A compleat history of the canon and writers, of the books of the Old and New Testament, by way of dissertation, with useful remarks on that subject ... by L.E. Du Pin ... ; done into English from the French original.

SECT. VIII. Of the Liturgies which are falsly attributed to the Apostles.

WE need only to reflect a little on what we read concerning the Cele∣bration of the Eucharist in Saint Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians, and on what Saint Justin, and the Primitive Fathers have said about it, in order to be convinc'd that the Apostles and those who succeeded them, did celebrate the Sa∣crifice of the Mass with great Simplicity. This is what has been taken notice of by all those who have wrote upon the Liturgies (a.) 1.1, who all agree in this, That

the Mass was celebrated without many Ceremonies in the first Ages of Chri∣stianity; and that they said therein but very few Prayers: but by little and little, several other Prayers were added, together with some external Ceremo∣nies, in order to render the Sacrifice more awful to the People. Lastly, the Churches have regulated and committed to Writing the manner of Celebrating it, and this is that which they call the Liturgies: the which having been made con∣formable to the Customs of different places, are likewise so many different Li∣turgies. And whereas Men are naturally inclin'd to change something or other in their outward way of Worship; they have from time to time added seve∣ral things to these Liturgies.

This single Reflection is enough to shew that the Liturgies, which go under the name of the Apostles and Evangelists, are not really theirs: but to prove it beyond dispute, we need only examine them one after another.

The Liturgy or Mass in Greek and Latin attributed to Saint Peter, which was publish'd by Lindanus, in the Year 1589. from a Manuscript of Cardinal Sirlet, of no very long standing, and which has been printed since at Paris, by Morel in the Year 1595. This Liturgy, I say cannot be Saint Peter's for the fol∣lowing Reasons. Therein mention is made of Saint Sixtus, Cornelius, and Saint Cyprian. The Canon of the Latin Mass, which Saint Gregory asserts to have been compos'd by a Scholastick, that is, by a Learned Man of the Fifth Century, is inserted therein at large. It contains several Prayers taken out of the Sacra∣mentary of Saint Gregory, and out of the Liturgies of Saint Basil and Saint Chrysostome. Therein they pray for the Patriarch (a Term unknown before the latter end of the fourth Century) and for the most Religious Emperors, which supposes that there were at that time Christian Emperors. Lastly, had this Liturgy been Saint Peter's, the Church of Rome would have made use of it, nor would it have lain dormant for so many Ages. These Reasons made the Learn∣ed Cardinal Bona to say, that this Liturgy was a forg'd piece, and that it was manifestly compos'd by some Greek-Latiniz'd Priest, because it was taken partly out of the Liturgy of the Greeks, and partly out of that of the Latins; and that it was attributed to Saint Peter, either to give it the greater Authority, or else because it contain'd a great part of the Liturgy of the Roman Church.

The Mass of the Ethiopians, which goes under the name of Saint Matthew, is likewise apparently spurious. For therein Popes, Kings, Patriarchs and Arch-Bishops are pray'd for. Therein the twelve Apostles are invocated, the four Evangelists commemorated, and mention made of the Synods of Nice, Constan∣tinople and Ephesus. Therein the Nicene Creed is sung with the Clause Filioque: And mention made of Saint Athanasius, Saint Gregory, and Saint Basil, of the Epact, the Golden Number, and the Trisagion: All which sufficiently prove this Liturgy to be very Modern.

The same Judgment may be pass'd on the Liturgy of Saint Mark, publish'd by Cardinal Sirlet, and printed at Paris by Morel: For therein we meet with the Word Consubstantial, and the Trisagion; therein they pray for the King, and for Saint Mark himself, and mention is made of Chalices, Subdeacons, Chanters, Monks, Nuns, &c. things which are sufficient Evidences of its Novelty.

There only remains to be consider'd by us the Liturgy attributed to Saint James, which the Learned have given themselves the trouble to defend, tho' to no purpose. For tho' it be more ancient than those which we have already ex∣amin'd, since 'tis cited in the Council held in the Emperor's Palace, after the fifth General Council, yet it cannot be said that Saint James is the Author of it, or that it was compos'd in his time; and that for these Reasons:

1. The Son and Holy Ghost are therein styl'd Consubstantial with the Father, a Phrase that was not in use in Saint James's time: But supposing it should be said that it was, is it credible that this Authority should not then have been al∣ledged in the Councils of Nice and Constantinople?

2. Therein are the Trisagion and the Doxology, that is, the Holy, Holy, Holy, and the Gloria Patri, which were not generally us'd in the Church till the fifth Century. For tho' it could be prov'd that they were us'd before, yet it must be own'd, that this was not the common usage of the Church.

3. Therein Prayers are us'd for those who are shut up in Monasteries: and who can say that this was in Saint James's time?

4. Therein mention is made of Confessors, a word not us'd in the Divine Of∣fice, till a long time after Saint James's days, as is own'd by Bellarmine him∣self.

5. This Liturgy speaks of Temples, Incense, Altars &c. now would one believe that these things were in Use in the time of Saint James?

6. Lastly, this whole Liturgy is full of Citations out of the Epistles of Saint Paul, most of which were written after the Death of Saint James. Nor can it be said with the Cardinals Bona and Bellarmine, that these things have been ad∣ded: because 'tis not likely that there should have been so many Additions in so many different places, and besides neither the Connexion nor the Ceremo∣nies of this whole Liturgy are suitable with the times of the Apostles.

I say nothing of some other Liturgies, cited by some Authors, such for in∣stance as those of the twelve Apostles, mention'd by Abraham Echellensis, and and that of Saint Barnabas, mention'd by a certain Monk, because I never saw them; nor shall I say any thing of that which is in the Constitutions of Saint Clement, nor of the Liturgy which is in the Books attributed to Saint Dionysius the Areopagite; because these Books being spurious, as I shall shew in another place, there is no question to be made but that the Liturgies which they contain are likewise as spurious.

Notes

• (a.) 1.1

  By all those who have written upon the Li∣turgies.] Saint Gregory the Pope, in his 7th. B. Ep. 63. ad Joan. Syracus. has these Words: Mos Apostolorum fuit, ut ad ipsam solummodo Ora∣tionem Dominicam oblation is Hostiam consecrarent. Valafridius Strabo de Rit. Eccl. cap. 22. says, Quod nunc agimus multiplici orationum, cantilena∣rum, & consecrationum officio, totum hoc Apostoli, & post ipsos, ut creditur, proximi orationibus, com∣memoratione Passionis Dominicae, sicut ipse praecepit, agebant simpliciter: Proficiente dehinc Religione amplius acta sunt à Christi cultoribus officia Missarum. Remy d'Auxerre, de celeb. Miss. Lib. 1. says, Nam Missam B. Petrus Apostolus primus omnium Antiochiae dicitur celebrasse, in quâ tres tantum∣modo orationes in initio sidei proferebantur, inci∣pientes ab eo loco ubi dicitur, Hanc igitur Obla∣tionem. See farther, Stephen d'Autun, de Sacra∣mento Altaris cap. 20. Benno d'Auge, de Offic. Miss. C. 1. Rupert. Tuit. lib. 2. de Divin. Offic. cap. 1. Hugh of Saint Victor de Divin. lib. 2. cap. 11. Honorius d'Autun in Gemm. An. lib. 1. Durandus de Mende, Rat. Off. l. 4. c. 1. Ra∣dulphus de Tongres, de Canon. Observat. Saint Anthony in Summ. maj. tit. 13. cap. 5. Cassan∣der's Liturgia, Cap. 18. Polydore Virgil, and the others who have treated concerning the Rites and Ceremonies of the Mass.