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no scruples in entertaining, and encouraging appeals to himself under the canons of the council of Sardica, although expressly contrary to the fifth canon of the same council of Nice, which had given the jurisdiction in such cases to the provincial Synods. Whatever enhanced the power of the Roman see, was therefore valid and every thing of a contrary nature void.

Both the

cunning and disingenuousness of this bishop were opposed, when having ambitiously besought the Emperor, that his "vicars should preside," in the council of Chalcedon, "because he learned, not without sorrow, that some of the brethren were not able to retain catholic firmness, against the violence of misrepresentation," he imprudently demanded of the council, in his letter to them, presuming upon the Emperor's conceding it, that they should consider him to preside, by those who were sent immediately from the apostolic seat, and to be present in his vicars; thus claiming from the bishops the right of presiding over the council, as the prerogative of his see, at the time he was asking the very same thing, as a favour from the Emperor, and thereby acknowledging the right to be in him. Nevertheless the Emperor, remembering no doubt the outrages of the council at Ephesus, saw it to be proper, to direct his own representatives to hold the first places, and the legates the second, except during the trial of Dioscorus, from which the imperial

uerunt, præsumitur, sine cunctatione cassatur. Leon. epis. 80.

+ Quia vero, quidam de fratribus (quod sine dolore non didicimus) contra turbines falsitatis non valuere catholicam tenere constantiam, prædictum-vice meâ Synodo convenit præsidere. Leon. ep.

69.

#qui ab apostolica sede directi sunt, me Synodo vestra fraternitas existimet præsidere, qui nunc in vicariis meis adsum. Leen. ep. 87.

commissioners had been instructed to retire.

In Christianity, knowledge being practical, and truth holy, they are not possessed so long as the heart is adverse; but in common estimation orthodoxy is attainable by the disingenuous, and the name of high theological proficiency becomes the Leo's reward of the ambitious. letter to Flavianus exhibited the views of the incarnation generally entertained by the bishops of the fourth council, and was both an evidence of ingenuity, and an instrument of popularity. Nevertheless some of them, alleging that it approached too near to the errour of Nestorius, refused it; until his legates consented to anathematize that heretic. It was not therefore adopted by the council, from any idea, either of the infallibility, or authority of Leo; and its general reception in both empires, chiefly resulted from the acquiescence of the council at Chalcedon in its correctness.

To secure its adoption by the council, he gave it great publicity. He sent it to the bishops of Gaul, that their approbation might accompany it in the East, but their answer came too late. The acknowledgment, that it contained the expression of their faith, which they had received from their fathers,* had neither been sought, nor made, if the bishops of Rome had been then deemed exempt from errour. Yet he replied, when "the Holy Synod had amputated from the church" the errours against which he had asked their influence, "that it had been by his humble writings, supported by the authority and merit of his Lord, the most blessed apostle Peter." By such flourishes,

* —recognoverunt fidei suae sensum, et ita se semper ex traditione paternâ tenuisse. Leo. op. p. 127.

+ Sancta nunc Synodus (humilitatis nostrae scriptis, auctoritate Domini mei beatisimi Petri apostoliet merito roboratis) amputavit, &c. Idem. p. 329.

for which that saint would have blushed, could they have reached paradise, did Leo claim the authority of Peter, knowing that his office terminated with his life, and that he was neither the head of Christ's church, nor present with it, and that he had derived from Peter not a particle of authority, more than Paul and other apostles had given to each of the six hundred and thirty bishops, who composed the

council.

In his excellent, but craftily designed letter to the bishops of Mauritania Cæsariensis, after reciting that many had been chosen from the laity to the episcopal office, he is pleased to say; "We permit them to hold the received priesthood, without prejudice to the apostolic seat, and the decrees of our predecessors and ourselves, which contain the salutary enactment, that no one of the laity, though supported by numerous votes, shall ascend to the first, second, or third degree of the church, before he has arrived at that favour through the legal steps."* Such laws, being merely human and founded only in convenience, may be suspended by those who made them: but had they been divine, he must have arrogated a power of dispensation never given to a mere man. His excessive indulgence proved nevertheless, inadequate to secure to him, the jurisdiction, which he aimed to exercise over the churches in Africa; they rejected his authority, held him bound by the canons, and would by no means suffer appeals to be carried to the bishop of Rome. After a long peace, the approach of Attila the terror of both empires, drove the irresolute Valentinian the third, from Ravenna to Rome, where it was resolved to send an embassy to meet the monarch of the

*Leon. epis. 1.-ex laicis ad officium episcopale delecti sunt.-Sacerdotium tenere permittimus, non præjudicantes apostolicæ sedis statutis, &c.

