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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 bishops. And, laftly, they appointed vicars, or deputies, cloathed with their authority, for the preservation of order and tranquillity in the remoter provinces. Such were the great and distinguishing privileges of the patriarchs, and they were accompanied with others of lefs moment, which it is needless to mention.

It must, however, be carefully observed, that the authority of the patriarchs was not acknowleged through all the provinces without exception. Several districts, 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 readiness, 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 thefe were fo many obftacles to the arbitrary proceedings of the patriarchal order.

This conftitution of ecclefiaftical government was so 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 in-. conveniencies and grievances. The patriarchs, who, by their exalted rank and extenfive authority, were equally able to do much good and much mifchief, began to encroach upon the rights, and to trample upon the prerogatives of their bishops, and thus introduced, gradually, a fort of fpiritual 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 exercifed 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 purpofe it was, that they engaged in their caufe by the most alluring promifes, and attached to their interests by the most magnificent acts of liberality, whole fwarms of monks,

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who ferved as inteftine enemies to the bishops, and as a dead weight on the fide of patriarchal tyranny. Thefe 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 most bloody wars, and the most detestable and horrid crimes. The patriarch of Conftantinople diftinguished himself in thefe odious contefts. Elated with the favour and proximity of the imperial court, he cast 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 jurifdiction, the patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch, as prelates only of the fecond order; and on the other, he invaded the diocele 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 likewife on account of a variety of unfavourable circumftances. But the Roman pontif, far fuperior to them in wealth and power, contended also 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, first, the eastern church into various fects, and afterwards separated it entirely from that of the weft. He will find, that these ignominious fchifms flowed chiefly from the unchriftian 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 bishops used the same 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:

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and authority to the Roman fee, rendered it every where refpected, and was thus imperceptibly eftablishing 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 so 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 bifhops, 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, obferved, 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 case of the Africans, whom no threats nor promifes could engage to submit 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 bifhops, and particularly those of the first rank, created various delegates, or minifters, who managed for them the affairs of their diocefes, and a fort of courts were gradually formed, where these pompous ecclefiaftics gave audience, and received the homage of a cringing multitude. The office of a prefbyter was looked upon of fuch a high and eminent nature, that Martin, bishop of Tours, was fo 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 licentiousness occafioned many and grievous complaints, as appears from the decrees of feveral councils.

• Thefe approbrious 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 Christian minifters,

minifters, from the model exhibited by the facerdotal orders among the Hebrews, the Greeks, and Romans, during the law of Mofes, and the darkness of paganism. The barbarous nations alfo, thofe fierce and warlike Germans, who, after the defeat of the Romans, divided among them the western empire, bore, with the utmost patience and moderation, both the dominion and vices of the bifhops and priests, because, upon their converfion to Chriftianity, they became naturally fubject to their jurifdiction; and still more, because they looked upon the minifters of Chrift, as invested with the same rights and privileges, which diftinguished the priests of their fictitious deities.

The corruption of that order, who were appointed to promote, by their doctrine and examples, the facred interefts of piety and virtue, will appear lefs furprizing when we confider, that multitudes of people of all kinds were every where admitted without examination and without choice into the body of the clergy, the greatest part of whom had no other view, than the enjoyment of a lazy and inglorious repofe. Many of these ecclefiaftics were confined to no fixed places or affemblies, had nó employment of any kind, but fauntered about wherever they pleafed, gaining their maintenance by impofing upon the ignorant multitude, and fometimes by mean and difhoneft practices.

But if any should ask, how this account is reconcilable with the number of faints, who, according to the teftimonies of both the eastern and western writers, are faid to have shone forth in this century? The answer is obvious; these faints were canonized by the ignorance of the times. For, in an age of darknefs and corruption, thofe, who diftinguished themselves from the multitude either by their genius, their writings, or their eloquence by their prudence and dexterity in managing matters of importance, or by their meeknefs and moderation, and the afcendant they had gained over their refentments and paffions; all fuch were esteemed fomething more than men, they were reverenced as gods; or, to speak more properly, they appeared to others as men divinely inspired, and full of the deity.

K The monks, who had formerly lived only for themselves in folitary retreats, and had never thought of affuming any rank among the facerdotal orders, were now gradually diftinguished from the populace, and were endowed with fuch opulence, and fuch honourable privileges, that they found themselves in a condition to claim an eminent ftation among the fupports and pillars of the Chriftian community. The fame of their piety and fanctity was, at first, so great, that bishops and prefbyters were often chofen out of their order, and the paffion of erecting edifices and convents, in which the monks and holy virgins might ferve God in the most commodious manner, was, at this time, carried beyond all bounds.

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The monaftic orders did not all obferve the fame rule of discipline, nor the fame manner of living. Some followed the rule of Auguftine, others that of Bafil, others that of Antony, others that of Athanafius, others that of Pachomius; but they muft all have become extremely negligent and remifs in obferving the laws of their respective orders, fince the licentiousnefs of the monks, even in this century, was become a proverb, and they are faid to have excited the most dreadful tumults and feditions in various places. All the monaftic orders of all forts, were under the protection of the bifhops in whofe provinces they lived, nor did the patriarchs claim any authority over them, as appears with the utmost evidence from the decrees of the councils held in this century."

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Conclufion of the Account of Mr. Mills's Hufbandry. See our last.

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R. Mills having, in the former volumes of his work, conducted the husbandman through the various methods of improving and managing moft kinds of foil, and of cultivating the feveral productions of the field; in the fourth, brings him into the garden, an object of great pleafure, and not lefs profit, when attended to with due care and judgment.",

How far gardening may, properly fpeaking, be efteemed a branch of bufbandry, we pretend not to determine; but as Mr. Mills fays, he has reftricted himself to the useful parts of it alone, he may, perhaps, be right, in introducing it here.

He profefles to have divefted the art of gardening of the cant expreffions, and unintelligible reafonings, with which, he alledges, moft of thofe who have treated of it abound. Amongst the writers of this clafs, Mr. Miller, author of the Gardener's Dictionary, very defervedly bears an eminent rank. From this ceJebrated work, Mr. Mills has tranfplanted many and large extracts into his own. But notwithstanding the great obligations he owes to Mr. Miller upon this account, he thinks himself obliged to controvert many of that gentleman's pofitions; for which he makes the following apology in the preface to this vol.

I flatter myfelf that every candid reader of this work will acquit me of having fought occafion to cenfure other writers: for a carping temper is my averfion. If, therefore, I have prefumed, in fome inftances, to differ in opinion from Mr. Miller; and if, through the carneftnefs of my defire to give the best information in my power, any warmth of expreffion may chance to have dropped from my pen, when I efpoufe a practice different

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