Of the con co-slanders. this very title, calling them 'the prayers of those that were under penance and imposition of hands.' St. Chrysostom also mentions them more than once 18, styling them the prayers for the penitents,' and 'the prayers full of mercy,' because in them intercession was made to God for the penitents by the common voice both of the minister and people. The author of the Constitutions has the forms of these prayers 19, which I omit here, because they have been recited at length in a more proper place 20, where we give an account of the ancient liturgy or service of the Church. The station of this sort of penitents was within the nave or body of the church 21, near unto the ambon, or reading-desk, where they received the bishop's imposition of hands and benediction. Some Canons 22 style this order simply the penitents, by way of emphasis, without any other distinction; because they were the most noted, and the greatest part of penitential acts belonged to them whilst they were in this station, of which I shall give a more particular account in the following chapters. 6. The last order of penitents were the ovvioráμevoi, consistentes or sistentes, or co-standers, so called from their having liberty, after the other penitents, energumens, and catechumens, were dismissed, to stand with the faithful at the altar, and join in the common prayers, and see the oblation offered; but yet they might neither make their own oblations, nor partake of the eucharist with them. This the Council of Nice 23 calls, 'communicating with the people in prayers only without the oblation,' which for the crime of idolatry was to last for two years, after they had been three years hearers, and seven years prostrators before. The Council of Ancyra 24 often uses τῶν ἐν μετανοίᾳ τὴν εὐχὴν γίνεσθαι 18 Hom. 18. in 2 Cor. p. 873. 19 L. 8. cc. 8, 9. (Cotel. v. 1. pp. 395, seqq.) Ο προειπὼν, κ. τ. λ. 20 B. 14. ch. 5. s. 10. v. 5. p. 203. n. 99. and p. 205. n. 99. 21 Ep. Canonic. c. 11. (CC. t. I. p. 841 c.) 'H dè vпÓTтwois, iva čowθεν τῆς πύλης τοῦ ναοῦ ἱστάμενος μετὰ τῶν κατηχουμένων ἐξέρχηται. 22 C. Laodic. c. 19. See n. 17, preceding. 23 C. II. (t. I. p. 33 d.) Δύο ἔτη χωρὶς προσφορᾶς κοινωνήσουσι τῷ λαῷ τῶν προσευχῶν.—Vid. ibid. c. 12. 24 C. 4. (ibid. p. 1457 c.) Пepì тŵv the same phrase of 'communicating in prayers only,' and 'communicating without the oblation:' and in one canon 25 expressly styles this order of penitents the συνισάμενοι, co-standers; by which name they are also distinguished in the Canons of Gregory Thaumaturgus 26, and frequently in the Canons of St. Basil27. In all which we may observe, that the word communicating does not always signify partaking of the eucharist, but communicating in prayers only without the oblation; which was but an imperfect sort of communion: in opposition to which, when they were admitted again to the eucharist, they were saids ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ τέλειον, to attain to perfection; the participation of the eucharist being the highest state, or consummation and perfection, of a Christian. This is the short account of these several orders of penitents, and their stations in the Church: but to have a complete view of the ancient manner of performing penance, it will be necessary to consider both the ceremony of admission to this state, and the several acts of penance which they performed during their progress or passage through the several stages of it; as also the length of time, or the duration and continuance of this exercise; which was often for a course of many years, and πρὸς βίαν θυσάντων, ἐπὶ δὲ τούτοις ... 25 C. 25. (ibid. p. 1464 e.) Oi συνειδότες ἐκελεύσθησαν ἐν δεκαετίᾳ δεχθῆναι εἰς τοὺς συνεστῶτας, κατὰ τοὺς ὡρισμήνους βαθμούς. 26 Ep. Canonic. c. 11. (CC. ibid. p. 841.)... Ἡ σύστασις, ἵνα συνἶσταται τοῖς πιστοῖς, καὶ μὴ ἐξέρχηται μετὰ τῶν κατηχουμένων. 27 C. 22. See n. 9, preceding.— C. 56. [ Oper. Basil. Ep. 217. Canonic. Tert.] (CC. t. I. p. 1748 d.) ... Συστήσεται μόνον τοῖς πιστοῖς, προσφορᾶς δὲ οὐ μεταλήψεται.-C. 57. Oper. Basil. ibid.] (CC. ibid. e.) Εν ἐνιαυτῷ σταθήσεται μόνον.