At the end of the Book of Common Prayer’s liturgy for Holy Communion there are a series of rubrics. Rubrics are usually stage instructions, but occasionally they provide further explanations. One of these even gives a robust theological explanation of the real presence of Christ in the sacrament. Because of some real-time church-politics drama, this particular rubric was added at the very last moment, after the 1552 edition of the BCP (the 2nd edition) had already been printed. Thus, this rubric was added on a separate sheet of paper and printed in black ink instead of the normal red ink (rubric literally meant “red”). It came to be known as the Black Rubric:
Whereas it is ordained in this office for the Administration of the Lord’s Supper, that the Communicants should receive the same kneeling; (which order is well meant, for a signification of our humble and grateful acknowledgement of the benefits of Christ therein given to all worthy Receivers, and for the avoiding of such profanation and disorder in the holy Communion, as might otherwise ensue;) yet, lest the same kneeling should by any persons, either out of ignorance and infirmity, or out of malice and obstinacy, be misconstrued and depraved: It is here declared, that thereby no Adoration is intended, or ought to be done, either unto the Sacramental Bread or Wine there bodily received, or unto any Corporal Presence of Christ’s natural Flesh and Blood. For the Sacramental Bread and Wine remain still in their very natural substances, and therefore may not be adored; (for that were Idolatry, to be abhorred of all faithful Christians;) and the natural Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ are in Heaven, and not here; it being against the truth of Christ’s natural Body to be at one time in more places than one.
As you may know, the reason this rubric was printed was that John Knox had attacked the practice of kneeling to receive the Lord’s Supper. Thomas Cranmer responded by compelling the practice of kneeling but offering this explanation. He did not want ignorant, inform, malicious, or obstinate persons to get the wrong idea or to go around promoting the wrong idea. Kneeling would stay, but this theological rubric would be there to settle the doctrinal question.
It is of some interest that Cranmer’s original black rubric in 1552 denied “any real and essential presence” of “Christ’s natural flesh and blood.”
This rubric disappeared in the 1559 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. The most likely reason is that Elizabeth was trying to heal the breach between the Reformed and Lutheran churches. She also suppressed Article 29 for many years. This was the article which stated that wicked communicants do not eat Christ’s body in the sacrament. Complete reconciliation with the Lutherans was not to be, however, and before the end of Elizabeth’s reign, Article 29 made its way back into the 39 Articles. But the Black Rubric did not return to the BCP.
Contrary to what you might expect, the Black Rubric made its comeback in 1662, with the restoration of the monarchy and the re-establishment of the episcopally-governed Church of England. For all of the anti-Puritanism that was surely in the air, the 1662 BCP reintroduced the Black Rubric, even printing it in red like all of the other rubrics. Some slight textual changes were made. The “real and essential presence” which had been denied was changed to “corporal presence.”
The 1662 remains the official authoritative version of the Book of Common Prayer in England, and it has become the global touchstone. The Black Rubric, now red, is Anglican doctrine.