SECT 4.-What meant by their praying for the Angel of Peace, in this Form of Prayer. And I the rather incline to this opinion, because there is some little difference between this form of Chrysostom's and that in the Constitutions. For in this of Chrysostom's the catechumens are bid to pray for the angel of peace, which is not mentioned in the form of the Constitutions; though it be in another place,' where directions are given for the ordinary morning and evening service. St. Chrysostom often mentions this same petition for the angel of peace in his other Homilies. As in his third Homily upon the Colossians, where he says, " every man has angels attending him, and also the devil very busy about him. Therefore we pray and make our supplications for the angel of peace." And so in his sermon3 upon the ascension: speaking of the air being filled with good and bad angels, the one always raising war and discord in the world, and the other inclining men to peace, he tells his auditory," they might know there were angels of peace, by hearing the deacons always in the prayers bidding men pray for the angel of peace." This undoubtedly refers to the forementioned form of prayer, wherein the catechumens are directed to ask of God the protection of the angel of peace. In like manner in another place,* "When the deacon bids men pray with others, he enjoins them this among the rest of their petitions, to pray for the angel of peace, and that all their purposes may be peaceably directed." Which are the very words of the catechumens' prayer abovesaid. 1 Constit. lib. viii. cap. 36 et 37. Chrys. Hom. iii. in Colos, p. 1338. Διὰ τᾶτο εὐχόμεθα, και λέγομεν αἰτῦντες τὸν ἂγγελον τῆς εἰρήνης. Hom. xxxv. in Ascension. Domini. tom. v. p. 535. "Iva μádys öri ἄγγελοι εἰρήνης εἰσὶν, ἄκεσον ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς ἀεὶ λεγόντων τῶν διακόνων, τὸν ἄγγελον τῆς εἰρήνης αἰτήσατε. Hom. lii. In eos qui Pascha jejunant. tom. v. p. 713. Ο διάκονος δὲ κελέυων εὔχεσθαι μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων, κ, τᾶτο ἐπιτάττει κατὰ τὴν εὐχὴν, αἰτεῖν τὸν ἄγγελον τῆς εἰρήνης, και τὰ προκειμενα πάντα εἰρηνικα. The design of all which was, not to teach their catechumens to pray to their guardian angels, according to the modern way of instructing in the Romish Church; though this had been a very proper season to have admonished the catechumens of it, had there been any such practice in the ancient Church; but it was to teach them to pray to the God of angels: that He, who makes his angels to encamp about his servants, would by their ministry defend them from the incursions of wicked spirits, those fomenters of war and division and enmity among men, and so keep them and all their purposes in a course of perpetual and uninterrupted peace, that they might finally make a Christian and a peaceable end. SECT. 5.-Children in some Churches appointed to say this Prayer with the Rest of the People. Another thing, wherein the form in the Constitutions differs from that in St. Chrysostom, is, that it appoints the children of the Church particularly and more especially to join in this common-prayer for the catechumens; whereas the form used in St. Chrysostom's church mentions no such thing: and Chrysostom himself in another place says plainly, that children were not called upon to join in the prayers for the energumens and penitents, which were of the same sort with these for the catechumens, but only in the prayers for the communicants at the altar. As these differences prove the two forms not to belong to the liturgy of one and the same Church; so they make it probable, that St. Chrysostom gives us the form used in the Church of Constantinople, and the Author of the Constitutions, the form that was used at Antioch, or some other eminent Church, whose rituals he transcribed and put together. SECT. 6. What Notice we have of this Prayer in other ancient Writings. Now, by having fixed this prayer in its proper place, we 1 Vid. Drexel. de Cultu Cœlitum. lib. ii. cap. 3. Hom. Ixxi. in Mat. p. 624. 2 Chrys. may interpret all other passages in the ancient writers, which speak of praying over the catechumens, or praying with them. As that of the Council of Nice, which orders," that if any of those, who were catechumens properly so called, that is, of that rank who had these prayers said over them, became lapsers, then they should for three years, be thrust down to the rank of hearers only, and after that be admitted to pray with the catechumens again." And that canon of the Council of Neocæsarea, which orders," that if any such catechumens, as were called yóvu kλívovтeç, that is, prostrators, or kneelers, who bowed down to have these prayers said over them, should fall into any scandalous sin, then they should be excluded from the prayers, and be ranked among the hearers only and if they fell again when they were hearers, they should be excluded from the very entrance of the church." SECT. 7.