was not to do the office of judges, but of advocates-at-law, to defend the rights of the poor, and the liberties of the Church, against all aggressors and invaders. But if any can show, from ancient records, that the defensors had a larger power, he will very much oblige the world with such a discovery. In the mean time, the reader will pardon me for not ascribing to them greater powers than I had autho rity to do. The matter is curious, and may exercise the pens of learned men, and be the subject of further disquisition and inquiry,

CHAP. XII.

Of the Economi.

SECT. 1.-The Economi instituted in the Fourth Century, The Reasons of their Institution.

IN the writings of the fourth and fifth centuries we frequently meet with an officer in the Church, styled by the Greeks 1 'Oukovóuos, and by the Latins, Economus, or Præpositus Domus, as it is in St. Austin. His office was to manage the revenues of the whole diocese, under the inspection of the bishop. For anciently, as I have showed elsewhere, the whole revenue of the Church was intrusted in the hands of the bishop, to be divided among the clergy and poor of the Church by his direction and appointment; and in managing this affair he commonly made use of his archdeacon, as a proper assistant to ease himself of the great burthen and incumbrance of it. But upon the general conversion of heathens, and the consequent augmentation of every diocese, and Church-revenues, both the bishop and his archdeacon had business enough of another nature to take up the greatest part of their time: and then it was found necessary to institute officers on purpose, and set them over this affair, under the name of Economi, or slew

Vid. Con. Chalced. c. 2, 25, 26. * Possid, Vit. Aug. c. 24.

2 Liberat. Breviar. c. 16.

Book ii. chap. iv. sect. 6.

ards of the Church. Morinus1 thinks they were instituted to avoid suspicion; and in some Churches there is no question but it was so; for in the remaining fragments of the council of Tyre, Anno 448, which are inserted into the Acts of the council of Chalcedon, we find that Ibas, bishop of Edessa, being accused by some of his clergy for embezzling the revenues of the Church, is obliged to promise, that for the future the revenues should be managed by Economi, or stewards, chosen out of the clergy, after the manner of the great Church of Antioch. And it is not improbable, but the like accusation being brought against Dioscorus, bishop of Alexandria, in the council of Chalcedon, was the reason, that moved that council to make a general decree in this matter, "that forasmuch as they were informed, that in some Churches the bishops alone administered the ecclesiastical revenues without any stewards, they now ordained, that every Church, having a bishop, should also have a steward of her own clergy, to manage the revenues of the Church by the direction of the bishop: that so there might be witnesses of the right administration of them; and by that means neither the Church's goods be embezzled, nor any scandal or reproach brought upon the priesthood." But then I cannot think this was the case of all Churches for these canons were made plainly against such bishops as managed the revenues of the Church, "Aμáprupoi," as the canon words it, without either archdeacon or Economus to attest the fidelity of their management. But in such Churches, where bishops took the assistance of their archdeacon, this could not be the reason for setting up the office of the Economus; because suspicion of mismanagement was provided against, as well by the testimony of an archdeacon, as any other officer that could be appointed. And therefore I have assigned a more general, and as I take it, a truer reason for the institution of this office in the Church.

1 Morin. de Ordinat. Eccl. par. iii. exerc. 16. c. 5. n. 3. Chalced. Act. 9.

2 Con.

8 Con. Chalced. c. 26. "Edožev πãσav 'Eккλŋoiav ἐπίσκοπον ἔχεσαν, και οικονόμον ἔχειν ἐκ τῶ ἰδίω κλήρω. - - - ὥτε μὴ ἀμάρτυρον εἶναι τὴν οικονομίαν τῆς ἐκκλησίας, &c.

SECT. 2.-Always to be chosen out of the Clergy.

And that, which further confirms my opinion, is, that the Economi, as well as the archdeacons, were always to be chosen out of the clergy. For so those canons of the councils of Tyre and Chalcedon, already cited, plainly direct; and for any thing, that appears to the contrary, this was the constant practice of the Church. We find in the Acts of the council of Ephesus,' which are inserted also into the council of Chalcedon, one Charisius styled both presbyter and Economus of the Church of Philadelphia. And Liberatus speaks of one John, who was Economus of Alexandria, and presbyter of Tabennesus, a region belonging to Alexandria. Possidius tells us in the Life of St. Austin," that he always made one of his clergy the Præpositus Domus, (as he calls him) whose office was to take care of the Church-revenues, and give an account of what he received and expended, when it was demanded of him." And to the same purpose Socrates says of Theophilus, bishop of Alexandria, "that having advanced two monks to the honour of the clergy, he made them the Economi of the Church." So that it was both the rule and practice of the Church to take the Economi out of some of the clergy, and we never meet with any instance or order to the contrary; which argues plainly, that the true reason for devolving this office upon them, which formerly belonged to the archdeacons, was no other than that because of a multiplicity of business the archdeacons now could not so well attend it.

