The history of the Christian church, from the birth of Christ to the eighteenth century, including the very interesting account of the Waldenses and Albigenses (Volume 1) online

OF THK

Theological Seminar \',

I^RINCETON, N. J.

BR 143 .J63 1824 v.l
Jones, William, 1762-1846.
The history of the Christi

church



( 'as

S/lr
liiH.



I



(^« /r 71 y*/ /V Cones ICdilion f f nf>!.» Ut'ir r ff/t V iitiftn i'Art/-c/i




vttujiljoiiiwc;



THE

HISTORY



OF THE



enrfsitfAfi €^uvt^



FROM THE



BIRTH OF CHRIST TO THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY,



INCLUDING THE



VERY IJVTERESTIJ\G ACCOUNT



IX^ALDEBTSES AND ALBZaENSZSS.



IN T W D VOLUMES.

VOL. I.



By WILLIAM JONES,

Author of the Biblical Cyclopaedia, Sfc. '<
FIRST AMERICAN FROM THE FOURTH LONDON EDITION.

V ^^^

'^""'**' PUBLISHED BY




tl



SPENCER H. CONE.
ME fF- YORK.

PRINTED BY GRAY & BUNCE, 317 PEARL-STREET .



.:rl-82'^'^









(



r



^^z.OGxe^x.,i



V^



^fe^'^B:!^^^



€0]^Tx:xrTs or voii. i.



••©•♦



Chronological Tables to the first Vol V

Preface to the First American Edition. . . . . . ix

Introduction 1



CHAPTER I.

A VIEW OF THK RISE AND PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY FROM THE BIRTH
OF CHRIST TO THE END OF THE FIRST CENTURY.

SECT. ]. From the birth to the death of Christ, ... 55
SECT. 2. From Christ's resurrection to the promulgation

of the Gospel among the Gentiles, ... 63
SECT. 3. From the first preaching of the Gospel among
the Gentiles to the return of Paul and Bar-
nabas from their first journey, .... 84
SECT. 4. The subject continued — Paul's second and third

journeys, 106

SECT. 5. From Paul's arrival at Jerusalem with the con-
tributions from Asia, to the'period of his death, . 134
SECT. 6. From the time of Paul's decease, A. D. 66, to

the end of the first century, .... 153

CHAPTER II.

HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH FROM THE END OF THE FIRST
CENTURY TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CHRISTIANITY UNDER CONSTAN-
TINE THE GREAT. A D. 98 306.



SECT. 1. The state of the Christian Profession under the

reign of the emperor Trajan. A. D. 98 — 117. . 184

SECT. 2. The Christian Clmrch under the reigns of Adrian

and the Antonines. A, D. 117— 180. . . 197

SECT. 3. From the death of Marcus Aurelius to the days

of Constantine. A. D. 180—306. ... 215

SECT. 4. Reflections on the History of the Christian
Church during the first three centuries, with
a View of the Rise of Antichrist, . . . 243



iv Contents of Volume I.

CHAPTER III.

THE STATE OF CHRI«TI\NITV FROM THE ACCESS105 OF CONSTAIfTINE To
THE KISE OF THE WALUENSES. A. D. 30b fJUU.

SF.CT. 1. A view of tlie reipn of Constantine tlie Great,
and the establishment of Clirislianity. A. D.
300—337 254

SECT. 2. From the death of Constantine to the end of the

fourth century. A. D. 337— 4(H(. . . . 281

SECT. 3. From the hog-inning- of the fifth century, to the
establiblimeiit of the dominion of the Popes.
A. D. 401— bU6. 311

8F.CT. 4. The subject continued — the Gothic invasion —
the sacking of Rome — settlement of the Bar-
barians in Kurope, 332

Ai'i'K.Nnix to cb. iii. sect. 4, .... 352

SECT. 5. From the establishment of the dominion of the
Popes to the rise of tlie Waldenses — Sketch of
Maliometanism — Sect of the Paulicians, &c.
A. D. 606— UOO.- 357

CHAPTER IV.

