extolled in this illiterate age, that its author was called, by the rest of the bishops, the true salt of the earth, and a divine light that was sent to illuminate the world.* Many such in or, at least, endowed with some share of the erudition of the times. The monks were obliged to consecrate certain hours every day to reading and study: and, that they might improve this appointment to the most advantage-stances of the ignorance and barbarity of this ous purposes, there were, in most of the monasteries, stated times marked out, at which they were to assemble, in order to communicate to each other the fruits of their studies, and to discuss the matters upon which they had been reading. The youth also, who were destined for the service of the church, were obliged to prepare themselves for their ministry by a diligent application to study; and in this they were directed by the monks, one of whose prin cipal occupations it was to preside over the education of the rising priesthood. * century will occur to those who have any acquaintance with the writers it produced. England, it is true, was happier in this respect than the other nations of Europe, which was principally owing to Theodore of Tarsus, of whom we shall have occasion to speak afterwards, who was appointed archbishop of Canterbury, and contributed much to introduce, among the English, a certain taste for literary pursuits, and to excite in that kingdom a zeal for the advancement of learning.t III. In Greece, the fate of the sciences was It must, however, be acknowledged, that all truly lamentable. A turgid eloquence, and ar these institutions were of little use to the ad- affected pomp and splendour of style, which vancement of solid learning, or of rational cast a perplexing obscurity over subjects in theology, because very few in those days were themselves the most clear and perspicuous, now acquainted with the true nature of the liberal formed the highest point of perfection to which arts and sciences, or with the important ends both prose writers and poets aspired. The which they were adapted to serve; and the Latin eloquence was still very considerably bo greatest part of those who were looked upon low that of the Greeks; it had not spirit enough as learned men, threw away their time in read- even to be turgid, and, a few compositions exing the marvellous lives of a parcel of fanati- cepted, it had sunk to the very lowest degree cal saints, instead of employing it in the peru-of barbarity and corruption. Both the Greek sal of well-chosen and excellent authors. They, and Latin writers, who attempted historica! who distinguished themselves most by their compositions, degraded most miserably that taste and genius, carried their studies little far-important science. Moschus and Sophronius ther than the works of Augustin and Gregory among the former; and among the latter Brau the Great; and it was of scraps collected out ||lio, Jonas an Hibernian, Audoenus, Dado, and of these two writers, and patched together Adamannus, wrote the lives of several saints, without much uniformity, that the best productions of this century were composed. II. The sciences enjoyed no degree of protection, at this time, from kings and princes; nor did they owe any thing to men of high and eminent stations in the empire. On the other hand, the schools which had been committed to the care and inspection of the bishops, whose ignorance and indolence were now become enormous, began to decline apace, and had, in many places, fallen into ruin. The bishops in general were so illiterate, that few of them were capable of composing the discourses which they delivered to the people. Such prelates as were not totally destitute of genius composed, out of the writings of Augustin and Gregory, a certain number of insipid homilies, which they divided between themselves and their stu- | pid colleagues, that they might not be obliged through incapacity to discontinue preaching the doctrines of Christianity to the people, as appears from the examples of Cæsarius bishop of Arles, and Eloi bishop of Noyon. There is yet extant a summary of theological doctrine, which was unskilfully compiled by Taion bishop of Saragossa, from the writings of Augustin and Gregory; and which was so highly * Mabillon, Acta Sanct. Ord. Benedicti, tom. ii. p. $79, 513. Histoire Literaire de la France, tom. iii. P. 428. In the original we read Eligius Noviomagensis, which is a mistake either of the author, or printer. It is probable that Noviomagensis slipped from the pen of Dr. Mosheim, in the place of Noviodunensis; for Eloi was bishop of Noyon, and not of Nimeguen. VOL. I.