6 ieparikoì to mean all the clergy, inferior as well as superior. But Habertus 72 thinks it means only the inferior clergy, priests and deacons; and that all the inferiors, subdeacons, readers, &c. were excluded from this part as well as the people. However it is agreed on all hands that the people in that age had no place there; for St. Ambrose would not permit the Emperor Theodosius himself to communicate in this part 73, but obliged him to retire as soon as he had made his oblation at the altar. Which custom continued for some ages after; as appears from what Theodosius Junior says of himself in the Acts of the Council of Ephesus 74, that he only went up to the altar to make his oblation, and, having done that, retired again to the exterior court, or atrium, of the people.' And so we find it decreed, correspondent to this practice, in the Council of Trullo 75, that no layman whatsoever should come into the altar-part, except only the Emperor, when he had made his oblation to the Creator, according to ancient custom.' And hence it was that this part of the church was called aßara, and advra, by Theodoret 76 and other Greek writers, and adyta by the Latins, that is, inaccessible; because there was no place of access here for the people, who were wholly excluded from it. Though I must note, that according to the difference of times and places, different customs seem to have prevailed in this matter. For the most ancient custom was both for men and women to come 72 Archierat. part. 10. observ. ix. (p. 268.) Tertium est, Solis sacerdotibus et diaconis ad altare in sanctuario communicare licuit. De solis sacerdotibus Concilium Laodicenum decernere nonnulli arbitrantur, ob hæc verba Canonis xix. Καὶ μόνοις, κ. τ. λ. (See before. Et solis sacerdotibus licere ad altare accedere et communicare. Ita vertit heterodoxus auctor. Verum rò iepatikoîs, melius reddiderat Dionysius Exiguus, sacro ministerio deditis; quo sensu et diaconi saltem comprehenduntur, qui hic etiam ad altare in sanctuario communicant: nam hypodiaconi et lectores extra sanctuarium, ad ejus limen. 73 Vid. Theodoret. 1. 5. c. 18. See s. 3. n. 63, preceding.-Sozom. 1. 7. 6 The holy gates, and veils, or from the up to the altar and communicate there, as it appears to have been in the third century in the time of Dionysius of Alexandria, who speaks both of men 77 and women 78 standing at the holy table, and reaching forth their hands to receive the eucharist there; and so Valesius 79 understands it. The same privilege was allowed the people in France in the sixth century; for the second Council of Tours, anno 567, orders so 'the holy of holies to be open both for men and women to pray and communicate in at the time of the oblation;' though at other times, when there was any other service without the communion, they were not allowed to come within the chorus of the singers, or rails of the chancel. By which also we learn what part of the church in this age, in France, was called the chorus; namely, that which was immediately within the rails of the chancel, where the inferior clergy had their station in the time of the oblation. 8. The modern Greeks call the entrance into this part the holy gates, because they open from the body of the church hangings, into the holy of holies. But there is little mention made of dividing the chancel these in ancient writers; but they often speak of the use of veils or hangings in this place to cover the prospect of the altar. Athanasius 81 calls them ẞîjλа тîjs èккλŋoías, the hangings of the church: for, speaking of the fury of the Arians, and their ravaging a church in the time of Constantius, he says, they took the bishop's throne, and the seats of the presbyters, rest of the church. .... 77 Ap. Euseb. 1. 7. c. 9. (v. I. p. 330. 14.) Τραπέζῃ παραστάντα, καὶ χεῖρας εἰς ὑποδοχὴν τῆς ἁγίας τροφῆς προτείναντα, κ. τ. λ. Christi de manu presbyteri, stantes, non ut hodie genibus fexis, accipiebant. 