the prefbyters of their ancient privileges and their pri'mitive authority, that they might have no importunate protesters to control their ambition, or oppofe their * proceedings; and, principally, that they might either engrofs to themselves, or diftribute as they thought pro-per, the poffefhions and revenues of the church 29. 'Hence it came to pass, that at the conclufion of this century, there remained no more than A MERE SHA'DOW OF THE ANCIENT GOVERNMENT OF THE

6

CHURCH.' And whilft, on the one hand, they tram'pled upon the rights of the people,' and violated the 'privileges of the inferior minifters:' on the other they imitated in their conduct and manner of living, the arrogance, voluptuousness, and luxury of magiftrates and princes, and contended with each other, in the most * fcandalous manner, concerning the extent of their refpective jurifdictions 30.-The external administration of 'the church, the emperor affumed to himself 31.'

31

• The

29 Conftantius, befides endowing many churches with great revenues, exempted the bishops from every kind of tax. Anc. Univ. Hift. vol, XVI. p. 230.

30 Sometimes alfo their manner of contending for the epifcopal dignity was highly fcandalous. Le Clerc, as tranflated by Jortin, fays, that as foon as Urfinus had been elected bishop of Rome by a number of the brethren, deacons and prefbyters, Damafus, who had always been making

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* interest for the bishopric,-with the perjured crew that followed him, and with a band of gladiators, to whom he had given large fums of money, feized the Lateran church, and was there ordained. Then having bribed two magiftrates of the city, he caufed Urfinus, a venerable man, who had been first made bishop, to be fent into banishment.-The Roman people affembled together, and would have hindered Damafus 'from taking poffeffion of the pontificate; but he cleared his way through them by blows and baftinadoes; and fome died of the wounds, which "they had received. He alfo attempted to drive out of the city seven pres. byters, who were put into prifon by the magiftrates; but the faithful 'people rescued them, and carried them into the church of Liberius. Then Damafus, with the eceleftaftics of his faction, joined to gladiators chario

teers,

The greatest part, both of the bishops and presbyters, were men entirely deftitute of all learning and educa* tion.' And that savage and illiterate party, who looked " upon all forts of erudition, particularly that of a philofophical kind, as pernicious and even destructive to ⚫ true piety and religion, increased both in number and authority 32.-The truth of doctrines was now proved

teers, and ruftics, armed with hatchets, fwords, and clubs, besieged the * church, and began a furious battle, setting fire to the doors, and bursting 'them open, whilst others of his partizans had clambered up, and were "pelting their adverfaries with tiles from the top of the edifice. Thus the 'Damafians forced their way in, and flew 160 perfons, men and women. ' —The strangest part of the story is that, notwithstanding all these things, ' Damafus was a great faint, and miracles were wrought in his favour after 'his death.' The conteft happened in the year 366. I have not given the whole detail of it. Had not a large part of the Chriftians of Rome, at this period, been extremely corrupt, it could not have been conducted in the manner in which it was; it could not have had a termination fo favourable to Damafus. See Jortin, vol. IV. P. 60.

31 Upon Conftantine's converfion there appeared a new form of govern"ment in the church.--It was the emperor that fummoned the General Councils at his pleasure. He often prefided himself in them, and ma'naged the difputes there.-Those that were the judges of the affembly in ⚫ his abfence were delegated from him; his will was confulted on all occa fions; the definition of faith, that the council fubfcribed to, was many 'times propofed by him; and it was called the Emperor's Definition of "Faith.' Agreeably to this, we find the title of Univerfal Bishop of the 'church, in refpect of the external government of it, affumed by Conftan⚫tine;' and we likewife fee what effect the fear of the imperial authority had upon the councils themselves. For all the councils, affembled under 'Arian emperors, were of the fame mind with the emperor that called 'them.' Creffener on the Prot. Appl. of the Apoc. p. 258.

3 In the reign of Conftantine, and in the fourth century, as religious and metaphyfical quarrels ran high, and monkery grew and profpered, ⚫ and miracles abounded, fo liberal arts and sciences and polite literature 'fell into a declining condition.' Jortin's Rem. on Eccl. Hift. 1767, vol. II. p. 228. Bafnage, speaking of this century and of Jerom, fays, St. Austin, ' who did not love him, yet admired him as a prodigy, because he underftood three languages.' Hift. des Juifs, b. vi, ch. 14. · Let not a bishop

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* perufe

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by the number of martyrs that had profeffed them, by miracles, by the confeffion of demons, i. e. of perfons "poffeffed with evil fpirits.-Thofe vain fictions, which an attachment to the Platonic philofophy, and to popular ' opinions, had engaged the greateft part of the Christian 'doctors to adopt before the time of Conftantine, were now confirmed, enlarged, and embellished in various ways.'

'It would feem as if all poffible means had been induftriously used, to give an air of folly and extrava-' gance to the Chriftian affemblies. For the people were permitted, nay, even exhorted by the preacher him* felf, to crown his talents with clapping of hands and loud ⚫ acclamations of applause.'

An enormous train of different fuperftitions were gra. 'dually fubftituted in the place of true religion and ge

nuine piety. This odious Revolution was owing to a va⚫riety of causes. A ridiculous precipitation in receiving new opinions, a prepofterous defire of imitating the pagan rites, and of blending them with the Chriftian worship, and that idle propensity which the generality of mankind have towards a gaudy and oftentatious religion, all contributed to establish the reign of fuperftition upon the ruins of Christianity 33

Superftition was

NOW

'peruse the books of heathen writers,' is a part of the 16th canon of the 4th council of Carthage, which was assembled near the termination of this century.

