probably to be inferred from his speaking of the bread and wine being sanctified by the prayer". He mentions prayers made by the priest at this time, besides the prayer of the faithful before the thanksgiving; and he informs us that the people answered Amen at the close of the liturgy a. As far as this goes, it gives every reason to say, that the liturgy of Antioch was substantially the same in the time of Justin, as it was one or two hundred years afterwards. In conclusion I may remark, that there are satisfactory means of ascertaining the order, substance, and generally the expressions, of the solemn liturgy used all through the patriarchate of Antioch and Jerusalem, before the year 451; that the liturgy thus ascertained, coincides with the notices which the Fathers of that country give concerning their liturgy, during the fifth and fourth centuries; that this liturgy was used in the whole patriarchate of Antioch in the fourth century, with little variety; that it prevailed there in the third century, and even in the second. The liturgy of St. James in Greek and Syriac may therefore be considered to be derived from the most primitive times. And should we say, that the same form in its principal features had existed from the time of the Apostles, I think that we should have good reasons for making the assertion. We cannot, however, rely on the expressions of this liturgy as a sure guide to the sen γῆς γινομένας ὑπὸ τῶν Χριστιανῶν, Θεός μαρτυρεῖ εὐαρ- z See note x. 8 οὗ συντελέσαντος τὰς εὐχὰς καὶ τὴν εὐχαριστίαν, πᾶς ὁ παρών λαὸς ἐπευφημεῖ λέγων, ̓Αμήν. p. 96. Apolog. 1. timents of the earliest ages. Ciscored by eurroborative testimony, they are of it all bevonč the fifth century, and only a teman portion can te corroborated by testimonies of the four and torrë centuries. Nor can we affirm that every man of the substance of the Ergy in the fra entry hać existed from the beginning: bus we may deT HET. that whatever parts of the liturgy had existed from the beginning had Ekewise existed always in the same order relatively to each other: and this order it is, which essentially and manly comes the identity of liturgies. I have not as yet considered whether the Eturgies of Antioch and Jerusalem are property to be a cribed to St. James. It is obrions, from what has been said, that the text of St. James's Iturgies in Syriac and Greek are not to be referred to, as immaculate, and free from the additions and alterations of later ages. With regard to the authorship of St. James, I think there is no sufficient proof for it, while there are many things against it. In fact we cannot trace back the appellation of St. James's liturgy, as given to that of Jerusalem and Antioch, beyond the fifth century. I am persuaded that this appellation began after the time of Basil, exarch of Cæsarea about A. D. 380. He composed, or rather enriched and beautified, the liturgy of his church; and this liturgy, under the name of Basil's liturgy, was soon extensively used in the east. The celebrity of Basil gave lustre to this liturgy, and the church of Jerusalem probably began to affix the name of St. James, first bishop of Jerusalem, to their liturgy; in order that it might not seem inferior to that of their neighbours. The liturgy of Jerusalem being the same as that of Antioch, the title became general throughout the patriarchate of Antioch. Thus, I think, we may account for the origin of this appellation. SECTION II. LITURGY OF THE EXARCHATE OF CESAREA. The exarchate or patriarchate of Cæsarea extended from the Hellespont to the Euphrates; and, with the exception of the proconsular Asia, Phrygia, and some maritime provinces, included the whole territory called Asia Minora. Cæsarea in Cappadocia was the metropolis of this exarchate, which corresponded in extent to the civil diocese of Pontus; and Basil, commonly called "the Great,” was consecrated bishop of Cæsarea about A. D. 370. The unanimous voice of antiquity has ascribed to him the composition of a liturgy, and one bearing his name to this day has long been used throughout the whole of Asia Minor. These facts can be authenticated by sufficient evidence; and I will at once proceed to cite some of the principal authorities which prove the ancient existence and use in the east of a liturgy ascribed to Basil. It must, however, be premised, that from a period antecedent to the council of Chalcedon, A. D. 451, the patriarch of Constantinople became possessed of the jurisdiction which had anciently belonged to the exarch of Cæsarea b; and that the liturgy of Basil was (probably at an early period) received by the patriarchs of Constantinople, and the churches under their jurisdiction, so that to the present day it is used by those churches. The emperor Charles the Bald, in the ninth cen a Bingham's Antiq. book ii. c. 17. §. 2. 9, 10. book ix. c. 1. §. 6. Vita Basilii p. lxxxiv. Basilii. b Bingham's Antiq. book ii. c. 17. §. io. tury, wrote thus to the clergy of Ravenna. 66 "The liturgy was celebrated before us according to the "rite of Constantinople, whose author was Basil c." About the year 691, a council of two hundred and twenty-seven eastern bishops, assembled at Constantinople, confirmed one of their decrees thus; "For"and Basil, archbishop of the church of Cæsarea, "whose glory has pervaded the whole world, delivering to us the mystical liturgy in writing, appointed, &c.d" A hundred years before this council, or A. D. 590, Leontius of Byzantium, or Constantinople, in his book against Eutyches and Nestorius, accused Theodore of Mopseustus thus: "He vainly composed "another liturgy, besides that which was delivered 66 66 by the Fathers to the churches, neither regarding "that of the Apostles, nor that of Basil the Great, "written in the same spirite." About the year 520, Peter the deacon and others wrote to Fulgentius from Rome, whither they had come from the east on an important mission. In their epistle they support some of their arguments by a quotation from the liturgy of Basil: "Wherefore also the "blessed Basil, bishop of Cæsarea, in the prayer "of the holy altar, which is used throughout al c Celebrata etiam sunt coram nobis missarum officiamore Constantinopolitano, auctore Basilio. Carol. Calv. Imper. Epistola ad clerum Ravennat. v. Bona Rer. Lit. lib. i. c. 12. 4 Καὶ γὰρ καὶ Ἰάκωβος—καὶ Βασίλειος ὁ τῆς Καισαρείων ἐκκλησίας ἀρχιεπίσκοπος, οὗ τὸ κλέος κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην διέδραμεν, ἐγγράφως τὴν μυστικὴν ἡμῖν ἱερουργίαν παραδεδωκότες, οὕτω K. T.λ. Can. 32. Concil. Trull. v. Beveregii Synops. tom. i. p. 192. edit. Oxon. 1672. e Aliam etiam missam effutivit præter illam, quæ a Patribus tradita est ecclesiis ; neque reveritus illam Apostolorum, nec illam magni Basilii, in eodem spiritu conscriptam. Leontius Byzant. adv. Nestor. et Eutych. lib. iii. c. 18. Bibl. Patrum. |