A History of the Church, from the Earliest Ages to the Reformation

325 Constantine reluctantly convoked the Council of Nice

The variety of motives by which its members were probably influ
enced. The dissensions of the Bishops, who finally pronounced
the Son consubstantial with the Father

Gibbon's account examined (note)

Temporal penalties were inflicted on the contumacious, but revoked,

as soon as their inefficacy was discovered

The character of Arius, according to Epiphanius
336 Constantius encouraged Arianism in the East
326 Athanasius succeeded Alexander in the See of Alexandria. He was
degraded; restored; and again degraded; and passed his exile
at Rome

349 He was again restored to his throne; and, in seven years, deposed

for the third time

The difficulty with which Constantius accomplished his depo-

sition, proves the diminution of the imperial despotism, through

the rise of the Church

362 Athanasius was again restored, on the death of Constantius, and,

after eleven years, died in his See

Difference among the Arians as to the likeness between the two

sons; leading to divisions

The Semiarians, Homoiousians, Anomoians, or Eunomians

358-9 Synods of Ancyra and Seleucia

per-

360 The Council of Rimini established Arianism (or rather Semiari-

anism), in the West

370 Valens persecuted the Catholics throughout the East

383 Theodosius the Great generally restored the Catholic belief

381 The Council General of Constantinople established the divinity

of the Third Person

Damasus, at Rome, and Ambrose, at Milan, zealously defended the

Consubstantialist doctrine

370 Ulphilas converted the Goths to Arianism; other barbarians sub-

sequently adopted the same opinion; and in the fifth century it

again became general in the West

527 et seq. Justinian sustained the Catholics
589 The Council of Toledo extirpated Arianism from Spain; and the
Lombards soon afterwards embraced the Catholic doctrine

The Arians may have been free from some of the superstitious

corruptions of the Catholics; but the merit of tolerance cannot be

ascribed to either party

102

Note on Socrates, Sozomen, Theodoret, and other ecclesiastical

writers

104-5

CHAPTER VIII.-The Decline and Fall of Paganism.

The overthrow of Paganism contemporary with the Arian dissen-

sions

321 Constantine published an edict in favour of divination

333 He began to attack the temples and idols, and generally condemned

the rites of Paganism. Constantius, the Arian, followed his ex-

ample

The supposed motives of Julian, and his character, as compared to

that of Marcus Antoninus

The policy of Constantine contrasted with that of Julian

The successive penalties and disabilities by which Julian attacked

A.D.

the Christians, and the great knowledge which he showed of the

His endeavours to reform Paganism were directed to three points;

in a great measure borrowed from the ecclesiastical system of the

Christians

363 He made his celebrated attempt to rebuild the Temple of Jeru

salem. The historical facts of this attempt are founded on the

combined evidence of four contemporary authors, one of whom,

Ammianus Marcellinus, was a Pagan

PAGE

109

The question whether the phænomenon which interrupted the work

was natural or miraculous

A recent explanation of it is attended with some difficulties, and

⚫ still leaves room for uncertainty

Valentinian I. practised universal toleration

110

111

112

112-3

392 Theodosius published his famous edict against polytheism. It was

effectual in diminishing the numbers of the Pagans, and con-

fining them chiefly to the villages; whence the name

113

The religion may be considered as extinct from this time

Some heathen superstitions were communicated to Christianity.

The veneration for martyrs encouraged by the Fathers, and carried

to excess by the people

404 Honorius abolished the gladiatorial games

388 Christianity was established by the Roman Senate

Note on the writings of Julian, Ammianus Marcellinus, and

Zosimus. Julian's hatred of Christianity was not the contempt of

a philosopher, but the passion of a rival; a passage in the Mis-

opogon proves his own superstitiousness or hypocrisy ; his cha-

ritable edicts were derived from the Christian practices

CHAPTER IX. From the Fall of Paganism to the Death of Justinian.

370-600 The various barbarian tribes were converted, some before,

some after, their invasion of the empire

496 The probable account and consequences of the conversion of Clovis.

The first connexion between France and Rome

The natural causes which facilitated the conversion of the bar-
barians; their respect for the grandeur of the empire, for the sacer-
dotal character, for the imposing ceremonies of the church

The opinion of Mosheim as to the probability of supernatural inter-

position in aid of this work

The internal condition of the Church was still further corrupted

by the admixture of another superstition

121-2

123

427 Symeon the Stylite, a Syrian monk, commenced his method of peni-
tential devotion, and obtained the admiration of the people and the
(respect of the Emperors

440 Leo the Great was raised to the See of Rome; zealous in the re-

pression of error both in the East and West

And in the aggrandizement of the Roman See

Leo encouraged, or instituted, the practice of private confession,

so useful to sacerdotal power

451 The substance of the 29th canon of the Council of Chalcedon re-

specting the relative rank of the Sees of Rome and Constanti-

nople

125-6

527 Justinian ascended the throne, and held it for nearly forty years.

He assailed various heretics, Arians, Nestorians, Eutychians;

received from the fifth General Council the title of "Most Chris-

tian," and died in the heresy of the Incorruptibles, or Phantastics 127

On the system of persecution adopted by the Christian Emperors.
Theodosius II. embodied the various barbarous edicts in the

A.D.

