PART I. II. These constant wars, and the inexpressible CENT. calamities with which they were attended, were V. undoubtedly detrimental to the cause and progress of Christianity. It must, however, be ac- The farther knowledged that the Christian emperors, espe- decline of cially those who ruled in the east, were active idolatry. and assiduous in extirpating the remains of the ancient superstitions. Theodosius the younger distinguished himself in this pious and noble work, and many remarkable monuments of his zeal in this matter are still preserved [c]; such as the laws which enjoined either the destruction of the heathen temples, or the dedication of them to Christ and his saints; the edicts, by which he abrogated the sacrilegious rites and ceremonies of Paganism, and removed from all offices and employments in the state such as persevered in their attachment to the absurdities of Polytheism. This spirit of reformation appeared with less vigour in the western empire. There the feasts of Saturn and Pan, the combats of the gladiators, and other rites that were instituted in honour of the Pagan deities, were celebrated with the utmost freedom and impunity; and persons of the highest rank and authority professed publicly the religion of their idolatrous ancestors [d]. This liberty was, however, from time to time, Giannone, Histoire de Naples, tom. i. p. 207. Jo Cochlai Vita Theodorici Ostrogothorum regis, printed in 4to in the year 1699, with the observations and remarks of Peringskiold. [c] See the Theodosian Code, tom. vi. p. 327. [d] See the Saturnalia of Macrobius, lib. i. p. 100. edit. Gronov. Scipio Maffei delli Anfiteatri, lib. i. p. 56, 57. Pierre le Brun, Hist. Critique des Partiques superstitieuses, tom. i. p. 237. and above all, Montfaucon, Diss de Moribus tempore Theodosii M. et Arcadii, which is to be found in Latin, in the eleventh volume of the works of St. Chrysostom, and in French, in the twentieth volume of the Memoires, de l'Academie des Inscriptions et des Belles Lettres, p. 197. PART I. CENT. reduced within narrower limits; and all those V. public sports and festivals, that were more peculiarly incompatible with the genius and sanctity of the Christian religion, were every where abolished [e]. Nations converted nity. III. The limits of the church continued to to Christia- extend themselves, and gained ground daily upon the idolatrous nations, both in the eastern and western empires. In the east, the inhabitants of mount Libanus and Antilibanus being dreadfully infested with wild beasts, implored the assistance and counsels of the famous Simeon the Stylite, of whom we shall have occasion to speak hereafter. Simeon gave them for answer, that the only effectual method of removing this calamity was, to abandon the superstitious worship of their ancestors, and substitute the Christian religion in its place. The docility of this people, joined to the extremities to which they were reduced, engaged them to follow the counsels of this holy man. They embraced Christianity, and in consequence of their conversion, they had the pleasure of seeing their savage enemies abandon their habitations: if we may believe the writers who affirm the truth of this prodigy. The same Simeon, by his influence and authority, introduced the Christian worship into a certain district of the Arabians: some allege, that this also was effected by a miracle, which to me appears somewhat more than doubtful [f]. To these instances of the progress of the gospel, we may add the conversion of a considerable number of Jews in the isle of Crete; who finding themselves grossly deluded by the impious pretensions of an impostor, called [e] Anastasius prohibited, towards the conclusion of this century, the combats with the wild beasts, and other shews. Asseman. Biblioth. Orient. Vatic. tom. i. p. 246. [] Assemanni Bibl. Orient. Vat. tom. i. p. 246. called Moses Cretensis [g], who gave himself out CENT. for the Messiah, opened their eyes upon the truth, and embraced the Christian religion of their own accord [h]. all V. PART I. version of pieces The concon- the GerSome man na tions to IV. The German nations, who rent in the Roman empire in the west, were not verted to Christianity at the same time. of them had embraced the truth before the time Christianiof their incursion; and such, among others, was ty. the case of the Goths. Others, after having erected their little kingdoms in the empire, embraced the gospel, that they might thus live with more security amidst a people, who, in general, professed the Christian religion. It is, however, uncertain (and likely to continue so) at what time, and by whose ministry the Vandals, Sueves, and Alans were converted to Christianity. With respect to the Burgundians, who inhabited the banks of the Rhine, and who passed from thence into Gaul, we are informed by Socrates [i], that they embraced the