60 C. 4. (t. 5. p. 853 e.) Ut laici 78 Ep. Canonic. c. 2. (ap. Bevereg. secus altare, quo sancta mysteria Pand. t. 2. part. 1. p. 4 e.) Ovde celebrantur, inter clericos tam ad αὐτὰς οἶμαι πιστὰς οὔσας καὶ εὐλα- vigilias quam ad missas, stare peniBeis, Toλμýσew ouтws diakeiμévastus non præsumant... ... Ad oranτῇ τραπέζῃ τῇ ἁγίᾳ προσελθεῖν, ἢ τοῦ dum vero et communicandum laicis σώματος καὶ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ et foeminis, sicut mos est, pateant Tрoσávarbai.-[Ad quem Dionysii sancta sanctorum. locum recte notat Balsamon. (ibid. P. 5 c.) 'Is Colke dè, Tò Taλaiòv eiσήρχοντο γυναίκες εἰς τὸ θυσιαστήριον, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁγίας τραπέζης με τελάμβανον. Grischov.] 79 In Euseb. 1. 7. c. 9. (v. 1. p. 330. n. 3.) Fideles communicaturi ad altare accedebant, ibique corpus 81 Ep. ad Solitar. Vit. Agent. t. 1. p. 847. (t. I. part. I. p. 298 e. n. 56.) .... Αρπάσαντες τὰ συμψέλλια, καὶ τὸν θρόνον, καὶ τὴν τράπεζαν, ξυλίνη γὰρ ἦν, καὶ τὰ βῆλα τῆς ἐκκλησίας, τά τε ἄλλα, ὅσα ἠδυνήθησαν, ἐξενέγ καντες, ἔκαυσαν. and the table which was of wood, and the veils of the church, and whatever else they could, and carried them out and burnt them.' In Synesius 82 they are called кaτañéтασμa μvotikÒv, the mystic veils; and in Chrysostom and Evagrius, àμpíðupa, from their opening in the middle as folding-doors. These were sometimes richly adorned with gold, as that which Evagrius 83 says Chosroes gave to the Church of Antioch. The use of them was partly to hide the prospect of this part of the church from the catechumens and unbelievers, and partly to cover the sacrifice of the eucharist in the time of consecration, as we learn from these words of Chrysostom 84; 'When the sacrifice is brought forth, when Christ the Lamb of God is offered, when you hear this signal given, let us all join in common prayer; when you see the veils withdrawn, then think you see heaven opened, and the angels descending from above.' There were also several other veils, to note this by the way, in other parts of the church; for Paulinus 85 speaks often of veils before the doors of the church, and St. Jerom commends Nepotian 86 for that, among other parts of his concern for the decency of the church, as he took care that the altar, and the walls, and the pavement should be kept clean, so also that the doors should have their keepers, and the gates their veils. In like manner Epiphanius 87, speaking 82 Ep. 67. ad Theophil. (p. 212 c. 6.) Τοῦτο δὲ, εἰ διὰ τῶν παναγεστάτων τὰ ἐναγέστατα κρίνοιτο, εὐχὴ, καὶ τράπεζα, καὶ καταπέτασμα μυστικόν, ἐφόδου βιαίας ὄργανα. 83 L. 6. c. 21. (v. 3. p. 469. 38.) ̓Αμφίθυρον Οὐννικὸν κεκοσμημένον χρυσίῳ. .... 84 Hom. 3. in Eph. p. 1052. (t. 11. p. 23 d.).. • 'Evτavba éкpepоμévms τῆς θυσίας, καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τεθυμένου, καὶ τοῦ προβάτου τοῦ δεσποτικοῦ, ὅταν ἀκούσης, Δεηθῶμεν πάντες κοινῇ· ὅταν ἴδῃς ἀνελκόμενα τὰ ἀμφίθυρα, τότε νόμισον διαστέλλεσθαι τον οὐρανὸν ἄνωθεν, καὶ κατιέναι τοὺς ἀγγέλους. 85 Natal. Felic. 3. (p. 540.) Aurea nunc niveis ornantur limina velis. Id. Natal. 6. (p. 562.) ..... Pulchra tegendis Vela ferant foribus. 86 Ep. 3. [al. 60.] Epitaph. Nepotian. (t. 1. p. 338 b.) Erat ergo so licitus, si niteret altare, si parietes absque fuligine, si pavimenta tersa, si janitor creber in porta, vela semper in ostiis, &c. 87 Ep. ad Joan. Hierosol. (t. 2. p. 317 c, seqq.) Quum venissem ad villam, quæ dicitur Anablatha, vidissemque ibi præteriens lucernam ardentem, et interrogassem, quis locus esset, didicissemque esse ecclesiam, et intrassem, ut orarem ; inveni ibi velum pendens in foribus ejusdem ecclesiæ tinctum atque depictum, et habens imaginem, quasi Christi, vel sancti cujusdam. Non enim satis memini, cujus imago fuerit. Quum ergo hoc vidissem, in ecclesia Christi contra auctoritatem Scripturarum hominis pendere imaginem, scidi illud, et magis dedi consilium custodibus ejusdem loci, ut pauperem mortuum eo obvolverent et efferrent. Illique contra The highest chancel called apsis, exedra, or conchula bematis. of the church of Anablatha in Palestine, says, he found a veil hanging before the doors of the church, which he tore in pieces, not because it was a veil, but because it had the image of Christ or some saint painted on it, which was contrary to the rules of the Christian Church.' He therefore ordered the guardians of the church to bury some poor man in it, and sent them at his own expense another plain one in its stead. There were also veils between the pillars of the hyperoa, or women's galleries, to be drawn in time of the oblation, as Du Fresness has observed out of Paulus Silentiarius and Amphilochius in the Life of St. Basil. And some others of like nature will easily be observed by a curious reader. 