PART II. councils [p]. But this jurisdiction of the pontiff CENT. was confined within narrow limits; he could VIII. decide nothing by his sole authority, but was obliged to convene a council when any religious differences were to be terminated by an authoritative judgment. Nor did the provinces, when any controversy arose, wait for the decision of the bishop of Rome; but assembled by their own authority, their particular councils, in which the bishops gave their thoughts, with the utmost freedom upon the points in debate, and voted often in direct opposition to what was known to be the opinion of the Roman pontiff; all which is evident from what passed in the councils assembled by the Francs and Germans, in order to determine the celebrated controversy concerning the use and worship of images. It is further to be observed, that the power of convening councils, and the right of presiding in them, were the prerogatives of the emperors and sovereign princes, in whose dominions these assemblies were held; and that no decrees of any council obtained the force of laws, until they were approved and confirmed by the supreme magistrate [7]. Thus was the spiritual authority of Rome wisely bounded by the civil power; but its ambitious pontiffs fretted under the imperial curb, and eager to break loose their bonds, left no means unemployed for that purpose. Nay, they formed projects, which seemed less the effects of ambition than of phrenzy: for they claimed a supreme dominion not only over the church, but also over kings themselves, and R 3 [P] See the Dissertation of Charlemagne, De Imaginibus, lib. i. cap. iv. p. 48. edit. Heumann. [9] All this is fully and admirably demonstrated by Baluzius, in his preface to the Capitularia, or laws of the kings of the Francs, and is also amply illustrated in that work. See also J. Basnage, Histoire de l'Eglise, tom. i. p. 270. CENT. and pretended to reduce the whole universe under VIII. their ghostly jurisdiction. However extravagant PART II. these pretensions were, they were followed by the Grecian and eastern writers. most vigorous efforts, and the wars and tumults that arose in the following century, contributed much to render these efforts successful. XVII. If we turn our eyes towards the writers of this century, we shall find very few that stand distinguished in the lists of fame, either on account of erudition or genius. Among the Greeks, the following only seem worthy of mention. Germanus, bishop of Constantinople, the greatest part of whose high renown was due to his violent zeal for image worship [r]. Cosmas, bishop of Jerusalem, who acquired some reputation by his Lyriac vein, consecrated to the service of religion, and employed in composing hymns for public and private devotion. George Syncellus and Theophanes, who are not the least considerable among the writers of the Byzantine history, though they be in all respects infinitely below the ancient Greek and Latin historians. But the writer, who surpassed all his contemporaries among the Greeks and Orientals, was John Damascenus, a man of genius and eloquence, who, in a variety of productions full of erudition, explained the Peripatetic philosophy, and illustrated the main and capital points of the Christian doctrine. It must, however, be acknowledged, that the eminent talents of this great man were tainted with that sordid superstition and that excessive veneration for the ancient fathers, that were the reigning defects of the age he lived in, not to mention his wretched method of explaining the [r] See Rich. Simon. Critique de la Bibliotheque Ecclesiastique de M. Du Pin, tom. i. p. 270. the doctrines of the gospel according to the princi- CENT. ples of the Aristotelian philosophy [s]. VIII. PART II. XII. The first place among the Latin writers is due to Charlemagne, whose love of letters Western was one of the bright ornaments of his imperial and Latin dignity. The laws which are known by the title writers. of Capitulari, with several Epistles, and a Book concerning Images, are attributed to this prince; though it seems highly probable, that the most of these compositions were drawn up by other pens [t]. After this learned prince, we may justly place venerable Bede, so called from his illustrious virtues [u]; Alcuin [w], the preceptor of Charlemagne; Paulinus of Aquileia [x], who were all distinguished by their laborious application, and their zeal for the advancement of learning and science, and who treated the various branches of literature, that were known in this century in such a manner as to convince us, that it was the infelicity of the times, rather than the want of genius, that hindered them from