A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

The Author of the Books Attributed to S. DIONY∣SIUS * 1.1 the Areopagite.

THis is a fit time to speak of the Books attributed to S. Dionysius the Areopagite: For * 1.2 since they first appeared in the beginning of the sixth Age, it is very probable that they were composed at the end of the fifth. We will not repeat here, what we have said in the first Part of this History, but content our selves to observe whatever is most useful in them.

The Book of the Coelestial Hierarchy is full of Metaphysical Remarks about the Number and Distinction of Angels. He divides them into three Hierarchies, and nine Orders, to which he appropriates different Names and Offices. But in all that he says upon this Subject, there is no∣thing either solid, or profitable.

His Book of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy is more useful, because they teach us after what man∣ner the Sacraments were administred in the Church in the time of this Author. Let us begin with Baptism. The Bishop having preached, and instructed the Catechumen, he sends for him into the Congregation of the Faithful, where he recites with all the Church an Hymn taken out of Holy Scripture; and having kissed the Holy Table, he goes to the Catechumen, and demands of him, Why he is come thither? He having answered him, Because he loves God, and believes the Truths which he hath heard of him; The Bishop gives him a Description of the Christian Life, and then asks him, If he will live after this manner? After he hath promised it, he lays his Hands on him, and orders the Priests to write down the Name of this Man, and of the Person that hath answered for him. When this is done, he goes on to rehearse some sacred Prayers; when they are finished, he causes him to be stripped by his Deacons, and having caused him to turn, and stretch forth his Hands toward the West, he commands him to breathe three times against Satan, and to make the ordinary Renunciations (viz. of the World, Flesh and Devil) three times. Then he turns him to the East, and causing him to lift up his Hands towards Heaven, he enjoyns him to profess, that he believes all that Jesus Christ hath taught, and whatsoever is contained in the Holy Scriptures. This being done, he causes him to rehearse the Confession of Faith three times: Then he makes some Prayers, blesses him, and lays his Hands on him. Then the Dea∣cons strip him quite, and the Priests bring the Oyl of the Holy Unction, and the Bishop having begun to anoint him, by making the Sign of the Cross thrice upon him, he leaves it to the Priests to anoint his whole Body. From thence he brings him to the Sacred Font, and having sanctified the Water by the Invocation of the Holy Spirit, and having consecrated it by putting in Oyl in the form of a Cross three times, while they recite some Prophesies, he commands them to bring him to the place where he is to be Baptized. The Priests call him, and his Godfather by their Names: They bring him to the Bishop, who takes him by the Hand, and the Priests having read his Name, he dips him three times in the Water, and invokes the Name of the Holy Trinity every time as he goes into, and come out of the Water. When this is done, the Priests carry him away, and lead him to his Godfather. After he has put on his Cloaths, they conduct him again to the Bishop, who having anointed him with that Oyl, which renders Men Holy, he commands him to receive the Sacrament, which hath a particular Power to perfect Holiness.

Thus this Author describes the Ceremonies of Baptism; and then makes some Mystical Ob∣servations upon them, which we shall pass over, that we may come to what he says about the Eucharist, which he calls the most perfect of all the Sacraments. He says, That we have Reason to give it the Name of Communion ‖ 1.3, by way of Eminence, because this is the Sacrament which unites more particularly; and that it is for this Reason that it is not permitted to execute any Function in the Hierarchy, unless it be consummated by the Communion. After this Reflexion he returns to the man∣ner of the Ceremony, and says, That the Bishop being returned to the Altar, sings some Psalms, and all the Clergy sing with him. Then the Deacons read the Holy Scriptures; and when they have done reading, they put out the Catechumens, * 1.4 Enurgumeni, and Peni∣tents, and leave none in the Church, but such as are worthy to behold the Holy Mysteries, and Communicate: That some of the Deacons remain at the Doors of the Church, which are fast shut, and others are employed in the Church; That the chief, and most eminent Deacons, carry the Bread and Cup to the Altar with the Priests, after all the Clergy have sang Praises to God: That the Bishop prays with them, and pronounces Peace to all the Faithful, who kiss each other. Then they recite the Hymn called † 1.5 the Trisagion. Af∣ter the Priests and Bishops have washed their Hands, the Bishop comes alone to the middle of the Altar, having about him the Priests, and some of the Dea∣cons; and having praised the Works of God, they consummate these most Divine Mysteries, and place before their Eyes the things which they have praised, when they set the Signs upon the Altar. Having then shewn these Holy and Divine Gifts, he Communicates, and invites all the rest to partici∣pate with him. The Communion is concluded with Hymns of Praise and Thanksgiving.

