which proceeded from Mary, who ought, therefore, to be called the mother of God. His adherents were called Eutycheans. Both were successively condemned by general councils. The Theopaschites were furious in maintaining that all the three persons in the Godhead suffered on the cross. The Monophasites, that the divine nature absorbed the human. The Corrupticola looked upon the body of Christ as corruptible; and the Agnotæ, upon the human nature of Christ as knowing all things. The Donatists increased and became powerful amid violent persecutions in Africa. The Manicheans also continued to disperse in the East, their wild opinions of two original principles, good and evil.

Before the close of the sixth century, the world was at ease, and superstition had made most rapid strides. The great mass of ministers were excessively ignorant, and led away themselves by the strangest phantasies, did little but delude and destroy the people. A thousand rites were performed; each one of which was supposed to have some wonderful power. A thousand relics were produced, whose touch, it was said, could heal the body and the mind. The most marvellous feats, called miracles, were performed. The most superstitious services were rendered to departed souls. Images of saints were worshipped, under the belief, that such worship drew down their propitious presence. Tombs and grave-yards were viewed as the places most frequented by departed spirits, and were the general rendezvous of the ignorant. The doctrine of purgatory, or the purification of souls by fire, beyond the grave, had gained strong hold of the minds of the multitude. Some starved themselves with a frantic obstinacy. Some, possessed of a superstitious phrenzy, erected high pillars and stood on them for many years. The leader of this debased class of men, was one Simeon, a Syrian, who, to climb as near to heaven as he could, passed thirty-seven years of his life upon five pillars, of six, twelve, twenty-two, thirty-six, and forty cubits high; attracting the admiration of the world around him. Such things are disgusting to the rational and pious mind. It is a subject of gratitude, that religion is not answerable for them. the love of God and men, holiness of heart and life; not the superstitious veneration of a bone, or standing upon stilts a spectacle of folly. These things belong properly to the history of the age, to the history of the kingdom of darkness, and not of the Church of Christ. Let those who will, stumble over them, and fall into a like fatal whirlpool, the whirlpool of infidelity. "Wisdom is jus tified of her children.'

Religion is

Such reflections will be more needed as we advance; for a period of Egyptian darkness is before us.

CHAPTER VII.

Monachism. Its rise and progress. Its rise and progress. Reflections on its odious character. Mahometanism. Appearance of Mahomet in Arabia. His religion Extension of the Saracen Empire. Destruction of the Eastern churches. Present extent of Maho

metanism.

IN the seventh century, two immense powers, the Mahometan and the Papal, arose, which laid the East and the West in melancholy desolation.

Before we enter upon their history, we will take a view of мoNACHISM, which had already, for two centuries, prevailed in the earth.

At an early period, the simplicity of the Gospel was, in various ways, materially injured by an amalgamation with the philosophy of the age. It was one principle of that philosophy, that "for the attainment of true felicity, and communion with God, it was necessary that the soul should be abstracted from the body here below, and that the body should be macerated and mortified for this purpose." This was a principle which many, especially, who had once been heathen, were ready to engraft on the Gospel; and a considerable number of both sexes, were to be found even in the third century, giving themselves up to austerities and solitude, and a perpetual contemplation of spiritual objects. A practice which thus probably commenced with pious people, who were actuated by good motives, was soon perverted to the most abominable superstition and wickedness.

One Antony, a youth of Alexandria, on entering a church, and hearing our Lord's words to a young ruler, "Sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor," resolved, literally, to observe the direction, and to set an example of self-denial, such as the world had never before seen. He parted with all he had, retired into the desert, and practised, through a long life, the greatest possible austerities. His fame spread throughout the world. Great numbers resorted to see him and hear his conversation. Multitudes followed his example, that if the "wilderness, and the solitary place" were not glad for them, they were, at least, to a surprising extent, filled with them. Many of those, who thus secluded themselves from the world, Antony formed into a regular community; inducing them to live together, and

prescribing rules for their observance. Thus originated the first regular monastic order. Antony died A. D. 356, at the extreme age of 105. During his life, he manifested much zeal for the truths of the Gospel, and was particularly honoured with the friendship of Athanasius, who wrote his life. His property at his death consisted of one old garment, given him by Athanasius, two sheep-skins and a sackcloth.

His chief disciple, Hilarion, introduced his monastic regulations into Palestine and Syria. Others, actuated with a zeal, which, had it been properly directed, might have given salvation to the world, carried them into other countries, so that, in a little time, Europe and Africa and Asia were "filled with a lazy set of mortals, who, abandoning all human connexions, advantages, pleasures and concerns, wore out a languishing and miserable life, amidst the hardships of want and various kinds of suffering, in order, as they pretended, to arrive at a more close and rapturous communion with God and angels."

As some followed the instructions, and others the example of Antony, the monks were at first of two kinds, called the Canobites and the Eremites. The former associated together in one building, under a spiritual father The latter lived like Antony, alone, in the wildest deserts, often without habitation or clothing, or much sustenance, besides the roots and herbs which nature afforded.

