the Patriarch's Absolution.-20. The Ninth Privilege. The greater Patriarchs Absolute, and Independent of one another.-21. The Patriarch of Constantinople dignified with the Title of Ecumenical, and his Church Head of all Churches.-22. Of subordinate Patriarchs. What Figure they made in the Church, and that they were not mere titular Patriarchs.

CHAP. XVIII.

Of the Αυτοκέφαλοι.

SECT. 1. All Metropolitans anciently styled 'Aurorépaλoi.-2. Some Metropolitans independent after the setting up of Patriarchal Power, as those of Cyprus, Iberia, Armenia, and the Church of Britain.-3. A Third sort of 'AUTOKέpaλo, such Bishops as were subject to no Metropolitan, but only to the Patriarch of the Diocese.-4. A Fourth sort of 'Avroкépadoi.

CHAP. XIX.

Of Presbyters.

SECT. I. The meaning of the Name Presbyter.-2. Apostles and Bishops sometimes called Presbyters.-3. The Original of Presbyters properly so called.-4. The Powers and Privileges of Presbyters.-5. Presbyters allowed to sit with the Bishop on Thrones in the Church.-6. The Form of their sitting in a Semicircle; whence they were called Corona Presbyterii.-7. Presbyters the Ecclesiastical Senate, or Council of the Church, whom the Bishop consulted and advised with upon all Occasions. -S. Some Evidences out of Ignatius and Cyprian, of the Power and Prerogatives of Presbyters in conjunction with the Bishop.-9. The Power of Presbyters thought by some to be a little diminished in the Fourth Century. 10. Yet still they were admitted to join with the Bishop in the Imposition of Hands in the Ordination of Presbyters.-11. And allowed to sit in Consistory with their Bishops.-12. As also in Provincial Councils.-13. And in General-Councils likewise. 14. Of the Titles of Honour given to Presbyters, as well as Bishops, and what Difference there was between them, as applied to both.-15. In what sense Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons, called Priests, by Optatus.-16. Why Priests called Mediators between God and Men.-17. The ancient Form and Manner of ordaining Presbyters.-18. Of the Archipresbyteri.—19. Of the Seniores Ecclesiastici. That these were not Lay-Elders in the Modern Acceptation.

CHAP. XX.
Of Deacons.

SECT. 1. Deacons always reckoned One of the Three Sacred Orders of the Church.-2. Yet not generally called Priests, but Ministers and Levites. -3. For this Reason the Bishop was not tied to have the Assistance of any Presbyters to ordain them.-4. The Deacon's Office to take Care of the Utensils of the Altar.-5. 2. To receive the Oblations of the People, and present them to the Priest, and recite the Names of those that offered. -6. 3. To read the Gospel in some Churches.-7. 4. To minister the consecrated Elements of Bread and Wine to the People in the Eucharist.— 8. But not allowed to consecrate them at the Altar.-9. 5. Deacons allowed to Baptize, in some Places.-10. 6. Deacons to bid Prayer in the Congregation.-11. 7. Deacons allowed to preach by the Bishop's

Authority.-12. 8. Also to reconcile Penitents in Cases of extreme

Necessity. And to suspend the Inferior Clergy in some extraordinary.

Cases.-18. 9. Deacons to attend upon their Bishops, and sometimes

represent them in General-Councils.-14. 10. Deacons empowered to

rebuke and correct Men that behaved themselves irregularly in the

Church.-15. 11. Deacons anciently performed the Offices of all the

Inferior Orders of the Church.-16. 12. Deacons the Bishop's Sub-

Almoners.-17. 18. Deacons to inform the Bishop of the Misdemeanours

of the People.-18. Hence Deacons commonly called the Bishop's Eyes,

his Mouth, Angels, Prophets, &c.-19. Deacons to be multiplied accord-

ing to the Necessities of the Church.-20. Of the Age at which Deacons

might be ordained.-21. Of the Respect which Deacons paid to Presby-

ters, and received from the Inferior Orders.

CHAP. XXI.

Of Archdeacons.

