certainly much distort the truth who maintain that this pernicious discord was healed, and that the Greeks for a time came over to the Latins; although it is true that the state of the times obliged them occasionally to form a truce, though a deceptive one. The Greeks contended violently among themselves respecting repeated marriages. The emperor Leo, surnamed the Wise or the Philosopher, having had no male issue by three successive wives, married a fourth born in humble condition, Zoe Carbinopsina. As such marriages by the canon law of the Greeks were accounted incestuous, the patriarch Nicolaus excluded the emperor from the communion. The emperor indignant at this deprived Nicolaus of his office, and put Euthymius into his place, who admitted the emperor indeed to the communion, but resisted the law which the emperor wished to enact permitting fourth marriages. Hence a schism and great animosity arose among the clergy; some siding with Nicolaus and others with Euthymius. Leo died soon after, and III. annulled this right of councils and bishops; and made canonization as it is called, to rank among the greater causes, or such as belong only to the pontifical court. 5. Of the labours of the theologians in sacred science and the different branches of it, little can be said. The holy scrip. tures no one explained in a manner which would place him high among even the lowest class of interpreters. For it is uncertain whether Olympiodorus and Ecumenius of Tricca belong to this century. Among the Latins, Remigius of Auxerre continued his exposition of the scriptures, which he commenced in the preceding century. He is very concise on the literal signification, but very copious and prolix on the mystical sense, which he prefers greatly to the literal meaning. Besides he exhibits not so much his own thoughts as those of others, deriving his explanations from the early interpreters. Odo's morals on Job are transcribed from the work of the same title by Gregory the Great. Those who were esteemed the best expositors of scripture in that age, may be learned from Not-Alexander having deposed Euthymius rekerus Balbulus, who wrote a professed account of them.'. stored Nicolaus to his office; who now assailed the character of the deceased emi6. Systematic theology had not a single peror with the severest maledictions and writer, Greek or Latin. The Greeks were execrations, and defended his opinion of satisfied with Damascenus, and the Latins the unlawfulness of fourth marriages in the with Augustine and Gregory the Great, most contentious manner. To put an end who were in that age regarded as the to these commotions so dangerous to the greatest of theologians. Yet some also Greeks, Constantine Porphyrogenitus, the read Bede, and Rabanus Maurus. Moral son of Leo, assembled an ecclesiastical and practical theology received less atten- council at Constantinople in the year 920, tion than in almost any age. If we except which prohibited fourth marriages altosome discourses which are extremely mea-gether, but allowed third marriages under gre and dry, and the lives of saints which were composed among the Greeks by Simeon Metaphrastes, and among the Latins by Hubald, Odo, Stephen of Liege, and others, without fidelity and in very bad taste, there remains nothing more in this century which can be placed under the head of practical theology. Nor do we find that any one sought distinction by polemic writings, or confutations of the enemies of truth. 7. The controversies between the Greeks and Latins, in consequence of the troubles and calamities of the times, were carried on with much less noise than before; but they were not wholly at rest. And those His book is entitled, De Interpretibus Divinarum Literarum, and may be found in Pezius, Thesaur. Anecdot. Noviss, tom. i. par. i. p. 1. It was addressed to Solomon, afterwards bishop of Constance, whom it excited to the study not only of the biblical interpreters, but also of the ecclesiastical historians and the writers of biographies of the saints; so that it may be viewed as a guide to the best method of studying theology Agreeably to the taste of those times.-Schl Le Quien, Dist. i. Damascenica, de Processione certain restrictions. The publication of this law restored the public tranquillity.* Some other small contests of similar importance arose among the Greeks, which indicate their want of discernment, their ignorance of true religion, and how much the opinions of the fathers prevented them from exercising their own reason. CHAPTER IV. HISTORY OF CEREMONIES AND RITES. 