Chapter IV: 506 (2)

We have thus endeavoured to give a faithful transcript of the testimony of the Catacombs relative to primitive Christianity. We have seen how consonant it is with the teachings of Holy Scripture, how opposed to all the institutions and dogmas of Rome. We have only to compare the buried relics of the past with the living present above ground to see at a glance the infinite contrast between the church of 552 Christ and that of Antichrist. Could the simple bishops of the primitive ages behold the more than regal state and oriental pomp in which, surrounded by armed halberdiers, amid the blare of martial music and thunder of the guns of St. Angelo, their successor of to-day rides in his golden chariot from his stately palace to the majestic fane of St. Peter--the grandest temple in the world--they would feel it difficult to perceive therein any resemblance to their own humble and often persecuted estate, or to the pure and spiritual religion of the meek and lowly Nazarene. Could they witness the almost idolatrous homage which he receives, throned in state, tiaraed with a triple crown, presenting his foot for the humiliating osculation of bishops, cardinals, ambassadors, and pilgrims from every land; could they behold him summoning from the ends of the earth the prelates of Roman Catholic Christendom to record a decree of his personal infallibility and freedom from human error; they would regard as blasphemous these unhallowed assumptions, and denounce, as the prophetic Antichrist, him who laid claim to these awful attributes.[929]

Above the lowly sleepers in the crypts of the Vatican swells the mighty dome which Michael Angelo hung high in air; lofty chant and pealing anthem thrill through the vast expanse; polished shafts of porphyry, jasper, and costliest marble gleam around; priceless 553 paintings and rarest sculpture by the hand of genius afford a still richer adorning; at an altar blazing with gold and gems a human priest in many-coloured vestments daily repeats, as he dares assert, the ineffable sacrifice of Christ; from four hundred cross-crowned campaniles baptized and consecrated bells ring forth the hours of prayer; at a thousand shrines the multitude adore, they vainly think, the real presence of the Redeemer; and perfumed incense evermore ascends, not to the many gods of the Pantheon, but to the still more numerous saints of the Roman calendar. But we feel that all the kingdoms of the world, and all the glory of them, were a poor compensation for the loss of the primitive simplicity, purity, and spiritual power of the humble service of the Catacombs. We turn away from the gorgeous ritual and hollow pomp to those lowly crypts where the Christian hymn of a persecuted remnant of the saints ascended from beside the martyr’s grave, as the truer type of Christ’s spiritual temple upon earth. In these chambers of silence and gloom we find the evidences of that undying life of Christianity which we seek in vain amid the living death of that city of churches and of priests--the Apostolic See of Christendom--the vaunted seat of Christ’s vicegerent upon earth. With a deeper significance than that with which it was first uttered, we adopt the language of Tertullian, and exclaim, ID ESSE VERUM, QUODCUNQUE PRIMUM; ID ESSE ADULTERUM, QUODCUNQUE POSTERIUS.[930]

[822] Northcote’s _Catacombs_, p. 140.

[823] Euseb., _Hist. Eccles._, vi, 43. The hierarchical
subdivisions in the Greek church are vastly more elaborate. Thus
we have the patriarch, metropolitan, archbishop, bishop,
proto-presbyter, super-dean, dean, presbyter, proto-deacon,
deacon, sub-deacon, and common priest, besides a host of inferior
grades.

[824] _Strom._, vi, 13. “The succession of the early Roman
bishops,” says Stillingfleet, “is as muddy as the Tiber
itself.”--_Irenicum_, ii, 7. It is an historical riddle of
which it is difficult or impossible to find the solution.

[825] Eusebius gives this very title, ποιμήν, to Cyprian, (vii,
3.) They were also called πρόεδροι, προεστώς, and _præsides_, or
presidents.

[826] Hippolytus, bishop of Portus, only fifteen miles from Rome,
and a saint of the Roman calendar, strongly opposed both
Zephyrinus and Callixtus, bishops of Rome. In the fifth century
Milan took precedence of Rome, and many other places were of
equal dignity. The episcopal office was very different from what
is now implied by the name, and its functions varied little from
those of the presbyter, save in the general oversight of a
comparatively limited diocese. Thus in Northern Africa alone were
four hundred and sixty-six bishops, beside sixty-six vacant sees.
Clement, bishop of Rome, (_Ep. ad Cor._, 74,) Justin Martyr, and
other early writers, seem to imply that the terms bishop and
presbyter were at first permutable. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage,
addresses his clergy as his co-presbyters--_compresbyteros_.
Jerome, jealous for his order, asserts the original identity of
the offices (_idem est presbyter qui et episcopus_) and the
gradual development of episcopal dignity, from custom rather than
from primitive appointment, (_Comment. in Titum._) Chrysostom
asserts the original convertibility of the titles of bishop and
presbyter--οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τὸ παλαιὸν ἐκαλοῦντο ἐπίσκοποι, καὶ οἱ
ἐπίσκοποι πρεσβύτεροι.--_Homil._ i, _in Phil._, i. Lord King
compares the two to the offices of rector and curate, (_Prim.
Ch._, c. 4,) but Bingham’s High Church notions led him to magnify
the essential difference between the two, (_Orig. Eccl._, ii, 3.)
The bishops were elected by the presbyters and the laity jointly.
Eusebius states that Fabian was indicated for the office by the
divine portent of a dove descending upon him, (_H. E._, vi, 29.)
They generally attained this dignity not _per saltum_, but having
passed through the inferior grades. Cyprian, however, was but a
neophyte, Eusebius a catechumen, and Ambrose a layman, when
appointed to the office of bishop. In the course of time, in the
East the emperors, in the West the kings, usurped the power of
appointment, a relic of which is seen in the royal _congé
d’élire_ in Great Britain, so strongly satirized by Carlyle,
(_Latter-day Pamphlets_.)

[827] See _ante_, p. 95.

[828] We have already seen that the inscription of date A. D.
392, regarded as the epitaph of a “most holy Pope Felix,” was in
reality that of a foster-father. See _ante_, p. 471. The phrase
“Apostolic See,” now restricted to Rome, was originally applied
to every bishop’s seat.--_Bingham_, ii, 2, § 3.

[829] He speaks of his predecessor in office as “our father,
(πάπα,) the blessed Hereclas.”--Eu., _H. E._, vii, 7. In like
manner an epitaph of an African bishop, of date A. D. 475,
designates him “our father of holy memory”--_Sanctæ memoriæ pater
noster_.

[830] Ep. 8. _Cler. Rom. ad Cler. Carth._

[831] _De Pudicit._, c. 13.

[832] Ep. 17, 18, 30, etc.

[833] The synonymous title of abbot is still used in this sense.
It was applied to the hermit monks of the Orkneys and Iceland,
and gave the name Papa Strona and Papa Westra to islands of the
Orkney group.

[834] Optatus says there were forty churches in Rome in the third
century. Ammianus describes the almost regal pomp of the bishops
in the latter part of the fourth century, and records the
sanguinary struggle for the episcopal dignity between Damasus and
Ursicinus. The streets were strewn with the slain, and one
hundred and thirty-seven corpses polluted the sacred precincts of
a Christian basilica. The primitive church stigmatized simony as
χριστεμπορείαν, or “selling Christ.”

[835] Ego autem fidenter dico quia quisque se universalem
sacerdotem vocat, vel vocari desiderat, in elatione suâ
Antichristum præcurrit.--_Greg. Max._, Epis. vii, 7-33.

