The Nestorians—clerical marriage permitted 91 The Abyssinian church 92 VII.—MONACHISM. Buddhist model of monachism 94 Apostolic order of widows 96 Devotees in the primitive church—no vows irrevocable 97 250-285 Paul the Thebæan and St. Antony 97 350-400 Increase of monachism 98 Early systems—vows not irrevocable 101 Greater strictness required of female devotees 103 c. 400 Marriages of nuns still valid 104 450-458 Conflicting legislation 105 Strictness of the Eastern church—Political necessity of controlling monachism 106 390-456 Monks confined to their convents 108 532-545 Justinian renders monastic vows irrevocable 108 Disorders of Western monachism 109 528 St. Benedict of Nursia—vows not irrevocable under his rule 111 590-604 Gregory I. enforces the inviolability of vows 113 Continued irregularities of monachism 115 VIII.—THE BARBARIANS. The Church and the Barbarians 117 The Merovingian bishops 118 The Spanish Arians 120 589-711 Neglect of discipline in Spain 121 557-580 State of discipline in Italy 122 Dilapidation of ecclesiastical property 123 590-604 Reforms of Gregory the Great 123 IX.—THE CARLOVINGIANS. Demoralization of the VII. and VIII. centuries 126 Reorganizing efforts of the Carlovingians 128 742-755 Labors of St. Boniface 131 Resistance of the married clergy 132 755 Pepin-le-Bref undertakes the reform 134 Sacerdotal celibacy reëstablished 135 Reforms of Charlemagne and Louis-le-Débonnaire—Their inefficiency 135 840-912 Increasing demoralization under the later Carlovingians 139 874 Legal procedures prescribed by Hincmar 140 893 Sacerdotal marriage resumed 142 X.—THE TENTH CENTURY.