V.

NILUS, disciple of CHRYSOSTOM, Composed seve-C ENT. ral treatises of a practical and pious kind; but PARTII. these performances derive more merit from the worthy and laudable intention of their author than from any other circumstance.

.

We pass over in silence BASILIUS of Seleucia; THEODOTUS of Ancyra; and GELASIUS of Cyzicum, for the sake of brevity.

XI. A Roman pontif, LEO I. surnamed the The Latin GREAT, shines forth at the head of the Latin writ- writers. ers of this century. He was a man of uncommon genius and eloquence, which he employed however too much in extending his authority; a point in which his ambition was both indefatigable and excessive [o].

OROSIUS acquired a considerable degree of reputation by the History he wrote to refute the cavils of the Pagans against Christianity, and by his books against the Pelagians and Priscillianists [p].

CASSIAN, an illiterate and superstitious man, inculcated in Gaul, both by his discourse and his writings, the discipline and manner of living which prevailed among the Syrian and Egyptian monks, and was a sort of teacher to those who were called Semi-pelagians [q].

MAXIMUS of Turin published several Homilies, which are yet extant; and, though short, are for

D 2

[o] All the works of LEO were published at Lyons, in two volumes folio, in the year 1700, by the care of the celebrated QUENEL of the oratory.

[p] See BAYLE's Dictionary, at the article OROSIUS. A valuable edition of this author, enriched with ancient coins and medals, was published in 4to, at Leydon, in the year 1738, by the learned HAVERCAMP.

[9] Histoire Litteraire de la France, tom. ii. p. 215. SIMON, Critique de la Biblioth. Ecclesiastique par Du PIN, tom. i. p. 156. The works of CASSIAN were published in folio at Francfort, in the year 1722, with a large Commentary by ALARDUS GAZÆUS.

CEN T. for the most part, recommendable both for their PART II. elegance and piety.

V.

EUCHERIUS of Lyons, and bishop of that city, was one of the most considerable moral writers that flourished among the Latins in this century [r].

PONTIUS of Nola [s], distinguished by his eminent and fervent piety, is also esteemed for his poems and other good performances.

PETER, bishop of Revenna, obtained, by his eloquence, the title of Chrysologus; nor are his discourses entirely destitute of genius [t].

SALVIAN was an eloquent, but, at the same time, a melancholy and sour writer, who, in his vehement declamations against the vices of his times, unwarily discovers the defects of his own character [u].

PROSPER

[r] See a large account of this prelate, in the Histoire Litteraire de la France, tom. ii. p. 275.

[] This pious and ingenious ecclesiastic is more generally known by the name of PAUlin. See Histoire Litteraire de la France, om. ii. p. 179. The best edition of his works is that published by LE BRUN, at Paris, in the year 1685, in two volumes 4to.

[] AGNELLI Liber Pontificalis Ecclesia Ravennatensis, tom, i. p. 321.

[u] Hist. Litter. de la France, tom. ii. p. 517. 美 The authors of the history here referred to, give a different account of SALVIAN'S character. They acknowledge, that his declamations against the vices of the age, in his Treatise against avarice, and his Discourses concerning Providence, are warm and vehe-` ment; but they represent him notwithstanding as one of the most humane and benevolent men of his time. It is, however, beyond all doubt, that he was extravagantly austere in the rules he prescribed for the conduct of life. For what is more unnatural than to recommend to Christians, as a necessary condition of salvation, their leaving their whole substance to the poor, to the utter ruin of their children and relations? It must, however, be confessed, that his austerity in point of discipline was accompanied with the most amiable moderation towards those who differed from him in articles of faith. There is a most remarkable passage to this purpose, in his Treatise concerning Provi dence, book v. p. 100.

V..

PROSPER of Aquitain, and MARIUS MERCATOR are CENT. abundantly known to such as have employed any PART il part of their time and attention in the study of the Pelagian disputes, and the other controversies that were managed in this century.

VINCENT of Lerins gained a lasting reputation by his short, but excellent treatise against the sects, intitled Commonitorium [w].

SIDONIUS APOLLINARIS, a tumid writer, though not entirely destitute of eloquence; VIGILIUS of Tapsus; ARNOBIUS the younger, who wrote a commentary on the book of Psalms; DRACONTIUS, and others of that class, are of too little consequence to deserve a more particular notice.

CHAP. III.

Concerning the doctrine of the church during this

century.