-29 or rather a heap of insipid and ridiculous fa bles, void of the least air of probability, and without the smallest tincture of eloquence. The Greeks related, without discernment or choice, the most vulgar reports that were handed about concerning the events of ancient times: and hence arose that multitude of absurd fables, which the Latins afterwards copied from them with the utmost avidity. IV. Among the Latins philosophy was at its lowest ebb. If there were any that retained some faint reluctance to abandon it entirely, such confined their studies to the writings of Boethius and Cassiodorus, from which they committed to memory a certain number of phrases and sentences; and that was all their philosophical stock. The Greeks, abandoning Plato to the monks, gave themselves entirely up to the direction of Aristotle, and studied, with eagerness, the subtilties of his logic, which were of signal use in the controversies carried on between the Monophysites, the Nestorians, and Monothelites. All these different sects called the Stagirite to their assistance, when they were to plead their cause, and to defend their doctrines. Hence it was that James, bishop of Edessa, who was a Monophysite, translated, in this century, the dialectics of Aristotle into the Syriac language. Mabillon, Analecta veteris Ævi, tom. ii. p. 77. Wilkins' Concilia Magnæ Britanniæ, tom. i. p. 42. Conringii Antiquitat. Academicæ, p. 277. 498. See Assemani Biblioth. Oriental. Vatican. tom..> CHAPTER II. The ancient Britons and Scots persisted long in the maintenance of their religious liberty, and neither the threats nor promises of the legates of Rome could engage them to submit to the decrees and authority of the ambitious pontiff, as appears manifestly from the testimony of Bede. The churches of Gaul and Spain attributed as much authority to the bishop of Rome, as they thought suitable to their own dignity, and consistent with their interests: even in Italy, his supreme authority was obstinately rejected, since the bishop of Ravenna, and other prelates, refused an implicit submission to his orders. Beside all this, multitudes of private persons expressed publicly, and without the least hesitation, their abhorrence of the vices, and particularly of the lordly ambition of the Roman pontiffs: and it is highly probable, that the Valdenses or Vaudois had already, in this century, retired into the valleys of Piedmont, that they might be more at liberty to oppose the tyranny of those imperious prelates.† III. The progress of vice, among the subor I. THE disputes about pre-eminence, that had so long subsisted between the bishops of Rome and Constantinople, proceeded, in this century, to such violent lengths, as laid the foundation of that deplorable schism, which afterwards separated the Greek and Latin churches. The most learned writers, and those who are most remarkable for their knowledge of antiquity, are generally agreed that Boniface III. engaged Phocas, that abominable tyrant, who waded to the imperial throne through the blood of the emperor Mauritius, to take from the bishop of Constantinople the title of œcumenical or universal bishop, and to confer it upon the Roman pontiff. They relate this, however, upon the sole authority of Baronius; for none of the ancient writers have mentioned it. If, indeed, we are to give credit to Anastasius and Paul the Deacon,* some-dinate rulers and ministers of the church, was thing like what we have now related was trans- at this time truly deplorable: neither bishops, acted by Phocas: for, when the bishops of Con- presbyters, deacons, nor even the cloistered stantinople maintained that their church was monks, were exempt from the general contanot only equal in dignity and authority to that gion, as appears from the unanimous confesof Rome, but also the head of all the Christiansion of all the writers of this century that are churches, this tyrant opposed their pretensions, worthy of credit. In those very places, that and granted the pre-eminence to the church of were consecrated to the advancement of piety, Rome: and thus was the papal supremacy first and the service of God, there was little to be ntroduced. seen but spiritual ambition, insatiable avarice, II. The Roman pontiffs used all sorts of pious frauds, intolerable pride, and a supercilimethods to maintain and enlarge the authority ous contempt of the natural rights of the peoand pre-eminence which they had acquired by ple, with many other vices still more enormous. a grant from the most odious tyrant that ever There reigned also in many places the most disgraced the annals of history. We find, bitter dissensions between the bishops and the however, in the most authentic accounts of the monks. The former had employed the greedy transactions of this century, that not only se- hands of the latter to augment the episcopal veral emperors and princes, but also