them for her husbands, bestowing her
kisses liberally on them, giving them her
breasts to suck, and presenting them with
bracelets and rings of her hair as love-
tokens ! The fables of the Jewish Talmud-
ists, yea, of Mahomet, may seem grave,
serious, and sober histories, compared to
these and other such like impudent fic-
tions. Insomuch that wise men have
thought that the authors of these romances
in religion were no better than the tools
and instruments of Satan, used by him to
expose the Christian religion, and render
it ridiculous, and thereljy to introduce
atheism. And indeed we are sure, that
the wits of Italy, where these abominable
deceits have been and are chiefly counten-
anced, were the first broachers and patrons
of infidelity and atheism in Europe, since
the time that Christianity obtained in it."

In a Avord, such is the worship given to
the Blessed Virgin by many in the Church
of Home, that they deserve to be called
Mdriani, rather than Christiani, &c.

MARK, ST., THE EVANGELIST'S
DAY. A festival of the Christian Church,
observed on the 2oth of April.

St. Mark was, by birth, a Jew, and de-
scended of the tribe of Levi. He was con-
verted by some of the apostles, probably
by St. Peter, to whom he was a constant
companion in all his travels, supplying the
place of an amanuensis and interpreter.
He was by St. Peter sent into Egypt, fix-
ing his chief residence at Alexandi'ia, and
the places thereabout : where he was so
successful in his ministry, that he convert-
ed multitudes both of men and women.
He afterwards removed westward, toward
the parts of Libya, going through the
countries of Marmorica, Pentapolis, and
others thereabouts ; where, notwithstand-
ing the barbarity and idolatry of the inha-
bitants, he planted the gospel. Upon his
return to Alexandria, he ordered the af-
fairs of that Church, and there suffered
martyrdom in the following manner. About



Easter, at the time the solcnmities of Se-
ra])is were celebrated, the idolatrous peo-
ple, being excited to vhidicate the honour
of their deity, broke in upon St. Mark,
while he was performing Divine service,
and, binding him with cords, dragged him
through the streets, and thrust him into
prison, Avhere in the night he had the com-
fort of a Divine vision. Next day, the
enraged multitude used him in the same
manner, till, his spirits faihng, he expired
under their hands. Some add, that they
burnt his body, and that the Christians
decently interred his bones and ashes near
the place where he used to preach. This
happened in the year of Christ G8.

MARK'S, ST., GOSPEL. A canon-
ical book of the New Testament. (See the
preceding article.)

This evangelist wrote his Gospel at
Rome, whither he accompanied St. Peter
in the year of Christ 44. Tertullian, and
others, pretend, that St. Mark was no more
than an amanuensis to St. Peter, who
dictated this Gospel to him. Others affirm
that he wrote it after St. Peter's death.

MARONITES. Certain Eastern Chris-
tians, so called, who inhabit near jSIount
Lebanon, in Syria. The name is derived
either from a town in the country called
3Iaronia, or from St. Moron, who built a
monastery there in the fifth century.

The Maronites hold communion with
the Romish Church. Pope Gregory XIII.
founded a college at Rome, where their
youth are educated by the Jesuits, and
then sent to their own country. They
formerly followed the errors of the Jacob-
ites, Nestorians, and Monothelites; but
these they renounced for the errors of
the Roman Church in the time of Gregory
XIII. and Clement VIII. The patriarch
of the Maronites was present in the fourth
Lateran Council, under Innocent III., in
121,3.

Tiie Maronites have their patriarch,
archbishops, bishops, and about 150 in-
ferior clergy, who are so o])pressed by the
Turks, that they are reduced to work for
their living. They keep Lent according
to the ancient rigour, eating but one meal
a day, and that after mass, which is said
at four o'clock in the afternoon. Their
priests are distinguished by a blue scarf,
which they wear about their caps. Married
men may become priests, but none may
marry after he is in orders. They wear
no surplices, observe particular fasts and
feasts, and differ in many other things
from the Church of Rome.

The patriarch of the Maronites is a
monk of St. Anthony, claims the title of



478



MARRIAGE.



MARTYROLOGY



patriarch of Antioch, and is always called
Peter. He has about nine bishops under
him, and resides at Edem Canohin, a mon-
astery built on a rock. They read their
service both in the vulgar language and
in Latin, and, while they perforin it, turn
their heads sometimes on one side, and
sometimes on the other, pronouncing the
word Niim or Eynam^oh\y, which signifies
yes or yes verily, by which they express
"their assent to what they read. They
have so great a veneration for their bishops,
that they often prostrate themselves before
them.

