Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1853-02-03

MONASTER!ES AND CohNEN s.
IsrHE CATHOLIC & uLcu OPPOSED 80 I
LEAGAi>G
Mn. EplroR:--
Ny las, number cloFcd |
with u long cx,rac, from Ihe Rule OF ST.
Benedic', showing tie sublime mirror
OF Christian rcri,rnon, which, ia Ihc
mon .s'erirr and Constntr 81 lie CIh ard !
subsequent crnturicr. down 20 ,hc pres-
cnt time, had bcen daily held up hciore
iheir inmates al hph sexes. And Nhcn
i, is borne in mind that no' only men
and womcn from the huml Ter rud mid
die Wallis OF life entered these insllu-
tiIns, but that mulliludes from the most
Gisiingulsied rapis- from tie ample
knight 10 the mouGich on lis throne
i,om The lady TO tie queen, exchanged
theirrohcs of state for the coarse serge
oi tie croister--and wha' IL more, found
harplne,s thcre,-I suhmi. TO lhonghi-
iul men, whether, makilg al. due allow
ancc for human Inirmity and inpcric'-
ton, i, is probable that, with such
rulc before ihem. for the purpose o.
coming up TO which hey daily Ived,
those monks and nuns veg, ta,ed in use
lees Inactivity Can any man in ne
yigor o! .lis ycnrs,...iuii Of energy, quli
The usua! avocatlons o! iie, 10 strive N
clois'cr alter higher Tcr!cctirn under
rule which calls TO. al his efforts, 30
Change us 10 be- coatcnt to 10 Dol.iug2
/ The idea Is rrep' stIous. You cannot
! keep the LATEST and least intellectual
portion Of any community q let without
something % 90. But these monks
were not of HAT class They mus, lave
been active. What then did they do
That's the question. Well, since il is
plain they did something, are you not
willing 10 make conJec,rrc Suppose
should say they established themselves
in lonely places, upon barren lands
!. reared pics that have withs;ood the
i storms OF ccntures bull, churches the
wonder Of modern times ; opened model
|. farms taught the rude prasantry agri'
culture instructed youth in their cate
. chism and IN the Christian doctrine
That, bound TO be peaceful. they exert
. ed Il powerful influence TO lead rude
harbaric peoples TO the arts and practi.
COS ofpcacc aud soften the asperiles Of
the wars their influences could not res
train ? That they were the cxemplars
OF E-Jspi!alry- and that n.onas'crles. IT.
Stead oil modern iavcrns, opened their
Eospi,uble gates 10 The weary traveller.
Tuat they preserved IN these houses,
with reverend care, the Holy scriptures
and copied them with pen tor more gen
eral circ ulaiion. That they collected
AL tae precious remains Oi Grccian and
Roman classics III libraries wien each
book had 10 bc written with pen Oh
parchment. SUPPOSE should say that
all the youth ol the cou"iry, who desired
il, were trained and taught In them
manners. morals, religion and secular
learring.-is any one prepared TO say
tina, ali Of these occupanons may not
/ have engaged these Monks and nuns ii
the Rule Of 81. Dcnedlct2 Well, 10
sly that it not only appears probable,
- from The kind Of persons who cmbrac-
81. Ian.
religious .ie--lrom the ol jec, they had
Ia doing so, and The austerity o: their
| rule but that they act ally did do al
/ these things-well-tho thoroughly
, grea, satisfaction, OH tie whole, to the
/ vast body Of the people, wherever they
! were established.
!, Now Tor the proof I shall quo'e,
briefly, from the English protestant
| bishop Tanner who says "ai! monafte-
I res were in effect great school: and
| ggea. hosp tails (mcanlng III those day9
| places oil hospitality j and were. II any
| Of them, oil liged 10 relieve many poor
! people every day. They were likewise
Il houses OF entertainment Tor almost all
/ travelers. In short, their hospitality
was such that in the Priory oi Norwich
one thousand five hundrcd quarters o,
/ malt, and above eight hundred GUAR
t.rs Of wheat, and all other Things III
proportion were generally speat every
/, year" With such an'cccdcn; proha-
bl!.ty no other proof will be wanted.
70 show that intelligent as well as Ig'
nurant persons became religious, take
4 The following - Ii is remarkable iea-
ture Ia the character and plety q! ihe
/ Anglo-Saxon princes, that continually
the world was ellfcl by the sigh o.
one of them quitting hs throne and ali
the cares and p0mps Of royalty and re-
firing 20 pass The evening OF his days IN
the shade OF Il monastery or in the holy
city cc ,hc Supreme Ponah, --Lardner S
Universal History, 2. 1873. Tyler II
his universal History says We may
\ iuJle OF the reputation which Dene
diets institution had acquired .even il
his own lifetime from the fact at til,
celebrated Cassiodorus wio had Ion.
and ably discharged the office OF frs
II ,I. f.,,ni- Ltpua A JtaI, /,