of it failed not to avail themselves of, was the bringing of caufes in difference between other bishops and their churches to them, either to have their advice or to be decided by them and indeed this was done by the order of Conftantine himself, who enjoined, that the caufes of contending bishops fhould be brought to the bishop of Rome and his collegues, and there decided: and this was advised to by some eminent doctors of the church, particularly Ambrofe, who calls the Roman church the head of the whole Roman world or empire: and advised Theophilus, that what was committed to him by the fynod at Capua, should be referred by him to the priest of the Roman church (the pontiff). And it is no wonder that Leo I. in the fifth century, fhould require fuch refpect and obedience to himself, who claimed the apoftolical and epifcopal dignity of Peter"; and fubjection to the fee of Rome, as to the bleffed apoftle Peter: yea, he required of Theodofius the emperor himself, that the writings of the bishop of Conftantinople might be fent to him; teftifying that he embraced the true doctrine, and condemned thofe that diffented from it*. In his epiftle to the bishop of Theffalonica, he afferts his care of all the churches, and the fee of Rome to be the apoftolic fee; and ordered him, that all matters of difference should be brought to him to decide, according to the pleasure of God. He ordered the African hereticks who repented, to fend the account of their repentance and faith to him, that it might appear they were catholic. He also affumed a power of calling general councils and termed Peter's feat, or the fee of Rome, univerfal; and Peter the Præful of the fee of Rome, and the primate of all bishops. In the beginning of the fifth century, during the fixth council at Carthage, which lafted fix years, the popes Zozimus, Boniface I. and Cæleftinus I. ftrove with all their might and main to get fome fort of primacy and monarchy over the other bifhops, though they failed in their attempt ". The care of the church of Chrift at firft, with respect both to things tem poral and spiritual, lay wholly and entirely in the hands of the apostles; but finding the temporal affairs of the church too burdenfome to them, they di rected it to choose a fort of officers called Deacons, to take care of them, Ats vi. 1-6. and so there were two offices, and two only, as before observed, in the primitive apoftolic churches, Phil. i. 1. but they were foon increased, by distinguishing bishops and prefbyters, making the latter to be a distinct office from and fubfervient to the former: and afterwards offices became numerous VOL. II. 4 D Spanheim. Lagog. ad Hift. eccles. p. 221. • Ibid. Ep 9. and and before the bishop of Rome had the title of univerfal bishop by authority; and were the fame which now conftitute the hierarchy of the church of Rome, very few excepted; for even in the third century the following orders are afcribed to Caius bishop of Rome, as of his appointment, and as degrees to a bishoprick; first a door-keeper, then a reader, then an exorcift, an acolyte, a fubdeacon, a deacon, and a prefbyter, and then a bifhop: nor is it improbable that fuch orders and offices obtained as early, fince Cyprian, in the fame century, makes mention of an acolyte often, and of readers; of Aurelius a reader, and of Saturnus a reader', and of Optatus a fubdeacon, and of exorcifts 5: and Cornelius bishop of Rome, who lived about the fame time Cyprian did, writing to Fabius bishop of Antioch, concerning Novatus, fays, That in the catholic church were but one bishop, forty-four prefbyters, feven deacons, and as many fubdeacons, forty-two acolytes, exorcifts and readers, with doorkeepers, fifty-two". All thefe are mentioned together, excepting acolytes, by Epiphanius in the fourth century. And Eufebius obferves, that in the persecution under Dicclefian, the prifons were filled with bishops, prefbyters, deacons, readers and exorcifts: that in the council of Nice there were bishops, prefbyters, deacons and acolytes. And Jerom', in the fame century, fpeaks of a reader,. an acolyte, and a pfalm-finger: and likewife Ambrofe", fpeaking of the qualifications for different offices, one, he says, is fit to read diftin&tly; another is. more agreeable for finging pfalms; another for exorcifing evil fpirits; and another to take the care of the veftry: all which, he fays, the priest fhould look after, and what every one is fit for, appoint him to that office. Sozomen" speaks of an archdeacon in the church of Alexandria, whofe office it was to read the holy Bible; and Optatus calls Cecilianus an archdeacon and in