of sins at the foot of the altar, the introit or anthem and part of a psalm sung at the entrance into church, the Kyrie eleison or petition for mercy, the Gloria in excelsis or hymn of praise (both of great antiquity, as Palmer following our catholic divines has shewn) the collect or collects so called from their being said when the people are collected together, the epistle and gospel, and also the verses, said or sung between them both, called the Gradual[10]:  if sung by one voice, it is called the Tract; if by choir, the Responsory.  The collects and other prayers are said with the arms extended in the same manner as many figures are represented praying on old christian as well as pagan monuments.  After the gospel the sermon used to be preached, as it generally is in our times[11] and after the sermon Pagans, Jews, heretics, schismatics, energumens, public penitents and catechumens were dismissed by the deacon; for the faithful alone were allowed to be present at the celebration of the sacred mysteries, in conformity to the discipline of secrecy.  That part of mass, which we have described was called the mass of the catechumens, because these were allowed to be present at it.

[Sidenote:  Mass of the faithful, blessed water.]

From the missio, missa, or dismissal announced by the deacon to the people before and after the mass of the faithful, the term missa or mass is derived.  It was in use in the early ages; for it is found not only in the epistle to the bishop of Vienne attributed to Pope Pius I, and in that of Pope Cornelius to Lupicinus:  but S. Ambrose also says “I continued my duty, and began to celebrate mass” and in another place he exhorts the people to “hear mass daily[12]”.

When the church had been cleared of all except the faithful, the second part of our mass, or the mass of the faithful, began with the Nicene symbol or creed.  Then followed the offertory, or part of a psalm sung anciently while the people made their offerings to the church, particularly of bread and wine[13].  The priest offers to God the bread, and wine mixed according to apostolic tradition[14] with a little water, which our Saviour is believed to have mixed with the wine at the last supper; he implores God’s blessing on these offerings, and washes his hands in token of the purity of soul[15] with which the sacred mysteries should be approached, and at high mass for the sake of outward cleanliness also, on account of the incense which he has used.  Having commemorated the passion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, as he does also after the consecration, he calls on those present to join him in prayer, he says another prayer or prayers called the secret, because said in secret, and then recites the preface to the canon, a prayer in which he unites with the celestial spirits in praise and thanksgiving as Christ himself gave thanks at the last supper:  it concludes with the Tersanctus or Trisagion “Holy, Holy, Holy etc.” which, as Palmer observes, has been probably used in the Christian liturgy of the east and west since the ages of the apostles.  V. 2. p. 219.