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tuted near the beginning of the third century, in the age of Tertullian, Origen, and Cyprian. The exorcisms of the energumens, and even this class of Christians, ceased in the Eastern church as early as the beginning of the fifth century, and in the Western church somewhat later. In the church in Spain they continued longest. But the order of exorcists remained much longer in the church; and in the Roman Catholic church continues, under certain modifications, unto the present time, as is seen not only in the superstitious use of holy water, but in the formalities of baptism. The Nestorian church very early discontinued all exorcisms. They are now discontinued in the Greek church, and have gradually disappeared from the reformed churches, though Luther and Melancthon retained them.

Ἑρμηνεύται.

3. Interpreters, Epunveúτai. This office is supposed to have arisen among the Jews of Palestine, who spoke the Syrochaldaic language. Their ancient Scriptures were in the Hebrew language, and those of the New Testament in the Greek. Both in the synagogue and in the Christian church, therefore, it was equally necessary, when their Scriptures were read, to translate them into the language of the common people. The primitive church would not, like the Romish, worship in a tongue unknown to the people.

The duty of the hermeneutai was to translate from one tongue into another, where people of different languages were commingled; like the Greek and Syriac-Latin and Punic. They had a seat also with the bishop, to assist in translating the correspondence of the church into different languages-to interpret synodical records, etc.

Readers and deacons were employed as interpreters for the preacher, when they were competent for the discharge of such duties; but whoever performed this service, must of necessity be regarded as acting the part of a religious teacher, and, in this sense, as belonging to the priesthood. The bishop's assistant translators might be chosen from among the laity, when no suitable person belonging to the clergy could be found; and though he was little else than a notary or scribe, he was honoured with a place among the clergy.

These interpreters are to be carefully distinguished from that class of persons of whom Paul speaks, 1 Cor. xii. 10; xiv. 26, as endowed with miraculous gifts for the interpretation of what was spoken in an unknown tongue. These hermeneutai belonged only to the apostolic churches, and must have ceased with the cessation

of that gift of tongues which made that office necessary. But the name may have been retained and transferred to another totally distinct.

4. Capellani. The name is derived from capella, which primarily means a certain kind of hood. In the fifth century it became the name of oratories or private churches, which were built about that time in France, and afterward became common in the West. The first instance of this form of private worship occurs in the life of Constantine, who constituted his military tent a place for religious worship in the open field. Probably the μαρτύριον ἐπὶ μνήμη Tav åлoστó2wv, which, according to Eusebius, was erected by Constantine, was a sort of court-church. Certain it is that we read of the clerici pallatii, sacelli regii, court-preachers, under the succeeding emperors. The chief among these were called лáлaç Tov Tahaτiov, etc., answering to the capellani, regii, archi-capellani, summi sacellani, etc., under the monarchs of France, Germany, and England. The capellanus, then, was the chaplain or minister of these private or court chapels.

After the crusades, multitudes of places where sacred relics were preserved were also called chapels, and the persons who had the care of these relics received also the name of chaplains, though they had no stated ministerial office, but occasionally officiated by special permission.

CHAPTER X.

OF ELECTIONS TO ECCLESIASTICAL OFFICES.

THIS subject has been discussed at length in another work,* and must in this place be treated with greater brevity; but it belongs to the archæology of the Christian church to specify the different forms of election and appointment by which its offices were filled.

§ 1. OF ELECTION BY LOT.

IT is customary to class under this head the first appointment to office that was made in the church-that of Matthias, to supply the place of the apostate Judas. Acts i. 15-26. "They gave forth their lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias." But it may well be doubted whether this selection was made by actual casting of lots. Mosheim has shown that the phrase έδωκαν κλήρους αυτῶν may indicate an elective vote by the assembly.1 Resort, however, was occasionally had to the lot, in elections, but the use of this and of all magical arts was discontinued by the church. This form of election was neither peculiar to any sect, nor prevalent at any given time, nor applicable to any one case; but was adopted as occasion required. The election was little else than a decision between several rival candidates.

§ 2. OF ELECTIONS BY VOTE OF THE CHURCH.

EVEN the appointment of Matthias was with the consent and cooperation of the church, if not by their elective vote. "Peter," says Chrysostom, "did not appoint him: it was the act of all." And such is the opinion of many learned men. The seven deacons confessedly were chosen by the church. Acts vi. 1-6. The delegates of the churches were chosen by the churches. One such Paul distinctly specifies as κειροτονηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, chosen by

* Apostolical and Primitive Church. Chap. iv. pp. 53-86.

the churches" with the lifting up of hands," as it is in the margin. 2 Cor. viii. 19. Such being the rule of the church, that elections shall be made by the united body of believers, it is to be presumed that the apostles themselves acted in conformity with it, even when they are said to have made the appointment of presbyters and teachers. Acts xiv. 23; 2 Tim. ii. 1; Tit. i. 5. Such appointment or nomination by no means excludes the consent and vote of the church. The advice and consent of the churches were demanded on other occasions. Acts xv. 1 et seq.; 1 Cor. v. 2; 2 Cor. ii. 7 et seq.

