5

§ 4. This change in the form of ecclesiastical government was followed by a corrupt state of the clergy. For although examples of primitive piety and virtue were not wanting, yet many were addicted to dissipation, arrogance, voluptuousness, contention, and other vices. This appears from numerous complaints, of the most credible persons in those times. Many bishops now affected the privileges of princes, especially those who had charge of the more numerous and wealthy congregations; for they dazzled the eyes and minds of the populace, by a throne, attendants, and other ensigns of religious majesty, perhaps also with splendid robes. The presbyters imitated the example of their superiors, and, neglecting their duties, followed a luxurious way of life. This emboldened the deacons to make encroachments upon the rights and offices of presbyters.

§ 5. And from this cause chiefly, in my opinion, the minor orders of clergy were every where, in this century, added to the bishops, presbyters, and deacons. The words subdeacons, acolytes, door-keepers, exorcists, and copiatæ, designate officers,

of the power of bishops than the arrogant Cyprian-that very Cyprian who, when not fired by any passion, is so condescending towards presbyters, deacons, and the common people. He inculcates, on all occasions, that bishops derive their office, not so much from their election by the clergy and people, as from the attestation and decree of God. See Ep. lii. p. 68, 69. ep. xlv. p. 59. ep. lv. p. 82. ep. lxv. p. 113. ep. lxix. p. 121. He regards bishops as the successors of the apostles. Ep. xlii. p. 57. So that bishops are amenable to none, but to God only; while presbyters are amenable to the religious society. Ep. xi. p. 19.-Deacons were created by the bishop; and, therefore, can be punished by him alone, without the voice of the society. Ep. lxv. p. 114.- Bishops have the same rights with apostles, whose successors they are. And hence, none but God can take cognizance of their actions. Ep. lxix. p. 121.-The whole church is founded on the bishop; and no one is a true member of the church who is not submissive to his bishop. Ep. lxix. p. 123.- Bishops represent Christ himself, and govern and judge in his name. Ep. lv. ad Cornel. p. 81, 82.Hence all bishops, in the following ages, styled themselves vicars of Christ. See J. Bingham's Orig. Eccles. vol. i. p. 81,

&c. In the ninth century, a bishop of Paris is so styled in a letter of Servatus Lupus. Ep. xcix. p. 149, ed. Baluze. After the ninth century, the bishops of Rome assumed the exclusive right to this as well as other honorary episcopal titles. Schl. From Mosheim, de Rebus Christianor. p. 588, &c. Tr.]

5 Origen, Comment. in Matthæum, pt. i. Opp. p. 420. 441, 442. Eusebius, Historia Eccles. lib. viii. cap. 1, p. 291. Cyprian, in many of his Epistles.

6 [Subdeacons are said by Bona, to have been either instituted by Christ, as the later schoolmen think, or by the apostles. But he admits that Scripture makes no express mention of this order, and cites no earlier authority for it than an epistle attributed to Ignatius, but generally considered spurious, though the cardinal himself will not give it up. Subdeacons are to wait upon the deacons. The orders inferior to the subdiaconate, Bona tells us, are said by the schoolmen to be of apostolical institution, or at least have originated from those who immediately succeeded the apostles, but he admits that nothing of the sort is proved. Acolytes, or colets, as they were anciently called in England, had the care of the lights, and of the wine and water for the Eucharist; readers are mentioned by Tertullian, and

which I think the church would have never had if the rulers of it had possessed more piety or true religion. But when the honours and privileges of the bishops and presbyters were augmented, the deacons also became more inflated, and refused to perform those meaner offices to which they once cheerfully submitted. The offices designated by these new titles, are in great measure explained by the words themselves. The exorcists owed their origin to the doctrine of the New Platonists adopted by the Christians, that evil spirits have a strong desire after the human body, and that vicious men are not so much impelled to sin by their natural depravity, and the influence of bad examples, as by the suggestions of some evil spirit lodging ¦ within them. The copiata were employed in the burial of the dead.

§ 6. Marriage was allowed to all the clergy, from the highest rank to the lowest. Yet those were accounted more holy and excellent who lived in celibacy. For it was the general persuasion, that those who lived in wedlock were much more

were not only to read Scripture in church, but also to bless bread and first-fruits; exorcists are mentioned by Tertullian, but it seems not as a particular order of ministers; when made one, they were to order non-communicants out of the church, and to pour out the water for ministration; copiate, otherwise called fossarii, or grave-diggers, were employed in various duties connected with funerals: the Greek form of their name seems to come from коTiãodai, to labour, though some have derived it from KOTETOS, wailing. Bona says, that servile offices are no longer performed in the Roman church by ordained persons, but by boys and men engaged in the ordinary way. The reader who wishes for more information on these matters, cannot do better than consult Bingham, B. iii. Ed.]

