SARUM.

BANGOR.

EBOR.

UTI accepta habeas, et benedicas hæc + dona, hæc + mu

nera, hæc sancta sacrificia illibata: 5

distinct pronunciation was required of every word, no less than in those parts of the Liturgy which were repeated aloud. The present Rubrica generales prefixed to the Roman Missal, explain well this point. "Quæ vero secrete dicenda sunt, ita pronuntiet, ut et ipsemet se audiat, et a circumstantibus non audiatur." Tit. xvi. 2.

But the subject of chief importance, upon which one or two brief remarks are necessary, is; as to the time when this practice and abuse of repeating the Canon, so that no one but the officiating Priest might hear what was said, begun. There seems to be no question, even among the most strenuous upholders of the new practice as of high antiquity, that in the primitive ages the faithful heard the whole, and answered at the end, Amen. Very probably there was a variety of tone: but not.to such an extent that the Priest was inaudible. Cardinal Bona is decisive upon this: speaking of the Use of the Greek Church, that its Liturgy is said aloud, he adds: "Eumdem morem servabat olim Ecclesia occidentalis, omnes enim audiebant sanctissima et efficacissima verba, quibus Christi corpus conficitur." And he further gives it as his opinion, that no change took place in this respect, until the tenth Century.

In the xij th Century, the author of the Gemma Animæ, not only speaks of secret utterance, as then the usual practice, but gives three reasons for it: “Una est, quia cum Deo loquimur, cui non ore sed corde clamare præcipimur. Secunda est, ne populus tam prolixa declamatione attædiatus abscedat, vel sacerdos tam longo clamore voce deficiat. Tertia est, ne tam sancta verba tanti mysterii vilescant, dum ea vulgus per quotidianum usum in inconvenientibus locis dicat." Cap. 103. If these were the reasons which led to so great a departure from the long-established and unobjectionable use of the Church from her first beginning until then, they were poor and insignificant indeed. Amalarius offers some of greater weight: non est necessaria vox reboans," he says, de off. Eccles. lib. 3. cap. 20: and again, "ut impudentis est clamoribus strepere, ita contra congruit verecundo, modestis precibus orare." Cap. 23. He wrote before the 10th Century, and it is not certain, that he intends more than a proper modulation and lowering of the voice.

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As to

Modern writers of the Roman Communion, cannot agree why the Canon should be said secreto. Some say, that the mystery should be concealed; some, that greater reverence is to be the effect of it; some, that the Canon, and especially the verba consecrationis should not be made common. this last, it can have little, if any weight, though most relied on: because, not only are there an infinity of books which the laity may use, and always have been but parish-priests are strictly enjoined to make known to their people the meaning and complete knowledge of this Service, by Catechisms, and Sermons. &c. This seems to go as far the other way, beyond almost what is needful: for the words of a learned writer on the subject are, perfectam populo christiano tradant hujus mysterii notitiam." Romsée.

66

ut

Herford.

UTI accepta habeas et benedicas :

ROM.

Opera. tom. iv. p. 200. And the Catechismus ad Parochos declares that all those points a Pastoribus diligentissime exponenda erunt, quæ ejus majestatem magis illustrare posse videantur." Edit. Aldus. 1566. p. 130. Of which teaching, as there exemplified, the verba consecrationis form the chief part. So that either these duties of the Parish-priest ought to be omitted, or the secret saying of the Canon is an unreasonable retention of an abuse which crept in during the middle ages. However, the Council of Trent cuts the matter short, in its decree: “Si quis dixerit, Ecclesiæ Romanæ ritum, quo submissa voce pars Canonis, et verba consecrationis proferuntur, damnandum esse; anathema sit." Sessio. 22. Can. ix.

Against Bona, and the other great writers who agree with him, Le Brun wrote a long Dissertation, in which he collected all the authorities which in any way seem to prove the greater antiquity of saying the Canon in an inaudible voice. It is to be found at the end of the 4th volume of his works.

I shall extract some constitutions of the English Church which are directed to the saying of the Canon: and shall leave to the judgment of the reader whether they decide clearly or not, at least the earlier ones, that the then custom in this country was that the priest should not be heard by the people. In one thing, they are decisive enough: that secreto did not exclude, but the contrary, distinct pronunciation.

