church-assembly, when he says, 'The book of Hermes Pastor was reckoned to be apocryphal by the universal consent of every assembly of the Christian Catholic Churches.' Now what the Latins call concilia, the Greeks call σúvodo, and therefore it is observable, that the style of the imperial edicts, which in the Passion of Cyprian forbids Christians conciliabula facere, is in Eusebius 58 ovvódovs Toleîσbal, which is a prohibition not of ecclesiastical synods, but of all church-assemblies. For synodus and ecclesia, as Chrysostom 59 observes, are words of the very same import and signification, and therefore the one may denote a church or church-assembly as well as the other; and because the Latin name conventiculum in its original notation signifies no more than an assembly, it is frequently used by ancient writers for a church. As by Lactantius 60, who, speaking of the persecutors in the time of Diocletian, says, they were eagerly set upon shedding Christian blood, for one of them, in Phrygia, burned a whole people together with their conventiculum, or church, where they were met together.' And Arnobius 61 expresses himself in the same manner, making a like complaint: Why did our Bibles deserve to be thrown into the flames? why did our churches (our conventicula) deserve to be so barbarously pulled down?' By which it appears that the name conventicula was not as yet appropriated to heretical meetings; but when the Ancients had occasion to speak of them, they commonly joined the epithet of heretical to them, to distinguish them from the Catholic Churches, as may be seen in several laws of Theodosius, and Arcadius, and Honorius, in the Theodosian Code 62. stiterunt, sicut unus in Phrygia, qui universum populum cum ipso pariter conventiculo concremavit. 61 Cont. Gent. 1. 4. p. 152. (p. 152.)..... Nostra quidem Scripta cur ignibus meruerunt dari? Cur immaniter conventicula dirui, in quibus summus oratur Deus? &c.Conf. Ambrosiast. in Eph.4. [11, 12.] p. 948. (t. 2. append. p. 241 e.) .. Ubi omnia loca circumplexa est ecclesia, conventicula constituta sunt, et rectores et cætera officia in ecclesiis sunt ordinata. 62 L. 16. tit. 5. de Hæret. leg. 10. churches moriæ, A and Pro pheteia. 8. All these were general names of churches; but there Why some were some which had particular appellations given them, upon called Marreasons which could not extend to all. And it will not be amiss tyria, Mein our passage to take notice of them also. Such as were built postoleia, over the grave of any martyr, or called by his name to preserve the memory of him, had usually the distinguishing title of Martyrium, or Confessio, or Memoria given them for that particular reason. Thus Eusebius 63 observes of Constantine, that he adorned his new city of Constantinople with many oratories and ample martyries, by which he at once did honour to the memory of the martyrs, and as it were consecrated his city to the God of the martyrs.' And from this time, in all Christian writers of the following ages, a martyry is always put to signify such a church. Socrates 64 speaks of the Martyry of Thomas, the Apostle,' at Edessa, and of Peter and Paul' at Rome; and of 'the Martyry of Euphemia' 65 at Chalcedon, where the body of that martyr lay buried, which was the church where the famous Council