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Præconem in medio clamantem audire.

"Huc accedite, quotquot pravitatem profitemini, dedecus hominum,

Helluones, elatæ cervices, impudentes, superbi,
Meri potores, errones, contumeliosi, mollibus vestiti,
Mendaces, petulantes, citò falsum jurantes,

Populi voratores, in alienas possessiones rapaces
Injicientes manus, invidi, dolosi, infidi,

Adulatores potentium demissi, demissisque leones,
Ambigui, volubilis temporis mancipia,
Polypi in fabulis celebrati propter colorem,

Recens matrimonio juncti, ferventes, adhuc lanuginem ferentes,

Funes certè naturalis ignis, in oculis flagrantes
Tenebroso amore, cùm apertum fugeritis,

Ignari coelestium, recens illuminati, fuliginosi,
Cum spiritu coruscante concurrente malitiâ.

Hùc accedite confidentes, latum omnibus paratum est solium.

Gregory complains that he has to contend with heretical and wicked Pastors.

Ibidem.-line 141.

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Ποιμεσι μαιναμενος δημὸν χρονον. Εκ μελεων δε
Ρικνων επτατο θυμος, αναπνείω δ' ολιγον τι
Τειρομενος καματοισι, και αισχεσιν ημετέροισιν.
Ω, οι μεν θωκων ιερων περι δηριν έχοντες,
Αντια κυμαινοντες, επασσυτεροισι κακοισι
Βαλλομενοι, βαλλοντες, ατειρεες εισι μαχηται,
Ειρηνην βοοωντες, εφ' αιμασι κυδιόωντες,
Ως οφελον Γετθαιαν αναπλήσαιεν αντην,
Ενδικον εδρηεσσαν, εφ' εδρη τισιν εχοντες.
Οι δ' αρα τοις εκατερθε μεριζόμενοι, κλονεουσιν
Αντολίην τε δυσιν τε, Θεος δ' ες σαρκας εληξεν,
Ων απο μαρναμενων και ουνομα και μοθος άλλοις.
Παυλος εμος, Πετρος τε τεος, κείνου δε τ ̓ Απολλως
Εισι θεοι, Χριστος δε ματην ηλοισι πεπαρται.
Ου γαρ απο Χριστοιο καλεύμεθα, εκ μεροπων δε,
Κείνου και χειρεσσι και αιματι κύδος έχοντες,
Τόσσος έρως φαεεσσιν επηχλυσεν ημετέροισιν.
Η δοξης κενεης, η κτησιος, η φθονος αινος,
Τηδεκανος, κακοχαρτος, εναισιμον αλγος εχουσι!

Και προφασις Τριας εστι, το δ' ατρεκες, εχθος απιστον.
Διπλοος εστιν εκαστος, οις λυκον αμφικαλύπτων,
Και χαλκος λοχόων πικρην νεποδεσσιν εδωδην.
Τοια μεν ηγητηρες. Ο δε εσπεται εγγυθι λαος
Προφρονες ες κακιην, και ηγητηρος ανευθεν.
Ουδε τις εστ' αγαθοιο διακρισις, ουδε κακοιο.
Ου πινυτης πολιης, ουκ αφραδεος νεότητος,
Ου μογερου βιοτοιο θεουδεος, ου μαλακοιο.
Εις νομος εστι, κακιστον εχειν πλεον Ως απολοιτο
Κεινος ανήρ, ος πρωτος ανήγαγεν ενθαδ' αλιτρους.
Lassatus sum cum lupis gregem vastantibus,
Pastoribus diù decertans. E membris autem
Curvis evolavit animus, et paululùm respiro
Fractus laboribus et probris nostris.
Quorum alii de sacris thronis litigantes,
Invicem invadentes, continuis malis

Percussi et percutientes, indomiti sunt pugnatores,
Pacem clamitantes, de sanguine superbientes.
Utinam Gethæorum morbum, justum et sedi insitum,
Experiantur, in sede pœnas luentes.

Alii verò inter utrosque divisi commovent

Orientem et Occidentem, Deusque in carnes* desiit,
A quibus pugnantibus et nomen et bellum aliis :
Mihi Paulus; tibi verò Petrus; isti Apollo

Dii sunt. Christus autem frustrà clavis transfixus est Non enim a Christo nomen habemus, sed ab hominibus, Quum illius manibus et sanguine hanc gloriam habeamus. Adeò amor oculos obnubilavit nostros

Aut vanæ gloriæ, aut possessionum, aut vehemens invidia, Tabefaciens, malis gaudens, justus dolor his qui hoc vitio laborant!

