Hearers
Hearers
(audientes), a name given to a class of catechumens in the early Church who were admitted to hear sermons and scriptures read in the church, but were not allowed to share in the prayers. The Apostolical Constitutions (lib. 8, c. 5) orders the deacon to dismiss them with the words Ne quis audientium, ne quis infidelium ("Let none of the hearers, let none of the unbelievers, be present"), before the proper liturgy began. See Bingham, Orig. Eccles. bk. 8 c. 4 bk. 10 ch. 2 bk. 18 ch. 1.
