.10

hibited by Constantine, still continued, it is true, at Rome; but they were entirely abolished by Honorius. Classes of society which had been heretofore almost unrecognized by the laws, were now embraced within their operation. The condition of slaves & and of prisoners' was improved; the unlimited power of fathers over their children abridged ;1o women, who had been kept till now in a very inferior position, were invested with greater rights;11 and the widow and orphan protected.12 On the other hand, legislation did not comply every where, or in every respect, with the peculiar requirements of the Christian morals of this age. The laws became more bloody and strict than before. 13 The oath assumed Christian forms, but was more frequently administered.14 And though restrictions upon certain marriages were established, agreeably to Christian principles, the laws against celibacy abolished,16 and second marriages rendered difficult," yet the old liberty of divorce was but partially limited; and from fear of still greater crimes, the emperors were obliged to admit many causes of valid separation, besides unfaithfulness to the marriage contract. 18

15

probably only in the west, for in the east, they appear to have ceased even before Theodosius I. See Müller Comm. de genio, moribus et luxu aevi Theodosiani. Havn. 1797 P. ii. p. 87.

7 Cod. Theod. lib. xv. tit. 12, de gladiatoribus. The self-sacrifice of Telemachus, Theo doret, Hist. eccl. v. 26. Comp. Neander's Chrysost. i. 383.

8 De Rhoer, p. 117, ss. Meysenbug, p. 34.

9 Cod. Theod. lib. ix. tit. 3, de custodia reorum. De Rhoer, p. 72.

10 De Rhoer, p. 137, s. Meysenbug, p. 45. 11 De Rhoer, p. 124,

12 De Rhoer, p.

111.

13 De Rhoer, p. 59, ss.

14 J. F. Malblanc Doctrina de jurejurando e genuinis fontibus illustrata. Norimberg 1781. ed. 2. Tübing. 1820. 8. p. 342. C. F. Staudlin's Gesch. der Lehren vom Eide. Göttingen. 1824. 8. S. 81.

15 Cod. Theod. lib. iii. tit. 12, de incestis nuptiis, on forbidden degrees of affinity. De Rhoer, p. 248. Besides, marriage between Christians and Jews was forbidden (l. c. iii. 7, 2). A proposal of marriage made to a nun was punished with death (ix. 25, 2).

16 Cod. Theod. viii. 16, 1. See Div. I. § 56, note 35.

17 On the poenas secundarum nuptiarum, see de Rhoer, p. 240; Meysenbug, p. 61; v Löhr in the Archive f. d. civilistische Praxis, Bd. 16 (1833), S. 32.

18 Cod. Theodos. lib. iii. tit. 16, de repudiis. Theodosii II. Novell. tit. 12. Bingham, vol. ix. p. 356, ss. De Rhoer, p. 287, ss. Asterii Amaseni (about 400) Homil. v. (in Combefisii Auct. nov. i. 82) : 'Ακούσατε δὲ νῦν οἱ τούτων κάπηλοι, καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας ὡς ἱμάτια ευκόλως μετενδυόμενοι· οἱ τὰς παστάδας πολλάκις καὶ ῥᾳδίως πηγνύντες, ὡς πανηγύρεως ἐργαστήρια.-Οἱ μικρὸν παροξυνόμενοι καὶ εὐθὺς τὸ βιβλίον τῆς διαιρέσεως γράφοντες. οἱ πολλὰς χήρας ἐν τῷ ζῆν ἔτι καταλιμπάνοντες· πείσθητε, ὅτι γάμος θανάτῳ μόνῳ καὶ μοιχεία διακόπτεται. Hieronymi Epist. 84 (al. 30) ad Oceanum de Morte Fabiolae, c. 1: Aliae sunt leges Caesarum, aliae Christi: aliud Papinianus, alìud Paulus noster praecipit, etc.

SEVENTH CHAPTER.

ATTEMPTS AT REFORMATION.

