and lifting up his heart to God in prayer, he laid
afide the fword, and compofed himself to fuffer.
Two of his nephews began to make refiftance.
"If you love me truly," faid Lambert, "love
Jefus Chrift alfo, and confefs your fins to him.
As for me, it is time for me to go to live with
him."
"Do you not hear," said another nephew,
"how they call out to fet fire to the house, to
burn us all alive?" Remember, replied the bishop
calmly, the guilt of the murder is yours: fubmit
to receive the due recompence of your deeds. He
continued in fervent prayer, and the armed men
put all, whom they found, to the fword, and
Lambert himself among the reft. A man of a
Christian spirit furely, and worthy of a more en-
lightened age, in which his humility, piety, and
charity might have fhone with a brighter luftre!

Ceolfrid, in the early part of this century, governed the two monafteries of Weremouth and Jerrow, which had educated Bede. Through his influence, the Picts, who inhabited North Britain, were brought over to the Roman mode of celebrating Eafter, and of courfe to the Roman communion*. But I can find no account of any progrefs in piety in the British ifles. As the Roman church itself grew more corrupt in this century, our ancestors were infected with a larger portion of its fuperftitions.

In the year 713, the Mahometans paffed over from Africa into Spain, and put an end to the kingdom of the Goths, which had lasted near three hundred years. The Chriftians were there reduced to flavery; and thus were fcourged those wicked profeffors, who had long held the truth in unrighteousness,

Egbert, an Englishman, not long after, effected the fame change among many of the Irish.

A.D.

713.

righteoufnefs, called on the name of Chrift, while in works they denied him, and buried his faith under an enormous heap of fuperftitions. A remnant, however, preferved their independency in the Afturian mountains, who chofe Pelagius for their king, a perfon defcended from the royal family. He expreffed his hope, that after God had chaftized them for their fins, he would not give them up wholly to the Mahometans. His confidence in God was not difappointed. Under circumftances extremely difadvantageous, he defeated the enemy, re-peopled the cities, rebuilt the churches, and, by the pious affistance of several paftors, fupported the Gofpel in one district of Spain, while the greateft part of the country was overrun by the Arabians. But the fucceffors of Pelagius, by degrees, recovered more cities from the enemy.

Christendom, at this time, afforded a very grievous and mournful fpectacle. Idolatry itfelf was now fpreading widely both in Europe and in Afia, among the profeffors of the Gospel *: men had very commonly every where forfaken the faith and the precepts of Jefus, in all thofe countries, which had been long evangelized. The people, who ferved the Lord in the greateft purity and fincerity, seem to have been OUR ancestors, and the inhabitants

* This important event will be explained in the next chapter.

Ireland, which Prideaux calls the prime feat of learning in all Christendom, during the reign of Charlemagne, was peculiarly diftinguished in this century. Ufher has proved the name of Scotia to have been appropriated to Ireland at this time. Eginhard, the fecretary of Charlemagne, calls Ireland Hibernia Scotorum infula. Several of thefe Scots (Irish) laboured in the vineyard in Charlemagne's time, and were made bifhops in Germany. Both facred and profane learning were taught by them with fuccefs,

habitants of fome other regions, which had but lately received the Gofpel. So true is the obfervation, which our hiftory conftantly gives us occafion to make, namely, that there is a perpetual tendency in human nature to degeneracy and corruption. Such, however, was the goodness of God, that he ftill exercised much long fuffering amidst the most provoking enormities; and after he had removed the candlestick from fome churches, he carried itto other places*, so that the light of his Gospel was never removed from the earth. The most marvellous event in fuch cases, is, that men seem not at all confcious of their crimes, nor perceive the avenging hand of God upon them. For the nominal Chriftians of the day were infenfible of their condition; and, though the Arabians were. evidently making large ftrides toward univerfal dominion, it was not till they had advanced into the heart of France, and ravaged that country in a dreadful manner, that any ftrong efforts were A.D. made to withstand them. In the year 732, how- 732. ever, they were totally defeated near Poitiers, by the heroic Charles Martel. An event memorable in hiftory, becaufe by it the providence of God ftopped the progrefs of the Arabian locufts. It is aftonishing, that all the civilized nations had not long ago united in a league, which would have been equally juft and prudent, to ftem the torrent, which threatened the defolation of mankind. Those who had, for ages, trufted more in relicks, altars, aufterities, pilgrimages, than in Christ crucified, and had lived in deceit, avarice, and uncleannefs, were fuffered to yield themfelves a prey to devouring invaders. Adored be that Providence, which, in the crifis, preferved Europe

This will be illuftrated in Chap. IV.

from

from complete defolation, and, by faving France from thofe barbarians, has ftill left a people to ferve God in thefe western regions *.

The plague of the locufts, Rev. ix. continued five months, that is, 150 years, a day being reckoned for a year in prophetical language. It may be difficult to reckon exactly the time of the extenfion of the Arabian conquests, because of the inaccuracy and confusion of hiftorians. But divine truth was exact no doubt; and under every poffible way of computation, the period of about 150 years will properly limit the duration of the Saracen conquefts.

СНАР.

CHA P. III.

THE CONTROVERSY ON IMAGES. THE MATU-
RITY OF ANTICHRIST.

In the year 727, the Greek emperor began open A.D. hoftility with the bishop of Rome, and, to 727. use the words of Sigonius*, Rome and the Roman dukedom paffed from the Greek to the Roman bishop. It would have been more accurate to fay, that a foundation was then laid for the temporal power of that prelate, than that it was actually established. However, as it was established a few years after, and a rupture commenced at the period juft mentioned, I fhall affume this as the moft proper date, that I know of, for the beginning of popedom, which from this time is to be regarded as Antichrift indeed; for it fet itself by temporal power to fupport falfe doctrine, and particularly that, which deferves the name of idolatry.

The marvellous propenfity of all ages to the fin of idolatry, which implies a departure of the heart from the one living and true God, muft originate in fome fteady principles exifting in the nature of fallen man. The true account of this extraordinary and lamentable fact feems to be as follows.—God is an immaterial, felf-existent Being, of infinite power and goodness, and, as our Maker and Preferver, he has an unquestionable claim to our fupreme veneration and affection. Man, confidered as a rational creature, is endowed with faculties abundantly fufficient for the discovery of

*Sigon. Hift. de Regn. Italic, B. III. VOL. III. L

this