VIEW OF THE STATE OF THE CHRISTIAN PROFESSION FROM THE
BEGINNING OF THE NINTH TO THE END OF THE TWELFTH CENTCRT.

A D. 60«-»— 1200.

SECT. 1. Description of the valleys of Piedmont, and of
the Pyrenees, with some account of (^'laude of
Turin, . . . . > . . . . 3C8

SECT. 2. View of the Catholic Church from the ninth to

the twelfth century. A. D. fiOil- b2(»0. . . 406

SECT. 3. Sketch of the State of Christianity from the
death of Claude of Turin, to the days of Peter
Waldo— Cathari in Germany — Waldenses in
England — Arnold of Hrescia — Paterines in
Milan, ««;. A. D. «40 — llbO 432

SECT. 4. History of the Crusades for the recovery of the
Holy Land, and of the city of Jerusalem.
A. U. 1096—1270 4.-,?



GHROSrOLOaiCAL TABLS

OF

SOVEREIGN PRINCES,

TO ILLUSTRATE THE FIRST VOLUME OF THIS WORK.



Roman Emperors.
Century I.

:a. D.

Augustus ]4

Tiberius 37

Caligula 41

Claudius 54

Nero 68

Galba 69

Otlio 69

Vitellius 70

Vespasian 79

Titus 81

Domitian 96

JVerva 9C

Century II.

Trajan 117

Adrian 138

Antoninus Pius 161

Marcus Antoninus . . . 180

Lucius Verus Commodus . 192

Pertinax 193

Did. Julianus 193

Nig-er 194

Albinus 197

Century III.

Severus 211

Caracalla 217

Macrinus 218

Heliogabalus 222

Severus Alexander . . . 335

Muximin "237

Gordian I. II 237

Bubianus and Balbinus . . 238

Gordian III 244

Philip the Arabian . . . 250

Decius . . . • . . . 252

Gallus and Volusianus . . 253

iEmilianus 253

Valerian 259

Gallienus 268

ClauJius II 270

Quiuiillius 270

Aurelian ....... 275



Bishops of Rome.*

Century I.

Linus -. ,

Anaclitus # j

Clement \ ]

Evaristus L I

Alexander J \

Century II.

Xystus or Sixtus . . .
Tellesphorus ....

llvginus

Pius I

Anicetus

Soter

Eleutherius

Victor

Century III.

Zepherinus

Callistus

Urban

Pontianus

Anterus

Fabianus

Cornelius

Lucius

Stephen

Sixtus II

Dionysius

Felix



Eiitychiamis. . . .
Caius Marcellinus

Century IV.
Marcellinus . . .
Marcellus ....

Eusebius

Melchiades ....

Sylvester

Mark

Julius

Liberius

Damasus

Syricius






"o c s.

A. D.

. 127

. 138

. 150

. 153

. 162

. 172

. 185

. 196

. 219

. 224

. 231

. 235

. 236

. 251

. 354

. 256

. 258

. 259

. 270

. 275

. 283

. 296



304
309
311
313
335
336
352
367
384
398



* The succession of the Bishops of Rome is an extremely intricate affair. But the follow-
ing catalogue, which is according to the learned Klsliop Pearson, will, perhaps, be suiBcient-
l.v accurate to serve the purpose of assisting the readers of this historj-.



vj Chronological Table of Sovereign Princes.



Roman Emperors.
Cesturv III.— Conlimieil.

A. D.

Tacitus '27,)

Florianus ... . . 27H

Probiis 28'2

Cams '2Uli

Numerianus 281

Dinclesian and Maximin . .10.0

Calerius Jll

(onstantius Jut)

CoNST.^NTiNF. THK Grkat . 3:37

Maximiii and Liciiiius . . 312

C'oQstantiue II 3311

Constantius 3hi

C'Onstans 3t>0

Julian the Apostate . . . 363

Jovian 364

Valoiitinian 37.^;

Valons 878

Oralian 3!:.J

Valontinian II 392

Thkodosus the Grkat . . 395

N. B. Till- l(iii>iaii KimiirF at tbil time
e or Universal Bisliup.

Popes (ifter Gregory the Great.