As to the particular tenets of the Ma-
ronites, before their adhesion to the Church
of Rome, it is said, they denied the pro-
cession of the Holy Ghost, observed
Saturday as well as the Lord's day, con-
demned fourth marriages as unlawful;
held that all souls were created together,
and that those of good men do not enter
into heaven till after the resurrection ; that
they administered the eucharist to children,
and communicated in both kinds.

In 1180, the Maro7iites were above
40,000 in number, and very valiant. They
did the kings of Jerusalem great service
against the Saracens,

Besides several convents of Ifaronite
monks, there is one of nuns, who are
highly esteemed for their sanctity. This
edifice is no more than a church, in Avhich
the nuns are shut up close, like pigeons in
their holes, in little corners or cells, which
are so low, that few of them can stand
upright, or turn themselves round in them.
MAKllIAGE. (See Matrimony.)
MAllTINMAS. A festival formerly
kept on the 11th of November, in honour
of St. Martin, bishop of Tours, in France,
who, after distinguishing himself by de-
stroying the heathen altars and images re-
maining in his day, died in the year 400,
having been bishop about twenty-six years.
MAIlTYll. One who lays down his
life, or suffers death, for the sake of reli-
gion. The Avord is Greek, and properly
signifies a "witness." It is applied, by
way of eminence, to those who sufler in
witness of the truth of the gospel.

The Christian Church has abounded
with martyrs, and history is filled with
surprising accounts of their singular con-
stancy and fortitude under the most cruel
torments human nature was capable of
sufi'ering. The primitive Christians were
falsely accused by their enemies of paying
a sort of Divine worship to mart>TS. Of
this we have an instance in the answer of
the Church of Smyrna to the suggestion
of the Jews, who, at the martvrdom of



Polycarp, desired the heathen judge not
to suffer the Christians to carry off his
body, lest they should leave their crucified
master, and worship him in his stead. To
which they answered, " We can neither
forsake Christ, nor worship any other:
for w'e worship him as the Son of GoD,
but love the martyrs as the disciples and
followers of the Lord, for the great afi"ec-
tion they have shown to their King and
Master." A like answer was given at the
martyrdom of Fructuosus, in Spain ; for
when the judge asked Eulogius, his deacon,
whether he would hot worship Fructuosus,
as thinking that, though he refused to
worship heathen idols, he might yet be
inclined to worship a Christian martyr,
Eulogius replied, " I do not worship Fruc-
tuosus, but him whom Fructuosus wor-
ships."

The first martyr in the Christian Church
was St. Stephen. His memory is cele-
brated on the day wdiich bears his name.
In the collect for that day, he is expressly
named the "first MartjT St. Stephen,"
and we are there taught to pray God, that
we may " learn to love and bless our per-
secutors, by following this blessed martyr's
example." The Church loves to dwell on
the memory of those who have yielded up
even their lives in a faithful attachment to
their Redeemer, and who, from the midst
of the fires, could rejoice in God, and
trust in his grace. In that beautiful hymn,
the 'Te Deiim, their memory is celebrated
in the words, — " The noble army of mar-
tyrs i^raise thee." And well may they be
counted " an army^'' v.'hether we consider
their numbers or their valour ; and a
" nohle army," because, as true soldiers of
Christ, these have fought against sin with
their lives in their hands, and, in the apos-
tolic phrase, " have resisted unto blood."

The Church of England can boast of the
only royal martjT. Our glorious martyr,
King Charles L, having been dethroned by
the Presbyterians, was murdered by the
Independents. — Broiujhton.

MARTYRDOM. ' The death of a
martyr.

The same name is sometimes given to a
church erected over the spot wdiere a mar-
tyr has suffered.

' MARTYROLOGY, in the Church of
Rome, is a catalogue or list of martyrs,
including the history of their lives and
suff'erings for the sake of religion.

The Martyroloyies draw their materials
from the calendars of particular churches,
in which the several festivals, dedicated to
them, are marked. They seem to be de-
rived from the practice of the ancient Ro-



MARTYROLOGY.



MASS.



479



mans, who inserted the names of heroes
and great men in their Fasti, or i)uhlic
registers.

