especially of those who had offered liberally. This was succeeded by a prayer, that the oblation of bread and wine might "be made to us the body and "blood of Jesus Christ our Lord God." The commemoration of our Saviour's deeds and words in celebrating the eucharist followed. After which came an oblation of the sacraments, as a sacrifice of bread and wine, and a petition that they might be presented by the angels on the altar in heaven. Then followed a commemoration of the departed faithful, and prayer for communion with theme. The canon being now completed, the bread was broken, and divided into portions for distribution, and then the Lord's Prayer was recited. After which, the clergy and people interchanged a kiss of peace, and all communicated, and the priest concluded the office with a short prayer. This we may certainly affirm to have been the order and substance of the Roman liturgy in the fifth century, and it will be difficult to adduce any reason for thinking, that the same had not prevailed for a very great length of time before.

I am not aware that any one has yet attempted to give a correct edition of Gregory's sacramentary, on the principle of comparing manuscripts of various countries. It seems to me that such a course would afford the best prospect of attaining a correct text. Much, at all events, might thus be fixed, though a portion would still remain uncertain. English ma

a See Menard, Sacr. Gregor.

P. 2.

b Ibid. p. 2.

c Ibid. p. 3.

d This ancient order of the

in the liturgy of Milan. Since the time of Gregory the Great, the Lord's Prayer has been joined immediately to the Roman canon, and the bread i

nuscripts particularly should be collated with Italian, because Gregory's sacramentary was sooner used in England than in any other country beyond the Roman patriarchate, German MSS. should come next, and the Gallican sacramentaries, used before the Roman rite was introduced, would furnish some illustrations. With regard to the ancient Roman liturgy, or the order of prayers and canon, there is neither doubt nor difficulty, as I have already shewn,

The Roman liturgy was illustrated with much learning by John Bona, presbyter cardinal of the Roman church; and the works of Menard', Gavantis, Martene", and Le Brun1, may be consulted by those who wish to acquire further information on the subject.

SECTION VII.

LITURGY OF THE EXARCHATE OF MILAN.

The liturgy of the church of Milan bearing the venerable name of Ambrose, archbishop of Milan, and primate or exarch of the Italic diocese in the fourth century, has long been celebrated. Several attempts have been made at different times to introduce the Roman liturgy in its place, but the attachment of the clergy and people of Milan to their ancient rites has prevailed against the zeal of rash and prejudiced innovators. The Ambrosian liturgy certainly differs in several respects from that of Rome; but it will be seen, in the sequel, that this difference was originally less than might at first sight appear.

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The earliest ecclesiastical writer who has been cited as speaking of the Ambrosian rite is Walafridus Strabo, who died A. D. 849, and who wrote thus: "Ambrose, bishop of Milan, appointed for his own church, and for the rest of Liguria, the ar"rangements of the liturgy and other offices, which are preserved even to this day in the church of "Milan"." An anonymous Irish writer, of about the year 700, speaks of Ambrose as the author of some offices, in which he may perhaps allude to the liturgy.

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The Ambrosian liturgy, that is, the order of variable prayers, and the text of the canon, can be ascertained by means of ancient MSS., of which two, still extant at Milan, are as old as the ninth or tenth

a Walafridus Strabo, de Reb. Eccl. c. 22.

century. The testimony of Walafridus, and the tradition of the church of Milan, at a distance of four hundred years after the death of Ambrose, are not sufficient proofs that he composed missæ for the use of his church; but it is by no means improbable that he may have done so; and this would partly account for the sacramentary, or collection of missæ, used at Milan being called by his name; although the substance of the canon and the order of the variable prayers, are probably much more ancient than his time.

The first thing to be remarked of this liturgy is, that it has been different from the Roman ever since the time of Gregory the Great, A. D. 594. This patriarch probably first placed the Lord's Prayer immediately after the Roman canond, or before the breaking of bread. The Milan liturgy, which agrees in almost every other respect with the ancient Roman, differs from it in placing the breaking of bread between the canon and the Lord's Prayer, as was the case at Rome until the time of Gregory. The Milan liturgy is therefore more ancient than the time of Gregory the Great.

Another difference between the liturgy of Milan and the Roman, seems to carry back the former to a period of much greater antiquity. In the ancient canon of Milan it appears that the second oblation of the elements, which occurs in the Roman canon after the words of institution, is wanting. Two MSS. of the ninth or tenth century, the oldest monuments

e Muratori, Liturg. Rom. vet. tom. i. p. 130, &c.

d Epist. xii. ad Jo. Syracus. Lib. ix. edit. Benedict.

e Miss. Ambros. ap. Pamelii Liturgic. tom. i. p. 303, 304. Bona, Rer. Lit. lib. i. cap. x. §. 2.

of the Milan rite now existing, concur in excluding the second oblation from the canonf. This seems to me a proof that the Milan liturgy has been distinct from the Roman, at least since the fifth century, as it appears that this oblation is extant in the sacramentary of Gelasius; and Leo is said to have added some words to its. With these two exceptions, we shall find that the liturgy of Milan was essentially the same as the Roman in the time of Gregory the Great.

On examination, the liturgy of Milan is found to consist of the following parts, omitting those which have been introduced into it since the time of Gregory.

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The anthem called " Ingressah"____“ Kyrie eleison i❞ "Gloria in excelsis"-the Collect-the Prophet — the Psalmk-Epistle-Alleluia-Gospel and Sermon-Prayer "Super sindonem"-oblations of the people m― Prayer "Super oblata"- Preface and Canon, which agrees in almost every respect with

f Muratori, Liturg. Rom. vet. P. 133. tom. i.

g See sect. vi. note P. p. 117. h Missale Ambros. A. D. 1522. fol. 127. Pamelii Liturg. tom. i. p. 293. Bona, p. 66. All the preceding matter in the Ambrosian liturgy is modern.

i "Kyrie eleison" is only repeated in this place during Lent. See Miss. Ambros. fol. 60. 66.; Bona, p. 67.

j Audistis filii librum Job hodie legi qui solemni munere est decursus et tempore." Ambros. Epist. xx. ad Marcellinam. Hæc de prophetica

quoque lectio quid habeat consideremus." Epist. xlii. ad Marcellin.

k Quantum laboratur in ecclesia ut fiat silentium cum lectiones leguntur. Si unus loquatur, obstrepunt universi: cum psalmus legitur ipse sibi est effector silentii. Omnes loquuntur, et nullus obstrepit." Ambros. Præfat. in Psal. i. P. 741. tom. i. ed. Benedict.

1"Post lectiones atque tractatum dimissis catechumenis," &c. Ambr. Ep. xx. ad Marcell.

m" Cum autem tempus advenisset quo dona sacræ mensæ erant offerenda," &c. Theod.