CENTURY NINTH. PART I THE EXTERNAL HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. CHAPTER I. THE PROSPEROUS EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 1. So long as Charlemagne lived, which was till the year 814, he omitted no means which he deemed requisite to propagate and establish Christianity among the Huns, the Saxons, the Frieslanders, and others. But it is to be regretted that he did not omit to employ violence and war. His son, Lewis the Meek, had the same zeal for propagating Christianity, though greatly his inferior in other respects. Under his reign a convenient opportunity was presented for planting Christianity among the northern nations, especially the Danes and Swedes.2 Harald Klack, a petty sovereign of Jutland, being expelled his kingdom by Regner Lodbrock in the year 826, applied to the emperor for his assistance. Lewis promised him aid on condition that he would embrace 2. On the death of his fellow-labourer Autbert in the year 828, the indefatigable Ansgarius went over to Sweden; and there he pleaded the cause of Christ with equal success.3 Returning into Germany in the year 831, Lewis the Meek constituted him. archbishop of the new church of Hamburg, and of all the North; and in the year 844 the episcopal see of Bremen was annexed to that of Hamburg. The profits of this preceding century from Virgilius, bishop of Saltsburg high station were small, while its perils 1 Among these may be reckoned the Carinthians.— They had indeed partially received Christianity in the 3 The Christians who were carried into captivity by the Normans in their frequent plundering expeditions, undoubtedly contributed much to give this people a favourable disposition towards Christianity; and especially by recounting to them the wealth and power of the Christian countries, which was ascribed to their religion. This will account for what historians affirm that Swedish ambassadors came to King Lewis, and stated among other things that many of their people had an inclination towards Christianity, and that their king would cheerfully permit Christian priests to reside among them. Anscharius and Vitmarn were sent thither with rich presents. Their voyage was unfortunate, for they fell into the hands of pirates who plundered them; yet they finally reached the port of Biork which belonged to the king, Bern or Biorn. There they collected a congregation and built a church in the For Boruth, the duke of Carinthia, when he committed 2 Ebbo, archbishop of Rheims, who had travelled as an imperial envoy in the northern countries, made an attempt as early as A.D. 822 to spread Christianity there, and together with Halitgarius of Cambray he obtained from Pope Paschal a full power for this purpose. See Acta Sanctor. Antw. ad 3 Februar. and Mabillon, Acta Sanctor. Ord. Bened. sæcul. iv. par. ii. tom. vi. p. 91, 107, 122.-Schl. his subjects to embrace the new religion. On the re- 4 The sec of Hamburg was then very small, embrac- 5 Lewis the Meek assigned him the revenues of a were very great and its labours inmense. For Ansgarius while he lived took frequent journeys among the Danes,' the Cimbrians, the Swedes, and other nations; and laboured, though at the peril of his life, to collect new churches and to strengthen those previously formed, till death overtook him A.D. 865.3 3. About the middle of this century two Greek monks, Methodius and Cyril, being sent as missionaries from Constantinople by the empress Theodora, taught first the Mosians, Bulgarians, and Gazari, and afterwards the Bohemians and Moravians, to renounce their false gods and to embrace Christ. Some knowledge of Christianity monastery in Brabant, in order to meet the expenses of his missionary efforts. But the income of the monastery was very small, and soon after ceased altogether when the kingdom fell into disorder. Anscharius must therefore have been in want of resources. He at last received a small estate from a pious widow in Ramelslob near Bremen, which however yielded him but a small income.- Schl. some Christian captives. In the year 814 Crummus, the bishop, Manuel, with other of the citizens, into captivity; and his successor afterwards put, this bishop with other Christian captives to death, because they made proselytes among the Bulgarians After this it appears that both the monk Theodorus Eupharus who was a captive in that country, and a sister of the Bulgarian king Bogoris, who had been taken prisoner and carried to Constantinople, where she was educated and taught the Christian religion and then exchanged for the monk Theodorus, contributed much to recommend Christianity to that people. The way being_thus prepared Bogoris admitted several artists from Constantinople; among whom was the famous painter Methoking formed religious pictures, and among them one of the judgment-day, and instructed him in the principles of Christianity. Not long after, the king in a time of famine openly professed Christianity, and invited teachers from abroad. But his subjects made insurrection against him for it; and he caused fifty-two of the ringleaders to be put to