$106.

The new tendencies of Christian life could not slide in unnoticed, especially as it is certain that the Catholic church was frequently reproached with them by the older Christian parties.1 Nor were the morally dangerous aspects of these tendencies entirely overlooked by the more acute; though they were too often exculpated on the ground of pious intentions.2 The men who

1 Faustus (ap. Augustin. contra Faust. xx. 4): Vos, qui desciscentes a gentibus monarchiae opinionem primo vobiscum divulsistis, id est, ut omnia credatis ex Deo; sacrificia vero eorum vertistis in agapas, idola in Martyres, quos votis similibus colitis ; defunctorum umbras vino placatis et dapibus; solemnes gentium dies cum ipsis celebratis, ut calendas, et solstitia; de vita certe mutastis nihil; estis sane schisma, a matrice sua diversum nihil habens nisi conventum. The Novatians also rejected the worship of martyrs and relics. See Eulogius Patr. Alex. (about 580) contra Novatianos lib. Vto. (ap. Photius Cod. 280; cf. Cod. 182): perhaps also Eustathius (Conc. Gangr. c. 20, comp. however, Dallaeus adv. Latinorum de cultus religiosi objecto tradit. p. 151). Eunomius was an opponent of martyr-worship (auctor hujus haereseos. Hieron. adv. Vigilant.) and of monachism (Gregor. Nyssen. contra Eunom. lib. ii.).

2 As Hieronym. adv. Vigilant. (Opp. iv. ii. p. 284): Cereos autem non clara luce accendimus, sicut frustra calumniaris, sed ut noctis tenebras hoc solatio temperemus.Quod si aliqui per imperitiam et simplicitatem saecularium hominum, vel certe religiosarum feminarum, de quibus vere possumus dicere: confiteor, zelum Dei habent, sed non secundum scientiam (Rom. x. 1) hoc pro honore Martyrum faciunt, quid inde perdis? Causabantur quondam et Apostoli, quod periret unguentum; sed Domini voce correpti sunt (Matth. xxvi. 8, ss.). Neque enim Christus indigebat unguento, nec Martyres lumine cereorum: et tamen illa mulier in honore Christi hoc fecit, devotioque mentis ejus recipitur; et quicumque accedunt cereos, secundum fidem suam habent mercedem, dicente Apostolo: unusquisque in suo sensu abundet (Rom. xiv. 5). Augustin. ad Januarium lib. ii. (Epist. 55) § 35: Quod autem instituitur praeter consuetudinem, ut quasi observatio sacramenti sit, approbare non possum, etiamsi multa hujusmodi propter nonnullarum vel sanctarum vel turbulentarum personarum scandala devitanda, liberius improbare non audeo. Sed hoc nimis doleo, quod multa, quae in divinis libris saluberrime praecepta sunt, minus curantur; et tam multis praesumtionibus sic plena sunt omnia, ut gravius corripiatur, qui per octavas suas terram nudo pede tetigerit (namely neophytus, cf. Tert. de Cor. mil. c. 3. See Div. I. § 53, note 25), quam qui mentem vinolentia sepelierit. Omnia itaque talia, quae neque sanctarum scripturarum auctoritatibus continentur, nec in conciliis episcoporum statuta inveniuntur, nec consuetudine universae ecclesiae roborata sunt, sed pro diversorum locorum diversis moribus innumerabiliter variantur, ita ut vix aut omnino nunquam inveniri possint causae, quas in eis instituendis homines secuti sunt, ubi facultas tribuitur, sine ulla dubitatione resecanda existimo. Quamvis enim neque hoc inveniri possit, quomodo contra fidem sint: ipsam tamen religionem, quam