whole na- treasure, and to draw the contributions from all tions, opposed the ambitious views of the bish- parts to support them in their luxury, and the ops of Rome. The Byzantine history, and the indulgence of their lusts. The monks perceivFormulary of Marculfus, contain many proofs ing this, and also unwilling to serve the bishof the influence which the civil magistrate yet ops in such a dishonourable character, fled for retained in religious matters, and of the subor- refuge to the emperors and princes, under whose dination of the Roman pontiffs to the regal civil jurisdiction they lived; and afterwards, for authority. It is true, the Roman writers af- their farther security, had recourse to the profirm, that Constantine Pogonatus abdicated the tection of the Roman pontiff. This protecprivilege of confirming, by his approbation, the||tion they readily obtained; and the imperious election of the bishop of that city; and, as a proof of this, they allege a passage of Anastasius, in which it is said, that according to an edict of Pogonatus, the pontiff, who should be elected, was to be ordained immediately, and without the least delay. But every one must see, that this passage is insufficient to prove what these writers assert with such confidence. It is however certain, that this emperor abated, some say remitted, the sum which, from the time of Theodoric, the bishops of Rome had been obliged to pay to the imperial treasury before they could be ordained, or have their election confirmed. *Anastasius, de vitis Pontificum. Paul. Diacon. de rebus gestis Longobard. lib. iv. cap. xxxvii. apud Muratorii Scriptor. rerum Italicar. tom. i. p. 465. Anastasii vit. Pontif. in Bened. p. 146, in Muratorii Scriptor. rerum Italicar. tom. iii. Anastas. vit. Pontif. in Agathone, p. 144, compared with Mascovii Hist. German. tom. ii. p. 121, in the an pontiffs, always fond of exerting their authority, exempted, by degrees, the monastic orders from the jurisdiction of the bishops. The monks, in return for this important service, devoted themselves wholly to advance the interests, and to maintain the dignity of the bishop notations. It will not be improper to observe here, that by the same edict, which diminished the ordinationmoney paid by the bishops of Rome to the emperor, Constantine resumed the power of confirming the election of the pope, which his predecessors had invested in the exarchs of Ravenna so that the bishop elect was not to be ordained till his election was notified to the court of Cou stantinople, and the imperial decree confirming it was received by the electors at Rome. See Anastasius, in his life of Agatho. * See Geddes' Miscellaneous Tracts, tom. ii. p. 6. † See Antoine Leger's Histoire des Eglises Vaudoises liv. i. p. 15. See Launoii Assertio Inquisitionis in Chartam Immu nitatis S. Germani, op. tom. iii. par. 1. p. 50. Baluzii Miscellan. tom. ii. p. 159; tom. iv. p. 108. Muratori Antiq. Italic. tom. ii. p. 944, 249. Antiochus, a monk of Saba in Palestine, and a monk of a very superstitious complexion, composed a Pandect of the Holy Scriptures, i. e. a summary or system of the Christian doctrine, which is by no means worthy of high commendation. There are yet extant several homilies, attributed to Andrew, bishop of Crete, which are destitute of true piety and eloquence, and which are, moreover, considered by some writers as entirely spurious. Gregory, surnamed Pisides, deacon of Constantinople, beside the History of Heraclius and the Avares, composed several poems, and other pieces of too little moment to deserve mention. of Rome. They made his cause their own, and represented him as a sort of god to the ignorant multitude, over whom they had gained a prodigious ascendency by the notion that generally prevailed of the sanctity of the monastic order. It is, at the same time, to be observed, that this humanity toward the monks Sophronius, bishop of Jerusalem, was renproved a fruitful source of licentiousness and dered illustrious, and attracted the veneration disorder, and occasioned the greatest part of of succeeding ages, by the controversies he the vices with which they were afterwards so carried on against those who, at this time, were justly charged. Such, at least, is the judg-branded with the name of heretics; and particment of the best writers upon this subject.* ularly against the Monothelites, of whose docIV. In the mean time the monks were every trine he was the first opposer, and also the fowhere in high repute, and their cause was ac-menter of the dispute which it occasioned.