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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Preface (3) THE PROTOCOL. This is the term Ward and Johnson apply to the opening formula of the Preface. In its full form it runs as follows: Vere dignum et iustum est, aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere: Domine, sancte Pater, omnipotens aeterne Deus: per Christum Dominum nostrum. The full form is not always used. Rarely only the first, or first and second lines are used, and are followed with other material. The last line, 'through Christ our Lord' tends to be used when the embolism which follows says something about Christ - that he died on the cross, for example, or rose from the dead, or showed great humility in taking human flesh. In this case the embolism will begin with the relative pronoun, 'Qui', referring back to Christ. If the embolism refers rather to the activity of God the Father - for example, in creation - then the relative pronoun may still be used, but will refer to God the Father. 'Vere dignum et iustum est' refers back to the the last line of the preceding dialogue: 'Dignum et iustum est.' 'aequum' means 'fair, right, equitable, reasonable.' 'Salutare' means 'beneficial, healthful, making for our salvation.' It is interesting that Cranmer, in writing the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, chose not to translate 'salutare' but rendered the line: 'It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty.' He would not have it that offering the Mass (or any other human action) could in any way advance our salvation. In celebrating the Eucharist, we were simply obeying Christ's commandment, and so instead of calling it 'salutary' he called it 'our bounden duty.' In more recent revisions, the Church of England, wishing no doubt to take the edge off the severity of Cranmer's language, rendered it: 'It is indeed right, it is our duty and our joy.' This still falls short of saying that it helps us on the way to salvation. Contrast a sentence from the modern Roman Third Eucharistic Prayer: 'Lord, may this sacrifice, which has made our peace with you, advance the peace and salvation of all the world.' I mention these things, not to be controversial or denominational, but to illustrate that even a single word in these texts can be charged with meaning which, depending on one's point of view, may be considered either essential or anathema. Bill. ===== ____________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" your friends today! Download Messenger Now http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/download/index.html ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html