voce incipiat le

gere sive can

tare cum præfatione.

PER

Cum alta voce.

Manibus non levatis donec dicitur Sur- Et sequatur præfatio. sum corda. Et tunc accipiat subdiaconus offertorium (sudarium. Bangor) et patenam, de manu diaconi, ipsam patenam tenendam quousque Pater noster dicitur: quam acolyto offertorio coopertam committat in gradu, scilicet post diaconum interim constituto.

secretum: but the usual way of speaking of them, is the "secretæ,” i.e. orationes.

86 (Sine Oremus. Rom.) This seems a remarkable variation from the English rubrics. The reason of it is said to be, because in the Roman Church, all the prayers which come between the Offertory and the Secret, have been considered (since they were introduced) as a part of that prayer: and to be included in the Oremus before the Offertory.

ponat manus super altare et dicat præfationem.

Cum Præfatione. Præfatio incipitur ambabus manibus positis hinc inde super】 altare: quas aliquantulum elevat, cum dicit Sursum corda. Jungit eas ante pectus, et caput inclinat, cum dicit, Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro. Deinde disjungit manus, et disjunctas tenet usque ad finem Præfationis: qua finita, iterum jungit eas, et inclinatus dicit, Sanctus. Et cum dicit, Benedictus qui venit, signum Crucis sibi producit a fronte ad pectus.

86

(Incipiantur.) Properly the "Per omnia sæcula sæculorum" is not the beginning of the Preface, but the conclusion of the Secret. But from the custom of the Priest's here raising his voice, and the Preface immediately succeeding, it not unnaturally though incorrectly, would be so looked upon.

89

(Præfationes.) So called, as being an introduction to the Canon or solemn part of the Service. In the Greek Church only one Preface is used: anciently in the West there was a greater number than at present: which was about the twelfth century reduced to ten. Pope Pelagius (in a letter to the Bishops of Gaul, quoted by almost all the Ritualists) enumerates nine Prefaces only, proper to certain days. These are mentioned in the Leofric Missal, preserved in the Bodleian Library, and I shall quote the passage, on account of the celebrity of that volume.

“Epistola Pelagii Papæ. Pelagius sanctæ Romanæ ecclesiæ episcopus novum præfationes tantum modo mandat esse observandas. Unam in natale Domini. Quia per incarnati verbi. Aliam in quadragesima. Qui corporali jejunio. Tertiam in pascha. Te quidem omni tempore. Quartam in ascensione Domini. Quintam in Pentecoste. Sextam de sancta Trinitate. Septimam de sancta cruce. Octavam de Apostolicis. Novam pro defunctis."

To these a tenth was afterwards added, in honour of the Blessed Virgin, which is mentioned as to be used also in the English Church, by the 14th Canon of the Synod of Westminster, A. D. 1175. Wilkins. Concilia. tom. i. p. 478.

As to the Epistle of Pelagius, just cited, I must observe that Cardinal Bona doubts its authenticity: his observations should be consulted. Lib.ii. cap. 10. And the very learned Stephen Baluze agrees with Bona: to which we must add that the Epistle is rejected by Labbe and Cossart, Conc. tom. v. p. 931. In some of the most ancient MSS. which are extant, for example, the famous one formerly Queen Christina's of Sweden, now in the Vatican, the Preface is called Immolatio, and sometimes, Contestatio Missæ, because, says Bona, "in ea Sacerdos audita voce populi, vel Cleri, sive

HERFORD. Ad dicendam vel cantandam præfationem, erigat se sacerdos honeste, et ponat manus super altare ex utraque parte calicis, et dicat hoc modo:

PE

ROM.

Sequens Præfatio dicitur per annum in omnibus Festis et Feriis quæ propriam non habent:

ER omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen. Dominus vobiscum. Et cum spiritu tuo. Sursum corda. Habemus ad Dominum. Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro. Dignum et justum est.

