The Saints' Festivals of the Virgin Mary. repentance prepared the way for the publishing of the Gospel.1 The medieval Church held seven festivals in honour of the Virgin Mary.2 The two oldest of these are founded on the Gospel history, and are pure expressions of reverence for her who is blessed among women, if indeed they may not also be regarded as festivals of our Lord Himself. The reformers of our Offices accordingly retained these two Commemorations. The Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary3 (March 25) was observed probably as early as the fifth century: and soon afterwards, at latest in the sixth century, the feast of the Purification of St. Mary the Virgin1 (Feb. 2) was held by the Western Church, while the Eastern had a corresponding festival, differing chiefly in name, commemorating the Presen 1 This festival has been observed since the fourth or fifth century: Guericke, p. 186. Rome, having been defined by_the Pope (Dec. 8, 1854), by the Bull 'Ineffabilis Deus,' that 'the blessed Virgin Mary, at the first instant of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace of the omnipotent God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ the Saviour of mankind, was preserved immaculate from all stain of original sin.' See Guericke, pp. 190 sqq.; Hardwick, Middle Age, pp. 92, 305, 423; Gieseler, Eccles. Hist. (in Clark's Theol. Library), III. pp. 339 sqq.. and v. pp. 64 sqq.; Milman, Latin Christianity, VI. PP. 239 sqq. 2 The festival of the Assumption (Aug. 15) grew out of a legend of the fifth century, but was not received by the Latin Church before the ninth century. The festival of the Visitation (July 2) was not known before the fourteenth century; a commemoration of the Virgin's Nativity (Sept. 8) was observed in the East at the close of the seventh century, but not introduced into the West till long afterwards; and the Presentation of Mary (Nov. 21) was observed in the East since the eighth century, but is not clearly traced in the Latin Church before the fourteenth century. The feast of the Conception, resting upon the notion that the Virgin was not sanctificata, but sancta, and which Festum Purificationis Maria. began to be received about the This was substituted for the heathen twelfth century, was fixed to Dec. 8 Februaria, or Lupercalia, and celeby the Council of Basle (1439), brated with processions with waxwhich also sanctioned the doctrine tapers: hence it was called Candleof the immaculate conception, as a mass, or Festum Candelarum sive pious opinion.' This is now an luminum. Guericke, p. 192, note article of faith in the Church of ct. Bingham, xx. 8, § 5. 3 Festum Annuntiationis, incar nationis, conceptionis Christi, ǹ Toû εὐαγγελισμοῦ ἡμέρα, ἡμέρα ἀσπασ μoû, annuntiatio dominica. Cf. Bingham, Antiq. xx. 8, § 4. tation of Christ in the Temple1 The Collects for these days were taken from the Missal: The Saints cation. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, majestatem tuam supplices ex- The Purifi oramus, ut sicut unigenitus Filius tuus hodierna die cum nostræ carnis substantia in templo est præsentatus, ita nos facias purificatis tibi mentibus præsentari. Per eundem.2 ciation. Gratiam tuam, quæsumus, Domine, mentibus nostris infunde; ut The Annun qui angelo nuntiante Christi Filii tui incarnationem cognovimus, per passionem ejus et crucem ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur. Per eundem.3 The feast of St. Michael and all Angels, commemo- St. Michael rating the ministry of the holy angels to the heirs of salvation, originated in some provincial festivals which were introduced between the third and ninth centuries, and which were then combined into one common celebration on the 29th September. Its observance was not enjoined upon the Greek Church before the twelfth century.5 Our Collect is taken from the Missal: Deus, qui miro ordine angelorum ministeria hominumque dispensas; concede propitius ut a quibus tibi ministrantibus in cœlo semper assistitur, ab his in terra vita nostra muniatur. dominum.6 1 Festum occursus, koptǹ tîs úñávTNS, ÚTаπаνтŃ. Our Prayer Book retains both commemorations, calling the festival, The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, commonly called, The Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin. 2 Missal. Sar. In purificatione beatæ Mariæ Virginis, col. 703. The Epistle was, Lectio Malachia, iii. [1-4], and the Gospel, Luc. ii. [22-32]. In 1549 no Epistle was appointed, but the same that is appointed for the Sunday' was to be read; and the Gospel was, Luc. ii. [22-27]. The ancient Lection from Malachi was re-appointed for the Per Epistle' in 1662, and the Gospel 3 Missal. Sar. In annunciatione 5 Guericke, pp. 194 sq. 6 Missal. Sar. In festo Sancti Michaelis Archangeli. The Epistle was Rev. i. 1-5. This was changed in 1549 for the portion from Rev. xii. which had been read for the Epistle in die Sancti Michaelis in monte Tumba (Oct. 16). The Saints' Days. All Saints. At first each Church celebrated the memorial of its own martyrs; but afterwards some few became the objects of commemoration by the whole Church. In the Greek communion a festival in honour of the whole army of Martyrs was kept on the Octave of Pentecost.1 In the course of time the idea of Martyr and Saint became very naturally identified: and when the Roman Pantheon was given to the Christians by the Emperor Phocas (610), and converted into a Church of St. Mary and All Saints, Boniface IV. instituted a festival of All Saints; 2 which, however, did not long continue. It was renewed, and celebrated at Rome in the eighth century, on the 1st of November, and was made a festival of the universal Church by Pope Gregory IV. (834). The power of canonization, assumed by the Popes towards the end of the tenth century, increased the number of saints, till the frequency of Church Holy Days became most inconvenient. These celebrations were removed from the reformed Offices; but All Saints' Day was retained in commemoration of all the known and unknown departed Christian worthies, and of the communion of the Church triumphant with the Church as yet militant on earth. 