ing kingdom, by the merits of the most precious Death and Paffion of Thy dear Son. And we most humbly befeech Thee, O Heavenly Father, fo to affift us with Thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all fuch good works as Thou haft prepared for us to walk in; through Jefus Christ our Lord, to Whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and Glory, world without end. Amen."

"Glory be to God on high, and in earth Peace, good will towards men. We praise Thee, we blefs Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great Glory, O Lord God, Heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.

"O Lord, the only-begotten Son Jefu Chrift; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the fins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the fins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takeft away the fins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that fitteft at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.

"For Thou only art Holy; Thou only art the Lord; Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghoft, art most high in the Glory of God the Father. Amen."

To the former Poft-Communion ought always to be added one of the following, which, like that entitled "Super populum" in the ancient Offices, fhould be faid for those who remain but do not Communicate, or, from involuntary abfence, can only make Spiritual Communion :

"Collects to be faid after the Offertory, when there is no Communion, every fuch day one or more; and the fame may be faid alfo, as often as occafion fball ferve, after the Collects either of Morning or Evening Prayer, Communion, or Litany, by the difcretion of the Minifter.

"Affift us mercifully, O Lord, in these our fupplications and prayers, and difpofe the way of Thy fervants towards the attainment of everlafting falvation; that, among all the changes and chances of this mortal life, they may ever be defended by Thy moft gracious and ready help; through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"O, Almighty Lord, and Everlasting God, vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, to direct, fanctify, and govern, both our hearts and bodies, in the ways of Thy laws, and in the works of Thy commandments; that through Thy moft mighty protection, both here and ever, we may be preferved in body and foul; through our Lord and Saviour Jefus Christ. Amen.

"Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that the words, which we

have heard this day with our outward ears, may, through Thy grace, be fo grafted inwardly in our hearts, that they may bring forth in us the fruit of good living, to the honour and praife of Thy Name; through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with Thy moft gracious favour, and further us with Thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in Thee, we may glorify Thy Holy Name, and finally, by Thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, Who knoweft our neceffities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking; We befeech Thee to have compaffion upon our infirmities; and those things, which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, vouchfafe to give us, for the worthinefs of Thy Son Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"Almighty God, Who haft promised to hear the petitions of them that afk in Thy Son's Name; We befeech Thee mercifully to incline Thine ears to us that have made now our prayers and fupplications unto Thee; and grant, that those things, which we have faithfully asked according to Thy will, may effectually be obtained, to the relief of our neceffity, and to the setting forth of Thy Glory; through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"¶Upon the Sundays and other Holy-days (if there be no Communion) shall be faid all that is appointed at the Communion, until the end of the general Prayer [For the Whole State of Chrift's Church militant here in earth] together with one or more of thefe Collects laft before rehearsed, concluding with the Bleffing."

XVII. THE DISMISSAL OF THE PEOPLE.

The laft Poft-Communion being finished, the Prieft, as he is saying "World without end" &c., coming to the middle of the Altar, and turning to the people, should falute them for the last time with "The Lord be with you." Whereupon the Deacon, who would be standing behind him at Solemn Celebrations and facing the Altar, (throughout Advent, from Septuagefima to Easter, and generally in Penitential Days and Seasons and Offices, and on all Ferials) fhould fing out, "Bless we the Lord" and the Clergy and people reply, "Thanks be to God." "The Deacon," fays John of Avranches, "turns to the Altar, that is, to the Lord, and we are invited not to depart, but to praise God." To the fame effect Durandus (Iv. 57).

On other Sundays, and in all Feafts and at other times of the year, the Difmiffal fhould be given by the Deacon with the words, "Ite missa est”

"Go ye, the Mass is over;" the Clergy and people replying, in like manner, "Thanks be to God."

The general rule from the ninth century was, that when "Gloria in Excelfis" was fung at the beginning, "Ite miffa eft" was faid at the end; and when "Gloria" was omitted, "Benedicamus" was faid at the conclusion instead.

Before and up to the tenth century, the only form of Difmiffion was "Ite miffa eft" or "Ite in pace." This form is referred to by Tertullian, Cyprian, the Apoftolic Conftitutions (VIII. c. 15), in the three first Romani Ordines, Florus of Lyons, Alcuin, Amalarius, and all the Liturgifts and MSS. quoted by Martene (De Antiq. Rit. vol. 1.). The "Expofitiones Miffa" add, "No one is to go out of the Church until he is bid to do fo by the Minister, and all have replied Thanks be to God.""

The Prieft himself fhould give this Difmiffal at ordinary Celebrations, and when he has no Affiftant.

The faying of "Blefs we the Lord" inftead of "Go ye, the Mafs is over" at the above-mentioned Seasons had become customary in the eleventh century, for it is mentioned by John of Avranches, Micrologus, and others (circa 1080), and it had become fo fettled in the time of Durandus. So all the Confuetudinaries of Sarum, Wells, and Exeter, and principal Miffalia give the fame rule, although the more ancient MSS. do not notice the mode of Difmiffal at all. In Maffes for the dead instead of "Benedicamus" was faid, "May They reft in Peace, Amen."

