mutable law, or difpofition of nature, abounded with perfons of a melancholy complexion, and produced, in proportion to its extent, more gloomy fpirits than any other part of the world. It was here that the Effenes and the Therapeutæ, those difmal, gloomy fects, chiefly dwelt, long before the coming of Chrift; as alfo many others of the Afcetic tribe, who, led by a certain melancholy turn of mind, and a delufive notion of rendering themselves more acceptable to the Deity by their aufterities, withdrew from human Society, and all the innocent pleafures and comforts of life. From Egypt, this four, unfociable difcipline paffed into Syria, and the neighbouring countries, which alfo abounded with perfons of the fame difmal conftitution with that of the Egyptians; and from thence, in procefs of time, its infection reached to the European nations.

In the account our Author gives of the state of learning and philofophy during the fifth century, he tells us, that the credit of the Platonic philofophy, and the preference that was given to it, as more excellent in itfelf, and lefs repugnant to the genius of the gofpel than other fyftems, did not prevent the doctrine of Ariftotle from coming to light after a long struggle, and forcing its way into the Chriftian church. The Platonics themfelves, he fays, interpreted, in their fchools, fome of the writings of Ariftotle, particularly his Dialectics, and recommended that work to fuch of the youth as had a tafte for logical difcuffions, and were fond of difputing. In this, the Chriftian doctors imitated the manner of the heathen schools, and this was the first step to that univerfal dominion, which the ftagyrite afterwards obtained in the republic of letters. A fecond, and a yet larger ftride which the Ariftotelian philofophy made towards this univerfal empire, was, during the controverfies which Origen had occafioned, and the Arian, Eutychian, Neftorian, and Pelagian diffenfions, which, in this century, were so fruitful of calamities to the Chriftian church. Origen, as is well known, was zealously attached to the Platonic fyftem: 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 philofophy of Ariftotle, which was entirely different from that of Origen. The Neftorian, Arian, and Eutychian controverfies were managed, or rather drawn out, on both fides, by a perpetual recourse to fubtle diftinctions, and captious fophifms. 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. Befides, the Pelagian doctrine bore a striking refemblance of the Platonic opinions concerning God and the human foul; and this was an additional reafon which engaged

many

many to defert the Platonifts, and to affume, at least, the name of Peripatetics.

In the hiftory of this century, our Author gives the following account of the rights and privileges of the patriarchs; of the inconveniencies that accompanied their authority and government; the vices of the clergy, and the fources from whence they proceeded.

It was much about this time, (viz. the middle of the fifth century) that Juvenal, bishop of Jerufalem, or rather of Ælia, attempted to withdraw himself and his church from the jurifdiction of the Bishop of Cæfarea, and afpired after a place among the firft prelates of the Chriftian world. The high degree of veneration and efteem, in which the church of Jerufalem was held among all other Christian societies (on account of its rank among the apoftolical churches, and its title to the appellation of mother-church, as having fucceeded the first Christian affembly founded by the apoftles) was extremely favourable to the ambition of Juvenal, and rendered his project much more practicable, than it would otherwife have been. Encouraged by this, and animated by the favour and protection of Theodofius the younger, the afpiring prelate not only affumed the dig! nity of patriarch of all Paleftine, a rank that rendered him fupreme and independent of all fpiritual authority, but also invaded the rights of the bishop of Antioch, and ufurped his jurifdiction over the provinces of Phoenicia and Arabia. Hence there arofe a warm contest between Juvenal and Maximus bishop of Antioch, which the council of Chalcedon decided by restoring to the latter the provinces of Phoenicia and Arabia; and confirming the former in fpiritual poffeffion of all Palestine, and in the high rank which he had affumed in the church. By this means, there were created, in this century, five fuperior rulers of the church, who were diftinguifhed from the reft, by the title of Patriarchs. The oriental hiftorians mention a fixth, viz. the bishop of Seleucia and Ctefiphon, to whom, according to their account, the bishop of Antioch voluntarily ceded a part of his jurifdiction. But this addition to the number of patriarchs is unworthy of credit, as the only proof of it is drawn from the Arabic laws of the council of Nice, which are notoriously deftitute of all authority.

The patriarchs were diftinguifhed by confiderable and extenfive rights and privileges, that were annexed to their high ftation. They alone confecrated the bishops, who lived in the provinces that belonged to their jurifdiction. They affembled yearly in council, the clergy of their respective districts, in order to regulate the affairs of the church. The cognizance of all important causes, and the determination of the more weighty

contro

controverfies, were referred to the patriarch of the province, where they arose. They also pronounced a decifive judgment in those cafes, where accufations were brought against bithops. And, laftly, they appointed vicars, or deputies, cloathed with their authority, for the prefervation of order and tranquillity in, the remoter provinces. Such were the great and diftinguishing privileges of the patriarchs, and they were accompanied with others of lefs moment, which it is needlefs to mention.

It must, however, be carefully observed, that the authority of the patriarchs was not acknowleged through all the provinces without exception. Several diftricts, both in the eastern and weflern empires, were exempted from their jurifdiction. Befides, the emperors, who referved to themselves the fupreme power in the Chriftian hierarchy, and received, with great facility and readinefs, the complaints of those who confidered themfelves as injured by the patriarchs; the councils also, in which the majefty and legislative power of the church immediately refided; all these were fo many obftacles to the arbitrary proceedings of the patriarchal order.

