Church and State as Seen in the Formation of Christendom

31

2 Cor. v. 20; Ephes. vi. 19, 20; 2 Cor. iii. 6.

32

1 Cor. iv. 1: ὑπηρέτας χριστοῦ καὶ οἰκονόμους μυστηρίων Θεοῦ.

33

1 Tim. ii. 7; 2 Tim. i. 11.

34

Isaias vi. 1; Ezech. iv. 32; Dan. vii. 9.

35

Compare the strikingly similar and almost contemporary passage in the letter of St Ignatius to the Ephesians: “For Jesus Christ, our inseparable life, is the mind of the Father, as also the bishops, appointed throughout the earth, are in the mind of Christ.”

36

Baur, Kirchengeschichte der drei ersten Jahrhunderte, p. 272, remarks, “Nicht ohne Grund hat man daher schon in den Engeln, an welche die den sieben Gemeinden der Apocalypse bestimmten Schreiben gerichtet sind, einen Ausdruck der Episcopatsidee gesehen – da die den sieben Engeln entsprechenden Sterne alle zusammen in der Hand Christi sind, in ihm also ihre Einheit haben, so kann durch den Engel, welchen jede Gemeinde hat, nichts anders ausgedrückt sein, als die Beziehung, die sie mit Christus als dem einen Haupte aller Gemeinden und der ganzen Kirche verknüpft.”

37

“Ideo septem scribi ecclesias ut una Catholica septiformi gratiæ spiritu plena designetur.” —Cornel. a L. in loco. “Wherefore in the Apocalypse the whole Church is represented by the sevenfold number of the Churches.” —St. Greg., 1. B. 23, Morals. on Job. “Propter quod et Johannes Apostolus ad septem scribit ecclesias, eo modo se ostendens ad unius plenitudinem scribere.” —St. Aug. de Civ. Dei, xvii. 4.

38

John xv. 16.

39

Heb. xiii. 20; John x. 11, xxi. 16; Ps. ii. 9: Sept. Matt. ii. 6, in translating Mic. v. 2, where its equivalent is ἄρχοντα τοῦ Ισραὴλ; Apoc. xix. 15; the same word, ποιμαίνειν, is used in all these passages.

40

De Consideratione ad Eugenium Papam, 2, 8.

41

Contra Hæreses, 3, 3.

42

For the date of the epistle, as at the end of the century, see the arguments in the Prolegomena, pp. 22, 23, of Funk’s “Opera Patrum Apostolicorum.”

43

St. Clement to the Corinthians, 37 and following sections, in which I follow generally Dr. Lightfoot’s translation, with a few changes.

44

Ὁ Δεσπότης.

45

προσφορὰς καὶ λειτουργίας, sacrificial terms, belonging to the Holy Eucharist.

46

τὴν λειτουργίαν αὐτῶν.

47

On this passage Bianchi, “Della Potestà e della Politia della Chiesa,” vol. iii. p. 158, remarks: “In oltre era noto a San Girolamo il senso della Chiesa intorno all’ ecclesiastica gerarchia d’ ordine, che ella ne’ tre gradi de’ Vescovi, de’ Preti, e de’ Ministri, ovvero de’ Diaconi, sotto il cui nome altri Ministri inferiori si comprendono, discendeva dal Vecchio Testamento, e da origine divina, cioè dall’ ordine stabilito da Dio nel sommo Sacerdote, ne’ Sacerdoti inferiori, e ne’ Leviti: i quali gradi diversi nella potestà componevano la gerarchia della vecchia Chiesa.” St. Jerome himself says, Ep. 101 ad Evangelum: “Et ut sciamus traditiones Apostolicas sumptas de V. Testamento, quod Aaron et filii ejus atque Levitæ in templo fuerunt, hoc sibi Episcopi et Presbyteri, et Diaconi vindicent in Ecclesia.”

48

καθίοτανον τὰς ἀπαρχὰς αύτῶν, δοκιμάσαντες τῷ πνεύματι, εἰς ἐπισκόπους καὶ διακόνους τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν.

49

τῆς λειτουργίας – ἐπισκοπῆς ἀποβαλεῖν.

50

Sections 58, 59.

51

Section 63.

52

Luke x. 16.

53

Irenæus, iii. 1 – ἐπειτα Ἰωάννης, ὁ μαθητὴς τοῦ Κυρίου, ὁ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος αὐτοῦ ἀναπεσών καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξέδωκε τὸ ἐυαγγέλιον, ἐν Ἐφέσῳ τῆς Ἀσίας διατρίβων.

