vailed, and fome gracious effufions of the Spirit of God appeared. The influences of divine grace feem to have been withheld, in the east, entirely. Men had there filled up the measure of their iniquities. Even from Origen's days a decline of true doctrine, and the fpirit of fceptical philofophy, ever hoftile to that of grace, kept them low in religion compared with their weftern brethren. How precious muft the grace of the Gofpel be, which, being revived in Europe, in the time of Augustine, ceased not to produce falutary effects, and to extend true religion even to the moft favage nations! Attempts indeed to propagate, what they called Christianity, were made in the east by the Neftorians, who dwelt in Perfia and India, and by the Eutychians, who flourished in Egypt. The former were particularly fuccefsful in increáfing their numbers; but I have nothing to produce of real godliness as the refult of the labours of either party. Abyffinia, which from the days of Athanafius, always confidered herself as a daughter of Alexandria, receives thence her pontiff to this day when Eutychianism prevailed in Egypt, it did fo of course in Abyffinia, and has been the prevalent form ever fince the seventh century in both countries. The Mahometan conquerors reduced the ancient profeffors of orthodoxy into a state of extreme infignificancy; and this was one of the fcourges of God by the Arabian imposture, namely, that heretics were encouraged and protected by thofe conquerors, while the orthodox werecruthed. Orthodox patriarchs exifted indeed in Egypt for fome time after the Saracen conqueft. But ignorance, fuperftition, and immorality, ftill abounded, and have now continued to abound for many centuries. The east, whence the light first arose, has long long fat in darkness, with the exception of fome individuals from age to age, fuch as John the Almoner and a few others, who have been mentioned in this chapter. God will have a Church upon earth, and it shall be carried to the most despised regions rather than extinguished entirely. And there is a voice which. fpeaks to Europe in these works of his providence in a louder tone than I know how to describe. Africa fell under the power of the Mahometans toward the clofe of this century. It had long shared in the general corruption, and it fhared in the general punishment. The region, which has fo often refreshed us with evangelical light and energy, where Cyprian fuffered, and where Auguftine taught, was configned to Mahometan darknefs, and must henceforth be very nearly difmiffed from these memoirs. CHAP. CHA P. IV. AUTHORS OF THIS CENTURY *. SIDORE, of Sevil, flourished in the former part I of it: he governed the church of Sevil for forty years, having fucceeded his brother Leander, of whom we have made honourable mention already. This writer was voluminous, and, with all due allowance for the fuperftition of the age, appears to have been fincerely pious. But perhaps the most ufeful part of his works is his collection of fentences out of Gregory. He feems to have been providentially given to Spain, in order to preserve fome of the antient learning, and to prevent men from finking into total ignorance and rufticity. Columban must be mentioned alfo as an author, though we have already celebrated him in the character in which he fhone far more, namely, of a miffionary. He was, no doubt, pious and fervent : he wrote monaftic rules, and while every part of his writings is infected with the fervile genius of the times and the fpirit of bondage, which had feized the Church, one fentence retrieves his character, and with it I fhall difmifs him. "We must have recourfe to Chrift the fountain of life." Sophronius of Jerufalem wrote a fynodal letter to confute the Monothelites. His part in that controverfy has been stated already. He afferted that we shall rife with the fame body, and that the punishments of hell are eternal. The moft remarkable thing in him, is the foundness of his doctrine, which he adorned with genuine piety and purity of life. * Du Pin, Cent. 7. Martin, Martin, bishop of Rome, whose sufferings from the tyrant Conftans have been fuccinctly defcribed, was one of the greatest men of the age. Some of his letters are extant, and they indicate both ftrength of mind, and zeal in religion. Amandus, bishop of Utrecht, in writing to him, declared, that he was fo grieved to find fome clergymen to have lived lafciviously after their ordination, that he was tempted to quit his bishopric. Martin diffuaded him; and at the fame time exhorted him to exercise falutary difcipline on the offenders, declaring, that fuch clergymen fhould be depofed entirely from the facerdotal function, that they may repent in a private condition, and may find mercy at the laft day. He exhorts Amandus to undergo patiently all trials for the falvation of the fheep, and the fervice of God. This Roman prelate, doubtlefs, was fincere, and he appears to have defended evangelical truth with much firmness. And it was for a branch of fcriptural doctrine, that he suffered with confiftency and integrity. I mention Maximus, his fellow-fufferer in the fame caufe. His writings are too fcholaftical to merit much attention, though he was, doubtlefs, a very able reafoner, and, what is infinitely better, a pious and upright man. I might fwell the lift, with the names of writers little known, and of little ufe. Learning was very low: the taste of the age was barbarous: we have feen, however, that Christ had then a Church, and the reader, if he pleafes, may travel through ftill darker fcenes; yet I truft fome glimmerings of the prefence of Chrift will appear. VOL. III. K CENTURY CENTURY VIII. CHAP. I. VENERABLE BEDE, THE ENGLISH PRESBYTER. HE Church-history of our country, written THE by this renowned father, was continued to the year 731. I have extracted from it that which A.D. fuited my purpofe. He is faid to have died in 735-735. Of his age the accounts are very contradic tory. The hiftory of the century will properly begin with a brief narrative of the life and works of this hiftorian. He He was born near Durham, in a village now called Farrow, near the mouth of the Tyne. Lofing both his parents at the age of seven years, he was, by the care of relations, placed in the monaftery of Weremouth, was there educated with much strictness, and appears from his youth to have been devoted to the fervice of God. was afterwards removed to the neighbouring monaftery of Jerrow, where he ended his days. He was looked on as the most learned man of his time. Prayer, writing, and teaching were his familiar employments during his whole life *. He was ordained deacon in the, nineteenth, and prefbyter in the thirtieth year of his age. He gave himself wholly to the ftudy of the Scripture, the inftruction of difciples, the offices of publick worship, and *Life of Bede, prefixed to his works. Cologne edition. the |