"Cum in

The first Canon of the Council of London, A. D. 1200, orders: divinis officiis non sine periculo corporum et animarum erretur, salubri provisione concilii prospeximus, ut a quolibet sacerdote celebrante, verba canonis rotunde dicantur, nec ex festinatione contracta, nec ex diuturnitate

66

nimis protracta." Wilkins. Concilia. tom. i. p. 505. In the year 1222, a council at Oxford decreed, Canon VI. "Verba vero canonis, præsertim in consecratione Corporis Christi plene et integre proferuntur." Wilkins. p. 586. One of the synodal Constitutions of Gilbert, Bishop of Chichester, A. D. 1289, is of the highest importance, if we can allow that the Canon of the Mass is included among the "divina officia" there meant. 'Presbyteri sint seduli ad divina officia horis competentibus et statutis in suis ecclesiis celebranda, ne desidia vel negligentia argui sive puniri debeant a prælatis. Quæ autem legunt vel cantant, distincte proferant et aperte, non transiliendo, neque transcurrendo, vel syncopando, sed cum debita reverentia, ut ad devotionem excitent mentes seu animos auditorum." Wilkins. tom. ii. p. 170. Once more, a Provincial Constitution of Walter Raynold, Archbishop of Canterbury, A.D. 1322. Item verba canonis, præsertim in his, quæ ad substantialia sacramenti pertinent, plene, integre, et cum summa animi devotione proferantur. Wilkins. tom. ii. p. 513.

66

This last statute may be seen in the Provinciale, and Lyndwood gives the other Constitution of Archbishop Stephen Langton (A. D. 1222) in which is the same injunction. "Verba Canonis- -plene et integre proferantur." Lib. iii. tit. 23. Ad excitandos. His Gloss is not of great importance to the

G

MPRIMIS (In primis, Bangor et Ebor.) quæ tibi offerimus

IMP

pro ecclesia tua sancta catholica: quam pacificare, custodire, adunare, et regere digneris toto orbe terrarum, una cum famulo tuo papa nostro N. et antistite nostro N. (id est proprio episcopo tantum: Sarum.) et rege nostro N. (et dicuntur nominatim.

present point, as he seems to limit the Canon chiefly to the Words of Consecration: which is an improper interpretation of it. Plene, he says means, absque omissione. And in the Constitution of Archbishop Raynold he refers cum summa animi devotione," to the intention: "ut sc. mentis intentio firmiter applicetur ad Deum, et ad pronunciationem verborum. Intentio namque semper est necessaria, vel specialis, vel generalis.”

66

I do not think it necessary to enter here upon the subject of Intention ; by it, I would remind the reader, is meant the deliberate purpose or will to do or perform something, say, a Sacrament; and it is commonly defined to be, "volitio efficax finis, unde differt intentio a simplici volitione, seu complacentia finis, sive boni alicujus, quia simplex voluntas, seu complacentia respicit finem sine habitudine ad consecutionem. Intentio autem est volitio efficax tendens in finis consecutionem." Gavanti Thesaurus. tom. i. p. 337. Upon the doctrine of the Church of Rome in this matter; how intention may be either actual, or virtual, or habitual, or interpretative; how these differ from each other, and affect, as it is pretended, the validity of a Sacrament, the student will do well to consult Gavantus cited above: Quarti in Rubr. Miss. Part. 3. tit. vij. and Benedict XIV. Opera. tom. ix. lib. iii. cap. 10.

Returning to the order of secret recitation, it may be well to remark, that the only exception at present to the general rule is at Ordinations of Priests, in the Church of Rome: when, as Benedict XIV. says, "Ordinandi circa Altare in genua provoluti disponuntur, et Episcopus, quasi eos doceat Missam celebrare, lente ac paullulum elata voce Secretas profert, non eas ut Populus audiat, sed ut Sacerdotes novissime initiati cum eo possint eas recitare, et verba Consecrationis uno eodemque tempore cum Episcopo pronunciare; ad exemplum Christi, qui voce, quæ ab Apostolis audiri potuit, in ultima cæna panem et vinum consecravit, ut eos, quos tunc Sacerdotio initiabat, doceret consecrandi modum, legitimumque Ritum ad consummationem usque sæculi duraturum." Opera. tom. ix. p. 248.

4 (Hæc dona, hæc munera.) "Hæc dona hæc munera. Quod Superior inferioribus, Creator creaturis, Rex subditis donant, id donum dicitur; quod autem subditi Principi, inferiores Superioribus, iisque exhibent, quibus debent, munus appellatur. Panis et vinum quæ super Altari sunt, di

dicat:

IN

sancta sacrificia illibata: Extensis manibus prosequitur:

N primis quæ tibi offerimus pro Ecclesia tua sancta catholica: quam pacificare, custodire, adunare, et regere digneris toto orbe terrarum: una cum famulo tuo papa nostro N. et antistite nostro N. (et rege nostro N. Herf.) et omnibus orthodoxis, atque catholicæ et apostolicæ fidei cultoribus.

cuntur dona quoad Deum, a quo omne bonum in nos derivatur, sunt autem munera quoad homines, qui Deo eadem exhibent. Le Brun. tom. i. p. 200. See also some verses by Hildebert, quoted, Durant. ii. 33.