Huns. Leo and two others were selected to negotiate, each eminent for rank, talents, experience, and address. The clerical appearance, deportment, and eloquence of the bishop are said to have produced a sensible impression upon the Barbarians; with which also his own peculiar circumstances co-operated to give success. His subjects were not universally idolaters, for many Christians had been carried away by the Goths from the Roman provinces in the latter part of the fourth century, from whom they had gained some knowledge of the gospel. From these Ulphilas had descen ded, who had translated portions of the Scriptures into their language and been held by them in the highest estimation.

With Genserie, the king of the Vandals, though a Christian, Leo was less successful. Invited by the injured Eudoxia, from the coasts of Africa, he crossed to the Tiber, and sacked Rome fourteen days, without opposition. The bishop acted a noble part, going forth with his clergy to meet him, he saved much effusion of blood, but only obtained milder terms for the suffering citizens. Wealth, not territory was the object of the invader, who possessed accurate information of the weakness of the Romans, and the confusions of the councils of the men who were in power. Though a Barbarian, yet professing to be a Christian, he could have designed no injury to the church.* These embarrassments of the empire were, in each instance, by the vigilance and address of Leo, rendered ancillary to his purposes of enlarging the authority, and extending the power of

*Genseric was an Arian, and persecuted the orthodox bishops in Africa with relentless fury. He took away the golden brought to Rome from the temple of Jetable and candlesticks which had been rusalem; and also the spoils of paganism belonging to the capitol,

his own ecclesiastical monarchy; which, it is probable, both Attila and Genseric perceived to be as capable of enhancing ultimately their own influence, as that of the Roman Empire.

Leo evinced characteristic adroitness, in filling vacant sees with men prompt to subserve his designs, in extending his own influence by intimidating some, and gaining the favour of others; and in removing out of his way, men, who were conscientiously inflexible. Even the patriarch of Constantinople, his greatest rival, was under his direction, so long as Flavianus lived, whom he ruled by friendship; but over his successor, Anatolius, he could not maintain the ascendency: he nevertheless gained some verbal concessions from him, not an abandonment of jurisdiction, by his influence on Marcian and his Empress. He gave ready audience to complaints against patriarchs, metropolitans, and inferiour bishops, thereby extending his jurisdiction, under the pretext of administering justice. His favourable standing with the emperors, both of Rome and Constantinople, which he so industriously cultivated, and his unremitting communications with the Eastern bishops by letters, and messengers, were advantageous to the cause of orthodoxy against the heresy of Eutyches and Dioscorus; but all were insufficient to secure to the Roman see any authority in Thrace, Asia, Palestine, and Egypt, whatever may have been alleged by modern writers to the contrary notwithstanding. The supineness of the wretched Valentinian the third, allowed during his feeble reign ample scope to the ambition of this bishop. Arles was the eye of Gaul, and her bishop, because the exarch of the seven provinces of Narbonne, was a Mordecai to Leo. Hilary the envied rival had deposed Celidonius from the episcopal grade. The discard

ed bishop received countenance, and was allowed to officiate at Rome. Hilary also came to the capital of the empire, and after visiting the tombs, called on Leo, and complained, that bishops deposed in Gaul were allowed to exercise their ministry at Rome; but whilst he alleged it to be scandal, he said After he did not come to accuse. affirming the propriety of his own conduct, and disregard of the menaces of Leo, he returned to Arles; but sent a priest and two bishops to Leo, with suitable instructions. The answer which he received from the prefect of Rome, insinuates that Leo was governed by pride, and actuated by intolerance. Leo well knew, that he could not canonically receive the complaint of Celidonius, but he was determined to subjugate the see of Arles. The success of the African churches, in combatting his claim of appellate jurisdiction, had probably excited him to efforts more violent in extending his jurisdiction in Europe. But the unrelenting cruelty which he practised against the ingenuous and excellent Hilary, because he opposed the unjust extension of the power of the Roman see, is not atoned by the canonization of the name of Hilary. And it excites disgust to see Leo pronouncing the memory of him blessed* when out of his way, whom, whilst living, he had reviled, in his letter to the bishops of Vienne, as the vilest of men.

At the commencement of this century the Roman empire was Before its tersevered into two. mination, the Western fell wholly into the hands of the Barbarians. The Ostrogoths possessed Italy, the Huns Pannonia, the Franks Gaul, the Visigoths Spain, the Vandals Africa, and the Saxons England. The policy of Leo aimed to secure to the bishop of Rome, the eccle*Defuncto Sacræ momoriæ Hilario, Epist. 50.

siastical pre-eminence, which had been incident to the imperial purple as Pontifex Maximus, but nominally abandoned by Constantine, and the Christian emperors. His efforts in the Eastern empire, and in Africa, were fruitless. In the West, his successors, following his steps, ultimately prevailed. The Barbarian chiefs well knowing the power and influence of the Christian clergy, even among their own tribes, willingly transferred to them the same profound respect which had been yielded to their idolatrous priests. Thus each of the kingdoms, which arose in, and superseded the European portion of the Western empire, not only adopted, and established the Christian religion, but with surprising passivity subjugated themselves to the usurped authority of the hierarchy of Rome. J. P. W.

