396

VI.-METHOD OF RECEPTION BY PEOPLE.

The recipient fhould crofs his hands, placing the right palm upon the left in the form of a Cross, and having hollowed the right palm, should ftretch out both fo croffed to receive the Body within them, and fo carry it to his lips. The Reception of the Chalice fhould be by the recipient himfelf moving his head and lips to the rim of the Chalice fo prefented to him; but he should not attempt to lay hold of it for precaution's fake, and to prevent inconvenience or the fpilling of the contents.

It is plain from Juftin Martyr, already quoted, that fuch was the custom in his day. So Tertullian (De Eucharist. vii.) denounces those who approach their hands to the Body of the Lord "who have conforted with devils." So in his other books. Dionyfius of Alexandria (Euseb. Lib. v11. c. 9) speaks of those who have stretched out their hands to receive the facred Food, and have received the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. SS. Ambrofe, Auguftine, Gregory Nazianzen, Theodoret, SS. Jerome and Chryfoftom, and all the Fathers, are unanimous on this point. See a cloud of authorities collected by Thiers (De Expofit. S. Euchariftiæ, Lib. 1. c. 7). The fame appears from the custom which prevailed in times of perfecution of the faithful carrying home portions of the Eucharift fo delivered to them to their friends. When the perfecution had ceased (fee Baron. Annal. 57) this was forbidden by feveral Councils (Concil. 11., 1009, of Toledo, A.D. 400, Can. xiv.), and thofe were anathematized who did not confume the Eucharist in the Church. In England, Beda (Hift. Lib. iv. c. 24) relates how, when dying, Codman, a layman, received the Eucharift into his hands, and held it there, enquiring if all were at peace with him. As to the Oriental Churches, St. Cyril (Catechet. xxxii.) enjoins, "Come not with thy wrists extended or thy fingers open, but make thy left hand, as it were, a throne for thy right, which is on the eve of receiving the King, and having hollowed thy palm, receive the Body of Chrift, faying after it, Amen. Having partaken of the Body of Chrift, approach alfo to the Cup of His Blood, not stretching forth thy hands, but bending, and faying in the way of worship and reverence, Amen; be thou hallowed by partaking alfo of the Blood of Chrift." So St. John Damafcene (Orthod. Fidei, iv. 13), "Let us approach with fervent defire, and placing our palms in the fashion of a Crofs, receive the Body of Chrift." (See alfo Council of Trullo, Can. 101.)

This form of reception is used by the Greek Clergy to this day; but the laity now receive the Eucharift dipped in the Chalice, both kinds at once, in a fpoon (Goar, Eucholog. 150).

During the fix first centuries women received the Eucharist in a different manner from men. Cefarius of Arles (Serm. Auguftini, App. cxxix. or cclii.) fays, "Men when coming to the Altar wafh their hands, but all the women. prefent white linen wherein to receive the Body of Christ," and the Council

(From "Forma Precationum Piarum" of Philip Melanthon, printed at Wittenberg in the year 1563.)

Page 396.

of Auxerre, A.D. 578 (Concil. V., 960), "A woman fhould not receive the Eucharift with her bare hand, and fhe is to have a covering on her head;" this rule, however, did not apply to confecrated virgins. A fimilar custom is obferved in many Churches to the prefent day.

At the end of the ninth century, A.D. 880, the Council of Trèves enjoined that no Priest should put the Eucharift into the hands of any layman or woman, but only into his mouth, with these words: "The Body and Blood of the Lord profit thee for the remiffion of thy fins and unto eternal life." Any one who tranfgreffed this was to be removed from the Altar. This, however, did not apply to Deacons and Subdeacons.

Nevertheless the reception into the right palm is the more ancient and Catholic cuftom.

VII.-WORDS ON RECEPTION BY PEOPLE.

The forms of words which fhould be used on adminiftering the two fpecies of the Eucharift to the people are as a general rule the fame, mutatis mutandis which the Celebrant had used to himself (ante, s. 1.)

