The Works of the Rev. Joseph Bingham - Joseph Bingham - Google Bøker

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Of the different forms and parts of the ancient churches. And first

of the exterior narthex, or ante-temple.

SECT. I. Churches anciently of different forms, 50.-II. And different situ-

ations from one another, 52.-III. Commonly divided into three parts,

and sometimes into four or five, 54.--IV. And these subdivided into other

parts. The exterior narthex, or ante-temple, included first the πрожνλоν,

or vestibulum, the porch, 55.—V. The atrium, or the area, or court, be-

fore the church, surrounded with porticoes or cloisters, 55.-VI. In the

middle of which stood a fountain for washing as they entered into the

church, called cantharus and phiala in some authors, 56.-VII. Whe-

ther the superstitious use of holy water be a corruption of this an-

cient custom, 57.—VIII. The atrium and porticoes in the ante-temple,

only made use of for burying the dead, 58.

CHAPTER IV.

Of the interior narthex, and the parts and uses of it.

SECT. I. Of the lesser πрóжυλa, or porches, before the doors of the church,

59.-II. Of the narthex, рóvaos, or ferula, 60.-III. The use of it for

the catechumens and penitents of the second order, 61.-IV. Also for

Jews, Heathens, heretics, and schismatics to hear in, 62.-V. This not

the place of the font, or baptistery, as in our modern churches, 62.-

VI. Why called narthex, and of the different sorts of nartheces in several

CHAPTER V.

Of the naos, or nave of the church, and its parts and uses.

SECT. I. Of the beautiful and royal gates. Why so called, 64.-II. The

nave of the church usually a square building, called by some the oratory

of laymen, 65.—III. In the lowest part of which stood the substrati,

or penitents of the third order, 65.—IV. And the ambo or reading-desk,

66.-V. And above this the communicants and fourth order of peni-

tents, called consistentes, had their places, 69.-VI. The places of men

and women usually separate from each other, 70.-VII. Why these

places of the women were called κατηχούμενα and ὑπερῶα, 73.—VIII.

Private cells for meditation, reading, and prayer, on the back of these,

74.-IX. The place of the virgins and widows distinguished from others,

74.-X. The owλeîov, or solea, that is, the magistrate's throne, in this

part of the church, 76.

Of the bema, or third part of the temple, called the altar and the sanctuary,

and the parts and uses of it.

SECT. I. The chancel, anciently called bema, or tribunal, 79.-II. Also

aylov, or leparetov, and sacrarium, the holy, or the sanctuary, 80.-III.

And Ovσiaσrnpiov, the altar-part, 81.-IV. Presbyterium and diaconicum,

81.-V. Also chorus, or choir, 82.-VI. This place separated from the

rest by rails, called cancelli, whence comes chancel, 82.—VII. And kept

inaccessible to the multitude: whence it was called adyta, 82.—VIII.

The holy gates, and veils, or hangings, dividing the chancel from the

rest of the church, 84.-IX. The highest part of the chancel called

apsis, exedra, or conchula bematis, 86.-X. This anciently the place of the

thrones of the bishop and his presbyters, 87.-XI. And of the altar or

communion-table, 89.-XII. Both these names indifferently used in the

Primitive Church, 90.-XIII. In what sense the Ancients say, they had

no altars, 92.—XIV. Of the names holy table, mystical table, &c. 93.—

XV. Altars generally made of wood till the time of Constantine, 94.—

XVI. But one altar anciently in a church, 96.-XVII. And sometimes

but one in a city, though several churches, according to some authors,

98.-XVIII. Of the ciborium, or canopy of the altar, 100.-XIX. Of the

peristerion or columbæ, 101.—XX. When first the figure of the cross

set upon the altar, 103.-XXI. Of some other ornaments and utensils

of the altar, 104.--XXII. Of the oblationarium, or prothesis, 112.--

XXIII. Of the sceuophylacium, or diaconicum bematis, 115.

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

SECT. I. Baptisteries anciently buildings distinct from the church, 116.

-II. These very capacious, and why, 119.-III. Why called porLOTŃ-

pia, places of illumination, 120.-IV. Of the difference between a

baptistery and a font. And why the font called piscina and koλvμßýėpa,

121.-V. How fonts and baptisteries were anciently adorned, 122.-VI.

Baptisteries anciently more peculiar to the mother-church, 123.-VII.