The † 1.6 Sacrament of Unction comes next the Holy Eucharist; and as they put out the several Ranks of the less-perfect during the Consecration of the Eucharist, so also, when the Bishop con∣secrates the Oyl, the Temple is perfumed with the Odours, and with the Incense: And after they have rehearsed the Psalms, and read the Scriptures, the Bishop takes the Oyl, and puts it under the Altar; and while they sing the Prophetical Hymns, he finishes the Ceremonies of its Conse∣cration. He afterward makes use of it almost in all the Episcopal Functions.

From the Sacraments he comes to the Ordination of the several Degrees of the Clergy. The Bishop is the first, and chief, it belongs to him alone to Ordain and Consecrate the Oyl. The Priests are subject to the Bishop, but partake of the Priestly Functions, and have their particular Offices. They shew the Effects of their Power in the Holy Signs and Sacraments, which they shew to those, that draw near to them, and then make them Partakers of the Holy Mysteries, and Sacred Communion. The Order of Deacons is to prepare, and single out such Persons as may be allowed to approach the Holy Mysteries.

The Ceremonies used in the Ordination of these several Orders, are these. The Bishop pre∣sents himself upon his Knees before the Altar, bearing the Holy Bible upon his Head, and ano∣ther Bishop layeth his Hands on him, and Consecrates him by Prayer. When a Priest is Conse∣crated, he also kneels upon both his Knees before the Altar, and the Bishop lays his Right Hand upon him, making Prayers. The Deacons bend but one Knee before the Altar, and in the mean time the Bishop puts his Hands upon them, and Consecrates them also with the ordinary Prayers. He also signs every one of them with the Cross, gives them some Instructions, and concludes by giving them the Kiss of Peace, which they receive not only of the Bishop, but of all the Clergy. So that the Bishops, Priests and Deacons have this in common in their Ordination, to present them∣selves before the Altar, kneel and receive the Imposition of the Bishops Hands, the Sign of the Cross, Instruction, and a Kiss. The Bishops have this peculiar to them, that the Holy Bible is laid upon their Head, and the Deacons bend but one Knee.

As there are several Orders of the Clergy, so there are also several Degrees among the Laity. He distinguishes them into three sorts: 1. Catechumens, which are not as yet cleansed. 2. Peni∣tents, who having lost their Innocency, have need of Purifying. The Deacons are employed to perfect, and purifie these two Ranks of Christians, that they may make them fit to behold, and par∣take of the Sacraments from which they are excluded. The 3d is, Harmless and Chaste People, who are admitted to the Holy Communion.

But the most excellent Estate among the Laicks is the Holy Monks, which our Ancestors called Ascetae, or Monks, because of their solitary and contemplative Life, which unites them to God. Upon this account another sort of Consecration is honoured, which is not indeed performed by the Bishop, but by the Holy Priests after this manner. The Priest standing before the Altar re∣hearses those Prayers, which use to be said at the Consecration of a Monk. The Person to be Consecrated is standing behind him, for he neither kneels, nor has the Bible put on his Head, but he is only near the Priest, who recites the Prayer. When that is finished, he goes to him that is initiated, and asks him, Whether he forsakes not only a Worldly Life but also all Hankerings after the World? He tells him, what a perfect Life he embraces, and assures him, that he must excel the Life of all ordinary Christians. And when he hath promised to do all that he requires

of him, the Priest having made the Sign of the Cross upon him, cuts off his Hair, invoking the Holy Trinity, gives him another Habit; and having embraced him, and caused all the Pious Persons there present to embrace him, he gives him the Communion.

