OR THE

ANTIQUITIES

OF

THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
RISTIAN

AND

OTHER WORKS,

OF THE

REV. JOSEPH BINGHAM, M.A.

Formerly Fellow of University College, Oxford; and afterwards Rector of
Headbourn Worthy, and Havant, Hampshire;

WITH A

SET OF MAPS OF ECCLESIASTICAL GEOGRAPHY,

TO WHICH ARE NOW ADDED,

SEVERAL SERMONS,

AND OTHER MATTER, NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED,

The whole Revised and Edited, together with

A Biographical Account of the Author,

BY HIS GREAT GRANDSON,

THE REV. RICHARD BINGHAM, B.C.L.

Prebendary of Chichester, Vicar of Hale Magna,

Incumbent of Gosport Chapel, and formerly Fellow of New College, Oxford.

IN EIGHT VOLUMES.-VOL. VI.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR WILLIAM STRAKER,

443, WEST STRAND.

MDCCCXXXIV.

CONTENTS.

BOOK XVI.

OF THE UNITY AND DISCIPLINE OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH.

CHAP. I.

Of the Union and Communion observed among Catholics in the

Ancient Church.

SECT. 1. Of the Fundamental Unity of Faith and Obedience to the Laws of

Christ.-2. Of the Unity of Love and Charity, as an Essential part of

Christian Obedience.-3. Other Sorts of Unity necessary to the Well-

being of the Church.-4. Among these was reckoned, first the necessary

Use of One Baptism, ordinarily to be administered by the Hands of a

Regular Ministry.-5. Secondly, Unity of Worship, in joining with the

Church in Prayers and Administration of the Word and Sacraments.-

6. Thirdly, the Unity of Subjection of Presbyters and people to their

Bishop, and Obedience to all Public Orders of the Church in Matters

of an indifferent Nature.-7. Fourthly, the Unity of Submission to the

Discipline of the Church.-8. How different Churches maintained Com-

munion with one another. First in the Common Faith.-9. Secondly,

in mutual Assistance of each other for Defence of the Common Faith.-

10. Thirdly, in joining in Communion with each other in all Holy

Offices, as occasion required,-11. Fourthly, in mutual consent to ratify

all Legal Acts of Discipline, regularly exercised in any Church what-

soever.-12. Fifthly, in receiving Unanimously the Customs of the Uni-

versal Church, and submitting to the Decrees of General Councils.—

13. Sixthly, in submitting to the Decrees of National Councils.-14. No

Necessity of a visible Head to unite all parts of the Catholic Church into

one Communion.-15. Nor any Necessity that the whole Church should

agree in the same Rites and Ceremonies, which were things of an indif-

ferent Nature.-16. What allowance was made for Men, who, out of

simple ignorance break Communion with one another.-17. Of different

Degrees of Unity; and that no one was esteemed to be in the perfect

Unity of the Church, who was not in full Communion with her.

CHAP. II.

Of the Discipline of the Church, and the various Kinds of it;

together with the various Methods observed in the Administra-

tion of it.

SECT. 1. That the Discipline of the Church did not consist in Cancelling or

Disannulling any Man's Baptism.-2. But in excluding Men, from the

common Benefits and Privileges consequent to Baptism.-3. This Power

originally a mere spiritual Power: though in some Cases the secular

Arm was called in to give its Assistance.-4. This Assistance never re-

quired to proceed so far, as for mere Error to take away Life, or shed

Blood.-5. The Discipline of the Church deprived no Man of his natural

or civil Right; much less the Magistrate of his Power, or Allegiance

due to him. But, consisted, first, in Admonition of the Offender.-

7. Secondly, in Suspension from the Communion, called the lesser Ex-

communication.-8. Thirdly, in Expulsion from the Church, called, the

greater Excommunication, total Separation, Anathema, and the like.

9. This Sort of Excommunication commonly notified to other Churches.

10. After which he that was excommunicated in one Church, was held

excommunicate in all Churches.-11. And avoided also in civil Com-

merce and outward Conversation and allowed no Memorial after Death.

12. The Grounds and Reasons of this Practice.-13. No Donations or

Oblations allowed to be received from excommunicate Persons.-14.

