The Northwestern standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-09
THE CIR USA DIES. y /
The First of All Instructive Series b
Lectures Delivered BY Rev, James
MoGolrick.

The Truth Of History Revealed The
Monks who Preached the Message Of
Peace for Europe.
NJ Rev. Father James McG solr lex deliy-
cred the first Of his interesting series
of lectures upon THE Crusades, (" last
Sunday evening, Of which we give a
synopsis He began by considering the
contest which went on and continued
during the reign of Pope Gregory VII,
and after, for the rights Of the Church
and its freedom from state authority.
God in His own good time had deter
mined that a second general movement
must take, place, in order that the
Church s members might be welded to-
gether for the purpose He had in view
in spreading His truth. He therefore
by the Crusades gathered together the
divided Christian nations Of Europe,
ears before they sWarmed down from
their Businesses in the North, where
they were a wild and barbarous people,
tribes hunting down each other as the
Indian tribes of modern times. The
Church received them, instructed them
and welded them into a semblance Of
unity; and yet SO far back as the 18th
century the Church had not altogether
prevailed with these people. The trav-
eler who now passes over the face OF
Europe, when he gazes on the old tow
ers and ivy-clad ruins that look down
OH many a winding river Of that old
land, will notice how strongly built
they were in ages long ago. There
lived the lord aud his retainers, while
all around snbmissiyely yielded to them
as their lords and masters. Indeed
they owned the populace. From out
these places armed retainers rushed
forth, and in times of peace made war
upon the poor agricultural people, seiz-
ing their wives and daughters, their
goods and chattels, and with strong
hands swept them into these, their
strongholds: In such a disordered
state Of society the Church alone
had the power of withstand
ing the worlds wickedness. Each
lord, followed by his retainers,
made war on every slight occasion.
Fire and ruin followed the train OF
their soldiers. 1t was then that two
servants Of the Lord went out over the
plains of Germany and through
most parts of Europe to preach what
was called the "Truce of God" This
Truce Of God was a special work OF
the Church, to aid in bringing such a
people to yield to her dictates. These
monks going out to preach message
Of peace for Europe, mildly won a
promise from these rulers to abstain
from war upon certap occasions from
W adnesday TIL hfodBay -sliirfng tfie
holy seasons Of LeRt and Advent.
promising before thu Lord God in the
presence of Els blessed servants that
they would not make war upon each 9TH
er. This treaty of peace was designated
the Truce Of God..''
Such are the men Who are described
by some historians as living lives of
luxury, as men obese in body, capable
Of drinking large draughts of wine,and
given to r1otous living, but we will
find in the course Of history what these
same monks have done.
10 self sacrificing men Of these semi
barb. rous days, softened by the influ-
ences of our holy religion we owe it
that we have reached, or at least have
been directed to that height of ciyiliza-
ton which we boast of in the 10Th cen-
fury This movement was to BRING
once more into the possession of Chris
tian hands the Holy Land, the place
where Jesus had been born-which he
hallowed by his footsteps the place in
which he had been crucified, where he
worked out the salvation of the human
race.
Peter the Hermit was described as
being a man OF small stature, clothed
in rough and plain apparel, but God
had given him the fire Of eloquence.
He preached the Crnsades and succeed
ed IN organizing an army but this army
vas,fe1,od . & e,,o.., hofnrn tho o,,vr, ,,.Y,,e