and the seven deacons: wherein it is appointed, that the gospels should be held over the head of the bishop to be ordained, or just ordained. But how was it possible that all the apostles, and all the seven deacons, should join in such a Constitution? Did none of the apostles or deacons die before the publication of the gospels? Were all the gospels written before the death of James, son of Zebedee, and brother of John, and before the martyrdom of Stephen? None will say it. The reader is also desired to observe the first quotation in that article, and to consider whether all the apostles could join in appointing the reading of the Acts? which, certainly, were not written till after the sixtieth year of our Lord's nativity.

2. I proceed to other things later than the time of the apostles.

(1.) It cannot be shewn that the several heretics above mentioned had appeared before the end of the apostolical age. Moreover they are here said, to have published wicked books in the names of the apostles: calumniating the creation of God, and marriage, the law and the prophets; which cannot be shewn to have been done before the death of the apostles.

(2.) There are many things in these books, which seem to shew, that the reign of heathenism in the Roman empire was over, and that Christians enjoyed ease and prosperity.

(3.)

Nor does the Lord desire that the law of righteousness should be made manifest by us only, say the apostles here. It has also been his good pleasure that it should appear and shine by means of the Romans: for they also have believed in the Lord, and have forsaken • polytheism and unrighteousness; and they cherish the good, and punish the bad.' Cotelerius in his notes says: certainly this could not be said by the apostles. And if it could be made out, that it might be truly said, at some season before there were Christian emperors, [which cannot be easily done:] it would not be very material.

d

c

(4.) The ease and prosperity of Christians appear in the description that is given of a church. Let the building be oblong, pointing eastward, with vestries on each side at the east end, that it may be like a ship: let the bishop's throne be placed in the middle: on each side of him [or that] let the presbyters sit: let the deacons stand near in short and light garments: let the reader stand upon an eminence.' And what follows.

(5.) In another place and book: When this is done, let the deacons bring the gifts to the bishop at the altar; and let the presbyters stand on his right hand, and on his left, as disciples 'stand before their master: and let two deacons on each side the altar hold a fan made of thin membranes, or of the feathers of a peacock, or of fine cloth: and let them silently keep off the • small animals that fly about, that they may not get into the cups. Let the high priest, therefore, with the priests, pray by himself, and being clothed with his splendid garment, and standing at the altar, let him make the sign of the cross with his hand upon his forehead before all the people.' And what follows. This is particularly said to be a Constitution of James the brother of John, and son of Zebedee. But who can think, that such state and grandeur were brought into the church in his time, who was beheaded by Herod Agrippa within ten or twelve years after our Lord's ascension; Yea, who can think, that such a method of celebrating the eucharist was introduced in the time of any of Christ's apostles?

(6.) I might likewise object to the style of this and many other passages of this work. For it cannot be shewn, that the Christian writers of the apostolical age, or soon after it, called Christian Ministers, high priests,' or priests,' or Levites:' nor that they called the communion-table the altar. Moreover it is now generally allowed, that in the first and second centuries, Christians had not any regular or spacious buildings to meet in.

h

(7.) Another Constitution, shewing the church to be at ease is this: When you teach the 'people, O bishop, command them to come to church morning and evening every day-do you

mentis scilicet, Polycarpi, Justini, vocabula pontificis, sacerdotum, Levitarum, Christiano clero significando numquam usurparunt. Neque magis Clementinæ ætatis est vocabulum Juriasypicy, altare, ad eucharistiæ mensam indicandam. Basnag. Ann. 100, n. xii.

