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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07381	Churches, that is, appropriate places for Christian vvorship both in, and ever since the Apostles times. A discourse at first more briefly delivered in a colledge chappell, and since enlarged. By Joseph Mede, B.D. and fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge.	Mede, Joseph, 1586-1638.	1638 (1638)	STC 17765; ESTC S122056	29,733	80

I answer in the Analogy of the old Testament whence this principle is taught us That as the divine Majestie it self is most sacred and incommunicable the reason why the worship and service given unto him must be communicated with no other so is it likewise a part of that honor we owe unto his most sacred singular and incommunicable eminency that the things wherewith he is served should not be promiscuous and common but appropriate and set apart to that end and purpose And thus I conclude the first Seculum IN THE SECOND CENTURIE NOW for the second that too for the beginning thereof we have a witness not to be rejected the holy Martyr Ignatius who suffered An. 107. wrote the most of his Epistles in his bonds He in his confessed Epistle ad Magnesios speaks thus Omnes ad orandum in idem loci convenite una sit communis precatio una mens una spes in charitate fide inculpata in Iesum Christū quo nihil praestantius est Omnes velut VNVS ad TEMPLVM Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concurrite quemadmodum ad VNVM Altare ad VNVM Iesum Christum Pontificē ingeniti Dei Loe here a Temple with an Altar in it whither the Magnesians are exhorted to gather thēselves together to pray To come together in one place that so they might all joyn together in one cōmon prayer spirited with one intētion with one the same hope in the Charity Faith they have to Christ ward Secondly to come thither as one that is in unity of affection and brotherly love one towards another as if all were but one not many even as the Altar before which they presented themselves was but one and the high Priest and Mediatour between them and the Father Iesus Christ but One. For it is to be observed that in those primitive times they had but One Altar in a Church as a Symbole both that they worshipped but One God through One Mediatour Iesus Christ also of the unity the Church ought to have in it self whence Ignatius not only here but also in his Epist to the Philadelphians urges the unity of the Altar for a monitive to the cōgregation to agree together in one For Vnum Altare saith he omni Ecclesiae unus Episcopus cum Presbyterio Diaconis conservis meis This custom of One Altar is stil retained by the Greek Church The contrary use is a transgression of the Latins not only symbolically implying but really introducing as they handle it a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or multiplying of Gods and Mediatours instead of that One God and One Mediatour between God and men the man Christ Iesus Nay more than this It should seem that in those first times before Diocesses were divided into those lesser subordinate Churches we now call Parishes Presbyters assigned to thē they had not only One Altar in one Chur or Dominicū but one Altar to a Church taking Chu for the Cōpany or Corporatiō of the Faithfull united under one Bishop or Pastor and that was in the City and place where the Bishop had his See and Residence like as the Iews had but one Altar Tēple for the whole Nation united under one high Priest And yet as the Iews had their Synagogues so perhaps might they have more Oratories than one though their Altar were but one there namely where the Bishop was Die Solis saith Iust. Mart. omniū qui vel in oppidis vel ruri degunt in eundē locu conventus fit Namely as he there tels us to celebrate participate the holy Eucharist Why was this but because they had not many places to celebrate in And unlesse this were so whence came it else that a Schismatical Bishop was said cōstituere or collocare aliud Altare that a Bishop an Altar are made correlatives See S. Cyprian Ep 40 72 73. de unitate Ecclesiae And thus perhaps is Ignatius also to be understood in that fore-quoted passage of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnū Altare omni Ecclesiae unus Episcopus cum Presbyterio Diaconis Howsoever I here determine nothing but refer it to the judgement of those who are better skilled in Antiquity only adding this that if it were so yet now that Parishes are divided into severall Presbyteries as their proper Cures every one of them being as it were a little Diocess the reason and signification of unity is the same to have but One Altar in a Parish Church To this testimony of Ignatius of the use in his time I will adde another of his in his Epistle ad Antiochenos where in his salutes he speaketh thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I salute the keepers of the HOLY DOORES the Deaconisses w ch are in Christ that is the Doores the womē entred in at For so we may learn frō the Compiler of the Apostolicall Cōstitutiōs Li. 2. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 al. 61. describing a Ch assembly Stent ostiarii saith he ad introitus virorum illos custodientes Diaconissae ad introitus foeminarum But if they had in Ignatius his time Holy doores or as some render it sacra vestibula who can beleeve also but they had holy Houses This Epistle indeed is none of the confessed ones The title is accepted against as that Ignatius wrote no Epistle ad Antiochenos because Eusebius and after him S. Hierom when they rehearse his Epistles make no mention of any such Yet were the Antiochians his flock his pastorall charge Who would not then think it unlikely that amongst so many Epistles written to other Churches in his going that long journey from Antioch to Rome to receive the crown of Martyrdom yea to Smyrna through which he had passed he should not remēber with one farewell Epistle that Church whereof he was Bishop Pastor as well as the rest Thus much I dare say that this is as strong an argument every whit to perswade that hee wrote such an Epistle especially there being one extant under that Title as Eusebius his silence for S. Hierom did but follow his steps is that he did not For why should it be thought more necessary that Eusebius should have met with all the Epistles of Ignatius in the Library of Aelia or Ierusalem whence he professeth to have collected the whole matter of his History then he did with all the works and Commentaries of some other Ecclesiasticall men whom he mentioneth many of whose writings besides those he rehearseth he confesseth not to have come to his hands or knowledge either what or how many they were See him Hist. Li. 5. c. 26. Li. 6 c. 10. This will be yet more considerable if we remember that some Books even of the Canon of the N. Test. were not known to some Churches at the same time with the rest and therefore a while doubted of after they had notice of them Besides it is to be noted that Eusebius in expresse tearms