SECT. 3.-Their Office to take care of the Revenues of the Church, especially in the Vacancy of the Bishopric.

What the office itself was, appears from what has already

3 Possid.

1 Con. Ephes. in Act. 1. Con. Chalced. tom. iv. p. 292. Charisius Presbyter et Economus Philadelphiæ. ? Liberat. Breviar. c. 16. Johannes ex Economo factus Presbyter Tabennesiotes. - Factusque est iterum Economus, habens causas omnium Ecclesiarum. Vit. Aug. c. 24. Domûs Ecclesiæ curam, omnemque substantiam ad vices valentioribus Clericis delegabat et credebat; nunquam clavem, nunquam annulum in manu habens, sed ab eisdem Domûs Præpositis cuncta et accepta et erogata notabantur. * Socrat. lib. vi. c. 7. Tv bikovopíav

Εκκλησίας ἀυτοῖς ἐνεχείρισεν.

been said: to which I shall only add one thing; that, by the authority of, the council of Chalcedon,' the Economus was to continue in his office during the vacancy of the bishopric, and to look after the income of the Church, that it might be preserved safe for the succeeding bishop; which canon, some not improbably think, was designed to prevent delays in filling of vacant sees; that no metropolitan, or interventor, under whose care the vacant Church was, might lie under any temptation to defer the election of a new bishop, in hopes of enriching himself from the revenues of the Church. But whether this was the reason or not, it certainly argues, that these men were generally persons of extraordinary credit and worth, since the Church could securely repose so great a confidence in them.

SECT. 4.-The Consent of the Clergy required in the Choice of them.

And indeed all imaginable care was taken in their election, that they should be persons of such a character: to which purpose some canons required, that they should be chosen by all the clergy; as particularly Theophilus, bishop of Alexandria, in his Canonical Epistle, gives a direction in that case. Which provision was but reasonable; for since all the clergy had a common concern in the revenues of the Church, which were their livelihood and subsistance, it was fit the Economus, to whose care the revenues were committed, should be chosen by common consent, that he might be a person without exception, and no one have reason to complain, that he was injured or defrauded of his dividend or portion.

CHAP. XIII.

A brief Account of some other Inferior Officers in the Church.

SECT. 1. Of the IIapaμovápio, or Mansionarii.

BESIDE the officers already mentioned, there were in the

Theophil. Can. ix. ap. Bevereg. Pandect.

1 Con. Chalced. c. 25. tom. ii. p. 173. Γνώμῃ παντὸς ἱερατεὶς οικονόμον αποδειχθῆναι, &c.

VOL. I.

2 R

fourth and fifth centuries some few others, whose names are not very commonly met with; and therefore I shall but just hint the signification of them, and not spend my time in any curious inquiries about their offices and employments. The same canon' of the council of Chalcedon, which speaks of the Economus and Defensor, mentions also another officer belonging to the Church, who is styled Пapaμovápios in the language of that council. But the translators and critics are not agreed upon the meaning of the word. The ancient translation of Dionysius Exiguus renders it Mansionarius, and explains that, in a marginal reading, by Ostiarius, or door-keeper of the Church. And indeed this was the office of the Mansionarius in the Roman Church, about the time when Dionysius Exiguus lived. For Gregory, the Great, not long after in one of his Dialogues, speaking of Abundius Mansionarius, gives him also the title of Custos Ecclesiæ; and in another Dialogue he makes it the office of the Mansionarius to light the lamps or candles of the Church. Yet notwithstanding this the best learned of the modern critics give another sense of the Greek name Пapaμονάριος. Movάpios. Justellus explains it by Villicus, a bailiff, or steward of the lands. Bishop Beverege styles, him Rerum Ecclesiasticarum Administrator, which is the same.

And

their opinion is confirmed by Gothofred, Cujacius, Suicerus, Vossius, and many others, whose judgment in the case may be sufficient to decide the controversy, till the reader sees better reason otherwise to determine him.

SECT. 2. Of the Custodes Ecclesiarum, and Custodes Locorum Sanctorum; and how those differed from each other.

The civil law takes notice of another sort of officers, who are called Custodes Ecclesiarum, and Custodes Locorum Sanctorum; which though some writers confound together, yet Gothofred makes a distinction between them. The Custodes Ecclesiarum were either the same with the Ostiarii, or order of door-keepers; or else with those called

1 Con. Chalced. c. 2.

2 * Greg. M. Dial. lib. iií. c. 25.

3 Ib. Dial. lib. i. c. 5. Constantius Mansionarius omnes lampades Ecclesiæ implevit aquâ, etc. Justel. Bibliothec. Jur. can, tom. i. p. 91. Not. in Con. Chalced. c. 2.

6 Bevereg.