tution degenerated in a short time, like all others, from its primitive purity, and ceased to answer the laudable intention and design of its worthy founders.*

XIII. Of the theological writers that flourished among the Greeks, the following are the most remark- The principal

able.

Greek writers.

Photius, patriarch of Constantinople, a man of most profound and universal erudition, whose Bibliotheca,' Epistles, and other writings, are yet valuable on many accounts.

Nicephorus, also a patriarch of the above-mentioned city, who, among other productions, published a warm defence of the worship of images against the enemies of that idolatrous service.

m

Theodorus Studites, who acquired a name chiefly by his warm opposition to the Iconoclasts, and by the zeal with which he wrote in favour of image worship."

The same cause has principally contributed to transmit to after ages the names of Theodorus Graptus, Methodius, who obtained the title of confessor for his adherence to image worship in the very face of persecution, Theodorus Abucara, Petrus Siculus, Nicetas David, and others, who would probably have been long since buried in oblivion, had not the various contests between the Greek and Latin churches, and the divisions of the former among themselves upon the question concerning images, excited the vehemence of these inconsiderable writers, and furnished them with an occasion of making some noise in the world.

Moses Barcepha, a Syrian Bishop, surpassed by far all whom we have now been mentioning, and deserved the shining reputation which he has obtained in the republic of letters, as what we have yet extant of his works discover several marks of true genius, and an uncommon acquaintance with the art of writing."

> k Calmet, Hist. de Lorraine, tom. i. p. 591. Hist. Literaire de la France, tom. iv. p. 536.

1 See Camusat, Histoire des Journaux, tom. i. p. 87.

m Acta Sanctor, tom. ii. Martii ad d. xiii. p. 293. Oudinus, Scriptor. Eccles. tom. ii. p. 2.

n Theodore Studites was one of the most voluminous writers of this century, and would certainly have been known as a man of genius and learning in after ages, though the controversy concerning images had never existed. There are of his writings yet extant two hundred and sixty-five letters, several treatises against the Iconoclasts, one hundred and twenty-four epigrams in Iambics, and a large manuscript, which contains a course of catechetical instruction concerning the duties of the monastic life.

o See Bayle's Dictionary, vol. i. at the article Abucara.

p Jos. Sim. Asscmanni Biblioth. Orient. Vatican. tom. ii. p. 127.

XIV. Rabanus Maurus, archbishop of Metz, is deservedly placed at the head of the Latin writers of this age; Latin writers the force of his genius, the extent of his knowledge, and the multitude of productions that flowed from his pen, entitle him to this distinguished rank, and render improper all comparison between him and his contemporaries. He may be called the great light of Germany and France, since it was from the prodigious fund of knowledge he possessed, that these nations derived principally their religious instruction. His writings were every where in the hands of the learned," and were held in such veneration, that, during four centuries, the most eminent of the Latin divines appealed to them as authority in religious matters, and adopted almost universally the sentiments they contained. After this illustrious prelate, the writers that are most worthy of mention are,

Agobard, archbishop of Lyons, a man of wisdom and prudence, and far from being destitute of literary merit; but whose reputation has deservedly suffered by his justifying and even fomenting the rebellion of Lothaire and Pepin against Lewis the Meek, their father and their sovereign.

Hilduin, abbot of St. Dennis, who acquired no small reputation by a work, entitled Areopagitica.

Enginhard, abbot of Selingestat, the celebrated author of the Life of Charlemagne, remarkable for the beauty of his diction, the perspicuity and elegance of his style, and a variety of other literary accomplishments.'

Claudius, bishop of Turin, whose Exposition of several books of Scripture," as also his Chronology, gained him an eminent and lasting reputation.

q See, for a particular account of the life and writings of Rabanus Maurus, the Histoire Literaire de la France, tom. v. p. 151; as also the Acta Sanctor. tom. i. Febr. p. 500.

r See Colonia. Hist. Liter. de la ville de Lyon, tom. ii. p. 93. General Dictionary, at the article Agobard. Hist. Literaire de la France, tom. iv. p. 567. [Agobard opposed with great zeal both the worship and the use of images in his famous book De picturis et imaginibus, a work which has greatly embarrassed the doctors of the Romish church.] s Hist. Literaire de la France, tom. iv. p. 607.

t Hist. Literaire de la France, tom. iv. p. 550. See also the Life of Charlemagne, of which the best of fourteen editions is that published by Schminkius, at Utrecht, in the year 1711.

u [This prelate, who was famous for his knowledge of the holy Scriptures, composed three books of commentaries upon Genesis, four upon Exodus, and several upon Leviticus. He wrote also a commentary upon the Gospel of St. Matthew, in which there are many excellent things, and an exposition of all the Epistles of St. Paul. His commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians is printed, but all the rest are in manuscript.] See Simon, Critique de la Biblioth. Eccles. de M. Du Pin, tom. i. p. 284.

Freculf, bishop of Lysieux, whose Chronicle, which is no more than a heavy compilation, is yet extant.

Servatus Lupus, of whose composition we have several epistles and treatises; and who, though a copious and subtile writer, is yet defective in point of elegance and erudition.*

Drepanius Florus, who left behind him several poems, An exposition of certain books of Scripture, and other performances less worthy of attention."

Christian Druthmar, the author of A Commentary upon St. Matthew's Gospel.'

Godeschalc, a monk of Orbais, who rendered his name immortal by the controversy which he set on foot concerning Predestination and Free Grace.

