masses for the dead took its rise from this ancient usage of the church. Some time previous to the sixth and seventh centuries, it became customary to administer the elements to the dead-to deposite a portion of the elements in the coffin-to give a parting kiss of charity, and to conclude the funeral solemnities with an entertainment similar to the agapae. Of these usages the first mentioned were speedily abolished, and the last was gradually discontinued.

It was universally customary with Christians to deposite the corpse in the grave, as in modern times, facing the east ; and in the same attitude as at the present day. The reasons for this are given in the following extract: Christiani solent sepelire. 1. Supinos, quia mors nostra proprie non est mors, sed brevis quidam somnus. 2. Vultu ad coelum converso, quia solo in coelo spes nostra fundata est. 3. Versus orientem, argumento sperandae et exoptandae resurrectionis.8 The burial service was concluded, like all other religious solemnities, with the Lord's prayer and the benediction.

$4. MOURNERS.

Death was regarded by the early Christians not as an afflictive but joyful event. All immoderate grief or mourning was accordingly inconsistent, in their view, with christian faith and hope.* For this reason they severely reproved the Jewish and Roman custom of hiring women to make lamentations for the dead. It must not be supposed, however, that they either condemned the exercise of natural affection, or affected a stoical indifference. On the contrary, there are many passages of ancient authors in which the right and power of nature in this respect are recognized, and a becoming sorrow, occasioned by the death of friends, is justified, both on principles of reason, and by reference to examples in Scripture.t

* Fratres nostri non lugendi accersione Dominica de saeculo liberati, cum sciamus, non eos omitti, sed praemitti, recedentes praecedere, ut proficiscentes et navigantes, desiderari eos debere, non plangi; nec accipiendas heic atras vestes, quando illi ibi indumenta alba jam sumserint: occasionem non dandam esse gentilibus, ut nos merito et jure reprehendant, quod quos vivere apud Deum dicimus ut exstinctos et perditos lugeamus, et fidem, quam sermone et voce depromimus, cordis et pectoris testimonio reprobemur.Cyprian, De Mortal. Omnibus Christianis prohibitum defunctos flere.

Concil Talet. 111.

Non omnis infidelitatis aut infirmitatis est fletus; alius est naturae do.

In conformity with their views of death, Christians also utterly discarded the Jewish badges of mourning-sackcloth and ashes, and garments rent. Some of the fathers severely censure the Roman custom of wearing black. Augustine especially is peculiarly severe on this point. "Why," says he, "should we disfigure ourselves with black, unless we would imitate unbelieving nations, not only in their wailing for the dead, but also in their mourning apparel! Be assured these are foreign and unlawful usages; but if lawful, they are not becoming." 193 Black however was, from the beginning, the customary mourning habit in the Greek church, and the use of it soon became general.

No precise rules were made respecting the duration of mourning for the dead. This matter was left to custom and the feeling of the parties concerned. "The heathen had a custom of repeating their mourning on the third, seventh, and ninth day, which was particularly called the Novendiale; and some added the twentieth, thirti

