Epistle of only one that reconciles the statements of history, be admitted, the For the Gentile portion: Linus, and Cletus, or Anacletus. For the whole reunited: Clement. The Epistle to which I allude, must have been written after this union took place; for, although it is called an Epistle of Clement, yet it is really an Epistle from the Church at Rome to the Church of Corinth; and the strict intimacy which subsisted between these two Churches, and which amply accounts for such an Epistle having been written, was probably through the Gentiles, rather than through the Jewish converts. For it is to be remembered, that their link of union was St. Paul, who at Corinth first met with Aquila and Priscilla. To his residence at Corinth, they doubtless traced the first interest which he took in their conversion; and it is more than probable, that that interest would be shared by the Corinthians themselves, and be the foundation of a lasting intimacy. That such an intimacy did subsist between these two Churches may be proved from an Epistle, written by Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, to the Church of Rome, towards the end of the second century; part of which is preserved by Eusebius, (Lib. IV. C. 23;) and may further account for what is there noticed, that the above-mentioned Epistle of Clement used to be read at Corinth as a portion of the Church service. This Epistle, then, is an interesting monument of the admission peculiar connexion between the two Churches. It is not the decree of a superior to an inferior body of Christians, but the affectionate remonstrance of friends and fellow-christians on the renewal of those schisms at Corinth, which had before called for the interference of St. Paul. The Church of Rome reminds them (C. 47) of their common apostle's authority and advice, as still preserved in those Epistles; and, as if careful not to offend by appearing to assume any authority over them, by this act of friendly interference, accompanies all its advice with expressions like these; "Beloved, in this Epistle we are not only suggesting advice to you, but refreshing our own minds with our duty; for our station is the same, and the same our course of duty. Beloved, the custom we adopt of reproving one another is excellent, and beyond measure useful; for it unites us to the will of God;" and it concludes with nothing stronger than an anxious wish that the messengers may bring back an account of that harmony which they so desired and prayed for. Is it likely that the Church of Rome or its bishop, would have Disproves the claim or of any Supremacy. 85 More than one instance will be found, subsequently recorded in ecclesiastical history, of schisms being ended by the temporary appointment of two bishops. See in Theodoret (Lib. V. C. 3,) the proposal of Melitus, bishop of Antioch, to Paulinus, to settle the opposition between them in this manner. The same offer was made by the Catholic bishops of Africa to the Donatists, in the conference be tween them at Carthage; and from the way in which it was proposed, it would seem to have been, at that time, no unusual expedient. "Nec novum aliquid fiet," &c.-Collat. Carthag. Cognito I. Sec. 16. Labbæi Concil. Tom. II. p. 1352. neglected to mingle salutary threats of punishment and hints of a superintending authority with its exhortations, as St. Paul did in his Epistles, if either Church or bishop had then possessed apostolical control or superintendence over other Churches? Indeed, if such an authority had been vested in the Church of Rome, it is impossible that no more should be left on record of its intercourse with the other primitive Churches, in a season which, above all others, seemed to require the active superintendence of a common Head, if any there were on earth. Subsequently to the writing of this Epistle, all, perhaps, that deserves notice concerning the state of affairs at Rome, is the Epistle which Ignatius addressed to them, in his journey thither as a con- so also the demned martyr. This Epistle, no less than the former, although in Epistle of Ignatius. a different way, confirms the protestant's assertion, that all Churches are independent of Rome and the Romish bishop. Ignatius writes to them in the same independent tone which appears in his Epistles to other Churches; and, in one place particularly, speaks of the joint founders of that Church, in a way which is certainly inconsistent with the view of their successors being invested with a similar character. He had been desiring their prayers for him in his approaching trial; and he adds, "I do not command you as if I were Peter or Paul; they were apostles." Would he, who of all writers, ancient or modern, most insists on the authority of the Christian ministry, in all its gradations, have neglected here to remind the Romans of the character of their bishop, if it were