QUERY RESPECTING THE VALIDITY OF ROMAN CATHOLIC BAPTISM.

Is baptism administered by a Roman Catholic valid? This is a practical question, of some importance in the part of the country where I reside. Two individuals, who had been baptized in infancy by a Roman Catholic, applied to be admitted to the church in this place. In the first instance, after asking some advice, I admitted the validity of the administration. The argument of my advisers was, that the abuse of power does not destroy its existence, and as the church of Rome was once the true church, its administrations are now valid. But Faber, Smith, Kinne, and other writers on the prophecies, maintain that the church of Rome, or the Pope is the Apocalyptic Beast. Now if this be so, it seemed to me absurd to admit the acts of the Beast, to be a valid administration of the ordinances of the Gospel, and in the second instance Irebap

tized. If you, or some of your Correspondents, will answer this question, you will very much gratify, and doubtless enlighten,

A CONSTANT READER.

To the Editor of the Christian Spectator.

I SEND you for insertion in an early number of the Spectator, the following brief remarks, and concise memoir of the Honourable Tapping Reeve, delivered on the day of his interment. Circumstances which it is not necessary to explain, prevented the publication of it at that time, and other circumstances have deferred it to the present time. But the memory of the just shall be had in everlasting remembrance, and it is one of the most grateful acts of my life that I have been at length able to bestow upon his friends, and upon future generations, some account of this great and good man, my father, and benefactor, and friend.

LYMAN BEECHER.
Boston, Dec. 4, 1826.

For David, after he had served his own generation, by the will of God, fell asleep.-ACTS XIII. 26.

This is a concise description of the public life and peaceful death of a great and good man. In this world of sin, no good man lives to himself. Like his master he enters upon life, not to be ministered unto, but to minister. He lives to serve his generation. The moral condition of man is such, that to procure and perpetuate a happy state of society, demands an immensity of labour. For the illumination of the mind there must be seminaries and schools. For the protection of life and property, there must be government and laws, and the dispensation of justice. God in his providence raises up men and qualifies them for the service of their generation. None howev

er are required or permitted to do more than to serve their own generation. When one generation is served, its benefactors sleep, and the work devolves upon other hands. There is a peculiarity in the public service which a good man renders to his generation. He serves it by the will of God. His will is the rule. He does not dream of making improvements in the system which God has established: he labours to serve his generation by giving efficacy to divine institutions. The will of God is also his motive. Some serve from motives of ambition, and some for filthy lucre's sake, but the good man, if not wholly exempt from the alloy of such motives, is moved by a nobler impulse. He feels obligation. It is his pleasure to act in a manner which is pleasing to God, and generally he serves his generation by the guidance of divine directions, under the influence of love to God, and with reference to the retributions of a future state. He knows no policy but duty, and no reward that can satisfy, but pardon and eternal life. This course of service rendered to God leads to a peaceful end. David lived at an interesting period of the world,-when the true religion was nearly extinct, and to him was given the service of uniting a distracted nation, enlarging its boundaries, subduing its enemies, and preparing the way for the building of the temple, and the regular administration of the national worship. All this he accomplished, and then died in peace.

These reflections, suggested by the text, have received a happy illustration in the life and death of our venerable and beloved friend whose remains are before us, and of whose life and character a concise account will be attempted in this discourse.

The HON. TAPPING REEVE, was the son of the Rev. Abner Reeve.

He was born at Brookhaven, on Long Island, Oct. 1744. He received his public education at Nassau Hall, Princeton, with which institution he was connected afterwards, for four years, in the capacity of tutor. He was regarded as the first scholar in his class, and one of the first in College. His knowledge of the classics was familiar and accurate; and in respect to his taste and general literature, he was surpassed by few, if any, of his youthful contemporaries. Having qualified himself for his profession under the instruction of Judge Root, for whom he ever entertained an ardent affection, he came to this town, (Litchfield,) and entered upon the duties of his profession in the year 1772,* where he continued faithfully and eminently to serve his generation until he fell asleep on the 13th day of Dec. 1823, in the 80th year of his age.

His first connexion in marriage was with a daughter of president Burr, and grand-daughter of president Edwards, in whom was combined the vigorous intellect of the one and the elegant accomplishments of the other. Her health early became feeble, and for twenty years seemed to be preserved only by the unremitting tenderness and love of her husband.

This domestic af

fliction confined him very much at home during its continuance, and limited his professional business to the county, excepting in cases of great magnitude.

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