Prætextus Trinitas est: reverâ autem odium implacabile.
Duplex quisque est, ovis lupum cooperiens,

Et æs piscibus funestam ex insidiis objiciens escam.
Talia quidem duces: populus autem propè sequitur,
Qui libens in vitium fertur; etiam sine ductore :
Nec ullem probri discrimen et improbi,
Prudentis canitiei, et insipientis juventutis,
Non vitæ ad exemplum Dei laboriosæ, nec mollis;
Una lex est, ut pessimus plus habeat. Pereat
Ille vir qui primus sceleratos hùc introduxit.

* In homines, Gen, vi. 3.

FANATICISM OF THE FOURTH CENTURY.

St. Gregory's account of the Monks.

S. Gregorii Theologi Carmina. Secto 2. Tom. ii. p. 999.(Bened. Edit. Parisiis, 1840.)

Προς Ελληνιον περι των μοναχων προτρεπτικόν.
Ων οι μεν σπηλυγξιν ερημαιαις τε χαμεύναις
Τερπονται σχεδιοις, και στυγεουσι δόμους.
Και πτολιων φευγουσι ομηγυριν, ουρανίης δε
Στεργουσιν σοφίης συγγονον ατρεμιην.
Οι δε σιδηρείησην αλυκτοπεδαις μογέουσι,
Τήκοντες κακιην συν χοι τηκομένω.
Αλλοι δ' αν θηρεσσιν ομοιοι δωμασι τυτθοις
Ειρχθεντες, βροτέης ουδ' οπος ηντιασαν.
Εικοσι δ' αυ νυκτας τε και ηματα μιμνον απαστοι
Πολλακι, της Χριστου ημισυ καρτερίης.
Αυχησω Ποιμνης τις εμης οις ηεν εκείνων
Ενθεν αφορμηθεις αστεος εξ ολίγου.
Και γλωσσαν τις εδησε λαλον, και χειλεα σιγη,

Εκ δε νοου, μεγαλω αινον έθυσε νοω.
Και που τις λυκαβαντας ολους ιερω ενι χωρω
Εστηως, καθαρας εξεπέτασσε χερας.

Ουδ' ογ' επι βλεφαροισιν υπνον βαλε, θαμβος απιστον !
Αλλ' επαγη Χριστω, εμνοος ωστε λιθος.
Τω δε κοραξ γειτων τυτθης εμερίζετο δαιτος
Λειψανον εις δ' αρ' εην αμφοτεροις ακολος
Και τις ανηρ θείοιο κατ' ουρεος, ενθεν αερθη

Χριστος, οτ' ανθρωπους λειψε παθος τέλεσας,
Ενθα λογω τε, νοω τε, και αψεσιν αστυφέλικτος,
Εστηως νιφετω βαλλετο και ανεμοις.
Ουδ' υποεικε λιτησι περισταδόν αλλοθεν αλλων
Ανδρων ευσεβεων αμφις ελισσομενων,
Αλλ' εχετο κρατερως Χριστου μεγαλοιο ανακτος
Ενθεν αναστησας ου νοον εκ μερόπων,

Μεσφ' οτ' αποψυχοντι δομον νεον αμφις έθηκαν,
Ουδ' εμπαζομενω κηδόμενος παλαμης.
Α, φρικος ηλθεν εμοιγε.
κ, τ. λ. *

When we perceive Gregory Nazianzen thus commending this awful fanaticism, and call to mind Chrysostom's living for two years in a cave without lying down, and his encouraging the solitary life on rocks and mountains, and when we contemplate the fanaticism of Jerome, and recollect that St. Anthony and his army of fanatics peopled the deserts in the fourth century, and that the celebrated Athanasius wrote the life of St.

Ad Hellenium pro

Sectio II.

Monachis exhortatorium.

55 Horum alii speluncis et lectis humi in deserto
Sponte paratis delectantur, ac domos oderunt,
Ac urbium cætus fugiunt, cælestisque amant
Cognatam sapientiæ tranquillitatem.

Alii ferreis compedibus sese excruciant,

Vitium debilitantes, dum caro debilitatur.