4

looked into the ecclesiastical and religious errors of the time more profoundly, and attacked them publicly, were declared heretics by the offended hierarchy; and their voice soon died away without being able to give another direction to the incipient development of ecclesiastical life. To these latter belonged Aërius, presbyter in Sebaste, and friend of bishop Eustathius (about 360);3 Jovinian, monk at Rome (about 388), first condemned there by Siricius, afterward by Ambrose at Milan; some of paucissimis et manifestissimis celebrationum sacramentis misericordia Dei esse liberam voluit, servilibus oneribus premunt, ut tolerabilior sit conditio Judaeorum, qui, etiamsi tempus libertatis non agnoverunt, legalibus tamen sarcinis, non humanis praesumtionibus subjiciuntur. Sed ecclesia Dei inter multam paleam multaque zizania constituta, multa tolerat, et tamen quae sunt contra fidem vel bonam vitam non approbat, nec tacet nec facit. Id. contra Faustum, xx. 21: Aliud est quod docemus, aliud quod sustinemus, aliud quod praecipere jubemur, aliud quod emendare praecipimur, et donec emendemus, tolerare compellimur. Alia est disciplina Christianorum, alia luxuria vinolentorum, vel error infirmorum.

3 Only authority Epiphan. Haer. 75. His doctrines, ib. § 3: 1. Tí koriv ¿πÍOKOTOS πρὸς πρεσβύτερον; οὐδὲν διαλλάττει οὗτος τούτου· μία γάρ ἐστι τάξις, καὶ μία τιμὴ καὶ ἓν ἀξιώμα (proofs from New Testament passages, § 5). 2. Τί ἐστι τὸ πάσχα, ὅπερ παρ' ὑμῖν ἐπιτελεῖται ;-οὐ χρὴ τὸ πάσχα ἐπιτελεῖν· τὸ γὰρ πάσχα ὑμῶν ἐτύθη Χριστός (1 Cor. v. 7).—3. Τίνι τῷ λόγῳ μετὰ θάνατον ὀνομάζετε ὀνόματα τεθνεώτων;—εἰ δὲ ὅλως εὐχὴ τῶν ἐνταῦθα τοὺς ἐκεῖσε ὤνησεν, ἆρα γοῦν μηδεὶς εὐσεβείτω, μηδὲ ἀγαθο ποιείτω, ἀλλὰ κτησάσθω φίλους τινάς,καὶ εὐχέσθωσαν περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μή τι ἐκεῖ πάθη.4. Οὔτε νηστεία ἔσται τεταγμένη· ταῦτα γὰρ Ἰουδαϊκά ἐστι, καὶ ὑπὸ ζυγὸν δουλείας.-εἰ γὰρ ὅλως βούλομαι νηστεύειν, οἵαν δ' ἂν αἱρήσομαι ἡμέραν ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ νηστεύω διὰ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν. The Protestants were frequently accused of the heresy of Aërius. Walch's Ketzerhist. iii. 321.

4 Siricii Epist. ad diversos episcopos adv. Jovinianum (about 389) ap. Coustant. Epist. 7 Ambrosii Rescriptum ad Siricium (Epist. 12, ap. Coustant. Ep. Siric. 8). Hieronymi libb. ii. adv. Jovinianum A.D. 392. Augustinus de Haeres. c. 82, and in other writings. Doubtless Jovinian was greatly strengthened by the prevailing prejudice at Rome against monachism, and by the death of Blaesilla (384). See § 96, note 3. He was thus excited to reflection, and was brought to deny the advantages which the monastic state claimed in its favor. Hence also he met with so much acceptance in Rome. See his doctrines in Jerome, i. 2: Dicit, virgines, viduas et maritatas, quae semel in Christo lotae sunt, si non discrepent caeteris operibus, ejusdem esse meriti (August. 1. c. virginitatem etiam sanctimonialium, et continentiam sexus virilis in sanctis eligentibus caelibem vitam conjugiorum castorum atque fidelium meritis adaequabat: ita ut quaedam virgines sacrae provectae jam aetatis in urbe Roma, ubi haec docebat, eo audito nupsisse dicantur). Nititur approbare, eos, qui plena fide in baptismate renati sunt, a diabolo non posse subverti (farther below:-non posse tentari: quicunque autem tentati fuerint, ostendi, eos aqua tantum et non spiritu baptizatos, quod in Simone mago legimus: more accurately Jerome adv. Pelag. ii.: Posse hominem baptizatum, si voluerit, nequaquam ultra peccare: i. e., divine grace is communicated fully to man in baptism, and is not increased by the monastic state). Tertium proponit, inter abstinentiam ciborum et cum gratiarum actione perceptionem eorum nullam esse distantiam. Quartum, quod et extremum, esse omnium, qui suum baptisma servaverint, unam in regno caelorum remunerationem. Augustine adds, 1. c.: Omnia peccata, sicut stoici philosophi, paria esse dicebat. (Jovinian said: Hieron. adv. Jov. ii. 20: Qui fratri dixerit fatue et raca, reus erit Geenae: et qui homicida fuerit et adulter, mittetur similiter in Geennam), and virginitatem Mariae destruebat, dicens eam pariendo fuisse corruptam.-Comp. Augustin. Retract. ii. 22:

