--- title: "Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries: Lactantius, the Didache and the Apostolic Constitutions" author: "Various Church Fathers" translator: "A. Cleveland Coxe (ed.)" languages: [en] shelf: "Church Fathers" section: 121 of 148 url: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-lactantius-didache-apostolic-constitutions/121/ cite: "Various Church Fathers, tr. A. Cleveland Coxe (ed.), Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries: Lactantius, the Didache and the Apostolic Constitutions, section 121. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-lactantius-didache-apostolic-constitutions/121/" --- # Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries: Lactantius, the Didache and the Apostolic Constitutions *Various Church Fathers, tr. A. Cleveland Coxe (ed.)* Lactantius, the Didache, the Apostolic Constitutions and early liturgies. ## 121. Introductory Notice · 2 of 2 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-lactantius-didache-apostolic-constitutions/121/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/church-fathers-lactantius-didache-apostolic-constitutions/121/#p-N [¶0] The offshoots from St. Mark’s Liturgy are St. Basil, St. Cyril, and St. Gregory, and the Ethiopic Canon or Liturgy of All Apostles. In regard to the Liturgy of St. Cyril, Neale says that it is “to all intents and purposes the same as that of St. Mark; and it seems highly probable that the Liturgy of St. Mark came, as we have it now, from the hands of St. Cyril, or, to use the expression of Abu’lberkat, that Cyril ‘perfected’ it.” [¶1] There is only one manuscript of the Liturgy of St. Mark, probably belonging to the twelfth century. The first edition appeared at Paris in 1583. The liturgy is given in Renaudot’s Liturgiarum Orientalium Collectio, tom. i. pp. 120–148, in Neale’s two works, and in Daniel’s Codex Liturgicus [¶2] 5. The Liturgy of the Apostles Adæus and Maris. This liturgy has been brought prominently forward by Neale, who says: “It is generally passed over as of very inferior importance, and Renaudot alone seems to have been prepared to acknowledge in some degree its great antiquity.” He thinks that it is “one of the earliest, and perhaps the very earliest, of the many formularies of the Christian Sacrifice.” It is one of the three Nestorian liturgies, the other two being that of Nestorius and that of Theodore the interpreter. [¶3] A Latin translation of it is given in Renaudot’s Collectio, which is reprinted in Daniel’s Codex Liturgicus It is from this version that our translation is made. Several prayers and hymns are indicated only by the initial words, and the rubrical directions are probably of a much later date than the text. [¶4] The Liturgies are divided into two parts,—the part before “Lift we up our hearts,” and the part after this. The first is termed the Proanaphoral Part, the second the Anaphora. [¶5] Trollope describes what he conceives to be the form of worship in the early Church, thus: “The service of this day divided itself into two parts; at the latter of which, called in the Eastern churches Liturgia mystica, and in the Western Missa fidelium, none but perfect and approved Christians were allowed to be present. To the Missa Catechumenorum, or that part of the service which preceded the prayers peculiar to communicants only, not only believers, but Gentiles, were admitted, in the hope that some might possibly become converts to the faith. After the Psalms and Lessons with which the service commenced, as on ordinary occasions, a section from the Acts of the Apostles or the Epistles was read; after which the deacon or presbyter read the Gospel. Then followed an exhortation from one or more of the presbyters; and the bishop or president delivered a Homily or Sermon, explanatory, it should seem, of the Scripture which had been read, and exciting the people to an imitation of the virtues therein exemplified. When the preacher had concluded his discourse with a doxology in praise of the Holy Trinity, a deacon made proclamation for all infidels and non-communicants to withdraw; then came the dismissal of the several classes of catechumens, energumens, competents, and penitents, after the prayers for each respectively, as on ordinary days; and the Missa fidelium commenced. This office consisted of two parts, essentially distinct: viz., of prayers for the faithful, and for mankind in general, introductory to the Oblation; and the Anaphora or Oblation itself. The introductory part varied considerably in the formularies of different churches; but in the Anaphora all the existing liturgies so closely agree, in substance at least, if not in words, that they can only be reasonably referred to the same common origin. Their arrangement, indeed, is not always the same; but the following essential points belong, without exception, to them all:—1. The Kiss of Peace; 2. The form beginning, Lift up your hearts; 3. The Hymn, Therefore with angels, etc.; 4. Commemoration of the words of Institution; 5. The Oblation; 6. Prayer of Consecration; 7. Prayers for the Church on Earth; 8. Prayers for the Dead; 9. The Lord’s Prayer; 10. Breaking of the Bread; 11. Communion.” [¶6] Neale gives a more minute account of the different parts of the service. He divides the Proanaphoral portion into parts in the following manner:— [¶7] “Liturgy (or Missa) of the Catechumens. I. The Preparatory Prayers. II. The Initial Hymn or Introit. III. The Little Entrance. IV. The Trisagion. V. The Lections. VI. The Prayers after the Gospel, and expulsion of the Catechumen. “Liturgy (or Missa) of the Faithful. I. The Prayers for the Faithful. II. The Great Entrance. III. The Offertory. IV. The Kiss of Peace. V. The Creed.” The Anaphora he divides into four parts in the following manner:— “The great Eucharistic Prayer. I. The Preface. II. The Prayer of the Triumphal Hymn. III. The Triumphal Hymn. IV. Commemoration of Our Lord’s Life. V. Commemoration of Institution. “The Consecration. VI. Words of Institution of the Bread. VII. Words of Institution of the Wine. VIII. Oblation of the Body and Blood. IX. Introductory Prayer for the Descent of the Holy Ghost. X. Prayer for the Sanctification of Elements. “The great Intercessory Prayer. XI. General Intercession for Quick and Dead. XII. Prayer before the Lord’s Prayer. XIII. The Lord’s Prayer. XIV. The Embolismus. “The Communion. XV. The Prayer of Inclination. XVI. The Holy Things for Holy Persons. XVII. The Fraction. XVII. The Confession. XIX. The Communion. XX. The Antidoron: and Prayers of Thanksgiving.” [¶8] The whole subject is discussed by Mr. Neale with extraordinary minuteness, fulness of detail, and perfect mastery of his subject; and to his work we refer those who wish to prosecute the study of the subject. [¶9] General Note by the American Editor. [¶10] I Have found a few less noted works most useful in my own studies, which began with Palmer’s Origines on their first publication, followed up by Brett, and then by Renaudot. The publications of Drs. Neale and Littledale are sufficiently referred to elsewhere; and I purposely omit the mention of many purely Anglican authorities, as well as costly works from other European sources. [¶11] 1. Freeman’s Principles of Divine Service, etc. A work of incomparable utility to those who would comprehend the Jewish ritual and its preparations for Christian worship. [¶12] 2. Badger’s Nestorians and their Rituals [¶13] 3. Warren’s Liturgy and Ritual of the Celtic Church; replete with information hitherto inaccessible. [¶14] 4. Scudamore’s Notitia Eucharistica; Anglican, but full of general information. [¶15] 5. Trevor’s Catholic Doctrine of Sacrifice, etc.; a candid and learned study of this subject, and free from fanatical or visionary conceptions. [¶16] 6. Hammond’s Liturgies, etc., elsewhere spoken of. [¶17] 7. Burbidge, Liturgies and Offices, of which I have only lately discovered the value. [¶18] 8. Field’s Apostolic Liturgy and the Ep. to the Hebrews; open to some objections, but full of valuable and suggestive information. [¶19] 9. Pfaffius, Christ. Math. His invaluable Dissertatio de Oblatione, etc. A high Lutheran authority of great learning. [¶20] 10. Marriott’s Testimony of the Catacombs; learned and instructive.