more.

Immediately a fire was kindled in my soul, and I had a strong affection for the prophets, and those men who are the friends of Christ; and weighing within myself his words, I found this to be the only sure philosophy." We have no more particulars of the exercises of his soul in religion. His conversion took place from hence, sometime in the reign of Adrian. But he has shown us enough to make it evident, that conversion was then looked on as an inward spiritual work upon the soul, and that he had the substance of the same work of grace which the Spirit operates at this day on real Christians.-Milner's Church History.

25. PELAGIANS.

ABOUT the end of the fourth century, there appeared a sect called Pelagians. They maintained the following doctrines:-1. That Adam was by nature mortal, and, whether he had sinned or not, would have died; 2. That the consequences of Adam's sin were confined to his own person; 3. That newborn infants are in the same situation with Adam before the fall; 4. That the law qualified men for the kingdom of heaven, and was founded upon equal promises with the gospel; 5. That the general resurrection of the dead does not follow in virtue of our Saviour's resurrection; 6. That the grace of God is given accordingto our merits; 7. That this grace is not granted for the performance of every moral act, the liberty of the will and information in points of duty being sufficient.

The founder of this sect was one Pelagius, a native of Great Britain. He was educated in the monastery of Banchor, in Wales, of which he became a monk, and afterwards an abbot. In the early part of his life he went over to France, and thence to Rome, where he and his friend Celestius propagated their opinions, though in a private manner. Upon the approach of the Goths, A. D. 410, they retired from Rome, and went thence into Sicily, and afterwards into Africa, where they published their doctrines with more free

dom. From Africa, Pelagius passed into Palestine, while Celestius remained at Carthage, with a view to preferment, desiring to be admitted among the presbyters of that city. But the discovery of his opinions having blasted all his hopes, and his errors being condemned in a council held at Carthage, A. D. 412, he departed from that city, and went into the east. It was from this time that Augustine, the famous bishop of Hippo, began to attack the tenets of Pelagius and Celestius, in his learned and elegant writings; and to him, indeed, is principally due the glory of having suppressed this sect in its very birth.

Things went more smoothly with Pelagius in the east, where he enjoyed the protection and favour of John, bishop of Jerusalem, whose attachment to the sentiments of Origen led him naturally to countenance those of Pelagius, on account of the conformity that there seemed to be between these two systems. Under the shadow of this powerful protection, Pelagius made a public profession of his opinions, and formed disciples in several places; and though, in the year 415, he was accused by Orosius, a Spanish presbyter (whom Augustine had sent into Palestine for that purpose), before an assembly of bishops met at Jerusalem, yet he was dismissed without the least censure; and not only so, but soon after fully acquitted of all errors by the council of Diospolis.

This controversy was brought to Rome, and referred to the decision of Zosimus, who was raised to the pontificate, A. D. 417. The new pontiff, gained over by the ambiguous and seemingly orthodox confession of faith that Celestius, who was now at Rome, had artfully drawn up, and also by the letters and protestations of Pelagius, pronounced in favour of these monks; declared them sound in the faith, and unjustly persecuted by their adversaries. The African bishops, with Augustine at their head, little affected at this declaration, continued obstinately to maintain the judgment they had pronounced in this matter, and to strengthen it by their exhortations, their letters, and their writings.

Zosimus yielded to the perseverance of the Africans, changed his mind, and condemned with the utmost severity Pelagius and Celestius, whom he had honoured with his approbation, and covered with his protection. This was followed by a train of evils, which pursued these two monks without interruption. They were condemned, says Mosheim, by that same Ephesian council which had launched its thunder at the head of Nestorius. In short, the Gauls, Britons, and Africans, by their councils and emperors, by their edicts and penal laws-demolished this sect in its infancy, and suppressed it entirely, before it had acquired any tolerable degree of vigour or consistence.-Buck's Theological Dictionary.

26. RELIGION OF THE GOTHS, OR SCANDINAVIANS.

Goths is the name generally given to those nations in the northern part of Europe who directed their arms against the Roman empire, and finally, under Alaric, one of their most celebrated kings, plundered Rome, A. D. 401, and introduced disorders, anarchy, and revolutions, in the west of Europe. The Goths came from Scandinavia, a name generally given by the ancients to the tract of territory which contains the modern kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, &c.

