Christian Worship: Its Origin and Evolution: A Study of the Latin Liturgy Up to the Time of Charlemagne (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Christian Worship: Its Origin and Evolution: A Study of the Latin Liturgy Up to the Time of Charlemagne

Martens, particularly in that which concerns the ritual of ordination and the dedication of churches. It is, however, specially to the Roman Liturgy that I have directed my researches. Its history is clearly more interesting to us than that of any other, since for centuries it has been the only liturgy of the West.

Although I have not hesitated, when I found it pomible, to go back earlier than the fourth century, I have, however, for the most part, confined myself to a less remote chronological period. Attention might be called to very interesting liturgical facts in docu ments anterior to the time of Constantine, but they are isolated facts, and the documents are few, and rarelyand the ancient usages. Such explanations would be interminable. The same may be said of questions, having a direct or indirect theological import, arising from the consideration of certain rites, such, for instance, as the epiclesis of the Mass, the reconciliation of penitents, and ordination. These questions have been carefully discussed by specialists, but in large works commensurate with the importance of the subject and beyond the scope of the task I have undertaken. If at times, when lecturing to an audience previously well prepared, I have been able to offer some solutions of these questions, in furnish ing explanations of technicalities and in referring to other writers, these were episodes which I consider out of place in the present work, where it would be impossible to elaborate them in such a way as to make them clear to the ordinary reader.

When once I had resolved to restrict myself solely to the domain of history, it appeared incumbent upon me to avoid a special theological terminology. Not that I ignore such terminology, or do not recognise its utility, but, having no other aim in describing very ancient usages than to represent them as they were practised from the fourth to the eighth century, it seemed best not to speak of them in more precise language than was in use at that date.

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