XX. near the ruins of ancient Cyrene 18, and the phi- CHAP. 118 Synefius (de Regno, p. 2.) pathetically deplores the fallen 119 Synefius had previously represented his own difqualifications (Epift. c. v. P. 246-250). He loved profane ftudies and profane fports; he was incapable of fupporting a life of celibacy; he dif believed the refurrection; and he refufed to preach fables to the people, unless he might be permitted to philofophize at home. Theophilus, primate of Egypt, who knew his merit, accepted this extraordinary compromife. See the life of Synefius in Tillemont Mem. Ecclef. tom, xii. p. 499-554. 120 See the invective of Synefius, Epift. Ivii. p. 191-201. The promotion of Andronicus was illegal; fince he was a native of Be renice, in the fame province. The inftruments of torture are curi. only fpecified, the πιεστήριον, or prefs, the δακτυλήθρα, the ποδόςραβη, the ρινολαβές, the ωταγρα, and the χειλοςρόφιον, that variouly preffed or diftended the fingers, the feet, the nofe, the ears, and the lips of the victims. 121 The fentence of excommunication is expreffed in a rhetorical ftyle. (Synefius, Epift. lviii. p. 201-203.) The method of involving whole families, though somewhat unjuft, was improved into national interdicts. devotes CHAP. devotes Andronicus, with his affociates and their XX. families, to the abhorrence of earth and heaven. The impenitent finners, more cruel than Phalaris or Sennacherib, more deftructive than war, peftilence, or a cloud of locufts, are deprived of the name and privileges of Chriftians, of the participation of the facraments, and of the hope of Paradife. The bifhop exhorts the clergy, the magiftrates, and the people, to renounce all fociety with the enemies of Chrift; to exclude them from their houses and tables; and to refufe them the common offices of life, and the decent rites of burial. The church of Ptolemais, obfcure and contemptible as fhe may appear, addreffes this declaration to all her fifter churches of the world; and the profane who reject her decrees, will be involved in the guilt and punishment of Andronicus and his impious followers. Thefe fpiritual terrors were enforced by a dexterous application to the Byzantine court; the trembling prefident implored the mercy of the church; and the defcendant of Hercules enjoyed the fatisfaction of raifing a proftrate tyrant from the ground 122. Such principles and fuch examples infenfibly prepared the triumph of the Roman pontiffs, who have trampled on the necks of kings. VI. Freedom of public VI. Every popular government has experienced the effects of rude or artificial eloquence. The coldest preaching. nature is animated, the firmeft reason is moved, by the rapid communication of the prevailing impulfe; 122 See Synefius, Epift. xlvii. p. 186, 187. Epift. lxxii. p. 218, 119. Epift. lxxxix. p.230-231. and each hearer is affected by his own paffions, CHA P. and by those of the furrounding multitude. The XX. ruin of civil liberty had filenced the demagogues of Athens, and the tribunes of Rome; the custom of preaching, which feems to conftitute a confiderable part of Christian devotion, had not been introduced into the temples of antiquity; and the ears of monarchs were never invaded by the harsh found of popular eloquence, till the pulpits of the empire were filled with facred orators, who poffeffed fome advantages unknown to their profane predeceffors 123. The arguments and rhetoric of the tribune were inftantly oppofed, with equal arms, by fkilful and refolute antagonists; and the cause of truth and reafon might derive an accidental fupport from the conflict of hoftile paflions. The bifhop, or fome diftinguished prefbyter, to whom he cautiously delegated the powers of preaching, harangued, without the danger of interruption or reply, a fubmiffive multitude, whofe minds had been prepared and fubdued by the awful ceremonies of religion. Such was the ftrict fubordination of the Catholic church, that the fame concerted founds might iffue at once from an hundred pulpits of Italy or Egypt, if they were tuned 124 by the mafter hand of the Roman or Alexandrian 123 See Thomaffin (Difcipline de l'Eglife, tom. ii. l. iii. c. 83. p. 1761-1770.) and Bingham (Antiquities, vol. i. 1. xiv. c. 4. p. 688—717.). Preaching was confidered as the most important office of the bishop; but this function was fometimes intrusted to fuch prefbyters as Chrysostom and Augustin. 124 Queen Elizabeth used this expreffion, and practised this art, whenever he wished to prepoffefs the minds of her people in favour of any extraordinary measure of government. The hoftile effects of this music were apprehended by her fucceffor, and feverely felt by his fon. CHAP. Alexandrian primate. The defign of this inftiXX. tution was laudable, but the fruits were not always falutary. The preachers recommended the practice of the focial duties; but they exalted the perfection of monaftic virtue, which is painful to the individual, and ufelefs to mankind. Their charitable exhortations betrayed a fecret wish, that the clergy might be permitted to manage the wealth of the faithful, for the benefit of the poor. The most fublime reprefentations of the attributes and laws of the Deity were fullied by an idle mixture of metaphyfical fubtleties, puerile rites, and fictitious miracles: and they expatiated, with the moft fervent zeal, on the religious merit of hating the adverfaries, and obeying the minifters, of the church. When the public peace was diftracted by herefy and fchifm, the facred orators founded the trumpet of difcord, and perhaps of fedition. The understandings of their congre gations were perplexed by mystery, their paffions were inflamed by invectives: and they rushed from the Chriftian temples of Antioch or Alexandria, prepared either to fuffer or to inflict martyrThe corruption of tafte and language is ftrongly marked in the vehement declamations of the Latin bishops; but the compofitions of Gregory and Chryfoftom have been compared with the most fplendid models of Attic, or at least of Afiatic, eloquence 125. dom. fon. "When pulpit, drum ecclefiaftic," &c. See Heylin's Life of Archbishop Laud, p. 152. 125 Thofe modeft orators acknowledged, that, as they were defti-, tute of the gift of miracles, they endeavoured to acquire the arts of eluque ice. VII. The 1 XX. VII. The reprefentatives of the Chriftian re- CHAP public were regularly affembled in the fpring and autumn of each year: and thefe fynods diffufed vII. Prithe spirit of ecclefiaftical difcipline and legiflation vilege of legiflative through the hundred and twenty provinces of the affemblies. Roman world 126. The archbishop or metropolitan was empowered, by the laws, to fummon the fuffragan bishops of his province; to revise their conduct, to vindicate their rights, to declare their faith, and to examine the merit of the candidates who were elected by the clergy and people to fupply the vacancies of the epifcopal college. The primates of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Carthage, and afterwards Conftantinople, who exercised a more ample jurisdiction, convened the numerous affembly of their dependent bishops. But the convocation of great and extraordinary fynods was the prerogative of the emperor alone. Whenever the emergencies of the church required this decifive measure, he dispatched a peremptory fummons to the bishops, or the deputies of each province, with an order for the use of post-horses, and a competent allowance for the expences of their journey. At an early period, when Con- A.D. 314. ftantine was the protector, rather than the profelyte, of Chriftianity, he referred the African controversy to the council of Arles; in which the bifhops of York, of Treves, of Milan, and of 126 The council of Nice, in the fourth, fifth, fixth, and feventh, canons, has made fome fundamental regulations concerning fynods, metropolitans, and primates. The Nicene canons have been variously tortured, abused, interpolated, or forged, according to the interest of the clergy. The Suburbicarian churches, affigned (by Rufinus) to the bishop of Rome, have been made the fubject of vehement controverfy. See Sirmond. Opera, tom. iv. p. 1–238. Carthage, |