II

Reference has been made in an earlier chapter to the liturgical prayers in use in North Italy at the close of the fourth century. It may be convenient to quote here some parts of the Western rites used in the sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries.

Taking first the fixed element known as the canon of the Mass, this may be quoted as given in the Gelasian Sacramentary, a Roman document of the seventh or eighth century:—

“Thee therefore, most merciful Father, through Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord we humbly pray and beseech that Thou wouldest accept and bless these offerings, these gifts, these holy spotless sacrifices, which we offer to Thee, in the first place, for Thy Holy Catholic Church, that Thou wouldest deign to keep in peace, to guard, to unite, and to govern it throughout the whole world, together with Thy servant our Pope and our ruler the bishop. Remember, O Lord, Thy servants and handmaidens, and all here present, whose faith is known to Thee, and their devotion plain, who offer to Thee this sacrifice of praise for themselves and for all their own, for the redemption of their souls, for the hope of their salvation and safety, who pay their vows to Thee, the eternal and true and living God. Joining in communion with and venerating the memory in the first place of the glorious and ever virgin Mary, the mother of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, and also of Thy blessed Apostles and martyrs Peter and Paul … and all Thy saints, to whose merits and prayers grant that in all things we may be defended by the help of Thy protection. Through Christ our Lord. This oblation therefore of our service, and also of that of Thy whole family, we beseech, O Lord, that Thou wouldest be pleased to accept, and to order our days in Thy peace, and to command us to be delivered from eternal condemnation and numbered in the flock of Thy elect. Through Christ our Lord. Which offering do Thou, O God, we beseech, vouchsafe to make in all things blessed, approved, ratified, reasonable, and acceptable, that it may become to us the body and blood of Thy dearly beloved Son our Lord God Jesus Christ. Who on the day before He suffered took bread into His holy and venerable hands, and with His eyes lifted up to heaven to Thee, the God, His almighty Father, gave thanks to Thee, ad blessed, brake, gave to His disciples, saying, Take and eat ye all of this. For this is My body. In like manner after supper, taking also this excellent cup into His holy and venerable hands, and also giving thanks to Thee, He blessed, gave to His disciples, saying, Take and drink ye all of this; for this is the cup of My blood of the new and eternal covenant, the mystery of faith, which will be poured out for you and for many for the remission of sins. As often as ye shall do this, ye shall do it for a memorial of Me. Wherefore, O Lord, we Thy servants, and also Thy holy people, are mindful of the so blessed passion of Christ Thy Son our Lord God, and also of His resurrection from the dead, and also of His glorious ascension into heaven; we offer to Thy excellent majesty of Thy gifts and bounties a pure offering, a holy offering, a stainless offering, the holy bread of eternal life and the cup of everlasting salvation. Upon which mayest Thou deign to look with favourable and gracious countenance, and to accept, as Thou didst deign to accept the gifts of Thy righteous servant Abel, and the sacrifice of our patriarch Abraham, and that which Thy high priest Melchizedek offered to Thee, a holy sacrifice, a stainless offering. Humbly we beseech Thee, Almighty God, command these to be borne by the hands of Thy Angel to Thy altar on high in the presence of Thy divine majesty, that all we who shall receive from this participation of the altar the most holy body and blood of Thy Son may be filled with all heavenly blessing and grace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. To us sinners also, Thy servants, trusting in the multitude of Thy mercies, mayest Thou deign to grant some part with Thy holy Apostles and martyrs, with John … and with all Thy saints, into whose company we beseech Thee to admit us, not weighing our merit but allowing us indulgence. Through Christ our Lord. Through whom all these good things, O Lord, Thou dost ever create, sanctify, quicken, bless, and bestow on us. Through Him and with Him and in Him is to Thee God the Father almighty in the unity of the Holy Ghost all honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

The text of the Leonine Sacramentary is probably of the latter part of the sixth century, though it is assigned by some scholars to the seventh. It represents the use of the Roman Church of that time. Among the prayers contained in it which bear on the doctrine of the Eucharist are the following:—

“Humbly we beseech Thee, O Lord our God, that we who have received substance of the heavenly table may attain to eternal life.”