Paschasius Radbert," a name famous in the contests concerning The real presence of Christ's body in the Eucharist; and who, to pass in silence his other writings, composed a book upon this very subject, which furnished abundant matter of dispute throughout this century.

Bertramn, or Ratramn, a monk of Corby, who deserves the first rank among the writers that refuted the doctrine of Radbert; and whose book concerning the sacrament of the Lord's supper, which was composed by the order of Charles the Bald, gave also occasion to many contests among learned divines."

Haymo, bishop of Halberstadt, the laborious author of several treatises upon various subjects, and who is more to be esteemed for his industry and diligence, than for his genius and learning.

Walafridus Strabo, who acquired no mean reputation by his Poems, his Lives of the Saints, and his Explications of many of the more difficult passages of Scripture." Hincmar, archbishop of Rheims, a man of an imperious

x Histoire Literaire de la France, tom. v. p. 255.

y Colonia, Histoire Liter. de Lyon, tom. ii. p. 135. Hist. Liter. de la France, tom. v. p. 213.

z Hist. Liter. de la France, tom. v. p. 84.

a For an account of Radbert, see the Histoire Liter. de la France, tom. v. p. 287. bWe shall have occasion to speak more particularly of Bertrama, and his book, in the following chapter.

e It is proper to observe, that a great part of the writings that are attributed to Haymo, bishop of Halberstadt, were composed by Remi, or Remigius, of Auxerre. See Cassimir Oudinus, Comment. de Scriptor. Eccles. tom. ii. p. 330. Histoire Literaire de la

France, tom. v. p. 111, tom. vi. p. 106. Le Beuf, Recueil de Disser. sur l'Histoire de la France, tom. i. p. 278.

d See the Histoire Liter. de la France, tom. v. p. 544.

and turbulent spirit; but who deserves, notwithstanding, a distinguished place among the Latin writers of this century, since his works discover an aspiring genius, and an ardent zeal in the pursuit of truth, and tend, moreover, in a singular manner, to throw light both upon the civil and ecclesiastical history of the age in which he lived.

Johannes Scotus Erigena, the friend and companion of Charles the Bald, an eminent philosopher, and a learned divine, whose erudition was accompanied with uncommon marks of sagacity and genius, and whose various performances, as well as his translations from the Greek, gained him a shining and lasting reputation.'

It is sufficient barely to name Remigius Bertharius, Ado, Aimoin Heric, Regino, abbot of Prum, and others, of whom the most common writers of ecclesiastical history give ample accounts.

CHAPTER III.

CONCERNING THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH DURING THIS

The miserable

CENTURY.

I. THE Zeal of Charlemagne for the interests of Christianity, and his liberality to the learned, encoustate of Chris- raged many to apply themselves diligently to the tianity. study of the Scriptures, and to the pursuit of religious truth; and as long as this eminent set of divines remained, the western provinces were happily preserved.from many errors, and from a variety of superstitious practices. Thus we find among the writers of this age several men of eminent talents, whose productions show that the lustre of true erudition and theology was not, as yet, totally eclipsed. But these illustrious luminaries of the church disappeared, one after the other, and barbarism and ignorance, encouraged by their departure, resumed their ancient seats, and brought in their train a prodigious multitude of devout follies, odious superstitions, and abominable errors. did any encourage and propagate with more zeal and ardour these superstitious innovations, than the sacerdotal orders, the spiritual guides of a deluded people. And if we

e Histoire Liter. de la France, tom. v. p. 416.

Nor

f See Herm. Conringius. Antiq. Academicæ, p. 309. Hist. Liter. de la France, tom, v. p. 416.

inquire how it came to pass, that the clergy were so zealous in such an inglorious cause, we shall find that this zeal was, in some, the effect of ignorance, and in others, the fruit of avarice and ambition; since much was to be gained both in point of authority and opulence from the progress of superstition. Christianity among the Greeks and orientals was almost in the same declining and deplorable state; though there arose, from time to time, in the eastern provinces, men of superior abilities, who endeavoured to support the cause of true religion, and to raise it from the pressures under which it laboured.

ness,

The causes to

II. The causes of this unhappy revolution, that covered the Christian church with superstition and darkevident to such as are at all ac- which it was will appear quainted with the history of these times. The owing. oriental doctors, miserably divided among themselves, and involved in the bitterest contentions and quarrels with the western churches, lost all notion of the true spirit and genius of Christianity, and corrupted and biassed by the prejudices and passions that are generally excited and nourished by ill-managed controversy, became incapable of promoting the true and essential interests of religion. Intent also upon defending the excellence and divine authority of their doctrine and discipline against the Latin doctors, and in maintaining among themselves the worship of images which began to be warmly opposed, they advanced many things in the course of these disputes that were highly erroneous, and as one error follows another, their number increased from day to day. The savage and unnatural lives of the monks and hermits, whose number was prodigious, and whose authority was considerable, who haunted the woods and deserts, the gloomy scenes of their extravagant devotion, contributed much, among other causes, to the decay of solid and rational piety. Add to all this, the irruptions of the barbarous nations into the west, the atrocious exploits of usurping princes, the drooping and neglected condition of all the various branches of learning, the ambitious frenzy of the Roman pontiffs, who were incessantly grasping after new accessions of authority and dominion, the frauds and tricks of the monastic orders carried on under the specious mask of religion, and then we shall see the true causes that founded the empire of superstition and error upon the ruin of virtue, piety, and reason.

2.