outwardly decent and regular is no less evident but of real repentance, genuine faith in Chrift, and the true love of God, I cannot difcern any fatisfactory proofs.

I have now enabled the reader, by an orderly ftatement of facts, to decide for himself what candour and justice there is in the declaration of a learned historian, that " Bernard misunderstood fome of the opinions of Abelard, and wilfully perverted others. For," continues he, "the zeal of this good abbot too rarely permitted him to confult, in his decifions, the dictates of impartial equity; and hence it was, that he almost always applauded beyond measure, and cenfured without mercy*." Wilful perverfions, and by a good man too! what inconfiftency of language! Or is Bernard called a good man ironically? Or did this writer feel a fympathy with one of these great men, and an antipathy to the other? Certainly, whoever, like Bernard, defends the real truth, as it is in Jesus, with the fimplicity of a Chriftian, even though he preferve modefty, caution, and charity, muft expect no mercy from the criticisms of men more zealous for the honour of what they improperly call rational religion, than for that of Jefus Chrift. The world will LOVE ITS OWN: the carnal mind is enmity against God; and he, who in charity fupports evangelical truth, and, under God, is made wife to win fouls to real humility and holiness, fhould commit himself to him that judgeth righteously, and patiently wait his decifion.

If Mofheim do not altogether deferve the cenfure implied in thefe obfervations, undoubtedly he is not to be acquitted of uncharitableness, temerity, and felf-fufficiency.

* Mofheim, p. 601. Vol. I. Quarto,

CHAP.

CHA P. III.

CONTROVERSIES OF BERNARD WITH SEVERAL

OTHER REAL OR SUPPOSED HERETICS.
ACCOUNT OF THE CATHARI.

SOME

So great was the esteem of Bernard throughout

the western Churches, that no characters of eminence in the religious world arofe, but he was looked up to as a judge to decide concerning their merits. It happened, that he had not always the fame means of accurate information, as in the cafe of Abelard; and hence there is reason to believe, that he treats as heretics fome perfons, who were "the excellent of the earth." I fhall throw together into this chapter the best information, which I can collect, concerning thefe matters. At any rate we fhall find fome light concerning the real Church of Chrift.

Gillebert de la Porree, bishop of Poitiers, poffeffed of a fubtile genius, and indulging a tafte, like that of Abelard, undertook to explain the mystery of the Trinity, by fomne curious diftinctions and refinements. Offence was, however, given by his publications, and the zeal and eloquence of Bernard were employed in confuting him by publick difputation. I fhall not attempt to explain this controverfy. It seems to have originated from the metaphysical spirit of Gillebert, whofe chief fault appears to have been, that he was not content with plain truth, and with stopping there in his enquiries, where the Scripture does. The Trinity in unity, received indeed in the fimplicity of Scripture, is one of the cleareft, as well as one of the

moft decifively fcriptural doctrines in the world; and fo it has always appeared to thofe, who believe what is revealed, and who are content to be ignorant of the MANNER how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft are three in one. But, though there feems no pofitive evidence of the herefy of Gillebert, the council of Rheims condemned fome of his propofitions, which were of a dangerous nature. Gillebert recanted them: Bernard candidly expreffed his belief of the fincerity of the recantation; and the bishop of Poitiers was allowed to return to his bithopric*.

I have examined the fentiments of Gillebert, and cannot, I own, form any determinate conception of their nature. He wandered in the misty region of abftrufe metaphyfics, and feems both to have loft himself, and to have been unintelligible to his readers. Bernard endeavoured to ftop the myftic enquirer in his career; and this was no unprofitable employment; but again Mosheim is difpleafed with the conduct of the abbot, and feems to intimate, that he himself understood the opinions of Gillebert, and that Bernard did not, when he fays, "these refined notions were far above the comprehenfion of good St. Bernard, who was by no means accustomed to fuch profound difquifitions, to fuch intricate researches." Does Mofheim really mean what he fays, or, is the epithet good, fynonymous with weak and ignorant? Bernard was, however, with the critic's leave, a man of found understanding and of true wisdom; and,

* Bern. Vol. II. p. 1138. Du Pin's 12th Cent. Chap. VIII. + Quarto, Vol. II. p. 6oz. As Mofheim's work, tranflated by Maclain, is far better known than the original in England, I always quote the former, and would be understood, both here and elfewhere, to refer to that rather than to the latter.

and, if it were worth while, I could eafily furnish the reader with fuch fpecimens of Gillebert's fubtilties, as would fully juftify the account given of him at the beginning of this chapter.

If to oppofe the popedom with vigour and fortitude be in itself a certain criterion of a real Chriftian, Arnold of Brescia may justly be ranked among the most eminent faints. But the fpirit and views of an innovator fhould be known, that we may determine, whether he deferve the character of a reformer. In Arnold, the spirit of an old Roman republican was united with the theological fentiments of a Socinian. He was the difciple of Abelard, and was in action as daring as that heretic had been in fpeculation. Bernard vehemently oppofed his defigns, and while he allowed his morals to be decent and regular, he guarded the Chriftian world againft his ambition and fecular artifices. The conduct of Arnold demonftrated, that Bernard penetrated into the real character of the man. For the difciple of Abelard, having gained over at Rome a large party to his views, by his addrefs and dexterity ftirred up a fedition against the pontiff; during the violence of which, private houses were burned; the property of the clergy and nobles was plundered; the pope was driven from Rome; and, in general, the civil government was difordered and convulfed. Flushed with fuccefs, Arnold planned a fcheme for the restoration of the forms of the old republic: but. Providence favoured not his defigns. In the end he was feized and burned, and his afhes were thrown into the Tiber. His cafe demonftrates, that to oppose what is established, however great be the abuses or faults of an establishment, is an uncertain criterion of character. What is it, which men really mean to fubftitute in the room of that government,

cc 3

government, which is established? This is a queftion to which every man, who fears God, fhould feriously attend, before he suffer himself, by countenancing innovations, to introduce anarchy and confufion. Here Arnold of Brescia failed entirely *. Tanchelin in Flanders, and Peter de Bruys, with his difciple Henry, in France, were also famous innovators in this century. The firft appears to have been altogether fo worthlefs and extravagant a perfon, that I fhall not detain the reader a moment concerning his character, or his actions. Nor can I give fuch an account of the others, as is very fatisfactory to my own mind. They were both treated as heretics: they both made many converts to their fentiments; and were condemned by the then reigning powers. Peter was burnt to alhes, and Henry was put under a confinement, in which he seems to have ended his days. Peter of Cluny, from whofe writings we have the most copious account of the former,-doubtless a man of a mild and moderate temper,-charges Peter de Bruys with atrocious exceffes, and represents him as fupporting his tenets by violence and fedition. The teftimony against the moral character of Henry is ftill more peremptory. For Bernard charges him with fcandalous impurities of practice, and refers to fuch proofs and circumstances, as might have led to a detection of the charges, if he had indeed been innocent. And it was very much by the authority of Bernard, that the credit and party of Henry were funk in the Christian world

These men, however, bore a ftriking teftimony against the predominant corruptions of the Church.

&c.

The

* Bern. p. 187, &c. Vol. I. Berington's Abelard, p. 301,

+ Du Pin's Heretics. 12 Cent. Berington. Abel. Vol. I. p. 238. Vol. II. 1139.