f* *
H.
PUBLISHED WEEKLY.
“THE
VOLUME IX.
RALEIGH, M
NUMBER 31
and the support of the Principles of the Christian Church.
$1:50 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE.
A Religious and
V
■
CHURCH HISTORY,
BY If. 8CMMERBELL. ' •
m (Continued.)
Slaughter of Christian Preachers.
But the Clergy, perhaps (why perhaps?) the Arian Clergy,
were slaughtered, at the foot of their own altars by the defen
ders of the Catholic faith. Three hundred thousand males were
reported to be slain, the female sex, and more precious spoil,
were resigned to the Burgundians, and the houses, or at least the ^
walls of Milan were leveled with the ground.”—Gib., 4: 1491.
WJjile Italy teenUflld between the two powers, (A. D. 539,)
Theodebert grand son of Clovis, King of the Franks, with a
numerous army assaulted both camps, “ and the death of thous
ands appear to have excited less horror than some idolatrous
sacrifices of women and children, which were performed in the
camp of the most Christian King; but sickness more terrible
than steel, invaded the camp of the Franks, and they were
obliged to pass the Alps, while Justinian ere he drew his sword,
proclaimed himself conqueror of the Franks (G. 4: 149,) Blisa
rius then besieged and through the aid of traitors took Ravena
(A.*D. 539,) and Justinian was master, and the new religion
triumphed in Italy (G. 4:152.) But in A. D. 546, Rome was
again besieged by her former masters, who returned to the 6iege
of Rome, when hostilities having embittered religions hatred,
the Christians preachers were driven from Rome by the Catho
lics, while the annuncio of the Pope in an embassy to the
Gothic camp returned, deprived of both his hands for daring to
utter falsehoods in the service of the’ Church and State. But
the famine Relaxed the strength of the Romans, and traitors
opened the Asinarian gate to the enemy (G. 4: 211,) which was
retaken by Belisarius A. D. 647,) and retaken by the Goths
A. D. 549, (G, 4: 216.) Though it continued every few years
to change masters, yet the Pope was a political prince of Rome,
always united in religion with the Emperors in Constantinople.
But Justinian after bringing all the power of earth and wicked
spirits, with the gates of hell to prevail against it; himself, for
I thinking wrong on a point of the new and oft additioned creed,
' died accursed by the Catholics. i‘ The Bishop of Treves secure
beyond the limits of his power, addressed him thus: unless you
destroy what you have taught, unless you exclaim with a loud
voice, I have erred, I have sinned, anathema to Nestorius, anath
ema to Entychas, you deliver your soul to the flames in which
they will eternally burn.” But he died accursed. Such is
Heaven’s just retribution, as ye mete to others it shall be meted
to you.—Gibbon, 4: 420.
Yet, during this time it is acknowledged by her friends, that
“ the internal state of the Church was all dark and gloomy, ,
ignorance and superstition advanced with rapid strides—the
greatest saints (even Pope Gregory) contributed to it,” “ all
truth and godliness were supposed to be drawn from the writ
ings of the "fathers ”; the image of the Virgin and bet Son—of
Apostles and Saints, were worshiped instead ot Thor and Friga,
(heathen deities.)—Hawies, 1: 335—337. “The corrupt lives
of the Clergy bore a growing proportion to the wealth accu
mulated, &c.”—lb., 841. - “ i
Hawies says: “ In the 6th century, while the Anti-Trinitari
ans maintained a firmer footing, (1-: 847) and the heretical pre
valence of Arianism during a great part of this century, con
tributed to extinguish the light of Israel,” (850.) What light ?
In the next.eentence the hater-of ■ Arianism tells us:
“ i confess ” says he “ I can find little soundness in principle,
and less in practice 1 unless I should exhibit those lights of the
Church, Benedict and his associates, whose multiplied rules for
a seraphic life, like the pharisaic traditions mentioned by our
Lord, made men only seven fold more the children of pride an^
Raton than before. If I take John the faster, Gregory the j
great, or that adulterer of the Roman see, Ennodius; alas ! the ,
very best of them is sharper than a thorn hedge, more suited to
pierce and wound than to feed.”—Hawies, 1: 350.