8- - ότι μεν των αποτολων ὅτε ή εκκλησία ακόμα μεν χαριστ μασι πνευματικοις, εξουε δε πολιτεια λαμπρα, εκκλησιαςήρια 8x v. x. λ. Isid. Peius. Ep. 1. ii. n. 246. At forte sic legendum: όεε ρυε δε πολιτεια, λαμπρα εκκλησιαςήρια εκ ην. h L. ii. c. 59.

assemble yourselves together every day, morning and evening, singing psalms, and praying in the Lord's house.-But especially on the sabbath-day, and on the Lord's-day, do you meet together more diligently.'

a

(8.) Again: I Paul and I Peter ordain as follows: Let slaves [or servants] work six days; but on the sabbath-day, and the Lord's-day, let them have leisure to go to church to be in*structed in religion.-Ånd in the whole great week, and in that which follows, let servants 'cease from work; because that is the week of Christ's passion, this of his resurrection. Let them also rest on the day of Christ's ascension, because it is the conclusion of the dispensation by Christ. Let them rest on Pentecost, because of the coming of the Spirit which was 'given to believers. Let them also rest from labour on the feast of the Nativity, and on the day of Epiphany. Let them also rest on the days of the apostles, and the day of Stephen the protomartyr, and on the days of other martyrs, who loved Jesus Christ above their * own lives.'

(9.) Possibly some may (though without reason) pretend, or suspect, that the latter part of this Constitution is an interpolation. I therefore now insist only on the former part of it, so far as relates to servants resting on the sabbath-day, Lord's-day, the great week, and the week following, and the day of Christ's ascension, and the day of Pentecost.' And it seems to me, that neither Peter, nor Paul, nor any of the apostles, could deliver such Constitutions relating to slaves or servants: such rules could not be proposed in the time of the apostles, and at the first planting of the Christian religion in the world. By the Roman laws servants were as much the property of their masters, as any other part of their estate: they could use them as they pleased; and had the power of life and death till the time of Antoninus the pious, who, by his constitution, restrained or abrogated it. For it is there said: Qui sine causa servum suum occiderit, non minus puniri jubetur, quam si servum alienum occiderit. Inst. 1. i. tit. 8. De his, qui sui, vel alieni juris sunt. Or, if we may credit Spartian, this had been done by his immediate predecessor Adrian. His words are these: Servos a dominis occidi vetuit, & jussit damnari per judices, si digni essent, Spart. in vit. Adrian. cap. 18. But as those laws were not made till after the times of the apostles, nothing can be more absurd, than to imagine they would lay any such injunction upon slaves, as would deprive their masters two days in seven of their labour, beside other occasional days. Nothing could have more prejudiced them against the Christian religion, than such an attempt upon their property: nor could any thing have been more cruel to slaves, many of whom must doubtless have lost their lives, had they complied with any such Constitution of the apostles: and it may be reckoned contrary to what St. Paul enjoins 1 Tim. vi. 1. "Let as many servants as are under the yoke, count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed."

(10.) Christian bishops are here supposed to have tribunals, or courts of judicature. They b are directed to hold their courts on the second day of the week, or Monday; and the deacons and presbyters are to be present: that is, as Daillé observes, here is a reference to a privilege allowed by Christian emperors, not till long after the death of the Apostles.

d

c

(11.) The great number of days distinguished and appointed either for fasts and feasts (as we partly saw in a late quotation) shews this work of the Constitutions to be later than the times of the apostles. These appointments are contrary to the doctrine of Paul in his well known epistles, and also to the well known practice of the church in the second and third centuries. The Christians had in early times some days of fasting and feasting, but they were not so numerous as those here appointed; nor were they unanimous in the manner of keeping them; nor do they seem generally to have thought them of apostolical appointment, but rather, as Jerom says, counsels of wise men, or institutions answering some good ends and purposes. That all did not think them of apostolical appointment, may be reckoned very probable from the judgment of Socrates formerly taken notice of. Augustine declares: I perceive the gospel teaches us to

g

See Rom. xiv. 6. Gal. iv. 10. Col. ii. 15, 16.

f

Jejunia & congregationes inter dies propter eos a viris prudentibus constitutos, qui magis sæculo vacent quam Deo. Hieron. in Galat. iv. 10.

