SKETCHES
OF
CHURCH HISTORY.
_From_ A.D. 33 _to the Reformation_.
BY THE LATE
REV. J. C. ROBERTSON, M.A.
CANON OF CANTERBURY.
PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE TRACT COMMITTEE.
LONDON:
SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE,
NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, CHARING CROSS, W.C.
43, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, E.C.
26, ST. GEORGE'S PLACE, HYDE PARK CORNER, S.W.
BRIGHTON: 135, NORTH STREET.
NEW YORK: E. & J. B. YOUNG & CO.
1887.
CONTENTS.
PART I.
CHAP. PAGE
1. The Age of the Apostles 1
2. St. Ignatius 5
3. St. Justin, Martyr 10
4. St. Polycarp 13
5. The Martyrs of Lyons and Vienne 15
6. Tertullian--Perpetua and her Companions 17
7. Origen 21
8. St Cyprian--Part I. 25
" Part II. 27
" Part III. 29
9. The Last Persecution 31
10. Constantine the Great 38
11. The Council of Nicaea 43
12. St. Athanasius--Part I. 47
" Part II. 51
" Part III. 54
13. The Monks 59
14. St. Basil and St. Gregory of Nazianzum--Part I. 67
15. St. Ambrose 73
16. The Temple of Serapis 77
17. Church Government 80
18. Christian Worship--Part I. 85
" " Part II. 87
" " Part III. 90
19. Arcadius and Honorius 93
20. St. John Chrysostom--Part I. 95
" " Part II. 100
" " Part III. 103
" " Part IV. 105
21. St. Augustine--Part I. 108
" Part II. 111
" Part III. (Donatism) 114
" Part IV. " 118
" Part V. " 120
" Part VI. (Pelagianism) 124
" Part VII. " 127
22. Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon 128
23. Fall of the Western Empire 131
24. Conversion of the Barbarians--Christianity in Britain 133
25. Scotland and Ireland 136
26. Clovis 140
27. Justinian 142
28. Nestorians and Monophysites 144
29. St. Benedict--Part I. 147
" Part II. 150
30. End of the Sixth Century--Part I. 152
" " Part II. 154
31. St. Gregory the Great--Part I. 156
" " Part II. 159
" " Part III. 160
" " Part IV. 163
PART II.
1. Mahometanism--Image-worship 169
2. The Church in England 171
3. St. Boniface 173
4. Pipin and Charles the Great--Part I. 177
" " Part II. 179
5. Decay of Charles the Great's Empire 181
6. State of the Papacy 184
7. Missions of the Ninth and Tenth Centuries 185
8. Pope Gregory VII.--Part I. 191
" Part II. 193
" Part III. 194
" Part IV. 196
9. The First Crusade--Part I. 198
" Part II. 201
" Part III. 204
10. New Orders of Monks--Military Orders 205
11. St. Bernard--Part I. 211
" Part II. 213
12. Adrian IV.--Alexander III.--Becket--The Third Crusade 214
13. Innocent III.--Part I. 217
" Part II. 220
" Part III. 223
" Part IV. 225
14. Frederick II--St. Lewis of France--Part I. 228
15. Peter of Murrone 232
16. Boniface VIII.--Part I. 235
" Part II. 236
17. The Popes at Avignon--The Ruin of the Templars--Part I. 239
18. The Popes at Avignon (_continued_) 245
19. Religious Parties 247
20. John Wyclif 249
21. The Popes return to Rome 252
22. The Great Schism 254
23. John Huss 256
24. The Council of Constance--Part I. 258
" " Part II. 260
" " Part III. 261
25. The Hussites 263
26. Councils of Basel and Florence 265
27. Nicolas V. and Pius II. 268
28. Jerome Savonarola--Part I. 271
" " Part II. 273
29. Julius II. and Leo X. 275
30. Missions--The Inquisition 277
TABLE OF DATES.
PART I.
