paring the Apocalyptic prophecies with the treatment which he himfelf received from the pope, he might have understood that the bifhop of Rome A.D. was Antichrift. For, in a bull dated 1197, Inno 1197. cent III. declared, that it was not fit, that any man fhould be invested with authority, who did not revere and obey the holy See. In another bull, addreffed to Richard, he told him, that if he opposed the execution of the decrees of the Apoftolic See, he would foon convince him, how hard it was to kick against the pricks. In another bull, he declared, that he would not endure the least contempt of himself, or of God, whofe place he held on earth, but would punith every disobedience without delay, and without refpect of perfons; and would convince the whole world, that he was determined to act like a fovereign*. The "lionhearted" Richard obeyed his decrees, and gave up his oppofition, in the caufe which he had contefted. Innocent, indeed, reigned in England with a power little lefs than defpotic. This was the pope, who confirmed the doctrine of tranfubftantiation in the groffeft fenfe, who reduced the two fucceeding princes John and Henry III. into a ftate of the lowest vaffalage to himself, and who enriched his creatures with the treasures of England, almost entirely at pleasure. * Gervas Chronicle. See Henry's 3d Vol. of Hift. of Eng. CHAP. CHAP. VII. THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL. THE HE pale of the visible Church was ftill farther extended in this century among the idolatrous nations; and, though the methods of propagating divine truth were too often unchriftian, fome miffionaries feem to have been actuated by an apoftolical fpirit. The articles under this head are only few, but will deferve the reader's attention. Boleflaus, duke of Poland, having taken Stetin the capital of Pomerania, by form, and laid waste the country with fire and fword, compelled the remaining inhabitants to fubmit at difcretion. What right he had to make war on the Pomeranians at all, and if he had a right, how far he confined himself within the bounds of juftice and humanity, are enquiries not easy to be answered, on account of the fcantinefs of our information. From fuch inaufpicious beginnings, however, Pomerania was introduced to an acquaintance with Christianity. The conqueror endeavoured, for three years, to procure paftors and teachers from. his own dominions, to inftruct his new fubjects; but could find none. He then engaged Otho, bishop of Bamberg, in the work. The duke of Pomerania met the bishop on his approach, and received him with much refpect. The favage inhabitants, however, were with difficulty prevented from murdering him. Otho was firm, and by Chriftian zeal, patience, and meekness, laboured to efface the difadvantageous impreffions, which the military executions of Boleflaus could not fail to to make on their minds. The dutchefs of Pomerania, with her female attendants, received the Gofpel. So did the duke with his companions, and he gave this evidence of fincerity, that he was prevailed on by the inftructions of Otho to difmifs his concubines, who were twenty-four in number. This miffionary was afterwards fiercely affaulted by fome of the inhabitants, and efcaped with great difficulty. But he bore the injury fo meekly, and ftill perfevered in his labours with fuch evident marks of probity and charity, that he at length A.D. established the form of Chriftianity among them. 1124. He had entered on his miffion in the year 1124, and from his fuccefs was ftiled the Apoftle of the Pomeranianst. After he had carried the Gofpel into Noim and other remote districts, he returned A.D. to the care of his own flock at Bamberg, where he died in 1139. That the work, however, was I139. very flight among this people, appeared too plainly by the event. The Pomeranians foon after ejected the Christian paftors, and re-established the idolatry of their ancestors. The inhabitants of Rugen, an ifland which lies in the neighbourhood of Pomerania, were remark. able for their obftinate oppofition to Chriftianity. Eric, king of Denmark, fubdued them, and, among other conditions of peace, impofed on them the neceffity of receiving his religion. But they foon relapfed into the idolatry of their ancestors. At length Waldemar, king of Denmark, having fubjected them again by his arms to the Danish crown, obliged them to deliver up to him their idol, called Swanterwith, an account of which we have seen in the history of the tenth century. Waldemar ordered it to be hewn in pieces, and burned. * Cent. Magd. Cent: XII. p. 16. Baronius, Cent. XII. See Magd. Cent. He He compelled the vanquished alfo to deliver to him all their facred money: he released the Chriftian captives whom they held in flavery, and converted the lands, which had been affigned to the pagan priests, to the fupport of a Chriftian miniftry. He did alfo fomething, which was of a more falutary nature and tendency, whatever were his own motives of conduct. He furnished the ignorant favages with pastors and teachers. Among thefe fhone Abfalom, archbishop of Lunden, by whofe pious labours, at length, the Gospel received an establishment in this ifland, which had fo long baffled every attempt to evangelize it. Abfalom* ought to be claffed among thofe genuine benefactors of mankind, who were willing to spend and be spent for the good of fouls. Even Jaremar, the prince of Rugen, received the Gospel with great alacrity, and not only taught his wayward fubjects by his life and example, but alfo by his useful inftructions and admonitions. Sometimes he employed menaces, but to what degree, and with what circumftances, I know not. Certain it is, that the people of Rugen from that time were in some sense, at least, evangelized. No people had ever shewn a more obftinate averfion to the doctrines of Chriftianity. Nor were the military proceedings of Eric and Waldemar calculated to foften their animofity. In this article, however, as in the last, the characters of the miffionaries ought to be distinguished from those of the princes; for, in the accounts of both the miffionaries there appears very good evidence of a genuine propagation of godlinefs. These A.D. events in Rugen took place about the year 1168. 1168. When I distinguish the character of the princes, from Mofheim, XII. Cent. 351. Cent. Magd. XII. Cent. 13. + Butler, Vol. X. from that of the miffionaries, I am by no means certain, that the conduct of the former was unjuftifiable. The people of Rugen were a band of pirates and robbers; and it is not improbable, but that the right of felf-prefervation might authorize the Danish expeditions. The Finlanders were of the fame character with the people of Rugen, and infefted Sweden with their incurfions. Eric, king of the last mentioned country, vanquished them in war, and is faid to have wept, becaufe his enemies died unbaptized. As foon as he was mafter of Finland, he fent Henry, bishop of Upfal, to evangelize the barbarians. The fuccefs of the miffionary was great, and he is called the apoftle of the Finlanders, though he was murdered at length by fome of the refractory people. How far the cenfure of Mofheim, on his feverity to them, may be well founded, I cannot decide. The man seems, however, to have been pious and to have had good intentions. The laudable conduct of his fovereign alfo deferves to be celebrated. Eric was excellent both as a Chriftian and a king, His piety provoked the derifion of fome impious malcontents, by whom he was attacked, while employed in publick worship. The remainder of the feftival, faid he, I fhall observe elsewhere. It was the feast of the Afcenfion, which he was celebrating. He went out alone to meet the murderers, that he might prevent the effufion of blood, and he A.D. died recommending his foul to God. He was flain 1151. in 1511; and his tomb ftill remains, at Upfal, un defaced. It may be proper to add, that Henry was an Englishman, who had taken confiderable pains among the barbarous nations, before the period of his labours in Finland, and that he was ftoned to death at the inftigation of a murderer, whom * Mosheim, Cent. XII. 552. Butler, Vol. V. |