If a Bifhop celebrate he should re-affume his Mitre, Gloves, and Rings after Ablution of his hands, and take off his Mitre again for the Poft-Communion; this he should afterwards refume, and fo retire mitred, after having faid "Placeat" &c.

With this "Ite" &c., or, at certain times above specified with "Benedicamus" &c., according to all the English Confuetudinaries, the Gelafian, Gregorian, Gallican, and other Miffalia and the fix firft Romani Ordines ended the ancient Public Office of the Mafs.

Before leaving the Church, however, if a Bishop celebrate, he, or as fome say, the Priest if a Bishop be prefent, but with his leave (Micrologus cxxi.) should pronounce or fignify a final Benediction on the people. This custom was usual in Gaul and the North of Europe, but not at Rome. (See Epift. xii. Zacharias to Boniface.)

XVIII.

DISMISSAL OF PEOPLE, ANGLICAN FORM.

In The First Book of Edward, instead of "The Lord be with you”

"Then the Priest turning him to the people, fhall let them depart with this Bleffing:

"The Peace of God (which paffeth all understanding) keep your hearts and

minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son Jefus Christ our Lord: And the Bleffing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you alway." Then the people shall anfwer "Amen.'

"

In the prefent English Office, inftead of the final "The Lord be with you," the Rubrics direct the following:

"¶Then the Priest (or Bishop if he be prefent) fhall let them depart with this Blefing.

"The Peace of God, which paffeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son Jefus Christ our Lord: and the Bleffing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen."

The people and clerks fhould all anfwer "Thanks be to God." The following Rubrics come after.

"And there fhall be no Celebration of the Lord's Supper, except there be a convenient number to communicate with the Priest, according to his difcretion.

¶And if there be not above twenty persons in the Parish of discretion to receive the Communion; yet there shall be no Communion, except four (or three at the leaft) communicate with the Priest.

"¶And in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches, and Colleges, where there are many Priests aud Deacons, they shall all receive the Communion with the Priest every Sunday at the leaft, except they have a reasonable caufe to the contrary.

¶ And to take away all occafion of diffenfion, and superstition, which any perfon hath or might have concerning the Bread and Wine, it shall suffice that the Bread be fuch as is ufual to be eaten; but the best and pureft Wheat Bread that conveniently may be gotten.

"¶And if any of the Bread and Wine remain unconfecrated, the Curate fhall have it to his own ufe: but if any remain of that which was confecrated, it fhall not be carried out of the Church, but the Priest and Juch other of the Communicants as he shall then call unto him, sball, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the fame. "The Bread and Wine for the Communion fhall be provided by the Curate and the Church-wardens at the charges of the Parish.

"And note, that every Parishioner fhall communicate at the leaft three times in the year, of which Eafter is to be one. And so on.

XIX. THE FINAL PRAYERS OF THE CELEBRANT.

The Celebrant (with his Affiftants) being now about to return into the Sacrifty, fhould firft pause reverently before the Altar, and joining his hands, fay in filence, ftanding, and bowing the head or body before the middle of the Altar, the following Prayer, which is found in all the English MSS. from the earliest date in nearly the fame words.

That in Vitellius, A. 18 (early eleventh century) is " Placeat" &c., " May the duty of my Service please Thee, O Lord Jefu Chrift" ("O Holy Trinity" the others), "and grant that the Sacrifice which I unworthy have offered before the eyes of Thy Divine Majefty, may be acceptable unto Thee, and of Thy mercy be propitiatory for myself, my relations, and thofe for whom I have offered It [unto eternal life], which do Thou vouchsafe to grant, Who [with the Father and the Holy Ghoft] livest and reigneft God, World without end. Amen."

"Then," according to the printed Miffalia, "let him fign himself over the Face and fay, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen,'" and depart. The Collect" Placeat" &c. is found in many Miffalia in France and elsewhere in the time of Charlemagne and thenceforward (Georgius III. c. 20, XIII. ad fin.); and in all MSS. fubfequent to the year 1000. It is noticed by Micrologus, but not by John of Avranches, his contemporary.

No form of final prayer is given in the Book of Edward VI. or in the present Office. Hence the above may and should be used.

Retroceffion of Celebrant.

At the conclufion of this final Prayer the Celebrant, with his hands joined, and his Affiftants, fhould return into the Sacrifty in the fame order in which they had entered the Church. The direction of all the Confuetudinaries is, "Let the Priest and his Ministers recede in manner in which they had approached." Or as the printed Sarum Miffale more fully directs (the York and Hereford, as well as the MSS., are filent on the fubject), "In that order in which they had before approached the Altar in the beginning of the Mass, so Vested, with the Cerofers and Ministers, let them return."

The method of approach is as before mentioned (p. 316), thus detailed by the Sarum, Wells, and Exeter Confuetudinaries: "He that executes the Office with his Ministers should enter the Prefbytery in order, and approach the Altar; the Deacon and Subdeacon vested in Chafubles (that is in Advent, at other times with Dalmatics and Tunicles), but not, like the Priest holding