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HISTORY

OF THE

CHRISTIAN CHURCH

DURING

THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY;

FORMING

A CONTINUATION OF DR. MOSHEIM'S WORK.

INTRODUCTION

THE generality of readers, more intent on the consideration of modern affairs than on the contemplation of ancient occurrences, are induced to expect, from historic writers, a much more copious detail of recent than of early transactions. The expectation is natural and reasonable; and it is therefore readily gratified by historians. But, like other rules, this also may be allowed to have an exception. In modern times, the affairs of the church move in a more regular course, and are conducted with far greater tranquillity, than in earlier periods; and hence a narrative of such occurrences may prove less interesting than the ecclesiastical history of many preceding ages, and may consequently require a less minute detail and less frequent reflection.

Dr. Mosheim, in all probability, if he had lived to the close of the eighteenth century, would have given an elaborate and ample sequel to his valuable history;* but the writer who has undertaken to continue that work has neither the leisure nor the inclination to expatiate upon the subject. It would not, perhaps, be very difficult for him to fill volumes with a specification of the religious and ecclesiastical affairs of the last century: but he does not conceive that such diffusion is necessary, and he hopes that a concise statement, with incidental remarks, will content his readers.

Those who wish for a copious history of the Christian church during that period, must wait for the exertions of some erudite and able divine, who may have time and patience for the accomplishment of the task.

April 3, 1811.

C. COOTE.

* Such a conclusion may be drawn from what he says at the beginning of his sketch of that century: 'Sæculi, quod vivimus, historia Christiana voluminis, non paginarum paucarum, materies est, suumque inter posteros scriptorem ingenuum et æquum expectat;'-a passage which may be thus translated: The history of the Christian church, during the century in which we live, is the proper subject of a considerable volume, rather than of only a few pages; and it demands from posterity a writer who will pay due attention to it, a liberal impartial, and judicious author.

HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

DURING

THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.

CHAPTER I.

History of the Romish Church, during the Eigh

teenth Century.

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With respect to the religious principles of that they were not animated by true piety, or these royal sons of the church, we may observe, a genuine spirit of religion. They may have THE continued attacks of the Protestants believed the doctrines of Christianity; or, perupon the church of Rome had forced the out-haps, they merely affected to give credit to the works, and weakened the barriers of that esta- faith which they found established in their doblishment: but it still presented a bold front to minions. They attended mass with decorous its assailants, and numbered among its vota- regularity, witnessed ceremonial observances ries the major part of the inhabitants of Europe. with a serious and devout aspect, and promotIts greatness was impaired, but not subverted; ed among their subjects a religious uniformity. and it had an imposing, if not a very formidable But they did not endeavour, like true Chrisaspect. The pope's power of interdiction and tians, to correct their evil propensities, amend excommunication had ceased to fill nations with their hearts, or reform their lives. They did dismay. Some of the potentates of his com- not study to preserve peace upon earth;" munion addressed him in a tone which many of they did not cherish "good will towards men." his predecessors would not have endured; ha- Their religion (in the language applied by a rassed him with various pretensions, and en- respectable historian* to William the Conquecroached upon that authority which he deem-ror)" prompted them to endow monasteries, ed legitimate and even divine. Notwithstand ing these assaults, he retained some degree of power and a considerable portion of influence, and was supported in the dignity of supreme pontiff by the greatest princes of the continent. The prelate who occupied this high station at the commencement of that century of which we are now treating, was Clement XI. or John Francis Albani, who, having acquired reputation by his skill in the management of affairs, and being also of a spirited character, had been unanimously chosen by the conclave at a time when the political horizon of Europe threatened a storm. He rejected the offered tiara with a greater appearance of sincerity than that which an English divine usually displays when he says, on the offer of a bishopric, nolo episcopari; but his scruples and objections were removed by the arguments, representations, and importunities of the cardinals.

He made a good beginning of administration. He redressed some grievances, discountenanced vice and criminality of every kind, performed acts of beneficence, gave an example of devotional regularity, and filled vacant of fices and preferments with men of merit. He then directed his attention to politics, and testified a desire of preventing a war between the king of France and the emperor, on the subject of the Spanish succession. He wrote a letter to each of those princes, exhorting them to accommodate all disputes without rushing into hostilities. They received his advice with professions of respect for his character, but did not suffer it to regulate their conduct. Ambition still inflamed the aged Louis: his thirst of dominion still urged him to send forth his legions, and wantonly (for a lust of power was no sufficient motive,) to shed the blood of his unoffending fellow creatures. Leopold professed an equal regard for religion, but was equally uninfluenced by justice or humanity.

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but at the same time allowed them to pillage kingdoms: it threw them on their knees before a relic or a cross, but suffered them unrestrained to trample upon the liberties and the rights of mankind."

We have no concern with the war into which the rival princes entered, as it is unconnected with the history of the church. It arose from temporal motives, and referred to grand politi cal objects. Both princes promised that, if the war should extend to Italy, the papal territories should remain uninjured and unmolested: but this promise was violated, on the part of Leopold, by the irruption of an Austrian detachment into the province of Ferrara. Clement having bitterly complained of this conduct, the troops retired: but, as they again encroached, he ordered an army to be levied. Louis, and his grandson the new king of Spain, earnestly requested his holiness to enter into an alliance with them, promising great advantages not only to the holy see, but to the pontiff himself, as the price of his condescension. He had no wish to take part with either of the contending families, and therefore refused to accede to the confederacy. A report was propagated of his assent to the offered terins; and it derived strength from the appearance of the duke of Berwick at Rome; but that nobleman was merely sent from France by the royal exile, James II., to congratulate Albani on his elevation to the papal throne.

