V.

called MOSES CRETENSIS [g], who gave himselfc EN T. out for the MESSIAH, opened their eyes upon the PART I truth, and embraced the Christian religion of their own accord [b].

pieces The con-con- version of Some man nations time to Christi

was

IV. The German nations, who rent in the Roman empire in the west, were not all verted to Christianity at the same time. of them had embraced the truth before the of their incursion; and such, among others, the case of the Goths. Others, after having erected their little kingdoms in the empire, embraced the gospel, that they might thus live with more security amidst a people, who, in general, professed the Christian religion. It is, however, uncertain (and likely to continue so) at what time, and by whose ministry the Vandals, Sueves, and Alans were converted to Christianity, With respect to the Burgundians, who inhabited the banks of the Rhine, and who passed from thence into Gaul, we are informed, by SOCRATES [i], that they embraced the gospel of their own accord, from a notion that CHRIST, or the God of the Romans, who had been represented to them as a most powerful being, would defend them against B 3

the

[g] We shall give the relation of SOCRATES, concerning this impostor, in the words of the learned and estimable author of the Remarks on Ecclesiastical History. "In the time "of THEODOSIUS the younger, an impostor arose, called Mo"SES CRETENSIS. He pretended to be a second MOSES, sent "to deliver the Jews who dwelt in Crete, and promised to "divide the sea, and give them a safe passage through it. "They assembled together, with their wives and children, and "followed him to a promontory. He there commanded them "to cast themselves into the sea. Many of them obeyed, and perished in the waters, and many were taken up and saved by "fishermen. Upon this, the deluded Jews would have torn "the impostor to pieces, but he escaped them, and was seen no more." See JORTIN's Remarks, &c. first edit. vol. iii. P. 331.

66

[b] SOCRATES, Hist. Eccles. lib. vii. cap. xxxviii. p. 383. [] Idem. Hist. Eccles, lib. vii. cap. xxx. p. 371.

the Ger

anity.

PART L

CEN T. the rapines and incursions of the Huns. They V. afterwards sided with the Arian party, to which also the Vandals, Sueves, and Goths were zealously attached. All these fierce and warlike nations judged a religion excellent, in proportion to the success which crowned the arms of those that professed it, and esteemed, consequently, that doctrine the best, whose professors had gained the greatest number of victories. When therefore they saw the Romans possessed of an empire much more extensive than, that of any other people, they concluded that CHRIST, their God, was of all others the most worthy of religious homage.

Of the
Franks.

V. It was the same principle and the same views that engaged CLOVIS [k] king of the Salii, a nation of the Franks, to embrace Christianity. This prince, whose signal valour was accompanied with barbarity, arrogance, and injustice, founded the kingdom of the Franks, in Gaul, after having made himself master of a great part of that country, and meditated with a singular eagerness and avidity the conquest of the whole. His conversion to the Christian religion, is dated from the battle he fought with the Alemans, in the year 496, at a village called Tolbeacum []; in which, when the Franks began to give ground, and their affairs seemed desperate, he implored the assistance of CHRIST (whom his queen CLOTHILDIS, daughter of the king of the Burgundians, had often represented to him, in vain, as the Son of the truc God), and solemnly engaged himself, by a vow, to worship him as his God, if he rendered him victorious over his enemies. Victory decided in favour

[] Besides the name of CLOVIS, this prince was also called CLODOVAUS, HLUDOVICUS, LUDOVICUS, and Lu

DICIN.

[] Tolbiacum is thought to be the present Zulpick, which is about twelve miles from Colegn.

V.

favour of the Franks; and CLOVIS, faithful to his C E N T. engagement, received baptism at Rheims [m], to-PART 1. wards the conclusion of that same year, after having been instructed by REMIGIUS, bishop of that city, in the doctrines of the gospel [n]. The example of the king had such a powerful effect upon the minds of his subjects, that three thousand of them immediately followed it, and were baptized with them. Many are of opinion, that the desire of extending his dominion was that which contributed principally to render CLOVIS faithful to his engagement; though some influence may also be allowed to the zeal and exhortations of his queen CLOTHILDIS. Be that as it will, nothing is more certain than that his profession of Christianity was, in effect of great use to him, both in confirming and enlarging his empire.

