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further acceffions of power. By the 28th canon of the council held at Chalcedon in 451, it was refolved, that the fame rights and honours which had been conferred on the bishop of Rome were due to the bishop of Conftantinople, on account of the equal dignity and luftre of the two cities in which these prelates exercised their authority. The fame council confirmed alfo, by a folemn act, the bishop of Conftantinople in the fpiritual government of thofe provinces over which he had ufurped the jurifdiction. Leo the Great, bifhop of Rome, opposed with vehemence the paff ing of thefe laws; and his oppofition was fecond ed by that of feveral other prelates. But their efforts were vain, as the emperors threw their weight into the balance, and thus fupported the decifions of the Grecian bishops. In confequence, then, of the decifions of this famous council, the bishop of Conftantinople began to contend obftinately for the fupremacy with the Roman pontiff, and to crush the bishops of Antioch and Alexandria.

About this time, Juvenal bishop of Jerufalem attempted to withdraw himself and his church from the jurifdiction of the bishop of Cæfarea, and afpired after a place among the firft prelates of the Chriftian world. The high degree of veneration and efteem in which the church of Jerufalem was held among all other Chriftian focieties (on account of its rank among the apoftolical churches, and its title to the appellation of motherchurch, as having fucceeded the firft Chriftian affembly formed by the apoftles), was extremely favourable to the ambition of Juvenal, and rendered his project much more practicable than it would otherwife have been. Encouraged by this, and likewife by the protection of Theodofius the younger, this afpiring prelate not only affumed the dignity of patriarch of all Palestine, a rank which rendered him independent of all spiritual authority; but alfo invaded the rights of the bishop of Antioch, and ufurped his jurifdiction over the provinces of Phoenicia and Arabia. Hence arofe a warm conteft between Juvenal and Maximus bishop of Antioch; which the council of Chalcedon decided, by reftoring to the latter the provinces of Phoenicia and Arabia, and confirming the former in the fpiritual poffeffion of all Paleftine, and in the high rank which he had affumed in the church.

In 588, John bishop of Conftantinople, furnamed the Fafter, either by his own authority or that of the emperor Mauritius, fummoned a council at Conftantinople to inquire into an accufation brought again Gregory bithop of Antioch; and upon this occafion affumed the title of ecumenical or universal bishop. This title had been formerly enjoyed by the bishops of Conftantinople without any offence; but now Gregory the Great, then bishop of Rome, suspecting that John was aiming at the fupremacy over all the churches, oppofed his claim with the greatest vigour. For this purpofe he wrote to the emperor, and others whom be thought capable of affifting him in his oppofition; but all his efforts were without effect; and the bishops of Conftantinople were allowed to enjoy the difputed title, though not in the fenfe which had alarmed the Roman pontiff.

Gregory, however, adhered tenaciously to his

purpose, raised new tumults and diffenfions among the clergy, and aimed at nothing lefs than an unlimited fupremacy over the Chriftian church. This ambitious defign fucceeded in the weft; while, in the eastern provinces, his arrogant pretenfions were fcarcely respected by any but those who were at enmity with the bishop of Conftantinople. How much the people were at this time deluded by the Roman pontiffs, appears from the expreffion of Ennodius, one of the flatterers of Symmachus (who was a prelate of but ambiguous fame), that the Roman pontiff was conftituted judge in the place of God, which he filled as the vice-gerent of the Moft High. On the other hand, it is certain, from a variety of the most authentic records, that both the emperors and the nations in general were far from being difpofed to bear with patience the yoke of fervitude which the fee of Rome was arrogantly impofing on the whole church.

In the beginning of the 7th century, according to the moft learned hiftorians, Boniface III. engaged Phocas, emperor of Conftantinople, to take from the bishop of that metropolis the title of acu menical or universal bishop, and to confer it upon the Roman pontiff; and thus was first introduced the fupremacy of the pope. The Roman pontiffs used all methods to maintain and enlarge this authority and pre-eminence, which they had acquired from one of the moft odious tyrants that ever difgraced the annals of history.

SECT. V. HISTORY of the CHURCH of ROME from the ERECTION of the POPE'S SUPREMACY to his ASSUMPTION of UNIVERSAL POWER.

