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cleansed fron, even the least distractions of the soul." This is a fine allusion to that act of humility and instruction of the Saviour, on the night when he established the Eucharistic institution, as read in the 13th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John. "He that is washed needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean wholly." St. Cyril of Jerusalem in the 5th chapter of his mystic catechism, says, "You have seen that a deacon washes the hands of the celebrant and of the other Priests about the altar. Think you it was to cleanse the body? By no means, for when we enter the church, we are not in such a state as to need washing for cleanliness. But this washing of the hands teaches us that we should be clean from all sin, for the hands signify our acts; to wash the hands then is nothing more than to purify our works." And the Apostolic constitutions remark, Lib. 8, chapter 11, That the water which is in this place given to the priests to wash their hands, is a sign of the purity which becomes souls consecrated to God." Both celebrant and attendants should therefore on this occasion be penetrated with the most heartfelt sorrow for sins, and sincerely intreat pardon for their offences, and beg that the Lord may wash away their iniquities, not only from their hands but from their feet and their heads, (John xiii. 9,) and should any persons addicted to gross crimes be present, they should seriously enter into themselves and reflect, that if they live according to the works of the flesh, they cannot enter the kingdom of God. These works are manifest, fornication, uncleanliness, immodesty, luxury, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. (Galat. v.) If then they have yielded their members to serve uncleanliness and iniquity, unto iniquity, let them now yiela their members to serve justice unto sanctification. (Rem. vi. 19.) Let them wash away their crimes with the tears of contrition, and the blood of that lamb, who is about to be offered. Unless they attend with such dispositions, at the holy Sacrifice, they but make

mockery of Christ, and God is not mocked with impunity.

This ablution was performed at the epistle side— which, as before remarked, was, in a regularly built church, the south side, and therefore next to the sacristy, where the necessaries of the altar were kept -the psalm was concluded by the doxology, "Glory be to the Father," &c.-except in Masses for the dead, when the usual conclusion of the psalins on that occasion, was substituted. "Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine unto them. Amen." And in times of most solemn penance, it was omitted, as being an expression of joyful praise.

The celebrant then comes to the middle part of the altar, and bowing down, says the next prayer, Receive, O Holy Trinity, &c. This prayer in its present form is probably a cause of difficulty to some persons who do not examine with sufficient care, nor reflect upon what they too hastily condemn. They object that by this prayer, the church professes to offer the sacrifice equally to the blessed trinity and to the saints. This is not the fact, nor is such the meaning of the prayer. It consists of three distinct parts. The first requesting the oblation to be received in memory of the Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is distinct, and the plain meaning of the request is evidently conformable to the institution, Do this for a commemoration of me. (Luke xxii.v. 19) The second part, requesting the oblation to be received in honour of the blessed Virgin, and other saints-tna it may be available to their honour and to our salvation. This latter clause, 66 our salvation," creates no difficulty. The question is now what is meant by offering the sacrifice in honour of the saints? First, then, the word honour in the first part of the prayer, is clearly not an exact, though it be a literal transiation of the original prayer-for it should be rather translated on the festival of the blessed Virgin, &e.

Le Brun reinarks* that the words found in the oldest ropies are in honore, and not in honorem, and states also, that the words ad honorem, found immediately after strengthens the proof of this reading being corect, for the persons who framed the prayer would otherwise have fallen into a glaring and inexplicable tautology. In honore evidently ought to be translated on the festival or at the time we honour. Thus it would appear as well from the critical examination, as from various facts which that author adduces, that this is the true meaning of this first phrase. But ad honorem, that it may be available to their honour, i. e. the saints, is distinct, we must then see its meaning.