gospel of their own accord, from a notion that Christ, or the god of the Romans, who had been represented to them as a most powerful being, would defend them against B 3 the [g] We shall give the relation of Socrates, concerning this impostor, in the words of the learned and estimable author of the Remarks on Ecclesiastical History. "In the time of "Theodosius the younger, an impostor arose, called Moses "Cretensis. He pretended to be a second Moses, sent to de"liver the Jews who dwelt in Crete, and promised to divide the sea, and give them a safe passage through it. They assem"bled together, with their wives and children, and followed "him to a promontory. He there commanded them to cast "themselves into the sea. Many of them obeyed, and perish"ed in the waters, and many were taken up and saved by "fishermen. Upon this, the deluded Jews would have torn "the impostor to pieces, but he escaped them and was seen "no more." See Jortin's Remarks, &c. first edition, vol. iii. p. 331. [h] Socrates, Hist. Eccles. lib. vii. cap. xxxviii. p. 383. [i] Idem, Hist. Eccles. lib. vii. cap. xxx. p. 371. V. CENT. the rapines and incursions of the Huns. They afterwards sided with the Arian party, to which PART I. also the Vandals, Sueves, and Goths were zealously attached. All these fierce and warlike nations judged a religion excellent, in proportion to the success which crowned the arms of those that professed it, and esteemed, consequently, that doctrine the best, whose professors had gained the greatest number of victories. When therefore they saw the Romans possessed of an empire much more extensive than that of any other people, they concluded that Christ, their God, was of all others the most worthy of religious homage. Of the V. It was the same principle and the same views that engaged Clovis [k] king of the Salii, a nation of the Franks, to embrace Christianity. This prince, whose signal valour was accompanied with barbarity, arrogance, and injustice, founded the kingdom of the Franks, in Gaul, after having made himself master of a great part of that country, and meditated with a singular eagerness and avidity the conquest of the whole. His conversion to the Christian religion, is dated from the battle he fought with the Allemans, in the year 496, at the village called Tolbiacum [1]; in which, when the Franks began to give ground, and their affairs seemed desperate, he implored the assistance of Christ (whom his queen Clothildis, daughter of the king of the Burgundians, had often represented to him, in vain, as the Son of the true God), and solemnly engaged himself, by a vow, to worship him as his God, if he rendered him victorious over his enemies. Victory decided in favour [k] Besides the name of Clovis, this prince was also called Clodovæus, Hludovicus, Ludovicus, and Ludicin. [1] Tolbiacum is thought to be the present Zulpick, which is about twelve miles from Cologn. V. PART I. favour of the Franks: and Clovis, faithful to his CENT. engagement, received baptism at Rheims [m], towards the conclusion of that same year, after having been instructed by Remigius, bishop of that city, in the doctrines of the gospel [n]. The example of the king had such a powerful effect upon the minds of his subjects, that three thousand of them immediately followed it, and were baptized with him. Many are of opinion, that the desire of extending his dominions was that which contributed principally to render Clovis faithful to his engagement; though some influence may also be allowed to the zeal and exhortations of his queen Clothildis. Be that as it will, nothing is more certain than that his profession of Christianity was, in effect, of great use to him, both in confirming and enlarging his empire. The miracles, which are said to have been wrought at the baptism of Clovis, are utterly unworthy of the smallest degree of credit. Among others the principal prodigy, that of the phial full of oil said to be brought from heaven by a milk white dove, during the ceremony of baptism, is a fiction, or rather, perhaps, an imposture; a pretended miracle contrived by artifice and fraud [o]. Pious frauds of this nature were very commonly practised in Gaul and in Spain at [m] See Gregory of Tours, Historia Francorum, lib. ii. cap. xxx. xxxi. Henry count Bunau's Historia Imperii Romano-Germanici, tom. i. p. 588. De Bos' Histoire Critique de la Monarchie Francoise, tom. ii. p. 340. [n] The epitomiser of the history of the Franks tells us that Remigius having preached to Clovis, and those who had been baptized with him, a sermon on the passion of our Saviour; the king, in hearing him, could not forbear crying out, " If I "had been there with my Franks, that should not have hap"pened." [o] The truth of this miracle has been denied by the learned John James Chiflet, in his book De ampulla Rhemensi, printed in folio at Antwerp, in the year 1651; and it |