Have ye not houses to eat and drink in? or despise ye the church of God?" took the word church there not for the assembly, but for the place set apart for sacred duties; and that the Apostles always met together in a certain place for prayer and supplication upon Mount Sion, which was the hyperoon or cœnaculum, the upper room, so often mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles; where the Apostles were assembled when the Holy Ghost came upon them. Acts 2. Where our Saviour celebrated his last supper. Where he appeared to his disciples two Sundays, one after another, after his resurrection. John 20. The place where the seven deacons were elected and ordained. Acts 6. And where the first Council of Jerusalem was held. Acts 15. Which place was afterward enclosed with a goodly church, called the Church of Mount Sion, and the upper Church of the Apostles, in the time of Cyril 30, bishop of Jerusalem, and St. Jerom 31. That this was the oikos, or house of assembly mentioned, Acts 2, 46, where the Apostles continued breaking of bread; that is, celebrating the eucharist after the return from the temple. For he thinks, with many other critics, that the word èv očky 32 is not to be translated from house to house, but in the house, or place where the assembly was used to meet together. His next argument is drawn from 30 Catech. 16. n. 2. [al.4.] (p. 245 a.) Οἴδαμεν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸ λαλῆσαν ἐν προφήταις, καὶ ἐν τῇ Πεντηκοστῇ κατελθὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς ̓ΑποστόNous év eïdel Tupivwv ydwooŵv, évταῦθα ἐν τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἐν τῇ ἀνωτέρᾳ τῶν ̓Αποστόλων ἐκκλησίᾳ· πάντων γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐστι τὰ ἀξιώματα· ἐταῦθα Χριστὸς ἐξ οὐρανῶν κατῆλθεν ἐνταῦθα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐξ οὐρανῶν κατῆλθεν. 31 Ep.27.[al. 108.] Epitaph. Paulæ. (t. 1. p. 691 c.) Unde egrediens ascendit Sion, quæ in arcem vel speculam vertitur. Hanc urbem quondam expugnavit et reædificavit David. De expugnata scribitur, Væ tibi civitas Ariel, id est, leo Dei et quondam fortissima, quam expugnavit David. De ea, quæ ædificata est, dictum est, Fundamenta ejus in montibus sanctis, diligit Dominus portas Sion, super omnia tabernacula Jacob: non eas portas, quas hodie cernimus in favillam et cinerem dissolutas, sed portas, quibus non prævalet Infernus, et per quas credentium ad Christum ingreditur multitudo. Ostendebatur illi columna ecclesiæ porticum sustinens, infecta cruore Domini, ad quam vinctus dicitur flagellatus. Monstrabatur locus, ubi super centum viginti credentium animas Spiritus Sanctus descendisset, ut Joëlis vaticinium compleretur. 32 [The expression (Acts 2, 46.) is not év oike, but Kar' olkov. The Codex Cantabrigiensis reads κar' oïKovs. The Vulgate reads circa domos; Erasmus, per singulas domos. Beza has domi, and thus defends his rendering (t. 3. p. 139. Not. in loc.)..... Accipi xarà non tanquam distributivum, sed pro è præpositione, ita ut kar' oikov nihil aliud declaret quàm ev oiką, cui opponatur év To lepo, liquido constat ex aliis plurimis exemplis, ut Rom. 16, 25; 1 Cor. 16, 19; Col. 4, 15, et Philem. 2, &c. q. v. ED.] Proofs in the second century. what Eusebius 32 observes of the Therapeuta in Egypt, whe- 14. In the next age he shews that Ignatius, in his Epistle to the Magnesians 36, exhorts them to meet together in one place, which he calls Tòv vaòv Oeoû, the temple of God; and, in his 32 L. 2. c. 17. See before, s. II. p. 21. n. 5. 33 See Rom. 16, 3. 5; Coloss. 4, 15; I Cor. 16, 19; Philem. 1, 2. 34 L. Io. n. 7. (Cotel. v. I. p. 596.) Intra septem dies, plus quam decem millia hominum, credentes Deo, baptizati sunt, et sanctificatione consecrati; ita ut omni aviditatis desiderio Theophilus, qui erat cunctis potentibus in civitate sublimior, domus suæ ingentem basilicam ecclesiæ nomine consecraret. 35 Ep. 1. ad Cor. n. 40. (ibid. p. 168.) Κατὰ καιροὺς τεταγμένους τάς τε προσφορὰς καὶ λειτουργίας ἐπιτελεῖσθαι, καὶ οὐκ εἰκὴ ἢ ἀτάκτως ἐκέλευσεν γίνεσθαι, ἀλλ ̓ ὡρισμένοις και ροῖς καὶ ὥραις· ποῦ τε καὶ διά τινων ἐπιτελεῖσθαι θέλει, αὐτὸς ὥρισεν τῇ ὑπερτάτῃ αὐτοῦ βουλήσει· ἵν, ὁσίως πάντα γινόμενα ἐν εὐδοκήσει, εὐπροσδεκτα εἴη τῷ θελήματι αὐτοῦ. 36 N. 7. (Cotel. v. 2. p. 19.) Mŋde πειράσητε εὐλογόν τι φαίνεσθαι ἰδίᾳ ὑμῖν· ἀλλ ̓ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ μία προσευχή, μία δέησις, εἷς νοῦς, . . . . Πάντες οὖν, ὡς εἷς, εἰς ἕνα ναὸν συντρέχετε Θεοῦ, K. T.