Unable to check the rage of war, the pope soothed his anxiety, and gratified his religious zeal, by promoting the diffusion of the catholic faith. He even expressed a wish that he could visit the remotest parts of the globe for that pious and salutary purpose, and lamented his inability of accomplishing his desire. Contracting his views he contented himself with

* George Lord Lyttleton.

tory, as Leopold was unwilling to inflict any serious injury on the pontiff. As soon as Joseph became emperor, he manifested a stronger inclination than his father had evinced, to thwart and harass the head of the church. He restricted the papal authority in point of presentation to benefices; seized Comacchio, and claimed Parma and Placentia as imperial fiefs. His troops levied contributions in the ecclesiastical state, and alarmed the timid inhabitants. At length, however, he consented to an accommodation, and ceased to be a refractory son of the church.

A revival of the contest between the Jansenists and the Jesuits had for some time conspired with politics and war to disturb the tran

sending legates into various regions, particu-|| larly into Persia, India, and China, to support and extend the interests of Christianity: but the success of these heralds of the Gospel did not correspond with the wishes of the religious world. We are informed, however, that his entreaties and expostulations procured, for the catholics of Thrace, Armenia, and Syria, a respite from Mohammedan persecution, and an allowance of the free exercise of their religion.* This freedom, however, was occasionally interrupted and disturbed by the brutality of furious infidels, and the animosity of barbarian zealots. The legate upon whom he chiefly depended, for the success of the eastern mission, was Maillard de Tournon, who was ready to encounter every danger in the cause of Christi-quillity of the court of Rome.† M. Du-Pin anity. This missionary visited India and China had published, in 1703, a Case of Conscience, with a weak and declining_frame, but with a in which (according to the pope's letter to the heart full of pious zeal. He introduced him- king of France) various errors already conself to the Chinese emperor at Pekin; was po- demned were revived, and the heretical tenets litely received, and complimented with various of Jansenius defended; and for this offence he presents; and was gratified with permission to was banished from Paris into the province of preach the Gospel, and expound the doctrines Bretagne. Forty doctors of the Sorbonne, of the catholic faith. The imperial potentate, whose names appeared among the signatures however, did not mean that this permission of approbation that accompanied the Case, should so far operate, as to authorise the legate were desired to submit to the will of the ponand his associates to oppose the prevalence of tiff; and many of them recanted, while others popular institutions and ceremonies, sanction- denied that they had given assent to the book. ed by long practice. Unwilling to make any For the more effectual repression of Jansenism, concessions to the prejudices of paganism, a new apostolical constitution was issued in Tournon loudly exclaimed against the idola- 1705, condemning such errors with menaces trous usages of the Chinese, and sharply re- of papal indignation. The archbishop of Seproved the ministers of state and of religion, baste, vicar of the holy see in Holland, was for suffering the continuance of such degrading removed from his employment for a supposed absurdities. By this freedom he gave great collusion with the Jansenists; and these sectaoffence to the court; and he was even accused ries were again subjected to ecclesiastical cenof treason against the emperor. Defying the sure in 1708, when the pope condemned the odium which he considered as unmerited, he Moral Reflections of their celebrated associate, proceeded in his pious career, until he was Quesnel, upon the New Testament. This banished from the capital, in 1707, and sent theologian answered the damnatory bull with to the island of Macao, where he was impri- a spirit which inflamed the contest. The parsoned with five of his fellow missionaries. Ad- tisans of Rome called for a new and more exmiring his undaunted zeal, the pope elevated plicit condemnation of the Reflections; and him to the dignity of a cardinal; an honour the king of France, prejudiced against a sect which he declared he would not accept, if he which the Jesuits represented as even more should be expected to relinquish his mission; dangerous to the church than that of the Hufor he was prepared to suffer every inconveni- guenots, earnestly solicited the promulgation ence, and undergo every species of persecution, of a rigorous edict. Hence arose that dein the discharge of Christian duties. When cree which was addressed to the whole cathothe governor of the Philippine islands offered lic world, but which more particularly demandto facilitate his escape, he peremptorily refuseded the attention and observance of the Gallito quit his prison. He died, not without sus- can church.

was quickly known throughout Christendom by the appellation of the bull Unigenitus. Alleging and lamenting the inefficacy of the former condemnation of Quesnel's book, the pontiff was determined, he said, to apply a stronger remedy to the growing disease. Some catholic truths, he allowed, were mingled with the mass of corrupt doctrine: but, as the insidious

picion of poison, after he had been confined The Anti-Jansenist ordinance, as it comabove three years. The mission was continu-menced with the terms Unigenitus Dei Filius, ed after his death; but it did not promise to be successful, as the prejudices of the Chinese were too firmly fixed to be easily eradicated.† Clement, in the mean time, continued to observe, with an anxious eye, the commotions of Europe. When the emperor had proclaimed his son (the archduke Charles) king of Spain, his holiness refused to acknowledge the young prince in that capacity. A new invasion of Ferrara followed; but the Austrians did not venture to make a conquest of that terri

* Guarnacci, Vit. et Res Gest. Pontificum Romanorum et Cardinalium, usque ad Clementem XII. tom. ii p. 7.

† Guarnacci, Vit. Pontif. et Cardin. tom. ii. p. 143, 144.

*In the year 1708.

For an account of the rise of this controversy, and of the doctrines propagated by Jansenius, see Dr. Mosheim's fifth volume. cent. xvii. sect. ii. part i. chap. i.

Guarnacci, Vit. Pontif. et Cardin. tom. ii. p. 11, 18, 19.-Histoire de France, sous le Regne de Louis XIV. par M. de Larrey, tom. iii.-This bull made its appearance on the 8th of September, 1713, N. S.

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