CENT. 4.] Chryfoftom. 229 verfy; and an incredible number of other performances. One of the most confiderable writers of this period is John, bishop of Conftantinople, who flourished towards the clofe of the fourth, or the beginning of the 5th century. He was a native of Antioch, and obtained from his eloquence the name of Chryfoftom. An affembly of bishops having refolved to enrol him in their body, he retired to the fummit of a mountain in company with an old man; and afterwards entirely fecluded himself in a dreary cave from all converfe with mankind. After remaining for fome years in folitude, he returned to Antioch, where his reputation as a preacher became fo great, that he was, by general confent, elected patriarch of Conftantinople. The ordination of Chryfoftom was, however, fecretly oppofed by Theophilus, bishop of Alexandria, who was deputed by the emperor to officiate in this ceremony, and whofe fear of the monarch was too great to permit his refufal of the office. At this time the Conftantinopolitan Arians were prohibited from holding their affemblies in the city, and departed from it every Saturday night or Sunday morning, reciting fuch hymns as were confonant to their doctrines. Chryfoftom, sensible of the effect of fuch fpectacles upon the minds of the common people, turned against them their own arts, and difpatched fingers through the streets, 230 Tumult in Conftantinople. [CENT. 4. preceded by the crofs and by lamps. In one of thofe proceffions the different parties *met, and blows and a confiderable tumult enfued; upon which, the emperor required from the Arians, either their converfion to orthodoxy, or their exile from the city. They preferred the latter. The enemies of Chryfoftom, amongst whom was the emprefs Eudoxia, who was offended at his cenfuring the corrupt manners of the ladies in general, or perhaps difpleafed at his admonitions having been perfonally, publicly, and rather roughly addreffed to her *, conjointly with Theophilus, patriarch of Alexandria, who was offended at his interference in a difpute between him and the Nitrian monks, foon afterwards obtained his depofition; but the fedition confequent upon his banishment was fo great, that the emperor was compelled to ⚫fend him letters of recall. His implacable enemy, the emprefs, again irritated by his preaching against the public games around her ftatue, once more effected his banishment, He was not fuffered to remain in peace in the place to which he had repaired in his exile, but received orders from the emperor to tranfport himfelf to the ungenial fhores of the Euxine fea. The place of his banishment, however, he never reached; for he was feized with a violent fever on the road, which ter minated his life in the fixtieth year of his age, in 407. Chryfoftom is juftly ranked amongst maggnog is the expreffion, the CENT. 4, Marcellus, Euftathius, &c. 231 the most eminent Chriftian orators; his eloquence was manly, his genius was uncommon, and his erudition extenfive. He exhibited himself both as a moral and controverfial writer; wrote a great number of homilies; and his works are fo extenfive, as to have been collected into eleven folio volumes. The religious controverfies, which engaged in fome measure the pens of the most accomplished writers of the fourth century, attracted the notice of men equally zealous, but not equally qualified, and produced feveral performances differing in merit according to the abilities of their refpective authors. Marcellus, bishop of Ancyra, and Euftathius, bishop of Antioch, though both of them intimate friends of Athanafius, were accused of Sabellianifm, but wrote against the Arian caufe. They were however both deposed, as their principles were judged, by the Synods appointed to try them, to be not perfectly orthodox. Victorinus engaged in defence of the Church, and attacked both the Arians and Manicheans. Amongst the most strenuous oppoffers of herefy was Hilary, bishop of Poitiers, who, from being a heathen, had been converted to Christianity. He composed a very extensive work against the Arians, which he had the spirit to present in person to the emperor Conftantius; and wrote feveral commentaries upon different parts the facred writings. The compofitions of the two Apollinaris's, in defence of Chriftianity, were written in fuch a ftyle of elegance, that the emperor Q4 Julian of 232 Ephraim of Edeffa, Didymus, &c. [CENT. 4. Julian prohibited the reading of their books. The writings of Ephraim of Edeffa against herefy, as well as his moral performances, appear in his own time to have been much efteemed. The commentators of this century were many; amongst whom was the blind but learned Didymus, whofe commentaries are loft. Diodorus, bishop of Tarfus, wrote commentaries alfo, which are ranked amongst thofe of the judicious few, who attempted to explain the literal fenfe of Scripture, without attending to the allegorical. The lives of the monks became fo acceptable, from the estimation in which they were held, that a multitude of romances, under that denomination, were produced in the fourth century; pretending to be authentic records of thefe deluded devotees. Epiphanius published a history of herefies, in which, not content with exhibiting and exaggerating erroneous opinions, he attempts to refute them, and to establish the doctrines of the church. This writer is charged with inaccuracy and extreme credulity; a credulity too of the worst fort, fince it led him to believe every unfavourable account of thofe who diffented from his faith. A multitude of writers, whofe compofitions were fewer in number, or who did not obtain the fame celebrity with thofe already enumerated, flourished during this century: amongst thefe was Cyril, bishop of Jerufalem, who, in his youth, compofed difcourfes for the catechumens, and for those who were newly baptized. 8 THE [ 233 ] THE FIFTH CENTURY. CHAP. I. GENERAL STATE OF THE CHURCH IN THIS Perfecuting Edict against Heretics-Arcadius and Honorius -State of the Eastern Empire-Calamities affecting the Empire-Arianifm professed by the Barbarians-TheodoricHunneric-Hilderic-Chriftianity received in PerfiaChriftians there involved by their own Imprudence in Perfecution-Complete Converfion of the Goths-Converfion of Ireland-Of Clovis, King of the Franks-Title of Moft Chriftian King-Corruptions of the Clergy-Their Arrogance— Encroachments of the Bishop of Rome-Proffitution of Holy Orders-Impious Arrogance of the Emperors-Council of Chalcedon-Title of Patriarchs-Rivalship between the Bishops of Rome and Conftantinople-Their Intrufion into Civil Affairs-Reftrained by an Imperial Edi&-Virtues of fome of the Clergy. T HE calamities arifing from an intolerant zeal in matters of religion, not less fevere than the terrors of perfecution which had afflicted the |