54

I note this because Dr. Lightfoot, in his recent edition of St. Clement’s complete letter, not knowing how to meet the very strong proof of the Primacy contained in the newly recovered part, suggests that the Primacy belonged not to the bishop of the Roman Church, but to the Roman Church. This is so total a misstatement of the position held by every bishop in his See as to smack of Presbyterianism. But when he goes on to attribute the Primacy thus located in the Roman Church to a supposed superior sanctity residing in the members of that Church, he would seem to be substituting a pure invention of his own for history.

55

Eusebius, Hist. 2, 3. The words are so specific that it is desirable to give the original: καὶ δῆτα ἀνὰ πάσας πόλεις τε καὶ κώμας πληθυούσης ἅλωνος δίκην μυρίανδροι καὶ παμπλήθεις ἀθρόως ἐκκλησίαι συνεστήκεσαν. The last word indicates the regular formation of a Church, that hierarchical constitution of the bishop, with his attendant ministry, without which, in the words of St. Ignatius, ἐκκλησία ὀυ καλεῖται. I have used Cruse’s translation, altering it occasionally.

56

Lib. iii. 4.

57

Titus i. 5-9.

58

Lib. iii. 37.

59

Eusebius appears to say that the Apostle Peter came to Rome very shortly after he had discomfited Simon Magus in Samaria. See lib. ii. 14.

60

Hist. 2, 25.

61

Eusebius, Hist. 7, 19; and Præp. Evan. lib. 3, towards the end, quoted by Bianchi, 3, 137.

62

Tertullian, De Præscriptione Hæreticorum, 20, 21, Dr. Holmes’ translation, with a word or two altered.

63

Irenæus, 4, 33, 8. The same is set forth with great force in Book 5, 20.

64

Ep. 43, 11: “Nec in illis solis episcopis Afris erat Ecclesia, ut omne judicium ecclesiasticum vitasse viderentur qui se judicio eorum præsentari noluissent. Millia quippe collegarum transmarina restabant, ubi apparebat eos judicari posse, qui videbantur Afros vel Numidas collegas habere suspectos.”

65

St. Hilary on Ps. 14, 3; St. Cyprian, Ep. 52.

66

See Dom Chamard, L’Etablissement du Christianisme, p. 141.

67

Sacerdotes; as ἐκκλησία means a Bishop’s See, so sacerdotes meant a bishop; that word in the language of the day signified the bishop who presided in each Church, pre-eminently the Sacerdos, as offering the Sacrifice of the Altar. See Coustant. Rom. Pont. Epist., p. 856.

68

Orat. 17, 8; Ep. 224, Africano.

69

ἀρχή. Bianchi, 3, 475.

70

See Bianchi, 3, 484.

71

Irenæus, 3, 4.

72

Hist., 4, 7, speaking of the time of Hadrian and the Gnostic heresies.

73

St. Cyprian, De Unit. Ecc. 4, and Epis. 52.

74

De Marca, De Concordia Sacerdotii et Imperii, lib. 6, 1.

75

St. Leo I., Ep. 14.

76

De Unitate Ecclesiæ, 4.

77

Ps. xliv. 17.

78

Cont. Epist. Manichæi, 5.

79

θεία τις καὶ ἄμαχος δύναμις τοῦ ταῦτα προειποντος καὶ τελέσαντος. – St. Chrysostom, tom. i. p. 579.

80

Against the Jews and Gentiles to demonstrate that Christ is God, tom. i. p. 558, and pp. 574, 577, 578.

81

The contrast is marked in the original by totally distinct words, which the rendering both by the same word altar would efface: 1. βωμοὺς, altars of the religion with bloody sacrifices; 2. θυσιαστήρια, which are altars whereon the Unbloody Sacrifice is offered.

82

“A quibus traducem fidei et semina doctrinæ cæteræ exinde ecclesiæ mutuatæ sunt.” Tradux, the vine branch carried along above the ground from the parent stem, so that there is but one tree. Tertullian, De Præscrip. Hæret. 20.

83

Franzelin, De Verbo Incarnato, p. 520.

84

Plato, Euthyphron, 14.

85

Nägelsbach, Homerische Theologie, 207; Id., Nachhomerische Theologie, 193.

86

The Banquet, p. 188 e.

87

Lasaulx, Die Sühnopfer (extracts from), pp. 234-270.

88

προηρόσια.

89

προχαριστήρια.

90

3, 12.

91

Ruinart, Acta Martyrum, pp. 350 and 527.

92

Contr. Faustum, l. 22, s. 17, tom. viii. 370.

93

S. Tho. contr. Gentilis, 3, 120.

94

Agamemnon, 1520.

95

The above account of human sacrifices is drawn from Lasaulx’s treatise, pp. 237-255. He gives a profusion of examples, with their references in ancient authors.

96

Luke xxii. 20; John vi. 52.

