Originally the season of Advent was simply a preparation by prayer and fasting for the Festival of the Nativity, as Lent was for that of Easter; and its length varied in different parts of the Church. Its observance is supposed to have originated in France, possibly in the fourth century; but it was not adopted in Rome until the seventh century, although it is attributed to St. Peter. The time observed varied from two weeks to five. In the ancient Mozarabic Liturgy used in Spain, the Feast of the Nativity is called Advent, and the six preceding Sundays are 'Sundays before Advent.' In many parts of the Church it was a forty days' fast. It is called Quadragesima in a sacramentary of the tenth century; and in the Greek and Eastern Churches is still known as the 'forty days' fast,' Lent being the great and holy forty days.' The forty days before Christmas do not seem to be very generally or strictly observed in the Greek Church, though still noted in the calendar as beginning on the 15th of November.

Wherever kept, the season has always been marked by signs of mingled joy and mourning. In the Roman Church, Hallelujah is sometimes sung as a token of rejoicing in the first Advent; so at least it is interpreted in more recent times. Sometimes it is omitted. The Gloria in Excelsis is not used except on festivals, and the vestments are violet, as symbolical of humiliation.

As originally intended, the season was to be employed in selfexamination and acts of devotion in preparation for the coming festival; and this use of it is equally appropriate, whether we meditate upon the grace of salvation already come to the world in the birth of our Lord in our nature, or whether we look forward to that second advent, in which the faithful indeed rejoice in hope, but in hope which is not unmixed with other feelings. For, having regard to the present condition of the Church, penitence and supplication are our most appropriate preparation for that solemn event. We rejoice in hope, but in hope mingled with shame, as we can conceive that a faithful Israelite of old would have looked for the first coming of the Messiah, even as Daniel and Ezra, who, with confusion of face, prayed and confessed their sin, and the sin of their people Israel; and yet, with longing expectation, as knowing that He only could take away their guilt, and be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of His people Israel.

The two great topics are-faith in the work wrought at His first coming, and hope in His salvation, when He shall come again 'apart from sin,' and gather His saints to Himself, and enter upon His kingdom.

In the Prayer-book Calendar, the 16th of December is distinguished by the first words of one of the versicles formerly used at this season, and still chanted, each on its own day, in the Roman Church after the Magnificat, from the 17th to the 23rd. They are called the 'great antiphons,' and are so beautiful and appropriate that one can

but regret that they should have dropped out of use. They have. been thus paraphrased

'O Wisdom of God, which art the Word proceeding from the Most High, reaching from the beginning to the end, firmly and gently disposing all things; come Thou, and teach us in the way of understanding.

'O Adonai, Captain of the House of Israel, Thou which didst appear unto Moses in the fire of the burning bush, and gavest unto Him the Law in Sinai; come Thou, and redeem us with Thine outstretched arm.

O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people; before whom kings shall shut their mouths; unto whom the nations shall make their supplications; come Thou, and deliver us, make no longer tarrying.

O Key of David, Sceptre of the House of Israel, which openeth and no man shutteth, which shutteth and no man openeth; come Thou, and bring forth from the prison-house him that is bound.

'O Dayspring from on High, Brightness of Eternal Light, Sun of Righteousness; come Thou, and shine in upon them that are sitting in darkness, and in the shadow of death.

'O King of the Gentiles, God of Israel and his Saviour, chief Corner-stone, which makest both one; come Thou, and save Thy creatures, whom Thou didst fashion from the dust of the earth.

'O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the expectation of the Gentiles and their desire; come Thou unto our salvation, O Lord our Saviour and our God.'

In the Gallican Church during the last century, the antiphons began on the 15th, and two others were added:

'O Holy of Holies, spotless mirror of the Majesty of God and image of His goodness: come Thou, that iniquity may be blotted out and eternal righteousness brought in.

'O Shepherd of Israel, Lord over the house of David; whose goings forth have been from of old, even from everlasting: come Thou, and feed Thy people in Thy strength, and rule them in equity and judgment.'

In some at least of the dioceses of France the antiphons now begin on the 16th, and the second only of these two is used.

The observance of the Feast of the Nativity cannot be traced with any certainty beyond the beginning of the 4th century, when it was celebrated, together with the adoration of the Magi, and probably also the Lord's Baptism, on the 6th January, and all three under the name, equally appropriate to each, of Epiphany. The transference of the Festival of the Nativity to the 25th December is attributed to Pope Julius I.; and, from a sermon preached by St. Chrysostom in the latter part of the fourth century, it would seem that the actual date of that great event had then been known for some time in the West, but had not been received in the East till ten years previously. He says:

And it is possible for any one learning the time of the taxing from the old records open to the public at Rome, to come to the desired knowledge. From those who have accurately ascertained these things, and who dwelt in that city, we have received the day.'

Who wants any reasons for keeping the Feast of the Birth of Christ, the Eternal Word Incarnate?

True, the event accomplished nothing in itself; but it was the revelation of the great mystery, 'God manifest in the flesh,' the basis of all that has been and is yet to be accomplished for man's

salvation.

The birth of an infant is everywhere an occasion of rejoicing, even though none can tell whether the child will prove a blessing or the reverse to his family, his country, or even the whole world. Here there is no uncertain hope, but the one only sure salvation of the ruined creation-God's great unspeakable Gift to a fallen world.

