VIII. Nestorian heresy, by separating the humanity from CENT. the divinity of the Son of God. Alcuin showed himself a master of his subject, and wrote in a candid and moderate spirit. He died in 804. Even Italy itself was not disposed altogether to obey the pope, in regard to image-worship. Some Italian bishops assisted at the council of Frankfort, before mentioned; and Paulinus, of Aquileia, bore a distinguished part in it. This prelate wrote, also, against the error of Felix, and seems to have been one of the best bishops of his time. Let us try, from the scanty materials before us, if we can collect his views and spirit on subjects peculiarly Christian. Dies. A. D. 804. Paulinus at Nice. This bishop successfully opposed the error of Firmness of Felix, concerning the person of Jesus Christ, and the Seconds wrote a book of wholesome instructions, which, for Council of a long time was supposed to be the work of Augustine*. It is remarkable, that he and some other Italian bishops, in the year 787t, agreed to condemn the decrees of the second council of Nice, as idolatrous, though pope Adrian had assisted at that council by his legates, and used his utmost endeavours to maintain its authority. In the council of Frankfort also, the presence of two papal legates hindered. not the firm agreement of Paulinus and other Italian bishops, with the decrees of the said. council. These are clear proofs, that the despotism of Antichrist was, as yet, so far from being universal, that it was not owned throughout Italy itself; and, that in some parts of that country, as well as in England and France, the purity of Christian worship. was still maintained. The city of Rome, indeed, and its environs, seem to have been, at this period, the most corrupt part of Christendom in Europe, nor do I remember a single missionary in these times to have been an Italian. Paulinus, in his book against Felix, affirms, that * Du Pin. + See Dr. Allix, on the antient Churches of Piedmont. CHAP. the Eucharist is a morsel and bit of bread*. V. He maintains, that it is spiritual life or death in the eater, as he either has faith or bath not; which seems to be a just and evangelical view of that divine ordinance, not only free from the absurdity of transubstantiation, but also expressive of the Christian article of justification, of which the reader hears very little in these cloudy times. Still more express testimonies to the essentials of salvation are not wanting in this author. He protests, that the blood of those, who have themselves been redeemed, cannot blot out the least sin; that the expiation of iniquity is the exclusive privilege of the blood of Christ alone. He defines the properties of the divine and human nature, as united in the person of Jesus Christ, with great precision; and so careful is he to describe the latter, as circumscribed and limited by the bounds of body, as to form, at least, a strong consequential argument against the notion of transubstantiation. Hear how he comments on our Lord's well-known description of eating his flesh and drinking his blood in the 6th chap. of St. John's Gospel. "The flesh and blood is to be referred to his human, not to his divine nature.— Yet if he were not the true God, his flesh and blood could by no means give eternal life to those, who feed upon him. Whence also John says, the blood of his Son cleanseth us from all sin.' Hear also how he speaks of the intercession of Christ. "Paul is not a mediator; he is an ambassador for Christ, The advocate is He, who being also the Redeemer, exhibits to God the Father the human nature in the unity of the person of God and man. John intercedes not, but declares that this mediator is the propitiation for our sins." Once more: "The Son of God Almighty, our Almighty Lord, because le redcemed us with the price of his blood, is justly • Buccella et particula panis, in his dedication to Charle magne. + Allix. VIII. called the true Redeemer, by the confession of all, CENT. who are redeemed. He himself was not redeemed; He had never been captive: we have been redeemed, because we were captives, sold under sin*, bound by the hand-writing which was against us, which He took away, nailing it to his cross, blotting it out by his blood, triumphing openly over it in himself, having finished a work which the blood of no other Redeemer could do t." Such is the language of this evangelical bishop, while he is opposing the Nestorian heresy revived by Felix. And here, at least, we see a due respect paid to Holy Scripture, Paulinus quotes, understands, and builds his faith upon it; and is equally remote from dependence on mere human reasonings, on the authority of the Church of Rome, or on any traditions. count of Paulinus. This bishop was born about the year 726, near Brief acFriuli, was promoted to Aquileia in 776, was highly favoured by Charlemagne, and preached the Gospel to the pagans of Carinthia and Stiria, and to the Avares, a nation of Huns. One of his maxims was, "Pride is that, without which no sin is or will be committed: it is the beginning, the end, and the cause of all sin." I wonder not, that he, who in an age of dulness could see the nature of sin with so penetrating an eye, was confounded with the bishop of Hippo. He died in 804. In He dies. a letter to Charlemagne, he complained of the want A. D. of residence in bishops, and of their attending the 804. court. He cites a canon of the council of Sardica, in the fourth century, which forbad the absence of bishops from their dioceses, for a longer space than three weeks. • Rom. vii. ↑ Coloss. ii. I have been obliged to Alban Butler for some of the foregoing particulars. But it is remarkable that he omits his testimony against image-worship. The reader should know that Butler is a zealous Roman Catholic. CENTURY IX. CHAP. I. CHAP. I. A GENERAL VIEW OF THE STATE OF RELIGION W IN THIS CENTURY. E are penetrating into the regions of darkness, and a "land of deserts and pits, a land of drought, and of the shadow of death*;" and are carried, by every step, into scenes still more gloomy than the former. Here and there, indeed, a glimmering ray of the Sun of righteousness appears; but it is in vain to look for any steady lustre of evangelical truth and holiness. In such a situation, to pursue the chronological course of events, would be as tedious as it is unprofitable. The plan of history for each century should be modified by the existing circumstances. And there seem to be four distinct phenomena of Christian light in this period, which deserve to be illustrated in so many chapters: namely, in the 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th.-It shall be the business of this first chapter, to premise some general observations, which may enable the reader more clearly to understand those phenomena. Several circumstances attended the thick darkness, which pervaded this century; and they appear to be reducible to the following heads :-the preference given to human writings above the Scriptures,-the * Jerem. ii. 6. IX. domination of the popedom,—the accumulation of CENT. ceremonies,—and the oppression of the godly It was now fashionable to explain Scripture entirely by the writings of the fathers. No man was permitted, with impunity, to vary in the least from their decisions. The great apostolical rule of interpretation, namely, to compare spiritual things with spiritual †, was in a manner lost. It was deemed sufficient that such a renowned doctor had given such an interpretation. Hence, men of learning and industry paid more attention to the fathers, than to the sacred volume, which, through long disuse and neglect, was looked on as obscure and perplexed, and quite unfit for popular reading. Even divine truths seemed to derive their authority more from the word of man than of God; and the writings and decrees of men were no longer treated as witnesses, but usurped the office of judges of divine truth. The popedom also grew stronger and stronger. Ignorance and superstition were so predominant, that whoever dared to oppose the bishop of Rome, drew upon himself a host of enemies. All, who looked for advancement in the Church, attached themselves to Antichrist. It is in this way only, that I can account for the very little resistance made to image-worship. We have seen, how a large part of the west rejected it. But most persons contented themselves with a simple exposition of their creed. Idolatry, in the mean time, was practically supported by the whole power and influence of the popedom. The great accumulation of ceremonies, the observance of which was looked upon as absolutely necessary to salvation, drew off the attention of *Centuriat. See their preface to the 9th century. I have availed myself of some of the thoughts: the whole is ingenious and spirited. + 1 Cor, ii, |