"

The most ancient words (Apoftol. Conftit. VIII. xiii., Lactantius, de morte perfecutor. Ambrofe, de Sacram. IV. c. 51; Augustine, Serm. cclxxii. cccxxii., S. Jerome, Epift. ad Pammach.) were, on prefenting the Hoftia to each, "The Body of Chrift;" on prefenting the Chalice, "The Blood of Chrift, the Chalice of Life;" to each the Communicant refponded "Amen." In the Eaftern Church "Holy Things to Holy men; the Communicants replying, "One Holy, One Lord;" and according to Thiers (De l'Expofition. S. S. 105) this form was used in fome Churches in France up to the end of the fifteenth century. Paulus Diaconus (Vit. S. Gregor. cxxiii.) gives the following words as thofe ufed by S. Gregory: "The Body of our Lord Jefus Chrift profit thee for the remiffion of all thy fins, and unto eternal life. Amen." In a Vatican MS. of the fifth century (Georg. III. 179), and in another (Menard. Sacram. 272), when the Prieft begins to communicate the Clergy or people, "The Perception of the Body of our Lord Jefus Chrift profit thy foul and body" [another MS. has " preferve thy foul and body"]" or fanctify thy Soul and Body unto eternal life." Prayer of S. Gregory: The Body and Blood of our Lord Jefus Chrift profit thee for the remiffion of thy fins, and unto eternal Life. Amen." An exactly fimilar form was adopted by the Council of Rouen in the ninth century (Burchard, Lib. III. c. 76). The fame forms are found in the noted MS. of Illyricus (Martene 1. 532). A Gregorian Sacramentary of the twelfth century has (Georg. III. 180): "When the Priest communicates any one, 'The Body and Blood of our Lord Jefus Chrift preserve thy Body and Soul unto eternal life."" "The Perception of the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ fanctify thy Body and Soul unto eternal life." "The Body and Blood of

our Lord Jefus Chrift fanctify thy Body and Soul unto eternal life. Amen." In the Pontifical of Prudentius, Bishop of Troyes (Martene, ibid.): "When the Sacred Hoftia is given to Christian people, The Body of our Lord Jefus Chrift abide for thy falvation, and preferve thy foul unto everlafting life. Amen.' At the Blood of the Lord, "The Blood of our Lord Jefus Chrift fanctify thy Body and Soul unto eternal life." At Both, At Both, "The Perception of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jefus Chrift fanctify thy Body and Soul unto eternal life."

As to all thefe forms, Micrologus fays that they are used "not from any rubrical order, but after the tradition of religious men."

Communion in both Kinds.

In the Western Church the Communion of the laity in the Cup began to go out of ufe in the twelfth century. Ernulf, Bishop of Rochefter, writing 1123 (D'Achery, Spicileg. 11. 432) approves of this. Mabillon (Comm. in Ord. Rom. f. ix. Prefat. 11. in Benedi&t. Annal. Sæc. vii. s. lxxv.) has collected other inftances. S. Thomas Aquinas being confulted, affented to this, and the Council of Conftance (A.D. 1414) confirmed it.

Nevertheless the Communion of the laity in both kinds lafted till a late period both in England and on the Continent. In the beginning of the fifteenth century the Pontiff communicated the Roman people thus. The Council of Conftance did not abrogate the double Communion where it was anciently the custom, as in the Oriental and fome Northern Churches; and Mabillon (Comm. Ord. Rom. Ixiv., Raynald. Annal. A.D. 1562) thinks that even the Tridentine decree did not affect the Monaftic Orders.

The custom of giving the Hoftia to Communicants after being dipped in the Chalice feems not to have been unusual in the feventh and fubfequent centuries. John of Avranches (Migne 57), after noticing that the Toledan Council (fee poft), required Communion feparately in each species, at least for the Clergy, adds " Except the people, who are permitted to communicate in the Bread dipped in the infufion of the Blood of Chrift, not of authority, but from the greatest neceffity, and in fear." And this usage feems to have prevailed fomewhat in England, for the Council at Westminster, A.D. 1195, prohibited, "That any one as if for a complement of the Communion should deliver to any one the Communion dipped." The Council of Braga (A.D. 675) had forbidden this as contrary to our Lord's Inftitution, "Seorfim enim Panis, feorfim Calicis commendatio Apoftolis memoratur." A Council of Toledo, according to Ivo of Chartres, forbade the fame. That of Clermont, A. D. 1095, required that "The Lord's Body and Blood fhould be received feparately," except only under certain reftrictions of neceffity, and for the fick. Micrologus, c. xix., fays, " Non eft autenticum." Pafchal II. (Georgius III. 19) entirely prohibited it: "For we know that the Bread by Itfelf, by Itself the Wine was delivered by the Lord Himself."