Perfia, Sozomen fays, Simeon was archbishop of Seleucia and Ctesiphon, famous cities in it; and there were patriarchs appointed over provinces by the fynod at Conftantinople, as Socrates relates ; and both he and Sozomen make mention of Peter, an arch-prefbyter of Alexandria, and of Timothy an archdeacon there, in the fifth century; fo that long before Popery arrived to its height, there was much the fame popifh hierarchy as now: that of Cardinals feems to be the only exception, yet there were of the name, though not of the fame office and dignity. In the fourth century, monkery, celibacy and virginity came much into vogue; the monaftic life was much commended in this age by Bafil and his father, father, as may be feen in his works. The first of these Monks, Anchorites and Eremites, is faid to be one Paul of Thebes, as Jerom relates'; and their disciples, in less than half an age, were so multiplied, that the deserts of Egypt and Arabia were full of them. Thefe indeed were men of more strict and religious lives than those of later ages, who go by the name of monks. Even before the time of Conftantine, and in it, there were focieties of virgins, profeffing perpetual virginity, which he had a great regard unto"; and fuch Helena found at or near Jerufalem, in whofe company fhe took great pleasure, and miniftered unto them ". Arius is faid to infect with the poison of his doctrine seven hundred virgins profeffing virginity *. And Ambrofe fays, the virgins came to Milan from various parts, even from the furtheft parts of Mauritania, to be confecrated and veiled fo early were monafteries and nunneries fet up, at least the foundation of fuch inftitutions were fo early laid, and the forms, rules, rites and ceremonies of them prefcribed, which now make fo great a figure in Popery. II. Popery may be confidered as a system of antichriftian doctrines and practices, some of the principal of which the apostle Paul has prophetically given notice of in a few words, 1 Tim. iv. 1-3. Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times fome shall depart from the faith, giving beed to feducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; fpeaking lies in hypocrify; having their confcience feared with a hot iron: forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God bath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. All which are notorious doctrines and practices of the Papists, and are here plainly pointed at; and which, with others, are a branch of the mystery of iniquity which began to work in the times of the apoftles, and more manifeftly appeared foon after their departure. Very remarkable are the words of Hegefippus, an antient historian testifying, that "till the times of Trajan (A.D. "100.) the church continued a virgin pure and incorrupt;-but after the fa"cred company of the apoftles ended their lives by various kinds of death,"then the confpiracy of impious error began to take place, through the deceit "of falfe teachers." For this branch of popery, or mystery of iniquity, takes its rife from the herefies of falfe teachers of the firft ages, and from unguarded expreffions and errors of those who have been called fathers of the church; and who, in other points, were counted found and orthodox; and which, by degrees, grew up to that enormous mafs of antichriftian doctrines which are the 4 D 2 peculiars 2 Ad Euflach de virginitate fol. 50. K. & in vita Paul Eremita, fol. 81. K. Apud Eufeb. Eccl. Hift. 1 3 c. 32. w Socrat. Eccl. Hift. l. 1. c. 17. Y De virginibus, 1. 1. prope finem, peculiars of popery: and, to begin with those the apoftle foretold in the above quoted paffage, 1. Worshipping of angels and praying to faints departed; which are meant by the doctrines of devils, or dæmons, as Mr Mede thinks, fuch as the heathens reckoned a fort of mediators between God and men; as the papists esteem angels to be mediators of interceffion, though not of redemption; and therefore invoke them to intercede for them; and the papists are they who are meant in Rev. ix. 20. faid to worship devils, and idols of gold and filver, &c. And this doctrine of worshipping dæmons or angels, was embraced by a few, even in the times of the apostles; for the apostle Paul warns the Coloffians, that no man beguiled them in a voluntary humility, and worshipping of angels, Col. ii. 18. This was a tenet of Simon Magus, the father of herefies, who held, that the world was made by angels: and this is ascribed to him by Tertullian. And Theodores reckons it as the notion of Carpocrates, Epiphanes, Prodicus, and the Caiani; and in his expofition of Col. ii. 18. he fays, that this evil