Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

252 INFLUENCE OF SCRIPTUREmaining; that the ^renter part Avcrc only Christians in name, and worse than the harhariansin life and conversation.1299. In the sixth century, toward the close, we sec Pope Gregory the Great attributingall the public, calamities to the ambition of the bishops, who concealed the teeth ofAvolvcs under the face of sheep,l.nOO. " The seventh century. Wo begin to see the fruits of clerical celibacy in the ruleestablished by the council of Toledo, that the illegitimate children of the clergy, from thebishop down to the sub-deacon, should be slaves in the church where their fathers served.It is to be presumed that this canon was intended to discourage and amend the incontinenceof the clergy, but the adoption of such an extraordinary law proves i)lainly theprevalence of the evil. So general had the worldlincss of the clergy becctme, that in thelatter part of this century the most eminent bishops of France took great part in politicalmatters, and in time of war marched at the head of their troops, like the lay barons.1301. One '*' of the most im])ortant events of the eighth century was the forgery of theDecretals, by which all the primitive bishops of Rome, from Clement to Sylvester, weremade to utter the most extravagant doctrines concerning the j)Ower of the pope, the supremacyof Home, and the authority to judge the other bishops, while the pope himselfcould be judged by none. Yet such was the ignorance of the times, that this forgery wassuccessful tiiroughout the whole Latin Church, and remained unquestioned for eighthundred years together. Another strong proof of this prevailing ignorance is found inthe course of the bishops at the second council of Nice, where pretended miracles performedby images were cited from false documents without any suspicion of mistake.1302. "The parliament of "Worms presented to the emperor a request from all the peoplethat the bishops should no longer go out at the head of their troops, but should stay intheir dioceses and assist the army by their prayers; and Charlemagne willingly granted thepetition. But it is remarkable that this application came not from the clergy, but from thelaity ;and it was so little regai'ded afterward, that we shall find some warlike bishops evenamong the popes themselves. This same emperor endeavoured with great zeal to purifythe morals of the clergj--; and his reproofs of their worldlincss, their avarice, and theirprostitution of sacred things for the sake of gain, are remarkable monuments of his owngood sense and of the corruption which infested the church in the ninth century. Afterhis death, which occurred in A. D. 814, some churches invoked him as a saint, notwithstandinghe had four wives and five concubines.1303. ''The year S-li was signalized by the introduction of false relics at Dijon inFrance, by which, nevertheless, several remarkable cures Avere supposed to have beeneffected, until the fraud was discovered; but the proceedings show that such impostureswere common. In A., d. 850 a poor presbyter named Gotheschalk, who had adopted highviews on predestination, was not only deposed from the priesthood, but afterward publiclywhipped, as an incorrigible heretic, and cast into prison, where he died after eighteenyears' conlinement. Yet his doctrine Avas defended by other bishops of high rei)utation,and his punishment was denounced as cruel and unjust.1301. 'Mn A.]). 864, a violent outrage took place at Rome, in which Gonthier, theArchbishop of Cologne, protesting against the judgment of Pope Nicholas, tohl hisbrother Ilildwin, who was a priest, to place his protestation on the tomb of Saint Peter:that is, upon the altar of the church. Accordingly, Ilildwin entered into the churchwith several followers, all armed, and as the keepers opposed him, he rei>ulsed them withblows, and killed one of them upon the spot. He then accomplished his purpose, and retreatedsword in hand. The anecdote is only of importance as a proof of the spirit of theage. The first instance of a partial interdict occurs in A. D. 871. The ordeals of boilingwater, cold water, and red-hot iron were employed in this age, to determine questions ofjustice under the auspices of the priests; and even kings employed them, with all faithand confidence. The Duke of Naples had formed an alliance with the Saracens, whichthe pope disproved; and as he refused to break it on the order of the pontifi", he was excommunicated.The Bishop Athanasius, who was the duke's own brother, took him andput out his eyes, sent him as prisoner to Rome, and caused himself to be proclaimed Dukeof Naples in his place. The pope approved this conduct highl}-, and praised the bishop forloving God more than his brother, and putting out the right eye which had ofi'ended,according to Scripture. This pontitf was John YIII., and the time was A. D. 877.Reasons for not proceeding farther withQuotation of Details.1305. It would occupy too much space, and make too wide a digression,were I to proceed in quoting the details of the evidence showing the stateof morals in Christendom during the Middle Ages to have been much belowthat which the heathen displayed during the period immediately succeedingthe advent of Christ, according to Mosheim and Gibbon. But