trary to the common rule and established order of the church. The Greeks call this imposition of hands both χειροτονία, and χειροθεσία, as may be seen in the canons of the council of Nice" and Chalcedon. Yet sometimes those words are distinguished, as in the author of the Constitutions, where he says, πρεσβύτερος χειροθετεῖ, οὐ χειροτονεῖ, a presbyter gives imposition of hands, but does not ordain. Where it is plain, that imposition of hands means not ordination, but some other benediction of the church, wherein imposition of hands was used, as well as in ordination. Neither does χειροTovia always signify ordination in ancient writers; though it does most commonly so, as Fronto Ducæus and other learned persons have showed: but sometimes it denotes no more than designation or election; as when Ignatius uses the phrase, xpoτονῆσαι Θεοπρεσβύτην, only to signify the election or appointment of a messenger to go upon an errand of the church. Which I note to caution the reader against mistakes committed by some authors, who confound ordinations with elections, for want of distinguishing the critical senses of words, as the subject matter requires.

61

Sect. 12. The sign of the

ation.

62

I must further observe, that as the cross used in ordin- sign of the cross was used upon many occasions by the primitive Christians, so particularly in their ordinations. Which we learn from Chrysostom, who more than once mentions it upon this occasion. If, says he, we are to be regenerated, the cross is used, viz. in baptism; or if we are to eat the mystical food, the eucharist, or to receive an ordination, we are signed with the sign of the cross. Upon this account, Suicerus 64 notes out of the author under the name of Dionysius, that the imposition of hands in ordination was called σφραγὶς, consignation, and σταυροειδὴς σφραγὶς, consignation in form of a cross," because the sign of the cross was made on the head of him that was ordained.

59 Conc. Nic. c. 19. Chalced. c. 15. 60 Constit. Apost. lib. 8. c. 28.

61 Fronto Ducæ. Not. in Chrysost. Hom. 1. ad Pop. Antioch, p. 1.

62 Ignat. Ep. ad Smyrn. n. 11. It. Ep. ad Philadelph. n. 10. Ep. ad Polycarp. n. 7.

Chrys. Hom. 55. in Matth. Kav åvayεvvη0ñvai déy, σταυρὸς παραγίνεται κἂν τραφῆναι τὴν μυστικὴν ἐκείνην τροφήν· καν χειροτονηθῆναι, &c.

64 Suicer. Thesaur. Voce appayis, t. 2. p. 1199. 65 Dionys. de Hierarch. Eccl. c. 5. p. 312 et 314. 66 Book II. chap. 19. sect. 17.

ferior, by the rule of the fourth council of Carthage, which makes that the chief part of their ordination. Though Habertus" and some others question the authority of that very council, and reckon all its canons spurious. But that only by the way.

Ordinations con

kiss of peace.

68

When the ceremony of consecration Sect. 14. was ended, it was usual for the clergy cluded with the then present to salute the person newly ordained with the kiss of peace. And so being conducted to his proper station belonging to his office, if he was a bishop or a presbyter, he made his first sermon to the people. But of this, as it relates to bishops, I have given an account before; as it relates to presbyters in the Greek church, where it was more usual for presbyters to preach, the reader may find examples of such sermons among those of Chrysostom," and Gregory Nyssen, which they preached upon the day of their ordination.

Sect. 15. The anniversary day of a bishop's

festival.