Alii instar ferarum exiguis tectis

Inclusi, ne humanis quidem oculis occurrunt.
Sæpe autem viginti noctes et dies jejuni

Mandant, quod Christi abstinentiæ dimidium est.
Gloriabor; ex his quidam fuit gregis mei ovis,
Hinc oriundus ex oppido exiguo.

Est qui linguam loquacem et labia silentio vinciat
Ac mente solâ magnæ menti laudes immolet.
Est qui totos annos in loco sacro

Stans, puras extendat manus:

Is nec palpebris somnum concessit; miraculum incredibile!
Sed Christo defixus est, quasi vivens lapis.
Cum isto vicinus corvus exiguæ partiebatur dapis
Reliquias, unumque erat utrisque frustum

Atque etiam in sacro monte, unde evectus est
Christus, cùm homines reliquit passione expletâ,
Vir sermone, et mente, et membris immobilis
Stans, nivibus jactabatur et ventis.

Nec cessit precibus virorum piorum

Qui eum undique circumstantes amplectebantur:
Sed fortiter Christo inhærebat magno regi,

Mentem suam procul a mortalibus attollens:

Donec, eo animam afflante, novam sedem circumstruxerunt,
Cùm jam officiosum manum non sentiret.

Ah horresco.

Anthony; and when we also find that hundreds of the bishops of this age were Arians and Donatists, and when we read the description which has been given by Gregory Nazianzen of the pride and want of spirituality in many of the rest of the bishops, we cannot but feel persuaded that truly Apostolical Bishops and Christians in those days were "rari nantes in gurgite vasto," and were greatly outnumbered by the worldly, the heretical, the fanatical, and the superstitious; the last mentioned being supported by the acrimonious advocacy of the abusive Jerome. For an account of the superstitions of the fourth century consult "Gilly's Life of Vigilantius," a work which ought to find a place in every Protestant library.

Jerome's Fanaticism, and its impotence in expelling evil desires.

Hieronymus ad Eustochium de Custodia Virginitatis. Epistola xxii. Tom. i. p. 172.-(Diligentiâ et labore Mariani Victorii Reatini, Episcopi Amerini. Parisiis, 1602.)

Quia enim impossibile est in sensum hominis non irruere innatum medullarum calorem, ille laudatur, ille prædicatur beatus, qui ut cœperit cogitare sordida, statim interficit cogitatus, et allidit ad petram: petra autem Christus est. O quoties ego ipse in eremo constitutus, et in illa vasta solitudine, quæ exusta solis ardoribus horridum monachis præstat habitaculum, putabam me Romanis interesse deliciis. Sedebum solus, quia amaritudine repletus eram. Horrebant sacco membra deformia, et squalida cutis situm Æthiopica carnis obduxerat. Quotidie lacrymæ, quotidiè gemitus, et si, quando repugnantem somnus imminens oppressisset, nuda humo vix ossa hærentia collidebam; de cibis verò et potu taceo, cùm etiam languentes monachi aqua frigida utantur, et coctum aliquid recepisse, luxuria sit. Ille igitur ego, qui ob gehennæ metum tali me carcere ipse damnaveram, scorpionum tantum socios, et ferarum, sæpe choris intereram puellarum, pallebant ora jejuniis, et mens desideriis æstuabat in frigido corpore, et ante hominem sua jam carne præmortuum, sola libidinum incendia bulliebant. Itaque omni auxilio destitutus, ad Jesu jacebam pedes, rigabam lacrymis, crine tergebam, et repugnantem carnem hebdomadarum inedia subjugabam. Non erubesco confiteri infelicitatis meæ miseriam: quin potius pango me non esse quod fuerim. Memini me clamantem diem crebrò junxisse cum nocte, nec prius a pectoris cessasse verberibus, quam rediret, Domino

*The Holy Spirit only can purify the heart, and change its evil nature, "If ye by the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh," &c. Rom. viii. Chains, tortures, &c. may agonize and weaken the body, but they cannot purify the heart. A chained tiger is still a tiger; a starved sow will return to her vomit, or long for it. If a tiger be transformed into a lamb a cage is no longer necessary for him; if the sow be changed into a clean animal it may have freedom of pasture without danger of its defilement. Man cannot by his own devices change his nature, or mortify its evil desires. "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature," 2 Cor. v. 17. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his," Rom. viii. 9. It is the prerogative of the Holy Ghost to create the heart anew. Jerome begins by stating that the true way is to look to Christ, and then, with marvellous inconsistency, he counsels a solitary life.

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