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notices amongst the Fathers of that exarchate relative to the liturgy.

Of the doctrines of the eucharist there are indeed abundant testimonies in these authors; but of the rites with which it was administered there is a very sparing and cautious mention. However, as far as this goes, it proves that the same liturgy (as to order and substance) prevailed in Cappadocia before the time of Basil as afterwards. Basil himself, in a book written about A. D. 374, speaks of the prayer of consecration in the liturgy in terms which seem to imply that the same order and substance had been long and generally used. He says, that in the prayer of consecration the church "was not content "merely with those things which the Apostle or "the Gospel commemorated, but that many things "were said before and after, as having great efficacy "in the mystery." This accords perfectly with the liturgy of Basil, where the thanksgiving precedes the things commemorated by the Apostle Paul and the Gospels, and the invocation of the Holy Ghost follows them; all which were held by the church to have great efficacy in the mystery or sacrament". It is remarkable that a verbal coincidence is found between these expressions of Basil's and his liturgy'.

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Gregory, bishop of Nyssa in Cappadocia, and brother of Basil, speaks of the exclusion of catechumens before the mysteries. He afterwards alludes to the thanksgiving of the liturgy, including the mention of seraphim with six wings, and the hymn (Tersanctus) sung by Christians with them". In Basil's liturgy we find the preface or thanksgiving making mention of seraphim with six wings; with whom the congregation are encouraged and supposed to join in singing Tersanctus. Gregory Nyssene elsewhere argues in support of the divine uvoraywyía, or liturgy, that the oblation of our gifts, or suxai, (things devoted or vowed to God,) should take place before we pray to God for his benefits*. This accords exactly with the order and substance of Basil's liturgy, where the verbal oblation of the gifts of bread and wine takes place before the solemn prayers'. We may observe that Gregory

w "Me tui pudet, quod cum consenueris, adhuc ejiciaris cum catechumenis, tanquam insipiens puellus, et qui arcana non potest celare, cum dicendum sit mysterium. Unire populo mystico, et arcanos disce sermones. Eloquere nobiscum illa quæ sex alas habentia seraphim, cum perfectis Christianis dicunt hymnos canentia. Desidera cibum qui confirmat animam, gusta potum qui cor exhilarat, ama mysterium quod eo modo qui non cadit sub aspectum, veteres transmittit ad juventutem." Gregorii Nyss. Opera, Paris, 1615, tom. i. p. 957. Compare Goar, Liturg. Basil. p. 162. 166. 168. 170, &c.

* In speaking of our Saviour's words, oraν πроσεúɣησƉε, he says, “¿ɛorɩ dè di avtŵv tõv τῆς προσευχῆς λόγων τὴν θείαν μυσταγωγίαν κατανοῆσαι, then afterwards, εὐχὴ μέν ἐστι, καθὼς εἴρηται, χαριστήριος δωροφορίας ἐπαγγελία. ἡ δὲ προσευχὴ τὴν μετὰ τὴν ἐκπλήρωσιν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῷ Θεῷ γινομένην πρόσοδον διερμηνεύει· διδάσκει οὖν ἡμᾶς ὁ λόγος, μὴ πρότερον αἰτεῖσθαί τι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, πρὶν αὐτῷ τι τῶν κεχαρισμένων δωροφορῆσαι. εὔξασθαι γὰρ χρὴ πρότερον, εἶτα προσεύξασθαι. Gregor. Nyss. de Orat. Dominica, Orat. 2. tom. i. p. 724. See also the context.

y Goar, Lit. Basil. p. 168. 170, &c.

Nyssene speaks of the same order which we now perceive in Basil's liturgy, as the established and well-known order of those churches, which it could scarcely have then been, had it been first introduced by Basil.

Gregory Nazianzen preserves a cautious silence on the rites of the eucharist; he only speaks of bishops as priests who offer unbloody sacrifices to God', which is explained by the liturgy of Basila. But there is a convincing proof that the order of Basil's liturgy is much older than his time, in the fact, that, in the early part of the fourth century, Armenia received the same order from the church of Cæsarea. This will be shewn in an Appendix to the Dissertation.

If we compare the liturgy of Cæsarea improved by Basil with that used at Antioch and Jerusalem in the fourth century, we shall find the order and substance of both exactly the same. This identity will be seen by comparing together the accounts which I have given of the Anaphora of both. It may well furnish an object of interesting inquiry, how a substantial uniformity of liturgy could have been caused in such a great tract of country at so early a period; more especially, when we reflect that the bishops had the power of making improvements in their liturgies, and that in fact almost all the monuments of this liturgy exhibit circumstantial varieties. In the fourth century no oecumenical bishop had yet been created. Antioch and Cæsarea

2 Ω θυσίας πέμποντες ἀναι μáктоvç iεрñεç. Gregor. Naz. μάκτους ἱερῆες. tom. ii. p. 81. Θέῳ δὲ δῶρον, θυσίαι καθάρσιαι, ibid. p. 201.

2 τὰ σὰ ἐκ τῶν σῶν σοι προστ pépovres, Goar, Rit. Græc. Lit. Bas. p. 168.

were subject to independent patriarchs. I know not how we are to account for this uniformity of liturgy in any other manner, than by supposing it to have prevailed from the beginning. In fact, we find vivid traces of this liturgy, as used at Antioch, in the second century. The liturgy of Cæsarea may have subsisted as long. In the fourth century the same form appears to have been long used all through the patriarchate of Cæsarea. This (besides being inferred from the fathers of that patriarchate) is to be presumed from the simple fact, that Basil's liturgy was immediately and silently received into use by all the churches of that patriarchate.

The Greek or Constantinopolitan text of Basil's liturgy is found in Goar's "Rituale Græcorum." The text, however, which he has printed is modern. To confirm and ascertain it, we must refer with much trouble to the various readings of MSS. which he has placed at the conclusion of the liturgy. It were to be desired, that some critic versed in ritual studies would give us an edition of Basil's liturgy, drawn from the oldest MS., with various readings at the foot of the page. None of the rubrics are found in the oldest MSS., and it would perhaps be better to explain the rites which they describe in notes, so as not to encumber the text with interpolations. Goar's notes on the liturgy of Basil are few; but as the liturgy of Chrysostom is substantially the same as Basil's, the notes of Goar on the former liturgy may be consulted with satisfaction by those who wish to understand the rites of the latter.

b See section I. of this Dissertation, p. 41, 42. P. 158, &c.

SECTION III.

LITURGY OF THE PATRIARCHATE OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

THE church of Byzantium, originally subject to the metropolitan of Heraclea, in the Thracian civil diocese, was elevated to dignity and power by means of Constantine the Great, who transferred the seat of empire from old Rome to that city, which thenceforth bore the name of Constantinople, or New Rome. The second general council, held at Constantinople A.D. 381, raised the bishop of that church to a dignity and precedence second only to the Bishop of Old Rome; and he acquired jurisdiction over the entire civil diocese of Thrace, which comprised a large portion of European Turkey. Ere long the patriarch of Constantinople extended his authority over the ancient exarchates or patriarchates of Ephesus and Cæsarea, which were formally placed under his jurisdiction by the council of Chalcedon, A.D. 451. And the whole of Greece also became subject to him.

Besides the liturgy of Basil which I have noticed in the last section, the churches subject to the

a

Bingham's Antiq. book ii. c. 17, § 10; book ix. c. 4, § 2.

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