PART II. CENT. Countries. Those, who inclined to the study of V. law, resorted generally to Berytus, famous for its learned academy [h], or to Alexandria [i], which latter city was frequented by the students of physic and chemistry. 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 [k]. Modern V. The doctrine and sect of the modern Pla Platonics. tonics retained as yet, among the Syrians and Alexandrians, a considerable part of their ancient splendour. Olympiodorus, Hero [7], 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 degree 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 [m]. 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 [h] See Hasæi Lib. de Academia Jureconsultorum Berytensi; as also Mitylenæus, De Opificio Dei, p. 164. [i] Zach. Mitylenæus, De Opificio Dei, p. 179. [m] 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. V. PART II. progress of the Christian religion, gradually di- CENT. minished the lustre and authority of these philosophers [n]. And as there were many 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. Aristotle VI. The credit of the Platonic philosophy, and The philothe preference that was given to it, as more ex- sophy of cellent in itself, and less repugnant to the genius rises into of the gospel than other systems, did not prevent credit. 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 towards 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 [n] See Eneas Gazæus, in Theophrasto, p. 6, 7, 8, 13. edit. Barthii. V. PART II. CENT. 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 to subtle distinctions, and captious sophisms. And 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. Besides, 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. The exter church go CHAPTER II. Concerning the Doctors and Ministers of the Christian Church, and its Form of Government. I. SEVERAL causes contributed to bring about nal form of a change in the external form of ecclesiastical vernment government. The power of the bishops, particusomewhat larly those of the first order, was sometimes aug changed. mented, 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 preceding century, the council of Constantinople had, on account of the dignity and privileges of V. PART II. that imperial city, conferred upon its bishops a CENT. place among the first rulers of the Christian church. This new dignity adding fuel to their ambition, they extended their views of authority and dominion, and encouraged, no doubt, by the consent of the emperor, reduced the provinces of Asia, Thrace, and Pontus, under their ghostly jurisdiction. In this century, they grasped at still further accessions of power; so that not only the whole eastern part of Illyricum was added to their former acquisitions, but they were also exalted to the highest summit of ecclesiastical authority. For, by the 28th Canon of the council held at Chalcedon in the year 451, it was resolved, that the same rights and honours, which had been conferred upon the bishop of Rome, were due to the bishop of Constantinople, on account of the equal dignity and lustre of the two cities, in which these prelates exercised their authority. The same council confirmed also, by a solemn act, the bishop of Constantinople in the spiritual government of those provinces over which he had ambitiously usurped the jurisdiction. Leo the Great, bishop of Rome, opposed, with vehemence, the passing of these decrees, and his opposition was seconded by that of several other prelates. But their efforts were vain, as the emperors threw in their weight into the balance, and thus supported the decisions of the Grecian bishops [o]. In consequence then of the decrees of this famous council, the bishop of Constantinople began to contend obstinately for the supremacy with the Roman pontiff, and to crush the bishops of Alexandria and Antioch, so as to make them feel the oppressive effects of his pretended superiority. And none distinguished himself more by his ambition and arrogance in [o] Le Quien, Oriens Christ. tom. i. p. 36, CENT. this matter, than Acacius, one of the bishops of that imperial city [p]. V. PART II. The ambition of Juvenal, II. It was much about this time that Juvenal, bishop of Jerusalem, or rather of Ælia, attempted to withdraw himself and his church from the jurisdiction of the bishop of Cæsarea, and aspired after a place among the first prelates of the Christian world. The high degree of veneration and esteem, in which the church of Jerusalem was held among all other Christian societies (on account of its rank among the apostolical churches, and its title to the appellation of mother-church, as having succeeded the first Christian assembly founded by the apostles), was extremely favourable to the ambition of Juvenal, and rendered his project much more practicable, than it would otherwise have been. Encouraged by this, and animated by the favour and protection of Theodosius the younger, the aspiring prelate not only assumed the dignity of patriarch of all Palestine [q], a rank that rendered him supreme and independent of all spiritual authority, but also invaded the rights of the bishop of Antioch, and usurped his jurisdiction over the provinces of Phoenicia and Arabia. Hence there arose a warm contest between Juvenal and [p] See Bayle's Dictionary in English, at the article Acacius. [q] By all Palestine, the reader is desired to understand three distinct provinces, of which each bore the name of Palestine, and accordingly the original is thus expressed, Trium Palæstinarum Episcopum seu Patriarchum. After the destruction of Jerusalem, the face of Palestine was almost totally changed; and it was so parcelled out and wasted by a succession of wars and invasions, that it preserved scarcely any trace of its former condition. Under the Christian emperors there were three Palestines formed out of the ancient country of that name, each of which was an episcopal see. And it was of these three dioceses that Juvenal usurped and maintained the jurisdiction. See for a further account of the Three Palestines, Spanhemii Geographia Sacra, opp. tom. i. p. 79, |