A.D. PAGE
33. Descent of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost 1
62. Martyrdom of St. James the Less 3
64. Persecution by Nero begins 2
68. Martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul 2
70. Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus 3
95. Persecution by Domitian 3
100. Death of St. John 5
116. Martyrdom of Ignatius 9
166. Martyrdoms of Justin and Polycarp 10-15
168. Montanus publishes his heresy 17
177. Persecution at Lyons and Vienne 15
190. Tertullian flourishes 18
202. Persecution by Severus begins 18
-- Martyrdom of Origen's father 21
206. Martyrdom of Perpetua and her companions 18
248. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage 25
249. Persecution by Decius 23
251. Paul, the first hermit 60
-- Troubles at Carthage--Novatian separates from the Church 27
253. Plague at Carthage 27
254. Death of Origen 24
-- Disagreement between Cyprian and Stephen, bishop of Rome 29
257. Persecution by Valerian 29
258. Martyrdom of Cyprian 31
260. Conversion of the Goths begins 40
261. Valerian taken prisoner in Persia--Gallienus allows liberty
to the Christians 32
270. Manes publishes his heresy 110
298. Diocletian requires soldiers, &c., to worship the heathen
gods 33
303. The last general persecution begins 34
311. Separation of the Donatists from the Church 44, 116
313. End of the persecution--Constantine and Licinius give
liberty to the Christians 38
314. Council of Arles about the affairs of the Donatists 117
319. Arius begins to publish his heresy 44
324. Constantine defeats Licinius, and declares himself a
Christian 38
325. The First General Council held at Nicaea--Arius
condemned--The Nicene Creed made 46
326. Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria 47
335. Council of Tyre 48
-- Athanasius banished to Treves 49
336. Death of Arius 50
337. Death of Constantine 51
338. Athanasius restored to his see 52
341. Second banishment of Athanasius 52
343. Persecution in Persia 41
347. Revolt, defeat, and banishment of the Donatists 117
348. Ulfilas, bishop of the Goths 93
349. Second return of St. Athanasius 52
356. Third exile of Athanasius 53
-- Death of Antony the hermit 61
361. Julian, emperor--Paganism restored 57
362. The Donatists recalled 120
-- Athanasius restored, but again banished 56
-- Attempt to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem 57
363. Death of Julian 58
370. Basil, bishop of Caesarea, in Cappadocia 68
372. Gregory of Nazianzum consecrated as bishop of Sasima 69
373. Death of Athanasius 59
374. Ambrose, bishop of Milan 73
378. Gregory of Nazianzum goes to Constantinople 69
379. Theodosius, emperor 70
380. Gregory, bishop of Constantinople--Death of Basil 70
381. Second General Council held at Constantinople--Gregory
withdraws from his see 70
385. Execution of Priscillian 72
387. Baptism of Augustine 113
-- Sedition at Antioch 97
390. Massacre at Thessalonica, and repentance of Theodosius 75
391. Destruction of the Temple of Serapis 78
395. Death of Theodosius 77
-- Augustine, bishop of Hippo 114
397. Death of Ambrose 77
-- Chrysostom, bishop of Constantinople 100
400. Pelagius teaches his heresy at Rome 124
403. Death of Telemachus at Rome 95
-- Council of the Oak--Chrysostom banished and recalled 105
404. Chrysostom banished to Cucusus 106
407. Death of Chrysostom 107
409. The Romans withdraw from Britain 135
410. Rome taken by Alaric 93
-- Pelagius and Celestius in Africa 125
411. Conference with the Donatists at Carthage 122
412. Ninian, bishop of Whithorn 136
415. Councils in the Holy Land as to Pelagius 126
429. Pelagianism put down in Britain by German and Lupus 135
430. Death of Augustine 128
431. Third General Council held at Ephesus--Condemnation of
Nestorius 129
432. Death of Ninian--Patrick goes into Ireland 136
449. Council, known as "The Meeting of Robbers," at Ephesus 129
-- Landing of the Saxons in England 136
451. Fourth General Council held at Chalcedon--Condemnation
of Eutyches 129
-- Attila in France--Deliverance of Orleans 131
452. Attila in Italy 132
455. Rome plundered by Genseric 132
476. End of the Western Empire 133
464-519. Separation between the Churches of Rome and
Constantinople 144
493. Death of Patrick 138
496. Conversion of Clovis 141
527. Justinian, emperor 142
529. The heathen schools of Athens shut up 143
-- Benedict draws up his Rule for monks 149
541. Jacob, leader of the Monophysites 145
553. Fifth General Council held at Constantinople 145
565. Columba settles at Iona 139
-- Death of Justinian 142
589. Third Council of Toledo--The Spanish Church renounces
Arianism 134
-- Columban goes into France 139
590. Gregory the Great, bishop of Rome 155
596. Mission of Augustine to England 163
597. Landing of Augustine in England--Conversion of Ethelbert 164
604. Deaths of Gregory and Augustine 166
PART II.
