him to visit every Church in his diocese at least once in the year, and institute a most rigorous examination into the state of religion. In very large dioceses, however, which were at first thinly inhabited, but in the course of ages became exceedingly populous, it was altogether impossible for the bishop to fulfil the wishes of the Church unaided. Hence chorepiscopi, or rural bishops and visitors, and afterwards rural deans and archdeacons, were appointed to assist the bishop in the labour of visiting the Churches.

With such arduous duties and responsibilities, it is not to be wondered at that many persons in those ages refused to undertake the episcopal office. The bishops were generally far from rich in the goods of this world; indeed they commonly considered it their duty to live in great poverty and humility, and to bestow the greater part of their revenues on the poor, and on the building of churches. As soon as Christianity was delivered from persecution, numbers of churches were erected, and adorned with the utmost magnificence. The seats of the presbyters were arranged in a semicircle behind the altar; the bishop sat on a higher seat in the midst of this semicircle; the deacons stood before the presbyters. The bishop generally preached from the steps of the altar. The Scriptures were read by the deacons from the ambon, or pulpit; and the men and women sat at different sides of the church.

The whole body of ecclesiastical laws and discipline of the Church in these ages is comprised in a collection entitled "The Code of Canons of the Primitive Church," which has been published by Justel, Beveridge, and Johnson. This code, which was collected in the fifth century, included the canons or ecclesiastical laws made in the first four œcumenical councils, and in the provincial coun

cils or synods of Ancyra, A.D. 314; Neocæsarea, A.D. 314; Antioch, A.D. 341; Laodicea, A.D. 370; Gangra, A.D. 375. It comprises the rules for the ordination of the clergy, the offices of patriarchs, metropolitans, bishops, presbyters, and deacons, regulations concerning the administration of the sacraments, public penitence, the mode of dealing with heretics, schismatics, and heathens,-in short, every thing which relates to the discipline of the Church. This ancient code, with the addition of some canons made in other synods, is still received by the whole of the Eastern Church. In the West it became gradually obsolete and forgotten after the twelfth century, when the compilation of Gratian was published, which comprised, indeed, most of the ancient canons, but without accuracy, and which was also crowded with a number of forged canons and decrees calculated to support the papal usurpations.

The communion of Churches received several interruptions during this period. After the council of Sardica, in 341, the eastern and western bishops remained for some years estranged from mutual communion, in consequence of their contentions about St. Athanasius. A similar division was caused in the latter part of the same century by the ordination of two patriarchs of Antioch by different parties, one of whom was recognised by the eastern, and the other by the western Church. This division was healed by the pious care of St. Chrysostom. The deposition of that great man, and the ordination of another in his place to the see of Constantinople, led to a division between the East and West, which continued for many years, until justice was done by the Churches of the East to the memory of that illustrious bishop. Another division arose in 482, when Acacius, bishop of Constantinople, having caused the re-union of the Monophysites to the

Church, on principles which left the authority of the fourth œcumenical synod in doubt, and thus compromised the truth, he was deposed and excommunicated by Felix, bishop of Rome. The great body of the eastern bishops, though orthodox themselves, did not admit the propriety of this act; and the result was, that the eastern and western Churches were again estranged from mutual communion for twenty-five years. In the following century, the Churches of Africa, Tuscany, Illyricum, and some others, refused for a time to admit the fifth œcumenical synod, and were out of communion with the rest of the Church; but on full inquiry, they adopted the general decision. The ancient British and Irish Churches, in the sixth and seventh centuries, were treated as schismatics by the Roman Church, in consequence of their adherence to their ancient customs, and for not submitting to the authority of the papal see; but they were acknowledged as Christians by other Churches.

These divisions, however much they diminished the glory of the Church, did not altogether destroy the principle of Christian charity. It was still universally held that the Church formed but one spiritual fraternity; that all Christians were members of the same body; and that it was their duty to hold communion with each other. When divisions arose, excommunication consisted generally in a simple withdrawal of communion, without any sentence of anathema, or of total separation from Christianity. These withdrawals of communion were intended to procure the reformation of the offending party; and the divided Churches always retained the same principle of veneration for Scripture, as interpreted by the doctrine of the universal Church in all past ages, and sincerely endeavoured to be re-united to their brethren in Christ.

There was a wide distinction between such divisions of Churches, and that which existed between the universal Church and the Donatists and Luciferians. I have already observed, that the former arose from opposition to the appointment of a bishop in Africa. When the Donatists found their proceedings condemned generally in the Church, they declared the universal Church apostate; refused to communicate with it; asserted that Christianity was limited to Africa; denied that baptism, ordination, or any other rites conferred by the Church, were valid; and employed bands of murderers and robbers, called Circumcelliones, to persecute and maltreat all who did not agree with them. Under such circumstances they were most justly considered as schismatics, and as forming no part of the Church of Christ. The Luciferians were a comparatively small sect, who, after the example of Lucifer, bishop of Cagliari, condemned the Church for shewing mercy to those who repented of the Arian heresy, and for permitting them, on easy terms, to re-unite themselves to the Christian community. Lucifer and his followers went so far as to separate from the communion of all Christendom, and to pronounce it fallen from the faith; and they were, in consequence, numbered amongst the schismatics.

CHAPTER X.

ON THE RISE OF ABUSES AND CORRUPTIONS.

A.D. 320-680.

HE strong faith of the early Christians in some instances degenerated

T into credulity. Accustomed to the contemplation of the miracles recorded

in the holy Scriptures, and still continuing to hear of occasional miracles wrought for the conversion of the heathen, they received with too ready a credence many tales of wonders and signs which superstition or imposture spread abroad. In western Europe, the ignorance of a long night of political barbarism and warfare rendered the multitude prone to the reception of such errors. Men of eminent sanctity were supposed to have the power of working miracles by their prayers; and the veneration which attached to their persons when living followed them beyond the grave.

The Church has not always been gifted with a spirit of wisdom and foreknowledge to discern the future abuses of opinions and practices, which it originally permitted without reproof. Could the pious fathers of the fourth century, who in their orations apostrophised the departed saints and martyrs, and called for their prayers to God, have foreseen the abuses to which this practice was to lead; could they have known that these expressions of an ardent, though somewhat unregulated feeling, were to induce others, in process of time, to adopt such invocations as a stated portion of their daily worship-to lead in later ages to actual prayers addressed to the saints themselves, and to cause such prayers and invoca