these times, befides this father, none of whom really defigned to inculcate idolatry.

In another difcourfe, he protefts against the too common practice of delaying baptifm, which, from the example of Conftantine, had grown very fashi onable, for reasons equally corrupt and fuperftitious. Men lived in fin as long as they thought they could fafely, and deferred baptifm till their near approach to death, under a groundless hope of washing away all their guilt at once. He preffes the baptifm of Infants, and refutes the vain pretences of those who followed the fashionable notions.

His poems demonftrate a rich vein of genius and a fenfibility of mind. Nor is there wanting a true fpirit of piety. In the fifty-eighth are fome excellent reflections on the falfhood of mere human vir. tue, the neceffity of divine grace through Jefus Christ, and of an humble confidence in it, and the danger of perifhing through pride and vain glory. This humility was evidently at the bottom of Gregory's religion; but I much doubt whether his lefs learned parents did not understand it, practically, much better than he. Mankind are naturally more favourable to gifts than to graces, and even good men are but too ready to fuppofe there is much of the latter, wherever there appears an abundance of the former.

Epiphanius, bishop of Cyprus, was not inferior to many in this century for unfeigned purity of faith and manners. But the particulars of his life are for the moft part uninterefting. It is proper, however, to mention his zeal in tearing a painted curtain which he faw in a place of publick worship. This feems at once a proof of his deteftation of images and pictures in religion, and alfo of the weak beginnings of that fuperftition in the fourth century. In this place let us not omit to obferve his very laudable

parts fent

fpirit of beneficence. Numbers from all him large fums to diftribute to the needy, in confidence of his charity and integrity. His fteward one day informed him, that his stock was nearly exhausted, and blamed his profufe liberality; but he continued still as liberal as before, till all was gone; when. he received fuddenly from a ftranger a large bag of gold. Another ftory deferves to be recorded as a monument of divine Providence, the rather, as it seems extremely well authenticated. Two beggars agreeing to impofe on him, one feigned himself dead, the other begged of Epiphanius to fupply the expences of his companion's funeral. Epiphanius granted the request; the beggar on the departure of the bifhop defired his companion to rife; but the man was really dead!-To fport with the fervants of God, and to abuse their kindness, is to provoke God himself, as the bishop told the fur

viver.

* Sozom. B. VII. c. 27.

CEN

SOME

will properly introduce the fifth century to the acquaintance of the reader, because the transactions with which his ftory is connected, extend a few years from the last century into this, and are very defcriptive of the religious tate of the East at that time.

*

He was, at the commencement of the century, bishop of Conftantinople, where the emperor Arcadius refided, while his brother Honorius reigned in the Weft: these two were the fons and fucceffors of the great Theodofius. But we must look back to the rife of John Chryfoftom. He was born at A.D. Antioch about the year 354. His parents were 354 perfons of fome rank, and by the care of his mother (for he loft his father foon after his birth) his education was attended to in a very particular manner. By her means, he had the advantage of being early prejudiced in favour of Chriftianity. Yet, being naturally ftudious of eloquence, he devoted himself to the care of that great master, Libanius of Antioch, who being one day afked, who would be capable of fucceeding him in his fchool? "John, faid he, if the Chriftians had not stolen him from us." So great was the idea he had formed of his powers of eloquence!

He prognofticated right. It would be eafy to produce abundance of inftances of his oratorical abili

Cave's Life of this Father.

ties; I wish it were in my power to record as many of his evangelical excellencies.

Having pleaded a little time in the forum, he be-. gan to find a vacancy in his mind not to be fupplied by fecular arts and ftudies. The spirit of God feems, from that time, to have drawn him to ftudy the Scriptures, and one material advantage he derived from his mafter Diodorus, who was afterwards bithop of Tarfus. By him, he was taught to forfake the popular whims of Origen, and to investigate the literal and hiftorical fenfe of the Divine word; a practice, in which he differed from moft of the fathers of his times.

He contracted an intimate friendship with one Bafil, whom, by a deceit, he drew into the acceptance of a bishopric, nor is he ashamed to juftify himfelf in doing evil, that good may come*. We have seen the deliberate fraud practifed by Ambrofe to avoid a bishopric. And I find Chryfoftom, in his expofition of the eleventh chapter of the epistle to the Galatians, fuppofes that both Paul and Peter were laudably engaged in fraud, because their views were charitable and pious. We fhall afterwards have occafion to confider this matter a little more fully, when we come to the controverfy between Jerom and Augustine on the fubject. At prefent, fuffice it to observe, that the decline in doctrine had evidently produced a decline in ethics, that the examples of men, otherwife fo juftly reputable, as Ambrofe, Chryfoftom, and Jerom, muft have had a pernicious affect on Chriftian morals, and that the growth of auftere fuperftition was unfavourable to truth and integrity.

Sacerdotio, B. I.

Not

The reader will carefully obferve, that Auguftine is not involved in this cenfure, in the leaft degree. Let it be obferved alfo, that these pious frauds had no connection with the love of lucre, and arofe more properly from fuperftition, than from hypocrify.

Notwithstanding the entreaties of his pious mother, he lived in monaftic aufterities for some time; after which, Flavian, bishop of Antioch, promoted him to the office of prefbyter in his diocefe. About A.D. the year 379, a fedition broke out at Antioch, on 379 account of taxes, and the people dragged about

the ftreets the ftatues of Theodofius, and of his excellent lady Flaccilla, and of their two fons, in contempt. But finding afterwards the danger of the emperor's refentment, this inconftant and turbulent people were in the greateft diftrefs. Antioch had ever been very favourable to the name, at least, of Christianity, fince the time that the difciples were firft called Chriftians at Antioch. But luxury and the love of the world, were, it is to be feared, much more common in these times than godlinefs, even among the Chriftian inhabitants. About two hundred thoufand citizens made up the fum total; and half of these were Chriftians. John failed not to improve the opportunity. Serious as he himself was in Chriftian views, fo far as he understood them, and excellent as a preacher of the law, he exhorted them to repentance, and very properly made the awful fufpence they then were in, an inftructive emblem of our expectation of the day of judgment. Hymns and litanies were compofed to folicit God to move the heart of the emperor to pity, and many who had never attended the houfe of God, and had spent their whole time in the theatre, now joined in divine worship with much earneftness and affiduity. Flavian the bishop, though aged and infirm, undertook a journey to Conftantinople to deprecate the wrath of the emperor, Libanius the fophift alfo did the fame; but the generality of the philofophers hid themfelves in holes and corners; and did nothing for their country in danger; while the monks left their cells, and flocked into the

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city,