Chapter 3 No.3

I began by directing the reader's attention to

the labors of two great bishops, who restored

the faith of Christianity where it had long been

obscured. Now, I will put before him, by way

of contrast, a scene of the overthrow of{5}

religion,-the extinction of a candlestick,-effected, too,

by champions of the same heretical creed which

Basil and Gregory successfully resisted. It will

be found in the history of the last days of the

great Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, in Africa.{10}

The truth triumphed in the East by the power of

preaching; it was extirpated in the South by the

edge of the sword.

Though it may not be given us to appropriate

the prophecies of the Apocalypse to the real{15}

events to which they belong, yet it is impossible

to read its inspired pages, and then to turn to

the dissolution of the Roman empire, without

seeing a remarkable agreement, on the whole,

between the calamities of that period and the{20}

sacred prediction. There is a plain announcement

in the inspired page, of "Woe, woe, woe, to

the inhabitants of the earth"; an announcement

of "hail and fire mingled with blood," the

conflagration of "trees and green grass," the

destruction of ships, the darkening of the sun, and the{5}

poisoning of the rivers over a third of their course.

There is a clear prophecy of revolutions on the

face of the earth and in the structure of society.

And, on the other hand, let us observe how fully

such general foretokenings are borne out, among{10}

other passages of history, in the Vandalic

conquest of Africa.

The coast of Africa, between the great desert

and the Mediterranean, was one of the most

fruitful and opulent portions of the Roman world.{15}

The eastern extremity of it was more especially

connected with the empire, containing in it

Carthage, Hippo, and other towns, celebrated as

being sees of the Christian Church, as well as

places of civil importance. In the spring of the{20}

year 428, the Vandals, Arians by creed, and

barbarians by birth and disposition, crossed the

Straits of Gibraltar, and proceeded along this

fertile district, bringing with them devastation

and captivity on every side. They abandoned{25}

themselves to the most savage cruelties and

excesses. They pillaged, ravaged, burned,

massacred all that came in their way, sparing not even

the fruit trees, which might have afforded some

poor food to the remnant of the population, who{30}

had escaped from them into caves, the recesses

of the mountains, or into vaults. Twice did this

desolating pestilence sweep over the face of the

country.

The fury of the Vandals was especially exercised

towards the memorials of religion. Churches,{5}

cemeteries, monasteries, were objects of their

fiercest hatred and most violent assaults. They

broke into the places of worship, cut to pieces all

internal decorations, and then set fire to them.

They tortured bishops and clergy with the hope of{10}

obtaining treasure. The names of some of the

victims of their ferocity are preserved. Mansuetus,

Bishop of Utica, was burnt alive; Papinianus,

Bishop of Vite, was laid upon red-hot plates of

iron. This was near upon the time when the{15}

third General Council was assembling at Ephesus,

which, from the insecure state of the roads, and

the universal misery which reigned among them,

the African bishops were prevented from

attending. The Clergy, the religious brotherhoods, the{20}

holy virgins, were scattered all over the country.

The daily sacrifice was stopped, the sacraments

could not be obtained, the festivals of the Church

passed unnoticed. At length, only three cities

remained unvisited by the general{25}

desolation,-Carthage, Hippo, and Cirtha.