-Of the Prayers for the Energumens, or Persons possessed by Evil Spirits. The Forms of these Prayers. The next sort of persons, for whom prayers were now made, were the energumens, that is, such persons as were seized or possessed by an evil spirit. For though these were under the peculiar care of the exorcists, an order set apart particularly to attend them, and pray over them in private, as has been shewn more fully in a former book; yet their case being pitiable and deplorable, it was thought an act of becoming mercy and charity to let them have the public prayers of the Church, and grant them liberty to be present at such prayers as immediately respected their condition. Therefore as soon as the deacon had dismissed the catechumens, with the usual form, "Catechumens, depart in peace :" he said again, “Pray ye energumens, who are vexed with unclean spirits." And exhorting the congregation also, he said, "Let us ardently pray for them," as the form of this bidding-prayer runs in the Constitutions," that the merciful God, through Christ, would rebuke the unclean and evil spirits, and deliver his supplicants from the oppression and tyranny of the adver 1 Con. Nicen. can. xiv. Book iii. chap. iv. sect. 6 and 7. 2 Con. Neocæsar. can. vi. sary; that He, who rebuked the legion of devils, and the prince of devils, the fountain of evil, would now rebuke these apostates from piety, and deliver the works of his own hands from the molestations and agitations of Satan, and cleanse them, which He hath created in great wisdom. Let us further most ardently pray for them. Save them, and raise them up, O God, by thy power." Then he bids them bow down their heads, and receive the bishop's benediction, which is in the following form of words, immediately addressed to Christ. "O Thou only begotten God, the Son of the great Father; Thou that bindest the strong one, and spoilest his goods; that givest power unto us to tread on serpents, scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: that hast delivered up the murdering serpent unto us a prisoner, as a sparrow unto children; Thou, before whom all things shake and tremble at the presence of thy power; that makest Satan to fall from heaven to the earth as lightning, not by a local fall, but by a fall from honour to disgrace, because of his voluntary malice; Thou, whose looks dry up the deep, and threatnings make the mountains melt, whose truth endures for ever; whom infants praise, and sucklings bless, and angels celebrate and adore; that lookest upon the earth, and makest it tremble; that touchest the mountains, and they smoke; that rebukest the sea, and driest it up, and turnest the rivers into a wilderness; that makest the clouds to be the dust of thy feet, and walkest upon the sea as upon a pavement: rebuke the evil spirits, and deliver the works of thy hands from the vexation of the adverse spirit: for to Thee belongs glory, honour, and adoration, and by Thee to thy Father in the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen!" SECT. 8.-An Account of these Prayers out of St. Chrysostom and others. St. Chrysostom has not this whole form, but he often refers to it as one of the public prayers of the Church.1 "Com 1 Chrys. Hom. xviii. in 2 Cor. p. 873. Kai yаρ vñèp twv ¿veрyeμívov, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν μετανοίᾳ, κοιναὶ καὶ ἀπὸ τὸ ἱερέως και παρ' αὐτῶν γίνονται εὐχαὶ. κα πάντες λέγεσι μίαν εὐχὴν, εὐχὴν τὴν ἐλές γέμησαν. mon prayers," says he, "are made by the priests and people together for the energumens, and for the penitents; we all say one and the same prayers, the prayer that is so full of mercy." And again," for this reason the deacon, at this time, brings those that are vexed with evil spirits, and commands them to bow down their heads only, and in that posture of body make their supplications. For they may not pray with the whole congregation of the brethren. And for this reason he presents them before you, that you having mercy on them, both in regard of their vexation, and their disability to speak for themselves, may by your freedom of access give them patronage and assistance." In another place he more fully explains the reason why this prayer for the demoniacs came before the oblation of the eucharist, and why at that time the deacon commanded them to be brought forth and bow their heads. 2 "Their being possessed of the devil," says he, "is a cruel and grievous chain, a chain harder than any iron. As therefore, when a judge is about to come forth, and sit upon the judgment seat, the keepers of the prison bring forth all the prisoners, and place them before the rails and curtains of the tribunal, in all their filth and nastiness, with their hair undressed, and clothed in rags: so our forefathers appointed, that when Christ was in a little time about to sit as it were upon his high throne, and shortly to appear in the holy mysteries, then the demoniacs should be brought forth as so many prisoners in chains, not to be condemned or suffer punishment for their sins, as other prisoners; but that, when the people and whole city are present together in the church, common prayer might be made for them, whilst they all with one consent besought the common Lord for them, and with loud voices entreated Him to shew mercy on them." Here, though he does not specify the whole form, yet he plainly intimates both the time, and subject matter of the prayer, and also the manner of the address; that it was a prayer sent up by the common voice of the people, some time before the appearance of Christ in the 'Cbrys. Hom. iii. de Incomprehensibili. tom. i. p. 365. Aià reto y TÈC ἐνεργεμένες κατ ̓ ἐκεῖνον ἵτησι τὸν καιρὸν ὁ διάκονος, &c. 2 Chrys. Hom. iv. de Incomprehens. tom. i. p. 374. |