Sabinianus 605

Bonifiice HI 6U6

Boniface IV 614

heodatus 617

Boniface V 625

Ilonorius 1 638

Scverinus 1 639

John IV 641

Theoeen written upon it by the Catholic writers on one side.



Preface to the First American Edition. xi

and by Dr. Allix, Sir Samuel Morland, and several Pro-
testants on the other; and I regret the labour that has been
so fruitlessly expended by the latter, persuaded as I am that
the postulatum is a mere fiction, and that the ground on
which the Protestant writers have proceeded in contending
for it, is altogether untenable. It is admitted, that the Most
High has had his churches and people in every age, since
the decease of the Apostles : but to attempt to trace a re-
gular succession of ordained bishops in the valleys of Pied-
mont, or any other country, is "labouring in the fire for
ver}' vanity," and seems to me to proceed upon mistaken
views of the nature of tiie kingdom of Christ, and of the
sovereignty of God, in his operations in the earth, as they
have respect unto it. Jesus himself, in reply to an inquiry
put to him by the Pharisees, Luke xvii. 20 — 24, compares
his kingdom to the lightning, darting its rays in the most
sovereign and uncontrolled manner from one extremity of
the heavens to the other. And this view of it corresponds
with matter of fact. Wherever the blessed God has his
elect, there, in his own proper time, he sends his gospel to
save them. One while we see it diffusing its heavenly light
on a particular region, and leaving another in darkness.
Then it takes up its residence in the latter, and forsakes the
former. Thus, when Paul and his companions attempted
to go into Bithynia, the Spirit permitted them not; but
they were instructed by a vision to proceed to IMacedonia,
where the word of the Lord had free course and was glori-
fied. When Paul first came to Corinth, he met with great
opposition, but he was encouraged to persevere by Him who
said, "I have much people in this city." When the first
churches began to swerve from the form of sound words,
to corrupt the discipline of the house of God, and to com-
mit fornication with the kings of the earth, by forming an



xii Preface to the First American Edition.

alliance with ilic state, we cease to trace the kingdom oT
Clirist among them, but we shall find it successively among
the Churchojt of the Novatians, the followers of iErius,
the Paulicians, tiie Cathari or Puritans in Germany, the
Paterines, and the Waldenses, until the times of the Refor-
mation.

In sketching the History of the Christian Church previous
to the times of the Waldenses, I have gone considerably
more into detail than was my original intention; but in
that particular I have been actuated solely by the desire of
rendering the work more generally useful to that class of
readers for whom it was principally designed. Since its
first pubruation the Author has availed himself of every
source of information within his reach; and from the
works of Sleidan and Thuanus, has been enabled to
enrich his narrative with several valuable extracts, illustra-
tive of the History of the Waldenses in the fifteenth and
sixteenth centuries.

It may perhaps occur to some of my readers, that "the
Portraiture of Popery," would have been a title every way
as appri)priatc to the ensuing pages as that which I have
given it; — and it certaiidy must be admitted, that tiie
odious features of superstition and intolerance do but too
proniin(Mitl\ obtrude uj)on us, wherever the proceedings of
that aj)0statc ciiiUTh interpose tlicmsclves. The picture
which invariably presents itself to the mind, is that of a
power "speaking great words against the Most High," or,
of a woman "drunken with the blood of the saint*;, and of
the martyrs of Jesus."* It shoidd, however, be remarked,
that if the outlines of this hideotis picture have been
sketched in colours more sombre than may be pleasing to

* Dan. vii. 'lb. J\cv. xvii. 6.



Preface to the first American Edition. xiii

its friends, the circumstance is wholly accidental, since it
is an object that was entirely foreign to the intention of the
writer, further than a faithful record of well-authenticated
facts might necessarily lead him to it. If the Catholics of
the present day can vindicate their forefathers from the
black catalogue of crimes, with which they stand charged
in the following pages, the press is fairly open to them,
and no one will rejoice in witnessing their exculpation
more than the Author of these volumes. He fears, how-
ever, that it is now too late to make the attempt with the
smallest hope of success.

