in Scythia. They wished to make him sacrifice to Mars; but he caused a dragon to issue from the altar, and devour the children of the priests. He died at Hierapolis, at the age of eighty-seven. It is not known what town this was, for there were several of the name. All these histories are supposed to have been written by Abdias, bishop of Babylon, and were translated by Julius Africanus.

XVIII.

To these abuses of the Holy Scriptures was added one less revolting-one which did not fail in respect for Christianity, like those which have just been laid before the reader, viz. the Liturgies attributed to St. James, St. Peter, and St. Mark, the falsehood of which has been shown by the learned Tillemont.

XIX,

Fabricius places among the apocryphal writings the Homily (attributed to St. Augustin) on the manner in which the Symbol was formed. But he certainly does not mean to insinuate that this Symbol or Creed, which we call the Apostles', is the less true and sacred. It is said in this Homily, in Rufinus, and afterwards in Isidorus, that ten days after the Ascension, the Apostles being shut up together for fear of the Jews, Peter said, "I believe in God the Father Almighty;" Andrew, "and in Jesus Christ his only son;" James, "who was conceived by the Holy Ghost;" and that thus, each apostle having repeated an article, the Creed was completed.

This story not being in the Acts of the Apostles, our belief in it is dispensed with-but not our belief in the Creed, of which the apostles taught the substance. Truth must not suffer from the false ornaments in which it has been sought to array her.

XX.

The Apostolical Constitutions. The Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, which were formerly supposed to have been digested by St. Clement the Roman, are

nów ranked among the apocryphal writings. The reading of a few chapters is sufficient to show that the Apostles had no share in this work.

In the eleventh chapter, women are ordered not to rise before the ninth hour.

In the first chapter of the second book, it is desired that bishops should be learned: but in the time of the apostles there was no hierarchy-no bishop attached to a single church. They went about teaching from town to town, from village to village; they were called apostles, not bishops; and above all things, they did not pride themselves on being learned.

In the second chapter of the second book it is said, that a bishop should have but one wife, to take great care of his household; which only goes to prove that at the close of the first, and the commencement of the second century, when the hierarchy was beginning to be established, the priests were married.

Through almost the whole book, the bishops are regarded as the judges of the faithful; but it is well known that the apostles had no jurisdiction.

It is said, in chapter xxi. that both parties must be heard; which supposes an established jurisdiction.

In chapter xxvi. it is said, "The bishop is your prince, your king, your emperor, your God upon earth." These expressions are somewhat at variance with the humility of the apostles.

In chapter xxviii. "At the feasts of the Agapæ, there must be given to the deacon double of that which is given to an old woman; and to the priest double the gift to the deacon, because the priests are the counsellors of the bishops and the crown of the Church. The reader shall have a portion, in honour of the prophets, as also the chanter and the doorkeeper. Such of the laity as wish to receive anything, shall apply to the bishop through the deacon."

The apostles never used any term answering to laity, or marking the difference between the profane and the priesthood.

In chapter xxxiv.-"You must reverence the bishop

VOL. I.

as a king, honour him as a master, and give him your fruits, the works of your hands, your first fruits, your tenths, your savings, the presents that are made to you, your corn, your wine, your oil, your wool," &c. This is a strong article.

In chapter lvii.-"Let the church be long; let it look towards the East; let it resemble a ship; let the bishop's throne be in the middle; let the reader read the books of Moses, Joshua, Judges, Kings, Chroni, cles, Job," &c.

In chapter xvii. of the third book-" Baptism is administered for the death of Jesus; oil for the Holy Ghost. When we are plunged into the water, we die; when we come out of it, we revive. The Father is the God of all. Christ is the only son of God, his beloved son, and the lord of glory. The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, sent by Christ the teacher, preaching Christ Jesus."

This doctrine would now be explained in more canonical terms.

