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avoid this inconvenience, one Calandio, bishop of Antioch, in the time of Zeno the Emperor, made another addition to it, of the words, "Christ our King," reading it thus, Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Christ our King, that wast crucified for us, have mercy on us!" as Theodorus Lector, and other historians inform These last additions occasioned great confusion and tumults in the Eastern Church, whilst the Constantinopolitans and Western Churches stiffly rejected them; and some of the European provinces, the better to confront them and maintain the old way of applying it to the whole Trinity, instead of the words, " crucified for us," expressly said, "Holy Trinity, have mercy on us!" as we find it in Ephrem Antiochenus, recorded in Photius.

us.

This is the short history and account of the rise and progress of this celebrated hymn in the service of the Church, and of the heretical corruptions and interpolations that were intended to be made upon it. As to its use, it was chiefly sung in the middle of the communion-service, as we shall see more expressly hereafter in the next book: but it was sometimes used upon other occasions, as we have heard in the Council of Chalcedon before: and some Greek ritualists tell us, that it was always sung before the reading of the Epistle, which was anciently a part of the service of the catechumens. But then they distinguish between the Trisagion and Epinicion, or triumphal hymn, calling the simple form, "Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God of Hosts," the Epinicion, which was sung in the communion-service, and the other, the Trisagion, which was sung in the service of the catechumens: but the more ancient writers do not observe this distinction; and therefore I have here put both forms under the common name of the Trisagion. He, that would see this history more at large, may consult Christianus Lupus upon the Council of Trullo, and Mr. Allix, who has written a peculiar treatise upon the subject.

Theodor. Lect. lib. ii. p. 566. Cedren. an. 16. Zenonis. Phot. Bibliothec. Cod. 228. p. 773.

cles. Bibl. Patr. Gr. Lat. tom. ii. p. 145.

3 German. Theoria Ec

Lupus, Not. in. Can、

81. Trullan.

5 Alix de Trisagio.

SECT. 4.-Of the Allelujah and Alleluatic Psalms.

Next to the Trisagion there is frequent mention made among the ancient writers of singing the Allelujah. By which they sometimes mean the repetition of this single word, which signifies, Praise the Lord! which they did in imitation of the heavenly host, singing and saying, again and again, Allelujah! Rev. xix. Sometimes they mean one of those psalms, which were called Alleluatic Psalms,' because they had the word Allelujah prefixed before them in the title, such as the cxlv, and those that follow to the end. The singing of these, was sometimes called singing the Allelujah, as has been observed out of Cassian' more than once in the foregoing parts of this, and the former book. But the more common acceptation of Allelujah, is for the singing of the word itself by a frequent solemn repetition of it upon certain days, and in special parts of divine service; it being a sort of invitatory, or mutual call to each other to praise the Lord. Therefore, as St. Austin observes, they always used it in the Hebrew language, because that was the known signification of it; and so it was in our first Liturgy, though now we say, "Praise ye the Lord!" with a response of the people, "The Lord's name be praised!” Anciently there was no dispute about the lawfulness of the hymn itself, but some variation and some dispute there was about the times of using it. St. Austin says, in some Churches it was never sung but upon Easter day, and the fifty days of Pentecost: but in other Churches it was used at other times also. Vigilantius contended fiercely against St. Jerom, that it ought never to be sung but only upon Easter day. And in this, he seems to have followed the practice of the Church of Rome, where Sozomen assures

xvi. ex. 50. tom. x. p. 165.

4

Aug. in Psal. 15. p. 505. Psalmi Alleluatici. It. in Psal. 118. p. 542. Cassian. Instit. lib. ii. cap. 5, et 11. 9 Aug. Ep. 178. et Hom. Aug. Ep. 119. ad Januar. cap. xvii. Ut Alleluia per solos dies Quinquaginta cantetur in ecclesia, non usquequaque observatur. Nam et in aliis diebus variè cantatur alibi atque alibi. Vid. Ep. 86. et. Hom. in Psal. 106. et Serm. 151. de Tempore.

Hieron. cont. Vigilant. cap. i. Exortus est subito Vigilantius, qui dicat -nunquam nisi in Pascha Alleluia cantandum.

lib. vii. cap. 19.

VOL. V.

D

6 Sozom.

and season.

us, it was never sung but once a year, and that was upon Easter day in so much that it was the common form of an oath among the Romans, as they hoped to live to sing Allelujah on that day. Cardinal Bona1 and Baronius2 are very angry at Sozomen for this: but Valesius honestly defends him, for as much as Cassidore, who was a Roman, reports the same in his Historia Tripartita. But we must note, that anciently in those Churches, where it was most frequented, there were some exceptions in point of time For in the time of Lent it was never used, as appears from St. Austin, who says, that was a time of sorrow, and therefore from the beginning of Lent till Easter day they always omitted it: the ancient tradition of the Church, being only to use it at certain seasons. The fourth Council of Toledo forbids the use of it not only in Lent but upon other days of fasting, as particularly upon the first of January, which was then kept a fast in the Spanish Church, because the heathen observed it with great superstition of many idolatrous rites and practices. In the same Council the Allelujah is mentioned under the name of Laudes, and appointed to be sung after the reading of the Gospel; which, as Bona and Mabillon observe, was according to the Mosarabic rite; for in other Churches it was sung between the Epistle and the Gospel. It was also sung at funerals, as St. Jerom acquaints us in his Epitaph of Fabiola, where he speaks of the whole multitude singing psalms together, and making the golden roof of the Church shake with echoing forth the Allelujah. The