I cannot omit to mention one thing more, which should have been mentioned in another place, because it onlination kept a was an honour peculiarly paid to the order of bishops; which was, that in many places the day of their ordination was solemnly kept among the anniversary festivals of the church. On these days they had church assemblies, and sermons, and all the other solemnities of a festival. Which appears from St. Austin's sermons, two of which" were preached upon the anniversary of his own ordination. And in another," published by Sirmondus, he also mentions the day under the same title of his own anniversary. In a fourth he speaks also of the anniversary of Aurelius," bishop of Carthage, inviting the people to come and keep the festival in Basilica Fausti, which was a noted church in Carthage. Among the homilies also of Leo, bishop of Rome, the three first are upon the anniversary day of his assumption to the pontificate. And a late learned critic" has observed, that in St. Jerom's, and some other ancient Martyrologies, there sometimes occur such festivals under the titles of Ordinatio episcopi, and Natale episcopatus N., that is, the ordination or birth-day of such or such a bishop. Which, doubtless, at first, were the anniversaries of their ordination, which they themselves kept in their life-time; and which were continued

67 Habert. Archieratic. p. 323.

68 Dionys. Hierarch. Eccl. c. 5. p. 367. Constitut. Apost. lib. 8. c. 5.

69 Chrys. Homil. cum Presbyter esset designatus. t. 4. p. 953. 70 Nyssen. Hom. in suam Ordinat, t. 2.

71 Aug. Homil. 24 et 25. ex quinquaginta. 72 Hom. 39. edit. a Sirmond. t. 10. p. 841.

73 Hom. 32. de Verb. Domini. Dies anniversarius ordinationis Domini Senis Aurelii crastinus illucescit. Rogat et admonet per humilitatem meam charitatem vestram, ut ad Basilicam Fausti devotissime venire dignemini.

74 Pagi, Critic. in Baron. an. 67. n. 14.

in memory of them after death: by which means they came to be inserted into the Martyrologies as standing festivals, denoting there neither the day of their natural birth, nor their death, (as some mistake,) but the day of their ordination, or advancement to the episcopal throne. But of this more when we come to speak of the festivals of the church.

CHAPTER VII.

THE CASE OF FORCED ORDINATIONS AND RE-ORDINATIONS CONSIDERED.

Sect. 1.

very frequent in the

FOR the close of this book I shall

Pored ordinations add something concerning forced orprimitive church. dinations, and re-ordinations, which were things that very often happened in the primitive church. For, anciently, while popular elections were indulged, there was nothing more common than for the people to take men by force, and have them ordained even against their wills. For though, as Sulpicius Severus complains, many men were too ambitious in courting the preferments of the church; yet there were some who ran as eagerly from them as others ran to them; and nothing but force could bring such men to submit to an ordination. We have seen an instance or two of this already, in the cases of St. Austin' and Paulinus: and ecclesiastical history affords us many others. For not to mention such as only fled or absconded to avoid ordination; such as Cyprian,' and Gregory Thaumaturgus, and Athanasius,' and Evagrius, and St. Ambrose; there were some who were plainly ordained against their wills: as Nepotian, of whom St. Jerom says, that when his uncle Heliodore ordained him presbyter, he wept and lamented his condition, and could not forbear expressing his anger against his ordainer, though that was the only time he ever had occasion to do it. St. Martin, bishop of Tours, was so averse from taking the bishopric, that he was forced to be drawn out of his cell by craft, and carried under a guard to his ordination, as the sacred historian in

5

forms us. And the ordination of Macedonius the anchoret, by Flavian, bishop of Antioch, was so much against his will, that they durst not let him know what they were about, till the ceremony was over; and when he came to understand that he was ordained presbyter, he broke forth into a rage against Flavian, and all that were concerned in the action, as thinking that his ordination would have obliged him to another sort of life, and deprived him of his retirement and return to the mountains. So Theodoret, in his Lives of the Eastern Anchorets, relates the story. And that this was a very common practice in those times, appears from what Epiphanius" says of the custom in Cyprus, that it was usual, in that province, for persons that fled to avoid ordination by their own bishop, to be seized by any other bishop, and to be ordained by them, and then be returned to the bishop from whom they were fled. Which argues, that forced ordinations in those times were both practised and allowed.

Sect. 2.

No excuse admitted in that case, ex

cepta man protested would not be or

upon oath that he

dained.