[836] Gregory III. (731-741) styles himself “the most holy and
blessed Apostolic Pope”--Sanctissimus ac Beatissimus Apostolicus
Papa. Boniface VIII. adopted the triple-crowned tiara, to
indicate the Pope’s dominion over heaven, earth, and hell.

Dante represents the pope as an all-powerful griffin, symbolical
of his spiritual and temporal functions, drawing the triumphal
car of the church.--_Purgatorio, Can._ xxix. Yet in a fresco
of the seventh or eighth century, of Cornelius, bishop of Rome,
he is in no way distinguished by costume, insignia, or title from
Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, who stands beside him.

[837] The name was not always indicative of age, but of office,
like the Jewish זְקֻנִים or elders, the Latin _senatores_,
and the Saxon aldermen.

Rheinwal, Geisler, Neander, and other eminent German scholars,
agree that the term bishop originally was merely the official
title of the presbyter who was chosen to rule or oversee the
church; and that the latter sat in consistory with the bishop,
forming the ecclesiastical senate, in which the bishop was simply
the presiding officer--_primus inter pares_.

It is worthy of note that the word ἱερεύς, “priest,” that is,
one who offers sacrifice, is nowhere applied to any
ecclesiastical rank in the Catacombs, or in the writings of the
primitive Fathers. It has been left for Romanism, and a
Romanizing sacerdotalism, to apply to the Christian minister this
phrase, so opposed to the genius of the New Testament.

[838] The letters _Pbb._, according to De Rossi, stand for
_Presbyter benedictus_.

[839] Felix was probably presbyter of the basilica of St. Paul,
founded by Constantine A. D. 324, rebuilt by Theodosius and
Honorius, A. D. 388-395, restored by Leo I., A. D. 440, and again
by the present Pope, in its ancient dimensions, (four hundred and
eleven feet by two hundred and seventy-nine.) It is one of the
noblest basilicas of Rome.

[840] According to Bingham, _Pontifex maximus_ was a title
common to all bishops in primitive times.--_Orig. Eccl._,
ii, § 6.

There is here possibly a paronomasia on the word “Leo,” lion of
the pontiffs. There were sometimes several presbyters attached to
one church. See De Rossi, _Inscr. Christ._, No. 975.

[841] Adleguntur in ordinem ecclesiasticum artifices
idolorum.--_De Idol._, vii.

[842] _Hist. Eccles._, c. vii, 29.

[843] _Sozomen_, i, 27, and vii, 28.

[844] Clericus quantumlibet verbo Dei eruditus, artificio victum
quærat.--_Conc. Carth._, 4, can. 51. The example of Paul, the
tentmaker, who, though asserting the right of the ministry to a
support, yet “wrought with labour and travail night and day,”
that he might not be chargeable to the church, will occur to the
reader. Chrysostom, speaking of the rural bishops of Antioch,
says: “These men you may see sometimes yoking the oxen and
driving the plough, and again ascending the pulpit and
cultivating the souls under their care; now uprooting the thorns
from the earth with a hook, and now purging out the sins of the
soul by the word.”--_Hom. ad Pop. Antioch._, xix. “How glorious
to see the gray-haired pastor approach, like Abraham, his loins
girt, digging the ground and working with his own hands.”--_Hom.
in Act._, xviii.

[845] A similar office obtained in the Jewish synagogue, the
פַרְנַסִים.

[846] This was especially the case in verse, as the word
_diaconus_ was unsuitable for hexameters.

[847] In Constantinople there were more than one hundred deacons,
and more than ninety sub-deacons.--Justin., _Nov._, iii, 1.

[848] This was probably a memorial of a later period than the
times of persecution. The epithet _sanctus_ was not applied
till comparatively late. The office of deacon, however, was
particularly obnoxious to persecuting greed. Witness the
martyrdom of Lawrence the deacon, _antea_.

[849] Rome was divided into seven ecclesiastical districts
corresponding to its seven deacons.

[850] John III., bishop of Rome.

[851] They are mentioned by Tertullian (_De Præscrip._, c. 41)
and Cyprian, (_Ep._, 24, 33,) and by many later writers. The
office was possibly derived from the Synagogue.

[852] _Socrat._, iii, 1. _Sozom._, v. 2.

[853] cxxiii, c. 54.

[854] Leo X. was a priest at seven and a cardinal at ten. Among
the five hundred clergy destroyed by the Vandal persecution in
Carthage were many infant readers--quam plurimi erant lectores
infantuli.--Victor _de Persec. Vandal._, lib. iii.

[855] On the tomb of a youth of fourteen occurs the words,
VOTVS DEO, “Dedicated to God.”

[856] Ἀκόλουθος, “A servant.”

[857] Cornelius, bishop of Rome in the third century, says there
were in that church forty-two acolytes, (Euseb., _H.E._, vi, 43;)
and, according to Eusebius, a great number attended the bishops
at the council of Nice.

[858] See the vagabond Jew exorcists of Acts xix, 13. They were
probably also magicians and soothsayers. Exorcism was common also
among the pagan soothsayers, with whom the Christians were
sometimes confounded. It is probable against them that a law of
Ulpian was directed, condemning those who used incantations,
imprecations, or, to use the common word of impostors,
exorcisms--Si incantavit, si imprecatus est, si (ut vulgari verbo
impostorum utar) exorcisavit.

[859] _Apol._, 23.

[860] _Cont. Cels._, vii. Gregory Thaumaturgus, the
Wonder-worker, won especial fame by his exploits of this
nature.--_Socrates_, iv, 27. Antony, of Egypt, could detect
dæmons by the sense of smell!

[861] A somewhat analogous practice to the ancient exorcism was
that of touching for king’s evil, for which there was a
recognized form in the prayer-book of the time of George
II.--_De Strumosis Attrectandis_. Charles II. “touched” one
hundred thousand persons.

[862] See _ante_, p. 132.

[863] Primus in clericis fossariorum ordo est, etc.--_De Sept.
Ord. Eccles._ They were also called _lecticarii_, from their
carrying the corpse on a lectica or bier, and _copiatæ_, a word
of uncertain origin. Constantine organized the _copiatæ_ into a
corporation at Constantinople, where they numbered four hundred.
Compare the _Parabolani_ of Alexandria.

[864] See Figs. 23, 24.

[865] With the increase of wealth and the progress of learning in
the Christian community, the number and variety of clerical
offices was greatly multiplied, and all the paraphernalia of pomp
and gorgeous ritual were added. A multitude of inferior
ecclesiastical dependants hung upon the church, absorbing its
strength, corrupting its virtue, and degrading its character. The
knowledge of their very names and offices has become a difficult
task. Thus we have _sacristarii_, or keepers of the sacred
vestments and vessels; _cappellani_, or attendants on the altar;
_matricularii_, or marshals of the public processions;
_staurophori_, or cross bearers; _ceroferarii_ and
_thuriferarii_, the bearers of tapers and incense; and
_parafrenarii_, or coachmen of the higher ecclesiastics--the
latter, according to Mabillon, being themselves reckoned among
the clergy. There were also _oeconomi_, or stewards of church
lands; _thesaurii_, or treasurers of ecclesiastical funds;
_notarii_, or secretaries; _apocrisiarii_, or legates;
_cancellarii_, or chancellors; _syndici_, or syndics; and
_hermeneutai_, or interpreters, chiefly in the Syrian and African
churches, where the congregation used different
languages--speaking to the people in an unknown tongue is a
Romish innovation. Even the offices of highest dignity were
indefinitely multiplied. There were several orders of
bishops:--metropolitans, archbishops, patriarchs, primates, and
exarchs; bishops diocesan, bishops _quiescentes_, that is,
without charges, and titular bishops with charges _in partibus
infidelium_; suffragan bishops and _chorepiscopi_; cardinals and
vicars general; and many other officers of lordly titles,
princely wealth, and vast political power. But of these we find
no examples, no prototypes in the epitaphs of the Catacombs, nor
in the lowly pastors of the persecuted flock of Christ in the
primitive ages of the church. The application of the title of
pope with its present signification to the early bishops is a
ludicrous anachronism and misnomer, as nothing could be further
from the reality than the idea which it now suggests.

