like Thee in Thee is our hope and strong consolation. Sanctify them by thy truth: for thy word is truth. Thou that dost nothing out of partiality and favour; Thou that canst not be deceived, deliver them from sickness and infirmity, from sin, from all injury and fraud, and from the fear of the enemy, from the arrow that flieth by day, and the danger that walketh in darkness; and vouchsafe to bring them to eternal life, which is in Christ thy only begotten Son, our God and Saviour; by whom be glory and worship unto Thee in the Holy Ghost, now and for ever, world without end. Amen!"

This, I conceive, is of the same nature with that prayer mentioned by the Council of Laodicea,' as the second of those that are said to be made “ διὰ προσφωνήσεως :” for though the Author of the Constitutions distinguishes between the deacon's bidding prayer and the bishop's invocation, calling the former IIpoopwvnois, and the latter 'Eπíkλnσis; yet they both agreed in several things to distinguish them from the silent prayer that went before. For, first, they were both pronounced audibly by the minister, so as the whole congregation might join with them, either by making responses to every particular petition of the deacon's prayer, or by saying Amen! at the conclusion of the bishop's prayer; whereas the silent prayers of the people were such as every man said privately by himself, and might be very different from one another, and sometimes were such as were not fit to be heard, because some men abused this opportunity to pray to God for revenge upon their enemies. Secondly, both these prayers were made at the call or admonition of the deacon, and so might have the name of Пpoopwvnois. For he said before the one, "let us fall down upon our knees and pray to God:" and before the other, "Let us rise and commend ourselves to God, Παραθώμεθα ἑαυτὸς τῷ Θεῷ. Whence also this and all such prayers of the bishop had the name of Tapadéσeç, commendations, because they recommended the people to the mercy and protection of God. As we find in one of the canons of the African Code, which made an

1 Con. Laod, can. xix.

2 Cod. Afric. can. cvi. "HpeσEV È TĕTO, ὥσε τὰς κεκυρωμένας ἐν τῇ συνόδῳ ἱκεσίας, εἴτε οἴμια, εἴτε παραθέσεις, εἴτε τῆς

injunction that no prayers should be used in the Church but such as were authorised by a synod, whether they were prefaces, or commendations, or imposition of hands, lest any prayers, contrary to the faith, should surreptitiously creep into the Church. Where, as by prefaces, are meant certain proper prayers used at the eucharist; and by imposition of hands, prayers made over the penitents or people by way of benediction; so by commendations are to be understood partly prayers for the catechumens, and partly these prayers of the bishop for the people, recommending their persons and prayers, and concerns to the favour of God. This canon was first made in the council of Milevis, where what the Greeks call Пapatos, is by the Latins called Commendationes. But the more usual name in the Latin Church was Collectæ, collects, because these prayers of the bishop, which in any part of the service followed the joint prayers of the deacon and congregation, were both a recollection and recommendation of the prayers of the people. In this sense Cassian takes the phrase," Colligere Orationem," when speaking of the service in the Egyptian monasteries and Eastern Churches, he says, " After the Psalms they had private prayers, which they said partly standing, and partly kneeling. Which being ended, he that collected the prayer? rose up, and then they all rose up together with him; none presuming to continue longer upon the ground, lest he should seem rather to pursue his own prayers, than go along with him, who collected the prayers, or closed up all with his concluding collect." Where we may observe, that a collect is taken for the chief minister's prayer at the close of some part of divine service, collecting and concluding the people's preceding devotions. As here in Cassian it is the close of the ordinary or daily morning service, which was the same as the close of that part of the communion-service, which immediately comes before the consecration, as has

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χειρὸς ἐπιθέσεις, ἀπὸ πάντων ἐπιτελεῖσθαι. &c. Vid. Con. Toletan. iv. can. 12. Con. Milevitan. can. xii. 2 Cassian. Institut. lib. ii. cap. 7. Cùm autem is, qui orationem coliecturus est, e terrâ surrexerit, omnes pariter surgunt, ita ut nullus remorari præsumat, ne non tam secutus fuisse illius conclusionem, qui precem colligit, quam suam celebrâsse credatur. VOL. V.

been shewn before, in speaking of the daily morning service, more fully in another place.1

