Untitled - Rore Sanctifica

Ritualism in its relation to Re-union. 287
theirs, striking
at a laudable custom of the whole
Catholic Church of CHRIST.
But the more one thinks and reads and stu
dies, and becomes more really acquainted with
Catholic history and Primitive Antiquity,
the
more one sees, not how few, but how many
all of which
usages and customs and practices,
come under the head of Ritual, as I have denned
the word, are sanctioned bv the Voice of the Uni-
/ *J
versal Church and endorsed by what she does.
Take, for instance, the practice of using
Holy Chrism at baptism and confirmation ;
oil or
it is
a Catholic and Primitive and Apostolic usage.
No really learned man has any doubt about this.
We find traces and indications of its use in the
New Testament, and it has been practised by
the Universal Church of CHRIST ever since.
What can it, what ought it to matter, that a
province, or, to say the very most, a few pro
vinces in the far West have, for the last three
hundred years, abandoned or disused the Holy
Chrism ? So much the worse for them and for
their lay members. So much the worse that
t/
the faithful people of CHRIST have been de
prived of that special outward mark or which made them the
sign
anointed of the LORD,
and which gave a special significance
to
name of Christians, and which showed
their
forth
and that
the real priesthood of all the faithful ;
not only the Clergy, but the lay people also, the