transcribe the Roman Missal. It must appear evident to any any one who compares this Missal with the Liturgies of the Oriental Churches cited above, how uniform was the doctrine of the Eastern and Western Churches from the beginning, concerning the Trinity of Persons in one God; the Divinity of Christ the Redeemer of the world; the Sacrifice of the mass; the real presence of the body and blood of Christ, under the appearances of bread and wine; the invocation of the Saints in heaven; and prayers for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed.

The Ambrosian Missal was in use at Milan, when St. Ambrose was made Bishop, in 374. He made some additions to the ancient order of the Liturgy of that See. There are some accidental differences between the rite observed at Rome and at Milan, in the celebration of the mass. The church of Milan has all along preserved its ancient Ambrosian rite, to this day, only with a few changes or additions.

In the offering of the bread, the Priest says, according to the Ambrosian Missal," Receive, O most merciful Father, this holy bread, that it may be made the body of thy only begotten Son, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen."

it

Receive, O Holy Trinity, may be made the blood of the Father, and of

the

In the offering of the wine and water, this chalice, wine mixed with water, that thy only begotten Son. In the name of Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen." When the priest puts the particle of the divided host into the chalice, he says, "May the mixture of the consecrated body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ avail us, who eat and receive it, to life and everlasting joy."

Before he takes the sacrament into his hand, the priest says, "Holy Lord, Almighty Father, Eternal God, grant to us so to receive this body of Jesus Christ thy Son, and my Lord, that it may not turn to my judgment, but to the remission of all my sins."

With respect to the invocation of the Saints, and prayers for the dead, the Ambrosian agrees with the Roman missal.

The ancient liturgies used in Spain and Gaul are perfectly conformable in substance to those of Rome and Milan.

THE SIGN OF THE CROSS USED IN ACTS OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP

The rubrics of the Liturgies, cited in Note D, often prescribe the making of the sign of the cross, in the course of the holy sacrifice. See pages 125, 128, 130, 133, 134.

St. Chrysostom attests that the sign of the cross was anciently used by the Greek church, in the administration of the sacraments and the performance of different acts of religion, In his homily on "the adoration of the precious cross," which was delivered about the year 386, tom. vi, ed. Paris 1624, he e says, "The cross appears in the performance of all the sacred rites of religion. If baptism is administered, the cross is there. If the mystical food is to be received; if the minister of Christ is to be ordained; if any other sacred function is to be performed, the cross of Christ is there. Wherefore let us diligently impress it on our houses, on our walls, on our windows, on our foreheads, and on our minds and hearts. The cross is shewn as often as we offer the holy sacrifice." (See Homil. 55, în Mat. cxvi, tom.7, Pages 594, 595. St. Augustin bears testimony to the ancient use of the sign of the cross, in the Latin church, in the performance of sacred functions. "What is this sign (he asks) with which all are acquainted, but the cross of Christ? which sign, if it be not applied to the foreheads of believers to the water, with which they are regenerated; to the chrism, with which they are anointed, and to the holy bread, with which they are nourished, no rite is duly performed." (Tract. cxviii, in Joan, tom, ix, page 225.)

Page 614.

The frequent use of the sign of the cross, not only in acts of religious worship, but on other occasions, is attested by the earliest Fathers and Christian writers. It was used as a profession of their faith in Christ crucified, and of their hope in him, who by his death on the cross had delivered them from the power of Satan, and merited for them all mercy and grace,

Tertullian, in his book, De Corona Militis, written in 235, says, "Whenever we move; when we come in and go out; in dressing, and in washing; at table and in bed; during conversation, or any other employment, we impress on our foreheads the sign of the cross. Should you ask for Scripture authority for this and such like practices; I answer, there is none. But there is tradition, that authorizes it; custom that confirms it; submission that observes it.”—Chap. iii. iv, page 289.

St. Cyril, of Jerusalem, about the year 348, instructing Catechumens in the rudiments of the Christian religion, says, "Let us not be ashamed of the cross of Christ; and, if any one be so, do thou at least openly mark it on thy forehead; that the devils, beholding the royal standard, may retire trembling. Use that sign, eating and drinking, sitting and lying, rising from bed, conversing and walking; in one word, use it on all occasions." (Catech. iv, n. x, page 54.See Catch. xiii, n. xviii. xix, page 184, 187.)

St. Athanasius, of the Greek Church (about the year 370), incul

eates the Christian practice of blessing meat before meals, in these words: "When thou art sat down at table, and beginnest to break thy bread, having signed it with the sign of the cross-give thanks." (Book on Virginity, n. 13.)

About the same time, St. Basil wrote thus in his book on the Holy Ghost: "If we attempt to reject those practices, as things of little moment, which rest on no written authority, we shall, by our imprudence, materially injure the Gospel itself; even we shall reduce the very preaching of our faith to a mere name. Such (to mention this in the first place which is the most common) is the practice of making the sign of the cross, by those who put their hope in Christ. In what writing has this been taught?" (C. xxvii, tom. iii, page 54.)

NOTE [G], page 99.

ON THE RELATIVE VENERATION SHEWN TO THE CROSS, ON WHICH CHRIST SUFFERED, AND TO OTHER CROSSES REPRESENTING IT. In the year 326, St. Helena discovered, at Jerusalem, the identical cross, on which Christ suffered for the redemption of the world. She built a church on the spot where it was found. In it she deposited the Holy Cross, with great veneration, after she had enchased it in a very rich shrine.

On certain occasions, the cross was shewn to the people, to be adored (according to the language of the Christian church, in that early period), that is, to be venerated with a religious relative respect, because it was the altar, on which Christ offered himself a bleeding victim of atonement for sin.