The miracles, which are said to have been wrought at the baptism of CLOVIS, are utterly unworthy of the smallest degree of credit. Among others the principal prodigy, that of the phial full of oil said to be brought from heaven by a milk white dove, during the ceremony of bap. tism, is a fiction, or rather, perhaps, an imposture; a pretended miracle contrived by artifice and fraud [o]. Pious frauds of this nature were very commonly practised in Gaul and in Spain

at

[m] See GREGORY of Tours, Historia Francorum, lib. ii. cap. xxx, xxxi. HENRY Count BUNAU's Historia Imperii Romano-Germanici, tom. i. p. 588. DE Bos's Histoire Criti de la Monarchie Francoise, tom, ii. p. 340.

que

[n] The epitomiser of the history of the Franks tells us, that RAMIGIUS having preached to CLOVIS, and those who had been baptized with him, a sermon on the passion of our Saviour; the king in hearing him, could not forbear crying out, "If I "had been there with my Franks, that should not have hap"pened."

[o] The truth of this miracle has been denied by the learned JOHN JAMES CHIFLET, in his book De ampulla Rhe mensi, printed in folio at Antwerp, in the year 1651; and it

B 4

has

V.

CENT.at this time, in order to captivate, with more PART 1. facility, the minds of a rude and barbarous peo❤ ple, who were scarcely susceptible of a rational

Of the I

ish.

conviction.

The conversion of CLOVIS is looked upon by the learned as the origin of the titles of Most Christian king, and Eldest son of the church, which have been so long attributed to the kings of France [p]. For, if we except this prince, all the kings of those barbarous nations, who seized upon the Roman provinces, were either yet involved in the darkness of paganism, or infected with the Arian heresy.

VI. CELESTINE, the Roman pontif, sent PALLADIUS into Ireland, to propagate the Christian religion among the rude inhabitants of that island.

This

has been affirmed by VERTOT, in the Memoires de l'Academie des inscriptions et des Belles Lettres, tom. iv.

P. 350. After a mature consideration of what has been alleged on both sides of the question, I can scarcely venture to deny the fact: I am therefore of opinion, that, in order to confirm and fix the wavering faith of this barbarian prince, REMIGIUS had prepared his measures before hand, and trained a pigeon by vast application and dexterity in such a manner, that, during the baptism of CLOVIS, it descended from the roof of the church. with a phial of oil. Among the records of this century, we find accounts of many such miracles. There is one cir

cumstance, which obliges me to differ from Dr MOSHEIM upon this point, and to look upon the story of the famous phial rather as a mere fiction, than as a pious fraud, or pretended miracle brought about by artifice; and that circumstance is, that GREGORY of Tours, from whom we have a full account of the conversion and baptism of CLOVIS, and who from his proximity to this time, may almost be called a contemporary writer, has not made the least mention of this fainous miracle. This omission, in a writer whom the Roman catholics themselves consider as an over-credulous historian, amounts to a proof, that, in his time, this fable was not yet invented.

[p] See GAB. DANIEL et DE CAMPS, Dissert. de titulo Regis Christianissimi, Journal des Scavans, for the year 1720. p. 243. 336. 404. 448. Memoires de l'Academie des Inscrip kions, tom, xx. p. 466.`

V. PART I.

This first mission [9] was not attended with much C E N T. fruits; nor did the success of PALLADIUS bear any proportion to his laborious and pious endea vours. After his death, the same pontif employed, in this mission, SUCCATHUS, a native of Scotland, whose name he changed into that of PATRICK, and who arrived among the Irish in the year 432. The success of his ministry, and the number and importance of his pious exploits, stand upon record as undoubted proofs, not only of his resolution and patience, but also of his dexterity and address. Having attacked, with much more success than his predecessor, the errors and superstitions of that uncivilized people, and brought great numbers of them over to the Christian religion, he founded, in the year 472, the archbishoprick of Armagh [r], which has ever since remained the metropolitan see of the Irish nation. Hence this famous missionary, though not the first who brought among that people the light of the gospel, has yet been justly intitled, The apostle of the Irish, and the father of the Hibernian church;

[9] From the fragments of the lives of some Irish bishops, who are said to have converted many of their countrymen in the fourth century, archbishop USHER concludes, that PALLADIUS was not the first bishop of Ireland, (see his Antiquities of the Bruish Church). But it has been evidently proved, among others by BOLLANDUS, that these fragments are of no carlier date than the twelfth century, and are, besides, the most of them fabulous. Dr MOSHEIM's opinion is further confirmed by the authority of PROSPER, which is decisive in this mat

ter.

[r] See the Acta Sanctor. tom. ii. Martii, p. 517. tom. iü. Februar. p. 131. 179. JAC. WARAEI Hibernia Sacra, printed in folio at Dublin, 1717. This latter published at London, in 1656, in 8vo. the Works of St PATRICK. The synods, that were held by this eminent missionary, are to be found in WILKIN's Concilia Magna Brit. et Hiberniæ, tom. i. p. 2. With respect to the famous cave, which is called, the Purgatory of S PATRICK, the reader may consult LE BRUN, Histoire Criti que des pratiques superstineuses, tom. iv. p. 34.