Gentiles then drink with eagerness from that [Fountain] which the Jews forsook [*For to us also as well as to other Gentiles may apply that saying about 'those who open not their mouths,' and we too may be exhorted to open the mouth of our inner man, to eat with anxious haste and eagerness that bread which cometh down from S. John vi. heaven.*] 33. have en they long In order then that we may eat of this Bread-that we The more may drink of this Fountain, [both of which are one and] of Christ the same Jesus Christ our Lord, (who speaks of Himself His people as though He were to be used by us for food, [under the joyed, so title of] the living bread, which giveth life to this world; much the and in like manner pointing to Himself as the Fountain, more will He saith, Whosoever is athirst, let him come unto me and after unindrink,' concerning which Fountain also the prophet saith, terrupted For with thee, is the Fountain of Life.' See whence that communion with Him. Fountain flows; for it is from the same source from Psa. xxxvi. which the bread also descends; because it is the same 9. One who is the Bread and the Fountain, the Only Son, our God, the Lord Christ, whom we ought unceasingly to hunger after; and although we are eating of Him in loving Him, although we devour Him by our longing after Him, yet let us continue our longing after Him, as though hungry still. In like manner, that we may always drink of Hin, the Fountain, with exceeding pleasure, drink of Him unceasingly in the full eagerness of our longing after Him, and be delighted with His grateful sweetness, (for the Lord is sweet and pleasant,) though we do eat of Him and drink, yet let us ever still hunger and thirst for Him. For this our food and drink can never be entirely consumed nor exhausted; for although used, it is not spent ; though drunk of, it doth not waste; because our bread is eternal, and our Fountain is ever flowing, and ever sweet. Whence the prophet saith, Ho ye that thirst, come to the Fountain.' For this Foun- Isa. lv. tain is for such as thirst, not for those who feel satiety; v. 6. The preciousness of Christ to them that Col. ii. 3. See S. Matt. and therefore it is that He invites to Himself the hungry and thirsty, upon whom elsewhere he pronounced a blessing;-who are never satisfied with drinking, but the more they have swallowed, the more thirsty will they be. "What reason have we, brethren, to desire, and seek after, and love unceasingly, that Fountain of Wisdom, the Word of God on High, in whom are hidden,' as the receive Him. apostle saith, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,' [treasures] which he is inviting those that are thirsty to draw upon. Art thou thirsty ?-drink [here] of the Fountain of Life. Art thou hungry ?-eat [here] of the Bread of Life. Blessed are they that hunger for this bread, and thirst after this fountain. For [though they be] always eating and drinking, yet retain they their desire to be eating and drinking still. For exceedingly delicious must be that food, which is continually made use of for meat and drink, and yet is continually the ob. ject of hungering and thirst; ever fresh upon the taste, and ever still desired-whence the Royal prophet is led Paa. xxxiv. to use that exclamation, O taste and see how sweet, how gracious, the Lord is !' 8. He is wis dom, light, and life,unto His people. "Let us then, brethren, obey this call, in which we are invited to the Fountain of Life, by [Him who is] the Life, who is the Fountain not only of living water, but the Fountain also of eternal life: the Fountain of Light, and the Fountain of Illumination; for from Him are all these things, wisdom, life, light everlasting. He is the Author of Life, the Fountain of Life. He is the Creator of light, He the Fountain of illumination. And therefore, thinking lightly of the things that are seen, and ["soaring high toward heaven, let us seek to drink like fishes, yet as fishes endued with the height of reason and sagacity*] of [that] living water that springeth uv unto life eternal. The preach"O that thy summons may bring me thither to that er anxiously Fountain, Thou God of Mercy, Thou Lord of Goodness, implores love the that there in company with Thy thirsty ones, I too may grace from drink of the living stream of the living Fountain of living on high to water! that so charmed with its exceeding sweetness, Fountain of I may abide by it for ever, exclaiming, 'O how sweet is Life; the Fountain of living water, whose water never ceases springing up unto everlasting life!' Thou, O, Lord art that true Fountain, for ever and ever to be desired, though [at