The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-01-07
CATHOLIC LITERATURE.

The Mass in the Infant Church,
by Rev. G.. Pierse, D. d.; Gill & Son,
Dublin. Agent: Benziger Bros, Chi
cago and New York. PIP. v. & 1877.
Bound, $1.15.
The Mass-what mystery, what
divine love, what spiritual strength
and true solace this simple word
evokes in every Catholic heart! And
justly SO, for it recalls nothing less
than the unfailing fountain of heaven
ly grace, the highest act of Christian
worship, the very soul of our religious
life. Formerly brilliant champions
were not wanting who ably defended
the doctrine of the Mass and left us
inspiring pages exalting the grandeur
and excellence of this august sacrifice.
They are not wanting today. But even
in theology the ways and means of
warfare have undergone thorough re-
vision. New problems demand new
solutions. The scholarly work of DR..
Pierse, professor of dogmatic theology
at the st. Paul Seminary, st. Paul,
Mimi, presents English readers with
modern answer to modern objec-
ton, with a scientific vindication,
through the now fashionable historical
method, of the important conclusion
that the Mass is as old as the early
centuries of Christianity. For the
priest dealing with intending converts
who believe the Mass to be Roman
invention such a proof from history is
invaluable.
The celebrated German critic, Adolf
Harnack, in his well-known History
of Dogma" denies that the early
Church was conscious of strict, OBJ
jective sacrifice in the Eucharist. ST.
Cyprian is alleged to have been the
forerunner of Catholics in their
theories of the Mass. The martyred
Bishop of Carthage is charged with
having given a false turn to the pre-
vious doctrine according to which, it
is stated, the Eucharist was essen
TALLY a sacrifice of mere prayer and
thanksgiving. The view of Harnack is
also fairly representative of modern
Protestant opinion regarding the early
Christian concept of sacrifice. A care
full weighing of all the evidence sub
mitted convinced DR.. Pierse that such
theories are not based on an exact in
| depreciation of the ancient sources.
The author, who has we'll learned the
painstaking method of the German
schools, proposes to answer the fol-
lowing question: "Was the Mass in
the sense of an offering of the Body
and Blood of Christ in the Church from
$50 to $50 A. Do" To this end, in the
| first part of his book, he not only
summons the witnesses of the East
and West-Justin, Irenaeus, Clement
of Alexandria, Origen, Turtullian, Cy-
prian-but minutely analyses their ut
terances in the light of such factors
as the environment, character, men
tality, and purpose of the writer-fac-
tors which must be reckoned with in
every scientific inquiry.
The second section of the work deals
| with the monumental and liturgical
evidence. Of fascinating interest is
the discussion of the problem of the
Epiclesis, the Eucharistic symbolism
of the Catacombs, the primitive form
of our Canon of the Mass, the deriva.
ton of it's sublime prayers from early
sources. After calm examination OF
these early documents, the author un.
hesitatingly concludes that the sacri
flee which the Fathers announce and
the liturgies celebrate is in striking
degree similar to the Mass as under.
stood by the Council of Trent We toe
gladly repeat after him: eff the Mass
is with the early Fathers, who have
more reliability, these or their critics
Are we not to prefer the Fathers OF
the second and third centuries as
guides concerning the earliest and
purest doctrines to critics of the far
off twentieth"
DR.. Pierse's work will find many
appreciative readers. 1t is scholarly
and yet not heavy; it is literary and
yet not superficial; it is vigorous and
yet not one-sided. Its tone deserves
special commentator; it is neither
apologize, nor polemical, nor rhet-
orical, but all through preserves that
broad-minded serenity which is the
best guarantee of an impartial investi
cation.
P. PERIGORD.