fields under-ground.-4. Burying in cities and churches prohibited by Christian emperors for several ages after. 5. The first step made toward burying in churches, was the building of churches over the graves of the martyrs in the country, or else translating their relics into the city churches.-6. The next was, allowing kings and emperors to be buried in the atrium, or porch, or outer buildings of the church.-7. Then the people in the sixth century began to be admitted into the church-yards, but not into the church.-8. And in this period of time, kings, bishops, founders of churches, and other eminent persons were by some laws allowed to be buried in churches.-9. The matter at last left to the discretion of bishops and presbyters, who should or should not be buried in churches. Hereditary sepulchres not allowed in the ninth century, but brought in by the pope's decretals. The complaints of the learned against this new custom of burying in churches. 1240

CHAPTER II.

Some further observations concerning the place, and manner, and time of burial.

SECT. 1. Consecration of cemeteries not very ancient.— 2. The sacredness of them arising from another reason, and not from their formal consecration.-3. The way of adorning graves different among heathens and Christians.-4. They differed also in the manner of burying : the heathens commonly burning the body, and putting the bones and ashes in urns; but the Christians buried the body whole in the earth, abhorring the heathen custom.-5. Anointing and embalming of bodies much used by Christians: and why more by them than by the heathens.-6. The Christians usually buried by day, the heathens by night. 1247

CHAPTER III.

How they prepared the body for the funeral, and with what religious ceremonies and solemnities they interred it.

SECT. 1. Christians always careful to bury the dead, even with the hazard of their lives.-2. How they prepared the body for burial. First, Closing its eyes. and mouth: a decent circumstance observed by all nations.-3. Then washing the body in water.-4. Dressing it in funeral robes, and these sometimes rich and splendid.-5. Watching and attending it in its coffin till the time of the funeral.-6. The exportation of the body performed by near relations, or persons of dignity, or any charitable persons, as the case and circumstances of the party required.-7. Particular orders of men appointed in some great churches, under the names of copiate and parabolani, to take care of the sick, and perform all these offices for the dead. -8. Psalmody the great ceremony used in all pro

cessions of funerals among Christians, in opposition to the heathen piping and funeral song.-9. Crowning the coffin with garlands not allowed among Christians, though they scrupled not to carry lights before them.-10. Funeral orations made in the praise of eminent persons.-11. Together with psalmody and the usual service of the church.-12. And sometimes the oblation of the eucharist.-13. With particular prayers for the dead.-14. A corrupt custom of giv ing the kiss of peace and the eucharist to the dead, corrected by the ancient canons.-15. Almsdeeds commonly added to prayers for the dead.-16. And repeated yearly upon the anniversary days of commemoration of the dead.-17. But this often degenerated into great excesses and abuses, which are complained of as no better than the parentalia of the Gentiles.18. Decent expressions of moderate sorrow at funerals not disallowed; but the heathenish custom of hiring præfice, or mourning women, sharply reproved by the ancients.-19. The novendial of the heathen rejected as a superstitious practice.-20. The custom of strewing flowers upon the graves of the dead retained without offence.-21. As also wearing a mourning habit for some time, though thought more commendable to omit it altogether.-22. Some other rites not allowed by the church, as pouring oil upon the dead, and offering a sacrifice of oil and wax as a burnt-offering to God.-23. What sort of persons were denied the privilege of being buried with these solemnities; viz. catechumens dying in neglect or contempt of baptism; self-murderers; criminals executed for their villanies; excommunicated persons, heretics, schismatics, &c. 1253

CHAPTER IV.

An account of the laws made to secure the bodies and graves of the dead from the violence of robbers and sacrilegious invaders, and buyers and sellers of relics, and their worshippers.

SECT. 1. The old Roman laws very severe against robbers of graves, and all abuses and injuries done to the bodies of the dead.-2. This severity continued for the most part under the Christian emperors, with some additional circumstances.-3. No indulgence allowed to robbers of graves by the emperors at the Easter festival.-4. For this crime a woman was allowed by the laws to give a bill of divorce to her husband.-5. One reason tempting men to commit this crime, was the rich adorning of the heathen sepulchres.-6. A more plausible pretence was taken up from the laws, that ordered all heathen altars and images to be destroyed.-7. A third reason was, to get the relics of martyrs to sell and make gain of them.-8. A peculiar custom in Egypt of keeping the bodies embalmed and unburied in their houses above-ground, much reproved by St. Anthony.-9. No religious worship allowed to be given to relics in the ancient church, till after the time of St. Austin. 1266

Sect. 1.