arising to higher degrees of perfection than what they attained to. Add to these, Boniface, of whom we have R 4 [$] Bayle Diction. tom. ii. p. 950; as also the account of the writings of John Damascenus, which is published in Le Quien's edition of his works, and was composed by Leo Allatius. [] See Jo. A. Fabricii Bibliotheca medii ævi Lat. tom. i. p. 936. Histoire Litteraire de France, tom. iv. p. 378. [u] See the Acta Sanctorum, tom. April. p. 866. Gen. Dictionary, at the article Bede. A list of the writings of this venerable Briton, composed by himself, is published by Muratori, in his Antiq. Italic. medii ævi, tom. iii. p. 325. [n] Hist. Litter. de la France, tom. iv. p. 295. Gen. Dictionary, at the article Alcuin. Catelinot, who has discovered the treatise of Alcuin, De Processione Spiritus S. which has never been published, is preparing an edition of all the works of that learned writer. See the Hist. Litteraire de la France, tom. viii. Præf. p. 10. [x] See Hist. Litteraire, &c. tom. iv. p. 286. Acta Sanct. tom. i. Januar. p. 713. CENT. have already spoken: Eginard, the celebrated VIII. author of the Life of Charlemagne, and other proPART II. ductions; Paul, the deacon, who acquired a con siderable and lasting reputation by his History of the Lombards, his Book of Homilies, and his miscellaneous labours; Ambrose Authpert, who wrote a commentary on the Revelations; and Theodulphus, bishop of Orleans; and thus we shall have a complete list of all the writers who acquired any degree of esteem in this century by their literary productions, either sacred or profane. CHAP. III. Concerning the doctrine of the Christian church during this century. The Chris-I. tian doc trine sadly T HE fundamental doctrines of Christianity were, as yet, respected and preserved in corrupted. the theological writings, both of the Greeks and Latins, as seems evident from the discourse of John Damascenus concerning the orthodox faith, and the confession of faith which was drawn up by Charlemagne [y]. The pure seed of celestial truth was, however, choked by a monstrous and incredible quantity of noxious weeds. The rational simplicity of the Christian worship was corrupted by an idolatrous veneration for images, and other superstitious inventions, and the sacred flame [y] See the treatise of this prince, Concerning images, book III. p. 259. ed. Heumanni. Of the Greek writers, the reader may consult Mich. Syncellus' Confession of faith, published by Montfaucon, in his Bibliotheca Coisliniana, p. 90: and among the Latins, An exposition of the principal doctrine of the Christian religion, composed by Benedict, abbot of Aniane, and published by Balusius, in his Miscellanea, tom. v. p. 56; as also the Creed of Leo III. published in the same work, tom. vii. p. 18. PART II. flame of divine charity was extinguished by the CENT. violent contentions and animosities which the progress of these superstitions occasioned in the church. All acknowledged the efficacy of our Saviour's merits: and yet all, one way or another, laboured, in effect, to diminish the persuasion of this efficacy in the minds of men, by teaching, that Christians might appease an offended Deity by voluntary acts of mortification, or by gifts and oblations lavished upon the church, and by exhorting such as were desirous of salvation to place their confidence in the works and merits of the saints. Were we to enlarge upon all the absurdities and superstitions which were invented to flatter the passions of the misguided multitude, and to increase, at the expence of reason and Christianity, the opulence and authority of a licetious clergy; such an immense quantity of ogous materials would swell this work to an enormous size. and morals II. The piety in vogue during this and some The piety succeeding ages consisted in building, and em- of this age. bellishing churches and chapels, in endowing monasteries, erecting basilics, hunting after the relics of saints and martyrs, and treating them with an excessive and absurd veneration, in procuring the intercession of the saints by rich oblations or superstitious rites, in worshipping images, in pilgrimages to those places which were esteemed holy, and chiefly to Palestine, and such like absurd and extravagant practices and institutions. The pious Christian, and the profligate transgressor, shewed equal zeal in the performance of these superstitious services, which were looked upon as of the highest efficacy in order to the attainment of eternal salvation; they were performed by the latter as an expiation for their crimes, and a mean of appeasing an offended Deity; and by the former with a view to obtain, from above, the good |