PART II.

CENT. point that was hitherto, in some measure, undeIII. cided; and in more than one council established it as a law, that all heretics were to be re-baptized before their admission to the communion of the true church [r]. When Stephen, bishop of Rome, was informed of this determination, he behaved with the most unchristian violence and arrogance towards the Asiatic Christians, broke communion with them, and excluded them from the communion of the church of Rome. These haughty proceedings made no impression upon Cyprian bishop of Carthage, who, notwithstanding the menaces of the Roman pontiff, assembled a council on this occasion, adopted, with the rest of the African bishops, the opinion of the Asiatics, and gave notice thereof to the imperious Stephen. The fury of the latter was redoubled at this notification, and produced many threatenings and invectives against Cyprian, who replied with great force and resolution, and, in a second council held at Carthage, declared the baptism administered by heretics, void of all efficacy and validity. Upon this the choler of Stephen swelled beyond measure, and, by a decree full of invectives, which was received with contempt, he excommunicated the African bishops, whose moderation on the one hand, and the death of their imperious antagonist on the other, put an end to the violent controversy, [$]. Disputes XIV. The controversy concerning Origen concerning was set in motion by Demetrius, bishop of Alexandria,

Origen.

[r] Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. vii. cap. v. vii. Firmilianus, Epistol. ad Cyprianum, printed among Cyprian's Letters, Let.

lxxv.

[s] Cyprian, Epist. lxx. p. 124. lxxiii. p. 129. Augustin. De Baptismo contra Donatistas, lib. v. vii. tom. ix. opp. where are to be found the acts of the council of Carthage, A. D. 256. Prud. Marani vita Cypriani, p. 107.

III.

PART II.

Alexandria, animated, as some say, by a prin- CENT. ciple of envy and hatred against this learned man, with whom he had formerly lived in an intimate, friendship. The assertion, however, of those who attribute the opposition of Demetrius to this odious principle, appears something more than doubtful: for, in the whole of his conduct towards Origen, there are no visible marks of envy, though many indeed of passion and arrogance, of violence and injustice. The occasion of all this was, as follows: In the year 228, Origen having set out for Achaia, was, in his journey thither, received with singular marks of affection and esteem by the bishops of Cæsarea, and Jerusalem, who ordained him presbyter, by imposition of hands. This proceeding gave high offence to Demetrius, who declared Origen unworthy of the priesthood, because he had castrated himself, and maintained, at the same time, that it was not lawful to advance, to a higher dignity, the principal of the Alexandrian school, which was under his episcopal inspection, without his knowledge and approbation. A conclusion, however, was put to these warm debates, and Origen returned to Alexandria. This calm was, indeed, but of short duration, being soon succeeded by a new breach between him and Demetrius, the occasion of which is not known, but which grew to such a height as obliged Origen, in the year 231, to abandon his charge at Alexandria, and retire to Cæsarea. His absence, however, did not appease the resentment of Demetrius, who continued to persecute him with the utmost violence. To satisfy fully his vengeance against Origen, he assembled two councils, in the first of which he condemned him unheard, and deprived him of his office; and in the second, had him degraded from his sacerdotal dignity. It is probable, that in one of these councils, especially the

latter

III.

CENT. latter, Demetrius accused him of erroneous sentiments in matters of religion; for it was about PART II. this time that Origen published his Book of Prin

ciples, which contains several opinions of a dangerous tendency [t]. The greatest part of the Christian bishops approved of the proceedings of the Alexandrian council, against which the bishops of the churches of Achaia, Palestine, Phoenicia, and Arabia, declared at the same time the highest displeasure [u].

[] This work, which was a sort of introduction to theology, has only come down to us in the translation of Ruffinus, who corrected and maimed it, in order to render it more conformable to the orthodox doctrine of the church than Origen had left it. It contains, however, even in its present form, several bold and singular opinions, such as the preexistence of souls, and their fall into mortal bodies, in con'sequence of their deviation from the laws of order in their first state, and the final restoration of all intelligent beings to order and happiness. Ruffinus, in his apology for Origen, alleges, that his writings were maliciously falsified by the heretics; and that, in consequence thereof, many errors were attributed to him which he did not adopt; as also, that the opinions, in which he differed from the doctrines of the church were only proposed by him as curious conjectures.

[u] The accounts here given of the persecution of Origen, are drawn from the most early and authentic sources, such as Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. vi. cap. xxiv. Photius, Bibl. Cod. cxviii. Jerom's Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers, and from Origen himself; and they differ in some respects from those, which common writers, such as Doucin, Huet, and others, give of this matter.

CHAP.

CHAP. IV.

Concerning the rites and ceremonies used in the church during this century.

PART II.

Rites mul

I. ALL the records of this century mention the CENT. multiplication of rites and ceremonies in the Christian church. Several of the causes that contributed to this, have been already pointed out; to which we may add, as a principal one, tiplied. the passion which now reigned for the Platonic philosophy, or rather, for the popular Oriental superstition concerning demons, adopted by the Platonists, and borrowed unhappily, from them, by the Christian doctors. For there is not the least doubt, but that many of the rites, now introduced into the church, derived their origin from the reigning opinions concerning the nature of demons, and the powers and operations of invisible beings. Hence the use of exorcisms and spells, the frequency of fasts, and the aversion to wedlock. Hence the custom of avoiding all connexions with those who were not as yet baptized, or who lay under the penalty of excommunication, as persons supposed to be under the dominion of some malignant spirit. And hence the rigour and severity of that discipline and penance that were imposed upon those who had incurred by their immoralities, the censures of the church [w].

II. In most of the provinces there were, at this Public time, certain fixed places set apart for public worship. worship

VOL. I.

U

[w] For an ample account of this matter, the reader may consult Porphyry's treatise concerning abstinence, and compare what that writer has said on the subject, with the customs received among the Christians. Several curious things are also to be found in Theodoret and Eusebius upon this head.

CENT. worship among the Christians, as will appear eviIII. dent to every impartial inquirer into these matPART II. ters. Nor is it absolutely improbable, that these churches were, in several places, embellished with images and other ornaments.

Admini

stration of

supper.

With respect to the form of divine worship, and the times appointed for its celebration, there were little innovations made in this century. Two things, however, deserve to be taken notice of here: the first is, that the discourses, or sermons, addressed to the people, were very different from those of the earlier times of the church, and degenerated much from the ancient simplicity. For, not to say any thing of Origen, who introduced long sermons, and was the first who explained the scriptures in his discourses, several bishops, who had received their education in the schools of the rhetoricians, were exactly scrupulous, in adapting their public exhortations and discourses to the rules of Grecian eloquence. And this method gained such credit, as to be soon, almost universally followed. The second thing that we proposed to mention as worthy of notice, is, that about this time, the use of incense was introduced, at least into many churches. This has been denied by some men of eminent learning; the fact, however, is rendered evident by the most unexceptionable testimonies [x].

III. Several alterations were now introduced the Lord's in the celebration of the Lord's supper, by those who had the direction of divine worship. The prayers, used upon this occasion, were lengthened; and the solemnity and pomp, with which this important institution was celebrated, were considerably increased; no doubt, with a pious intention

[a] See Bishop Beverege ad Canon. iii. Apostol. p. 461; as also another work of the same author, entitled, Codex Canon. vindicatus, p. 78.