PART II.

The INTERNAL HISTORY of the CHURCH.

CHAP. I.

Concerning the state of letters and philosophy during this century.

III. PART II.

The decay

HE arts and sciences, which, in the pre- CENT. ceding century, were in a declining state, seemed, in this, ready to expire, and had now lost all their vigour, and all their lustre. The celebrated rhetorician Longinus, and the eminent his- of learning. torian Dion Cassius, with a few others, were the last among the Greeks, who stood in the breach against the prevailing ignorance and barbarism of the times. Men of learning and genius were less numerous still in the western provinces of the empire, though there were, in several places flourishing schools erected for the advancement of the sciences, and the culture of taste and genius. Different reasons contributed to this decay of learning. Few of the emperors patronized the sciences, or encouraged, by the prospect of their favour and protection, that emulation, which is the soul of the republic of letters. Besides, the civil wars that almost always distracted the empire, were extremely unfavourable to the pursuit of science, and the perpetual incursions of the barbarous nations interrupted that leisure and tranquillity which are so essential to the progress of learning and knowledge, and extinguished, among a people accustomed to nothing almost but the din of arms, all desire of literary acquisitions [g].

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II. If [g] See the Literary History of France, by the Benedictine monks, vol. i. part II. p. 317.

CENT. II. If we turn our eyes towards the state of phiIII. losophy, the prospect will appear somewhat less PART II. desolate and comfortless. There were, as yet, in several of the Grecian sects, men of considerphilosophy, able knowledge and reputation, of whom Lonprincipally ginus has mentioned the greatest part [h]. But nic. all these sects were gradually eclipsed by the school

The state of

the Plato

of Ammonius, whose origin and doctrines have been considered above. This victorious sect, which was formed in Egypt, issued forth from thence with such a rapid progress, that, in a short time, it extended itself almost throughout the Roman empire, and drew into its vortex the greatest part of those who applied themselves, through inclination, to the study of philosophy. This amazing Plotinus. progress was due to Plotinus, the most eminent disciple of Ammonius, a man of a most subtle invention, and endowed by nature with a genius capable of the most profound researches, and equal to the investigation of the most abstruse and dif ficult subjects. This penetrating and sublime philosopher taught publicly, first in Persia, and afterwards at Rome, and in Campania; in all which places the youth flocked in crowds to receive his instruction. He comprehended the precepts of his philosophy in several books, the most of which are yet extant [i].

His doc

versally

III. The number of disciples that were formed trine uni- in the school of Plotinus, is almost beyond credibility. The most famous of them was Porphyry [k], who spread abroad through Sicily, and

propagated.

many

[h] In his life of Plotinus, epitomized by Porphyry, ch. xx. p. 128. edit. Fabricii,

[] See Porphyrii vita Plotini, of which Fabricius has given an edition in his Bibliotheca Græca, tom. iv. p. 91. Bayle's Diction. tom. iii. at the article Plotinus; as also Brucker's Historia Critica Philosophia.

[k] Porphyry was first the disciple of Longinus, author of the justly celebrated Treatise on the Sublime. But having

passed

III.

many other countries, the doctrine of his master, CENT. received with great accuracy, adorned with the graces of a flowing and elegant style, and enriched PART H. with new inventions and curious improvements [1]. From the time of Ammonius, until the sixth century, this was almost the only system of philosophy that was publicly taught at Alexandria. A certain philosopher, whose name was Plutarch, having learned it there, brought it into Greece, and renewed, at Athens, the celebrated Academy, from whence issued a set of illustrious philosophers, whom we shall have occasion to mention in the progress of this work [m].

sects of this

IV. We have unfolded above, the nature and Different doctrines of this philosophy, as far as was compa-philosophy. tible with the brevity of our present design. It is, however, proper to add here, that its votaries were not all of the same sentiments, but thought very differently upon a variety of subjects. This difference of opinion was the natural consequence of that fundamental law, which the whole sect was obliged to keep constantly in view, viz. That truth was to be pursued with the utmost liberty, and to be collected from all the different systems in which it lay dispersed. Hence it happened, that the Athenians rejected certain opinions that were enter tained by the philosophers of Alexandria. None, however, who were ambitious to be ranked among these new Platonists, called in question the main doctrines which formed the ground-work of their singular system; those, for example, which regarded the existence of one God; the fountain of all things: the eternity of the world; the dependence

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of

passed from Greece to Rome, where he heard Plotinus, he was so charmed with the genius and penetration of this philoso pher, that he attached himself entirely to him. See Plotin. vit. p. 3. Eunap. cap. ii. p. 17.

[] Holstenius vit. Porphyrii. republished in the Biblio theca Græca of Fabricius.

[m] Marini vita. Procli, cap. xi, xii. p. 25.

III.

CENT. of matter upon the Supreme Being; the nature of souls; the plurality of gods; the method of interpreting the popular superstitions, &c.

PART II.

of learning

Christians.

V. The famous question concerning the excelThe state lence and utility of human learning, was now among the debated with great warmth among the Christians; and the contending parties, in this controversy, seemed hitherto of equal force in point of numbers, or nearly so. Many recommended the study of philosophy, and an acquaintance with the Greek and Roman literature; while others maintained, that these were pernicious to the interests of genuine Christianity, and the progress of true piety. The cause of letters and philosophy triumphed, however, by degrees; and those who wished well to them, gained ground more and more, till at length the superiority was manifestly decided in their favour. This victory was principally due to the influence and authority of Origen, who having been early instructed in the new kind of Platonism already mentioned, blended it unhappily with the purer and more sublime tenets of a celestial doctrine, and recommended it in the warmest manner, to the youth who attended his public lessons. The fame of this philosopher increased daily among the Christians; and, in proportion to his rising credit, his method of proposing and explaining the doctrines of Christianity gained authority, till it became almost universal. Besides, some of the disciples of Plotinus having embraced Christianity, on condition that they should be allowed to retain such of the opinions of their master as they thought of superior excellence and merit [n], this must also have contributed, in some measure, to turn the balance in favour of the sciences. These Christian philoso

phers

[n] Augustinus, Epistola Ivi. ad Dioscor. p. 260. tom. ii.

opp.

III. PART II.

phers preserving still a fervent zeal for the doc- CENT. trines of their Heathen chief, would naturally embrace every opportunity of spreading them abroad, and instilling them into the minds of the ignorant and the unwary.

CHAP. II.

Concerning the doctors and ministers of the church, and its form of government, during this century.

of churchgovern

I. HE form of ecclesiastical government that of the form had been adopted by Christians in general, had now acquired greater degrees of stability and ment. force, both in particular churches, and in the universal society of Christians collectively considered. It appears incontestable, from the most authentic records, and the best histories of this century, that, in the larger cities, there was, at the head of each church, a person to whom was given the title of bishop, who ruled this sacred community with a certain sort of authority, in concert, however, with the body of presbyters, and consulting, in matters of moment, the opinion and the voices of the whole assembly [o]. It is also equally evident, that, in every province, one bishop was invested with a certain superiority over the rest, in point of rank and authority. This was necessary to the maintenance of that association of churches that had been introduced in the preceding century; and contributed, moreover, to facilitate the holding of general councils, and to give a certain degree of order and consistence to their proceedings.

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[o] A satisfactory account of this matter may be seen in Blondelli Apologia pro Sententia Hieronymi de Episopis et Presbyteris, p. 136. as that author has collected all the testimonies of the ancients relative to that subject.