CENT. 5.]

Litanies.

269

Vannes, enacting that whoever was detected in the practice, fhould be excluded from communion with the Church. The pilgrimages to the tombs of the martyrs continued to increase in refpectability during this century; and almoft the commencement of it was remarkable for a proceffion, inftituted by Chryfoftom, which afforded an example, and served as a prelude, to future ceremonies of a fimilar nature.

Three days of fafting and fupplication, before the feast of the Afcenfion, were inftituted in France, by Mamercus, bishop of Vienne, who appropriated litanies to them, which were already in ufe, but not recited at any particular times; and referved, as emergencies might require, for deprecating any impending calamity. The feast of the Afcenfion took place in the period of time which paffed between the folemn feafons of Eafter and Pentecoft, and which had hitherto been obferved as a feafon of feftivity, in which all fafting and kneeling were prohibited. This fast was far from being univerfally received in the western churches, and never obtained in the eastern, which always obferved the fifty days between Eafter and Whitfuntide as a feftival. There is fome reason for believing that these rogation days were obferved in Africa prior to this period; and that Mamercus was the adopter, not the inftitutor, of this obferv

* The word Litany was anciently not applied to any peculiar form of prayer, but to prayer in general.

ance.

270

ance.

From France the custom was generally adopted, though with fome variation in the time in which it was obferved; and it was in the year 511 established in the council of Orleans. By degrees thefe litanies were commonly used on Wed'nefdays and Fridays in all the churches. The liturgies however still differed, in different places, at the pleasure of the bishops. Peter the Fuller, bishop of Antioch, commanded that, in finging the hymn Trifagium, the performers fhould add to the words, "O God, most holy," who baft fuffered for us upon the crofs l Another inftance occurs in the miffion of Lupus and Germanus, who, at the defire of the orthodox, were fent into Britain to oppofe Pelagianifm; and who introduced there ⚫ the Gallican liturgy, which materially differed from that of Rome.

It was not till towards the clofe of this century that the bishop of Rome was diftinguifhed by a drefs materially different from that of the other

* According to one of the wonderful relations of this century, during an earthquake at Conftantinople, a boy was taken. up into heaven, where he had the felicity of hearing the angels fing in Greek the Trifagium; the words of which, on his return to earth, he repeated to Proclus, his bifhop. "If Greek be the language spoken in heaven," fays Dr. Jortin," it is bad news for our enthusiastical preachers, who know nothing of that tongue."

Hence it was thought, and is probable, that he held the abfurd error of the Theopafchite, who maintained that God himfelf fuffered.

H.

ecclefiaftics.

GENT. 5.]

Pope's Tiara.

271

ecclefiaftics. He wore upon his head a kind of bonnet, fomething higher than ufual, and conftructed like the mitres ufed by the priests of Cy.. bele. But Clovis having fent to St. John of Lateran a crown of gold, with which he had been prefented by Anaftafius, emperor of the Eaft, Pope Hormifdas placed it upon his bonnet. In fucceeding ages this ornament was increased. Boniface the Eighth, during his contentions with Philip the Fair, in order to demonftrate the fuperiority of things fpiritual to things temporal, and as a mark of his twofold authority, added a fecond crown, which in the pontificate of John XXII. received the addition of a third.

CHAP.

[ 272 ]

CHAP. III.

OF THE SECTS WHICH APPEARED IN THE FIFTH

CENTURY.

Pelagius and Celeftius-oppofed by Augustin and othersSemi-Pelagians-Neftorians-Oppofition of Cyril-Condemnation of Neftorius-Character of Neftorius-Eutycbians-Condemnation in the Council of Chalcedon-Decree of Union called Henoticon-Monophyfites-Peter the Fuller-Theopafchites-Acephali.

THE

TH

HE fifth century is lefs remarkable than any of the preceding, for the number of those who, by the propagation of new opinions, perplexed and destroyed the tranquillity of the church. One of the earliest and most remarkable was Pelagius, a British monk, of fome rank, and very exalted reputation; who, with his friend Celeftius, travelled to Rome, where they refided very early in this century, and oppofed with warmth the doctrines of original fin, and the neceffity of divine grace.

What reception their doctrines met with at Rome, does not appear; but their uncommon piety and virtue excited general approbation. On the approach of the Goths, they retired to Africa, where Celeftius remained, with a view of gaining admittance as a prefbyter into the church of Carthage. Pelagius proceeded to Palestine, where he enjoyed

Pelagians.

273

CENT. 5.] enjoyed the favour and protection of John bithop of Jerufalem. But his friend and his opinions met with a very different reception from Augustin, the celebrated bishop of Hippo.

Whatever parts were vifited by thefe un-orthodox friends, they ftill afferted their peculiar opinions; and they were gradually engaged in a warm conteft, in the courfe of which they were probably led to advance more than had originally oc- • curred to them. In contending for the truth of their doctrines, they afferted," that mankind derived no injury from the fin of Adam; that we are now as capable of obedience to the will of God, as he was; that, otherwife, it would have been cruel and abfurd to propofe to mankind the performance of certain duties, with the fanction of rewards, and the denunciation of punishments; and that confequently men are born without vice, as well as without virtue." Pelagius is faid moreover to have maintained, "that it is poffible for men, provided they fully employ the powers and faculties with which they are endued, to live without fin ;" and though he did not deny, that external grace, or the doctrines and motives of the Gospel, are neceffary," he is faid to have rejected the neceffity of internal grace, or the aids of the Divine Spirit. He acknowledged "that the power we poffefs of obeying the will of God, is a divine gift ;" but afferted, "that the direction of this power depends upon ourselves; that natural death is not a confequence VOL. I. T

of