Ceimeliarchae (κειμηλιάρχαι, keepers of the sacred vessels), a class of inferior officers in the ancient church. They had charge of all utensils and precious things laid up in the sacred repository of the church. The name sceuophylax is used in the same signification; also chartophylax, or custos archivorum, custodian of the rolls or archives (Suicer, Thesaurus, 2:971). This officer was commonly a presbyter; Macedonius was both presbyter and sceuophylax of the church of Constantinople; and Sozomen styles Theodore, presbyter of Antioch, who suffered martyrdom in the days of Julian, φύλακα τῶν κειμηλίων, keeper of the sacred utensils." He was put to death because he would not deliver up what he had in his custody. In the Greek Church the chartophylax acts as the patriarch's substitute, excommunicating and licensing presbyters and deacons, and Sitting as supreme ecclesiastical judge in many cases. — Bingham, Orig. Eccl. bk. 3, ch. 13, § 3; Sozomen, Hist. Eccl. 5:8.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More