That there really were such places of devotion among the Jews is unquestionable. They were mostly outside those towns in which there were no synagogues, because the laws or their administrators would not admit any. This was, perhaps, particularly the case in Roman cities and colonies (and Philippi, where this circumstance oc- curred, was a colony) ; for Juvenal (Sat. iii, 29G) speaks of proseucha", not synagogues, at Pome. They appear to have been usually situated near a river or the sea- shore, for the convenience of ablution (Josephus, A nt. xiv, 10, 23). Josephus repeatedly mentions proseuchas in his Life, and speaks of the people being gathered into the proseucha (44. 4G). Sometimes the proseucha was a large building, as that at Tiberias (/. c. 54), so that the name was sometimes applied even to syna- gogues (Vitringa, Synag. Yet. p. 119). Proseuchoe are frequently mentioned as buildings by Philo, particular- ly in his oration against Flaccus, where he complains that the proseucha; of the Jews were pulled down, and that no place was left them in which to worship God and pray for Cresar (Philo, in Flacc. in Op. p. 752). But, for the most part, the proseucha; appear to have been places in the open air, in a grove, or in shrub- beries, or even under a tree, although always, as we may presume, near water, for the convenience of those ablutions which with the Jews always preceded prayer, as, indeed, they did among the pagans, and as they do among the Moslems at the present day. The usages of the latter exhibit something answering to the Jewish proseucha; in the shape of small oratories, with a niche indicating the direction of Mecca, which is often seen in Moslem countries by the side of a spring, a reservoir, or a large water-jar, which is daily replenished for the use of travellers (Whitby, De Dieu, Wctstein, Kuinol, on Acts xvi, 13; Jennings, Jewish Antiquities, p. 379- 382; Prideaux, Connection, ii, 55G). — Kitto.
" Questions have been raised," says the late Dr.M'Far- lan, of Renfrew, -as to the origin of these, and their being or not being the same with the synagogue. Phi- lo and Josephus certainly speak of them and the syna- gogues as if they were substantially one. The former expressly declares that theyr were places of instruc- tion. 'The places dedicated to devotion,' says he, 'and which are commonly called proseucha;, what are they but schools in which prudence, fortitude, temper- ance, righteousness, piety, holiness, and every virtue are taught — everything necessary for the discharge of duty, whether human or divine?' As the writer's ob- servations were chiefly confined to the Jews of Alex- andria and other parts of Egypt, this description will chiefly apply to these. But there is no doubt, on the other hand, that where synagogues existed, and espe- cially in Judea, they did to some extent differ. We are therefore very much disposed to concur in the opinion that the oratory was substantially and in effect a synagogue. But the latter was the more perfect form,
PROSPER
004
PROSPER
and required, for its erection and support, special means. I from the country of his nativity, was a distinguished There was in every synagogue a local court, deriving theologian of Gaul, and flourished in the lirst half uf its authority, at least in Judea, from the Sanhedrim; the 5th century. He settled as a young man in Prob- and there were office-bearers to be maintained ; whereas ence, and there became the intimate companion of a in the oratory there docs not Beem to have been any certain Hilary, who on this account is called Uilariua very fixed or necessary form of procedure. These Prosperianus. The two friends studied and wrote to- might, for aught that appears, have been all or sub- gether in defence of orthodox Christianity in general, Btantially all which belonged to the synagogue, or it and of Augustiuianism in particular. Vet. although a might be little more than what we would call a prayer- stanch defender of the doctrines and person of St Au-
meeting. Hence, perhaps, t he reason of the preva- lence of the one -the synagogue— in Judaea, and of tin- other in Egypt and other countries not subject to Jew- ish laws."
Ii i- highly probable that proseucha existed long before synagogues. "Ii is remarkable," continues l>r. M'Farlan, "that the only places where Daniel is saiil to have been favored with visions, during the day, were by the sides of rivers ( Dan. viii, 2, 16 ; also x, 4 ; \ii. 5,
gustine, be was no prii -i. still less a bishop, as has been frequently asserted since the 7th century, but a married layman, pious and well versed ill divine lore, who had been impelled by the miseries of his time to devote
himself to an austere way of life (see Sirmondi, not. ad viii. ep. 15; Sidon. Apol. and Holland, ad 25 Jun. in comment praev. g l. ad vit s. Prosperi episc. in /Emilia). Constant nailers and zealous disciples of St Augustine, especially in the do, •trine of grace, Prosper
7; and ix. 21), the very places where oratories were and Hilary displayed ureal zeal in defending his doe- wont to be. Ezekiel also received his commission by trims against the attacks of the Semi-Pelagians [see one of the rivers of Babylon, and when 'among the Pecagi anism] ; but finding that they were making very captives of Israel (Ezek. i, 1). And he afterwards men- little headway against the heretics, who had largely lions his having received visions in the same circum- weakened orthodoxy in Southern Gaul, Prosper wrote, stances (iii. 15, 16). And Ezra, also, when leading back about 427 or 428, a biter entitled Epistola ml Augus- Israel to the land of their fathers, proclaimed and ob- tinum • >• Reliquiis Pdagiana Hareseos in Gallia (con- served a fast with them by the way: ami. as if to keep sidered of importance in affording material lor tin- lo- op the same tender association-, be assembled them by tory of Semi-Pelagianism), in which he informed the the river Ahava, where they remained three days (Ezra illustrious bishop of Hippo thai a number <■! priests viii. 15,32). I In i the very finest illustration which oc- and monks at .Marseilles asserted, contrary to the Au- curs is that contained in the 137th l'sahn — 'By the I gustinian theory, that man must himself lake the lir-t rivers of Babylon, there we sal down; yea, we wept, step towards his justification and salvation (ep. 225 and when we remembered /ion. We hanged our harps 226 inter Ep. Aug."). Thus Prosper not only himself upon the willows in the midst (hereof, for there ibey acted as defender of the catholic doctrine against the that carried us away captive required of us a song; and Semi-Pelagians, but gave occasion to St. Augustine to they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sin-- write his (wo works on the predestination of the saints us one of the songs of Zion' (1-3). The people of Is- , and on the gift of constancy I l>> Predestination* Sanc- rael were accustomed, in after-times, to make choice of j torum, and De Bono Perst »< rantia I. Hut not all those