whose opinions were soon after adopted by two monks of Milan, Sarmatio and Barbatianus (about 396); but especially Vigilantius (shortly before 404) of Calagurris in Gaul (now Caseres in the district Commenges in Gascogne), presbyter in Barcelona.

Remanserant autem istae disputationes ejus (Joviniani) in quorundum sermunculis ac susurris, quas palam suadere nullus audebat :-jactabatur, Joviniano responderi non potuisse cum laude, sed cum vituperatione nuptiarum (cf. § 102, note 12). Propter hoc librum edidi, cujus inscriptio est de bono conjugali. Walch, iii. 655. Neander's K. G. ii. ii. 574. Gu. B. Lindner de Joviniano et Vigilantio diss. Lips. 1839. 8. p. 10. 5 Ambrosii Epist. 63 (al. 82, al. 25) ad Vercellensem ecclesiam: Audio venisse ad vos Sarmationem et Barbatianum, vaniloquos homines, qui dicunt nullum esse abstinentiae meritum, nullum frugalitatis, nullam virginitatis gratiam, pari omnes aestimari pretio, delirare eos, qui jejuniis castigent carnem suam, et menti subditam faciant etc.

• Concerning his earlier abode in Palestine (396), and his disputes with Jerome, whom he considered to be a follower of Origen, Hieron. Ep. ad Vigilantium (ap. Martian, Ep. 36, ap. Vallarsi Ep. 61).—Against the later assertions of Vigilantius Hieron. Ep. ad Riparium, A.D. 404 (ap. Martian. Ep. 37, ap. Vallarsi Ep. 109), adv. Vigilantium lib. A.D. 406.-In the latter it is said: Martyrum negat sepulchra veneranda (in Ep. ad Riparium: Ais, Vigilantium, qui kar' ȧvríopaoi hoc vocatur nomine, nam Dormitantius rectius diceretur, os foetidum rursus aperire, et putorem spurcissimum contra sanctorum martyrum proferre reliquias: et nos, qui eas suspicimus, appellare cinerarios et idololatras, qui mortuorum hominum ossa veneremur), damnandas dicit esse vigilias nunquam nisi in pascha alleluja cantandum (cf. Bingham, vol. vi. p. 41, ss.), continentiam haeresin, pudicitiam libidinis seminarium.-Proh nefas, episcopos sui sceleris dicitur habere consortes, si tamen episcopi nominandi sunt, qui non ordinant diaconos, nisi prius uxores duxerint, nulli caelibi credentes pudicitiam. Extracts from the writings of Vigilantius: Quid necesse est, te tanto honore non solum honorare, sed etiam adorare illud nescio quid, quod in modico vasculo transferendo colis ?-Quid pulverem linteamine circumdatum adorando oscularis ?-Prope ritum gentilium videmus sub praetextu religionis introductum in ecclesiis, sole adhuc fulgente moles cereorum accendi, et ubicunque pulvisculum nescio quod in modico vasculo pretioso linteamine circumdatum osculantes adorant. Magnum honorem praebent hujusmodi homines beatissimis martyribus, quos putant de vilissimis cereolis illustrandos, quos agnus, qui est in medio throni cum omni fulgore majestatis suae illustrat.-Vel in sinu Abrahae, vel in loco refrigerii, vel subter aram Dei animae Apostolorum et Martyrum consederunt, nec possunt suis tumulis, et ubi voluerint, adesse praesentes.