TORREY'S NEANDER.*

FOR the sake of those of our readers who may not be familiar with the work or collection called the "Apostolical Constitutions," including what are termed the "Canons of the Apostles," we will, before proceeding to give an account of the publication for which we are indebted to Dr. Chase, say a few words respecting the history and character of these relics of Christian antiquity. There is no notice of any production under the title of "Apostolical Constitutions" by any writer during the first three centuries of the Christian era, nor until late in the fourth. Epiphanius, who wrote during the latter part of the fourth century and died early in the fifth, is the first who names a work with this title. He quotes from what he calls the "Constitution of the Apostles," a composition, he says, which, though held of doubtful authority by many, is not to be condemned, since it contains a true account of the ecclesiastical discipline and laws. Eusebius and Athanasius, it is true, refer to what they call the " Teachings" or "Doctrine" of the Apostles, and it has been thought by some, that under this title they designated the work afterwards quoted by Epiphanius. But of this there is no decisive evidence, and their identity is matter of conjecture merely. With the exception of Epiphanius, if he be an exception, none of the distinguished writers of the fourth century allude to the work, and the next mention we find of it is in what is known as the "Incomplete Work Matthew," written after the death of Theodosius the Great, and it may have been late in the fifth century. This is all the external evidence relating to the existence of such a work found within the first five centuries; and it is not certain that our present

1. The Work claiming to be the Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, including the Canons; Whiston's Version, revised from the Greek; with a Prize Essay, at the University of Bonn, upon their Origin and Contents; translated from the German, by IRAH CHASE, D. D. New York: D. Appleton & Co. 1848. 8vo. PP: 496.

2. General History of the Christian Religion and Church; from the German of Dr. Augustus Neander. Translated from the First, revised and altered throughout according to the Second Edition. By JOSEPH TORREY, Professor of Moral and Intellectual Philosophy in the University of VerVolume Second: comprising the second great Division of the History. Boston: Crocker & Brewster. 1848. 8vo. pp. 768.

mont.

"Constitutions" is the same work quoted by Epiphanius. If substantially the same, it is very clear that it has been interpolated, or has received additions, or both, since his time.

The work claims to have the Apostles for its authors, and is sent out in their name through their "fellow-minister Clement." It begins thus: "The Apostles and Elders to all who from among the Gentiles have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace from Almighty God, through our Lord Jesus Christ," etc. In the fourth chapter of the eighth book, we have these words: "Wherefore, we the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, who are now together, give you in charge these our Divine Constitutions concerning every ecclesiastical form; there being present with us Paul, the chosen vessel, our fellow-apostle, and James the Bishop," etc. Again," Now this we all in common proclaim," etc. But sometimes one of the number speaks individually. Thus, "I Peter," or "I Andrew," "say "; "I who was beloved by the Lord," "I Philip," or "I Bartholomew," "make this Constitution." And so of the rest, each in turn speaking in his proper person. No one now, however, thinks of attributing the work either to the Apostles or to the Roman Clement; it is universally admitted to be spurious, and, so far as the form is concerned, is, in truth, a very bungling forgery. It was written after the hierarchical principle began to develop itself and had made some progress in the Church, and treats largely of ecclesiastical discipline, forms, and observances, not omitting, however, duties of practical morality. The first book, which is exceedingly brief, is "Concerning the Laity"; the second, "Concerning Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons "; the third,

Concerning Widows"; the subject of the fourth is "Orphans "; of the fifth, "Martyrs"; of the sixth," Schisms "; the seventh is "Concerning Deportment, and the Eucharist, and Initiation into Christ"; the eighth is "Concerning Gifts, and Ordinations, and Ecclesiastical Canons," and contains, as well as the seventh, various prayers and liturgical services.

Rejecting the claim of the "Constitutions" to an Apostolic origin, we may observe, that, in the absence of direct historical testimony, their age is matter of conjecture, founded on the character of their contents, which, though it precludes a very early date, leaves room for no inconsiderable latitude of opinion as to the precise period of their composition, if

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they were not, as is probable, the growth of different periods. It is impossible to say positively in what century even they assuined their present form. Several of the most eminent among the earlier Catholic writers of modern times, as Bellarmin, who takes notice of their rejection by the Trullan Council, A. D. 692, Baronius, Cardinal du Perron, Petavius (Petau), and others, have pronounced them spurious, though few of them have undertaken to decide when or by whom they were written. Petavius observes, that they are different from the "Constitutions" of Epiphanius. Tillemont says, that they were a fabrication of the sixth century; others ascribe them to the third or fourth; Du Pin thinks them not the same work mentioned by Eusebius and Athanasius, and conjectures that they "belong to the third, or rather the fourth century," but that they were "from time to time corrected, altered, and augmented, according to the various customs of different ages and countries"; Cotelerius expresses doubts whether they were known to Epiphanius, and at all events thinks them interpolated and corrupted.