called Jesseans, and

του, εκλεκτός, δε

WHEN Christianity was first planted Christiana at first in the world, they who embraced it Therapeuta, io were commonly known among themselves by the names of disciples, believers, elect, saints, and brethren, before they assumed the title and appellation of Christians. Epiphanius' says they were also called 'Itσσatot, Jesseans; either from Jesse the father of David, or, which is more probable, from the name of the Lord Jesus. He adds, that Philo speaks of them under this appellation, in his book Iɛpì 'Iɛoσaiwy, which he affirms to be no other but Christians, who went by that name in Egypt, whilst St. Mark preached the gospel at Alexandria. This book of Philo's is now extant under another title, Περὶ Βίου Θεωρητικού, Of the Contemplative Life; and so it is cited by Eusebius, who is also of opinion that it is nothing but a description of the Christians in Egypt, whom he calls Therapeuta, which signifies either worshippers of the true God, or spiritual physicians, who undertook to cure men's minds of all vicious and corrupt affections. But whether this name was invented by Philo, as most proper to express their way of living, or was then the common name of believers in Egypt, before the name Christian was

spread over all the world, Eusebius does not undertake to determine: however, he concludes it was a name given to the Christians; and St. Jerom3 is so positive in it, that for this reason he gives Philo a place in his Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers, telling us that he wrote a book concerning the first church of St. Mark at Alexandria.

Some learned critics of the last age call this whole matter into question: but their arguments are answered by others as learned; and therefore I shall enter no further into this dispute, but refer the reader, that is curious, thither for satisfaction. That which I here take notice of further, is only this; that these names, Therapeuta and Jessai, were scarce ever used in after ages; but the other names, ἅγιοι, πιστοι, ἐκλεκτοι, saints, believers, elect, &c., occur frequently in ecclesiastical writers; and signify not any select number of Christians, (as now the words, saints and elect, are often used to signify only the predestinate,) but all Christians in general, who were entered into the communion of the church by the waters of baptism. For so Theodoret and others explain the word yo, saints, to be such as were vouchsafed the honour and privilege of baptism.

de Jejun. et Quadrages. lib. 2. c. 4.

5 Bevereg. Cod. Can. Vind. lib. 3. c. 5. n. 4. Theodor. Com. in Philip. i. 1.

Sect. 2.

Of the technical names, IXOYE and pisciculi.

Sect. 3. Christians why called Gnostici.

Sometimes Christians also style themselves by the name of Gnostics, Γνωστικό, men of understanding and knowledge; because the Christian religion was the truest wisdom, and the knowledge of the most Divine and heavenly things. This name was aped and abused by a perverse sort of heretics, who are commonly known and distinguished by the name of Gnostics, because of their great pretences to knowledge and science, falsely so called. Yet this did not hinder, but that the Christians sometimes laid claim to it, as having indeed the only just and proper right to make use of it. For which reason Clemens Alexandrinus, in all his writings, gives the Christian philosopher the appellation of Fyworikóg. Athanasius calls the ascetics of Egypt, who were of the contemplative life, by the same name, гyworkò. And Socrates tells us, Evagrius Ponticus wrote a book for the use of these ascetics, which he entitled, The Gnostic, i. e., Rules for the Contemplative Life; some fragments of which are yet extant in Socrates," and some others published by Cotelerius, in his Monuments of the Greek Church. In one of these fragments there is mention made of a monk, who is styled Μοναχὸς τῆς Παρεμβολῆς, τῶν Γνωστικῶν ὁ δοκιμώτατος; which the first translators of Socrates, not understanding, render, A monk of great renown, of the sect of the Gnostics, as if he had been one of the Gnostic heretics; whereas, it means no more than a monk of the contemplative life, who inhabited in a village called the Parembole, not far from Alexandria; being one of those ascetics, whom Evagrius and all the rest call by the then known name of

Tertul. de Bapt. c. 1. Nos pisciculi secundum ixtōv nostrum Jesum Christum in aqua nascimur; nec aliter quam in aqua permanendo salvi sumus.

s Optat. cont. Parmen. lib. 3. p. 62. Hic est piscis qui in baptismate per invocationem fontalibus undis inseritur, ut quæ aqua fuerat, à pisce etiam piscina vocitetur. Cujus piscis nomen, secundum appellationem Græcam, in uno nomine per singulas literas turbam sanctorum nominum continet ixous, quod est latinè, Jesus Christus, Dei Filius, Salvator.

crates.

Sometimes called

Christophori.

