Godwardness in words

We pray to you, O Lord, who are the supreme Truth, and all truth is from you. We beseech you, O Lord, who are the highest Wisdom, and all the wise depend on you for their wisdom. You are the supreme Joy, and all who are happy owe it to you. You are the highest Good, and all goodness comes from you. You are the Light of minds, and all receive their understanding from you. We love you—indeed we love you above all things. We seek you, follow you, and are prepared to serve you. We desire to dwell under your power, for you are the King of all. Amen.

— Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, 849-899

From Episcopal Café.

Something Catholic

When prayers begin, lay aside thy own private meditations, and let thy heart join with the minister and the whole Church, as being one body of Christ, and because that God is the God of order, he will have all things done in the Church with one heart and accord, and the execises of the Church are common and public. It is therefore an ignorant pride, for a man to think his own private prayers more effectual than the public prayers of the whole Church. Solomon therefore advises a man not to be rash to utter a thing in the Church before God. Pray, therefore, when the Church prayeth, sing when they sing; and in the action of kneeling, standing, sitting, and such indifferent ceremonies (for the avoiding of scandal, the continuance of charity, and in testimony of thine obedience), conform thyself to the manner of the Church wherein thou livest.

Whilst the preacher is expounding and applying the word of the Lord, look upon him; for it is a great help to stir up thing attention, and to keep thee from wandering thoughts; so the eyes of all that were in the synagogue are said to have been fastened on Christ whilst he preached, and that all the people hanged upon him when they heard him. Remember that thou art there as one of Christ’s disciples, to learn the knowledge of salvation, by the remission of sins, through the tender mercy of God.

— Lewis Bayley, sometime vicar of Evesham and Bishop of Bangor, from The Practice of Piety, 1611

More on TAC’s overtures to Rome
Or ‘Hepworth’s pipe-dream’ as a former Anglican Church in America (ACA, anglican not Anglican) member calls it. (Archbishop Hepworth is a married former Roman Catholic priest. I think all that needs is a dispensation from Rome.) From Dr William Tighe, a Ukrainian Catholic in Pennsylvania.