There is one point in the above, valuable as it all is, especially worthy of notice; viz. that the maniple is directed to be put on before the chasuble whereas the Roman pontifical, and with two exceptions all the pontificals which Georgius (the most learned writer on that subject) had examined, direct bishops, when they officiate, to be vested with the maniple last of all. And, indeed, this Exeter pontifical expressly remarks the distinction. "Et sciendum quod" (it says in the rubric before the prayers) " secundum usum curiæ Romanæ, ultimo omnium datur et ponitur in veniendo ad altare manipulus in brachio sinistro, et post missam primo amoveatur juxta illud: Venientes autem venient cum exultatione, portantes manipulos suos." The remark of Georgius is, "præterea manipulum celebraturi pontifices sumebant post cætera sacra indumenta, . . . sed in pontificali tantum Prudentii Trecensis imponitur post stolam, et in sacramentario Moysacensis monasterii annorum 800 post zonam. Alias liturgiæ antiquæ omnes statuunt, manipulum sumendum post reliqua sacerdotalia indumenta," 19 &c. Cardinal Bona says that anciently all priests, and not bishops only, received the maniple last of the vestments; 20 and this was rendered necessary by the peculiar shape of the chasuble.21 19 ... VI. In the first ages of the Christian Church De lit. Rom. pontificis, tom. i. p. 270. 20 Compare also Hugo, de sacram. lib. i. cap. 51: "De favone. Ad extremum sacerdos favonem in sinistro brachio ponit, quem et manipulum et sudarium veteres appellaverunt," &c. This author does not especially mention the maniple among the episcopal vestments. See also Amalarius, lib. ii. cap. 5, "De introitu episcopi ad missam." But Rabanus Maurus speaks of it as a priestly vestment, in its modern order; De instit. clericorum, cap. 18. 21 "Cum planeta totum corpus ambiret," &c.; tom. ii. p. 225. when persecutions raged, and in some after-times of like dangers and necessity, the holy eucharist was celebrated not only in secret places but at any hour either of the day or night, when the malice of the enemy might the more probably be escaped. Of these night-assemblies for the purpose of communion the missa in nocte nativitatis Domini is the last remnant. The rubric in the note below 22 states the present order of the Roman catholic church: 23 and I shall cite some few authorities upon the ancient custom of the church of England before the sixteenth century. The first from a constitution.of archbishop Raynold published in the council of Oxford, A.D. 1322: "Nullus insuper sacerdos parochialis præsumat missam celebrare, antequam matutinale persolverit officium, et primam et tertiam de die." 24 Lyndwood in his gloss upon this says that the matutinale officium includes "totum illud, quod continetur in nocturnis et in laudibus;" and that although this canon is especially directed towards parish priests, yet that every priest is bound to say at least matins before he presumes to celebrate. There are 22 "Missa privata saltem post matutinum et laudes quacunque hora ab aurora usque ad meridiem dici potest. "Missa autem conventualis et solemnis sequenti ordine dici debet. In festis duplicibus, et semiduplicibus, in dominicis, et infra octavas, dicta in choro hora tertia. In festis simplicibus, et in feriis per annum, dicta sexta. In adventu, quadragesima, quatuor temporibus, etiam infra octavam pentecostes, et vigiliis quæ jejunantur, quamvis sint dies solemnes, missa de tempore debet cantari post no nam. "Missa autem defunctorum dici debet post primam diei.” Rubr. generales, xv. Some few exceptions follow to these general rules. 23 Compare Amalarius, lib. iii. cap. 42, "De consueto tempore missae." 24 Wilkins, Concilia, tom. ii. p. 513. other canons which respect parochial masses, and these equally insist upon the third hour also being previously said: because, says Lyndwood, about the third hour our blessed Lord was crucified, and the Holy Ghost descended upon the apostles. In considering these and similar constitutions, the reader must remember that the missa parochialis was not necessarily a missa solemnis: but that if it was "sine cantu" it would be of the nature of a low mass, and therefore not limited by the same strict rules as were the services of greater solemnity.25 In the synod of Norwich, A.D. 1257, it was ordered "quod nullus sacerdos celebret, quousque prima canonice sit completa." 