"I confess," says he, writing to St. Jerom, "I have learned to pay this reverence and honour only to those books of Scripture, which are called canonical, that I most firmly believe none of the authors of them were guilty of any error in writing. And if I find any thing in those books, which seems contrary to truth, I make no doubt but it is either a corruption of the copy, or that the translator did not hit the sense, or that I myself do not understand it. But I read all others with this caution and reserve, that however eminent they be for piety and learning, I do not believe what they say to be true, merely because it was their opinion; but because they persuade me either by those canonical authors, or by probable reason, which carries the appearance of truth." So again, in his book De Catechizandis Rudibus, he distinguishes the inspired writers, by the name canonical, from all others, whom he calls tractators and expositors of Scripture. As Claudianus Mamertus speaks of all expositors under the name of tractators, but of the holy pen-men themselves under the title of Authentics. St. Austin* and St. Jerom3 often speak of preaching under the name of disputations; Tertullian calls them Allocutions; dividing the whole service into these four parts, reading the Scripture, singing the Psalms, making allocutions, and sending up

Aug. Ep. xix. ad Hieron. cap. i. Ego enim fateor charitati tuæ, solis eis scripturarum libris qui jam canonici appellantur, didici hunc timorem honoremque deferre, et nullum eorum auctorem scribendo aliquid errâsse firmissimè credam. Ac si aliquid in eis offendero literis, quod videatur contrarium veritati: nihil aliud, quam vel mendosum esse codicem, vel interpre tem non assequutùm esse quod dictum est, vel me minime intellexisse, non ambigam. Alios autem ita lego, ut quantâlibet sanctitate doctrinâque præpolleant, non ideò verum putem, quia ipsi ita senserunt; sed quia mihi per illos auctores canonicos, vel probabili ratione, quod à vero non abhorreat, persuadere potuerunt. Aug. de Catechiz. Rudibus. cap. viii.

4

tom. iv. p. 298. Si libris ei persuasum esse videris, sive canonicis sive utilium tractatorum, &c. 3 Mamert. de Statu Animæ. lib. ii. cap. 10. Sed nunc locus et tempus est, ut sicut à philosophis ad tractatores, à tractatoribus ad authenticos gradum consequar. It. lib. i. cap. 2. Post authenticorum plurimos tractores, &c. Aug. Tract. 89. in Joan. Confess. lib. v. cap. 13. Hom. 50, et 81. de Diversis. Hieron. Ep. 22. ad Eustoch. cap. xv. 6 Tertul. de Anima. cap. ix. Jam verò prout Scripturæ leguntur, aut Psalmi canuntur, aut adlocutiones proferuntur, aut petitiones delegantur, &c. So frequently in Gregory the Great the sermon is called simply, Locutio. Hom. 5, 9, 14. et 22. in Ezekiel.

prayers. Among the Greeks they are frequently called Aóyo, which answers to the Latin word, Sermones, and the English sermons. The most ancient name is that of Evangelium, and Evayyedíosa appropriated more peculiarly to the preaching of the Apostles; and therefore seldom or never ascribed to any others by ecclesiastical writers. A more general name in Scripture, is that of Aidaokaλía, doctrine and teaching: whence preachers of the word are called Aidάokaλoi, doctors and teachers, by St. Paul, 1 Cor. xii. 28, 29. which Vincentius Lirinensis observes to be the same as Tractatores1 in after-ages. St. Paul also uses the word Knovyμa, for preaching, 1 Cor. ii. 4. and in many other places of his Epistles. And so it is sometimes used by ecclesiastical writers after him. But we must carefully note, that more commonly the words Kýpuσov and Knovyμa among the Greeks, as also Prædicatio and Prædicare among the Latins, signify a very different thing, viz. That part of the deacon's office, which he performed as the common Knpv, or Præco, of the Church, dictating the usual forms of prayer to the people, in which they were to join, and calling upon them as their guide and director in all other parts of divine service. This I have had occasion to speak more largely of in a former book,3 where we have particularly considered the ordinary office of deacons, and shewed that they had no authority in ordinary cases either to preach or consecrate the eucharist, or baptise, but whatever they did of this kind, was either in case of great necessity, or by special commission and direction. And therefore those ancient canons which speak of their predication, are not to be understood of their preaching sermons, but of their proclaiming to the people such directions in performing divine offices, as they were concerned to give them by virtue of their office, as the common heralds and criers of the Church.

tur.

1 Vincent. Commonitor, cap. xl. Doctores, qui tractatores nunc appellan2 Vid. 1 Cor. i. 21. It. 1. Cor. 14, 15. 2 Tim. iv. 17. Tit. i. 3. Book ii. chap. xx. sect. 10, and 11. • Con. Ancyran, can, ii, Con. Tolet. iv, cau. 39.

SECT. 2.-Preaching the proper Office of Bishops and Presbyters in ordinary Cases, and not of Deacons.

The deacons indeed, in cases of exigence, were allowed to read the Homilies of the Fathers, as they did the lessons of Scripture: which is the reason assigned by the Council of Vaison for permitting them so to do," when the presbyter was sick or infirm. For if deacons were worthy to read what Christ has spoken in the Gospel, why should they be thought unworthy to rehearse publicly the expositions or homilies of the Fathers?" But excepting such cases, we very rarely find any permission so much as to read an homily granted them. For preaching anciently was one of the chief offices of a bishop: in so much that in the African Churches a presbyter was never known to preach before a bishop in his cathedral church till St. Austin's time, but the bishop always discharged this office himself, and St. Austin was the first presbyter in that part of the world, that ever was allowed to preach in the presence of his bishop, as has been shewn out of Posidius the writer of his life, in a former book. It is true, in the Eastern Churches presbyters were sometimes allowed to preach in the great church before the bishop; but that was not to discharge him of the duty, for still he preached a sermon at the same time after them, as we shall see from the practice of Chrysostom and Flavian at Antioch, and other examples hereafter.