589-615. Missionary labours of St. Columban 205
612. Mahomet begins to publish his religion 169
627. Jerusalem taken by the Mussulmans 169
632. Death of Mahomet 169
635. Settlement of Scottish missionaries in Holy Island 172
664. Council of Whitby 172
724. Beginning of controversy as to images 170
732. Victory of Charles Martel over the Saracens 174
734. Death of the Venerable Bede 173
715-755. Missionary labours of St. Boniface 174
752. Pipin becomes king of the Franks 177
787. Second Council of Nicaea 180
794. Council of Frankfort 180
800. Charles the Great crowned as emperor 178
-- (about). Forgery of Constantine's donation 192
814. Death of Charles the Great 181
826-865. Missionary labours of Anskar 187
846 (about). Forgery of the False Decretals 192
860-870. Conversion of Bulgarians, Moravians, Bohemians, &c. 185
912. Foundation of the Order of Cluny 206
962. Otho I., emperor 183
988. Conversion of Basil, great prince of Russia 188
999. Sylvester II., pope 184
994-1030. Conversion of Norwegians 189
1046. Council of Sutri 185
1048. Pope Leo IX.--Beginning of Hildebrand's influence over
the papacy 193
1073. Hildebrand elected pope (Gregory VII.) 193
1074. Foundation of the Carthusian Order 207
1085. Death of Gregory VII. 197
1098. Foundation of the Cistercian Order 208
1099. Jerusalem taken in the First Crusade 202
1113. Order of St. John (or Hospitallers) founded 209
1116. Order of the Temple founded 210
1123. Agreement between the pope and the emperor at Worms 198
1147-1149. The Second Crusade 213
1153. Death of St. Bernard 214
1154. Nicolas Breakspeare, an Englishman, chosen pope
(Adrian IV.) 214
1170. Murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket 216
1189. The Third Crusade 217
1198. Innocent III. elected pope 218
1203. Constantinople taken by Crusaders 222
1208. England put under an interdict 219
1208-1229. War against the Albigenses 223
1215. Fourth Council of the Lateran--Innocent sanctions the
Dominican and Franciscan Orders of Mendicant Friars 227
1240. First Crusade of St. Lewis 230
1270. Second Crusade and death of St. Lewis 231
1274. Second Council of Lyons 232
1294. Election of Pope Celestine V. 233
---- Election of Pope Boniface VIII. 235
1300. Boniface celebrates the first jubilee 235
1303. Death of Boniface 239
1310. The popes settle at Avignon 240
1312. Council of Vienne--The Order of the Temple dissolved 243
1377. Gregory XI. removes the papacy from Avignon to Rome 253
1378. Beginning of the Great Schism of the West 254
1384. Death of John Wyclif 251
1414-1418. Council of Constance 258
1415. Pope John XXIII. deposed 260
---- John Huss burnt by order of the Council 261
1417. Election of Pope Martin V., and end of the Schism 262
1418. Religious war of Bohemia breaks out 264
1431. Council of Basel opened 265
1438. Council of Ferrara and Florence 267
1453. Constantinople taken by the Turks 268
1455. Invention of Printing 269
1464. Pope Pius II. vainly attempts a crusade 270
1498. Death of Savonarola 274
1503. Death of Pope Alexander VI. 275
1517. Appearance of Martin Luther as a reformer 276
EXPLANATION OF THE MAP.