SECT. 1. Archdeacons anciently of the same Order with Deacons.-2. Elected

by the Bishop, and not made by Seniority.-3. Commonly Persons of

such Interest in the Church, that they were chosen the Bishop's Succes-

sors.-4. The Offices of the Archdeacon. 1. To attend the Bishop at the

Altar, &c.-5. 2. To assist him in managing the Church's Revenues.—

6. 3. In Preaching.-7. 4. In Ordaining the Inferior Clergy.-8. 5. The

Archdeacon had Power to censure Deacons and the Inferior Clergy, but

not Presbyters.-9. Of the Name 'Azavrinç, Circumlustrator, and

whether Archdeacons had any Power over the whole Diocese.-10. Of

the Name Cor-Episcopi, why given to Archdeacons.-11. The Opinions

of Learned Men concerning the first Original of the Name and Office of

Archdeacon.

CHAP. XXII.

Of Deaconesses.

SECT. 1. The ancient Name of Deaconesses, Aiákovo, Ipεoßurides. Viduæ,

Ministræ.-2. Deaconesses to be Widows by some Laws.-3. And such

Widows as had Children.-4. Not to be ordained under Sixty Years of

Age, by the most ancient Canons.-5. To be such as had been only the

Wives of one Man.-6. Whether Deaconesses were anciently ordained

by Imposition of Hands.-7. Not consecrated to any Office of the Priest-

hood.-8. Their Offices. 1. To assist at the Baptism of Women.-9.

2. To be a Sort of Private Catechists to the Women-Catechumens.-10.

3. To visit and attend Women that were Sick and in Distress.-11. 4.

To Minister to the Martyrs and Confessors in Prison.-12. 5. To attend

the Women's Gate in the Church.-13. 6. To preside over the Widows,

&c.-14. How long this Order continued in the Church.-15. Another

Notion of the Name Diaconissa, as it signifies a Deacon's Wife.

BOOK III.

OF THE INFERIOR ORDERS OF THE CLERGY IN THE PRIMI-

TIVE CHURCH.

CHAP. I.

Of the first Original of the Inferior Orders, and the Number

and Use of them: and how they differed from the Superior

Orders of Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons.

SECT. 1. The Inferior Orders not of Apostolical, but only Ecclesiastical In-

stitution, proved against Baronius and the Council of Trent.-2. No cer-

tain Number of them in the Primitive Church.-3. Not instituted in all

Churches at the same Time.-4. The principal Use of them in the Primi-

tive Church, to be a sort of Nursery for the Hierarchy.-5. Not allowed

to forsake their Service, and return to a mere Secular Life again.-6.

How they differed from the Superior Orders, in Name, in Office, and in

Manner of Ordination.

CHAP. II.

Of Subdeacons.

SECT. 1.-No mention of Subdeacons, till the Third Century.-2. Their Ordi-

nation performed without Imposition of Hands in the Latin Church.—

3. A brief Acconnt of their Office.-4. What Offices they might not per-

form.-5. The Singularity of the Church of Rome, in keeping to the

precise Number of Seven Subdeacons.

CHAP. III.

Of Acolythists.

SECT. 1. Acolythists an Order peculiar to the Latin Church, and never men-

tioned by any Greek Writers for Four Centuries.-2. Their Ordination

and Office.-3. The Origination of the Name.-4. Whether Acolythists

be the same with the Deputati and Ceroferarii of later Ages.

CHAP. IV.

Of Exorcists.

SECT. 1. Exorcists at first no peculiar Order of the Clergy.-2. Bishops and

Presbyters, for the Three First Centuries, the usual Exorcists of the

Church.-3. In what Sense every Man his own Exorcist.-4. Exorcists

constituted into an Order in the latter End of the Third Century.-5.

Their Ordination and Office.-6. A short Account of the Energumens,

their Names and Station in the Church.-7. The Exorcist chielly con-

cerned in the Care of them.-8. The Duty of Exorcists in reference to

the Catechumens.

CHAP. V.

Of Lectors or Readers.