In the lesser churches of the city, and country about, this office was devolved upon presbyters, as the bishop's proper assistants; and the deacons, except in the forementioned cases, were not authorised to perform it. So that this office of preaching the Gospel, was then esteemed the proper office of bishops and presbyters; the bishop discharging it personally in his cathedral church, in conjunction with his presbyters, or alone without them; and vicariously by his presbyters, where he could not be present, in

1 Con. Vasens ii. can. 2. Si presbyter, aliquâ infirmitate prohibente, per seipsum non potuerit prædicare, sanctorum patrum homiliæ à diaconibus recitentur. Si enim digni sunt diaconi, quæ Christus in Evangelio loquutus est,'legere: quare indigni judicentur, sanctorum patrum expositiones publicè recitare? Possid. Vit. August. cap. v. chap. iii. sect. 4.

Book ii.

the lesser churches. There are a great many serious passages in the ancient records relating to this matter, as well in the imperial laws, as the canons of the Church, and the writings of the most considerable Fathers, partly impressing this as a necessary duty of the episcopal and pastoral function, and partly complaining of the neglect of it, and partly threatening censures and punishments to the offenders. St. Chrysostom' on those words to Timothy, "A bishop must be apt to teach,-didaktikov," says, "other qualifications, such as those, He must be sober, vigilant, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, &c,' may be in subjects: but because a bishop ought to have those qualifications that belong to rulers, the Apostle therefore added,

And

He must be apt to teach:' for this is not required of subjects; but is most especially required of those, who have the office of governing committed to them.” again, on those words to Titus, "Holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught (or, which relates to teaching,— τῇ κατὰ διδαχὴν λόγε,) that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers," he says, "St. Paul converted the world, not so much by his miracles, as by his continual preaching: and therefore a bishop must be able to exhort by sound doctrine, that is, to preserve his flock, and overthrow its enemies. And unless he be such an one, all is lost. For he that knows not how to oppose the enemy, and captivate every thought to the obedience of Christ, and pull down the vain imaginations of men, as he knows not how to teach according to sound doctrine, so he ought to be far from the teaching throne,πόῤῥω ἔσω θρόνο διδασκαλικό ;" where it is observable, that Chrysostom therefore calls the bishop's throne, the throne of doctrine, or teaching throne, because preaching sound doctrine was so necessary a part of the bishop's office, that he could not be without it. St. Ambrose likewise, describing the office of a bishop, does it chiefly by styling it the office of teaching; complaining modestly of his own hard

1 Chrys. Hom. x. in 1 Tim. iii. p. 1569. Tit. p. 1703.

2 Chrys. Hom. ii. in

fate, in being forced against his will to take upon him the office of the priesthood,' that is, to be made a bishop; which obliged him to teach others, before he had well learned himself. For he was made bishop of a catechumen. Sidonius Apollinaris makes the same description of the office of a bishop, complaining in the like modest way with St. Ambrose, of the weight of the profession, that was laid upon his shoulders, when, by being made a bishop against his will, he was forced to teach before he had learned, and preach good to others, before he had done any himself: like a barren tree, when he had no works to shew for fruit, he was forced to scatter words for leaves: meaning the necessity of preaching, that was laid upon him by taking the office of a bishop. St. Cyril of Alexandria in like manner calls the office of a bishop, ἀξίωμα διδασκαλικὸν, the dignity or honour of teaching." And in the sixth general Council, where Maximus, bishop of Antioch, was degraded for his heresy, he is said "to be removed from the throne of teaching," that is, from the episcopal office, of which preaching was a special ingredient. The rule of the Apostolical Canons is," that a bishop, who neglects his clergy or his people, and teaches them not the rules of piety, shall be suspended; and if he persists in his neglect, shall be deposed. For it was his office to teach the clergy as well as the people, and to expound the Scriptures to them." Whence St. Jerom gives it as part of the character of Gregory Nazianzen," that he was an eloquent teacher, and the master, under whom he learned the Scriptures, as he explained them." Some would have excused themselves, by saying, they would teach the people by their example, To which

1 Ambros. de Offic. lib. i. cap. 1. Titul. Capitis. Episcopi proprium munus docere populum. Item, Cum jam effugere non possimus officium do. cendi, quod nobis refugientibus imposuit sacerdoții necessitudo, &c. Sidon. lib. v. ep. 3. Indignissimo tantæ professionis pondus impactum est, qui miser ante compulsus docere, quàm discere, et ante præsumens bonum prædicare, quàm facere, tanquam sterilis arbor, cùm non habeam opera pro pomis, spargo verba pro foliis. Cyril. Ep. ad Monachos in Con. * Con. vi. Gener. Act. xii. p, 937.

Ephes. part. i. cap. 28.

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Οὐδαμῶς ὁ θεῖος κανὼν παραδέχεται τῷ λοιπῶ εἰς διδασκαλικὸν καθίσαι θρόνου, &c. 5 Canon. Apost. c. lviii.

• Hieron. de Scriptor. cap. exvii. Vir eloquentissimus præceptor meus, quo Scripturas explanante didici.

VOL. V.

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