DOMnnrs
114
DOMITIAN
pope. On the death of Gregory XV (8 July, 1623)
the pension ceased, and irritation loosened his tongue.
Coming into conflict with the Inquisition he was de-
clared a relapsed heretic, was confined to the Castle of
Sant' Angelo, and there died a natural death. His
case was continued after his death, his heresy de-
clared manifest, and his body burned together with
his works on 21 Dec, 1624.
In 1611 he published, at Venice, a scientific work en- titled: "Tractatus de radiis risus et lucis in vitris, perspectivis et iride", in which, according to Newton, he was the first to develop the theory of the rainbow, by drawing attention to the fact that in each raindrop the light undergoes two refractions and an interme- diate reflection. His claim to that distinction is, however, disputed in favour of Descartes.
Much information may be obtained from his own works; Goodmax, The Court of King James the First, ed. Brewer (London, 1S39), I, 336-354; Fuller, Church History of Britain, ed. XiCHOLs (London, 1S6S), III, 332- 343; Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences (London, 1S37), II, 347 sqq.; Perry in Did, Xat, Biog., s. v.; vov Reumont. Beitrtige zur ital. Geschichte (ISoT), \1. 315-329; RErscH, Index d. verbot. Biidier, II. 402, 904.
EDW.iRD ilVERS.
Dominus ac Redemptor. See
Society of Jesus.
Dominus Vobiscum, an an- cient form of devout salutation, incorporated in the liturgj' of the Church, where it is employed as a prelude to certain formal prayers. Its origin is evidently Scriptural, being clearly borrowed from Ruth, ii, 4, and H Par., xa-, 2. The same idea is also suggested in the Xew Testament, e. g. in Matt., xxviii, 20: "Ecce ego vobiscimi sum", etc. The ecclesiastical usage dates probably from Apostolic times. Mention of it is made (ch. iii) by the Council of Braga (563). It also appears in the sixth or sev- enth-centurj- "Sacramentarium Gelasianum ". The phrase is preg- nant with a deep religious signifi- cance, and therefore intensely ex- pressive of the highest and holiest wishes. For is not the presence of the Lord — the Source of everj' good and the .\uthor of every best gift — a certain pledge of Di- vine protection and a sure earnest I'MPl liOK IlrlV of the possession of aU spiritual peace and conso- lation? In the mouth, therefore, of the priest, who acts as the representative and delegate of the Church, in whose name and with whose authority he prays, this deprecatory formula is pre-eminently appropriate. Hence its frequent use in the public prayers of the Chiu-ch's liturgy. During the Mass it occurs eight times, namely, l^efore the priest ascends the altar, before the two Gospels, tlie collects, the Offertory, the Preface, the Post-Communion oratio, and the blessing. On four of these occasions the cele- brant, whilst saying it, turns to the people, extending and joining his hands; on the other four he remains facing the altar. In the Divine Office this formula is said before the principal oratio of each Hour by priests, even in private recitation, because they are supposed to pray in imion with, and in behalf of, the Church. Deacons say it only in the absence of a priest or with his permission if present (Van der Stap- pen, De officio divino, 43), but subdeacons use in- stead the "Domine exaudi orationem meam". Con-
trary' to general usage, the "Dominus Vobisctim"
does not precede the prayer of the Blessed Sacrament
before Benediction is given. Gardellini (Comment, in
Inst. Clem., §31, n. 5) explains this anomaly on the
ground that the blessing with the Sacred Host in the
monstrance effectively contains all that is implied in
the formula. Bishops use the Pax Vobis" (q. v.) be-
fore the collects in Masses where the Gloria is said.
The response to the " Dominus Vobiscum " is " Et cum
spiritu tuo" (cf. II Tim., iv, 22; Gal., vi, 18; PhU., iv,
23). Formerly this answer was rendered back with
one voice by the entire congregation. Among the
Greeks there is a corresponding form "Pax omni-
bus" (Liturgj' of St. Basil). The Council of Braga,
already mentioned, ordained
(Mansi, IX, 777) that priests, as
well as bishops, to whom alone the
Priscillianists sought to restrict
it, should adopt this formula.
S.UNT Peter Damian, treatise on the
- 'Dominns Vobiscum" in P. L., CXLV,
231 sqq.; An'gelus Rocca, De Saluta- tione Sacerdotis in Missti et in divinis officiis, I, 236, in his Thesaurus Anti- guitatum (2nd ed., Rome, 1745); Bona, Rerum Liturgicarum Libri duo (Turin. 1747), II. v; GiHR in Kirchenlex., s. v.; Van der Stappen. De officio Divino (Mcchhn, 19041; Bernard, Cours de Liturgie Romain*-: Le Briviaire (Paris, 1SS7), II, 168-73; Krvll in Kr.\us, Real-Enc'jk., s. v.
P.\TRICK MORRISROE.
Domitian (Titus Fl.witjs DoMiTiAXUs), Roman emperor and persecutor of the Church, son of Vespasian and younger brother and successor of the Emperor Titus; b. 24 Oct., a.d. 51, and reigned from 81 to 96. In spite of his private vices he set himself up as a reformer of morals and religion. He was the first of the emperors to deify himself during his lifetime byassimiing the title of "Lord and God". After the revolt of Satuminus (93) he orga- nized a series of bloodthirsty pro- scriptions against all the wealthy and noble families. A conspir- acy, in which his wife joined, was formed against htm, and he was murdered, 18 Sept., 96.
When the Acts of Nero's reign were reversed after his death, an exception was made as to the per- secution of the Christians (Tertul- nN, \ATirAN jiaj,^ \i^ Nat., i, 7). The Jewish
revolt brought upon them fresli unpopularity, and the subsequent destruction of the Holy City deprived them of the last shreds of protection afforded them by being confounded with the Jews. Hence Domitian in his attack upon the aristocratic party foimd little dif- ficulty in condemning such as were Christians. To observe Jewish practices was no longer lawful; to re- ject the national ieiiginn, without being able to plead the excuse of being a Jew, was atheism. On one count or the other, as Jews or as atheists, the Christians were liable to punishment. Among the more famous martjTS in this Second Persecution were Doraitian's cousin, Flavins Clemens, the consul, and M'Acilius Glabrio who had also been consul. Flavia DomitiUa, the wife of Flavins, was banished to Pandataria. But the persecution was not confined to such noble vic- tims. We read of many others who suffered death or the loss of their goods (Dio Cassius, LXVII, iv). The book of the Apocal>-pse was written in the midst of this storm, when many of the Christians had already perished and more were to follow them (St. Irenaeus.