St. Augustine writes, "So that although we raise altars to the memory of the martyrs, we do not build any to them. For which of our prelates at any time celebrating at the altar in any of the places of the saints, has said, 'We offer unto thee, Peter, or Paul, or Cyprian? But that which is offered, is offered to God who has crowned the martyrs, at those places where is celebrated their memory whom he has crowned." And again, in another place, "Nor do we give to those martyrs temples, priests and sacrifices: because, not they, but their God is our God." Thus no sacrifice was offered to the saints, though places were consecrated to their memory, where their virtues were honoured, and altars raised at which this honour was paid. Not by sacrifice to them, but by sacrifice to God; to their God and ours, to him who enabled them by his grace to triumph over sin, and to obtain glory—the honour we pay to them redounds to him, who in them has crowned his own graces; and when we pray that this sacrifice may be received by the Godhead, it is to the holy Trinity it is offered, not to saints; it is offered in commemoration of Christ, on

*Explic. lit. hist. contra Faust. c. 21.

and dog. part iii. art. ix. + Lib. 20, Lib. 8 de civ. c. 27.

the festival of the saints, perhaps in places consecrated to God in their memory, and we pray it may be available to their honour, we do not offer it to them that they may receive it-this would be idolatry. But it is offered to God to their honour; and so far from this being derogatory to the honour of Christ, or against his institutions, it is calculated to promote his honour, and in conformity with his institutions; for when we honour the saints, we only pay to God the homage of our praise for their perfections, we praise his work in them, and their glory redounds to Him who created them and sanctified them: and surely it was to procure them honour, and glory, and salvation, that he sacrificed himself on Calvary, and we only repeat the offering for the purpose of commemorating and fulfilling his institutions. Nay, he distinctly declares, For them do I sacrifice myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth, and its consequence, honoured in glory. (John xvii. 19.)

Thus the sacrifice is offered to the Trinity, but not to the saints, and though they are honoured, that respect redounds to the greater glory of the Lord.

The third part of the prayer is a request that those saints whose memory we celebrate on earth may intercede for us in heaven. Here, then, we distinctly point out how far they can assist us "by intercession,' and we show that intercession to be again subordinate to that of the Redeemer, and only available through his merits, for the prayer concludes by the words which clearly prove those merits to be the foundation on which we rest all our hope by those words, "Through the same Christ, our Lord, Amen."

But why, it is said, need we ask to have our sacrince received, if that sacrifice be Christ, who must necessarily be acceptable? Because we are not necessarily acceptable, and the object is to apply to us the benefit of this offering, by granting to us those dispositions which will qualify us to profit by that which in itself is excellent.

This prayer was originally said, only on the festivals of saints, and special mention then was made of that saint whose festival was celebrated, but during the latter 700 or 800 years the special name has been omitted, and the general form used as now. Many of the ancient Missals style it the prayer of St Ambrose, we however, have no better evidence to attribute its formation to him.

The celebrant then having kissed the altar through respect, turns round to request the faithful to pray with him, saying Orote fratres, &c. "Brethren pray, &c. the answer to which is given in the name of the people by the attendant praying Suscipiat, &c. " May the Lord receive," &c. The celebrant pronounces only the first words in an audible voice; and repeats the remainder in a perfectly under tone, to teach the faithful that silent or internal prayer, together with meditation on the divine mysteries is what best befits the solemn occasion which now presents itself; and this invitation is given to rouse them from any distractions which might have occupied their thoughts. as well as to excite them to greater attention to the solemn mysteries: and in order to cut off all occasion of distraction from the celebrant, no person is allowed to come so near as to be under his observation, except when it is necessary to attend him. Nor does he turn round towards the people from this moment until after the conclusion of the Sacrifice; but as Moses held his hands lifted and apart in prayer upon the mountain, in order that Israel might overcome Amalec. (Exod. xvii.) He now holds them in the same manner whilst the faithful endeavour to overcome that enemy who impedes their progress to the true land of our inheritance: nor does he change thein from this position except when any special act is to be done. which requires their use and on a few other occasions which shall be noticed.

The mode of invitation to prayer at this place, and its answer have varied very considerably, but the