A. D. 713, to 730.

happens to have come to our knowledge. Germanus, archbishop of Constantinople in the former part of the eigthth century, published a book, we are told, to confute "the "heretical doctrine that the demons shall be restored to "their pristine state, and that those who die in their "sins, shall, after certain punishments, be gathered into "the number of the blest. This impiety, so full of "fables, he disproved, first, by the words of the Lord, "then by the apostolic decrees; to which he adds also "the testimonies of the prophets, which show clearly "that as the enjoyment of the blest is eternal and ineffa"ble, so also the punishment of sinners will be endless " and infinite. And not only by these testimonies did "he confound the profane and poisonous error, but also "by those of the holy fathers; and particularly by the very writings of him [Gregory Nyssen] whom this "heresy perfidiously claimed as its patron. By means "of all these authorities, he freed the whole eccleciasti"cal body from that scheme of fables so pernicious to the "the soul." In part of his book, Germanus undertook the impracticable task of showing that the ancient father, Gregory Nyssen, was not an advocate of Uni-. versalism. The occasion of this bold attempt is said to have been "because that they who favored the notion "that the demons and the damned might be delivered, "endeavored to mix the dark and pernicious poison of

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Origen's dreams with Gregory's luminous and salu"tary writings, and strove secretly to add an heretical "madness to the virtue and renowned orthodoxy of him "whom they knew to be distinguished for doctrine and eloquence, and the bright reputation of whose sanctity they knew was talked of by all." We are likewise told that "those books of Gregory which the heretics "craftily endeavored to bring to their aid, but which "Germanus, the advocate of the truth, had preserved

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“uninjured from their attempts, were The Dialogue "concerning the soul: The Catechetical Oration; and "the Book concerning a Perfect Life."*

This account, taken from a writer of the ninth century, who was one of the most renowned ecclesiastical critics of all antiquity, shows that, about the time of Germanus, the heresy of Universal Restoration made some noise in the East.

II. In the western church there appeared, among several other sectaries, a preacher who claims our notice. Clement, a native of Ireland, seems to have been regularly ordained a presbyter, or minister, in the Romish communion. But he at length discarded its superstitions, renounced its authority, and rejected the whole mass of ecclesiastical canons, the decrees of the councils, and all the treatises and expositions of the fathers; reserving to himself, probably, as the guide of his faith, the Bible alone, which was now forbidden the people. He taught that Christ, when he descended to Hell, restored all the damned, even infidels and idolaters; and he differed, on what particulars we know not, from the catholic doctrine concerning predestination. Several independent congregations were gathered, under his ministry, in part of France and Germany; and such was his progress as to awaken the attention of both the

civil and ecclesiastical powers. In a counA. D. 744. cil of twenty three bishops, assembled A. D. 744, at Soissons in France, by king" Pepin, Clement was deposed from the priesthood, condemned among other heretics, and imprisoned. Boniface, archbishop of Mentz, and legate of the Holy See, presided, probably, in this council; and he immediately sent to the Pope an account of the affair. It was soon

* Photii Bibliothec. Cod. 233.. See Note (f) to sect. xvii of the vi. Chap. of this History.

discovered that Clement had left disciples even among the lower orders of the clergy; and in a council of seven bishops held, the following year, by pope Zachary, at Rome, he was again deposed, and anathematized together with his followers, in case they should not renounce their error. Two years afterwards the pope advised Boniface to call a council in his neighborhood, and ascertain whether Clement and certain other heretics would submit to the church; and in case of their obstinacy to send them to Rome. It does not appear, however, that any thing further was done; and it is probable that Clement died in prison. Boniface reported that he was guilty of adultery; but as some such accusation was the customary expedient of the catholics on simliar occasions, the story is unworthy of notice. Mosheim says that " by the best and most au"thentic accounts, Clement was much better acquainted "with the true principles and doctrines of christianity, "than Boniface himself; and hence he is considered by "C many as a confessor and sufferer for the truth, in this "barbarous age." Priestley also thinks "it is probable " that if his sentiments and conduct were fully known, “he would be ranked with the most early reformers d."

