⚫ were built over the tombs of martyrs, and were frequent. ⚫ed only at stated times; while others were fet apart for the ⚫ ordinary affemblies of Chriftians.-Both of them were ⚫ confecrated with great pomp, and with certain rites bor'rowed, moftly, from the ancient laws of the Roman 'pontiffs.' Frequent pilgrimages, the exceffive multiplication of festivals in honour of the martyrs, an extravagant veneration for departed faints 36, abfurd notions of a certain fire destined to purify feparate fouls, the impofition of frequent fafts, the celebration of the Lord's fupper at the tombs of martyrs, whence originated masses, the holding up of the bread and wine to be reverenced by the people, a belief in the mysterious efficacy of relics, of holy water, and of the images of faints 38, were practices and fuperftitions, all of which extenfively prevailed in this century, and received the greatest encourageChriftianity was now indeed completely pagan

ment

39

9.

ized.

36 It is fhewn at large in Sir I. Newton's Obf. on Dan. (p. 209-231), that the worship and invocation of faints became a common and authorifed practice in the 4th century.

37 This practice, together with the language held in this century by Lome of the fathers, laid a foundation for the most abfurd of all doctrines, the doctrine of transubstantiation. Thus Jerom,, when speaking of the frugal manner with which Exuperius of Tholouse administered the Lord's Supper, fays, he carries the body of Christ in a basket of ofiers, and his 'blood in a glass-cup.' Hieronymi Epift. Rustico Monaco.

3. The fign of the cross alfo was used as a kind of charm, not only in the fervices of religion, but in the most indifferent actions of life. Sir I. Newton's Obf. on Dan, ch. xiii; and Bingham's Antiq. of the Chr. Ch. b. xi. ch. 10.

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39 The words of Vigilantius, as quoted by his antagonist Jerom, do, fays Daubuz, demonstrate that the errors in the common practice of the ' people, were greater than what we find in the authors' of that time. Vigilantius' opposed the invocation and worship of faints; prayers for the dead; the adoration of relics and images; the burning of tapers by day; and the celibacy of the clergy.' So far Daubuz (on Rev. p. 392). What was the confequence of his virtuous oppofition to the tide of popular fuperAitions ?

ized.

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The religion of the Greeks and Romans differed

very little in its external appearance from that of the • Chriftians. They had both a moft pompous and fplendid ritual. Gorgeous robes, mitres, tiaras, wax-tapers * 'crofiers, proceffions, luftrations, images, gold and filver vafes, and many such circumstances of pageantry, 'were EQUALLY to be feen in the heathen temples and 'the Chriftian churches". And it was in this century, that perfons firft arofe, who worshipped the Blessed Virgin as a goddess, and judged it necessary to appease

ftitions? He was frowned upon as a perfon guilty of heresy. Vigilan'tius,' fays Jortin, was infulted and reviled by Jerom.-It is really a 'wonder that he fared no worse, and that fome zealous monk did not beat his brains out with the jaw-bone of a martyr. "It appears not," fays * Fleury," that the heresy of Vigilantius gained ground, and that there was "occafion for any council to condemu it." It is true enough, His herefy flept, till the Reformation awakened it; and since that time, all ⚫ Proteftants, all fuch, I mean, as have not renounced common fense, are of the fame opinion about these things with Vigilantius.' Jortin, vol. IV. p. 225.

49 The cuftom of keeping the lamps lighted in the day-time, now fo common in Roman Catholic countries, prevailed in the churches both of the East and Weft. See Bingham's Antiq. of the Chr. Ch. b. viii, ch. 6, le&t. 21.

41 Faustus, an African prelate, who flourished according to Lardner in the year 384, in a book written in defence of the Manichæans, speaks of the orthodox, that is to fay of the greater part of Christians, in the forlowing terms. 'You have substituted your Agape to the facrifices of the

T

Pagans, and to their idols your martyrs, whom you serve with the very * fame honours. You appease the fhades of the dead with wine and feafts; you celebrate the solemn festivals of the Gentiles, their calends and their folftices; and as to their manners, thofe you have retained without any alteration. Nothing diftinguishes you from the Pagans, except that you hold your assemblies apart from them.' Jortiu, vol. II. p. 57. In thefe charges, fays Dr. Jortin, there is somewhat of falfhood and exagge ration; but at the fame time it must be confeffed that there is alfo fome truth, and that paganifm had already begun to enter along with the Pagans into the church. On the degree of credit which is due to the allegations of Fauftus, M. de Beaufobre has treated at great length and in a masterly manner. Hiftoire du Manicheifme, tom. II. p. 629-700.

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her anger, and feek her favour and protection, by libations, facrifices, and oblations.'

With refpect to fafting, it was confidered, in this century, as the most effectual and powerful means of repelling the force, and difconcerting the ftratagems, of evil fpirits, and of appeafing the anger of an offended Deity. Hence we may eafily understand what induced the rulers of the church to establish this custom by exprefs laws, and to impose, as an indifpenfable duty 42, an act of humiliation; the obfervation of which had hitherto been left to every one's choice.' The mode of fasting became also essentially different. 'Formerly those who ⚫ fubmitted themselves to the difcipline of fafting abftained 'from meat and drink; but now a mere abstinence from * flesh and wine was by many judged fufficient for the pur'poses of fafting, and this latter opinion prevailed, from this time, and became univerfal among the Latins.— 'The quadragefimal or lent fast was held more facred than all the reft, though it was not as yet confined to a ⚫ certain number of days.'