Another name, which frequently Sect. 4. occurs in the writings of the ancients, Theophori and is that of copópo; which signifies, temples of God, and is as old as Ignatius, who usually gave himself this title; as appears, both from the inscriptions of his epistles, each of which begins, 'Iyvárig ò xài Ɖɛopópog, as also from the ancient acts of his martyrdom, where" the reason of the name is explained in his dialogue with Trajan ; who, hearing him style himself Theophorus, asked what that name meant? To which Ignatius replied, that it meant one that carried Christ in his heart. Dost thou, then, said Trajan, carry him that was crucified in thy heart? Ignatius answered, Yes: for it is written, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them." Anastasius Bibliothecarius indeed gives another reason why Ignatius was called Theophorus ; because he was the child whom our Saviour took and set in the midst of his disciples, laying his hands upon him; and therefore the apostles would never presume to ordain him again by imposition of hands after Christ. But, as Bishop Pearson's and others have observed, this was a mere invention of the modern Greeks, from whom Anastasius took it without further inquiry. Much more ridiculous and absurd is the reason which is assigned by Vincentius" Bellovacensis, and some others; that Ignatius was so called, because the name of Jesus Christ was found written in golden letters in his heart. Both these fancies are sufficiently refelled by the genuine acts of his martyrdom; which give a more rational account of the name, and such as plainly intimates that it was no peculiar title of Ignatius, but common to him with all other Christians: as, indeed, Bishop Pearson does abundantly prove from several passages of Clemens Alexandrinus, Gregory Nazianzen, Palladius, Eulogius, Theodoret, Cyril of Alexandria, Photius, Maximus, and others. Particularly, Clemens " assigns the same reason of the name as Ignatius does; that the Christian is therefore called Θεοφορῶν and Θεοφορούμενος, because, as the apostle says, he is "the temple of God." We sometimes also meet with the name Christophori in the same sense; as in the Epistle of Phileas, bishop of Thmuis, recorded by Eusebius; where, speaking of the martyrs of his own time, he gives them the title of Χριστοφόροι μάρτυρες, because

15

16

Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. p. 294. Strom. 2. p. 383. Strom. 6. p. 665. Strom. 7. p. 748.

10 Athan. ap. Socrat. Hist. Eccl. lib. 4. c. 23. "Socrat. ibid.

12 Acta Ignat. ap. Grabe Spicil. t. 2. p. 10.

13 Pearson Vind. Ignat. par. 2. c. 12. p. 397. Cave's Life of Ignatius. Grabe Spicil. t. 2. p. 2.

14 Vincent. Specul. lib. 10. c. 7.

15 Clem. Strom. lib. 7. p. 748.

16 Euseb. lib. 8. c. 10.

they were temples of Christ, and acted by his Holy Spirit.

Sect. 5. And sometimes, but very rarely, Christi.

St. Ambrose, in one place, gives them the name of Christi, in a qualified sense; alluding to the signification of the word Christus in Scripture, where it sometimes signifies any one that is anointed with oil, or receives any commission from God by a spiritual unction; in which sense every Christian is the Lord's anointed. And therefore he says, it is no injury" for the servant to bear the character of his lord, nor for the soldier to be called by the name of his general; forasmuch as God himself hath said, "Touch not mine anointed," or my Christs, Christos meos, as now the Vulgar translation reads it, Psal. cv. 15. And St. Jerom also, who, in his notes upon the place,18 observes, that all men are called Christs who are anointed with the Holy Ghost; as the ancient patriarchs before the law, who had no other unction. Yet we do not find that the Christians generally took this name upon them, but rather reserved it to their Lord, as his peculiar name and title.

Sect. 6. enemies to all party

Christians great unes, and human

appellations.

19

Yet it is very observable, that in all the names they chose, there was still some peculiar relation to Christ and God, from whom they would be named, and not from any mortal man, how great or eminent soever. Party names, and human appellations, they ever professed to abhor. We take not our denomination from men, says Chrysostom; we have no leaders, as the followers of Marcion, or Manichæus, or Arius. No, says Epiphanius," the church was never called so much as by the name of any apostle: we never heard of Petrians, or Paulians, or Bartholomæans, or Thaddæans; but only of Christians, from Christ. I honour Peter, says another father," but I am not called a Petrian; I honour Paul, but I am not called a Paulian: I cannot bear to be named from any man, who am the creature of God. They observe, that this was only the property of sects and heresies, to take party names, and denominate themselves from their leaders. The great and venerable name of Christians was neglected by them, whilst they profanely divided themselves into human appellations; as Gregory Nyssen and Nazianzen complain. Thus Basil observes how the Marcionites and Valentinians rejected the name of Christians, to be called after

Ambros. de Obit. Valentin. t. 3. p. 12. Nec injuriam putes, characteri domini inscribuntur et servuli, et nomine imperatoris signantur milites. Denique et ipse Dominus dixit, Nolite tangere Christos meos.

