part of the sanctuary where the oblations for the altar were received for they had two repositories for the offerings of the people, the one without the church, called gazophylacium, or treasury, and the other within the church, which was this sacrarium, or corban. And therefore it is, that that Council forbids the offerings of such Christians as were at variance one with another to be received, either in the treasury or the sanctuary. Paulinus is more exact in describing this place than any other ancient writer, yet he gives it a different name, calling it one of the secretaria of the church; for he tells us 17 there were two secretaria, one on the right hand, and the other on the left hand of the altar. That on the right hand was the same with the prothesis, or paratorium, we are speaking of, and the use of it he describes in these verses, which were set over it;—

Hic locus est veneranda penus qua conditur, et qua
Promitur alma sacri pompa ministerii ;-

This is the place where the holy food is reposited, and whence we take provision and furniture for the altar. That on the other side was the same with the diaconicum bematis, the use of which he describes in part in these two other verses, set over it also ;

Si quem sancta tenet meditandi in Lege voluntas,
Hic poterit residens Sanctis intendere Libris ;-

If any one (that is, any of the priests, whose apartment this was) is minded to meditate on the law of God, here he has room to sit and read the holy books. A little before 18 he makes the like description of these two secret apartments in prose, telling us, that the one was the place which prepared the host, or oblation of joy, for the priest;' whence, doubtless, in after-ages, as I noted before, it got the name of paratorium: and the other was a place, whither the clergy retired after the sacrifice was ended, and the people were dismissed, to make their concluding prayers in private.'

17 Ep. 12. ad Sever. p. 154. (p. 152.) Tamen cum duabus dextra lævaque conchulis intra spatiosum sui ambitum apsis sinuata laxetur, una earum immolanti hostias jubilationis antistiti patet; altera post sacerdotem capaci sinu receptat

orantes.

18 Ibid. See the preceding note. [For patet the Author would read parat, and instead of post sacerdotem he suggests post sacrificium. See the original edition, Lond. 1711. v. 3. p. 211. ED.]

bematis.

23. This latter place was a sort of vestry within the church, Of the whither the deacons brought the vestments and vessels and sceuophylacium, or utensils belonging to the altar out of the greater diaconicum, diaconicum to be in readiness for divine service. And in this respect it had also the name of σκευοφυλάκιον, the repository of the sacred utensils, because hither they were carried back immediately by the deacons, as soon as the service was ended, or whilst the post-communion-psalm was singing by the people, as the author of the Chronicon Alexandrinum 19 represents it. Here the priests also put on their robes they used to officiate in; and hither they came again, when the public service was ended, to make their private addresses to God, as has been noted already, out of Paulinus: and in the Liturgies inscribed to St. James, St. Mark 20, and St. Chrysostom 21, there are the forms of prayer appointed to be used in this place; one of which, particularly in St. James's Liturgy, is ushered in with this title, or rubric 22, The prayer to be said in the sceuophylacium, after the dismission of the people.' The deacons commonly had the care of this place, and thence it is often called the diaconicum, and bematis diaconicum, to distinguish it from another diaconicum, which we shall find in the next chapter, among the exedræ, or outer buildings of the church. Du Fresne 23 thinks

19 [Al. Paschale, ] p.892. [Ed. Paris. P. 390.] (ap. Byzant. Hist. Scriptor. t.4. p.3Ira. 7.) Επενοήθη ψάλλεσθαι μετὰ τὸ μεταλαβεῖν πάντας τῶν ἁγίων μυστηρίων, ἐν τῷ μέλλειν τοὺς κληρι κοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ σκευοφυλάκιον ἀποκαθιστάναι τὰ τίμια ῥιπίδια, δισκάρια, καὶ ποτήρια, καὶ ἄλλα ἱερὰ σκεύη, μετὰ τὸ ἐκ τῶν παρατραπεζίων τὴν διάδοσιν ἀποτεθῆναι πάντα εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν τράπεζαν, καὶ ψαλθῆναι τὸν τελευταῖον στίχον τοῦ κοινωνικοῦ, λέγεσθαι καὶ τοῦτο τὸ τροπάριον Πληρωθήτω τὸ στόμα ἡμῶν αἰνέσεως, Κύριε, ὅπως ἀνυμνήσωμεν τὴν δόξαν σου, ὅτι ἠξίωσας ἡμᾶς τῶν ἁγίων σου μετασχεῖν μυστηρίων. Τήρησον ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ σῷ ἁγιασμῷ, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν μελετῶντας τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου. ̓Αλληλουΐα. Vid. Cotel. Not. in Constit. Apost. 1.8. c. 12. (v. 1. p. 398. n. 65.) where the Chronicon is cited.