ult Lib. 9. cap. Θ. as also because he expounds himself presently by Ecclesia when he saith Sic Paulus summo cum dedecore à potestate seculari ex Ecclesia exigitur For surely he meant not that he was by the secular arme cast out of the Church as Chu●ch is taken for the company of the Faithfull but as it signifies the Place of sacred assembly where this Paulus kept possession after he was deposed for heresie by the Councell But what need we trouble our selves thus to gather up Testimonies for the latter half of this Seculum I have one Testimony behinde which will dispatch it all at once yea and if need be depose for the whole also It is that of Eusebius in his eighth Book Hist. Eccl. in the beginning where describing those peacefull and halcyonian dayes which the Church enjoyed for many yeares from the time of the Martyrdome of S. Cyprian unto that most direfull persecution of Diocletian and how wonderfully the number of Christians was advanced during that time he speaketh on this manner Quomodo quisquam infinita illos hominum turbâ frequentatos conventus coetuūque in singulis urbibus congregatorum multitudinem illustresque in ORATORIIS concursus describere valeat Quorum causa quum in ANTIQVIS illis AEDIFICIIS satis amplius loci non haberent vel antiquis illis aedificiis haudquaquam amplius contenti amplas spatiosasque in omnibus urbibus ex fundamentis erexerunt ECCLESIAS Loe here how in those Halcyonian dayes Christians had not only Churches or Houses of worship but such as might then be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ancient aedifices which how far it may reach let others judge Secondly that the number of Christians being grown so great that those ancient Fabricks were no longer sufficient to contain them they erected new and more spacious ones in every City from the foundations And all this testified by one that himself lived and saw part of those times These sacred Aedifices Diocletian and those other surrogated Emperours which contained that direfull ten yeares persecution begun by him commanded by their Edicts to be every where demolished as we may reade in the same Eusebius at large The like whereunto seems never to have happened in any of the former persecutions in which they were only taken from the Christians but again when the persecution ceased for the most part restored unto them as in the former persecution they were by Galienus under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus I think I have proved by good and sufficient Testimonies that Christians had Oratories or Churches that is appropriate Places for Christian worship in every of the first 300. yeares I am well assured whosoever be Iudge long before the dayes of Constantine I will adde to these authorities two or three reasons why they must in all likelihood have had such Places First because it is certain that in their sacred assemblies they used then to worship and pray towards the East which how it could be done with any order and conveniencie is not easie to be conceived unlesse we suppose the Places wherein they worshipped to have been situated and accommodated accordingly that is chosen and appointed to that end Secondly because of their discipline which required distinct and regular Places in their assemblies for the Poenitentes Auditores Catechumeni Fideles and therefore argueth they met not in every place promiscuously but in Places already fitted accommodated for that purpose Lastly because they had before their eyes an example and pattern in the Proseuchais and Synagogues of the Iews from whom their Religion had its beginning which though as contrary to the Religion of the Empire as theirs yet had places appropriate for the exercise therof wheresoever they lived dispersed amōg the Gentiles Who can beleeve that such a pattern should not invite the Christians to an imitation of the same though we should suppose there were no other reasons to induce them but that of ordinary conveniencie ANSVVER TO THE OBIECTIONS I Come now to answer the Objections brought by such as maintain the contrary opinion which are two First say they It is not likely no not possible they should have any such places living under a Pagan and persecuting State and Empire I answer this Objection is already confuted by matter of fact For it is to be noted that the greatest and most cruell Persecutions and the 5. last of the ten fall with in the third or last Centurie In which that Christians had Oratories or Houses of Christian worship we have before proved by most indubitate and irrefragable testimonies But if in this why not aswell in the former Ages wherein the persecutions were as no more in number so far lesse bitter For it is to be taken notice of that these Persecutions were not continuall but as it were by fits and those of the 2. first Centuries of no long durance so as the Churches enjoyed long times of peace and quietnesse between them Besides why should it seem to any one lesse credible that Christians should have their Oratories or Houses of worship under the Romane Empire whilest the State thereof was yet Gentile and opposite to the faith of Christ then that they had them in the Kingdome of Persia which never was Christian For that they had them there as old as the dayes of Constantine Sozomen testifieth Lib. 2. c. 8. The occasion of the demolishing whereof by K. Isdigerdes and of that most barbarous persecution of the Christians of those Countries for 30. yeares together about the yeare 400. Theodoret relates Lib. 5. cap. 38. namely that one Audas out of an indiscreet and unseasonable zeale though otherwise a vertuous and godly Bishop having demolished the Persians Pyraeum or Temple where the Fire was worshipped and refusing to build it up again as was enjoyned him the King thereupon mightily enraged caused all the Christians Oratories or Churches in his Dominions to be demolished likewise and that horrible persecution before mentioned to storm against them Could the Christians finde means and opportunity to erect Churches that is houses for their Religion under a Pagan government in Persia and could they not under the Romane Empire The other Objection is from the Authors of Apologies against the Gentiles Origen against Celsus Minutius Felix Arnobius and Lactantius who when the Gentiles object Atheisme to the Christians as having no Templa no Arae no Simulacra these Authors are so far from pleading they had any such that they answer by way of concession not only granting they had none but which is more affirming they ought not to have and condemning the Gentiles which had Celsus saith Origen ait nos Ararū statuarū Templorūque fundationes fugere Origen denies it not but gives the reason Templorum fundationes fugimus quia ubi per Iesu doctrinam comperimus quemadmodum colendus sit Deus ea nos evitamus quae sub