THE ATHANASIAN

CREED

RECITED DAILY IN SOME CHURCHES IN THE TENTH CENTURY.

ARTENE states that in the church of St. Martin at

Tours, in the year 922, it was determined, with the consent of the whole Chapter, that the brethren should sing "Catholicam fidem quam Sanctus Athanasius Spiritu Sancto dictante composuit, id est, Quicunque vult salvus," etc., at Prime, as well on festivals as every day. This clearly implies that it was sung in that church daily before that year. The same writer also asserts, upon the authority of Udalricus, that the Cluniacs, whose rule was instituted in the early part of this century, as well as the Carthusians, were in the habit of reciting it daily.1 The "Appendix actorum veterum" to the note of Baluze on "Regino de Ecclesiasticis disciplinis contains an "admonitio synodalis antiqua," to be read by the deacon, after the Gospel, in the presence of the bishop and others, seated in due order. This "admonitio" directs the clergy to chant the Athanasian

1 MARTENE, 'De Antiquis Ritibus Ecclesiæ,' lib. iv. cap. viii. The statement of Udalricus, referred to, is in lib. i. cap. iii. of his 'Con. suetudines Cluniacenses,' which are printed in MIGNE'S 'Patrologiæ,' tom. cxlix.

Creed every day, as well as to learn it by heart. Baluze states that it was edited by him in an amended form from two very ancient manuscripts. 'Very ancient manuscripts" could not be deemed later than the tenth century.1

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1

See MIGNE, 'Patrologiæ,' tom. cxxxii. pp. 456–462.

MANUSCRIPTS NOT PREVIOUSLY

NOTICED.

IN addition to the manuscripts and documents

already noticed, several others, illustrating in some degree the history of the Athanasian Creed, some of them of considerable interest and importance, have been brought to my knowledge or been examined by me. These I proceed to notice, so far as they relate to our subject, in the order of time, beginning with the latest.

CANONIC. ECCL. 88, BODLEIAN LIBRARY.

This is a Psalter of the eleventh century. The Psalms are followed by the apocryphal 151st Psalm, with the same Rubric which appears in the Utrecht Psalter: "Et hic psalmus proprie scriptus est a David et extra numerum est, cum pugnavit contra Goliam, et in ebreis codicibus non habetur, sed nec a LXX. interpretibus editus est." The Utrecht Psalter adds, "et idcirco repudiandus." Then follow the usual Old Testament Canticles, with a note of the day of the week on which each was used. Thus the song of Isaiah, "Confitebor tibi," is assigned to the second "feria," the song of Hezekiah to the third,

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the song of Hannah to the fourth, the song of Moses from Exodus, "Cantemus Domino," to the fifth, the song of Habakkuk to the sixth, the song of Moses from Deuteronomy, "Attende celum," to the last"Sabbato." Then come in succession the Benedicite, entitled "Ymnum trium puerorum;" the Benedictus; the Magnificat; the Gloria in excelsis, entitled, "Ymnum angelorum." It is worthy of remark that the words in this hymn, "Qui sedes ad dexteram patris, miserere nobis," are preceded by the Rubric, "Jacob, frater Domini, hierosolymitamus addidit;" and the conclusion, " Quoniam tu solus," etc., by another Rubric, Cyrillus Alexandrinus adjunxit." Then the Nunc dimittis; then the Apostles' Creed, entitled "Fides Apostolorum," with the names of the Apostles to whom the articles were severally ascribed added in Rubric; then the Creed of Constantinople, with the Filioque clause, entitled "Fides patrum;" the Lord's Prayer; the Te Deum, with the following added at the end:-"Te decet laus, te decet ymnus, tibi gloria Deo Patri et Filio cum Spiritu Sancto in secula seculorum. Amen;" and, lastly, the Athanasian Creed, entitled, "Fides Anathasii episcopi." The various readings will be found in Appendix, Note I. It is followed by a prayer: "Domine Deus omnipotens, qui es trimus in personis et unus in deitate, conditor natritor, gubernator et moderator meus, te adoro, te laudo, te glorifico, tibi gratias ago, tibi sit laus et gloria et omnis honor per aeterna ac sempiterna secula seculorum. Amen. Deus piè exaudi." In this Psalter the Psalms and

Canticles are all followed by a prayer; the former are also preceded by an explanation. Then the Rubric, "Consumatio psalmodie." So that the Lord's Prayer and the Creeds are included in the Psalmody. Then follows an intercessory prayer; then a prayer before the Litany; then the Litany; then other prayers and invocations, in which the saints of the Old Testament, beginning with Abel and including Gideon and Samson, are invoked as well as those of the New. There are added several forms of private prayer to be used after the recitation of the Psalter. They are curious, as showing the great importance, the almost sacramental character, which was attributed in the Middle Ages to this office. The following is among them :-" Creator mundi, cuncta potens Deus, spes credentium, gloria fideliter resurgentibus, per hos psalmos clementian tuam imploro, quos in memoriam famuli tui decantavi, ut si fieri potest a perpetuis tormentis eum eruas et tue beatudinis glorie participem esse concedas, per," etc. The Psalms are preceded by a good deal of matter from St. Jerome, St. Augustine, Bede, and Damasus, and a calendar.

On the fly-leaf there is a note in Latin, written in a modern hand, stating that the Litanies are for Benedictine use; and that from the saints of the calendar and the Litanies, the Psalter appears to have belonged to a monastery in Gaul. Some evidences that it was intended for use in a Benedictine monastery came under my observation. Thus in the Litany, St. Benedict is the only saint invoked whose