Ego in evangelicis & apostolicis literis, totoque instrumento, quod appellatur Testamentum Novum, animo id revolvens, video præceptum esse jejunium. Quibus autem diebus non oporteat jejunare, & quibus oporteat, præcepto

fast; but I do not see, that in any part of the New Testament, either Christ or his apostles have appointed on what days we should fast, and on what not to fast. And Tertullian represents the catholic doctrine of his time about fasts much in the same manner. As for festivals, Origen in the third century mentions but three, Lord's-days, Easter, and Pentecost. I hope I need not enlarge here; but I refer to Daillé and Turner, who have fully considered the point. And Daille having summarily enumerated the fasts and feasts of the Constitutions, and put down their assertion, that every one is guilty of sin, who fasts on the Lord's-day, or the day of Pentecost, or, in a word, on any festival of the Lord,' says very well, that the Constitutions, which have distinguished almost every day in the year, either as a fast or a feast, could not come from the apostles of Christ. Indeed the great apostle Paul says to the Colossians, ch. ii. 16, and in them, I suppose, to all Christians in general, "Let no man judge you in your meat, or drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbaths." But these apostles [whether false apostles, or true, let any man determine], make no scruple of judging men on such

accounts.

(12.) Before I quite leave this point, I would take some particular notice of the respect shewn in these Constitutions for the sabbath, or seventh day of the week.

h

They ordain, that by fall Christians in general, the sabbath and the Lord's-day should be kept as festivals: that every sabbath in the year, except one, and every Lord's-day, be kept with joy, without making them days of mourning, or fasting: that servants should cease from labour, and come to church on the sabbath, and the Lord's-day, that Christians in general should assemble together for worship on every day, but especially on the sabbath, and the Lord's-day.

Concerning these particulars I would say, that the apostles of Christ never gave such instructions about keeping the sabbath. Secondly, that they are more suitable to the fourth or fifth centuries, than to the most early times of Christianity.

First, the apostles of Christ never gave such instructions about keeping the sabbath. That the apostles did not appoint the keeping of the sabbath as a feast, and forbid fasting thereon, is evident hence, that Christians in general never reckoned themselves bound by any such rule. This will appear from observations of Petavius, which I place below: to which I shall add a passage from a letter of St. Jerom.

Domini vel apostolorum non inveni definitum. Ad Casul. ep. 36. al. 76. cap. xi. T. 2.

a

Itaque de cætero differenter jejunandum ex arbitrio, non ex imperio disciplinæ, pro temporibus & causis uniuscujusque. Sic & apostolos observâsse, nullum aliud imponentes jugum certorum & in commune omnibus obeundorum jejuniorum. De Jejun. cap. 2. p. 702. A.

• Εαν δε τις προς ταυλα ανθυποφέρη τα περί των παρ' ἡμιν κυριακών, η παρασκεύων, η το πασχα, η της πεντηκοσης. Contr. Cels. 8. p. 758. F. Bened.

Vid. de Pseudep. Ap. 1. i. cap. x. xi.

d As before, p. 242-258.

e Cum hoc vero et indubitato apostolorum dogmate equidem non video, qui conciliari possint illæ tam multæ de perpetuis certorum dierum aut jejuniis aut non jejuniis leges. İlli enim & hebdomadam quidem antepaschalem, & quadragesimam, & quartam sextamque cojusvis hebdomadis ferias ab omnibus Christianis jejunari lege in perpetuum lata pracipiunt. Alterâ vero ex parte tum sabbatum, tum Dominicam diem, & omnes quinquaginta a Paschate ad Pentecostem dies, adhæc Natalis Dominici diem, &c.- -hos, inquam omnes dies jejunio funestari vetant, et si quis uno ex iis jejunârit, eum deliquisse, piaculumque commeritum pronunciant. L. v. c. xx. fin. Ενοχος γαρ ἁμαρτίας εσαι ὁ την κυριακήν νησεύων, —Y TYY WEVĪYXos qv,Mitto rei ipsing absurditatem, atque ineptiam..

