Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Sacrament of the Eucharist · Book VI: On the Sacrifice of the Mass (Second)
Chapter 15: On the Ceremonies Which Are Done in the Mass and Consist in Action
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. IV, De Sacramento Eucharistiae, Book VI: On the Sacrifice of the Mass (Second Book). The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
Now of those ceremonies which are employed in the very celebration of the Mass it must be briefly spoken, which can be reduced to five heads. For some are referred to God, as the lifting up of the hands, the lifting up of the eyes, adoration by the inclination of the whole body, or by the bending of the knees. Some to the sacrifice, as the elevation, the showing, the fraction, the commixture. Some to the celebrating priest, as the striking of the breast and the washing of the hands. Some to the people, as the salutation and the dismissal. Some to those things which are read in the Mass, as singing and musical instruments. Besides these, certain others are common to many things, as the sign of the cross, the sprinkling of water, the incensing, the kiss.
The first ceremony toward God, that is, the lifting up of the hands, has an example in the divine letters. For Exodus 17, Moses praying with lifted hands obtained. Likewise 3 Kings 8, Solomon about to pray spread his hands to heaven. David, Psalm 140: The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. The Apostle, 1 Timothy 2: I will that men pray in every place, lifting up pure hands. Finally this ceremony seems to be natural, since even among the heathen we read passim that those who prayed extended their hands to heaven.
The second, which is the lifting up of the eyes, was familiar to Christ: for in very many places He is said to have lifted His eyes to heaven, as is clear from Matthew 14, Mark 6 and 7, Luke 9, John 6, 11, and 17. And although in the action of the Supper it is not expressly read in the Gospel that He lifted His eyes to heaven, yet that He did this Saint James in his Liturgy, and Saint Ambrose, Book 4 on the Sacraments, chapter 5, constantly assert. Tertullian in the Apologetic, chapter 30, writes that the Christians were wont to pray gazing at heaven, with hands extended, with head uncovered.
The third, which is the inclination of the body, or the bending of the knees, is an index of humility and reverence, and passim used by the Saints. 2 Paralipomenon 6, Solomon prayed on bended knees. Luke 22, the Lord Himself prayed kneeling. Acts 21, Paul prayed kneeling with all who were with him. Nor can these ceremonies toward God be in any way reprehended: for as Saint Cyprian teaches in his sermon on the Lord's prayer, one must please the divine eyes even by the disposition of the body. But not only during the sacrificing does the priest incline his head to God, but also to the cross, or the image of the Crucified, and even to the altar itself, and that often: which ceremony that it is most ancient can be understood from the Liturgy of Chrysostom, where these words are had: “The priest goes out from the small door, and turned to the image of Christ, with head bowed, with a loud voice says this prayer, etc.”
The first ceremony toward the sacrifice is the elevation of the host to be consecrated before God, which is done at the offertory; which ceremony cannot be reprehended, if the oblation be granted, which we defended in the preceding book. For if it is lawful to offer to God a visible sacrifice, why is it not lawful to elevate it as a sign of the oblation? We have also in Scripture an example, since Leviticus 8, 9, 10, and elsewhere, the priest elevates before God that which is offered. Finally it is had in the ancient Liturgies.
The second, which is the showing of the Sacrament to the people, is most ancient: for it is had first in the Liturgies of Basil and Chrysostom, and in Dionysius, chapter 3 of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. And moreover Saint Basil makes mention of it as of an Apostolic tradition, in his book on the Holy Spirit, chapter 27: “The words of invocation when the bread of the Eucharist is shown, and the cup of blessing, which of the Saints left them to us in writing?” Chrysostom makes frequent mention of that rite which was among the Greeks, that the Eucharist was consecrated at the altar covered with veils, and then, the veils being drawn back, was shown to the people. Homily 61 to the people of Antioch: “When thou seest the veils drawn back,” he says, “then think of heaven opened above, etc.” The same he has homily 36 on First Corinthians, and homily 3 on the Epistle to the Ephesians.