* companied with the most surprising success, particularly among the Latins, through the protection and favour of the Roman pontiff, and their pharisaical affectation of uncommon piety and devotion. The heads of families, striving to surpass each other in their zeal for the propagation and advancement of monkery, dedicated their children to God, by shutting them up in convents, and devoting them to a solitary life, which they looked upon as the highest felicity;† nor did they fail to send with these innocent victims a rich dowry. Abandoned profligates, who had passed their days in the most vicious pursuits, and whose guilty consciences filled them with terror and remorse, were comforted with the delusive hopes of obtaining pardon, and making atonement for their crimes, by leaving the greatest part of their fortune to some monastic society. Multitudes, impelled by the unnatural dictates of a gloomy superstition, deprived their children of fertile lands and rich patrimonies, in favour of the monks, by whose prayers they hoped to render We have yet extant two books of Epistles, the Deity propitious. Several ecclesiastics written by Desiderius, bishop of Cahors, and laid down rules for the direction of the nonas-published by the learned Canisius. tic orders. Those among the Latins, who un- Eligius, or Eloi, bishop of Limoges, left bedertook this pious task, were Fructuosus, Isi-hind him several homilies, and some other prodore, Johannes Gerundinensis, and Columban.‡ductions. The rule of discipline, prescribed by St. Bene- Marculf, a Gallic monk, composed two dict, was not yet universally followed, so as to exclude all others. V. The writers of this age, who distinguish ed themselves by their genius or erudition, were very few in number. Among the Greeks, the first rank is due to Maximus, a monk, who disputed with great obstinacy and warmth against the Monothelites, composed some illustrations upon the Holy Scriptures, and was, upon the whole, a man of no mean capacity, though unhappy through the impatience and violence of his natural temper. Isychius, bishop of Jerusalem, explained several books of Scripture;§ and left several homlies, and some productions of less importance. Dorotheus, abbot of Palestine, acquired a considerable name by his Ascetic Dissertations, in which he laid down a plan of monastic life 'and manners. * See Launoii Examen Privilegii S. Germani, tom. iii. par. i. p. 282. Wilkins' Concilia Magnæ Britanniæ, tom. p. 43, 44, 49, &c. Gervais, Histoire de l'Abbe Suger, tom. i. p. 9-16. Theodore, abbot of Raithu, published a book which is still extant, against those sects who seemed to introduce corrupt innovations into the Christian religion, by their doctrine relating to the person of Christ. VI. Among the Latin writers, a certain number were distinguished from the rest by their superior abilities. Ildefonso, archbishop of Toledo, was in repute for his learning; the Spaniards, however, attribute to him without foundation certain treatises concerning the Vir gin Mary.† books of ecclesiastical forms, which are highly valuable, as they are extremely proper to give us a just idea of the deplorable state of religion and learning in this century. Aldhelm, an English prelate, composed several poems concerning the Christian life, which exhibit but indifferent marks of genius and fancy.§ Julian Pomerius confuted the Jews, and acquired a name by several other productions, which are neither worthy of much applause nor of utter contempt. To all these we might add Cresconius, whose Abridgement of the Canons is well known; Fredegarius the histo ran, and a few others. * See the Acta Sanctorum, tom. ii. Martii ad d. xi. p 65. See the Acta Sanctorum, Januar. tom. ii. p. 535. Histoire Literaire de la France, tom. iii. p. 565. This prelate certainly deserved a more honourable mention than is here made of him by Dr. Mosheim. His poetical talents were by no means the most distin guishing part of his character. He was profoundly vers ed in the Greek, Latin, and Saxon languages. He ap peared also with dignity in the paschal controversy, that so long divided the Saxon and British churches. See Col lier's Ecclesiastical Hist. vol. i. CHAPTER III. studious to attain a virtuous simplicity of life and manners, and employed their principal zea. Concerning the Doctrine of the Christian Church and diligence in the culture of true and genu during this Century. I. In this barbarous age, religion lay expiring under a motley and enormous heap of superstitious inventions, and had neither the courage nor the force to raise her head, or to display her native charms, to a darkened and deluded world. In the earlier periods of the church, the Christian worship was confined to the one Supreme God, and his Son Jesus Christ: but the Christians of this century multiplied the objects of their devotion, and paid homage to the remains of the true cross, to the images of the saints, and to bones, whose real owners were extremely dubious.