7 See J. Godofredus, ad Codicem Theodosianum, tom. vi. p. 48. [Several of the Catholic writers, as, e. g. Baronius, Bellarmine, and Schelstrate, believed these minor orders of the clergy were instituted by the apostles. But the most learned writers of the Romish communion, and all the Protestants, maintain that they were first instituted in the third century. See Cardinal Bona, Rerum Liturgicar. 1. i. c. 25, § 16.

17. Morin, de Ordinatione, p. iii. Exerc. 14, c. 1, and Bingham's Orig. Eccles. vol. i. Not one of these orders is even named by any writer who lived before Tertullian; nor are all of them named by him. Cyprian, in the middle of the third century, mentions hypodiaconi, acolythi, and lectores. See his Epp. 14. 24. 36. 42. 49. 79, ed. Baluz. And Cornelius, bp. of Rome, contemporary with Cyprian, in an epistle which is preserved by Eusebius, H. E. vi. c. 43, represents his church as embracing 46 (πреσбυτέρους) presbyters; 7 (διακόνους) deacons; 7 (vodiaкóvovs) subdeacons ; 42 (akoλoulous) acolythi; exorcists (opKIOTàs), and readers (avayvuotas), with door-keepers (qua Tuλwpoîs), together 52. The particular functions of these inferior orders are but imperfectly defined by the writers of the third century. From the Epistles of Cyprian above cited, it appears that subdeacons and acolythi, singly or together, were frequently the bearers of public letters to and from bishops; and that readers were employed to read the scriptural lessons in time of public worship. The writers and councils of the fourth century describe more fully the duties of all these petty offices. Tr.]

exposed to the assaults of evil spirits than others: and it was of immense importance, that no impure or malignant spirit should assail the mind or the body of one who was to instruct and govern others. Such persons therefore wished, if possible, to have nothing to do with conjugal life. And this many of the clergy, especially in Africa, endeavoured to accomplish with the least violence to their inclinations; for they received into their house, and even to their beds, some of those females who had vowed perpetual chastity, affirming, however, most religiously, that they had no disgraceful intercourse with them." These concubines were by the Greeks called ovvεloaктoι, and by the Latins mulieres subintroductæ. Many of the bishops, indeed, sternly opposed this most shameful practice; but it was a long time before it could be wholly abolished.

§ 7. Of the writers of this century the most distinguished for the celebrity of his name and for the extent of his writings was Origen, a presbyter and catechist of Alexandria, a man truly great, and the common teacher of the Christian world. Had his discernment and soundness of judgment been equal to his genius, piety, industry, erudition, and other accomplishments, he would deserve almost unbounded commendation. As he is, all should revere his virtues and his merits.1 The second was

417.

Porphyrius, eрl añоxns, lib. iv. p.

9 See H. Dodwell, Diss. tertia Cyprianica; and Lud. Ant. Muratorius, Diss. de Synisactis et Agapetis, in his Anecdota Græca, p. 218. Steph. Baluze, ad Cypriani Epistol. p. 5. 12, and others.-[This shameful practice commenced before this century. Slight allusions to it are found in the Shepherd of Hermas and in Tertullian; but the first distinct mention of it is in Cyprian, who inveighs severely against it in some of his Epistles. -It is to be remembered, that none but virgin sisters in the church, and they under a vow of perpetual chastity, became σVVELσaкTOL. With these some of the single clergy attempted to live, in the manner in which certain married people then lived,-dwelling and even sleeping together, but with a mutual agreement to have no conjugal intercourse. Such connexions they considered as a marriage of souls, without the marriage of bodies. See Mosheim, de Rebus Christianor. &c. p. 599, &c. Tr.]

See P. D. Huet, Origeniana, a learn

ed and valuable work; Lud. Doucin, Histoire d'Origène et des Mouvemens arrivées dans l'église au sujet de sa Doctrine. Paris, 1700, 8vo.; and Bayle, Dictionnaire, tom. iii. art. Origène; and many others.-[Origen, surnamed Adamantius, (and Xaλкévтepos, from his prodigious powers and habit of sustaining labour, Ed.) was an Alexandrian Greek, born of Christian parents A. D. 185. His father Leonidas was a man of letters, a devout Christian, and took great pains with the education of his son, especially in the Holy Scriptures, some portion of which he required him daily to commit to memory. His education, begun under his father, was completed under Clemens Alexandrinus, and the philosopher Ammonius Saccas. Origen was distinguished for precocity of genius, early piety, and indefatigable industry. When his father suffered martyrdom, A. D. 202, Origen, then 17 years old, was eager to suffer with him, but was prevented by his mother. He wrote to his father in prison, exhorting him to stedfastness in the faith, and to be unsolicitous about

Julius Africanus, a very learned man, most of whose labours and

works are lost. The name of Hippolytus ranks very high among both the writers and the martyrs; but his history is