the same time] ever enjoyed and ever drunk of. Give to us evermore, O Lord Christ, this water, that it may be in us also, a well of water living and springing up unto life everlasting. Great indeed is the boon I seek for, who can doubt it? But Thou, the King of Glory, art wont to give great favours, and hast promised to give them. Nothing can be greater than Thyself, and Thou hast given Thyself to us; Thou hast given Thyself for us. Grant us therefore we beseech Thee, that we may know the object of our love, forasmuch as it is nought else beside Thyself that we are seeking to have bestowed upon us. For Thou art our All, our Life, our Light, our Salvation, our Food, our Drink, our God. Breathe into our hearts I pray Thee, O our [beloved] Jesus, that inspiration of Thy Spirit, and wound our souls with Thy love, that every heart among us may be able to exclaim with truth, Shew me Him that my soul Song of Sol. loveth, for I am wounded with love.' v. 8. ters, and "Grant O Lord, that these wounds may be in me. and to drink [For] happy is the soul that is so wounded with love. of its waSuch an one seeks the Fountain; such an one drinks of still thirst it; yet while drinking, continues ever thirsty; and [at for fresh the same time] by its longing desires keeps quaffing on; supplies of it drinks unceasingly by continuing its thirst. Thus in them everits love it is ever seeking after Him; and its cure is found in submitting to fresh wounds. And O that these health-giving wounds may penetrate to the inmost recesses of our souls, through the gracious operation of Jesus Christ our God and Lord, the merciful and wise more. Physician, who is One with the Father and the Holy Amen." Pope Gregory VII. to Turlogh King of Ire land. A.D. 1084. The king doms and powers of the world to be subject to the authority of the succesBors of St. Peter. No. VIII. LETTER OF POPE GREGORY VII. TO TURLOGH O'BRIAN KING OF IRE- 'Gregory bishop, servant of the servants of God, to Turlogh the illustrious king of Ireland, to the Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, Nobles, and all Christians inhabiting Ireland, health and Apostolical Benediction. Through the entire globe the doctrine of the Lord Jesus hath shed forth its light. For He who hath gone forth as a bridegroom out of His chamber, hath placed His tabernacle in the Sun, and there is none that can be hidden from the glowing heat of His beams. His authority hath laid the foundations of Holy Church in the solid rock, and hath committed to blessed Peter (who derives his venerable name from the rock) the charge of superintending her government; placing her also above all the kingdoms of the earth, and putting into subjection unto her, principalities, and powers, and all that seems possessed of dignity or grandeur in the world; in fulfilment of that prophecy of Isaiah, They that spake against Thee shall come to Thee, and bow themselves down to the soles of Thy feet.' "To blessed Peter therefore, and to his vicars (in the list of whom by the ordinance of Divine Providence, our lot also hath been cast,) the universal Church owes a readiness to debt of obedience as well as reverence, which debt, be careful that ye discharge, in a devout spirit of affection to [this] Holy Church of Rome. [And] we furthermore exhort you as our well-beloved children, to practice righteousness, to cherish and maintain the catholic peace Gregory exof the Church, and to draw her closely to yourselves presses his with affectionate esteem, in the arms of your charity. assist the And if there shall occur among you any matters of Irish in any business, in which it may seem worth while to have our matters of aid, give diligence to report them to us without any delay, and your just demands shall with God's assistance might call be conceded to you. Dated Sutrium, 6 Kal. Mar. (24th upon him. Feb.)" business where they No. IX. OF THE ANCIENT EPISCOPAL SEES OF IRELAND, &c. pal sees, The nature and limits of the present compila- of the antion rendered it necessary that the notices of cient episcoour ancient episcopal sees, Church discipline, Church dis&c. given in the text (pp. 446, seqq., 616-618) of Ireland. cipline, &c., should be of a very brief and cursory character. It may be proper however to introduce here a few more particular matters of detail in illustration of this subject, with copies of some of the most ancient lists of those old sees which are on record, since the date of their settlement in the twelfth century and subsequently. ber of bi From all the documents relating to our an- The numcient ecclesiastical affairs which have come down shops in |