-Dum vivimus, mutuo pro nobis orare possumus: postquam autem mortui fuerimus, nullius est pro alio exaudienda oratio. Jerome adds still farther: Praeterea iisdem ad me relatum est epistolis, quod contra auctoritatem Pauli-tu prohibeas, Hierosolymam in usus sanctorum aliqua sumtuum solatia dirigi;-hoc unumquemque posse in patria sua facere; nec pauperes defuturos, qui ecclesiae opibus sustentandi sint.-Asseris, eos melius facere, qui utuntur rebus suis, et paulatim fructus possessionum suarum pauperibus dividunt, quam illos, qui possessionibus venumdatis-semel omnia largiuntur.-Dicis: si omnes se clauserint et fuerint in solitudine: quis celebrabit ecclesias? quis saeculares homines lucrifaciet? quis peccantes ad virtutes poterit cohortari? Comp. the writings quoted in § 102, note 1. Barbeyrac pref. p. 48. Ceillier, p. 339, ss. Barbeyrac Traité, p. 251, ss. -Bayle Diction. s. v. Vigilantius. Walch de Vigilantio haeretico orthodoxo. Goett.

1756 (in Pottii Syll. comm. theol. vii. 326). Walch, iii. 673. Lindner de Joviniano et Vigilantio, p. 40.

EIGHTH CHAPTER.

SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY.

§ 107.

IN THE EAST.

In Persia, where there were numerous churches under the metropolitan bishop of Seleucia and Ctesiphon, Christianity had become an object of suspicion ever since it had prevailed in the Roman empire. The recommendation of Constantine, therefore, in favor of the Persian Christians, had no permanent or good influence with the king (Sapor II. 309–381).1 When a war broke out soon after between the Romans and Persians, Sapor began a tedious and horrible persecution of the Christians with the execution of Simon, bishop of Seleucia and Ctesiphon (343), under the pretense of his being a spy of the Romans." After Sapor's death, indeed, this persecution ceased, Jezdegerd I. (400– 421) being at first even a friend to the Christians; but the fanatic Abdas, bishop of Susa, by the destruction of a fire-temple (414) brought on another persecution as severe, which was finally extinguished by Theodosius II. making war on the Persians (422).3 The Persian church was always in close connection with the Syrian, and exhibited the same theological tendency. When, therefore, Nestorianism in its native land was forced to give way to violence, it found a secure asylum among Persian Christians; from which time the Persian church separated itself from that of the Roman empire.*

5

Christianity had also been introduced into Armenia as early as the second century. In the time of Diocletian, it was spread 1 Constantini Epist. ad regem Persarum ap. Euseb. de vit. Const. iv. 9-13, et ap. Theodoret. i. 24.

2 Sozomen. ii. 9-41. Steph. Evod. Assemani Acta sanctorum Martyrum orientalium et occidentalium. Romae. 1784. fol. Neander's K. G. ii. i. 222.

3 Theodoretus, v. 38. Socrates, vii. 18-21. Neander, S. 235, ss.

488, at the end.

Dionysius Corinthius according to Eusebius, vi. 46, wrote τοῖς κατὰ ̓Αρμενίαν περὶ μετανοίας, ὧν ἐπεσκόπευε Μερουζάνης.