VII.

Let me now recur to Elucidation III. on [359]p. 507, to which I would here add the following from Bishop Williams, as there quoted:--

"In both the Mozarabic and the Gallican Liturgies there was an invocation as well as an oblation. Irenaeus ¹ says (and he, writing at Lyons, must have in mind the Gallican Liturgy), The bread which is of the earth, having received the invocation of God, is no longer common bread, but the Eucharist.' The word translated invocation' is epi'klesin; and it is worthy of notice that Basil and Cyril of Jerusalem use the same word in evidently the same technical sense (Harvey's Irenaeus, vol. ii. pp. 205-207 and notes). In another passage Irenaeus ² speaks even more distinctly: We offer to God the bread and the cup of blessing, giving thanks to Him for that He hath commanded the earth to bring forth these fruits for our nourishment; and, having finished the offering, we invoke the Holy Spirit that He may exhibit (or declare, apophe'ne) this sacrifice and bread the body of Christ, and the cup the blood of Christ, that they who shall receive these antitypes may obtain remission of sins and everlasting life'

(Harvey's Irenaeus, vol. ii. p. 502). This passage is a remarkable one. It proves beyond question, that, in the time of Irenaeus (d. a.d. 202 or 208), the Liturgy of Gaul contained an invocation of the Holy Ghost following the oblation of the bread and cup. Moreover, when we compare the words of Irenaeus with those of the Clementine Liturgy, their agreement is too clear and precise to be explained as a mere chance-matter. The liturgy reads, Send down Thy Holy Spirit on this sacrifice, the witness of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus, that He may exhibit (apophe'ne) this bread, the body of Thy Christ, and this cup, the blood of Thy Christ, that they who shall receive,' ³ etc. Irenaeus says as above, using the same word (apophe'ne), a word which is found, it is believed, in no liturgy but the Clementine."

Now I humbly suggest that Justin Martyr and Irenaeus concur in giving us evidence that the Clementine Liturgy is substantially that which was used in Rome and Gaul in their times. The latter may have received it from Polycarp. The use of the Roman and the Greek churches was uniform in his day, as may be inferred from the intercourse of Polycarp and Victor. ⁴