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tween the East and West in regard to doctrines. First, that they deemed it proper to fast on the seventh day of the week, or the Sabbath. Secondly, that in the first week of lent, they permitted milk and cheese. Thirdly, that they wholly disapproved of the marriage of priests. Fourthly, that they thought none but the bishops could anoint the baptized with the holy oil, or confirm; and of course that they anointed a second time, those who had been anointed by presbyters. And fifthly, that they had adulterated the Constantinopolitan creed, by adding to it the words filioque; and thus taught, that the Holy Spirit did not proceed from the Father only, but also from the Son."

The public rites and ceremonies continued to be increased; and a number undertook to publish treatises in explanation of them. The new saints canonized, greatly increased the number of saints' days. The great object was to please the eyes and ears of the people, to excite an interest and keep up attention. Hence the splendid furniture of the temples, the numerous wax candles burning at mid-day, the multitude of pictures and statues, the decorations of the altars, the frequent processions, the splendid dresses of the priests, and masses appropriate to the honour of saints. The heathen practice of trial by ordeal, continued to exist in most countries of Europe; and the church prescribed the particular ceremonies to be used on the occasion. The chief of these modes of trial, were those by water, by single combat, by red hot iron, and by a cross. The ordeal by immersion in cold water, was very common in this and the following centuries; especially for criminals of a vulgar rank in society. It was sanctioned by public law in most countries of Europe. "The per

son to be tried was brought to the church, and most solemnly adjured to confess the fact, if he were guilty. If he would not confess, he received the sacrament, was sprinkled with holy water, and conducted to a river or lake. The priest then exorcised the water, charging it not to receive the criminal, if he were guilty. The criminal was now stripped and bound; and a rope was tied to him, by which to draw him out, if he sunk to a certain depth. When cast into the water, if he floated, he was accounted guilty; but if he sunk to the depth marked on the rope, (sometimes a yard and a half,) he was instantly drawn out, and was accounted innocent." The ordeal by hot water was nearly as much used, and was considered rather more suitable for persons of quality. After preparatory ceremonies similar to those already described, "the priest heated a chaldron of water until it boiled. Then taking it off the fire, he immersed in it a stone, which he held suspended by a string, to the depth of one, two or three palms; and the criminal must thrust in his naked hand and arm, and seizing the stone, pull it out. His hand and arm were immediately wrapped up in linen cloths, and a bag drawn over the whole and sealed. After three days, the hand and arm were examined, and if found not scalded, the man was accounted innocent." The trial by single combat, although not particularly sanctioned by the church, is one of those remnants of barbarism that have come down to our times. The ordeal by red hot iron, "was esteemed more honourable, than the ordeals by water. Sometimes the person walked barefoot over nine or twelve red hot ploughshares, treading on each. But more frequently he carried a hot iron in his naked hands, nine times the length of

water."

his foot. The religious rites attending this ordeal, were very similar to those of the ordeal by hot The form of ordeal by the cross, is more uncertain. Some there were, who opposed these most unrighteous and fallacious modes of trying criminals; as Agobard, bishop of Lyons; but others, as Hincmar, archbishop of Rheims, approved and defended both the ordeals, and the trial by single combat.

The ancient Christian sects still existed in many places. The Nestorians, and Monophysites, lived securely under the protection of the Arabians; and, attentive to their own interests, did not cease their efforts for the conversion of the nations still in pagan darkness. The Greeks were engaged, during a great part of this century, in cruel wars, with the Paulicians, a sect allied to the Manicheans, and residing especially in Armenia. This unhappy people deserving a better fate, were cruelly persecuted by the Greek emperors, and frequently compelled to seek refuge among the Saracens, with whom they entered into alliance, and in turn made fierce war upon the Greek provinces, several of which were ruined, and an immense number of persons cut off on both sides. What were the peculiar doctrines of this numerous sect, does not certainly appear; only that they dissented from the superstitions and corruptions of the times. The Greek writers charge them with the following:-1. They denied that this lower and visible world was created by the supreme God; and distinguished the creator of the world and of human bodies, from the God whose residence is in heaven. It was on account of this dogma, that the Greeks accounted them Manicheans.-2. They contemn

ed the virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ: that is, they refused to worship her; and held that she had other children by Joseph, after the birth of the Saviour, and is not therefore still a virgin.3. They did not celebrate the Lord's supper.-4. They loaded the cross with contumely; that is, they refused to worship the wood of the cross.-5. They rejected, as did nearly all the Gnostics, the books composing the Old Testament.-6. They excluded presbyters from the administrations of the church.

CENTURY X.

The Nestorians extended the Gospel in the East.-Learning. Profligacy and wickedness of the Clergy.-The Doctrines of Christianity perverted by human inventions and additions. Purgatory, Transubstantiation &c.General expectation of the end of the world.-Ceremonies.

It is agreed on all hands, that the state of Christianity in the tenth century, was most wretched. Ignorance and superstition abounded; the state of morals, both amongst the clergy and laity, was extremely low; priestcraft was the order of the day; and vital godliness was scarcely to be found. Yet the church continued to extend her borders. "The Nestorians, living in Chaldea, introduced Christianity into Tartary proper, beyond mount Imaus, where the people lived entirely uncultivated and uncivilized. Near the end of the century, the same sect spread the knowledge of the Gospel among

that powerful horde of Tartars or Turks, which was called Carit or Harit, and which bordered on Cathay or the northern part of China." It seems that a considerable part of Tartary, or Asiatic Scythia, from this time, lived under bishops sent among them by the pontiff of the Nestorians. Poland and Russia received Christianity in this century. The Christian worship was established in Hungaria near the close of this century, by Stephen, one of their chieftains; whose zeal and activity in the cause, procured him the honour and title of Saint. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Orkney islands, Iceland, and old Greenland, received Christianity during this century; also several of the provinces of Germany, where paganism had still existed. Towards the close of this century the kings and princes of Europe began to think of the project of a holy war, to be waged against the Mohammedans, for the purpose of wresting out of their hands the Holy Land. Christians were still harassed by the Saracens; and the nations that were still pagan. Some of these, as Denmark, until subdued by Otto the Great, the Prussians, Slavonians, and Bohemians, laboured with great violence to root out Christianity among them; and frequently laid waste with fire and sword, in the most distressing manner, the neighbouring provinces, in which it had been received. Their own peace and safety was a strong motive to Christian princes to use all means in their power for the conversion of those nations that were still pagan.

The tenth century, with regard to literature, may with propriety be called the iron age. Leo the Wise, and his son Constantine, emperors of the