of Chalcedon was held, whence in the Acts of that Council it is so often styled, Μαρτύριον Εὐ φημίας, the Martyry of Euphemia. And upon the same reason, because our Saviour Christ was the chief sufferer and great martyr of his own religion, therefore the church which Constantine built at Mount Golgotha in memory of his passion and resurrection, is usually by Eusebius 66 and others styled Martyrium Salvatoris, the Martyry of our Saviour, of which the reader that pleases may find a more ample account given (t. 6. p. 125.) A conventiculis suis [hæreticæ superstitionis turba] propulsetur.-L. 16. tit. 4. leg. 4. (ibid. p. 1o2.) Cuncta oficia moneantur, tumultuosis se conventiculis absti nere. 63 De Vit. Constant. 1. 3. c. 48. (v. I. p. 604. 37.) Τὴν δὲ ἐπώνυμον αὐτοῦ πόλιν ἐξόχῳ τιμῇ γεραίρων, εὐκτηρίοις πλείοσιν ἐφαίδρυνε, μαρτυρίοις τε μεγίστοις καὶ περιφανεστάτοις οἴκοις· τοῖς μὲν πρὸ τοῦ ἄστεος ̇ τοῖς δ ̓ ἐν αὐτῷ τυγχάνουσι· δι ̓ ὧν ὁμοῦ καὶ τὰς τῶν μαρτύρων μνήμας ἐτίμα, καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ πόλιν τῷ τῶν μαρτύρων καθιέρου Θεῷ. 64 L. 4. c. 18. (v. 2. p. 233. 6.) Εν τῇ δὲ τῇ πόλει Θωμᾶ τοῦ ̓Αποστόλου μαρτύριόν ἐστι λαμπρὸν καὶ περιφα νές, συνεχεῖς τε ἐν αὐτῷ συνάξεις ἐπι- 65 L. 6. c. 6. (ibid. p. 316. 15.)... 66 L. 4. de Vit. Constant. c. 40. (v. I. p. 648. 12.) Καὶ δὴ τοῦ ἐν Ιεροσυλύμοις αὐτῷ σὺν πάσῃ φιλοκάλῳ σπουδῇ κατειργασμένου μαρτυρίου προσήκειν τὴν ἀφιέρωσιν ποιήσασθαι, εὖ ἔχειν ἐδοκίμαζε. by the learned Valesius, in a particular Dissertation 67 about it, at the end of Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History. The Latins instead of Martyrium commonly use the name of Memoria Martyrum for such kind of churches. As in that noted passage of St. Austin, where 68 he says, 'We do not build temples to our martyrs as gods, but only memorials of them as dead men, whose spirits still live with God; nor do we erect altars to them in those memorials, or offer sacrifice thereon to our martyrs, but to the only God, both theirs and ours.' So that when St. Austin, in another place 69, commends Eradius, his presbyter, for building a memorial of an holy martyr, at his own expense,' we are to understand, not a monument or a sepulchre, but a church. And so the name is used by Optatus 70 and several others. But if the person, in memory of whom the church. was built, was either a Prophet or an Apostle, then the church respectively took the name of ̓Αποστολεῖον, oι Προφητεῖον. As we may see in Sozomen 71, who speaks of the Apostoleum of Peter in Rome, and again of the Apostoleum of Peter and Paul at Quercus, in the suburbs of Chalcedon, which Ruffin, the great statesman under Arcadius, built to the honour of the Apostles, and called it 72 an Apostoleum from them. So in the Council of Constantinople under Mennas, there is mention 73 made of the Propheteum of St. Esaias, the Prophet; as also in Theodorus Lector 74, who says the relics of Samuel, the Pro 67 Epistola de Anastasi et Martyrio Hierosolymitano. (v.r. p. 785.) 68 De Civitat. Dei, l. 22. c. Io. (t. 7. p. 673 g.) Nos autem martyribus nostris non templa sicut diis, sed memorias sicut hominibus mortuis, quorum apud Deum vivunt spiritus, fabricamus: nec ibi erigimus altaria, in quibus sacrificemus martyribus, sed uni Deo et martyrum et nostro, &c. 69 Serm. 50. de Divers. t. το. p. 522. [al. Serm. 356.] (t. 5. p. 1387 a.) De opera ejus et expensa pecunia memoriam sancti martyris habemus. 