Nor was it any kind of remonstrance or solicitation whatsoever, which the party could make, that would prevent his ordination in such cases, except he chanced to protest solemnly upon oath against ordination. For in that case he was to be set at liberty, and not to be ordained against so solemn a protestation. This is evident, from one of the canons of St. Basil, which says, that they who swear they will not be ordained," are not to be compelled to forswear themselves by being ordained. And this, I think, also may be collected from the account which Epiphanius gives of his own transaction with Paulinianus, St. Jerom's brother, upon such an occasion. Paulinianus, he says, was one of those who fled from their bishop for fear of ordination, but providentially coming" where Epiphanius was, he caused him to be seized by his deacons, not dreaming or suspecting any thing of ordination; and when he came to it, he caused them to hold his mouth, for fear he should have abjured him by the name of Christ to set him free. Thus he ordained him deacon first, and presbyter some time after in the very same manner. Which seems to imply, that if he had suffered him to have made his protestation in the name of Christ, he could not

10 Epiph. Ep. ad Johan. Hierosol. Multi episcoporum communionis nostræ et presbyteros in nostra ordinaverunt provincia, quos nos comprehendere non poteramus, et miserunt ad nos diaconos et hypodiaconos, quos suscepimus cum gratia.

11 Basil. Ep. Canon. ad Amphiloch. c. 10. Oi oμvvovтes μὴ καταδέχεσθαι τὴν χειροτονίαν, ἐξομνύμενοι μὴ ἀναγκαζέσθωσαν ἐπιορκεῖν.

12 Epiphan. ibid. Ignorantem eum, et nullam penitus habentem suspicionem, per multos diaconos apprehendi jussimus, et teneri os ejus, ne forte liberari se cupiens, adjuraret nos per nomen Christi, &c.

have proceeded to his ordination. But it seems nothing else but such an adjuration was available to set him free: and that is a further argument, that in those times men might be ordained against their wills, and yet their ordination stand good, and be accounted as valid as any others.

Sect. 3.

This practice af terward prohibited by the imperial laws, and canons of the church.

But in the next age this practice was prohibited, because of several inconveniences that were found to attend it. The emperors Leo and Majorian made a law with sanctions and penalties to prevent it. For they decreed, that no one should be ordained" against his will. And whereas some bishops did impose the burden of orders upon men against their consent, they granted liberty in that case, either to the party himself, or any other accuser, to bring an action at law against the archdeacon, who was liable to be fined ten pounds of gold, to be paid to the injured party, or to the informers, or to the states of the city; the bishop also was to be censured by his superiors, and the party ordained to be set at liberty, as if he had never been ordained. Pursuant to this law, John, bishop of Ravenna, for a transgression of this kind, was threatened to be deprived of the power of ordination by Simplicius," bishop of Rome, anno 482. And the third council of Orleans," anno 538, made a decree for the French churches, that if any bishop ordained a clerk against his will, he should do penance for the fact a whole year, and remain suspended from his office till that term was expired. So great an alteration was there made in one age in the rules and practice of the church, from what they had been in the former.

Sect. 4.

Yet a bishop ordained against his will, had not the privilege to relinquish.

But I must note, that after this correction was made, there was still some

difference to be observed between the forced ordination of a bishop, and that of an inferior clerk, presbyter, deacon, or any other. For though the forementioned imperial law gave liberty to all inferiors so ordained, to relinquish their office that was forced upon them, if they pleased, and betake themselves to a secular life again, yet it peremptorily denied" this privilege to bishops, decreeing that their ordination should stand good,

13 Leo. Novel. 2. in Append. Cod. Theod. Nonnullorum persuasio sacerdotum reluctantibus onus istud imponit, &c. Eo ergo licentiam hujus præsumptionis excludimus, ut si quispiam probatus fuerit vi coactus sub contumelia publica clericatus officiis successisse, spontaneis accusatoribus, vel si ipse voluerit allegare perpessam licentiam, commodemus apud judices competentes hujusmodi admissa damnare, ut si inter leges objecta constiterint, decem libras auri archidiaconus cogatur inferre ei qui pertulerit exsolvendas: dehinc si ille desistit, accusatoris censibus et civitatis ordini profuturas: illo suæ reddito voluntati, qui coactus non potuit consecrari, &c.