In the 8th century, the power of the bishop of Rome, and of the clergy in general, increased prodigiously. The chief cause of this, besides the fuperftition of the people, was the method at that time used by the European princes to secure themfelves on their thrones. All these princes being then employed either in ufurpation or in felf-defence, and the whole continent being in the most unfettled and barbarous condition, they endea voured to attach warmly to their interefts thofe whom they confidered as their friends and clients. For this purpose they diftributed among them extenfive territories, cities, and fortreffes, with the various rights and privileges belonging to them; referving only to themselves the fupreme dominion and the military fervice of these powerful vassals. For this reafon it was, by the European princes, reckoned a high inftance of political prudence to diftribute among the bishops and other Christian doctors the fame fort of donations which had formerly been given to their generals and clients. By means of the clergy, they hoped to check the feditious and turbulent fpirits of their vafials; and to maintain them in their obedience by the influ ence and authority of their bithops, whofe commands were highly refpected, and whofe fpiritual thunderbolts, rendered formidable by ignorance, ftruck terror into the boldest and most refolute hearts.

This prodigious acceffion to the opulence and authority of the clergy in the west, began at their head, viz. the Roman pontiff; from whence it spread gradually among the inferior facerdotal orners. The barbarous nations, who had received

the

the gospel, looked upon the bishop of Rome as the fucceffor of their chief druid or high prieft: and as this tremendous druid had enjoyed, under the darknels of Paganifm, a kind of boundlefs authority; fo thefe barbarous nations thought proper to confer upon the chief bishop the fame authority which had belonged to the chief druid. The pope received the fame auguft privileges with great pleasure; and left, upon any change of affairs, attempts fhould be made to deprive him of them, he ftrengthened his title to thefe extraordinary honours by a variety of paffages drawn from ancient history, and, what is still more aftonishing, by arguments of a religious nature. This fwelled the Roman druid to an enormous fize; and gave to the fee of Rome that high pre-eminence and defpotic authority in civil and political matters, that were unknown in former ages. Hence, among other unhappy circumftances, arofe that monstrous and pernicious opinion, that fuch perfons as were excluded from the communion of the church by the pontiff himself, or any of the bishops, forfeited thereby not only their civil rights and advantages as citizens, but even the common claims and privileges of humanity. This horrid opinion, which was a fatal fource of wars, mafacres, and rebellions, without number, and which contributed more than any thing elfe to confirm and augment the papal authority, was borrowed by the clergy from the Pagan fuperftitions.

PEPIN, who was mayor of the palace to Childeric III. king of France, and who, in the exercife of that high office, was poffeffed inr cality of the royal power and authority, afpired to the titles and honours of majesty alfo, and formed a fcheme of dethroning his fovereign. To this purpose he ailembled the ftates in 751; and though they were devoted to the interests of this ambitious ufurper, they gave it as their opinion, that the bishop of Rome was previoully to be confulted, whether the execution of fuck a fchome was lawful or not. In confequence of this, ambaffadors were fent by Pepin to Zachary, the reigning pontiff, with the following question, "Whether the divine law did not permit a valiant and warlike people to dethrone a pufillanimous and indolent prince, who was incapable of difcharging any of the ferrors of royalty; and to fubftitute in his place 2 more worthy to rule, dered most important and who had already fervices to the ftate: de btuation of Zachary, who ftood much in nee, the fuccours of Pepin against the Greeks and Lombards, rendered his anfwer fuch as the ufurp r defired; and when this favourable decifion of the Roman oracle was published in France, the unhappy Childeric was tripped of his royalty without the leaft oppofition; and Pepin, without the smallest resistance, ftepped into the throne of his master and his fovereign. This decifion was folemnly confirmed by Stephen II. the fucceffor of Zachary, who undertook a journey into France in 754, to folicit affiftance against the Lombards. The pontiff at the fame time diffolved the obligation of the the oath of fidelity and allegiance which Pepin had fworn to Childeric, and violated by his ufurpation in 751; and to render his title to the crown as facred as poffible, Stephen anointed and crowned him, with his wife and two fons, for the second time. This complaifance of the pope was rewarded with the exarchate of Ravenna and all its dependencies.

