V. PARTIL

nued, notwithstanding all this, to flourish inC EN T. Egypt, Syria, and the adjacent countries, and held their chief residence at Jerusalem.

CHA P. IV.

Concerning the rites and ceremonies used in the church during this century.

enumerate the rites and institutions that Ceremonies were added, in this century, to the Chri-greatly stian worship, would require a volume of a consi-multiplied, derable size. The acts of councils, and the records left us by the most celebrated ancient writers, are the sources from whence the curious may draw a satisfactory and particular account of this matter; and to these we refer such as are desirous of something more than a general view of the subject under consideration. Several of these ancient writers, uncorrupted by the contagious examples of the times in which they lived, have ingenuously acknowledged, that true piety and virtue were smothered, as it were, under that enormous burthen of ceremonies under which they lay groaning in this century. This evil was owing, partly to the ignorance and dishonesty of the clergy, partly to the calamities of the times, which were extremely unfavourable to the pursuit of knowledge, and to the culture of the mind ; and partly, indeed, to the natural depravity of imperfect mortals, who are much more disposed to worship with the eye than with the heart, and are more ready to offer to the deity the laborious pomp of an outward service, than the nobler, yet simple oblation of pious dispositions and holy affections. II. Divine worship was now daily rising from view of the one degree of pomp to another, and degenerating educed

E 4

A general

new rites

more at this time.

V.

C'E N T. more and more into a gaudy spectacle, only pro PART II. per to attract the stupid admiration of a gazing populace. The sacerdotal garments were embellished with a variety of ornaments, with a view to excite in the minds of the multitude a greater veneration for the sacred order. New acts of devotion were also celebrated. In Gaul, particularly, the solemn prayers and supplications, which usually precede the anniversary of CHRIST's ascension, were now instituted for the first time [a]. In other places, perpetual acclamations of praise to God were performed both night and day by singers, who succeeded each other, so as that the service suffered no interruption [b]; as if the Supreme Being took pleasure in such noisy and turbulent shouting, or received any gratification from the blandishments of men. The riches and magnificence of the churches exceeded all bounds [c]. They were also adorned with costly images, among which, in consequence of the Nestorian controversy, that of the Virgin MARY, holding the child JESUS in her arms, obtained the first and principal place. The altars, and the chests in which the relics were preserved, were in most places made of solid silver. And from this we may easily imagine the splendor and expences that were lavished upon the other utensils which were employed in the service of the church.

The feasts

of charity.

III. On the other hand, the agape, or feasts of charity, were now suppressed, on account of the abuses to which they gave occasion, amidst the daily decline of that piety and virtue, which rendered

[a] See SIDONIUS APOLLINARIS, Epist. lib. v. epist. xvi. lib vi. epist. i.; as also MARTENE, Thesaurus Anecdotorum, tom. v. p. 47.

[b] GERVAIS, Histoire de Suger, tom. i. p. 23.

[c] See ZACHARIAS of Mitylene, De opificio Mundi, p. 165,

rendered these meetings useful and edifying in the CENT primitive ages.

V. PART II.

A new method also of proceeding with penitents was introduced into the Latin church. For Penitents. grievous offenders, who had formerly been obliged to confess their guilt in the face of the congregation, were now delivered from this mortifying penalty, and obtained, from LEO the GREAT, a permission to confess their crimes privately to a priest appointed for that purpose. By this change of the ancient discipline, one of the greatest restraints upon licentiousness, and the only remaining barrier of chastity, was entirely removed, and the actions of Christians were subject to no other scrutiny than that of the clergy; a change, which was frequently convenient for the sinner, and also advantageous in many respects to the sacred order.

CHAP. V.

Concerning the dissensions and heresies that troubled the church during this century

SEY

resies revi

EVERAL of those sects, which had divided Ancient bethe church in the preceding ages, renewed ved. their efforts at this time, to propagate their respective opinions, and introduced new tumults and animosities among the Christians. We shall say nothing of the Novatians, Marchionites and Manicheans, those inauspicious and fatal names that disgrace the earlier annals of the church, though it is evident, that as yet their sects subsisted, and were even numerous in many places. We shall confine ourselves to an account of the Donatists and Arians, who were the pests of the preceding century.

The

CENT.

V.

The Donatists had hitherto maintained themPART II. selves with a successful obstinacy, and their affairs were in a good state. But, about the beginning The Dona- of this century, the face of things changed much.

tists.

to their disadvantage, by the means of St AuGUSTINE, bishop of Hippo. The Catholic bishops of Africa, animated by the exhortations, and conducted by the counsels of this zealous prelate, exerted themselves with the utmost vigour in the destruction of this seditious sect, whom they justly looked upon, not only as troublesome to the church by their obstinacy, but also as a nuisance to the state by the brutal soldiery [d] which they employed in their cause. Accordingly deputies were sent, in the year 404, from the council of Carthage, to the emperor HONORIUS, to request, that the laws enacted against heretics, by the preceding emperors, might have force against the Donatists, who denied that they belonged to the heretical tribe; and also to desire, that bounds inight be set to the barbarous fury of the Circumcelliones. The first step that the emperor took, in consequence of this request, was to impose a fine upon all the Donatists, who refused to return into the bosom of the church, and to send their bishops and doctors into banishment. The year following, new laws, much severer than the former, were enacted against this rebellious sect, under the title of Acts of uniformity. And as the magistrates were remiss in the execution of them, the council of Carthage, in the year 407, sent a second time deputies to the emperor, to desire that certain persons might be appointed to execute these edicts with vigour and impartiality; and their request was granted.

II. The faction of the Donatists, though much broke by these repeated shocks, was yet far from

[d] The Circumcelliones already mentioned.

being

V.

PART II.

being totally extinguished. It recovered a párt C E N T. of its strength in the year 408, after STILICHO had been put to death by the order of HONORIUS, and gained a still further accession of vigour the year following, in which the emperor published a law in favour of liberty of conscience, and prohibited all compulsion in matters of religion. This law, however, was not of long duration. It was abrogated at the earnest and repeated solicitations of the council, which was held at Carthage in the year 410; and MARCELLINUS the tribune was sent by HONORIUS into Africa, with full power to bring to a conclusion this tedious and unhappy contest. MARCELLINUS therefore held at Carthage, in the year 411, a solemn conference in which he examined the cause with much attention, heard the contending parties during the space of three days, and, at length, pronounced sentence in favour of the Catholics [e]. The Catholic bishops, who were present at this conference, were 286 in number; and those of the

· Donatists 279. The latter, upon their defeat, appealed to the emperor, but without effect. The glory of their defeat was due to AUGUSTIN, who bore the principal part in this controversy, and who,

[] See FRANC. BALDUIN, Hist. Collationis Carthag. in Op TAT. Milev. Pinian. p. 337. It is proper to observe here, that this meeting, held by MARCELLINUS, is very improperly termed a conference (collatio). For there was no dispute carried on at this meeting between the catholics and the Donatists; nor did any of the parties endeavour to gain or defeat the other by superiority of argument. This conference, then, was properly a judicial trial, in which MARCELLINUS was; by the Emperor, appointed judge, or arbiter of this religious controversy, and accordingly pronounced sentence after a proper hearing of the cause. It appears, therefore, from this event, that the notion of a supreme spiritual judge of controversy, and ruler of the church appointed by CHRIST, had not as yet entered into any one's head; since we see the African bishops themselves appealing to the emperor in the present religious question.