BY JOHN LAWRENCE VON MOSHEIM, D. D. CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GOTTINGEN. A NEW AND LITERAL TRANSLATION, FROM THE ORIGINAL BY JAMES MURDOCK, D. D. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. NEW HAVEN: PUBLISHED BY A. H. MALTBY. 1832. Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1832, by JAMES MURDOCK, in the Clerk's office of the District Court of Connecticut. BALDWIN AND TREADWAY, PRINTERS TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. To supply the more intelligent and especially the younger clergy, with a comprehensive history of the christian religion and church, from the earliest times to the present day,-a history which shall touch all the more important facts, briefly and distinctly, yet candidly, and with constant references to authorities and to sources of additional information, and thus be a complete guide to those who wish to go deeply into this science, and afford of itself a good general knowledge of the whole subject ;-such was the design of Dr. Mosheim in the following work, and such has been the aim of the present translator. The great need of such a work at the present day, when every other branch of theology is much cultivated, is so generally felt, that it is unnecessary to say any thing to evince its importance, or to excite an interest on the subject. The only things therefore, which here claim attention, are, the character and history of Dr. Mosheim and his work, the reasons for giving it in a new translation, and the additions made to it by way of notes. John Lawrence von Mosheim was nobly born at Lubec, October 9, 1694. His education was completed at the university of Keil; where he became professor of philosophy at an early age. In youth he cultivated a taste for poetry; and he actually published criticisms on that subject. But pulpit eloquence, biblical and historical theology, and practical religion were his favorite pursuits. He published seven volumes of sermons, and left a valuable treatise on preaching, which was printed after his death. The English and French preachers, particularly Tillotson and Watts, Saurin, Massillon and Flechier, were his models. The Germans admit, that he contributed much to improve the style and manner of preaching in their country. While a professor at Kiel, his reputation rose so high, that the king of Denmark invited him to a professorship at Copenhagen. But the duke of Brunswick, soon after, in the year 1725, called him to the divinity chair at Helmstadt; which he filled with great applause for twenty-two years. In 1747, when George II, king of England, the founder of the university of Gottingen, wished to place over it men of the highest rank the literary world, Dr. Mosheim was |