Consecratio electi in Episcopum. ROVIDEAT electus cum suis, quod mane diei dominica, parata sint et in promptu omnia sibi necessaria in consecratione, videlicet, caliga, sandalia, amictus, alba, cingulum, stola, manipulus, tunicella, dalmatica, planeta, et pluviale albi coloris, chirothecæ, annulus pontificalis, et alius annulus parvus, mitra, baculus pastoralis, duo bacilia, tobalia pro manibus tergendis, tobalia ad ponendum coram consecratore, tobalia et pecten ad pectinandum,' mica panis ad tergendum manus et caput, duo brachia tela de cortina ad circumligandum caput in unctione, duo magni panes involuti duobus tobaliis, duæ magnæ phiala plena vino, et duo magna torticia ad offerendum, libri missalis et pontificalis, faldistorium et 1 Ducange says: "Pecten, in ter ministeria sacra recensetur, quo scilicet sacerdotes ac clerici antequam in ecclesiam procederent, crines pecterent." And he cites several examples, proving that a comb was among the ordinary furniture of chapels. In the earlier pontificals there is no express mention of it, although it is clear that in Durand's time, the use of it was general; Rationale, lib. 4. cap.3: and Ducange quotes a will of a bishop in the 10th century, who, among other effects, specifies, "Pectinem eburneam unam." VOL. III. So in the old inventories we find them mentioned; thus, in that of S. Paul's, A. D. 1295: "Tres pectines eburnei, spissi et magni, et tres tenues et usuales de ebore. Item, unum pecten eburneum pulchrum. Item, duo pectines eburnei sufficientes." Dugdale. S. Paul's, p. 206. 2 "Brachium, mensuræ species, cubitus." "Cortina, panni vel serici species, sic dicta, ut pallium, pro pallii materia." Ducange. Glossarium. R tapetum, quissini et bassini. Sacerdotes in superpelliciis, qui serviant electo de libro. Incipit consecratio electi in episcopum, quæ est agenda die dominica, et non in alia festivitate, antequam missa celebretur.5 3 After the "Decretum," the Winchester and Bangor MSS. pass on to the order of consecration, omitting the rubric in the text, as to the necessaries to be provided. The first rubric of those books is as follows: 66 Incipit examinatio ordinandi episcopi, quæ est agenda die dominica, antequam missa celebretur." Pontif. Winton. "Incipit examinatio ordinandi episcopi, quæ est agenda die dominica, antequam celebretur. [sic] Ipse electus sacerdotalibus vestibus induatur præter casulam, et pro casula induatur capa. Et sic comprovinciales episcopi deducant eum per manus coram metropolitano examinandum: ipso metropolitano sedente in loco examinationis, dorso verso ad majus altare. Sedilia vero episcoporum coram metropolitano in modum coronæ, a dextris et a sinistris electi. Tunc dicat metropolitanus: commencement, is similar to that of the Bangor Use: but it begins thus: "Consecratio episcoporum semper agenda est die dominica, et examinatio et professio eorum ante missarum solemnia. Electus vero sacerdotalibus, etc.” ut supra. 4 This limitation of the old English rubric, was in strict accordance with the custom of preceding ages. Thomassin says: "Concilium Tolet. 1v. C. 18. præcipit ut metropolitanus in civitate metropolitana ordinetur: dies autem dominica tantum ab eodem concilio præscribitur.Abdicationis pænam videtur Leo M. intentare Ep. 89. c. 3. si quo alio tempore ordinentur episcopi, præterquam vesperascente sabbato, aut dilucescente dom. die." De benef. Part. 2. lib. 2. c. xij. ( Tom. 5. p. 63.) So, in later years, this was a rule generally agreed upon. Alcuin, in stating the fact, ex 66 Antiqua sanctorum, etc." Pon- plains the reason. Episcopi vero tif. Bangor. As before stated, the Exeter MS. does not contain the "decretum," nor has it the rubric regarding the necessary preparations its first rubric, after the consecratio, qui est vicarius apostolorum, immo et Christi, fit in Dominica, quia in eodem die per donum Spiritus Sancti dignatus est illustrare corda apostolorum." De div. off. Hittorpius. p. 69. Ipse vero electus sacerdotalibus vestibus induatur, præter casulam, et pro casula induatur capa, et sic duo And Hugo S. Victor: "Presbyteri et diaconi sabbato consecrandi episcopo præsentantur; benedictiones vero pontificum diebus tantum dominicis celebrandas esse, sacri canones sanxerunt." De sacr. lib. 2. ij. 20. "But the rubric now of the Roman pontifical is this: "Statuta die consecrationis, quæ debet esse dominica, vel natalitium apostolorum, vel etiam festiva, si summus pontifex hoc specialiter indulserit." 5 Mabillon has printed in his Analecta, from a manuscript of the 11th century, a "ritus ordinandi episcopi," which was observed anciently in the church of Rouen. On account not only of this Order throwing much light on many of the particulars which will follow in the text, but of the frequent intercourse in that age kept between the churches of Normandy and England, I shall transcribe the first rubric of that MS. "In die ordinationis episcopi manissime pulsetur, et cantetur prima, postquam eatur ad capitulum; ibique a decano, archidiacono, cantore et cancellario ordinentur qui debent præcedere ministri, sicut in majoribus mos est festivitatibus: hoc est, duo acolythi cum thuribulis, duo subdiaconi cum crucibus, septem acolythi cum candelabris et cereis, septem subdiaconi cum evangeliorum libris, septem diaconi cum suis reliquiis, duodecim presbyteri induti planetis, acolythus indutus podere cum vasculo aureo chrismatis. "Tertia pulsetur temporaneè, et interim præparet se domnus archiepiscopus, sandaliis et cæteris omnibus usque ad dalmaticam. Tunc indutus