O

CHA P. V.

On GOOD FRIDAY.

N this day the precious death of the divine Redeemer, and Spouse of our fouls, engroffes all the attention and devotion of the faithful. The church in her whole office expreffes the deepest mourning and compunction. The altars are naked, except at the priest's communion, when the ornaments are black, and the crucifix is covered with a black veil till the proftration; after which it is left uncovered. No Mafs is faid or facrifices offered, only the holy facrament which was reserved the day before, is received in one kind only by the priest, who recites the Lord's Prayer, and a fmall part of the prayers of the Mafs, without any confecration of the Eucharift; for none is performed on this day, according to the ancient difcipline of both the Latin and Greek churches. No others receive the holy communion except the priest who celebrates the divine office, and the fick in moral danger of death, to whom it is administered by way of viaticum (1).

The morning office after the canonical hours, is opened by mourning verficles from the prophets, the divine promises of mercy through Christ, and a prayer to obtain that mercy. Then is read for an epiftle, the divine mandate for the facrifice of the pafchal lamb in the Mofaic law, the most noble figure of the bloody facrifice of Chrift on the cross. After this, the hiftory of Chrift's paffion, from the gospel of S. John is fung.

The church, on this day, puts up her prayers for all states and conditions of men, exprefsly naming Heathens and Jews. In private prayers we pray for all by name, without exception. The church alfo in her public fuffrages, prays for the converfion and falvation of infidels of every denomination; but in order to exprefs her abhorrence of wilful apoftates, and to diftinguifh them from children who live within her pale and enjoy the advantages of her communion, the forbids her minifters publickly to name fuch at Mafs, or at her altar. She makes an exception to this difcipline on Good Friday, because on this day Chrift died for all men. It is therefore reasonable on it to beg publickly by name, and in a more explicite manner, that all reap the fruit of his death,

U

(1) See Beuvelet, Gavant.

for

for which she presents the names of all at his altar, as Alcuin obferves. No genuflexion is made before the prayer which is offered for the Jews, as is prefcribed for the reft, because the Jews mocked Chrift by bending their knees to him. These prayers for all orders and conditions occur in the facramentary of S. Gregory the great, and are mentioned by S. Co

leftine I.

After these prayers follow the expofition and veneration of the cross, the improperia, the priest's communion, with the Mass of the pre-fanctified mysteries, and Vefpers. This whole week being the triumph of the crofs, it is the custom at this time to bend a knee in paffing before it on the high altar, though the bleffed facrament be not there (2). At this ceremony, and at the expofition and veneration of the cross on this day, the modern Calvinists take so great offence, as to charge the Catholic church, on this account, with fuperftition and downright idolatry; a crime of high treason against God, and of all others in its own nature the most enormous, as the fathers often call it (3). But is it the cross, or its image itself, or the respect and veneration that is paid, or the word by which this veneration is expreffed, that gives them so much scandal.

TH

CHA P. VI.

On the Devotion to the CROSS.

HE crofs, fince Chrift, by the humiliation of his death thereon, has made it the inftrument of his triumph over fin and hell, and of our redemption, is become the Chriftian's glory: It is the fymbol of his faith, the pledge of his hope, the powerful incentive of his love, and the emblem and school of all virtues. The more Chrift was humbled for us by the ignominy of his crofs, the more ought he to be honoured by us in it. As it was the title of his mast glorious victory, in which he conquered hell, restored man to Heaven, repaired the injuries done to the Deity, and difplayed, in the most fublime manner, his infinite power, goodness, mercy, love, juftice, wisdom, and other attributes, fo does he now make it the fingular title of his own glory. Great conquerors have often affumed furnames and

new

(2) Gavant. (3) See them quoted by Nat. Alexander T. i. in De calog.

new titles from their exploits, or from the countries which they fubdued.

Thus, amongst the Romans, one is called the African, another the Germanic, another the British, another the Parthian. These indeed were badges of a base vanity, and empty honours, often imaginary, generally fullied with infamous crimes. But Jefus, in the excefs of his goodness, has been pleased to take a new title from his death on the crofs, because it is his moft glorious exploit and divine victory, and the strongest demonstration of his mercy and love. And this furname he retains with fingular complacency, after his refurrection, and on the throne of his glory in Heaven, to eternity. "You feek Jefus the crucified (1)," faid the angel to the devout women at the fepulchre. And S, Paul fays, We preach Chrift crucified (2)." And again, "Jefus "and him crucified (3)." By the cross his facred humanity merited its exaltation above all creatures to the fupreme throne of glory (4). The crofs was the fceptre, or the throne of his royalty."Tell the nations that God hath reigned from the wood (5)," as S. Justin (6) and other fathers read that paffage. The adorable name Jefus, written on the title placed over the crofs, expreffes, that by it He is our Saviour, delivers us from fin and hell, and adorns our fouls with all graces and virtues. The fame title, or fuperfcription, announces him who hangs on the cross, to be the King of the Jews, foretold by the prophets. Upon the bed of the crofs, and with the price of his precious blood, he cleanfed and fanctified a faithful people of true adorers, a numerous family of children to his heavenly Father, and purchased and formed his church, or fpiritual kingdom of all nations. By his crofs were we fpiritually born and adopted into the number of his fons, and reftored to the incomparable privileges of his dignity. The cross was the altar on which he offered the great facrifice of our redemption, prefenting himself the great victim of infinite homage to the glory of his father, and a fuperabundant atonement for the fins of the whole world. It is in the enfign of his quality of the Redeemer of man, which he delights and glories above all his other titles, as his mercy and love, of which this is the greatest work, the most aftonishing effort and exertion, are over all his other mysteries. The crafs is the memorial of the sufferings,

ii. 2.

