The Saxon invasion proved far more destructive to British Christianity than Dioclesian's persecution, violent and bloody as it was. After that persecution, by the last writer's account, CHRISTIANITY happily revived in Britain, and continued to flourish for a long season, even till the Arian and Athanasian con-troversy interrupted the tranquillity and harmony of its professors. Of the progress of that controversy, however, or its pernicious effects in this island, he gives no very particular account; but being himself of the orthodox party, he speaks of Arianism, of course, with no small disapprobation and abhorrence. After the agitation and distraction occasioned by this unhappy controversial event, nothing very remarkable of a religious nature appears to have occurred in this country, till Morgan, or Morgant, commonly called Pelagius, came upon the stage; of whom, in addition to what has been said already, may not be improper to give some account. it SOME ACCOUNT, &c. THAT Pelagius was a Briton is allowed on all hands. All ancient writers (says Wall) style him a Briton; and we understand by St. Austin,* that he was commonly called Pelagius Brito, Pelagius the Briton, to distinguish him from another Pelagius that was of Tarentum. He is said to have been educated at the celebrated Monastery, or College of Bangor, in Flintshire, of whose order and constitution many remarkable things have been related. The Monks or Students were said to be divided into twenty-four classes or companies, consisting of so many hundred persons. Each class or company spent an hour daily in devotional exercises, which was done in regular rotation, so that the whole twenty-four hours were employed in acts of devotion or divine worship by one part or other of the community. The rest of the time of each class was regularly spent between sleep, literary pursuits, and * Ep. 106 ad Paulinum. agricultural, manual, or mechanical labour; so that it might be said that they supported themselves, or subsisted by their own industry, and the sweat of their brows. In this seminary Pelagius's literary proficiency must have been very considerable, for he appears to have acquired a complete knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages, and of all the different branches of learning that were then deemed most necessary or reputable, which is more than could be said of most of the fathers (as they are called) of that period, Saint Austin himself not excepted; Saint Jerome was, perhaps, almost the only exception. He was very learned, and at the same time very uncourteous, illiberal, and abusive to all who differed from him, or with whom he had any dispute, of which Pelagius and his friends, as well as Ruffinus and others, had great reason to complain. Of him the most learned Joseph Mede says, "Saint Jerome is a man of no faith with me, when he describes the opinion of his adversary; which, whatsoever it were, he would set it forth as odiously as possible. He was a man that cared not what he said, so it might disparage his adversary." The British nation, it is thought, could never before, nor yet for many ages after, boast of so learned and accomplished a man as Pelagius; and had he not fallen under the displeasure and censure of such men as Austin, and Jerome, and the Pope, his name, in all likelihood, had been honourably mentioned in all succeeding ages, and not stigmatized and held up, as it has been, and still |