Meat was ferved up to the table in the Sacred Vesfels, and Chalices were used to drink out of. In fine, the Barbarians gave a loose to all the human paifions, and rioted with fuch licentioufnefs for three days, that they committed all kinds of exceffes, and the most enormous and execrable crimes, that History has ever informed us to have been perpetrated on fuch occafions.

This Mahomet and his fucceffors added to their conquefts many other countries, both in Afia and Europe, which the Turks are ftill in poffeffion of. To pursue this hiftory any further, feems therefore unneceffary, and we may conclude with obferving in general, that the Mahometan power and religion have prevailed to a prodigious extent, taking in the greatest part of Afia, many fpacious countries in Africa, and not a fmall fhare of Europe: fo that the event demonftrates that power was given to him, to Mahomet and his fucceffors, over the fourth part of the earth, that is, already over the fourth part of the Old World.

The founding of the fourth Trumpet.

APOC, Chap. VIII. v. 12. And the fourth Angel founded the trumpet, and the third part of the fun was fmitten, and the third part of the moon, and third part of the ftars, fo that the third part of them was darkened, and the day did not fine for a third part of it, and the night in like manner..

At the founding of the fourth Trumpet, Behold! the third part of the Sun, and of the Moon, and of the Stars, is eclipfed or ftruck with darkness: a noble figure indicating, that, while the Church of Chrift is in the most flourishing state and fhining like those glorious luminaries, a third part of it becomes unfortunately obfcured by the fatal Herefy and Schifm of the Greeks. This Schifm was firft broached by Photius at Conftantinople in the year 866. It ip

fected

fected all orders of Chriftians, the Clergy, the Princes, and the body of the Faithful, fignified respectively by the Sun, Moon, and Stars; and it lopt off nearly one third part of the Church, fpreading itself from Conftantinople over a great number of the Eastern Chriftian Countries. Hence it happened that the Catholic Church was robbed of a third part nearly of her members of all ranks and degrees, and was confequently despoiled of a third part of her luftre, which the Propbet expreffes by Taying, that the day did not fine for a third part of it, and the night in like manner.

It is plain the defection of the Greeks gave fuch a fhock to the Catholic Church, and tore away fuch a large portion of her, that it may by a juft metaphor be called a great earthquake, Apoc. viii. 5. fec P, 28.

At the opening of the fourth Seal, we faw the rife of Mahometifm, which ushered in the fourth age: here we fee the birth of the Greek Schifm, a fecond remarkable event, which distinguishes what may be deemed another period of the fame age, commencing about the year 866,

The preceding Explication elucidated by a fuccinct Hiftory of the Greek Schifm.

Photius, an Eunuch, a man equally remarkable for his high birth, his abilities, and learning, was honoured with confiderable employments at the Imperial court of Conftantinople: but he difgraced his talents and dignities by his base fraudulent practices and ambition.

He was a favorite of Bardas Cæfar, who was uncle to the young Emperor Michael, and governed the ftate for him. This Bardas having been reprimanded and even excommunicated by St. Ignatius, Patriarch of Conftantinople, for his fcandalous debauched life, refolved upon this Prelate's ruin. Having much influence with his Nephew, the Emperor,

Emperor, he prevailed upon him to banish the Patriarch, from Conftantinople. All means were then used to extort from Ignatius the refignation of his fee, but he conftantly refuting, Bardas had the prefumption to nominate Photius, then a layman, to the Patriarchate, in the year 858. But this nomination not being warranted by a previous election, and confequently contrary to the Canons of the Church, no Bifhop would ordain Photius, till he had promised upon oath to acknowledge Ignatius as lawful Patriarch, and not to act without his concurrence and direction. Nevertheless, in lefs than two months after his ordination he perfecuted violently all thofe of the Clergy that adhered to Ignatius, and fome he caused to be fcourged, and others otherwife tormented. And in order to deftroy Ignatius, he perfuaded Bardas to commence an information against him, as having fecretly confpired against the ftate. But nothing could be proved against the holy Patriarch; who neverthelefs was removedto a prifon in the Suburbs of Conftantinople, and there cruelly tortured.

