ing many and most stately cere nonies in things belonging to his service. See the whole book of Leviticus.

Q. What besides ?

A. The example of Christ in the new law using dust and spittle to cure the blind, the deaf, and dumb. He prostrated himself at prayer in the garden three times. He lifted up his eyes to heaven and groaned, when he was raising Lazarus from the dead, which were all ceremonies.

Q. Did he use any ceremonies at his last supper, where he ordained the sacrifice of the mass?

A. He did; for he washed the feet of his disciples, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, blessed the bread and the cup, and exhorted the communicants.

Q. What signify the several ornaments of the pries?

A. They are used for the same ends as ceremonies, and may also serve to put us in mind of the events of our Saviour's passion and death, as follows:

1. The Amict, or linen veil, which the priest first puts on, represents the veil with which the Jews covered the face of Christ, when they buffeted him in the house of Caiaphas, and bid him prophesy, Who it was that struck him.

2. The Alb signifies the white garment, which Herod put on him, to intimate that ne was a fool.

3. The Girdle, Maniple, and Stole, the cords which bound him during his passion.

4. The priest's upper Vestment represents both the seamless coat of Christ, as also the purple garment with which they clothed him in derision in the house of Pilate.

5. The Altar-stone represents the cross on which he offered himself unto the father.

6. The Altar-cloths, with the Corporal and Pall, the linen in which the dead body of Christ was shrouded and buried. Finally, the candles on the altar puts us in mind of the light which Christ brought into the world by his passion, as also of his immortal and ever shining divinity.

Q. What meaneth the priest's coming back from the altar, and humbling himself before he begins?

A. It signifies the prostrating of Christ in the garden, when he began his passion.

Q. Why doth the priest bow himself again at the Confiteor?

A. To move the people to humiliation; and to signify that by the merits and passion of Christ, (which they are there

to commemorate,) salvation may be had, if it be sought with a contrite and humble heart.

Q. Why doth he strike his breast at Mea Culpa?

A. To teach the people to return into the heart; and signifies that all sin is from the heart, and ought to be discharged from the heart, with hearty sorrow.

Q. Why doth the priest, ascending to the altar, kiss it in the middle?

A. To do reverence to so holy a place.

Q. What signifies the Introit?

A. It is. as it were, the entrance into the office, or that which the priest saith first after his coming to the altar, and signifies the desires and groanings of the ancient fathers longing for the coming of Christ.

Q. Why is the Introit repeated twice?

A. To signify the frequent repetition of their desires and supplications.

Q. Why do we add unto the Introit, Gloria Patri, &c. Glory be to the Father, &c. Amen?

A. To render thanks to the Most Blessed Trinity for our redemption, accomplished by the cross.

Q. What means the Kyrie Eleison?

A. It signifies, "Lord have mercy on us," and is repeated thrice in honour of the Father, thrice in honour of the Son, and thrice in honour of the Holy Ghost.

Q. Why so often?

A. To signify our great necessity, and earnest desires to find mercy.

Q. What signifies the Gloria in Excelsis?

A. It signifies, "Glory be to God on high," and is the song which the angels sung at the birth of Christ, used in this place to signify, that the mercy which we beg was brought us by the death of Christ.

Q. What means the Oremus?

A. It signifies, "Let us pray;" and is the priest's address to the people, by which he invites them to join with him, both in his prayer and intention.

Q. What means the Collect?

A. It is the priest's prayer, and is called a Collect, because it collects and gathers together the supplications of the mul titude, speaking them all with one voice; and also because it is a collection or sum of the Epistle and Gospel, for the most part of the year, especially of all the Sundays.

Q. Why doth the clerk say, Amen. ?

A. He doth it in the name of the people, to signify, that all concur with the priest, in his petitions of prayer.

Q. What meaneth the Dominus Vobiscum?

A. It signifies, "Our Lord be with you," and is used to beg God's presence and assistance to the people, in the performance of that work.

Q. Why is it answered, Et cum Spiritu tuo, "and with thy spirit ?"

A. To signify, that the people with one consent do beg the like for him.

Q. Why are all the prayers ended with, Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, &c. "Through our Lord Jesus Christ?"

A. To signify, that whatsoever we beg of God the Father, we must beg it in the name of Jesus Christ, by whom he hath given us all things.

Q. What signifies the Epistle?

A. It signifies the old law; as also the preaching of the Prophets and the Apostles, out of whom it is commonly taken; and it is read before the Gospel, to intimate that the old law being able to bring nothing to perfection, it was necessary the new should succeed it.