lor, alia est tristitia in diffidentia, et plurimum refert, desiderare, quod habueris, et lugere, quod amiseris . . . Fecerunt et fletum magnum sui, cum Patriarchae sepelirentur. Lacrymae ergo pietatis indices, non illices sunt doloris. Lacrymatus sum ergo, fateor, et ego, sed lacrymatus est et Dominus ; ille alienum, ego fratrem.-Ambros. Orat. in obit. Fratris. Quorum nos vita propter amicitiae solatia de lectabat, unde fieri potest, ut eorum mors nullam nobis ingerat moestitudinem? Quam qui prohibet, prohibeat, si potest, amica, colloquia, interdicat amicalem societatem, vel intercidat adfectum omnium humanarum necessitudinum, vincula mentis immiti stupore disrumpat, aut sic eis utendum esse censeat, ut nulla ex eis animum dulcedo perfundat. Quod si fieri nullo modo potest, etiam hoc, quo pacto futurum est, ut ejus nobis amara mors non sit, cujus dulcts est vita? Hinc enim est luctus quidem [al. quidam] humano corde quasi vulnus aut ulcus, cui sanando adhibentur officiosae consolationes. Non enim propterea non est, quod sanetur; quoniam quanto est animus melior, tanto in eo citius faciliusque sanatur-Augustin. De Civ. Dei, lib. xix. c. 8. Premebam oculos ejus [sc. matris], et confluebat in praecordia mea moestitudo ingens, et transfluebat in lacrimas, ibidemque oculi mei violento animi imperio resorbebant fontem suum usque ad siccitatem, et in tali luctamine valde male mihi erat. Tum vero ubi efflavit extremum spiritum, puer Adeodatus exclamavit in planctum, atque ab omnibus nobis coërcitus tacuit. Hoc modo etiam meum quiddam puerile, quod labebatur in fletus, juvenili voce cordis coërcebatur et tacebat. Neque enim decere arbitrabamur, funus illud questibus lacrimosis gemitibusque celebrare, quia his plerumque solet deplorari quædam miseria morientium, aut quasi omnimoda exstinctio. At illa nec misere moriebatur, nec omnino moriebatur.-Augustin. Confess. lib. ix. c. 12. — Conf. Chrysost. Hom. 29, De Dormient.; Hom. 61, in Johann.

eth, and fortieth, not without a superstitious opinion of those particular days, wherein they used to sacrifice to their manes with milk, and wine, and garlands, and flowers, as the Roman antiquities inform us. Something of this superstition, abating the sacrifice, was still remaining among the ignorant Christians in St. Austin's time; for he speaks of some who observed a novendial in relation to their dead (Quaest. 127 in Gen.,) which he thinks they ought to be forbidden, because it was only an heathen custom. He does not seem to intimate that they kept it exactly as the heathen did; but rather that they were superstitious in their observation of nine days of mourning, which was without example in Scripture. There was another way of continuing the funeral offices for three days together, which was allowed among Christians, because it had nothing in it but the same worship of God repeated. Then Euodius writing to St. Austin (Euodii, Ep. 258 inter Ep. August.,) and giving him an account of the funeral of a very pious young man, who had been his votary, says that he had given him honorable obsequies, worthy of so great a soul for he continued to sing hymns to God for three days together at his grave, and on the third day offered the sacraments of redemption. The author of the Constitutions (Const. Apost. lib. viii. c. 42) takes notice of the repetition of the funeral office on the third day, and the ninth day, and the fortieth day, giving peculiar reasons for each of them :- Let the third day be observed for the dead with psalms, and lessons, and prayers, because Christ on the third day rose again from the dead; and let the ninth day be observed in remembrance of the living and the dead; and also the fortieth day, according to the ancient manner of the Israelites mourning for Moses forty days; and finally let the anniversary day be observed in commemoration of the deceased.'

"On the anniversary days of commemorating the dead, they were used to make a common feast or entertainment, inviting both the clergy and people, but especially the poor and needy, the widows and orphans, that it might not only be a memorial of rest to the dead, but an odor of sweet smell to themselves in the sight of God, as the author under the name of Origen words it. St. Chrysostom says (Chrysost. Hom. 47 in 1 Ep. ad Cor.) that they were more tenacious of this custom, than they were of some others of greater importance. But this often degenerated into great abuses. (Aug. de Moribus Eccles. c. 34; Ep. 64 ad Aurelium.)"-Bingham, Antiq. book 23, chap. 3.

5. PRAYERS FOr the Dead.

Our author appears to have omitted this peculiarity of the early Christians. But it is discussed at length by Riddle, who has brought many authorities to illustrate the sentiments and practice of the fathers on this subject, some of which are given below, with the result of his investigation of this subject.

