gives another reason for mixing water with wine, "that by the one we might be purged from sin, and by the other redeemed from punishment." These reasons indeed are no ways demonstrative; however that the practice was both ancient and general, is evident from Justin Martyr1 and Irenæus, who mention it as the custom of the Church, without assigning any further reason for it. And so likewise Gregory Nyssen3 and Theodoret with some others produced by Vossius in his dissertation upon this subject.5 The Armenians are said to have consecrated only in wine, but that is reckoned an error in them by Theophylact, and they are equally condemned with the Hydroparastatæ, or Aquarians, by the Council of Trullo,' which produces the authority of St. James and St. Basil's Liturgy against them. To which may be added the Liturgies under St. Mark and St. Chrysostom, and the Constitutions. Yet after all, as there is no express command for this in the institution, notwithstanding this general consent of the ancient Church, it is commonly determined by modern divines, as well of the Roman as Protestant communion, that it is not essential to the sacrament itself, as the reader, that is curious, may find demonstrated in Vossius in his dissertation upon this subject.9 SECT. 8. Of some Heretics, who made Alterations or Additions to the Elements in the Eucharist. As to the Ancients, they are not to be blamed in keeping strictly to this custom, because they thought it a part of the institution. Upon which account they censured all that made any alteration in the elements, either by addition, or subtraction, or changing one element for another. The Aquarians, as we have heard, were condemned, for taking panem, &c. formans sanguinem suum in calicem vino et aquâ mixtum, ut alio purgemur à culpis, alio redimamur à pœnis. Justin. Apol. ii. p. 97. 2 Iren. lib. iv. cap. 57. and lib. v. Nyssen. Orat. Catechet. cap. xxxvii. 5 Voss. Thes. Theol. p. 494. Theod. Dialog. i. Con, Trull. can. xxxii. 9 Voss. Thess. Theol. ibid. away the wine; the Armenians and others for not using water also; others were condemned for changing the wine into milk or honey, mixed with water; others substituted grapes instead of wine; others pulse instead of bread. Of all which, because we have spoken before in the two foregoing sections, I need say no more in this place. But beside these there was once a senseless sect, which thought they did not celebrate the eucharist in perfection, unless they offered cheese together with the bread. Whence they had the name of Artotyritæ, from aproc, which in Greek signifies bread and rupos, cheese. This is the account, which Epiphanius gives of them,' and after him St. Austin, saying, 'the Artotyrites are so called from their oblation for they offer bread and cheese, saying that the first oblations, that were offered by men in the infancy of the world, were of the fruits of the earth and of sheep." SECT. 9.-And of Others, who rejected the Use of the Sacrament altogether. There were others who wholly rejected the use of all external symbols or sacraments in general, and consequently both baptism and the eucharist, upon a pretence that faith and knowledge and spiritual worship were the only things that were required of Christians. Upon this pretence the Ascodrutæ, who were a sort of Gnostics, neither administered baptism nor the eucharist in their society: they said the divine mysteries were incorporeal and invisible things, and therefore not to be represented by such corporeal and visible things as water or bread and wine; but perfect knowledge was their redemption. So Theodoret* describes them. And so both he and Epiphanius describe another abominable sect, who, from one of their principal 'Epiphan. Hær. xlix. 2 Aug. de Hæres. cap. xlviii. Artotyritæ sunt, quibus oblatio eorum hoc nomen dedit: offerunt enim panem et caseum, dicentes, à primis hominibus oblationes de fructibus terræ et ovium fuisse celebratas. 9 Theod. de Fabulis Hæret. lib. i. Theod. ibid. cap. xi Epiphan. Hær. 40. de cap. 10. Archonticis. v. 2. tenets, were called Archontics. They taught, that the world was not made by the Supreme God, but by certain inferior powers, seven or eight in number, whom they called Archontes, rulers of the several orbs of the heavens, one above another, to the chief of which they gave the name of Sabaoth and they pretended, that baptism and the eucharist were only institutions of this Sabaoth, the God of the Jews and Giver of the law, and not the ordinances of the supreme God; for which reason they wholly rejected the use of them. Some other such sects there were among the ancient heresies, who despised the eucharist upon the like pretences; but these are sufficient to shew us what sort of men they were, that anciently contemned this holy ordinance; and therefore without further digressing to make any nicer inquiry after them, I now return to the business and service of the Church. CHAP. III. Of the Oblation and Consecration Prayers. SECT. 1.