Though excommunication, from the time of Couftantine the Great, was in every part of the Chriftian world attended with many difagreeable effects; yet its highest terrors were confined to Europe, where its afpect was truly formidable and hideous. It acquired alfo, in the 8th century, new acceflions of terror; fo that from that period the excommunication practifed in Europe differed entirely from that which was in ufe in other parts of Christendom. Excommunicated perfons were indeed confidered, in all places, as objects of hatred both to God and man: but they were not, on that account, robbed of the privileges of citizens nor of In the fucceeding centuries, the Roman ponthe rights of humanity; much lefs were thofe tiffs continued to increase their power by every kings and princes, whom an infolent bishop had kind of artifice and fraud; and by continually thought proper to exclude from the communion of taking advantage of the civil diffenfions which prethe church, fuppofed to forfeit on that account vailed throughout Italy, France, and Germany, their crowns or their territories. But from this cen- their influence in civil affairs arofe to an enormous tury it was quite otherwife in Europe. Excommu. height. The increate of their authority in religi nication received that infernal power which dif- ous matters was not lefs rapid. The wifeft and folved all connections; fo that thofe whom the most impartial among the Roman Catholic writbishops, or their chief, excluded from church com- ers acknowledge, that from the time of Lewis munion, were degraded to a level with the beafts. the Meek, the ancient rules of ecclefiaftical goThe origin of this unnatural and horrid power vernment were gradually changed in the courts was as follows. On the converfion of the barba. of Europe by the counfels and inftigation of rous nations to Chriftianity, these ignorant profe- the church of Rome, and new laws fubftituted lytes confounded the excommunication in ufe in their place. The European princes fuffered aziong Chriftians with that which had been prac- themselves to be divested of the fupreme autho ted in the times of Paganifm, and which was at-rity in religious matters, which they had derivtended with all the dreadful effects above mentioned. The Roman pontiffs, on the other hand, were too artful not to encourage this error; and there fore employed all forts of means to gain credit to 3pinion fo well calculated to gratify their ambit, and to aggrandize in general the epifcopal erde The annals of the French nation furnish Wowth the following inftance of the enormous power which was at this time vefted in the RoA pontiff.

ed from Charlemagne; the power of the bishops was greatly diminished; and even the authority of both provincial and general councils began to decline.

The POPES, elated with their overgrown profperity, and become arrogant beyond measure by the daily acceffions that were made to their au thority, were eagerly bent upon establishing the maxim, That the bifhop of Rome was conftitut. ed and appointed by Jefus Chrift fupreme legisla

to:

tor and judge of the church univerfal; and that fovereigns; among which the hiftory of John king therefore the bishops derived all their authority of England is very remarkable. At laft they plainfrom him. This opinion, which they inculcated ly affirmed the whole earth to be their property, with the utmost zeal, was oppofed in vain by fuch as well where Christianity was preached as where as were acquainted with the ancient ecclefiaftical it was not; and therefore, on the discovery of conftitutions, and the government of the church America and the East Indies, the pope, by virtue in the earlier ages. To gain credit to this new of this spiritual property, granted to the Portuecclefiaftical code, and to support the pretentions guefe a right to all the countries lying eastward, of the popes to fupremacy, it was neceffary to and to the Spaniards all thofe lying to the weftproduce the authority of ancient deeds, in order ward of Cape Non in Africa, which they were to ftop the mouths of fuch as were difpofed to fet able to conquer by force of arms; and that nobounds to their ufurpations. The bifhops of thing might be wanting to complete their charac Rome were aware of this; and as thofe means ter, they pretended to be lords of the future world were looked upon as the most lawful that tended alfo, and to have a power of reftraining even the beft to the accomplishment of their purposes, they divine juftice itself, and remitting that punishment employed fome of their most ingenious and zealous which the Deity hath denounced against the partizans in forging conventions, acts of councils, workers of iniquity. epiftles, and fuch-like records, by which it might appear, that in the firft ages of the church, the Roman pontiffs were clothed with the fame fpiritual majefty and fupreme authority which they now affumed. There were, however, among the bishops, fome men of prudence and fagacity, who faw through thefe impious frauds, and perceived the chains that were forging both for them and the church. The French bishops diftinguished themselves eminently in this refpect: but their oppofition was foon quafhed; and as all Europe was funk in the groffeft ignorance and darkness, none remained who were capable of detecting those odious impoftures, or difpofed to fupport the expiring liberty of the church. This may ferve as a general fpecimen of the character and behaviour of the pretended vicegerents of Jefus Chrift in the 16th century.

In the 11th century, their power feems to have rifen to its utmost height. They now received the pompous titles of Maflers of the World, and Popes, i.e. univerfal fathers. They prefided over every council, by their legates, affumed the authority of fupreme arbiters in all controverfies that arofe concerning religion or church difcipline, and maintained the pretended rights of the church against the encroachments and ufurpations of kings and princes. Their authority, however, was confined within certain limits: for, on the one hand, it was reftrained by fovereign princes, that it might not arrogantly aim at civil dominion; and on the other, it was opposed by the bishops themfelves, that it might not arise to a spiritual defpotifm, and utterly deftroy the privileges and liberty of fynods and councils.