26 And again, by the constitutions of Cantilupe bishop of Worcester, A.D. 1240, to the same effect; but on account of the reason which is given I shall quote the canon at length: "Et quia, sicut accepimus, quidam capellani, ad annualia vel ad officium beatæ virginis assumpti, interdum matutinis præpositis, aut seorsum, a choro vel ab ecclesia, per se dictis, missas celebrant immature, per campos vel per villas postmodum discurrentes præcipimus, ut omnes capellani, qui in una parochia commorantur, simul intersint et conveniant matutinis et vesperis, et aliis horis ca 25 We must not forget however that the third hour admitted of some considerable variation from that which naturally and strictly was the corresponding hour of the day. Hence, we find it laid down by van Espen: "Insuper ut populus ad missam parochialem frequentandam incitetur, decretum est, ut parochi statuta eaque populo commodiori hora missam parochialem diebus præsertim dominicis et festis celebrent." Jus eccles. pars ii. sect. i. tit. v. And he goes on to cite councils which forbid the fixed hour to be put off or hastened for the sake of rich neighbours; and others, directing that bells should be rung to call the people together. 26 Concilia, tom. i. p. 735. nonicis, in ecclesiis celebrandis, et missis: et maxime de die, nisi causa rationabili fuerint impediti: nec aliquis celebret, quousque prima fuerit canonice completa." 27 There seems no necessity upon this point to add many examples; and we need therefore only refer to two more from monastic statutes. The one, of the hospital of Elsing Spital, London: this relates also to the time before which mass should end; "circa horam tertiam cujuslibet diei pulsatis primitus campanis, . . . missam de die, prout diei solemnitas requirit, decantent; ita quod hujusmodi missa singulis diebus circiter horam nonam finiatur." 28 other, from the rule of the hospital of St. John baptist at Nottingham: "insuper statuimus, ut omnes fratres simul surgant ad matutinas, . . . cantatisque consequenter prima et tertia, celebretur missa.”29 The It has been held from very early times that the holy eucharist should not be celebrated unless the office of one of the hours had been previously recited; whether of tierce, sext, or the ninth hour. So that Lyndwood says: "potest colligi, quod in festo natalis Domini celebraturus primam missam, quæ solet cantari ante laudes, debet prius perficere matutinas et primam."30 With whom agrees a more modern ritualist: "missa solemnis semper dicitur post aliquam horam, etiam in nocte nativitatis Domini: ut horæ canonicæ sint quasi quædam ad missam præparatio."31 27 Concilia, tom. i. p. 668. 30 Lib. iii. tit. 23, Linteamina 28 Dugdale, Monast. Anglic. corporalia, verb. Primam. vol. vi. p. 706. 29 Monast. Anglic. vol. vi. p. 679. See also Rites of the Church of Durham: "At ix of the clocke, ther rong a bell to masse, called the chapter masse." p. 82. 31 Gavantus, Thes. sacr. ril. tom. i. p. 112. I must add the following from Piers Plowman : "The kyng and hise knyghtes, To the kirk wente, VII. There can be no doubt that in the first beginnings of the Christian Church the holy eucharist was offered not only in such places but at such times and opportunities as would be the most likely, in periods of violent persecution, to escape observation; and therefore, chiefly taking care as St. Austin tells us not to omit celebration if possible upon the Lord's day, it was subject occasionally to longer intervals than were permitted afterwards. Long before, however, the date of the council of Nice the practice of priests consecrating daily became common in most churches.32 St. Cyprian's testimony is sufficient upon this point, who says, episcopatus nostri honor grandis et gloria est pacem dedisse martyribus, ut sacerdotes, qui sacrificia Dei quotidie celebramus, hostias Deo et victimas præparemus." 33 This custom was not likely for many reasons to become, as time went on, less observed and it is recorded of Alcuin that, at the request of archbishop Boniface, he drew up services for each day To here matyns of the day, Passus quintus. me welle, We shal firste haue matins, is it not a godly hereynge?" Jon Bon and Mast Person. 32 We may well believe that in the early days of the apostles no opportunity was lost of receiving the consecrated elements: when "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul," they continued "daily breaking From begynning to endynge bread from house to house." I wyl the tell, But the persecutions had not |