Lastly, As to the State of the Dead, they, who have lived well, being come to the end of their Race, they know more clearly after their Death, and see nearer at hand that Eternal Happiness, which they are sure one Day to be possessed of; the very thoughts of which fills them with inex∣pressible Joy. The Relations of the Dead share in this Joy, praising and giving Thanks to God in their Prayers, because he died a Conqueror of this World, they carry his Body to the Bishop, who receives it, and performs the usual Ceremonies about it in this manner. Having assembled the Clergy, if the Dead Person were in Orders, he places his Body before the Altar, and begins to pray to God, and give Thanks unto him: But if he were a Monk, or Lay-Man, they place him at the Door of the Church, and makes a solemn Prayer about him. Then the Deacons having recited the Promises of the Resurrection delivered to us in Holy Scripture, they sing those Psalms, which have relation to it. The chief Deacon then dismisses the Catechumens, and then comme∣morates those, who have died a Religious Death, among whom he puts the Name of the Person lately deceased, and exhorts all the Faithful to beg of God an Happy End. The Bishop then draw∣ing near to him, makes some very pious Prayers over him; which being done, he embraceth him, and all that are present do the same: Then he anoints him with Oyl; and having prayed for all present, they carry his Body into a Sacred Place, and there Interr it among the Bodies of the other Saints. One of the Prayers, which the Bishop makes to God, is this: That God would for∣give the Dead Person those Sins, which he hath committed through Human frailty, and enstate him in the Light of the Living: That he would conduct him into the Bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the place where there is neither Grief, nor Tears, nor Sorrow. These were Ceremonies of the Church used at that time at the Interrment of the Dead. Our Author in his Reflections puts this Obje∣ction: If every Man be rewarded according to his Deserts, what need is there of Prayer for the Dead? Of what use are they to the Wicked? And why do we pray for the Just? He answers, That it is certain, that Prayers are useful to those only who die well: But as in this Life, when we have good Designs and Intentions, we may be helped, and assisted by the Prayers of the Righteous, and this is an ordinary means of obtaining Grace, without which we often come short of it; even so the Bishop, who is the Interpreter of the Divine Oracles, and the Angel of the Lord of Hosts, who knows that the Justice of God weighs all things in an equal Balance, and pardons those faults, which Men commit through frailty, and so much the more, because no Man is free from them, prays to God that it may be so; Not that he doubts at all of the Goodness of God, but he begs this favour with the greater confidence, because he is assured, that it shall not be de∣nied him. And for this reason it is, that he doth not pray for those, who have not been Baptized, nor for Sinners, not only because 'tis not lawful to do it, and because he being only an Interpre∣ter of the Divine Will, he cannot without great rashness beg that which God will not grant, but also because his Request being unreasonable, he cannot hope to obtain it. Lastly, His Prayer is rather an Interpretation of the Divine Will, a Declaration of his Goodness, a Promise and Assu∣rance of what shall happen to the Deceased, rather than a Petition for a thing uncertain. After the same manner the Bishops Excommunicating Sinners are Interpreters of the Will of God, and do only separate them from the Communion, whom God hath already condemned: For we ought to believe, that if they do it unjustly, or through Passion, the Justice of God prosecutes their Actions.

This Treatise concludes with a Remark upon Infant-Baptism. The Author observes, That many Persons, Strangers to our Religion, derided and ridiculed that Custom of making others to promise for them. He answers, That the Bishop to whom this was said, ought to have answered pleasingly, and shewn first, That there are several things, for which we know not the reason, al∣though there are some, and those known to the Angels, but some are known to none but God himself: That in Baptizing Infants we do no more, than what we have learned, and received by Tradition from our Fore-fathers: That Children being well Educated, becoming Righteous and Holy Men, the Church hath thought fit to Baptize them, committing them to some Baptized Per∣son to Educare and Instruct them, who ought to take care of him, as his Father in Jesus Christ, for whose Salvation he must answer to him. For this Reason it is, that the Bishop demands of this Person, If he renounces, &c. that by that act he may oblige him to perswade this Infant, and teach him, when he comes to the use of Reason, to renounce those things which he hath promised to renounce by him. Lastly, The Bishop gives the Holy Sacrament to Infants, that they may be brought up Christianly, and may live a Life conformable to the Holiness of the Sacraments which they have received.

This is all that is most useful in this Author. I will not stay to make an Extract of his Trea∣tises of the Divine Names, and Of Mystick Theology, nor of his Letters; because these Works be∣ing full of Metaphysical and Platonick Notions, it would be hard to draw any thing that is plea∣sing, or useful out of them. [The several Editions of this Author's Books are set down in Vol. I. of this History under Dionys. Areop.] to which the Reader is referred.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Au∣thors of the Books attribu∣ted to S. Diony∣sius the Areopa∣gite.
• * 1.2

  Dallée's Opinion comes near our Au∣thors; but Dr. Cave and the Learned Bishop of Chester Dr. Pear∣son, place him soon∣er, viz. about the Year 362.
• ‖ 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  Lunaticks. Persons at cer∣tain seasons vexed with unclean Spirits. These were kept from the Sacrament, though Bapti∣zed, ob mentis inconstanti∣am, for the levity and incon∣stancy of their Minds.
• † 1.5

  The use of this Hymn in the Sacrament, proves the Au∣thor to have lived after 445, when it was first appointed by the Synod of Vasio to be uni∣versally used. Hosp. ex P. Di∣acono, &c. Durandus makes Sixtus I. the Institutor of it. Du Rat.
• † 1.6

  Holy Office of Confirma∣tion.