(_To be read after Chapter XXII._)
The Map is meant to give the names of such places only as are mentioned in the History.
The bounds of the patriarchates of Constantinople, Antioch, and Jerusalem are marked as they were settled at the Council of Chalcedon, in the year 451.
Only the northern part of the Alexandrian patriarchate is seen, as the Map does not reach far enough to take in Abyssinia, which belonged to it.
At the time of the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) the bishop of Rome's patriarchate was confined to the middle and the south of Italy, with the Islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica. It afterwards grew by degrees, until at length it took in all the countries of the west, although it had lost Illyricum, which was once a part of it. But this was not until long after the time to which our little book relates, and in the meanwhile its extent varied very much. The reason why its bounds, at the time of the Council of Chalcedon, or in the days of Gregory the Great, cannot well be marked in a map is, that in some countries the bishops of Rome had much _influence_, but had not _power_. They gave _advice_ to the bishops of Gaul (or France), Spain, and Africa, and sometimes ventured to give them _directions_. But they could not make the bishops of those countries obey their directions, and had not _authority_ over them in the same way as the patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, or Jerusalem had over the bishops within their patriarchates. To mark such countries as belonging to the Roman patriarchate would be too much; to mark them as if they had no connexion with it would be too little.
SKETCHES
OF
CHURCH HISTORY.
CHAPTER I.
THE AGE OF THE APOSTLES.
The beginning of the Christian Church is reckoned from the great day on which the Holy Ghost came down, according as our Lord had promised to His Apostles. At that time, "Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven," were gathered together at Jerusalem, to keep the Feast of Pentecost (or Feast of Weeks), which was one of the three holy seasons at which God required His people to appear before Him in the place which He had chosen (_Deuteronomy_ xvi. 16). Many of these devout men were converted, by what they then saw and heard, to believe the Gospel; and, when they returned to their own countries, they carried back with them the news of the wonderful things which had taken place at Jerusalem. After this, the Apostles went forth "into all the world," as their Master had ordered them, to "preach the Gospel to every creature" (_St. Mark_ xvi. 15). The Book of Acts tells us something of what they did, and we may learn something more about it from the Epistles. And, although this be but a small part of the whole, it will give us a notion of the rest, if we consider that, while St. Paul was preaching in Asia Minor, in Greece, and at Rome, the other Apostles were busily doing the same work in other countries.
We must remember, too, the constant coming and going which in those days took place throughout the world; how Jews from all quarters went up to keep the passover and other feasts at Jerusalem; how the great Roman empire stretched from our own island of Britain as far as Persia and Ethiopia, and people from all parts of it were continually going to Rome and returning. We must consider how merchants travelled from country to country on account of their trade; how soldiers were sent into all quarters of the empire, and were moved about from one country to another. And from these things we may get some understanding of the way in which the knowledge of the Gospel would be spread, when once it had taken root in the great cities of Jerusalem and Rome. Thus it came to pass, that, by the end of the first hundred years after our Saviour's birth, something was known of the Christian faith throughout all the Roman empire, and even in countries beyond it; and if in many cases, only a very little was known, still even that was a gain, and served as a preparation for more.
The last chapter of the Acts leaves St. Paul at Rome, waiting for his trial on account of the things which the Jews had laid to his charge. We find from the Epistles that he afterwards got his liberty, and returned into the East. There is reason to suppose that he also visited Spain, as he had spoken of doing in his Epistle to the Romans (ch. xv. 28); and it has been thought by some that he even preached in Britain; but this does not seem likely. He was at last imprisoned again at Rome, where the wicked Emperor Nero persecuted the Christians very cruelly; and it is believed that both St. Peter and St. Paul were put to death there in the year of our Lord 68. The bishops of Rome afterwards set up claims to great power and honour, because they said that St. Peter was the first bishop of their church, and that they were his successors. But although we may reasonably believe that the Apostle was martyred at Rome, there does not appear to be any good ground for thinking that he had been settled there as bishop of the city.