9. At the upper end of the chancel was commonly a semipart of the circular building, which from the figure and position of it is by some authors called apsis, and exedra, and conchula bematis for these are words that signify any arched or spherical building, like the canopy of heaven, to which St. Jerom 59 applies the name of apsis. It was called concha, because in figure it resembled something the fashion of a shell, as Du Fresne shews out of Procopius and Paulus Silentiarius and Paulinus and other writers. Du Fresne 90 thinks it is also called exedra by St. Austin 91, who says the conference between murmurantes dicerent: Si scindere 88 In Paul. Silent. p. 551. (ap. capita aut oculos ad illa inspicienda promittere, sub anathematis pœna, fas erat. Id omnino colligere est ex Vita S. Basilii, quæ Amphilochio tribuitur, qui ritus illius auctor fuisse videtur. 89 L. 2. in Eph. c. 4. p. 223. (t. 7. p. 614 b.) .... In summo cœli fornice, et, ut ipso verbo utar, apside. 90 In Paul. Silent. p.565. (ut supr. p. 218. n. 51.) Per exedram absida [al. apsida] seu concha, intelligi videtur apud Sanctum Augustinum in Gestis cum Emerito, Donatistarum episcopo: Quum Deuterius, &c. See the next note. 91 De Gestis cum Emerito, t. 7. p. 250. (t. 9. p. 625 a.) Cum Deuterius, episcopus metropolitanus... una cum Alypio...et cæteris episcopis in exedram processissent, præsentibus presbyteris et diaconibus et universo clero, ac frequentissima plebe, &c. the Catholics and Emeritus, the Donatist bishop, was held in the exedra of the church; which he interprets the place where the bishop and presbyters had their usual residence in the upper end of the bema beyond the altar. But Valesius 92 and other learned men take exedra here, in the common sense, for one of the outer buildings of the church. And it is not easy to determine so nice a controversy between them. ciently the the bishop 10. However this is certain, that the bishop's throne, with This anthe thrones of his presbyters on each side of it, were always place of the fixed in this part of the church, in a semicircle above the altar. thrones of For anciently the seats of the bishop and presbyters were and his joined together, and all called thrones, as is evident from presbyters. Eusebius's description of the temple of Paulinus, who 93 says, 'he adorned it with thrones set on high for the honour of the presidents or rulers of the people; that is, the bishop and presbyters together. Hence it is that Nazianzen, speaking of the presbyters 94 as the rulers of the people, and venerable senate of the Church, calls their seats the second thrones.' Constantine, in his Letter to Chrestus, bishop of Syracuse, summoning him to the Council of Arles, uses the same phrase 95, bidding him bring with him two of the second throne, that is, two presbyters. 6 I know indeed Carolus à Sancto Paulo 96 by those of the 92 In Euseb. Vit. Constant. 1. 3. c. 50. (v. I. p. 6ο6. n. I.) Ita [exedra] dicebantur ædes exteriores, in circuitu basilicæ construi solitæ, in quibus sedere ac requiescere licebat, ut docet Eusebius. De his Augustinus, &c. See the preceding note. 93 L. Io. c. 4. (v. I. p. 474. ΙΙ.) . . . Θρόνοις τοῖς ἀνωτάτω εἰς τὴν τῶν προέδρων τιμὴν, κ.τ.λ. 94 Carm. Iamb. 23. (t. 2. p. 244 c.) 95 Ap. Euseb. 1. 10. c. 5. (v. 1. p. 485. 36.) 'Etteidη Toivvv λeiσTous ἐκ διαφόρων καὶ ἀμυθήτων τόπων ἐπισκόπους εἰς τὴν ̓Αρεταλησίων πόλιν εἴσω Καλανδῶν Αὐγούστων συν eλbeîv ékeλevσaμev' kai σoi ypávaι 96 Geograph. Sacr. (p. 47.) Quod |