Come Unto Me Manual

7/28/2019 Come Unto Me Manual

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Come IHnto flDeA MANUAL OF

Instructions and DevotionsFOR

CONFIRMATIONHOLY COMMUNIONANDOTHER OCCASIONS

WRITTEN AND COMPILED BYTHE REVEREND ,'ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL' KNOWLES

author of"the triumph of the cross," "the belief andworship of the anglican church," etc.

NEW YORKE. P. DUTTON & COMPANY31 WEST TWENTY-THIRD STREET


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Copyright, 1901, byARCHIBALD CAMPBELL KNOWLES


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TOTHE GLORY OF GOD

ANDIN HONOUROF THEMOST COMFORTABLE SACRAMENTOF THE

BODY AND BLOODOF

CHRIST

111


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AUTHOR'S PREFACE

THIS little book was written and compiled bya Priest of the Church to be a practicalManual of Devotion, containing prayersfor Confirmation, Holy Communion, and all or-dinary occasions. It pretends to no literary ortheological excellence. It aims to supplant nobooks of a similar character. Its sole object isto present in a clear and comprehensive waysuch Instructions and Devotions as may tend tothe right reception of Confirmation and HolyCommunion, may be helpful in the cultivationof the spiritual life, and may form a Manualfor daily use, at once condensed yet complete.It is frequently due to a lack of knowledge ofthe Church and of her doctrine, discipline andworship that many persons who have started outin the spiritual life lapse into unbelief and mis-belief. They have never properly been taughtthe fundamentals of the Faith and so readilyfollow those who are '''' teaching for doctrinesthe comtnandmejits of men.'''' They have neverrealized the importance of a positive, definitebelief, without which it is impossible to live aright life or attain to the full measure of spirit-ual development. It is indeed most necessaryto be mentally and spiritually equipped for thefight against "the world, the flesh, and the devil."


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Vi AUTHOR'S PREFACEFrom his own experience and from the com-ments of others of the Clergy and Laity, theAuthor believes that there is large room for awork that will help in this respect. There areof course others now in use, but many peoplefind them above their understanding or incapa-ble of satisfying their spiritual needs or alien tothe Anglican mind. In the preparation of thispresent book, the Author, while trying to avoidany narrow conception of the Church, has aimedto have both the Instructions and the Devotionsin thorough accord with the spirit of the Bookof Common Prayer and the teaching of HolyScripture. In drawing from outside sources, theAncient Liturgies have been mainly consulted,as they are perfect treasure-houses of devotion,and represent the spiritual character of theChurch most near its Source. These prayers,however, have been very freely adapted, partlybecause of their rather florid expressions, hardlysuitable to the Western mind, partly in order toensure a more rhythmical measure, which theoriginal Greek or Latin loses in a literal trans-lation into English, The thought, however, hasbeen preserved throughout.

In many cases the Devotions will be foundmore full and numerous than may be required,but it seems better to minister to the needs ofthose well on in the spiritual life, as othersmay easily omit what they find burdensome orunnecessary, a possibility provided for in thearrangement of the contents. The Author hasnot knowingly used any copyright matter, hav-ing taken special care to guard against this, withthe exception of several Eucharistic Hymns, forthe use of which he most cordially thanks theAuthors and Publishers. He also takes this


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author's pre^face viiopportunity of expressing his appreciation ofthe kindness of the Right Reverend Isaac LeaNicholson, S.T.D., Bishop of Milwaukee, andthe Reverend Samuel Upjohn, D.D., Rector ofS. Luke's Church, Germantown, Philadelphia,in examining and approving this work andmaking many valuable suggestions as to thesame.The Author therefore gives this modest mes-sage to the Church, praying God for Christ HisSake, to pardon all that may be imperfect andbless all that may be good, leading many soulsto a closer walk with Him through the " MostComfortable Sacrament of the Body and Bloodof Christ."Philadelphia, Lent, 1901.


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CONTENTSPART I

INSTRUCTIONS AND EXPLANATIONSPAGE

The Church, its Institution and Growth . iThe Ancient Church..... 2The Mediaeval Church . . . .6The Reformation ..... 8The Anglican Church .... 9The Church in America . . . . i6

77/


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X CONTENTS


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CONTENTS XIPAGE

Midday Prayers, First Form . . . i88Evening Prayers, First Form . . . 190Additional Prayers ..... 192The Third Hour : from Ancient Sources . 195The Sixth Hour : from Ancient Sources . 197The Ninth Hour : from Ancient Sources . 199Short Silent Prayers ..... 201Office of Intercession .... 204Prayers before a Journey .... 208Preparations for Confirmation . . .211A Form of Confession . . . .214Office of Spiritual Communion . . .216Meditations on the Holy Communion . 218Penitential Offices ..... 236Penitential Prayers ..... 237Litany of Penitence ..... 241Hymn of the Passion .... 243Short Readings...... 245The Church's Seasons .... 255Appendix of Christian Virtues, Duties, etc. 262


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ILLUSTRATIONSOPPOSITEPAGE" Come unto Me, all ye that travail, and are

heavy laden, and I will give you rest."Frontispiece.

' A little child shall lead them " . . iS" They fell dow^n and worshipped Him " . 38"Watch and pray that ye enter not into

temptation " . . . . 5S" Behold, I stand at the door and knock." 70"Behold, and see if there be any sorrow

like unto My sorrow " . . .96" I Died on the cross for thee ; What hast

thou done for Me ?" . . . . 122"O, come all ye faithful, O, come let usadore Him " . . . . .152'

' I am the Good Shepherd : the GoodShepherd giveth His Life for thesheep" 188

" He toucheth the cross, and maketh itlight" 246

xni


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part IIUnstructtons

on tbeCburcb, tbe Xiturgp, tbeCatecbism, ant) pcnU

tence


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THE CHURCHTHERE is no more wonderful record in his-tory than that of the institution, organiz-

ation and growth of the Holy CatholicChurch. Nor could a greater contrast be pre-sented than that between the small body of menand women, of humble birth and little learning,who constituted the first followers of our Lord,and the wide-spreading Religion of Jesus Christto-day, professed if not faithfully followed byevery civilized nation. The Christian Religionhas been the greatest power in the advancementof the world, the inspiration to all that is best inman, the secret of the elevation and progress ofthe human race. No greater argument couldthere be for the supernatural character of theChurch than this continuance and growth fornineteen centuries in every race and conditionof men, often in the face of fearful persecution.This fact exemplifies the claim of the Church tobe the Divine Institution of Jesus Christ, HisMystical Body, guided by the Holy Ghost andendowed with special spiritual powers. Onlyunder an Organization so constituted could havebeen accomplished so wonderful a work andhave been overruled for good the actions ofwicked men within and without the fold. Itmay not be unfruitful, therefore, to sketch very


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2 THEi CHURCHbriefly some of the most important periods andfeatures of the history, growth, and developmentof the Church.

THE ANCIENT CHURCHThe Apostolic Church, 33=98 ad.* The

first picture of the Church is that of the littlegroup of Apostles and Disciples, about onehundred and twenty in number,' which gatheredtogether in the upper room at Jerusalem afterour Lord's Ascension, Upon the Descent ofthe Holy Ghost on Whitsunday, the twelveApostles (S. Matthias now being numbered withthe eleven), full of missionary zeal, started tofulfil Christ's command to preach the Gospelto all people, first offering it to the Jews, then tothe Gentiles. Holy Scripture, in the book of theActs, records the beginnings of their work, andshows us the essential features of the ChurchPolity which they established, undoubtedly ac-cording to our Lord's direction. The Three-fold Ministry of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons,the Order of Public Worship, the Forms ofPrayers, the Rites of Baptism and Confirma-tion, the daily Celebration of Holy Commun-ion, the Preaching of the Word, the observanceof Sunday, the assembling of a Synod, are all re-corded as the work and appointment of theApostles. At the very inception of their laboursare also seen the four essential marks or notes ofthe Catholic Church : the Apostles' Doctrine orCreed, the Fellowship or Communion of Saints,the Breaking of Bread or Holy Communionand the Prayej-s or Liturgy. ^

* These designations are merely for clearness.* Acts i. 15. 2 Acts ii. 42.


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THE ANCIENT CHURCH 3At first, while practically possible and until

the Fall of Jerusalem, the Apostles continued inattendance at worship at the Jewish Temple,^for they realized the continuity of the Churchunder the Jewish and Christian Revelation.Their own services of daily prayer and daily Eu-charist, wherein they worshipped Almighty GoDand set forth the Faith of Jesus Christ andFlim Crucified, gave them the spiritual strengthfor their labours for their Lord. These ser-vices they secretly held in cellars and upperrooms, in order to guard the Holy Mysteriesand ensure their own safety. In their associa-tion, they had all things in common,''^ not thattheir means were divided equally, but that thosein need were supported from a common fund,the true ideal of Christian Charity.They formed but a little band in the midst ofmillions of the Jewish and Gentile world. Theyhad to struggle against the bigotry of those ofthe Jewish Religion who refused the Revelationof Christ, the ridicule of those believing inGreek Philosophy who scorned the Faith of theGospel, and the selfishness of those worshippingmythological divinities and heathen gods whosaw their trade in images departing. Theseclasses of people, together with the power ofthe Roman Empire, worked in their severalways to stamp out the Church. To men of lit-tle faith the cause would have seemed hopeless,for Religion, Law and Society as they then ex-isted were against them. Undismayed, how-ever, the Disciples persevered in their work,seeing the Church planted in most of the greatcentres of the East and even carried to parts ofthe far distant West, ere they died their martyr's

^ Acts ii. 46. ' Acts ii. 44.


