ut surpassing all
astonishment. For here the priest bears not fire, but the holy Ghost;
he pours out long supplications, not that fire descending from above
may consume the offerings, but that grace falling on the sacrifice
may through it inflame the souls of all and render them purer than
silver purified by fire. This most dread rite then who, that is not
altogether insane and out of his mind, shall be able to contemn? Art
thou ignorant that no human soul could have sustained this fire of the
victim, but all would have totally perished, unless the assistance of
divine grace had been abundant" S. John Chrysostom, De Sacerdotio Lib.
3, c. IV.

[Footnote 1: It is situated near the road leading from Rome to
Civitavecchia at the distance of about 27 miles from the former city.
Its necropolis has lately enriched the new Gregorian museum with some
of its most precious treasures, consisting in gold ornaments of the
person, in silver and painted vases etc. of very ancient and admirable
execution. See Nibby, Analisi storico-topografica etc. as also Grifi.
The Etruscan and Egyptian museums entitle His present Holiness Gregory
XVI to be ranked with many of His predecessors among the greatest and
most munificent patrons and collectors of ancient monuments.]

[Footnote 2: If we compare with this term others of similar
termination, such as _sanctimonia_ from _sanctus_, we shall find in
them a confirmation of the etymology given above: _monia_ serves to
form the substantive, but does not otherwise alter the meaning.]

[Footnote 3: S. Greg. M. lib. VII, epist. 64.]

[Footnote 4: See Le Brun, Explic. Missae T. 2. dis. 1. Also Renaudot.
They have however been refuted by Assemani, Maratori and Zaccaria.]

[Footnote 5: The _Pater noster_ is still said in secret, except after
the canon of the Mass, because at that part of the Liturgy only the
faithful were present. See Moroni's learned work entitled, Dizionario
di erudizione ecclesiastica.]

[Footnote 6: See Schelstratius, de Disciplina Arcani, or Trevern's
answer to Faber's Difficulties of Romanism: also Bingham lib. X, c. 5.
Times are now so much altered that it is difficult to conceive how the
Reserve in communicating Religious knowledge recommended in one of
the Tracts for the Times could be practicable, even if it were judged
expedient.]

[Footnote 7: It was first published by B. Card. Tommasi from a very
ancient manuscript in the queen of Sweden's library. Cave, Mabillon,
Mur