This conftitution of ecclefiaftical government was fo far from contributing to the peace and profperity of the Chriftian church, that it proved, on the contrary, a perpetual source of diffentions and animofities, and was productive of various inconveniencies and grievances. The patriarchs, who, by their. exalted rank and extenfive authority, were equally able to do much good and much mischief, began to encroach upon the rights, and to trample upon the prerogatives of their bishops, and thus introduced, gradually, a fort of spiritual bondage into the church. And that they might invade, without oppofition, the rights of the bishops, they permitted the bishops, in their turn, to trample, with impunity, upon the ancient rights and privileges of the people. For, in proportion as the bishops. multiplied their privileges and extended their ufurpations, the patriarchs gained new acceffions of power by the defpotifm which they exercised over the epifcopal order. They fomented alfo divifions among the bishops, and excited animofities between the bishops and the other minifters of the church; nay, they went ftill further, and fowed the feeds of difcord between the clergy and the people, that all these combuftions might furnish them with perpetual matter for the exercise of their authority, and procure them a multitude of clients and dependants.. They left no artifice unemployed to ftrengthen their own authority, and to raise oppofition against the bishops from every quarter. For this purpose it was, that they engaged in their caufe by the most alluring promifes, and attached to their interefts by the most magnificent acts of liberality, whole fwarms of monks,

who

who ferved as inteftine enemies to the bishops, and as a dead weight on the fide of patriarchal tyranny. These monaftic hirelings contributed more than any thing elfe, to ruin the ancient ecclefiaftical difcipline, to diminish the authority of the bifhops, and raise, to an enormous and exceffive height, the power and prerogatives of their infolent and ambitious patrons.

To these lamentable evils were added the ambitious quarrels, and the bitter animofities that arofe among the patriarchs' themselves, and which produced the moft bloody wars, and the most deteftable and horrid crimes. The patriarch of Conftantinople distinguished himself in these odious contefts. Elated with the favour and proximity of the imperial court, he caft a haughty eye on all fides, where any objects were to be found, on which he might exercife his lordly ambition. On the one hand, he reduced, under his jurifdiétion, the patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch, as prelates only of the fecond order; and on the other, he invaded the diocese of the Roman pontif, and. fpoiled him of feveral provinces. The two former prelates, though they struggled with vehemence, and raised confiderable tumults by their oppofition, yet they struggled ineffectually, both for want of ftrength, and likewise on account of a variety of unfavourable circumftances. But the Roman pontif, far fuperior to them in wealth and power, contended alfo with more vigour and obftinacy, and, in his turn, gave a deadly wound to the ufurped fupremacy of the Byzantine patriarch.

The attentive inquirer into the affairs of the church, from this period, will find, in the events now mentioned, the prin-> cipal fource of thofe moft fcandalous and deplorable diffenfions, which divided, firft, the eastern church into various fects, and afterwards feparated it entirely from that of the weft. He will find, that these ignominious fchifms flowed chiefly from the unchristian contentions for dominion and fupremacy which reigned among those who set themselves up for the fathers and defenders of the church.

• None of the contending bishops found the occurrences of the times fo favourable to his ambition, as the Roman pontif. Notwithstanding the redoubled efforts of the bishop of Conftantinople, a variety of circumftances united in augmenting his power and authority, though he had not, as yet, affumed the dignity of fupreme law-giver and judge of the whole Chriftian. church. The bishops of Alexandria and Antioch, unable to make head against the lordly prelate of Conftantinople, fled often to the Roman pontif for fuccour againft his violence; and: the inferior order of bifhops used the fame method, when their rights were invaded by the prelates of Alexandria and Antioch. So that the bishop of Rome, by taking all these prelates alternately under his protection, daily added new degrees of influence:

and

and authority to the Roman fee, rendered it every where refpected, and was thus imperceptibly establishing its fupremacy, Such were the means by which the Roman pontif extended his dominion in the east. In the weft its increase was owing to other causes. The declining power and the fupine indolence of the emperors, left the authority of the bishop who prefided in their imperial city almost without controul. The incurfions, moreover, and triumphs of the barbarians were fo far from being prejudicial to his rifing dominion, that they rather contributed to its advancement. For the kings, who penetrated into the empire, were only folicitous about the methods of giving a fufficient degree of ftability to their respective governments. And when they perceived the fubjection of the multitude to the bishops, and the dependance of the bishops upon the Roman pontif, they immediately refolved to reconcile this ghoftly ruler to their interests, by loading him with benefits and honours of various kinds.

Among all the prelates who ruled the church of Rome dur ing this century, there was none who afferted, with fuch vigour and fuccefs, the authority and pretenfions of the Roman pontif, as Leo, commonly furnamed the Great. It must be, however, observed, that neither he, nor the other promoters of that cause, were able to overcome all the obstacles that were laid in their way, nor the various checks which were given to their ambition. Many examples might be alledged in proof of this point, particularly the cafe of the Africans, whom no threats nor promifes could engage to fubmit the decifion of their controverfies, and the determination of their caufes to the Roman tribunal.

"The vices of the clergy were now carried to the most enormous lengths, and all the writers of this century, whofe probity and virtue render them worthy of credit, are unanimous in their accounts of the luxury, arrogance, avarice, and voluptuaufnefs of the facerdotal orders. The bishops, and particularly those of the first rank, created various delegates, or ministers, who managed for them the affairs of their diocefes, and a fort of courts were gradually formed, where these pompous ecclesiastics gave audience, and received the homage of a cringing multitude. The office of a prefbyter was looked upon of such a high and eminent nature, that Martin, bishop of Tours, was so audacious as to maintain at a public entertainment, that the emperor was inferior, in dignity, to one of that order. As to the deacons, their pride and licentioufness occafioned many and grievous complaints, as appears from the decrees of feveral councils.

Thefe opprobrious ftains, in the characters of the clergy, would never have been fupported, had not the greatest part of mankind been funk in fuperftition and ignorance, and all in general formed their ideas of the rights and liberties of Chriftian

minifters,