i. There is invariably a division of the liturgy into three portions — the office of the Prothesis, the l*ro-An- aphora, and the Anaphora, the latter being the " Canon" of the Western Church, and the ofiice of the Prothesis being a preparatory part of the service corresponding to the " Pra^paratio" of the \Yestern Liturgy, and not used at the altar itself. In the Pro-Anaijhora the central feat- ures are two, viz. : (1) the reading of holy Scripture, and
(2) the recitation of the Creed. In the Anaphora they are four, viz. : (1) the Triumphal Hymn, or Tkisagion ; (2) the formula of Consecration ; (3) the Lord's Prayer ; and (4) the Communion. These four great acts of praise, benediction, intercession, and communion gather around our Lord's words of institution and his pattern prayer, which form, in reaUty, the integral germ of the Christian liturgies. They are also associated with other jjrayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings, by which each is expanded and developed, the whole blending into a comprehensive service, by means of which the worship of the Church ascends on the wings of the eucharistic service, and her strength descends in eucharistic grace. The order in which these different portions of the lit- ui'gy are combined in the four ancient parent forms is shown by the following table :
COMPARATIVE TABLE, SHOWING THE STRUCTURE OF THE FOUR PARENT LITURGIES OF THE
CHURCH.
ST. JAMES (Palestine).
ST. MARK (Alexandria).
ST. JOHN (Gallican.Mozakabic,
AND EpHESIAN).
ST. PETER (Roman).
Prefatory Prayer. Inlroit.
Prefatory prayer. Introit.
'Prefatory prayer. Introit.
'Prefatory praj'er, Introit.
The little entrance.
<s
The little entrance.
a
Gloria in ezcelsia.
£
Gloria in excelsis.
1
Trisagion.
Lections from Old and New Ttt- tament.
g-
Trisagion.
Epistle and Gospel.
i.
Epistle and Gospel.
Epistle and Gospel,
G,
Pniver after Gospel.
Oblation of elements.
; .
c
Prayer.
<
Exp"ulBion of Catechumens.
<
•^
<
E.xp"ulsion of Catechumens.
£
The great entrance.
£
o
£
Tile great entrance. Nicene Creed.
Kiss of peace. Creed.
Ph
Ifieene Creed.
Nieene Creed,
Kiss of peace.
Prayer for all conditions.
Sursum corda.
Expulsion of Catechumens.
^•
Oblation of elements.
Prayer for Church militant.
'Prayer for the Church.
«
Sursum corda.
Sursum corda.
Prayer for the departed.
1"
Triumphal Bf/mn.
Triumphal Hymn.
Triumphal Ili/mn.
Triumphal Hymn.
Prayer for quick and dead.
'Commemoration of living ("Te
Kiss of peace.
igitur").
Commemoration of Institution.
Commemoraiion of Institution,
Commemoration of Institution.
Ilorrf* ff Institution,
Oblation.
Oblation.
Elevation and fraction of host
Oblation.
Invocation.
Invocation.
into nine parts.
Commemoration of dead.
s
Prayer for quick and dead.
j=
ITnion of consecrated elements. Prayer.
i
Invocation.
Union of consecrated elements. Elevation,
J=
s.
Lord's Praver.
■&•
^
J.ord^ji Prayer.
B
Embolismus.
Lord's Prayer.
c •
Lord's Prayer,
c
Embolismus.
<;
Prayer of intense adoration.
<;
Embolismus.
Embolismus.
<
Union of consecrated elements. Elevation. _ ■ Fraction.
Fraction. Confession.
Union of consecrated elements.
O
Comvnmiim.
Cnmmnmon.
Communion,
Communion.
Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving.
Prayer.
Thanksgiving.
Dismissal with pax.
Dismissal with blessing.
Dismissal by the deacons' dec- laration,'' The mysteries are complete."
Dismissal with blessing.
ii. There is also, in the second place, a substantial agreement among all the four great parent liturgies as to the formula of consecration (see Coxseckatiox ; and conip. IJliuit. Diet, of Doct, nndjiist, Tkeol. \\. 42.5-42*!).
iii. Another point in which the four parent liturgies of the Church uniformly agree is in the well-defined sacerdotal character of their language. This is suffi- ciently illustrated by the preceding comparative view.
iv. The intercessory character of the primitive litur- gies is also a very conspicuous feature common to them all. The holy Eucharist is uniformly set forth and used in them as a service offered up to God for the benefit of all classes of Christians, living and departed, '' Then," says St, Cyril of Jerusalem, '' after the spiritual sacri- fice is perfected, the bloodless service upon that altar of propitiation, we entreat God for the common peace of
LITURGY
461
LITURGY
the Church ; for the tranquillity of the world ; for kings ; for soldiers and allies ; for the sick ; fur the aihicted ; and, in a word, for all who stand in need of succor Ave all supplicate and otfer this sacrifice. Then we com- memorate also those who have fallen asleep before us, first, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, that at their prayers and intervention God would receive our petition. Afterward also on behalf of the holy fathers and bishops who have fallen asleep before us, and, in a word, of all who in past years have fallen asleep among us, believing that it will "be a very great advantage to the souls for whom the supplication is put up while that holy and most awful sacrifice is presented" (Cafec/i. Lecf, xxiii, 9, 10). St. Cyril was speaking thus in Jerusalem, where the liturgy used was that of St. James, and in that lit- urgy we find a noble intercession exactly answering to the description there given (Neale's Trumlation, p. 52 ; Blunt's Annot.Book of Com. Prayer, p. 156). A simi- lar intercession is to be found in the other liturgies, and it is evident that its use was one of the first principles of the Church of that day.