X.— A
Su'ba (Sot)/3ne v. r. Srt/St//), a name given only in the Apocrypha (1 Esdr. v, 34) among the sons of Solo- mon's servants who returned with Zerubbabel from the Captivity;- but not found in the parallel Hebrew lists (Ezra ii, 35-37 ; Neh. vii, 37-39).
Su'bai (2ii/3«i), a Gra^cized form (1 Esdr. v, 30) of the Shalmai (q. v.) of the Hebrew lists (^Ezra ii, 46; Neh. vii, 48J.
Subarrhation, a term denoting the delivery hv the bridegroom to the bride of the ring and other gifts at the time, and during the act, of marriage.
Subcanon, an inferior or minor canon (q. v.).
Subchancellor, or Scribe. The notary of Ital- ian cathedrals is the chancellor's vicar, called also reg- istrar or matricular, and at St. Paul's, in 1280, designated as sc7-ipt07- libroi-um. lie acted as assistant secretary, librarian, lecturer in theology and law, and teacher of reading. — Walcott, Sacred Archceol. s. v.
Subchanter, or Succentor, the deputy of the precentor, the principal among the vicars in choir. The precentor sat on the right-hand side of the choir, and the succentor on the left. His office was usually the gift of the chapter; occasionally, however, he was nominated by the precentor. There were two kinds of subchanters: 1. The succentor of canons, or succentor- major (first mentioned in the 11th century), at York, Bayeux, Paris, Amiens, Glasgow, Chalons, Girgenti, Wells, and Salisbury, acted as precentor's deputy with regard to the canons; he ranks after the subdean, and the office was given by the diocesan. At Amiens he in- stalls canons in the lower stalls; at Rouen he holds a prebend and regulates processions ; he is often called prechantre in distinction from the grand chantre. 2. A vicar, deputy, and assistant precentor. At Seville and Placentia and in England he tabled the ministers for service; at Chichester and Hereford he chastised the boys, and ordinarily his duties were confined to or- dering processions, delating offenders, and general su- pervision of the lower choir: he could not correct a canon. His office appears at Chichester and St. Da- vid's in the 13th century; he corresponds to the pre- centor of the new foimdations. At Lichfield and St.. David's the subchanter is head of the Vicar's College. — Walcott, Sacred A rclueol. s. v.
Subdeacon. The ancient Christian Church had but two classes of officers, the presidents, Trpoitrrdjxei'oi, TToifiiviQ, j'/yoi'jusi/ot, also STTiCT/coTTOi, TtpiajHiTtpoi, and the servants, SiciKovoi; the former being charged with functions within the field of worship, while the latter were employed in administering the charities of the Church. In time, the episcopacy was developed out of the presbyterate, and the subdiaconate from the diac- onate. The latter was always regarded by the Church as of human invention, and as having been introduced "utilitatis causa" (see Morinus, Comm.de S.Eccles. Or- dinat. Kxercitat. xi, 1). Its introduction was, more—
SUBDEAN
SUBLAPSAKIANS
over, gradual, and not uniform tliroughout the Church. Some churches were without subdcacons as late as the middle of the 9th century; and, liefore the hierarchy assumed a rigid and unchangeable form, the subdiaco- nate was not regarded an indispensable preliminar)' to the diacouate. 'I'lie exisiencc of subdeacons in the Church of Ivome as early as A.l). "J.Vi is shown in a let- ter of pope Cornelius to bishop Fabius of Antioch (Eu- seb. JJist. Eccles. vi, 43 ; comp. Jaffe, Iter/est. I'ontif. Xo. 8); in Spain as early as A.D. 305, in eh. 30 of tlie Synod of Elvira ; in Africa about the middle of the 3d century, in diflcrent letters of Cyjirian (_2, 3, 2i>, 30, etc.); and in the ICast by the midille of the 4th cen- tury, as ajipears from determinations of tlie Synod t)f Laodicea in 301 (^Dist. xxiii, "21-23 j, and a letter of \ Athanasius (.4 (/ Solilar. A.I). 330).
The subdeacons were reckoned among the class of | Ordines Minorvs, and their finictions were of inferior dignity. They were jicrmitted to touch the sacred ves- sels if empty, in this having a pre-eminence over oth- er Minores ; but, in general, their duties were simply the receiving of oblations (hence (>l)lii/ioiiiirii).the care of the tombs of martyred saints, the guarding of church- doors during the administration of the sacrament, etc. la course of time the reading of the lesson from the epistles was added and became their leading function.
The importance of the subdiaconate was enhanced when Gregory the Great included it under the operation of the law of celibacy (Dist. xxxi, 1), and yet more when its members were made eligible to the episcopal office by the Council of Benevento in the pontificate of Crban II, 1091. The question now arose whether the subdiaco- nate must not be counted amt)ng the Ordines Mojores, ■which was linally determined by Iiniocent III in favor of such promotion. Subdeacons thereby acquired the rights of the superior orders as res|)ects ])ersonal in- dependence, etc. They assume a title at ordination, take vows of celibacy, etc., and are forbidileii to return to secular life. Their ordination is, however, peculiar, in that the candidates are not presented to the conse- crating bishop by th(! archdeacon, the laying -on of hands and questioning of the people are not used, and the consecration is performed instead by "traditio in- struraentorum et vestium." The beginning of the twen- ty-second year was tixed by the Council of Trent (Sess. xxiii, 12, he Reform.) as the proper age for entering on this office, and a year is reciuired to intervene before ordination to the diaconate may follow; bishops, how- ever, may depart from this rule when needful (Sess. xxiii, 11; Ricliter, A'i;T/;pH?ec/(^, § 113). At the pres- ent time, the subdiaconate exists simply as a stage on the way to higher stations, and its functions are gen- erally performed h\ laymen and presliyters. The term is sometimes used in Protestant churches, but without denoting any distinction of order.