Like the vine, which, twining round some noble elm, seems to
enhance its beauty, but in time completely stifles its strength
in its strangling embrace, so the rank growth of human
institutions has strangled the life of the goodly tree of Roman
Christianity, and blighted the promise of its early years. Forms
of ritual should be but the trellis for the support of a
spiritual worship; else, better that, like the brazen serpent,
they be broken in pieces, and, like the body of Moses, buried in
an unknown sepulchre, than become the objects of idolatrous
homage or of superstitious veneration.

[866] It was a primitive and probably correct opinion that all
the apostles were married except Paul and John--Omnes apostoli,
exceptis Johanne et Paulo, uxores habuerunt.--Ambros., _ad
Hilar._; Clem. Alex., _Strom._, iii; Euseb., _H. E._, iii, 30;
Orig., _Com. in Rom._

[867] It was probably derived by them from the Essenes and other
ascetic communities of the East.

[868] _Orig. Eccles._, iv, 4.

[869] 1 Tim. ii, 2, 12; Titus i, 6. So the Greek Church still
understands him, requiring the marriage of its clergy.
Tertullian, Cyprian, Gregory of Nyssa, Hilary of Poitiers,
Spyridon, Synesius, and many other distinguished ecclesiastics of
early times, are recorded to have been married.

[870] _Socrat._, i, 11; _Sozom._, i, 23. “Marriage is the true
chastity,” exclaimed the aged bishop Paphnutius.

[871] _Sacerdotal Celibacy_, p. 162. The satirical songs, tales,
and scandalous anecdotes concerning the celibate clergy, and the
denunciations of their vice by successive councils, attest the
social depravity caused by this system. The ascetic depreciation
of woman led also inevitably to her moral degradation. She was
described by some of the monkish writers, who thus slandered the
memory of their own mothers, as a noxious animal, the very
essence of evil and gate of hell, whose beauty was a lure of the
devil and perpetual temptation to sin, and her very presence a
contamination. The tenderest family ties were severed at the
fancied call of duty. In Roman Catholic countries woman is still
immured with almost oriental jealousy, and is denied the
intellectual emancipation her sex elsewhere enjoys. She may not
enter the most sacred places of Rome, nor visit the pope, except
in mourning. There is no music for the female voice in the
service of the papal chapel.

[872] _Inscrip. Antiq._, p. 1173.

[873] See _ante_, p. 428. The following is from Salonæ: FL ·
IVLIVS DIACONVS ET AVRELIA MERIA CONIVX EIVS HOC SARCOFAGVM
(_sic_) SIBI VIVI POSVERVNT--“Flavius Julius, a deacon, and
Aurelia Meria, his wife, while living, erected this sarcophagus
for themselves.” See, also, the epitaph of Tettius Felicissimus,
p. 474.

[874] The following is from the island of Salamis: Οἶκος αἰώνιος
Ἀγάθωνος ἀναγνώστου καὶ Εὐφημίας.... “The everlasting dwelling
of Agatho, a reader, and Euphemia....” She was probably his wife.

[875] Thus, St. Paul calls Phoebe a διάκονος, translated
“servant,” of the church at Cenchria.--_Rom._, xvi, 1. The
Christian _ancillæ quæ ministræ dicebantur_, whom Pliny tortured,
were probably of this class.

[876] 1 Tim. v, 9.

[877] _Concil. Chalcedon_, c. 14.

[878] Tertul., _de Veland. Virgin._, c, 9. Olympias, a Christian
matron of Constantinople, of noble rank, widowed at eighteen,
became a deaconess, and devoted her immense fortune to charity.
She was long the devoted patroness of the persecuted Chrysostom.

[879] Cypr., _Ep._, 62.

[880] The Fathers are enthusiastic in the praise of perpetual
virginity. “It has the higher dignity, as vessels of gold and
silver compared to earthenware,” says Jerome.--_Adv. Jovin._ “The
thirty-fold increase of Scripture,” he asserts, “refers to
marriage, the sixty-fold to widowhood, but the hundred-fold to
virginity.”--_Ad Ageruchiam._ “Marriage replenishes earth,” he
adds; “but virginity, heaven”--Nuptiæ terram replent, virginitas
paradisum. “These sacred virgins are the necklace of the church,”
says Prudentius, “and with these gems she is adorned”--Hoc est
monile ecclesiæ! His illa gemmis comitur!--_Peristeph., H._, 3.
They became in a mystical sense the spouses of Christ, and Jerome
blasphemously addresses the mother of Eustochium as the
mother-in-law of God--Socrus Dei esse coepisti--_Ad Eustoch._
Both Jerome and Chrysostom, however, acknowledged, and
unsparingly lashed, the evils to which the celibate system in
their time had led. “She is the true virgin,” says the latter,
“who careth for the things that belong to the Lord.”

[881] In one example, of date A. D. 525, we find the phrase
NONNAE ANCILLAE DEI, in which we see, perhaps, the origin of our
word nun. Jerome had previously applied the word _nonnæ_ to
either widows or virgins professing chastity.--_Ad Eustoch._,
c. 6.

[882] See article on “The Rise of Monachism,” by the present
writer, in _London Quarterly Review_, October, 1873.

[883] This was not of uniform duration. The Council of Elvira,
(c. 24,) indeed, prescribed two years, but the length of the
period varied in different places.

[884] “Tanto ardentius concupiscantur, quanto honorabilius
occultantur,” says Augustine, of this very practice.--_In
Johan._, 96.

[885] The following _resumé_ of the principal patristic evidence
on the practice of infant baptism is corroborated by the
testimony of the Catacombs. We omit the passages from Clement and
Hermes Pastor, which imply its prevalence in the first century,
as being rather vague. Justin Martyr, about A. D. 148, speaks of
persons sixty and seventy years old who had been made disciples
of Christ (ἐμαθητεύθησαν, the very word employed in Matt.
xxviii, 19,) in their infancy, (_Apol._, 2,) and compares the
rite of baptism to that of circumcision.--_Dial. c. Tryph._
Irenæus expressly speaks of “infants, little ones, children,
youth, and the aged, as regenerated unto God,” which phrase he
elsewhere applies to baptism--_Infantes_ et parvulos, et pueros,
et juvenes, et seniores.--_Lib._ ii, c. 39. Tertullian, indeed,
in the third century, recommends the delay of baptism, especially
in the case of infants--Cunctatio baptismi utilior est, præcipue
tamen circa parvulos--an indication of the Montanist heresy,
into which he fell, which regarded post-baptismal sins as
inexpiable.--_De Baptis._, c. 18. The practice, however,
continued, and Origen expressly asserts that little children were
baptized for the remission of sins (Parvuli baptizantur in
remissionem peccatorum--_Hom._, 14, _in Luc._,) which custom, he
says, the church handed down from the apostles--Ecclesia ab
apostolis traditionem suscepit.--_Id., in Rom._, v. 6. When the
question arose, in the third century, not whether baptism should
be administered to infants, but whether it should be administered
before the eighth day, Cyprian and a council of sixty-six African
bishops unanimously decreed that the rite should be denied to
none, even in earliest infancy--Universi potius judicavimus,
nulli hominum nato misericordiam Dei et gratiam denegandam.--_Cypr.
Ep._ 59, _ad Fidum_. “And this,” says Augustine, “is no new
doctrine, but of apostolic authority”--Nec omnino credenda, nisi
apostolica esse traditio.--_De Genesi ad Literam._, x. The later
Fathers abound in similar testimonies. The infant children of
heathen converts were baptized _immediately_, and the older ones
when instructed.--_Cod. Justin._, i, 11, _Leg._ 10. Orphans,
foundlings, and even the children of heathens, received this
sacred rite. At an early period the eucharist was administered to
infants, which was of necessity preceded by baptism.