And “ Arianism contributed to extinguish this light ”! 1
A. D. 686. “ No penny, no mass ” was the order of the
day _Ib., 1: 343. .
, Under the protection of the Germane “ the Church of the
Arians at Constantinople had braved the severity of the laws;
their Clergy equalled the wealth of the Senate, and the gold
and silver whioh were seized by the rapacious hand of Justini
an, might perhaps be claimed as the spoil of the provinces, and
the trophies of the barbarians.”—Gibbon, 4: 416.
A. D. 667. Albion, king of the Lombards who were Chris
tians, still adhering to the ancient faith, now made a conquest
* oLItaly, and henoe, for a short time, the old religion was again
predominant. 1 . * .Is.
Gregory, “ patron St. qf England, under his reign tlieCams
tians of Italy and Spain were converted to the Catholio Church,
and the conquest of Britain, reflects less glory on the name of
Caesar, than on that of Csesar the first.”—Ib.,’4: 832.
Gregory ma^e great efforts to bring the adherents of the old
religion to the adoption of the new creed. To this end he^
gave particular instructions to the Catholic Bishops, to prosely te
the Arian youth totho Catholic Ohnroh, (see Hawies, 1: 60S,)
while he, himself corresponded with Theodoljnda the Qneen of
the Lombards, through whom he brought about apostacy of
her husband AigUufus, and thus the declensidn of the whole
nation from the religion of Christ, to the mysteries of Plato,
(see Mil. i: 607.) Yet ‘‘ her devout labors still left room for
the industry and success of future Missionaries, and many oities
of Italy were still disputed by hostile Bishops, but the contro
versy was termihated, after a war of three hundred years by
the conversion of the Lombards of Roly.—Gibbon, 3 : 460.
Lombards.
A. D. 668. “ The Lombards (Germans) from Paraonia under
Alboinos their King, and joined by several .other German na
tions, invaded Italy, and having made themselves masters of the
whole country except Rome and Ravena, erected a kingdom at
Tioinum. Under these new tyrants, who, to tj^e natural fero
city of their characters, added an aversion to the religion of
Jesus; the Christians in the beginning, endured calamities of
every kind. But their fury gradually subsided, and their man
ners contracted from time to time, a milder character. Auth#,
rius, the third Monarch of the Lombards, embraced Christian!*
ty, as it was professed by the Arians in 687; but his successor
MPPlulf, who married his widow Theodolinda, was persuaded by
that Princess to adopt the tenets of the Nicene Catholids.”—
Moshiem, 1: 159. /
The apostate Agilulf however,
j “ no hopeful idea of the real i
the Roman territories, and
tion—tying the Romans hi
to be sold as slaves among
Pepin, mayor of the
according to Milner, gave
on. since he still ravaged
with misery and desola
cords and dragging them
Milner, 1: 511.
C’liideric III of France, and
desirous to dethrone his imblbile master,*and usdrp the throne,
assembled the States of the realm, who gave it as their opinion,
that the Pope should first be consulted—the anwer feeing such
as the usurper desired, Pepin took undisputed possession of tile
throne,” and when “Stephen II., his successor, applied tp
France for protection against the Lombards, Pepin instantly’
crossed the Alps at the head of a numerous army, overthrew
the Lonibards, recovered the Exarchate of Ravena, including
the territories of Ravena, Bologna, and Ferara, the Pentapolis
advancing as far as the Apennines, which he transfered to the
Bishop of Rome, A. D. 754—5. And Charlemagne, when again
in the year 774, the Lombards threatened Rome, on being in
voked by the Pope, subverted the Empire of these coinju^ors,
and proclaimed himself their Kiug, increased the grant oihfc
^ .father Pepin to the Pope, by some accession of territory.—See
Moshiem, 1: 196. -'hia.- ■
^Fai.t, of Spain.
