Eucharist or Sacramental BREAD, in the Protestant churches, is common leavened bread, in conformity to the ancient practice. In the Romish mass, azymous or unleavened bread is used, particularly in the Gallican church, where a sort is provided for this purpose called pain a chanter, made of the purest wheaten flour pressed between two iron plates graven like wafer-moulds, being first rubbed with white wax to prevent the paste from sticking. The Greeks observe divers ceremonies in their making the eucharist bread. It is necessary the
the person who bakes it have not lain with his wife the day before; or, if it be a woman, that she have not conversed with her husband. The Abyssinians have an apartment in their churches for this service, being a kind of sacristy. F. Sirmond, in his disquisition on azymous bread, shows from the council of Toledo, that anciently there were as many ceremonies used in the Latin church in the preparation of their unleavened bread as are still retained in the eastern churches. He cites the example of Queen Radegonda, who distributed with her own hands in the church, the bread which she herself had made. It appears also from the dispute of Cardinal Humbert against the Greeks, that in the Latin church no bread was used for the eucharist, but what was taken out of the sacristy, and had been made by the deacons, subdeacons, and even priests, who rehearsed several psalms during the process.
Ecclesiastical writers enumerate other species of bread allotted for purposes of religion; as, 1. Calendarius, that anciently offered to the priest at the kalends. 2. Prebendarius, the same with capitularis, that distributed daily to each prebendary or canon. 3. Benedictus, that usually given to catechumens before baptism, in lieu of the eucharistic bread, which they were incapable of partaking of. The panis benedictus, was called also panagium and eulogium, being a sort of bread blessed and consecrated by the priest, whereby to prepare the catechumens for the reception of the body of Christ. The same was used afterwards, not only by catechumens, but by believers themselves, as a token of their mutual communion and friendship. Its origin is dated from the 7th century, at the council at Nantz. In the Gallican church we still find panis benedictus, panis benit, used for that offered for benediction, and afterwards distributed to pious persons who attend divine service in chapels. 4. Consecrated bread is a piece of wax, paste, or even earth, over which several ceremonies have been performed with benedictions, &c. to be sent in an Agnus Dei, or relic-box, and presented for veneration. 5. Unleavened bread, panis azymus. The Jews eat no other bread during their passover; and exact search was made in every house, to see that no leavened bread was left. The usage was introduced in memory of their hasty departure from Egypt, when they had not leisure to bake leavened. 6. Shew-bread was that offered to God every Sabbath-day, being placed on the golden table in the holy of holies.