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4 THE CHURCHdeath, as was the fate of all but S. John.The Primitive Church, 98=300. The

successors of the Apostles, with similar loveand zeal, continued the work so well begun.Many of them perished in the great persecutionsof Christians which occurred at intervals. Inthe face of dreadful privation and suffering theystrengthened and extended the Church. Theybuilt up great religious centres, establishedschools of Theology, and founded the MonasticLife. Some as hermits sought the desert placesfor prayer, penance and literary labour. Theregion of the Nile was a favourite spot. Therein the solemn stillness of the night they thoughtof God, or in the day saw far below them the evi-dences of busy life, no sounds of which dis-turbed the dreamy silence of their solitude.Others in Monasteries planted the seeds whichwere to preserve learning, spread civilizationand incite holiness in later ages. Still otherswent as missionaries to far distant lands to teachthose in darkness the light of the Gospel. TheFathers, S. Ignatius, S. Ireneus, S. Polycarp, S.Clement, S. Cyprian and Justin Martyr, and S.Anthony the Hermit are some of the greatnames of this period.

The Post=Nicene Church. The fourthcentury saw the triumph of the Cross, and theend of the great persecutions, in the conversionin 312 A.D., of Constantine the Great, the RomanEmperor. The power and influence of Im-perial Rome aided considerably to spreadthe Faith and establish the Religion of JesusChrist. It was the time of organization. The


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THK ANCIENT CHURCH 5Liturgies were put into writing and the ceremo-nial of worship was developed. The Scriptureswere collected and the canonical books deter-mined. New and splendid churches were built,and the wealth which came to the Church fromits rich converts was used in providing for theneeds of religion.New troubles however succeeded the old.During the early days of the Church errors hadarisen, but no conciliar action was taken. Nowhowever, as other heresies spread, especiallythose regarding the One Person and Two Na-tures of Christ, General or CEcumenical Coun-cils were held to condemn false teaching and todetermine matters of doctrine and discipline.Six of these Councils were in the highest senseCEcumenical, that is, they were Councils atwhich all parts of the Church were represented,whose decrees were accepted and ratified by thewhole Church. These six Councils are those ofNicaea, 325 a.d., at which the Arian heresy wascondemned and the Nicene Creed drawn up tothe end of the words, " I believe in the HolyGhost"; Constantinople, 381 a.d., when therest of the Creed was added ; Ephesus, 434 A.D.,Chalcedon, 451 a.d., Constantinople, 553 A.D.,and Constantinople, 6S0 A.D.These were the times of the great Fathers or

Doctors of the Church, the writers and wit-nesses of the Faith, of whom may be mentioned:the Greek Fathers, S. Athanasius, S. Chrysos-tom, S. Basil and S, Gregory of Nazianzum andthe Latin Fathers, S. Augustine, S. Ambrose,S. Jerome and S. Leo the Great. The greatBishoprics w-ere independent of each other, butunited in a common Faith, Rome, Alexandria,Antioch and later Constantinople being looked


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6 THE CHURCHupon as the great Patriarchates entitled to specialhonour, representing European, Asiatic, andAfrican divisions of the Empire. During thisperiod new disturbances to the Church camefrom the quarrels and jealousies of some in highplaces, from the worldliness of others, and fromthe frequent inroads of the barbarian racesfrom the north and east. These last did greatinjury to Church and State, finally accomplish-ing the fall of the Roman Empire in the West.These races later became Christian.

IITHE MEDI/EVAL CHURCH

With the fall of the Western Empire and therise of the nations somewhat as they now are,the Churches within national boundaries becamemore strictly national Churches, though care-fully preserving the unity of the Catholic Faith.Gradually however the Eastern and WesternChurches drew away from one another, theirdifferences finally ending in the great schismof the nth Century, never since healed, thoughrepeated attempts have been made at reunion.This schism was due partly to political, partly toreligious differences, in the rivalry between Romeand Constantinople, in the Image Controversyand in the insertion in the Creed of the clauseteaching the Double Procession of the HolyGhost. Images had not at first been used forfear of copying the idolatry of the heathen.Later, painting and sculpture were introducedas an aid in arousing devotion. When in the8th Century the Emperor decreed the destruc-tion of all Images, dreadful acts of sacrilege


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THE MEDI^VAI, CHURCH 7were committed and bitter feuds engendered bythe Iconoclasts or Image-breakers. The con-troversy ended in the sanctioning the use ofImages, under proper regulations, by the Councilof Nicea in 786, its decrees, however, being con-siderably modified by the Western Council heldat Frankfort in 794. In the matter of theDouble Procession of the HoLY Ghost, theEast objected to the words " and the Son " afterthe words "proceeded from the Father" beingintroduced into the Creed without proper au-thority. Though the point is well taken, theteaching is Scriptural and probably does notreally differ from the doctrine held in the East.The INIiddle Ages also saw the rise of the Pa-pacy, the Bishops of Rome arrogating authorityand powers utterly unscriptural and neverclaimed in ancient times, leading to evils andabuses which cannot be exaggerated. The ex-ercise of Papal powers, however, wrong as theywere, did, under God, do much to preserve re-ligion and keep in check stubborn rulers andpeoples during these troublous times. In thehands of an holy man, it was possible to use thispower for good, but when wielded by a wickedor ambitious Pope, it was harmful beyond meas-ure. Portions of this period have been calledthe Dark Ages, but the movements within andwithout the Church were so varied, and goodand evil so mingled, that it is difficult to applythe term correctly. The purity of life and doc-trine had undoubtedly become corrupted. Thelives of the Popes and of others in high placeswere scandalous. Evil doing was general andwar was continually waged. The growth of theMonastic Orders, the institution of the Preach-ing Friars and the Crusades were movements


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8 the; churchfraught with mixed good and evil. Yet therewas far more real religion and true piety inmany quarters than is sometimes imagined, andit is very likely that the spiritual welfare ofthe masses was tetter cared for than is now thecase. Nor should it be overlooked that thegreatest achievements of Art and Architecturewere accomplished during the Middle Ages.Painting and Sculpture reached their height,Christian Art attaining its highest expression.Architecture flourished, the beauty, the ma-jesty, the mystery of the Pointed or GothicStyle reaching its greatest development. Onlyunder the impulse and inspiration of religioncould this have been done. Scholarship andlearning also received new strength from thewritings and studies of the Schoolmen, such asS. Thomas Aquinas, Peter Lombard, and others.Altogether it was a time of varied movementand mingled good and evil.

IllTHE REFORMATION

The Reformation was due to a number ofcauses. Even at this date it is impossible fairlyto estimate their relative influence and import-ance. The breaking up of the feudal system,the general feeling of unrest, the realization ofpower among the masses, all tended to the rebel-lion against authority as then exercised. Cor-ruption in doctrine, superstition in worship, andabuses in discipline showed the need of reform,wdiich Councils, assembled for that purpose,seemed unable to accomplish. The denial of theChalice to the laity, which custom, spreading


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THE REFORMATION 9slowly, had been sanctioned at the Council ofConstance in 141 5, was felt to be a great de-privation. Yet there can be little doubt thatthe main causes of the Reformation were theawful scandals and abuses of the Papacy, and theiniquitous traffic in pardons, indulgences andmasses. Martin Luther, a monk at Erfurt,lighted the torch that set all of Europe ablaze,and resulted in the great religious upheaval ofthe sixteenth century, a movement that sweptaway much that was evil but also much that wasgood. Political war followed religious contro-versy, the stubborn opposition of the Papacy toreform and the hasty action of the reformersleading to woful rents in the Body of Christ.When peace came after long and desolatingwars, the Continental Reformation left WesternEurope divided between the Roman Church,which had in the meantime partially reformedherself at the Council of Trent, and numberlessProtestant bodies, which had lost Apostolic Or-der and had drifted away from the ancient Faith.To-day the Eastern, Anglican and Roman Com-munions, though outwardly separated from eachother, have invisible union through Christ, asthe Church Catholic, agreeing in the essentialsof the Faith, while about them are many sect-arian organizations without valid Ministry orvSacraments, and ever multiplying as new quar-rels still further divide them.

IVTHE ANGLICAN CHURCH

The Ancient Church in the BritishIsles. At what time and by whom Christianity


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lO THE CHURCHwas planted in Ancient Britain, now calledEngland, is not known. The establishment ofthe Church there has been variously attributedto S. Paul, to S. Joseph of Arimathea and oth-ers, but there is no reliable evidence to supportany special claim. The Church was probablyintroduced from France, then known as Gaul,late in the first or early in the second century,as British Bishops were either present at EarlyCouncils or gave assent to their decrees. TheSees of London, York and Lincoln were veryearly founded, but the Church was not strong,as instanced in sending to the Galilean Churchfor Germanus and Lupus to help stamp out thePelagian heresy. It could boast, however, ofone of the first martyrs, S. Alban. In IrelandChristianity is said to have been early intro-dwced, but it is to the great S. Patrick that theChurch there owed its establishment in the 5thCentury. Through the Irish Missions, Scotlandin turn received Christianity. With the inva-sion of Britain in the 5th Century by the Anglo-Saxons, the ancient British Church was driveninto Wales and Cornwall, where it existed, cutoff from the rest of the Christian world.The Anglo=Saxon Church. No notable

attempt was made to convert the Anglo-Saxonsuntil 597, when Gregory the Great, Bishop ofRome, sent Augustine and his Monks to Britain.Carrying the Cross and chanting the Litany theylanded on the southern coast of England, nearCanterbury. Not long afterwards Ethelbertthe King of Kent, was converted and baptizedwith many of his followers, and Augustine ap-plying to the Galilean Church for consecrationwas made the Archbishop of the English, with


