A copy of this fresco may be seen also in Rock's
Hierurgia, p. 668. Incense is a symbol of prayers. "Let my prayer, O
Lord" we say with the Psalmist "be directed as incense in thy sight".
God had appointed it to be used in the Jewish worship, and St. John
says, that an "angel came and stood before the altar, having a golden
censer, and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer
of the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar, which is
before the throne of God: and the smoke of the incense of the prayers
of the saints ascended up before God, from the hand of the angel".
Apoc. VIII, 3, 5. Of the apostolic antiquity of its use the Protestant
bishop Beveridge adduces proofs in his Vindication of the apostolical
canons. The ancient liturgies of the east and west agree in
prescribing the use of incense, and in particular at the beginning
of mass, at the offertory etc. See Renaudot, Assemani, Le Brun etc.
Constantine, according to Anastasius in his life of S. Silvester, gave
two golden thuribles to the Lateran basilis, and a third adorned with
jewels to the Baptistery. See Card. Bona, Rerum Liturgicarum lib. I,
c. XXV, Sec. 9.]
[Footnote 34: Of the antiquity of the custom of kissing the Pope's
foot we have proofs in Anastasius the librarian in the lives of Popes
Constantine and Leo IV. When Valentine was elected Pope in 827, his
feet were kissed by the Roman senate and people at S.
Pages:
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56