vestments. As soon as the Bishop is seated, they put his mitre on, and a Priest presents him with the pastoral ring. The Deacon gives him his right glove, and the Sub-deacon his left, which each of them kiss, as also the hand they have the honor to serve in all these circumstances. There are some > ceremonies to be observed, which those who are fond of mysteries may endeavour to account for, but we cannot. It is more material to acquaint the reader, that ejaculatory prayers have been adapted to each individual piece of the episcopal robes, and that the devotion of this ceremony is supported and confirmed by the singing the office of tierce.

The Bishop being thus drest in all his habiliments, his Clergy range themselves round about him. Two Deacons, who are Canons, place themselves on each side of him, both in dalmaticas; and after them, a Deacon and a Sub-deacon. Then the Incense-bearer, with the censer, and a Priest, with the navet, out of which the Bishop takes incense, puts it in the censer, and gives it his benediction. After this he kisses the cross which is upon the vestry altar, and then goes in procession to the other altar, where he is to celebrate the Mass. The Incense-bearer walks at the head of the procession; two waxcandle-bearers, with lighted tapers in their hands, march next on each side of him who bears the cross; all the Clergy follow them; the Sub-deacon, who is to sing the epistle, carries before him the New Testament shut, with the Bishop's manipule in it; a Deacon and Priest march just before the Bishop; the Bishop carrying his shepherd's crook in his left hand, to dispense his blessings to those good Christians he passes in his

way.

The Bishop being advanced to the altar, bows himself once to the Clergy, and when he enters on the first step of the altar, delivers his crook to the Sub-deacon, and the Deacon takes off the mitre; then the Prelate and Clergy bow to the

altar, or rather to the cross on the altar; after which the Clergy withdraw, except two priest's assistants, one on his right, and the other on his left hand, with the Incense-bearer, the Subdeacon, and two Deacon's assistants, and then the ceremony of the Mass service begins with the Confiteor, &c.; and the choir sings the Introite.

By whom, and at what period, this specious delusive ceremony was imposed upon human credulity, is a question of comparatively trifling importance. As to the ceremony itself, it is long, elaborate, diversified, and splendid; yet it is a veil hung over the true mystery of the Cross. It is made of costly materials, and of a texture impenetrable by the vulgar eye; it is ample in its drapery and folds; richly embroidered with representations of the crucifixion, ciphered and inscribed with the titles and attributes of the Crucified, exhibited in the solemn gloom of temples, echoing at the same time music, such as might seem to emulate the strains of the Cherubim, displayed and explained by attendants, in vestments and attitudes correspondent to its magnificence :-and the success of the illusion is triumphant ! It is this veil which hides the Gospel from a miserable world, from the miserable millions, before whom Jesus Christ is thus literally, but oh! how unscripturally! set forth crucified among them. The actors in this scene never directly inform the spectator, that all true penitents have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus! Alas! the veil is suspended before the holy of the holies, and conceals the interior blessing.

Yet such is the exquisite artifice employed in this mysterious ceremonial, that the whole exhibition appears, all the while, to honor the very Saviour, whom it degrades and would force from his throne. The missal is not deficient in the language of penitence, and in ascriptions of glory to the Agnus Dei, qui

tollit peccata mundi. In many places it rests the hope of man's salvation on his death and sacrifice. It recognizes his love, his grace, his truth; and this in terms sometimes of exalted devotion, and then in language approaching to fondness and impassioned affection. But all is neutralized by something which throughout contradicts the first principles of redemption by Jesus Christ. Its practical effect tends therefore to persuade men, that they are saved, not by the one oblation, once offered; but by the succession of sacrifices repeated daily, within the consecrated enclosure of a Catholic altar.

CHAPTER III.

AFTER the prayers of the Liturgy, or Missal, those held in the greatest veneration by Roman Catholics are the prayers contained in the Church Office, or Canonical Hours. This Office is a form of prayer and instruction combined, consisting of psalms, lessons, hymns, prayers, anthems, versicles, &c., combined in an established order, separated into different hours of the day. The Church expressly obliges every Clergyman in higher orders, and every one who possesses an ecclesiastical benefice, as well as the Religious of both sexes, to recite it every day, in private at least, if they cannot attend the choir, or are not obliged to do so. It is divided into seven, or rather eight, parts; and, like the Liturgy, it has a reference to the mystery or festival celebrated. The Festival, and therefore the Office, begins with Vespers, i. e. with the evening

prayer, about six o'clock, or sunset.

Next follows Compline,

At midnight come the

to beg God's protection during sleep. three Nocturns, as they are called, or Matins, the longest part of the Office. Lauds, or the morning praises of God, are appointed for the cock-crowing, or before the break of day. At six o'clock, or sunrise, Prime should be recited; and Terce, Sext, and None, every third hour afterwards. These canonical hours of prayer are still regularly observed by many religious orders, but less regularly by the Secular Clergy, even in the choir. When the Office is recited in private, though the observance of regular hours may be commendable, it is thought sufficient if the whole be gone through any time in the twentyfour hours. The Church Office is contained in what is called the Breviary. In consequence of a decree of the Council of Trent, Pope Pius V. ordered a number of learned and able men to compile the Breviary; and by his Bull, Quod a nobis, July, 1566, sanctioned it, and commanded the use thereof to the Clergy of the Roman Catholic Church all over the world. Clement VIII., in 1602, finding that the Breviary of Pius V. had been altered and depraved, restored it to its pristine state; and ordered, under pain of excommunication, that all future editions should strictly follow that which he then printed at the Vatican. Lastly, Urban VIII., in 1631, had the lan guage of the whole work, and the metres of the hymns, revised. The value which the Church of Rome sets upon the Breviary, may be known from the strictness with which she demands the perusal of it. Whoever enjoys any ecclesiastical revenue; all persons of both sexes, who have professed in any of the regular Orders; all Subdeacons, Deacons, and Priests, are bound to repeat, either in public or in private, the whole service of the day, out of the Breviary. The omission of any on of the eight portions of which that service consists, is declared

to be a mortal sin, i. e. a sin that, unrepented, would be sufficient to exclude from salvation. The person guilty of such an omission, loses all legal right to whatever portion of his clerical emoluments is due for the day or days wherein he neglected that duty, and cannot be absolved till he has given the forfeited sums to the poor, or, in Spain, redeemed the greatest part by a certain donation to the Crusade. Such are the sanctions and penalties by which the reading of the Breviary is enforced. The scrupulous exactness with which this duty is performed by all who have not secretly cast off their spiritual allegiance, is quite surprising. The Office of the Roman Catholic Church was originally so contrived, as to divide the Psaltery between the seven days of the week. Portions of the Old Scriptures were also read alternately with extracts from the legends of the Saints, and the works of the Fathers. But as the Calendar became crowded with Saints, whose festivals take precedence of the regular Church Service, little room is left for any thing but a few psalms, which are constantly repeated, a very small part of the Old Testament, and mere fragments of the Gospels and Epistles. The great and neverending variety consists in the compendious lives of the Saints, of which some specimens shall now be given.

In the first place, I shall speak of the early Martyrs, the spurious record of whose sufferings have been made to contribute most copiously to the composition of the Breviary. The variety and ingenuity of the tortures described, are only equalled by the innumerable miracles which baffled the tyrants, whenever they attempted to injure the Christians by any method but cutting their throats. Houses were set on fire, to burn the Martyrs within; but the Breviary informs us, that the flames raged for a whole day and a night without molesting them. Often do we hear of idols tumbling from their pedestals at the