In no part of the world was monachism carried to such extravagant lengths as in the burning regions of the east. In Europe, the monks were at first laymen of respectable standing, who only united themselves to some order bearing the name, rather than the thing; many of them were the most learned and respectable men in society; but in the east, multitudes gave themselves up to the wildest phrenzy-living more like savage animals than rational

men.

The increase of the monks in succeeding centuries, their austerities, superstitions and frauds almost exceed rational belief. In the east, whole armies might have been raised from among them, without apparently diminishing their number. St. Martin, who founded the first monasteries in Gaul, was followed to his grave by no less than 2000 monks. Parents early devoted their sons and daughters to perpetual celibacy in the gloomy re cesses of a cloister, thinking it the highest possible felicity to which they could raise them. Multitudes, who did not join them, consecrated to them their wealth, that they might have the prayers and intercession of these holy men; dying tyrants and debauchees gave them princely fortunes to quiet their own

PERIOD III consciences, by which means the monastic orders became possessed of immense treasures.

Every age teemed with new orders formed by some adventurous leader, who had the boldness and ingenuity to devise some new regulations. In England, where monachism had been introduced by Augustine and his companions, an abbot named Congall, induced an incredible number of people to abandon all the duties and pleasures of social life, and live in entire solitude, under rules of his devising. His disciples spread over Ireland, Gaul and Germany, and covered the land with swarms of the most lazy drones.

The vices and extravagances of the monks, which began to be past all endurance, led Benedict of Nursia, a man of piety and intelligence, to institute in the year 529, a rule of discipline, by which monks should be more orderly and regular, subject to few austerities, and more useful to society, especially in educating youth. This discipline was exceedingly popular, and the Benedictine order soon swallowed up all others. It was patronised by the Roman pontiffs, and was endowed with immense riches by the opulent; but luxury, intemperance and sloth soon reigned in the convents of Benedict, and his humble saints were the prime leaders in all the political factions which distracted Europe.

By the rules of their founders, every order was devoted to reading. Hence, libraries were formed in every monastery, and in these, fortunately, the ancient authors, sacred and profane, were carefully preserved through that awful period, when the interests of literature were laid waste throughout Europe, by the barbarous incursions of the northern nations.

In the eighth and ninth centuries, the monks were held in the most astonishing veneration. Immense sums of money were devoted to building convents throughout Christendom. Kings and dukes and nobles descended from their high stations in society, and shut themselves up in these convents for communion with God. And in return, monks and abbots were taken from cloisters, and placed at the head of states and armies; under the pretence that none were so fit to govern men as those who had subdued their own appetites and passions, and were the peculiar favourites of heaven. But as they increased in power, they sunk in ignorance, licentiousness and debauchery, and were torn by dissensions and jealousies, and the most bitter ani

tenth century arose in France, a set of reformers called
or congregation of Clugni; who were, for a season
throughout Europe for their sanctity and virtue.

Their discipline was received by almost all monasteries, new and old, which gave them a vast spiritual dominion; but no sooner had they reached the summit of worldly prosperity, than they sunk under their own licentiousness, which had become equal to that of any preceding order.

In the eleventh century arose in Burgundy, the congregation of Cistertians; which for a time, gave rule to all the monastic orders. The famous order of the Carthusians also commenced their existence about this period. Their institution was melancholy, and, especially in relation to female devotees, savage in the extreme.

In the twelfth century flourished Bernard, an Abbot of much learning and eloquence. He died 1153, leaving 160 monasteries of his order. Abelard was his opponent; a man too of much learning. He died 1143.

The thirteenth century formed a new era in the history of Monachism. The monastic institutions were rolling in wealth. They were uncontrollable by any power. They had lost sight of all religious obligation and were sunk in luxurious indolence. To break up these immense establishments, Innocent III, the Roman pontiff, instituted an order, which should look down with contempt upon wealth, hold no possessions, and subsist wholly on charity. This was called the Mendicant order or begging friars; and, patronized by him, it immediately grew to such an enormous size. that Europe could scarce sustain the burden.

About 1260, arose the Flagellantes, or Whippers, a fanatical multitude of both sexes, and all ranks and ages, who encouraged by these mendicant orders, ran through cities and villages with whips in their hands, lashing their naked bodies, to appease the deity, and strange as it may appear to us, were greatly revered.

In the year 1272, Gregory reduced the extravagant multitude of mendicants to four societies, viz: the Dominicans, and Franciscans, the Carmelites, or followers of the prophet Elijah, and the hermits of St. Augustin. The head of the first was Dominic, a Spaniard, austere, violent, overbearing, unfeeling, who greatly distinguished himself by an impetuous attack upon the opposers of the papacy in France. With him originated the inquisition. The head of the second was Francis, a man who had led a most dissolute life, but became suddenly very devout, and instituted an order which should, if possible, exceed all others in absolute poverty. The other two were old establishments, and were never of much note compared with the Dominicans and Franciscans.

These orders of mendicants were suffered to travel wherever