During the revolutions of religion in the home department of
the Empire, all possible means seem to have been taken to send
Catholic Monks under the authority of the Imperial purple, into
all parts of the Empire. Where, although they were despised
by the commoh people: yet they had power to oppress all true
Christians, harrass the preachers, and break up the peace of
society, by encouraging the profligate to destroy the worthy
citizens who rejected their new religion.
Picture of Spain when claimed- by the Catholics, ere the con
quest of the Vandals. “ It seemed as if the inhabitants had en
tirely taken leave of reason—the streets were filled with drunk
ards—infested with every snare against chastity—adulteries and,
the most abominable impurities were the commortit of all
things, and they were publicly practiced with the extreme of
imprudence. The orphans and the widows were -oppressed,
and the poor were tortured to such despair, that they prayed
to God to deliver the city to the barbarians. Blasphemies and
impietry reigned; professed Christians SI heart Pagans! wor
shiped the. celestial goddess with entire devotion, and the peo-^
pie had an extreme aversion and contempt for the Mon
Waddington, p. 327. > ,
During this state of affairs, Spain was taken po _
the Goths, who still retained the primitive system of docf
The following account of one of their last Monarchs and of the
subjection of Spain to Popery—from the pen of an enemy, well
deserve credit:
“ Leovigild, the Gothic Monarch of Spain, deserved the re
spect of his enemies, and tho love of his subjects; the Catho
lics enjoyed a free toleration, and the Arian Synods attempted
without much success, to reconcile their scruples, by abolishing
the unpopular rite of a second baptism. His son married an
orthodox princes,” who was received, beloved, and of course
persecuted, for all the Catholic saints have been persecuted in
the Arian Court of Toledo, Gib. 8 : 448. Between this girl and -
a Popish Bishop of Seville, not only Hermengild whom his
father had associated with him in the government, but also his
brother was seduced to the Catholic faith. “ The rash youth,
inflamed by zeal, and perhaps by ambition, was tempted to vio
late the duties of a son and a subject; and the Catholics of
Spain, although they could not complain of., persecution, ap
plauded his pious rebellion against an heretical father. He in
vited the orthodox Barbarians, the Suevi, and of the Franks, to
the destruction of his native land; he solicited the dangerous
aid of the Romans, who possessed Africa and a part of the
Spanish coast, and his holy ambassador the Arch Bishop, Lean
der, effectually negotiated in person at the Byzantine court:
But the hopes of the Catholics were crushed by the active dili
gence of a Monarch, who commanded the troops and the treas
-■ures of Spain. ■ Hermogild was obliged to surrender himself
into the hands of an incensed father. Lovegild Was stilt mind
ful of that sacred character, and the rebel despoiled of the re
gal ornaments, was still permitted in decent exile to profess the
Catholic creed.”—Gibbon, 8: 449.
He repeated his unnatural, but truly CathoUc rebellion* and
was executed; and is now, of course St. Hermenegild ; cannon
ized by that bloody .Church for rebelling against an indulgent <
father. • 1 .
A. D. 689. First Catholic King of Spain
Upon the death of his father, Recared succeeded to the throne,
who, assembling the Arian Clergy and nobles, deolared himself
a Catholic, and proposed two arguments. First—11 The earth
had submitted to the Nicene creed. Second—that the Catholic
Clergy performed miraculous cures.”—-lb., 3: 460.