Hieron. Com. in Psal. civ. Ecce ante legem patriarchæ nou uneti regali unguento, Christi dicuntur. Christi autem sunt, qui Spiritu Sancto unguntur

Chrysost. Hom. 23. in Act.

Epiphan. Hær. 42. Marcionit. Item Hær. 10.

a Greg. Naz. Orat. 31. p. 506. See also Athan. Orat. 2. contra Arian. Greg. Nyss. de Perfect. Christ. t. 3. p. 276.

26

25

the names of Marcion and Valentinus, their leaders. Optatus" and St. Austin bring the same charge against the Donatists. Optatus says, it was the usual question of Donatus to all foreigners, Quid apud vos agitur de parte mea? How go the affairs of my party among you? And the bishops who were his followers, were used to subscribe themselves, Ex parte Donati. Epiphanius observes the same of the Audians, Colluthians, and Arians: and he tells us more particularly of Meletius and his followers," that having formed a schism, they left the old name of the catholic church, and styled themselves by a distinguishing character, The church of the martyrs, with an invidious design, to cast a reproach upon all others that were not of their party: in like manner, as the Arians style themselves Lucianists and Conlucianists, pretending to follow the doctrine of Lucian the martyr.

But the church of Christ still kept to the name of Christian. This was the name they gloried in as most expressive of their unity and relation to Christ. Eusebius" records a memorable story out of the Epistle of the Churches of Lyons and Vienna, in France, concerning one Sanctus, a deacon of the church of Vienna, who suffered in the persecution under Antonine; that being put to the rack, and examined by the magistrates concerning his name, his country, his city, his quality, whether he were bond or free, his answer to all their questions was, I am a Christian: this, he said, was to him both name, and city, and kindred, and every thing. Nor could the heathen, with all their skill, extort any other answer from him. St. Chrysostom" gives the like account of the behaviour of Lucian the martyr before his persecutors; and there are some other instances of the same nature, by which we may judge how great a veneration they had for the name Christian.

Sect. 7. lic, and its antiquity.

The importunity of heretics made them add another name to this, viz. of the name cathothat of catholic; which was as it were their surname, or characteristic, to distinguish them from all sects, who, though they had party names, yet sometimes sheltered themselves under the common name of Christians. This we learn from Pacian's Epistle" to Sempronian the Novatian heretic, who demanding of him the reason why Christians called themselves catholics, he answers,

22 Nyss. contra Apollin. t. 3. p. 261. Naz. Orat. ad Episcop.

23 Basil Com. in Psal. xlviii. p. 245.

24 Optat. lib. 3. p. 68. 25 Aug. Ep. 68. ad Januar. 26 Epiph. Hær. 70. Audianor. Id. Hær. 69. Arian. 27 Epiphan. Hær. 68. Meletian.

28 Theodor. Hist. Eccl. lib. 1. c. 4. 69. Arian.

29 Euseb. lib. 5. c. 1.

Epiphan. Hær.

30 Chrysost. Homil. 46. in Lucian. t. 1. p. 602.

31 Pacian. Ep. 1. ad Sempronian. Christianus mihi nomen

32

that it was to discern them from heretics, who went by the name of Christians. Christian is my name, says he, and catholic my surname; the one is my title, the other my character or mark of distinction. Heretics commonly confined religion, either to a particular region, or some select party of men, and therefore had no pretence to style themselves catholics: but the church of Christ had a just title to this name, being called catholic (as Optatus observes) because it was universally diffused over all the world. And in this sense the name is as ancient almost as the church itself. For we meet with it in the Passion of Polycarp in Eusebius, in Clemens Alexandrinus," and Ignatius. And so great a regard had they for this name, that they would own none to be Christians, who did not profess themselves to be of the catholic church. As we may see in the Acts of Pionius the martyr, who being asked by Polemo the judge, of what church he was? answered, I am of the catholic church: | for Christ has no other.

Sect. 8.

In what sense the name, ecclesiastics, given to all Chris

tians.