1. How great a load of rites and ceremonies oppressed and stifled religion in this century, appears abundantly from the acts of councils held in England, France, Germany, and Italy. The many new-made Spiritus S. sec. 13, p. 12. Spanheim, De Perpetua Leo Allatius, De Perpetua Consensione Eccl. Orient. et Occident, lib. ii. cap. vii. viii. p. 600, &c. 4 These facts are faithfully collected from Cedrenus, Leunclavius (de Jure Graco-Rom. tom. i. p. 104, &c.) Leo Grammaticus, Simeon Logothetes, and other wri ters of Byzantine history. this was only a private regulation of the society of Cluny; but a Roman pontiffwho he was is unknown-approved of the institution, and ordered it to be everywhere observed. citizens of heaven almost daily enrolled in the calendar, required the institution of new festal days, new forms of worship, and new religious rites. And in inventing these, the priests though in everything else stupid and inefficient, were wonderfully ingenious. 3. The worship of the Virgin Mary which Some of their arrangements flowed from previously had been extravagant, was in the erroneous opinions on sacred and secu- this century carried much farther than belar subjects, which the barbarous nations fore. Not to mention other things less had derived from their ancestors and incor- certain, I observe first that near the close porated with Christianity. Nor did the of this century the custom became prevaguides of the church oppose these customs; lent among the Latins, of celebrating but supposed they had fulfilled all their masses and abstaining from flesh on Saturduty, when they had either honoured with days in honour of St. Mary. In the next some Christian forms what was worthless place, the daily office of St. Mary which and base in itself, or had assigned to it the Latins call the lesser office was introsome far-fetched allegorical import. Several duced, and it was afterwards confirmed by customs accounted sacred arose from the Urban II. in the council of Clermont. silly opinions of the multitude respecting Lastly, pretty distinct traces of the Rosary God and the inhabitants of heaven. For and Crown of St. Mary, as they are called, they supposed God and those intimate with or of praying according to a numerical arhim above, to be affected in the same man-rangement, are to be found in this century. ner as earthly kings and their nobles, For they who tell us that St. Dominic inwho are rendered propitious by gifts and presents, and are gratified with frequent salutations and external marks of respect. 2. Near the end of this century in the year 998, by the influence of Odilo, abbot of Cluny, the number of festal days among the Latins was augmented, by the addition of the annual celebration in memory of all departed souls. Before this time it had been the custom in many places, to offer prayers on certain days for the souls in purgatory; but these prayers were offered only for the friends and patrons of a particular religious order or society. Odilo's piety was not to be thus limited; he wished to extend this kindness to all the departed souls who were suffering in the invisible world. The author of the suggestion was a Sicilian recluse or hermit, who caused it to be stated to Odilo that he had learned from a divine revelation, that the souls in purgatory might be released by the prayers of the monks of Cluny. At first therefore 2 1 See Mabillon, Acta Sanct. Ord. Bened. [tom viii.] or sæcul vi. par. i. p. 584: where he gives the life of Odilo and his decree instituting this new festival. [The story of the hermit is differently related. One says the hermit stated that wandering near Mount Etna he overheard the souls burning in that volcano relate the benefits they received from the prayers of Odilo. Another represents the hermit as saying simply, it was divinely revealed to him. One likewise represents the hermit as stating that all the souls in purgatory enjoyed respite, two days each week, namely Mondays and Tuesdays. Another says he represented that several souls had been released entirely from purgatory by his prayers. And another that many souls might be released, &c. See Mabillon, ubi supra, p. 666, 701 (ed. Paris, 1701) and Fleury, Hist. de l'Eglise, livr. lix. sec. 57. All agree that the hermit made his representation to a French monk, then on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and bade him acquaint Odilo with it, which was accordingly done. Mur. The pontiff Benedict XIV. or Prosper Lambertini, vented the Rosary in the thirteenth century, do not bring satisfactory proof of their opinion. The Rosary consisted of fifteen repetitions of the Lord's prayer, and one hundred and fifty salutations of St. Mary; and what the Latins called the Crown of St. Mary consisted of six or seven repetitions of the Lord's prayer and sixty or seventy salutations, according to the age ascribed by different authors to the holy virgin. CHAPTER V. HISTORY OF HERESIES. which was the source of so many evils, had 1. THE amazing stupidity of the age this one advantage, that it rendered the church tranquil and undisturbed by new sects and discords. The Nestorians and Monophysites began to experience more hardships under the Arabians than formerly; and they are said to have repeatedly suffered the greatest violence. But as many of them gained the good will of the great, by their skill in medicine or by their abilities as stewards and men of business, the persecutions which occasionally broke out were in a measure suppressed. 