20 Liturg. Marc. ap. Bibl. Patr. Gr.-Lat. (t. 2. p. 41 c. 7.) O iepeùs εὔχεται ἐν τῷ διακονικῷ λέγων Εδω

κας ἡμῖν, δέσποτα, τὸν ἁγιασμὸν ἐν τῇ
μετουσίᾳ τοῦ παναγίου σώματος καὶ
τοῦ τιμίου αἵματος τοῦ μονογενούς
σου Υἱοῦ, κ. τ. λ.

21 Liturg. Chrysost. ibid. (p. 88
b. 9.) Εἰ δέ ἐστι διάκονος, ὁ αὐτὸς
ποιεῖ· ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς ἀπέρχεται ἐν τῷ
σκευοφυλακίῳ, καὶ ἐκδύει ἑαυτὸν, λέ-
γων τρὶς τὸ ̔́Αγιος ὁ Θεός· καὶ τὸ,
Παναγία Τριάς· καὶ τὸ, Πάτερ ἡμῶν·
τότε λέγει τὸ ἀπολυτικὸν τοῦ Χρυσο-
στόμου, κ.τ.λ.

22 Liturg. [s. Miss.] Jacob. ibid. (p. 23 c. 7.) Εὐχὴ λεγομένη ἐν τῷ σκευοφυλακίῳ μετὰ τὴν ἀπόλυσιν.

23 In Paul. Silent. p. 581. (ap. Byzant. Hist. Scriptor. t. 13. p. 225. n. 68.) Sed et non desunt, qui totum bematis extra altaris vela, atque adeo extra majorem concham, spatium, diaconicum appellatum volunt: quod quum intra vela seu παραπετάσματα solis sacerdotibus consistere liceret, quæ bematis pars inde ἱερατείον proprie dicta est, reli

Baptiste

ries ancien

ly buildings distinct

from the church.

also, that the name of diaconicum was sometimes more peculiarly given to that part of the bema, or chancel, which was between the veils of the chancel and the veils of the ciborium, or altar; and that the place within the veils of the altar was distinguished particularly by the name of presbyterium, because it was the place of the presbyters, as the other was the place of the deacons; alleging for this a canon of the Council of Laodicea 24, which others understand, in a different sense 25, for the whole chancel or sanctuary of the church.

CHAP. VII.

Of the baptistery, and other outer buildings, called the exedræ of the church.

1. We have hitherto taken a view of the several parts of the ancient churches within the walls. It now remains that we consider a little such buildings as were distinct from the main body, and yet within the bounds of the church taken in the largest sense, which buildings are all comprised under one ge

neral name of the exedra of the church. For Eusebius 26, speaking of the church of Paulinus at Tyre, says, 'when that curious artist had finished his famous structure within, he then set himself about the exedra, or buildings that joined one to another by the sides of the church;' by which buildings, he tells us, he chiefly meant the place which was for the use of those who needed the purgation and sprinkling of water and the Holy Ghost; that is, doubtless, the baptistery of the church. He describes the church of Antioch, built by Constantine, after the same manner; telling us 27, that it was surrounded with exedræ and buildings, that had lower and upper stories in them.' So that, as Valesius and other critics have rightly observed, exedræ is a general name for any buildings that stand round about the church. And hence it is easy to conclude, that the baptistery, which Eusebius reckons the chief of the exedra, was anciently a building without the walls of the church. Which observation, because I find it questioned by some, who place the font, after the modern way, in the narthex of the ancient churches, it will not be improper here to confirm by a few plain instances out of other authors.

6

Paulinus, bishop of Nola, setting forth the great munificence of his friend Severus 28, says, he built two churches and a baptistery between them both.' And so Cyril of Jerusalem describes the baptistery as a building by itself, which had first29 its προαύλιον οἶκον, that is, its porch or ante-room, where the catechumens made their renunciation of Satan, and con

26 L. Io. c. 4. p. 381. (v. Ι. p. 474. 20.). . . . Καὶ τόδε γοῦν λίθῳ μαρμάρῳ εὖ μάλα κόσμῳ παντὶ λαμπρύνας, ἤδη λοιπὸν καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἐκτὸς τοῦ νεὼ μετήει· ἐξέδρας καὶ οἴκους τοὺς παρ ̓ ἑκάτερα μεγίστους ἐπισκευάζων εὐτέχνως, ἐπὶ ταὐτὸν εἰς πλευρὰ τῷ βασιλείῳ συνεζευγμένους, καὶ ταῖς ἐπὶ τὸν μέσον οἶκον εἰσβολαῖς ἡνωμένους· ἃ καὶ αὐτ τὰ τοῖς ἔτι καθάρσεως καὶ περιρραντηρίων τῶν διὰ ὕδατος καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐγχρήζουσιν, ὁ εἰρηνικώτατος ἡμῶν Σολομῶν, ὁ τὸν νεὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ δειμάμενος, ἀπειργάζετο.

