historians inform us. In like manner Socrates 41 observes, that the Council of Antioch, anno 341, was summoned on purpose to dedicate the famous church there, called Dominicum Aureum, which was begun by Constantine and finished by Constantius. And there are many examples of the like nature to be met with in ancient history. Now the solemnity was usually begun with a panegyrical oration or sermon, consisting chiefly of praise and thanksgiving to God, and sometimes expatiating upon the commendation of the founder, or the glory of the new-built church. Such as that oration in Eusebius 42 made at the dedication of the church of Paulinus at Tyre, and others in Gaudentius 43 and St. Ambrose 44 upon the like occasion. Sometimes they had more than one discourse upon it; for Eusebius, speaking of the dedication of churches in the time of Constantine, says 45, every bishop that was present made a speech in praise of the convention;' so that the panegyric, which he there records, was but one of many that were spoken. In another place, describing the dedication of the church of Jerusalem, he says 46, some made speeches by way οδον σὺν γράμματι βασιλικῷ, σπεύ- 41 L. 2. c. 8. (v. 2. p. 84. 23.) Κατασκευάζει οὖν σύνοδον ἐν ̓Αντιο χείᾳ τῆς Συρίας γενέσθαι, προφάσει μὲν τῶν ἐγκαινίων τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἣν ὁ πατὴρ μὲν τῶν Αὐγούστων κατασκευάζειν ἤρξατο· μετὰ τελευτὴν δὲ αὐτοῦ, ὁ υἱὸς Κωνστάντιος δεκάτῳ ἔτει ἀπὸ τῆς θεμελιώσεως συνετέλε σεν· τὸ δὲ ἀληθὲς, ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνατροπῇ καὶ καθαιρέσει τῆς ὁμοουσίου πίστεως, 42 L. Io. c. 4. (v. I. pp. 465. ς, seqq.) "Ω φίλοι Θεοῦ, κ. τ. λ. 43 Serm. 17. In Dedicat. Basil. SS. 40. Martyrum. (ap. Bibl. Max. t. 5. p. 968 g.) Divinis muneribus, &c. 44 Serm. 89. [al. 63.] In Fest. Dedicat. Basilic. (t. 2. append. pp. 476 c, seqq.) Legimus, &c. 45 L. 10. c. 3. (v. 1. p. 464. 21.) Εκίνει δὲ καὶ λόγους ἅπας τῶν παρόντων ἀρχόντων πανηγυρικούς, ὡς ἑκάστῳ παρὴν δυνάμεως, θειάζων τὴν πανήγυριν. 46'De Vit. Constant. 1. 4. c. 45. (ibid. p. 651.30.) . . . Οἱ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ λειτουργοί, εὐχαῖς ἅμα καὶ διαλέξεσι τὴν ἑορτὴν κατεκόσμουν· οἱ μὲν τοῦ θεοφιλούς βασιλέως τὴν εἰς τὸν τῶν of panegyric upon the Emperor and the magnificence of his building; others handled a common place in divinity adapted to the present occasion; and others discoursed upon the lessons of Scripture that were read, expounding the mystical sense of them;' and he bore a part in each of these himself, being present at that solemnity. When this part of the ceremony was over, they then proceeded to the mystical service, or the offering of the unbloody sacrifice, as he there terms it, to God; praying for the peace of the world, the prosperity of the Church, and a blessing upon the Emperor and his children. Among these prayers they seem to have had a particular prayer for the church then dedicated, as some understand St. Ambrose, who is thought to have a form 46 upon such an occasion; which, because we have not many such in the writings of the Ancients, I will here insert in his own words: I beseech Thee now, O Lord, let thine eye be continually upon this house, upon this altar, which is now dedicated unto Thee, upon these spiritual stones, in every one of which a sensible temple is consecrated unto Thee. Let the prayers of thy servants, which are poured out in this place, be always accepted of thy divine mercy. Let every sacrifice, that is offered in this temple with a pure faith and a pious zeal, be unto Thee a sweet smelling savour of sanctification. And ὅλων Σωτῆρα δεξίωσιν ἀνυμνοῦντες, τάς τε περὶ τὸ μαρτύριον μεγαλουργίας διεξιόντες τῷ λόγῳ· οἱ δὲ ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν θείων δογμάτων πανηγυρικαῖς θεολογίαις, πανδαισίαν λογικῶν τροφῶν, ταῖς πάντων παραδιδόντες ἀκοαῖς· ἄλλοι δὲ ἑρμηνείας τῶν θείων ἀναγνωσμάτων ἐποιοῦντο, τὰς ἀπορρήTOUS ȧTOKαλUTTOVTES dewpias...... Ενθα καὶ ἡμεῖς, τῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς ἀγαθῶν ἠξιωμένοι, ποικίλαις ταῖς εἰς τὸ κοινὸν διαλέξεσι τὴν ἑορτὴν ἐτιμῶμεν τοτὲ μὲν διὰ γράμματος τῶν τῷ βασιλεῖ πεφιλοκαλημένων τὰς ἐκφράσεις ἑρμηνεύοντες· τοτὲ δὲ καιρίους καὶ τοῖς προκειμένοις συμβόλοις τὰς προφητικὰς ποιούμενοι θεωρίας. 