III. From about the year 850, for two centuries onwards, both the Greek and the Roman or Latin Church enjoyed, within their own respective communions, the golden age of profound ignorance and undisturbed orthodoxy. One of the most learned and impartial of the catholic historians says, "in this age of "the church, there were no controversies concerning

b Fleury's Eccl. Hist. xlii. ch. 39, 50, 52, 53, 54, 58. The orthodox enthusiast, Milner, applauds the soul-saving zeal of Boniface on this occasion; and commends the discipline inflicted upon Clement and his associates. See his Hist. of the Church, Cent. viii. ch. 4. Mosheim's Eccl. Hist. Cent. viii. Pt. ii. ch. 5. § 2.

d Priestley's Hist. of the Church. Period xv, Sect. v. p. 181.

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'articles of faith or doctrinal points of divinity, because there were no heretics, nor other inquisitive persons, “who refined upon matters of religion, or undertook to "dive to the bottom of its mysteries. The sober part "contented themselves with yielding implicit faith to "whatever the churchmen thought fit to deliver from "the pulpit; and as for the profligate wretches, they "abandoned themselves to gross sensualities for thẹ gratification of their brutal appetites, rather than to "the vices of the mind, to which none but ingenious "persons are liable. Therefore, in this age of darkness "and ignorance, the Church, not being disturbed upon "account of its doctrines, had nothing to do but to-sup"press the enormities which abounded with regard to "discipline and manners "" e Another catholic historian, having repeated that no heretics arose in the ninth and tenth centuries, exclaims, "A stupendous prodigy "of divine providence in behalf of the Church! Doubt"less, because she was agitated with other commotions "during these two ages, God was pleased to grant her rest "from the troubles of heresy." A protestant historian shall describe to us the real character of this church, so unmolested by error, at this period :" Both in the east"ern and western provinces, the clergy were, for the "most part, composed of a most worthless set of men, "shamefully illiterate and stupid, ignorant more especi"ally in religious matters, equally enslaved to sensuality "and superstition, and capable of the most abominable "and flagitious deeds. This dismal degeneracy of the "sacred order was, according to the most credible accounts, principally owing to the pretended chiefs and "rulers of the universal church, who indulged them"selves in the commission of the most odious crimes,

• Du Pin's Eccl. Hist. Vol. viii, ch. 6. f Notitiæ Eccl. per Sodalitatem Academ. Bambergensem, Pars Tertia, Sæculum x.

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"and abandoned themselves to the lawless impulse of. "the most licentious passions, without reluctance or re"morse; who counfounded, in short, all difference be"tween just and unjust to satisfy their impious ambition; "and whose spiritual empire was such a diversified "scene of iniquity and violence, as never was exhibited 66 under any of those temporal tyrants, who have been "the scourges of mankind." "Both Greeks and Latins placed the essence and life of religion in the worship of images and departed saints; in searching after with 66 zeal, and preserving with a devout care and venera"tion, the sacred relics of holy men and women; and "in accumulating riches upon the priests and monks, "whose opulence increased with the progress of super"stition. Scarcely did any christian dare to approach "the throne of God, without first rendering the saints "and images propitious by a solemn round of expiatory "rites and lustrations. The ardor also with which "relics were sought, surpasses almost all credibility: it "had seized all ranks and orders among the people,

and was grown into a sort of fanaticism and phrenzy ; " and, if the monks are to be believed, the Supreme "Being interposed, in an especial and extraordinary manner, to discover to doating old wives, and bare"headed friars, the places where the bones or carcasses "of the saints lay dispersed or interred "." Such was the age of midnight. darkness.

IV. But though no new heresies, so called, arose at this period within the two vast communities which arrogated to themselves the appellation of The Church, yet one earlier and very powerful sect, that of the Paulicians, still existed in the East, and under several names was spread in the West. It is in this heterogeneous body that modern historians have sought, with some

g Mosheim's Eccl. Hist. Cent. x. Pt. 2. ch. ii. 1. ch. iii. 1.

h Ditto.

i Mosheim (Eccl. Hist. Cent. x. Part 2, ch. v. 2. and