The third, which is the fraction and commixture, is had expressly in the Liturgy of James, and in the Liturgy of Chrysostom: wherefore it too is most ancient. Whence Chrysostom, homily 24 on First Corinthians, writes that Christ suffers on the altar a breaking which on the cross He would not suffer.
Another ceremony toward the sacrifice is the mixing of water and wine, of which we say nothing here, because in the fourth book on the Eucharist we treated of it copiously.
The first ceremony which the priest employs toward himself is the striking of the breast: for he uses it in the confession which is made at the beginning of the Mass, and at that prayer: “Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, etc.” And at those words: “Lord, I am not worthy.” But this ceremony indicates penance, and is natural, and has an example in the Gospel. For Luke 18, the publican praying struck his breast, saying: God, be merciful to me a sinner. And Luke 22: They returned striking their breasts.
The second is the washing of the hands, a little before the consecration, which is had also in the Liturgies of the Greeks: of this same ceremony Dionysius makes mention, chapter 3 of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, and Clement, Book 8 of the Constitutions, chapter 5, and Cyril, catechesis 5, mystagogical: “Hast thou seen,” he says, “the deacon holding out water to the priest to wash his hands?” And in the same place he gives the cause of this ceremony, and says that that washing is not employed to wash away the filth of the body, since no one dares to approach the church with dirty hands: but on account of the symbol of the purity of the soul, in which those ought to abound who perform so great a sacrifice.
The first ceremony toward the people is the salutation by “The Lord be with you”: of which we shall dispute in the following chapter.
The second ceremony is the dismissal of the people by “Go, it is the dismissal (Ite missa est)”, of which also we shall speak below: for these ceremonies consist in words, not only in action.
The first ceremony toward those things which are read in the Mass is singing: of which there is not at this time great controversy; for the heretics themselves too sing passim. And moreover we have the example of the Lord Himself. For Matthew 26 we read that the Lord in the last Supper, in which the first institution and celebration of the Mass consisted, sang a hymn: for those words, “And a hymn being said,” in Greek [hymnesantes], properly signify singing. For as Augustine teaches, on the title of Psalm 72, singing is so much of the nature of a hymn that unless it be sung, it cannot be called a hymn. Whence also the Fourth Council of Toledo, canon 12, on hymns to be sung in the sacred office, says that we have the example of the Lord: from which we gather to be false what Luther writes, in his book on the Babylonian Captivity, chapter 1, that the Mass of the Lord was celebrated without singing. In the disputation on the Canonical Hours, in volume 3, we shall dispute of this matter more copiously.
The second ceremony is musical instruments, which began to be employed in the Church in the sacred office in the time of Pope Vitalian, about the year of the Lord 660, as Platina relates from the Pontifical; or, as Aimoin prefers, Book 4 on the deeds of the Franks, chapter 114, after the year of the Lord 820, in the time of Louis the Pious. But that instruments of this kind are lawful and useful, if we use them soberly and gravely, certainly cannot be denied, since we both have the example of the Old Testament, and experience that devotion is excited by them, and that the tedium is lessened which otherwise would arise from the length and gravity of the offices.
Nor is the answer of Peter Martyr valid to the example of the Old Testament: Peter Martyr writes, on chapter 14 of First Corinthians, that musical instruments pertain to the Jewish ceremonies, and befit us no more than Circumcision and the new moons. But he is most openly deceived. For the Jewish ceremonies were of two kinds.
Some proper to themselves, which namely were instituted to signify something else to come, as Circumcision and the like: and these truly do not befit us. Others were common to them with other nations, namely those which rest on natural reason, and not on the signification of things to come, as to bend the knees, to strike the breast, etc. And these befit us also, and to this kind pertain musical instruments, since they are employed in the praises of God, on account of the weak, of whom not a few are numbered in the Church, for they help, as I said, both to excite piety, and to lessen loathing and tedium.
