320 



Proceedings of the Royal trkh Academy. 



patenae, de quibus Eouifatiiis martir et episcopiis interrogatus, si 

 liceret in iiasculis ligneis sacramenta conficere, respondit : Quondam 

 sacerdotes non aureis sed ligneis calicibus utebantur. Zepherinus, xvi. 

 Romanus episcopus, patcnis uitreis missas celebrare constituit. Deinde 

 Urbanus x Papa omnia misteria sacra fecit argentea. In hoc eiiim, 

 sicut et in reliquis cultibus, magis et magis per incrementiim tem- 

 porum decus succreuit ecclesiarum. Nostris enim diebus, qui serui 

 patrisfamilias sumus, ne decus matris ecelesiae minuatur, sed magis 

 cumuletur et ampliticetur, statuimus, ut deinceps nullus sacerdos 

 sacrum misterium corporis et sanguinis Domini uostri lesu Christi in 

 ligneis uasculis ullo modo conficere presumat, ne, unde placari debet, 

 inde irascatur Deus." 



The 1582 edition, Eome, has a gloss Quaesitum fuit in 

 Concilio Tiiburien utrum in ligneis vasis deberet confici Corpus 

 Christi et dictum fuit in Concilio quod Eonifacius Papa de hoc 

 interrogatus respondet quod non. Cum enim ita factum fuerit in 

 primitiva Ecclesia, Zephirinus constituit ut fieret consecratio in vitreis. 

 Urbanus postea vasa sacra argentea fecit : et concilium statuit ut nullus 

 conficiat in ligneis vasis de cetero, ne honor Ecelesiae suo tempore 

 minuatur." 



The gloss seems to say Zephirinus ordered the vessels to be of 

 glass, though the decree only mentions patens. 



The second decree quoted by Gratian is that of a Council of 

 Rheims. 



The part referring to chalices is given thus : — 



" Ut calix Domini cum patena, si non ex auro omnino ex argento 

 fiat. 1. Si quis autem tam pauper est, saltim uel stagneum calicem 

 habeat. 2. De ere autem aut ex auricalco non fiat, quia ob uini 

 uirtutem eruginem pariterque uomitum prouocat. 3. iNullus autem 

 in ligneo aut in uitreo calice presumat missam cantare." 



A gloss in the edition cited above gives the reason why certain 

 materials in the sacred vessels were condemned : — 



"Wooden chalices were condemned — "Quia lignum porosum est," 

 and hence might absorb part of the precious blood. 



Glass were condemned — " Quia vitrum fragile est et immineret 

 periculum e:ffusiouis." Because glass is fragile, and there is always 

 danger of spilling. 



Eronze and copper were condemned — "De acre autem vel 

 aurichalco nullo modo fiant ; quia solent aerugiuem colligere et 

 vomitum provocare." Eecause they are wont to collect rust and 

 provoke vomiting. 



