303 406 871 Taylor, (Isaac), The Spirit of the 783 Sheffield, (Joseph E.), Reference to 98 108 314 369 Taylor, (Samuel), Method of Class- Territories, Congress and the, Arti- rar, 820 Thompson. (J. P.). England during Thomson, (W.), Lessons on the Titcomb, (T.), Lessons in Life, no- Tocqueville, (Alexis de), Memoir 457 Spare Hours, by John Brown, re- Stanley, (A. P.), Lectures on the 869 303 625 Train, (G. F.), Union Speeches, no- Trench, (R. C.), Commentary on True, (C. K), Elements of Logic, United States, Adequacy of the United States, Congress and the United States. The Unity of, as a 172 725 51 - 194 98 Wight, (O. W.), Goldwin Smith and 314 99 98 Winterbotham's View of the Amer- 866 170 Vingut, (Gertrude de), Our Unity 294 647 783 THE NEW ENGLANDER. No. LXXVIII. JANUARY, 1862. ARTICLE I.-CHRYSOSTOM, THE PULPIT ORATOR OF THE FOURTH CENTURY. Opera Chrysostomi. Ed. Montfau. Vita Sancti Patris Chrysostomi. Per ERASMUM. THE fourth century witnessed one of the most brilliant epochs in the history of the church. For three hundred years Christianity had been engaged in a death-struggle with Paganism, and it was now victorious. The heathen temples were deserted, and were rapidly falling to decay. Cobwebs covered their walls and their idols were obscured by an irreverent vail of dust. On the other hand, the churches were everywhere filled with the congregations of the faithful. Magnificent edifices for Divine worship were going up in all the large cities, sometimes under the patronage of the Emperor, sometimes at the expense of wealthy citizens. Their altars glit tered with gold and gems, the presents of those hoping thus to win the favor of heaven, or emulous of the immediate reward of being mentioned by name in the prayers of the congregation. A multitude of donations in landed estates brought princely revenues to the bishops, particularly in the larger towns. The nominal Christians were already numerous enough to be of importance to any one desirious of empire. Remote nations had heard the gospel. Persians and Abyssinians, Britains and Goths, owned subjection to some form of the truth. Under the sunshine of prosperity, the church was rapidly deserting her primitive simplicity and purity. The edict of Constantine, granting toleration to all religious sects, a constant succession of emperors friendly to the faith, had relieved her from all fear of persecution; but untaught by the severity of her sufferings under Diocletian, she herself aspired to persecute in turn. The system of federate republics, that had distinguished the earlier government of Christendom, was rapidly giving place to centralizing ideas. Metropolitan bishops claimed dominion over adjacent parishes. The bishops of Alexandria, Antioch, and Constantinople, were beginning to be styled patriarchs, and to usurp an apostolic jurisdiction within the dependent provinces. Optatus had already advocated the primacy of the Roman See. Though the claims of that Pontiff were derided in Asia, and as yet in Africa, save when it suited a Cyprian to court his favor, the majority of the western churches acknowledged the spell of the eternal city, and were gradually sinking into the dependencies of an absolute monarchy. Fierce quarrels arose upon the appointment of bishops. Upon the election of Damasus, at Rome, scenes of frightful atrocity were enacted. "Churches were garrisoned, churches besieged, churches stormed, and deluged with blood." "In one day," relates the heathen historian Ammianus, "above one hundred and thirty dead bodies were counted in the basilica of Sisinnius. No wonder," he adds, "that for so magnificent a prize as the Bishopric of Rome, men should contend with the utmost eagerness and obstinacy. To be enriched by the lavish donations of the principal females of the city; to |