SECT. 1. The Order of Readers not instituted till the Third Century.-2. By

whom the Scriptures were read in the Church before the Institution of

that Order.-3. The Manner of Ordaining Readers.-4. Their Station

and Office in the Church.-5. The Age at which they might be Ordained.

CHAP. VI.

Of the Ostiarii or Doorkeepers.

SECT. 1. No mention of this Order till the Third or Fourth Century.-2. The

Manner of their Ordination in the Latin Church.-3. Their Office and

Function.

CHAP. VII.

Of the Psalmiste or Singers.

SECT. 1. The Singers a Distinct Order from Readers in the ancient Church.

-2. Their Institution and Office.-3. Why called 'Yπoßoλtig.-4. What

sort of Ordination they had.

CHAP. VIII.

Of the Copiate or Fossarii.

SECT. 1. The Copiata or Fossarii reckoned among the Clerici of the Primi-

tive Church.-2. First instituted in the Time of Constantine.-3. Why

called Decani and Collegiati.—4. Their Office and Privileges.

CHAP. IX.

Of the Parabolani.

SECT. 1. The Parabolani ranked by some among the Clerici.-2. Their In-

stitution and Office.-3. The Reason of the Name Parabolani.-4. Some

Laws and Rules concerning their Behaviour.

CHAP. X.

Of the Catechists.

SECT. 1. Catechists no distinct Order of the Clergy, but chosen out of any

other Order.-2. Readers sometimes made Catechists.-3. Why called

Navroλóyou by some Greek Writers.-4. Whether all Catechists taught

publicly in the Church.-5. Of the Succession in the Catechetic School

at Alexandria.

CHAP. XI.

Of the Ecclesiecdici and Defensores, or Syndics of the Church.

SECT. 1. Five Sorts of Defensores noted, Two whereof only belonged to the

Church.-2. Of the Defensores Pauperum.-3. Of the Defensores Eccle-

sie, their Office and Function.-4. Of their Quality:-whether they were Clergymen or Laymen.-5. The "Erdikoι and 'Ekkλŋσikdikoi among the Greeks the same with the Defensors of the Latin Church.-6. Chancellors and Defensors not the same in the Primitive Church.-7. Whether the Defensor's Office was the same with that of our modern Chancellors.

CHAP. XII.

Of the Economi.

SECT. 1. The Economi instituted in the Fourth Century. The Reasons of their Institution.-2. Always to be chosen out of the Clergy.-3. Their Office to take care of the Revenues of the Church, especially in the Vacancy of the Bishopric.-4. The Consent of the Clergy required in the Choice of them.

CHAP. XIII.

A brief Account of some other Inferior Officers in the Church. SECT. 1. Of the Пapapovápio, or Mansionarii.-2. Of the Custodes Ecclesiarum, and Custodes Locorum Sanctorum; and how those differed from each other.-3. Of the Sceuophylaces, or Ceimeliarchæ.-4. Of the Hermenculæ, or Interpreters.-5. Of the Notarii.-6. Of the Apocrisarii, or Responsales.

BOOK IV.

OF THE ELECTIONS AND ORDINATIONS OF THE CLERGY, AND THE PARTICULAR QUALIFICATIONS OF SUCH AS WERE TO BE ORDAINED.

CHAP. I.

Of the several Ways of Designing Persons to the Ministry, in the Apostolical and Primitive Ages of the Church.

SECT. I. Four several Ways of Designing Persons for the Ministry.

Of the

First Way, by casting Lots.-2. The Second Way by making Choice of the First-fruits of the Gentile Converts.-3. The Third Way by particular Direction of the Holy Ghost.-4. The Fourth Way by Common Suffrage and Election.

CHAP. II.

A more particular Account of the ancient Method and Manner of Elections of the Clergy.

SECT. 1. The different Opinions of Learned Men concerning the People's Power anciently in Elections.-2. The Power of the People equal to that of the Inferior Clergy in the Election of a Bishop.-3. This Power not barely Testimonial, but Judicial and Elective.-4. Evidences of this