CLOVIS, the king of the Franks who had

fixed their refidence in Gaul, had embraced the Christian faith, A. D. 496. Hence a more willing ear was lent in the beginning of the next century by his fubjects to the preaching of Remigius: and numerous converts profeffed the Gofpel. Converts multiplied alfo among the Heruli, the Alani, and other barbarous nations of the Weft: and in the Eaft among the Abafgi, who bordered on Mount Caucafus. It is however to be, feared that many of the new Chriftians were imperfectly acquainted with the doctrines, and still more imperfectly with the spirit, of the religion which they adopted. And

Ethelbert,

the converfion of vaft numbers of Jews in France, Spain, and Libya, appears to have been effected rather by menaces and violence than by the influence of fair argument on the understanding. Columbas, an Irish monk, paffing as a miffionary into Scotland, laboured among the natives with fuccefs. In England alfo the foundations of the true faith were laid afresh. monarch of Kent, the moft powerful of the cotemporary Saxon princes, was gradually difpofed towards Christianity by his queen Bertha, the daughter of Cherebert, king of Paris. At this period, A. D. 596, the Roman pontiff Gregory, furnamed the Great, fent Augustine, at the head of forty Benedictine monks, to preach the Gofpel. The king and the greater part of his fubjects were baptifed; and Auguftine became the first archbishop of Canterbury. In other parts of the island the idolatrous Saxons continued to exercise unrelenting cruelties against the antient inhabitants, who retained the Christian faith. In Italy the kingdom

of

of the Oftrogoths was deftroyed, A.D. 566, by Narfes, the general of the Eastern emperor Juftinian and Rome, transformed into a dukedom, and degraded from the rank of a capital, was fubjected to the lieutenant of that monarch, who refided with the title of exarch at Ravenna. Two years afterwards a new revolution, terrible to the Christians, fupervened. A Pagan

army of Lombards rushing from Pannonia, overwhelmed Italy: and, with the exception of Rome and Ravenna, having maftered the whole country, and established their kingdom at Ticinum, grievously afflicted the followers of the Gospel. In a fhort time, however, they embraced the religion which they had oppreffed. Autharis, their third monarch, adopted A. D. 587, the tenets of Arianifm: and his fucceffor acknowledged the Nicene faith. During the course of these transactions Perfia upheld its established character for cruelty to the Christian name. Chofroes, its monarch, denouncing vengeance not only

against

against the perfon but against the God of Juftinian, flaughtered the Chriftians with every aggravation of torture, which inhumanity and impiety could furnish.

Not many new controverfies of moment broke forth in this century. Of the old fects, Arianifm, after a fhort triumph, received a blow, from which it never was able to recover, by the expulfion of the Italian Goths and the African Vandals before the arms of Juftinian; and by the defection of Reccared, a Spanish fovereign, and of other princes. The Donatists also, having loft the protection of the Vandals, finally dwindled, after a concluding effort, into oblivion. But the advantage which the church gained in thefe refpects was balanced by the ftill encreafing prevalence of ignorance and fuperftition. In the Weft, the little learning which remained was confined within the walls of the monafteries. It was by the protection of those walls that the manufcripts of the claffical authors, though neglected, were preferved; and

have defcended with the facred records of antiquity to a happier age. The tranquillity and the taste of the Eastern empire were rather more favourable to science and literature; yet were unequal to the prevention of their decline. Additional rites, no less trivial than cumbrous, and ufages fitted only to lead men from looking for falvation through a life of Christian holinefs, disfigured and tended to explode true religion both in Europe and in Afia. The honour due unto God was transferred more and more to faints. An opinion was induftriously circulated by a corrupted and avaricious priesthood, that the forgiveness of fins was to be purchased by liberality to monafteries and convents, which multiplied daily and that the irresistible interceffion of departed faints would be exerted for the man, who had enriched the temples dedicated to their memory. After ftating this fact, it is almost needless to add that vice rapidly encreased among the clergy as well as among the laity. The bishops of Rome

and