The Marty roJogies are very numerous.
Those ascribed to Eusebius and St. Jerome
are reckoned s])urious. Bede is the first
who, in the eighth century, composed two
Martyrologies, one in prose, and the other
in verse. Florus, the deacon of Lyons, in
the ninth century, enhirged Bede's " Mar-
ty rology," and put it ahnost in tlie con-
dition it is at present. Vaklelbertus, a
monk of the diocese of Treves, in the same
century, wrote a martyrology in verse,
extracted from Bede and Florus, and now
extant in IJacherius's Spicile(/.mm. About
the same time, Rabanus Maurus, arch-
bishop of ]Mentz, drcAV up a martyrology,
])ublished by Canisius, in his Antiquce Lec-
tio)ics. After these. Ado, archbishop of
Vienne, compiled a new Martyrology, while
he was travelling in Italy, where, in a
journey from Rome to llavcnna, A. u. 857,
he saw a manuscript of an ancient martyr-
ology, which had been brought thither
from Aquileia.

In the year 870, Usuardus, a monk of
St. Germain des Pres, drew up a much
larger and more correct martyrology than
those above mentioned. This performance
was well received, and began to be made
use of in the offices of the ^\'^estern Church.
About the beginning of the next century,
Notkerus, a monk of Switzerland, di'ew up
another martyrology from Ado's materials.
This martyrology, published by Canisius,
had not the same success wath that of
Usuardus. The churches and monasteries,
which used this last, made a great many
additions and alterations in it. This gave
rise to a vast number of different martyr-
ologies during the six following centuries.

The moderns, at last, desirous to rectify
the en'ors and defects of the old martyr-
ologies, compiled new ones. Augustinus
Belinus, of Padua, began this reform in
the fifteenth century. After him, Francis
Maruli or Maurolycus, abbot of Messina,
in Sicily, drew up a martyrology, in which
he has entirely changed Usuardus's text.
John Vander Meulen, known by the name
of Molanus, a doctor of Louvain, restored
it, with alterations and very learned notes.
About the same time, Galesinus, apostolic
prothonotary, drew up a martyrology, and
dedicated it \o Gregory XIII. ; but this was
not approved at Home. Baronius's " Mar-
tyrology," written some time after, with
notes, was better received, being approved
by Pope Sixtus Quintus, and has since
passed for the modern martyrology of the
Roman Church. It has been several times I



corrected, and was translated into French
by the Abbot Chatlain, canon of Notre
Dame at Paris, with notes, in the year
1701).

Tliere are very ridiculous and even con-
tradictory narratives, in these several
martyrologies; which is e?sily accounted
for, if we consider how many'forged and
spurious accounts of the lives of saints
and martyrs, from whence the martyr-
ologies were compiled, appeared in the first
ages of the Church ; and which tlie legend-
ary writers of those times adoi)ted without
examining into the truth of them. Those
of later ages, who have written the lives
of saints and martyrs, either through pre-
possession, or want of courage to contra-
dict received opinions, have made use of a
great part of this fabulous stuff, and passed
it off for genuine history. HoAvever, some
good critics of late years have gone a
great way towards clearing the lives of the
saints and martjTS from the monstrous
heap of fiction they laboured under. Of
this number are M. de I.aunoy, of Paris,
M. Baillot, in his '' laves of the Saints,"
^I. le Nain de Tillemont, and others. —
BroiKjhton.

INIARY. (See Virgin Mary and 3Iari-
olatry.)

^ MASORA. A term in Jewish theology,
signifying tradition. It includes notes of
all the variations of words, letters, and
points which occur in the Hebrew Scrip-
tures ; an enumeration of all the letters,
8zc. ; in short, the minutest points of ver-
bal criticism, and pretends to an immacu-
late accuracy. The authors of it are un-
known. Some attribute it to ]\Ioses ;
others to Ezra; others to the Masorites of
Tiberias. The probability is, according to
Bishop AValton, that the Masora was be-
gun about the time of the Maccabees, and
was continued for many ages. — See Bishop
lFalto)i's Prolegomejia to his Polyglott
Bible.

MASORITES. A society of learned
Jews, who had a school or coDege at Ti-
berias. They paid great attention to the
critical study of the Hebrew Scriptures ;
and to them by many able scholars, as
"Walton, Capellus, &c., is attributed the
invention of the vowel points now used for
the guidance of the pronunciation in read-
ing Hebrew.

MASS. In Latin, 3Iissa. This word at
first imported nothing more than the dis-
missal of a Church assembly. By degrees
it came to be used for an assembly and
for Church service; and from signifying
Church service in general, it came at
length to denote the Communion Service



480



MASS.



in particular, and so that most emphati-
cally came to be called Mass. Since the
lleformation, the word has been f^enerally
confined to express the form of celebrating-
the holy communion in the Ilomish Church.
But in the First Book of King lulwardVI.,
the Communion Service is thus headed:
" The Supper of the Lord, and the Holy
Communion, commonly called the ]Mass."

