propofed by the people, whofe concurrence was thought fo neceffary, that the Pope St. Leo, as he was firnamed, proves at large the invalidity of a bishop's ordination without In this all the fathers of the church in those times agree; and Conftance, being chofen bishop of Milan by the clergy, St. Gregory thought he could not be confecrated without the confent of the inhabitants, who being at that time retired to Genoa to avoid the ravages of the barbarous nations, a meffage was fent to them at his inftance, to know their pleafure concerning it. Hiftorians differ in characterifing the Chriftians at this time. St. Cyprian, in his account of the state of the church just before the Decian perfecution, about the year 250, tells us, that the body of Chriftians chiefly aimed at increafing their patrimony; that there was no found faith or true devotion in the priest, no benevolence in their works, no difcipline in their manners; that it was common to contract marriage with unbelievers, and that Christians were prostituted to the Gentiles; that bifhops, neglecting their divine ftewardship, and the relief of the neceffitous brethren in the church, became ftewards in fecular affairs, and in confequence many errors and irregularities prevailed. The learned have reckoned ninety different herefies, which all fprang up within the three firft centuries§.

But, perhaps, thefe accounts will be thought partial, and unfavourable to the ftate of religion at the clofe of this century, when the chriftian church is fo generally reprefented as retaining her primeval purity till after this period. I fhall therefore give an abstract from Dupin's Hiftory of the Church:

He fays, that "the fathers of the church to this time taught, that the principles of faith were the holy fcriptures and tradition; that myfteries were to be believed, though they could not be comprehended; they spoke of

Father Paul of Beneficiary Matters, p. 20.

Abstract from Dr. Middleton's Introductory Difcourse. p. 38, 39. § See Archb. Wake on the Fathers, quoted p. 30.

the

the nature of God, and his attributes, in a moft excellent manner; they oppofed, with great fuccefs, the falfe divinities of the heathens, and the errors of those who admitted of more gods than one; but they owned the Trinity of three perfons in one only God; acknowledged the divinity and eternity of the Word, and of the Holy Ghoft, and in general all the articles of the apoftles creed*.

There are extant fome creeds or fummaries of the Chriftian faith, drawn up at the clofe of this century, intended for the unity of faith in particular churches, as thofe of Jerufalem, Cæfarea, Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome; by comparing which together, the reader will perceive how the unity of the faith was preferved, with a diversity of expreffion; and is an evident proof, that one univerfal form had not been pitched upon and prefcribed to the whole church: every bishop was at liberty to draw up a creed for the ufe of his own church, only keeping to the analogy of faith and found doc 'trinet.

Sir Peter King gives us the following account of the worship and ceremonies of the primitive church, viz, that they began their fervice with reading the fcriptures. Then every one fang a hymn or pfalm out of the Bible, or of their own compofing-that they fometimes fang alternately, and fometimes conjointly. Then began their fermon by way of expofition of the leffon and exhortation, generally by the bishop of the parish. Afterwards all the congregation rofe up to prayers, which were offered through Chrift. They used the Lord's prayer at the beginning of their devotions; yet they did not use that only, but fuch other fupplications to God, as the variety of their circumftances required. They ufually prayed ftanding with their hands and eyes lifted up to heaven, the minifter exercifing his gifts in fuitable matter and apt expreffion. Baptifm,

*Dupin's Ififtory of the three firft Centuries.

↑ Cyprian's Ep. Íxix. ad magnum Conftit. Apoft. lib. vii. c. xli. D 2

he

[Third he fays, was performed by the bishop or paftor of the refpective parish to Catechumens, who had given a firm affent to the articles of the Christian faith, and likewife fome proof of their refolution to lead a good life. He also admits, that infants were baptifed in this century, and immediately received the facrament; that this was generally called the Lord's fupper, which was eating bread and drinking wine, firft fet apart by prayer and thanksgiving, in commemoration of Jefus Chrift. They partook of it, fays Socrates, in a table gesture, eating as at their love-feafts *.

Pliny the younger, the heathen, confeffes to the emperor Trajan, that the cause of the Chriftians was a matter worthy of deliberation, by reafon of their number and character-that they ufually, on their folemn days, met together before fun-rifing, and fang hymns to God and Chrift, whom they worshipped, and obliged themselves, by an oath, not to commit any .wickedness+.

