Obrázky na stránke
PDF
ePub

cited and alluded to; and also because it is impossible to ascertain which of the numerous "missæ" in each sacramentary is the oldest. The form transcribed from the liturgy of Cæsarea is perhaps fifteen hundred years old, or even more ancient.

With regard to the first prayer after communion, it is impossible not to admire the excellence of its composition, but I do not think that we find the topics to which it alludes mentioned in this part of ancient liturgies; however, the expressions of which it makes use are truly orthodox and pious, and may very properly be employed on the present occasion.

SECTION XXIII.

THE HYMN GLORIA IN EXCELSIS.

We read in the holy gospel, that after the sacrament the Lord and his disciples sung an hymn before they went to the mount of Olives. Whether the apostles and the church during the most primitive ages followed this example, I am not able positively to decide. It would appear probable that the liturgy terminated with a thanksgiving during the earliest ages, and not with a hymn; yet in aftertimes there were few liturgies which did not use a psalm, anthem, or hymn, after communion. Thus in the liturgy of Constantinople the twenty-second psalm, εὐλογήσω τὸν κύριον ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ, is sung by the choirh. After the end of the Roman liturgy, the hymn of" the Three Children," or Te Deum, is sungi. Amongst the Syrian monophysites, who use the ancient liturgy of Antioch, the psalm Dominus

g Matt. xxvi. 30. Mark xiv. 26.

h Goar, Rituale Græc. p. 85.

i Bona, Rer. Lit. lib. ii. c. 20. §. 6. p. 519.

pascuit me et nihil mihi deerit, is said by the priest after the communion). In a very ancient liturgy of the western church, which is supposed to be as old as the seventh century, and which belonged to the Irish monks of Luxovium in Gaul, the hymn Gloria in excelsis is found exactly in the position which the English liturgy assigns to it, namely, amongst the thanksgivings after communionk. This celebrated hymn owes its origin to the eastern church, where it was used in the time of Athanasius, in the beginning of the fourth century. In the churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, and the rest of the east, it has never been used in any part of the liturgy, but it is still used as it was in the time of Athanasius, as part of the morning service for every day m

Western liturgical writers have ascribed this hymn to various authors: some have given it to Telesphorus, bishop of Rome, A. D. 150; others to Symmachus, bishop of the same see, A. D. 500; others to Hilary, bishop of Poictiers in the fourth century. None of these conjectures have any sufficient foundation". As to the Liber Pontificalis,

j Renaudot, Liturg. Oriental. tom. ii. p. 26.

k Mabillon Museum Italicum, tom. i. p. 281. Muratori Liturg. Rom. tom. ii. p. 780. O'Conor, Rer. Hibern. Scriptores, tom. i. p. cxxx. &c. Martene de Antiq. Eccl. Rit. lib. i. c. 4. art. 3. p. 360.

1 Athanasius Liber de Virginitate, tom. ii. No. 20. p. 122. ed. Benedict. Πρὸς ὄρθρον δὲ τὸν ψαλμὸν τοῦτον λέγετε· ὁ Θεὸς ὁ Θεός μου, πρὸς σὲ ὀρθρίζω· ἐδίψησέ σε ἡ ψυχή μου. διαφαυμα

δέ· εὐλογεῖτε πάντα τὰ ἔργα κυρίου τὸν κύριον. δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία. ὑμνοῦμέν σε, εὐλογοῦμέν σε, προσκυνοῦμέν σε, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. This hymn is prescribed in the Apost. Const. lib. vii. c. 47. as the προσευχὴ ἑωθινή. p. 385. ed. Clerici.

m Goar, Rituale Græc. p. 54. 58. It is called by the Greeks ἡ μεγάλη δοξολογία.

n Bona Rer. Liturg. lib. iii. c. 4. §. 4.

which ascribes it to Telesphorus, no reliance can be placed on it in a matter of such antiquity. No trace of the authorship of Hilary appears in the writings of the Fathers for four hundred years after his time; and, in fact, we know that it was used in the east before the time of Hilary and Symmachus. It appears probable, however, that Symmachus appointed this hymn to be sung on every Sunday and holyday at the beginning of the Roman liturgy, and from thence it came gradually to be used very generally in the west in a similar position. In the Roman liturgy it was only said when a litany was not repeated before the office, according to the direction of Gregory, or some other bishop°. This hymn is more than fifteen hundred years old in the eastern church, and the church of England has used it either at the beginning or end of the liturgy for above twelve hundred years.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

begotten Son Jesu Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest a

way the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest on the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For thou only art holy; thou

only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ,

with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the

Father. Amen.