33 In the 9th canon of the council, which met at Neocæfarea about the year 314, it is obferved of fins in general, that they may be pardoned by the impofition of hands. • Those Christians who were conscious of their own defects began to pay immoderate honours to the martyrs, that by * their interest they might obtain remission of fins. Thefe practices suited the half-converts and nominal Chriftians, who came over for the loaves, * under Christian emperors.' Jortin, vol. II. p. 156. Ambrose of Milan, Auguftine of Hippo, and Chryfoftom of Conftantinople, all enjoyed

the

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other un

NOW BECOME UNIVERSAL. This, among happy effects, opened a wide door to the endlefs frauds.

⚫ of

the episcopal dignity in the fourth century, and towards the close of it. Chryfoftom magnifies the facerdotal office upon a double account, be* cause the priests have power to remit fins both when they regenerate us, . ' and afterwards; that is, both by baptism and penance.' And the fame is afferted in the works of Ambrofe and Auguftine. Bingham's Antiq. of the Chr. Ch. b. xix. ch. i. This learned writer, like a faithful son of the English church, readily admits the legitimacy of this lofty claim of these ancient prelates; and declares, in a visitation fermon preached in 1716, that IT IS EVIDENT BEYOND DISPUTE, THAT CHRIST LEFT A POWER IN THE HANDS OF HIS MINISTERS TO RETAIN, OR TO FOR

'GIVE, MEN'S SINS.' Bingham's works, vol. II. p. 258.

The mischief produced by the fuperftitious ideas relative to baptism, it is not poffible to calculate. The statement which follows is from Mr. Gibbon. It is, I believe, perfectly correct. • The facrament of baptifm

was supposed to contain a full and abfolute expiation of fin; and the 'foul was inftantly restored to its original purity, and entitled to the pro• mife of eternal falvation. Among the profelytes of Chriftianity, there were many who judged it imprudent to precipitate a falutary rite, which 'could not be repeated; to throw away an ineftimable privilege, which 'could never be recovered.—The fathers, who cenfured this criminal delay, could not deny the certain and victorious efficacy, even of a deathbed baptifm.' It was in his last illness, that Conftantine' received the ⋅ facrament of baptism.' Eusebius ' supposes the falvation of Constantine ⚫ with the most perfect confidence.' His example and reputation feemed "to countenance the delay of baptifm. Future tyrants were encouraged to believe, that the innocent blood which they might shed in a long reign 'would inftantly be washed away in the waters of regeneration; and the ⚫ abuse of religion dangerously undermined the foundations of moral vir tue.' Vol. III. p. 273.

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Mention has been made of penance. Very prolix and ceremonious was the performance of it, in the 4th century. It is thus described by Bafil, who was bp. of Cæfarea, and died about the year 379. Penitents, the ift year, are to weep before the gate of the church; the 2d year, to be ad⚫mitted to hearing; the 3d year, to genuflexion, or repentance properly ' so called; and the 4th year, to stand with the faithful at prayers without ' partaking the oblation.' They wore fackcloth, fays Bingham, through all the stages of this business. Antiq. of the Chr. Ch. b. xviii, ch. i, ii. Various were the expedients, which the prelates and clergy of the 4th cen

' of those odious impoftors, who were so far deftitute of 'all principle, as to enrich themselves 34 by the ignorance

and errors of the people. Rumours were artfully 'fpread abroad of prodigies and miracles to be feen in

certain places (a trick often practised by the heathen 'priests); and the design of these reports was to draw 'the populace, in multitudes, to these places, and to impofe upon their credulity. These ftratagems were generally fuccefsful.-A whole volume would be re⚫ quifite to contain an enumeration of the various frauds, ⚫ which artful knaves practised, with fuccefs, to delude the ignorant, when true religion was almost entirely fu'perfeded by horrid fuperftition.'

•No fooner had Constantine the Great abolished the fu perftitions of his ancestors, than magnificent churches 35 were every where erected for the Chriftians, which were richly adorned with pictures and images, and bore ftriking resemblance to the Pagan temples, both in their ' outward and inward form. Of thefe churches fome

tury adopted, in order to infufe into the people a myfterious reverence for themselves. The 20th canon of the council of Laodicea, held about the year 363, forbids a deacon from fitting down in the presence of a priest, without his express permission; and ordains, that an inferior minister fhall fhew the fame mark of fubmiffive refpect to the deacon.

34 In the art of enriching themselves, ecclesiastics in general became great adepts during this century. To fuch an height indeed did this evil rife, that Valentinian found it necessary to make a law against pious dona tions to the clergy and to the monks, who preyed upon ftupid bigots, and devoured widow's houfes ;' and even Fleury, though a Romish ecclefiaftic, declares, that the law was shameful to the clergy, but yet neceffary.

Jortin, vol. IV. p. 52.

35 The masterly historian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, speaking of those erected by Constantine in its principal cities, fays, the walls, the columns, the pavement, were incrufted with variegated

• marble;' and 'the most precious ornaments of gold and filver, of filk and gems, were profusely dedicated to the service of the altar.' Vol. III, P. 293.

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