5 (Illibata.) This is to be referred, not to the sacred elements, but rather to the purity both of soul and body which is fitting to the Priest. By the use of this term he commends (according to the best ritualists) his own singleness of heart, and sincerity, to God.

Upon the variety in using the sign of the Cross here, vide S. Anselm. Opera. p. 139. Ad Waleranni querelas, Resp. Cap. 2.

6 66 una cum beatissimo famulo tuo." Missal. Leofr. Probably the first Canon of any Council on this point is, the 4th of the Council of Vaisson, A.D. 529; “Nobis justum visum est, ut nomen Domini Papæ, quicunque Apostolicæ sedi præfuerit, in nostris Ecclesiis recitetur."

7

(Et rege nostro.) Sacrificamus pro salute Imperatoris, says Tertullian (ad Scapulam, c. 2.) quoted by Cardinal Bona; and we know from Eusebius, how strictly this duty was fulfilled, even in the case of the Emperors Gallus, Valerian, and Gallienus. Hist. Ecc. lib. vii. c. 1.

S. Paul, in the 2nd chapter of the Epistle to S. Timothy, must have alluded to the Eucharist, and the prayers then to be offered up in behalf of Kings. There can be no giving of thanks in its usual sense to God, for His permitting of a persecuting King. But, as Theophylact says, "their safety is our peace."

In the ecclesiastical laws of K. Athelred, A.D. 1012, the 3rd Chapter contains express directions that a certain prayer should be said daily for the King and his people. "Et præcipimus, ut in omni congregatione cantetur quotidie communiter pro rege et omni populo suo una missa ad matutinalem missam, quæ inscripta est, contra paganos, &c." Wilkins. Concilia. tom. i. 295. Here the word Missa is used in a rather unusual sense, to signify a collect: but of which some examples may be found: especially the passage in the second Council of Milevia, cap. xij. "Placuit ut preces, vel orationes, seu Missæ, quæ probatæ fuerint in concilio, ab omnibus celebrentur." The words "et fiant Missæ," in the rule of S. Benedict, must be taken to mean the same.

Other significations of Missa, such as for any Ecclesiastical

SARUM.

BANGOR.

EBOR

Sarum.) et omnibus orthodoxis, atque catholicæ et apostolicæ

fidei cultoribus.

Hic oret pro

vivis :

Hic oret cogi- Hic oret pro vivis :

MEM

tando pro vi

vis:

́EMENTO, Domine, famulorum famularumque tuarum9 N. (et N. Sarum.) et omnium circumstantium (atque omnium fidelium Christianorum,10 Bangor et Ebor.) quorum tibi fides cognita est et nota devotio: pro quibus tibi offerimus, vel qui tibi offerunt hoc sacrificium laudis pro se, suisque omnibus,11 pro redemptione animarum suarum: pro spe salutis et incolumitatis suæ tibique reddunt vota sua æterno Deo, vivo et vero.

Office, for lections, &c. before the term became limited to its more proper sense, may be seen in Du Cange. And the same laws of K. Athelred afford another example of its use to signify "Collects." Cap. ij. "Et super hoc cantet omnis presbyter xxx. missas, et omnis diaconus et clericus. xxx. psalmos. &c."

In the printed Missals is frequently inserted, sometimes before the Canon, sometimes at the end of the volume, a Mass, or prayers to be said for the King. The reader will find an example of these, among the Additional Notes, taken from an edition of the Salisbury Missal, in 1516.

At this period of the Service, the Diptychs were recited, that is, the names contained in them: hence, in many ancient Liturgies, this prayer is entitled Oratio super Diptycha. These Diptychs were plates of wood or ivory, folded often latterly into three parts: upon the first of which were inscribed the names of great Saints, Apostles, and Martyrs: upon the second, of those among the living, who were illustrious for rank and station, or had deserved well of the Church: and in the third were the names of those who had died in her communion. There was in some Churches a custom of reciting here also the names of those who had offered any oblation previously: but this could only have been some selected from the many, and, I presume, not the same names always, or the first and chief; but taken promiscuously from the whole number. When the objectionable practice was introduced of saying the Canon in an inaudible voice, of course the recital of the Diptychs, or of any names, dwindled into scarcely even a shadow of the old observance, and a mere trifling with it. For much information upon the Diptychs, see Du Cange, verb. "Diptycha." Mabillon, de Lit. Gall. lib. iii. 11. Bingham, Orig. Eccles. vol. 5. and a very learned treatise, by Salig. de Diptychis Veterum. 4to. 1731.

9 The Leofric Missal adds, " illorum et illarum, et omnium &c."

10 This addition in the Bangor and York Missals, is exclaimed against by Bona. "Post illa verba, et omnium circumstantium addunt quidam libri omniumque fidelium: sed omnino rejicienda hæc additio tanquam superflua : nam in fine præcedentis orationis præmissa est pro omnibus fidelibus depre