-C. 58. [Oper. Basil. ibid.] (CC. ibid. p. 1749 a.) Εν δ' μὲν ἔτεσι προσκλαίων ἔσται· ἐν έ' δὲ ἀκροώμενος ἐν δ ̓ ὑποπίπτων· ἐν δυσὶ συνεστὼς ἄνευ κοινωνίας.—Conf. cc. 59, 61, 66, 75. 28 C. Ancyr. c. 4. See n. 24, preceding.-Conf. c. 5. (t. I. p. 1457 d.) .... Τῷ τρίτῳ κοινωνησάτωσαν χωρὶς προσφορᾶς, ἵνα τὸ τέλειον τῇ τετραετία λάβωσι.-C. 6. (ibid. p. 146o a.) . Οὕτως ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ τέλειον, sometimes to the hour of death, without any remission or relaxation. The considering all which will give us an exact and clear idea of the ancient discipline, and show us at once both the severity, and prudence, and purity of the Church, in proceeding with sharpness against great delinquents, as well to examine the sincerity of their repentance, as to take off the scandal cast upon religion, and prevent their backsliding and relapses for the future. Of these things therefore in the following chapters. Penitents first ad mitted to CHAP. II. Of the ceremonies used in admitting penitents to do public penance, and the manner of performing it in the church. 1. When a penitent desired to be admitted to do public penance, and his petition was accepted, the first ceremony that penance by was used was to grant him penance, as the phrase was, by imimposition of hands. position of hands. For this was a ceremony used almost in all And oblig ed to appear in and ashes upon their religious actions, when any person was solemnly to be recommended to God in prayer. There were many other impositions of hands given them daily, when they came into the third order of penitents; but this was previous to their admission, or rather the form and ceremony of it, when they were first taken in to be hearers in the church. For this we have the plain testimony of the Council of Agde 29, which orders, that penitents, at the time when they desire to be admitted to do penance, shall receive imposition of hands from the bishop, and sackcloth to cover their heads.' 2. In which canon we may observe another rite and custom of common use in this matter: which was, that penitents were sackcloth obliged to appear in sackcloth, as an indication and token of their great sorrow and indignation against themselves. Other writers join sackcloth and ashes together; for so Eusebius 30 describing the penitential mien of Natalis the confessor, upon his return from the Theodosian heretics to the Church, says, came clothed in sackcloth and sprinkled with ashes.' And St. heads. 29 C. 15. (t. 4. p. 1385 b.) Pœnitentes tempore quo poenitentiam petunt impositionem manuum et cilicium super caput a sacerdote.... consequantur. 'he See n. 11, pre- Ambrose 31 writing to a virgin that had lapsed, plainly alludes to both customs, when he tells her, she must macerate her whole body, sprinkling it with ashes, and covering it with sackcloth.' In like manner Tertullian 32, discoursing of public penance, says, 'it obliges the sinner to change both his diet and his habit, to defile his body, and lie in sackcloth and ashes.' Neither were the greatest personages exempted from this ceremony. For St. Jerom 33, describing the penance of Fabiola, one of the greatest ladies in Rome, says, 'she stood in sackcloth in the order of penitents in the Lateran Church, to make public confession of her fault in the sight of all the people of Rome' and they continued the use of it during their passage through all the stages of repentance. For even at last they appeared in sackcloth, when the course of their whole penance was ended, and in this garb,' as the Council of Toledo 34 words it, were absolved, and reconciled to the altar of God.' And this is always the meaning of those expressions which speak of penitents changing their garb, and taking the mournful habit of repentance. Some think this was always done precisely on Ash-Wednesday, or the beginning of Lent, which from thence was called dies cinerum, the day of sprinkling ashes, and caput jejunii, the head or beginning of the fast. But this, for ought I can find, is founded upon very uncertain tradition, and the authority of modern authors; there being a perfect silence in the more ancient writers about it. Bellarmin 35 cites the authority 31 Ad Virg. Laps. c. 8. (t. 2. p. 314 d. n. 35.).. Totum corpus incuria [al. injuriis et jejuniis] maceretur, cinere aspersum et opertum cilicio. Vid. Cypr. de Lapsis, p. 137. (p. 98.) Orare oportet impensius et rogare, diem luctu transigere, vigiliis noctes ac fletibus ducere, tempus omne lacrymosis lamentationibus occupare, stratos solo adhærere cineri, in cilicio et sordibus volutari, &c. 32 De Pœnitent. c. 9. (p. 127 a.) De ipso quoque habitu atque victu mandat, sacco et cineri incubare, corpus sordibus obscurare. 