This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 edition. Excerpt: ...In the evening of the same day all the altars were washed with wine and blessed water, the minister saying at each the prayer of the Saint to whom the altar was dedicated; then he and all the clerks, having devoutly kissed the stone slab, retired in silence. Good Friday.--The chief feature in the morning ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 edition. Excerpt: ...In the evening of the same day all the altars were washed with wine and blessed water, the minister saying at each the prayer of the Saint to whom the altar was dedicated; then he and all the clerks, having devoutly kissed the stone slab, retired in silence. Good Friday.--The chief feature in the morning service of Good Friday was undoubtedly the "adoration of the Cross" and the ceremonial kissing of it, better known in England as the " Creeping to the Cross." The meaning of this act of worship is set out in Dives and Pauper so clearly that there can be no doubt as to what our forefathers intended by it. " Pauper.--In the same manner lewd men should do their worship before the thing, making his prayer before the thing and not to the thing. " Dives.--On the other hand, on Good Friday above all in holy Church men creep to the church and worship the cross. " Pauper.--That is so, but not as thou meanest: the cross that we creep to and worship so highly that time is Christ himself that died on the cross that day for our sins and our sake. For the shape of man is a cross, and as He hung upon the rood He was a very cross. He is that cross, as all doctors say, to whom we pray and say, Ave crux, spes unica--' Hail be thou Cross, our only hope, ' etc. And as Bede saith; for as much as Christ was most despised of mankind on Good Fryday, therefore Holy Church hath ordeyned that on the Good Fryday men should do Him that great high worship that day, not to the crosse that the priest holdeth in his hand, but to Hym that died for us all that day upon the crosse." Archbishop Simon Mepham (1327-1333) issued a special Constitution as to the way in which this solemn day was to be kept throughout England. " We order and ordain," he says, " that this holy day of Good...
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