-The Form of Thanksgiving and Consecration Prayers, described out of the Constitutions. As soon as the people's offerings were made, and bread and wine were set apart for the eucharist, they proceeded to the solemn consecration of them. The manner of which is described at large in the Constitutions; which I will first set down here, and then compare the several parts of it with the authentic accounts we have in other ancient writers. Immediately then after the first prayers for the faithful are ended, the deacon is ordered to give a solemn admonition, 1 Vid. Orig. IIɛpì ruxs. n. 13. Ea penitùs auferentes quæ sensibus perci piuntur, nec baptismum nec eucharistiam usurpantes, &c. 2 Constit. lib. viii. cap. 11. saying," IIpóoxwv, Let us give attention." Then the bishop or priest salutes the Church, saying, "The peace of God be with you all!" and the people answer, "And with thy spirit!" After this, the deacon says to them all," Salute ye one another with an holy kiss." Then the clergy salute the bishop, and laymen their fellow-laymen, and the women the women; the children standing before the bema, that is either the reading-desk or the altar; with a deacon attending them to see that they keep good order; others of the deacons walking about the Church, and inspecting the men and women, that there be no tumult, nor making of signs to one another, nor whispering, nor sleeping; and others standing at the men's gate, and the subdeacons at the women's gate, that the doors be not opened for any to go in or out in the time of oblation. After this, the subdeacon brings water to the priests to wash their hands, as a sign of the purity of those souls that are consecrated unto God. Immediately after this a deacon cries out,' Let none of the catechumens be present, none of the hearers, none of the unbelievers, none of the heterodox party. Ye that have made the first prayer, go forth,-poéλIetε— or rather, as Cotelerius thinks it ought to be read, wooσETE, Ye that have made the first prayers draw near: for this seems to be spoken to the communicants as an invitation; ye mothers take your children and bring them with you. Let no one come with enmity against another; no one in hypocrisy. Let us stand upright before the Lord, with fear and trembling to offer our sacrifice." This said, the deacons bring the ra dupa, the elements, to the bishop at the altar; the presbyters standing on each hand of him, and two deacons with their fans to drive away the little insects, that none of them fall into the cup. Then the bishop standing at the altar with the presbyters, makes a private prayer by himself, having on his white or bright vestment, and signing himself with the sign of the cross in his forehead. Which done, he says, "The grace of Almighty God, and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you all!" And the people 1 Constit. lib. viii. cap. 12. answer with one voice " And with thy spirit!" Then the bishop says, "Lift up your hearts:" and they all answer, "We lift them up unto the Lord." The bishop says again, "Let us give thanks to the Lord;" and the people answer, "It is meet and right so to do." Then the bishop says," It is very meet, and right, above all things, to praise Thee the true God, who art before all creatures, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, who art the only unbegotten, without original, without king, without lord, who hast need of nothing, who art the author of all good, who art above all cause and generation, and always the same, of whom all things have their original and existence, For Thou art original knowledge, eternal sight, hearing without beginning, and wisdom without teaching; the first in nature, and the law of existing, exceeding all number. Who madest all things to exist out of nothing by thy onlybegotten Son, whom Thou didst beget before all ages by thy will, and power, and goodness, without the intervention of any, who is thy only-begotten Son, the Word that is God, the living wisdom, the first-born of every creature, the angel of thy great Council, thy high priest, but the King and Lord of all the creatures, both visible and invisible, who is before all things, and by whom all things consist. For Thou, O eternal God, didst create all things by Him, and by Him Thou dost vouchsafe to rule and govern them in the orderly ways of thy providence. By whom Thou didst give them being, by Him also Thou didst give them a wellbeing. O God and Father of thy only-begotten Son, who by Him didst create the cherubims and seraphims, the ages and hosts, the dominions and powers, the principalities and thrones, the archangels and angels, and after them didst by Him create this visible world, and all things that are therein. For Thou art He that hast established the heavens as an arch, and extended them like a curtain: that hast founded the earth upon nothing by thy sole will; that hast fixed the firmament, and formed night and day; that hast brought the light out of thy treasures and super-added darkness for a covering, to give rest to the creatures that move in the world; that hast set the sun in the heaven to govern the day, and the moon to govern the night; and |