Of the secretarium, or diaconicum magnum, the vestry, 125.-VIII. Why

called receptorium, or salutatorium, 127.-IX. Of the decanica or prisons

of the church, 128.—X. Of the mitatorium or metatorium, 129.—XI. Of

the gazophylacium and pastophoria, 130.-XII. Of the schools and

libraries of the church, 133.-XIII. In what sense dwelling-houses,

gardens, and baths, reckoned parts of the church, 136.-XIV. When

organs first came to be used in the church, 137.-XV. Of the original

of bells, and how church-assemblies were called before their invention,

Of the anathemata, and other ornaments of the ancient churches.

SECT. I. What the Ancients meant by their anathemata in churches, 147.

-II. One particular kind of these, called exтutóμata, when first brought

into churches, 150.-III. Churches anciently adorned with portions of

Scripture written upon the walls, 152.—IV. And with other inscriptions

of human composition, 152.-V. Gilding and mosaic work used in the an-

cient churches, 154.-VI. No pictures or images allowed in churches for

the first three hundred years, 155.-VII. First brought in by Paulinus

and his contemporaries privately, and by degrees, in the latter end of the

fourth century, 161.-VIII. The pictures of kings and bishops brought

into the church about the same time, 163.—IX. But neither pictures of

the living or dead designed for worship, 165.-X. No images of God or

the Trinity allowed in churches till after the second Nicene Council,

166.-XI. Nor usually statues or massy images, but only paintings and

pictures, and those symbolical rather than any other, 167.-XII. Of

adorning the church with flowers and branches, 169.

CHAPTER IX.

Of the consecration of churches.

SECT. I. What the Ancients meant by the consecration of churches, 171.—II.

The first authentic accounts of this to be fetched from the fourth century,

172.-III. The bishop in every diocese the ordinary minister of these

consecrations, 176.-IV. No church to be built without the bishop's

leave, 177.-V. Nor till the bishop had first made a solemn prayer in

the place where it was to be built, 177.—VI. No bishop to consecrate a

church in another diocese except necessity required it, 178.—VII. No

necessity of a license from the bishop of Rome for a bishop to conse-

crate in former ages, 180.-VIII. Churches always dedicated to God

and not to saints, though sometimes distinguished by their names for a

memorial of them, 181.-IX. Churches sometimes named from their

founders or other circumstances in their building, 183.-X. When altars

first began to have a particular consecration with new ceremonies dis-

tinct from churches, 185.-XI. No church to be built or consecrated

before it was endowed, 185.-XII. Yet bishops not to demand any

thing for consecration, 186.-XIII. Consecrations performed indif-

ferently upon any day, 186.-XIV. The day of consecration usually

celebrated among their anniversary festivals, 187.

Of the respect and reverence which the primitive Christians paid to their

SECT. I. Churches never put to any profane use, but only sacred and

religious service, 187.-II. The like caution observed about the sacred

vessels and utensils of the church, 189.-III. What difference made

between churches and private houses, 192.-IV. How some chose

rather to die than deliver up churches to be profaned by heretics, 192.

-V. The ceremony of washing their hands when they went into church,

194.-VI. The ceremony of putting off their shoes used by some; but

this no general custom, 194.-VII. Whether the Ancients used the

ceremony of bowing toward the altar at their entrance into the church,

195.-VIII. Kings laid aside their crowns and guards when they went

into the house of the King of kings, 196.—IX. The doors and pillars of

the church and altar often kissed and embraced in token of love and

respect to them, 197.-X. Churches used for private meditation and

prayer, as well as public, 198.-XI. Their public behaviour in the

church expressive of great reverence, 199.-XII. Churches the safest

repository for things of any value, and the best retreat in times of dis-

Of the first original of asylums, or places of sanctuary and refuge, with

the laws relating to them in Christian Churches.

SECT. I. The original of this privilege to be deduced from the time of

Constantine, 202.-II. At first only the altar and inner fabric of the

church the place of refuge; but afterwards any outer buildings or pre-

cincts of the church invested with the same privilege, 204.-III. What

persons allowed to take sanctuary, 206.-IV. What sort of persons and

crimes denied this privilege. First, public debtors, 208.-V. Secondly,

Jews that pretended to turn Christians only to avoid paying their debts,

or suffering legal punishment for their crimes, 209.-VI. Thirdly,

heretics and apostates, 210.-VII. Fourthly, slaves that fled from their

masters, 211.-VIII. Fifthly, robbers, murderers, conspirators, ravishers

of virgins, adulterers, and other criminals of the like nature, 213.-IX.

