ß.8Q) [ Siauandì, &c. Ifat any time Co vehement a perfecution did ailfe, that the Chri(ians by the Emperours ediáts, were utterly excluded from theChurches t, and affemblies, notwithstanding, little regarding fuch things, they forbore not to come together in One, in holy affemblies, whitherfoever therewas op- " portunity. . This Dionyf. Alexand. Bifhop witneffeth writing to Gerntanus when he mentioneth the Editsof Valerian forbidding the Affemblies. But " we by Gods atlìfiance, have not abftaïiied from our accuftomed Affemblies " celebratedamong our felves. Yea, I my Pelfdid drive on certain brethren to " keep the affemblies diligently, as if i hadconvent among them.] And he "writeth the fame alto to Hierax when he was banithed [ When we wereper- "fecuted by all and put to death we-celebrated the Eeaft with joyful minds ; " andany place appointed us for feveral forts offafferings, (as the woods, the " defert folitudes, the toffed (hips, the common Innes, the horrid prifon) did " feem fit tous in whichwe might keep our folemn Affemblies with the great- "eil joy. ] That they held their,Affemblies and offered facrificeufually ( when "it was permitted them) in the prifons, Cyprian witneffeth: But the Aéts of the holy'Mártyrs dofullier lignifie it ; efpecially thofe moll faithful ones called " Pro-Confular , which were taken by the publick Notaries. Certainly the " Gravel-pits afforded them advantage for the celebratingof their publick Af- "femblies, in the time of. perfecution, efpecially at Rome, where in the dig- " ged gravel there remain many fubterraneous ample receffes : Though when "theperfecution was vehement, they were thence alloexcluded ; as the letters "P. Cornelü adLupic. Epifc. Vien. tettifie, Paying, [ Chrittians may not miffs "agere, keep their meetings for Church worship publickly, no not in the vaults, " ( or pits ) So much of the Churches and publick affemblies of the Chriftians " &c. faith Baronius. Which Polyd. Virgil fecondeth c.'6. yea the Bithops durft fcarce be feen in the fireetsfohot were the perfecutions, as Eufeb. lib. 6. cap. 31. Therefore,as I before noted, they had yet no capacious Temples, as Illyricus well gathereth, Catalog.Tefti. Verit..p. 112. But they began to have days of peace and liberty. under Alexand. Severas, Gordian. Philip, Galienns, Flavius, Claudius, Aureli- anus,. Probus, and then they did enlarge their too finall rooms, to that defcri- bid by Eufeb. lib. 8. c. r. 'XXVI. Another evidence is, that Monasteries, were built before Chappels and Countriy Parifh Churches, and far more numerous, fo that we frequent- ly read of Mónafleries under a Bishop with their Abbot, or Presbyter, when we read little or nothing of PunChurches in the Countries under him. And if thefe had been as common, why are they not as much mentioned in theancient records oftheChurch ? The Egyptian Monks, and thofe in Judea, and thofe in Britain, in Bede', and the life of Hierome, Fulgentius, and abun- dance fuch witnefs this. XXVII. Another
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