the Apostolic canons 4 and 5, regulate that only corn, grapes, oil for lights, and incense should be offered at the altar; all other offerings were to be taken to the Bishop's house, to be divided by him and the priests, with the deacons and other minor clergy; and the first Council of Orleans held in 511, at the time of king Clovis, in its 14th canon regulates the proportion in which the division was to be made in Gaul. The second Council of Mascom, held in the year 585, at the time of king Gortran, and of Pope Pelagius II., ordered offerings to be made in the Gallic churches by every individual who attended. The 4th Council of Carthage, held in the year 398, forbad the offerings of those who were at open enmity, of those who oppressed the poor, and of several others to be received-canons 93 and 94. The deacon and sub-deacon generally received the offerings; during which time the choir performed the offertory, but the custom of receiving these contributions has long since gradually ceased. Where there is no choir the cele

brant reads it in a loud voice.

After the offertory, at a solemn Mass, or indeed

quires the aid of language, to characterize any individual passion. If correspondent words are the associates of sound, they become by this alliance specific indications of the manners and passions; and the pleasure conveyed to the ear, is attended by the more refined gratification of the understanding. Mysterious as the mode of operation by sound may be, it is clear that nature has connected certain emotions with them, and their effect is sufficiently ascer tained, and deeply felt; for they are the keys which unlock all the passions of the soul. Sounds variously modified, and judiciously combined with words, can melt with pity, sink in sorrow, transport with joy, rouse to courage, and elevate with devotion. They have a peculiar effect in cherishing the tender passions, and calling up the long forgotten images of the past, with all their attendant train of associated ideas. While the ear is delighted with the strains of harmony, the fancy is buried in the contemplation of the most attracting images, and the whole soul is exalted to the bright regions of joy and happiness."

during its performance, the deacen and sub-deacon go up to the altar, both at the epistle side; should the chalice not be on the altar, but placed on the credencetable, below, the sub-deacon carries it up. If a bishop celebrates in pontificals, he remains in his seat or throne during the Mass of the catechumens, and he now takes off his gloves and washes his hands to prepare for the sacrifice, and goes to the altar to offer it. Should he be attended by an assistant priest in a cope, that priest does what would otherwise be done by the deacon during this offering, and the canon, and the deacon performs whatever else may be necessary. This explanation shall be given on the supposition of no assistant priest being in attendance -and in plain Masses the celebrant does every thing himself.

The deacon being on the right hand of the celebrant, uncovers the chalice, which has on its mouth a linen cloth called a purificatory, for wiping the chalice and patten; the patten is a small plate on which the bread for consecration is placed, this is laid on the chalice. If the deacon have not spread the corporal upon the altar during the creed, he now takes it from the burse or case in which it is kept, and spreads it on the altar. The corporal is a linen cloth neatly folded, except when spread upon the altar during the sacrifice, and the bread which afterwards becomes the body (corpus) and the chalice are placed upon it. Taking the patten with the bread on it from the chalice, the deacon gives it to the celebrant, who lifting it up offers it, repeating the prayer. Accept &c., as in the ordinary of the Mass. After which, having made therewith the sign of the cross, he lays it on the altar. Meantime the deacon cleanses the chalice, and having put wine into it, the sub-deacon places the water before the celebrant, which he blesses with the sign of the cross, and the prayer, O God, w in creating, &c. The sub-deacon then puts a small quantity of water into the chalice, and the dea