λ. [al. ŵs eva vaòv, K. T. .λ.] Epistle to the Philadelphians 37, he says 'there was one altar to every church, and one bishop, with his presbytery and deacons.' The present Greek copies, indeed, read it a little different from Mr. Mede, leaving out the word church, but the mentioning one altar is sufficient to intimate they had then a stated place for their ecclesiastical assembly. In the same age, Pius, bishop of Rome, wrote two short Epistles to Justus, bishop of Vienna, in France, in the first of which 38 one Euprepia, a pious matron, is said to have consigned the title of her house over to the church to celebrate divine offices in;' and in the other39, one Pastor, a presbyter, is commended 'for erecting a titulus, that is, a church, before his death.' Clemens Alexandrinus, toward the end of this century, uses the name ecclesia, for the place of the assembly as well as the congregation. For, speaking of the church, he says 40, I call not now the place, but the congregation of the elect, the church.' And so in his famous homily, Quis dives salvetur? he brings in the Asian bishop, to whom St. John committed the young man to be trained up in the Christian discipline, complaining 41, 'that the youth was become a villain and a robber, and now instead of the church had betaken himself to the mountains, with a company like himself.' By this it is plain, that in his time the word ecclesia was taken for a place of sacred assembly, as well as for the assembly itself. the third 15. In the third century the testimonies are both more numer- Proofs in ous and plain. Tertullian clearly intimates they had churches, century. when complaining against Christians, who followed the trade of idol-making for the Gentiles, only excusing themselves that they did not worship them, he says 42, The zeal of faith cannot but 37 Ep. ad Philadelph. n. 4. (Cotel. ibid. p. 79. Εν θυσιαστήριον [πάσῃ τῇ ἐκκλησία] καὶ εἷς ἐπίσκοπος ἅμα τῷ πρεσβυτερίῳ καὶ τοῖς διακόνοις, κ. τ. λ. 38 Ep. 1. [al. 3.] ad Just. (CC. t. 1. p. 576 a.) Soror nostra Euprepia titulum domus suæ pauperibus assignavit; ubi nunc, cum pauperibus nostris commorantes, missas agimus. 39 Ep. 2. [al. 4.] (ibid. p. 577 b.) Presbyter Pastor titulum condidit, et digne in domino obiit. 40 Stromat. 7. (p. 846. 9.) Oỷ yàp νῦν τὸν τόπον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἄθροισμα τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν, ἐκκλησίαν καλῶ. 41 Ap. Euseb. 1. 3. c. 17. (v. I. p. 114. 26.) et in Combefis. Auctar. Noviss. (p. 108 a. 5.) Nûv àvtì tŷs ἐκκλησίας ὅρος κατείληφε, κ. τ. λ. 42 De Idolol. c.7. (p. 88 c.) Tota die ad hanc partem zelus fidei perorabit, ingemens Christianum ab idolis in ecclesiam venire, de adversaria officina in domum Dei [venire,] attollere ad Deum Patrem manus, matres idolorum, &c. declaim all the day long upon this point, bewailing that any Christian should come from among his idols into the church; that he should come into the house of God from the shop of his enemy, and lift up those hands to God the Father which were the mothers or makers of idols.' In another place 43, he calls the church domus columbæ, the house of the dove, meaning either Christ or his dove-like religion, as I have explained it before +4. And again he expressly distinguishes between the baptistery and the church, which in those days were places separate one from another, saying 45 When we are come to the water to be baptized, we not only there, but also somewhat before in the church, under the hand of the minister, make a public declaration that we renounce the Devil, and his pomp, and his angels.' Tertullian is followed by Hippolytus 46, who, describing the signs of the coming of Antichrist, says, 'the temples of God shall be as common houses, the churches shall everywhere be destroyed.' But I lay no stress upon this passage, because the work is spurious, and of later date than it pretends to be, as Bishop Usher has proved, and Combefis confesses as much, who published the genuine piece of Hippolytus De Christo et Antichristo 47, where no such passage is to be found. But we have an authentic testimony in the same age from an heathen author. For Lampridius, in the Life of Alexander Severus 48, reports of him, that there happening a dispute between the Christians and the victuallers about a certain public place, each party challenging it as their own, the Emperor's rescript determined it thus in favour of the Christ 43 Adv. Valentin. c. 3. See before, oneraverat, sequioris Græciæ monu8. 