Ministri asserentis dignum et justum esse Deo gratias agere, contestatur veram esse hanc populi assertionem: tum solemni gratiarum actione se et fideles disponit ad tremenda mysteria, quibus Christi corpus immolatur." It is styled in the Mozarabic Missal, Inlatio: of which there appears to be no satisfactory interpretation.

The Preface is of that high antiquity, occurring in the Liturgy of S. James, and being spoken of by S. Cyprian, S. Cyril, and other Fathers, as of common use in their time, that we cannot attribute its introduction to any age later than the Apostolic.

90 There is no direction here, and probably the custom of the Church of England was, at this "Dominus vobiscum," not to turn, as at all other such salutations, toward the people, but continue still to face the Altar. I mention it on account of the reason of this, having by some been referred to the very ancient practice of the Greek Churches, of shutting in the Sanctuary at this time, and enclosing the Priest within the curtains, and a veil: which, of course, would so far account for it, as he and the people could not for a time see one another. Vide, Cavalieri. Opera. tom. v. p. 65. and Le Brun. tom. i. p. 186. But compare also Amalarius. lib. iii. cap. 9. who gives other reasons for the exception in this case.

91 Sursum corda.) This invitation is to be found in all the Liturgies both of the Eastern and Western Churches and without doubt is of Apostolical authority. S. Cyprian especially alludes to it, in his treatise de Oratione Dominica. Opera, p. 213. "Sacerdos ante orationem præfatione præmissa, parat fratrum mentes dicendo, Sursum Corda," &c. And S. Augustine: "Tenetis sacramenta ordine suo. Primo post orationem admonemini sursum habere cor. Ideo enim cum dicitur, Sursum cor, respondetis: Habemus ad Dominum. Sequitur Episcopus vel Presbyter qui offert, et dicit, Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro ; et vos attestamini, Dignum et justum est." Serm. 217. Edit. Benedict. In some of the old Sacramentaries, the Canon begins with the words, "Sursum Corda." As in the Gelasian. Thomas. Codex. Sac. pag. 196.

SARUM.

Hac præfatio est quo

tidiana.

VER

ERE dignum et justum est, æquum et salutare, nos tibi semper, et ubique gratias agere: Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, æterne Deus: per Christum Dominum nostrum. Per quem Majestatem tuam laudant Angeli, adorant Dominationes, tremunt Potestates. Cœli, cœlorumque virtutes, ac beata seraphin, socia exultatione concelebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces, ut admitti jubeas deprecamur, supplici confessione di

centes:

Sequitur Sanctus.92 Dum sacerdos dicit Sanctus, sanctus, erigat parumper brachia sua et jungat manus suas, usque ad hæc verba In nomine Domini: tunc semper signet se in facie sua.

ANCTUS, Sanctus, Sanctus,93 Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni

tus qui venit in nomine Domini: osanna in excelsis.94

Deinde confestim manibus junctis et oculis elevatis incipiat Te igitur clementissime Pa

92 This is the Seraphic Hymn: and called "Epinicion" or triumphal, by the Greeks. It is not possible to say at how early a period it was added to the Liturgy most probably from the very first. Some have attributed its introduction to Pope Sixtus the 1st, but which proves its very great antiquity, he did not introduce it, but ordered that it should be begun by the Priest, and continued by the people with him. This is stated also by Baronius A.D. 142. See Bona: and Cavalieri. tom. v. p. 66. This hymn, as the "Gloria in excelsis," was in some churches mutilated and defaced by interpolations: it is to these that Archbishop Lanfranc alludes in his Statutes, cap. 5, where he orders all to bow towards the Altar during its recitation, "nisi versus interponantur." Opera. p. 279. Vide also Gerbert. tom. i. p. 445.

Goar, in his notes to the Liturgy of S. Chrysostom, reckons four Liturgical Hymns. 1. Gloria in Excelsis. 2. The Cherubic: "Qui Cherubin mystice &c." which is sung before the great Introit: 3. "Sanctus Deus, Sanctus Fortis," daily sung by the Greeks, and once a year upon Good Friday; in the Latin Church: and 4. The Epinicion, "Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus." P. 136.