The Arians “still retained a very powerful party in Spain,
which was not destined to be otherwise extinguished than by
the accession of an orthodox Monarch, (suoh was Recared) and
; that Prince pursued his victory both in Spain and Narboness
Gaul, with so much diligence and rigor, that after some san
guinary tumults and barbarous executions! the great body of
his subjects ranged themselves under his doctrine.”—Wadding
ton, 101. *,'1
Such were the triumphs of the Catholic jsword. Do you askf
but did not both sides persecute ? Waddington shall tell, though
he calls the Christians, Arians, his testimony is good. . “It is
true that the Arians were jmore lenient in ,their treatment of
other heretics, whereas the Catholics persecuted universally.”—
Waddington, 108. '' -
The old Christian Church, stigmatised as Arians were yet
numerous. In the seventh century “in Italy, the Lombards
prefered their opinions to the doctrine Of the council of Nice ”
(rather Constantinople.) “They were\ numerous though de
clining, and the Bemi-Pelagians maintained a sharp warfare
against Augustine and his disciples in Gaul.”—Moshiem, 1:188,
ahdHawies,X: 870. '
M All the books of the Anti-Trinitarian\ theology were rednc
ed to ashes, with tho house in which they had been purposely
collected. .'The whole body of the Visgoths, and the Suevi,
were allured or driven into the pale of the Catholic commun
ion, and the zeal of the Spaniards improved the Nicene creed,
by declaring the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son, as
well as from the Father, a weighty point of doctrine which
produced not long after the schism of the Greek and Latin
Churches.” The apostate “ King immediately dispatched pres
ents of gold and gems to Pope Gregory, and received in return
some of the hairs of John the Baptist, a cross enclosing a small
piece of the true wood, and a key that contained some filings
from the chains of St. Peter. Ninety thousand Jews were
compelled to receive baptism.”—Gibbon, 3 : 450—452.
Thus fell Spain..
Thk Jews under Catholics.
A. D. 590, Gregory became Bishop of Rome.—Mosh. 1: 162.
A. D. 610. “The Jews in Spain continued to be discipledby
the sword, and driven within the pale of the Church, whilst
the zealous Heraclius in the East, dragged them to the fonts,
and nobly baptized them in multitudes.”—Hawies, 1: 355.
The state of the Christians at the close of the 8th century, is
presented in a paragraph from Moshiem, wherein he still cats
them by the false names given them by the Catholics. “ The
(Christians.) Arians, Manicheans, and Marcionists, though often
depressed by force of penal" laws, and the power of the secular
arm gathered strength in the East.” “ In Europe also, Arianism
prevailed greatly among the barbarous nations that embraced
the Christian faith.^—Moshiem, 1: 206.
Oh, how protestants have'ilwscd themselves by joining with
the Catholics in calling those hncifiaL.-Cbesl-iana Aarians!
Never was a charge more unfounded, untrue, unjust, impolitic.
Never were a people so cruelly deceived than the Protestants—
so abused as the Christians. These people were our common
ancestors of the true faith; neither Catholics nor Arians, but
Christians. Moshiem says they prevailed in Europe.
We will next consider that part _of Europe now under the
English government.
Fall op England, Ireland and Scotland.
Notwithstanding the flourishing state of religion in England,
Pagans ai)d Papists were yet to become its rulers. The Saxon
. ._the Island, took possession of the country, de
to jlf "Churches, and their line of march could be traced
’ill aTni>.?*sj$y district by monuments of human bones; yet
they finally bowing to popery, the new religion reigned su
preme.—See Reeves, 185.
REngland fell under Popery A. D. 600; previous to that time,
rth the exception of the Saxon invaders, it was under the in
lence of the Christians. The Christians regarded the Papists
len they landed there, as apostates and idolaters.
The following lines of Ben Bariah, the chief of the Bards,
udnslated from the Welsh, by Arch Bishop Uusher, will show
how they regarded the Roman Priests:
“ Wo be to that Priest Yborn
That will not cleanly weed his corn,
And preach his charge among:
Wo be to that shepherd. I say,
That will not watch his fold alway
As to his office, doth belong,
Wo be to him that doth not keep,
From Romish savage wolves his sheep,
With and wftnnmi strong.
, Arch Bishop Usher, A. Ir. Bel. pp. 82, 83.
Good reason had the Bard to call them wolves, and dire was
the savage slaughter they made among the poor sheep. They
and their heathen converts butchering them by hundreds.