death, and at length brought the rest to embrace the new religion. In the year 843 (for thus Asseman has ascertained the true year in his Kalendar. Eccles. Universa, tom. iii. p. 13, &c. whereas dius, who instead of drawing worldly scenes for the The violent persecutions to which the Danish Christians were exposed was one cause of his repeat-Kohl and Stredowsky state the year 843), Constantine, edly visiting that country. He was himself driven from Hamburg (by an invasion of the Normans), and the city being wholly laid waste he had to reside some time at Bremen. He was at length permitted to enter Denmark by King Erich; and being allowed to preach there, he erected a church at Hadebye or Schleswick in the year 850; but this king being slain in 856, during the minority of his son Erich Boern, there was fresh persecution and the church of Schleswick was shut up. When this king began to reign in person he was more favourable to the Christians, and permitted Anscharius to return and to erect a new church at Ripen A.D. 860. -Schl. 2 To Sweden he sent the priest Ardgarius, and like-painter. It is probable that both of them in early life wise went there himself a second time in the character of envoy from King Lewis to King Olaus, who was induced by presents to support Anscharius in two imperial Swedish diets, at which the establishment of Christianity was decided by casting lots. He now re-cstablished Christian worship at Biork, and left Herimbert there as a Christian teacher.- Schl. 3 The writers who treat of the life and labours of this holy and illustrious parent of the Cimbrian, Danish, and Swedish churches, are enumerated by Fabricius, Biblioth. Latin. Medii Evi, tom. i. p. 292, &c. and Luz Evangelii toto Orbi exoriens, p. 425, &c. To these add the Benedictine monks' list. Litter. de la France, tom. v. p. 277; Acta Sanctor. mens. Februar. tom. i. p. 391, &c.; Pontoppidan, Annales Eccles. Dan ca Diplomatici, tom. i. p. 18, &c.; Möller's, Cimbria Literata, tom. iii. p. 8, &c. From these writers a knowledge may be gained of the others also, namely, Ebbo, Withmar, Rembert, &c. who were either the companions and assistants of Anscharius, or his successors in the field of labour. [The life of Anscharius, well written by Rembert, his disciple and successor in the see of Hamburg, is in Mabillon, Acta Sanctor. Ord. Bened. tom. vi. p. 78, &c. Among the recent writers, see Schmidt, Kirchengesch, vol. iv. p. 108-119; Schroeckh, Kirchengesch. vol. xxi. p. 314, &c. and Archbishop Münter's Kirchengesch. von Dänem, und Norweg, vol. i. page 319, Leips. 1823.-Mur. 4 Stredowsky, Sacra Moravice Historia, lib. ii. cap. ii. p. 94, &c. Compare Kohl, Introduct. in Historiam et Rem Literar. Slavorum, p. 124, &c. and others. [A much ampler account of the missions and conversions mentioned in this and the following sections is given by Schroeckh, Kirchengesch. vol. xxi. p. 396, &c. and by Schmidt, Kirchengesch. vol. iv. p. 120, &c.; also by Asseman, Kalendaria Ecclesia Universa, tom. iii. p. 3, &c. Rome, 1755, 4to. See likewise Gieseler's TextBook by Cunningham, vol. ii. p. 128, &c. The following summary by Schlegel, derived from Semler and See the brother of this Methodius, had been sent among the Charlemagne and some of the bishops; but that knowledge produced little effect and gradually became extinct. As the missionaries above named were Greeks, they inculcated on those new disciples the opinions of the Greeks, their forms of worship, and their rites; from which the Roman pontiffs afterwards by their legates were able but partially to reclaim them. And from this source great commotions occasionally arose. before had fitted out a fleet at Kiow, in which they appeared before Constantinople to the great terror of the Greeks.5 5. The Christian missionaries to the heathen in this century, were men of more piety and virtue than many of those who undertook the conversion of the pagans in the preceding century. They did not resort to coercive measures; they either disregarded altogether or promoted only in a moderate degree the private interests of the Roman pontiff; and their lives were free from arrogance, insolence, and the suspicion of licentiousness. Yet the religion they inculcated was very different from that simple rule of truth and holiness which the apostles of Christ preached, and was debased by many human inventions and superstitions. Among the nations which they converted, these preachers also allowed too many relics of the old superstitions to remain; and in truth they were more intent on inculcating an external form of piety than piety itself. Yet it must be allowed that these pious and good men were obliged to yield several things to the rudeness of those savage nations. 