A just reflection upon the great abuse of modern sanctuaries, in ex-

empting men from legal punishment, and enervating the force of civil

laws, 214.-X. Conditions anciently to be observed by such as fled for

sanctuary. First, no one to fly with arms into the church, 215.-XI.

Secondly, no one to raise a seditious clamour or tumult, as he fled

thither, 216.-XII. Thirdly, no one to eat or lodge in the church, but

to be entertained in some outward building, 217.

A GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH, OR AN

ACCOUNT OF ITS DIVISION INTO PROVINCES,

PARISHES: AND OF THE FIRST ORIGINAL OF THESE.

Of the state and division of the Roman Empire, and of the Church's con-

forming to that in modelling her own external polity and government.

SECT. I. The state of the Roman Empire in the days of the Apostles, 218.

-II. The state of the Church conformable to it, 219.-III. The division

of the Roman Empire into provinces and dioceses, 220.-IV. The same

model followed by the Church, 220.—V. This evidenced from the Civil

Notitia of the Empire, 221.-VI. Compared with the most ancient

accounts of the division of provinces in the Church, 223.-VII. This

evidenced further from the rules and canons of the Church, 228.-

VIII. Yet the Church not tied precisely to observe this model, but used

her liberty in varying from it, 232.-IX. An account of the ecclesiæ sub-

urbicaria in the district of the Roman Church, 233.-X. This most

probably the true ancient limits of the bishop of Rome's both metro-

political and patriarchal jurisdiction, 236.—XI. Some evident proofs of

this, 238.-XII. The contrary exceptions of Schelstrate, relating to the

Britannic Church, considered, 245.

A more particular account of the number, nature, and extent of dioceses, or

episcopal Churches, in Africa, Egypt, and other Eastern provinces.

SECT. I. Dioceses anciently called Tapoikia, parœchiæ, 251.-II. When

the name diocese began first to be used, 253.-III. What meant by the

πроáσтeiα, or suburbs of a city, 254.-IV. Dioceses not generally so

large in nations of the first conversion, as in those converted in the

middle ages of the Church, 256.-V. A particular account of the

dioceses of Afric, 257.-VI. Of the dioceses of Egypt, Libya, and Pen-

tapolis, 266.-VII. Of the dioceses of Arabia. And why these more

frequently in villages than in other places, 271.--VIII. Of the diocese

of Palestine, or the patriarchate of Jerusalem, 273.-IX. A catalogue of

the provinces and dioceses under the Patriarch of Antioch, 281.-X.

Observations on the dioceses of Cyprus, 283.-XI. Of the dioceses of

Syria, Prima and Secunda, 284.-XII. Of the dioceses of Phoenicia,

Prima and Secunda or Libani, 286.-XIII. Of Theodorias, 288.-XIV.

Of Euphratesia, or Comagene, 288.--XV. Of Osrhoëne and Mesopo-

tamia, 290.-XVI. Of Armenia Persica, 291.-XVII. Of Assyria, or

Adiabene, and Chaldæa, 292.-XVIII. Of the Immireni in Persia, and

Homeritæ in Arabia Felix, 294.-XIX. Of bishops among the Saracens

in Arabia, 295.-XX. Bishops of the Axumites, or Indians beyond

A continuation of this account of the provinces of Asia Minor.

SECT. I. Of the extent of Asia Minor and the number of dioceses con-

tained therein, 300.--II. Of Cappadocia and Armenia Minor, 303.-

III. Of Pontus Polemoniacus, 307.-IV. Of Hellenopontus, 308.-V.

Of Paphlagonia and Galatia, 309.-VI. Of Honorias, 310.-VII. Of

Bithynia, Prima and Secunda, 311.-VIII. Provinces in the Asiatic

diocese. Hellespontus, 312.-IX. Asia Lydiana, or Proconsularis, 313.

X. Of Caria, 315.-XI. Of Lycia, 316.-XII. Of Pamphylia, Prima and

Secunda, 317.-XIII. Of Lycaonia, 318.-XIV. Of Pisidia, 318.—XV.

Of Phrygia, Pacatiana and Salutaris, 318.-XVI. Of Isauria and Cilicia,

320.-XVII. Of Lazica, or Colchis, 321.-XVIII. Of the Isle of

Lesbos, and the Cyclades, 322.

A continuation of the former account in the European provinces.

SECT. I. Of the six provinces of Thrace. And first of Scythia, 323.-

II. Of Europa, 323.-III. Of Thracia, 325.-IV. Of Hæmimontis, 325.

-V. Of Rhodope, 325.-VI. Of Moesia Secunda, 325.-VII. Provinces

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