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THE ANGIvICAN CHURCH IIhis Cathedral at Canterbury. Minor differencesprevented Augustine and the remnant of theAncient British Church from working together.Consequently Augustine and his clergy only suc-ceeded in planting the Church in the southernpart of the country, the northern kingdoms ofthe Anglo-Saxons being converted largelythrough the efforts of the Scotch-Irish Monksof lona and Lindisfarne, two great religiousfoundations, tracing their origin to S. Patrick,when Ireland was known as "The Isle of thevSaints." In the missionary labours of theChurch, the names of S. Columba, S. Aidan, S.Chad and S. Cuthbert will ever be remembered.The Church steadily prospered, and in the sev-enth century, in the time of Theodore, the iVrch-bishop of Canterbury, was fully organized andknown far and wide as the Church of England.The Mediaeval Church of England. In

1066 the Norman Conquest changed manyof the conditions of both Church and country.The Normans were a wonderful people, ener-getic and progressive. Originally Northmen,by their occupation of that portion of Francesince known as Normandy, and by their inter-marriage with the people there, they became oneof the most highly civilized races of the west.Their love of architecture and organization, theircultivation of learning and the fine arts made agreat impression on the English Church andpeople. Yet while the outward glory of theChurch increased, the Faith, while being essen-tially maintained, became overgrown with cor-rupt superstitions and practices, and the moralsof many became lowered with worldly living.The continual efforts of the Papacy to dominate


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12 THE CHURCHand rule both the English Church and the Eng-lish people achieved partial success during thisperiod, but never to the extent that obtainedon the Continent of Europe. The Middle Agesconsequently saw England with the rest ofEurope ripe for reformation.The Reformation in England. This

practically began in the sixteenth century whenthe revival of Greek literature showed how farthe Church had corrupted Apostolic faith andpractice. Unlike the movements on the Conti-nent, which resulted in the formation of Protest-ant bodies, the Reformation in England wasone in which the Church purified herself in alawful and canonical manner, doing away withwhat was wrong in teaching and superstitiousin practice. The work of the Reformationfound its occasion in the refutation of the polit-ical usurpation of the Papacy, both the Stateand the Church rejecting all interference in theiraffairs by the Church and Court of Rome. Fromthis action on the part of the Church of Englandcame the reformation in doctrine and practice,which looked to the purification of worship andto the uplifting of the morals of the people.As in all such movements some evil camewith the good. With the errors swept awaywere also carried many pious beliefs and devoutpractices which, while not matters of faith, werespiritually helpful. The wholesale spoliationand demolition of the Monasteries, and the turn-ing adrift of their inmates upon the world, togratify the covetous greed of King and Noblesis a dark spot in the history of the English Re-formation. A judicious purification would havedone away with such evils as existed, and would


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THE ANGUCAN CHURCH 1have made the Church of England far strongerand better equipped for work at the presentday.The efforts at reform were greatly retardedby the difficulty of reconciling the differences ofthe Reformers, some of whom aimed to preservethe Apostolic teaching and character of theChurch, others, known as Puritans, striving un-der the plea of " simplicity in worship " to sub-stitute private opinions and preferences for theteaching and institutions of the Church. Thetranslation of the Bible and Liturgy into Eng-lish, the remodelling of the Service Books, theordering of the Offices to be said "in a tongueunderstanded of the people," the purification ofceremonial, and the elevation of the morals willstand as the best and most enduring witnesses ofthe good accomplished by the English Re-formation.

Since those days the Church has weatheredmany storms : the persecution under QueenMary, the overthrow of the Kingdom and ofEpiscopacy by Cromwell, and the evils conse-quent to the revolution. Upon the restorationof Church and State, the work of reform con-tinued, the movement virtually ending with thepublication of the Prayer Book of 1662. Amongthose who at different times most ably advo-cated Catholic teaching may be mentionedArchbishop Laud, Jeremy Taylor, George Her-bert, Pearson, Thomas Ken, Hooker, andLancelot Andrewes, generally known as the Car-oline Divines, whose writings and saintly livesdid much for the Church.The Church in Later Days. The eight-

eenth century found the religious life of the


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14 THE CHURCHChurch in a state of apathy, consequent uponthe latitudinarian teaching of the period. Thelack of religion, reverence, morality, and per-sonal piety is sad to contemplate and the recordsof the condition of churches and the observanceof the services are hard to believe. The move-ment started by John and Charles Wesley inthe latter part of the eighteenth century accom-plished some good but unfortunately resulted ina schism, in the formation of the Methodist body.Later, the Evangelical Revival succeeded instimulating personal piety, its weakness beingfound in the failure to teach in a definite, positivemanner, in the lack of proportion in the pre-sentation of great truths, and in the neglect ofthe Sacraments.The greatest power for good arose early in

the nineteenth century in the Catholic Revival,called the Tractarian or Oxford Movement. Itresulted in the strongest stimulation of the spir-itual life that the Church of England has seensince the Reformation. It received its inspira-tion from the publication in 1827, of John Keble's" Christian Year." This was followed in 1833by the publication of a series of papers, at firstbrief, then more lengthy, called " Tracts for theTimes," written by a group of Oxford men notedfor their learning and piety, among them beingJohn Henry Newman, Keble, Isaac Williams,Rose, Froude, and later on Dr. Pusey. Theobject was to awaken the Church to the realiza-tion of her Apostolic heritage, of her Divinelygiven Authority, and of the precious privilegeswithin her reach. The Tracts continued until1840, the movement constantly growing instrength. It was however largely misunder-stood. There was open hostility in many


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THE ANGI^ICAN CHURCH 1quarters. The originators were vilified. Con-troversy raged and charges were made in themost reckless fashion. The Bishops tried to putthe movement down, and finally the stormbroke, and Newman, Faber, and others, in de-spair of success, joined the Roman Communion.Under the leadership of the great Dr. Pusey,who was loyally supported by Keble, Williams,Mozley, Church and others, little by little, slow-ly but surely, the party recovered from thiscatastrophe and steadily gained in strength.Its principles began to be accepted. Its fol-lowers increased. Its position was established.Its influence was felt beyond the seas. It wonsupporters in high places, among the Bishops, inParliament and at the Bar. First Doctrine,then Ceremonial was fought for, and now at thebeginning of another century, while the battle isnot yet ended, the Catholic Revival has attaineda success at one time despaired of. In manyplaces Apostolic truth is preached and Catholicceremonial is practised in the purity and beautyof ancient days. The Sacraments are dulyadministered, the Eucharist is frequently cele-brated, churches are properly appointed andcared for, worship is reverently rendered, peo-ple are properly instructed, ecclesiastical archi-tecture is studied, guilds and societies areorganized, Communities and Sisterhoods areinstituted, and wherever the Catholic Revivalhas been felt there the Church is seen in hermajesty and beauty. Its adherents are the mostloyal supporters of the Inspiration and Infalli-bility of Holy Scripture, the voice of Antiquitybeing regarded as the safest guide to its inter-pretation.


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l6 THE CHURCH

THE CHURCH IN AMERICAThe Church was introduced to America with

the planting of the Colonies, and was the firstbranch of the Catholic Church settled in theland. Before the Revolution the work was car-ried on by a few Parish Priests and private Chap-lains, looking to the Bishop of London as theirDiocesan. When peace followed the war of lib-erty, Episcopacy was obtained in the Conse-cration of Dr. Seabury, by the Bishops of theEpiscopal Church of Scotland. He was the firstBishop of Connecticut and the first Prelate of theAmerican Church. Other Bishops were gainedin the Consecration of Dr. White as Bishopof Pennsylvania, and Dr. Prevoost as Bishopof New York, by the Archbishops of Canter-bury and York, assisted by the Bishop of Bathand W^ells, and the Bishop of Peterborough.Dr. Madison was shortly afterward Consecratedthe Bishop of Virginia. Through these Bishopsthe great American Church with over ninetyBishops and with several thousand Clergy hasher Apostolic Orders and Succession. She isnotably blessed in her splendid Liturgy, in herMissionary organization, in her freedom fromstate interference and in the spread of Catholictruth.

To-day, the Anglican Communion, includingthose bodies officially known as " The Church ofEngland," " The Protestant Episcopal Church inthe United States of America," " The Church ofIreland," " The Episcopal Church of Scotland,"" The Church of England in the British Coloniesand Heathen Lands," and the Foreign Missions


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THE CHURCH IN AMERICA 17of the American Church, stands with three hun-dred Bishops, many thousands of Clergy andmany millions of the Laity as a great branch ofthe Catholic Church, having Continuous Descentfrom the Apostles. happy in the use of an Eng-lish Bible and an English Liturgy, with Sacra-ments administered as directed by our Lordand holding "the Faith once delivered to theSaints" in its beauty and purity.

^ This is a matter of fact, not a matter of opinion.


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THE LITURGY

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THELITURGYTHE Book of Common Prayer, as well as the

Office of Holy Communion, has oftenbeen called our " Incomparable Liturgy."As a whole, it is probably superior to all othersnow in use, and is to be loved, honoured, andguarded as our own special heritage, allowingus to worship GOD in "a tongue understandedof the people." In many ways it is one of thegreatest achievements of the Anglican Church.At once dignified and devotional, it is a modelof choice English and an example of Catholicsimplicity. It is notably rich, not only in pre-senting in pure form the Chief Act of Worshipof the Church, together with the Lesser Servicesof Morning and Evening Prayer and the otherOffices for religious occasions, but also in pro-viding for the active participation of both Priestand people, as no other Rite does, Rome andProtestantism especially leaving little for theLaity to do.The Service of Holy Communion, which isthe Liturgy proper, has also been known under

l8


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"A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEADTHEM."


