V.

CENT. this superstitious practice continued in vogue until the twelfth century, when, however, it was PART II. at length totally suppressed [r].

Further de

fects of the

and practi

The Latins had too much wisdom and prudence to imitate the Syrians and Orientals in this whimsical superstition. And when a certain fanatic, or impostor, named Wulfilaicus, erected one of these pillars in the country of Treves, and proposed living upon it after the manner of Simeon; the neighbouring bishops ordered it to be pulled down, and thus nipped this species of superstition in the bud [s].

XIII. The Mystic rules of discipline and manpublic in-ners had a bad effect upon the moral writers, and structors, those who were set apart for the instruction of cal writers. Christians. Thus, in instructing the catechumens and others, they were more diligent and zealous in inculcating a regard for the external parts of religion, and an attachment to bodily exercise, than in forming the heart and the affections to inward piety and solid virtue. Nay, they went so far, as to prescribe rules of sanctity and virtue, little different from the unnatural rigour and fanatical piety of the Mystics. Salvian, and other celebrated writers, gave it as their opinion, that none were truly and perfectly holy, but those who abandoned all riches and honours, abstained from matrimony, banished all joy and cheerful

ness

lived in the sixth century. This second fanatic seems to have carried his austerities still further than the chief of the sect: for he remained upon his pillar sixty-eight years, and from thence, like the first Simeon, he taught, or rather deluded the gazing multitude, declaimed against heresy, pretended to cast out devils, to heal diseases, and to foretel future events.

[r] See Urb. Godofr. Siberi Diss. de sanctis Columnaribus. Caroli Majelli Diss. de Stylitis, published in Assemani Acta Martyr. Orient. & Occident. tom. ii. p. 246, where may be seen a copper-plate print of Simeon's pillar.

[$] Gregor. Turonens, Histor. Francor. lib. viii. cap. xv. p. 387.

V. PART II.

ness from their hearts, and macerated their bodies CENT. with various sorts of torments and mortifications. And, as all could not support such expensive degrees of severity, those madmen, or fanatics, whose robust constitutions and savage tempers were the best adapted to this kind of life, were distinguished by the public applause, and saw their influence and authority increase daily. And thus saints started up like mushrooms in almost every place.

XIV. A small number of ecclesiastics, ani- The conmated by the laudable spirit of reformation, troversy beboldly attempted to pluck up the roots of this rome and growing superstition, and to bring back the de- Vigilantius

multitude from this vain and chimerical

discipline to the practice of solid and genuine piety. But the votaries of superstition, who were superior in number, reputation, and authority, reduced them soon to silence, and rendered their noble and pious efforts utterly ineffectual [t]. We have an example of this in the case of Vigilantius, a man remarkable for his learning and eloquence, who was born in Gaul, and went from thence to Spain, where he performed the functions of a presbyter. This ecclesiastic, on his return from a voyage he had made into Palestine, and Egypt, began, about the beginning of this century, to propagate several doctrines, and to publish repeated exhortations quite opposite to the opinions and manners of the times. Among other things, he denied that the tombs and the bones of the martyrs were to be honoured with any sort of homage or worship; and therefore censured the pilgrimages that were made to places that were reputed holy. He turned into derision the prodigies which were said to be wrought in the temples consecrated to martyrs, and condemned

E 2

the

[] Augustin complains of this in his famous epistles to Januarius, No. 119.

PART II.

CENT. the custom of performing vigils in them. He V. asserted, and indeed with reason, that the custom of burning tapers at the tombs of the martyrs in broad day, was imprudently borrowed from the ancient superstition of the Pagans. He maintained, moreover, that prayers addressed to departed saints were void of all efficacy; and treated with contempt fasting and mortifications, the celibacy of the clergy, and the various austerities of the monastic life. And, finally, he affirmed, that the conduct of those who, distributing their substance among the indigent, submitted to the hardships of a voluntary poverty, or sent a part of their treasures to Jerusalem for devout purposes, had nothing in it acceptable to the Deity.

Disputes a

genism.