4. Under the Greek emperor, Basil the Macedonian, who ascended the throne A.D. 867, the Slavonic nations, the Arentani and others who inhabited Dalmatia, sent ambassadors to Constantinople and voluntarily placed themselves in subjection to the Greek empire; and at the same time they professed a readiness to receive Christianity. Greek priests were therefore sent among them who instructed and baptized them.3 The same emperor, after concluding a peace with the warlike nation of the Russians, persuaded them by presents and other means to promise him by their ambassadors that they would embrace Christianity. The nation stood to their promise, and admitted not only Christian teachers among them, but also an archbishop commissioned by Ignatius, the Greek patriarch." This was the commencement of Christianity THE ADVERSE EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF among the Russian people. They were inhabitants of the Ukraine, and a little ship, to which they were addicted. See Baumgarten's In this business the monk Godwin was employed, and also under Lewis the Pious, Orolph the archbishop of Lorch. See Pagi, Critic. ad ann. 824. In the year 822, Mogemir, the successor of Samoslav, became a confederate of the Emperor Lewis, and gave free toleration to the Christian worship, on which he himself attended. This good beginning in the conversion of the Slavonic nations in Moravia, was however much interrupted by the contests which arose between the bishops of Salts. burg and those of Passau; and besides, the ignorance of the Christian missionaries of the Slavonic language, and their introducing the Latin formulas of worship, were serious obstacles to success. At last the wars between the Germans and the Moravians-the latter having wholly renounced the dominion of the former put a full stop to the progress of the Gospel among that people. See Baumgarten's Auszug, &c.vol. iii. p. 1430, &c.-Schl. 2 Lenfant, Hist. de la Guerre des Hussites, liv, i. chap. i. p. 2, &c. and compare the Biblioth. Germanique, tome xxi. p. 2-4. 3 This we learn from Constantine Porphyrogenitus, De Administrando Imperio, cap. xxix.; in Banduri's Imperium Orientale, tom. i. p. 72, 73. Constantine also relates the same in his life of his grandfather, Basil the Macedonian, sec. liv. Corpus Hist. Byzantin. tom. xvi. p. 133, 134. 4 Constantine Porphyrogenitus, De Vita Basilii Macedon. sec. xcvi. in the Corpus Hist. Byzant. tom. xvi. p. 157; and Narratio de Ruthenorum Conversione, published Gr. and Lat. by Banduri, Imperium Orientale, in his notes to Porphyrogenitus, De Administrando Imperio, tom. il. p. 62. CHAPTER II. THE CHURCH. 1. THE Saracens were in possession of all Asia as far as the borders of India, a few regions only excepted. They also held the best parts of Africa, and in the West, Spain and Sardinia. In the year 827, relying on the treason of individuals, they subjugated the very fertile island of Sicily. And near 6 Le Quien, in his Christianus Oriens, tom. i. p. 1257, gives account of this conversion of the Russians to Christianity in the reign of Basil the Macedonian; but he has made a number of mistakes as others had done before him. He first tells us that the Russians here intended were those who bordered on the Bulgarians, but a little after he tells us they were the Gazari. For this opinion he has but one reason, namely, that among the teachers sent to instruct the Russians was that Cyril who was active in the conversion of the Gazari. The learned author was ignorant of both the Russians and the Gazari. He has made also other mistakes. subject is developed much better and more accurately by Bayer, Diss. de Russorum prima Expeditione Constantinopolitana, published in the sixth volume of the Commentar. Acad. Scientar. Petropolitana, A.D. 1738, 4to. [See also Schroeckh, Kirchengesch. vol. xxi. p. 507, &c. and Schmidt's Kirchengesch. vol. iv. p. 166, &c.-Mur. The 6 Euphemius, a general in Sicily, became enamoured with a nun and forcibly took her to his bed. Her brothers complained to the viceroy, who laid the case before the emperor, and he ordered the nose of Euphemius to be cut off. Euphemius repelled the force sent to arrest him and fled to Africa. There he offered the Saracen governor to put him in possession of all Sicily if he would entrust him with an army and allow him to assume the title of a Roman Imperator. The governor consented, and Euphemius fulfilled his promise; but he had scarcely accomplished his design when he lost his life at Syracuse by assassination. See the ac the close of the century, the Asiatic Sara- coasts along the German and Gallic oceans cens got possession of many cities in Cala- as early as the reign of Charlemagne; and bria, and spread terror to the very walls that emperor established garrisons and of the city of Rome. They also either camps to oppose them. But in this century ravaged or seized upon Crete, Corsica, they became much more bold and made and other islands. How great was the frequent descents upon Germany, Britain, injury which the Christian cause everywhere Friesland, but especially France, plundering sustained, from these successes of a nation and devastating with fire and sword wheraccustomed to wars and rapine and hostile ever they went. The terrific inroads of to the Christians, every one can easily com- these savage hordes extended not only to prehend. In the East especially number- Spain, but even to the centre of Italy; less families of Christians embraced the for it appears