PART II. way proper to serve as models to the lower orders CENT. v. in the republic of letters. Of this we have abundant proof from the writings of Macrobius, Salvian, Vincentius, bishop of Liris, Ennodius, Sidonius Apollinaris, Claudian, Mamertus, Dracontius, and others, who, though in some respects inferior to the more celebrated authors of antiquity, are yet far from being destitute of elegance, and discover in their productions a most laborious application to literary researches of various kinds. But the barbarous nations, which either spread desolation, or formed settlements in the Roman territories, choked the growth of those genial seeds, which the hand of science had sowed in more auspicious times. These savage invaders, possessed of no other ambition than that of conquest, and looking upon military courage as the only source of true virtue and solid glory, beheld of consequence the arts and sciences with the utmost contempt. Wherever therefore they extended their conquests, ignorance and darkness followed their steps, and the culture of the sciences was confined to the priests and monks alone. And even among these, learning degenerated from its primitive lustre, and put on the most unseemly and fantastic form. Amidst the seduction of corrupt examples, the alarms of perpetual danger, and the horrors and devastations of war, the sacerdotal and monastic orders lost gradually all taste for solid science, in the place of which they substituted a lifeless spectre, an enormous phantom of barbarous erudition. They indeed kept public schools, and instructed the youth in what they called, the seven liberal arts; but these, as we learn from Augustin's account of them, consisted only of a certain number of dry, subtile, and useless precepts; and were ☛ These seven liberal arts were grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, music, geometry, and astronomy. See Cent. VIII. Part ii. eh. ii. in this volume. PART II. CENT. V. consequently more adapted to load and perplex the memory, than to improve and strengthen the judgment. So that, toward the conclusion of this century, the sciences were almost totally extinguished; at least, what remained of them was no more than a shadowy form, without either solidity or consist philosophy in the west. ence. The state of III. The few that applied themselves to the study of philosophy in this age, had not, as yet, embraced the doctrine or method of Aristotle. They looked upon the system of this eminent philosopher, as a labyrinth beset with thorns and thistles; and yet, had they been able to read and understand his works, it is probable that many of them would have become his followers. The doctrine of Plato had a more established reputation which it had enjoyed for several ages, and was considered not only as less subtile and difficult than that of the Stagirite, but also as more conformable to the genius and spirit of the christian religion. Beside, the most valuable of Plato's works were translated into Latin by Victorinus, and were thus adapted to general use. And Sidonius Apollinaris informs us, that all those among the Latins, who had any inclination to the study of truth, fell into the platonic notions, and followed that sage as their philosophical guide. In the east. f IV. The fate of learning was less deplorable among the Greeks and orientals, than in the western provinces; and not only the several branches of polite literature, but also the more solid and profound sciences, were cultivated by them with tolerable success. Hence we find among them more writers of genius and learning than in other countries. • The passages of different writers, that prove what is here advanced, are collected by Launoius, in his book, De varia Aristotelis fortuna in Academia Parisiensi. f See Augustini Confessionum, lib. i. cap. ii. §i. p. 105, 106, tom. i: opp. See his Epistles, book iv. ep. iii. xi. book ix. ep. ix. PART II. Those, who inclined to the study of law, resorted CENT. V. generally to Berytus, famous for its learned academy, or to Alexandria, which latter city was frequented by the students of physic and chymistry. The professors of eloquence, poetry, philosophy, and the other liberal arts, taught the youth in public schools, which were erected in almost every city. Those however of Alexandria, Constantinople, and Edessa, were looked upon as superior to all others, both in point of erudition and method.* tonics. v. The doctrine and sect of the modern platonics Modern plaretained as yet, among the Syrians and Alexandrians, a considerable part of their ancient splendour. Olympiodorus, Hero,' and other philosophers of the first rank, added a lustre to the Alexandrian school. That of Athens was rendered famous by the talents and erudition of Theophrastus, Plutarch, and his successor Syrian. These were the instructors of the renowned Proclus, who far surpassed the platonic philosophers of this century, and acquired such a high degreee of the public esteem, as enabled him to give new life to the doctrine of Plato, and restore it to its former credit in Greece." Marinus, of Neapolis, Ammonius the son of Hermias, Isidorus and Damascius, the disciples of Proclus, followed, with an ardent emulation, the traces of their master, and formed successors that resembled them in all respects. But the imperial laws, and the daily progress of the christian relig ion, gradually diminished the lustre and authority b See Hasæi Lib. de Academia Jureconsultorum Berytensi; as also Mitylenæus, De opificio Dei, p. 164. i Zach. Mitylenæus, De opificio Dei, p. 179. Eneas Gazæus in Theophrasto, p. 6, 7, 16, &c. Marinus, vita Procli, cap. ix. p. 19, edit. Fabricii. The life of Proclus, written by Marinus, was published in 4to. at Hamburg, in the year 1700, by John Albert Fabricius, and was enriched, by this famous editor, with a great number of learned observations. CENT. V. of these philosophers." And as there were many PART 11 of the christian doctors who adopted the platonic system, and were sufficiently qualified to explain it to the youth, this hindered, naturally, the schools of these heathen sages from being so much frequented as they had formerly been. The philoso phy of Aristo credit. VI. The credit of the platonic philosophy, and le rises into the preference that was given to it, as more excellent in itself, and less repugnant to the genius of the gospel than other systems, did not prevent the doctrine of Aristotle from coming to light after a long struggle, and forcing its way into the christian church. The platonics themselves interpreted, in their schools, some of the writings of Aristotle, particularly his Dialects, and recommended that work to such of the youth as had a taste for logical discussions, and were fond of disputing. In this, the christian doctors imitated the manner of the heathen schools; and this was the first step to that universal dominion, which the Stagirite afterward obtained in the republic of letters. A second, and a yet larger stride, which the aristotelian philosophy made toward this universal empire, was, during the controversies which Origen had occasioned, and the arian, eutychian, nestorian, and pelagian dissensions, which in this century, were so fruitful of calamities to the christian church. Origen, as is well known, was zealously attached to the platonic system. When therefore he was publicly condemned, many, to avoid the imputation of his errors, and to prevent their being counted among the number of his followers, adopted openly the philosophy of Aristotle, which was entirely different from that of Origen. The nestorian, arian, and eutychian controversies were managed, or rather drawn out, on both sides, by a perpetual recourse See Eneas Gazæus in Theophrasto, p. 6, 7, 8, 13, edit. Barthii. PART II. to subtle distinctions, and captious sophisms. And CENT. V. no philosophy was so proper to furnish such weapons, as that of Aristotle; for that of Plato was far from being adapted to form the mind to the polemic arts. Beside, the pelagian doctrine bore a striking resemblance of the platonic opinions concerning God and the human soul; and this was an additional reason which engaged many to desert the platonists, and to assume at least, the name of peripatetics. CHAPTER II. CONCERNING THE DOCTORS AND MINISTERS OF THE CHRISTIAN form of church L. SEVERAL causes contributed to bring about a The external change in the external form of ecclesiastical gov-mewhat ernment. The power of the bishops, particularly changed. those of the first order, was sometimes augmented and sometimes diminished, according as the times and the occasions offered; and in all these changes the intrigues of the court and the political state of the empire had much more influence, than the rules of equity and wisdom. These alterations were indeed, matters of small moment. But an affair of much greater consequence drew now the general attention, and this was the vast augmentation of honours and rank that was at this time accumulated upon the bishops of Constantinople, in opposition to the most vigorous efforts of the Roman pontiff. In the ceding century, the council of Constantinople had, on account of the dignity and privileges of that imperial city, conferred upon its bishops a place among the first rulers of the christian church. This pre |