I shall here take the liberty to introduce, as expressive
of my own sentiments, the language of an Author, who,
more than a century ago, was engaged in the same pursuit
with myself, and to whose learned pen the ensuing work is
much indebted. "I conceived that it was well becoming a
Christian to undertake the defence of innocence, oppressed
and overborne by the blackest calumnies the Devil could
ever invent. That we should be ungrateful towards those
whose sufferings for Christ have been so beneficial to his
church, should we not take care to justify their memory,
when we see it so maliciously bespattered and torn. That
to justify the Waldenses and Albigenses, is indeed to defend
the Reformation and Reformers, they having so long before
us, with an exemplary courage, laboured to preserve the
Christian religion in its ancieint purity, which the Church
of Rome all this while has endeavoured to abolish, by
substituting an illegitimate and supposititious Christianity
in its stead. So long as the Ministers of the Church of
Rome think fit to follow his conduct who was a liar and
a murderer from the beginning, innoceace should not be
deprived of the privilege of defending herself against their



xiv Preface to the first American Edition.

caliiinnies, while she willingly resigns to God the exercise
of vengeance for the injustice and violence of those who
have oppressed her."*

I will also add Mr. Hume's view of the ciiaracter of the
Albigenses, given in liis History of England, Vol. 2d, ch.
xi. "The Pope (Innocent III.) published a crusade against
the Albigenses, a species of enthusiasts in the South of
France, whom he denominated heretics, because, like other
enthusiasts, they neglected the rights of the chvrch, and
opposed the power and influence of the clergy. The people
from all parts of Europe, moved by their superstition and
their passion for adventures, flocked to his standard. Si-
mon de IMontfort, the general of the crusade, acquired to
himself a sovereignty in these provinces. The Count of
Toulouse, who protected, or perhaps only tolerated the
Albigenses, was stripped of his don)inions. And these
sectaries themselves, though the most innocent and in-
offensive OF MANKIND, Were exterminated with all the
circumstances of extreme violence and barbarity." No-
thing can be more just than this account of the Albigenses,
provided we allow Mr. Hume his own definition of the
term "enthusiasls" — a term which he uniformly emj)loys
to denote all those who bdicvc tin- Bible to be the word of
God, and who ri-ceive it as the rule of their faith aiifl
practice. I ni;i\ further remark, that the reader will find
his account of the Albigenses to be perfectly consonant to
all that is related of them in the following pages.

The Author is fully sensible that numerous imperfections
>till attend this work, and that much reujains to be done
before it can be considered as at all worthy of the subject;

* Dr. AI'.ix's remark!) on the Cliurches of Picihnout, preface, p. 6.



Preface to the first American Edition. xv

lie, however, contents himself with the persuasion that he
has achieved something towards it; and upon the whole
that, imperfect as it is, the friends of genuine Christianity
may learn more of its real history from these volumes than
from any other work in our language.



*999*



In presenting the following excellent work to the atten-
tion and patronage of the American Public, the Editor is
fully persuaded that he is rendering essential service to the
cause of truth, and affording to the friends of the Redeemer
a rich intellectual repast. The Author has explored, with
persevering industry, a wide range of ecclesiastical infor-
mation, and gathering materials from both friends and foes,
has unquestionably disposed of them with unusual judg-
ment and skill. The advice given to readers of Church
History, " to exercise continual vigilance, that they may
neitlier become the dupes of Papal slander or Protestant
credulity," he has himself happily exemplified, in that love
of truth, and unyielding attachment to religious liberty,
which pervade the whole work — may the Great Head of
tiie Church crown its circulation with his holv benediction !



apiwiirioiifiwf!tiiciiw<



The rise and progress of the Christian religion. — its in-
fluence on every state and kingdom by which it hss been
embraced, — and the melioration of the condition of the
human race, through its means, by the conversion of rude