BOOK VII. ANGLO- CAN many by the Catholic clergy. Boniface complained of German priests, who would continue, altho Christians, to sacrifice bulls and goats to the heathen idols. Mag. Bib. vol. 16. p. 113. The Pope, in answer to Boniface's rebuke, for permitting Pagan practices at Rome on new-year's day, in the eighth century, only remarks, that they are detestable, and that he will take care not to attend them; but does not, because he could not, suppress them. Ib. p. 117.-We find from other writers, that about the beginning of every year, it was a favorite and general custom to dress themselves like wild beasts, some like mares, and some like female deer, others like male animals, for the worst purposes. Some put on the entire skin of the beast they meant to represent; some only the head; and thus, pretending to be transformed into the animal, they acted like it, practising what one writer calls sordidissimam turpitudinem,' and another, nefanda et ridiculosa.' See Du Cange, Gloss. voc. Cervula. At midsummer, they celebrated the summer solstice with customs that are called' dæmonium ludos et nefandas salutationes.'-Du Cange, voc. Caraula. The wiser clergy certainly attempted to suppress these abominations; but, rather than lose their strange proselytes, they appointed some of their own festivals to be celebrated at the same time, and much in the same manner, in order to be equally attractive; as we have remarked of Gregory in our own island. (See before, p. 40.) The result of this seems to have been a worse corruption; for the clergy then joined in the Pagan immoralities, and connected them with Christianity. Hence the feast of the Hypodiaconi, the Sub-deacons, Sou-diacres, which was soon, from the fact, converted into a pun, to mean also Diacres Saouls, or the drunken deacons. From Beletus, who lived in 1182, we find that this festum Hypodiaconorum, called also the Feast of Fools (stultorum,) was celebrated by some on new-year's day, by some on twelfth-day, by some the week following. He says that laymen appeared with the monastic tonsure; and that some put on episcopal garments, to represent bishops. One was made the chief prelate, on whom every thing that was ludicrous was practised. The elections, the promotions, and the consecration of the bishops and the sacerdotal order, were treated with insult, attacks, and acute abuse. These licentious festivities were called the December Liberties, and seem to have been begun at one of the most solemn seasons of the Christian year, and to have lasted thro the chief part of January. Beletus remarks, that bishops and archbishops themselves joined with their inferiors in the sport. We find it prevailing even in one of the chief metropolitan cities of France; for he adds, Tho the great churches, like that of Rheims, observe this custom, it would seem to be more laudable that it should not indulge such sports.' Du Cange, voc. Kalendæ. In 1444 we find it still in France, tho then discountenanced, and thus described: The priests and clergy create an archbishop or a bishop, or a pope, of fools, and so call him. Putting on faces of monsters, in the time of his celebrating the divine office, or, clothed like women or minstrels, they begin dances, sing abominable songs, eat rich puddings on the corner of the altar, near where mass is celebrating, play at dice there, incense it with a foetid smoke of burnt old shoes, and run leaping about over all the church.' Ib.-That this immoral folly was practised in England, is indicated by the inventory of the York Monastery, taken so lately as in 1530, containing even then a small mitre, with pebblestones, for the bishop of the boys; also a ring for him, and two archys, one in the middle, like a cross, &c. Du Cange, ib.-The Council at Paris, in 1209, forbad archbishops to attend the Feast of Fools. Du Pin, Eccl. Hist. 13th cent. CHAP In the Gemma Anime it is confessed, that the processions with lighted tapers on the Purification of the Virgin, was adopted from the custom CAN AND of the Pagans, who in the same month always went round their cities DOMINIwith lights. Honor. August. ap. Bib. Pat. vol. 10. p. 1266.-He also CAN PERstates, that on the festival of St. Blaise, the faithful burnt lights for their SECUhouses or animals, because an old woman having entered his prison with a light and some food, he told her, that after his death if she burnt a candle to his memory, and gave alms, she should never want. her the custom spread thro all the church. Ib. p. 1266. From The feast of St. Peter ad Vincula was instituted to supersede a splendid Pagan festival, celebrated every year on that day, to commemorate the victory of Augustus over Antony at Actium. Du Cange, p. 401.-It could be only by rivalling the Pagan revelries, that the Christian ceremonies could gain the ascendancy. The feast of St. Peter epularum was a competition with another heathen celebration. On that day of February, the Pagans brought banquets to the tombs of their parents, which they believed that dæmons or wandering souls consumed at night. Christianity, unable to suppress the custom, compounded with it, by giving it a Christian name and dress. Du Cange, Gloss. vol. 2. p. 401. The most absurd of these feasts, and which, as if intended to be a complete burlesque on Christianity, was celebrated on the birth-day of our Saviour, was the Feast of Asses. Du Cange gives a list of all the lessons and hymns which were read and chanted in mock devotion on this occasion, p. 402-Mr. Millin has given an account of it, from the Missal composed by an archbishop of Sens, who died in 1222; which has been thus abstracted : of 'On the eve of the day appointed to celebrate it, before the beginning vespers, the clergy went in procession to the door of the cathedral, where were two choristers singing in a minor key, or rather with squeaking voices, Lux hodie, lux letitiæ, me judice, tristis Quisquis erit, removendus erit, solennibus istis. Light to-day, the light of joy-I banish every sorrow; Wherever found, be it expell'd from our solemnities to-morrow. 