Clemens Romanus is the best interpreter of the apostle's sentiments, and the earliest witness that can be obtained on this subject. This writer informs us that the apostles appointed and ordained the first ministers of the church, and "then gave directions how, when they should die, other chosen and approved men should succeed to their ministry." Wherefore we cannot think those may justly be thrown out of their ministry who were either appointed by them, or afterward by other eminent men, with the consent of the whole church, συνευδοκησάσης τῆς εκκλησίας πάσης. Those persons who received, in this manner, the concurring suffrages of the church, were to be men of tried character, and of good report with all, μεμαρτυρημένους τε πολλοῖς χρόνοις ὑπὸ πάντων. This concurrence of the whole church, based upon their previous acquaintance with the candidates, evinces clearly the co-operation of the church in the appointment of its ministers; and that this intervention of the church was not merely a power of negativing an appointment made by some other authority.*

The fullest evidence that bishops and presbyters were chosen by the people, is also derived from Cyprian. It was, according to his authority, a rule of Divine appointment that a minister should be chosen in the presence of the people, and should be publicly acknowledged and approved as worthy of the office.† He further says, that the act of ordination should in no instance be solemnized

The apostles appointed bishops and deacons,-Kai μetaži inwoμỳv dedwxasiv, ὅπως ἐὰν κοιμηθῶσιν, διαδέξωνται ἕτεροι δεδοκιμασμένοι ἄνδρες τὴν λειτουργίαν αὐτῶν. Τοὺς οὖν κατασταλέντας ὑπ ̓ ἐκείνων, ἢ μεταξὺ ὑφ ̓ ἑτέρων ἐλλογίμων ἀνδρῶν, συνευδοκησάσης τῆς ἐκκλησίας πάσης, καὶ λειτουργήσαντας ἀμέμπτως τῷ ποιμνίω τοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ ταπεινοφροσύνης, ἡσύχως καὶ ἀβαναύσως, μεμαρτυρημένους τε πολλοῖς χρόνοις ὑπο πάντων, τούτους οὐ δικαίως νομίζομεν ἀποβαλέσθαι τῆς λειτουργίας.—CLEM. Rom. Ep. 1, ad Corinth. & 44.

† Plebe presente sub omnium oculis deligatur, dignus atque idoneus publico judicio ac testimonio comprobetur.-Epist. 68. Comp. Epist. 52, 33.

without the knowledge and assistance of the people, so that the crimes of the bad may be detected, and the merits of the good made known. In this manner the ordination becomes regular and valid, justa et legitima. Such, he observes, was the example of the apostles, not only in the appointment of bishops and ministers, but also of deacons. And all this was done to prevent the intrusion of unworthy men into the sacred office. Again, he says of Cornelius, "that he was made bishop agreeably to the will of God and of Christ, by the testimony of almost all the clergy, and the suffrage of the people then present."

It is worthy of remark that the original word xepotovεiv, which the apostle uses in several instances, signifies, both in classical and ecclesiastical writers, to vote by uplifted hands. Demosthenes, in his oration for the crown, says that the people ó dâμos elected him exεpoτóvnσav, as a commissary. On another occasion he makes use of the same terms in saying that they chose him to deliver an oration over those who fell at Chersonea; and the word he several times uses to express an election by vote of the people.5 Antisthenes, ridiculing the people of Athens for appointing their generals by popular vote, without reference to their qualifications, advises the Athenians to vote npioaodai that asses are horses, which would be no more absurd than that men without experience should become generals merely by election—μόνον δέ χειροτονη Σέντες.

Ignatius directs the church at Philadelphia to choose a deacon, and the church at Smyrna to choose a delegate to go to Antioch, in both instances using the same word xepoτovnoa to express this election by a popular vote. In all these instances, and such examples might be multiplied indefinitely, the word cannot possibly denote a consecration or induction into office by the laying on of hands, as prelatists contend is its meaning, but it indicates a popular vote by uplifted hand.

That the appointment of the clergy to their office was dependent upon the choice of the people, is confirmed by the evidence from the example of Alexander Severus, who reigned from A. D. 222 to 235. Whenever he was about to appoint any governor of a province or receiver of the public revenue, he publicly proposed their names, desiring the people to make evidence against them, if any one could prove them guilty of any crime, but assuring them that if they accused them falsely, it should be at the peril of their lives; for he said "it was unreasonable that, when the Christians and

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