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what profit is there in the beginning of a good work, if perseverance faileth? This may be well called the completion of incorruption, which having begun on earth, it causeth to be finished and crowned in heaven. We may rightly infer that uncorruptedness bringeth us near to God, and that the sight of God is promised to it alone; for the Lord saith, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'... Yet know that this uncorruptedness of life can never be perfectly attained by us in this world; for however great be the splendour of purity in this life, however great may be its power through faith, still man ever beareth within himself that which compels him to endure corruption. He may have preserved his body in integrity, and mortified not only its works, but its senses. But who shall boast, that his heart is in all respects clean? For from the moment when the human mind, in our first parents, forsook the Author of purity, it cannot fail to be defiled by evil thoughts, even if it desired not to be so. Yet, through God's grace, there shall be a time when it may both wish and accomplish without difficulty; when our nature shall change into glory; when corruption shall put on incorruption; when the woman' (that is, human weakness) shall be 'clothed with the sun' of brightness, and shall have the moon' (of changeableness) beneath her feet' (that is, cast down and trodden under foot).”

The Roman pontiffs regarded their own supremacy over the whole Church, by divine right, as a prime article of faith; and their adherents, the monks, friars, and schoolmen, maintained it so vigorously, that in this period it came to be regarded generally in the western Church as a matter of faith, or at least as a settled and indisputable point. On this basis the fabric of the papal power was raised to a gigantic height. As for the eastern

Churches, they rejected and denied this novel doctrine, which was never declared to be an article of faith by any general synod; for the synod of Lyons in 1274, in which this doctrine was advanced by the ambassadors of the Greek emperor, to gratify the pope, and by some Greek bishops who acted under intimidation; and the synod of Florence, in which it was forced on those Greek bishops who were present, were rejected by the eastern Church. The latter synod, indeed, was of doubtful authority even in the West, as it consisted only of Italian bishops, while the rival synod of Basle was sitting at the same time. The doctrine, however, became deeply rooted throughout the western or Latin Churches.

The synod of Florence, just referred to, was the first synod which taught the doctrine of purgatory as an article of faith. It had, indeed, been held by the popes and by many writers, and it became the popular doctrine during the period under review; but it was not decreed by any authority of the universal, or even of the whole Latin Church. the eastern Church it was always rejected.

In

Nearly the same may be said of transubstantiation; for though the persuasion of the majority of the schoolmen was, that after consecration the bread of the eucharist no longer exists, there were several learned men during these ages who held different notions; such as Durand, and many others mentioned by Cardinal D'Ailly. The council of Lateran, indeed, in 1215, as I have said, had made use of the word "transubstantiation," to express the change by which the bread and wine become the sacrament of Christ's body and blood; but this word might be, and in fact was, used in many senses inconsistent with the Romish interpretation of it; and the object of the synod itself seems to have been

merely to establish the old doctrine of the presence and reception of Christ's body and blood in the sacrament, in opposition to the Manichæan errors. There is also much reason to believe, that the great mass of the people in these ages did not understand or believe the doctrines of scholastics on this subject; and that they held simply the doctrine of the real presence, without denying the existence of the bread after consecration. The eastern Church in these ages knew nothing of transubstantiation. Such in general was the condition of the Christian faith up to the beginning of the Reformation. No article of faith was denied by the Church generally; the erroneous doctrines which existed were held by a greater or less number of individuals, but without any solemn decree or determination of the universal Church. Now it is certain that errors not directly contrary to the articles of faith may occasionally exist in the Church, because they do not destroy its faith. Even the Roman Catholic theologian Bossuet says, that the majority of writers in any age may suppose some doctrine to be a matter of faith which is not really so; and other Roman theologians allow that the opinion most commonly held at any particular time in the Church may not be true. Hence, although many persons in the western Church during the period now under consideration, believed that the doctrines of transubstantiation, purgatory, and the papal supremacy, were matters of faith; and though many also believed equally in the infallibility of the pope, the immaculate conception of the Virgin, and other points which are now disputed by Romanists themselves; yet still the real faith of the Church was not essentially changed. These doctrines were received under a mistaken notion, that they had been established by the unerring authority of Revelation, and inquiry into the fact was always liable

to remove these additions to religion. Independently of which, the doctrines themselves, though mistaken and erroneous, were not directly contrary to any of the articles of faith; and the promises of our Saviour to his Church only extend to the preservation of the articles of the faith, all of which were revealed by himself and the apostles, and are written in holy Scripture.

CHAPTER XVIII.

ON THE FRUITS OF FAITH.

A.D. 1054-1517.

He

HAVE already adverted to the pious labours of evangelists and missionaries during these ages: it now remains to speak of some of the most eminent saints who adorned the Church; and I shall commence with some account of ST. ANSELM. was born in Piedmont, of noble parents, about A. D, 1033, and was brought up by his pious mother in the ways of godliness. When he was about fifteen years of age he wished to enter the monastic state, but was refused by the abbot to whom he applied, for fear of his parents' displeasure. During the course of his studies after this time, he neglected to cultivate the spirit of religion in his heart; and having lost his zeal for piety, and becoming insensible to the fatal tendency of vanity and worldly pleasures, he began to walk in the broad way of worldliness. Anselm in his writings expresses the deepest sorrow and contrition for these disorders of his early life, which he never ceased most bitterly to deplore to the end of his days.

After several years of diligent study in France and Burgundy, he was attracted by the great celebrity of Lanfranc, prior of Bec in Normandy, and afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, to place himself under his tuition. After some years, Anselm reverted to his early design, embraced the monastic state, and became successor to Lanfranc's office and celebrity. He applied himself most earnestly to every part of theology by the clear light of Scripture and tradition, and acquired great fame by his theological writings, his skill in metaphysics, and his ability in teaching, which attracted multitudes of disciples from all the adjoining kingdoms to the monastery of Bec. In 1078 he was elected abbot of Bec; and as that house possessed lands in England, he was occasionally obliged to visit this country, where he was held in the highest esteem by William the Conqueror, by Lanfranc, then archbishop of Canterbury, and by many great nobles in the kingdom.

On the death of Lanfranc in 1089, the possessions of his see, like those of several others, were seized by king William Rufus, who kept many of the English bishoprics vacant for years, and applied their revenues to his own use. At length, in 1093, having fallen into a dangerous illness, and apprehending that his end was near, he was touched with compunction for his ill-spent life, and endeavoured to make amends for his sins, by issuing proclamations for the release of prisoners, the discharge of debts due to him, and a general pardon; and at the same time he nominated Anselm, who happened to be at the court, to the metropolitan see of Canterbury, which, notwithstanding the strongest opposition on his part, Anselm was obliged at last to accept, and he was soon after consecrated with great solemnity.