that retained "the form of sound words," taught by the apostles, appeared in the latter part of the third century. Their first leader, who may be denominated the first Christian Reformer, was Novatian, a proselyte of the Church in Rome. "He was," Waddington remarks, "a man of great talents and learning, and of character so austere, that he was unwilling, under any circumstances of contrition, to readmit those who had been once separated from the communion of the Church. And this severity he would have extended not only to those who had fallen by deliberate transgression, but even to such as had made a forced compromise of their faith under the terrors of persecution. He considered the Christian Church as a society, where virtue and innocence reigned universally, and refused any longer to acknowledge, as members of it, those who had once degenerated into unrighteousness. This endeavour to revive the spotless moral purity of the primitive faith was found inconsistent with the corruptions even of that early age: it was regarded with suspicion by the leading prelates, as a vain and visionary scheme; and those rigid principles which had characterised and sanctified the Church in the first century, were abandoned to the profession of schismatic sectaries in the third." The Novatians exceedingly multiplied in all the countries. where the gospel was received, and flourished until the fifth century, when the clergy of the imperial Church succeeded. in crushing the power of dissent, and compelled the faithful to withdraw as much as possible from public notice. The sacred scriptures, however, remained, and the authority of the Lord Jesus was reverenced by multitudes. Those most desirous and resolved to honour their Saviour and heavenly king found small favour with the majority of the Christian teachers or people. An Arian or Trinitarian Christianity sustained, at the pleasure or humour of Constantine's successors, the vast and gorgeous fabric of the imperial church, till Theodosius the Great, A.D. 380, established the latter, named the orthodox creed, and published the famous law, "that no one, of whatever rank, should slay a victim or present an offering, in public or private, to any senseless image or imaginary god." To martyrs, eminent departed saints, and especially to Mary the mother of Jesus, and to angels, were transferred the veneration and homage formerly cherished for idols; and all who refused to honour them as intercessors with God, or who maintained that to them there was but 66 one God and Father of all, and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus," were more dreaded, de spised, or abhorred, by the great teachers of the imperial church, than were idolaters, infidels, or profligates. Assemblies of bishops speedily assumed the authority and power of infallible guides, whose wisdom was not to be questioned, nor their influence with Heaven to bring down blessings or curses upon mankind, to be doubted. They gradually, having for their chief the bishop of Rome, acquired the supreme dominion in things spiritual, and at length sat on the throne of the church, and directed the civil government of the empire. Emperors, kings, princes, and magistrates, were their servants to honour or protect those whom they pronounced blessed, and degrade or kill all whom they declared accursed. Thus the nominal ministers of Christians, united as one man, truly appeared "the man of sin, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." 2 Thess. ii. 4. Everywhere was heard the terrific voice of this demon-god. The worshippers of the Most High trembled, and retired from the busy haunts of men; the meek followers of the Lord Jesus fled to the wilderness, and there sojourned twelve hundred and sixty years. Fearful were the judgments which fell on the apostate race, who had prostrated their hearts and consciences to the selfmade demon-god. The inroads of barbarians spread universal desolation, famine, pestilence, and death; the nighty empire was broken up, and divided into many kingdoms, and ignorance, superstition, and every species of wickedness established anew their throne in the world. But this dreadful termination of the eruptions of pagan nations only rivetted the chains by which " the man of sin," that wicked one, subjected to slavery the Roman empire. The savage conquerors transferred their reverence for the priests and rites of their bloody gods to the priests and rites of nominal Christianity, and consolidated the ecclesiastical despotism and tyranny, of whose natural and terrible power they were incapable of forming a correct estimate. The voice of the holy oracles was silenced, or only heard in solitary and impenetrable recesses. "Darkness covered the earth, and gross darkness the people." Charlemagne, the celebrated emperor of the West, in the eighth century, votary as he was of vice and superstition, attempted to adorn his reign by literature, and the Church by the study of the scriptures. This noblest of his enterprises failed. The chief rulers of the multitude hated knowledge, and they succeeded in the establishment of their dominion by extinguishing moral light. Many teachers of the people were more familiar with every art of deception than with the art of simply reading the few books which were not yet secreted from mankind. Divine long-suffering, however, came to an end; the time of just retribution arrived, and the Sun of Righteousness once more arose on the benighted nations. The throne of ecclesiastical power was cast down, its ministers were confounded, and its slaves exulted in the emancipation proclaimed by the noble heroes of "The Reformation." The principal nations were deluged with blood, shed in the tremendous contest between liberty and despotism, priestly domination and freedom of thought. The sacred scriptures were enthroned in the hearts of multitudes; Satan was bound, and the nations set free. The Christian captives were recalled; they heard the voice of the angel in the midst of heaven proclaiming the fall of their chief enemy, and heaven and earth rejoiced. Many struggles they have had, and many perhaps they may yet have; but He who hath delivered them will complete their deliverance. They have laboured, and a goodly number of them have not fainted in contending earnestly for the faith. By them Divine truth hath illuminated many nations; in the remotest regions, where the Roman eagle was never seen or known, thousands sing "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and made us unto our God kings and priests: unto him be glory and dominion, for ever and ever, Amen." The stone cut out of the mountain progressively fills the earth. Prayer is made to the Lord Jesus continually, in the farthest west, north, south, and east, and daily is he praised. All who love Him confidently and intensely long to hear the great voices in heaven re-echoed over all the earth: "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." 1 22* INDEX. A Abdolonymus, king of Sardis, vol. i. page 143. Abomination of desolation set up on the altar at Jerusalem, i. 248. i. 13; trials of, i. 21; descendants of, small increase during the first Achæan republic. i. 204. Africa, Northern, events in, preparatory for receiving Christianity, ii. 135. Agricola, subdues the Britons, iii. 210. Agrippa, Marcus Vipsanius, i. 155; appointed governor of Syria, 197. Agrippa, his son, succeeds his uncle, king of Chalcis, iii. 3: appointed Agrippina, wife of Germanicus, and mother of Nero, banished with her Ahab, wickedness of, i. 37 Ahaz, wicked reign of, i. 36. Albinus, governor of Judea, iii, 135, 172. Alcimus, chief captain, and afterwards high-priest of the Jews, i. 268, Alexander the Great, character of, i. 130, 134; conquests of, 135; de- Alexander's Generals appointed governors over the provinces, i. 161. Alexander's four successors, i. 172. |