A.D. 852.—The Capitular of Hincmar (an eminent bishop of France) directed holy water to be sprinkled on the people, houses, cattle, and the food of men and beasts.1 (See ante, A.D. 113.)

A.D. 855.-The feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary has no warranty in any ancient document.2 Leo. IV. now firmly established the festival, and added the octave to invest it with greater dignity.3

A.D. 869.-Hitherto the sacred Scriptures were alone of authority in the church. The Fourth Council of Constantinople (A.D. 869), by the first canon, first passed a decree recognising tradition; but it was not an oral tradition, as subsequently relied on by the Council of Trent, but a tradition preserved in the records of the church by the writings of a continual succession of witnesses in the church, capable therefore of proof; nor did this council place this tradition on an equal footing with the sacred Scriptures, as the Council of Trent subsequently did, but as a "secondary oracle" only. It was left for the Council of Trent, in 1546, to consummate the corruption by converting the written to an oral tradition, and placing the latter on the same footing as the Scriptures. The decree in question is as follows:

"Therefore we profess to preserve and keep the rules which have been delivered to the holy Catholic apostolic church, as well

1 "Tous les dimanches chaque prêtre avant la messe fera de l'eau benite, dont on aspergera le peuple entrant dans l'église; et ceux qui voudront en emporteront, pour en asperger leurs maisons, leurs terres, leurs bestiaux, la nourriture des hommes et des bêtes." Fleury's Eccl. Hist., Lib. 44, p. 541. Paris, 1704; and in tom. x. p. 462. Paris, 1769.

2 The various spurious documents cited by Romanists to prove the antiquity of this festival are ably exposed by the Rev. Mr. Tyler in his "Worship of the Virgin Mary," part ii. c. ii. London, 1851.

3 "Il institua l'octave de l'assomption de le Sainte Vierge, qui ne se celebroit point encore à Rome." Fleury, Eccl. Hist. lib. xlix. p. 598, tom. x. Paris, 1704, and Tom. x. p. 502. Paris, 1769.

by the holy and most illustrious apostles, as by the universal as well as local councils of the orthodox, or even by any divinely speaking father and master of the church; governing by these both our own life and manners, and canonically decreeing that both the whole list of the priesthood, and also all who are counted under the name of Christian, are subjected to the pains and condemnations, and on the other hand, to the approbations and justifications which have been set forth and defined by them. To hold the traditions which we have received, whether by word or by epistle of the saints who have shone heretofore, is the plain admonition of the great apostle Paul.”1

A.D. 884.-Adrian III., bishop of Rome, was the first who advised the canonization of saints; but the authoritative confirmation by decree was of later date, under Alexander III. (A.D. 1160). The first act of canonization is supposed to have taken place in A.D. 933, under John XV. The happy individual was Uldaric, bishop of Augsburg, who died about twenty years before. Ferraris, however, says it

1

3

Canon I. "Igitur regulas, quæ sanctæ Catholicæ ac apostolicæ ecclesiæ, tam a sanctis famosissimis Apostolis, quam ab orthodoxorum universalibus, necnon et localibus conciliis, vel etiam a quolibet diloque patri ac magistro ecclesiæ traditæ sunt, servare ac custodire profitemur; his et propriam vitam, et mores regentes, et omnem sacerdotii catalogum, sed et omnes qui Christiano censentur vocabulo, pænis et damnationibus, et è diverso receptionibus, ac justificationibus quæ perillas prolatæ sunt et definitæ subjici canonice decernentes; tenere quippe traditiones, quas accepimis, sive per sermonem sive per epistolam sanctorum qui antea fulserunt, Paulus admonet aperte magnus apostolus." Labb. et Coss. Concl. tom. viii. cols. 1126, 1127. Paris, 1671.

2 Fleury's Eccl. History, tom. xii. p. 275.

3 "Hinc non certo constat, quisnam fuerit primus summus pontifex, qui solemniter canonizationem sanctorum celebraverit. Nam multi tenent, quod prima canonizatio solemniter celebrata fuerit a Leone III., A.D. 804." Ferraris, "Biblioth. Prompt., Veneratio Sanctorum," tom. vii. sec. xix. Francof. 1781. And Picard says:-"On ne voit point d'exemple d'une Canonization solennelle avant celle de St. Suibert, que le Pape Leon III. canonisa au commencement de neuvième siécle mais qulques-uns attribuent au Pape Adrien la premiere canonisation solennelle, et quelques autres prétendent que S. Udalric canonisé en 993 par le Pape Jean XIV. ou XV. est le premier St. canonisé en ceremonie. Il en a même qui donne au Pape Alexander III. la gloire de cette institution." "Cérémonies et Coûtumes Religieuses." Picard, tom. i. part ii. p. 143. Amsterdam, 1723.

is not certain who was the first that celebrated the canonization of a saint, and adds, that many believed that it was by Leo. III., A.D. 804.

Neander, in his "Church History," 1 notes this last-mentioned period as the proper date for ascertaining the authoritative introduction of invocation of saints, which was then recognised by the bull of Pope John XV.

THE TENTH CENTURY.