Of the common ceremonies. The first is the sprinkling of blessed water. For on the Lord's days before the beginning of the solemn Mass the priest blesses the water, and then sprinkles himself, and the Ministers, and the altar, and the people: which sprinkling is a certain expiation and preparation for the coming sacrifice. Of blessed water we treated fully in Book 3 on the Church triumphant, chapter 7. Here it will suffice only to have noted that the blessing of water is numbered by Saint Basil among the Apostolic traditions, in his book on the Holy Spirit, chapter 27, and that the sprinkling of water was wont to be employed at Mass on the Lord's days is gathered from Micrologus in his book on ecclesiastical observances, chapter 46.
The second common ceremony is the incensing: for incense is burned in the Mass, both at the altar, and at the Gospel, and at the priest, and also at the clergy and people; and indeed this ceremony is most ancient. For canon 4 of the Apostles it is said that thymiama, or incense, is to be offered at the altar when the sacred oblation is celebrated. Dionysius, chapter 3 of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, describing the rite of celebrating the sacrifice of the Eucharist, makes mention also of incense. In the Liturgies of James and Chrysostom mention is made of the blessing of incense and of the incensing at the altar. Moreover Damasus in the Pontifical, in the life of the Pontiffs Soter and Sylvester, numbers among the other sacred vessels of the Church the thuribles or censers: wherefore it is false what Platina in the life of Sixtus I, and Polydore Virgil in his book on the inventors of things, write, that Leo III, who sat in the year 800, was the first who employed incense in the Mass.
But that Arnobius writes, Book 7 against the Gentiles, that the religion of incense is new: this must be understood of the custom of the Gentiles. For among the people of God it is a most ancient custom to employ incense in the divine sacrifice, as is clear from Exodus 25 and 30 and following. Further, the Christians received the religion of incense not from the Gentiles, but from the Hebrews.
But the cause why the odor and smoke of incense is employed in the sacrifice, as is gathered from the prayers of the Liturgy both Greek and Latin, is, both that the good odor of the Gospel may be signified, and of those who ought to preach the Gospel; and on account of the likeness which incense has with prayer, whence it is said in Psalm 140: Let my prayer be directed as incense in Thy sight. And Apocalypse 8, John interprets the incense offered to God to be the prayers of the Saints: and also to represent the glory of God. For God was wont to show Himself in a cloud in the Old Testament; and finally to wipe away the foul odor which might arise from the multitude of men in the church.
The third common ceremony is the kiss: for the priest frequently kisses the altar itself, then the book of the Gospel; then his Minister, and through him diffuses peace to the whole clergy and people. Which ceremony is had in all the Liturgies, both Greek and Latin; and of it Justin makes mention at the end of the second Apology, Tertullian in his book on prayer, last chapter, Cyril catechesis 5, mystagogical, and Chrysostom homily 77 on John. But there is a twofold reason of this kiss: for we kiss the altar and the book as a sign of reverence, but the brethren as a sign of charity and peace.
The fourth ceremony is the sign of the cross: which is the most common of all, and most ancient. For with the sign of the cross the priest signs himself, likewise the book, the altar, the things to be offered and offered, and finally the people while he blesses them.
But Micrologus notes, in his book on ecclesiastical observances, chapter 14, that the sign of the cross is wont to be made over the oblation either once, or thrice, or five times, but not twice or four times: because it is made once for the unity of the divine essence, thrice for the Trinity of persons, five times to represent the five wounds of the Lord.
But that it is a most ancient ceremony is clear. First, from the Liturgies of Saint James and others, which are full of signings of this kind. Secondly, from Chrysostom, homily 55 on Matthew, and Augustine, treatise 118 on John, who say that all the Sacraments and the very divine sacrifice are perfected by the sign of the cross. Thirdly, from Tertullian in his book on the soldier's crown, Cyril catecheses 4 and 13, and Jerome in his letter to Eustochium on the custody of Virginity, who teach that in every business the sign of the cross is to be employed. But if in every business, why not in the action of the tremendous sacrifice?