97

See Council of Trent, sess. 22, cap. i.

98

1 Cor. xi. 26.

99

Acts ii. 46.

100

John iii. 16.

101

Council of Trent, sess. 22, cap. ii.

102

Justin. Apol. i. 66.

103

Franzelin, De SS. Eucharistiæ Sacramento et Sacrificio, p. 81.

104

Eusebius Cæs.: περὶ τῆς τοῦ Πάσχα ἑορτῆς, cap. 7.

105

Heb. ii. 12.

106

Franzelin, De SS. Eucharistiæ Sacramento, p. 111.

107

S. Chrys. Hom. in Joan, 46, c. 3, tom. viii. 272.

108

St. Aug. De Civitate Dei, lib. 10, c. 6 and 20.

109

S. Chrys. 16 Hom. on the Hebrews, tom. xii. p. 168.

110

Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, Θεοῦ Υιὸς, Σωτήρ = Ἰχθύς.

111

Zach. vi. 13.

112

τό ἄμαχον γένος, St. Chrys., above quoted.

113

See Hagemann, Die römische Kirche, p. 558.

114

Bianchi, vol. iii. pp. 120, 121.

115

Aug. l. iv. De Bapt. c. Donat. cap. ult. (B. 120 note).

116

Innocent. Ep. 18, c. 1.

117

S. Greg. I., 1. 6, Ep. 39; 8, Ep. 35.

118

Bianchi, 3, 137.

119

Bianchi, 3, 136.

120

The Council of Antioch, in the year 341, almost repeats this canon, and lays it down as of universal application.

121

Bianchi, 3, 132.

122

The following paragraph is a translation from Cardinal Hergenröther’s History, vol. i. pp. 196, 197, sec. 228.

123

Bianchi, 3, 468; quoting the constitution of Pope John XXII.

124

Bianchi, 3, 440. The word Sacerdos is here used as the proper appellation of the bishop in his diocese by Cyprian, Ep. 57, according to the usage in the third century, as the word Ecclesia indicates the diocese; the argument being that if complete obedience were rendered to the bishop in the diocese, there would be complete peace in the whole Church ruled by the Collegium of Bishops.

125

This paragraph translated from Bianchi, 3, 445.

126

Bianchi, 3, 457, 458; St. Augustine in Ps. cxviii.

127

Bianchi, 3, 474, 475.

128

Bianchi, 3, 444; Apostol. Canon, 66 and 74.

129

Bianchi, 3, 500, translated.

130

Bianchi, 3, 485, translated.

131

1 Cor. ix. 14.

132

Bianchi, 3, 526, 527.

133

1 Cor. xvi. 1.

134

Bianchi, 3, 536, translated.

135

1 Cor. xi. 22.

136

An incident mentioned of Alexander Severus.

137

John xx. 30, xxi. 25, xvi. 12.

138

Renaudot, Dissertatio de Liturgiarum Orientalium Origine et Auctoritate, p. li.

139

St. Cœlestini, Ep. 21, Coustant, p. 493. The part quoted is supposed to have been added to St. Cœlestine’s letter (which refers to the death of St. Augustine as having just happened) a little later, but was always joined with it afterwards from the beginning of the sixth century.

140

Franzelin, De Traditione, Thesis vii. p. 49.

141

Translated from Franzelin, Tractatus da Traditione Divina et Scriptura, pp. 50-53, down to “The Teaching Office.”

142

As, e. g., Rom. xvi. 17; 1 Cor. vii. 17, xi. 23, xiv. 33, xv. 12; 2 Cor. i. 18; Gal. i. 18; Phil. iv. 9; Colos. ii. 6, 7; 1 Thess. iv. 2; 2 Thess. ii. 14; 2 Tim. ii. 2; Heb. ii. 3, referred to by Franzelin, but especially Ephes. iv. 11-16, which is of itself sufficient to decide the whole question.

143

St. Irenæus, iii. 24.

144

See Franzelin, De Traditione, p. 134.

145

Corpus Christianorum: τὸ ἔθνος Χριστιανὸν.

146

παρέδοσαν, in which is signified that the whole was a παράδοσις, traditio, delivery. On the two meanings of the word tradition, the one the unwritten word of God, the other the whole doctrine of salvation as handed down by the Fathers, see Kleutgen’s Theologie der Vorzeit, tom. i. p. 73, and v. p. 405.

147

ὑπήρεται τοῦ λόγου.

148

Origen was followed by his pupil Heraclas; then the great Dionysius, afterwards bishop; Pierius, Achillas, Theognostus, Serapion, Peter the Martyr (Reischl in Möhler, i. 377).