different from his own? Could he have failed to allude to the infallible authority that still abode with them, if there were any, since that of Peter and Paul? The author of this Epistle soon after suffered martyrdom in the object of that Epistle. Coliseum at Rome; and the chief object of sending the Epistle before him, appears to have been to prevent any rash attempt on the part of the Christians there to rescue him. Any turbulent or disobedient spirit, which might have been thus displayed in the capital of the empire, would of course have been tenfold more dangerous to the furtherance of the Gospel, in awakening the suspicions of the Gentile government, than any thing which might take place elsewhere. The Epistle was admirably adapted to accomplish this; and the warm expressions which it contains, concerning the joys of martyrdom, will not seem unnatural and extravagant, if regarded with this view. A cold appeal to the prudence of his brethren at Rome would, with the strong excitement of feeling which his case produced amongst them, have been scarcely listened to. To desert the holy man from prudential motives, might have seemed to them mean and dastardly. It was requisite to represent the fate that threatened him, as not only good and glorious, but absolutely pleasurable. This is the spirit of all Ignatius's Epistles, but most of all, of that in which it was most needed. Its His remonstrance was, perhaps, not misplaced; for the fact, that his remains were gathered up, as if from a melancholy effort to find some safe way of testifying their regard, seems to indicate, that unless precaution had been used, some imprudent attempt to rescue him might have been made. THE CHURCH AT ALEXANDRIA. 86 To To these notices of the primitive Churches of Jerusalem and Rome, it would be desirable to add some account of the Church of Alexandria; as its influence on the character of the Christian world was certainly not less than that of either of the preceding. But it would be impossible to introduce such a history of it, as would be at once useful, and compatible with the scheme of this inquiry. At the same time, it may not be improper to remind the reader, of the several allusions which have been already made to the corrupt tencorruption. dency of this Church from the earliest times; and to state briefly, that out" of the false knowledge" cultivated here, proceeded directly, or indirectly, nearly all the heresies of the first ages. this day, indeed, remains may be traced in the Christian world, of the false and fatal notions which took their rise in Alexandria; and Christians and divines have not yet ceased to find Christianity in Plato, and to regard his metaphysical speculations on the nature of the Deity, as glimpses of revelation; or at least, as anticipations of Divine truths, which they know not how to attribute to mere human ingenuity. And it must be confessed, that some of the metaphysical views, which, from time to time, have been taken of the doctrine of the Trinity, display a coincidence with Plato's system, too minutely exact to have been accidental. To one who adopts them, the conclusion must be unavoidable, that either Plato's knowledge was derived from inspiration, or that Christianity was derived from Plato. But we "have not so learned Christ." SCHOOLS, CATECHISTS, AND CATECHISMS. We are contemplating the primitive Church in the performance of its office of dispensing the revelation recorded and intrusted to its keeping; and we have seen it, with this object in view, interweaving the holy Scriptures into the stated service of God; main 86 Melancthon's assertion, that all the early Fathers were more or less infected with Platonism, is not without some foundation. "Statim post Ecclesiæ auspicia, per Platonicam Philosophiam Christiana doctrina labefactata est. Ita factum est, ut, præter canonicas Scripturas, nullæ sint in Ecclesia sinceræ literæ. Redolet philosophiam quicquid omnino commentariorum extat."-De libero arbitrio, inter Locos Communes. Mosheim arrives nearly at the same conclusion in his "Dissertatio de turbata per recentiores Platonicos Ecclesia." An exposure of Origen's Platonism may be found in Paganinus Gaudentius," De Comparatione dogmatum Origenis cum philosophia Platonis." Mr. Daillé, in his severe censure of the Fathers, has avowedly spared Origen, from a feeling, it would seem, that those who have exposed his errors, were themselves infected with the like; "neque dissimulandum est, eos qui adversus Origenem scripserunt, non fuisse in his disputationibus tanta felicitate versatos, ut, dum hujus errores oppugnant, in nullos ipsi occurrerint." -De vero Usu Patrum, p. 265. taining a separate order of men for officiating, and for interpreting, as well as for reading this record; and also employing them in offering the truths it contains to strangers and the heathen, as well as to