Q. What means the Gradual?

A. It signifies the penance preached by St. John Baptist, and that we cannot attain the salvation of Christ, but by the holy degrees of penance.

Q. What means the Alleluiah?

A. It is the voice of men rejoicing, and aspiring to the joys of Heaven.

Q. Why is the Alleluiah repeated so often at the feast of Easter?

A. Because it is the joyful solemnity of our Saviour's resurrection.

Q. Why betwixt Septuagesima and Easter is the Tract read in the place of the Gradual?

A. Because it is a time of penance and mourning; and therefore the Tract is read with a mournful and slow voice, to signify the miseries and punishments of this life.

Q. What is the Tract?

A. Two or three versicles betwixt the Epistle and the Gospel, sung with a slow, long protracted tone.

Q. Why do we rise up at the reading of the Gospel?

A. To signify our readiness to go, and do, whither and whatsoever it commands us.

Q. What means the Gospel?

A. It signifies the preaching of Christ; and is the happy embassy or message of Christ unto the world.

Q. Why is the Gospel read at the North end, or left side of the Altar ?

A. To signify that by the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, the kingdom of the Devil was overthrown.

Q. How prove you that?

A. Because the Devil has chosen the North (figuratively infidels, and the wicked,) for the seat of h's malice. From the North shall all evil be opened upon all the inhabitants of the land. Jer, i. 14.

Q. Why doth the Priest before he begins the Gospel salute the people with Dominus vobiscum ?

A. To prepare them for a devout hearing of it, and to beg of our Lord to make them worthy hearers of his word, which can save their souls.

Q. Why then doth he say, Sequentia sancti Evangelii, &c. The sequel of the Holy Gospel, &c. ?

A. To move attention, and to signify what part of the Gospel he then reads.

Q. Why doth the clerk answer, Gloria tibi Domine, Glory be to thee, O Lord?

A. To give the glory of the gospel to God, who hath of his mercy made us partakers of it.

Q. Why then doth the priest sign the book with the sign of the Cross?

A. To signify that the doctrine there delivered appertains to the cross and passion of Christ.

Q. Why after this do both priest and people sign themselves with the cross in three places?

A. They sign themselves on their foreheads, to signify they are not nor will be ashamed to profess Christ crucified: On their mouths to signify they will be ready with their mouths, to confess unto salvation; and on their breasts to signify that with their hearts they believe unto justice.

Q. What means the Creed ?

A. It is a public profession of our faith, and the wholesome fruit of preaching the Gospel.

Q. What means the first offertory, where the priest offers the bread and wine mingled with water?

A. It signifies the freedom wherewith Christ offered himself in his whole life unto his passion, and the desire he had to suffer for our sins.

Q. What signifies the mingling water with wine?

A. It signifies the blood and water flowing from the side of Christ; as also the union of the faithful with Christ.

Q. Why then doth the priest wash the ends of his fingers? A. To admonish both himself and the people to wash away the unclean thoughts of their hearts, that so they may partake of that clean sacrifice. As also to signify, that the priest is, or ought to be clean from mortal sin.

Q. Why, then after some silence, doth he begin the preface with an elevated voice, saying. Per omnia sæcula sæculorum?

A. To signify the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusa lem, after he had lain hid a little space? and therefore it is ended with Hosannah, Benedictus qui venit, &c. which was the Hebrew children's song.

Q. What else n.eaneth the preface?

A. It is a preparation of the people, for the approaching action of the sacrifice; and therefore the priest saith, Sursum corda, lift your hearts to God; so to move them to lay aside all earthly thoughts,, and to think only on heavenly things.

Q. Why at these words, Benedictus qui venit, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord," doth he sign himself with the sign of the cross?

A. To signify that the entry of Christ into Jerusalem was not to a kingdom of this world, but to a death upon the

cross.

Q. What is the canon?

A. It is the most sacred, essential, and substantial part of the mass, because in it the Sacrifice is effected.

Q. Why is the canon read with a low voice?

A. To signify the sadness in our Saviour's passion, which is there effectually represented.

Q: Why doth the priest begin the canon bowing his head? A. To signify the obedience of Christ unto his Father in making himself a sacrifice for sin.

Q. What meaneth the Te-igitur, clementissime Puter, &c. Thee therefore, O most clement Father, &c. ?

A. It is an humble and devout application to God our heavenly Father, made in the name of all the people, that he would vouchsafe to accept and bless the sacrifice which we are offering unto him for the peace, unity, and preservation of the whole Catholic Church, and likewise for the Pope, our Prelate, and all other the truly faithful.

Q. Why in the middle of this prayer doth the priest kis