lief was derived, in the preceding century, from the Apocalypse of John, xx. 2, 3, 4, and being advanced by many in this century, it spread over all Europe, and excited immense terror and alarm among the people. For they supposed that John had explicitly foretold, that after a thousand years from the birth of Christ, Satan would be let loose, Antichrist would appear, and the end of the world would come.-Hence, immense numbers, transferring their property to the churches and monasteries, left all, and proceeded to Palestine, where they supposed Christ would descend from heaven to judge the world. Others by a solemn vow, consecrated themselves and all they possessed to the churches, the monasteries, and the priests; serving them in the character of slaves, and performing the daily tasks assigned them; for they hoped the Supreme Judge would be more favourable to them, if they made themselves servants to his servants. Hence also, when an eclipse of the sun or moon took place, most people betook themselves to caverns, rocks and dens. Very many also gave a large part of their estates to God and the saints; that is, to the priests and monks. And in many places edifices, both sacred and secular, were suffered to go to decay; and in some instances were actually pulled down, from the expectation that they would no longer be needed. This general delusion was opposed, indeed, by a few wiser individuals; but nothing could overcome it, till the century had closed.

V. Ceremonies, already so numerous, were still increased during this century. "The many newmade citizens of heaven, who were daily enrolled, required the institution of new festal days, new forms of worship, and new religious rites." An

annual festival was instituted, near the close of the century, in memory of all departed souls. The worship of the Virgin Mary, already extravagant, was carried much further than before. They abstained from eating flesh on Saturday, in honour of the holy virgin. The daily Office of St. Mary was introduced; and traces of the Rosary and Crown of St. Mary, as they are called, are to be found in this century. For the benefit of the reader, I will add a description of the Rosary, from M'Gavin's Protestant. "It is a large chaplet, consisting of one hundred and fifty beads, which make so many Aves. Every ten beads divided by one, something larger, make a Pater. The fifteen large beads are the symbols of fifteen mysteries, which are so many lively images, as it were, in which are to be discerned the intentions of the Eternal Father in the interposed birth of his Son, the casualties that befel him in his infancy, and not only in the private and unknown part of his life, but also in the glorious, and immortal part of it. The common chaplets contain only fifty Ave Marias, and five Paternosters. Before the person begins to repeat his rosary, he must take it and cross himself. He must in the next place, repeat the Apostle's creed, to put himself in a proper disposition for prayer; after which, he must say a Pater and three Aves, on account of the three relations, which the blessed Virgin bears to the three persons in the sacred Trinity."

VI. We read of no new sects, of any importance, in this age. It seems there were still some in Italy, who held the Arian doctrine. The Paulicians were numerous in Syria, and in Thrace. "From Thrace they removed into Bulgaria and Slavona; ir which countries they afterwards had

a supreme pontiff of the sect; and they continued their residence there down to the times of the council of Basil, or to the fifteenth century. From Bulgaria, they migrated to Italy; and thence spread into other countries of Europe, and gave much trouble to the Roman pontiffs."

CENTURY XI.

1. Efforts to extend Christianity.-2. The Crusades commenced-3. Dictates of Hildebrand.-4 Profligacy of the Monks. -5. Arrogance of the Pope.-6. Berengarius opposes Transubstantiation.-7. Paulicians migrate to the West.

I. "THE Hungarians, Danes, Poles, Russians, and other nations, who, in the preceding century, had received a kind of knowledge of the Christian religion, could not universally be brought, in a short time, to prefer Christianity to the religions of their fathers. Therefore during the greater part of this century, their kings, with the teachers whom they drew around them, were occupied in gradually enlightening and converting these nations. In Tartary and the adjacent regions, the activity of the Nestorians continued daily to gain over more people to the side of Christian :ty. And such is the mass of testimony at the present day, that we cannot doubt, but that bishops of the highest order, or Metropolitans, with many inferior bishops subject to them, were established at that period in the provinces of Cashgar, Nuacheta, Turkestan, Genda, Tangut, and others. Whence it will be

manifest, that there was a vast multitude of Christians, in the eleventh and twelfth centuries in these countries; which are now either devoted to Mohammedism, or worshippers of imaginary gods. And that all these Christians followed the Nestorian creed, and were subject to the supreme ponff of the Nestorians residing in Chaldea, is se certain, as to be beyond all controversy."

Efforts were made in this century, without much success, to convert the Prussians, and other nations in the north of Europe, that were still heathen. One Bruno, who assumed the name of Boniface, with eighteen companions, went as missionaries from Germany into Prussia; but, after some time, were all put to death by the Prussians. (A. D. 1006.)

The Saracens, in the ninth century, had seized upon Sicily, and neither the Greeks nor Latins had hitherto been able to expel them, though they had frequently attempted it." But in this century, (A. D. 1059,) Robert Guiscard, the Norman duke of Apulia, with his brother Roger, under the authority of the Roman pontiff Nicholas II. attacked them with great valour; nor did Roger relinquish the war, till he had gained possession of the whole island, and cleared it of the Saracens. After this great achievement, in the year 1090, Roger resored the Christian religion, now almost extinguished there by the Saracens, to its former dignity; and established bishops, founded monasteries, erected magnificent churches, and put the clergy in possession of ample revenues and honours, which they enjoy to the present times."

II. In this century commenced the war of the Crusades. For some time the plan of expelling the Mohammedans from Palestine had been in con

templation by the Roman pontiffs. Gregory VII designed to engage personally in such a war, and for this purpose raised more than fifty thousand men; but his controversy with the emperor Henry IV. obliged him to abandon the design. The people of Europe were first roused up to this by Peter, surnamed the Hermit. He was a Frenchman of Amiens, who visited Palestine in 1093, and was greatly affected with the vexations and oppressions which the Christians residing at the holy places suffered from the Mohammedans. Either fancying or pretending a divine influence, he travelled over Europe, calling upon princes and people to make war upon the tyrants of Palestine, and rescue from their hands the holy sepulchre. He carried with him an epistle on the subject, which he pretended came directly from heaven, addressed to all Christians. The public being thus excited, Urban II., in the year 1095, assembled a numerous council at Placentia, in which this holy war was recommended. It is said that there were present in this council, four thousand clergymen, and thirty thousand laymen, and that its sessions were held in the open air, because no church could contain them. But the business succeeded better at the council of Clermont, assembled soon after, and very numerously attended. Here a vast multitude, of all ranks and ages, moved by the tumid eloquence of Urban, were ready to engage at once in a military expedition to Palestine, for the purpose of rescuing the Holy Land from the Turks. This host seemed a very formidable army in point of numbers, but was in reality very weak and pusillanimous: " for it was composed chiefly of monks, mechanics, farmers, persons averse from their regular occupations,