The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-12-16
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
THE CHURCH MEDIEVAL.

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third lecture from the text: "Perilous times
snail COME. How TO reconstruct, or rehabli-
tate, as the phase is, the Middle Ages, that is
the text to which we must address ourselves
III this lecture. The history of the Christian
church In modern Europe is large and most
Important part of the history of Europe. The
history OF each state is continuous, potwitt-
standi0g numerous dynsstic and constitutional
changes The same remark is true of the
church. Itisequally true that in all these
changes IN church and state, man aud woman
are found acting and feeling much more alike
than Is commonly imagined. We have seen
what vast changes were wrought in the condi-
ton and character of the church By the con-
version of Constantine and the CONSEQUENT as
tablishmeat of Christianity as the religion of
the state AS ths establishment led to riches
and honors, so these, in th-ir turn, paved the
way for other changes, some for good and ott-
ers Tor evil. Davout souls, Disguised with the
corruptions of society, especially in the great
citles, Withdrew from the world and became
monks, shutting themselves up in converts or
! ia the caves of the earth. These Converts DIFF
!ered from each other as much as the men who
formed or signed their conventical or canonical
ruies Some were misanthropic; others were
AAAou VI 0Obous pdutluS IOr adventures, 6SD6-
cally such as demanded extraordinary self
denial and exposure of life and limb in Gods
service. BY such men, connected with assoc-
ate missions, the gospel was carried Into France
IN the nth century, into England in the SIXTH
into Germany in the seventh and eight, and
into Scandinavia and Persia still later. 9th
ers titled the soil, reclaming the land from
swamps aud forests, and making the wilderness
to blossom ss the rose.
For all this, the peop'e were very grstefal
! frPnlV
the boundaries and increase the wealth of
these corporations, while tbs parochial aud
cathedral clergy We're equally active in found
Ing and building churches on q grand scale,
the people cheerfully supplying men and money
to carry on these works. But as everywhere
else, the original spirit of self 1enial and early
activity declined The EARLIER generations Of
men labored, and the later entered into their
labors and enjoyed their fruits. The love of
learning succeeded to the love of labor, and
love OF ease and luxurious living to both. But
corrupt as many of the converted became,
there is no d0ubi that the reports of their cor
ruptions were often greatly exaggerated By
those who expected to be, aud actually were,
enriched by their suppression.
What have said Of monasticsm ia all its
forms will apply to the papacy. 1t grew up
ana prevailed as monastlclsm did. The times
were perilous: There were perls without and
within. Without was the false prophet rapidly
advancing on Christendom from the East and
threatening to overthrow it. Within were
secular princes following the example of the
byzantine emper0rs and seeking to subject the
Church to the vicisstudes of their own policy.
Such were the causes which melted the
clergy TO insure their independence by uniting
under common spiritual chief or head. Add
the rivalry of the metropotans, above all of
the five patriarchal b'sfops, and you have
sufficient explanation of the flo al supremacy of
the Roman See, which eclipsed the others in
ste adiness, resources, activity, and still more,
in audacity.
As always happens, when the time had come
and affairs were ripe the man appeared who Of
ganzed and applied all the loose floating sent-
ments and aspirations of the age so Tar as the
church was concerned. That man was Hllee-
brand. commonly called Gregory VII Born
in Italy, he Sas educated ss Cugny and bs
came Benedictine monk. Even whils dea-
con his influence was greater than that of any
contemporary. Elected Pope, he enforced his
views on all. His bitter feud and long war
with Henry w., Emperor of Germany, ended
in bringing that prince to CanOssa in the hum
BILE guisp of a penitent Afterwards Gregory
exile, yet his spirit aud ecclesiastical system
survived him for centuries and still live.
though animated with less vigor
In his recent controversy with Plus TX Bis.
marck's bitterest taunt was that the present
Emperor of Germany chad no intention of 60
ing to Canossa" Let Bismarck beware how
he gets into serious broil with the Socialists.
for beset by two such antagonists he mighs
u5V0 W CuOO56 SuUlplSSlOQ 10 one or the other,
and so b3 compelled ''to go to Canossa"
After Hildebrand tbs leading spirits of ths
age were Paschasius, Radbart, Hincmar. b.
rengar, Lanfranc, Anselm, Abslard, Bernard
and Scotus Ergena. The greatest sovereign of
this period was Charlemague, grandson Of
Charles Martel, who arrested the advance of
the Mohammedans westward. Charlemague /
was crowned Emperor of the West, A. D. 800. |
and is justly reckOned the founder and OF
ganizer of Christian civilization and statesman
ship in Europe
If his sons and successors had been equal to
their opportunities, able to carry out his policy
Europe would have been saved from innumor- |
able calamities and the fruitIess controversies |
OF the dark ages.
PARK ST. CHURCH.
Rev. G. W. Buck preached his tenth annive.- |
sary sermon at Park s.. Church yesterday |
morning he told his congregation that when |
he was first settled over them there were
seventy families 10 thu parish There are
SO at the present time. Daring that time
there have bssn ff y-three additions and fifty
four departures la view of the hard times |
and the increasing inability of the parish to
meet the heavy expenses now resting upon |
them, and in order to give them an opportunity |
to reduce these expenses, Mr.. Buck stated be |
should feel it his duty to tender his resigna- !
tion on or before the end of the present |
psrochial year.
The Park St. Church is entirely out OF debt.
It's society is one Of the most united in the |
city, and We are very much mistaken. if it is |
within the possibilities, that they will permit
30 able man aud so beloved pastor to leaya |
them ard the church to be given up.
NOTES.
Tue lecture Announced for this evening at
the FIRST Baptist Church is postponed one
week.
Rev George A. Tswksbury, of Plymouth,
Mass preached for the Second Parish Society
yesterday
DR. Crab.re. G. II Cboate, G d S:albird,
W. Littlefeld, 81. Towle and job Sanford ad-
dressed the Temperance Union last evening.
Ten signatures we're obtained to the pledge
The fourth entertainment in the Y. NJ q A.
course will occur this evening. aud will consist
of a lecture by Major John M. Goull upon
"Sceues from army llfe.'
Elder Grant will remain here this week until
Saturday, and NEE ings will be held on Tues
day, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday eve
nings at u O'Clock, to which the public are COT
daily invlttd.