Papal Legates. 249 CENT. 5.] The authority of the Roman prelates in the west had been confiderably increased by the fupineness of the emperors, and the grant which had been obtained by the ambitious Leo, from Valentinian, « that all the western bishops fhould be fubject to his jurisdiction. Their power was not diminished by the dominion of the barbarous nations, who, perceiving the fubjection of the people to the clergy, and the dependence of the clergy upon the Roman Pontiff, foon became fenfible, that by augmenting his power they fecured their own. The appointment of legates from the Pope*, who about the middle of this century firft began to refide at the court of Conftantinople, doubtless originated from motives extremely oppofite to those which were avowed. Leo recommended to the emperor Marcian a perfon named Julian, who was established by him to folicit at the emperor's court * The name Papa (Pope) was originally given to all bishops, and even fometimes to the inferior clergy. Bingham, book i chap. 2. whatever 250 Inftances of exalted Virtue. ICENT. 5. whatever related to the faith and peace of the 'Church against heretics. But a regard to faith and difcipline was doubtlefs not the fole object of their attention. The bishop of Rome was too much interested in the profperity of his fee, not to be very fedulous in obferving every circumftance relating to the other prelates (particularly his brother of Conftantinople), which might be prejudicial to his own interest and dignity. The tender concern of thefe reverend brethren was indeed exerted to promote good order in every part of the Chriftian world; and was charitably extended fo far beyond the limits of ecclefiaftical authority, that they frequently interfered in matters of civil jurisdiction. Valentinian promulgated a law which restrained. their power to fpiritual and ecclefiaftical causes; but, in these, their authority extended to all ranks and degrees of men. Notwithstanding the depravity and corruption which pervaded the clerical body, the whole was not contaminated. Inftances of difinterested virtue, which would have reflected fplendour upon the most enlightened periods of fociety, illuminated the dreary and difmal annals of the fifth century. We behold with veneration and with pleasure the liberal Deogratias, bishop of Carthage, felling the coftly plate of the church for the ranfom of a number of captives, who had been brought by Geifericus, the Vandalic king, to the fhores of Africa, where they were to be torn from every dear and CENT. 5.] Benevolence of Chriftian Bishops. 251 focial connection. We accompany him with delight to his church, filled with beds of ftraw for the accommodation of the wretched ftrangers; and with transport behold this aged and infirm prelate daily comforting the fick, giving food to the hungry, and medicines to the diseased. Nor was this a folitary inftance of public and private virtue: it was even exceeded by Acacius, bishop of Amida, who ranfomed feven thousand Perfian captives perifhing with hunger. Hiftory, amongst her difagreeable obligations to record fo much of the vices of mankind-for vice, if it does not preponderate in the scale, is generally more apparent and obtrufive than virtue-has fometimes the delight of exhibiting characters which dignify and exalt human nature. The erudition, piety, and truly Christian charity of Atticus, bishop of Conftantinople, who diftributed liberally not only to the orthodox, but to the neceffitous heretics-the still greater mildness of Proclus, his friend and difciple, towards the heretics, and his active as well as paffive virtuesthe piety, fimplicity, and affability of Sicinius, a Conftantinopolitan prelate-are inftances of human excellence, which it is pleasant to record, and may ferve as models worthy of imitation to more re-. fined and fucceeding ages. CHAP. [ 252 ] CHAP. II. OF GOVERNMENT, DOCTRINE, RITES, AND CEREMONIES IN THE FIFTH CENTURY. Title and Dignity of Patriarch conferred on five of the principal Sees-Increase of Monks-Exempted from Ecclefiaftical Jurifdiction-Their immenfe Power-Crimes-Warlike Achievements-New Order of Watchers-Abfurdities -Savage Life-Symeon Stylites-Pillar Saints-Fanaticifm of Baradatus and James of Syria--Platonism fucceeded by the Philofophy of Ariftotle-Increasing Respect for the Virgin Mary-Miracles fuppofed to be wrought by her— Images of the Virgin and the Saints-Superftitious Reverence for the Sacrament-Change of public to private Confeffion-Incenfe and Tapers used in the Church-Rage for accumulating Relics-Seven Sleepers-Miracle of the Orthodox Believers, who spoke after the Lofs of their Tongues -Divination-Feast of the Afcenfion-Origin of the Pope's Tiara. HOUGH the bishops of Rome, partly by THO the force of an ancient prejudice in favour of that imperial city, and partly by the wealth and power of that church, had in the preceding century been enabled to affume a degree of fuperiority over the other metropolitan churches; and though the council of Conftantinople had raised the bishop of that fee to an equality of power and authority with the Roman prelate, yet the title of Patriarch does not appear to have been regularly conferred upon CENT. 5.] Patriarchal Sees. 253 upon them till the meeting of the council of Chalcedon, in 451; nor were the jurifdiction and dignity of the patriarchal fees, before that period, properly established and defined. The patriarchal dignity was alfo obtained by the bishops of Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerufalem; but these latter were held in an inferior light to those of Rome and Conftantinople *. The title of Exarch was con- . ferred * The powers of the patriarchs differed materially. The patriarch of Alexandria poffeffed the peculiar prerogative of confecrating and approving every bishop throughout the provinces of his diocefe. This was owing to his rights as a metropolitan, which authorised him, with a fynod of his provincial bishops, to confecrate all the bishops within his province; and his diocese, when he became a patriarch, being in no respect extended, he continued his cuftom of ordaining, though new metropolitans were inftituted under him. The privileges of the patriarchs were many. They ordained the metropolitans of their diocefes, but they were themselves ordained by a diocefan fynod. They convened and prefided in the fynods of their diocefes. They had the privilege of receiving appeals from the sentences of the metropolitans and provincial fynods, while no appeal lay from their decifions. They were also invefted with the power of inquiring into the adminiftration of the metropolitans, of correcting and cenfuring their decrees, and of fending delegates into any part of the diocefe, to hear and determine ecclefiaftical caufes in their name. They were confulted by the metropolitans in all important affairs, and published all ecclefiaftical laws. The patriarchs were originally independent on each other, and their number amounted to thirteen or fourteen; till the fee of Rome by encroachments, and the fee of Conftantinople by law, obtained a superiority over their neighbours. The eastern patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, Ephefus, Cæfarea, and Conftantinople, were never fubjected to |