All the Apostles, except St. John, are supposed to have been martyred (or put to death for the sake of the Gospel). St. James the Less, who was bishop of Jerusalem, was killed by the Jews in an uproar, about the year 62. Soon after this, the Romans sent their armies into Judea, and, after a bloody war, they took the city of Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and scattered the Jews all over the earth. Thus the Jews were punished, as our Lord had foretold, for the great sin of which they had been guilty in refusing to believe in Him, and in putting Him to death.
Thirty years after Nero's time another cruel emperor, Domitian, raised a fresh persecution against the Christians (A.D. 95). Among those who suffered were some of his own near relations; for the Gospel had now made its way among the great people of the earth, as well as among the poor, who were the first to listen to it. There is a story that the emperor was told that some persons of the family of David were living in the Holy Land, and that he sent for them, because he was afraid lest the Jews should set them up as princes, and should rebel against his government. They were two grandchildren of St. Jude, who was one of our Lord's kinsmen after the flesh, and therefore belonged to the house of David and the old kings of Judah. But these two were plain countrymen, who lived quietly and contentedly on their little farm, and were not likely to lead a rebellion, or to claim earthly kingdoms. And when they were carried before the emperor, they showed him their hands, which were rough and horny from working in the fields; and in answer to his questions about the kingdom of Christ, they said that it was not of this world, but spiritual and heavenly, and that it would appear at the end of the world, when the Saviour would come again to judge both the quick and the dead. So the emperor saw that there was nothing to fear from them, and he let them go.
It was during Domitian's persecution that St. John was banished to the island of Patmos, where he saw the visions which are described in his "Revelation." All the other Apostles had been long dead, and St. John had lived many years at Ephesus, where he governed the churches of the country around. After his return from Patmos he went about to all these churches, that he might repair the hurt which they had suffered in the persecution. In one of the towns which he visited, he noticed a young man of very pleasing looks, and called him forward, and desired the bishop of the place to take care of him. The bishop did so, and, after having properly trained the youth, he baptised and confirmed him. But when this had been done, the bishop thought that he need not watch over him so carefully as before; and the young man fell into vicious company, and went on from bad to worse, until at length he became the head of a band of robbers, who kept the whole country in terror. When the Apostle next visited the town, he asked after the charge which he had put into the bishop's hands. The bishop, with shame and grief, answered that the young man was dead, and, on being further questioned, he explained that he meant _dead in sins_, and told all the story. St. John, after having blamed him because he had not taken more care, asked where the robbers were to be found, and set off on horseback for their haunt, where he was seized by some of the band, and was carried before the captain. The young man, on seeing him, knew him at once, and could not bear his look, but ran away to hide himself. But the Apostle called him back, told him that there was yet hope for him through Christ, and spoke in such a moving way that the robber agreed to return to the town. There he was once more received into the Church as a penitent; and he spent the rest of his days in repentance for his sins, and in thankfulness for the mercy which had been shown to him.
St. John, in his old age, was much troubled by false teachers, who had begun to corrupt the Gospel. These persons are called _heretics_, and their doctrines are called _heresy_, from a Greek word which means to _choose_, because they _chose_ to follow their own fancies, instead of receiving the Gospel as the Apostles and the Church taught it. Simon the sorcerer, who is mentioned in the eighth chapter of the Acts, is counted as the first heretic, and even in the time of the Apostles a number of others arose, such as Hymenaeus, Philetus, and Alexander, who are mentioned by St. Paul (1 _Tim._ i. 19, 20; 2 _Tim._ ii. 17, 18). These earliest heretics were mostly of the kind called _Gnostics_,--a word which means that they pretended to be more _knowing_ than ordinary Christians; and perhaps St. Paul may have meant them especially when he warned Timothy against "science" (or _knowledge_) "falsely so called" (1 _Tim._ vi. 20). Their doctrines were a strange mixture of Jewish and heathen notions with Christianity; and it is curious that some of the very strangest of their opinions have been brought up again from time to time by people who fancied that they had found out something new, while they had only fallen into old errors, which had been condemned by the Church hundreds of years before.
