THE LITURGY SAINT CLEMENT, Lemene Homanut . or ACCORDING TO THE USE OF THE Apostolical Constitutions. EDITED BY THE REY. J, M. NEALE, M.A, WARDEN OF SACKVILLE COLLEGE, LONDON: ‘ES, LYALL PLACE, EATON SQUARE. 1888, tower, GoogleW. M. WATTS, CROWN OOURT, TEMPLE BAR.PREFACE. Ir is needless to discuss the question as to the age of the Apostolical Constitutions ; a question on which so much learning has been expended, and which can never be answered with certainty. We shall do well, with the generality of learned men, to assign them to the Third Century ; but the Liturgy which they contain is probably of a far earlier date. Some have considered it to be the production of a Judaizing set of Christians ; an opinion for which I can- not see the least ground. I could more easily imagine that it was the Liturgy—in all its main points—given by 8. Paul to the churches of his foundation: the whole language and tenour of thought so closely resembling that of the Apostle of the Gentiles, and one expression of his—“cleansing ourselves from all filthiness both of the flesh and spirit’’—actually occurring seven times in its course. At the same time it is not actually certain that the Clementine Liturgy was ever actually used anywhere ; or that it was more than a kind of normal liturgy, drawn up by the compiler, whoever he were, of the Apostolical Constitutions. Its Liturgical peculiarity, as every one is aware, is its H2