[886] Hence, when a person died unbaptized, a living substitute
sometimes received the rite in his stead. Fulgentius indeed
asserts, that unbaptized children, even if they die “in uteris
matrum,” are punished with everlasting punishment in eternal
fire--ignis æterni sempiterno supplicio puniendos.--_De Fide ad
Petr._, 27. But he alone of the Fathers expresses this
abominable opinion. Augustine and Ambrose, though insisting
on the importance of baptism, admit that the faith and
repentance--fidem conversionemque cordis--of those who die while
piously preparing therefor may suffice in its stead.--_Aug., de
Bap._, iv, 22.

[887] In bold and unwarrantable metaphor some of the Fathers
speak of the waters of baptism as changed in mystical
transubstantiation into the very cleansing blood of Christ.

The prevalence of the Montanist heresy, which regarded as
inexpiable all sins committed after baptism, led many to postpone
its reception, although this practice was strongly censured by
the church. Thus, Constantine remained a catechumen till his
sixty-fifth year, and received baptism--“ἐμυήθη,” says Sozomen,
(ii, 34,) literally, “was initiated,”--just before his death. An
inscription at St. John’s Lateran asserts his baptism by
Sylvester many years previously: CONSTANTINVS PER CRVCEM VICTOR A
S. SILVESTRO BAPTIZATVS CRVCIS GLORIAM PROPAGAVIT: but Dr.
Döllinger has shown the entirely mythical character of the
legend.--_Fables respecting the Popes_, etc., by Jn. G. Ign. von
Döllinger. 1872.

[888] See the epitaph of an unbaptized catechumen already given.

[889] In a Christian epitaph from Aquileia, of date A. D. 734, we
find the scriptural formula--ex aqua et |Spu| renatus--“born
again of water and the Spirit.”--Muratori, _Nov. Thesaur._,
p. 1849.

[890] See McCaul, _Christian Epitaphs_, p. 64.

[891] _De Bapt. Christ._

[892] Cyprian argues for the validity of baptism by sprinkling,
when immersion is inconvenient, as in the case of the sick,
prisoners, etc., as follows: “In baptism the spots of sin are
otherwise washed away than is the filth of the body in a secular
and carnal washing, in which is need of a bath, soap, and the
like. The heart of the believer is otherwise washed; the mind of
man is cleansed by the merit of faith”--Neque enim sic in
sacramento salutari delictorum contagia, ut in lavacro carnali et
seculari sordes cutis et corporis abluuntur, etc.--_Ep. ad
Magnum._

Thus, we read that St. Lawrence baptized with only a pitcher of
water--urceum afferens cum aqua--and by pouring water on the head
of the subject--fundit aquam super caput.--_Acta Laurentii._
Tertullian also speaks of the “aspersion of water” in
baptism--asperginem aquae.--_De Poenitent._, 6.

[893] The so-called _benitiers_, or holy water vessels of
the Catacombs, were, it is likely, in some cases at least,
baptismal vases. The Romish “holy water” is probably copied from
the _aqua lustralis_ of the pagans, which stood at the door
of the temples, and into which the worshipper on entering and
leaving dipped his fingers. In striking analogy to Romish usage,
the pagan priest sprinkled the multitude with the holy dew by
means of an aspergillum, or light brush--

Idem ter socios pura circumtulit unda
Spargens rore levi.

[894] The nimbus and other characteristics indicate the
comparatively late date of this picture. De Rossi thinks it not
earlier than the seventh or eighth century. The ravages of time
since the above was copied by Bosio have defaced part of the
angel figure. In a similar group in a Latin MS., of the ninth
century, the river Jordan flows from two vessels held by two
boys. In another group at Monza, of the seventh century, the
baptismal water pours from a vase held in the beak of the divine
dove upon the head of Christ.

[895] The figures are a light umber, the falling water a pale
blue.

[896] The neophytes laid aside their white baptismal robes, or
albs, on the Sunday after Easter, hence called _Dominica in
albis_. In the following inscription Pascasius, a neophyte of
six years, is said to have received baptism on Easter eve, and to
have laid aside his albs one week thereafter in the tomb:
PERCEPIT XI KAL. MAIAS ET ALBAS SVAS OCTABAS (_sic_) PASCAE
(_sic_) AD SEPVLCHRVM DEPOSVIT. (A. D. 463.)

Dr. McCaul notes a striking analogy to Christian forms of
expression in an epitaph describing pagan initiation: ARCANIS
PERFVSIONIBVS IN AETERNVM RENATVS--“Born eternally by secret
sprinklings.” The sprinkling was that of the blood of a bull or
ram, dripping on the bodies of the recipients of the lustration
through perforations in a platform beneath which they
stood.--_Christian Epitaphs_, p. 57.

[897] Although these in after times became vast buildings, with
ample provision for baptismal immersion, in the earlier ages they
were quite small; and, according to Smith’s Classical Dictionary,
the _baptisterium_ was “not a bath sufficiently large to immerse
the whole body, but a vessel or labrum containing cold water for
pouring on the head.”--Art., _Baths_. Eusebius speaks of
baptisteries without the church “for those who require yet the
purification and the _sprinklings_ (περιῤῥαντήριον) of water and
the Holy Spirit.”--_E. H._, x, 4.

[898] I am indebted for these references to the Rev. Prof.
Bennett, D.D., of Syracuse University, late of Berlin, Prussia.

[899] _Ciampini_, Tab. ii, Figs. 3, 4.

[900] In later times the devout Bernard of Clairvaux thus
eulogizes the eucharist: “It is,” he exclaims, “the medicine of
the sick, the way of the wandering; it comforts the feeble and
delights the strong; it cures disease and preserves health; it
makes man more submissive to correction, stronger to labour, more
ardent to love, wiser in foresight, prompter in obedience, more
devout in thanksgiving. It absolves from sin, destroys the power
of Satan, gives strength for martyrdom, and, in fine, brings
every good.”--_Costeri. Institut. Chr._, lib. i, c. 6. It was
also described as “the bread of angels, spiritual food, the life
of the soul, the perpetual health of the mind, the antidote of
sin, and pledge of future glory.”

[901] Alicubi quotidie alicubi certis intervallis dierum.--Aug.,
_Tr._, 26, _in Johan._ It was, in a special sense, the “daily
bread of the soul.”