Theodosian Code, and instituted inquisitions for the detection of

heresy

The decline of the Roman literature was previous to any influence

of the Christian religion, and chiefly caused by despotism

350-430 Many eminent Christian writers flourished, and were the

best of that age

398 The Council of Carthage prohibited the study of secular books by
Bishops; great ignorance followed, though not in consequence
of this decree

PAGE

127-8

129-30

130-1

132

The Seven Liberal Arts, Books of Martyrs,' 'Lives of Saints,' &c. 130-1
529 Justinian published the edict which closed the School of Athens
Religion in its purity had been connected with philosophy in its cor-
ruption and abuse

132

The effect of Justinian's edict has probably been much exaggerated 133
The moral delinquencies of the clergy were not so great as some
have represented them

133

The miseries of the age were ascribed by many to the overthrow

of the idols; and Augustine combats this notion in his 'City of

God'

134-5

Note on certain ecclesiastical writers

134-5

310, &c. The Divine Institutions,' and 'Deaths of the Persecutors,'
the works of Lactantius

362, &c. Grégory Nazianzen wrote some Discourses against the Em-

peror Julian; he exalts in lofty language the authority of the

Church

374 Ambrose raised by the people to the See of Milan; he was not then

baptized. In 390 he imposed an act of humiliation on Theo-

dosius the Great

134-5

136

138-9, 140-1

Chrysostom combined great eloquence, zeal, and piety, with some

extravagance; he died in exile on Mount Taurus. His opinions

on the Eucharist, on Grace and Original Sin, and on Confession,

have been the occasion of much controversy
390 Jerome, in his convent at Bethlehem, exalted monastic excellence,
and attacked the reformers and heretics, Jovinian, Vigilantius, Pe-
lagius, &c. His Latin translation of the Old Testament less fa-
vourably received at the time than his polemical philippics

141-2

CHAPTER X.-From the Death of Justinian to that of Charlemagne,

567-814.

596 St. Austin, with forty Benedictines, introduced Christianity into

Britain. His miraculous claims may be rejected; but the work

was accomplished without violence. Gregory the Great was

Bishop of Rome

Some of the original Christians remaining in Wales retained the
Eastern error as to the celebration of Easter

715-723 Winfred (Boniface), an Englishman, called the Apostle of

Germany. He was raised to the see of Mayence, and (755) mur-

dered by the Frieselanders

622-732 The Mahometans conquered Persia, Syria, Egypt, (through

the co-operation of the Jacobites) the northern parts of Africa,

and Spain. They invaded France, and were defeated by Charles

772 Charlemagne converted the Saxons by the sword; and had reason
to complain of their contumacy

590-604 Gregory the Great was raised to the Roman See; he pos-

sessed some good and great qualities, and applied himself to

reform some abuses. He was charitable, zealous for the propa-

gation of Christianity, and the unity of the Church

148

149-50

A.D.

The charge against him of having burnt the Palatine Library is

probably unfounded

- He encouraged the use, and prohibited the worship, of images

He inculcated purgatory, and pilgrimage to holy places

His extravagant letter to the Empress Constantina on the bodies
of the Saints and the sanctity of their relics

Worship was still celebrated by every nation in its own language

Gregory instituted the canon of the Mass, and added splendour

to the ceremonies of the Church

588 The title of Ecumenic was conferred by the Emperor Maurice

upon the Patriarch of Constantinople. Gregory vehemently dis-

puted the propriety of the title, without claiming it for himself

Gregory first claimed the power of the Keys for the successor

of St. Peter, rather than the body of the Bishops

152-3

The use of papal envoys and advocates, and the practice of appeal

to Rome, became more common during the pontificate of Gregory 156

- Of his claim to the title of Great, and the mischief occasioned by

the superstitions encouraged by him

604-770 No character of ecclesiastical eminence from Gregory to

Charlemagne. But many changes were silently introduced into

the Western Church, through the barbarian conquests. The East

remained unaltered

158

The lower orders of the clergy were greatly debased in the West.