From the time of Leo IX. the popes employed every method which the moft artful ambition could fuggeft, to remove those limits, and to render their dominion both defpotic and univerfal. They not only afpired to the character of supreme legiflators in the church, to an unlimited jurifdiction over all fynods and councils whether general or provincial, to the fole diftribution of all ecclefiaftical honours and benefices, as divinely authorifed and appointed for that purpofe; but they carried their infolent pretenfions fo far as to give themselves out for lords of the universe, arbiters of the fate of kingdoms and empires, and fupreme rulers of the kings and princes of the earth. Hence we find inftances of their giving away kingdoms, and loofing fubjects from their allegiance to their VOL. XI, PART I.

SECT. VI. Account of VARIOUS SUPERSTITIONS that prevailed, from the 5th CENTURY to the REFORMATION.

1

ALL this time the powers of fuperftition reigned triumphant over thofe remains of Christianity which had efcaped the corruptions of the firft 4 centuries. In the 5th century commenced the invocation of the happy fouls of departed faints. Their affiftance was intreated by many fervent prayers, while none ftood up to oppose this prepofterous kind of worship. The images of those who during their lives had acquired the reputation of uncommon fanctity, were now honoured with a particular worship in feveral places; and many imagined that this drew into the images the propitious prefence of the faints, or celeftial beings, which they were fuppofed to reprefent. A fingular and irrefiftible efficacy was attributed to the bones of martyrs, and to the figure of the cross, in de feating all the attempts of Satan, removing all forts of calamities, and in healing not only the difeafes of the body, but also thofe of the mind. The famous Pagan doctrine concerning the purifi cation of departed fouls by means of a certain kind of fire, i. e. purgatory, was alfo confirmed and explained more fully than it had formerly been; and every one knows of how much confequence this abfurd doctrine once was to the wealth and power of the Romish clergy.

In the 6th century, Gregory the Great advanced an opinion, That all the words of the facred writings were images of invifible and fpiritual things; for which reafon he loaded the churches with a multitude of ceremonies the most infignificant and futile that can be imagined; and hence arose a new and most difficult fcience, namely, the explication of thefe ceremonies, and the inveftigation of the causes and circumstances whence they derived their origin. A new method was contrived of administering the Lord's fupper, with a magnificent affemblage of pompous ceremonies, This was called the canon of the mafs. Baptism, except in cafes of neceffity, was administered only on the great feftivals. An incredible number of temples were erected in honour of the faints. The places fet apart for public worship were also very numerous but now they were confidered as the means of purchafing the protection and favour of the faints, and the ignorant and barbarous multitude were perfuaded, that thefe departed X X

ipirits

-fpirits defended and guarded, against evils and calamities of every kind, the provinces, lands, cities, and villages in which they were honoured with temples. The number of these temples was almoft equalled by that of the feftivals, which feem to have been invented in order to bring the Chriftian religion as near the model of Paganifm as poffible.

In the 7th century, religion feemed to be altogether buried under a heap of fuperftitious ceremonies; the worship of the true God and Saviour of the world was exchanged for the worship of bones, bits of wood (faid to be of the croft), and the images of faints. The eternal state of mifery threatened in Scripture to the wicked was exchanged for the temporary punishment of purgatory; and the expreffions of faith in Chrift by an upright and virtuous conduct, for the augmentation of the riches of the clergy by donations to the church, and the obfervance of a heap of idle ceremonies. New feftivals were ftill added; one in particular was inftituted in honour of the true cres on which our Saviour fuffered; and churches were declared to be fanctuaries to all fuch as fled to them, whatever their crimes might have

been.

Superftition, it would seem, had now attained its highest pitch; nor is it eafy to conceive a degree of ignorance and degeneracy beyond what we have already mentioned. If any thing can poffibly be imagined more contrary to true religion, it is an opinion which prevailed in the 8th century, viz. That Chriftians might appease an offended Deity by voluntary acts of mortification, or by gifts and oblations lavished on the church; and that people ought to place their confidence in the works and merits of the faints. The piety in this and fome fucceeding ages confifted in building and embellishing churches and chapels; in endowing monafteries and bafilics; hunting after the relics of faints and martyrs, and treating them with an abfurd and exceffive veneration; in procuring the interceffion of the faints by rich oblations or fuperftitious rites; in worshipping images; in pilgrimages to thofe places which were efleemed holy, particularly to Paleftine, &c. The genuine religion of Jelus was now utterly unknown both to clergy and people, if we except a few of its general doctrines contained in the creed. In this century alfo, the fuperftitious custom of folitary maffer had its origin. These were celebrated by the priest alone in behalf of fouls detained in purgatory, as well as upon fome other occafions. They were prohibited by the laws of the church, but proved a fource of immense wealth to the clergy. Under Charlemagne they were condemned by a fynod affembled at Mentz, as criminal effects of avarice and floth.