[902] “Christ who suffered is the fish which was broiled,” says
St. Augustine--Piscis assus, Christus passus.

[903] See Fig. 54.

[904] Nihil illo ditius, qui corpus Domini canistro vimineo,
sanguinem portat in vitro.--_Ep._ 4, _ad Rustic._ The
communion was thus conveyed to those who through sickness were
absent from its public celebration.

[905] Cur nullas aras habent?--Minuc., _Octav._ Non altaria
fabricemus, non aras.--Arnob., _Contr. Gentes_. The Christian
altars were called indifferently, _Altare_, _ara Dei_, _mensa
Domini_.

[906] In the Lateran basilica, which is claimed as the head and
mother of all the churches of Rome--_caput et mater omnium
ecclesiarum_--is an altar which tradition asserts St. Peter
made with his own hands, and employed for the administration of
the Holy Sacrament. The legend attests at least an ancient
opinion as to primitive usage. Originally only one altar was
permissible in a church, but under Romish influence the number
increased to as many as twenty-five, as at St. Peter’s.

[907] In three or four instances bronze rings are attached to the
slab, as if to allow its removal for a second interment, or
perhaps to give a view of the relics of the saint.

[908] Tertullian carefully guards against the literal
interpretation of the words of Christ, “This is my body,” by the
addition, “that is, a figure of my body”--figura corporis
mei.--_Adv. Marc._, iv, 40. Augustine and others of the Fathers
also discriminate between Christ’s spiritual and corporeal
presence.

[909] They were called _eulogia_, that is, blessing or
benediction. In the Jewish cemetery is a representation of sacred
loaves, probably passover cakes, marked ΕΥΛΟΓΙΑ. The Christian
representation of a cup doubtless frequently refers to the “cup
of blessing”--Τὸ ποτήριον τῆς εὐλογίας--mentioned by St. Paul.--1
Cor. x, 16.

[910] There is not in the whole range of early Christian
epigraphy the slightest indication of the Romish doctrine of
Transubstantiation; which, indeed, as Dr. Maitland remarks, “was
not distinctly broached till the ninth century.” Some of the
earlier poets, however, and the more rhetorical of the Fathers,
allude to a mystical presence of Christ in the eucharist,
bordering on the modern Romish conception.

The council of Elvira forbade the acceptance of any gift for the
administration of the sacraments. How different from Rome’s
mercenary tariff for the celebration of masses for the dead!

[911] Ταῖς ἀγάπαις.--Jude, 12.

[912] Acts ii, 46; vi, 2.

[913] 1 Cor. xi, 16-34.

[914] Ita saturantur, ut qui meminerunt etiam per noctem
adorandum sibi esse; ita fabulantur, ut qui sciunt Dominum
audire.--_Apol._, 39.

[915] Jus. Mar., _Apol._, ii; Socrat., _Eccl. Hist._, v, 22;
Orig., in _Ep. ad Rom._, xvi, 16.

[916] Cibum promiscuum et innoxium.--_Ep._, lib. x, _ad Traj._

[917] ἱεροὶ λόγοι.--_Peregrinus._

[918] _Pædag._, ii.

[919] Qui de ultima fæce collectis imperitioribus et mulieribus
credulis sexus sui facilitate labentibus, plebem profanæ
conjurationis instituunt: quæ nocturnis congregationibus et
jejuniis solennibus et inhumanis cibis non sacro quodam sed
piaculo foederantur, latebrosa et lucifugax natio ... deos
despuunt, rident sacra.--Minuc. Felix, _Octav._ Odio humani
generis convicti sunt.--Tac., _Ann._, xv. 44.

[920] Malifica superstitio.--Suet., _Neron._, 16. Comp. Hor.,
_Sat._, i, 8.

[921] Quotidie obsidemur, quotidie prodimur, in ipsis plurimum
coetibus congregationibus nostris opprimimur. Quis unquam
taliter vagienti infanti supervenit?--_Apol._, c. 7; comp.
_ad Nat._, i, 10-15.

[922] Casto sermone, corpore castiore.--Minuc., _Octav._; comp.
Orig. _Cont. Cels._, vi., Jus. Mar., _Apol._, i, 2.

[923] Agapæ natalitiæ, agapæ connubiales, and agapæ funerales.
The pagans, not unnaturally, regarded the latter, like their own
funeral banquets, as designed to appease the manes of the dead.
They would doubtless think the same of the modern mortuary masses.

[924] Non simili sacrilegio, quamvis simili luxu
celebrarentur.--Aug., _Ep._, 29.

[925] Qui se in memoriis martyrum inebriant.--Aug., _Cont.
Faust._, xx, 21. Voracitates ebrietatesque suas deputant
religioni.--_De Morib. Eccl._, i, 34.

[926] _Enarr._, in Psa. lix.

[927] Placuit prohiberi, ne foeminæ in coemeteriis pervigilent,
eo quod sæpè sub obtentu religionis latenter scelera committunt.

[928] Among other traces of primitive Christianity among the
latter are their married clergy and abhorrence of images. “We are
Christians, not idolaters,” they said to the Jesuit missionaries,
who presented for their homage images of the Virgin Mary.

[929] The name of Pius is substituted for Deus in one well-known
Latin hymn. Another pentecostal hymn to the Holy Spirit is
addressed directly to the present pontiff. The growth of this
dogma of infallibility, the distinguished French ecclesiastic,
Père Gratry, asserts, “was utterly gangrened with imposture.” The
stultification of the human intellect was never more strikingly
exemplified than in the dictum of Bellarmine: Vera sunt vera et
falsa sunt falsa; sed si ecclesia dixit vera esse falsa et falsa
esse vera, falsa sunt vera et vera sunt falsa.

[930] _Adv. Praxean._

554
INDEX. 555

Abraham, frescoes of, 289.

Acclamations to the departed, 441-443;
pagan do., 444.

Acolytes, 517.

Adam, fall of, 224;
receiving sentence, 225.

Adornment, female, 497, 498.

Agape, the, 545;
abuse of, 550;
suppressed, 551.

Agnes, St., Catacomb of, 192-197;
legend of, 192, 193.

Altar, 543, 544;
altar lights, origin of, 378, 379.

Amphitheatre, games of, 488;
suppressed, 489.

Ampullæ, or blood cups (?), 369.

Anchor, symbolical, 234.

Anthropomorphism, 352-361.

Appian Way, 164-166.

Arcosolia, 25, 30.

Areas, sepulchral, 37, 56, note [45], 168-171, 183;
pagan do., 59, 60.

Arenaria, 38-44, 197, 199.

Art, early Christian, 203, _et seq._;
compared with pagan do., 205, 209-213, 391, 392, 480;
first employment of, 206, 208;
sprang out of pagan do., 206-208;
character of, 210, 211;
pagan influence in, 210-214, 240-243, 303, 364, 388, 391, 480,
505;
becomes florid, 220;
avoidance of passion of Christ or martyrs, 227, 273, 274;
joyous character of, 228;
symbolism in, 325, _et seq._, see “Symbols”;
Virgin Mary in, see “Mary”;
Christ in, see “Christ”;
God and Holy Ghost in, see “Anthropomorphism”;
domestic art, 364-366.

Autun, ichthyic inscription at, 257-259.