The office of priesthood was commonly conferred on the serfs of the

Church

158

A number of laymen were connected with the Church by the giving

of the tonsure

159

The principle of the Unity of the Church, now useful in associating

the barbarians, prepared the way for the papal despotism. On

some Councils held in Spain

The process by which the Popes usurped the authority of the Me-

tropolitans

Princes usurped the appointment to vacant Sees, with great detriment

to the Church, in those ages

159

160

161

The power and corruption of the episcopal order. The military cha-

racter commonly assumed

635 Pope Martin was carried away to Constantinople, and died in exile

in the Chersonesus

754-5 Pope Zachary, having contributed to raise Pepin to the throne of
France, was rewarded by the donation of the Exarchate of Ra-

venna

800 Charlemagne was proclaimed Emperor of the West. He exerted

great munificence towards the Church; still, however, retaining

Rome as a part of the empire. His object was to civilize his sub-

jects by means of the clergy

789 The Councils of Aix-la-Chapelle and (794) Frankfort assembled for

the reformation of the clergy.

162

163-4

165

CHAPTER XI.-On the Dissensions of the Church from Constantine to

311 The principal cause of the schism of the Donatists was a disrespect

shown to the Numidian Bishops. The principle which it pleaded

was the invalidity of the ministry of the Traditors

Constantine interfered, by synods, first at Rome, then at Arles;

lastly, by personal investigation. He decided against the Donatists,

and used the secular power

But he presently repealed the laws against them. They were per-
secuted by Constans; restored by Julian; they then flourished,

167

168

A.D.

and quarrelled. Presently Augustin assailed them; and they were
411 condemned by the Council of Carthage, and persecuted. Great
ravages were committed by the Circumcellions

354-430 Augustin, a Numidian, embraced the Manichean opinions.

He returned to the Church; was made Bishop of Hippo; reformed

the abuse of the Agape; and became celebrated by his Catholic

zeal, and his writings

Erasmus had drawn a parallel between Augustin and Jerome

Some particulars relating to his private life

380 Priscillian was condemned on the charge of Manicheism by the Coun-
cil of Saragossa, and executed at Treves, by Maximus, four years
afterwards. He is generally considered as the first martyr to reli-
gious dissent. It is disputed what his opinions were

390 Jovinian was condemned by a Council held by Ambrose, at Milan,

and banished by the emperor. He wrote against celibacy, and

religious seclusion

405 Vigilantius wrote against the temples of martyrs, prodigies, vigils,

prayers to saints, fasting, &c.

412 The opinions of Celestinus were condemned by a Council at Car-
thage. Augustin then accused Pelagius before two Councils, in
Syria; but he was acquitted in both. Zosimus, Bishop of Rome,
at first declared in his favour. But an imperial edict was obtained
against the heresy, &c.

PAGE

169

174-5

176-7-8

What is the substance of the Pelagian opinions; and what seem to

have been the real sentiments of Augustin

428 The Semipelagian doctrines began to spread in France, and seem to

have had earlier prevalence in the East; but they were equally

condemned by the Church of Rome

179

180

The doctrine of the One Incarnate Nature' was first avowed in

Egypt by Apollinaris, Bishop of Laodicea, the friend of Athanasius;

but condemned in Asia and Syria

181

428 Nestorius was raised to the See of Constantinople. He maintained
that the Virgin Mary should be called the

Mother of Christ,'

181-2-3

⚫ or even Mother of Man;' not' Mother of God.' Cyril of Alex-
andria opposed him

431 He was condemned by the General Council of Ephesus, and died

in the deserts of Upper Egypt. But his opinions spread throughout

Asia

181-2-3

The doctrine of the Nestorians, according to the Councils of Se-

leucia

181-2-3

449 The Monophysite opinions of Eutyches were confirmed in a Council

held at Ephesus; but rejected by that of Chalcedon (451), which

established the doctrine of Christ in one person and two natures

482 Zeno published his Henoticon, or Edict of Union

629 Heraclius proposed the question of the single or double will of

Christ; and the latter was established by the sixth General Council

at Constantinople, held in 680

184

185

Some remarks favourable to the parties engaged in these controversies 186

726 Leo the Isaurian attacked the worship of images, established in the

East before 600

187

And was resisted both in the East, and in Italy, and by Gregory II. 188
754 An assembly near Constantinople decreed the destruction of images
(hence the name Iconoclasts); but Irene restored them by the
General Council of Nice, in 787; the seventh, and last, of the
Greek Church. Some remarks on those Councils

189-90

The Iconoclast heresy was renewed by some follo ing emperors;
but finally repressed (842) by the Empress Thecora

754 John Damascenus, the last of the Greek Fathers

191

The miracles in this contest were chiefly claimed by the friends of

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