mated with the world, have thought it was rather the opening of the bottomless pit, whence issued smoke and darkness, which defiled and obscured the genuine glories of the Redeemer's kingdom. By this event, however, the British churches enjoyed profound peace, during the former half of the fourth century, but, afterwards, the bloody contests which agitated the country, must have been hostile to the kingdom of the Prince of Peace. Britain is also charged with a portion of the Arianism, which, at this æra, generally infected the empire. But in the fifth century, our isle produced other tares. The famous heresiarch Pelagius seems to have been a Welchman, called Morgan: both these names are of the same signification, and import one of maritime birth or residence. His favourite disciple, who was most zealous in support of the heresy, was Celestius, a Scotchman. These two, who were equally celebrated for talents and industry, adopted sentiments whi h somewhat resembled the system afterwards called Arminianism. They maintained that death was not in consequence of sin, but by an original law of our creation; that the sin of Adam affected himself only, and of course there was no original sin, nor human depravity; that the grace, or favour, of God, was given according to human deserts; and that our free-will, not divine influence, is the source of virtue*. To wipe off from us the odium of this heresy, it has been observed, that the prophet, without honour in his own country, was compelled to travel, in order to disseminate his flattering errors. In Africa he was opposed by the re* Spanheim Introd. ad Hist. vol. I. p. 479. nowned Augustine, by whose means his sentiments were condemned*. At St. Albans a synod was held to suppress this heresy, which had been propagated widely by Agricola. The ecclesiastical historians relate, with much exultation, the event of this polemic conference; and as it is said that the orthodox appealed to the Scripture, if they handled their weapons with any skill. the victory was suret. The hydra, though apparen ly crushed, put forth new heads, so that Germanus and Lupus, two French preachers, were sent over to extinguish Pelagianism. They are represented as the field and village preachers of their day, for it was not then deemed disgraceful to obey the Redeemer injunction to "go out into the highways and hedges." Dubricius and Iltutus are renowned in this age as eminent teachers of youth, whose schools may be considered as the first Christian universities in Britain. But as the century advanced, the moral hemisphere was darkened. Vortigern, a British king, having been guilty of an incestuous connexion with his own daughter, a synod was called, in which his crime was condemned. The same prince, who is painted as a horrible monster of wickedness, harassed by the perpetual inroads of the Scots and Picts, adopted the desperate resolution of calling to his aid the Pagan Saxons. They soon became masters, and completed the ruin both of the church and state. Our countrymen at this period are called the ink of the age. They were indeed black with consummate wickedness, from which no class was exempt; but even the clergy were ring Per trivia et rura et devia. * Spanheim Introd. ad Hist. vol. I. p. 481. leaders in drunkenness, and all manner of debauchery. Palladius, who seems to have been sent from Celestine, bishop of Rome, both to Scotland and Ireland, dying after an unsuccessful mission, the renowned St. Patrick was deputed to convert the Irish. Having laboured with great success, and founded the see of Armagh, he died in four hundred and thirteen, at the great age of one hundred and twenty, and was honoured as the apostle of Ireland*. The Saxons, who now reigned, are represented as fierce persecutors of religion; not because the Britons were Christians, but because the Christians were Britons. After a long and destructive conflict, that degree of civilization which we had received from Rome, and the wretched pittance of religion, which still survived amidst the superstition and vices of the times, retired with the vanquished Britons into Walest. The renowned Arthur is said to have wrought wonders of valour, and his uncle St. David miracles of sanctity. We may hope that St. Asaph, who was at the head of the famous seminary at Bangor, laboured diligently in word and doctrine, for he is celebrated for an excellent saying, "they who oppose the preaching of God's word, envy the salvation of mankind." The close of this century is rendered memorable by the following event. The Anglo-Saxons, who had supplanted the aboriginal Britcns, received missionaries from Rome. Ethelbert, king of Kent, the most powerful of the Saxon monarchs, was already prepared to receive the mission by means of his wife *Spanheim 456, and Mosheim 176. Fuller, b. I. p. 40. Fuller Ch. Hist, of Brit. book I. p. 42. 66 Bertha, a daughter of the king of France, renowned for her beauty and Christian piety. The circumstance which led to the conversion of the nation, exactly suited the punning style of our church historian, Fuller. Some children from our isle, were exposed for sale as slaves, in the public market at Rome, when Gregory, who was afterwards pope, happened to be present: he asked of what country they were, and was told they were Angles; to which he replied, they have the countenances of angels.” "Of what province are they?" "From Deira," now Durham. They must be delivered dei ira;" which in Latin signifies, from the wrath of God, to which, in the opinion of Gregory, all Pagans were exposed. "Their king's name is Alla," said the master; " and they shall be taught to sing Allelujah," replied the Christian minister. When Gregory was promoted to the see of Rome, he sent Austin and forty benedictine monks, who after some delays landed in the isle of Thanet, in Kent. The lordly missionary came in Papal style, displaying the weapons of his holy warfare, elevating a silver cross, and a tablet which contained a picture of Jesus; while the sacred chaunt of the litany solicited the ears, to aid the fascination of the eye. Ethelbert, who had been half converted by his beautiful wife, submitted to baptism; and who can wonder that his courtiers and subjects followed? Thus the kingdom of Kent, not the whole island, became Roman Catholic, rather than Christian: for unhappily the mission of Austin, wears an aspect very different from those of the apostles t. But the ancient Britons in * Fuller, b. II. p. 52, Mosheim and Spanheim. In answer to many superstitious queries from Austin, Gregory advises him to leave the Pagans in possession of their beloved feasts, provided their names were changed, and instead of slaying Cornwall, and in Wales, as well as the Scots and the Picts in the north, still preserved the less modish, but more pure religion of their ancestors. With them the real Christianity of that generation took up its abode. At the close of this century, died St. Columba, who, in the language of the country was called Colum Cille, or Colum of the cells, from the hundred monasteries which he founded. He was the apostle of the Highlands of Scotland, and founder of the famous monastery of Iona, one of the Hebrides, of which he was the first abbot*. the victims in honour of devils, as he calls the Pagan deities, they feasted upon them to the praise of some Christian saint. Thus the conversion of the Saxons appears a mere change of names, * He was descended from the kings of Ireland, which was his native country. His birth, in the year five hundred and twenty-one, was preceded by some extraordinary intimations of his future sanctity and eminence. The most learned men of that day were his tutors and dignified him when a child with the title of saint. At the age of twenty-eight he founded the monastery of Darmagh now Derry in Ireland, where, not long ago a copy of the Gospels transcribed by his hand, was extant. He afterwards visited the continent of Europe, where his labours were so acceptable, that Sigibert, king of France, made him large offers to induce him to remain in his dominions; to which Columba replied, " I, who have resigned my own property for Christ, ought not to grasp at that of others." After his return to Ireland, he cast a compassionate eye on the islands of Scotland, which lay in the darkness of Paganism, and in five hundred and sixty-three, when he was forty-two years of age, he crossed over in a wicker boat, covered with hides, and settled in the island of Iona. This was the origin of the Culdees, on whom was pronounced a censure, which is their highest praise, that they taught only what they could learn from the prophetical, evangelical, and apostolical writings. Columba here endured incredible hardships. The infuriate Druids, who pretended to magic, opposed him as the destroyer of their superstition. "When do you sail," said one of them to Columba. "On the third day," replied Columba, "if God |