The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-01-04

THE LECTURE OF Q. ,. 4. JAMES, rHx SovxLlsY.

denny in Jeroleman street, Brooklyn, attracted
very large and fashionable audience. The subject
of the lecture was the Crusades. The lecturer
commenced by stating that the present lecture
would be as brief as the nature and importance Of
the subject would permit of, and then said The
land of our redempton-the land where the saliva
ton Of mankind was worked out-the land to
which the whole Christian world looked with go
much interest and enthu siasm-the land from which
proceeded over the whole earth the gospel of peace
and OF good will TO man-was IN the hands OF the
Inhdels, OF those who preached the religion of
blood and sensuaty instead of the pure precepts of
the gospel Place yourselves, said he, in the midst
of the dark ages again, when the minds of men
pilgrim returned from his pilgrimage and told
you not only that he himself was in the hands
Of the Iniidsls, but that your Christian breth-
oppressed, and that the land itself, from
which you received the light of Christianity,
was in their hands too. Such was the state Of
Europe at the time the crusade began; but there
was number OF other causes which instigated the
whole OF Christendom to take part in those
crusades. At first, there was nothing to call al
tenton to the state OF the holy land but accounts
of wayfarers and pilgrims. Afterwards, when the
dark cloud began to overshadow the mountains
of Palestine, (here the lecturer referred TO
the Eruption of the Turks into Europe) il was
found necessary to raise barrier against them.
This was one of the causes but there were also
other moving causes, at the same time, which
urged the minds of men to this great under
taking Towards the end of the tenth century,
when superstition pervaded the whole world, re-
port was spread abroad that the world was about to
come to an end-that the whole earth was ad-
judged to destruction. Terror and dismay had ac-
cordingly seized on the minds of men. The cloud
had, however, passed away, and it was found, that
notwithstanding all the fOrebodings, things had
gone on just as before; but it seemed that mankind
were disappointed that the world was not Judged
they were half angry that ii was not consumed
Those were some of the causes of the crusades,
and, in addition, the Christian world was menaced
by the Saracen power, and it therefore became
fend themselves Popes Sylvester and Gregory
were the first to give their ceuntenance to this
great undertaking, They gave notice that, if GER
tain number of men could be had, they would
put themselves at their head, and march ON
aud deliver Palestine from the yolk of the
Saracens. There was a gentleman of Amiens
with whose surname we are net acqaant-
&c; we only know him by the name of Peter
the Hermit, who became smiten with a de-
sire TO VISIT the holy sepulchre, and did visit it,
ard there he became acquainted with the Patriarch;
tons, they communicated with each other, and
Peter declared TO his friend that he mad a scheme
for the delivery of jerusalem from the Saracens.
The Patriarch entered into his views and eniOned
him to carry out his scheme Peter tasted and
prayed and passed night the church of the holy
sepulchre and there be held the Saviour himself in
dream, who commanded him TO go forth on his mis-
sion. Peter went as he was commanded; traversed
all Syria, landed at Bari, and sooner did he land
than he repaired to the Roman Pontiff and threw
himself at his feet. Pope Urban the Second was a
clear sighted man. and encouraged Peter although
he was then at war with two of the most powerful
monarchs in Europe, however He gave the Hermit
every encouragement; sent him forth, commissioned
by himself, and promised to assist in carrying out
the great enterprise Peter the great pre- acher
OF the cTusades; but whatever was the character
OF his eloquence, he fired all Europe in short, he
excelled in the popular madness of the times Pope
Urban received him as a prophet, appauded his
glorious design promised to support it In general
council, and encouraged him to proclaim the deli
verance of the holy land Strengthened by the
appreciation of the Pontif, Peter traversed, with
success, the provinces of Italy and France; he
preached to innumerable crowds in the churches,
the streets, and the highways; he entered, with
equal confidence the palace, and the cottage, and
the people was impatienty moved by his call to re
pentence and arms. When he painted the suffer-
lnes of the nations and pilgrims Of Palestine, every
heart were melted to compassion and every breast
elswed wlthlndignatlon when he challenged the
warriors of the age to defend their brethren and
rescue their Saviour. He supplied the deficiency
of reason, by loud and frequent appeals to Christ
and his mother, with whom he had personally
conversed. The enthusiast infused the passions
which he had felt and all Europe expected with
impotence the counses and de crees OF the Supreme
Ponht But the glory OF executing the holy enter
prise was reserved for another. Directions had to
come from a voice more eloquent than Peters.
Urban summoned council at Placentia, and such
was bis influence that the council was composed
OF 200 Bishops, 1900 Of the clergy, and 10000 OF
the laity; the session lasted seven days. aud was
held in plain adjacent TO the city. The ambas-
sadors Of the Greek Emperor were introduced to
plead the distress OF their sovereign and the
danger Of Constaninople, which was divided by
narrow sea only from the victorious Turks,
the common enemies OF the Christian name. In
their suppliant address, they fatered the pride of
policy and religion, exhorted them to repel the
barbarans on the confines Of Asa. rather than to
expect them in the heart of Europe. At the sad
tale of the misery Of their Eastern brethren, the
embly burst into tears, declared their readiness
to march, and the Greek ambassadors were dis
missed, with the assurance Of a speedy and power
decision TO a second council, which he proposed
tn hold in France, the very heart Of the country
of his enemy, Philip H., in the autumn of the
year and, accordingly, the second council was
OF Auvergne, and IL was not less numerous and re-
spectacle than the one held at Placentia. Besides
his Council Of Cardinals he was supported by thir
teen archbishops and two hundred and twenty-five
bishops. From the adjacent kingdoms, martial
train Of lords and knights Of power and renown at
tended the council, in high expectation of its re-
solves; and such the ardor, zeal, and curiosity,
that the city Of Clermont was filled: and many
thousands erected their tents and huts in the open
field. At that council, Urban preached the first
Be rnon in favor OF the crusades. On that me nor
able day he assembled lofty platform, erected in
the msrket-place of the city, and addressed well
prepared and impatient audience. His exhOrtatisn
was vehement, aud his success was necessarily
Inevitable. He told his audience that their breth-
rem were enslaved and prosecuted by barb arians,
who had not received the light of the Holy Spirit;
aud atked them, in a voice OF thunder, to whom
did II belong, but TO the Christian world to rescue
their brethren from the yoke of the Turks I
But this was only one of the skilful appeals
of this sermon. He addressed his hearers at eve
nv SIDE; he aimed at all their weak points. lie ap-
pc aed to all their passions and prejudices favor OF
his undertaking. He depicted Palestine the
richest and nost beautiful country on earth, and
Jerusalem, the centre city of the World in the pos.
session OF the intdels, the impacable enemies Of
the christian name. But these extracts are but
email portion Of the address Of Urban on that me-
morable occasionj mesgre, however, as they are,
we may we'll conclude what an effect his cloquence
had ON the multitude whom be addressed. We
cannot, therefore, be surprised, that he was an
aver, by the universal shout Of the meeting, who
exclaimed with enc voice. "Cod wills il. G. cd wills