In confequence of fuch unchriftian proceedings feveral Bishops of the Province of Conftantinople affembled and excommunicated Photius. On the other fide, Photius fupported by Bardas, in a Synod of fome of his adherents pronounced fentence of depofition and excommunication against Ignatius, who thereupon was loaded with chains, and banifhed to Mitylene in the ifle of Lefbos. To colour fa unjustifiable a step, Photius fent meffengers with a letter to Pope Nicholas, in which he fignified, that Ignatius had refigned his See on account of his age and infirmities, and that himself had been chosen for it by the Metropolitan Bishops, and had been compelled by the Emperor to undertake that heavy burthen: then he defired, the Pope would ratify both the refignation and election. As the Pope received

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received no account from Ignatius, who was not fuffered by his enemies to fend any, his Holinefs difpatched two Legates with orders only to take informations, and tranfmit them to him. The Legates being arrived at Conftantinople, Photius and the Emperor found means to gain them over after a long refiftance. Upon this a Synod was held at Conftantinople in 851,. in which by the prevarication of the Legates St. Ignatius, who had been fent for, was unjuftly depofed, and afterwards imprifoned and moft barbaroufly treated. Photius even advised the Emperor to compel Ignatius, to read his own condemnation in the Church, and then to have his eyes pulled out and his hand cut off. But Ignatius fufpecting fome finifter defign was hatched against him, disguised himself, made his escape out of prifon, and fled.

Ignatius had by this time found means to inform the Pope of what had paffed at Conftantinople. His Holiness complained of the prevarication of his Legates, condemned what had been done, and in his letters to the Emperor and Photius infifted that Ignatius was the lawful Patriarch, and Photius's Nomination every way irregular and void. Then in a letter addreffed to all the Faithful in the Eaft, the Pope orders the Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerufalem, and the Metropolitans and other Bishops' to hold the fame fentiments with himself in regard to Ignatius and the intruder. Photius, like a daring impoftor, fuppreffed the letter he had received from the Pope, and forged another, couched ́ in terms favourable to himfelf; but the cheat was discovered. In fine, finding it impoffible to make the Pope propitious to his caufe, he refolved to wreak his revenge upon him: for which purpose, having fecured the Emperor in his intereft, he held a Council of his adherents at Conftantinople in 866, in which he prefumed to pronounce fentence of depofition

depofition and and excommunication against Pope Nicholas and this was the origin of the Greek Schifm*. He got the acts of this pretended Synod figned by twenty-one Bishops; but he added falfe fubfcriptions of others to the number of about a thoufand. Then he wrote a circular letter to the Eastern Patriarchs and Bishops, containing a charge against the Latin Church. Firft, he found fault with fome points of Difcipline, which before his rupture with the Church, he had approved in his Confeffion of Faith which he fent to the Pope feven years before this period. Then he proceeded to accufe the Latins of an error in Faith, for teaching that the Holy Ghoft proceeds, not from the Father only, but froin the Father and the Son: which tenet had been taught by the Greek Fathers as well as the Latin. It had been approved in the third General Council held at Ephefus, and in feveral fubfequent General Councils, and was expressly defined in the Ecumenical Council of Florence in 1439. By rejecting this article, Photius and thofe Greeks, who adhered to him, added Herefy to Schifm. But as their feparation from the Unity of the Catholic Church began by Schifm, it has retained that name.

Bafil becoming Emperor in 867, banished Photius to the Ifle of Scepe, and reftored St. Ignatius to his See of Conftantinople after an exile of nine years. At this Prelate's folicitations with the Pope and Emperor, a General Council of the Church was held at Conftantinople in 869, at which prefided the Legates of Pope Adrian II. who had fucceeded Nicholas. The fchifmatical Synod, which had been held by Photius as mentioned before, was here condemned;

*As the body of the Roman Dominions had been divided into two Empires; the Weftern, having Rome for its Metropolis; and the Eaftern, which had Conftantinople for its Capital: fo the fame divifion was usually admitted in the Church; the western part being often called the Latin Church, from the language ufed there; and the eastern was ftyled the Greek Church, likewife from its language.