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HISTORICAI, SKETCH I9various other names, each of which accentuatessome special aspect of this sacred Rite, as " theBreaking of Bread," "the Lord's Supper,""the Oblation," "the Holy Eucharist," "theSacrifice," "the Holy Mysteries," "the DivineLiturgy," "the Sacrament of the Altar," " theSacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ,""the Blessed Sacrament" and "the Mass."Most of these are retained in the Book of Com-mon Prayer, and are found used in Holy Scrip-ture or in Ancient times. The use of the word" Mass " is deprecated by some, not as wrong butas inexpedient. No proper objection can bemade to the word ' ' Mass " as a word, or becauseit is the name generally applied to the Offeringof the Holy Sacrifice by the Roman Communion.Its use however may not be advisable or expe-dient, on account of its disputed origin andmeaning, its association in the minds of manywith mediaeval error and superstition and theintentional omission from the Prayer Book,There could be no better names than those of"Holy Communion," "Holy Mysteries" and"Holy Eucharist." The last, that of "HolyEucharist," may especially be advocated as itmost clearly brings out the meaning of the ser-vice and emphasizes the thought that the HolyCommunion is not only our greatest blessing andprivilege but also our solemn "Sacrifice ofpraise and thanksgiving."The Liturgy was not at first written for fearof those outside the faithful learning the sacred

words. That a similar order however was fol-lowed, wherever the Holy Eucharist was cele-brated, is seen on comparing those Ancient Rites,when later put into writing, those Forms whichhave come down to us showing a resemblance


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20 the: lylTURGY

only to be explained by a common model. Forconvenience' sake these Early Liturgies may bedivided into four families : the Oriental, used inthe East, the Alexandrian, used in Egypt andAbyssinia ; the Roman, used in Rome, Italy andAfrica ; the Ephesian, used in Ephesus. Theseare often known by the names of their reputedcomposers such as the Liturgies of S. Chrysos-tom, S. Clement, S. James ; S. Mark, S. Basil ;S. Peter ; S. John. From the Ephesian Rite ofS. John sprang the Mozarabic Liturgy, used inSpain, and the Galilean Liturgy, used inFrance.From France the Galilean Liturgy was intro-duced into England (then Britain) probably atthe time of the planting of the Church there.It flourished in Britain for a long time. WhenAugustine and his followers came from Rome in597, to convert the Anglo-Saxons, who had pos-sessed the larger part of the land, they foundthe British Church, which was existing in themore remote parts of the country to which ithad been driven, still using the Galilean Liturgy.Augustine, acting on the instructions of Gregorythe Great, did not try to supplant this Liturgywith the Roman Rite, but combined the twointo what was virtually a new national Use.The existence of these several Liturgies led tothe Cathedral and Collegiate centres compilingAdaptations of their own, called " Uses." Thatof Old Sariun, which was arranged in 1085 byOsmund, Bishop of Salisbury, gradually sup-planted all others in popular use, becoming theRite generally followed in England, up to theReformation,The recital of the Service in Latin, whichthese changes brought about, which language


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HISTORICAI, SKETCH 21was only understood by the Clergy and culti-vated classes, was a great defect and soon af-fected the spiritual life of the people. Toremedy this, there were issued in English forprivate use Books of Devotion containing theCanonical Hours and other Offices, and Primersof instruction on doctrine and duty. Suchworks however, did not compensate the peoplefor the failure to understand the recital of thepublic Offices. This together with the excessivenumber of the Service Books and the compli-cated directions for their use, which it has beensaid, made "it take longer to find out how todo a thing than to do it," showed the need ofliturgical reform.

This may be said to have begun with the publi-cation of the "Bishops' Book" in 1537, the "King'sBook" in 1543, and the "Primer" in 1545, con-taining short instructions and devotions, whichprepared the way for the issue in 1548, of anEnglish translation for the Laity, of part of theLiturgy, entitled " The Order of Communion."The Reformers then set to work to revise andremodel the Service Books, their aim beingshortness, simplicity and a return to the earlierand purer forms. The Mediaeval Books of theMissal, or the Mass, the Breviary, or the dailyPrayers, the Pontifical, or the Episcopal Acts,the MajiKal, or the occasional offices, with otherminor works, were revised, condensed, translatedinto English and formed into one book, the wholebeing issued in 1549 as the First Prayer Bookof Edward VI. Subsequent revisions, not al-ways wise ones, are known as the Second PrayerBook ofEdward VI., issued in 1552, which workhowever never came into general use, or receivedthe approval of Convocation ; the Prayer Book


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22 THE I


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EXPI.ANATION OF THE SERVICE 23the Anaphora.' The first part, which differedconsiderably, consisted of what were called theMass of the Catechumens and the Mass of theFaithful, and included the Prayers, the Epistle,the Gospel, the Creed and what followed up tothe Sursum Corda ; the second part, which variedslightly, embraced the Eucharistic Prayer, theConsecration, the Intercession for the Livingand the Dead, and the Communion. These di-visions are still apparent in the Ordinary andCanon of our reformed Rite. For the sake ofclearness they may be subdivided and describedas follows '^ :

The Introductio7iThe Lord's Prayer. The Service fittinglybegins with the recital of the Lord's Prayer,

which as the Divinely given Pattern well directsthe intention of all the Divine Offices. Here itis said only by the Priest, and with the Prayerfor Purity which follows, is part of his pre-paration, formerly being appointed to be saidsecretly.The Collect for Purity. This very an-

cient and very beautiful prayer brings before usthe need of personal purity, for our approach tothe Holy Mysteries about to be celebrated. Itis an echo of the Beatitude, "Blessed are thepure in heart, for they shall see God,"The Commandments. The recital of theDecalogue is a peculiarity of the Anglican Rite

' Anaphora means "Lifdng up" and refers to theOffering.

^ It had better be read with the Service on pageThis Order is that of the American Church.


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24 THE I^ITURGYbut notwithstanding is eminently appropriate.Here at the beginning of a service which is tobring to us GoD veiled in the Sacrament of theAltar, we are carried in spirit to the time whenGod, hidden in the clouds of Sinai, showed HisGlory and Grandeur, and revealed to man HisEternal Counsels in these Laws of Holy Living.The Short Summary. This gives the

sense and spirit of the Commandments, as ex-plained by our LORD, in our Duty towards Godand our Duty towards our neighbour. This Sum-mary may be read in addition to the Decalogue,or may be said in its stead. It does not appearin the Rite of the Church of England, in itsplace being a Collect for the King.The Kyrie Eleison. These petitions,

*' Lord have mercy upon us,^'' " Christ havemercy upon tis,^'' ^'Lord have mercy upon us,'^here follow to express, not only our sense of un-worthiness but also our trust in God's Forgive-ness. They were formerly said nine times.Now they are used in their shorter form whenthe Commandments are omitted or when theShort Summary is said. They are not found inthe English Rite.The Prayer for Direction. This is set

forth in the American but not in the EnglishService. It asks God's loving guidance, careand protection, and shows our reliance on Him.The Collect, Epistle and Gospel. These

are as appointed for the Day. The Collect isa brief prayer, composed of a few petitions col-lected together, emphasizing one special thoughtthe Epistle is a selection taken from God's


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KXPLANATION OF THE SERVICE 25Word as written by the Apostles or Prophets ;the Gospel is God's Word as revealed in theLife and Teaching of our Lord. Together theEpistle and Gospel, representing the Scriptures,which, Inspired by the Holy Ghost and writtenby human agents, are Divine and Human, sym-bolize the Incarnation of Christ, " The Wordmade Flesh." In some Churches, the ancientpractice is followed of singing between the Epis-tle and Gospel the Sequence, so called be-cause it followed [seqjiitiir) the Epistle, and theGradiial, because sung on the steps [in gradibns)of the Altar. These are generally verses fromthe Psalms, ending with Alleluia.The Creed. This is the Church's declaration

of the historical and doctrinal statements of" the Faith once delivered to the Saints." Byits recital we profess our belief in and pledgeourselves to follow the teaching of the HolyCatholic Church.

The OffertoiyThe Sentences. The Sermon (if there is

one) having been preached, one or more sen-tences from Holy Scripture, on the duty of Alms-giving, are read to make the people realize theirresponsibility as stewards of God's Blessings,and to urge them to give liberally according totheir means.The Presentation of Alms. The moneyswhich have been collected are now offered toGod at the Altar, teaching that God is theGiver of all good gifts, and that in spending forthe Church or the poor we give Him of His Own.


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26 the; IilTURGY

The Oblations of Bread and Wine. Theelements of Bread and Wine to be consecratedare then in turn presented at the Altar. As Godaccepts the Alms to be given to the Church orthe poor, so He accepts the Bread and Wine, tobecome the means of conveying Our BlessedLord to us.The Prayer for the Church.' This is a

general Intercession both for the living and thedead. It points to the intention with which weare to offer up the Eucharist, for all Estates ofthe Catholic Church.

The ApproachThe Exhortation. This begins what maybe called the Approach to the Holy Mysteries.The Exhortation is a short note of warning, re-

minding us that we must draw near in faith,love, and repentance, making confession of oursins to Almighty God.The Confession. 2 The Priest as well asthe people kneels, and together they make anhumble acknowledgment of sin. When we

think of how dreadful sin is, how it caused theFall, the sorrow and suffering due to the Fall,and above all the Crucifixion of Christ, we dowell to bow low before God, against Whose In-finite Love we so frequently offend, and ask His

* It is most unseemly and irreverent to leave the Churchat this point, as is the custom of some. It is turning awayfrom the coming of the Lord, dishonours the Sacramentand avows one's unfitness for remaining with Christianpeople.

^ See Chapter on Penitence. It is assumed that thosewho use these words have previously examined them-selves and asked God's pardon.


