towards the conclufion of that century taught, first at Rome, and afterwards at Milan, that all who lived according to the gospel have an equal title to the rewards of heaven; and confequently that they who paffed their days in unfocial celibacy and severe mortifications, were in no respect more acceptable in the fight of God than those who lived virtuously in the state of marriage. But these fenfible opinions were condemned, first by the church of Rome, and afterwards by Ambrofe bishop of Milan, in a council held in the year 390. The emperor Honorius feconded the proceedings of the council, and banished Jovinian as an heretic. The famous Jerom, alfo, wrote in a very abufive manner against the treatife of Jovinian, in which he maintained the above-mentioned opinions. SECTION SECTION II. The Hiftory of the Monks after the Fall of the Western Empire. HAVING given the preceding ac count of the origin and nature of the monkifh establishments, I proceed, in launching out into the dark ages, to point out the steps by which these monks attained that amazing power and inAluence which they acquired in the later ages, and to note other remarkable facts in their history, fhewing both the good and the evil that arose from their inftitution. The primitive monks, courting folitude, were equally abstracted from the affairs of the world, and those of the church; and yet, by degrees, a very confiderable part of the business in both departments came to be done by them. The principal circumstance that favoured their advancement, and made their introduction into public life in a manner neceffary, was the great ignorance of the fecular clergy. For by this term the common clergy began to be distinguished, on account of their living more after the manner of the world; while the monks, on account of their living according to an exact rule, got the name of regulars, and religious. The monks fpending a great part of their time in contemplation, many of them were were induced to give fome attention to letters, and foon obtained a manifeft fuperiority over the clergy in that refpect; and the chriftian church. was never without great occafion for learned men. Several herefies, in particular, fpringing up in the church, and fome learned monks very ably oppofing them, it was found convenient to draw them from their folitude, and to fettle them in the fuburbs of cities, and fometimes in the cities themselves, that they might be useful to the people. In confequence of this, many of them, applying to ftudy, got into holy orders. This was much complained of for fome time; but being found useful to the bishops themselves, both in fpiritual and temporal affairs, those bishops who were fond of a numerous clergy, and wanted fit men to carry on their schemes, gave them confiderable offices; not imagining that they were encouraging a set of men, who would afterwards fupplant them in their dignities and revenues*. Originally the monks being fubject to the bishops, could do nothing without their confent. They could not even chufe their own abbots. But the election of an abbot being sometimes appointed by their inftitutions to be made by the monks of the community, they firft obtained from the bishops the power of chufing their abbot according to the tenor of their conftitu Simon on Church Revenues, p. 35. tions. tions. Afterwards they fometimes got from the bishops exemptions from epifcopal jurisdiction. But when the popes got the power of granting fuch exemptions, they commonly gave, or fold, to the monks as many of them as they pleased, so that their power grew with that of the popes*. In the seventh century pope Zacharias granted to the monaftery of mount Caffin an exemption from all episcopal jurisdiction, so that it was fubject to the pope only. Similar exemptions had been obtained in the preceding century, but they were very rare. In time they came to be universal, and were even extended to the chapters of regular cathedrals. In return for those privileges, the monks were distinguished by a boundless devotion to the fee of Rome. These abuses were checked, but not effectually, by the councils of Conftance and Trent †. The first introduction of monks into holy orders, was by the permiffion which they obtained to have priests of their own body, for the purpose of officiating in their monasteries, to which there could be no great objection; it being for the convenience of the fecular priests, themfelves, as well as of the monaftery; and especially as, with respect to qualification for the office, they were fuperior to the priests themselves. The first Simon on Church Revenues, p. 65. † Anecdotes, p. 298. 303. privilege privilege they obtained of this kind was from Boniface III. but their ecclefiaftical power was completed, and made equal to that of the other clergy, by Boniface IV. in 606. They could then preach, baptize, hear confeffions, abfolve, and do every thing that any prieft could do. Upon this the monks began to be, in a great' measure, independent of the bishops, refusing to fubmit to their orders, on the pretence that they were contrary to their rules of difcipline, and always appealing to the popes, who were fure to decide in their favour. They were The monks, befides theology, studied likewise the canon and civil laws, and also medicine; ftudies which they began through charity, but which they continued for intereft. therefore forbidden by Innocent II. study either civil law or medicine. beginning of the following century they were allowed to be advocates for the regulars. These things, fays Fleury, brought them too much into the world*. in 1131, to But in the The clergy were foon aware of the encroachments of the monks, both upon their spiritual power, and upon their revenues. But the tide of popularity was so strongly in their favour, that all attempts to withstand it were in vain. At the • Eighth Difcourse, p. 17. council |