from the writers of those religion of their conquerors, to render their times that they destroyed the city of Luna lives comfortable. Those possessed of more in the year 857, and Pisa and other cities resolution and piety gradually sunk into a of Italy in the year 860.3 The early hiswretched state, being not only stripped of tories of the Franks detail and deplore at the principal part of their property, but great length their horrid enormities. what was still more lamentable they fell by degrees into a kind of religious stupor and an amazing ignorance; so that they retained almost nothing Christian except the name and a few religious rites. The Saracens in Europe, and particularly those of Spain, became divested in a great measure of their ferocity, and they suffered their Christian subjects to live quietly, according to their own laws and institutions. Yet instances of cruelty were not wanting among them.' 2. Another and a more direful tempest came upon the European Christians from the regions of the North. The Normans, that is, the people inhabiting the shores of the Baltic, in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, who were accustomed to rapine and slaughter, and whose petty kings and chieftains practised piracy, had infested the count given by John Curopalata, as cited by Baronius, Annal. tom. ix. ad ann. 827, sec. xxiv. &c.-Mur. See for example the martyrdom of Eulogius of Corduba, in the Acta Sanctor. ad d. xi. Martii, tom. ii. p. 88, and those of Roderic and Salomon, Spanish mar tyrs of this century, in the same vol. ad d. xiii. Martii, p. 328. [The Saracens of Spain were tolerant to the Christians so long as they demeaned themselves as quiet and peaceable citizens, and they allowed them the free exercise of their religion; but they would not allow them to revile Mohammed and his religion, and this was the source of all the difficulties. Abdalrahman consulted Reccafrid, a Christian bishop, on the subject. The bishop stated that when Christians traduced the Mohammedan religion without urgent cause, and laboured to introduce their own in place of it, if they thereby lost their lives they could not be accounted martyrs. A number of Christians agreed with Reccafrid, but the majority dissented. And Eulogius wrote against Reccafrid, and compiled histories of the Spanish martyrs. He and those in his sentiments exerted all their efforts to run down Mohammedism, and to make converts to Christianity. They also courted martyrdom, and in several instances invited the judges to put them to death. The particular offence of Eulogius for which he was put to death was detaining and secreting a Spanish girl whom he had converted from the Mussulman to the Christian faith, and not giving her up to her parents and friends. See his three books-De Martyribus Cordubensibus, his Apologeticus pro Martyribus adv. Calumniatores, and his Exhortatio ad Martyrium, in the Biblioth. Patr. tom. xv. p. 666, &c. also Schroeckh, Kirchengesch. vol. xxi. p. 294, &c. and Gieseler's Text-Book by Cunningham, vol. ii. p. 55, &c. -Mur. 3. The first views of these savages extended only to collecting plunder and slaves in the countries they invaded; but by degrecs becoming captivated with the beauty and fertility of those countries, they took up their residence in them, nor could the European kings and princes prevent their doing so. In this very century Charles the Bald was obliged, A.D. 850, to cede a considerable part of his kingdom to these bold invaders. And a few years after in the reign of Charles the Fat, king of France, Godfred one of their most valiant chieftains persevered in his military enterprises till he had subdued all Friesland." Yet those who permanently settled among Christians gradually became civilized, and intermarrying with them, they exchanged the superstitions of their ancestors for the religion of the Christians. Godfred, the conqueror of Friesland, did so in this century, when he had received for his wife Gisela, the daughter of King Lothaire junior, from the hands of Charles the Fat. 2 Ferreras, Hist. Générale d' Espagne, tome ii. p. 583. Piracy was esteemed among these northern nations a very honourable and laudable profession, and to it the nobility and the sons and the kindred of kings were trained. Nor will this surprise us if we consider the religion of those nations and the barbarism of the times. See Holberg, Historia Danorum et Norvegorum navalis, in the Scripta Societ. Scient. Hafniensis, tom. iii. p. 349, where he relates many interesting accounts respecting these maritime robberies from the annals of the Danes and Norwegians. 3 See the Scriptores Rerum Italicar. by Muratori, in various passages. 4 This object of the Normans [plundering] occasioned the destruction of a vast number of churches and monasteries in England, France, Germany, and Italy; for in these places were deposited large treasures, partly belonging to the establishments and partly placed there for safe keeping. These places were therefore generally fortified; and the bishops and abbots, who were also bound to do military service for their lands, were obliged to defend them against the incursions of foreign enemies.