the brethren. But the Church's trusteeship was, to a certain extent, discretionary. Its first duty was thus to afford to all, access to the Word of God, as God gave it; its next, to resort to every method of communicating that Word, which should render it in each case most intelligible or acceptable. The unconverted would require to be addressed in a different form from the Christian already instructed; and, among both converted and unconverted, there would exist an endless variety of intellectual habits and capacities, which would require the truths of the Gospel to be shaped accordingly. The great body of those, then, to whom Gospel truths were addressed, are commonly divided into two classes; the catechumens, or those who were preparing by an appointed course of instruction (xaτnxnos) for baptism; and the fideles (Tol,) or complete Christians (τέλειοι). instructing Christians. With respect to the latter, the Gospel truths were dispensed, not Mode of only as they were found in Scripture, but systematically arranged the in Sermons, in Creeds, and in other formulas of religious instruction. confirmed For the purpose of conveying scriptural truth by these channels, either more compendiously, or more in accordance with the previous knowledge or general pursuits of those addressed, technical terms were introduced; which, although not occurring in Scripture, might represent certain doctrines contained there. The word Trinity may serve to illustrate what is here meant. Catechists. The duties of catechist, or instructor of these catechumens, The appear to have been discharged occasionally by all the orders of the ministry, from the bishop to the lowest deacon. To avoid scandal, the female catechumens were generally taught by that ancient order, the deaconesses, or widows; of which mention has been formerly The made, and of whose original appointment this was probably the main Deaconesses. instruction The candidates for baptism went through a course of instruction The first suited to each; but in what their catechism generally consisted, we probably know no further than that the sum of it was repentance and faith. Historical. In what it would naturally consist, as contrasted with the after instruction of the mature Christian, is a question on which it is not difficult to decide. The original and primary character of the Gospel scheme is historical; and the first office of its original preachers, accordingly, that of witnesses to facts. An historical account of the events of the sacred record would therefore seem, 87 See Bingham's Eccl. Antiq. Book II. Ch. XXII. Sec. 9. Agreeably to this view, the African Churches, in the decree of the Council of Carthage, specify among the qualifications of a deaconess, almost certainly, to be the appropriate instruction of the catechumen, if we had no clue to guide us beyond the character of the subject to be handled. But this presumption is greatly increased, by comparing it with what actually did take place during the apostolic ministry, in the few instances on record of what approaches nearest to catechetical instruction-the preaching of the apostles and others to an unconverted audience. In St. Paul's address to the Jews at Jerusalem, and to the Gentiles at Athens, his teaching is strictly of this character; and that this did not arise from any peculiar habit of composition, is evident from his Epistles, in which quite a Advantages different method is pursued. The point has been thought thus much worthy of notice, because it is not unreasonable to believe, that if the custom of so teaching Christianity to the young and the unlearned, were more common, the abstract truths would be more easily and naturally understood, afterwards. Whereas, to begin with these, gives the whole an abstruse and unattractive air to most; and creates a difficulty, in that study which was intended for the humblest capacities. of such a method, Children. Schools. Separate establishments existed for the children of Christians and for the adult catechumens, as might naturally be expected; and the early use of sponsors marks the anxious care of the Church, that provision should be made for preventing in all cases a mere conformity to custom. With regard to the places in which the catechumens received their education and training, although these seem to have been in some instances separate and appropriate, yet in others, the Church, or some part of it, was appointed for this purpose. 88 It is scarcely possible to pursue, even in imagination, the stages which connect all these simple seminaries of elementary religion with those splendid and elaborate institutions, in which religion and useful learning are now united; and which are among the most powerful instruments employed, by our own Church especially, for dispensing the faith which she has in keeping. 88 Bingham, Book III. Ch. X. Sec. 4. |