επιλεληνίες συνοδος ευφραίνεσθε. κ. λ. L. v. cap. 20. p. 327. Vid. & 1. vii. c. 36. in. p. 376.

i

* Σαββαίον δε και κυριακήν σχολαζείωσαν εν τη εκκλησία, δια την διδασκαλίαν της ευσέβειας. L. viii. c. 33. in. P. 414. -μαλιςα δε εν τη ήμερα το σαββαΐ8, και εν τη τα κύρια ανασασιμώ τη κυριακή, σπεδαιοτερως απανίαις. L. ii. c. 59. p. 208. k Non enim ubique, nec in totâ ecclesiâ, sabbatum jejunii expers fuit. Etenim Romani, quod Socrates lib. v. cap. xxii. scripsit, παν σαββαίον νησεύεσι. De quo fusissime Augustinus ep 86. & 118. [al. 36. ad Casulan. & 54. ad Januar.] Quare nulla est ab apostolis edita sanctio, quâ jejunium eo die prohiberetur, uti Augustinus asserit in ep. 118. ubi in rebus hujus modi negat quidquam esse vel scripturæ sanctæ auctoritate, ' vel universalis ecclesiæ traditione determinatum.' Quâ quidem præscriptione tamquam spurius & alienus canon ille rejicitur, qui inter apostolicos 68 numeratur: Ei Tis xanpinos ευρέθη την κυριακήν ήμεραν νησεύων, η το σαββατον, πλην το ένας μονα, καθαιρείσθω εν δε λαϊκος, αφοριζέσθω. Non potest hoc ab apostolis communi esse decreto constitutum.melioris notæ sunt, quæ in Apost. Constit. leguntur 1. vii. c. 28. [sec. 23.] ubi τα σαββαία και τας κυριακας ειρίαζειν præcipit. Quod ab apostolis toti ecclesiæ numquam esse præscriptum, sanctissimorum patrum consensus approbavit. Petav. Animadv. in Epiphan. p. 359.

1 Hoc unum dico, nihil minus istos esse, quam Christi apostolos, qui omnem fere totius anni diem vel jejunii mærori, vel prandii lætitiæ addicunt, ac mancipant, &c. Dall. de Pseud. I. ic xi. p. 141, 142.

To σabbator periòi xaι тy xuρlaxy éoplagele. L. vii. c. 23.

p. 369.

• Παν μεν τοι σαββαΐον, ανευ τα ἑνος, και πασαν κυριακην

-Nec

De Sabbato quod quæris, utrum jejunandum sit, sed ego illud breviter te admonendum puto, traditiones ecclesiasticas (præsertim quæ fidei non officiant) ita observandas, ut a majoribus traditæ sunt.Atque utinam omni tempore jejunare possimus, quod in Actibus apostolorum die Pentecostes & die Dominico apostolum Paulum, & cum eo credentes, fecisse legimus. Hier. ep. 52. al. 28. p. 579. in.

a

That the apostles did not require servants, or other Christians, to cease from labour on the. sabbath, is shewn by some following observations of the learned writer just cited. He particularly takes notice, that the council of Laodicea forbids Christians to esteem the sabbath a day of rest from labour.

Secondly, these instructions about keeping the sabbath, are more suitable to the fourth or fifth century, than to the most early times of Christianity.

c

Socrates, in the fifth century, says, that Christian churches in general throughout the world met, and had the eucharist every week on the sabbath, excepting the churches of Rome and Alexandria. Sozomen, about the same time, says likewise, that at Constantinople, and almost every where, except Rome and Alexandria, Christians assembled on the sabbath, as well as on the first day of the week. And in a pretended letter of St. Ignatius, composed by some idle Greek, it is said: He is an enemy to Christ, who fasts on the Lord's-day, or any sabbatlı, except one.

e

d

But it does not appear that the practice mentioned by Socrates and Sozomen of assembling on the sabbath, obtained in the early days of Christianity. Nor was it universal in their time, as it would have been, in all probability, if it had been of apostolical appointment.

St. Luke informs us, Acts xx. 7, that " upon the first day of the week, when the disciples," at Troas, "came together to break bread, Paul preached to them." The same apostle, 1 Cor. xvi. 2, directs: "Upon the first day of the week, let every one lay by him in store:" meaning probably the same, which St. John, Rev. i. 10, calls the Lord's-day.