Parallel to this passage in Cassian, is that of Uranius, where, speaking of one John, bishop of Naples, who died in the celebration of divine service, he says, " he gave the signal to the people to pray, and then having summed up their prayers in a collect, he yielded up the ghost." The Council of Agde, in France, made it a standing rule for the Gallican Churches, that after all other things were performed in the daily course of morning and evening service, the bishop should conclude the whole office, "Collectá oratione, with his collect," and dismiss the people with his benediction. From which it appears, that these collects among the Latins were the same sort of prayers, which the Greeks called Επικλήσεις and Παραθέσεις, invocations and commendations, with which the bishop concluded the prayers of the deacon and people in each distinct part of divine service. As we we have seen it in the service of the catechumens and penitents, and in the offices for the daily morning and evening prayer, and here now in this part of the communion-service, which goes before the consecration. Of which I have nothing more to add, but only a short passage of St. Austin,* who in his book of the Gift of Perseverance, seems plainly to intimate, that it was one petition in this prayer, of common use in the African Churches, to pray for God's grace to enable believers to persevere to the end of their lives. For writing of the necessity of grace, to guard men against the error of the Pelagians, he puts them in mind of the common prayer of the Church, wherein the priest makes invocation for the faithful or communicants, in these words, “Grant

Book xiii. chap. 10.

4

2 Uran. Vit. Paulin. Populo orationem dedit, et collectâ oratione spiritum exhalavit. 8 Con. Agathen. can. xxx. In conclusione matutinarum vel vespertinarum missarum, post hymnos capitella de Psalmis dici, et plebem, collectâ oratione ad vesperam ab episcopo cum benedictione dimitti. Aug. de Dono Perseverantiæ, cap. xxiii. tom. vi. An quis sacerdotem super fideles Dominum invocantem, si quando dixit, Da illis, Domine, in te perseverare usque in finem,' non solùm voce ausus est, sed saltem cogitatione reprehendere, ac non potiùs super ejus talem benedictionem et corde credente et ore confitente respondit, Amen!

them grace, O Lord, to persevere in Thee unto the end." "And who is there," says he, " that, hearing the priest thus praying, dares either in word or thought reprehend him, and is not rather ready, both with a believing heart and a confessing mouth, to answer, Amen! to such a benediction ?" It is observable here, first, that this prayer has the same name, which the Greeks gave it in the Eastern Church, “The invocation of the bishop or priest over the faithful." And therefore, 2, that it was a part of the communion-service, where such prayers were only made. 3. That it was not the deacon's bidding prayer, which had the people's responses to every particular petition, but a prayer to which in the end, they only answered, Amen! 4. That it was a direct invocation of God, by way of benediction, such as the bishop used to make, and not an exhortation to pray, which was the office of the deacon. 5. That the petition in substance is the same with that of the bishop's prayer in the Constitutions," Keep them unchangeable, unblameable, and without rebuke; that they may be perfect, both in body and soul, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that they may be perfect, and none among them be found wanting in any respect." All which circumstances make it highly probable, that this prayer, referred to by St. Austin, was the very prayer we are speaking of, as used in the close of the first part of the communion-service in the African Churches. These are the footsteps, by which we are to trace the practice of the ancient Church in that part of her devotions, which was appropriated to the communicants or believers only, in the entrance of the communion-service, and which answers to the prayer for the whole state of Christ's Church militant here upon earth, in the beginning of our communion-service.

CHAP. II.

Of the Oblations of the People, and other Things introductory to the Consecration of the Eucharist.

SECT. 1. Of the Customary Oblations, which the People made at the Altar.

THE next part of this service, was the great thanksgiving and the consecration of the elements of bread and wine for the eucharist. Which, because they were generally taken out of the oblations which the people made at the altar, it will be necessary to give some account of these oblations, and of the elements of bread and wine taken out of them. It was an ancient custom, derived from apostolical practice, for all communicants, that were of ability, to make their oblations of bread and wine, and sometimes other things, at the altar; out of which both the elements were taken, and a common feast was made for the poor. This the Apostle plainly refers to in that reproof, which he gives the Corinthians for their excess. 1 Cor. xi. 21. “In eating every one taketh before others his own supper, and one is hungry, and another is drunken." Justin Martyr takes notice of these oblations, saying, "they, that are wealthy, and they, that are willing, give according as they are disposed; and what is collected, is deposited with the bishop, who out of it relieves the orphans and widows, and those that are in sickness, or in want, or in bonds, and strangers and travellers: in a word, he is the curator of all that are in need." Tertullian gives the like account of this practice in his time, only he distinguishes between the weekly and the monthly collection. Every one," says he, "offers a small alms monthly, or when he will, and as he will, and as he can; for no one is

Tertul. Apol. cap. xxxix.

1 Justin. Apol. ii. p. 98 and 99. Modicam unusquisque stipem menstruâ die, vel quum velit, et si modò velit, et si modò possit, apponit: nam nemo compellitur, sed sponte confert, &c.