New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-29
CIVILIZATION IN THE MIDDLE AGES

LECTURE BY THE REV. DIR. SPALDING.
A large audience gathered in the Cooper Institute
last evening to listen 10 lecture delivered by the
Rev. Dr. Spalding, Bishop of Louisville, before the
Catholic Library Association Of this city. Anumber Of
church dgnitaries and pastors were on the platform
among whom were the Very Rev. Father Starr, Vicar
General of this diocese and Archdeacon McCaITon The
lecturer announced for his subject: European Civil
izstioD prior TO the Reformation" Civilization, he
raid, made up of three elements, viz: Refinement
and geneness OF character; cultivation OF literature
aud the arts; civil liberty, at least 70 ths extent OF
exemption from absolute despotism. Floating down,
as we were, on the broad river of modern enlighten
nent, it was well to look back upon the sources
ard little rivulets from whence drew its
waters. This he proposed 10 do. The world
had seen but two kinds of civilZaton-Pagan and
Christian. The old Roman splendor was an iron and
cruel one. Ii crushed down those nations extraneous
10 H. Christian civiliz alton, the contrary, was
pure gentle, and enrolling, 70 all the world. Ali
modern progress could be traced TO the Christian re
Iieon and the life Of this religion Jay IN the Catholic
church. lie now came TO the transition between the
Pagan and Christian spehdors-to the changes OF the
Dark Ages. The successive nroads and devastatlons
of the Huns GOths, and other savage Northern troes
were rapidly alluded 10, and a vivid picture drawn OF
the fall Of the Roman Empire, and the apparent eXtnc-
lion of letters and the But we ali know how
there then still surviving an institution stronger
than the empire-One which kept alive the torch OF
progress viz: the Christian Church. She even gained
Ibe love and homage Of the baIbarans and conquered
the coDquerors tf Rome. She sent her missionaries
everywhere overcoming the nations that ghded, one
by one into her eveIwnding folds. Her hrst mission
ary St. Patrick converted ieland-ioT thee centuries
the purse of religion and the arts, Of the most
ilunined nations the world ever saw, loud applause
Then che extended hel skirts over England, Scot |
land and France, and the Christian cross |
penetrated where the Roman eagle never
stood. Guizot said distinctly that the ChuIch saved
Europe from barbarism, and GuiZJt q Caivinist
70 far as be had any religion az all. She had done this
by different agencies her ecclesiastical councils, IN
Toledo and elsewhere, laid the basis Of all European
legislation; she suppressed violence by modifying or
overcoming the leudal system. Russia was the only
country where her Influence did MOI eAteLd, ANA that
empire was made up Of slaves even at tue present day
He cosed ths portion of this lecture WIN aa ailuSion
20 the two great religious orders OF medieval. days
the Te1pplars AID HOspallers. We were now civil |
iz,d downward. We could dix down into gold mines. |
f3ntn that age they civilized upward-they looked
90 Heaven for light Then, TOO the noolesl monu-
ments of enlightenment i0urlshed-ihe greatest |
hospitals the world has ever known. Even IN then
ruins they re5uked the assertion that the so-called
Dark Ages were unciyilized Passing TO the second |
Do On of his lecture, he SAID That the ChuTch saw the
necessity of soreadlng and perpeuatng literature. II
we have now preserved 10 Ms the WOfks OF homer, |
Virgil Cicero, &c, i was owing 10 the aQos oil te
scholastic monks. Edmund Burke had sand that mod
srn advance was due three features o. Church us ge
first ie lnonasc institute second, the pIescryd-
ton Of the Lstin language; third, VoiiVe phgcm-
ages. lie would also venture the assertion tuat II we
took the three centuries prior ana tue tree suooe lueu
90 the Reformation would be found that more great
inventions and works Of err had been achieved during
the former than the later period. Paper, clocks,
watches, musical notes, organs, rhyth@ica' poetry,
add those ttree Inventions, which had a greater ln-
81eSce IN promoting civilization than any O.hei--gun.
po"psd the mariners conpass aud the art Of priut-
ing-ai. these originated 10 The dark ages. The tine
oil Leo ~ was characterized II the second Augustan
age. Then Erasmus ana tie eciOOl OF the Humau'-
ts<1sDc sprang np and all Germany was in an incl
lectua blaze. But controversy arose aud confusion 7
and wraDgling took the place OF pore literature and
e1evsted ar. TIE sixteenth century ,,ifnesss3 Tho
Augastsn age Of SPsin, which kinqd,m had never !
been touched By the bhgh Of the Refcrmaiiop-,be
age Of CeTantes and L3pe de Vega Gsrros,,v |
y bieh took captyes GIe0an literature IN the Gfo-,n
sentury, was herself taken captive By Martin IntIHr
o. ODD not rise from The tatiOn which Erss
. VI said tie ReiOHger consigned her until the middle
1 tSe eighteenth century. Talk OF the light shed by
be EeiOfmatiOn tkis was q sample of Us nature |
he trd division Of the lecture the condition of
vii bberty was next exploited and tie lecturer
lanoed thai, prior u the Reformation liberty re
siyed q strongest impulse from 1e Crusedbrs and
~ P0Les aud % thiswe owed the freedom al present
LOVED throughout ChIsteBdom. Ia progress tlrough
v Centuries was traced at some length.
DIR. SpaldDg ia q man Of eoGrly and scholssti sp-
araucc, perhaps 6fty years Of egs-a thorough mas
Of language and very eloquent in delivery. H' ;
eO,y was evidently in sympathy with the views Of
J sudifnce, and eleitsd toe warmest spPiaase
roughout. tft