ARC.E CUSTODES
362
ARCAXI DISCIPLINA
feet of this is extremely beautiful. But the most ex- quisite arches are those of the Geometrical period, where each arch is often surmounted by a crocketed pediment, and the higher efforts of sculpture arc tasked for their enrichment, as in the glorious chapter-houses of Salisbury, Southwell, and York : these are, how- ever, usually confined to the interior. In the Deco- rated period partially, and in the Perpendicular entire- ly, the arcade gave place to panelling, greatly to the loss of effect, for no delicacy or intricacy of pattern can compensate for the bright light and deep shadows of the Xorman and early English arcades (Hook, Church Dictionary, s. v.).
Arcee Custodes, beepers of the chest, a name oc- casionally given in the early church to the archdea- cons (q. v.). The bishop was not required to care personally for the widows, orphans, and strangers, but to commit them to his archdeacon, who had the keys of the church's treasures, and the care of dispensing the oblations of the people. The ordinary deacons were the actual dispensers of the money ; but from the archdeacon, who was the chief manager, they received their instructions and orders.— Bingham, Ori.g. Eccks. bk. ii, ch. xxi, § o ; Farrar, Eccles. Diet. s. v.
Arcani Disciplina (discipline of the mysteries, or system of secret instruction"), a term first introduced by Meier in his Be Pecondita ret. Eccles. Theologia (1677), to denote the practice of the early church of concealing from unbelievers, and even from catechumens, certain parts of divine worship, especially of the sacraments. The subject is curious in itself, and receives additional importance from the use made of it by the Romanists (see below). The disciplina arcani is not to be con- founded with the system of reserve, or concealment in theology (scientia arcani, jiv(TT)]oiouo(J>ia), which sprang up in Egypt in the second century, viz. the system adopted by certain teachers of not communicating cer- tain parts of Christian knowledge (yvwaic) to Chris- ti .in people generally, but only secretly to such as they deemed capable and worthy. Clement of Alex* andria is the first to mention this system, and he pre- tends that it was instituted by Christ himself (Stromal'. lib. i, e. 1 ; see Mosheim, Historical Commentaries, cent, ii, § 34). But the arcani disciplina. proper referred to worship rather than to doctrine. It is fully treated by Bingham, from whom the following statement, is condensed.
1. Tertullian (f 220) is the first writer who men- tions the practice of this mystery, and blames the her- etics for not observing it (be Prescript, adv. Hier. cap. 41). From him, and from later writers, it appears that the secret system at first covered only Baptism and the Lord's Supper (i. e. the forms and ritual of the sacraments, not the doctrine concerning them). At a later period, confirmation, ordination, and unction were also made matters of concealment ; and parts of the prayers of the church were enjoyed only by the "faithful," while unbelievers and catechumensVere excluded from them. The system seems to have reached its height during the fourth century. At that time catechumens were taught the Ten Command- ments, a creed, or summary confession of faith, and the Lord's Prayer, with suitable expositions; but, prior to baptism, the nature of the sacraments was carefully concealed. Even the time and place were not On any ace, not. to be divulged. To relate the manner in which the sacrament was administered, to mention the words used in the administration, to de- scribe the simple elements in which it consisted, were (hemes on which the initiated were as strictly forbid- den to touch as if they had been laid under aii oath of secrecy. Even the ministers, when they were led in their public discourses to speak of the sacraments or the higher doctrines of faith, contented themselves with remote allusions", and dismissed the sulijeet by Saying "\aaaiv o\ fitfiVTjfiivoi, T/u initiaU «/ hnow what is meant.
So also of confirmation. Basil (De Spiritu Sancto, c. 27) says that the " holy oil used in this ceremony is not to be looked upon by the uninitiated." As to the public prayers of the church, all those which had reference to the communion service were confined to the f deles. The highest class of penitents, called con- sistentes, or co-standers, were allowed to be present at the communion prayers, and see the oblation offered and received by the faithful, though they might not partake with them. But catechumens of all ranks were wholly excluded from all this. They were al- ways dismissed before these prayers began, and the doors of the church were locked and guarded by prop- er officers, to the intent that no uninitiated person should indiscreetly rush in upon them. We shut the doors, says Chrysostom (Horn, xxiii, in Matt?), when we celebrate the holy mysteries, and drive away all uninitiated persons. This was one of the secrets of the church, as we heard St. Austin before (in Psalm. ciii) speak of it ; one of the things which a catechu- men might not look upon, according to St. Basil (De Spirit. Sanct. c. 27). Therefore the author of the Apos- tolical Constitution (lib. ii, c. 57 ; viii, c. 11) mi.kcs it a part of the deacon's office not only to command their absence, but also to keep the doors, that none might, come in during the time of the oblation. Epi- phanius (Hceres. 42, n. 3) and St. Jerome (Comm. in Galat. c. vi) bring it as a charge against the Mareion- ites that they despised this discipline, and admitted catechumens indiscriminately with the faithful to all their mysteries. And Palladius (Vita Chrysost. c. 9) forms a like charge against the enemies of Chrysos- tom, that in the tumult they raised against him, they gave occasion to the uninitiated to break into the church, and see those things which it was not lawful for them to set their eyes upon. Nay, so strict was the church then in the observation of this discipline, that Athanasius convicted the Meletians of false wit- ness against him when thej' pretended to prove by the testimony of some catechumens that Macarius, one of his presbyters, had overturned the communion table in the time of the oblation ; he argued that this could not be so, because (Athanasius, Apol. 2), if the catechu- mens were present, there could then be no oblation. — (Bingham, Or iff. Eccles. bk. x, ch. v.)