ANY points of religion were more

Many

MAN
M largely explained, and many of its doc-points of

trines determined with more accuracy and preci-religion de
sion, than they had been in the preceding ages.
This was owing to the controversies that were
multiplied, at this time, throughout the Chri-
stian world, concerning the person and nature of
CHRIST; the innate corruption and depravity of
man; the natural ability of men to live according to
the

D 3

[w] This work of VINCENT, which is commended by our author, seems scarcely worthy of such applause. I see nothing in it, but that blind veneration for ancient opinions, which is so fatal to the discovery and progress of truth, and an attempt to prove that nothing out the voice of tradition is to be consulted in fixing the sense of the Holy Scriptures. Ânample account of VINCENT PROSPER, and ARNOBIUS, is to be found ' in the Histoire Litteraire de la France, tora. ii. p. 395. 342၁၆၇,

PART II.

CEN T. the dictates of the divine law; the necessity of the V. divine grace in order to salvation; the nature and existence of human liberty; and other such intricate and perplexing questions. The sacred and venerable simplicity of the primitive times, which required no more than a true faith in the word of God, and a sincere obedience to his holy laws, appeared little better than rusticity and ignorance to the subtile doctors of this quibbling age. Yet so it happened, that many of the over-curious divines, who attempted to explain the nature and remove the difficulties of these intricate doctrines, succeeded very ill in this matter. Instead of leading men into the paths of humble faith and genuine piety, they bewildered them in the labyrinths of controversy and contention, and rather darkened than illustrated the sacred mysteries of religion by a thick cloud of unintelligible subtilties, ambiguous terms, and obscure distinctions. Hence arose new matter of animosity and dispute, of bigotry and uncharitableness, which flowed like a torrent through succeeding ages, and which all human efforts seem unable to vanquish. In these disputes, the heat of passion, and the excessive force of religious antipathy and contradiction, hurried frequently the contending parties into the most dangerous extremes.

Superstition

grows

арасе.

II. If, before this time, the lustre of religion was clouded with superstition, and its divine precepts adulterated with a mixture of human inventions, this evil, instead of diminishing, increased daily. The happy souls of departed Christians were invoked by numbers, and their aid implored by assiduous and fervent prayers; while none stood up to censure or oppose this preposterous worship. The question, how the prayers of mortals ascended to the celestial spirits (a question which afterwards produced much wrangling and many idle fancies), did not as yet.

occasion

V. PART II.

occasion any difficulty. For the Christians of this C E N T. century did not imagine that the souls of the saints were so entirely confined to the celestial mansions, as to be deprived of the privilege of visiting mortals, and travelling, when they pleased, through various countries. They were further of opinion, that the places most frequented by departed spirits were those where the bodies they had formerly animated were interred; and this opinion, which the Christians borrowed from the Greeks and Romans, rendered the sepulchres of the saints the general rendezvous of suppliant multitudes [x]. The images of those, who, during their lives, had acquired the reputation of uncommon sanctity, were now honoured with a particular worship in several places; and many imagined, that this worship drew down into the images the propitious presence of the saints or celestial beings they represented; deluded, perhaps, into this idle fancy by the crafty fictions of the heathen priests, who had published the same thing concerning the statues of JUPITER and MERCURY [y]. A singular and irresistible efficacy was also attributed to the bones of martyrs, and to the figure of the cross, in defeating the at, tempts of Satan, removing all sorts of calamities, and in healing, not only the diseases of the body, but also those of the mind [x]. We shall not

[x] LACTANTIUS, Divinar. Institutionum, lib. i. p. 164. HESIODUS, Opp. et Dier. ver. 122. Compare with these, SULPITIUS SEVERUS, Epist. ii. p. 371. Dial. ii. cap. xii. p. 474. Dial. iii. p. 512. NEAS GAZEUS, in Theophrasto, p. 65. MACARIUS in JAC. TOLLII Insignibus Itineris Italici, p. 197. and other writers of this

age.

[y] CLEMENTINA, Homil. x. p. 697. tom. i. PP. Apostolic. ARNOBIUS, adv. Gentes. lib. vi. p. 254. CASP. BARTHIUS, ad Rutilium Numantian. p. 250.

[*] PRUDENTIUS, Hymn xi. de Curanis, p. 150, 151, SULPITIUS SEVERUS, Ep. i. p. 364. ÆNEAS GAZAUS, in Theophras10, p. 173.