46 Exhort. ad Virgines, in fine. (t. 2. p. 302 c. n. 94.) Te nunc, Domine, precor [al. deprecor] ut supra hanc domum tuam, supra hæc altaria quæ hodie dedicantur, supra hos lapides spiritales, quibus sensibile tibi in singulis templum sacratur, quotidianus præsul intendas, orationesque servorum tuorum, quæ in hoc loco funduntur, divina tua suscipias misericordia. Fiat tibi in odorem sanctificationis omne sacrificium, quod in hoc templo, fide integra, pia sedulitate offertur. [al. defertur. Et cum ad illam respicis hostiam salutarem, per quam peccatum mundi hujus aboletur, respicias etiam ad has piæ hostias castitatis, et diuturno eas tuearis auxilio, ut fiant tibi in odorem suavitatis hostiæ acceptabiles, Christo Domino placentes, et integrum spiritum eorum, animam et corpus, sine querelæ loco [al. sine querela] usque in diem Domini Jesu Christi, Filii tui, servare digneris. [Amen.] when Thou lookest upon that sacrifice of salvation, which taketh away the sins of the world, have respect to these oblations of chastity, and defend them by thy continual help, that they may be sweet and acceptable offerings unto Thee, and pleasing unto Christ the Lord. Vouchsafe to keep their whole spirit, soul, and body, without blame, unto the day of thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.' I do not deny, but that this prayer in some parts of it may seem to look more like a consecration of virgins, than a consecration of churches; perhaps it might serve for both the spiritual and the material temples of God together: but if any think it means only the former, I will not contend about it, seeing it is already proved out of Eusebius, that at least panegyrical orations and praises of God and prayers for the Church were always part of the solemnity and ceremony of these dedications. And till a solemn day was appointed for the performance of these, it was not according to rule for any one to use a new-built church as a place of worship, unless a great necessity compelled him to it: which is evident from the apology that Athanasius makes for himself to Constantius, for using the great church of Alexandria on the Easter-festival, before it was finished and dedicated by the Emperor its founder, He says 47, The multitude was so great, that the lesser churches would not contain them without hazard of their lives, and therefore they importuned the bishop that they might assemble in the great church, otherwise threatening that they would meet in the open fields: upon which he consented to have prayers in this church.' But this did not go for its dedication; for he tells the Emperor 48, 4 they still expected a day, when he him 6 47 Apol. 1. ad Constant. t. I. p. 682. (t. I. part. I. p. 240 e. n. I4.) Ἑορτὴ μὲν γὰρ ἦν τὸ Πάσχα, ὁ δὲ λαὸς πάνυ πολὺς καὶ τοσοῦτος ἦν, ὅσον ἂν εὔξαιντο κατὰ πόλιν εἶναι Χριστιανῶν φιλόχριστοι βασιλείς, Τῶν τοίνυν ἐκκλησιῶν ὀλίγων καὶ βραχυτάτων οὐσῶν, θόρυβος ἦν οὐκ ὀλίγος, ἀξιούντων ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ συνελθεῖν, κἀκεῖ πάντας εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ τῆς σῆς σωτηρίας· ὅπερ καὶ γέγονεν· ἀλλ ̓ ἐμοῦ παρακαλοῦντος τέως ἐπισχεῖν, καὶ ὅπως δήποτε μετὰ θλίψεως ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις ἐκκλησίαις συναχθῆναι, οὐχ ὑπήκουσαν, ἀλλ ̓ ἕτοι μοι γεγόνασιν ἐξελθεῖν τὴν πόλιν, εἰς τοὺς ἐρήμους τόπους ἐν ἡλίῳ συνελθεῖν, βέλτιον ἡγούμενοι κάματον ἐνεγ κεῖν ὁδοῦ, ἢ μετὰ λύπης τὴν ἑορτὴν ποιῆσαι. 48 Ibid. (p. 242 f. n. 18.) Eù dè, θεοφιλέστατε Αὔγουστε, ζήσειας πολλαῖς ἐτῶν περιόδοις, καὶ τὰ ἐγκαίνια ἐπιτελέσειας· αἱ γὰρ γενόμεναι παρὰ πάντων περὶ τῆς σῆς σωτηρίας εὐχαὶ, οὐκ ἐμποδίζουσι τὴν τῶν ἐγκαινίων πανήγυριν. The bishop in every diocese the self should give the orders for its encœnia, or feast of dedication, and then solemnly give his thanks to God for the finishing of it; as had been done in the time of his predecessor Alexander, when the church of Theonas was building; and as he had seen it done at Triers, and Aquileia, and other places, where churches were sometimes used for prayer upon such urgent and pressing necessities before they were finished. But the using them for divine service upon such occasions was not their dedication; but that always came after, and was a proper and solemn eucharistical service, or thanksgiving to God for the accomplishment of the holy structure.' So that this evidently makes out the