“Look, O Lord, with propitiation on the sacrifice that is to be celebrated, that it may cleanse us from the faults of our state and make us acceptable to Thy name.”

“We humbly implore Thy majesty, that, as Thou dost feed us with the food of the most holy body and blood, so Thou wilt make us partakers of the divine nature.”

“We give Thee thanks and praise, O Lord, who hast fed us with the communion of the body and blood of Thy dearly beloved Son our Lord, humbly imploring The mercy that this Sacrament of Thine, O Lord, may not be to us guilt for punishment but may be made a healthful intercession for pardon.”

“We offer unto Thee, O Lord, the gifts which Thou hast bestowed, that in regard to our mortal life they may testify the aid of Thy creation, and may accomplish for us the remedy of immortality.”

A series of eleven Gallican Masses in a MS. of the end of the seventh century which was found at Reichenau contains the following passages:—

“We pray that Thou wilt bless this sacrifice with Thy blessing, and pour upon it the dew of Thy Holy Spirit, that it may be a valid (legitima) Eucharist to all who receive it.”

“May this oblation being converted (conversa) into the body and blood of Christ prevail; may it be for rest to the departed; may it abide for reward to those who offer it, for salvation to those who receive it.”

“We implore Thee, Almighty Father, to pour the Spirit of sanctification upon these creatures laid on Thine altar, that by the transformation (transfusione) of the heavenly and invisible Sacrament this bread may be changed (mutatur) into the flesh, and the cup transformed (translatus) into the blood.”

“May there descend, O Lord, the fulness of Thy power, Godhead, goodness, might, blessing, and glory upon this bread and upon this cup, that there may be to us a valid (legitima) Eucharist in the transformation (transformatione) of the body and blood of the Lord.”

“We consecrate, (sacramus) the body and blood of Thy dearly beloved Son.”

“He commanded also that, as often as His body and blood should be taken, there should be a commemoration of the passion of the Lord.… We pray that Thou wilt bless this sacrifice with Thy blessing, and pour upon it the dew of the Holy Spirit, that it may be a pure and real and valid (legitima) Eucharist to all who receive it.”

The Gothic Missal is probably of the end of the seventh century or of the eighth. It is largely Gallican, though it contains some Roman elements. The following passages may be quoted from it:—

“Fed with heavenly food, and remade by the drinking of the eternal cup, let us unceasingly give thanks and praise to our Lord God, seeking that we who have spiritually received the most holy body of our Lord Jesus Christ, being freed from carnal vices, may be counted worthy to be made spiritual.”

“We humbly pray that Thou wilt deign to receive and bless and sanctify this sacrifice, that it may be made to us a valid (legitima) Eucharist in Thy name and the name of Thy Son and the name of the Holy Ghost, for the transformation of the body and blood of our Lord God Thy only begotten Son Jesus Christ.”

“Let us venerate the day of the Epiphany, asking with pious prayer that He who then changed water into wine may now convert the wine of our offerings into His blood.”

“Let there descend, O Lord, on these sacrifices of Thy blessing the co-eternal and co-working Spirit the Paraclete, that the offering which we have made to Thee from Thy fruitful earth we may so receive, through the heavenly gift and Thy sanctification, that, the fruits of the earth being transformed (translata) into the body and the cup into the blood, what we have offered for our faults may avail to our merits.”

“May Thy body, O Lord, which we have received and Thy cup which we have drunk remain within us; grant, Almighty God, that no stain may abide where pure and holy Sacraments have entered.”

“Mindful of the most glorious passion of the Lord, and of His resurrection from the dead, we offer to Thee, O Lord, this stainless offering, a reasonable offering, a bloodless offering, this holy bread and the cup of salvation, beseeching Thee to pour upon us Thy Holy Ghost, that we who eat and drink may thereby attain to eternal life and the everlasting kingdom.”