In like manner, in the times next following those of the New Testament, says Ignatius:

• Let us no longer sabbatize, but keep the Lord's-day, on which our life arose.'

h

Justin Martyr: And on the day called Sunday, is an assembly of all who live either in the city or the country, and the memoirs of the apostles, and the writings of the prophets are read.' He afterwards assigns their reasons for meeting together on the Sunday: which are, because it is the first day, on which God dispelling darkness created the world, and our Saviour Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the same day: or in the words of a later writer, in the sixth century, on the first day of the week, that is, on the Lord's-day the foundation of the world was laid, and the creation was begun.

k

Dionysius bishop of Corinth, in his letter to the church of Rome, says: To-day we celebrated the holy Lord's-day, when we read your epistle to us.'

Clement of Alexandria mentions the Lord's-day.

Tertullian rejects" sabbaths and new moons, as foreign to Christians, and speaks of the Lord's-day, and Pentecost, as Christian solemnities.

Origen, in a passage cited not long before, mentions the Lord's-day, but says nothing of the sabbath.

Ad extremum, de sabbati religionis inter pseudodiataxes apostolicas exstat Petri ac Pauli nomine edita sanctio 1. viii. c. 33, ut eo die ac Dominico servi ab opere feriati sint.' Hoc vero numquam ab apostolis manâsse decretum apparet ex eo, quod Laodicense Concilium, can. 29. diserte vetat sabbato otiosos esse Christianos. Οι 8 δει Χρισιανες Ιεδαϊζειν, και εν τω σαββαίῳ σχολάζειν, αλλα εργαζεσθαι αυτές εν τη αυτή ήμερα, την δε κυριακην προτιμωνίας, είδε δύναιντο, σχολάζειν, ὡς Χρισιανοι. Dominicis potius quam sabbatis, vacare jubet: & addit tamen, si illorum commodo fieri potest. Ut nondum illis temporibus ab omni opere feriatos esse penitus constitutum fuerit, uti Zonaras & Balsamo ad illum canonem adnotant. Petav. ib. p. 360.

* Των γαρ πανταχε της οικεμενης εκκλησιων εν ήμερα σας. βαίων, κατα πασαν ἑβδομαδος περίοδον επιτέλεσαν τα μυστήρια, οι εν Αλεξανδρεια, και οι εν Ρώμη, εκ τινος αρχαίας παραδόσεως, Talo wale wafyloarlo. Socr. H. E. 1. v. c. 22. p. 286. D. Αμελει οἱ μεν και τῳ σαββαίῳ, όμοίως τη μια σαββαίε εκκλησιαζεσιν, ως εν Κωνσαντινεπόλει, και σχεδόν πανταχε. Εν Ῥωμη δε, και Αλεξανδρεια, εκεί. Soz. I. vii. c. 19. p. 735. B.

C

d Sed modum excedit Græculus. Cotel. in loc.

* Ει τις κυριακήν η σαββαίον νηςεύει, πλην ένος σαββαίε, ios Xpisoxlovos 5. Ignat. adscript. Ep. ad Philip. n. 14. P. 124.

VOL. II.

I might likewise refer to what Eusebius says of Constantine's respect for the Lord's-day. And I shall place in the margin some observations of Petavius, agreeing with, and confirming what is here said.

So that the respect shewn for the sabbath, and joining it with the Lord's-day, are no marks of the antiquity of the Constitutions, but rather otherwise.

c

d

(13.) Several inferior officers of the church mentioned in the Constitutions, were not in being in the apostolical times, nor immediately after them. Beside bishops, presbyters, and deacons, here are readers, singers, subdeacons, door-keepers, and porters, and exorcists. Cotelerius says, that Ignatius at the beginning of the second century mentions only bishops, presbyters, and deacons; readers are first mentioned by Tertullian; subdeacons, exorcists, acolyths, and door-keepers, in the letters of Cyprian and Cornelius, about the middle of the third century. In the eighth book of this work are forms of ordination for subdeacons, readers, exorcists. It is also constituted that ministers or deacons, singers, readers, door-keepers, should marry but once. (14.) The authority of Christian bishops is highly advanced in these Constitutions, in a way that does not suit the doctrine, or the character of Christ's apostles.