Simplic. Ep. 2. ad Johan. Ravennatens.

15 Con. Aurelian. 3. c. 7. Episcopus qui invitum vel reclamantem præsumpserit ordinare, annuali pœnitentiæ subditus missas facere non præsumat.

and that no action brought against their ordainers should be of force to evacuate or disannul their consecration. Which seems to be grounded upon that ancient rule of the church mentioned in the council of Antioch," and confirmed in the council of Chalcedon, that if any bishop was ordained to a church to which he refused to go, he should be excommunicated till he complied, or something were determined in his case by a provincial synod. Which seems to authorize the using a sort of violence in compelling men to undergo the burden of the episcopal function; agreeably to that other law of Leo and Anthemius, in the Justinian Code," which puts this among other qualifications of a bishop, that he shall be so far from ambition, as to be one rather that must be sought for and compelled to take a bishopric. Such were anciently the laws of church and state relating to forced ordinations.

Sect. 5. Re ordinations

demned.

As to re-ordinations, before we can answer to the question about them, generally con we must distinguish between the orders that were given regularly and canonically by persons rightly qualified in the church, and such as were given irregularly by persons unqualified, or by heretics and schismatics out of the church. As to such orders as were given regularly in the church, they were supposed, like baptism, to impress a sort of indelible character, so as that there was no necessity upon any occasion to repeat them, but on the contrary, it was deemed a criminal act so to do. The third council of Carthage, following the steps of the plenary council of Capua, or Capsa, decreed, that it was equally unlawful" to re-baptize and re-ordain. And those called the Apostolical Canons make it deposition both for the ordainer and ordained to give or receive a second ordination. St. Austin" says it was not the custom of the catholic church to repeat either orders or baptism. For men did not lose their orders," as to the internal character and virtue, though they were suspended from the execution of their office for some misdemeanor. Optatus testifies the same, telling us, that Donatus was condemned in the

Sect. 6. The proposal made by Cæcilian to the Donatists examined.

There is indeed a passage in Optatus concerning Cæcilian, bishop of Carthage, which at first view seems to import as if Cæcilian had been willing to have submitted to a re-ordination. For Optatus says, Cæcilian sent this message to the Donatist bishops, That if Felix had given him no true ordination, as they pretended, they should ordain him again, as if he were still only a deacon. But St. Austin, who perhaps best understood Cæcilian's meaning, says" he only spoke this ironically to deride them, not that he intended to submit to a second ordination, but because he was certain that Felix and the rest of his ordainers were no traditors, as they accused them. So that we have no instances of re-ordaining such as were regularly ordained in the catholic church: it being esteemed unlawful, as Theodoret words it, to give any man the same ordination twice. Whence neither in the translation of bishops from one church to another do we ever read of a new ordination, but only of an enthronization or instalment; as of a new matriculation of presbyters and deacons, when they were taken out of one church to be settled in another. Cyprian, speaking of his admission of Numidicus into his own church from another, where he was presbyter before, does not say, he gave him a new ordination, but only a name and a seat among the presbyters of Carthage. And this was the constant practice of the church in all such cases, for any thing that appears to the contrary. As to such as were ordained out of Selrismatics some the church by schismatical or heretitumes re-ordained. cal bishops, the case was a little different. For the church did not always allow of their ordinations, but sometimes, for discipline's sake, and to put a mark of infamy upon their errors, made them take a new ordination. This was de

Sect. 7.