1 Bona de Psalmod. cap. xvi. sect. 7. n. 4. 2 Baron. an. 384. n. 28. 3 Vales. in Sozom. lib. vii. cap. 19. • Aug. in Psal. 110. Venerunt dies ut jam cantemus Alleluia, &c. Vid. in Psal. 106 et 148. 5 Con. Tolet. iv. can. 10. In omnibus Quadragesimæ diebus (quia tempus non est gaudii, sed mæroris) Alleluia non decantetur-Hoc enim Ecclesiæ universalis consensio roboravit. In temporibus verò reliquis, id est, Kalendis Januarii, quæ propter errorem gentilitatis aguntur, omninò Alleluia non decantabitur. Ibid. can. xi. Laudes ideò Evangelium sequuntur propter gloriam Christi, quæ per idem Evangelium prædicatur. 7 Bona Rer. Liturg. lib. ii. cap. vi. Mabil. de Liturg. Gallican. lib. i. cap. iv. n. 12. 9 Hieron. Ep. xxx. cap. iv. Sonabant Psalmi, aurata tecta templorum reboans in sublime quatiebat Alleluia.

n. 4.

Author under the name of Dionysius,' speaks of it also as used in the confection of the chrism, or holy oil to be used in the unction of confirmation. St. Austin says, it was sung every Lord's day at the altar, for the same reason that they prayed standing, as a memorial of Christ's resurrection, and as a figure of our future rest and joyfulness, to signify that our business in the life to come, will be nothing else but to praise God, according to that of the Psalmist," Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, O Lord, they will always be praising Thee." The meaning of Allelujah being nothing else but Praise the Lord, as both he and others represent it. In the second Council of Tours* it is appointed to be sung immediately after the psalms both at the sixth hour, that is, noon-day; and the twelfth hour, that is, evening prayer. But whether they mean the shorter Allelujah, or one of those psalms called the Alleluatic Psalms, of which St. Austin and Cassian speak, is not very easy to determine. Isidore says, it was sung every day in Spain, except upon fast days; though it was otherwise in the African Churches. St. Jerom says, "it was used in private devotion; for even the ploughman at his work sung his Allelujahs." And this was the signal or call among the monks to their ecclesiastical assemblies." For one went about and sung Allelujah, and that was the notice to repair to their solemn meeting. Nay, Sidonius Apollinaris seems to intimate, "that the seamen used it as

'Dionys. de Hierarch. Eccles. cap. iv. 2 Aug. Ep. 119. ad Januar. cap. xv. Omnibus diebus Dominicis ad altare stantes oramus, et Alleluia canitur, quod significat actionem nostram futuram non esse nisi laudare Deum, &c. 8 Vid. Justin. Quæst. ad Orthodox. q. 50.

* Con. Turon. ii. can. 19. Patrum statuta præceperunt, ut ad sextam, sex Psalmi dicantur cum Alleluia; et ad duodecimam duodecim, itemque cum Alleluia. Isidor. de Offic. lib. i. c. 13. In Africanis Ecclesiis non omni tempore, sed tantùm Dominicis diebus et quinquaginta post Domini resurrec tionem Alleluia cantatur: Verùm apud nos secundùm antiquam Hispaniarum traditionem præter dies Jejuniorem et Quadragesimæ omni tempore canitur Alleluia. Hieron. Ep. xviii. ad Marcellam. Quocunque te verteris, arator stivam retinens Alleluia decantat. Id. Ep. xxvii. Epitaph. Paulæ. cap. xvi. Post Alleluia cantatum, quo signo vocabantur ad collectam, nulli residere licitum erat. 8 Sidon. lib. ii. ep. 10. Curvorum hinc chorus helciariorum, responsantibus Alleluia ripis, ad Christum levat amnicum celeusma.

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their signal, or Celeusma, at their common labour, making the banks echo while they sung Allelujah to Christ. only observe further, that in the Church Allelujah was sung by all the people, as appears not only from what is said before by St. Jerom, that the Church echoed with the sound of it, but also from that of Paulinus in his Epistle to Severus," Alleluia novis balat ovile choris, the whole sheepfold of Christ sings Allelujah in her new choirs." And St. Austin, alluding to this, says,s" it was the Christians' sweet Celeusma, or call, whereby they invited one another to sing praises unto Christ."

SECT. 5. Of the Hosanna and the Evening Hymn, and "Nunc dimittis,” or the Song of Simeon.

I do not here insist upon the Hosanna, or the evening hymn, because it does not appear that either of these were used in the service of the catechumens. The Hosanna was but a part of the great Doxology, "Glory be to God on high," and only used in the communion-service, where we shall speak of it hereafter. And the evening hymn has been mentioned before in the former book, where we have given an account of the daily evening service, and shewed it to be rather a private hymn, than any part of the public worship of the Church. In it was contained the "Nunc dimittis," or Song of Simeon, "Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word, &c." But whether any of this was used in public, or only by Christians in their private devotions in their families at their setting up of lights, is what I ingenuously confess I am not yet able from any ancient records to determine. For though there is frequent mention of the Auxvafía among the Greeks, and of the Lucernarium among the Latins, as of a public office, for vespers or evening prayers; yet I will not assert, that this hymn was a part of that office, without clearer proof but leave it to further disquisition and inquiry.

Paulin. Ep. 12. ad Sever.

Aug. de Cantico Novo. cap. ii. 8 Book. xiii.

tom. ix. Celeusma nostrum dulce cantemus Alleluia. chap. xi. sect. 5.

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