"Firmin, a Frenchman, preached the Gospel, under vari ous difficulties, in Alsace, Bavaria, and Switzerland.

"Rumold, of England or Ireland, travelled in Lower Germany, Brabant, and in the neighborhood of Mechlin; he was an itinerant episcopal Missionary. In 755, he was murdered by two persons, one of whom he had reproved for adultery.

Silvan, of Thoulouse, labored in the north of France, which was then full of Pagans and merely nominal Christians; he gathered in a large harvest, having preached many years. He was made a bishop, and died at Auchy, in Artois.

"A war broke out, at thistime, between Charles, surnamed Charlemagne, or the Great, and, the Saxons, which contributed much to extend the outward pale of the church, though not by the power of persuasion. The Saxons were subdued, after a severe struggle; and when gentle means to engage them to embrace the Gospel failed, methods of a more forcible nature were resorted to; in consequence of which they were baptized by thousands. What sort of Christians they became in this manner, may easily be supposed! Schools, however, were erected, monasteries founded, and ministers appointed to reside among them; so that, at length, the knowledge of the Gospel, though mingled with the growing superstitions of the times, must have prevailed. The means, however, of forcing men to be Christians, can never be justified.

"While the Mahometans were conquering the most flourishing provinces of Asia, and obscuring as far as they could the lustre of the Christian church, the Nestorians of Chaldea were carrying the lamp of Christianity among those barbarous nations called Scythians by the ancients, and by the moderns Tartars. Timotheus, the Nestorian pontiff, sent Suhebal and other Missionaries to Hyrcania; Bactria, Margiana, and Sogdia. The Nestorians evidently displayed their zeal for Christianity; and probably maintained some living spark of godliness among them.

"The authorities from whence these hints are derived, may be seen in the histories before mentioned.-Burder, p. 119

120.

Ninth Century. "The Bulgarians were a savage people, whose neighborhood had long been troublesome to the Greek emperors. The sister of their king Bogoris, having been

taken captive in a military excursion, was brought to Constantinople, and there embraced Christianity. Upon her re demption and return to her own country, she gave a strong evidence that her change of religion had been more than nominal. She was struck with grief and compassion to see the king, her brother, enslaved to idolatry; and she used the most cogent arguments in her power, in order to convince him of the vanity of his worship. Bogoris was affected with her arguments; but was not prevailed upon to receive the Gospel, till, a famine and plague appearing in Bulgaria, she persuaded him to pray to the God of the Christians. He did so, and the plague ceased. There was something so remarkable in the event, that Bogoris was induced to send for missionaries from Constantinople; and at length received baptism together with many of his people.

"Cyril, who was born of a noble family, and educated at Constantinople, with his devout brother Methodius, were the instruments of the blessings of the Gospel to the Bulgarians.

"About the same time the Sclavonians and the Charazi. who lived on the banks of the Danube, desired to have instructors. Cyril and his brother were sent to preach to them, and multitudes embraced Christianity.

"Cyril arriving at Chersonesa, learned the language (the Sclavonian it is supposed;) and as the people had not the use of letters, he composed an alphabet, and was successful in teaching them religion.

"After this, Bartolas, prince of Moravia, understanding what had been done among the Charazi, desired the Greek emperor, Michaei, to send some missionaries to his country. Cyril and Methodius, who were sent, carried with them the Sclavonian Gospel, taught the children the letters which they had invented, and labored among the people several years. These were noble works, and some divine unction, notwithstanding all the superstition, doubtless attended

them.

"The Russians appear to have received the Gospel about this time, till which, they had remained barbarous and savage. "About the year 867, certain provinces of Dalmatia applied to the emperor Basilius for Christian teachers. Their request was granted, and the pale of the church was extended throughout those provinces.

"In the year 814, Harold, king of Denmark, being expelled from his dominions, implored the protection of the em

peror Lewis, son of Charlemagne. He embraced Christianity, and was baptized. Being dismissed to return to his own country, the emperor inquired for some pious person to accompany him, who might confirm the king and his attendants in the Christian religion. It was not easy to find a proper person willing to undertake such a journey. At length Anscarius was recommended, and notwithstanding the dan gers of his mission, of which he was faithfully warned, he readily undertook the work. They embarked; but Harold finding access to his dominions impossible, remained in Friesland, where Anscarius and his associate labored with success about two years.

"About the year 829, many Swedes having expressed a desire to be instructed, Anscarius, accompanied by Vitmar, determined to visit Sweden. On their passage they were met by pirates, who took the ship, and robbed Anscarius of all his effects, including forty volumes which he had collected for the use of the ministry. But he and his partner continued resolute, and having with difficulty got to land, gave themselves up to the direction of Providence, and walked on foot a long way, now and then crossing some arms of the sea in boats. Such are the triumphs of Christian faith and love! They arrived at Birca, from the ruins of which Stockholm took its rise. The king of Sweden received them favorably; they were permitted to preach, and success attended their labors. Anscarius was afterwards made archbishop of Hamburg, but suffered much from the pillage of that city by the Normans, and was reduced to great poverty.

