enter within the doors, and to take their station in the narthex, or lowest part of the house, where they were allowed to hear the reading and exposition of the Scriptures, but were denied the privilege of joining in the prayers of the church. Basil and others prescribe three years as the term of their continuance in this order. They were regarded as sustaining the same relations to the church as the first class of catechumens, and were known by the same name. They were distinguished, however, from the catechumens, by not being permitted to receive the imposition of hands.3

3. Υποπίπτοντες, Γονυκλίνοντες, substrati, or genuflectentes, prostrators, kneelers. These were much the same as the third class of catechumens, who also bore the same name. They were permitted to remain at public prayer, but only in a kneeling posture. The catechumens took precedence of them in attendance upon prayers, and sooner passed into a higher grade. In this class of penitents they continued three, and sometimes even seven years.*

4. Evvioτάuεvol, consistentes, by-standers. This class take their name from their being permitted to stand with believers, and to join with them in prayer, but not to partake of the communion with them. Whether they were permitted to remain as spectators of the sacramental service is uncertain. They continued in this class for the space of two years.

Some have supposed, but without sufficient reason, that there was a fifth class of penitents. The truth rather is that the distinction between these classes was not uniformly observed. In the time of Cyprian, the bishop had not, indeed, authority officially to regulate the rules of penance; still he exercised a controlling influence in these matters. But by later ecclesiastical rules, the bishop was authorized to abridge or extend the time allotted for penance. The Council of Ancyra, especially, accorded to the bishop a discretionary power in this respect, and particularly directs him charitably to consider the deportment of the offender, both before and after entering upon a course of penance, and to grant him a dispensation accordingly. This is the true origin of that practice which subsequently led to such enormous abuses-the granting of indulgences. The indulgentia paschalis, so called, has a special reference to the penitents, and to their stations in the early church.

* Τούς δὲ ἐπισκόπους ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν, τὸν τρόπον τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς δοκιμάσαντας φιλαν θρωπεύεσθαι, ἢ πλείονα προστιθέναι χρόνον· πρὸ πάντων δέ καὶ ὁ προάγων βίος, καὶ ὁ μετα ταῦτα, ἐξεταζέσθω· καὶ οὕτως ἡ φιλανθρωπία ἐπιμετρείσθω.—Conc. Ancyr. c. v. This rule was established also by Constitut. Carolin. 1. vii. c. 294.

§ 5. OF THE DUTIES OF PENITENTS, AND THE DISCIPLINE IMPOSED UPON THEM; OR THE DIFFERENT KINDS AND DEGREES OF PENANCE.

PENANCE, as has been already observed, was wholly a voluntary act on the part of those who were subject to it. The church not only would not enforce it, but they refused even to urge or invite any to submit to this discipline. It was to be sought as a favour, not inflicted as a penalty. But the offending person had no authority or permission to prescribe his own duties as a penitent. When once he had resolved to seek the forgiveness and reconciliation of the church, it was, exclusively, the prerogative of the bishop to prescribe the conditions on which this was to be effected. No one could even be received as a candidate for penance, without permission first obtained of the bishop or presbyter as his representative, to which they were admitted by imposition of hands.

The duties required of penitents, consisted essentially in the following particulars :

1. Penitents of the first three classes were required to kneel in worship, while the faithful were permitted to stand.

2. All were required to make known their penitential sorrow by an open and public confession of their sin. This confession was to be made, not before the bishop or the priesthood, but in the presence of the whole church, with sighs, and tears, and lamentations. These expressions of grief they were to renew and continue, so long as they remained in the first, or lowest class of penitents, entreating, at the same time, in their behalf, the prayers and intercession of the faithful. Some idea of the nature of these demonstrations of penitence may be formed from a record of them contained in the works of Cyprian. Almost all the canons lay much stress upon the sighs and tears accompanying these effusions.

3. Throughout the whole term of penance, all expressions of joy were to be restrained, and all ornaments of dress to be laid aside. The penitents were required, literally, to wear sackcloth, and to cover their heads with ashes.* Nor were these acts of humiliation

* Ὥστε έωθεν ἀναστῆναι, καὶ ἐνδυσάμενον σάκκον, καὶ σποδὸν καταπασάμενον μετὰ πολλῆς σπουδῆς, καὶ δακρύων προσπεσεῖν.—EUSEB. Hist. Eccl. lib. v. c. 28. Quis hoc crederet, ut saccum indueret, ut errorem publice fateretur, et tota urbe spectante Romana, ante diem paschæ in Basilica Laterani staret in ordine pœnitentium?— HIERON. Ep. 30, Epit. Fab. De ipso quoque habitu atque victu mandat, sacco et cineri incubare, corpus sordibus obscurare.-TERTULL. De Pœnit. c. 9. Totum

restricted to Ash Wednesday merely, when especially they were required.

4. The men were required to cut short their hair, and to shave their beards, in token of sorrow. The women were to appear with dishevelled hair, and wearing a peculiar kind of veil.2

5. During the whole term of penance, bathing, feasting, and sensual gratifications, allowable at other times, were prohibited. In the spirit of these regulations, marriage was also forbidden.3

6. Besides these restrictions and rules of a negative character, there were certain positive requirements with which the penitents were expected to comply.