There were among the Gallic and Spanish bishops several that relished the opinions of Vigilantius: But Jerome, the great monk of the age, assailed this bold reformer of religion with such bitterness and fury, that the honest presbyter soon found that nothing but his silence could preserve his life from the intemperate rage of bigotry and superstition. This project then of reforming the corruptions, which a fanatical and superstitious zeal had introduced into the church, was choked in its birth [u]. And the name of good Vigilantius remains still in the list of heretics, which is acknowledged as authentic by those who, without any regard to their own judgment, or the declarations of scripture, followed blindly the decisions of antiquity.

XV. The controversies, which had been raised bout Ori- in Egypt, concerning Origen and his doctrine, towards the conclusion of the preceding century, were now renewed at Constantinople, and carried on without either decency or prudence. The Nitrian monks,

[] Bayle's Dictionary, at the article Vigilantius. Barbeyrac, De La Morale des Peres, p. 252. Gerhar. Jo. Vossius, Thesibus Historico-Theologicis, p. 170. Histoire Litteraire de la France, tom. ii. p. 57.

V. PART II.

monks, banished from Egypt, on account of their CENT. attachment to Origen, took refuge at Constantinople, and were treated by John Chrysostom, the bishop of that city, with clemency and benignity. This no sooner came to the knowledge of Theophilus, patriarch of Alexandria, than he formed a perfidious project against the eloquent prelate; and sent the famous Epiphanius, with several other bishops, to Constantinople, to compass his fall, and deprive him of his episcopal dignity. No time could be more favourable for the execution of this project than that in which it was formed; for Chrysostom, by his austerity, and his vehement declamations against the vices of the people, and the corrupt manners of the ladies of the court, had incurred the displeasure of many, and had also excited, in a more particular manner, the resentment and indignation of the empress Eudoxia, wife of Arcadius. This violent princess sent for Theophilus and the Egyptian bishops, who, pursuant to her orders, repaired to Constantinople; and having called a council, inquired into the religious sentiments of Chrysostom, and examined his morals, and the whole course of his conduct and conversation, with the utmost severity. This council, which was held in the suburbs of Chalcedon, in the year 403, with Theophilus at its head, declared Chrysostom unworthy of his high rank in the church, on account of the favourable manner in which he stood disposed towards Origen and his followers; and, in consequence of this decree, condemned him to banishment. The people of Constantinople, who were tenderly attached to their pious and worthy bishop, rose in a tumultuous manner, and prevented the execution of this unrighteous sentence [w]. When this tumult was entirely hushed, the

[w] This is not quite exact: For it appears, by the

V.

CENT. the same unrelenting judges, in order to satisfy their vindictive rage, and that of Eudoxia, renewed PART II their sentence, the year following, under another pretext [x], and with more success; for the pious Chrysostom, yielding to the redoubled efforts of his enemies, was banished to Cucusus, a city .of Cilicia, where he died about three years after [y].

The exile of this illustrious man was followed by a terrible sedition of the Johannists (so his votaries were called), which was calmed, though with much difficulty, by the edicts of Arcadius [2]. It is beyond all doubt, that the proceedings against Chrysostom were cruel and unjust; in this however he was to blame, that he assumed the authority and rank, which had been granted by the council of Constantinople to the bishops of that imperial city, and set himself up as a judge of the controversy between Theophilus and the Egyptian monks, which the Alexandrian prelate could not behold without the utmost impatience and resentment. These monks, when they lost their protector, were restored to the favour of Theophilus; but the faction of the Origenists conti

nued

accounts of the best Historians, that this sentence was really executed, and that the emperor confirmed the decree of this first synod, by banishing Chrysostom into Bithynia, or, as others allege, by ordering him to retire to the country. A violent earthquake and a terrible shower of hail, which were looked upon by the multitude as judgments occasioned by the unrighteous persecution of their pious bishop, alarmed the court, and engaged them to recal Chrysostom to his office.

[x] This new pretext was the indecent manner, in which Chrysostom is said to have declaimed against Eudoxia, on account of her having erected her statue in silver near the church.

[y] See Tillemont and Hermant, who have both written the life of Chrysostom; as also Bayle's Dictionary, in English, at the article Acacius.

[*] See Cyrilli vitæ Sabæ in Cotelerii Monument. Eccles. Græc. tom. ii. p. 274. Jos. Sim. Asseman. Biblioth. Oriental. Vatican. tom. ii. p. 31.