St. Paulinus of Nola, about the year 430, ep. 11 (or 31 nov. ed.) ad Sever. writes, "That church in Jerusalem, most richly ornamented....possesses the cross, which the Bishop of that city every year, at the season of the Paschal solemnity, exhibits to be adored by the people, after the Bishop himself has first performed his act of profound veneration." Page 193.

St. Sophronius, who was Patriarch of Jerusalem in 639, attests that the holy cross was exposed to the veneration of the faithful, also, in the middle of Lent. (In medio Jejunii, adorationis gratia, propon solet vitale lignum venerandæ crucis.)-Orat. in Exalt. crucis. Bib. Patr. tom. 12, page 214.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (about the year 348), in his tenth Catechesis, No. 19, expressed his religious veneration for the holy wood of the true cross, and testifies that, in the few years since its discovery by St. Helena, it had filled the whole earth, particles of it having been carried, out of devotion to Christ who suffered on it, to every country in the Christian world. Page 146.

Eusebius of Cæsarea, who died in 338, in his life of Constantine, relates, that this first Christian Emperor placed in the most conspicuous parts of the city, images representing our Saviour; and, in his palace, a magnificent cross," the sign of our Lord's passion;" "and to me it seems," adds the historian," that the religious prince viewed that sign as the defence and bulwark of his empire." (De vita Constantini, lib. iii, cxlix, page 605.)

The ancient and public veneration (or adoration, as it was called) of crosses, representing the cross of Christ, on Good Friday, in the Latin church, is described in the Sacramentary of Pope Gelasius (about 492), and also in that of Pope Gregory, about a century later; also in the Ordo Romanus, which first appeared not later than the time of St. Gregory, and contained the order of the rites and ceremonies observed in the church of Rome.

In the Sacramentary of Gelasius, the Rubrics for Good Friday prescribe that," at the ninth hour all go to the church, and the holy cross be placed on the altar." Page 559 (tom. i, Liturgia Romana vetus, edente Lud. Ant. Muratorio Venetiis 1748), "After the abovementioned prayers, the Deacons enter the Sanctuary. The body and blood of the Lord, which remained from the day before, are carried in procession, and placed on the altar. The Priest comes before the altar, adoring the cross of the Lord, and kissing it. (Adorans Crucem Domini et osculans). And he says, 'Let us pray. Then follow, Being instructed by saving precepts,' the Lord's Prayer, and Deliver us, O Lord, we beseech thee. After these, all adore the sacred cross and communicate. (His omnibus expletis, adorant omnes sanctam crucem, et communicant)." Page 562.

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In the Antiphonary of St. Gregory the great, tom. v, of his works, page 31, edit. Antwerp 1625, " Antiphonarium ad crucem adorandam. We adore thy cross, O Lord (crucem tuam adoramus Domine), and praise and glorify thy holy resurrection.. Behold the wood of the cross, on which the salvation of the world was suspended. Come let us adore," &c. (venite adoremus).

In the ancient Ordo Romanus, the following directions are given for the office on Good Friday. "After the prayers, the cross is prepared in front of the altar. The Bishop comes, and adoring the cross, kisses it (adoratam deosculatur crucem): then the priests, deacons, sub-deacons, and others in order; after them, the people. The Bishop sits down on his seat until all have offered their salutations. But the two first priests, as soon as they have saluted (the cross), enter the sanctuary, or the place where the body of the Lord, which remained from the day before, was deposited; they put it on the paten,.. and carry it with the chalice, containing unconsecrated wine, and place it on the altar.. Whilst the Bishop or the people are

saluting the cross, the anthem is continually sung, Behold the wood of the Cross, on which the salvation of the whole was suspended, come let us adore," &c. Muratori, ut supra. Page 995.

It is hence obvious, that the devout practice prescribed in the Roman Missal, of shewing a relative veneration to the Cross, on Good Friday, in honour of Christ who died for us on a cross on that day, is perfectly conformable to the religious practices of the Eastern and Western Churches, from the early ages of Christianity.

The following testimonies will shew how anxious the primitive church was to impress on the senses and minds of the faithful, a lively feeling of the mysteries of religion, and of the devotion and heroic fortitude of those, who had triumphed over the opposition of the world.

Eusebius relates, that Constantine placed images of the good Pastor in the middle of the forum, of which, the historian says, the meaning would be well understood by those who were skilled in the Holy Scriptures." So great," he observes, "was the religious veneration of the Emperor, that he placed a rich representation of the passion of our Saviour, wrought with gold and precious stones, in the most splendid apartment of the palace." (Euseb. lib. 3, de vita Constantini.)

St. Gregory of Nyssa (about the year 385), in his Discourse on St. Theodorus Martyr, describing a Christian church, says, " a person entering into a place like this, in which we are assembled, where the virtues of the just are commemorated, and the holy relics are preserved, must be delighted with the magnificence of every thing around him; when he beholds the majestic structure of the temple. of God, and the beauty of the ornaments, with which it is decorated. Here the painter has displayed the perfection of his art; here you see the heroic deeds of the Martyr, the torments inflicted on him, the fury of the executioners, the fiery furnace, the consummation of his combat, the figure of Christ giving him the crown of victory, all represented with such expression and colouring, that it exhibits at once the whole scene in a more lively and impressive manner than could be described in letters, or explained by words. The silent picture on the wall speaks powerfully to the feelings." St. Greg. Nyss. tom 3. edit. Morell. an 1638. Page 579 (1011).

St. Asterius, Bishop of Amasea, in Pontus (about the year 399) on St. Euphemia the Martyr, says, "I retired into the temple of God to pray (he speaks of the great church at Chalcedon). I saw a pic ture, with which I was much struck. A holy woman, a spotless virgin, had consecrated her chastity to God: her name was Euphemia. Her fellow-citizens, in admiration of her great sanctity, and of the heroic fortitude she displayed in her death, raised a