A new fuperftition, however, ftill fprung up in the roth century. It was imagined, from Rev. xx. 1. that Antichrift was to make his appearance on the earth, and that foon after the world would be deftroyed. An univerfal panic enfued; vaft numbers of people, abandoning all their connections in fociety, and giving over to the churches and monafteries all their worldly effects, repaired to Palestine, where they imagined that Chrift would defcend from heaven to judge the world.

Others devoted themfelves by a folemn and yoluntary oath to the fervice of the churches, convents, and priesthood, whofe flaves they became, in the moft rigorous fenfe of that word, perform ing daily their heavy tasks; and all this from a notion that the fupreme judge would diminish the feverity of their fentence, and look upon them with a favourable and propitious eye, on account of their having made themselves the flaves of their minifter. When an eclipfe of the fun or moon happened to be visible, the cities were deferted, and their miferable inhabitants fled for refuge to hollow caverns, and hid themselves among the craggy rocks, and under the bending fummits of steep mountains. The opulent attempted to bribe the faints and the Deity himself by rich donations conferred upon the facerdotal tribe, who were looked upon as the immediate vicegerents of hea ven. In many places, temples, palaces, and no. ble edifices both public and private, were fuffered to decay, nay, were deliberately pulled down, from a notion, that they were no longer of any ufe, as the final diffolution of all things was at hand.

In a word, no language is fufficient to express the confufion and defpair that tormented the minds of miferable mortals upon this occafion. The general delufion was indeed opposed and combated by the difcerning few, who endeavoured to difpel thefe terrors, and to efface the notion from which they arofe in the minds of the people. But their attempts were ineffectual; nor could the dreadful apprehenfions of the fuperftitious multitude be removed before the end of the century, and this terror became one of the accidental caufes of the CROISADES. That nothing might now be wanting to complete that antichrif tian religion which had overspread all Europe, it was in the 11th century determined that divine worship should be celebrated in the Latin tongue, though now unknown throughout the continent. During the whole of this century, also, Chriftians were employed in rebuilding and ornamenting their churches, which they had destroyed through the fuperftitious fear already mentioned.

In much the fame way with what is above related, or worfe if poffible, matters went on till the time of the reformation. The clergy were immerfed in crimes of the deepest dye; and the laity imagining themselves able to purchase pardon of their fins for money, followed the example of their paftors without remorte. The abfurd principle, that religion confifts in acts of aufterity, and an unknown mental correfpondence with God, produced the moft extravagant and ridiculous behaviour in the devotees and reputed faints. They not only lived among the wild beafts, but also after the manner of those favage animals; they ran naked through the lonely deferts with a furious afpect, and all the agitations of madness and phrenzy; they prolonged a wretched life by grafs and wild herbs, avoided the fight and converfation of men, remained almoft motionless in certain places for feveral years, exposed to the rigour and inclemency of the feafons, and towards the conclufion of their lives fhut themfelves up in narrow and miferable huts; and all this was confidered as true piety, the only acceptable method of worshipping the Deity, and attaining a fiare in his favour.

But

But of all the inftances of fuperftitious phrenzy which difgraced thefe times, none was held in higher veneration, or excited more the wonder of the multitude, than that of a certain order of men who were called Stilites by the Greeks, and Sandi Columnares, or Pillar Saints, by the Latins. Thefe were perfons of a moft fingular and extravagant turn of mind, who ftood motionlefs on the tops of pillars, exprefsly raised for this exercife of their patience, and remained there for feveral years amidst the admiration and applaufe of the ftupid populace. The inventor of this ftrange difcipline was one Simeon a Syrian, who began his follies by changing the agreeable employment of a fhepherd for the austerities of a monkifh life. He began his devotion on the top of a pillar 6 cubits high; but as he increafed in fanctity, he alfo increafed the height of his pillar, till, towards the conclufion of his life, he had got up on the top of a pillar 40 cubits in height. Many of the inhabitants of Syria and Palestine, feduced by a falfe ambition, and an utter ignorance of true religion, followed the example of this fanatic, though not with the same degree of aufterity. This fuperftitious practice began in the 5th century, and continued in the eaft for 600 years. The Latins, however, had too much wisdom to imitate the Syrians and Qrientals in this whimsical fuperstition; and when a certain fanatic, or impoftor, named Wulfilaicus, erected one of thefe pillars in the county of Treves, and propofed to live on it after the manner of Simeon, the neighbouring bishops ordered it to be pulled down.

