sure offered at his shrine-among other presents, there for. merly made, there was one almost inestimable stone, offered by Lewis the VII. of France. This, our king Henry had set in a ring, and wore it on his thumb. Bishop Godwin reports, there were two large chests full of gold and jewels, secured for the king; each of which was so heavy, that they had eight men to carry them out of the church. About this time, the king seized the rich monastery of Saint Augustin at Canterbury, frighted away the monks, kept some part of their estates, and gave away the rest among the courtiers. As to Archbishop Becket, besides burning his bones, carrying off the treasures and defacing his monument, he ordered his name to be razed, out of the calendar, and forbade the keeping his holyday. (Godwin, Collier.)

66

Sep. 16th died king James II. of most glorious mem; at S. Germans en Lay, not far from Paris. The greater part of his flesh lyes interr'd in ye parish Church of S. Germans en Lay. To ye Scotch College at Paris, his Maty bequeath'd his writings, and wth them were given his brains, nobly entomb'd in their chappel.

Lewis ye great, informing himself at S. Germans wre ye kings of England were usually interr'd; ye English answer'd at ye Royal Benedtin Abby of Westminster, upon wch his most Christian Majesty most gratuously replyed he had here English Benedictin Monks, and so took ye resolution of conferring on yt house ye honour of conserving in its bosom ye Royal mortal remnants of our late glorious soverain, who had magnificently bestowed place on us, in ye bosom of his Royal pallace of S. James's at London. Wherefore ye next night after his death, just at midnight, ye Royal Corps was brought privately, with little ceremony, as he had desired there might be no great ceremony at his obsequies. There were but 3 coaches, in ye 1st of which was ye Duke of Berwick, and ye guardes carried white-wax torches. As soon as ye body was placed in ye church, Dr. Ingleby, one of his Majesty's chaplains being yt week in waiting, thus directed his speech to F. Prior, “Tristi Rde Pater & lugubri, &c. &c."

This was follow'd wth ye R. Libera, &c. for it was too late to do any thing more, and ye next day was Sunday, and his

royal heart, wch was in the same convoy, was below to be carried away immediately yt night to Challiot Visitation -Nuns, founded by ye queen, his mother, whose heart also is kept there. Prayers ended, and ye company gone, ye royal corps was carried into our Lady's chappel, founded by ye Earl of Cardigan, who rejoyc'd very much at yt honor, wn it was told his lordship in England. Sunday, in the evening, began ye royal service; and for forty days, we sung a requiem, and night and day, and not for a moment was ye royal corps left alone; but some or other of the religious in their turns were praying by it. Such are ye rites of ye royall funerals in France. The king of France sent a noble silver lamp, in wh there is a continual light kept before ye bed of state on wch ye king lyes, wch is of black velvet, trimm'd wth silver fringe, and ye arms of England embroidered thereon. An altar dress'd after ye same menner, is also in ye chappel, wch is hung with black cloth, and adorned wth velvet and scutcheons, and four great white wax tapers, at ye bed-posts. On ye breast of ye royal coffin, a brasse plate coutaines these words: "Icy est le corps de Tres Haut, et Tres Puissant, et Tres Excellent Prince Jacques II. par la grace de Dieu, Roy de la Grande Bretagne, ué le 24 Octobre 1633, decedé en France, au Chateau, de St. Germain en Laye, le 16 Septembre, 1701."

"The great Convent of Dominicans in our street of St. James, asked F. Prior leave, and came in solemn procession on ye 19th October following, and sung mass in music."

"By ye 40th day, all things were gotnew, and ye church hung all in black from top to bottom, even ye very roof, and we invited ye Prior of S. Denis to sing ye mass, which was nobly performed at ye rate of ye services they there keep for ye kings of France. He had his master of ceremonies, (wch never fails in yt famous abby) 2 deacons, 2 subdeacons, 2 thurifiers, 2 acolytes, 4 torchbearers, and 4 chantors in ye quire. The primate of Ireland, ye Bp. of Autun, ye Duke of Berwick, ye Lord Caryll, &c. assisted, and every one was extremely satisfied. Also our fathers at Douay at their own expenses, made a stately service for his maty in their church." Weldon's Chron. Notes.

A Dissertation on the words

"MYSTERIUM FIDEI,"

In the Latin form of the Consecration of the Chalice.