- Schl. 5 Annals by an unknown author in Pithoeus, Scriptores Francici, p. 46. 6 Regino Prumiensis, Annales, lib. ii. p. 60, in Pistorius, Scriptor. German. PART II. THE INTERNAL HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. CHAPTER I. THE STATE OF LEARNING AND SCIENCE. on making conquests, had entirely neglected the sciences; but now the kaliph of Babylon and Egypt, Al Mamum or 1. AMONG the Greeks many things ocAbu Gaafar Abdallah, by his love of curred in this century which could not but learning and munificence to learned men, damp their ardour for learning and know- aroused them to make greater advances. For this excellent kaliph, who began to reign ledge. Still however the munificence of about the time that Charlemagne died and the emperors, some of whom were devoted to study, and the precautions of the patriarchs, schools at Bagdad, Cufa, Basora, and other ended his days A.D. 833, founded celebrated among whom Photius shone conspicuous for erudition, prevented an absolute dearth of places, drew learned men around him by learned men, particularly at Constantino-conferring on them great rewards, estabple. Hence there were among the Greeks some who excelled both in prose and in poetic composition, who showed their skill in argumentation by their writings against the Latins and others, and who composed histories of their own times not altogether destitute of merit. In particular, when their disputes with the Latins became warm, many who would otherwise have suffered their talents to be eaten up of rust were roused to cultivate elegance and copious ness of diction. 1 2. That the study of philosophy among the Greeks of this century continued for a long time neglected, is testified expressly by John Zonaras. But under the emperors Theophilus and his son Michael III. the study of it revived through the influence especially of Bardas, the Cæsar, who, though himself not learned, was the friend of Photius, who was a very learned man and a great Mæcenas, and by whose councils no doubt Bardas was guided in this matter. At the head of all the learned men to whose protection he intrusted the interests of learning, Bardas placed Leo the Wise, a man of great learning, and afterwards bishop of Thessalonica. Photius himself expounded what are called the Categories of Aristotle, and Michael Psellus wrote brief explanations of the principal books of that philosopher. Others I pass 3. Hitherto the Arabians, intent solely over. Annales, tom. ii. lib. xvi. p. 126, in the Corpus Byzant. tom. x. Among the Greek emperors who advanced science, Basil the Macedonian should not be forgotten. He was himself not without learning, as is evident from his speeches, letters, and counsels to his son Leo, which are still extant. This son of his, who was surnamed the wise and the Philosopher on account of his learning, composed largely; the most important of his works are the sixty books of his Basilicon or Imperial Laws, his Tactica, and his speeches.- Schl. lished ample libraries, procured at great expense the translation of the best works of the Greeks into Arabic, and neglected no greatly attached to literature and science, means which would do honour to a prince and himself a distinguished proficient.3 Through his influence the Arabians began to find pleasure in Grecian science, and to propagate it by degrees not only in Syria and Africa, but also in Spain and even in Italy. Hence they celebrate a long list of renowned philosophers, physicians, astronomers, and mathematicians of their nation, extending through several centuries. Yet we must not take all that the modern Sara cenic historians tell us of the merits and endowments of these men in the most literal sense. From the Arabians the EuroPean Christians afterwards profited in the sciences, for what knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy, was taught in Europe from the tenth century onward, was derived principally from the schools and the books of the Arabians in Italy and Spain. And hence the Saracens may in some measure be considered as the restorers of learning in Europe. 4. In the part of Europe subject to the Franks, Charlemagne while he lived cherished and honoured learning of all If his suckinds with great carnestness. 3 Abulpharajus, Hist. Dynastiar. p. 246; Elmacin, Hist. Saracen. lib. ii. p. 139; Herbelot, Biblioth. Ori entale, article, Mamun, p. 545. 4 See Leo Africanus, Tract. de Medicis et Philosophis Arabibus, republished by Fabricius, in his Biblioth. Græca, vol. xii. p. 259, &c. 5 In the abstruse sciences they are said to have been mere copyists or rather plagiarists from the Greeks and Latins, particularly from Aristotle, Euclid, Galen, &c. Even Avicenna, whose Canon or system of physic was a classic in the European medical schools so late as the sixteenth century, we are told, advanced nothing very important but what is to be found in Galen and others. Their astronomy was more properly astrology or divi nation from the starry heavens. See Schroeckh, Kirchengesch. vol. xxi. p. 279-292.-Mur. |