Page:Elizabeth Elstob - An English-Saxon homily on the birth-day of St. Gregory.djvu/107

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of the Prieftly Order, and of the Monaftick, as of the Laity, according to the Command of the Holy Gre- gory, were come on the Wednesday to the feven- fold Litany, the aforefaid Peftilence raged fo fail , that fourfcore Men depart- ed this tranfltory Life at the very inftant the Peo* pie were finging the Li- tany. But the Holy Priefl: did not ceafe to advife the People not to defift from their Supplications, until that God's Mercy fhould alTwage the raging Plague, In the mean time Gregory^

Deprecation of God's Wrath was, from the Author of it, styled the Litany of St. Gregory, from the Place of its first Institution, that of Rome; from the mourning Habit that was then used, the Cruces nigræ; and Litania Major, by reason of its greater Solemnity, and to distinguish it from the Litania Minor, The Lesser Litany or Procession was used on the Rogation Days, the three Days immediately before the Ascenfion of our Lord. The Major, or Greater Litany, was used on St. Mark's Day, the 7. Kal. Maii, or the 25th of April, See Spelm. Gloss. in voce Litania, As to the sevenfold Distribution herein to be observed, it might probably allude to the Psalmist's seven set Times of Devotion, Psalm cxix, v. 164. Seven times a day, &c. in conformity to which were the seven Hours observed in the Primitive Church. See the Ritualists, and the Note upon the Saxon Hours at the End of Dr. Hickes' Letters. Whereas Gregory enjoins the singing the Litany, this is an Argument of the early use of singing in Divin Service, even upon mournful Occasions,

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