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XV. De ceremoniis, que fiunt in Missa, e/ /n actione consistunt. Nunc de cairemoniis illis breviter est di¬ cendum, qua; in ipsa Missa; celebratione adhibentur, qua; ad quinque capita revoca¬ ri possunt. Alia; enim ad Deum referuntur, ut elevatio manuum, elevatio oculorum, ado¬ ratio per inclinationem corporis totius, aut per genuum curvationem. Alia; ad sacrifi¬ cium, ut elevatio, ostensio, fractio, commix¬ tio. Alia; ad sacerdotem celebrantem, ut tunsio pectoris, et lotio manuum. Aliae ad populum, ut salutatio, et dimissio. Alia; ad (1) T Cor. XT, 34. — (2) Tob. XT1, R: Jnd. IV, 12 ; Luc. II, 37: Mattii. XVII, 20. — (3) Lite. X, 10. 400 LIBER VI. ea, quae leguntur in Missa, ut cantus, et in¬ strumenta musica. Praeter lias, quaedam aliae sunt communes multis rebus, ut signum cru¬ cis, aspersio aquae, thurificatio, osculum. Prima igitur caeremonia erga Deum, ici est, elevatio manuum, exemplum habet in divi¬ nis litteris. Nam Exodi xvn, Moses elevatis manibus orans impetravit. Item III Reg. vm. Salomon oraturus expandit manus in coelum. David Psalm. cxl : Elevatio ma- nuumm earum sacrificium vespertinum. Apo¬ stolus I Timoth. ii : Volo viros orare in omni loco levantes puras manus (1). Denique naturalis haec caeremonia esse videtur, cum etiam apud ethnicos passim legantur, qui orabant, ad coelum manus extendisse. Secunda quae est elevatio oculorum, Chri¬ sto familiaris fuit : nam in plurimis locis ocu¬ los ad coelum levasse dicitur, ut patet Matth. xiv. Mare. vi. et vii. Luc. ix. Joan. vi. xi. et xvn. Et quamvis in actione Ccenae non lega¬ tur expresse in Evangelio, oculos ad coe¬ lum sustulisse, id tamen constanter asserunt eum fecisse, S. Jacobus in sua Liturgia, et S. Ambrosius lib. iv' de Sacramentis cap v. Tertullianus in Apologetica cap. 30. scri¬ bit Christianos coelum intuentes, manibus extensis, nudo capite orare solitos. Tertia, quae est inclinatio corporis, aut genuum incurvatio, index est humilitatis, et reverentiae, et passim a Sanctis usur¬ pata. II Paralip. vi, Salomon flexis geni¬ bus orabat. Luc. xxn, Dominus ipse po¬ sitis genibus orabat. Act. xxi. Paulus positis genibus oravit cum omnibus, qui secum e- rant. Neque possunt hae caeremoniae erga Deum ullo modo reprehendi : nam ut S. Cyprianus docet in serm. de orat. Dominica, placendum est divinis oculis etiam habitu corporis. Non solum autem inter sacrificandum sacerdos inclinat caput Deo, sed etiam cruci, aut ima¬ gini crucifixi, et ipsi etiam altari, et id sae¬ pius : quam caeremoniam antiquissimam esse intelligi potest ex Liturgia Chrysostomi ; ubi habentur haec verba : « Sacerdos egre¬ ditur ex parvo ostio, et conversus ad Chri¬ sti imaginem, inflexo capite cum exclamatio¬ ne dicit hanc orationem etc. » Prima caeremonia erga sacrificium, est e- levatio hostiae consecrandae coram Deo, quae fit in offertorio ; quae caeremonia non pot¬ est reprehendi, si concedatur oblatio, quam in libro superiore defendimus. Nam si licet offerre Deo sacrificium visibile ; cur non li¬ ceat id ipsum elevare in signum oblationis ? Habemus etiam in Scriptura exemplum, si¬ quidem Lev. vm. ix. x. et alibi, sacerdos elevat coram Deo id quod offertur. Denique habetur in antiquis Liturgiis Secunda, quae est ostensio Sacramenti ad populum, antiquissima est : habetur enim in primis in Liturgiis Basilii, et Chrysostomi, et apud Dionysium cap. 3. Ecclesiast. liie- rarch. Et praeterea meminit ejus ut Aposto- licac traditionis, S. Basilius in lib. de Spiritu sancto cap. 27 : « Verba, inquit, invocatio¬ nis cum ostenditur panis Eucharistiae, et po¬ culum benedictionis, quis Sanctorum in scripto nobis reliquit ? » Chrysostomus cre¬ bram facit mentionem illius ritus, qui apud Graecos erat, ut Eucharistia consecraretur ad altare velis obducta, ac deinde reductis velis populo ostenderetur. Hom. lxi. ad po¬ pulum Antiochenum : « Cum vela, inquit, vi- videris retrahi, tunc superne coelum aperiri cogita etc. » Idem habet hom. 36. in I Co- rinth. et hom. 3, in epist. ad Ephes. Tertia, quae est fractio et commixtio, ha¬ betur expresse in Liturgia Jacobi, et in Litur¬ gia Chrysostomi : quare ipsa quoque anti¬ quissima est. Unde Chrysostomus hom. 24. in priorem ad Corinth. scribit Christum in altari confractionem pati, quam in cruce pa¬ ti noluit. Alia est caeremonia erga sacrificium, mix¬ tio aquae, et vini, de qua nihil hic dicimus, quia in 4. lib. de Eucharistia copiose de ea tractavimus. Prima caeremonia, quam erga seipsum sa¬ cerdos adhibet, est tunsio pectoris : ea enim utitur in confessione, quae fit ad initium Missae, et ad illam precem : « Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi etc. » Et ad illa verba : « Domine non sum dignus. » Haec autem caeremonia poenitentiam indicat, et naturalis est, atque in Evangelio exemplum habet. Nam Lucae xviii, publicanus orans percutie¬ bat pectus suum, dicens: Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori. Et Lucae xxn : Revertebantur percutientes pectora sua. Secunda est lotio mannum, paulo ante consecrationem, quae habetur etiam iil Li¬ turgiis Graecorum: ejusdem caeremoniae me¬ minit Dionysius cap. 3. Ecclesiast. hierarch. et Clemens lib. vm. eonst. cap. 5. et Cyril- lus catechesi 5. mystag. : « Vidisti, inquit, (i) Psalm. CXL, 2. - (2)1 Thimoth, II, S. CAPUT XV. 407 Diaconum aquam lavandis manibus porri¬ gentem sacerdoti ? » Et ibidem reddit causam hujus caeremoniae, ac dicit, non adhiberi eam lotionem ad sordes corporis abluendas, cum nemo in Ecclesiam sordidis manibus accedere audeat : sed ob symbolum purita¬ tis animi, qua pollere debent, qui tantum peragunt sacrificium. Prima caeremonia erga populum, est salu¬ tatio per « Dominus vobiscum » : de qua in sequenti capite disseremus. Secunda caeremonia est dimissi populi per « Ite missa est » , de qua etiam infra di¬ cemus : nam istae caeremoniae in verbis con¬ sistunt, non in actione tantum. Prima caeremonia erga ea, quae leguntur in Missa, est cantus : de qua non est hoc tempore magna controversia ; nam ipsi etiam haeretici passim canunt. Et praeterea habe¬ mus ipsius Domini exemplum. Nam Matth. 