* The primitive Christians, in order to excite men to a course of piety and virtue, set before them that heavenly state, and those mansions of misery, which the Gospel has revealed as the different portions of the righteous and the wicked; while the Christians of this century talked of nothing else but a certain fire which effaced the stains of vice, and purified souls from their corruption. The former taught that Christ, by his sufferings and death, had made atonement for the sins of mortals; the latter seemed, by their superstitious doctrine, to exclude, from the kingdom of heaven, such as had not contributed, by their offerings, to augment the riches of the clergy or the church. The former were only ine piety, while the latter placed the whole of religion in external rites and bodily exercises. The methods also of solving the difficulties, and dissipating the doubts, which often arose in inquisitive minds, were of a piece with the rest of the superstitious system that now prevailed. The two great and irresistible arguments against all doubts, were the authority of minicam memoriter tenet.-Redimite animas vestras de cimas ecclesiis offerte, luminaria sametis locis, juxta quod poena, dum habetis in potestate remedia; oblationes et dehabetis, exhibete; ad ecclesiam quoque frequentius convenite, sanctorum patrocinia humiliter expetite; quod si ob cis venientes dicetis, Da, Domine, quia dedimus." We servaveritis, securi in die judicii ante tribunal æterni judisee here a large and ample description of the character of a "good Christian," in which there is not the least mention of the love of God, resignation to his will, obedience to his laws, or of justice, benevolence, and charity to ward men; and in which the whole of religion is made to consist in coming often to the church, bringing offerings to the altar, lighting candles in consecrated places, and the like vain services.[*] [*] Some modern writers of the Romish persuasion have exclaimed against these strictures in terms of severe reprehension; and Dr. Lingard, in particular, says, "This citation from the writings of St. Eloi holds a distinguishagainst the clergy of former ages; and this definition of ed place in every invective which has been published a good Christian has been re-echoed a thousand times by the credulity of writers and their readers;" but it appears, upon due investigation, he adds, that the "bishop of Noyon has been foully calumniated;" for his definition of a good Christian is of the following tenor: "Non vobis sufficit, charissimi, quod Christianum nomen accepistis, si opera Christiana non facitis. Illi enim prodest, *It will not be amiss to quote here a remarkable pas- quod Christianus vocatur, qui semper Christi præcepta sage out of the Life of St. Eligius, or Eloi, bishop of mente retinet, et opere perficit; quí furtum, scilicet, non Noyon, which is to be found in M. d'Achery's Spicilegi-facit; qui falsum testimonium non dicit; qui nec mentitur, um veter. Scriptor. tom. ii. p. 92. This passage, which nec pejerat; qui adulterium non committit; qui nullum is very proper to give us a just idea of the piety of this homínem odit, sed omnes sicut semetipsum diligit; qui age, is as follows: "Huic sanctissimo viro, inter cetera inimicis suis malum non reddit, sed magis pro ipsis orat; virtutum suarum miracula, id etiam a Domino concessum qui lites non concitat, sed discordes ad concordiam revoerat, ut sanctorum martyrum corpora, quæ per tot sæcucat." "It is not sufficient for your characters or your la abdita populis hactenus habebantur, eo investigante ac credit, my dearest friends, that you merely bear the name nimio ardore fidei indagante, patefacta proderentur." It of a Christian; you must perform the acts and duties of a appears by this passage, that St. Eloi was a zealous relic- Christian. He alone is worthy of the name, who retains hunter; and, if we may give credit to the writer of his in his mind the precepts of religion, and carries them inlife, he was very successful at this kind of game; for he to effect; who avoids, as a crime, the commission of theft, smelt and unkennelled the carcasses of St. Quintin, St. who shuns the guilt of perjury or falsehood; who does Plato, St. Crispin, St. Crispinian, St. Lucian, and many not commit adultery; who hates no one, but is ready to more. The bishops of this age, who were either ambi- serve even his enemies; and who is so far from promoting tiously desirous of popular applause, or intent upon accu- strife, that he is eager to prevent all disputes, and allay mulating riches, and filling their coffers with the oblations all animosities." These and other evidences of the Chris of a superstitious people, pretended to be endowed with tian character and temper, in the century to which Dr. a miraculous sagacity in discovering the bodies of saints Mosheim refers, are given by the catholic historian in the and martyrs.