CHA P. II.

THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL IN GERMANY AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD.

THE

I

HE northern parts of Europe had ftill remained in the darkness of idolatry. In this century they were vifited by the Moft High. The Britons, Scots, and Irish were honoured as the principal inftruments in the work, and this circumftance affords an additional evidence to the account already given of the genuine fpirit of godlinefs, which prevailed in the British ifles. The French had alfo their share in the bleffed cause. fhall throw together the very imperfect hints which are preferved to us of thefe important tranfactions. Though the firft inftance more properly relates to France than to Germany, it may with no great impropriety be mentioned in this chapter. Omer, bishop of Tarvanne, the old metropolis of the Morini in Artois, laboured with fuccefs in the cultivation of a wilderness. Vice and idolatry were very predominant in his diocese; but by the affiftance of Bertin a Swiss, his kinsman, he was enabled to eradicate inveterate evils and to civilize a race of barbarians.

The erection of many convents in Germany for the Scotch and Irifh, fome of which are still extant, is to be accounted for from the ecclefiaftical connections of their ancestors. Many perfons travelled from Great Britain and Ireland with the Jaudable purpose of preaching Chrift in Batavia, Belgium, and Germany*. And however fuperftition.

* Mofheim, Cent. 7th. C. 1,

might

might tarnish their labours, there must have been a nobler principle to have induced men to undergo so much danger, with hardly any poffible profpect of lucre or of fame. Mere philofophers are generally but too liberal in cenfure and raillery: we feldom however hear of them engaging in any work of fo difinterested a nature. The love of God in Chrift alone can fupport the fpirit of men in fuch enterprizes.

Columban, an Irish monk, distinguished from him of the fame name, spoken of before, who was called "the ancient," toward the clofe of the foregoing century had extirpated the remains of expiring paganism in France. He alfo paffed the Rhine, and evangelized the Suevi*, the Boii, and other German nations. He laboured in the caufe to his death, which happened in the year A.D. 615. Gal, one of his companions, laboured with 615. much zeal about the lakes of Zurich and Conftance. Near the latter lake, at a little distance from Bregent, he erected a monaftery, which still bears his name. In fortitude and laboriousness he was inferior to none of the miffionaries of this age. But we find very little worthy of being recorded concerning him.

The account of Kilian, another Irifh miffionary, is fomewhat more fatisfactory. He received a commiffion from the bishop of Rome toward the end of the century, to preach to the infidels; and with fome of his difciples he came to Wirtzbourg upon the Mayne, where a Pagan duke called Gofbert was governor. The duke received the Gospel, was baptized, and many followed his example, But

*This people inhabited the places between the Rhine and the Elbe.

† Now Bavarians.

But he had married his brother's wife.

The mif

fionary united difcretion with zeal, and deferred his admonitions on this head, till he found that his pupil the Duke was firmly settled in the faith *. Kilian at length ventured to act the part of John the Baptift, and the event was in a great measure fimilar. Gofbert promised to obey, but delayed the execution of his promife till he fhould return from an expedition. The mischief of procraftination against the light of confcience was never more ftrongly illuftrated. In his abfence Geilana, for that was the name of the German Herodias, procured the murder of Kilian and his companions. They were A.D. engaged in devotional exercises, and died with the 688, patience of martyrs in the year 688. Gofbert was prevailed on by the artifices of Geilana to fuffer the murderers to escape with impurity. But all the actors in this tragedy, Gofbert among the rest, came to an unhappy end; and there is no doubt but that in this cafe, as well as many others, the blood of the martyrs became the feed of the Church. Numbers of the eaftern Franks had embraced Christianity, and fealed the miniftry of Kilian. Barbatus, born in the territory of Benevento in Italy, in the beginning of this century, was alfo a great ornament to it. Meditation on the Scriptuaes was his chief delight. He was looked upon to excel in preaching. He acted as curate of Morcona near Benevento, and gave great offence by his faithfulness. By the malice of the people he was obliged to retire to Benevento. This town was poffeffed by the Lombards who were chiefly Arians; many of them were indeed idolaters, though fome were of the general Church with their duke Arichis, a friend of Gregory I. Barbatus labouring there found the Chriftians fo called very idolatrous.

Fleury, B. XL. 37

They

They worshipped a golden viper, and a tree on which the fkin of a wild beaft was hung. He preached and prayed a long time: at length the emperor Conftans befieging Benevento, the wicked inhabitants were intimidated fo far, as to repent of their idolatry. Barbatus was allowed to cut down the tree, and to melt the golden viper of which he made a facramental chalice. This man was A.D. appointed bishop of Benevento in 663, and de- 663. stroyed every veftige of idolatry in the whole ftate. He lived afterwards to bear a teftimony by his prefence in the council of Conftantinople against the Monothelite herefy, and died in 682. See Butler's Lives.

Toward the conclufion of the century Willibrod, an English miffionary, and eleven of his countrymen croffed over the fea into Holland, to labour among the Friezelanders. But being ill treated by the king of Friezeland, who put one of the company to death, they retreated into Denmark. Returning however into Friezeland in the A.D. year 693, they propagated divine truth with fuc- 693. cefs. Willibrod was ordained bishop of Wilteburg by the Roman prelate, and laboured in his diocese to his death; while his affociates spread the Gospel through Westphalia and the neighbouring

It was in this century, the former part of it, according to the refearches of one author §, the latter part, according to thofe of another, that Bavaria

* Mofheim, Cent. VII. C. 1.

Now Utrecht.

Difen, an Irifh monk, taught the Gofpel in Ireland, France, and Germany. His labours were moft remarkably crowned with fuccefs in the neighbourhood of Mentz. A. Butler. § Velferius Rerum Boicarum, B. IV.

Fleury, B. XLI. 31. If Fleury's chronology be right, the greatest part of the narrative before us will belong to the next century.

Bavaria received the Gofpel from the miniftry of Rupert, or Robert, bishop of Worms. He was invited by Theodo, duke of Bavaria. His ministry profpered, and he was appointed bishop of Saltzburg. The increasing harvest required more miffionaries: he therefore returned to his own. country, and brought twelve affiftants: from that time Chriftianity was established in Bavaria. Corbinian, another Frenchman, watered, where Rupert had planted. Duke Theodo received him gladly. His fon and fucceffor Grimoald was induced to part with his wife, whom he had married contrary to the Levitical laws of matrimonial confanguinity; and fo far as can be judged from very imperfect accounts, the Gofpel was received with great fincerity in this country*.

Sometime after, Emmeram an Aquitanian Frenchman, leaving his country and his large poffeffions, travelled to Ratifbon, to spread the Gofpel. He was well received by another Theodo, duke of Bavaria. He obferved, that the Bavarians were, many of them at least, still addicted to idolatrous rites, which they mixed with Christianity. The old inhabitants were particularly guilty of these things. He laboured among them three years, preaching in all the towns and villages, and referved for himself only the bare neceffaries of life.

His

This miffionary was remarkable for private devotion, as well as public labours, and referved to himself a confiderable portion of time every day, for prayer and meditation. But from Alban Butler's account I learn, that Grimoald perfecuted Corbinian on account of his faithfulness, and that Biltrude the relict of Grimoald's brother, hired affaffins to murder him. Both Grimoald and Biltrude perished miferably. If the former was induced to repentance at all, he feems to have relapfed. After the deaths of his perfecutors Corbinian returned to Frifingen, and laboured till his death, which happened in the year 730.

+ Velfer. Id.

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