Religion is a treasure of divine mysteries: this noble treasure is deposited with the Catholic Church; by the apostles and disciples of Jesus, this treasure and deposit was entrusted to her, which by the promise of Jesus, and the assistance of the Holy Spirit, she will keep pure and inviolate to the end of time. In this treasure reposes so much that is sublime and magnificent, that it is truly called inexhaustible, and proved to be divine. Let the doctrines which the Church proposes to us from this source, and the sacred rites which she observes, be examined; how full are they of mystery, how powerfully do they captivate the heart! Even when man is yet incapable of utterance, and scarcely beholds the light of day, the Church speaks to him and imparts to him the great mystery of reconciliation, washes him with water, and thereby raises him to the dignity of a child of God, entitled to eat at his Father's table, and feed upon the flesh and blood of a God-Man. In this food is contained again the greatest of mysteries. Under the appearance of bread and wine is concealed the living body and the living blood of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The ministers of the Church, the priests, have received the power to undertake this great mystery-the consecration of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and the most holy sacrifice. "Our Redeemer," says St. Irenæus, "taught the new sacrifice of his new Testament; the Church received itfrom "the apostles, and offers it to God throughout the whole world." The day on which—the manner how-and the words by which Jesus instituted this great mystery, must be to us a worthy subject of consideration.

Among the words which the Catholic Church uses to effect the Consecration, there is an expression which has not been very clearly explained, and yet few are found to consider and inquire into it. In the Latin form of Consecration, immediately after the sacred words are pronounced the following: mysterium fidei. It will not be unacceptable to our readers, if we examine the origin of these words, and their proper signification.

§ 1

Comparison of passages in the gospels and epistles, with the Latin form of Consecration.

The form which the Latin, or Roman Catholic Church uses in the consecration of the wine into the sacred blood, is this: Hic est enim calix sanguinis mei, novi et æterni testamenti, mysterium fidei, qui pro vobis et pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum. "For this is the chalice of my blood, of the new and eternal testament, the mystery of faith which shall be shed for yon and for many, unto the remission of sins." Although the three first evangelists, and the holy apostle Paul, fully describe the institution of the B. Eucharist, and make known to us the words which Jesus pronounced in this last and most holy action; yet we do not find in any of these four, the above form in the exact order of its words. In St. Matt. xxvi. v. 28, it is thus: " for this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many, for the remission of sins." In St. Mark xiv. v. 24, the words of Jesus run thus: "this is my. blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many." St. Luke xxii. v. 20, has the following words: "this is the chalice, the new testament in my blood, which shall be shed for you." In the same manner St. Paul gives the words 1 Cor. xi. v. 25:—" this chalice is the new testament in my blood." From all this it would appear that the Latin form is a compilation of words from the three evangelists, and St. Paul. We will select these words of our form, from the above words of the evangelists and the apostles. Hic est enim-" for this is"comes from St. Matthew:-calix-" the chalice,”—from St. Luke and St. Paul: -sanguinis mei, novi testamanti," of my blood, of the new testament:"-from all the above mentioned three-qui pro vobis,-" which for you," from St. Luke:et pro multis effundetur," and for many shall be shed :"-from St. Matthew and St. Mark: in remissionem peccatorum,the remission of sins :"-from St. Matthew. From this it appears, that the words mysterium fidei," the mystery of faith," are not found in any part of the new testament, and the additional word æterni,—“ eternal testament," is not in the common editions of the testament; only the old Codex Veronensis, the edition of Blanchini, Evang. quadruplex has it.

for

It must be acknowledged that every sacrament of the new covenant, may be called a mystery of faith," since we bring into captivity every understanding to the obedience of Christ, (2 Cor. x, v. 5.) and each one is equally a mystery of hope, and of charity; but as the holy sacrament of the altar is called in a sense peculiar to itself, the Eucharist, so the expression; "the mystery of faith," appears to point out something peculiar in the consecration of the wine. This expression does not so much extend to the whole sacrament of the altar; but belongs much more to the sacred blood; for it is not found at all in the form of consecrating the bread.

§ 2.

The Antiquity of these Words.

Without doubt the apostles had their liturgy, and of course, the form of consecration, before the publication of the gospel. This form, first ordered by the apostles, was certainly all according to the direction of their Master, and was observed in the council which they held at Jerusalem, and up to the time of their dispersion. St. James, to whom the care of the Church at Jerusalem was entrusted, carried on the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, after the same form which he had observed with the other apostles. These diffused it farther in all parts of the world where they came, and imparted it to all the bishops and priests whom they ordained and established in various churches. The Church of Rome, the mother of all other churches, but especially of all the west, received this liturgy from the prince of the apostles, St. Peter, in all its essential parts to which the forma consecrationis Eucharistiæ particularly belongs. The discipline of secresy-disciplina arcani-which the apostles themselves established, did not yet allow either the liturgy, or the forms connected with the administration of the other sacraments. The mysteries of the sacraments would have been too much exposed to the danger of being made public if every church had been furnished with a copy of the existing liturgy and forms; and there were no other means of safely handing them down, than to entrust them to the zeal and memory of their scholars, the bishops, and priests till it should please Providence to bring about more favourable times