(a) They were obliged to be present, and to perform their part at every religious assembly, whether public or private,—a regulation which neither believers nor catechumens were required to observe.*

(6) They were expected to abound in deeds of charity and benevolence, particularly in almsgiving to the poor.

(c) Especially were they to perform the duties of the parabolani, in giving attendance upon the sick, and in taking care of them. These offices of kindness they were expected particularly to bestow upon such as were affected with contagious diseases.

(d) It was also their duty to assist at the burial of the dead. The regulations last mentioned are supposed to have been peculiar to the church of Africa."

These duties and regulations collectively, were sometimes included under the general term ouoλoynois, confession. By this was understood not only words, but works; both, in connection, being the appropriate means of manifesting sorrow for sin, and the purpose of amendment.

§ 6. OF THE READMISSION OF PENITENTS INTO THE CHURCH.

THE readmission of penitents into the church was the subject of frequent controversy with the early fathers, and ancient religious sects. Some contended that those who had once been excluded

corpus incuria maceretur, cinere adspersum, et opertum cilicia.-AMBROS. ad Virgin Lapsam c. 8. Agite pœnitentiam plenam, dolentis ac lamentantis animi probate mostitiam. . Orare importet impensius, et rogare, diem luctu transigere, vigiliis noctes ac fletibus ducere, tempus omne lacrimosis lamentationibus occupare, stratos solo adhærere, in cinere et cilicio et sordibus volutari, post indumentum Christi perditum nullum jam velle vestitum, post diaboli cibum malle jejunium, justus operibus incumbere, quibus peccati purgantur, eleemosynis frequenter insistere, quibus a morte animæ liberantur.-CYPRIAN. De Lapsis.

from the church for their crimes, ought never again to be received to her fellowship and communion. But the church generally were disposed to exercise a more charitable and forgiving spirit.

The following general principles prevailed in the ancient church, in regard to the restoration of excommunicated members to their former standing.

1. There was no established term of time for the continuance of penance. The several grades each extended through three, seven, and even ten years; but the whole was varied according to circumstances, or at the discretion of the bishop.' The abuse and perversion of this privilege and prerogative of the bishop led the way to the sale of indulgences in the Roman Catholic church.

2. Sincere and unfeigned penitence was, alone, considered legitimate and satisfactory. It was called pœnitentia legitima, plena, justa, when attended, both in public and in private, with lamentations, and with tears, and every demonstration of sincere penitential sorrow for sin. This was regarded more than the amount of time spent, under the discipline of penance.2

3. In case of extreme sickness, and in prospect of death, the excommunicated person might be forgiven and restored by the bishop, or by a presbyter or deacon, by virtue of authority delegated to him for this purpose. But in case of the recovery of the sick person, the whole prescribed course of penitence was usually required of him.3

4. When one of the clergy fell under ecclesiastical censure he was forever incapacitated from returning to the discharge of his official duties, even though restored to the communion of the church. A layman also, who had once been the subject of discipline in the church, was ineligible to any clerical office.*

In regard to the mode of receiving again the returning penitent, it may be remarked,

1. That the restoration was not only a public act, but a part of public worship. For this public absolution the obvious reason was assigned, that the restitution made by the offender, was in this way made as public as the act of excommunication; and that the salutary influence of the discipline might be felt by the whole body of the church.

2. The same bishop, under whom the penitent had been excluded from the church, or his successor, was the only appropriate organ of restoring him to the fellowship of the church. This rule was so strictly enforced that the bishop, who should violate it, was liable

to severe censure, or to be removed from office for the offence." To prevent any mistake, the names of excommunicated persons were publicly enrolled, and a list of their names sent to the neighboring dioceses. These regulations were severally observed in order that the church, who witnessed the offence, might also receive the full influence of the discipline with which it was was visited.

3. The restoration usually took place on Passion week, which was from this circumstance denominated hebdomas indulgentiæ; or at some time appointed by the bishop. The transaction was performed in the church, when the people were assembled for religious worship; and for the most part immediately before the administration of the Lord's supper. The individual, kneeling before the bishop in the attitude and garb of a penitent, and before the altar, or the reading desk, (the ambo,) was readmitted by him with prayer and the imposition of hands. The latter rite, especially, was regarded as the significant and principal token of admission to the communion of the church. The chrism was also administered to heretics, but to no other class of offenders.

4. No established form of absolution is recorded, but from analogy it might be presumed that some such was in use. Nothing like the modern method of absolving in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, was known to the ancient church. The whole rite was frequently denominated dare pacem, from which it is fairly presumed, that some such phraseology was included in the form of absolution.

5. The fifty-first Psalm was usually sung on this occasion, but not as a necessary part of the service.10

6. The sacrament was immediately administered as a token that the penitent was reinstated in all his former privileges, the disqualification for the clerical office only excepted.

Such then were the solemnities by which penitents were restored to the privileges of the church. On the day appointed for their deliverance from this humiliating condition, they came into the church in a penitential garb of sackcloth, and with a trembling voice and copious tears, took their station on an elevated platform, where, in presence of the assembled congregation, they made a public confession of their sins, and throwing themselves down on the ground, they besought them to forgive the scandal and reproach they had brought on the Christian name, and to give them the benefit and comfort of their intercessory prayers. The brethren, moved with the liveliest emotions at beholding one to whom they