THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
princes requested the discussion of the question at the Council of Trent. The council, however, maintained the system as a whole, 5. The and the following rules are now in Council of force: (1) through the reception of ma- Trent on jor orders or the taking of monastic Celibacy, or other solemn vows, celibacy becomes so binding a duty that any subsequent marriage is null and void. (2) \ny one in minor orders who marries loses his office and the right to go on to major orders, but the marriage is valid. (3) Persons already married may receive the minor orders if they have the intention of proceeding to the major, and show this by taking a vow of perpetual abstinence; but the promotion to the higher orders can only take place when the wife expresses her willingness to go into a convent and take the veil. The Council of Trent further lays down that the functions of the minor orders may be performed by married men in default of unmarried — though not by those who are living with a second wife. In the nineteenth century attempts were not lacking, even within the Roman Catholic Church, to bring about the abolition of celibacy. They were rather hindered than helped by temporal governments, and always firmly rejected by Rome. Celibacy has been abolished among the Old Catholics; and modern legislation in Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland authorizes the marriage both of priests and of those who have taken a solemn vow of chastity. Austria, Spain, and Portugal still forbid it. The evangelical churches at the very outset released 6. Protes- their clergy from the obligation of tant Rejec- celibacy, professing to find no validity tion of in the arguments adduced in its favor Celibacy, on the Roman side. The question is carefully discussed and decided against the Roman practise in the Augsburg Confession (xxiii.) and the Apology (vi.). Similar ground is taken in Art. xxxvii. of the first Helvetic Confession and Art. xxix. of the second, as well as in Art. xxxii. of the Thirty-nine Articles. Likewise disapproval is expressed of binding vows of celibacy in the Augsburg Confession (xxvii.) and Apology (xi). (E. Friedberg.)
Bibliography: The book best worth consulting from the Protestant standpoint is H. C. Lea, Sacerdotal Celibacy in the Christian Church, 3d ed., 2 vols., London and New York, 1907; for the Catholic presentation consult Migne, Encyclopedic Theologique, vol. xxv., "Celibat," Paris, 1856; Dictionnaire de Theologie catholique, " Celibat eccldsiastique, " ib. 1905. Other treatises are: J. Schraitt, Der Priestercolibat, Munster, 1870; P. M. R. des Pilliers, Le Ci'libat ecclcsiastique, Chambery, 1886; Clerical Celibacy, Oxford, 1891; F. Chavard, Le Ci'libat, le prttre et la femme, Paris, 1894; L. Bocquet, Le Ci'libat ecclesiastiijue jusqu'au concile de Trente, Paris, 1895; A. Vassal, Le Celibat ecclcsiastique au premier siicle de 1'i'glise, ib. 1X96; Essay on the Law of Celibacy, Worcester, n.d.; E. Carry, Le Celibat ecclcsiastique devant Vhistoire et devant la conscience, Paris, 1905; E. A. Sperry, An Outline of the Hist, of Clerical Celibacy in Western Europe to the Council of Trent, Now York, 1906 (contains :i bibliography). On the chansre of status in the Eng. Church consult J. Collier, Ecclesiastical History, ii. 202 sqq., London, 1714, and G. Burnet, History of the Reformation, ii. S4 sqq., ib. 1715. The subject of celibacy is treated at greater or loss length in the church histories, e.g., Neander, Christian Church, consult the Index.
CELL: Usually the room or hut in which a monk, nun, hermit, or friar lives, but also a dependency of a large monastery, ruled by a prior, dean, or abbot, who was the virtual choice of the abbot of the mother house. Such " cells " were frequently country houses which with the grounds were bestowed upon the abbey as a source of revenue, as the monks living therein had to pay a certain part of their revenue to the mother house. Sometimes the " cell " was an important building, as Tynemouth Priory near Newcastle, England, which was a " cell " of the Benedictine abbey of St. Alban's (20 m. n. of London); or Bermondsey, which was a " cell " of the Cluniac abbey of La Charite (140 m. s. of Paris). Originally a " cell " was an oratory erected over the grave of a martyr or saint.
CELLARIUS. See Borrhaus, Martin.
CELLITES (CELLITiE). See Alexians; Beg-