The theology of the Scandinavians or Goths was most intimately connected with their manners. They held three great principles, or fundamental doctrines of religion:-"To serve the Supreme Being with prayer and sacrifice; to do no wrong or unjust action; and to be intrepid in fight." These principles are the key to the Edda, or sacred book of the Scandinavians, which, though it contains the substance of a very ancient religion, is not itself a work of high antiquity, being compiled in the thirteenth century by Snorro Sturlson, supreme judge of Iceland. Odin, characterized as the terrible and severe God, the Father of carnage, the avenger, was the principal deity of the Scandinavians; from whose union with Frea, the heavenly

mother, sprung various subordinate divinities; as Thor, who perpetually wars against Loke and his evil giants, who envy the power of Odin, and seek to destroy his works. Among the inferior deities were the virgins of the Valhalli, whose office was to administer to the heroes in paradise. The timid wretch who allowed himself to perish by disease or age was unworthy the joys of paradise. These joys were fighting, ceaseless slaughter, and drinking beer out of the skulls of their enemies, with a renovation of life to furnish a perpetuity of the same pleasures. The favourites of Odin were all who die in battle, or, what was equally meritorious, by their own hand.

As the Scandinavians believed this world to be the work of some superior intelligences, so they held all nature to be constantly under the regulation of an Almighty will and power, and subject to a fixed and unalterable destiny. These notions had a wonderful effect on the national manners, and on the conduct of individuals. The Scandinavian placed his sole delight in war; he entertained an absolute contempt of danger and of death, and his glory was estimated by the number he had slain in battle. The death-song of Regner Lodbrok, king of Denmark, who fell into the hands of his enemies, was thrown into prison, and by them condemned to be destroyed by serpents, is a faithful picture of the Scandinavian character. The following is an exact translation of a part of his song:

*

"We have fought with our swords. I was young, when, towards the east, in the bay of Oreon, we made torrents of blood flow, to gorge the ravenous beast of prey, and the yellow footed bird. There resounded the bared steel upon the lofty helmets of men. The whole ocean was one wound. The crow waded in the blood of the slain. When we had numbered twenty years, we lifted our spears on high, and every where spread our renown. Eight barons we overcame in the east, before the port of Diminum ; and plentifully we feasted the eagle in that slaughter. The warm stream of wounds ran into the ocean. The army fell before us. When we steered our ships into the mouth of the Vistula, we

* Tytler's History.

sent the Helsingians to the hall of Odin. Then did the sword bite. The waters were all one wound. The earth was dyed red with the warm stream. The swords rung upon the coats of mail, and cloye the bucklers in twain. None fled on that day, till among his ships Herandus fell. Than him no braver baron cleaves the sea with ships; a cheerful heart did he ever bring to the combat. Then the host threw away their shields, when the uplifted spear flew at the breasts of heroes. The sword bit the Scarfian rocks; bloody was the shield in battle, until Rafuo the king was slain. From the heads of warriors the warm sweat streamed down their armour. The crows around the Indirian islands had an ample prey. It were difficult to single out one among so many deaths. At the rising of the sun I beheld the spears piercing the bodies of foes, and the bows throwing forth their steel-pointed arLoud roared the swords in the plains of Lano. The vir gin long bewailed the slaughter of that morning."

rows.

He thus laments the death of one of his sons in bat

"When Rogvaldus was slain, for him mourned all the hawks of heaven," as lamenting a benefactor who had so liberally supplied them with prey; "for boldly," as he adds, "in the strife of swords, did the breaker of helmets throw the spear of blood."

The poem concludes with sentiments of the highest bravery and contempt of death.

"What is more certain to the brave man than death, though amidst the storm of words, he stands always ready to oppose it? He, only, regretteth life, who hath never known distress. The timorous man allures the devouring eagle to the field of battle. The coward, whenever he comes, is useless to himself. This I esteem honourable, that the youth should advance to the combat fairly matched one against another; nor man retreat from man. Long was this the warrior's highest glory. He who aspires to the love of virgins ought always to be foremost in the war of arms. It appears to me of truth, that we are led by the Fates. Seldom can any overcome the appointment of destiny. Little did I foresee that Ella* was to have my life in his hands, in that day when, fainting, I concealed my blood, and pushed forth my ships into the waves, after we had spread a repast for the beasts of prey throughout the Scottish bays. But this makes me always rejoice, that in the halls of our father Balder (or Odin) I know there are seats prepared, where in a short time, we shall be drinking ale out of the hollow skulls of our enemies. In the house of the

*This was the name of his enemy who had condemned him to death.