The Gelasian Sacramentary represents, as has been said above, the use of the Roman Church in the seventh or eighth century. The following are among the passages in it which concern the doctrine of the Eucharist:—

“Do Thou, O Lord, pour upon these Thy servants whom we dedicate with the honour of the presbyterate the hand of Thy blessing, that … in the service of Thy people they may transform with stainless blessing the body and blood of Thy Son.”

“We humbly beseech Thee, O Lord our God, that, as Thou dost feed us with the food of the most holy body and blood of Thy Son, so Thou wilt make us to be partakers also of His divine nature.”

“O Lord God Almighty, deign to sanctify and bless and consecrate these linen cloths for the use of Thy altar for covering and enfolding the body and blood of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“We consecrate and sanctify this paten that on it may be made the body of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“May the mystic offering, O Lord, avail for us, and may it free us from our guilt and strengthen us with everlasting salvation.”

Some remarkable expressions in the Mozarabic Liturgy of Spain may possibly be as old as the period here dealt with.

“Here no bleating of sheep, no lowing of oxen, no cry of birds under the stroke of death brings grief. There is no horror of blood, no disgust at raw flesh; but the offering is so wonderful and marvellous that it is bloodless, since it is received alive. For, though real body is eaten, and most plain blood is drunk, yet no horror is caused, since the salvation of souls is ministered in spiritual food and drink.… We pray that Thou wouldest sanctify this offering by uniting to it Thy Spirit, and ratify it by the complete transformation of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Antiphonary of Bangor is an Irish book from the Monastery of Bangor in County Down, Ireland. It is of the closing years of the seventh century. It contains a hymn appointed to be sung at the time of the Communion. Literally translated, it is as follows:—

“Come ye who are holy, take the body of Christ,

And drink the holy blood by which ye were redeemed.

Saved by the body and blood of Christ,

And by it refreshed, let us give thanks to God.

By this Sacrament of the body and blood

Are all delivered from the jaws of hell.

The Giver of salvation, Christ, the Son of God,

Saved the world by His cross and blood.

For all was the Lord sacrificed:

He Himself is Priest and Victim.

The Law ordered victims to be offered;

By it are shadowed the mysteries of God.

The Giver of light and Saviour of all

Has bestowed wonderful grace on the holy.

Let all draw near believing with a pure mind;

Let them take the eternal guard of salvation.

The Keeper of the holy, their Ruler and Lord,

Is the Giver of everlasting life to believers.

He gives the bread of heaven to the hungry;

From the living stream He supplies the thirsty.

Alpha and Omega, Christ the Lord Himself,

Is here, who is to come to judge mankind.”

The Stowe Missal is another Irish book, though it is marked by Roman and Gallican influences. It dates from the eighth century. A chant sung after the consecration at the fraction of the consecrated bread contains the words, “The bread which we break is the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, Alleluia; the cup which we bless, Alleluia, is the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, Alleluia, for the remission of our sins, Alleluia”.

These liturgical books supply abundant illustrations that the Eucharist was regarded as a sacrifice, and of the two parallel ideas that the consecrated elements are the body and blood of Christ, and that in Communion there is a spiritual gift to the souls of the recipients of the Sacrament.

Together with these doctrines there were ways of treating the consecrated Sacrament which would seem strange to those who in later times held the same beliefs. In the order of the Roman Mass which appears to have been drawn up about the year 770 by Pope Stephen III. on the basis of an earlier order, though the Pope “with bowed head salutes the Holy,” that is, the consecrated Sacrament reserved from the previous Eucharist, the placing of the consecrated bread in linen bags and the pouring of the consecrated wine from the chalice into other vessels involved risks of irreverence which at a later date Christians would have wished to avoid. The probable explanation is to be found in the different feelings and habits of life of different times.