century were fo numerous, they were interwoven with so much art, and maintained with fo much ingenuity, that, had the state of things which gave rise to them continued the fame, it would foon have become a difficult matter to difcover, and a hopeless attempt to reform them. But the almost total annihilation of learning, occafioned by the ravages of the Goths and Vandals, though for a time it aggravated the evil, conduced, indirectly at least, to the cure of it. It favored no doubt the fuccefs of Mahomet, and of the papal ufurpations; but the fuperftitions on which these were founded, were fabricated by persons who prefumed fo far on the blindness of their contemporaries, that the firft dawn of returning knowledge detected the imposture; fufpicion being once awakened, the whole system of religious faith underwent an accurate investigation, in the courfe of which the errors of the preceding period, lefs

grofs,

grofs, but not lefs pernicious, were dif covered and expofed.

It is curious to obferve, that as ignorance gave rife to fuperftition, and fuperftition to the most defpotic power that was ever exercised over the minds of men, so the exertion of that power, in an inftance, which perhaps of all others is the most striking proof of its preponderant influence, tended eventually to the revival of learning, and by confequence to its own fubverfion. Nothing less than the afcendancy which the popes poffeffed could have stimulated to thofe rafh and fanatical expeditions, in which an object of no importance to the real interests of christianity, was pursued by means the most inconsistent with its principles: they opened however a communication with Conftantinople, where philofophy and learning of every kind had found an afylum.

THE fortunes of that celebrated city, confidered with reference to the fame fub

ject, are equally fingular. The removal of the feat of empire thither, to which its aggrandifement was owing, was a measure so contrary to found policy, that we may perhaps be juftified in attributing it to the influence of an over-ruling cause. Without fuch a provifion, the light of learning would have been extinguished; it would have become extremely difficult, perhaps impoffible ever to retrieve the history of early times, and that unbroken series of evidence which has convinced the ableft and moft fcrupulous inquirers of the truth of our religion, and which its adverfaries will never be able to overthrow. Constantinople, having ferved this great purpose, seems to have fulfilled its destiny; it became in its turn the prey of a fierce and barbarous people; but it is remarkable that its downfall completed what its prefervation had

begun ;

begun; the affrighted inhabitants fought refuge among nations confcious of the improvement they had already derived from a tranfient intercourfe with them; they carried thither the precious treasures of antient learning; they were cherished as they deferved; under their culture the human mind once more began to expand; the fervice of God gradually became a reasonable fervice, it was discovered that the cause of truth could not be promoted by fraud, however piously intended, and that revelation, to be respected, needed only to be thoroughly understood.

THE Conclufiou from thefe obfervations is obvious. That if fo many apparently adverse events have been attended with beneficial confequences to the christian religion, we may humbly truft that other adverfe circumstances, which at present fubfift, (the long and extenfive prevalence

of mahometanism, the remains of papal fuperftitions, and the malignant spirit of fcepticism) will finally appear to have had a fimilar tendency. Hitherto experience has fearfully and wonderfully confirmed our Lord's promise in the text: His fpirit and his power still watch over and protect his church; and in due feafon will bring it to that state of glorious perfection of which the prophetic writings give affurance. When all the kingdoms of this world shall be the kingdoms of our God, and of his Chrift; when all the people shall be righteous, and know the Lord from the greatest to the least.

SERMON