Great Britain and Ireland were gradually peopled from the
adjacent continent of Gaul. The inhabitants of the Northern
region were divided, as early as the reign of Constantine, be
tween the two, great tribes of the Soots and the Piots. The
power and almost the memory of the Picts, have been extin
guished by their successful rivals the Scots, who by a.voluntary
union, have mnltipled the honors of the English name. The
Soots were men of the hills, shepherds and hunters, wanderers
or vagrants, hence Scots. The Piqts were men of the plains,
wheat eaters, their warriors were distinguished in the eye of
the Romans in the day of battle, by the fashion of painting
their naked bodies with fanciful figures of gaudy colors. The
two bold headlands of Scotland almost join the shores of Green,
which by a varied orthography, is now called Erin, Irene or
Ireland, which was settled B. C. 600, by a colony from Spain.
It is supposed that the verdant fields of Bister received a colo
ny of Scots, and spread their conquests over Ireland, “it is
certain that, in the declining age of the Roman Empire, Caledo
nia, Ireland and the Isle of Man, were inhabited by the Soots.”
Oibbon's Decline <6 Fall, 2 : 440.
The Scots and Picts detested the Roman conquerors, and de
fied their armies; while the Saxons spread themselves over the
British province, and the southernor complains that the Caledo
nian delighted in the taste of human flesh], prefering the shep
herd t6 his flock; and the brawny, to the delicate parts, both
of males and females. Britain was delivered from the marau
ders by Theodosius, A. D. 870. But A. D. 409, Britain being
abandoned by the Romans to the Saxon Pirates, and thrown
upon their own resources, met and expelled the invaders, to
gether with the Roman Magistrates; and their independence
was soon after acknowledged by Rome. Gibbon says “the
British Church might be composed of thirty or forty Bishops,
with an adequate proportion of inferior Clergy. Three Bishops
were present at the Conndl of Rimini.”—Gibbon, 8: 268.
But Yortigern, the supreme in oommand of Britain, A. D.
449, addressed a message to the Saxons in Germany, craving
their assistance against the Picts and Scots, who soon cleared
the country of those invaders; receiving on the return of the
Britons, liberal rewards, a large portion of country; and fleet
after fleet of Saxons arriving, Hengist their King, soon reduoed
a portion of the country, erected a kingdom in Kent, and a
thirty-five years reign did not extend his dominions; and after
a war of a hundred years the Britons yet were disputing the
possession of the most of the soil; but the Saxons had invited
to their assistance the Jutes and the Angles other Germans, the
latter of whom pressed their victories, and when the Britons
were driven into Wake, where for a long time, they maintained
their independence. “Christianity was still professed in the
mountains of Wales, but the rude schismatics, obstinately re
sisted the imperious mandates of the Roman Pontiffs.”—Gib
bon, 8: 603.
Name of the British Christian*. These ancient Christians
were called Culdees, from Gael or Cel or Nil, a retired spot or
place of worship and Dia, God: or as others say from Kills
servant; and Dia God, viz: servant of God,
A. D. 63. England converted to the Christians. Ancient
legends say that Britain was visited by St. Paul—(see Henry
Spelman p. 2,) and that Joseph of Arimathea also; and that
Claudius a Welsh lady of Caesars household was converted by
Paul at Rome. Also, that when the Romans conquered Britain
B. C. 60, they contracted a friendly alliance with the Welsh, in
consequence of which, several families removed to Rome to re
side; and that Claudius was descended of these. A. D. 180,
Tagunus and Daminianus went to Rome, and being converted,
returned, and were the blest instruments in the hand of God of
the conversion of Lucius their King.”—See Chrismas Evans’
life, <&c.
A. D. 180. King Lucius of Britain the first Christian King.
“ Lucius gave the privilege of the country with civil and eccle
siastical rights to those who professed faith in Christ.”—British
Triads Lond. Ed. 1823, 338.
A. D. 304. “ After the days of Lucius, the Briton^
the faith whole and inviolate, in a quiet andjgg^ M Cp
" the reign of Dioelesian.”—Bede, 1 ^g. « xhe
D. 411. Pelagius visited Rome^ w|,at we call f
farther speak in the future.—"
St. George of England. Tljfearrlj if tiicy ]iave
ance, has been Buppesefotr to confess
century.”—Milner, 1: S10T
But i have no doubt bnt the origins
the 7th century.