con having wiped it carefully, gives it to the celebrant, who being assisted by the deacon, also repeating the prayer, offers it, saying, We offer unto thee, &c. then having made the sign of the cross therewith, he lays it on the altar, and the deacon covers it with a pall, which is a piece of linen, sometimes ornamented, but always made so stiff, by the sewing it on pasteboard or otherwise, as to rest steadily on th chalice and preserve its contents from any thing which might defile them: formerly the corporal was larger and a portion of it was turned over the chalice, but this was found very inconvenient. The celebrant then bowing down, says the prayer, Accept us, O Lord, &c.-after which, rising he says, Come, O Almighty, &c.-and at the word bless, he makes the sign of the cross over the host and chalice-then blesses the incense by the sign of the cross, and the prayer, May the Lord, &c.-and perfumes the bread and wine, and the altar, repeating the prayers which follow. After which he washes his hands, saying the prayer, I will wash, &c.-and then returns to the middle of the altar, where bowing down he repeats his request of sacrifice, saying, Receive, O Holy Trinity, &c.-then kissing the altar, he turns round, and expanding his hands, says, Orate Fratres, &c.-during this and the secret prayer, and the preface, until just before the Sanctus, the deacon and sub-deacon stand in their proper places behind the celebrant, but go up to the altar, the deacon on the right and the sub-deacon on the left, to join in the words Holy, Holy, Holy, &c.after which the sub-deacon having made his reverence to the altar, descends to his former place, and the deacon comes to the left hand side, to assist in turning the leaves of the book, during the canon which immediately follows.

In some places, an ancient custom is retained by the sub-deacon of having a large veil placed on his shoulders when he is about to take the chalice from the credence to the altar; and then after the offertory,

folding the patten in the end of this veil, and so holding it in his place, until the celebrant wants the patten after the Lord's Prayer.

Another ancient custom of some places is, that when the deacon has incensed the celebrant, after the offertory, he proceeds to incense the clergy, according to their rank, and is himself then incensed by the incense bearer, who afterwards, bowing to the several portions of the congregation, pays them the like respect.

Should the Bishop be present, in his place, and the celebrant be a priest, the water and incense are taken to the Bishop to be blessed, and he is incensed before the celebrant by the deacon.

In the sacrifice we are now to look for three distinct oblations, all united in the same act of religion. The oblation of the bread and wine for the purpose of their substance being destroyed, and their appearances covering the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The oblation of the body and blood of Jesus Christ under the appearances of bread and wine, and the oblation of himself and of the faithful in union with Jesus Christ, by the celebrant. The three are performed by the one continued act of the sacrifice of the Mass; and it is only by keeping the distinction clearly in view, we shall be enabled fully to comprehend the meaning of the prayers.

The bread which is offered is unleavened; such was the kind which the Saviour used at the institution, for it took place at the time of the unleavened bread; (Mark xiv. 12,) and some water is mingled with wine in the chalice, because as the councils of Trent says, it has been received as an uninterrupted apostolical custom, and believed to be founded upon the authority of Christ himself, who is stated to have done so at the institution; and this assertion is supported by the entire host of ancient witnesses. *The

* Can. xxxi.

council of Constantinople, called that of Trulla, from the hall in which it was held, in the year 692, quotes the following passage from the Liturgy of St. James the Apostle, and first Bishop of Jerusalem: "In like manner, taking the chalice after he had supped, and mixing water with wine, and blessing," &c. St. Clement, a cotemporary of the apostles, states in chap. 17, book 8. of the Apostolic Constitution, that our Lord mixed water with the wine-as does St. Iræneus, the Bishop of Lyons, in lib. 4. cap. 57. St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, in the year 250, writes in lib. 2, Ep. 3, that the custom of mixing water with wine in the chalice, is a tradition from our Lord. The quantity of water is very small; and St. Cyprian also gives us the mystic reason for this, in Ep. 63, ad Cæcilium, "We see the people signified in the water, but the wine exhibits the blood of Christ. When, therefore, water is mixed with wine in the chalice, Christ is united to his people," &c.; from this the prayer is perfectly intelligible.

As in the bread many grains are brought into one substance, and in the chalice many grapes are brought into one substance, so in the church of Christ, many individuals are brought into the unity of faith, and connected together by the bonds of charity, and though thousands should assemble together, in the same edifice, or the great offering be made in millions of places throughout the christian world, still the offering is but one, the prayers are for all; our great father is intreated to look upon us as one fold, under one shepherd: (John x. 16.) They who are present at this oblation, should therefore be filled with the spirit of charity, and banish from them enmilies, contentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissentions, sects, envy, and such like; for, they who do such things, shall not obtain the kingdom of God. (Gal. v. 20.)

In the prayer at offering the host, which, as yet is but bread, the church has in view the chief sacrifice which is to be made under the appearance of bread,