[*] words of Audoenus (St. Ouen,) bishop of Rouen, who wrote the life of St. Eloi; and we are bound to state, because we have ascertained the point, that he has quoted the original fairly and correctly, according to the best edition of the Spicilegium. (Paris, 1723, 3 vols. folio. We are induced to mention this circumstance, because some protestant divines have been so eager to exculpate Dr. Mosheim, that they have accused Dr. Lingard of following a spurious edition, in which various interpolations might have been made by the Romanists to support the credit of the early church. We are aware that papists seem to have a fellow-feeling with their religious ancestors, and are frequently hurried by their zeal into misrepresentation, and sometimes into gross deviations from truth; but it is certainly illiberal to suspect them without cause, or to condemn them without inquiry. St. Eloi expresses himself upon this matter in the following manner. "Bonus Christianus est, qui ad ecclesiam frequentius venit, et oblationem, quæ in altari Deo offeratur, exhibet; qui de fructibus suis non gustat, nisi prius Deo aliquid offerat; qui, quoties sanctæ solemnitates adveniunt, ante dies plures castitatem etiam cum propria uxore custodit, ut secura conscientia Domini altare accedere possit; qui postremo symbolum vel orationem Do [*] That much imposition was practised in this respect, even the catholics must admit. The biographer of 'Eloi saya that "some relics were honoured with popular worship in places where they did not exist, while no one knew, to a certainty, in what spot they were to be found." To supply this deficiency of knowledge, it became expedient, in the opinion of the clerical zealots, to point out the places of interment; and thus relics were wantonly multiplied, many saints having two or three heads found for each person, and a great number of arms and legs. This reminds us of the remark of a lady, who, having seen at a museum a relic which was said to be Cromwell's scull, asked the keeper of another repository, whether he could produce a scull of the same great personage. "No, Madam," he replied; "we have nothing of the kind.""That seems very odd," said the lady; "I saw one at Oxford, and I should have thought that you would have had another."-Edit. In the present case, we cannot conscientiously decide in favour of Dr. Mosheim. His general impartiality we rea dily admit; but he did not, on this occasion, strictly attend to that duty. In the very page from which he extracted the unfavourable passage, he must, we think, have seen (for he was usually keen in his researches) the detail of religious and moral duties quoted by Dr. Lingard, and he ought to have given one as well as the other. Some blame is also imputable to the translator, for not making due inquiry into the validity of Dr. Mosheim's charge against the churchmen of the seventh century.- Editor the church and the working of miracles, and the production of these prodigies required no extraordinary degree of dexterity in an age of such gross and universal ignorance. churches, were not contrived till after this pe. riod. The dry and insipid body of divinity composed by Taio, or Tago, bishop of Saragossa, under the title of Five Books of Sen|| tences, and compiled from the writings of Gregory and Augustin, is scarcely worthy of mention, though, in this century, it was considered as an admirable and immortal work.† II. Few, either of the Greeks or Latins, applied themselves to the interpretation of the Scriptures during this century. There are yet extant some commentaries of Isychius, bishop of Jerusalem, upon certain books of the Old Several particular branches of doctrine were Testament, and upon the Epistle to the He- treated by the theological writers of this age: brews. Maximus published a solution of sixty- thus Maximus wrote of the nature of Theolofive questions relating to the Scriptures, and gy, and the Manifestation of the Son in the other productions of the same nature. Julian Flesh, and also upon the Two Natures in Christ; Pomerius attempted, but without success, to and Theodore Raithu composed a treatise conreconcile the seeming contradictions that are cerning Christ's Incarnation. But a small acto be found in the sacred writings, and to ex-quaintance with the state of learning and reliplain the prophecy of Nahum. All these wri-gion at this period, will enable us to form a ters were manifestly inferior to the meanest ex- just, though disadvantageous idea of the merit positors of modern times. The Grecian doc- of these performances, and also of their autors, particularly those who