SECT. 2.-This Discipline not strictly observed in the very first Ages of the Church.

As to its original, the learned Albaspinæus has rightly observed, that in the apostolical age, and some time after, they were not so very strict in this discipline of concealing their sacred mysteries from the knowledge of the catechumens. For he thus argues against the antiquity of the book called the Apostolical Constitutions: "The last words," says he," which forbid the publication of those eight books, do plainly show, that they were not written in the first age; for the Christians of the first age did never make any scruple of publishing their mysteries, as appears from the writings of Justin Martyr." Mr. Aubertine observes the same out of Athenagoras and Tatian; and Dailles joins in opinion with Albaspinæus, and cites his authority with approbation and Basnage is so far from thinking, that the Apostles concealed their mysteries from the catechumens, that he rather supposes they administered the sacraments in their presence. Upon which supposition, the whole fabric, which Schelstrate builds upon the Disciplina Arcani, is ruined at once' for then it is certain, the Apostles had no such fear or caution upon them, lest the catechumens should come to the knowledge of the Christian rites or doctrines, as is pretended. And indeed any one that looks into the writings of the Apostles, may perceive with half an eye, that they were far enough from concealing their opinion about the worship of angels, saints, and images: for they expressly write against it. And when they speak of the mysteries of baptism and the eucharist, they do it with the greatest freedom, without any fear or apprehension of giving offence to the catechumens.

Albaspin. Observat. lib. i. c. 13. p. 38. Postrema verba, quibus cavetur, Ne octo libri Constitutionum Apostolicarum publicentur, apertè indicant, eas primis sæculis factas non esse, cùm primi sæculi Christiani sua lubentes mysteria, ut vel ex Justino constat, enuntiarent. 2 Albertin. de Eucharist. 8 Dallæus, de Scriptis Ignatii, lib. i. c. 22. p. 142. Basnag. Exercitat. in Baron. p. 489. Alta de mysteriis silentia non agebant Apostoli, nec catechumenos arcebant sacramentorum conspectu.

lib. ii. p. 709.

SECT. 3.-But introduced about the Time of Tertullian, for other Reasons than what the Romanists pretend.

Nay, and when this discipline was first introduced into the Christian Church, it is very evident, it was done for different reasons than those which the Romanists pretend. The first beginning of it seems to have been about the time of Tertullian; for he is the first writer that makes any mention of it. He says, "there was a secrecy and silence observed in all mysteries;" and he blames the heretics of his own times for not regarding something of this discipline. "They made no distinction," he says, “between believers and catechumens, they all met together, they all heard together, they all prayed together; and if heathens chanced to come in upon them, they gave that which was holy to dogs, and cast their pearls, such as they were, before swine.” Here it is plain, the Church now made several distinctions between catechumens and believers, which heretics did not. The place of the catechumens was now in a separate part of the Church; they heard sermons, but not all that believers were allowed to hear; they had prayers for themselves, but were not admitted to hear the prayers of the faithful, which were peculiar to the celebration of the eucharist, from which catechumens were excluded. But all this was, and might be done, without favouring in the least the vain pretences of the modern Arcanists: for in all this there was no design to conceal such mysteries as the worship of saints, and angels, and images, from the knowledge of the catechumens; but, on the contrary, Tertullian speaks openly of these kinds of worship, and with indignation condemns them as superstitious practices, belonging only to heathens or heretics, and not to the mysteries of the Church.

1 Tertul. Apol. c.7. Ex formâ omnibus mysteriis silentii fides adhibetur. Tertul. de Præscript. advers. Hæretic. c. 41. In primis quis catechumenus, quis fidelis, incertum est: pariter adeunt, pariter audiunt, pariter orant: etiam ethnici si supervenerint, sanctum canibus, et porcis margaritas, licet non veras, jactabunt.

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SECT. 4.-This proved from a particular Account of the Things which they concealed from the Catechumens. Which were, first, the Manner of administering Baptism.

And in the following ages, no writer that mentions this discipline, among all those that give us a more particular account of what things were concealed from the knowledge or inspection of the catechumens, ever so much as intimates, that the worship of saints and images was in the number of the mysteries of the Church which they concealed from them. But the mysteries which they were so careful in some measure to hide from them were, First, the manner of administering baptism. Second, the unction of chrism, or confirmation. Third, the ordination of priests. Fourth, the manner of celebrating the eucharist. Fifth, the liturgy or divine service of the Church. Sixth, and for some time the mystery of the Trinity, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer, till they became greater proficients, and were ready for baptism.