70 Cont. Parmen. 1. 2. (p. 38.) Ecce præsentes sunt ibi duorum memoris Apostolorum. Dicite si ad has ingredi potuit; ita, ut obtulerit illic, ubi sanctorum memorias esse constat. 71 L. 9. c. 10. (v. 2. p. 376. 21.) Επεὶ δὲ πάλιν ὁ βάρβαρος, καὶ φοβε ρώτερον ἐπιὼν, οὐδὲν πλέον ἤνυε, θαυμάσας αὐτῆς τὴν σωφροσύνην, ἤγαγεν εἰς τὸ Πέτρου ἀποστολεῖον. 72 L. 8. c. 17. (ibid. p. 347. 23.) Χαλκηδόνος δὲ τοῦτο [Δρῦς] προάστειον, Ρουφίνου τοῦ ὑπατικοῦ νῦν ἐπώνυμον, ἐν ᾧ βασίλειά ἐστι, καὶ μετ γάλη ἐκκλησία, ἢν αὐτὸς Ρουφίνος ἐπὶ τιμῇ Πέτρου καὶ Παύλου τῶν ̓Αποστόλων ἐδείματο, καὶ ἀποστολεῖον ¿§ avτŵv wvóμaσe. 73 Act. 3. (t. 5. p. 67 e.) Kai μeð' ὅρκου αὐτοὶ οἱ εὐλαβέστατοι κληρικοὶ eiρýkaσw, öтi loμev avтòv éxovтa προάστειον πλησίον τοῦ προφητείου τοῦ ἁγίου Ἡσαίου. 74 L. 2. (v. 3. p. 584. 19.) 'Enì TÊS αὐτοῦ βασιλείας καὶ ἐπὶ ̓Αττικοῦ πατριάρχου, εἰσηνέχθη ἐν Κωνσταντι phet, were laid up èv τô Пpоønтeiw avrov, in his Propheteum ; which can mean nothing else but churches called by their names, as Valesius rightly expounds it. cœmeteria, ,and 9. Much the like account is to be given of two other names, Why called cœmeterium and mensa, which we find sometimes used to mensæ,a signify churches. The Christians in times of persecution were area. used to meet in private vaults or burying-places, and especially at the graves or monuments of their martyrs; as is evident both from the canons of the Council of Eliberis 75, which was held in the heat of the Diocletian persecution, and often speaks of their assembling in such places; as also from the edicts of the persecuting Emperors, forbidding Christians to hold assemblies in their cemeteries, as has been noted before 76. Now when the persecutions were over, churches were actually erected over the graves of the martyrs, and in the places where the cemeteries were, and so a cemetery or a grave of a martyr came to be used for the name of a church. Thus in the writings of St. Austin there is frequent mention of a church called Mensa Cypriani, where St. Austin preached several of his Sermons 77. This was the place where Cyprian suffered martyrdom; which being the altar on which Cyprian was offered a sacrifice to God, a church was afterward built there, and an altar or communion-table erected therein for the Christian sacrifice to be offered to God. And both these being a memorial of Cyprian's passion, they were jointly called by his name78, νουπόλει τὰ λείψανα τοῦ ἁγίου Σαμουὴλ καὶ ἀπετέθησαν ἐν τῷ προφητείῳ αὐτοῦ. 75 C. 34. (t. 1. p. 974 d.) Cereos per diem placuit in cœmeteriis non incendi, &c.-C. 35. (ibid.) Placuit pervigilent, eo quod sæpe sub obtentu orationis latenter scelera committant. 76 See s. 7. preceding.-Conf. Onuphrium de Cometeriis, c. 11. (p. 26.) Itaque hæc cœmeteria erant Christianis (quod et nunc sunt) veluti templa et orationum loca in quibus episcopi synodos congregabant, sacramenta administrabant, verbum Dei concionabantur. Hinc illud scitu dignum, quod quum imperator quisquam persecutionem in Christ- lebat, ne in unum conveniendi eis facultas esset. 77 Serm. 94. de Temp. [al. 13.] Serm. — Serm. 26. ex 40 a Sirmondo editis. [al. 305.]-Enarrat in Ps. 38.