2. p. 4. n. 17. 44 See before, t. 2. pp. 4, 5. Aquam adituri, ibidem, sed et aliquanto prius in ecclesia, sub antistitis manu, contestamur nos renunciare diabolo, et pompæ, et angelis ejus, &c. 46 De Consummat. Mund. (Bibl. Patr. Gr.-Lat. t. 2. p. 346. 3.) o ναοὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς οἶκοι ἔσονται, καὶ καταστροφαὶ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν πανταχού γενήσονται. 47 Vid. Combefis. Auctar. Noviss. (p. 57.) Quod Hippolyti nomine opus de Antichristo hactenus pluteos mentum est, ac plane stramineum, nihil ævi illius sinceritatem redolens, aut venam magni cum simplicitate theologi satisque in Scripturis versati: cujus parens ea ipsa persuasio fuerit, quod scripsisse Hippolytum de Antichristo apud antiquos pervulgatum sit. 48 C. 49. (int. August. Hist. Scriptor. p. 575.) Cum Christiani quendam locum, qui publicus fuerat, occupassent, contra popinarii dicerent, sibi eum deberi; rescripsit [Imperator,] Melius esse ut quomodocunque illic Deus colatur, quam popinariis dedatur. ians, that it was better that God should be worshipped there after any manner, than that it should be given up to the victuallers.' About the middle of this age lived the famous Gregory of Neocæsarea, surnamed Thaumaturgus, who himself built several churches in Neocæsarea and the adjacent parts of Pontus, as Gregory Nyssen 49 reports in his Life; and also wrote a Canonical Epistle, wherein are described the several classes or stations 50 of penitents in the respective parts of the church. But because some learned men question, whether that part of his Epistle be not rather a comment and addition by some other hand, I lay no greater weight upon it than it will bear, but only observe, that the same classes of penitents may be collected from other canons in that Epistle, which are allowed to be genuine. About the same time, St. Cyprian 51 speaks of the place of their assembly under the name of Dominicum, the Lord's-house, as has been noted before; and in another place opposes the Church and the Capitol, the altar of the Lord, and the altars of images and idol-gods, to one another. For speaking against some that had lapsed, and without due penance were for intruding themselves into the Church again, If this were once permitted,' says he 52, what then remains but that the Church should give way to the Capitol, and the priests withdraw, and take away the altar of the Lord with them, and let the images and idol-gods with their altars sue 49 Vit. Greg. Thaumaturg. (t. 3. p. 567 c.) Πάντων δὲ κατὰ τόπον πάντα εὐκτηρίους ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατὰ σπουδὴν ναοὺς ἀνεγειρόντων, θυμὸς καὶ φθόνος εἰσέρχεται τῷ τηνικαῦτα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ἐπιστατοῦντι . . . . καὶ νομίσας δυνατὸν εἶναι τῇ θείᾳ δυνάμει τὴν ἰδίαν ἀντιστής σαι πικρίαν, καὶ ἐπισχεῖν μὲν τοῦ μυστηρίου τὸ κήρυγμα, καταλῦσαι δὲ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τὰ συστήματα, μεταστῆσαι δὲ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ εἴδωλα τοὺς προκεχωρηκότας τῷ λόγῳ, κ. τ. λ. 50 Greg. Thaumaturg. Ep. Canon. c.11. p. 41. (CC. t. 1. p. 842 c.) 'H πρόσκλαυσις ἔξω τῆς πύλης τοῦ εὐκτηρίου ἐστὶν, ἔνθα ἑστῶτα τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα χρὴ τῶν εἰσιόντων δεῖσθαι πιστῶν, ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ εὔχεσθαι· ἡ ἀκρόασις ἔνδοθι τῆς πύλης ἐν τῷ νάρθηκι· ἔνθα ἑστάναι χρὴ τὸν ἡμαρτη κότα, ἕως τῶν κατηχουμένων, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἐξέρχεσθαι· ἀκούων γὰρ, φησὶ, τῶν γραφῶν, καὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας, ἐκβαλλέσθω καὶ μὴ ἀξιούσθω προσευχῆς· ἡ δὲ ὑπόπτωσις, ἵνα ἔσωθεν τῆς πύλης τοῦ ναοῦ ἱστάμενος, μετὰ τῶν κατηχουμένων ἐξέρχηται· ἡ σύστασις, ἵνα συνίσταται τοῖς πιστοῖς καὶ μὴ ἐξέρχηται μετὰ τῶν κατηχουμένων τελευταῖον, ἡ μέθεξις τῶν ἁγιασμά των. 51 De Oper. et Eleemos. See before, s. 2. p. 3. n. 6. 52 Ep. 55. [al. 59.] ad Cornel. (p. 268.) Quid superest, quam ut Ecclesia Capitolio cedat, et recedentibus sacerdotibus, ac Domini altare removentibus, in cleri nostri sacrum venerandumque consessum simulaera atque idola cum aris suis transeant? |