New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-09
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE PAPACY.


TON NJ A., late Fellow Of Merton College Oxford.
Vols l. and II. $40, PIP XIII, 4o3; TX 800 Hongn'
ton, Mniin Co.
Mr.. Creighton has begun In these two volumes
work which will serve somo important uses. though
n cannot fulfil the largo promise OF It's title his
tory of tho Papacy during the period OF the Rotor
nation Is not easily written 1t certainly Is not 10 oe
compassed Ia the minute and painstaklng narrative
of the official transactions Of the Roman Court with
emperors kings. princes ooupcils' anu PetIy itaan
dkss and cundot to nch Mr.. Creighton has de-
voted tbs orincipal part of his labors. These are
oniv the SUPERB cial facts They seemed momentous
to the old chrvniclern from whose records our mod
ern author has drawn them. But i'll the perspec-
tive Of tho centuries thsir value is much better
derstood. Sometimes they are really OF no conse-
uuence at all Sometimes they significant as
Indications of the development Of political
and social theories. the tendencies OF phio-
sopbical and religions systems. the growth OF
doctrine, and the course OF popular progress.
TIE day is long passed when the intrisues OF
courts were considered the essence OF history.
We have learned look rather vt the changes III So
Getty tho capitalization of natOnaities. the evo-
linton of ideas These are tue fundamental facts
of history Nowhere. surely, are they more conspc-
nous than in the narrative of the rule of the Ia
pacy over the Christian world and never III the
long course of the Papal dominion did they assume
of revolution which Mr.. Creighton has undertaken
TO describe. Yet he has deliberate omitted from
his book all that was best worth telling He cxhib-
fts neither the condition of the Church. nor the
character of the clergy, nor the nature OF their
ministrations, nor the attitude OF the people To-
wards their civil and religious rulers, nor the sta'e
of popular education and intelligence. lie does not
foncn upon the political tendencies which were TO
have such an influence uron ecclesiastical revolt
He only touches. he does not seriously survey inc
intellectual movement of which tho teachings CT
Wyclif and the Lolards were the most striking OF
the early illustrations and he almost entirely over
looks the counter movements in the direction at
once of renewed loyalty to tho Roman see and u
rigorous reformation of manners which Kept Eu-
rope IN ferment for nearly century DeioFo
Luther. lie seems hardly 10 appreciate the ehect
of the rise of the principle of nationality III
weakening the allegiance of men to the Pope as tue
embodiment of Christian unity. The ecclesiastical
discussions which he describes are chiefly aoout
revenues and the power of appointment to sees and
benehces; ho pays less regard TO the Goctrinal de-
bates OF the tune although they were surely impor-
tant IN their consequences If not IN themselves
He IL a. clergyman, bur he shows On imperfect ac-
quaintance with theological controversies anc MS
statement Of the doctrines OF contending parties Is
sometimes grossly erroneous.
Nevertheless though bis book falls far short Of a
History of the Papscy, 1t contains material which
NAV Dc of great in measuring the causes OF the
Reformation. In spinning his tale of statecraft
the author appears to have had IN view two impor-
tant strugg es--hrst, the struggle for preeminence
between the Papacy and the general councils, and.
socondlv the struggle between Pope and King for
supremacy not in temporal matters-that IS another
sfair-but in church government. Both these
contests which ragged violently in the fifteenth CEN
tury. had serious effect il preparing men for tile
great re, oft of the sixteenth. Mr.. Creighton's
handling of them IS weak and tentative, and be IS
not always sure Of uis conclusions: but he is 10 be
thanked for marshslling In regular array grcAt
ass o. facts OF which more philosophical historians
will perhaps make better use than has occurred to
him. As o Church Of England man he looks with
favor upon the Erastian principle of the subordna
ton of the Church to the temporal power and he
blamcs the Popes for opposing the naturalization
of the churches under the authority of the Crown,
and yet he makes IL appear that In every case
where this policy WAS tried toe mean OF course
every case falling within the scope of these vol
umes that is down to the year l464) 1t aggravated
the evils OF which its advocates complained. tie
blames the Popes also for opposing the "conciliar
principle; and yet his volumes crowded with
proofs of the astutencss of the Papa policy. and he
closes with striking picture OF the revival of the
splendur, the authority and tho prestige OF the
Roman sec after the attempts to govern the Church
ty democratic assemblies had heen laid aside In
the fifteenth century, he declares, the comedian
principle "was set mp as o permanent factor in the
organization of the Church" This statement will
hardly pass. If he that general councils were
then adopted as part of the machinery of church
government the answer is that they were adopted
In the first century, and never after ward aban
aoned. III he means that in the fifteenth century
they were raised to higher authority than they
had possessed before and were given full power OF
teaching and Administration the assertion Is much
too broad and the facts cited in these two volumes
do not sustain it. The oonciliar principle broke
down immediately, and Dir. Creighton refers 10 its
failure as evidence of the impossibity OF reform
ing the Church from the inside. In short, though
mosb> Professionals will accept his conclusions, few
will be able to see that he has deduced them from
his premises.
The period chosen for tho beginning OF the survey
OF the Papacy during the Reform alton is the out
break of the great schsm in 1873. The power OF
the medieval Papacy depended largely upon its
independence as q temporal monarchy In the city
which had been for ages the mistress of the world;
and when Clement V. In 1909 hod from the dsor-
ders of Italy to he luxurious safesY OF Avgnon. the
Church received severe wound. The romantic
city ON the Rhoue not In the kingdom Of
France, but 1t lay upon its confines and seemed to
nestle In ITS overspreading shadow. French inilu-
ence supreme az the Papal Court. In the con-
tests OF Europe the pontif appeared but too often
rs French PARTISAN. Sheltered from the disturb
ance, of Italian factions leaving the Roman States
TO the mercy OF French governors. and lullcd to g
noble repose in the soft perfumed air of Provence,
the Papal Curia 1T AvIgnvn became notorious fol
luxury. and extravaganza and splendor. and loose
living. The captivity OF AvignOn" had lasted
seventy years when Gregory XII, having visited
Rome, died there as he was about TO return to the
Provencal city. The conclaye which assembled fol-
the election OF his successor was disturbed by the
clamors of the Roman populace, who shouted that
there should be no French Popes; but IL does
not appear that the choice of the cardinals was