cappa, et tenens baculum pastoralem in manu, procedit e sacrario. Similiter omnes episcopi exeant induti. Ipse autem electus necdum induatur sandaliis, sed tantum alba, et stola, et cappa; nec ferat baculum, sed ponatur super altare cum anulo, usque dum consecratus accipiat de manu archiepiscopi. "Venientes autem in ecclesia ponantur sedes ita. Domnus metropolitanus sedebit verso dorso ad altare. Sedilia vero cæterorum episcoporum ponantur ante oculos metropolitani. Sedes autem ipsius electi ponatur in medio, non tamen ad majus altare. Comprovinciales autem episcopi offerant electum domno metropolitano his verbis: "Reverende pater, postulat etc." Vetera Analecta. p. 228. The "poderis" in the above extract was a vestment, of much the same kind as the "camisia ;" (see above, p. 19. note 29.) Ducange in his glossary cites Euche comprovinciales episcopi deducant eum per manus coram metropolitano examinandum, ipso metropolitano sedente in loco examinationis, dorso verso ad majus altare, sedilia vero episcoporum coram metropolitano, in modum coronæ, a dextris et a sinistris electi. Et dum ista examinatio dicitur vel legitur, archiepiscopus et cæteri episcopi consecrantes mitras debent habere in capite, sed consecrandus nequaquam. Tunc dicat metropolitanus: Antiqua sanctorum patrum institutio docet et præcipit, ut is qui ad ordinem episcopatus eligitur, antea rius Lugdunensis: "Poderis, sacerdotalis linea corpori penitus adstricta, eademque talaris, unde et poderis appellata, hæc et subucula dicitur." Compare also Ivo Carnotensis, de reb. eccles. Serm. 3. and Innocent III. de Myst. Missæ. Cap. 10. 16. : The "poderis" can only in a very wide and improper sense be explained to be a sacerdotal vestment, as it was common to the inferior orders and in fact, there seems to be but little doubt that it was what was afterwards called the albe: and that its more ancient name lingered only in remote countries. Thus Alcuin (de div. off) expressly says; "Poderis vulgo alba dicta, perseverantiam significat." And so Durand; "Quia vero usque ad talos descendit, perseverentiam designat." Rationale div. off. Lib. 3. Cap. 3. The whole of this part of the Office is now inserted into the pontifical of the Church of Rome: but as Martene has observed, it was anciently peculiar to the churches of France: to which we may add, of England also. It was probably introduced into this country about the eleventh century, as we do not find it in the earlier pontificals of Egbert and Dunstan: nor before that time, I may remark, is it found in the Office of the French Church; so that there is no evidence by which we may conjecture to which first it was added. The principle of such an examination, before consecration, was however both primitive and universal grounded upon the admonitions of S. Paul to Timothy. In after years, it was made the especial subject of conciliar decrees: thus, the first canon of the fourth council of Carthage in the year 398, is directed to this point. "Qui episcopus ordinandus est, antea examinetur, si natura sit diligentissime examinetur cum omni caritate, de fide Sanctæ Trinitatis, et interrogetur de diversis causis vel moribus, quæ huic regimini congruunt, et necessaria sunt retineri, secundum apostoli dictum, manus cito nemini imposueris ; et ut etiam is qui ordinandus prudens, si docibilis, si moribus temperatus, si vita castus, si sobrius, si semper suis negotiis cavens, si humilis, si affabilis, misericors, si literatus, si in lege Domini instructus, si in scripturarum sensibus cautus, si in dogmatibus ecclesiasticis exercitatus: et ante omnia, si fidei documenta verbis simplicibus asserat: id est Patrem et Filium et Spiritum Sanctum, etc." And then follows an exact examination, grounded on Apostles' creed. Again, in the 8th century, the second Nicene council, in its second canon, which Martene appeals to, ordered, " decernimus quemlibet, qui ad episcopalem gradum est provehendus, a metropolitano bene examinari, an ad sacros canones diligenter, ac cum perscrutatione, prompto sit animo, et sacrum etiam evangelium, et librum divini apostoli, omnemque divinam Scripturam, et in divinis præceptis versari, et populum suum docere." Mansi. Tom. xiij. col. 748. But, remembering the ill reception which the decrees of this council met with in the West, I would rather attribute the insertion of this examination to canons of other synods in Gaul or Spain: thus, we have one, to name no more, of the eleventh council of Toledo, in the preceding century, A. D. 675. "Placuit huic sancto concilio, ut unusquisque qui ad ecclesiasticos gradus est accessurus, non ante honoris consecrationem accipiat, quam placiti sui innodatione promittat, ut fidem catholicam sincera cordis devotione custodiens, juste et pie vivere debeat." Ibid. Tom. xi. col. 143. It is very probable that the particular interrogations regarding the change of the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist, were in consequence of the teaching of Berengarius, and inserted into the English pontificals by the influence of Archbishop Lanfranc, his great opponent. In which case, the Winchester MS. is possibly as early as any manuscript in which they are to be found: being nearly contemporary with that archbishop. The student will observe presently, that those particular questions are not in the pontificals of Bangor and Exeter. With respect to the first, this is very remarkable, and much more so with regard to the other, a manuscript of the latter part of the 14th century, in the time of Bishop Lacy. |