CHAPTER V.

THE history of the Popes, who lived in the tenth century, is a history of so many monsters, and not of men, and exhibits a horrible series of the most flagitious, tremendous, and complicated crimes, as all writers, even those of the Romish communion, unanimously confess. These corruptions mounted to the most enormous height in that dismal period of the Church which we have now before us. Both in the Eastern and Western Provinces, the Clergy were, for the most part, composed of a most worthless set of men, shamefully illiterate and stupid, ignorant more especially in religious matters, equally enslaved to sensuality and superstition, and capable of the most abominable and flagitious deeds. This dismal degeneracy of the sacred order was, according to the most credible accounts, principally owing to the pretended chiefs and rulers of the Universal Church, who indulged themselves in the commission of the most odious crimes, and abandoned themselves to the lawless impulse of the most licentious passions, without reluctance or remorse; who confounded, in short, all difference between just and unjust, to satisfy their impious ambition; and whose spiritual empire was such a diversified scene of iniquity and violence, as never was exhibited under any of those temporal tyrants, who have been the scourges of mankind.

"What was now," says Baronius, "the face of the Roman Church? How most foul! when most powerful and most filthy prostitutes ruled and governed in Rome, by whose will the Sees were changed, and Bishopricks given away; and that which is horrible to relate, their lovers, false Popes, were thrust in violently into Peter's Chair."

With Christianity, learning and philosophy declined. The arts and sciences left no trace after them. Iniquity did now so abound, and so corrupt were the morals of the Clergy, that many believed that the world was approaching its termina

every species of impurity: the most abandoned harlots disposing of its chief Bishopricks among their paramours; the Clergy rioting in licentious dissipation, and making even a sport of perfidy and murder.

What followed was every way suitable to such an introduction: as we find Cæsar Borgia, the son of Pope Alexander VI., closing the sequel, four centuries afterwards, by his atrocities and debaucheries. As the natural result of such a state of things, errors of the grossest kind vitiated the Church during the tenth age, both in its faith and practice: such as the canonization of saints, the baptism of bells, the celibacy of the Clergy, the worship of relics; together with visions, apparitions, ordeals by fire, and other vain superstitions.

The testimony of various Roman Catholic writers proves that, during the dark ages, the state of things was such, that the most monstrous errors, both in opinions and practice, had crept into the Church. A Bishop of the Church in the year 900, thus complains:-" So great folly now oppresseth the miserable world, that at this day more absurd things are believed by Christians, than ever any could impose upon the blind Pagans." (Agoberd. Ess. Lug. Lib. de Grandi, &c.)

Sabellius says, "It is wonderful to observe, what a strange forgetfulness of all arts did, about this time, seize upon men, insomuch that neither the Popes nor other Princes seemed to have any sense or apprehension of any thing that might be useful to human life. There were no wholesome laws, no reparation of Churches, no pursuit of liberal arts; but a kind of stupidity, and madness, and forgetfulness of manners had possessed the minds of men."

Sigonius, speaking of these times, calls them "the foulest and blackest, both in respect to the wickedness of the Princes and madness of the people, that are to be found in all antiquity." (De reg. Ital. Lib. VI.)

A great Prelate thus writes: "In the West, and almost all the world over, especially among those who are called the faithful, faith failed, and there was no fear of God amongst them. Justice was perished from among men, and violence prevailing against equity, governed the nations. Fraud,

ficate, however, was, in no respect, distinguished by any event of a remarkable or important nature.

On the death of Agapetus, which happened in the year 956, Alberic II., who, to the dignity of Roman Consul, joined a degree of authority and opulence, which nothing could resist, raised to the Pontificate, his son, Octavian, a grandson of Marosia, who was yet in the early bloom of youth, without having been in holy orders, or indeed capable of ordination, and destitute of every quality that was requisite for discharging the duties of that high and important office. This unworthy Pontiff, who assumed the name of John XII., was as unhappy as his promotion had been scandalous. Being degraded in the most ignominious manner, from his high office, by Otho the Great, Leo VIII. was appointed to fill his place. After this, he several times conspired against the life of the new Pope, and was as frequently pardoned, till at length he contrived to set himself again on the Papal Throne. John instantly assembled a Council of Prelates and Cardinals, who condemned the Council that had deposed him, and passed different sentences of condemnation on all those who had been accessary to the elevation of his rival. John did not long survive the holding of this Council, for having engaged in a criminal connexion with a married woman, the injured husband, who caught him in the act, put an end to the life and debaucheries of his holiness, by some violent blows which he gave him on his temples.