Tertullian (died, 220), in his treatise on the Soldier's Chaplet, speaks of prayer for the dead as a custom of the church at the time of his writing that treatise, which was probably not long after the year 200: "We make anniversary oblations for the dead, for their birthdays," meaning, the days of their death.* In another of his works the same author says, that it was the practice of a widow to pray for the soul of her deceased husband, desiring on his behalf present refreshment or rest, and a part in the first resurrection; and offering annually an oblation for him on the day of his falling asleep, i. e. his death. And elsewhere he represents a bereaved husband as praying for the soul of his deceased wife, and offering annual oblations for her.t

Origen (d. 254) tells us, that Christians in his time "thought it right and useful to make mention of the saints in their public prayers, and to improve themselves by the commemoration of their worthies.‡

Cyprian (d. 258) affirms, that in his time it was the practice of Christians to offer oblations and sacrifices of commemoration for martyrs, on the anniversary days of their martyrdom, with thanksgiving; and he refers also to the oblations and supplications, or deprecatory prayers, on behalf of other departed members of the

* Oblationes pro defunctis, pro natalitiis, annua die facimus.-Tertull. De Corona Militis, c. 3.

† Pro anima ejus orat, et refrigerium interim adpostulat ei, et in prima resurrectione consortium, et offert annuis diebus dormitionis ejus.-ld. De Monogamia, c. 10. Jam repete apud Deum pro cujus spiritu postules, pro qua oblationes annuas reddas.-Exhort. ad Castit. c. 11. Tertullian held that every little offence of the faithful would be punished by delaying their resurrection. Modicum quodque delictum mora resurrectionis luendum.— De Anima, c. 58.

Meminisse sanctorum sive in collectis solennibus, sive pro eo ut ex recordatione eorum proficiamus, aptum et conveniens videtur.-Orig. lib. ix. in Rom. 12.

church. In another place Cyprian says, "When we have departed hence, there is no place left for repentance, and no effect of satisfaction."+

Arnobius, in his treatise against the heathen, written probably about the year 305, speaking of the prayers offered after the consecration of the elements in the Lord's supper, says that Christians prayed for pardon and peace, on behalf of the living and the dead.‡

Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386), reports the prayer made after consecration of the elements at the holy communion, in these words: -"We offer this sacrifice in memory of all those who have fallen asleep before us, first, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, that God by their prayers and intercessions may receive our supplications; and then we pray for our holy fathers and bishops, and all that have fallen asleep before us, believing that it is a great advantage to their souls to be prayed for, whilst the holy and tremendous sacrifice lies upon the altar." (Catech. Mystag. 5, n. 6.)

The same writer furnishes evidence, that in his time many persons doubted the efficacy of prayer, as a means of procuring benefit to the dead. "I know many," he observes in the same book, "who say, what profit does the soul receive that goes out of this world, either with sins, or without sins, if you make mention of it in prayer?"

Gregory of Nazianzum (d. 390), prayed, that God would receive the soul of his brother Caesarius. (Greg. Naz. Orat. 10.) Archbishop Usher quotes the following passage from this father, in testimony of his dissent from the opinion that the dead could be profited by the prayers of the living: "Then in vain shall one go about to relieve those that lament. Here men may have a remedy, but after

* Celebrentur hic a nobis oblationes et sacrificia ob commemorationes

eorum Cypr. Ep. 37, al. 22, ad Clerum. Sacrificia pro eis semper, ut meministis, offerimus, quoties martyrum passiones et dies anniversaria commemoratione celebramus.-Ep. 34, al. 39. Non est quod pro dormitione ejus apud vos fiat oblatio, aut deprecatio aliqua nomine ejus in ecclesia frequentetur.-Ep. 66, al. 1.

+ Quando isthine excessum fuerit, nullus jam locus poenitentiae est, nullus satisfactionis effectus.-Cypr. ad Demetrian, § 16.

Cur immaniter conventicula nostra dirui meruerint? In quibus summus oratur Deus, pax cunctis et venia postulatur, magistratibus, exercitibus, regibus, familiaribus, inimicis, adhuc vitam degentibus, et resolutis corporum vinctione.-Arnob. Adv. Gentes, lib. iv.