29

33

creed by the great council of Nice in the case of those bishops and presbyters, whom Meletius the schismatic ordained in Egypt, after he had been deposed by his metropolitan of Alexandria. They were not to be admitted to serve in the catholic church, till they were first authorized by a more sacred ordination,30 as that council words it in her synodical epistle or directions to the church of Alexandria. In pursuance of this decree, Theodore, bishop of Oxyrinchus, re-ordained the Meletian presbyters upon their return to the church; as Valesius" shows out of Marcellinus and Faustinus's petition to the emperor Theodosius; and other learned men are of the same opinion. Yet in some cases the church consented to receive schismatical bishops and presbyters without obliging them to take a new ordination. As in Africa, St. Austin assures us, it was the custom to allow of the ordinations of the Donatists, and to admit them to officiate in whatever station they served before their return to the unity of the church, without repeating their ordination any more than their baptism. He repeats this in several places of his writings. And that it was so, appears both from the canons of the African councils," and the concessions made in the collation of Carthage," where the proposal was, that the Donatist bishops should enjoy their honours and dignities, if they would return to the unity of the catholic church. This had before been determined in the Roman council under Melchiades, where the Donatists had their first hearing. For there, St. Austin informs us, it was also decreed, that only Donatus the author of the schism should be cashiered; but for all the rest, though they were ordained out of the church, they should be received upon their repentance, in the very same offices and quality, which they enjoyed before. So that the rigour of church discipline was quickened or abated in this respect, according as the benefit or necessities of the church seemed to require. And the treatment of persons ordained by heretics was much of the same nature. Some canons require the church, in some all such without exception to be re

36

Sect. 8. And heretics also upon their return to

places.

presbyterorum Cathaginiensium numero, et nobiscum sedeat in clero.

30 Ep. Synod. ap. Socrat. lib. 1. c. 9. et Theodor. lib. 1. c. 9. Μυτικωτέρα χειροτονία βεβαιωθέντας, &c. 31 Vales. Not. in Socrat. lib. 1. c. 9.

32 Du Pin, Biblioth. Cent. 4. p. 251.

33 Aug. cont. Parmen. lib. 2. c. 13. Si visum est opus esse, ut eadem officia gererent quæ gerebant, non sunt rursus ordinati, sed sicut baptismus in eis, ita ordinatio mansit integra, &c. Vid. cont. Crescon. lib. 2. c. 11. It. Ep. 50. p. 87. Ep. 162. p. 279.

34 Cod. Can. Afr. c. 69 et 70. 35 Coll. Carth. Die 1. c. 16. 36 Aug. Ep. 50. ad Bonifac. p. 87. Damnato uno quodam Donato, qui author schismatis fuisse manifestatus est, cæteros correctos, etiamsi extra ecclesiam ordinati essent, in suis honoribus recipiendos esse censuerunt.

39

ordained. It was so in the Greek church, at the time when those called the Apostolical Canons were made. For the same canon" that condemns reordinations in the church, makes an exception in the case of such as were ordained by heretics; pronouncing their ordination void, and requiring them to be ordained again. And this was generally the practice of all those churches in the third century, which denied the validity of heretical baptism; for by much stronger reason they denied their ordinations. Therefore Firmilian, who was of this opinion, tells us also, that the council of Iconium, anno 256, decreed, that heretics had no power to minister either baptism, or confirmation, or ordination. Nay, some of those who allowed the baptism of heretics, yet still continued to condemn their ordinations. As Innocent, bishop of Rome, who determines against such as were ordained by the Arians and such other heretics, that they were not to be admitted with their honours in the catholic church; though their baptism might stand good, being administered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. In another place" he says, it was the ancient rule of the church of Rome to cancel and disannul all such ordinations; though in some places, he owns, they were allowed: for Anisius, bishop of Thessalonica, with a council of his provincial bishops, agreed to receive those whom Bonosus, an heretical bishop of Macedonia, had ordained; that they might not continue to strengthen his party, and thereby bring no small damage upon the church. Liberius not only admitted the Macedonian bishops to communion, but also allowed them to continue in their office, upon their subscription to the Nicene creed, and abjuration of their former heresy; as Socrates," and Sozomen," and St. Basil," and others testify. In France, the custom was in the time of Clodoveus to give a new imposition of hands to the Arian clergy that returned to the catholic faith; as appears from the first council of Orleans, which made a decree" about it: but that, perhaps, does not mean a new ordination, but only such a reconciliatory imposition of hands,