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EXPI.ANATION OF THE SERVICE 27Forgiveness for the sake of Christ, Who diedfor " us men and for our salvation."The Absolution. Standing, the Priest,speaking for God, by virtue of his Office, con-veys God's Forgiveness of sin to all who trulyrepent. Thus the Precious Blood of Jesus isapplied to the soul, and the stains of sin washedaway.The Comfortable Words. The burden of

sin has been laid at the Cross and lifted in Ab-solution. Now in the Comfortable Words, takenfrom Holy Scripture, we are assured of rest andpeace, through the Merits and Mediation ofJesus Christ.

The CanonThe Sursum Corda. The more solemn

portion of the service then begins. We areraised to a higher plane as the words ""Lift tipyour hearts''' bid us think only of the near ap-proach of our Lord in the Holy Mysteries.

Introduction and Preface. With impres-sive words the Priest now declares our boundenduty to render thanks and praise to AlmightyGod, as with intense adoration we wing our spir-itual flight unto the Throne of Grace and lis-ten to the Sanctus Song.The Sanctus. This is the TriumphantHymn of the Angels, our solemn act of adora-

tion. Before us comes the vision of Heaven.We bend low in worship before Almighty God.We think of the Majesty of His Glory. We pic-ture the glorious company of the Apostles, thegoodly fellowship of the Prophets, the noble


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28 THK IvlTURGYarmy of Martyrs, the Holy Church throughoutthe world, as with them we join our praisesto the chaunting of the Celestial Choirs, andwith Angels and Archangels and with allthe Company of Heaven, laud and magnifyGod's Glorious Name. Well may we with Ser-aphim veil our faces as we think of God'sGlory, and adore Him in the Highest Heaven,Him Who is Holy Father, Holy Son, HolyGhost, Three Persons in One God, even theLord of Hosts, the Lord Most High.The Prayer of Humble Access. As the

Sanctus ends, for a moment a solemn stillnessseems to reign. God who is ever near is com-ing nearer in a sacramental manner. We havesung His Glory, Now we humble ourselvesbefore Him, and pray that which is called in theEast the " Bowing Down Prayer," for only insuch spirit may we approach the King. And asthe Prayer ends there follows the Hymn, ' ^Blessedis He that Cometh in the Name of the Lo7'd,Hosanna in the Highest,''' ' the Song of wel-come to Him, Who comes to us in these HolyMysteries.The Consecration. The tremendous act of

the whole service is now to take place, the actthat is to bring our Blessed Lord near to us.All should kneel low in silent adoration andworship. There should be perfect stillness asthe Priest most reverently and solemnly recitesthe Short Commemoration of our Lord's Deathand Passion, and says the Words of Institution,which being essential to valid Consecration arefound in all Liturgies. By these Words of our

* S. Matthew xxi. 7.


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EXPIvANATION OF THE) SERVICE 29Lord, and by the Descent of the Holy Ghostthe earthly elements are blessed and sanctified,the Bread and Wine becoming the Body andBlood of Christ, a Mystery we cannot under-stand but must believe on the Word of ourSaviour.The Oblation. Continuing, we present unto

the Father the Solemn Memorial, commandedby our Lord, commemorating His Acts in thework of Redemption, and rendering our mosthearty thanks for the innumerable benefits pro-cured unto us by the same.The Invocation. This is the solemn com-

memoration of the work of the Holy Ghost asthe effectual agent in the Consecration of theBread and Wine to become the Body and Bloodof Christ. The splendid form of Invocationwhich the American Church uses, in commonwith the Scottish and Eastern Churches, is notclearly set forth in the Office of the Church ofEngland and is lacking in the modern LatinRite. Continuing, the Canon commemorates thepersonal offering of each worshipper, of "our-selves, our souls and bodies," together with the"sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving" askingGod to accept this our Oblation, and to grant tothe living and the dead the remission of theirsins through the Merits and Mediation of JesusChrist. This personal offering of the worship-per should be carefully noted and realized. Afterbeseeching God that all may worthily receivethese Holy Mysteries of the Most Precious Bodyand Blood of Christ, the Canon ends with afine ascription of praise in the words, " throughJesus Christ, our Lord : by Whom and withWhom in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all


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30 THE IvlTURGYhonour and glory be unto Thee, O Father Al-mighty, world without end. Amen."

The CommunionThe Priest's Communion. The Priest

first makes his Communion, thus completing theOffering. Then after silent prayer, he turns to thepeople, holding the Sacred Elements as an invi-tation for all who so desire, to approach.During this time it is often the custom tosing the Ag)itis Dei, which is taken from theGloria in Excelsis, " O Lamb of God that takesta7vay the Sins of the World, have mercy uponus " thrice repeated except that the words ''Havemercy upon US'" are changed to " Grant us ThyPeace, ''^ in the last petition.The Communion of the People. Rever-

ently coming forward and kneeling at the Altarrail, the people receive the Sacrament in bothkinds, as administered by our Lord. By thispartaking of Christ's" Body and Blood they thusappropriate to themselves the Benefits won bythe Sacrifice of the Cross. It is a solemn mo-ment and all should try to realize the SacredPresence and appreciate the Precious Gift, kneel-ing in fervent love and devout thanksgiving.^For by this Sacramental union, we have thepledge of everlasting life, " Christ in tis the hopeof Glory.'' Silent, reverent and adoring should

^ The irreverent practice of some of leaving the Churchimmediately after their communion cannot be too stronglycondemned. It dishonours our Lord, disturbs devoutworshippers, deprives of the Blessing and if done at aworldly feast would pronounce the doer lacking in polite-ness. The practice is altogether without authority.


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KXPI,ANATlON OF THE) SERVICE 31all be during these solemn moments, for trulythe Scripture says : " The Lord is in His HolyTemple ; let all the earth keep silence beforeHimr ^

The ThanksgivingThe Lord's Prayer. The Divine Mysteries

have been received but Christ is still present.The souls of the faithful are uplifted with thejoy of Communion and with an unspeakablepeace and exaltation. We are profoundly thank-ful for the Sacred Gifts and we feel the insuffi-ciency of our own prayers. Thus the Church,knowing her children's needs, places here for allto say, the "Our Father," that we may fitlyadore God and express the devotion filling ourhearts.The Thanksgiving. This is a very beauti-

ful prayer. It thanks God for the Holy Mys-teries of the Most Precious Body and Blood ofChrist, and asks God's Grace to do such goodworks as He has prepared for us to walk in.The Gloria in Excelsis. Though uniquely

placed in this position in our Liturgy, we mayspecially rejoice that in its words we may wor-ship Him Who is still with us, veiled in theElements of Bread and Wine.^ Fittingly then,at the very close of our Service, which has raise-dus to Heaven, in our Sacramental union withour Lord, do we sing the Angel's Song, the firstChristian Hymn, with which the heavenly hoston the Morn of the Nativity sang the Glory of

^ Habakkuk ii. 20.^ This more than compensates for any loss due to this

position differentiating our Rite from others, Ancient andModern.


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32 THE I^ITURGYGod Incarnate. No other Liturgy in the worldhas such a magnificent ending as this of theAnglican Church.The Benediction. The form used is pecu-liar to our Rite. It is from two places in HolyScripture and is very beautiful. First the PaxJ^obiscuin, or the Peace which passeth all under-standing, is pronounced by the Priest upon allthe assembled worshippers, after which he givesthe Blessing of the Father and of the Son andof the Holy Ghost, the Eternal and EverBlessed Trinity.

In silent prayer and devout thanksgiving thepeople kneel until the Priest consumes what re-mains of the Consecrated Elements, makes theablutions and then passes from the Choir, Thenin gladness may all go to their homes, for theyhave '^^ been zvith yusus'''' and have receivedHim, the King of Glory, the Son of God MostHigh.A very beautiful interpretation of the sev-eral acts of the Office suggests that the Introitsymbolizes the Song of the Angels, the Lord'sPrayer, Christ teaching the Apostles to pray,the Epistle, salvation offered to but refused bythe Jews, the Gospel, salvation accepted by theGentiles, the Creed, our Lord's teaching, theAlms and Oblations, the Gifts of the Magi, theConsecration, Christ's Passion, the Communion,Christ laid in the Tomb, the Gloria in Excel-sis, the Resurrection, the Benediction, theAscension.


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RITUAI< AND CEREMONIAI, 33III

RITUAL AND CEREMONIALAll who are spiritually minded must feel that

such a solemn service cannot be too reverentlyor too frequently celebrated. Instituted by ourLord and bringing the faithful into union withHim, it must ever be the great Act of ChristianWorship, and now as in ancient times, ^ when-ever possible, should be offered daily. Nor cantoo much honour be shown to Christ, the Ob-ject of all worship. Saint Paul says let "a//things be done decently and in order. ^'' '^ Thisimplies certain Rites and Ceremonies, which notonly ensure the reverent rendering of the ser-vice, but also show forth its two-fold characteras a Sacramental Feast ^ and a CommemorativeSacrifice."* Ceremonial in truth enshrines andinterprets doctrine. The order of the Liturgy,the distinctive dress of the Clergy, the use of rit-ual acts and even the arrangement of the Churchwere all instituted for this purpose. The wholemanbody, soul, and spiritshould worship Al-mighty God.Thus Rites and Ceremonies, indifferent inthemselves, become the means of expressing rev-erence, arousing devotion and showing forthsome mystical meaning. Strictly speaking. Ritesare the Forms of Words, or written Services,Ceremonies the appointments of Church andClergy and outward acts of worship. The Ritesand Ceremonies used by this branch of theChurch are those allowed by the OrnamentsRubric of the Church of England, which the

* Acts ii. 42, 46. * I Cor. x. 16 and P. B.' I Cor. xiv. 40. * J Cor. xi. 36 and P. B.

