church documents b-039.

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VESTMENTS
AS ORDERED BY APOSTLES
A LECTURE
MOST of us are so accustomed to seeing vest-
VESTMENTS ments used in the Services of the Church that we

AS ORDERED probably do not realize that they did not exist when
the Lord first gathered congregations under Apostles
BY APOSTLES in these days, but were introduced gradually, in the
wisdom of the Apostles, as the work went on, and the
BY form and order of worship were successively brought
R. M. HEATH (UD) out.
1/10/42
Probably the introduction of vestments was one
of the severest crises of the faith of those first gath-
ered. It must be remembered that many of them came
church documents

from the Scotch Church, where all forms of vestments

were abhorred; or from the Protestant and Non-
conformist bodies who objected to them almost as
much; or else from the Church of England, where
practically the only vestment in use at that time was
a surplice, worn in most cases without a cassock; and
where any attempt to use either vestments or orna-
ments in the Services was regarded as a beginning
englische version

which could only end in complete departure to Rome.

© CHURCH DOCUMENTS . MICHELSTADT JANUAR 2007

Der vorliegende Text ist eine wörtliche Abschrift des Originals
unter gegebenenfalls orthographischer Anpassung
PETER SGOTZAI . MÖMLINGER WEG 3 . D-64720 MICHELSTADT Seite 2
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As the congregations grew in spiritual strength
and faith, and as the Apostles received more and
more light through the prophetic ministry, it became
clear that vestments were a necessity to the proper
and orderly fulfilment of the worship of God. If one
may not appear at the Court of an earthly king,
unless correctly attired in the prescribed dress, how
much less may we wait upon the King of Kings in His
Courts, save in appropriate vestments?
Under the Mosaic law, the ceremonial clothing of
the priests was prescribed down to the minutest de-
tail of their under-garments: surely then, it is plain
that in the higher worship of the Church, proper and
symbolic vesture is called for. The vestments ap-
proved by Apostles are ten in number: the Cassock;
the Dalmatic; the Cope; the Rochet; the Chasuble; the
Stole; the Mosette; the Surplice; the Alb, and the Gir-
dle. And all have their proper use and significance.
Most of them are in use in all parts of the Catholic
Church, and where they are absent there is to be
found a lack of those spiritual realities whose pres-
ence is symbolized, accented, and set forth by the
vestments where they are used.
Before proceeding to consider the vestments in
detail, I would like to remind you that, as the Cate-
chism tells us, there are three principal orders in the
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Ministry: Angel, Priest and Deacon; each of which
represents the Lord Jesus Christ and His work to
usward in particular aspects; and that there are four
borders of Ministry, set forth in the Cherubim: Apos-
tles or Elders, Prophets, Evangelists and Pastors; and
that each of these borders is associated with a special
colour. The Apostle is associated with Purple, or Gold
- the colour of Rule; the Prophet with Blue, the colour
of the Heavens; the Evangelist with Red, the colour of
Blood; and the Pastor with White, denoting Simplicity
and Purity.
The first, a literally foundation vestment, is the
Cassock. It is worn by all ministers, and also by those
in subordinate offices. The primary object is to cover
the wearer completely, reminding us that all men are
alike before God, with Whom there is no respect of
persons; and thus it obliterates any distinction which
the poverty or richness of work-a-day clothes might
display. The colour further suggests a death unto sin,
whilst the various white vestments worn over it, turn
the mind to resurrection and a new birth unto right-
eousness.
To indicate their position of rule and authority,
Angels, when sitting as such, wear cassocks of pur-
ple. It is interesting to note that in the Apostles'
Chapel at Albury, all ministers, of whatever degree,
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including the Apostles, wore black cassocks; because
there they appear merely as Ministers of the Universal
Church, of which the Apostles are the Elders and the
Lord Jesus Christ is Himself the Angel.
The border of the minister is indicated by a lining
and edging to the cassock and mosette of his appro-
priate colour: Purple for Elders, Blue for Prophets,
Red for Evangelists, and White for Pastors; whether
Angels, Priests or Deacons. Apostles and their Coad-
jutors were the only ministers to wear a yellow bor-
der; and Angels of churches, in their own churches,
wear purple, as indicating their supreme (local) au-
thority.
The next familiar vestment is the Dalmatic,
sometimes known in other parts of the Church as a
Tunicle, or Cotta. It is a loose linen garment with wide
sleeves, and was originally the costume of slaves. It
is, therefore, most appropriate for those performing
the lesser ministerial functions, as representing Him
who took upon Himself the form of a servant.
It has always been pre-eminently the Diaconal
vestment, and, as such, is worn, though in a more
ornamental form, by the two assistants at the Eucha-
rist, viz.., the assistants to the Celebrant. If they are
Priests, the assistants wear it over their other vest-
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ments, to show that they are acting as Deacons, or
Assistants, subordinate to the Celebrant. In some
parts of the Church, the Epistler and Gospeller are
known as the Deacon and Sub-Deacon.
Now we come to the Stole, which can only be
worn by those who are ordained to the Ministry, i.e.
Priests and Deacons. The Stole represents the yoke of
Christ laid upon His servants. The Priest wears it
upon both shoulders, and crossed upon the breast.
The Deacon, who is a layman, wears it upon his left
shoulder only, leaving his right arm free, as it were,
for his work in the world. Angels wear the stole un-
crossed, to indicate the greater freedom of their more
authoritative position.
All Stoles, of whatever colour, are lined with Red,
to indicate the underlying and foundation truth that
all worship to God is possible only by the Blood of the
Lamb. This principle of a scarlet lining is applied to
all vestments to which a lining is appropriate; e.g. the
Chasuble and the Dalmatics of the assistants at the
Holy Eucharist.
Stoles vary in colour. At the Holy Eucharist, like
all the vestments, all Stoles are White. At all other
Services, Deacons wear Red Stoles, and Priests the