1 Now ή Κυριακὴ τῶν Ἁγίων Πάντων. 1). 2 Festum omnium Sanctorum (May See Guericke, p. 181. Abbot Odilo of Cluny (998) appointed the morrow of All Saints for Masses for the repose of All Faithful Souls: Robertson, Ch. Hist. 11. 536. 4 Canonization (the ir sertion of a name in the Canon or list of Saints) has been distributed into three periods. Down to the tenth century the Saint was exalted by the popular voice, the suffrage of the people with the bishop. After this the sanction of the Pope was required, but the bishops retained their right of initiation. The first instance of canon. ization conferred by the decree of a Pope is that of Ulric, bishop of Augsburg, by John XV. (993). Alex. ander III. (1159-1181) seized into the hands of the Pope this muchabused prerogative: in 1170 this Pope declared that, even although miracles be done by one, it is not lawful to reverence him as a saint without the sanction of the Roman Church. Cf. Milman, Latin Christianity, v. 243; Hardwick, Middle Age, p. 198; Robertson, Ch. Hist. II. 534; Notes and Quertes, 3rd Series, XII. 316. CHAPTER III. THE ORDER FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LORD'S SECT. I.-Primitive Liturgies. THE traces of the form of worship used by the Christian converts, which we find in the New Testament, refer to the Eucharist, as being emphatically the Christian Service.1 Hence naturally arose the ecclesiastical use of the word Liturgy,2 to designate the form employed by the Church in celebrating that Office which was called the Mass by the medieval and the Latin Church, but 1 The description of the earliest converts (Acts ii. 42 hσav dè πрoσκαρτεροῦντες τῇ διδαχῇ τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ, καὶ τῇ κλάσει τοῦ ἄρτου, καὶ ταῖς προσευχαίς) is supposed to contain a summary of the several and successive parts of the primitive Service :-instruction from the word of the Apostles, and from the Scriptures; the charitable contributions (cf. 1 Cor. xvi. 2; Rom. xv. 26, &c.); the Eucharist; and the prayers. Comp. also I Cor. x. 16, referring to the consecration of the bread and wine; and I Cor. xiv. 16, to the use of the word Amen by the people after the Eucharistical prayer offered by the minister. See Professor Blunt's Introd. Lecture, pp. 16 sq.; and Parish Priest, Lect. ix. p. 254. 2 In classical Greek λειτουργία denotes any public service, religious or secular. In the LXX. translation it is used for the ministry of the Levites (e. 3. I Chron. xxvi. 30, εἰς πᾶσαν λ. Κυρίου); in the New Testament, for the ministry of prophets and teachers (Acts xiii. 2, where see Wordsworth's note; cf. Trench, Synonyms of the New Test. I § xxxv.); and in ecclesiastical writers, for any sacred function, and, in an especial and strict sense, for the Eucharistic Office. Strictly this should be μVOTIKỲ λELTоupyía. See Bingham, Antiq. XIII. I. Thus we speak of the Liturgies of St. James, St. Mark, St. Chrysostom, &c., for the Service used in celebrating the Lord's Supper in the Churches of Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, &c. Y * Primitive Traces of the Christian the New Primitive Liturgies. The Chris tian Service the first century. which we now call the Lord's Supper and the Holy Communion.1 From the scanty remains of very early Christian times we may gather so much concerning this form,2 as to allow that the various Churches, which were founded by the Apostles, had each a Service for the Eucharist; and that these Liturgies, while differing it at the end of may be in some particulars, all agreed in their main features. We find what we should expect from the traces that are scattered through the Apostolical writings, that this service included the reading of the Gospels or the Prophets; a sermon; a Litany, in which all joined; then the Eucharist, in which the presiding minister offered up a prayer, the people answering heartily Amen. Next followed the distribution of the consecrated elements; the service being always accompanied with almsgiving. 1 Dr. Waterland (Doctr. of the Eucharist, ch. 1.) adduces the following successive appellations of this Service:-Breaking of Bread (A.D. 33), Acts ii. 42: Communion, KoLvwvía (57), from St. Paul's account of the effect of the Service, which is the communion of the body and blood of Christ, 1 Cor. x. 16: Lord's Supper, Kupiakov deîтvov(57), because instituted by our Lord at supper, and succeeding the Jewish Paschal supper; it does not appear, however, that the text (I Cor. xi. 20) was interpreted absolutely of the Eucharist before the end of the fourth century; and at the end of the seventh century Lord's Supper had not become a familiar name for the Eucharist, but rather denoted the supper, or lovefeast, agape, which accompanied it, or our Lord's own supper with His disciples, or the supper which preceded the Eucharist on Maundy Thursday: Oblation, πpoσpopá (96) Clem. Rom. Epist. 1. c. 40: Sacra ment (104), Plin. Epist. x.97: Eucharist (107), Ignat. Epist ad Smyrn. c. 7, 8; ad Philadelph. c. 4: Sacrifice, Ovoía (150), Just. M. Dial. pp. 344 sq.: Commemoration, Memorial, àváμnois, μvun (150), ibid. p. 345: Passover (249), Orig. cont. Cels. lib. VIII. p. 759, ed. Bened.: Mass, Missa (385), from the usual form of dismission, Ite, missa est; Ambros. Epist. 1. 20, ad Marcellin. p. 901, ed. Bened. It was also called by the Latins Collecta (see Freeman, i. pp. 145 sq.), Dominicum, Agenda; and by the Greeks, Mystagogia, Syn axis, Telete, Anaphora: see Maskell, Ancient Liturgy, p. 146 [211]. 2 'In the early Fathers we are not to expect a full account of the Liturgy: the Church used much reserve in speaking of its sacraments and ordinances among catechumens and infidels, only imparting the nature and method of them to converts about to be baptized.' Blunt, Introd. Lect. p. 17, note. |