"Anscarius still kept his eye upon Denmark; and having obtained the friendship of Eric, who reigned there, he was enabled to gain a footing in that country, and to plant the Gospel at Sleswick, a port then frequented by merchants. Through the friendship of Eric, he found means also once more to visit Sweden. He arrived at Birca, where the Gospel was established, and make a considerable progress in the country. He then returned to Denmark, and labored there with success. The Missionaries whom he employed, were directed by him to follow the example of St. Paul, by laboring with their own hands for bread; a very necessary practice in those poor countries. This apostle of the North was called to his rest in the year 865-Milner's Hist. vol. ii. Mosheim calls this man Ansgar.

"Rembert, the confidant of Anscarius. was appointed his successor by his dying words. He presided over the church of the North for twenty-three years. He encountered many dangers both by sea and land, to propagate the Gospel, He began to preach among the people of Brandenburg, who had till then been Pagans, and made some progress towards their conversion.

"Jeron, an English presbyter, went over to Holland in this century, and preached the Gospel there, as far as appears, with faithfulness. He was crowned with martyrdom about the year 849.

"Patto, a Scotch Abbot, was appointed bishop of Verden; he preached with great success among the infidels; he faithfully rebuked the professors of that country, who disgraced their faith by their vices, and as a reward of his honest zeal was murdered in the year 815.

"Tanes labored in conjunction with Patto, and afterwards succeeded him as bishop of Verden.

"The Missionaries of this century, just mentioned, are commended by Mosheim (who is in general not very partial to the character of Missionaries) as superior in their principles and conduct, to those of preceding ages, inasmuch as they did not resort to the terror of penal laws to enforce conversion, nor were they so intent upon promoting the authority of the Roman pontiffs. It is satisfactory to find, in an age wherein superstition was so predominant, that there were men of an apostolic spirit, who counted not their lives dear to them, so that they might diffuse in every place the sweet savor of the Redeemer's name -Burder p. 122—126 Tenth Century. "The deplorable state of Christianity in this century is generally acknowledged. Even Baronius admits that it was an iron age, barren of all goodness; a leaden age, abounding in all wickedness; and a dark age, remarkable above all others for the scarcity of writers and men of learning. The corruption of the church was indeed shocking; yet amidst all this darkness, some gleams of light were perceived from time to time, and some occurrences took place of a pleasing nature. Many churches still had the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue. The power of the Pope was opposed in some places, and the doctrine of transubstantiation was denied by many.

"As if this were the age of female Missionaries, some illustrious ladics contributed not a little to enlarge the boundaries of the church.

"For a while the barbarous Normans continued their devastations; but becoming fixed in France, and more humanized, they at length embraced the Christianity of the day, and a Gallic queen engaged the famous arch-pirate Rollo to submit to baptism. His warriors readily followed his example. These Norman pirates had no religion to change, and they easily embraced, externally, a system which presented to them advantageous prospects.

"A similar event took place in Poland, where a daughter of the duke of Bohemia persuaded her uxorious husband to adopt her religion as his own, and to recommend it to his subjects, An. 965. A host of monkish missionaries rushed into the battle under the royal patronage; but not understanding the language, and not very well furnished with the weapons of conviction, the impatient queen engaged her spouse to take a shorter way, and by penal laws, threatenings, and promises, to compel them to come in.' By degrees they abandoned their ancient superstitions, and professed themselves Christians: that inward change which the Gospel requires was not an object of much attention in that barbarous age.

"By similar means Christianity was established in Russia. It was introduced in the preceding century, but little had been done; and some who had professed to be converted, relapsed into idolatry. The Russian duke and his subjects were still Pagan. Ann persuaded her husband, Wlodomir, who took the baptismal name of Basilius, to embrace Christianity; and as subjects frequently imitate their sovereigns in external, forms of religion, the Russians ranked themselves among the disciples of Christ. Wlodomir and his duchess were placed in the highest order of the Russian saints, and are still worshipped most devoutly at Kiovia, where their bodies. are interred, although the brutal character of Basilius savored nothing of beatification.

"Hungary, which had before received some glimmerings of Christianity, became more enlightened. A female was here also the principal instrument. Sarolta, daughter of Gylas, a barbarian chieftain, who had been baptized at Constantinople, was given in marriage to Geysa, the chief of the Hungarians, whom she persuaded to be a Christian. In the reign of their son, Stephen, the work became general; churches and bishoprics were every where erected; and