The Decline Of The Church, Part 10

The Decline Of The Church:

Part 10:

The 4th century produced men of great learning and holiness. In the east there was Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea, to whom we are indebted for the best history of the Church; Athanasius, patriarch of Alexandria was a firm and powerful opponent of Arianism; Basil, surnamed the great, bishop of Caesarea was an eminent controversialist; Ephraim, the Syrian, a man of great sanctity of life and intimate fellowship and communication whose moral writings were an honor to the age. Then there was John Chrysostom, bishop of Constantinople, one of the most able preachers that graced the Christian Church.

To strong powers of mind and a lively imagination, Chrysostom added powers of oratory, and commanded immense audiences. He was a skillful commentator on Paul’s epistles. In opposition to Origen, he adhered to the literal sense of scripture. He was a firm supporter of the doctrines of grace, stood against every vice, but soon fell a victim to the persecution of his foes. He was banished from the See of Constantinople and died at Pityus on the Euxine Sea, in 407 A.D. at the age of 53.

In the west, was Ambrose, bishop of Milan, a man of eminent piety and learning; and Jerome, a monk of Palestine, whose writings are very voluminous, he translating the Bible into Latin. His translation was called the Latin Vulgate, and was afterwards exclusively adopted by the Roman Church, although it contained many errors, and by his own writings he contributed to the growth of superstition.

Still, he was the most able commentator of all the Latin Fathers. Hilary of Poictiers, a firm defender of the doctrine of the Trinity and the simplicity of the gospel; and Lactantius, who lived in the same period exposed the absurdity of pagan rites. Ulpilas was zealous in civilizing and converting the Goths, he translated the four Gospels into their language.

But by far the most distinguished and valuable man of the second age of the Church was Augustine, bishop of Hippo in Africa, who flourished in the latter part of the fourth and beginning of the fifth century. He was born in Numidia and converted about the year 354 A.D. at the age of 30.

Soon there would be an evident outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the churches by which godliness was revived from its fallen state, especially in the east. He was raised to the bishopric of Hippo, and by his humble piety and powerful defense of the fundamental truths of the Gospel, soon became the admiration of the Christian world. His best commentary was on the Psalms. He died in the year 430 A.D. at the age of 76. He was a star of the first magnitude, and was a guide for centuries after to all Christians, who, amid the darkness of the Popes, would walk in the truth.

Augustine was raised up to defend the doctrines of grace. These doctrines had remained fundamental from the apostolic age, though they had been corrupted by Justin, Origen, and others, who were led astray by a deceitful philosophy. But when in the days of Constantine, the world came into the Church, they were a dead letter.

All were viewed as Christians, who professed Christianity though in their own experience knew nothing of the Holy Ghost. A great part of the Christian world therefore, was ready to subscribe to a system which rejected the necessity of the grace of God.

Than Pelagius a man of talent and boldness went to Jerusalem, where he found patronage and formed disciples. His opinions were hotly opposed by Augustine; who firmly maintained the entire depravity of man; the necessity of divine grace; that there is an eternal purpose of God or predestination with regard to those who shall be saved, and that they, and only they will finally obtain it.

The Christian world was now distracted. Council after council was held, and degree after decree was passed, condemning or approving the opposite parties; but in 420 A.D., the secular arm was raised and Pelagianism was suppressed throughout the empire. However, a new sect soon arose, favored by Cassian, a monk at Marseilles. It’s called Semi-Pelagians, they allowing the necessity of divine grace to preserve one in holiness, though not to begin it, and especially these men who had been engaged especially in France, in controversy with the followers of Augustine.

In the remainder of the fifth, and whole of the sixth century, little is found to engage a reader of ecclesiastical history. The Church washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God was scarcely visible. Immense changes took place in the civil world which did not fail to affect the visible kingdom of our Redeemer.

In the year 476 A.D., an end was put to the western part of the Roman Empire by the incursions of a fierce and warlike people from the northern part of Europe, those who had for more than half a century, been overspreading Italy, Gaul and Spain, and erecting new kingdoms in these countries.

There are those who depict this great event as the one found in Daniel vision in which he beheld a beast, dreadful and terrible which had ten horns. This beast is said to be the Roman Empire, and these horns were ten kingdoms, into which it was now divided by the barbarous nations.

The barbarians, the Goths, Huns, Franks, Herulians and Vandals, were idolaters and strangers to Christianity; but they had little concern about religion of any description, they being chiefly intent upon wealth and power, and were for the most part, induced to renounce their idolatry and become nominal, but pitiful Christians.

However, some of the old Pagans, who remained in the empire, hoped to revive their ancient worship, and, in a few instances, instigated these heathens to acts of cruelty and oppression towards those who would not bow to their idols.

Had these idolaters been of the same nature of the old oppressors of Christianity, they might, in that degenerate age of the Church, have easily exterminated it from the earth. But they came down from the cold regions of the north for comfort and to improve their own way of living; and finding Christianity in all respects, a better religion than their own, they embraced it. Over time it softened their manners and redefined their morals. They adopted the Arian system, so the Nicene believers received from them bitter persecutions.

One of the ten kingdoms was that of the Franks; Clovis, their king, had married Clotilda, niece of Gondebaud, king of the Burgundians. Her own nation had already embraced Christianity, because they though the god of the Romans most able to protect them against their enemies, and so went their thinking concerning the Gospel of Christ.

But they, as well as the Vandals, Suevi and Goths had sided with the Arian party. Clotilda, however, was attracted to the Nicene faith. She labored greatly for the conversion of her husband to the Christian faith; but he was obstinate, and when her child, that had been baptized, died, he attributed its death to its baptism.

But at length fearing his defeat in a battle with the Alenmans, he prayed to Jesus Christ for victory; promising that if he would grant it, he would become a Christian. Victory ensued, and he was baptized at Rheims and received into the general Church in 496 A.D. Also, three thousand of his army was baptized with him. This was an important event. All the other rulers of the world were either bowing to Pagan deities or infested with the Arian opinions. But now Clovis and his people embraced and soon revived the faith of the primitive churches.

Also in this century, the Irish were led to renounce idolatry; and embrace Christianity; partly by the exertion of Palladius, but chiefly through the zeal of Patrick, a Scot, who has usually been styled, the Apostle of the Irish. He died in 413 A.D; at the age of one hundred and twenty.

Phillip LaSpino   www.seekfirstwisdom.com