notion continued long in Phrygia and Pifidia: wherefore the fynod which met at Laodicea, the metropolis of Phrygia, forbad by a law to pray to angels; and he says, that to his time might be feen among the people of thofe countries, and those that bordered upon them, the oratories of St Michael In the latter end of the fecond century lived the hereticks Angelici, fo called because they worshipped angels, as fays Ifidore. Origen, who lived about the fame time, and in the beginning of the third century, gives a form of prayer to angels: “Come, O angel, receive one in word converted from his former "error, from the doctrine of devils, from iniquity, speaking highly; and receiv "ing him as a good physician, cherish and instruct him; he is a little one, he "is born to day, an old man growing young again; and receive, retributing "to him, the baptism of the second regeneration; and call to thee other com"panions of thy miniftry, that all ye equally may inftruct in the faith, who "were fometimes deceived "." Austin in the fourth century, and beginning of the fifth, feems to favour the fame: quoting Phil. iv. 6. he obferves, requests are not to be understood "as made known to God, who knows them before they were made, but as made known by us to God through patience; or perhaps alfo, they are made known by angels, who are with God, that they might in fome fort offer them to God; and confult concerning them, and that they might know what was to be fulfilled; he commanding, as they ❤ought to know, and bring it to us, either openly or fecretly;" for which he quotes, Tobit xii. 12. The angel faid to the man, When thou and Sarab prayeft, I offer up your prayer in the fight of the love of God. 64 Praying Epift. 121. c. 9. Praying to faints was used as early; fo Origen directs a prayer to Job, in this manner; "O bleffed Job, living for ever with God, abiding in the prefence of "the king and lord; pray for us miferable ones, that also the terrible majesty "of God may protect us in all tribulations and deliver us from all the oppreffions "of the wicked one, and number us with the juft, and write us with them "who are faved, and make us reft with them in his kingdom, where we may "perpetually magnify him with the faints'." And elsewhere, "I think, fays "he, that all the fathers who died before us, fight with us, and help us by "their prayers;" and which he confirms by a Doctor of the church fenior to him. Cyprian, in the third century, hints the fame, when he fays ", "If any "of us go first from hence, through the celerity of the divine worthiness, let "our love perfevere with God for our brethren and fifters; and let not our "prayer for the mercy of the father ceafe." So Bafil, in the fourth century, in his homily on the forty martyrs, has these words; "Here is help prepared "for chriftians, namely, the church of martyrs, the army of the triumphants, "the chorus of thofe that praife God? often have ye ufed means, often have ye laboured to find one praying for you; there are forty fending forth one "voice of prayer; where two or three are met together, &c. but where there are ' forty, who can doubt of the prefence of God; he who is preffed with any "trouble, let him flee to them; he that rejoices, let him recur to them; the "one to be delivered from evils, the other to continue in profperity." In the fame century there are inftances of Nazianzen praying to Cyprian, and to Bafil dead, and particularly to the virgin Mary very early was prayer made, and her interceffion implored. Ireneus, in the fecond century, calls the virgin Mary. the advocate of the virgin Eve, which at beft is an unguarded expreffion. Athanafius, in the fourth century, puts up a prayer to her in this manner', «Hear, "O daughter of David and Abraham; incline thine ear to our prayers, and "do not forget thy people and us, who are of the family and houfe of thy fa"ther; unto thee we cry, remember us most holy virgin, who haft remained "a virgin from the birth, and reward us for thofe fpeeches with great gifts from "the riches of thy grace-gift thou art full of.-Hail full of grace, the Lord is "with thee! intercede for us, dame, mistress, queen, and mother of God.” And Nazianzen makes mention of one Juftina, a virgin, in the times of Cyprian, who was delivered from a temptation by applying to the virgin Mary. Epiphanius fpeaks of fome who made a God of her, and of fome in Arabia who offered f Tract. 2. in Job in fine. Epift. 57. P.134. Homil. 16. in Jofuam fol. 168. 2. i Orat. 18. in fine & Orat.20. in fine. De fanctiffime Dei para prope finem. cakes k. Adv. Hæres. 1. 5. c. 19-Orat. 18. in laudem Cyprian. |