In the first place that they were careful to conceal from them the manner of administering baptism, appears from this, that catechumens were never so much as suffered to enter,' or look into the baptistery, or place where baptism was administered, according to the order of the first council of Orange. St. Basil therefore says, "baptism, the eucharist, and the oil of chrism, were things that the uninitiated were not allowed to look upon." And St. Austin,3 putting the question," what things were kept secret, and not made public in the Church?" answers," the sacrament of baptism, and the sacrament of the eucharist; for even Pagans may see our good works, but the sacraments are kept hidden from them." And as they did not admit catechumens to see baptism administered, so neither did they ordinarily discourse of it before them in plain terms, but in a mystical way, or else wholly excluded them from such discourses as incompetent hearers. "We do not speak openly,"

1 Con. Arausican, can. 19. Ad baptisterium catechumeni nunquam admittendi. 2 Basil. de Spiritu Sancto, c. 27. "A di iπomTeveiv čžesi TOIS apvýros, tom. ii. p. 352. 3 Aug. Com, in Psal. ciii. Concio. 1. tom. viii. p. 484. Quid est quod occultum est, et non publicum in ecclesiâ? Sacramentum baptismi, sacramentum eucharistiæ. Opera nostra bona vident et pagani, sacramenta verò occultantur illis.

says St. Cyril," of the sacraments before the catechumens, but deliver many things covertly, that the faithful who know them, may understand us, and they who know them not, may receive no harm." So Theodoret," we discourse of mysteries obscurely because of the unbaptized; but when they are gone we speak plainly before the initiated." In like manner Nazianzen speaking of baptism, "You have heard," says he, " so much of the mystery as we are allowed to speak publicly in the ears of all, and the rest You shall hear privately, which you must retain secret within yourself, and keep under the seal of baptism." A great many other passages may be read in Chrysostom,* Theodoret, Cyril of Alexandria, the author under the name of Dionysius the Areopagite, and the Apostolical Canons, with many others to the same purpose. From all which we learn, that though the Ancients acquainted the catechumens with the doctrine of baptism so far as to make them understand the spiritual nature and design of it, yet they never admitted them to the sight of the outward ceremony, nor so much as to hear any plain discourse about the manner of its administration, till they were fitted and prepared for the actual reception of it.

SECT. 5.-Secondly, the Manner of Administering the Holy Unction or Confirmation.

And they observed the same discipline in reference to the holy unction or chrism, which the Latins call imposition of hands or confirmation. St. Basil, speaking of the oil which was used to be consecrated and used in this ceremony, says, "it was one of those things which the uninitiated were not allowed to look upon:" and Pope Innocent the First, writing to another bishop about confirmation, and the form of words used in the administration of it, says, "he

1 Cyril. Catech. vi. n. 16. 2 Theodor. Quæst. 15. in Numer. tom. i. p. 149. Naz. Orat. 40. de Bapt. tom. i. ♦ Chrys. 672. p. Hom. 40. in 1 Cor. p. 688. Hom. 46. in Act. p. S68. tom. iv. Ed. Savil. Cyril. adv. Julian. lib. vii. 7 Dionys. Eccles. Hierar. c. 2. p. 251. • Can. 9 Basil. de Spiritu Sancto, c. 27.

3 Theodor. Hæret. Fabul. lib. v. c. 18.

tom. vi. p. 247.

Apost. c. 85.

could' not repeat the words, lest he should seem to disclose the mystery, rather than answer the question proposed.”

SECT. 6. Thirdly, the Ordination of Priests.

A third thing which they concealed from the catechumens was the ordination of priests. The council of Laodicea has a canon to this purpose, that "ordinations shall not be performed in the presence of the hearers," that is, the catechumens. And Chrysostom, speaking of this office and the solemn prayers used at the consecration, delivers himself in an obscure and covert way, because of the catechumens. "He that ordains," says he, "requires the prayers of the Church, and they then join their suffrage, and echo forth those words which the initiated know. For we may not speak them openly before the uninitiated catechumens."

SECT. 7.-Fourthly, the Liturgy or public Prayers of the Church, such as the Prayers for the Energumens, Penitents, and the Faithful.

A fourth thing, which they concealed from the catechumens, was the public liturgy or solemn prayers of the Church. For one rank of the catechumens, the Audientes, or hearers, were only permitted to stay and hear the sermon, but not any prayers of the Church. Another sort, called kneelers, or prostrators, had the prayers of the Church particularly for themselves, but no others. And the Competentes staid only to hear the prayers offered up for themselves and the energumens, and then were dismissed. They might not stay to hear so much as the prayers for the penitents, much less the prayers for the Church Militant, or any others preceding the communion. But before all these the usual word of command was given by the deacons, or sacred heralds of the Church, “Ne quis Audientium," or“ Ite, Missa est, catechumens depart." From

Innocent. Epist. 1. ad Decentium Eugubin. c. 3. Verba verò dicere non possum, ne magis prodere videar, quàm ad consultationem respondere. 3 Con. Laodic. can. 5. Μὴ δεῖν τὰς χειροτονίας ἐπὶ παρεσίᾳ ἀκροωμένων γίνεσθαι. Chrysost. Hom. 18. in 2 Cor. p. 872. 'O μéλXwv χειροτονεῖν τὰς ἐκείνων εὐχὰς καλεῖ τότε, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐπιψηφίζονται, ἡ ἐπιβοῶσιν, ἅπερ ἴσασιν οἱ μεμνημενοι· εἰ γὰρ δὴ θέμις ἐπὶ τῶν ἀμυήτων ἐκκαλύπτειν ἅπαντα.