—All preached ad Mensam Cypriani. 78 Serm. 113. de Divers. [al. 310.] (t. 5. p. 1250 a.) Denique sicut nostis, quicunque Carthaginem nostis, in eodem loco mensa Deo constructa est, et tamen mensa dicitur Cypriani, non quia ibi est unquam Cyprianus epulatus, sed quia ibi est immolatus, et quia ipsa immolatione sua paravit hanc mensam, non in qua Mensa Cypriani, Cyprian's Altar, or Cyprian's Church. For though it primarily signifies the altar, yet it is plain it was extended to be the name of the church also, where St. Austin preached so many sermons on Cyprian's day to the people of Carthage. The name cemetery continued also to be used in after-ages for a church; as appears from one of the canons of the Council of Laodicea 79, which forbids Catholics to frequent the cemeteries or martyries of heretics upon pretence of prayer or divine service. St. Chrysostom often uses the word τάφοι μαρτύρων, sepulchres of martyrs, for churches. As where he says 80, 'One might see whole cities running to the monuments of the martyrs.' And again 81, We depart not from their sepulchres here kings lay aside their crowns, and continue praying for deliverance from dangers, and for victory over their enemies.' Nay, he triumphs in this both over Jews and Gentiles, that the Apostles in their deaths were more honourable than the greatest kings upon earth 82; 'for even at Rome, the royal city, emperors and consuls and generals left all, and ran to the sepulchres of the fisherman and tentmaker; and at Constantinople it was thought honour enough by those that wore the diadem, to lie buried, not with the Apostles, but before their porches, and kings themselves were the fishermen's doorkeepers.' In all which places it is evident he means churches by the sepulchres of the Apostles. And so Athanasius 83 and Socrates and others take the word cemetery for a pascat sive pascatur, sed in qua sacrificium Deo, cui et ipse oblatus est, offeratur. 79 C. 9. (t. I. p. 1497 b.) Περὶ τοῦ μὴ συγχωρεῖν εἰς τὰ κοιμητήρια, ἢ εἰς τὰ λεγόμενα μαρτύρια πάντων τῶν αἱρετικῶν ἀπιέναι τοὺς τῆς ἐκκλησίας, εὐχῆς ἢ θεραπείας ἕνεκα. 80 In Ps. 115. t. 3. p. 404. (t. 5. p. 315 a.) Σκόπει καὶ ἐπὶ [al. πρὸς] τῶν μαρτύρων τοὺς ταφοὺς τὰς πόλεις συντρεχούσας. 81 Hom. I. Ps. 48. ibid. p. 812. (t. 5. p. 518 [corrige, 516] a.) ... Οἱ μακάριοι μάρτυρες ἐπειδὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν λαμβάνουσιν, οὐκ ἀναχωροῦμεν τοῦ τάφου αὐτῶν ..... Ἐκεῖ ὁ βασιλεὺς ῥίπτει τὸ διάδημα, καὶ παραμένει τῷ τάφῳ τοῦ μαρτύρος, δυσωπῶν καὶ δεόμενος δοθῆναι αὐτῷ λύσιν τῶν δεινῶν καὶ νίκην κατ ̓ ἐχθρῶν. 82 Demonstr. quod Christus sit Deus. t. 5. p. 839. (t. 1. p. 570 c.) Οἱ γὰρ ἀγόμενοι καὶ περιαγόμενοι, οἱ καταφρονούμενοι καὶ δεσμούμενοι, οἱ τὰ μύρια πάσχοντες δεινὰ, τελευτήσαντες αὐτῶν εἰσι τῶν βασιλέων τιμία ώτεροι· καὶ πῶς, σκόπει ἐντεῦθεν. Εν τῇ βασιλικωτάτῃ πόλει Ρώμῃ, πάντα ἀφιέντες, ἐπὶ τοὺς τάφους τοῦ ἁλιέως καὶ τοῦ σκηνοποιοῦ τρέχουσι καὶ βασιλεῖς καὶ ὕπατοι καὶ στρατηγοί· καὶ ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντινουπόλει δὲ οὐδὲ πρὸς τοὺς ̓Αποστόλους ἐγγὺς, ἀλλὰ παρ' αὐτὰ τὰ πρόθυρα ἔξω ἀγαπητὸν εἶναι ἐνόμισαν οἱ τὰ διαδήματα περικείμενοι τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν κατορύττεσθαι, καὶ γέγονασι θυρωροὶ λοιπὸν τῶν ἁλιέων οἱ βασιλεῖς. 83 Apol. 2. ap. Socrat. 1. 2. c. 28. |