2. The Manichæans or Paulicians, of in his treatise De Festis Jesu Christi, Mariæ, et Sanctorum, lib. iii. cap. 22, Opp. tom. x. p. 671, very wisely observes silence respecting this obscure and disrepu table origin of that anniversary; and thus shows us what he thought of it. In this work of Benedict XIV. are many specimens of the author's discernment. This is formally demonstrated by Mabillon, Acta Sanctor. Ord. Bened Præf. ad sæcul. v. p. lviii. &c. 4 Some Nestorians were private secretaries of the Kaliphs; and the Nestorian patriarch had such influence with the Kaliph, that the Jacobite and Greek bishops living among the Arabians were obliged in whom mention has been made before, be- | doubtless taught many other things became considerably numerous in Thrace sides what are stated above, joined themunder the emperor John Tzimisces. As selves with those who in France were afterearly as the eighth century Constantine wards called Albigenses, and who are said Copronymus had removed a large portion to have leaned to the views of the Maniof this sect to this province, that they chæans. might no longer disturb the tranquillity of 4. Some remains of the Arians still ex. the East; yet they still remained very isted in certain parts of Italy, and especially numerous in Syria and the neighbouring in the region about Padua. Ratherius, countries. Theodorus therefore the bishop bishop of Verona, had a controversy with of Antioch, for the safety of his own flock the Anthropomorphites from the year 939 did not cease importuning the emperor, onwards. For in the neighbourhood of until he ordered a new colony of Mani- Vicenza there were many persons, not chæans to be transplanted to Philippopolis. only among the laity but the clergy, who From Thrace the sect removed into Bul-supposed that God possesses a human garia and Slavonia, in which countries they form, and sits upon a golden throne in the afterwards had a supreme pontiff of their manner of kings; and that his ministers or sect; and they continued their residence angels are winged men clothed in white there down to the time of the council of robes. These erroneous conceptions will Basil or to the fifteenth century. From Bulgaria they migrated to Italy, and spreading thence into other countries of Europe, they gave much trouble to the Roman pontiffs. 3. At the close of this century a plebeian of the name of Leuthard, in the village of Virtus near Chalons, attempted some innovations in religion; and in a short time drew a large share of the vulgar after him. He would allow of no images, for he is said to have broken the image of our Saviour. He maintained that tithes ought not to be given to the priests, and said that in the prophecies of the Old Testament, some things were true and some false. He pretended to be inspired; but bishop Gebwin drove the man to extremities, and at last he threw himself into a well.3 suppose the disciples of this man, who I And as has been already observed perhaps some remains of the sect still exist in Bulgaria. 3 An account of these transactions is given by Glaber Radulphus, Hist. lib. ii. cap. xi. [Fleury, Hist. de l'Eglise, livr. Iviii. sec. 19, thus relates the whole story on the authority of Glaber. Near the close of the year 1000, a plebeian of the name of Leutard in the village of Virtus and diocese of Chalons, pretended to be a prophet and deceived many. Being at a certain time in the fields and fatigued with labour, he laid himself down to sleep; when a great swarm of bees seemed to enter the lower part of his body, and to pass out of his mouth with a great buzzing. They next began to sting him severely, and after tormenting him awhile they spoke to him and commanded him to do some things which were beyond human power. He returned home exhausted, and with a view to obey the divine admonition dismissed his wife. Then proceeding to the church as if for prayer, he entered it and seized and broke the image of the crucifix. The by-standers were amazed and supposed the man was deranged; but as they were simple rustics, he easily persuaded them that he had performed the deed under the direction of a supernatural and divine revelation. Leutard talked not surprise us if we reflect that the people, who were extremely ignorant on all subjects and especially on religion, saw God and the angels so represented everywhere in the paintings which adorned the churches. Still more