The ornaments thus prescribed had never, by any act of the Church of England, been set aside and made illegal, unless we regard the Prayer Book of 1552 (in which the Mass vestments were forbidden) as being an authoritative document of the Church, as some few have thought. But even in that case, it is certain that the prohibitions of that book were annulled in the reign of Mary, and all the ornaments restored to their old legal status. Accordingly, the Ornaments Rubric, which first appeared in the Act of Uniformity of 1559, did not undertake to enact the use of the ornaments as if before that they had been without authority. On the contrary, it explicitly recognized their already existing legal status in directing that they "shall be retained;" but-and here is the important enactment of the rubrics-it laid down the rule that the ornaments retained were to be, not all those in use in times past, but those that had been allowed "by the authority of Parliament in the second year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth." The rubric is clearly restrictive in its character, confining the number of ornaments to those permitted by the civil law in a certain year. In a word, it sets up a legal fence, the second year of Edward VI, beyond which the clergy of the Church of England may not lawfully pass.

It is not necessary that we should stop to consider whether the rubric refers to the year 1548 or 1549. Much has been said on both sides. If the reference is to the year 1548 then it would seem that all the ancient ornaments of the Church are allowed except those that had been forbidden by the Injunctions of 1547, which Injunctions, some few think, could claim parliamentary authority. In which case, reliquaries, shrines,

43

and lights before images and pictures, are the only ornaments the use of which has been abrogated. But if the reference is to the first Act of Uniformity, in 1549, (and this seems to the writer the more probable interpretation), and only those ornaments are directed to be retained which are required by the provisions of the first Prayer Book, the list of legal ornaments is considerably curtailed, and in addition to those just mentioned, the following are probably made illegal by the rubric, to wit, mitres, tabernacles, hanging pyxs, pectoral crosses, chalice veils, monstrances, processional crosses, the sepulchre, the paschal candle, palms, sacring bells, censers, and holy water stoups. Whichever interpretation is the true one, it is clear that the rubric is intended to be in some degree restrictive. How far its restrictions extend we may leave our English brethren to determine, as the rubric is fortunately no part of our ritual law here in the United States. The American Church never did a wiser thing than when in 1789 she removed this curious piece of legislation from the Prayer Book, and thus threw down the legal fence within which the clergy of the Church of England are still confined in their use of ornaments. We are, therefore, free to make use of all the ancient ornaments of

4 Let it be remembered that the second Act of Uniformity (1552) refers to the first Prayer Book expressly, as set forth "by the Act of Parliament made in the second year of the king's majesty's reign," although it would have been more regular to have said, "in the second and third year". With this fact in mind, is it not reasonable to suppose that the third Act of Uniformity (1559), in which the Ornaments Rubric first appeared, in referring to the action of Parliament with regard to ornaments "in the second year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth," is referring to precisely the same document, that is, the first Prayer Book, as the previous Act referred to as having been made "by the Act of Parliament in the second year of the king's majesty's reign"? See the Acts in Gee and Hardy's Documents Illustrative of English Church History, pp. 369, 458. And for a very full discussion of the interpretation of the Ornaments Rubric, see Gee's The Elisabethan Prayer Book and Ornaments, 1902. Cf. Micklewaite's The Ornaments of the Rubric, Alcuin Club Tracts, 2d ed., 1898.

the Church, unrestrained by any question as to which were allowed or disallowed by the authority of an English Parliament.

In conclusion, it is only necessary to remark on the general arrangement of this work. The text and rubrics of the Communion Office have been printed in heavy faced type in order clearly to distinguish them. The wording of the English Office, where it differs in any important instance from the American rite, has been printed at the foot of the page. On all the more important points the authorities or reasons for the position taken have been given in the notes.

Notes on the Mass.

I. OF THE PREPARATION OF THE PRIEST BEFORE THE ALTAR.

A private preparation by the Priest at the foot of the altar was a feature of all the old Uses both in England and on the continent. It may generally be described as consisting of the psalm Judica me and the Confiteor. There was, however, some diversity of ceremonial usage with regard to the psalm; by some it was said in the sacristy, or on the way to the altar; by others it was said standing at the altar. This latter usage is directed by the Pontifical of St. Prudentius of Troyes, one of the earliest orders extant, in the Mass edited by Illyricus, and in the liturgical fragment called the Codex Chisius, which Card. Bona refers to the 10th or the beginning of the 11th century. In England the Hereford missal directed it to be said stans ante altare, and Le Brun refers to two English missals in which "this psalm is directed to be said at the foot of the altar."2 It is worthy of note in this connection, that the Collect for purity, which in the Sarum missal formed part of the Priest's preparation, and was directed to be said. before going to the altar, was in the Prayer Book of 1549 directed to be said "afore the midst of the altar." This latter direction was probably given in conformity with what had become the accustomed practice, the

1 Martene, De Ant. Eccl. Rit., t. i. pp. 528, 488, 548. Explication, etc., de la Messe, t. i. in loc,

Sarum rubric notwithstanding. So, likewise, it is probable that it had become customary to say the psalm Judica before the altar even in churches where the Sarum missal was used.

The psalm Judica is omitted in Requiems and during Passion-tide, because at such times the question, “Why art thou so heavy?" would seem to be out of place.3

After the psalm, the Priest before going up to the altar makes an acknowledgment of his sinfulness, and prays God for mercy. It may be objected that we have already a Confession in our office, and that another one in this place is a liturgical redundancy. But it will be observed, that the Confiteor here is said by the Priest by way of preparation for celebrating the holy Sacrifice, whereas the Confession after the Prayers for the Church militant is part of the preparation for receiving the Holy Communion, and is expressly directed to be said by "those who come to receive the Holy Communion."

The various versions of the Confiteor are all of the same general character, the difference between them being merely verbal. Very many of them after the words "I confess to God" make mention only of blessed Mary and all Saints. Thus for example the Sarum form is, "I confess to God, to blessed Mary, to all Saints, and to you, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word and deed by my fault. I beseech Holy Mary, all the Saints of God, and you, to pray for me."

II. OF THE "RIGHT SIDE OF THE TABLE." The rubric of the English Prayer Book directs the Priest to stand “at the north side of the Table." In the Gavantus, Thesaurus, etc., t. i. p. ii. t. ii. 6, t.