We keep the birthdays of our friends and kindred with joy; shall we not much more celebrate the Birthday of Him, Who is not only Friend and Brother, but also our Saviour and King, Who has brought life and immortality to life.' The Hope of the whole world lies, as on this day, in the manger of Bethlehem.

One thought in conclusion: In these times, we can, alas! hardly avoid knowing that speculation about God is rife; it meets us constantly in the current literature of the day, and it may be reverent speculation or it may not; but, whichever it be, it is equally out of place among those who 'profess and call themselves Christians." Some may be heard to say that it is presumptuous for finite beings like ourselves to assert that we know, or can know, anything about God; and at times their words are so plausible that people are caught by the mock humility. For it is mock humility to profess ignorance of what God has Himself made known to us.

One of the most common and subtle temptations of the present day is thus almost unconsciously to ignore the Godhead of Christ, Who came, not only to redeem us, but to show us the Father'; for He is the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His Person'; ' in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily'; God has given the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ.' As He Himself said, ' Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me? He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father, and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?'

'O brightness of the Immortal Father's face,

Most Holy, Heavenly, Blessed,

Lord Jesu Christ, in Whom His truth and grace
Are visibly expressed.'

CAMEOS FROM ENGLISH HISTORY.

CAMEO CCLIX.

THE REVOCATION OF THE EDICT OF NANTES.

1679-1688.

THE attitude of Louis XIV. towards religious matters was very curious. He was quite as much determined to be his own Pope as Henry VIII. could have been, only he did not say so as openly, and, being within reach of the Pope, he was able to get his own way more effectively.

In the first place he made a final ruin of Port Royal. The Duchess of Longueville, who had long been its protector, died in 1679, a woman who by forty-five years of penitence and consistent religious practice had effaced the memory of the aberrations of her early womanhood.

A month later the Archbishop of Paris directed, by order of the King, that all save the professed sisters should leave it. Novices and postulants were dispersed into other convents, pensionnaires, many of them of the highest birth, sent home, and the old nuns were only allowed to remain there as one by one they dropped off through a course of thirty years.

The Jansenists were, however, not extinguished. Arnauld withdrew to Flanders, where he spent the rest of his life. He had thoughts of proceeding to Rome, where Innocent XI. was ready to receive him with all honour, and had even thought of giving him a Cardinal's hat, but he decided otherwise, not being able to trust the possible turns which might make French influence predominate. However, some of the best Bishops, especially the saintly Pavillon of Alet, were well known to hold Jansenist opinions, but gave no opportunity for censure; and even to the days of the Revolution, there were families, clergy, and religious houses well known to be Jansenist.

The persecution of the Jansenists was one of Louis' compensations for his great struggle with the Pope. As a general rule all benefices in France were subject to the Régale, by which the Crown presented to them, and moreover enjoyed their revenues during a vacancy, but there were certain number of churches in the kingdom, chiefly in the provinces recently acquired, exempt from this rule, but on the 10th of February, 1673, Louis XIV. put forth a declaration, not only

claiming the Régale of all benefices which had not made distinct terms with the Crown, but requiring all the Bishops of sees hitherto exempt, to register their oaths of allegiance in order to obtain restitution of the benefices they were stated to be illegally enjoying.

Pavillon of Alet and Caulet of Pamiers sturdily refused to comply with this exaction, and neither registered their oaths, nor would induct nominees of the King to appointments within their dioceses. There was an appeal to the Archbishop of Toulouse, and then to the Pope, Innocent XII., Benedette Odescalchi, an excellent and upright man, to whom the ambition and tyranny of Louis were most distasteful, and who was not, like most Popes, under Jesuit influence. He supported the two Bishops with all his might, sending briefs of remonstrance to the King, writing to them privately to persevere.

Bishop Pavillon died in 1679. He had been a noble Bishop, promoting all that was good in his diocese, and providing for the religious training of the poor in the mountains, by sending pairs of ladies, whom he called Régentes, to instruct them. His friend at Pamiers held out, and actually endured from the King the spoiling of all his property, even the funds with which he was rebuilding his cathedral and founding two seminaries for his clergy. He died in August, 1680, and then came a desperate struggle in the cathedral itself, between the Chapter and the Régalistes appointed by the King for the election of a Grand Vicar. Cerle, who was appointed by the old Canons, was not a moderate man, and in his indignation used expressions which caused him to be tried, in his absence, by the parliament of Toulouse, and burnt in effigy in the market-place.

The Pope strengthened his hands by excommunicating all who acknowledged the Régaliste Vicar-General, and the dispute proceeded hotly. Louis convened a Council of Bishops, men who were almost all under the spell of his overmastering character, though many of them were holy and devoted in their lives. The question was an exceedingly difficult one. On the one hand it might be looked on as concerning the liberty of the Gallican Church from the Ultramontane yoke, on the other hand as asserting temporal power instead of spiritual.

The preliminary Council of Bishops decided that the previous decisions and the precedents were uncertain, but for the sake of peace it was better to submit to the Régale. Of course this did not satisfy the Pope, and a general assembly of the clergy was convoked on the 1st of October, 1681. Bossuet was the leading spirit and preached the opening sermon. He was anxious for the lawful freedom of his national church, but on the other hand most desirous to guard against any such rupture with Rome as England had made. The upshot of the conference was that the King's claim should be acknowledged, but that his nominees must have canonical institution. To this, however, the Pope would not agree. He said that he echoed the complaint of the prophet, 'The sons of my mother have fought