St. John lived to about the age of a hundred. He was at last so weak that he could not walk into the church; so he was carried in, and used to say continually to his people, "Little children, love one another." Some of them, after a time, began to be tired of hearing this, and asked him why he repeated the words so often, and said nothing else to them. The Apostle answered, "Because it is the Lord's commandment, and if this be done it is enough."
CHAPTER II.
ST. IGNATIUS.
When our Lord ascended into Heaven, He left the government of His Church to the Apostles. We are told that during the forty days between His rising from the grave and His ascension, He gave commandments unto the Apostles, and spoke of the things pertaining (or _belonging_) to the kingdom of God (_Acts_ i. 2, 3). Thus they knew what they were to do when their Master should be no longer with them; and one of the first things which they did, even without waiting until His promise of sending the Holy Ghost should be fulfilled, was to choose St. Matthias into the place which had been left empty by the fall of the traitor Judas (_Acts_
After this we find that they appointed other persons to help them in their work. First, they appointed the _deacons_, to take care of the poor and to assist in other services. Then they appointed _presbyters_ (or _elders_), to undertake the charge of congregations. Afterwards, we find St. Paul sending Timothy to Ephesus, and Titus into the island of Crete (now called _Candia_), with power to "ordain elders in every city" (_Tit._ i. 5), and to govern all the churches within a large country. Thus, then, three kinds (or _orders_) of ministers of the Church are mentioned in the Acts and Epistles. The _deacons_ are lowest; the _presbyters_, or _elders_, are next; and, above these, there is a higher order, made up of the Apostles themselves, with such persons as Timothy and Titus, who had to look after a great number of presbyters and deacons, and were also the chief spiritual pastors (or _shepherds_) of the people who were under the care of these presbyters and deacons. In the New Testament, the name of _bishops_ (which means _overseers_) is sometimes given to the Apostles and other clergy of the highest order, and sometimes to the presbyters; but after a time it was given only to the highest order, and when the Apostles were dead, the _bishops_ had the chief government of the Church. It has since been found convenient that some bishops should be placed above others, and should be called by higher titles, such as _archbishops_ and _patriarchs_; but these all belong to the same _order_ of bishops; just as in a parish, although the rector and the curate have different titles, and one of them is above the other, they are both most commonly presbyters (or, as we now say, _priests_), and so they both belong to the same _order_ in the ministry.
One of the most famous among the early bishops was St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, the place where the disciples were first called Christians (_Acts_ xi. 26). Antioch was the chief city of Syria, and was so large that it had more than two hundred thousand inhabitants. St. Peter himself is said to have been its bishop for some years; and, although this is perhaps a mistake, it is worth remembering, because we shall find by-and-by that much was said about the bishops of Antioch being St. Peter's successors, as well as the bishops of Rome.
Ignatius had known St. John, and was made bishop of Antioch about thirty years before the Apostle's death. He had governed his church for forty years or more, when the Emperor Trajan came to Antioch. In the Roman history, Trajan is described as one of the best among the emperors; but he did not treat the Christians well. He seems never to have thought that the Gospel could possibly be true, and thus he did not take the trouble to inquire what the Christians really believed or did. They were obliged in those days to hold their worship in secret, and mostly by night, or very early in the morning, because it would not have been safe to meet openly; and hence, the heathens, who did not know what was done at their meetings, were tempted to fancy all manner of shocking things, such as that the Christians practised magic; that they worshipped the head of an ass; that they offered children in sacrifice; and that they ate human flesh! It is not likely that the Emperor Trajan believed such foolish tales as these; and, when he _did_ make some inquiry about the ways of the Christians, he heard nothing but what was good of them. But still he might think that there was some mischief behind; and he might fear lest the secret meetings of the Christians should have something to do with plots against his government; and so, as I have said, he was no friend to them.