A.D. 956.-Octavian was made bishop at the age of eighteen under the title of John XII. We note this as being the first authentic instance of the adoption of a new name by the bishop of Rome. It then became, and is now, the custom for popes to change their names on their election. Adrian VI. (A.D. 1522), a Dutchman, refused to follow this rule. According to Polydore Vergil, Sergius I. (A.D. 701) first ordained that the bishop of Rome might change his name on election, after the example of Christ, who changed Simon Barjonas to Peter. Polydore Vergil on this quaintly observes, "The special prerogative and privilege of the bishop of Rome is, that he may change his name if it may seem to him not very pleasant to his ears. If he be a

1 Neander, "Church History," vol. vi. p. 144. London, 1852.

2 Book iv. c. vii. p. 91. London, 1551. Picard has the following obserservation on this subject:-"Sergius III. ou IV. qui s'appelloit auparavant os porci, est le premier des papes, qui se soit avisé de changer le nom à son exaltation au pontificat. Ses successeurs l'ont imité. D'autres croient que les papes n'ont changé de nom que depuis Jean XII., qui auparavant s'appelloit Octavien, et tient le siége pontifical en 956, long temps après Sergius II. et plusieurs années avant Sergius IV." "Cérémonies et Coûtumes Religieuses," etc., Picard, tom. i. part ii. p. 49, note b. Amsterdam, 1723.

malefactor, he may call his name Bonifacius; if he be a coward, he may be called Leo; a carter, Urbanus; and for a cruel man, Clemens; if not innocent, Innocentius; if ungodly, Pius."

2

A.D. 965.-John XIII.1 baptized the great bell of St. John Lateran in Rome, naming it after himself; thence arose the custom of baptizing bells. Bellarmine informs us that in these baptisms all the forms in baptizing children were used—water, oil, salt, and godfathers and godmothers. The baptized bell is dedicated to some saint, under whom they hope to obtain their demands from God, and they teach that the sound drives away devils, etc.3 In A.D. 790, by the Capitular of Charlemagne, the baptism of bells with holy water was prohibited.*

THE ELEVENTH CENTURY.

A.D. 1000.-The modern form of absolution, "I absolve thee," the alleged essence of the sacrament, cannot be traced to any authentic record previous to this date. The ancient

1 See Picard, "Cérémonies et Coûtumes Religieuses," tom. i. part ii. p. 108, note g.

2 Bellarmine Disp. De Rom. Pont. lib. iv. c. xii. Prag. 1721.

3 "On ne doit pas oublier de mettre au rang des ablutions tenues pour essentielles la benediction des cloches, telle qu'elle se pratique chez les catholiques. C'est une espéce de baptême, puis qu'on les lave avec de l'eau benite, et qu'on leur donne le nom de quelque saint, sous l'invocation duquel en les offre à Dieu, afin qu'il (le saint) les protege et qu'il aide l'Eglise à aboutir de Dieu ce qu'elle lui demande, dit le rituel d'Alet l'ablution des cloches est accompagnée de la benediction, afin que les cloches benites aient la force de toucher les cœurs par la vertu du S. Esprit .... et quand on les sonne, elle chassent les demons," etc. Picard, "Cérémonies et Coûtumes Religieuses," vol. i. p. xix. Amsterdam, 1723.

4On ne baptisera point des cloches," etc. Fleury's Eccl. Hist. tom. ix. p. 520. Paris, 1769, and tom. x. p. 573. Paris, 1703, and Harduin Concilia, tom. iv. p. 846. No. 18.

1

form of absolution used in the church of Rome was, "Almighty God have compassion on thee, and put away thy sins:" a ministerial and not a judicial act. This was changed to the present form, "I absolve thee." Thomas Aquinas, who flourished about the middle of the thirteenth century, points out the time of this remarkable change; for he tells us that the authoritative form of absolution was found fault with by a learned man, his contemporary, asserting that thirty years were scarce passed since the supplicatory form only, "Almighty God give thee remission and forgiveness," was used by all. The present authoritative form was first established in England, in 1268, when, at a council held in London under Cardinal Ottoboni, the pope's legate, all confessors were enjoined to use it.3

About this time, churches were first consecrated by the sprinkling of holy water, in imitation of the pagan custom of using lustral water for the same purpose.

According to Fleury, the Little Office of the Virgin was introduced about this time, and was afterwards confirmed by Urban II. in the Council of Clermont, A.D. 1095.5

About this time also, the eucharist was changed into a socalled sacrifice; the ordination service was then also changed. Priests who were hitherto called to preach the gospel, were now ordained, according to the form prescribed in the

1 "Absolutio criminum. Miseratur tui omnipotens Deus, et dimittat tibi omnia peccata tua," etc.-Confitentium Ceremonia Antiq. Edit. Colon. Ann. 1530.

2 Aquin. Opus. 22, de forma absol. c. 5, quoted by Bower in his "History of the Popes," vol. ii. p. 135. London, 1750.

3 Collier's Eccl. Hist. vol. i. p. 474. Folio Edit.

4 "On ait aussi, que pour obtenir de Dieu un secour plus abondant en cette grande entreprise (la croisade) le pape ordonna dans le concil de Clermont que les clercs diroient le petit office de la vièrge déja introduit chez les moines par Saint Pierre Damien." Eccl. Hist. tom. xiii. p. 105. Paris, 1767, and p. 621. Paris, 1726.

5 Mosheim's Eccl. Hist. cent. x. pt. ii. cap. iv. sec. iii.