pretended to be thors. initiated in the most mysterious depths of theo- IV. The moral writers of this century, and logy, were continually hunting after fantastic their miserable productions, show too plainly allegories, as is evident from the Questions of to what a wretched state that noble and imporMaximus already mentioned. The Latins, on tant science was now reduced. Among these the contrary, were so diffident of their abili- moralists, the first rank is due to Dorotheus ties, that they did not dare to enter these alle- || (author of the Ascetic Dissertations,) Maxigorical labyrinths, but contented themselves mus, Aldhelm, Hesychius, Thalassius, and with what flowers they could pluck out of the some others: yet, even in their productions, rich collections of Gregory and Augustin. Of what grovelling notions do we find! what rubthis we see a manifest example in Paterius' bish, what a heap of superstitious fancies! and Exposition of the Old and New Testament,||how many marks of extravagance, perplexity, which is entirely compiled from the writings of Gregory the Great.* Among the interpreters of this century, we must not forget Thomas, bishop of Heraclea, who gave a second Syriac version of the New Testament.† and doubt! Besides, the laity had little reason to complain of the severity of their moral directors, whose custom it was to reduce all the obligations of Christianity to the practice of a small number of virtues, as appears from AldIII. While philosophy and theology had helm's Treatise concerning the eight principal scarcely any remains of life, any marks of ex- Virtues. Nor was the neglect of these duties istence among the Latins, the Greeks were attended with such penalties as were proper to wholly occupied with fruitless controversies restrain offenders. The false notions also, about particular branches of religion, and did which prevailed in this age, tended much to not think of reducing all the doctrines of Chris- diminish a just sense of the nature and obligatianity into one regular and rational system. tion of virtue; for the solitude of the monastic It is true, Antiochus, a monk of Palestine, com- life, though accompanied with no marks of posed a short summary of the Christian doc-solid and genuine piety, was deemed sufficient trine, which he entitled, the Pandect of the to atone for all sorts of crimes, and was thereHoly Scriptures. It is, however, easy to perceive what sort of an author he was, how void of dignity and true judgment, from many circumstances, and particularly from that rueful poem which is subjoined to his work; in which he deplores, in lamentable strains, the loss of that precious fragment of the true cross, which is said to have been carried away, by the Persians, among other spoils. The most elegant and judicious summary of theology that appeared among the Latins in this century, was the treatise of Ildefonso, de Cognitione Baptismi, which was saved by Baluze from the ruins of time; a work, indeed, which is not extremely necessary, since the ignoble frauds of superstition have been so fully brought to ight, though it contains remarkable proofs, that many of the corrupt inventions and practices, which disfigure Christianity in the popish This useless production has been usually published with the works of Gregory the Great; in consequence of which, the Benedictine monks have inserted it in their plendid edition of the works of that pontiff, tom. iv. part 11. + Assemani Biblioth. Orient. Vatican. tom. ii. p. 93, 94. fore honoured among the Latins with the title of the second baptism; which circumstance alone may serve to show us the miserable state of Christianity at this time. The greatest part of the Grecian and Oriental monks laboured to arrive at a state of perfection by mere contemplation, and studiously endeavoured to form their tempers and characters after the model of Dionysius, the chief of the Mystics. V. Theodore of Tarsus, a Grecian monk, restored among the Latins the discipline of penance, as it is commonly termed, which had been for a long time almost totally neglected, and enforced it by a body of severe laws bor See Baluzii Miscellanea, tom. vi. p. 1. From the work of Ildefonso it appears evident, that the monstrous to the Latins in this century, and that the Scriptures were doctrine of Transubstantiation was absolutely unknown in the hands of all Christians, and were perused by them without the least molestation or restraint. Ildefonso, it is true, is zealous for banishing reason and philosophy from religious matters; he, however, establishes the Scriptures, and the writings of the ancient doctors, ar the supreme tribunals before which all theological opin ions are to be tried, p. 14, 22. See Mabillon's Analecta veteris Ær' tom. ii. p. Sä |