Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-04-27
AFTER THE APOOTASY.
A Glance at the Church in tho Middle Age

times conspired in many other ways to
'll the Golfers Of the pope ltisirue
she had many irreprehCrsillc soIrces
OF wealth. Such were the cultivation OF
unappropriaied lands. the thrNinsss
and Industry Of mon,sue associations.
the purchase OF landed estates from
alodalisls or mobiles for Vtich she was
amply able ~ pay through Ion. accum.
ulalions. The states of the church.
granted the pope by pcnin and con.
hrmed aud enlarged by ChJrlemlEne,
may also be said, In the language Ut
conquest 10 have been not Illegal,
Though here we cannot but charge
fraud, as Il was largely through cqIiyo.
Gallon OF former pretended claims that
the papacy obtained these gwuts Ut
temporal possessions. Representing
that a charter Of land had been present.
ed to the holy see by the Emperor
Constantine, the pope cNhDfted The
trankish cmpcfors, under penalty Of
the dispIeasurc of Cod, ST. Peter aud
the saints, 20 fatiiy and initiate the pipus
act
The Merovingian, Carolingian and
Saxon dynastiei, as well as the kings Of
England and Spain were lavish 10
early in the twelfth century. the Great
Countess Matilda oil Tuscany further
enriched h by q bequest of the duehy
,i spOleiu and the March of AugOna.
But we find ourselves disgusted and
wcarisd by recital Of clerical apple
priatious Of logatics aad donations il.
tended for charitable purposes. oi the
enforcement uf uthing as the highest
duty, the scandllous traffic in inlul.
gcncic1 aHd all the various methods Of
oppressive aysrIce which the church
adopted. Among them we find not the
least rcprehcn3iDlc OF these dcspicablc
methods the forging Of deeds ur chart.
Crs 10 property ~ which they were not
entitled. The general illtcrIgy ul the
times made these imposition easy Of
accomplishment by prf stb0oI trained
IN scholastic arts. Then there was the
relic superstition. The rule OF the
Catholic church requires that every
altar used for celebrating mass must in
dispcnsably contain some authorized
relic inserted within a sealed cavity or
receptacle prepared for them. Tncse
were lot sale hy the holy see and COM
mlulgd immense price, Thus, Tor
instance, We ind that Ctnstc, the Dane,
who ruled ever England, commissioned
an agent 20 80 TO Rome and purchase
tue arm Of ST. Augustine Tor one hun
7. drcd talents Of silver aud one OF gold
To illustrate this strange and foolish
superstition We will quote an ancient
winter;
"a monk OF ST. Anthony having been
10 jerusalem saw there several relics,
among which were a biz OF the finger OF
the Holy Ghost, as sound and cnure as
Il had ever been, the Suoui Oi the SER
aphim that appeared 10 St, Francis, one
OF the nails OF chcwhimi one Of the
ribs Of the Word made flesh, some Of
the rays Of the star which appeared to
the three kings 10 the East, vial Of ST.
MIchaePs sweat when he was fighting
against the devil; q hem OF loscph's
garment which he wore when he Clcavcd
wood, etc, all OF which things ! have
brought, very devOtedly with me home.
Can we wonder a the wars pronounced
upon a church which would practice
such blasphcmies IN the name oil Christ
Tor the sake OF increasing is "busi.
ncss2"
TIE church received and bestowed
benches IN ieudal tenure which were
exempted from taxation bu for which
she was sometimes required to furnish
military assistance, this military service
was generally looked upon by the clergy
as a great hardship. one piece Of
fraud was ia lay membsH transferring
their property To the church and rcceiy-
ing Il back Do tenure to avoid taxation.
Frequently, on ihs other hand the latter
had recourse 70 bGstowing property iu
the same manner 10 obtain powerful
protectors against marluders (who, in
tu,n, uitcn enough, became hard and
fraudulent mlsteBl. Thus We hui
that wealth poured into the Golfers Of
the middle age church throu 10 many
channels and that they who atOod In
high places as the shepherds OF the
flock, scruplcd not al any m'ans, how,
ever dlshunonble, TO increase their
worldly opulcnce and power. The
most sacred things whit n humanity hold
dear and holy were su1ycrtcd aud pros,
tituted 10 the same sordii end. They
failed not, a8 EaIllm says, "aboye ali,
TO inculcatc upon the wealthy sinner
that no aloncmcnt could be so accept
able to heaven as liberal presents to It's
earthly delegates"
The church was wealthy and, with Il,
powerful, Tor In this world wealth and
power alas, generally 10 hand In hand.
Every day VIC sec arrogance ascend the
throne and meckness bleeding at his
feet. But right comes uppermu5t In
time, even though that time extend
into eternity.
Power was what papa Rome lived
and worked for Sine scruplcd not TO
lay claim 20 dominion over the temporal
affairs OF men since she claimed the
higher right and wisdom ~ direct IN
their salvation; ideas OF the old Roman
universal dominion mingled, perhaps,
In her assumptions,
We have spoken OF her wealth. Al
some future time we may devote a chap.
ter with the editors cunsenU to the
power OF the church OF Rome and her
struggles for supremacy IN the wars Of
the lnyestilures
RUBY LAMONT.