U 2

(1) Matt. xxviii. 5. Mark, xvi. 6. (2) 1 Cor. i. 23. (3) 1 Cor. (4) Phil. ii. 9. (5) Pf. xcv. 10, (6) S. Justin. Dial. cum Truph. Tertull. adv. Judæ. c. 11. et 13. Lactant. Arnobius vel alius in Pf. S. Aug. & Caffiodor. hic S. Leo. M. Serm. 4. de Paffion, &c.

ferings of our dearest Redeemer, and the pledge of his infinite love towards us. On the cross he efpoufed us to himfelf for ever, by his blood, and declared us his brethren and coheirs. It is the outward badge and token of our near and facred relation to him, and of the glorious character we inwardly bear, by being his difciples and chofen people. It is the diftinguishing mark of our Chriftianity, as circumcifion was of the Jewish people. It is the buckler of our 'faith, and the terror of devils, being the enfign of Christ's victory and triumph over them. It is an act of our faith, hope, and love; and both excites and expreffes this triple homage of our fouls, by which we glorify God.

Chrift places his glory in his crofs. His crucifixion and death was the continual object of his thoughts and defires, during his mortal life on earth (7), and the fubject of his frequent entertainment (8), even during his glorious transfiguration (9). By his promife to draw all things to himself, by being exalted on the crofs, he attributes to its power the converfion of all nations, the establishment and propagation of his church, and the efficacy and fruit of all his other myfteries (10). After his refurrection, he derives from the cross his favourite title of honour, and the efpecial endearing epithet of his love for man: Nor can we wonder that the angels and his difciples diftinguish him by the fame (11). At the laft day, when he fhall come in great glory and majesty to judge the living and the dead, his banner will be borne before him in the clouds (12), which is, as S. Chryfoftom, S. Ephrem, and other fathers unanimoufly expound (13), his crofs, fhining with fuch dazzling brightness, as would eclipse the brightest rays of the fun. The apoftles, in imitation of their divine Master, placed both his and their own glory in this great inftrument of falvation. With what glowing fentiments of devotion does S. Paul fpeak of his crucified Saviour, and of his crofs?" I judged not myfelf to know any thing among you but Jefus Christ, and him crucified (14). God forbid that I fhould glory, fave in the cross of our Lord Jefus Chrift (15)." To glory in a thing is to efteem it, to love it, and to look upon it as our greatness and happiness. Every man glories in those things in which he thinks himself great," as S. Thomas Aquinas

186

(7) Luke, xii. 50. xxii. 25.

fays.

(8) Mat. xx. 19. (9) Luke, ix. 31. (10) John, xii. 32. (11) Mat. xviii. 5. Mark, xvi. 6. Act. (13) Hilary, S. Chryfoftom, S. (15) Gal. vi.

iv. 10, &c. (12) Matt. xxiv. 30. Jerom, S. Ephrem, S. Bede, &c.

14.

(14) 1 Cor. ii, 2.

fays. Shall not the cross be the object of the Christian's glory, fince Chrift himself calls it his own glory. For he fpoke of the humiliation of his crofs, when he prayed his father to glorify him by it (16). He calls it his exaltation (17). And S. Paul fays" for it God hath exalted him (18).” The highest glory of the humanity of Chrift arifes from the humiliation of his crofs. Now we are to enter into the fentiments of our divine Lord. "Let this mind be in you which was alfo in Christ Jefus (19).”

By the crofs, Chrift refcued us from the flavery of fin, and the devil, vanquifhed and dethroned the enemy of our fouls, and tranflated us from the region of darkness, and the fhades of eternal death, into his admirable kingdom of light. On it he purchased and prepared for us the moft powerful remedies, to expel the poifon of vice, to heal all our deep wounds, to correct all the diforders of our Souls, to ftrengthen our Weakness, and to implant and nourish all good defires of virtue. It is the great chair or pulpit of our divine Mafter, and doctor of falvation, on which he delivers to us the most important and fublime leffons of all virtue, and of eternal life. By learning devoutly to relish his adorable cross, we deeply imbibe these fentiments, become more and more crucified to the world and to felf-love, are happily transformed into the new man, and bear his image in our fouls. Here all objects change their colours, and are prefented in their true light, very different from that in which they appear in the eyes of the world, and the paffions. Here the foul lives in the veryifflames of the divine love, and her heart itself becomes all flame, whilst she contemplates the excess of love, triumphing in the breaft of our God and Saviour, for love of us vile finners, nailed to the cross, and fprinkling it with his blood, to feal his new teftament, or alliance, and to confirm his law of love. Here we learn the true love of our neighbour, which Chrift fo earnestly preffes upon us from his crofs, both by word and example. Here perfect meeknefs and humility are deeply imprinted in our hearts, the two virtues which Jefus particularly commands us to learn of him, and which he most pathetically preaches to us from his cross. For where shall we go to learn these things, but to the great school of the cross of Chrift, in which humiliations become the object of our glory and defires, and poverty of spirit is Thewn to be our most precious treasure. Here we begin to relifh

(16) John, xvii. 5. (17) John, iii. (18) Phil. ii. 9. (19) Phil. ji. 5.