149

τέλειοι; ἀκροώμενοι, or audientes; γονυκλίνοντες or εὐχόμενοι; competentes, electi, or φωτιζόμενοι. Bingham, Antiq., B. x.; Suicer, Thes. in verb. κατηχέω.

150

Newman’s Arians, pp. 45, 46.

151

See upon this use of the Creed, Möhler, Kirchengeschichte, i. 343-347.

152

Sermon 212.

153

On this subject see Newman’s Arians, pp. 137-142.

154

As St. Irenæus says, 3, 24, and Origen, Contr. Celsus, 6, 48.

155

See Kleutgen’s Theologie der Vorzeit, v. 404-409.

156

Ibid., pp. 395-404.

157

For which see Franzelin, De Traditione, pp. 228-237.

158

Baur observes, p. 432: “Erst die Regierung Nero’s führte auf ihrer würdigen Weise die Christen in die Geschichte ein.”

159

Tertullian, Apol. 21.

160

Matt. xxiii. 34-36.

161

Joseph. Antiq., viii. 8; Tacitus, Hist. i. 22.

162

Baur remarks, p. 433: “Die neronische Verfolgung war der erste Anfang alles dessen, was das Christenthum von dem römischen Staat, so lange er keine andere Ansicht von ihm hatte, bei jeder Gelegenheit auf’s Neue erwarten musste.”

163

μαρτυρήσας ἐπὶ τῶν ἡγουμένων. – St. Clem. 5.

164

2 Cor. xi. 24.

165

Tertullian, Ad Nationes, 14, translation in Clarke’s edition.

166

Acts xxi. 20.

167

See Schwane, Dogmengeschichte, i. 68.

168

Tertull. Apol., 5.

169

Matt. x. 16.

170

See this learnedly brought out by Hagemann in his introduction to “Die römische Kirche.”

171

See Stöckl, Lehrbuch der Geschichte der Philosophie, p. 244.

172

2 Peter ii. 14.

173

Möhler, Patrologie, p. 51.

174

See Möhler, Patrologie, p. 423.

175

Heinrich, Dogmatische Theologie, i. 71.

176

Ibid., i. 70.

177

Newman, Causes of Success of Arianism, pp. 215, 216.

178

Newman, Notes on St. Athanasius, pp. 51, 261, 264, 452, 250, 247, 150, 82, 312.

179

Newman, “Causes of the Rise and Successes of Arianism,” p. 252, a treatise which I have found a storehouse of information respecting the Church of the first three centuries.

180

Magisterio.

181

Mansi, tom. ii. pp. 469-477.

182

See Josephus, Jud. Antiq., l. 18, c. 4.

183

See St. Basil, Ep. 141.

184

For instances, see the utmost incredible account in De Civitate Dei vi. 9; and, again, Clement of Alexandria, Cohortatio, p. 81 (Potter’s ed.); what I have said is in exact accordance with St. Athanasius, de Inc. Verbi, sec. 46.

185

A fragment of this apology is preserved for us in Eusebius’ History, iv. 26.

186

1 Cor. xv. 6.

187

As Baur, Die drei ersten Jahrhunderte, p. 464, attests.

188

St. Greg. I Epist. xi. 66.

189

Irenæus, iv. 33, 9.

190

Eusebius, Hist., v. 1.

191

Clement, Strom., ii. 20, p. 494, τοὺς γνωστικοὺς, τοὺς τοῦ κόσμου μειζονας.

192

Apologeticus, cap. 12.

193

1 Cor. i. 17, ii. 9.

194

See Schwane, Dogmengeschichte, i. 557.

195

Panegyric of the Martyrs by the Deacon Constantine.

196

Clement of Alex., Cohortatio, sec. 10, p. 85. It might be fruitful to compare the view of the world taken by the Christian Clement with that taken by the pessimist Schopenhauer.

197

The words inserted seem here to have fallen out of the text.

198

Clement of Alex., Strom. vi., at the end.

199

Tertullian, Apology, 50; Edinburgh translation.

200

Cont. Cels., 1, 67; 2, 48; 2, 79; 1, 46; 8, 47; Edinburgh translation.

201

Irenæus, 2, 32.

202

Athanasius, De Incarnatione Verbi Dei, c. 46-48.

203

Gieseler, i. 208.

204

As admitted by Friedländer, Sittengeschichte Roms., iii. 458, 459, and see the argument of Celsus in Origen, 8, 45.

205

On Psalm xxxvi. 3.

206

St. Thomas, Cont. Gent., 3, 99.

207

St. Cyprian, Ep. 8.

208

Sermon 281.

209

St. Thomas, Contra Gent., 1, 6.

210

Constantine’s letter to the Church of Alexandria, recorded by Socrates, Hist. 1, 9.