.ij. Item, p. for a gallon of wyne to geue my lord boshopp .ix." And immediately preceding these, is,

Item, for blessyng of v. awter clothys, and iij. new stolys, xxiijd." So, in 1538, an item "for expenses to my lord byshopp ys visitacion, xviijd." is followed by "payd for blessyng of vj. corporalls. xijd." Once more, it would seem that these and such-like were sent, if no nearer opportunity occurred, even to Exeter for benediction for there is an entry in 1540: "Item, payd for the blessyng of the sute of vestements that master Thomas Arundell gaue to the church, xvid. Item, for the carynge of the same from Exeter .iiijd."

The rite of consecrating and hallowing church furniture and ornaments may be traced up to the most remote antiquity. Forms of the English church are still extant, which were used in the eighth century, and have been edited by Martene: in the Gelasian sacramentary are "Benedictiones, seu præfationes linteaminum, ad consecrandam patenam, ad calicem benedicendum, item ad omnia in usum basilicæ, et præfatio chrismalis, scilicet vasculi, in quo Eucharistia reponitur.”96 Georgius also cites from Sozomen, the account of the consecration of the church at Jerusalem, A. D. 335, with this important passage. Igitur episcopi Hierosolymam delati, ecclesiam consecrarunt, simulque ornamenta, et donaria ab imperatore transmissa: quæ quidem in eadem basilica hactenus manent, et a cunctis non sine ingenti stupore spectantur, ob magnificentiam et amplitudinem." 97

The consecration of the plate and furniture of altars

96 See Georgius. De Lit. Rom. Pontif. Tom. 1. p. 429.

97 Sozomen. Lib. ij. Cap. 26.

was continued in the church of England until a late period: and many instances have been collected by the editors of a very useful publication, the Hierurgia Anglicana.98 To these I would add an extract from a violent pamphlet, printed in 1641, which shews that such, up to that time at least, was not the practice of one or two Bishops only, but of many. This is entitled "The true character of an untrue Bishop:" and the fourteenth point of it is, "He, by his consecration, makes holy that which God hath made common : as bells, belropes, candles, corporalls and altars-A Bishop can make that which is common, holy." And up to the present times the principle is acknowledged and acted upon in the church of England, as is proved by the consecration of oil in the Office of coronation of our kings in which, when the Archbishop offers up a prayer with the oil, afterwards called "Holy Oil,' before him, he is directed by the rubric to "lay his hand upon the ampulla."99

Upon the particular Office of the Hallowing of Water and Salt, which the rubrics of the English church anciently directed to be performed on every sunday, I think that little need be said.1 It was preserved during the week in stoups, into which the people entering or departing from the church might dip their fingers; and in other vessels, to be applied to various purposes.

etc.

98 Pp. 12. 13. 16. 21. 122. 129.

99 I quote from the last order used at the coronation of her present Majesty, Queen Victoria: but the same is in a series, now before me, of many previous reigns.

1 The " vas ad aquam benedictam" is of frequent occurrence in the canons of provincial and diocesan synods during the 13th and 14th centuries, which have respect to the proper furniture and orna

ments of churches.

There were many offices which involved a consecration of water and salt. At the laying of the first stone of a church at its consecration, and reconciliation: at the solemn seasons of baptism at Easter and Pentecost : as well as at other times, the "Benedictio salis et aquæ" was an especial part of the Office. But, although thus of such general observance for many centuries in the church of England, it seems allowed, as regards proofs, by the most learned writers of the Roman communion, that it was of no earlier introduction than about the ixth century. It is true that Bellarmine and Baronius labour, or rather without labour quietly lay down its apostolical origin, and that the hallowing of water to be so frequently used, rests upon the authority of the first ages of the Church. But we know the extreme views of those learned authors, and the objects with which they wrote: and a far more candid writer, Martene, declares that he cannot trace it beyond the time of which I have just spoken. Micrologus, who wrote in the xith century, tells us, "Alexander Papa quintus a beato Petro, constituit, ut sal et aqua benediceretur ad conspergendum populum." etc. And he appeals to certain canons in further support of the constant practice of his own day. But Martene confesses that he has not been able to find these canons.3 Catalani contents himself with resting upon probabilities, in the absence of facts.

2 De Ecc. Observ. Cap. 46. Bibl. Patr. Auct. Tom. 1. p. 758.

3 De Ant. Ecc. Discip. ix. 12. Dr. Rock in his " Hierurgia," p. 667, quotes this order of Pope Alexander, A. D. 110; which I

do not think can be much relied on: but I am bound to add he gives a very remarkable and curious painting, which the reader should refer to, found in the catacombs of Rome. This however might be a pagan representation.

The rubric at the commencement of the office has, "omnibus dominicis diebus," let the water be hallowed: and it would seem that this was a rule which was much insisted upon, and that the abuse (as it was rightly looked upon when the rule existed and was disobeyed) of sprinkling water which had been hallowed for a longer time than six days, and therefore of omitting this duty on the sunday, was often checked. Hence we continually find admonitions in canons of councils and synods to this effect. It would appear that the reason was, not only lest the water should become foul, but because of a mystery attached to the constant repetition of the blessing upon every sunday: as if it had some reference to the sacred waters of baptism.

But in some churches there were two sundays excepted namely, of Easter and Whitsuntide; at which times the aspersion was made from the water hallowed on the eve preceding. This however, as may be seen below, was strictly forbidden, and rightly, by the rubrics of the Sarum and York manuals. It need scarcely be added, that whenever, from accident or any other cause, it was necessary to have more water provided in the stoups or fonts, there was no day upon which this office was not permitted to be said. The place where it was to be performed is accurately laid down in the rubric, upon the usual solemn occasions : but at other times, or if required, there was no objection to the blessing of water, either in the sacristy, or in the open air, or in a private room.

I shall only add this extract from the Rites of Durham. "There was two faire Hallewater stones belonging to the Abey church of Durresme, all of verie faire blewe marble. The fairest of them stoode within the

north churche dour--being kept verie clene, and alwaies fresh water was provided against every sonnday morning by two of the bell ringers, or servitors of the church, wherin one of the Monncks did hallow the said water, veri early in the morninge befor divine service. The other stood within the south church dour not altogether so curyouse, yet all of fyne blewe marble, beinge verie decentlie keapt in the same manner with freshe water every sonndaie morninge by the said bell-ringers or servitoures of the church; when, in like sorte, one of the Monnks did hallow the said water very early in the morninge before dyvine service."

Upon the "Hallowed Bread" or "Eulogiæ," the Office for which succeeds that of consecrating water, and is very short, considerable information is to be found in various writers, especially in Bingham's Christian Antiquities, Book xv. Chap. 4. Saussajus. Pars. 2. Lib. 2. and Cardinal Bona. Lib. 1. Cap. 23. It is to be without doubt traced up, if not to the primitive yet to very early times of Christianity, and was observed in the church of England, down to the reformation in the 16th century. The chief end of it, was to supply the outward signs of communion to those members of the Church, who, from whatever cause, were prevented from partaking of the holy eucharist: and the bread was taken from the offerings which the people made before the Divine Service. I shall quote a canon respecting one purpose to which this hallowed bread was applied, from the council of Durham, A. D. 1220. "Quando mulieres post puerperium venerint ad puri

Rites of Durham, p. 32.