pture, now pursued, was eminently salutary; for, whilst
it stored the memory with a large share of biblical knowledge, the whole
Word of God, in the way of earnest appeal, was brought into close
contact with the heart and conscience of each individual.

So long as pristine piety flourished, the people listened with devout
attention to the observations of the preacher; but, as a more secular
spirit prevailed, he began to be treated, rather as an orator, than a
herald from the King of kings. Before the end of the third century, the
house of prayer occasionally resounded with the plaudits of the theatre.
Such exhibitions were, indeed, condemned at the time by the
ecclesiastical authorities, but the very fact that in the principal
church of one of the chief cities of the Empire, the bishop, as he
proceeded with his sermon, was greeted with stamping of feet, clapping
of hands, and waving of handkerchiefs, [469:2] supplied melancholy
evidence of the progress of spiritual degeneracy. In the days of the
Apostle Paul such demonstrations would have been universally denounced
as unseemly and unseasonable.

During the first three centuries there was nothing in the ordinary
costume of a Christian minister to distinguish him from any of his
fellow-citizens; [470:1] but, it would appear, that when the pastor
officiated in the congregation, he began, at an early date, to wear some
peculiar piece of apparel. In an old document, purporting to have been
written shortly after the middle of the second century, he is described,
at the period of his advancement to the episcopal chair, as "clothed
with the dress of the bishops." [470:2] As the third century advanced,
there was a growing disposition to increase the pomp of public worship;
in some places vessels of silver or of gold were used at the
dispensation of the, Lord's Supper; [470:3] and it is highly probable
that, about this time, some few decorations were assumed by those who
took part in its administration. But still the habit used by
ecclesiastics at divine service was distinguished by its comparative
simplicity, and differed very little from the dress commonly worn by the
mass of the population.

What a change must have passed over the Church from the period before us
to the dawn of the Reformation! Now, the making of images was forbidden,
and no picture was permitted to appear even on the walls of the sacred
edifice: [470:4] then, a church frequently suggested the idea of a
stu