26. legimus Dominum in ultima Ccena, in qua prima Missae institutio, et celebratio consistebat hymnum cecinisse : illa enim verba : « Et hymno dicto », graece ugvvicav- ts;, proprie cantum significant. Nam ut Au¬ gustinus docet, in titulum Psal. lxxii. usque adeo de ratione hymni est cantus, ut nisi cantetur, hymnus dici non possit. Unde etiam Concilium Toletanum IV. can. 12. de hymnis canendis in sacro officio, dicit nos exemplum Domini habere : ex quo falsum esse colligimus quod scribit Lutherus in lib. de captivit. Babylon, cap. 1. Missam Domi¬ ni sine cantu celebratam esse. In disputatio¬ ne de horis Canonicis tom. 3. de hac re co¬ piosius disseremus. Secunda caeremonia , sunt instrumenta Musica, quae in Ecclesia adhiberi coepta sunt in sacro officio, tempore Vitaliani Papae circa annum Domini 660. ut ex Pontificali refert Platina ; vel ut mavult Aimoinus lib. iv. de gestis Francorum cap. 114. post annum Do¬ mini 820. tempore Ludovici Pii. Licita au¬ tem esse, et utilia ejusmodi instrumenta, si sobrie, et graviter eis utamur, negari certe non potest, cum et habeamus exemplum Testamenti veteris, et experiamur devotio¬ nem per ea excitari, et taedium minui, quod ex longitudine, et gravitate officiorum alio- qui oriretur. Neque valet responsio Petri Martyris ad exemplum Testamenti veteris : scribit Pe¬ trus Martyr, in cap. 14. prioris ad Corinth. instrumenta musica pertinere ad Judaicas caeremonias, neque nobis magis convenire, quam Circumsioncm, et neomenias. Sed fal¬ litur apertissime. Siquidem Judaicae caere¬ moniae duplices erant. Quaedam ipsorum propriae, quae videlicet ad aliud futurum significandum erant insti¬ tutae, ut Circumcisio, pt similes : et hae nobis vere non conveniunt. Aliae erant communes ipsis cum aliis Gentibus, eae scilicet, quae naturali ratione nituntur, non autem signifi¬ catione rerum futurarum, ut genua flectere, pectus tundere etc. Et hae nobis etiam con¬ veniunt, atque ad hoc genus pertinent mu¬ sica instrumenta, quippe quae in Dei laudi¬ bus adhibentur, propter infirmos, quorum non pauci in Ecclesia numerantur, juvant enim, ut dixi, tum ad excitandam pietatem, tum ad fastidium, ac taedium minuendum. Ex caeremoniis communibus. Prima est, aspersio aquae benedictae. Nam in Dominicis diebus ante initium solemnis Missae, Sacerdos aquam benedicit, ac deinde aspergit se, et Ministros, et altare, et populum: quae asper¬ sio est quaedam expiatio, et praeparatio ad futurum sacrificium. De aqua benedicta fuse tractavimus in m. lib de Ecclesia trium¬ phante cap. 7. Hic solum annotasse sufficiet aquae benedictionem a S. Basilio inter Apo- stolicas traditiones numerari lib. de Spiritu sancto cap. 27. et Dominicis diebus ad Mis¬ sam adhiberi solitam aquae aspersionem, col¬ ligi ex Micrologo in lib. de observationibus Ecclesiasticis cap. 46. Secunda caeremonia communis, est thuri- ficatio : nam thus adoletur in Missa, tum ad altare, tum ad Evangelium, tum ad Sacerdo¬ tem, tum etiam ad clerum, et populum; et quidem haec caeremonia antiquissima est. Nam can. 4. Apostolorum dicitur thymiama, seu incensum offerendum ad altare, cum sa¬ cra celebratur oblatio. Dionysius cap. 3. Ec- clesiast. hierarch. describens ritum cele¬ brandi sacrificii Eucharistiae, meminit etiam thuris. In Liturgiis Jacobi, et