rtance as the precise
_time_ when communion is to be received, while they themselves must
acknowledge, that they have _abolished communion_ itself as well as
_consecration_ on _nearly_ all the days of the year, and that they
have reduced the oblation of the mass from a '_mystery_' and a
'_venerable, tremendous_ and unbloody sacrifice' (Palmer vol. 2, p.
84) to an offering of bread and wine. They have thus deprived their
followers of the inestimable fruits of communion enumerated by Christ
in the gospel--yet these forsooth are the men who charge Catholics
with a departure from primitive practice. How many other _primitive
practices_ mentioned in this work have been abolished by the church
of England!]

[Footnote 100: This plate, which is of gold or silver-gilt, resembles
_in form_ the patera used in the ancient sacrifices, and generally
represented together with the _prefericulum_ on sepulchral monuments
dedicated to the Manes.]

[Footnote 101: The wine is sanctified, but is not consecrated, either
by the particle of the sacred host, or by the recital of the _Pater
noster_, as has been shewn by Mabillon, (Museum Ital.) Bossuet, and
other authors quoted by Benedict XIV. The wine and water represent
the blood and water, which flowed on this day from Christ's body. See
Act. Coer. p. 54. Whenever priests _say Mass_, they receive under both
kinds, in compliance with the command of Christ "Drink ye all of this"
which words as well as those others, "Do this in commemoration of me"
were addressed to the apostles and their successors.]

[Footnote 102: According to the direction of the Gelasian
sacramentary, the _Pax Domini etc_. is not said on this day.]

[Footnote 103: "As the communion," says Mabillon "is of the nature of
a sacred banquet, it consists of food and drink; hence the other part
of the banquet, viz. drink, was supplied by wine, mixed with water,
but sanctified by a particle of the B. Sacrament" See for the service
of this day a MS. Pontifical of the church of Apamea in Syria ap.
Martene t. 3, p. 132. It is found with little variation also in the
Gelasian Sacramentary, in a very ancient _Ordo Romanus_, and some MSS.
cited by Martene. In the Roman church, as Amalarius was informed by
the Roman archdeacon "at the station no one communicated". In many
other churches there was general communion; this is prescribed by the
church during this holy season.]

[Footnote 104: In many churches the crucifix used to be solem