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confeffion of Berengarius to be a forgery, or a real fact, it was delivered in the fpirit of thofe, who weighed human merits and demerits in oppofite fcales, and found no other method of determining the question of a man's falvation or deftruction, than that, which should refult from the comparison of his good actions with his crimes. How impoffible is it to give folid peace of confcience to a finful creature by fuch a procedure! Joy, and love, and cheerful activity in the Chriftian life can have no existence on fuch a plan: but fuch was the general fpirit of the religion of the times we are reviewing. It is not eafy to decide whether the papifts or the proteftants were in the right, in the determination. of the queftion, In what fentiments did Berengarius die? The former have the advantage of positive testimony in their favour. The question is, however, perfectly immaterial. The doctrine of the real prefence depends not on the character of Berengarius for its decifion. I know no marks of his Chriftian piety; and his repeated diffimulations render him no honour to either party. It is, however, of some moment to observe, that he was the inftrument of calling forth a degree of falutary oppofition to the errors of the times. He called the Church of Rome a church of malignants, the council of vanity, and the feat of Satan. And he corrupted, fay fome old hiftorians, almost all the French, Italians, and English, with his depravities. The expreffions are much too strong; but, no doubt, a falutary check was given to the growing fuperftitions: the oppofition to the popedom, though it did not lay hold of the central truths of the Gofpel, might yet pave the way for still more effective exertions; and ferved at leaft to inform mankind, that the court of Rome was not infallible.

CHAP.

CHA P. III.

THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL IN THIS

CENTURY

THE

HE* work of Christian piety, which had been fuccefsfully carried on in Hungary, was now crowned with ftill greater profperity. Stephen the king, who had been baptifed by Adalbert bishop A.D. of Prague, and who began to reign in the year 997. 997, fhewed himself a zealous patron of the Gofpel. Under his aufpices, Aftricus came into Hungary, opened a fchool, and educated minifters, while Boniface, one of his difciples, preached the word in Lower Hungary. The zeal of Stephen, indeed, was much ftimulated by his pious queen Gifla, daughter of the emperor Henry II. He often accompanied the preachers, and pathetically exhorted his fubjects. He fuppreffed barbarous customs, and reftrained blafphemy, theft, adultery, and murder. His kindness to the poor, and, indeed, his whole moral conduct was admirable. His excellent code of laws are to this day the bafis of the laws of Hungary. It is infcribed to his fon Emeric, whom he exhorts to cultivate fincere humility, the true glory of a king. He forbids in it all impiety, the violation of Sunday-duties, and irreverent behaviour in the houfe of God. This monarch defeated the prince of Tranfilvania, who had invaded his dominions, and took him prifoner; but restored him to liberty, on condition that he fhould allow the Gofpel to be preached to the Tranfilvanians, without moleftation. Stephen was

Cent. Magd. Cent, XI.

a profperous

a profperous monarch, but found afflictions at home in the lofs of all his children. His mind was, however, improved in divine things by his fufferings. He laboured three years under a com- A.D. plication of diseases, and died in the year 1038*. 1038. He had lived to fee all Hungary become externally Chriftian, though Chriftianity exifted there, adulterated, or clouded at leaft by papal domination, and by the fashionable fuperftitions.

Gerard, a Venetian, had been much employed by king Stephen, as bishop of Choriad, a diocefe of which two thirds of the inhabitants were idolaters. In less than a year, they, in general, had received the forms of Christianity from the pious labours of Gerard. The power of Stephen had feconded the views of the bishop; but the profpect changed on the king's deceafe. His nephew and fucceffour Peter, perfecuted Gerard: he was, how- A.D. ever, expelled by his fubjects in the year 1042, 1042. and Abas, a nobleman, was made king of Hungary, who being flain after two years, Peter was recalled, but was once more banished. Andrew, the fon of Ladislaus, the cousin of king Stephen, was appointed king, on the condition of reftoring idolatry. Gerard and three other bishops endeavoured to divert him from the defign. But they were affaulted on the road by duke Vathas, a zealous pagan. Andrew himself came up to the fpot, and rescued one of the bishops: the other three, of whom Gerard was one, had fallen by the arm of the barbarian.-It is probable, however, that Divine Providence permitted their atrocious villainy for the good of the Church. The heart of Andrew was moved: he had feen of what idolatry was capable: he examined Chriftianity, received it, repreffed idolatry, and reigned fuccessfully. After

Alban Butler.

the

the Hungarians had feen fuch a prince as Stephen, and had felt the good effects on fociety refulting from the establishment of Chriftianity, that they could ftill prefer idolatry, is a deplorable proof of the native power of human depravity. What long continued exertions are neceffary, to establish ge- · nuine goodness in a country!

In* Denmark, Othingar, a bishop of that country, extended the pale of the Church by his labours; and Unwan, the bishop of Hamburg, under the patronage of the emperor Henry II. cut down the idolatrous groves, which the people of his diocefe frequented, and erected churches in their ftead.

Godeschalcus, duke of the Vandals, revived among his fubjects the regard for the Gospel, which they had once embraced, and which they had afterward neglected. It is not eafy to know precifely, what were the limits of his dominions. But I find Lubeck, Mecklenburg, and Sclavonia mentioned as belonging to, or as, at leaft, contiguous to his dukedom. Much has been faid in praise of this prince, and of the fuccefs of his labours. He is reported to have, in perfon, exhorted his people with much affection in the publick affemblies; and John a Scotchman, the bishop of Mecklenburg, baptized great numbers of the Sclavonians. Yet this laft people, together with the Obotriti, whofe capital town was Mecklenburg, the Venedi, who dwelt on the banks of the Vistula, and the Pruffians, continued pagans, in a great measure, throughout this century. Boleflaus, king of Poland, attempted to force these nations into a profeffion of Christianity; and fome of his attendants ufed methods to evangelize them, which were better adapted to the nature of the Gospel. Boniface, + Id.

Cent. Magd. Cent. XI.

in

Crantzius in Vandalia.

in particular, and eighteen other perfons, fet out from Germany, to labour among the Pruffians, and were maffacred by that barbarous people. They seem to have been among the laft of the European nations, who fubmitted to the yoke of Chrift. In the zealous attempts made, however, for their converfion, though unfuccefsful, we fee abundant proofs, that the fpirit of propagating the Gofpel, which was the brightest gem of thefe dark ages, ftill exifted.

Nor was the zeal for propagating the Gofpel, with which our ancestors had been fo eminently endowed, evaporated in this century. In the year 1001, at the defire of Olaus II. king of Sweden, fome English priests were fent over into the north by king Ethelred. Of these Sigefrid, archdeacon of York, was one. His labours were very fuccefsful, and he was appointed bishop of Wexia, in Eaft-Gothland. Having established the churches there, he preached to the infidels in Weft-Gothland, leaving his nephews to govern his diocefe, while he was abfent. But they were murdered by the pagan nobility of the country. A melancholy proof, how ftrong the fpirit of idolatry still remained in these northern regions! The fame kind of family-pride, which, at this day, preferves the remnants of popery in proteftant countries, preferved the existence of paganifm in Sweden. Sigefrid, however, returned into his diocefe, died there a natural death, and was buried at Wexia.

This man is faid to have finished his course about the year 1002; an account inconfiftent, as to the order of time, with that which has been already given. But not to trouble the reader with fuch niceties of chronology, as at this distance of time

* Mofheim, Cent. XI. Chap. I.

VOL. III.

X

are

A.D.

1002.

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