33 Ep. 30. [al. 77.] Epitaph. Fabiolæ. (t. 1. p. 455 d.) Quis hoc crede ret, ut saccum indueret, ut errorem publice fateretur, et, tota urbe spectante Romana, ante diem Paschæ in basilica Laterani.... staret in ordine pœnitentium? 34 Tolet. 1. c. 2. (t. 2. p. 1224 a.) Qui sub cilicio divino reconciliatus est altario. 35 De Pœnitent. 1. 1. c. 22. (t. 3. p. 1052 d.) Quod attinet ad tempus, imponebatur pœnitentia publica feria quarta, ante primam dominicam Quadragesimæ, quæ dicitur, In capite jejunii, ut testatur Concilium Agathense can. 15., teste Gratiano dist. 50. can. In capite: nam ea verba non inveniuntur in vulgatis canoni of the Council of Agde for it: but this is only to be found in Gratian 36, for there is no such canon in the tomes of the Councils. And the Roman correctors 37 of Gratian own as much, referring us to the Roman Pœnitentiale, and Pontifical, and the Ordo Romanus for the substance of it. And so, Baluzius 38 says, Burchardus has it out of the Roman Pœnitentiale, which is of a much later date: neither does the canon, as cited by Gratian, prove the thing in question, but only describes the ceremony that was used towards penitents in the beginning of Lent, whether they were then first admitted to penance, or had been admitted before: which very thing supposes, that penance might be imposed at other times, as well as the first day of Lent, as the old gloss upon Gratian rightly observes. The ceremony, as it is described by Gratian, seems only to be an account of the discipline used towards penitents in Lent, different from their treatment at other seasons of the year. For, In capite Quadragesima 39, on Ash-Wednesday, or the 6 bus ejus Concilii. Habemus adhuc vestigium hujus ritus in consecratione et aspersione cineris, quæ eo die fieri solet. Et quamvis tempus pœnitendi aliis longius, aliis brevius præscriberetur, ut trium, septem, decem, aut plurium annorum; tamen singulis annis, in quinta feria majoris hebdomadæ, omnes reconciliabantur et communicabant. 36 Distinct. 50. c. 64. (t. 1. p. 266. 10.) Item ex eodem [C. Agathensi. Tit. Quæ sint servanda in solemni pœnitentia.] 37 [In loc. ibid. 70. n. 8.) Ex Agathensi etiam citant Burchardus et Ivo, et Rhebaldus cardinalis, qui tempore Paschalis pontificis claruit, in libro suo, de pœnitentia publice non iteranda. In uno tamen manuscripto Burchardi exemplari citatur ex Pœnitentiali Romano. Sententia vero hujus capitis, magna ex parte, habetur in Pontificali et Ordine Romano, a pag. 24 usque ad 30. Grischov.] 38 Not. ad Gratian. p. 464. (Oper. Ant. August. t. 3. p. 176. col. dextr.) Regino, (lib. 1. cap. 91.,) citat istud caput ex eodem Concilio, ex quo retulerat caput quod præcedit, id est, ex Concilio Agathensi, ubi non exstat. Item Burchardus, lib. 9. cap. 26. in editis. Admonent tamen correctores Romani, in uno manuscripto Burchardi exemplari citari ex Pœnitentiali Romano. Quo etiam modo citatur in alio antiquissimo Burchardi exemplari, quod exstat in bibliotheca illustrissimi viri Dionysii Talorii, regii advocati in parlamento Parisiensi. 39 [Distinct. 50. c. 64. (t. I. p. 266. 20.) In capite Quadragesimæ omnes pœnitentes, qui publicam suscipiunt aut susceperunt pœnitentiam, ante fores ecclesiæ se repræsentent episcopo civitatis, sacco induti, nudis pedibus, vultibus in terram demissis, reos se esse ipso habitu et vultu protestantes. Ibi adesse debent decani, id est, archipresbyteri parochiarum, et presbyteri pœnitentium, qui eorum conversationem diligenter inspicere debent, et secundum modum culpæ pœnitentiam per præfatos gradus injungere. Post hæc eos in ecclesiam introducant, et cum omni clero septem pœnitentiales Psalmos in terra prostratus episcopus cum lacrymis pro eorum absolutione decantet : tunc resurgens |