Formerly there Avas the inissa catechu-
menurum and the missa Jidelium, not be-
cause they had two kinds of communion,
but because the primitive Christians dis-
missed their congregations at different
times, first sending away the heathens and
heretics, then the catechumens and public
penitents, after having prayed ; the faith-
ful alone being suffered to remain during
the celebration of the holy communion.
The practice of the modern Komish Church
contrasts strikingly with this : they not
only allow catechumens to be present at
their missa JklcUum, but also heretics and
unbelievers, and make a profit by the ex-
hibition : in this again the English Church
more nearly resembles the primitive
Church, retaining her sensitive seclusion
during the solemn service.

The mass, almost universally adopted in
the churches of the Ivoman obedience, is
contained in the Roman Missal, and a de-
scription of this will be now presented to
the reader. Unless in very particular cir-
cumstances, such as times of persecution,
&c., mass is not said anyAvhere bvit in a
church, or place set aside for public wor-
ship. It can be said only from morning
dawn till mid-day, at least in ordinary
cases, as at Christmas, &c. The priest
who says it must be fasting from the mid-
night before, " out of respect for the vic-
tim of which he is to partake ;" and, in
general, no priest can say more than one
mass on one day. AMien the priest offici-
ates, he is attu-ed in sacred vestments,
Avhich are understood " to represent those
with Avhich CiiRlST Avas clothed in the
course of his bitter passion ;" and also to
be the emblems of those virtues Avith Avhich
the soul of a priest ought to be adorned.
These garments are intended to hide the
littleness of man ; to make him forget him-
self Avhile clothed in the robes of a supe-
rior character ; to gain the respect of the
people, AA'ho no longer consider on that
occasion Avhat he is, as a man, but lose
sight of the individual, Avho is lost in the
character of Jesus Christ, Avhich he re-
presents. Mass is never said except on an
altar, fixed or portable, set aside for that
particular purpose by the solemn pra}er
and benediction of a bishop. The altar



is ahvays covered Avith linen cloths, and
generally contains relics of saints. As the
mass is commemorative of our Saviour's
passion and death upon the cross ; to put
the priest and people in mind of these,
there is ahvays an image of Christ cru-
cified upon the altar. There are also tAvo
or more lighted candles, as tokens of joy,
" and to denote the light of faith." In
solemn masses incense is used, as an em-
blem of prayer ascending to God, as the
smoke ascends from the censer. Incense
is also used as a token of honour to the
thing incensed. Masses are divided into
solemn or high mass, and plain or low
mass ; mass sung, or said ; public mass, or
private mass. A solemn mass, is mass of-
fered up with all the due solemnities, by
the bishop or priest, attended by a deacon,
sub-deacon, and other ministers, each offi-
ciating in his part. Such a mass is ahvays
sung ; and hence a choir of singers accom-
panies it, with an organ, if possible ; and,
at times, other instrumental music. Mass,
Avhen divested of all these solemnities, and
in Avhich only the priest officiates, is a
plain or hw mass. The priest, hoAvever,
may either sing the mass, attended by the
choir, or say it. Hence the difference be-
tAveen mass sang and said. INIass may
be attended by a croAvd of people, or it
may be said Avith fcAV or none present, ex-
cept the clerk, to attend the officiating
priest. When the mass is numerously at-
tended, all, or many, of those present may
partake of the sacrifice, by communion, or
none may communicate Avith the priest.
These differences make the mass jmblic or
ju'ivate, and it is admitted that private
masses have become more common in latter
ages. The priest Avho is to celebrate, after
some time previously spent in prayer and
meditation, by way of preparation for the
solemn mystery, as Avell to recollect his
thoughts, as to specify the intention Avith
Avhich he offers up the mass, whether it be
for any individual, living or dead, for the
Avhole Church, for himself, or for the ne-
cessities of the congregation present, pro-
ceeds, Avith the deacon, sub-deacon, and
other ministers, to put on the sacred vest-
ment. He then goes in procession Avith
them from the vestry to the altar, the
acolytes carrying incense and lights, Avhile
the choir sing the anthem and psalm,
Avhich, for this reason, is called the introif.
The priest, being come before the altar,
stops at the foot of it, boAvs, confesses
generally to the Almighty God, and to all
the saints, that he has sinned most griev-
ously, and that in every w^ay, both by
thoughts, words, and deeds, and through



MASS.