Baptism, 532-541;
subjects of, 532;
patristic evidence concerning, 533, note [885];
mode of, 535, _et seq._

Biblical Cycle, 282, _et seq._;
subjects of, see Figs. 62-103;
grouping of subjects, 283, 339, 340;
relative frequency of occurrence, 341, note [566].

Bishops, 507-511, 524, 525;
compared with presbyters, 508, note [826], 511, note [837];
see “Martyr Bishops,” and “Pope.”

Bosio, 152-155.

Burial clubs, pagan, 66-68;
Christian, 68-70.

Burial near martyrs, supposed efficacy of, 128-132.

Burial, subterranean, why adopted, 50, 54;
discontinued, 122;
temporary return to, 122, 123.

Cain and Abel, 285.

Callixtus, Catacomb of, 167-183;
history of, 173.

Carpenter, implements of, 231.

Catacombs, origin of word, 11, note [1];
described by Prudentius, 11, 124;
by Jerome, 34;
present appearance of, 12, _et seq._, 37, 44, 45, 195;
associations of, 13, 14, 45, 46, 201;
extent of, 14, and note [5], 15;
entrances to, 15, 16, 170, 189, 191, 195;
structure of, 11, _et seq._, 168, _et seq._;
galleries, 16-19;
loculi, 19-24;
cubicula, 24-31;
different levels of, 31-33;
luminari, 34, 35;
origin of, 37, 38, 49, and note [31], 55, 56, note [44], 58, 200;
not pagan arenaria, 38-44;
geology of, 16, 39;
perils of exploring, 46-48;
Jewish, 49-53, 188;
not offspring of fear, 58; 556
protected by law, 62, 63;
those of first century, 73;
reflect history of the church, 99-104, 124, 136, 137;
a refuge from persecution, 84, 87, note [118], 100-104;
secret stairway in, 101, 174;
disuse and abandonment of, 150, _et seq._;
restoration and adornment of, 124, 136, 137;
spoliation of, 137, 154;
destruction of, 145-147;
Mediæval employment of, 146, 147;
pilgrimages to, 136, 148, 175, 176;
re-discovery and exploration of, 150, _et seq._;
literature of, 151-163;
present control of, 161;
principal ones, account of, 164, _et seq._;
of Callixtus, 167-183;
of Prætextatus, 183;
of Sebastian, 184;
of Domitilla, 189;
of Nereus and Achilles, _ib._;
of St. Helena, 190;
of St. Cyriaca, 191;
of St. Agnes, 194-197;
of Alexander, 197;
of St. Priscilla, 198;
art of, 203, _et seq._, see “Art”;
Mithraic tomb in, 214-218;
symbolism of, 225, _et seq._;
Biblical Cycle of, 282, _et seq._;
gilt glasses, etc., of, 362, _et seq._;
inscriptions of, 395, _et seq._;
doctrinal teachings of, 415, _et seq._;
evidences concerning Christian life and character, 453, _et seq._;
(for last six see _in verbis_);
summary of testimony, 551-553.

Catechists, 530-532.

Catechumens, _ib._

Cecilia, St., crypt of, 178;
legend of, 179-181.

Celibacy of clergy, not a primitive practice, 522-524;
praise of, 527, 528;
practice of, 529.

Character of early Christians, 461-463, 481, 482;
of pagans, 464, 479-481;
see “Persecutions.”

Charity, early Christian, 483-485, 504.

Christ, youthful aspect of, in art, 342, and note [570];
traditional appearance of, 343-345;
patristic testimony concerning, 343-345;
early images of, 345, and note [584], 346-348;
miraculous images of, 345, note [585];
degradation in art-representations of, 347-352.

Christians, early, rank of, 56, 57, and note [46], 89, 169, 417,
458-460, 480;
calumnies against, 548, 549.

Christianity, spread of, 57, 116-119;
persecutions of, 70, _et seq._, see _in verbo_;
triumph of, _ibid._, 496;
purifies morals, 480;
cultivates charity, 483-485;
protects life, 485;
elevates slaves, 486, 487;
suppresses games, 488, 489;
raises woman, 491-493;
moral triumphs of, 504.

Clement of Alexandria, quoted, 384, 385, 497, 498, and note [809].

Clergy, orders of, 507;
in Greek church, _ib._, note [823];
bishops, 507-511, 524, 525;
presbyters, 511-513, 525;
deacons, 514;
subdeacons, 515;
lectors, 515, 516;
acolytes, 517;
exorcists, 517-519;
multiplication of, 521, note [865];
non-celibate, 522-526.

Confessional, reputed, 531.

Conjugal affections, early Christian, 471-474;
pagan do., 475, 476.

Constantine, 92, 120, 121.

Constantinian monogram, 465;
genesis of, 466-468;
various forms of, 267-269;
becomes cross, 270-273, see “Cross.”

Cornelius, tomb of, 169.

Cross, true, relics of, 139, note [240], 140, notes [243], [244];
legend of, 271, 272, and note [456];
rare in Catacombs, 260;
pagan abhorrence of, _ib._;
caricature of, 261, and note [429];
recognition of in nature, etc., 235, 262, 263;
supposed mysterious power of, 263, 264;
pre-Christian, 281, note.

Crucifixion, not represented in early Christian art, 273;
symbolically indicated, 274;
first example of, 275;
art development of, 275-281.

Crucifix, genesis of, 279, 280. 557

Cubicula, 24-29, 339, 531.

Cyprian, quoted, 82, 434;
death of, 84, note [108].

Damasus, 123, 175, 406.

Daniel in the lions’ den, 298, 299.

Dates of Catacombs, 73;
of inscriptions, 408-410, 416, _et seq._

David and Goliath, 394.

Deacons, 514;
wives of, 474, 526.

Deaconesses, 526-530.

Deaths of persecutors, 93, note [135].

Decius, persecution under, 81.

De Rossi, 159, 160, 399, 400, 406.

Diocletian, persecution under, 89, and note [126], 90.

Diptychs, 393, 394.

Divinity of Christ, taught, 449, 450.

Doctrinal teachings of Catacombs, 415, _et seq._;
see “Purgatory,” “Resurrection,” “Trinity,” etc.

Dolls, etc., found in Catacombs, 387.

Domestic relations, evidence concerning, 465, _et seq._;
parental relations, 466-468;
pagan, do., 468-470;
filial do., 470;
conjugal do., 471-474;
pagan do., 475, 476;
fraternal do., 476;
friendly do., 476.

Domine Quo Vadis, legend of, 107, note [160].

Domitilla, Catacomb of, 55-57, and 57, note [46], 189.

Doves, symbolical, 236-239, 404.

Elijah, 294.

Energumens, 519.

Epigraphy, Christian, literature of, 399, 400;
examples of, 401, _et seq._;
see “Inscriptions.”

Eucharist, symbols of, 250, 252, 542;
celebration of, 541-545.

Filial affection, early Christian, 470.

Fish, symbolical, 252-260, 378;
the word a sacred anagram, 252;
an allusion to baptism, 253;
a tessara, 255, 389;
a eucharistic symbol, 256;
Autun icththyic inscription, 257-259.

Fonts, baptismal, 537, 538.

Fossors, 132-135, 519, 526.

Fraternal affections, early Christian, 476.

Funeral rites, Christian, 499-502;
pagan do., 503.

Future state, doctrine concerning, 417-431;
pagan do., 436-444.

Galerius, 91.

Galleries of Catacombs, 16, _et seq._

Gallienus, 86.

Gaume, Abbé, on the Catacombs, 201.