In chapter vii. of the fifth book, are quoted some verses of the Sibyls, on the coming of Jesus, and the Resurrection. This was the first time that the Christians admitted the verses of the Sibyls, which they continued to do for more than three hundred years.

In chapter v. of the eighth book, are these words"O God Almighty, give to the bishop, through Christ, the participation of the Holy Spirit."

In chapter iv.-" Commend yourself to God alone, through Jesus Christ;" which does not sufficiently express the divinity of our Lord.

In chapter xii. is the Constitution of James the brother of Zebedee.

In chapter xv, the deacon is to say aloud, "Incline yourselves before God through Chirst."

At the present day, these expressions are not very

correct,

XXI.

The Apostolical Canons.-The sixth canon ordains that no bishop or priest shall separate himself from

his wife on pretence of religion; if he do so, he is to be excommunicated; and if he persist, he is to be driven away.

The seventh-that no priest shall ever meddle with secular affairs.

The nineteenth-that he who has married two sisters shall not be admitted into the clergy.

The twenty-first and twenty-second-that eunuchs shall be admitted into the priesthood, excepting such as have castrated themselves. Yet, Origen was a

priest, notwithstanding this law.

The fifty-fifth-that if a bishop, a priest, a deacon, or a clerk, eat flesh which is not clear of blood, he shall be displaced.

It is quite evident that these canons could not be promulgated by the apostles.

XXII.

The Confessions of St. Clement to James, brother of the Lord, in ten books, translated from Greek into Latin, by Rufinus.

This book commences with a doubt respecting the immortality of the soul-Utrùmne sit mihi aliqua vita post mortem, an nihil omnino posted sim futurus.* St. Clement, disturbed by this doubt, and wishing to know whether the world was eternal or had been created-whether there were a Tartarus and a Phlegethon, an Ixion and a Tantalus, &c., resolved to go into Egypt to learn necromancy; but having heard of St. Bartholomew, who was preaching Christianity, he went to him in the East, at the time that Barnabas was celebrating a Jewish feast. He afterwards met St. Peter at Cæsarea with Simon the magician and Zachæus. They disputed together, and St. Peter related to them all that had passed since the death of Jesus. Clement turned Christian, but Simon remained a magician.

Simon fell in love with a woman named Luna; and, while waiting to marry her, he proposed to St. Peter, *No xvii, and in the Exordium.

to Zachæus, to Lazarus, to Nicodemus, to Dositheus, and to several others, that they should become his disciples. Dositheus answered him at once with a blow from a stick; but the stick having passed through Simon's body as if it had been smoke, Dositheus worshipped him and became his lieutenant; after which Simon married his mistress, and declared that she was Luna herself, descended from heaven to marry him.

But enough of the Confessions of St. Clement. It must however be remarked, that in the ninth book the Chinese are spoken of under the name of Seres, as the justest and wisest of mankind. After them come the Brahmins, to whom the author does the justice that was rendered them by all antiquity. He cites them as models of soberness, mildness, and justice.

XXIII.

St. Peter's Letter to St. James, and St. Clement's Letter to the same St. James, brother of the Lord, governor of the Holy Church of the Hebrews at Jerusalem, and of all churches.-St. Peter's Letter contains nothing curious, but St. Clement's is very remarkable. He asserts that Peter declared him bishop of Rome before his death, and his coadjutor; that he laid his hands upon his head, and made him sit in the episcopal chair, in the presence of all the faithful; and that he said to him, "Fail not to write to my brother James as soon as I am dead."

This letter seems to prove, that it was not then believed that St. Peter had suffered martyrdom, since it is probable that this letter, attributed to St. Clement, would have mentioned the circumstance. It also proves, that Cletus and Anacletus were not reckoned among the bishops of Rome.

XXIV.

St. Clement's Homilies, to the number of nineteen. He says in his first homily, what he had already said in his confessions-that he went to St. Peter and St. Barnabas at Cæsarea, to know whether the soul was im mortal, and the world eternal.

In the second homily, No. xxxviii, we find a much