The Roman historian says, that ‘‘under the benign influence
of the Roman Emperor, the Christian faith began to shoot forth
its branches in Great Britain—the Britons who went to Rome,
as it seems, became acquainted with the principles of Christi
anity, whieh they carried back into their own country. St.
Timotheus the son of a Roman senator, and Claudius a British
lady (2 Tim. iv: 21,) had been ordained a Priest by Pope Pius I.
and sent to preach in Britain. Also Marcellus a Briton, Jo
seph of Arimathea, with eleven Christian companions, &c. It
.is certain that the Gospel had found its way into Great Britain
r*before the reign of King Lucius.” Many of the Druids (heath
®‘ en Priests of England) were men of learning, and after their
conversion became virtuous Ministers of the Church. Great
Britain had thus the honor of being governed by the first Chris
tian King” (Lucius.)—Reeves, 60. " -
A. D. 302. Constantine’s mother was a Briton, daughter of
Ccel, and he was born at Colchester; and thd influence of Con
stantins his father, saved Britain in the persecution to some ex
tent, yet St. Alban and St. Agulus, Bishop of London died for
their feith, as stated by Reeves, 75s 76.
(To he continued.)
VARIETIES.
How much valuable time is consumed in attiring the body, in
hiding defects and heightening beauty! how much thought
wasted upon the trifling matter of a becoming shade! In wit
nessing the petulance of some of the belles, the almost profane
manner in which they indulged when a ringlet would not stay »
adjusted, we we were reminded of a little story that was told
us when a child, and which made a lasting.impression. The
* lady who narrated it, gave it as an actual occurrence. A young
girl, extremely beautiful and much flatered, was attiring herself
for a ball.
The time drew near, but for sojaae reason or other she could
not make her hair suit her, and] at length she worked herself
(as we have seen young ladies ao on similar occasions) into a
towering passion. She was naturally very impetuous, and be
coming annoyed at the frequent expostulations of her sister,
who was really frightened at her vehemence, she turned to
wards her and exclaimed, while fury disfigured her face, “ PU
fix my hair to mit me if I go to hell for it."
The blood gushed from her mouth; in her violence she had
ruptured a blood vessel, and at midnight instead of joining in
the mazy dance, she laid in her white shroud upon the bed in
her little chamber.
When poor unfortunate boys who have lost their parents, and
consequently have been deprived of that home training which
teaches them to behave decently in the house of religious wor
ship, create disturbances in Church by laughing or tailing, they
excite our pity. But when those who have been well instruct
ed ; even ladiee, with all the opportunies of acquiring modern
accomplishments; who have read Byron and Scott and the va
rious other noble (!) instructors and writers of polite literature,
and had a chance to read the Bible, are seen gigling and laugh
ing in Church in the midst of the sermon, we naturally con
clude that, if washed, they would appear very small potatoes,
whatever their pretensions. Warren ton Fewe.
Pitching toward* Sodom.—The Christian man who sacrifices
principle to interest, and who makes the law of the Lord a va
riable thing, is pitching his tent toward Sodom. A gentleman,
an elder of the Presbyterian Church, some years since, opened
a hotel in a country village. He did it to support his family,
and it was right; but then to secure custom he departed from
Christian principles, and kept an open bar. In a few years he
died, leaving a widow and several sons. The hotel was kept
up, and his sons attended at the bar. The sons of that man all
became drunkards, they squandered his property; and his wid
ow is now sustained by the benevolence of the Church. He
was a good man, but he pitched his tent toward Sodom.
* Bring out the Facte.—Gen. Cary the zealous Temperance ’
lecturer, lately lectured in the Ohio Penitentary, at the ek>6e of
which, as we understand it, he took the vote of the convicts aa
to the cause which led them ultimately to prison, when four
fifth* of the whole number voted—strong drink! That is about
as we would expect to hod, in every State Prison or County
jail. Pittsburgh Christian Mtocate.