3


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34 THE LITURGYPreface of the American Prayer Book gener-ally accepts. For that which is not explicitlyset forth, the usage of Antiquity otr the customof the universal Church is followed.' The gov-erning thought, however, should be that all cere-monial must have a spiritual or symbolicalmeaning. The following notes of explanationmay be helpfulThe Service. This is said or sung. At theChoral Service the Clergy and Choir enter in

Procession, to show that in the words of thePsalmist " they will go from strength tostrength,^'' ^ journeying with our Lord to theHoly City on High. They are led by the Cross,for it is the symbol of redemption and the gloryof the Church, " Godforbid that I should glorysave in the Cross of yesus Christ.^^ ^ So ourLord went before them carrying His Cross. *Banners are sometimes borne to arouse devotionand to teach the truths of the Faith, " Thouhast given a banner to them that fear Thee thatit may be displayed because of the truth^^'' ^ Theservice is often sung, as the best way of praisingGod, thus following the custom of the Jewish,Ancient and Mediseval Church and obeying thewords of Scripture, " Come, let us sijig untothe Lordy ^ Incense is sometimes used, becauseit symbolizes the Merits of Christ and thePrayers of the Saints, and because the Bible says," In every place Incense shall be offered untoMy Name and a Pure Off'ering.'" '

* Common sense must often guide. To say that unlessexplicit directions are given, a thing must not be done isridiculous. If so, then there is no way for a Priest to en-ter the Church, as no directions are given.

^ Psalm Ixxxiv. 7. *S. John xix. 17.3 Galatians vi. 14. " Psalm Ix. 4. ^ Pslam xcv. i.^ Malachi i. ii.


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RITUAI, AND CEREMONIAI, 35The Church Building. This is divided into

the Nave where the people worship, the Chan-cel where the clergy and choir stay, and theSanctuary where the Altar is. These threedivisions symbolize the Church Militant onearth, the Church Expectant in the Place of De-parted Spirits and the C'hurch Triumphant inHeaven, and correspond with the Outer Court,the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies of theJewish Temple, which was modelled after God'sdirections. A Rood-Screen, so called becausesurmounted by a Cross or Crucifix, often separ-ates the Nave and Choir, symbolizing that deathis the entrance to the life beyond the veil andthe Cross the hope of salvation. The Font isplaced by the entrance door and the Altar inthe Sanctuary at the farthest end, to show thesolemn rite of Baptism, which begins theChristian life, leading to the Holy Sacrament ofCommunion, the greatest privilege of theChristian life.

In the Sanctuary, the most sacred part of theChurch, the Passion of Christ is shown forth,in the Service of Holy Communion wherein isrepresented our Lord's Death and Sacrifice, andin the Appointments of the Altar, where it issymbolized. The Altar is elevated to teach thatour Lord was lifted up at the Crucifixion. Whenmade of stone it symbolizes the rock of Calvary ;when of wood, the Cross. On the ledge, calledthe Re-table, which is behind the Altar, is aCross, to tell the manner of Christ's Death,but without the Figure, as we worship a LivingLord in the Sacrament. The Candles are there,all to teach that Christ was the Light of theworld, the two larger ones or Eticharistic Lightsthat Pie is GoD and Man. The Vases of


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36 THE WTURGYFlowers ^ are used to honour our Lord and tosymbolize that He is, " The Rose of Sharon andthe Lily of the Valleys.^'' '^ The Altar is coveredwith a Fair Linen Cloth ^ to symbolize theSacramental Feast, and that Cloth is markedwith Five Crosses to typify the five Wounds ofChrist. The Hangings or Frontals of ColouredSilk or Cloth show forth the Church's Seasons,White for most Festivals, Violet for Advent andLent, Green for Epiphany and Trinity, Red forWhitsunday and Martyrs. These Frontals areembroidered to teach that God's House shouldbe made beautiful. Behind the Altar there isoften a Reredos, a carved stone or wooden screenor wall, or else a Dossal or embroidered hang-ing of cloth or silk. Thus art and architectureare made to contribute to sacred uses, and thestructure and appointments of God's HolyTemple to show forth His teaching.The Priest's Vestments. The Clergywho wear a Cassock, Surplice and Stole at

ordinary offices, which Vestments are copiedafter the Garments worn by our Lord, often use adistinctive dress in honour of the greater Serviceof Holy Communion, and in order to symbolizeChrist's Passion on the Day of the Cross,These Eucharistic Vestments^ which are wornover the black Cassock, ^ with their mysticalmeaning are as follows : the Amice, a deepwhite collar passed over the head, symbolizesthe Linen with which our Lord was blind-folded ; the Alb, a white linen garment resem-bling a Cassock, symbolizes the white robe

^ In ancient times flowers were strewn on the floor."^ Canticles ii. i.^ The Cassock was the ordinary street dress of the

Priest in olden times. It signifies devotion or consecration.


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RlTUAIv AND CEREMONIAIv 37placed on Christ by Herod ; the Girdle, a linencord for the waist, symbolizes the rope by whichChrist was Scourged ; the Stole, a silk scarf,crossed on the breast, with ends hanging down,symbolizes the rope by which Christ was led ;the Chasuble, an upper garment with openingfor the head, marked with a Cross on front andback, symbolizes the Seamless Robe of Christ,the Cross in front meaning that the Priest ispledged to follow the Cross, the Cross at backthat he must bear the Cross ; the Maniple, asmall Stole on the left arm, symbolizes thecords which bound our Lord. A further mys-tical meaning interprets the Amice as symboliz-ing faith, the Alb purity, the Girdle discipline,the Stole obedience, the Chasuble Charity andthe Maniple humility. Bishops often wear theEucharistic Vestments at the Celebration. Atother times they wear the Rochet and Chimere,the latter once the street dress of a Bishop, andon special occasions the ancient Vestments ofCope and Mitre. The Crozier or Pastoral Staffwhich is sometimes used, shows forth their ofificeas shepherds or overseers of the Church,The Priest's Acts. These also have their

meaning. Before entering the Sanctuary thePriest has reverently made ready the Chaliceand Paten, by placing over the Chalice a linenPurificator, and on that the Paten and over allthe Pall, Linen Veil, Silk Veil and Burse orsilk square, containing the Linen Napkin orCorporal, this last to be spread over the middleof the Altar. On entering the Sanctuary, thePriest bows, ascends to the Altar, arranges theVessels and Book, and then returns to the Altarsteps for a few silent prayers of preparation.


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38 THE I.ITURGYThen going to the Altar he begins the Service.During the Office the Priest stands that he mayoffer the Holy Oblation ' as Christ's Repre-sentative,^ to pray in His Stead. ^ He kneelsonly at the Confession and Prayer of HumbleAccess, to show^ his own unworthiness. Hefaces the people w^hen he speaks for GoD tothem ; he faces the Altar when he pleads forthem to God. When he prays with arms ex-tended, so that with his body he forms a Cross,he obeys Saint Paul's command : " / zoill there-fore that men pray everywhere lifting tip holyhands.'" ^ When he genuflects it is as a specialact of reverence. The ceremonial washing ofhis hands is to show the need of purity, " I willwash my hands in innocency Lord and so zvillI go to Thine Altar.'' * The Cleansing of theChalice is to ensure that none of the consecratedelements are left.The People's Acts. The spiritually minded

will ever wish to make a good Communion. Itis possible to do this without any extraordinaryact of outward reverence, yet when it is remem-bered that the Object of such worship is ourBlessed Lord it would seem that one should beunwilling to forego any way of chowing Himhonour. Surely we should not do less in theTemple of the King of Kings, than is renderedin the Courts of earthly Sovereigns. Such acts ofreverence will honour our Lord and help ourdevotion. They must never however be mean-ingless or be done mechanically. The heart andsoul must go with the body. Nor will any de-vout worshipper ever object to such marks of

^ I Cor. xi. 26. ^ I S. Timothy ii. 8.^ 2 Cor. V. 20. ^ Psalm xxvi. 6.


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THEY FELL DOWN ANDWORSHIPPED HIM."


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RITUAI, AND CEREMONIAI, 39reverence in others. He will at least realize thepurpose of them and will remember the wordsof S. Augustine, who voices the practice of An-tiquity : " No man eats this Flesh unless he firstadores ; for the Wise Men and the Barbariansdid worship this Body in the Manger with greatfear and reverence ; let us therefore who areCitizens of Heaven at least not fall short of theBarbarians. But thou seest Him not in theManger but on the Altar ; and thou beholdestHim not in the Virgin's arms but presented bythe Priest and brought to thee in sacrifice by theHoly Spirit of God."The following may be helpful to a reverentCommunion :

Receive at an early service and fasting. ^ Thisis ordered by Canon Law and is the practiceof the Universal Church. It should beremembered that the Paschal Supper, afterwhich our Lord Instituted the Holy Euch-arist, was a strictly religious meal, carefullyprepared for. It in no way countenancesnon-fasting communion, as the Eucharist isour Paschal Meal. Evening communions, itis needless to say, are contrary to all properprinciple or practice.Be in Church for private prayer a few minutesbefore the service and never leave until

.

after the Blessing.Reverence the Cross and Altar on entering and

leaving, for there the Holy Mysteries arecelebrated.

Sign the Cross before and after the service ; atthe conclusion of the Creed, and Gloria inExcelsis ; before the Gospel, and before and

^ Except in extreme age or delicate health.


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40 The i^iturgyafter receiving the Holy Communion, forthe use of the sign of the Cross is an act offaith. It acknowledges the Symbol of oursalvation, is a short Creed in action, and isin accord with ancient practice.

Ktieel on your knees and remember the Pres-ence of God.

Kneel or bow in the Creed at the words " Andwas Incarnate by the Holy Ghost of theVirgin Mary and was made Man," as an actof humility and an acknowledgment of theMystery of the Incarnation.