481



his own most o^nevous fault. This beiiii^
the case, he bcf^s all the saints of heaven,
whom he has called as the witnesses of his
sins, to be also intercessors for his pardon,
and to pray to the Loud our God for him.
The minister and assistants then, in like
manner, on behalf of the peo})le, repeat
the same confession after the ])riest, ac-
knowledojinp^ that they are altogether an
assembly of sinners, who have come to
implore the Divine mercy, because they
stand in need of it. This confession is to
beg of God pardon for daily and unknown
faults, that the awful mystery may be cele-
brated with all imaginable purity. For
the same reason Kyrie elcison, C/iriste elei-
son, are several times repeated ; being ad-
di-essed three times to God the Father,
as our creator, as our protector, and as our
parent : thrice to God the Son, as our
high priest, as our victim of atonement, and
as our brother ; and, lastly, to the Holy
Ghost, as the author of grace, the in-
spii'er of prayer, and the sanctifier of our
souls. This being finished, the priest,
without moving from his place, begins the
Gloria in excchis, which is called the
Hymn of the Angels, because the first
words of it were sung by the angels at our
Saviour's birth. As this is a canticle
of joy and gladness, the Church, when
in mourning, in Lent, in Advent, and in
masses for the dead, forbids the use of this
hymn, even in the time of mass, because
the minds of the congregation should then
be wholly occupied with afi"ections of grief,
melancholy, or sorrow, for our Saviour's
passion, for our own sins, or the sufferings
of the souls for whom she is praying. The
Gloria being ended, the priest, kissing the
altar, and turning towards the people with
extended arms, salutes them in these words :
" Dominus vohiscum" "The Lord be with
you." The people answer, by applying the
same earnest wish to him, saying, "And
with thy spirit." The arms are extended,
and then closed, to express, by that ges-
ture, the affection with which he embraces
his flock. The priest then goes up to the
altar ; bows down in the posture of humili-
ation ; kisses it with respect ; makes men-
tion of the saint whose relics are there ;
incenses it ; and having saluted the people,
immediately turns to the book, and reads
the prayer of the day. On great festivals
there is only one ])rayer, which has always
reference to the solemnity then celebrating.
Thus, at Easter, allusion is made to the
resurrection of our Saviour; at Christ-
mas, to his nativity; in masses for the
dead, mention is made of the souls prayed
for ; and on the feasts of saints, we com-
2 I



memorate the particular virtues for which
they were each distinguished. In Lent,
and penitentiary times, there are other
prayers beside that of the day, still bear-
ing some allusion to the circumstances of
the times. The sub-deacon then sings (or,
in low masses, the ])riest himself reads) a
lesson of the Old or Ncav Testament, called
the Epistle, because commonly taken from
the Epistles of St. Paul, or of the other
apostles. This is followed by the singing
of Alleluias, or some verses of the Psalms,
called the Gradual or Tract.

In Lent, and penitential times, instead
of these expressions of joy, strains of the
deepest compunction and regret only are
used. These being concluded, the book is
removed to the other side of the altar,
when all the people rise up, to show, by
their postures of standing, their eagerness
to hear the gospel ; the priest also, as he
passes from one side of the altar to the
other, bows down in the middle, and the
deacon prays on his knees that God would
make him worthy to announce the gospel ;
and, after having received the priest's bless-
ing, proceeds to the place appointed for
the solemn recitation of it accompanied by
the acolytes, with lights and incense. As
soon as the book of the Gospel appears, all
rise up, and continue standing while it is
read, to show their readiness to perform
what is there taught. In naming the
evangelist from which the Gospel is taken,
the reader signs the cross upon his fore-
head, his mouth, and his breast. On his
forehead, to shoAV that he is not ashamed
of Christ's doctrine ; on his mouth, to
show his readiness to proclaim it to others ;
and on his breast, to show that he enter-
tains a sincere afiection for it in his heart.
When the Gospel is finished, the book is
conveyed to the priest, Avho kisses it as a
token of respect. After the Gospel, foUoM's
the Nicene Creed, which is immediately
recited at the altar, while it is sung by the
choir ; it is omitted on some days, parti-
cularly in masses for the dead. In low
masses, the priest himself reads the Gospel.
At this part of the mass, in parish churches,
and sometimes in other places, a discourse,
or exhortation, drawn from the Gospel, is
delivered to the people. Here ends the
first part of the mass.

The second part commences by the priest,
from the altar, again saluting the people,
and then making an oblation to (ioD, of
bread and wine, wliich are the matters of