The opinions of Protestants have been not less diverse as to the time of their composition. Blondell, without assigning his reasons, places them late in the second century. William Beveridge ascribes them to Clement of Alexandria, instead of Clement of Rome, first mentioned as the author by the Trullan Council above referred to. But Clement of Alexandria, if he wrote them, must have stood selfcondemned, for the Constitutions do not allow the reading of heathen authors, who constituted his favorite study, and with whom he probably was more familiar than any other man of his time. For other reasons we may pronounce the opinion that he was the author of the work a very strange one and wholly untenable. Pearson supposes them a compilation with alterations and additions, made up after the age of Epiphanius from writings already in existence, some of them ancient. With Pearson agrees, in the main, Grabe. On the other hand, Whiston declares them to be the "most sacred of the canonical books of the New Testament," and says, that their contents were derived immediately from the Saviour during the forty days he passed with the Apostles after his resurrection and first ascension, and that the place of their delivery was Mount Zion, whence the "Christian law was to

* Whiston supposed that our Lord ascended immediately after his resurrection, and returned to instruct his Apostles during the forty days.

proceed." Le Clerc speaks of them as probably collected and enlarged at different times from the practice of the churches, though he seems to favor the opinion of Thomas Bruno, or Brown, a canon of Windsor, who makes the principal collector to be Leontius, an Arian bishop of the fourth century. Spanheim places the completion of the work at the end of the fifth century. Samuel Basnage considers them as different from the "Constitutions" of Epiphanius, and as originating at a subsequent period; Ittig and Usher refer their origin to the fourth century; and Daillé, who brought all his immense erudition to bear on the question of their genuineness, and denies that they were the same work quoted by Epiphanius, or the work or works referred to by Eusebius and Athanasius, contents himself with expressing the opinion, that they were written after the Council of Nice, and before the end of the fifth century, without attempting to be more definite.

Recent German critics are no more satisfactory. Thus Schröckh ascribes the collection to the third or fourth century; Starck, who supposes it to be made up of various materials scattered here and there, makes it date from the fifth century; Neander thinks it grew up in the Oriental Church "out of different pieces, whose ages extend from the latter part of the second to the fifth century," being not identical with the "Constitutions" of Epiphanius; Schmidt assigns to it a later origin; Rosenmüller will not undertake to settle the time; Augusti, as usual with him, does not trouble himself about the precise date; while Kestner discovers a "Christian confederacy," at the head of which stood Clement of Rome, of which the old "Apostolical Constitutions were a sort of "statute-book," in the place of which, the confederacy being dissolved in the time of Epiphanius, the new Constitutions were substituted. The object of the confederacy was, by means of "a great multitude of writings, forged agreeably to the spirit of the time," to secure the universal triumph of Christianity !*

We need proceed no farther with our enumeration of the "judgments of the learned." Our readers will see by this time the little foundation there is for any positive opinion on the subject of the authorship and date of the "Constitutions." The Canons," of which eighty-five appear in our present collection, a smaller number in the older collections,

* Krabbe's Essay, in the volume before us, p. 299 et seqq.

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are also of uncertain antiquity, though some of them, no doubt, describe the discipline and usages of the Church at an early period, and are older than the Constitutions."

We now proceed to the publication named at the head of our article. The volume opens with a modest and wellwritten Preface by Dr. Chase, in which he explains what share he has had in the work, and adds some brief historical statements and reflections sufficiently favorable to Christian antiquity. The following is the introductory paragraph.

"In reading these Constitutions and Canons of the Apostles, the Christian of the present day will be likely to exclaim, 'A splendid specimen of pious fraud ! A strange mixture of good and of evil!' He will readily perceive, however, that he has before him documents exceedingly important for illustrating the ecclesiastical history of a very remote period; -a period during a portion of which, at least, heathenism was dominant; the sighing of Christian prisoners was heard; the blood of martyrs was flowing. Here, too, are seen indications of the bitter controversies which rent the Church before and after the Nicene Council, assembled by Constantine the Great, A. D. 325; here, some of the seminal principles from which gradually arose monasticism and the Papal hierarchy, and other great departures from the spirit and practice of the primitive Christians. And yet, with all the error, and superstition, and bitterness, and fraud, there is so much that is true, so much that is opposed to superstition, so much of kindness, moderation, and wisdom, so much of intelligence, and of acquaintance with the sacred Scriptures, so much that is elevated and manifestly Christian, so much that inculcates holiness upon the clergy and upon the laity, so much that is appropriate and impressive in some of the liturgical pieces, and, for the most part, there is such a tone of earnestness and sincerity, that, in the absence of the lights which we now enjoy, multitudes might easily have admitted the claims here set forth to Apostolical authority."pp. v., vi.

We will also present, in a short extract, what we find in the Preface relating to the "revised" version of the "Constitutions" here given, that of Whiston being taken as the basis.

"In revising the version here presented, regard has been had chiefly to the Greek text of the Constitutions, as published with notes in the Amsterdam edition of the Apostolical Fathers, and to the Greek text of the Canons, as recently edited by Bruns in