33

36

I must here observe further, that the name of ecclesiastics was sometimes attributed to all Christians in general. For though this was a peculiar name of the clergy, as contradistinct from the laity in the Christian church, yet when Christians in general are spoken of in opposition to Jews, infidels, and heretics, then they have all the name of ecclesiastics, or men of the church; as being neither of the Jewish synagogues, nor of the heathen temples, nor heretical conventicles, but members of the church of Christ. In this sense ἀνδρὲς ἐκκλησιαστικό is often used by Eusebius" and Cyril of Jerusalem.38 And Valesius observes the same in Origen, Epiphanius, St. Jerom, and others.

Sect. 9.

gion called Δόγμα, and Christians

39

Sometimes also we find the word

The Christian reli- Aoyua put absolutely to signify the Christian religion; as Chrysostom" οἱ τοῦ Δόγματος. and Theodoret" say St. Paul himself uses the word in his Epistle to the Ephesians, ii. 15. And Estius 12 assures us it was the common interpretation of all ancient expositors, both Greek and Latin, upon that place. And hence it was that Christians

32 Optat. lib. 2. p. 46. Cum inde dicta sit catholica, quod sit rationalis et ubique diffusa.

33 Euseb. lib. 4. c. 15. 34 Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 7. 35 Ignat. Ep. ad Smyrn. n. 8.

36 Act. Pionii ap. Baron, an. 254. n. 9. Cujus, inquit Polemo, es ecclesia? Respondit Pionius, Catholicæ nulla enim est alia apud Christum.

37 Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 7. lib. 5. cap. 27.

38 Cyril Catech. 15. n. 4.

39 Vales. Not. in Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 25.

40 Chrys. Hom. 5. in Ephes.

41 Theod. Com. in Ephes. ii. 15.

42 Est. Com. in Ephes. ii. 14.

43 Euseb. lib. 7. c. 30.

were called sometimes οἱ τοῦ Δόγματος, men of the faith; meaning the faith of Christ. As in the rescript of Aurelian the emperor against Paulus Samosatensis, recorded by Eusebius," the bishops of Italy and Rome are styled iriokomoɩ roũ dóyparos, bishops of the faith, that is, the Christian faith.

45

Sect. 10. Christians called Jews by the heathen.

The heathens also were used to confound the names of Jews and Christians together; whence, in heathen authors, the name of Jews by mistake is often given to the Christians. Thus Dio, in the Life of Domitian," speaking of Acilius Glabrio, a man of consular dignity, says he was accused of atheism, and put to death for turning to the Jews' religion; which, as Baronius and others observe, must mean the Christian religion, for which he was a martyr. So when Suetonius" says, that Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome, because they grew tumultuous by the instigations of Chrestus; it is generally concluded by learned men," that under the name of Jews, he also comprehends the Christians. In like manner when Spartian" says of Caracalla's play-fellow, that he was of the Jewish religion, he doubtless means the Christian; forasmuch as Tertullian" tells us that Caracalla himself was nursed by a Christian. The heathens committed another mistake in the pronunciation of our Saviour's name, whom they generally Christians, Chrescalled Chrestus, instead of Christus; and his followers, Chrestians, for Christians: which is taken notice of by Justin Martyr, Tertullian," Lactantius," and some others; who correct their mistake, though they have no great quarrel with them upon this account; for both names are of good signification. Christus is the same with the Hebrew Messias, and signifies a person anointed to be a priest or king; and Chrestus being the same with the Greek Xonaròs, implies sweetness and goodness. Whence Tertullian tells them, that they were unpardonable for prosecuting Christians merely for their name, because both names were innocent, and of excellent signification.

50

Sect. 11.

Christ by the heathens commonly called Chrestus, and

tians.

The Christians therefore did not wholly reject this name, though it was none of their own im

44 Dio in Domit. 45 Baron. an. 94. n. 1. 46 Sueton. Claud. c. 26. Judæos impulsore Chresto assidue tumultuantes Roma expulit.

47 Hotting. Hist. Eccl. t. 1. p. 37. Basnag. Exerc. in Baron. p. 139. Selden. de Synedr. lib. 1. c. 8. who cites Lipsius, Petavius, and many others.

49 Spartian. in Caracal. c. 1.

49 Tertul. ad Scapul. c. 4. Lacte Christiano educatus. 50 Just. M. Apol. 2. 51 Tertul. Apol. c. 3.

52 Lact. lib. 4. c. 7.

53 Tertul. ibid. Christianus quantum interpretatio est, de unctione deducitur. Sed et cum perperam Chrestianus pronunciatur à vobis (nam nec nominis certa est notitia penes vos) de suavitate vel benignitate compositum est. Oditur ergo in hominibus innocuis etiam nomen innocuum.