No one to marry with excommunicate Heretics, or receive their Eulo-

giæ, or read their Books, but burn them.-15. What meant by deliver-

ing unto Satan.-16. What by Anathema Maranatha. And whether

any such Forms were in Use in the Ancient Church.-17. Whether Ex-

communication was ever pronounced with Execration, or devoting the

Sinner to temporal Destruction.

CHAP. III.

Of the Objects of Ecclesiastical Censures, or the Persons, on whom

they might be inflicted: with a General Account of the Crimes,

for which they might be inflicted.

SECT. 1. All Members of the Church, falling into great and scandalous

Crimes, made liable to ecclesiastical Censures without Exception.-

2. Women as well as Men.-3. The Rich as well as the Poor. No

Commutation of Penance allowed, nor Friendship, nor Favour.-4.

What Privilege some claimed upon the Intercession of the Martyrs in

Prison for them: and how this was answered by Cyprian.-5. Magis-

trates and Princes subject to Ecclesiastical Censures as well as any

others.-6. In what cases the greater excommunication was forborne

for the Good of the Church.-7. The Innocent never involved among the

Guilty in ecclesiastical Censures. The Original and Novelty of popish

Interdicts.-8. The Danger of excommunicating innocent Persons.-9.

No one to be excommunicated without being first heard and allowed to

speak for himself.-10. Nor without legal Conviction, either by his own

Confession; or credible Evidence of Witnesses, against whom there

was no just Exception; or such Notoriety of the Fact, as made a Man

liable to Excommunication Ipso Facto, without any formal Denunciation.

11. Excommunication not ordinarily inflicted on Minors, or Children

under Age.-12. How Persons were sometimes excommunicated after

Death.-13. The Censures of the Church not to be inflicted for small

Offences.-14. What the Ancients meant by small Offences in this Mat-

ter, and how they distinguished them from the greater.-15. Excommu-

nication not inflicted for temporal Causes.-16. No Bishop allowed to

use it to avenge any private Injury done to himself.-No Man to be

excommunicated for Sins only in Design and Intention.-18. Nor for

forced or involuntary Actions,

CHAP. IV.

A Particular Account of those called, Great Crimes. Of Trans-

gressions of the First and Second Commandment. Of the

Principal of these, viz. Idolatry. Of the several Species of

Idolatry, and Degrees of Punishment allotted to them accord-

ing to the Proportion and Quality of the Offences.

SECT. 1. The Mistake of some about the Number of great Crimes, in con-

fining them to Idolatry, Adultery, and Murder.-2. The Account given

of great Crimes, in the civil Law extended much further.-

3. In the ecclesiastical Law the Account of great Crimes ex-

tended to the whole Decalogue.-4. A particular Enumeration of the

great Crimes against the first and second Commandments. Of Idolatry,

and the several Species or Branches of it.-5. Of the Sacrificati and

Thurificati, or such as fell into Idolatry by offering lucense to Idols,

or partaking of the Sacrifices.-6. Of the Libellatici. Wherein their Ido-

latry consisted.-7. Of those, who feigned themselves mad, to avoid

Sacrificing.-8. Of Contributors to Idolatry. Of the Flamines, Mune-

rarii, and Coronati. What they were, and how guilty of Idolatry.-9.

How the Office of the Duumvirate made Men guilty of Idolatry, and how

it was punished.-10. How Actors and Stage-players, and Charioteers,

and other Gamesters, and Frequenters of the Theatre and the Circus

were charged with Idolatry, and punished for it.-11. Idol-makers, their

Crime and Punishment.-12. The Idolatry of building heathen Tem-

ples and Altars.-13. Of Merchants selling Frankincense to the Idol

Temples; and the Buyers and Sellers of the public Victims.-14. Of

eating Things offered to Idols. How and when it stood chargeable with

Idolatry.-15. Whether a Christian out of Curiosity might be present

at an Idol-Sacrifice, not joining in the Service.-16. Whether he might

eat his own Meat in an Idol-Temple.-17. Or feast with the Heathen

on their Idol-Festivals.-18. Of the Idolatry of worshipping Angels,

Saints, Martyrs, Images, &c.-19. Of Encouragers of Idolatry and

Counivers at it. And of the contrary Extreme in demolishing Idols

without sufficient Authority to do it.