" (Lardner, Cred. vol. iii. p.
302.) And what is a still more ample testimony, many homilies of his
upon the Scriptures of the New Testament, delivered by him in the
assemblies of the church, are still extant.
IV. Cyprian, whose age was not twenty years lower than that of Origen,
gives his people an account of having ordained two persons, who were
before confessors, to be readers; and what they were to read appears by
the reason which he gives for his choice; "Nothing," says Cyprian, "can
be more fit than that he who has made a glorious confession of the Lord
should read publicly in the church; that he who has shown himself
willing to die a martyr should read the Gospel of Christ by which
martyrs are made." (Lardner, Cred. vol. iv. p. 842.)
V. Intimations of the same custom may be traced in a great number of
writers in the beginning and throughout the whole of the fourth century.
Of these testimonies I will only use one, as being, of itself, express
and full. Augustine, who appeared near the conclusion of the century,
displays the benefit of the Christian religion on this very account, the
public reading of the Scriptures in the churches, "where," says he, "is
a consequence of all sorts of people of both sexes; and where they hear
how they ought to live well in this world, that they may deserve to live
happily and eternally in another.
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