Before Communicating kneel for a moment atthe entrance to pew, and also before andafter taking your place at the Altar rail, as amark of reverence to Christ Present inthe Sacrament, and in obedience to theScriptural requirements, "(? Come let us wor-ship andfall down and kneel before the Lordour Maker.''' '

/;/ Commiinicating, never wear gloves but letthe Priest place the Consecrated Bread inthe palm of the right hand, crossed over theleft to make a cross or throne. Nevertake the Chalice but see that you receive theConsecrated Wineby^zV//^ the Chalice bythe base^ as the Priest holds it. Never allowthe Sacred Elements to fall, as they are theBody and Blood of Christ. Never use ahandkerchief after receiving. If a womannever fail to raise your veil.Read a Short Thanksgiving before leavingChurch and on the way home observe therule of silence, thinking of the Precious Giftreceived.

^ Psalm xcv. 6.


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RlTUAIv AND CKRKMONIAI. 4IIn following such practices, however, it must

not be forgotten that mere Ceremonial is worth-less. Its greatest enemies are those who makeit an end in itself instead of a means to an end,whose devotion centres in Ceremonial instead ofpassing through it to rest in Goo. Its truestlovers are those who use Ceremonial but as anadjunct and accessory to worship, yet if occasionrequired, could forego it all, without lesseningtheir devotion, since they have made it but theoutward expression of the inward aspiration ofthe soul, of that spiritual worship that centresin God and not in creatures.

It is important therefore to remember that theprinciple which determines both the spirit andfashion of all worship, is that of honouringour Blessed Lord and Saviour. If we aremindful of Him, as the Object of our Devotion,we shall not be wanting either in the spirit orexpression of reverence.


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THE CHURCH CATECHISM.THE Church Catechism is a short instructionon Christian doctrine. Though rudimen-

tary and compiled with the evident inten-tion of being enlarged, it is complete, in thesense that what is not explicitly set forth is im-plied. This instruction is divided into five dis-tinct parts showing a logical order or progression,as follows :

I. The Christian Covenant, or the Bap-tismal Vows.

H. The Creed, or the Declaration of theFaith of the Church.

III. The Commandments, or the Lawsof Holy Living.

IV. The Lord's Prayer, or the DivineModel of Prayer.V. The Sacraments, or the appointedmeans of grace.The questions and answers of the Catechism,which it is advisable that all should read and

study, may be supplemented bv the followingbrief notes.

42


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THE CHRISTIAN COVENANT 43

THE CHRISTIAN COVENANTThe Sacred Rite of Baptism is one of the

two Divinely appointed Sacraments generallynecessary to Salvation. It is administered withwater in the Name of the Father, Son andHoly Ghost, and confers the gifts of Regen-eration, Forgiveness of Sins, and Grace, and theCharacter of a Christian. It makes the recip-ient : "a member of Christ'^ or part of ourLord's Mystical Body, the Church, in which allChristians, like branches of a tree, are membersone of another and draw their life, light andstrength from Christ the Head ; " the child ofGod,^^ or God's Son by adoption and grace,through Christ, His Son by Nature, so that allcan love and pray to God as ' ' Father " ; " an in-heritor of the Kingdom of Heaven,'' or heir toall the privileges of the Church, such as HolyCommunion in this world and everlasting joy inthe world to come.Holy Baptism is sometimes called "Christen-

ing " because a name ^ is given at the pouring onof water in the Name of the Blessed Trinity.This name should be a constant reminder of thesolemn promise to follow in the profession andreligion of Jesus Christ. The Baptismal Vowor Christian Covenant is a three-fold promisemade by the individual, if of sufficient age, orelse by those who stand for him, who are calledSponsors because they answer or respond to thequestions, and Goo-parents because they bringthe child to God. The baptized becomes re-

^ N. or M. in the Catechism stand for nomen, nomina,name or names.


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44 The: church catechismsponsible for the fulfillment of the promises, onreaching years of discretion, that is when hecan judge between right and wrong.The promises made are three : (i) " to renouncethe Devil and all his uwrks,^'' or sin generally,and especially spiritual and intellectual pridewhich lead to unbelief; " the pomps and vanitiesof this 7vicked 7uorld,''' or vain ambition andworldliness such as too great love of pleasureand riches, which are "pomps," because theymake a great show, and "vanities" becauseempty of lasting joy ; " and all the sinful lustsof the flesh,'' or sins of the body such as impu-rity, intemperance, sloth and gluttony ; (2) " tobelieve all the articles of the Christian Faith,''or assent to the doctrines declared in the Creedof the Church ; (3) " to keep GoD'sHoly Will andCommandments and walk in the same all thedays " of our life, or by God's Grace to conse-crate one's life to His Service in holy living. Bythis Covenant man promises repentance for thepast, faith for the present, obedience for thefuture, and God promises pardon for the past,grace for the present, glory for the future.

IITHE CREED OF THE CHURCH

A right life being largely dependent on a rightBelief or a positive, definite Faith, the Creed isnext set forth. The Belief of the Church, havingbeen known and held by all of the faithful, wasnot at first put into writing. Later, the spread ofChristianity made this necessary, in order thebetter to teach the people and condemn error.The Scriptures contain many dogmatic declara-tions or fragments of a Creed, which prove that


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THE CREED OF THE CHURCH 45definite expositions of the Faith preceded thewritten Bible. Each article of the Creed how-ever appeals to the Scriptures, as a witness of itstruth, the Church, which guided by the HolyGhost gave us both Creed and Scripture, beingthe authority for both. The Apostles' Creed,the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed arebut three declarations ' of the same belief, thefirst named being the simple statement ofthe facts of Revelation, the others beingthe fuller expression of their doctrinal signifi-cance. In its original form the Apostles' Creedwas one of the earliest in use, but as we nowhave it, is probably of later date than the Nicene.Some think it is so named from the tradition ofits having been compiled by the Apostles ; othersfrom its reputed use in the Apostolic Church ofRome. Very probably its title arose from thefact of it having been the Creed of the PrimitiveChurch, setting forth the Apostles' doctrine.The Nicene Creed was compiled and authori-tatively set forth by the First OecumenicalCouncil of Nicaea in 325 a.d., with the pri-mary object of condemning the Arian heresy.As first issued, it ended with the words " I be-lieve in the Holy Ghost," the succeedingclauses having been added by the Council ofConstantinople in 3S1 A.D. The AthanasianCreed, or Hymn of S. Athanasius, was probablywritten by S. Hilary, the Bishop of Poictiers, toexplain the teaching of Athanasius. It is inLatin, the other Creeds being in Greek. It isthe most accurate definition of the Mysteries ofthe Trinity and the Incarnation anywheres tobe found in Theology.

^It may be noted that the Te Deum Laudantus is alsoa Creed, though used as a Hymn of Praise.


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46 THE CHURCH CATECHISMThe Nicene Creed.

1. I believe in One GOD theFather Almighty, Maker ofHeaven and earth, and of allthings visible and invisible ;

2. And in One LORD JesusChrist, the Only BegottenSon of God ; Begotten of HisFather before all worlds, GODof God, Light of Light, VeryGod of Very God; Begotten,not made; Being of One Sub-stance with the Father ; byWhom all things were made;Who for us men and for ourSalvation came down fromHeaven, And was Incarnate bythe Holy Ghost of the VirginMary, And was made Man

;

And was Crucified also for usunder Pontius Pilate ; Hesuffered and was Buried; Andthe third ilay He Rose againaccording to the Scriptures And ascended into Heaven;And sitteth at the Right Handof the Father ; And He shallcome again, with Glory, toJudge both the quick and thedead ; AVhose Kingdom shallhave no end.

3. And I believe in the HolyGhost, the Lord and Giver ofLife, Who proceedeth from theFather and the Son ; Whowith the Father and the Sontogether is worshipped andglorified ; Who spake by theProphets :

4. And I believe One Cath-olic and Apostolic Church :

5. I acknowledge One Bap-tism for the remission of sins ;6. And I look for the Resur-

rection of the dead7. And the life of the worldto come. Amen.

The Apostles Creed.I. I believe in GOD, the

Father Almighty, Maker ofHeaven and earth ;2. And in Jesus ChristHis Only Son, our LORD:

Who was conceived by theHoly Ghost, Born of the VirginMary: suffered under PontiusPilate, was Crucified, Deadand Buried: He descendedin-to Hell ; the third day He Roseagain from the dead; He as-cended into Heaven; Andsitteth on the Right Hand ofGod the Father Almighty;From thence He shall come toJudge the quick and the dead.

3. I believe in the HolyGhost;

4. The Holy Catholic Church;The Communion 0/ Saints:5. Tlie Forgiveness of Sins;6. The Resurrection of theBody ;7. And the Life Everlasting.Amen.

The AtJianasian Creed.Whosoever will be saved : before all things it is necessary thathe hold the Catholic Faith, which Faith except every one do keepwhole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.And the Catholic Faith is this:I, 3. That we worship One GOD in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity ;Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Substance.For there is One Person of the Father, another of the Son; and


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THE CREED OE THE CHURCH 47another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of theSon and of the Holy Ghost is all one ; the Glory equal, theMajesty co-eternal. Such as the Tather is, such is the Son: andsuch is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate;and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible ; theSon' incomprehensible ; and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.The Father eternal, the Son eternal ; and the Holy Ghost eternal.And yet there are not three eternals ; but one eternal.As also there are notthree incomprehensibles nor three uncreated;but one uncreated and one incomprehensible. So likewise theFather is Almighty, the Son Almi


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48 THE CHURCH CATECHISMThe similarity of the three Creeds is seen at a

glance, the Nicene and the Athanasian formsbeing doctrinal explanations of the simple state-ments of the Apostles' Creed. The two itali-cized clauses in the Apostles' Creed are not in theNicene, but the first of them is proved by theEpistle of Saint Peter and appears in the Atha-nasian Creed, and the second of them is em-bodied in the declaration on the Church. Toknow the statements and explanations of thesethree forms of a Common Creed is to under-stand, as far as man can understand, the doc-trines of the Catholic Faith.The Creed is in reality founded upon theBaptismal Formula given by our Lord in thewords : " C^ ye therefore and teach all nations^baptising the^n in the name of the Father and ofthe Son and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them toobserve all things whatsoever I have commandedyou.^' ' This may be separated into the follow-ing main divisions or declarations :

I. The Mystery of the Trinity :( The Father,-] The Son,( The Holy Ghost.

II. The Incarnate Life of our Lord ;III. The Person and Work of the HolyGhost ;IV. The Holy Catholic and ApostolicChurch

;V. The Forgiveness of Sins ;VI. The Resurrection of the Body ;VII. The Life Everlasting.The following may be by way of explanation :

^ S. Matthew, xxvlii. ig, 20.