John XIII., who was raised to the Pontificate in the year 965, by Otho the Great, was expelled from Rome in the beginning of his administration, but upon the Emperor's return to Italy, in 966, he was restored to his dignity, tranquillity once more reigned in Rome, and the pretended successor to the Apostle Peter was suffered to end his days in peace, in the year 972.

The ridiculous practice of consecrating and baptizing bells, was introduced by John, in 968, who solemnly sprinkled with holy water, a large bell, which was cast for the Lateran, and pronounced it sacred. This custom was followed by the Romish Church in succeeding ages, the baptism of the bell, or

its consecration, being absolutely considered necessary to render its sound a sort of charm to deliver the people from the assaults of evil spirits!

Benedict VI., who succeeded him, did not enjoy the happiness of his predecessor, during the short period that he wore the triple crown. In consequence of the hatred which the Romans had conceived both against his person and his government, he was soon cast into prison, loaded with every species of ignominy, and, at length, in 974, was strangled. Unfortunately for him, Otho the Great, whose power and severity kept the Romans in awe, died in 973, and with him expired that order and discipline which he had restored in Rome, by salutary laws, executed with impartiality and rigor. Otho's death entirely changed the face of affairs in that wicked and miserable city, where licentiousness and disorder, seditions and assassinations, resumed their former sway.

Upon the death of Benedict, Boniface VII., and Domnus II., were raised to, and expelled from, the Papal chair, in the short space of one year; upon which Benedict VII. was chosen Pope, in the year 975. Contrary to the usual fate of the sovereign Pontiffs in this century, this Bishop reigned nine years in comparative tranquillity, and ended his inglorious days. without bloodshed, in the year 984. His successor, John XIV., did not, however, enjoy similiar prosperity; the flagitious Boniface VII., coming again to Rome, John was murdered in the year following, and John XV. raised to the exalted, but unenviable situation of "head of the Church."

The number of saints, whose patronage was now eagerly sought, by the deluded multitude, was every where multiplied, while the corruption and impiety, which reigned with unbounded sway, rendered the reputation of sanctity very easy to be acquired. Previous to this period, the Roman Pontiffs had pretended to possess, but never exercised, alone, the power of creating saints. In this century, however, they presumed to carry these pretensions into effect, by their own authority. The first example of this new display of power occurred in the year 993, when John XV., with all the formalities of a solemn canonization, enrolled Udlaric, Bishop of Augsburg, in the

deceit, and the acts of cozenage, were grown universal. All kind of virtue gave way, as an useless thing, and wickedness supplied its place. The world seemed to be declining apace, towards its evening, and the second coming of the Son of Man to draw near; for love was grown cold, and faith was not to be found on the earth. All things were in confusion, and the world looked as if it would return to its old chaos. All sorts were committed with the same freedom, as if they had been lawful actions; for men neither blushed at them, nor were punished for them. Nor did the Clergy live better than the people; for the Bishops weregrown negligent of the duty of their place, &c. &c. In a word, men ran themselves headlong into all vice, and all flesh had corrupted its way." (Bell. Sacr. Lib. I. c. 18.)

It may here be well to observe, that in the beginning of this century, there lived at Rome, the celebrated Theodora, with her daughters Marosia and Theodora. They not only lived in a state of the most shameless and abandoned profligacy and debauchery with the chief of the Roman Nobility, but obtained also the whole government into their hands. Of these wretchedly profligate and abandoned women, we shall have occasion, hereafter, to speak more particularly.

On the death of John IX., in the year 900, Benedict IV. was chosen as his successor; of whom, we have nothing to relate, but his violent death, by Berengarius, whom Adelbert, Marquis of Tuscany, strongly supported. He was succeeded by Leo V., who was supplanted by the wicked machinations of his successor, Christopher I. Both died in prison, in 904. By the interest and interference of Theodora, the notorious Sergius III., now succeeded to the Papacy, who governed the Church from 904 to 911, under the protection and influence of Adelbert, a most powerful Tuscan Prince, who had a supreme and unlimited direction in all the affairs that were transacted at Rome. His amours with Theodora, and his many other vices, contributed to render him hateful to his own people, and to brand him as an unworthy ruler of a professedly Christian Church.

Anastasius III., a Roman by birth, was created Pope, on