nedixisti Abraham adversus quinque reges triumphantem, atque David regem in tui nominis laude triumphales congressus exercentem, ita benedicere et sanctificare digneris hoc vexillum, quod ob defensionem sanctæ ecclesiæ, contra hostilem rabiem defertur, quatenus in nomine tuo fideles et defensores populi tui illud sequentes, per virtutem sanctæ crucis triumphum, et victoriam, se ex hostibus acquisisse lætentur. Per te, Jesu Christe, qui cum Patre et Spiritu Sancto vivis et regnas Deus, per omnia sæcula sæculorum. may and laws and we beseech thee, "Finally, we pray that thy servants now before thee, and that all the forces of our Queen, throughout her dominions, for whom we are also bound to offer up prayers and supplications, may follow the example of the devout centurion; who, amidst the tumult of arms, "feared thee, with all his house;" and may not, at any time, be led aside from the path of duty by the crafty devices of the ungodly; but that in all their words and actions, and in their different ranks and stations, they may continually set thee before them, and bear in mind the solemn injunction, "to honour all men," to "love the brotherhood," to "fear God" and "ho VOL. III. nour the Queen." "All this we ask through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. "O Almighty God, by whom Kings reign and Princes decree justice, bless, we beseech thee, our most gracious sovereign lady, Queen Victoria, Adelaide the Queen Dowager, and all the Royal Family, with health, prosperity, and happiness; give them length of days, in peace, joy, and honour, here on earth; let thine arm be their protection, and thy wisdom their counsel and guide; and when, by the aid of thy Divine Spirit, they have walked according to thy righteous will, and finished their course in this world, crown them, we beseech thee, with everlasting life and glory in the kingdom of Heaven; we ask all in the name, and through the mediation of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen. Y "The Peace of God, etc." Alia oratio. Domine, Deus omnipotens, cui omnia possibilia sunt et nihil difficile est, bene dic vexillum istud, sicut benedixisti serpentem æneum in eremo hasta elevatum, quem quicunque vulneribus sauciati aspexerunt salvabantur, quia Unigenitum tuum post longa sæcula cruce elevandum hoc portendebat mysterium; et præsta ut omnes qui illud super se elevari viderint, a quacunque infirmitate et periculo et occursu malo liberentur. Benedic etiam, Domine Deus, vexillum istud, sicut benedixisti dilectum puerum tuum David, cum adversus Philisten in funda et lapide congressus est, et Unigeniti tui virtutem, mundo quandoque venturam, suo præmonstravit prælio; adhuc te petimus, omnium dominator Domine, ut bene dicas illud, sicut benedixisti fluvium Jordanis, in quo Unigenitus tuus descendens, totius mundi maculas abolevit, et per baptismum omnes salvandos esse præostendebat, et quæ petere non presumimus aut quæ petendo impetrare non meremur, tu nobis concede propitius. Per eundem. II. BENEDICTIO NOVI SIGILLI EPISCOPALIS. BEN Oratio. ENEDIC, Domine Jesu Christe, istud sigillum, in testimonium veritatis paratum, et concede per intercessionem beatæ Mariæ virginis et matris tuæ, et sanctorum apostolorum tuorum Petri et Pauli, ut et ipse in cujus officium et usum exercebitur, et qui ejus nomine eodem utentur, sic justitiæ et veritatis regulam teneant, et turpis lucri nemini respuant, ut pro temporali labore perpetuam a te mercedem consequi mereantur. Qui vivis. Ad degradandum sacerdotes.' RIMO dicatur collatio ad terrorem facinoris, pro quo quis est degradandus: deinde episcopo in pontificalibus sedente cum suis ministris, et clero et populo sibi assistente veniat degradandus, indutus vestibus sacerdotalibus, cum This form, and the "Epistle" which follows, are taken from the Exeter pontifical: neither the Salisbury, Bangor, nor Winchester manuscripts have any corresponding office. In the British Museum, the Cotton MS. Galba, E. iv. (a miscellaneous volume) contains a form of degradation, which I subjoin: "Forma degradandi clericum. "In primis criminosus coram diœceseos episcopo, adunato sibi legitimo seu canonico coepiscoporum numero, videlicet vj. episcopis in degradatione presbyteri, et tribus episcopis in degradatione aliorum clericorum, vel secundum modernum ecclesiæ tribus episcopis, si plures haberi nequeant. In degradatione presbyteri præsentetur criminosus, et contra ipsum juxta qualitatem perpetrati criminis, perpetuæ depositionis ab omni officio et beneficio ecclesiastico sententia proferatur, cum decreto degradationis a susceptis ordinibus subsequenter faciendo. Deinde coram prædictis episcopis superpellicio, stola, capa chori, chirothecis, annulo, et mitra indutis, et tenentibus baculos pastorales, depositus vestimentis congruentibus ordini suo indutus, in occidentali ostio ecclesiæ præsentetur. Et si presbyter fuerit, episcopis cum punctis baculorum sublevantibus casulam, dicat diocesanus; Exauctorizamus, exuimus, et degradamus te. N. ab ordine sacerdotali:' ministris totaliter casulam extrahentibus. Postmodum ut prius sublevata stola dicatur; 'Exauctorizamus etc. ab ordine diaconali.' Deinde sublevato manipulo dicatur; Exauctorizamus etc. ab ordine subdiaconali.' Deinde sublevatis alba et amictu dicatur; 'Exauctorizamus etc. acolytatus.' Deinde sublevato superpellicio dicatur; 'Exauctorizamus etc. ab ordine psalmistatus."" Fol. xxix. 6 Then follow various references to the canon-law: with the usual dalmatica, tunica, cum calice, et patena, quam tenet in manibus coram episcopo. Dicat episcopus: Auctoritate omnipotentis Dei, Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, et beatorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli et ecclesiæ nobis commissa, auferimus tibi. N. habitum clericalem, et te ab omni sacerdotali et alio quovis ordine deponimus, et etiam degradamus, et exuimus te omni honore, et habitu, ac tonsura, et privilegio clericali. In ablatione calicis et patene, dicat episcopus: Auferimus tibi calicem et patenam, teque exuimus et privamus officio et potestate offerendi Deo sacrificium, et missam quamlibet celebrandi. In remotione casulæ, dicat episcopus : Auferimus tibi orarium, sive stolam sacerdotalem, cum jugum Domini, suave ab eo repræsentatum, portare contempseris, et stolam innocentiæ observare. In remotione dalmatica, dicat episcopus : Auferimus tibi dalmaticam, diaconalis officii ornamentum, cum ipsam non portaveris, indumentum lætitiæ, et vestimentum salutis. In remotione tunica, dicat episcopus: Auferimus tibi tunicam, subdiaconalis officii ornamentum, cum illa usus non fueris, ad justitiam et sa lutem. In remotione manipuli, dicat episcopus : form of recommendation to the mercy of the secular power: and a statement that according to the above form, a priest was degraded in London, for forgery, upon the feast of S. Fabian and S. Sebastian, in the year 1277, in the pre sence and by the office of the archbishop of Canterbury, and the bishops of London, Winchester, Worcester, Bath and Wells, Exeter, Chichester, Llandaff, S. Asaph, and Bangor. |