Gilt glasses, early Christian, 362;
subjects represented in, 364-367;
convivial inscriptions of, 367, 368;
some sacramental, 368;
dates of, 369.

God in art, 352-361;
alleged sarcophagal example of, 354-356;
symbolized in Catacombs by hand, 290, 356.

Good Shepherd, the, symbol of Christ, 245-248;
statue of, 390.

Graffiti, pagan, 59, 60;
Christian, 130, 148, 174, 175.

Graves, see “Loculi.”

Greek language, use of at Rome, 406, 407.

Hand as symbol of God, 293, 356.

Hebrew children, the three, 298, 299.

Helena, St., Catacomb of, 196.

Heresy, growth of, 119, note [194].

Hippolytus, statue of, 392;
character of, 393.

Horse, symbolical, 382.

Iconoclasm, early, 222.

Ichthyic inscription, 257-259.

Ichthyic symbol, see “Fish.”

Ignatius, martyrdom of, 74, note [83], 125.

Image worship, 222-224.

Imprecations, pagan, 61;
Christian, 64, 65.

Inscriptions, early Christian, general character of, 395, _et seq._;
associations of, 398;
collection and classification of, 398-400; 558
literature of, _ib._;
rude examples of, 66, 98, 238, 267, 268, 401, _et seq._;
barbarous Latinity of, 403, and note [675], 407, 422, 426;
inverted, 404;
reversed, _ib._;
brief, 238, 401-405;
Greek, 406, 407;
dates of, 408-410, 416, _et seq._;
notes of time in, 410-412, 508;
doctrinal teachings of, 415, _et seq._, see “Purgatory,” etc.;
concerning future state, 417, _et seq._;
pagan do., 436-444;
cheerful character of, 427, 430, 443, 452;
concerning the doctrine of the resurrection, 431;
concerning Christian life and character, 453, _et seq._;
names, expressive, 454-457;
pagan do., 455, note [742], 457;
puritan do., 455, note [743];
evidence of early Christian character, 461-463;
of pagan do., 464;
of domestic relations, 465, _et seq._;
of parental do., 466-468;
of pagan do., 468-470;
of filial do., 470;
of conjugal do., 471-474;
of pagan do., 475, 476;
age of marriage, 473, note [756];
fraternal relations, 476;
friendly do., 476;
evidence concerning clerical orders, 506, _et seq._, see “Clergy”;
concerning Christian rites and institutions, 432, _et seq._, see
“Rites.”

Invocation of saints, first examples of, 426, 446-449.

Isaac, sacrifice of, 288, 289.

Jerome, quoted, 36, 450, 498, 502.

Jews at Rome, 49;
their Catacomb, 50-54, 188;
epitaphs of, 53.

Job, fresco of, 293.

Jonah, story of, 299-304.

Joseph, 290.

Justin Martyr, 76.

Kip, Bishop, on the Catacombs, 162.

Labarum, legend of the, 268.

Lactantius, _De Mort. Persec._, 93, note [135].

Lamb, symbol of Christ, 249, 250.

Lamps, early Christian, 376-379.

Lapidarian Gallery, 395.

Lawrence, St., martyrdom of, 86, note [112];
tomb of, 192.

Lazarus, raising of, 329-331.

Lectors, 515, 516, 526.

Literature of the Catacombs, 151-163.

Loculi, 19-21;
number of, 21;
how closed, 22, 23;
contents of, 23, 24;
made during life, 65;
sale of, 132.

Love-feast, see “Agape.”

Luminari, 34, 35.

MacFarlane, on the Catacombs, 45, 161.

Magi, adoration of, 305, 306.

Maitland, on the Catacombs, 161.

Marcus Aurelius, character of, 75, 76.

Mariolatry, no trace of in Catacombs, 305, 306, 310, 316, 323;
development of, 312-323.

Marriage, references to, 304, 305, 471-474, 494-496;
pagan do., 475, 476, 492, 493;
age of, 473, note [756].

Marriott, on the Catacombs, 162.

Martyr bishops of Rome, 81-87, 94-96.

Martyrdom of Ignatius, 74, note [83];
of Polycarp, 76;
of Perpetua, 79, note [94];
of Lawrence, 86, note [112];
(see _antea_ and _postea_);
the passion for, 112-115;
effects of, _ib._;
references to, 372;
symbols of, 17, 369-375.

Martyr epitaphs:--of Marius, 75;
of Alexander, 77, note [89];
of Sixtus, 85;
of Marcellus, 94;
of Eusebius, 95;
of Sebastian, 96;
of Lannus, 98;
see 106, _et seq._;
of St. Agnes, 193.

Martyrologies, 110-112.

Martyrs, number of, 105-108, 178;
sufferings of, 108-112;
festivals in honour of, 127;
adornment of tombs of, 123, 124;
spoliation of do., 128, 137, 145;
reverence for, 123-128;
burial near, 128-132;
pilgrimages to tombs of, 136, 148; 559
veneration of martyr relics, 124-128;
translation of, 137, 142, 143, note [246], 144, notes [247], [248].

Mary, Virgin, legends of, 307;
in art, 305-314;
miraculous images of, 317, note [522];
assumption of, 318, and note [526];
hymns to, 320.

Maximin, persecution of, 81.

McCaul, Dr., on early Christian epigraphy, 162, note [289], 163,
414, 421, 541.

Mithraic monument in Catacombs, 214-218.

Mosaic, 223.

Moses on Horeb, 290;
on Sinai, _ib._;
striking rock, 291, 292.

Ministry, rites, and institutions of primitive church, 506, _et seq._,
see “Clergy,” and “Rites.”

Names, early Christian, expressive character of, 454, 455;
pagan do., 455, note [742], 457.

Neophytes, 322, 323, 540.

Nimbus in art, 208, note [333].

Noah, story of, 286-288.

Northcote, on the Catacombs, 161.

Objects found in Catacombs, 362, _et seq._;
see “Gilt Glasses,” etc.

Opisthographæ, 268, 413.

Oranti, 308-310.

Pagan epitaphs, 59-62, 396, 397, 413, 414, 434-441, 460, note [750],
469, 475-478.

Pagan influence in art, see “Art.”

Paganism, decadence of, 117;
social condition of, 479-481.

Paintings, see “Art,” “Symbolism,” and different subjects of.

Palm and crown, symbolical, 230;
reputed sign of martyrdom, 372.

“Papal Crypt,” 170-178.

Parental affection, early Christian, 466-468;
pagan do., 468-470.

Paul, St., martyrdom of, 200;
in art, 336-337, and notes [557], [559], [560], [561];
see “Peter and Paul.”

Paulinus of Nola, quoted, 221.

Peacock, symbolical, 240.

Perpetua, martyrdom of, 79, note [94].

Perret, his great work on the Catacombs, 158, 159.

Persecutions, early, cause of, 70, 71;
Neronian, 71;
Domitian, 72;
Aurelian, 76;
of Commodus, 78;
of Severus, 79;
of Maximin, 81;
Decian, 81, 82;
Valerian, 83, 84;
Diocletian, 88-91;
extent of, 105-108;
virulence of, 108-113.

Peter, St., at Rome (?), 53, and note [39];
denying Christ, 332;
apprehension of, 335;
in art, 337;
cultus of, 338, and note [562];
relics of, 53, note [39];
font of, 537.

Peter and Paul, crypt of, 186-188;
in art, 336, 337, 365, 367.

Piani, of Catacombs, 31-33.