The practices of auftere worship and difcipline in other refpects, however, gained ground throughout all parts of Chriftendom. Monks of various kinds were to be found in every country in prodigious numbers. But though their difcipline was at firft exceedingly fevere, it beceme gradually relaxed, and the monks gave into all the prevailing vices of the times. Other orders fucceeded, who pretended to still greater degrees of fanctity, and to reform the abufes of the preceding ones; but these in their turn became corrupted, and fell into the fame vices which they had blamed in others. The most violent animofities, difputes, and batred, alfo reigned among the different orders of monks; and, indeed, between the clergy of all ranks and degrees, whether we confider them as claffed in different bodies, or as individuals of the fame body.

To enter into a detail of their wranglings and difputes, the methods which each of them took to aggrandize themselves at the expense of their neighbours, and to keep the rest of mankind in fubjection, would require many volumes. We fhall only observe, therefore, that even the external profeffion of the auftere and abfurd piety which took place in the 4th and 5th centuries, continued gradually to decline. Some, indeed, boldly oppofed the torrent of fuperftition and wickednefs which threatened to overflow the whole world; but their oppofition proved fruitlefs, and all these towards the era of the reformation had either been filenced or deftroyed; fo that, at that time, the pope and clergy reigned over mankind without controul; had made themselves mafters of almoft all the wealth in every country of Europe, and

may truly be faid to have been the only fovereigns; the reft of the human race, even kings and princes, being only their vaffals and flaves.

While the Popish fuperftition reigned thus violently in the weft, the abfurd doctrines of Mahomet overfpread all the eaft. See ARABIA, § 9; MAHOMET, and MAHOMETANISM. His fuccef fors conquered in order to establish the religion of their apoftle; and thus the very name of Chriftianity was extinguished in many places where it had formerly flourished. The conquefts of the Tartars having intermingled them with the Mahometans, they greedily embraced the fuperftitions of that religion, which thus almoft entirely overspread the whole continents of Afia and Africa; and, by the conqueft of Conftantinople by the Turks in 1453, was likewise established throughout a confiderable part of Europe.

About the beginning of the 16th century, the Roman pontiffs lived in the utmost tranquillity; nor had they, according to the appearance of things at that time, any reafon to fear an oppofition to their authority in any respect, fince the commotions which had been raised by the Wal, denfes, Albigenfes, &c. were now entirely fuppreffed. We muft not however conclude, from this apparent tranquillity and fecurity of the pontiffs and their adherents, that their measures were univerfally applauded. Not only private persons, but aho the moft powerful princes and fovereign ftates, exclaimed loudly against the tyranny of the popes, and the unbridled licentioufnefs of the clergy of all denominations. They demanded, therefore, a reformation of the church in its head and members, and a general council to accomplish that neceffary purpofe. But thefe complaints and demands were not carried to fuch a length as to produce any good effect; as they came from perfons who never entertained the leaft doubt about the fupreme authority of the pope in religious matters; and who of consequence, inftead of attempting themselves to bring about that reformation which was fo ardently defired, remained entirely inactive, or looked for redress to the court of Rome, or to a general council.

But while the fo much defired reformation feemed to be at a great distance, it suddenly arose from a quarter whence it was not at all expected. MARTIN LUTHER, a monk of the order of St Auguftine, ventured to oppofe himself to the whole torrent of papal power and defpotifm. This bold attempt was firft made public on the 30th of Sept. 1517; and notwithstanding all the efforts of the pope and his adherents, the doctrines of Luther continued daily to gain ground. Others, encouraged by his fuccefs, lent their affiftance in the work of reformation; which at last produced new churches, founded upon principles quite different from that of Rome, and which ftill continue. But for fome account of the tranfactions of the first reformers, fee LUTHER and REFORMATION. SECT. VIII. Of the PRESENT STATE of RELIGION

throughout the WORLD.

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