stantine, a native of Armenia, who appears to have lived about the middle of the seventh century, and is said to have been converted by reading two manuscript volumes, given him by a deacon whom he had hospitably entertained; the one containing the four Gospels, the other the fourteen Epistles of Paul. Having read these books, he and others became acquainted with the truths long hid from them, and endeavoured to collect a small community who should be guided in all things by the word of God. They were soon persecuted, and Constantine, who had taken the name of Sylvanus, was stoned to death; but Simeon, a furious persecutor, soon became a convert, and was himself the second leader of the little church. After suffering continual opposition from the Greek emperors, they retreated westward, till meeting with enemies in Thrace and Bulgaria, they at length found shelter in the mountains in the north of Italy, near to France; thus they gradually formed that little body, respecting whom it may be said that they were indeed members of the true church, built on the rock Christ, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail.

In the seventh century, the idolatry and corruptions of the eastern churches made way for the rise and progress of Mohammedanism, a religion founded on the belief that "there is one God," but, in almost every other respect, a tissue of falsehood and absurdity, such as never could have gained ground where scriptural religion prevailed. "Had Mohammed

a carefully-instructed Sunday scholar, his system would never have been formed." This is a familiar but a correct remark, and must not be lost sight of, since, in the dead and dark state of religion during the last century, an eminent writer among the Socinians, a sect not wholly unlike the Mohammedans, asserted that Christianity would soon be extinct. Blessed be God, it has experienced a revival! But let Christians be warned, and learn to watch and pray, while contemplating the decay of the eastern churches. These remarks are not irrelevant, when tracing the state of Europe during the seventh and eighth centuries, in which the Mohammedans occupied Spain, and threatened the rest of Europe.

They were successfully resisted by Charlemagne, but that prince, by enlarging the power of the Roman pontiff, added to the pride and worldly-mindedness of the papacy; and from that time the struggle between light and darkness is clearly to be traced in the annals of Europe, particularly where the Christians of the Alps are touched upon. Alcuin, a divine of English extraction, in the court of Charlemagne, remarked that these churches did not practise auricular confession, as others in Italy did. But there is no ground to suppose that the spread of Mohammedanism contributed to the success of these churches, as some writers have affirmed, although both were objects of hatred to the ecclesiastics of Rome. This is evidenced in the early history of Spain, whicn

gives many instances of the gradual encroachments of the popes on the remnants of the primitive churches, scattered in different parts of Europe.

In the eighth century, Claude was bishop of Turin, and the churches of the Alps formed a part of his pastoral charge. He has been truly called a reformer. By some he is regarded as the founder of the churches of Piedmont; but, more probably, he was only trained among them. His statements against idolatry are often quoted.

Though little remains from the writers of that darkest age, the tenth century, yet some information as to the churches of Italy has been preserved. Allix has quoted considerable extracts from the works of Ratherius and Atto, who then flourished, and he concludes by saying, "Both truth and piety began to decrease in this diocese, and error and superstition began to take their places, in spite of the opposition of those whom God had raised up to stop their progress; however, the essentials of religion still continued, there, notwithstanding these growing corruptions."

At this period, the Albigenses must be noticed. They seem to have been descended from the Christians who came from the east, to the mountains between France and Spain, and derived their name from the town of Albi, in their vicinity. Some have supposed that this body of Christians learned their religious opinions from Peter Waldo, whose history will be given hereafter: but this is not correct, as

the whole course of history, from the sixth to the eleventh century, states that the churches in these parts objected to the unscriptural assumptions of the pope. The crusades against them belong, indeed, to a later period. From the year 1160 to 1264, the Albigenses were subject to repeated persecutions. The pope promised pardon of sin and many indulgences to those who should fight against the Albigenses, in the same manner as others crossed the seas to fight under the banner of the cross, against the Turks, who were infidels. This army of pilgrims was headed by Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester, and considerable efforts were made for its increase, by the generality of the popish priests in every land, while it excited considerable indignation among the Spanish noblemen and rulers, who justly regarded it as an invasion of their estates by the pope. Some of these, while professedly servants of the Romish see, were found in disguise, and slain among the Albigenses. Of another, the king of Arragon, who having been already excommunicated by the church of Rome, was killed while fighting on their side, an historian says, "They saw herein an extraordinary proof of the judgment of God, in that the king of Arragon attributed at that time more to his own power and providence, than the help and succours of the eternal God, it not being the first army that hath been discomfited in a just quarrel,. nor the first bad cause that hath been maintained with victory. So Jonathan was slain by

the Philistines. So Josiah, who was zealous of the service of God, received his deadly blow, fighting against the king of Egypt at Megiddo."

Beziers, Carcassone, and other places were besieged and taken, and the inhabitants put to death, without distinction of age or sex. Even Roman Catholics were massacred if they lived in the same towns, although this excited much opposition. At length, by the inquisition, and similar efforts, the Albigenses were so far put down, that, after the year 1264, they are not mentioned in general history, but a remnant has remained in those parts, even down to the present day.

Berenger of Tours, who lived in the eleventh century, successfully opposed the Romish doctrine of transubstantiation. It is not improbable that he had associated with the Albigenses.

The next century was distinguished by the preaching of Peter de Bruys, who was burned alive in 1126, after labouring for nearly twenty years in Dauphiny, Provence, Languedoc, and Gascony. After his death, his disciple Henry ministered in the same district, but in 1147 he also perished in the flames, at Thoulouse, or, as some say, in prison.

Like other believers, "they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented," Heb. xi. 37.