Pilate, 333, 334.

Polycarp, martyrdom of, 76.

Pope, the, 509, 511, and notes [835], [836].

Prayers for dead, unknown in earliest times, 421;
first example of, 442, 443;
prayers to the dead, 446-449.

Prætextatus, Catacomb of, 183.

Presbyters, 511-513;
sometimes had secular employment, 513, and note [844];
married, 525.

Prudentius, quoted, 11, 110, 115, 124.

Purgatory, unknown to early Christians, 420, 423, 424, 445, 446.

Relics, worship of, 124-126, 138-143, 544;
traffic in, 138, 139;
supposed efficacy of, 140;
grotesque Mediæval do., _ib._, notes [243], [244], [245];
reputed martyr do., 369;
misinterpretation of, 141-143, 370.

Resurrection, doctrine of, 430-433.

Rings from Catacombs, 284.

Rites and institutions of primitive church:--marriage, 471-474;
funeral, 499-503;
baptism, 532-541;
eucharist, 541-545;
Agape, 545-551;
see _in verbis_.

Romanism, unsupported by early Christian epigraphy, 416-418, 560
422-424;
first trace of, 425, 426, 442, 445, 446, 521-524;
compared with primitive Christianity, 551-553.

Rome, fall of, 134, 135.

Romish misinterpretation of relics, 141-143;
of leaf points, 227;
of blood cup (?), 370.

San Greal, the, 141-142, note [245].

Sarcophagi, 334, 340-342, and 342, note [569].

Seals, early Christian, 266, 270, 384-386.

Sebastian, Catacomb and legend of, 184, 185.

Sepulchral areas, 56, note [44], 59, 60.

Sepulchres, pagan, 13, note [2], 58;
sacredness of, 58-63, 69;
Christian, sacredness of, 63-65, 69;
violation of, see _in verbo_.

Sepulture, pagan, 13, note [2], 49, 58-61, 66-68, 169, 389, 390,
503;
Jewish, 49-54;
Christian, 499-503.

Ship, symbolical, 230, 235, 377.

Slaves and slavery, 486, 487.

Soldiers, 489, 490.

Stag, symbolical, 441, 538.

Stanley, Dean, on the Catacombs, 415.

Symbolism, 204, 225, _et seq._;
interpretation of, 220.

Symbols, phonetic, 229, 230;
trade do., 231-233, 374;
symbolical anchor, 234, 235;
ship, 235, 377;
crown and palm, 236;
dove, 236-239;
peacock, 240;
phoenix, cock, _ib._;
stag, 241;
horse, _ib._, and 382;
lion, hare, 241;
vine, balance, 242;
Good Shepherd, 243-248, 390;
lamb, 249-251;
fish, 252-260, see _in verbo_;
cross, 263-281, see _in verbo_;
God symbolized by hand, 290, 356.

Tertullian, quoted, 79, 235, 451, 489, 494, 497, 547.

Time, notation of, 410-412.

Thundering Legion, 78, note [90].

Toilet articles from Catacombs, 385, 386.

Tombs, violation of, see _in verbo_;
sacredness of, 58-63, 69.

Toys from Catacombs, 387.

Trades, symbols of, 231-234, 274;
recorded in epitaphs, 459, 460;
pagan do., 460, note [750].

Trinity, alleged representation of, 354-360;
doctrine of, 449-452.

Valerian, persecution of, 83.

Vases, early Christian, 380;
baptismal, 382.

Veronica, the, 346, note [585].

Violation of tombs, 59, 61, 64, and note [59], 65, and note [60].

Virginity, praise of, 527, 528, and notes [880].

Virgin Mary, see “Mary.”

Virgins, epitaphs of, 528.

Wiseman, his “Fabiola,” 158.

Woman, pagan degradation of, 490-493;
Christian elevation of, 493-495, and notes [797], [801], [802];
apparel of, 497, 498.

Young, the, care of primitive church for, 529, 530.

THE END.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE:

Missing periods were added to abbreviations and ends of sentences; commas were changed to periods in abbreviations; italics were added to citations in footnotes, where missing in the original; and spacing between words was adjusted, where necessary. In the index, commas, semicolons and periods were adjusted so that they were used consistently.

Hebrew characters and Greek letters with accents may not display properly in some e-book readers. Missing accents were added to words in French.

The “Chi Rho” symbol is indicated with ☧. Words or letters with an overline are surrounded by pipes, |like this|. Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores, _like this_. In the inscription in Footnote [60], ‘T/Y’ represents the letter ‘T’ above the letter ‘Y.’

Page numbers are displayed in the right margin.

Footnotes were renumbered sequentially and moved to the end of the chapter in which the anchors occur. Footnotes [48] and [52a] are missing in the original. There are two anchors for Footnote [61], page 66. Missing anchor for Footnote [756] was added. In the Index, footnote numbers replaced symbols to entries marked ‘note’ or ‘notes.’

Anomalies noted, and left unchanged:

There are many misspelled words and abbreviations in English, Latin,
Greek, French, Italian, and German. Some quotations from other
sources, often in footnotes, do not match the original source.
Only words that appear to be printer’s errors were adjusted, as
noted below.
Occasionally, Greek letters were used to spell words in Latin.
Hyphenation and spelling are not consistent, e.g. ‘lifetime’ vs.
‘life-time,’ ‘Shakespeare’ vs. ‘Shakspeare,’ and ‘ae’ vs ‘æ.’
On page 147, the reference to ‘Colonna di Rienzi, (1347 - 1354)’ may
refer to Cola di Rienzi, ca. 1313 - 1354.
Prices of items quoted in contemporary dollars do not use decimals
between the dollars and cents, e.g. page 132 and footnote [288].
There is no illustration on the title page, even though, on page 267,
a vignette is mentioned as being there.
On page 520, Roman number ‘LXII’ is identified as ‘seventy-two.’
The Hebrew in Footnote [845] may be a mistake for פַּרְנָסִים.

Changes to text:

Page
52 ‘foling’ to ‘following’ ... The following examples ...
129 ‘ΠΑΤΛΕΙΝΑ’ to ‘ΠΑΥΛΕΙΝΑ’ ... ΕΝΘΑΔΕ ΠΑΥΛΕΙΝΑ ...
234 ‘ΕΛΠΙΛΙΟϹ’ to ‘ΕΛΠΙΔΙΟϹ’ ... ΕΛΠΙϹ, ΕΛΠΙΔΙΟϹ, SPES ...
276 duplicate ‘and’ removed ... darkened sun and moon look ...
414 ‘enentirely’ to ‘entirely’ ... are entirely gratuitous ...
559 ‘218’ to ‘318’ index entry under ‘Mary, Virgin, assumption of’
Footnote [107] ‘ποιεῖθαι’ to ‘ποιεῖσθαι’
and ‘κοινητήρια εἰσιέμαι’ to ‘κοιμητήρια εἰσιέναι’
Footnote [247] added ‘a’ to ‘lorsqu’on les a exposés’
Footnote [455] ‘e’l’ to ‘e l’’ ... La croce e l’ crocifisso ...
Footnote [738] ‘ἀνεσκολοπισμένὴν’ to ‘ἀνεσκολοπισμένον’ and
‘κύπιος’ to ‘κύριος’
Footnote [754] ‘GAYKYTATOs’ to ‘GLYKYTATOS’

End of Project Gutenberg's The Catacombs of Rome, by William Henry Withrow