Ghrysostomi, mentio fit benedictionis thuris, et thurifica- tionisad altare. Praeterea Damasus in Ponti¬ ficali in vita Soteris et Sylvestri Pontificum, inter alia sacra vasa Ecclesiae numerat thu- ribula, seu thymiamateria : quare falsum est, quod Platina in vita Sixti I. et Polidorus Yir- giliusin lib. de inventoribus rerum scribunt, Leonem III. qui sedit anno 800 fuisse pri¬ mum, qui thus in Missa adhibuit. Quod autem Arnobius scribit lib. vir con¬ tra Gentes, religionem thuris novellam esse : intelligi debet de consuetudine Gentilium : 408 LIBER VI. Nam apud populum Dei, antiquissima consue¬ tudo est, thuris adhibendi in sacrificio divino, ut patet ex lib. Exodi 25. et 30 et sequenti¬ bus. Porro Christiani thuris religionem non a Gentilibus, sed ab Hebraeis acceperunt. Causa vero cur thuris odor, ac fumus in sacrificio adhibeatur, ut j colligitur ex preci¬ bus Liturgke tum Graeca;, tum Latinae, est, tum ut significetur bonus odor Evangelii, et eorum qui Evangelium praedicare debent ; tum ob similitudinem, quam habet incensum cum oratione ;‘punde dicitur in Psal. 140 : * Diri (jatur oratio mea sicut, incensum in con¬ spectu tuo. Et Apocalyp. 9 incensum Deo o- blatum interpretatur Joannes esse orationes Sanctorum : tum etiam ad gloriam Dei re¬ praesentandam. Deus enim injn ebula se o- stendere solebat in Testamento veteri ; tum denique ad tetrum odorem, si quis ex multi¬ tudine hominum i n Ecclesia existeret, ab¬ stergendum. Tertia caeremonia communis, est osculum : osculatur enim Saderdos frequenter ipsum altare, deinde librum Evangelii; tum Mini¬ strum suum, et per cum in universum clerum, et populum pacem diffundit. Quae caeremo¬ nia habetur in Liturgiis omnibus, tum Grae¬ cis, tum Latinis ; et ejusdem meminit Justi¬ nus in fine 2. Apologiae. Tertullianus lib. de orat. cap. ult. Cyrillus Catechesi 3. mysta- gog. et Chrysostomus hom. 77. in Joan. Duplex autem ratio est hujus osculi : naini altare, et librum in signum reverentiae os¬ culamur, fratres autem in signum chari tatis, et pacis. Quarta caeremonia est, signum crucis : qua; omnium communissima, et antiquissima est. Nam signo crucis scipsum Sacerdos consignat, item librum, altare, res offeren¬ das, et oblatas, ac denique populum dum ei benedicit. Notat autem Micrologus lib. de observa¬ tionibus Ecclesiasticis cap. 14. signum crucis aut semel, aut ter, aut quinquies exprimi so¬ lere super oblationem, non autem bis, aut quater: quia semel exprimitur ad essentia; divina; unitatem, ter ad personarum Trinita¬ tem, quinquies ad quinque plagas Domini re- pnescnlandas. Esse autem antiquissimam eseremoniam perspicuum est. Primo, ex Liturgiis S. Ja- eobi et aliorum, qua; plena; sunt ejusmodi consignationibus. Secundo, ex Chrvsostomo hom. 55. in Matthamm, et Augustino tract. 118. in Joan. qui dicunt omnia Sacramenta, et ipsum divinum sacrificium signo crucis perfici. Tertio, ex Tertulliano in lib. de Co¬ rona militis. Cyrillo Catechesi 4. et 13. et Hieronymo in Epist. ad Eustochium de cu¬ stodia Virginitatis, qui docent, in omni ne¬ gotio signum crucis adhibendum. Quod si in omni negotio, cur non in actione tremendi sacrificii ?