27 De Vit. Constant. l. 3. c. 50. (ibid. p. 6o5. 39.) Μακροῖς μὲν ἔξωθεν περιβόλοις τὸν πάντα νεὼν περιλαβών εἴσω δὲ, τὸν εὐκτήριον οἶκον εἰς ἀμή

χανον ἐπάρας ὕψος· ἐν ὀκταέδρου μὲν συνεστῶτα σχήματι· οἴκοις δὲ πλείοσιν, ἐξέδραις τε ἐν κύκλῳ, ὑπερῴων τε καὶ καταγείων χωρημάτων ἁπανταχόθεν περιεστοιχισμένον.

28 Ep. 12. ad Sever. (p. 140.) Τι vero etiam baptisterium basilicis duabus interpositum condidisti, ut nos in horum quoque operum, quæ visibiliter exstruuntur, ædificatione superares.

29 Catech. [19.] Mystag. 1. n. 2. (p. 306 d.) Εἰσῄειτε πρῶτον εἰς τὸν προαύλιον τοῦ βαπτιστηρίου οἶκον καὶ πρὸς τὰς δυσμὰς ἑστῶτες ἠκού σατε καὶ προσετάττεσθε ἐκτείνειν τὴν χεῖρα, καὶ ὡς παρόντι ἀπετάττεσθε τῷ Σατανᾷ.

fession of faith; and then 30 its oúrepov oikov, its inner room, where the ceremony of baptism was performed. Sidonius Apollinaris 31 also speaks of it as a distinct building, and St. Austin 32 seems to intimate that there were distinct apartments in it for men and women likewise. Which perhaps is the reason why St. Ambrose 33 speaks of it in the plural, styling it the baptisteries of the church. In the time of Justin Martyr and Tertullian we are not certain that the Church had any of these baptisteries; but this is past all doubt however from their authority, that the place of baptism was not in the church, but somewhere distinct from it. For Tertullian 34, speaking of the ceremonies of baptism, says, 'it was their custom to renounce the Devil and his pomp and his angels first in the church, and then again when they came to the water;' which implies, that the place of baptism was without the church. And so Justin Martyr 35 represents it, when he speaks of carrying the catechumen to the place where there was water: which perhaps was unlimited in those days; it being an indifferent thing, as Tertullian 36 words it, whether a man was baptized in the sea or in a lake, in a river or in a fountain, in Jordan or in Tiber, as St. Peter and St. John baptized their converts. So that the first ages all agreed in this, that whether they had baptisteries or not, the place of baptism was always without the church. And after this manner baptisteries continued to the sixth age, as appears from what Durantus 37 observes out of Gregory of Tours, that

30 Ibid. [20.] Mystag. 2. n. 1. (p. 311 b.) Διὰ τοῦτο ἀναγκαίως ὑμῖν παραθήσομαι τὰ ἑξῆς τῆς χθεσινής μυσταγωγίας, ἵνα μάθητε τίνων ἦν σύμβολα τὰ ἐφ' ὑμῶν ἐν τῷ ἐσωτέρῳ οἴκῳ γενόμενα.

s L. 4. Ep. 15. (p. 274.)... Nam baptisterium, quod olim fabricabamini, scribitis jam posse consecrari. 32 De Civitat. Dei, 1. 22. c. 8. (t. 7. p. 665 f.) ... In parte fœminarum observanti ad baptisterium, &c.

33 Ep. 33. [al. 20.] ad Marcellin. (t. 2. p. 853 b.) ... Symbolum aliquibus competentibus in baptisteriis tradebam basilicæ.

34 De Cor. Mil. c. 3. (p. 102 a.) ... Aquam adituri, ibidem, sed et

aliquanto prius in ecclesia sub antistitis manu contestamur nos renunciare diabolo, et pompæ, et angelis ejus.

35 Apol. 2. (p. 93 e.) Επειτα ἄγονται ὑφ ̓ ἡμῶν, ἔνθα ὕδωρ ἐστὶ, καὶ τρόπον ἀναγεννήσεως, ἂν καὶ ἡμεῖς auroi aveyevvýnμev, K.T..

36 De Bapt. c. 4. (p. 225 c.)... Nulla distinctio est, mari quis an stagno, flumine an fonte, lacu an alveo diluatur, nec quicquam refert inter eos quos Joannes in Jordane, et quos Petrus in Tiberi tinxit.

37 De Ritibus, &c. 1. 1. c. 19. n. 4. (p. 46.) Primum ingressi estis in porticum baptisterii.