Пvevμa. Kúpte ó Oeòs,
ó áμvòs тoû Оeοû, ó
υἱὸς τοῦ πατρὸς, ὁ αἴ-
ρων τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ
κόσμου, ελέησον ἡμᾶς,
ó alpwv ràs áμaprías
τοῦ κόσμου πρόσδεξαι
τὴν δέησιν ἡμῶν, ὁ
καθήμενος ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ
Πατρὸς ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς,
Ὅτι σὺ εἶ μόνος ἅγιος,
σὺ εἶ μόνος κύριος, Ἰη-
σοῦς Χριστὸς εἰς δόξαν
Θεοῦ Πατρός. ̓Αμήν.

genite Jesu Christe, Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris, qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis, qui tollis peccata mundi suscipe deprecationem nostram, qui sedes ad dexteram Patris miserere nobis, quoniam tu solus sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus altissimus, Jesu Christe,

cum Sancto Spiritu

in gloria Dei Patris.

Amen 9.

SECTION XXIV.

THE FINAL BENEDICTION.

There are two places in which chiefly we find the benedictions of the people to have occurred in primitive liturgies: first, before communion; secondly, after it. The former I have already considered in section XII, in treating of the absolution. It remains now to consider the latter. In the ancient

P From the Alexandrian MS. copied by Dr. Smith, Account of the Greek Church, &c. p. 295. In this MS. it is entitled, ὑμνὸς ἑωθινός.

q Mabillon, Museum Italicum, tom. i. p. 281. Muratori Liturg. Rom. tom. ii. p. 780. Miss. Sarisb. fol. lxxii. Miss. Ebor. et Herefordens.

liturgies of the east we generally find the benedictions by the bishops and presbyters to have been more long and comprehensive than those of the west. In the Gallican and Spanish liturgies, however, which appear to have been imitated by the ancient English church during the time of the Saxon monarchs, blessings of considerable length are also found. Long prayers of benediction occur in the Alexandrian liturgies, like our own, after thanksgivings. A benediction of the same sort occurs in the Constantinopolitan liturgy, and in that of Cæsarea the same may be said of that of Antiocht. In the Roman liturgy also a benediction has been used in latter times, which Bona does not consider to be of any considerable antiquity". The formulary which we use is more comprehensive than many benedictions that have been used in the west, and seems to be a judicious enlargement of benedictions which were used in the English church perhaps before the year 600.

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,

r Mabillon de Liturgia Gallicana. Missale Gothicum, p. 189, &c. and p. 451. The MS. sacramentary of the AngloSaxon church of the ninth or tenth century, given by Leofricus to the church of Exeter, now in the Bodleian library, contains long benedictions of the same kind, as does also the ancient sacramentary of the English Benedictines, published by Schultingius, tom. iv.

VOL. II.

Benedictio Dei Patris omnipotentis et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, maneat semper vobiscum v.

Biblioth. Eccl. pars iii. p. 177. s Liturgia Basilii Renaudot, tom. i. p. 25. Cyrilli, p. 51.

t Liturgia Chrysost. Goar, p. 85. Basilii ibid. p. 175. Liturgia Jacobi Syr. Renaud. tom. ii. p. 42. Jacobi Græc. Asseman, Codex Liturg. tom. v. p. 62. Apost. Const. lib. viii. c. 15. p. 406. ed. Clerici.

u Bona, Rer. Liturg. lib. ii. c. 20. No. 4. p. 515.

▾ Saxon Office in Appendix

M

« PredošláPokračovať »