6

g

(15.) Upon this account therefore, O bishop, take care to be pure in thy actions, behaving agreeably to thy place and dignity, as sustaining the character of God among men: being set over men, priests, kings, rulers, fathers, sons, masters, and all who are subject to thee. Judge therefore with authority, as God: but receive the penitent.' That is the character which the Constitutions direct a bishop to sustain, of God among men: whereas St. Paul says, "A bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God," Tit. i. 7. Compare 1 Cor. iv. 1, 2, and 1 Pet. iv. 10.

6

h

(16.) • For " it is not fit that you, O bishop, who are the head, should hearken to the tail, that is à seditious layman, to the destruction of another, but to God alone. For you are to govern those subject to you, and not to be governed by them.'

i

(17.) Let a layman honour a good bishop, love and fear him, as lord and master, as the high-priest of God, as a teacher of piety. For he that hears him, hears Christ: and he that despiseth him despiseth Christ."

k

(18.) You therefore, O bishops, are to your people priests and Levites,who stand at the altar of the Lord our God, and offer to him reasonable and unbloody sacrifices, through Jesus the great high-priest.'

m

(19.) Be you [or you are] to the laity among you prophets, rulers, governors, and kings: 'mediators between God and his faithful people, who receive and declare his word.' (20.) The The bishop, he is the minister of the word, the keeper of knowledge, the mediator between God and you in the several parts of divine worship. He is the teacher of piety: he is after God your father, who has begotten you again to the adoption of sons by water and the Spirit; he is your ruler and governor, your king and potentate; he is, after God, your God

6

n

a Vid. de Vit. Const. 1. iv. c. 18. & 23. Et Conf. Valesii Annot. in 1. iv. c. 18. n. 242, 243.

ს

Denique quod Epiphanius admonet: triplicem illam 'synaxin dierum totidem ab apostolis esse traditam:' haud scio, an satis certo constare queat. Nam primis ecclesiæ temporibus unus duntaxat Dominicus dies ad eam rem observatus videtur, ut ex apostolo 1 ad Cor. cap. xvi. colligitur. Quinetiam Justinus in Apol. ii. cum de Christianorum conventibus agit, solius Dominicæ meminit: Την δε το ήλιο ήμεραν κοινῇ πανίες την συνέλευσιν ποιέμεθα. Quare magis id ex privato ecclesiæ cujusque ritu, quam ex communi apostolorum præscripto derivatum existimo, ut quartâ sextâve feriâ, aut etiam sabbato synaxes conventusque ferent. Quam in rem egregius est Augustini locus ep. 18. Alia vero,' inquit,quæ per loca terrarum regionesque variantur, sicuti est, quod alii jejunant sabbato, alii vero non: alii quotidie communicant corpori & sanguini dominico-alibi sabbato tantum & Do'minico: alibi tantum Dominico: & si quid aliud hujusmodi ' animadverti potest, totum hoc genus rerum liberas habet 'observationes.' Petav. Animadv. in Epiph. p. 354. fin. Vid. 1. ii. c. 25. p. 238. 1. viii. c. 21-28.

υπηρείας δε και ψαλίῳδες, και αναίνωςας, και πυλω ρος, και αυτες μοναδαμες είναι κελευομεν. L. vi. c. 17. p. 347. g γνωρισον τον τρόπον σε και την αξίαν, ώς Θεό τύπον ἔχων εν ανθρώποις, τῳ πανίων αρχειν ανθρώπων. L. ii. c. xi. Oude yag δικαιον, κεφαλην ανία σε, ω επισκοπε, ερα προσε χειν, τελεσι λαϊκω τασιώδει ανθρωπω -αρχειν γαρ σε χρη των υπηκόων, ο μεν υπ' αυτων αρχεσθαι. L. ii. c. 14. P. 223. ὡς κυρίον, ὡς δεσποίην. - L. ii. c. 20, in.