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ανεπιστημοσι, και ανευλαβεσιν copis, presbyteris, vel diaconis επισκόποις η πρεσβυτέροις η

διακονοις.—Ρ. 442.

tradunt.

Eusebii Historiæ Ecclesiasticæ. Lib. vii. c. 1. (Coloniæ Allobrogum. CIO IOC XII.)

Ως δε εκ της επιπλειον ελευθεριας επι χαυνότητα και νωθριαν τα καθ' ημας μετηλλαττετο, αλλων αλλοις διαφθονουμενων και διαλοιδορουμένων, και μονονουχι ημων αυτών εαυτοις προς πολεμούντων οπλοις, ει ουτω τυχοι και δορασι τοις δια λογων, αρχοντων τε αρχουσι προσρηγνύντων, και λαων επι λαους καταστασιαζοντων. της τε υποκρίσεως αφατου και της ειρωνείας. επιπλειστον οσον κακιας προιούσης, η μεν δη θεια κρισις οια φιλον αυτη πεφεισμενος των αθροισματων

ετι

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Verùm cùm nos præ nimiâ quadam licentia in molitiem delicatam et dissolutam segnitiem essemus prolapsi, cumque alii aliis invidere, maladictis insectari, et prope nos ipsi inter nos petulantibus linguis tanquam mutuis armis oppugnare, et casu aliquando verborum contumelias vel hastas, unus in alium, intorquere, et præsides (ecclesiarum alter alterius vires infringere, et populos in populum seditionem concitare inciperent; cùmque ficta et adumbrata sanctitatis species, quæ oratione nequit exprimi, et simulatio fronte occultata ad immensam quandam pravitatem serpsisset; divina ultio, dum permagna adhuc Christianorum ubique versabatur frequentia, parcius, aliquando remissius et moderatius, ut solet, primo persecutione ex fratribus, qui militiam exercebant, inchoatâ, cœpit in nos animadvertare..

C. Cypriani de lapsis, p. 123. (S. Cæcilii Cypriani opera. Oxonii.)

Habenda tamen est, fratres dilectissimi ratio veritatis, nec sic mentem debet et sensum persecutionis infestæ tenebrosa

caligo cæcasse, ut nihil remanserit lucis et luminis, unde divina præcepta perspici possunt. Si cladis causa cognoscitur, et medela vulneris invenitur. Dominus probari familiam suam voluit, et quia traditam nobis divinitus disciplinam pax longa corruperat, jacentem fidem et pene dixerim dormientem, censura cœlestis evexit: cùmque nos peccatis nostris amplus pati mereremur, clementissimus Dominus sic cuncta moderatus est, ut hoc omne quod gestum est, exploratio potius quàm investigatio videretur. Studebant augendo patrimonio singuli; et obliti quid credentes aut sub Apostolis ante fecissent, aut semper facere deberent, insatiabili cupiditatis ardore ampliandis facultatibus incubabant. Non in sacerdotibus religio devota, non in ministris fides integra, non in operibus misericordia, non in moribus disciplina. Corrupta barba in viris ; in fœminis forma fucata. Adulterati post Dei manus oculi, capilli mendacio coloratis. decipienda corda fidelium callidæ fraudes, circumveniendis fratribus subdolæ voluntates. Jungere cum infidelibus vinculum matrimonii, prostituere gentilibus membra Christi; non jurare tantum temerè, sed adhuc etiam pejerare: præpositos superbo tumore contemnere, venenato sibi ore maledicere, odiis pertinacibus invicem dissidere: Episcopi plurimi, quos et hortamento esse oportet cæteris et exemplo, divina procuratione contempta, procuratores rerum sæcularium fieri, derelicta cathedra, plebe deserta, per alienas provincias oberrantes, negotionis quæstuosæ nundinas aucupari. Esurientibus in ecclesia fratribus non subvenire, habere argentum largiter velle, &c. Quid non perpeti tales pro peccatis ejusmodi mereremur?

Ad

THE CORRUPTION OF THE VISIBLE CHURCH IN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH CENTURIES.

Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History. (Cent. iv. c. 3.)

Those vain fictious which an attachment to the Platonic philosophy, and to popular opinions, had engaged the greater part of the Christian doctors to adopt before the time of Constantine, were now confirmed, enlarged, and embellished in various ways. Hence arose that extravagant veneration for departed saints, and those absurd notions of a certain fire, destined to purify separate souls, that now prevailed,

and of which the public marks were everywhere to be seen. Hence, also, the celibacy of priests, the worship of images and relics, which, in process of time, almost utterly destroyed the Christian religion, or, at least, eclipsed its lustre, and corrupted its very essence in the most deplorable manner.

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An enormous train of different superstitions were gradually substituted in the place of true religion and genuine piety. This odious revolution was owing to a variety of causes. ridiculous precipitation in receiving new opinions, a preposterous desire of imitating the Pagan rites, and of blending them with the Christian worship, and that idle propensity which the generality of mankind have towards a gaudy and ostentatious religion, contributed to establish the reign of superstition upon the ruins of Christianity. Accordingly, frequent pilgrimages were undertaken to Palestine, and to the tombs of the martyrs, as if there alone the sacred principles of virtue, and the certain hope of salvation, were to be acquired. The reins being once let loose to superstition, which knows no bounds, absurd notions and idle ceremonies multiplied every day. Quantities of dust and earth, brought from Palestine and other places, remarkable for their supposed sanctity, were handed about as the most powerful remedies against the violence of the wicked spirits, and were sold and bought everywhere at enormous prices. The public processions and supplications by which the Pagans endeavoured to appease their gods, were now adopted into the Christian worship, and celebrated with great pomp and magnificence in several places. The virtues that had formerly been ascribed to the heathen temples, to their lustrations, to the statues of their gods and heroes, were now attributed to Christian churches, to water consecrated by certain forms of prayer, and to the images of holy men. And the same privileges that the former enjoyed under the darkness of Paganism, were conferred upon the latter under the light of the gospel, or rather under that cloud of superstition that was obscuring its glory. It is true that, as yet, images were not very common, nor were there any statues at all. But it is, at the same time, as undoubtedly certain, as it is extravagant and monstrous, that the worship of the martyrs was modelled by degrees according to the religious services that were paid to the gods before the coming of Christ.