colour of their border. The Angel wore a Purple Stole
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in the morning, as presiding minister, and a yellow
stole in the evening, when he stood with the Elders in
the central shaft of the Candlestick Ministry.
In the Shorter Services, to which we are now re-
duced, Elders wear a Purple Stole, as does the Senior
Priest in the absence of the Angel. The other ministers
wear White stoles. At Festivals, all stoles are White, as
is the Angel's Cope.
It may be well, perhaps, to deal with the Alb next.
As its name implies, it is the long White garment worn
by the Celebrant, and all Priests, directly concerned
in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and the Ad-
ministration of the Sacrament. It is of very ancient
origin, and it is the garment of sacrifice; hence its use
in the celebration of the Church's great memorial sac-
rifice of the Eucharist. It is worn with the Linen Girdle
at the waist, under which the Stole is passed; sym-
bolic of the righteousness of Christ. "Gird me, 0 Lord,
with righteousness, and let faithfulness be the girdle
of my loins" is one of the prayers said in the vestry
when the Priests are vesting before the Holy Eucha-
rist.
The Alb, being the garment of sacrifice, its use is
appropriate in all Services dependent upon, or refer-
ring specially, to the Eucharistic Sacrifice. Hence it
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was worn by all Priests at the Full Services of Morning
and Evening Prayer, at which the Intercession was of-
fered - as you know - before the Sacrament which was
"proposed", or spread out upon the Altar; and also in
the Special Services on Good Friday, when the origi-
nal Sacrifice of Christ is being specially commemo-
rated.
The Rochet - the short white garment worn by
Angels and Priests attending at the Eucharist, but not
actively engaged - is really a short form of the Alb.
The Rochet was also worn by attending ministers at
the Full Services of Morning and Evening Prayer, and
it is worn in the Shorter Services on Sundays. It is
also worn by Angels and Priests for preaching and
teaching. Angels' Rochets, as befits their higher de-
gree, are made of lawn and lace; those of the Priests
being of linen. The Rochet is worn under the Mo-
sette, which is a small cape: really a miniature of the
Cope, to which reference is made later.
The Mosette is of the same colour and material as
the cassock of the wearer, and is similarly lined with
the colour of the border of ministry.
The surplice, with which the Shorter Services of
Morning and Evening Prayer have made us familiar,
is also a derivative of the Alb. Its name comes from
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the Latin, "super pellicum,"(literally, "above the robe
of wool"), and it was originally a choir vestment of the
monastic order and cathedral clergy, serving the same
purpose as the Rochet, for which it is an alternative.
The Cope is pre-eminently the garment of rule
and authority; hence the normal colour is purple, the
colour of rule, and it is worn, as a rule, only by a pre-
siding minister. Under Apostles, it is worn by those in
Angels' orders, but in some parts of the Church it is
also worn by Priests on certain occasions. It points
symbolically to the kingly authority of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Round the edge of the Cope is a wide orna-
mental border: the Orphrey. In this it is customary to
make prominent the colour of the wearer's border of
ministry. This may be noted particularly in the Copes
preserved at the Central Church, Gordon Square,
formerly worn by the Apostle for the Tribe, and the
Minister associated with him, at visitations and on
other special occasions, each Cope having one of the
four colours very clearly shown in the embroidery of
the Orphrey.
The Cope of the Angel of a Church is normally
purple, but on Festivals it is white, and on Good Fri-
day it, or the Orphrey, may be black. Apostles and
their ministers wore Copes of Crimson and Gold, as
already mentioned. The Cope is fastened at the breast
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by a clamp of metal, called a Morse, which held the
two sides together, and reminds us of the Breastplate
of the High Priest.
We now come to the Chasuble, the garment worn
over all the other vestments by a Priest or an Angel, in
the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. This was origi-
nally known as "The Vestment", and was formerly a
completely circular garment, with a hole in the centre
for the head of the wearer. It entirely enwrapped him
from head to foot, and symbolised the all-embracing
righteousness of Christ, under the cover of which
alone man dared to approach the Altar to celebrate
the Holy Eucharist. Its name comes from "casula" - a
little tent - which is a clear indication of the original
form.
The Chasuble, like all Eucharistic vestments, is
always white. It is ornamented with gold, and lined
with crimson; except on Good Friday when it, and the
Dalmatics of the assistant priests, together with all
Stoles, are black or purple, in token of mourning.
These dark vestments are continued in use on Holy
Saturday, and may also be worn at the Commemora-
tion of a deceased person.
There is one other article which should perhaps
be mentioned, which is not really a vestment, though
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it has come to be so regarded in the greater part of

the Church: the Maniple.

This, under Apostles, has been restored to the

proper use. It is a small strip of linen, hung by a loop
from the left hand of the minister administering the
Cup; and it is used to wipe the Cup as each commu-
nicant hands it back. It is curious that the Maniple is
retained as an ornament in the Roman Communion,
though the Cup is withheld from the laity. Even in the
Anglican Communion it is not correctly used. In so-
called "High Churches", it is worn as an ornament,
with some vague idea of an allusion to the Towel with
which Our Lord girded Himself at the Last Supper;
whilst a separate piece of linen is used to wipe the
Cup.

In a brief paper like this, it has been possible

only to deal very shortly with a very wide and fasci-
nating subject; but perhaps enough has been said to
stimulate interest and a sense of thankfulness that in
this, as in all other matters, the Lord, by His Apostles,
has prevailed to gather GOLD from all the Tribes of
Christendom, and has ordained the correct use of
proper vestments, whilst discarding the additions and
inventions devised by the mere imaginings of men.

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