observation that has been made out of Eusebius before, that the common prayers of the Church were not looked upon as a formal dedication, without special panegyrical orations and forms of adoration and praise more peculiar to that occasion. And this also confutes the opinion of those, who think the setting up the sign of a cross, or placing a communion table in a church, was its dedication: for these things might be done without any dedication. Which appears not only from this discourse of Athanasius, but from a case related in Synesius, where some pretended that a certain place was consecrated into a church, because it had been used for prayer and administration of the sacrament in a time of hostile invasion; against which Synesius 49 positively determines that such an use in time of necessity was no consecration; for otherwise mountains and valleys and private houses would be churches.' 3. It is evident from what has been already said, that these consecrations being generally performed in a synod of bishops, ordinary the bishops were the ministers always employed in this service. But it might happen that none but the bishop of the diocese secrations. could be there, and then it was his business peculiarly to per minister of these con form the office of consecration, which by some ancient canons is so specially reserved to the office of bishops, that presbyters 49 Εp. 67. p. 238. (p. 212 a. 5.) Τὸ γὰρ ἐν ἐπιδρομῇ τότε πολεμίων ἐκεῖ συμφυγόντας ἀνθρώπους εὔξασθαι τἀναγκαῖα, τοῦτο τὸν τόπον οὐ καθιε ροῖ· ἢ πάντα μὲν ὄρη, πᾶσαι δὲ φάραγγες ἐκκλησίαι· καὶ οὐδὲν ὅ, τι φρούριον ἐκφεύγει τὸ δημόσιον εἶναι· ἐν οἷς ἅπασιν, ὅταν οἱ πολέμιοι προνομεύσωσιν, εὐχαὶ καὶ μυστήρια για νονται· οἰκίαι δὲ ὅσαι κατὰ τοὺς ἀθέους τῶν ἐξ ̓Αρείου καιροὺς εὐχὰς ἐδέξαν το καὶ μυστήρια· ἀλλ ̓ οὐδὲν ἧττόν εἰσιν ἰδιώτιδες. are not allowed to perform it. The first Council of Bracara 50, anno 563, makes it deprivation for any presbyter to consecrate an altar or a church, and says the canons of old forbad it likewise. Among our British Councils, collected by Sir Henry Spelman, there is one under St. Patrick, anno 450, where we have a canon 51 to this very purpose, that a presbyter, though he builds a church, shall not offer the oblation in it, before he brings his bishop to consecrate it, because this was regular and decent' and ancient history affords no approved examples to the contrary. without the leave. 4. This will receive a little further confirmation from our No church observing two or three other things which have a near relation to be built to this matter. As first, that no church regularly could be bishop's built without the license or consent of the bishop in whose diocese it was erected. This is expressly provided in one of the canons of the Council of Chalcedon 52, which subjects both monasteries and churches so to the bishop's care, that neither of them might be founded without his consent and approbation. first made prayer in 5. And by the laws of Justinian no church was to be begun Nor till the before the bishop had first made a solemn prayer, and fixed bishop had the sign of the cross in the place where a new church was to a solemn be erected. Which we have over and over again repeated in the place that Emperor's Novels 53, both with relation to monasteries and where it was churches. And Gothofred, not without reason, thinks the same custom was observed in expiating the temples of the Heathen, when they were to be consecrated into Christian churches. For so he understands that law of Theodosius 54, 50 C. 37. [al. Bracar. 2. c. 19.] (t. 5. p. 842 b.) Si quis presbyter post hoc interdictum ausus fuerit chrisma benedicere, aut ecclesiam, aut altarium consecrare, a suo offcio deponatur. Nam et antiqui hoc canones vetuerunt. 51 C. Hibernic. c. 23. ap. Spelman. t. I. p. 53. (ap. Labb. t. 1. p. 1480 a.) Si quis presbyterorum ecclesiam ædificaverit, non offerat antequam adducat suum pontificem, ut eum consecret, quia sic decet. 52 C. 4. (t. 4. p. 758 b.) 'Eneidav δέ τινες τῷ μοναχικῷ κεχρημένοι προς σχήματι, τάς τε ἐκκλησίας καὶ τὰ που λιτικὰ διαταράττουσι πράγματα, πεBINGHAM, VOL. III. ριϊόντες ἀδιαφόρως ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν, 53 Novel. 131. c. 7. (t. 5. p. 584.) Vid. Novel. 67. c. 1. (p. 318.)— 54 Cod. Theod. 1. 16. tit. 10. de N to be built. |