S. Gregorii Theologi. Oratio vigesima prima. xxiv. Tom. 1. p. 400.-(S. P. Gregorii Theologi, vulgo Nazianzeni, archiepiscopi Constantinopolitani opera omnia, operâ et studio monachorum ordinis S. Benedicti e congregatione S. Mauri. Parisiis. 1778.)

Τω γαρ οντι ποιμενες ηφρονευσαντο, κατα το γεγραμμενον, και ποιμενες πολλοι διεφθειραν τον αμπελωνα μου, ησχυναν μεριδα επιθυμητην, την εκκλησίαν του Θεου λεγω, πολλοις ιδρωσι και σφαγιοις συνειλεγμενην, τοις προ Χριστου τε και μετα Χριστον, και αυτοις τοις μεγαλοις του Θεου περι ημων παθεσι Πλην γαρ ολιγων αγαν, και τουτων οσοι δια σμικροτητα παρερρίφησαν, η δια αρετην αντεβησαν, ους εδει σπερμα και ριζαν υπολειφθηναι τω Ισραηλ, ίνα αναθαλη παλιν, και αναβιωση ταις επιρροιαις του Πνεύματος, παντες καιρου γεγονασι· Τοσουτον αλληλων διενεγκοντες οσον τους μεν πρότερον, τους δε υστερον τουτο παθειν και τους μεν προαγωνιστας και προστατας

του

γενεσθαι της ασεβειας, τους δε ταχθηναι τα δευτερα, η φοβω κατασεισθεντας, η χρεια ́δουλωθεντας, η κολακεια δελεασθεντας, η άγνοια κλαπέντας, το μετριωτατον.

XXIV. Nam proculdubiò stultè egerunt pastores, ut cum Scriptura loquar, et Pastores multi vineam meam pervastaverunt ac desiderabilem partem, hoc est, Dei Ecclesiam, multis sudoribus, et victimis, tam ante Christum quàm post Christum cæsis, ac denique magnis ipsius Dei pro salute nostra cruciatibus collectam, probro ac dedecere affecerunt. Nam si perpaucos exceperis, qui, vel ob nominis obscuritatem contemptui habiti fuerunt, vel ob virtutem restiterunt, quos Israeli seminis et radicis loco relinqui oportebat, ut, per Spiritus influxiones, rursum efloresceret, atque ad vitam revocaretur, omnes tempori obsecuti sunt : hoc tantùm inter eos discriminis fuit, quod alii citius, alii serius in eam fraudem inciderunt; atque, alii quidem impietatis duces antistitesque se præbuerunt, alii autem in secundo ordine locati sunt, nempe vel timore perculsi, vel quæstu atque utilitate subacti, vel blanditiis inescati, vel denique ignorantiâ circumventi ac circumscripti, quod omnium levissimum est.

Oratio vigesima quinta.
The Arian Heresy.

Άρειος, ο καλως

μετα της μανιας ονομαζομενος. ουτος απο της Αλεξανδρεων αρξαμενος πολεως, κακει To δεινον εκμελετησας, επειτα ωσπερ τις αγρια φλοξ, απο μικρου του σπινθηρος το πολυ της οικομενης επιδραμων, υπο των πατέρων ημων καταλυεται, και του ευσεβους αριθμου του τοτε καταλαβοντος την Νικαιαν, και εισω περιγραπτων όρων τε και ρηματων την θεολογιαν στησαντος.

Παλιν πονηρα βασιλεια, και παλιν αναζη το κακον, και

ωσπερ τα ύπουλα των τραυμα

των αναστομονται και αναρρηγ

νυται. και λυκοι βαρεις, άλλος αλλοθεν διαλαβοντες ημας, την Εκκλησιαν σπαραττουσιν. Ιερεις τε κατα ιερεων εξοπλισ θεντες, και δημοι δημοις επιμανέντες" και βασιλευς ασεβεια διδους παρρησίαν, και κατα της ορθης δοξης νομοθετων.

Arius, a furore pulchrè nomen habens. Hic cum ab Alexandrina civitate initium duxisset, illicque pestiferum dogma in se concepisset, ac deinde, immitis cujusdam et rapidæ flammæ instar, ab exigua scintilla

magnam orbis terrarum partem percurrisset, tandem a Patribus nostris, pioque illo numero, qui tum Nicæam se contulit, certisque finibus ac verbis divinitatis doctrinam circumscripsit, oppressus et extinctus est.

IX. Rursus malum imperium, et rursus malum reviviscit, ac, velut subputridum malèque obductum vulnus, aperitur et erumpit: gravesque lupi, alii aliunde nos intercipientes, ecclesiam discerpunt.-Armantur Sacerdotes adversus Sacerdotes; plebs adversus plebem furibundo impetu fertur; Imperator* ipse impietati auctoritatem præbet, atque adversus orthodoxum doctrinam leges instituit.

Oratio quadragesima

Τι δ' αλλα δει λεγειν ; αλλα πως οισω τον ιερον τουτον πολεμον ; λεγεσθω γαρ τις και πολεμος ιερος, ωσπερ και

secunda. - p. 762.

XXI. Quid alia commemorare attinet ? Quo tandem modo sacrum hoc bellum feram? Dicatur enim etiam

* Julianus.

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