that Arcadius did not repeal his law. But this was done, in relation to the Western church, by his brother Honorius, A. D. 414,* which again was further established and enlarged by his son, Theodosius the younger, A. D. 431.5 The privileges of this right were finally defined by Justinian, A. D. 535, to this effect-that the sanctuary should afford no protection to murderers, adulterers, ravishers of virgins, and offenders of the like character, it being the intent of the privilege not to give protection to such criminals, but to offer an asylum to such as were exposed to violence and abuse from them. If, therefore, any who were guilty of such crimes fled to the altar for refuge, they were to be immediately taken thence and punished according to law."

This law of Justinian, however, was strenuously opposed by the clergy, as being an invasion of their right of jurisdiction over the churches, and, owing to this cause and the barbarous character of the times, it was never generally observed. The Councils of Orange, A. D. 441, of Orleans, A. D. 511, of Arles, a. D. 541, of Maçon, A. D. 586, of Rheims, A. D. 630, of Toledo, A. D. 681, etc., severally vindicated this right, and extended protection even to the grossest offenders; and the less efficient sovereigns acquiesced in their decisions. Charlemagne himself fully confirmed these privileges. They were now extended to the churchyard and burial-ground, and to the bishop's house; and then again to the chapels, to crucifixes when brought by the priest to the sick; and even to the parsonage. The right was also claimed for cloisters, though it was not often exercised. The synod of Nemours, A. D. 1284, confirmed the privilege even on public inns for strangers, and religious establishments generally. The right was also claimed for the residence of the Roman cardinal, who also was the first to assume the inviolable rights of a public ambassador, jus asyli legatorum. This, it is well known, has been the subject of much controversy, and, as late as the last half of the eighteenth century, was asserted as an important political privilege.

8

To what extent the privileges above mentioned were abused, is evident from the fact, that Innocent III. and Gregory IX. were compelled to make public proclamation that the church should offer no refuge to murderers and highway robbers. And the Council of Cologne decreed, A. D. 1280, that criminals should only find refuge in the church until due deliberation should be had whether they should be subjected to punishment or receive pardon.

In the Eastern empire, the right in question was the subject of

similar controversy and abuse. The famous Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople in the eighth century, was a zealous defender of this right. By a decree of the emperor, it was denied to murderers, robbers, and adulterers;10 but Theophilus granted this right in favour of his daughter's grave to all offenders. It is remarkable, that even the Turks recognised and respected the sacred privileges of the sanctuary. Since the Reformation, these have been abrogated in all evangelical churches, and in many Catholic countries they have either been wholly abolished or greatly modified.

CHAPTER XIV.

OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.

§ 1. OF PRIMITIVE WORSHIP.

THE first converts to Christianity continued for some time to frequent the synagogue of the Jews, and to unite with them in their worship. In their own religious assemblies they observed the devotional exercises of the synagogue. These were prayer, singing, the reading of the Scriptures, and occasional remarks and exhortations connected with those portions of the Scriptures which had been read. Whenever the apostles met with their Christian converts for religious worship, whether in private families, or in more public assemblies, both the record of their acts and their own. epistles indicate all the informality, freedom, and simplicity of social worship. Subsequent to the age of the apostles, for two or three centuries, it is remarkable that the notices on record respecting the worship of the primitive Christians are few and indefinite.

From Pliny's letter, already cited, it appears that the Bithynian Christians, at the beginning of the second century, continued to observe the same rites of worship as the first Christians. Psalmody, the worship of Christ, efforts to discountenance sin, and to celebrate the Christian graces, are particularly specified, together with their sacred supper.

Lucian, in the middle of the second century, makes mention, in the passage already cited, of the worship of Christ, the reading of the Sacred Scriptures, and their sacred supper. Both of these profane authors have left on record enough to indicate that the simplicity of primitive worship remained at the distance of one hundred years from the apostles.