Mr. Cave gives us a large and most amiable account of the primitive Chriftians: he fays, their piety was active and zealous: afflicted innocence triumphant, their patience unconquerable under the greateft trials and perfecutions: in fhort, down to this period we shall fee the divine and holy precepts drawn into action, and the most excellent fpirit of the gofpel breathing in the hearts and lives of thofe primitive Chriftians .

Nevertheless, they were greatly perfecuted, infomuch that fome were put to cruel deaths, and others driven from their habitations. That called the fixth perfecution of the Chriftians commenced under Septimus Severus, A. D. 202. The feventh perfecution began in the reign of Maximus Severus, A. D. 235. The eighth in the reign of Decius, A. D. 250. The ninth

See Juftin Martyr's Apology ii. p. 98. Socrates, lib. v. Tertullian de Oratione, p. 659. Delaun's Plea, p. 35. King's Primitive Church, P. II. p. 6, 9, 10, 12, 18, 26, 31, 37, 40, 54. Plinii lib. x. ep. xevii. p. 1387.

Cave's Primitive Chriftianity, part III. p. 205 to 389.

under

under Gallineus and Valerianus, A. D. 257 §. But, about the close of this century, there was a dreadful famine in the eastern part of the empire, where Maximinus reigned, and a fore plague, which affected the fight of perfons; upon which the Chriftians could not help obferving, that Maximinus had inflicted the punishment of depriving fome Chriftians of their eyes; but that nevertheless they fignalized themselves for their piety and charity towards all perfons in this public calamity, and forced even the pagan adverfaries to admire and commend their behaviour †.

CENTURY

THE FOURTH.

The fourth century furnishes us with many transactions of an interefting nature. Though hitherto Chriftianity appears to have been propagated with tolerable fimplicity, and the Chriftian church retained much of its primeval purity, especially with respect to manners, and in a great regard for the fcriptures, the canon of which was fettled about this time; and by these means the darkness of paganism was in a good measure banished from a great part of the known world. We are nevertheless informed, that "foon after, the Christian world fell into endless fchifms and contentions, and had deftroyed, in great measure, that peace, love and charity, which the gofpel was intended to promote; and, inftead thereof, provoked one another to malice. They loft, in a great degree, the substance of their religion, while they eagerly contended for their own imaginations concerning it; and that by this means many of the fuperftitions and corruptions we now complain of in the church of Rome, were not only broached but established *."

For more than three hundred years Christianity lived and flourifhed under difcouragement and frequent

Eufebius ix. 8,

↑ Jortin's Remarks, v. III. p. 268,

Sale's Preliminary Difcourfe to the Koran.

D 3

perfecution,

[Fourth perfecution. After the Roman empire became Chriftian it was greatly corrupted, till the empire fell, and made way for the dominion and grandeur of the bishop of Rome, under whom the corruption arofe to an amazing height, and true Chriftianity was almoft lost for feveral ages +.

Early in this century, in which the fathers Cyril, Bafil, Gregory, and Ambrofe, flourished, was inftituted the monaftic life; but, notwithstanding this inftitution, and the pretence of fanctity to countenance it, the love of power and riches appears from the confequences to be predominant, or that it was at best founded in fuperftition.

From this time the church became modelled by affuming priefts; the divines attempted to explain the myfteries of religion by the rules of logic, and impofing articles of faith by authority, rather than convincing by argument.

In this century, the popes of Rome laid the foundation of that monarchical power and grandeur to which they afterwards rofe.

One of the firft and moft effential fteps was the erection of the dignity of patriarch, afterwards confirmed by the Nicene council; and thus the hierarchy or government of the church became modelled; according to the conftitution of the Roman empire, This being the defign of their meafures, another fundamental principle was added to it, viz. that the precedence and authority of bifhops over others, fhould be determined by the rank of the cities where they re-fided, and of confequence, in procefs of time, as it could be effected, the bifhop of Rome must have the fupremacy; and this was managed with fo much art, as to be confirmed in the next council, without appearing to have previously made a point of it §..

+ Dr. Benfon's Hiftory of the first planting of Christianity,

p. 6.

Walch's Hiftory of the Popes.

Conftantine,