became the refidence of the Saracen monarchs; whose empire then began to carry more the appearance of a regular government, and ceafed to be fo troublesome to the remains of the old Roman empire, as it had formerly been.

Leo, the fon and fucceffour of Constantine, trode in the steps of his father and grandfather, and exerA.D. cifed feverities on the fupporters of image-worship. 780. But, as he died in the year 780*, his wife Irene affumed the government in the name of her fon Conftantine, who was only ten years old. She openly and zealously fupported idolatry. The east was fo eagerly addicted to it, that there wanted only the authority of a fovereign to render it triumphant. Images gained the afcendency; and the monaftic life, which either the piety or the prudence of three emperors,-for I cannot ascertain their real character, had much difcouraged, became A.D. again victorious in Greece and Afia.

784.

In 784 Irene wrote to Adrian, defiring his prefence at a council to be held for the fupport of image-worship; at least that he would fend legates to it. Tarafius, bishop of Conftantinople, just appointed, and perfectly harmonizing with the views of the emprefs, wrote to the fame purport. Adrian's answer is worthy of a pope. He expreffes his joy at the profpect of the establishment of image-worship; and, at the fame time, teftifies his displeasure at the prefumption of Tarafius, in calling himself univerfal patriarch: he demands the reftoration of St. Peter's patrimony, which, during the schism,

Fleury, XLIV. 16.

+ If the plan, on which I have chofen to write a Church-history, need the authority of any writer to fupport it, the words of Fleury are very decifive. B. XLIV. 17. "The temporal affairs of the Church, nay, of the Roman Church, do not belong to an ecclefiaftical history."

fchifm, the emperors of Conftantinople had withheld; and fets before the emprefs the munificent pattern of Charlemagne, who had given to the Roman Church, to be enjoyed for ever, provinces, cities, and castles, once in poffeffion of the Lombards, but which of right belonged to St. Peter. Ambition and avarice were thus covered with the thin veil of fuperftition. But this was the age of clerical ufurpations. Large domains were now commonly annexed, by fuperftitious princes, to the Church, for the pardon of their fins; but the pope was the greatest gainer by this traffic. That, which is moft to our purpose to obferve, is the awful departure, which had commonly been made, throughout Chriftendom, from the all-important article of juftification. While this is firmly believed and reverenced, it is impoffible for men to. think of commuting for their offences with heaven; and it is itself the fureft defence againft clerical encroachments, superstition, idolatry, and hypocrify. But the pulpits were filent on this doctrine: during this whole century, falfe religion grew without any check or moleftation; and vices, both in publick and private life, increased in proportion.

A.D.

In the year 787 the second council of Nice was 787. held under the emprefs: and, of fuch a council it is fufficient to fay, that it confirmed idolatrous worship. Pope Adrian, having received the acts of the council, fent them to Charlemagne, that he might procure the approbation of the bishops of the weft. But here his expectations were disappointed. United in politics by the coincidence of interested views, they were however found to difagree in religious fentiments. Charlemagne, though illiterate himself, was one of the greatest patrons of learning: and, if he may be fuppofed to have been in earnest in any opinions, he would naturally be much

M 4

much influenced by the famous Alcuin, an Englishman, whom he cherished and efteemed. The customs and habits of the weft were far from univerfally favouring the reigning idolatry. I am anxiously looking for the features of the Church of Christ in this very gloomy period, and feem to think that her exiftence was moft probably to be found in the Churches lately planted, or, in those, which were then in an infant ftate. Our own ifland was decidedly, at that time, against idolatry. The British Churches execrated the fecond council of Nice*; and fome even of the Italian bishops protested against the growing evil. Nor is it probable, that the churches of Germany, now forming, were at all difpofed to receive it. Men, who first receive Christianity from zealous teachers, are fimple and fincere; nor is it eafy to convince an ingenuous perfon, that idolatry, however qualified or explained, is allowable on the plan of the Scriptures, either of the Old or New Teftament. France itself had, as yet, fhewn no difpofition pofitively in favour of idolatry. The Roman See alone, in Europe, had in form fupported and defended it. And experience proves, that the greatest stages of degeneracy are to be found in the Churches, which have subsisted the longest.

Charlemagne could not but be ftruck at the difcordancy of the Nicene council with the habits of the weft; and was therefore fo far from receiving, with implicit faith, the recommendation of it by pope Adrian, that he ordered the bifhops of the weft to examine the merits of the question. The iffue was, the publication of the Carolin books, in

* Hoveden Annal. pars prior. p. 232. Ufher Annals. p. 19, The former of these writers tells us, that Alcuin composed the Carolin books.

20.

in which the famous Alcuin had at least a diftinguished share. In these the authors find fault with a former fynod held in Greece, under Constantine, which forbad the ufe of images. For they held the dangerous opinion of Gregory 1st, namely, that thefe might be fet up in churches, and ferve as books for the inftruction of the people. But they condemn, in very free terms, the late Grecian fynod, which enjoined the worship of images. They find fault with the flattering addreffes made by the Greek bishops to pope Adrian. They allow the primacy of St. Peter's See, but are far from founding their faith on the pope's decrees. They condemn the worship of images by fcriptural arguments, by no means impertinent or contemptible, but which there is no occafion for me to repeat *.

Engilbert, the ambaffador of Charles, prefented thefe books to Adrian. This ambitious politician, who fubfifted by the protection of Charlemagne, and who was concerned to maintain the honour of his See, replied with great prudence. It is evident, from his whole conduct, that his object was the temporal interefts of the popedom. Hence his anfwer to Charles was tame and infipid, and his defence of image-worship weak and inconclusive †. Charles and the French Churches perfevered in their own middle practice: they used images, but they abhorred the adoration of them. In the year A.D. 794, at Frankfort upon the Maine, a fynod was 794. held, confifting of 300 bishops, who condemned the fecond council of Nice, and the worship of images. In this fynod, Paulinus, bishop of Aquileia, in Italy, bore fome fhare. Adrian, however, continued on good terms with Charlemagne, to

* See Du Pin, Councils of 8th century. + This is allowed by Du Pin. Ibid.

the

the death of the former, which took place before the close of the century, when he was fucceeded by Leo III. Political intrigue, and fecular artifice, not theological ftudy, was then the practice of Roman bifhops. The Irish, at this time, particularly excelled in divinity, travelled through various countries, and became renowned for knowledge; and the fuperior light of England and France, in the controverfy concerning images, feems to fhew both thofe countries, in knowledge and in regard for the doctrines of Scripture, to have been far fuperior to Rome. Yet so strongly were men prejudiced in favour of the dignity of the Roman See, that it ftill remained in the height of its power, and was enabled in procefs of time to communicate its idolatrous abominations through Europe. In the east the worship of images was triumphant, but as yet not univerfal*.

This chapter contains the narrative of the most fatal events, which the Church had ever feen. The Arian herefy had disfigured and deeply wounded her conftitution, but fhe had recovered, and confounded this adverfary. The Pelagian poifon had operated for a time; but its detection and expulfion had even contributed to recover her health, and to restore her to a great degree of apoftolical purity. Other herefies, which affected the doctrine of the Trinity, had been fuccefsfully oppofed: fuperftition, for a number of centuries, had fullied her beauty, but had left her vitals untouched. Idolatry, at length, aided by the fame fuperftitious propenfity, prevailed to difunite her from Chrift,

her

*Irene, toward the close of this century, dethroned her fon Conftantine, and put out his eyes with fuch violence, that he loft his life. This monfter, a worthy patronefs of idolatry, then reigned alone, and cooperated with the pope of Rome, in the support of Satan's kingdom.