Among apostolical fathers the reputed epistles of Ignatius are of no account. Clement, Polycarp, Hermas, Barnabas give us no information respecting their rites of worship. Nor from Christian writers have we any information on this subject until the age of

Justin Martyn, contemporary with Lucian, in the middle of the second century. This father has incidentally given two accounts of the religious worship of the primitive Christians—one on the occasion of baptism; the other, that of the customary mode of worship on the Sabbath-which are here transcribed at length.

"As many as are persuaded and believe that the things which we teach and declare are true, and promise that they are determined to live accordingly, are taught to pray to God, and to beseech him with fasting to grant them remission for their past sins, while we also pray and fast with them. We then lead them to a place where there is water, and then they are regenerated, in the same manner as we also were; for they are then washed in that water in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit."

"We then, having so washed [i. e. baptized] him who hath expressed his conviction and professed the faith, lead him to those who are called brethren, where they are gathered together to make common prayers with great earnestness, both for themselves and for him who is now enlightened, and for all others in all places; that having learned the truth, we may be deemed worthy to be found men of godly conversation in our lives, and to keep the commandments, that so we may attain to eternal salvation. When we have finished our prayers, we salute one another with a kiss; after which there is brought to that one of the brethren who presides, bread and a cup of wine mixed with water. And he, having mixed them, gives praise and glory to the Father of all things, through the name of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and gives thanks in many words for that God hath vouchsafed to them those things. And when he hath finished his praises and thanksgivings, all the people who are present express their assent, saying, Amen, which in the Hebrew language means, So be it. The president having given thanks, and the people having given their assent, those whom we call deacons give to each of those who are present a portion of the bread which has been blessed, and of the wine mixed with water, and send some away to those who are absent.

"On the day which is called Sunday, there is an assembly in one place of all who dwell either in towns or in the country, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as the time permits. Then, when the reader has ceased, the president delivers a discourse, in which he reminds and exhorts them to the imitation of all these good things. We then

all stand up together, and offer up our prayers. Then, as we have already said, when we cease from prayer, bread is brought, and wine and water; and the president, in like manner, offers up prayers and praises, according to his ability, and the people express their assent by saying, Amen. The consecrated elements are then distributed and received by every one; and a portion is sent by the deacons to those who are absent."

In the comparison of these paragraphs, one cannot fail to notice the free spirit of the primitive worship with circumstantial variations. We here notice, for the first time, the blessing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; water in connection with the wine of the eucharist-the use of which afterward became common-is here for the first time mentioned. Justin is the first to style the sacrament an offering, in allusion to the sacramental offerings of the Jews, and the distribution of the elements by the deacons to the absent communicants.

The order and mode of worship at the baptismal service differs in several particulars from that on the Sabbath. The reading of the Scriptures and the corresponding exhortation are omitted in the baptismal service; the subjects of the prayers have all the variety and contrast of occasional, extemporaneous prayer. Could any one without prejudice or bias in favour of a liturgy ever imagine that those occasional prayers offered by the suppliant, according to the best of his ability, were rehearsed from a prayer book, or according to any set form?

The whole controversy here turns on the interpretation of Justin's words, where he says that the president prays öon dúvamis avto. That this phrase indicates the free, spontaneous suggestions of his own mind, has been unanswerably shown by Chancellor King and by Clarkson, with which references we shall dismiss the subject after a brief citation from the author's "Apostolical and Primitive Church," where the forms of prayer are considered more in detail.

With regard to Justin's meaning, in the passage under consideration, let it be compared with the following citations from the same Apology by Justin Martyr:—

"We, who worship the Ruler of the universe, are not atheists. We affirm, as we are taught, that he has no need of blood, libations, and incense. But, with supplication and thanksgivings, we praise him according to our ability, öon divaus, for all which we enjoy, ἐφ ̓ οἷς προσφερόμεθα πᾶσιν, having learned that, worthily to honour him is not to consume in fire by sacrifice what he has