The example of those, who introduced into Mesopotamia and Syria the practice of monaftic retirement, was followed with fuch rapid fuccefs, that, in a short time, the whole East was filled with a lazy set of mortals, who, abandoning all human connections, advan'tages, pleasures, and concerns, wore out a languishing life amidst the hardships of want, and various kinds of fuffering, in order to arrive at a more close and raptu⚫rous communion with God and angels. From the East this gloomy inftitution passed into the Weft, and first into Italy and its neighbouring iflands;' and thence it extended gradually its progrefs through the other pro

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41 Men, however, were not to fast, but when the church pleased. The council of Gangra, convened about the year 370, in their 18th canon, anathematizes him who prefumes to keep a fast on a Sunday.

'vinces

'vinces and countries of Europe43.-If the enthufiaftic frenzy of the monks exaggerated, in a manner per⚫nicious to the interests of morality, the difcipline that is obligatory upon Chriftians; the interefts of virtue and true religion fuffered yet more grievously by two mon" ftrous errors which were almoft UNIVERSALLY • adopted in this century, and became a fource of innu⚫merable calamities and mifchiefs in the fucceeding 6 ages. The firft of these maxims was, that it was an aft of virtue, to deceive and lye, when by that means the interefts of the church might be promoted; and the

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43 It was in Egypt, and in the year 306, that monks were first collected into focieties. But, at the latter end of this 4th century, the number of Egyptian monks only, upon a moderate computation, is fuppofed to have been 76,000; and that of the nuns 21,000.-Conftantine held in the highest veneration those • who addicted themfelves to the divine philofophy as it was 'called in thofe days, that is, to monkery; and the holy women * who preferved a perpetual virginity, these he almoft adored. So fays Eufebius, who was carried away himself with the tor⚫ rent, and overvalued this ftrange way of life.' Jovian, elected emperor in 363, decreed, that whofoever courted a nun, and enticed her to marriage, fhould be put to death. The council of Illiberis, affembled about the commencement of the fourth century, in its 33d canon, prescribes celibacy to all orders of clergy. "The Fathers of thofe times, as Athanafius, Gregory Nazianzen,' (they both of them flourished and died in the 4th century) and who not, but particularly Chryfoftom with his popular eloquence, contributed, to the utmost of their power, to encourage the fuperftitious veneration and invocation of faints, the love of monkery, and the belief of miracles wrought by monks and reliques.' The manner in which Jerom extolled celibacy and depreffed matrimony was, fays Jortin, fanatical and fcandalous ; and Ambrofe, in his zeal for virginity, exhorted girls to enter ' into the monaftic ftate, even against the will of their parents.' Jortin, vol. II. 2d ed. p. 156, 169; vol. IV. 1ft ed. p. 18, 97, 104, 118, 168.

⚫ fecond

'fecond equally horrible, though in another point of view, was, that errors in religion, when maintained. • and adhered to after proper admonition, were punish• able with civil penalties and corporal tortures.”

With refpect to the days, fet apart for the commemoration of the martyrs, days which were fo extravagantly multiplied, they were fquandered away in indolence and in voluptuoufnefs. Indeed the number of ⚫ immoral and unworthy Chriftians began fo to increase, 'that the examples of real piety and virtue became ex*tremely rare**.—When MOST OF THE BISHOPS ex⚫hibited to their flock the contagious examples of arrogance, luxury, effeminacy, animofity, and strife, with • other vices too numerous to mention *; when the in • ferior

46

44 Gregory of Nyffa went to Jerufalem, to try whether he could pacify the quarrels there amongst the Chriftians. He tells us, that inftead of finding the virtues which might have been expected from the inhabitants of the Holy Land, he found the place to be a fink of iniquity and debauchery, the feat of envy, malice, adultery, robbery, murder, idolatry, poifoning, and bloodfhed, where men affaffinated others for a trifling reward, fo that in no place were murders fo frequently and so easily committed. Such were the Chriftians of Jerufa'lem in the 4th century, a century fo abundant in faints and in miracles! Jortin, vol. IV. p. 69.

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45 The bishops were no lefs fervile than they were arrogant. Dr. Jortin, fpeaking of Conftantius and the numerous prelates who compofed the council of Rimini, fays, the compliments 'paid to the emperor by these bishops were really fcandalous.It is ftrange that Chriftian emperors of the fourth and fifth 'centuries would fuffer themselves to be called Your Eternity, Your Divinity, Your Godfhip.' vol. IV. p. 4. But they did not merely fuffer this. The title noftrum numen Honorius and Theodofius did themselves impioufly affume; whilft noftra divinitas and noftrum divinum præceptum were expreffions employed by Theqdofius and Valentinian. Voffius de Idololatria, lib. iii. c. 17.

** Amongst the causes which made Gregory (Nazianzen)defi