irrational was the superstition of those assailed by the same Ratherius, who were led, I know not how, to believe that But in his discourses there was nothing solid and no much and wished to be regarded as a great teacher. truth. He said that the things taught by the prophets were to be believed only in part, and that the rest was pay his tithes. Fame now proclaimed him to be a man useless. He declared that it was of no use to a man to of God, and no small part of the vulgar went after him. But Geboin, the venerable and wise bishop of Chalons, summoned the man before him and interrogated him respecting all the things reported of him. He began to dissemble and conceal the poison of his wickedness, and quoted portions of the Scriptures which he had never studied. The sagacious bishop now convinced the blockhead of falsehood and madness, and in part reclaimed the people whom he had seduced. The wretched Leutard, finding his reputation ruined among the people, drowned himself in a weli. Mur. 4 It appears from Ugelli's Italia Sacra, tom. v. p. 429 of the new edition, that in the diocese of Peter, the bishop of Padua, who died A.D. 942, there were many Arians whom that bishop strenuously opposed. And in the same work, p. 433, it is stated that bishop Goslin or Gauslin, who filled the see from the year 964 till into the following century, completely exterminated this sect.- Schl. 5 Ratherius, Sermo i. De Quadragesıma (in D'Achery, Spicilegium, tom. I. p. 388) says:-" One of my people informed me three days ago of certain presbyters in the diocese of Vicenza adjoining us, who think God is corporeal, because we read in the Scriptures that the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears open, &c. This disturbed me not a little. But, horrible to tell! I found the same perverseness cleaving to members of my own flock; for addressing them in public and showing that God is a spirit, some of my own priests to my astonishment muttered and said. What now shall we do? Hitherto it seemed to us that we knew something about God, but now it appears that God is nothing at all since he has no head. no eyes, &c.' No, you were stupidly fabricating idols in your own hearts, and forgetting the immensity of Ged were picturing, as it were, some great king seated on a golden throne, and the host of angels around as being winged men clothed in white garments, such as you see painted on the church walls, &c."-Mur. St. Michael says mass every Monday, is probable that the priests who performed before God in heaven, and who therefore service in the temples devoted to St. resorted on those days to the churches Michael, instilled this most absurd notion which were dedicated to St. Michael. as they did other errors into the minds of the vulgar, in order to gratify their own avaricious views. It 1 Ratherius, Epistola Synodica, in D'Achery, Spicilegium, tom. ii. p. 294, &c.; Sigbertus Gemblacensis, Chronol. ad ann. 939 CENTURY ELEVENTH. PART I. THE EXTERNAL HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. CHAPTER I. THE PROSPEROUS EVENTS OF THE CHURCH. 1. 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 be brought universally in a short time, to prefer Christianity to the religions of their fathers. Therefore during the greatest 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 2 and the adjacent regions, the activity of the Nestorians continued daily to gain over more people to the side of Christianity. 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 pontiff of the Nestorians residing in Chaldea, is so certain as to be beyond all controversy. 2. For the conversion of the European nations who still lived enveloped in superstition and barbarism, as the Slavonians, the Obotriti, the Wends, the Prussians, &c. some pious and good men laboured indeed, but with either very little or no success. Near the close of the preceding For an account of the Poles and Russians, see the life of St. Romuald, in the Acta Sanctor. tom. ii. Februar. p. 113, 114; and for the Hungarians, p. 117. The word Tartary is here used in its broadest sense; for I am not insensible that the Tartars, properly so called, are widely different from the Tangutians, Calmucs, Mongols, and other tribes. century Adalbert, bishop of Prague, visited Marco Paulo the Venetian, De Regionibus Orientali bus, lib. i. cap. xxxviii. xl. xlv. xlvii xlviii. xlix. lxii, of this propagation of Christianity by the Nestorians Bayer, who was furnished with a large number of 4 See the Acta Sanctor. ad diem 23 Aprilis, p. 174, &c. [and Mabillon, Acta Sanct. Ord. Bened. tom. vii. 5 Solignac, Hist. de Pologne, tome i. p. 133. 6 Bruno and Boniface were in fact one and the same then accustomed to take assumed names. See Ditmar, Chronicon Quedlinburg, and Sigbertus nobility, a near relative of the emperor Otho III. and 4 |