AN Ecclefiaftical History, ANTIENT AND MODERN, FROM THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, TO THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENT CENTURY. VOL. V. AN Ecclefiaftical History, ANTIENT AND MODERN, The Rife, Progrefs, and Variations of CHURCH POWER ARE CONSIDERED JOHN LAWRENCE MOSHEIM, D. D. Tranflated from the ORIGINAL LATIN, PRINTED FOR T. CADELL, IN THE STRAND. THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. SECTION I. The GENERAL HISTORY of the CHRISTIAN CHURCH. I. HE arduous attempts made by the CENT. pon TH XVII. SECT. I. de propa founded at the glory and majefty of the fee of Rome, by extending the limits of the Chriftian church, and The College fpreading the Gofpel through the diftant nations, ganda fide met with much oppofition; and, as they were Rome. neither well conducted nor properly fupported, their fruits were neither abundant nor permanent. But in this century the fame attempts were renewed with vigour, crowned with fuccefs, and contributed not a little to give a new degree of stability to the tottering grandeur of the papacy. They were begun by GREGORY XV., who, by the advice of his confeffor NARNI, founded at Rome, in the year 1622, the famous Congregation for the propagation of the faith, and enriched it with ample revenues. This congregation, which confifts of thirteen cardinals, two priefts, one monk, and a fecretary [a], is defigned to propa gate [a] Such is the number of members belonging to this Congregation as they stand in the original Bull of GREGORY XV.; fee Bullarium Roman. tom. iii. p. 472. edit. Luxemburg.CERRI mentions the fame number, in his Etat Prefent de l'Eglife Romaine, p. 259. But a different account is given by VOL, V. B AYMON |