that the priest “shall always consecrate more than is necessary for the Communicants; and he shall carefully reserve so much of the consecrated Elements as shall serve for the Use of the Sick, or other Persons who for any urgent cause cannot come to the publick Service.” (The Liturgy of Thomas Rattray, edn. Grisbrooke, 1958: 332).  The direction to reserve the sacrament is supplemented by another direction to keep the reserved sacrament in the vestry “constantly” and “under a safe lock” (The Liturgy of Thomas Rattray, edn. Grisbrooke, 1958: 332).  These directions indicate that for Rattray there was a belief in the continuing sacramental presence of Christ in the bread and wine, following consecration, as well as after the reception and indeed after the service was completed.  The presence of Christ in the bread and wine was therefore seen to be real in virtue and effect, thus indicating a moderate realism.

Rattray’s eucharistic liturgy of 1748 expresses a moderate realism in relation to both eucharistic presence and sacrifice.  The sign and the signified are linked.  Moderate realism is affirmed and immoderate realism is denied.