CHAP. missionaries in the north of Europe, which form the V. most shining part of Christian history in this century, were all conducted by Christians of the west, and particularly by those who were the most remote from idolatry, those of our own country especially. There is, therefore, good reason to believe, that the new Churches in the north were taught to worship the living God, through the one Mediator Christ. For the British Churches expressed the most marked detestation of the second council of Nice*. And Alcuin, the preceptor of Charlemagne, disproved its decrees in a letter, by express authorities of Scripture. It is too true, that our ancestors, like the rest of Europe, learned at length to worship idols. For religious movements among churches are generally retrograde. Entirely distinct from human institutions of science, Christian views are most perfect at first, as being derived from the divine word, and impressed on the hearts of man by divine grace the wisdom of this world, aided by the natural propensities of mankind, corrupts them afterwards by degrees, and too often leaves them, at length, neither root nor branch of evangelical light and purity.

Alcuin, an Englishman, goes

dor to

France.

On

Alcuin, who has been just mentioned, was born in England ; and was a deacon of the Church of Ambassa York. He was sent ambassador into France by Offa, king of the Mercians, in the year 790. A. D. this occasion he gained the esteem of Charlemagne, 790. and persuaded that monarch to found the universities of Paris and Pavia. He was looked upon as one of the wisest and most learned men of his time. He read public lectures in the emperor's palace, and in other places. He wrote, in an orthodox manner, on the Trinity, and, in particular, confuted the notions of Felix, bishop of Urgel, of whom it is sufficient to say, that he revived something like the + Du Pin.

• Collier's Ecc. Hist. B. 2.

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.

Dies.

A. D.

Even Italy itself was not disposed altogether to 804. 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.

Paulinus at

Nice.

This bishop successfully opposed the error of Firmness of Felix, concerning the person of Jesus Christ, and the Second 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 787†, 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 hath not; which
seems to be a just and evangelical view of that divine
ordinance, not only free from the absurdity of tran-
substantiation, 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, can-
not blot out the least sin; that the expiation of
iniquity is the exclusive privilege of the blood of
Christ alone. Het defines the properties of the
divine and human nature, as united in the person of
Jesus Christ, with great precision; and so care-
ful 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 com-
ments on our Lord's well-known description of eat-
ing 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 inter-
cedes not, but declares that this mediator is the
propitiation for our sins." Once more:
"The Son
of God Almighty, our Almighty Lord, because He
redeemed us with the price of his blood, is justly

* Buccella et particula panis, in his dedication to Charle

magne.

Allix.

called the true Redeemer, by the confession of all, 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.

CENT.

VIII.

of

Paulinus.

This bishop was born about the year 726, near Brief ace Friuli, was promoted to Aquileia in 776, was highly cultu 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

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.

7

CENTURY IX.

CHAP.

1.

CHAP. I.

A GENERAL VIEW OF THE STATE OF RELIGION
IN THIS CENTURY.

WE

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.