PENITENTS

(See Penance .) Penance in the primitive Church, as Coleman from August i remarks, was wholly a voluntary act on the part of those who were subject to it. The Church not only would not enforce it, but they refused even to urge or invite any to submit to this discipline. It was to be sought as a favour, not inflicted as a penalty. But the offending person had no authority or permi ion to prescribe his own duties as a penitent. When once he had resolved to seek the forgivene and reconciliation of the Church, it was exclusively the prerogative of that body to prescribe the conditions on which this was to be effected. No one could even be received as a candidate for penance, without permi ion first obtained of the bishop, or presiding elder. The duties required of penitents consisted e entially in the following particulars: 1. Penitents of the first three cla es were required to kneel in worship, whilst the faithful were permitted to stand. 2. All were required to make known their penitential sorrow by an open and public confe ion of their sin. This confe ion was to be made, not before the bishop or the priesthood, but in the presence of the whole Church, with sighs, and tears, and lamentations. These expre ions of grief they were to renew and continue so long as they remained in the first or lowest cla of penitents, entreating at the same time, in their behalf, the prayers and interce ions of the faithful. Some idea of the nature of these demonstrations of penitence may be formed from a record of them contained in the works of Cyprian. Almost all the canons lay much stre upon the sighs and tears accompanying these effusions. 3. Throughout the whole term of penance, all expre ions of joy were to be restrained, and all ornaments of dre to be laid aside. The penitents were required, literally, to wear sackcloth, and to cover their heads with ashes. Nor were these acts of humiliation restricted to Ash Wednesday merely, but then especially they were required. 4. The men were required to cut short their hair, and to shave their beards, in token of sorrow. The women were to appear with dishevelled hair, and wearing a peculiar kind of veil. 5. During the whole term of penance, bathing, feasting, and sensual gratifications, allowable at other times, were prohibited. In the spirit of these regulations, marriage was also forbidden. 6. Besides these restrictions and rules of a negative character, there were certain positive requirements with which the penitents were expected to comply. They were obliged to be present, and to perform their part, at every religious a embly, whether public or private; a regulation which neither believers nor catechumens were required to observe. They were expected to abound in deeds of charity and benevolence, particularly in almsgiving to the poor. Especially were they to perform the duties of the parabolani , in giving attendance upon the sick, and in taking care of them. These offices of kindne they were expected particularly to bestow upon such as were affected with contagious diseases. It was also their duty to a ist at the burial of the dead. The regulations last mentioned are supposed to have been peculiar to the Church of Africa. These duties and regulations collectively were sometimes included under the general term εξομολόγησις , confe ion . By this was understood not only words, but works; both, in connexion, being the appropriate means of manifesting sorrow for sin, and the purpose of amendment.