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THE CREED OF THE CHURCH 49I. The Mystery of the Trinity. The

existence of God as the Creator and Controllerof all things is proved by the works of nature,the voice of conscience, and the existence of thesoul. In addition, God has given us theknowledge of Himself in the revelation ofJesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son, Whohath declared Him, This revelation, which wecall the Mystery of the Eternal and Ever BlessedTrinity, is that God is " One God, One Lord ;not One Only Person but Three Persons ' inOne Substance. For that which we believe ofthe Glory of the Father the same we believeof the Son and of the Holy Ghost, withoutany difference or inequality." '^ Thus we say inthe Athanasian Creed " the Father is God, thevSoN is God, the Holy Ghost is God. And yetthere are not three Gods but One God."God is Eternal, without beginning or end.Incomprehensible, Who cannot be understoodby the human mind, Ineffable, Who cannot bedescribed by human language.God is Spirit and is Omnipotent, Omniscientand Infinite, therefore we finite beings who arebelow cannot comprehend the Infinite One Whois Above. We can however, in perfect love andtrust turn to God as possessing all wisdom,knowledge and power. We can know Him as in-finitely Loving, Good, Merciful and Just, HisLove being shown in our creation, preservationand redemption, His Goodness in our spiritual andtemporal blessings. His Mercy in the remissionof our sins. His Justice in the reward of thegood and the punishment of the wicked. Thus

^ Person in Theoloey has been defined as " IndividualConscious Existence.'^ Special P. B. Preface for Trinity Sunday.

4


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50 THE CHURCH CATECHISMwe can best think of God as the Father, Whomade us, the Son, Who redeemed us, the HolyGhost, Who sanctifieth us, Three Persons inOne God, Who is Love, Light and Life.

II. The Incarnate Life of Our Lord.The doctrine of the Licarnation is that theWord of God, the Only Begotten Son of theFather, for us men and for our Salvation camedown from Heaven, was Conceived by the HolyGhost, Born of the Virgin Mary' and was madeMan, the Word made Flesh, He is PerfectGod of the Substance of the Father, and Per-fect Man, of the Substance of His Mother,having two whole and perfect Natures, Divineand liuman, in One Person, the Person ofthe Word, " not by conversion of the Godheadinto Flesh, but by taking the Manhood intoGoD."^ He is our Lord, having all power inHeaven and earth, ^ Kii^g of Kings and Lord ofLords. He is called Jesus, Saviour, becauseHe saves us from our sins, Christ, Anointed,as Prophet, Priest and King. He is the Lambof God from the foundation of the world, be-cause He offered Himself a Sacrifice upon theCross. He is the Lord our Righteousness, be-cause in and through Him we are made holy andacceptable before GoD. As the Son of God Heis the King of Glory and the Head of theChurch ; as the Son of Man He is the Seed of the

1 S. Mary is called by S. Luke " the Mother of_ theLord," and by a Council " the Mother of God," i. e.,shewho brought forth Him who was God. Conceived ac-cording to the flesh slie calls her Divine Son, Saviour, andbenefitted by the Sacrifice of the Cross. Sanctified ac-cording to the Spirit she was the Instrument of the Incar-nation, and Ever-Virgin. We reverence and honour theB.V.M. as ''''blessed among 7vomeny We worship andadore Christ as Lord and Master of all.

^ Athanasian Creed. ^ S. Matthew, xxviii. i3.


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THE CRKED OK THE CHURCH 5IWoman and the Judge of all men. This is theMystery of the Incarnation, In His manifest-ation on earth we may contemplate Christ's In-carnate Life as follows : He as our Lordcame to be " tempted in allpoints like as %ve areyet without sin,'"^ that we might copy the Ex-ample of His beautiful Life. He "" 7oent abontdoing good, '"^ working His Miracles, teachingHis Parables, preaching the Gospel of Salva-tion. He ''''pleased not Himself,'''''^ but inall things fulfilled the Will of Him Who sentHim,^ to give His Life a ransom for many. ^ Hewas the ''''Man of Sorrows,^' ^ and acquaintedwith grief,^ constantly persecuted, reviled andmisunderstood.

His Conception is known as the Incarnation,His Birth as the N'ativity, His sojourn in thewilderness as the Temptation; His Sufferings andBloody Sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane, theAgony, His being taken by Judas, the Betrayal,His Sufferings before Annas, Caiaphas, Herodand Pilate, the Passion,"^ His bearing the Crossto Calvary, the Way of Sorrows, His beingnailed to the Tree, the Cmcifixion, His Death,the Giving up of the Ghost,^ His being laid inthe Sepulchre, the Entojnbment ; His Risingfrom the Dead, the Resurrection; His departureinto Heaven, the Ascension, His Glory at theRight Hand of God, the Session; His Second

^ Hebrews iv. 15. ^ Romans xv. 3. ^ S. Mark x. 45.2 Acts X. 38. ^ S. John iv. 34. ^ Isaiah liii. 3.^ Strictly speaking the Passion began at the Institution

of the Eucharist and ended on the Cross.^Christ's Body rested in the Tomb, His Spirit wentto the Place of Departed Spirits (the Hades or Hell of theCreed, not Gehenna, the abode of the lost) but Body andSoul were both joined to His Divinity. During this timeHe offered Salvation to those who had gone before.(Epistle S. Peter.)


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52 THK CHURCH CATECHISMComing in the Clouds of Heaven to judge boththe quick and the dead, the Last Jiidgment.The Resurrection of our Lord is the great truthand hope of our Religion, for as S. Paul said,". . if Christ be not Risen then is ourpreachingvain andyourfaith is vainy ' The Resurrectionis the triumph of the Cross, a fact shadowedforth by Types in the Old Testament and sup-ported by absolute proof to a reasonable mind.The conviction of the xA.postles, who had sunkinto utter despair and lack of faith, and thepower of the Resurrection in the history of theCatholic Church and the lives of those who be-lieve are the best witnesses of this great doctrineof the Faith. Our Lord Rose from the dead byHis Own inherent power as GOD, passing throughthe sealed rock, in Real but Glorified Body, asrevealed at the Transfiguration. After HisResurrection, during His sojourn on earth forforty days until the Ascension, He was seenonly as He willed to be seen, proving the Realityof His Glorified Body by sight, '^ by touch,"* andby taking food."* Before the Crucifixion He maybe said to have been Visible with the power ofmaking Himself Unseen.^ After the Resurrec-tion He is Invisible with the power of makingHimself Seen. All worship of the Church cen-tres in the Risen Glorified Lord.

III. The Person and Work of the HolyGhost. The Holy Ghost, the Third Personof the Blessed Trinity, proceeds from the Fatherand the Son, and as the Lord and Giver of lifeis with the Father and the Son to be wor-

^ I Cor. XV. 14. 2 S. Luke xxiv. 31.^ S. John XX. 27 ; S. Luke xxiv. 3g.* S. Luke xxiv. 43. ^ S. John viii. 59 ; S. Luke iv. 30,


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The creed of the church 53shipped and glorified. He is the Comforter ofthe Church and the Witness of the Truth, con-vincing of sin, of righteousness and of judgment.'lie spoke in and by the Prophets and inspiredthe Sacred Scriptures. He is the Spirit of Lifeever abiding in the Church, teaching of God,speaking through Conscience, striving with sin-ners, working in the Sacraments, perfecting thesaints, directing and counselling the servants ofGod. The Bible tells us that Blasphemy againstthe Holy Ghost is never forgiven.^ This isprobably no one act of wrong-doing but ratherthe refusal to believe in the Holy Ghost, andthe constant disregard of His warnings, leadingto persistence in sin, darkness of the Conscienceand final impenitence. Prayer to and invocationof the Holy Ghost is a duty and privilege en-joined by Scripture but too often forgotten orneglected. The spiritual life will be greatlyhelped and strengthened if this holy practice ismore generally followed. We all need to say" Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire."

IV. The Holy Catholic and ApostolicChurch. The Church, the Body of Christ, onits invisible side is the Mystical Union of be-lievers with the Head, Christ our Lord, andon its visible side is the union of believers hav-ing the marks of a visible organization in theMinistry, the Word and the Sacraments. TheChurch is therefore not an earthly organizationbut a Divine Institution, founded and commis-sioned by our Lord, the Rock and CornerStone on Whom it is built and the Head fromWhom its members derive their life, and throughWhom they are members one of another. This

^ S. John X)'. 8. - S. Mark iii. 29.


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54 The church catechismFellowship is known as the Commnnion ofSaints and embraces both the living and thedead. The Church is (9^ because Christ insti-tuted one Body, with one Faith, one Lord, oneBaptism. All baptized persons are members ofthe Church Catholic, but only those enjoy its fullprivileges and life who are found in those partsof the Church which possess the necessary notesof Apostolic Order and Ministration, as the An-glican, Eastern and Rom

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