THE GREEK AND LATIN PULPIT. A COMPLETE historical criticism upon the preaching of "the fathers" must be considered a desideratum in theological literature. Such a work would present a thorough and faithful delineation of the early pulpit, in reference to the places, frequency, manner, and form of public discourse, the doctrines inculcated, the integrity and ability of the preachers, and the value of their extant productions. It will be obvious that the briefest possible allusion to these several points, is all that can here be attempted. At the first, public worship was extremely simple. The places of assembling were, undoubtedly, the private houses of the Christians; sometimes, the streets or the fields; and, during persecutions, solitary Under such circumstances the first preachers declared the simple but sublime truths of the Gospel. In process of time, however, it became necessary to have some uniform place of gathering, and houses of public worship were provided. In his history of the time of Diocletian (A.D. 284), Eusebius makes mention of "famous assemblies in the churches," and of the people being dissatisfied with the "old edifices," and erecting "spacious churches from the very foundations, throughout all the cities." During the persecution under the reign of this monarch, these buildings were destroyed; but, as is well known, upon the conversion of Constantine, (A.D. 324), magnificent temples every where sprung up; the emperor and men of wealth emulating each other in the work of increasing their number and splendor, oftentimes with the belief that by so doing they atoned for their sin. At some convenient point within the church-edifice was the episcopal seat, or the elevated rostrum, whence the people were addressed. As regards the frequency of preaching, it was not confined to the Sabbath. Upon festival days, and special seasons, sermons were delivered every day. The homilies of Chrysostom upon the book of Genesis were preached in course, one day after another. The same is true of those upon the Statues. It was no uncommon thing to have two, or even three sermons before the same assembly; first by the presbyters, then by the bishop. "When the Gospel is read," says the author of "Constitutions," "let the presbyters, one by one, speak the word of ex hortation, and last of all, the bishop, who is the governor or pilot of the ship."* In like manner the people were often assembled at different times on the same day, to hear the word, not unfrequently in the morn ing, and afternoon, and evening; as will be seen by Chrysostom on Bearing Reproof (Hom. xiii. t. 5), and on Genesis (Hom, x). The manner of addressing the people had several peculiarities. It was usual for the preacher to sit, and the people to stand, during the delivery of a sermon-the reverse of the present custom. The practice varied in the different churches; in some, both the preacher and the people sitting; in others, the former standing and the latter keeping their seats. But it seems to have been more common for the speaker to address his congregation, in a sitting posture, from the ambo, or reading-desk, or episcopal seat; as we know was the case with several of the most noted preachers, by repeated allusions in their discourses. This was doubtless in imitation of the form of the synagogue worship, where the teachers "sat in Moses' seat"-as also of our Saviour's habit of sitting down to address the multitude, referred to in such passages as Luke ii. 46, iv. 20, v. 3. John viii. 2. Matt. v. 1, etc. The place assigned to the sermon was immediately subsequent to the reading of the Psalms and lessons out of the Scriptures. It was usually ushered in with a short prayer for Divine aid, in which the people were called upon to join. Thus in "Augustine's Christian Orator" (Book 4, c. xv.), it is said that the preacher should pray, both for him. self and others, before he begins to teach; and "to this end, before he loose his tongue to speak, he should lift up his thirsting soul to God, that he may be able to discharge what he has imbibed, and pour forth to others, that wherewith he has filled himself." It was also usual, in many places, for the preacher, before uttering the first sentence of his sermon, to use the salutation "Pax vobis," or Peace be to you ;" to which the people replied, " And with thy spirit." Besides this the discourse was sometimes introduced with a short form of benediction (espe cially upon some happy deliverance); as in Chrysostom's fourth sermon to the people of Antioch, which begins thus: "Blessed be God, who hath comforted your sorrowful souls,” etc. Many others begin after much the same manner. It is proper to add, also, that the sermon was generally concluded with a doxology to the holy Trinity. The form which the discourse assumed, varied somewhat in different localities. At first it seems to have been much after the order of an exhortation; neither long nor eloquent, but full of warmth and love. Gradually more importance was assigned to it, and the portion of time it occupied was of a greater length. The sermons of the fathers, how ever, are almost universally short. Very few of them could have "Constitutions," and Hom. of Chrys. (3 in Col.) etc. * Lib. 2, cap. 57. |