37 Canon. Apost. c. 67.

39 Firmil. Ep. 75. ap. Cyprian. p. 221. Hæretico sicut ordinare non licet, nec manum imponere, ita nec baptizare.

39 Innoc. Ep. 18. ad Alexand. c. 3. Non videtur clericos eorum cum sacerdotii aut ministerii cujuspiam suscipi debere dignitate; quoniam iis solum baptisma ratum esse permittimus, &c.

40 Id. Ep. 22. ad Episc. Macedon. c. 5. Anisii quondam fratris nostri, aliorumque consacerdotum summa deliberatio hæc fuit, ut quos Bonosus ordinaverat, ne cum eodem remanerent, ac ne fieret mediocre scandalum, ordinati reciperentur. Jam ergo quod pro remedio ac necessitate temporis statutum est, constat primitus non fuisse.

41 Socrat. lib. 4. c. 12.

42 Sozom. lib. 6. c. 10. 43 Basil. Ep. 74. ad Episcopos Occident.

as was used to be given to penitents in absolution. But if otherwise, it proves that the church had different methods of proceeding in this case, as she judged it most expedient and beneficial for her service; sometimes reversing and disannulling the ordinations of heretics for discipline's sake, and to show her resentments of their errors; and sometimes allowing them to stand good for her own sake, to prevent greater scandals, and to encourage the straying people to return with their leaders to the unity of the catholic faith. Upon which account the general council of Ephesus" made an order concerning the Messalian heretics, otherwise called Euchites and Enthusiasts, that if any of their clergy would return to the church, and in writing anathematize their former errors, they should continue in the same station they were in before; otherwise they should be degraded, and enjoy neither clerical promotion nor communion in the church. The council of Nice is thought to have made the like decree in favour of the Novatian clergy, only giving them a reconciliatory imposition of hands by way of absolution, not re-ordination. And there is nothing more certain than that the African fathers so treated the Donatists; particularly St. Austin in all his writings pleads as much for the validity of heretical ordinations, as heretical baptism; and says further, that when the church" judged it expedient not to suffer the Donatist bishops to officiate upon their return to the church, she did not thereby intend to deny the reality or validity of their ordination, but supposed that to remain still perfect and entire in them. And this is what St. Austin meant by the sacrament of ordination, as he words it, or the indelible character which was thereby imprinted; that though a man turned apostate, or was suspended or deprived for any crime, yet if upon his repentance and satisfaction the church thought fit to admit him to officiate again, there was no necessity of giving him a new ordination, no more than a new baptism; for the character of both remained entire. This was the doctrine and practice of the African church, and most others, in the time of St. Austin.

44 Conc. Aurel. 1. c. 12. De hæreticis clericis, qui ad fidem catholicam plena fide et voluntate venerint, id censuimus observarii--ut officium, quo eos episcopus dignos esse censuerit, cum imposita manus benedictione suscipiant.

45 Conc. Ephes. Act. 7. Decret. cont. Messalian. t. 3. p. 809. Si clerici fuerint, maneant clerici.--Quod si renuerint anathematizare, si presbyteri vel diaconi fuerint, vel in alio quopiam gradu ecclesiæ, excidant et a clero et a gradu et a communione.

46 Conc. Nic. c. 8.

47 Aug. cont. Parmen. lib. 2. c. 13. Cum expedire hoc judicatur ecclesiæ, ut præpositi eorum venientes ad catholicam societatem, honores suos ibi non administrent; non eis tamen ipsa ordinationis sacramenta detrahuntur, sed manent super cos.