'After this anthem, two canons were deputed to fetch the Ass, and to conduct him to the table, which was the place, where the great chanter sat, to read the order of the ceremonies, and the names of those who were to take any part in them. The animal was clad with precious priestly ornaments, and in this array was solemnly conducted to the middle of the choir; during which procession, the following hymn was sung in a major key. The first and last stanzas of it were, TIONS, ETC. BOOK ANGLO NORMAN MONASTE RIES, FRANCIS- DOMINI CAN PER SECU TIONS, ETC. Ainen dicas, asine! These have been thus Englished: From the country of the East Amen! bray, inost honor'd Ass, Huzza, Seignior Ass, Huzza! 'After this the office began by an anthem in the same style, sung pur posely in the most discordant manner possible. The office itself lasted the whole of the night, and part of the next day it was a rhapsody of whatever was sung in the course of the year at the appropriated festivals, forming altogether the strangest and most ridiculous medley that can be conceived. As it was natural to suppose that the choristers and the congregation should feel thirst, in so long a performance, wine was distributed in no sparing manner. The signal for that part of the ceremony was an anthem, commencing, Conductos ad poculum, &c. (Brought to the glass, &c.) 'The first evening, after vespers, the grand chanter of Sens headed the jolly band in the streets, preceded by an enormous lantern. A vast theatre was prepared for their reception before the church, where they performed not the most decent interludes. The singing and dancing were concluded by throwing a pail of water on the head of the grand chanter. They then returned to the church, to begin the morning office; and on that occasion, several received on their naked bodies a number of pails of water. At the respective divisions of the service, great care was taken to supply the Ass with drink and provender. In the middle of it, a signal was given by an anthem, Conductus ad ludos, &c. (Brought to play, &c.) and the Ass was conducted into the nave of the church, where the people, mixed with the clergy, danced round him, and strove to imitate his braying. When the dancing was over, the Ass was brought again into the choir, where the clergy terminated the festival. The vespers of the second day concluded with an invitation to dinner, in the form of an anthem like the rest, Conductus ad prandium, &c. (Brought to dinner, &c.) And the festival ended by a repetition of similar theatricals to those which had taken place the day before.' How much these licentious absurdities must have diminished the moral uses and influence of Christianity, especially when the priesthood itself was part of the actors, may be easily conceived. It is probable that in these festivals we see some of the most ancient idolatrous rites. CHA P. III. History of the principal Attacks on Papal Christianity, from the Eighth Century to the Fourteenth. III. THAT the papal system of Christianity, however CHAP. jealously guarded by self-interest, and supported by the united forces of the executive government, and the great wealth of the ecclesiastical bodies, would not enjoy the stable continuity to which it aspired, might have been anticipated, if the great truth had then been known or attended to, that whatever obstructs the improvement of human nature, must ultimately be overthrown by the energies of its improving principle. As the fourteenth century evolved, this form of Christianity had effected, at least in England, all the good of which it was capable: and its alteration became necessary to human progress. The posing agencies which its original imperfections had first excited into activity, the vices of its maturity now raised into vigorous and unceasing operation; and it fell before their hostilities, as soon as the mind of society had been sufficiently educated to be bettered by its departure. op The difficulty to be provided for in all great changes is, that while the evil is removing, the good should not be lost, which all old systems possess. The fervent belief of Christianity was a good not easy to be reproduced if once destroyed. Its genuine doctrines and precepts were so many attained points of sacred knowlege, for which, if once expelled from the human thought, there was no substitute to be supplied; and VII. HISTORY OF RELI GION IN BOOK yet the false opinions had been so long and so much identified with the true, that to abolish the one, was inevitably to shake the other. This danger upheld papal Christianity, till it became so incompatible ENGLAND. With human improvement, that its continuance was as mischievous as any evils that could follow from its overthrow. And by that time other agencies became applicable, which would tend to diminish the mischiefs that might have followed. Till these agencies were ready, the first efforts to reform were suffered to be unsuccessful. But when all the springs and checks were duly organized to make the resulting consequences beneficial, the abolition of the papal system took place in every country, that could be benefited by its downfal; and its melioration was procured in every other, England, never inferior to any country in any path of improvement, was among the first that was emancipated. We will attempt to mark the leading causes of this momentous event: and of these, the rise of opposing opinions, usually called Heresies, may be first considered. The history of heresies is indeed often the history of error; but it is also the history, always of the activity, and sometimes of the progress, of the human intellect. Tho frequently the product of a restless spirit, acting with injudicious eccentricity; yet their aim is at improvement. Their inventors may deviate into new errors, in their bold attempts to remove old ones; and have frequently abandoned what is good, in a vain search after something better; but they usually originate from the common sense of mankind perceiving what is wrong in existing things, and wishing to remove it. It is, however, easier to observe an impropriety, than to discern its proper cure: the |