The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-19

4
Then imagine that from some inaccessible
quarter of the far north tribe after tribe OF
Indians descends upon the States, wasting
lands and cities with fire and sword. To pro
tect itself the Government withdraws from
Washington TO Buenos Ayres and abandons
the original territory to the invaders. Let US
then picture TO ourselves what the condition oil
this country would be thus delivered over to
sanguinsry and ignorant savages and we may
gain an idea of the state OF Europe after the
downfall OF the empire OF the West.
Charles j. Stille, in mis- studies in medieval
history, gives the following graphic deScrip.
ton of Europe after the barbarian invasion:
The general view Of the middle ages would be
that of stream fed from distant sources-at first
a torrent, bursting from the forests of Germany
sweeping onward, violent in its fury and sc
overwhelming in its force as for time TO destroy
all trace OF the work OF civilized man, and then
long after, reappearing swollen by its tributaries
as a mighty river, bearing upon its placid and
those who dwell upon its shores. Again, the
general aspect of Europe during the middle ages is
merely between the barbarian tribes and the
legonS OF imperial Rome and of these tribes with
ideas for the mastery-of the Teuton against the
Roman, of the north OF Europe against the south
OF Christianity against heathenism, of savagery
winch has been compared 10 that OF the North
American Indians with the highest form of civili-
zaton then known TO the world. In the midst OF
such terrible birth-throes modern civilization is
brought into the world, and, unlike any other
civilization in history, II owes its pecuiarities and
It's characteristic strength 10 this violent conflict OF
opposing forces OF which Ii IS the resultant.
The MISSION OF THE CHURCH.
The barbarians, as we have seen, made short
work OF the civil and material authority OF the
empire, but they met an authority which
stopped them in their full career. The Chris
tian church had in spite OF persecution from
without and OF laXlty within been spreading
itself all over the world. The words OF Christ
constituting Peter the rock made him and his
successors the center OF unity Even during
the lifetime of st. John we find Clement, the
fourth Pope, exercising the ponIifcal au,
thorlty. Century after century IS hereSy and
SchlSm arose the POpes stood out clearer and
clearer as the "confrmers of the brethren"
and the preseryerS OF union. When, therefore,
the barbarianS overthrow the civil govern
ment OF the Romans they found themselves
confronted with a spiritual government, the
church, whose head resided in the ancient
seat OF empire-the Eternal City-Rome.
Then began that wonderful drama known as
the conversion OF the barbarienS. From Rome,
as from q center, went out brave and holy men
and preached Christ 10 the gentles. Patrick
evangelical Ireland, Augustine converted
England, Boniface gave his life for Germany,
the Irish monks poured into Scotland, into
France, into Switzerland, aye, even into Italy,
and everywhere formed new people Tor the
church. Warriors who knew no law but their
own wills were turned aside by the gaze of an
unermed monk. Sayages TO whom might
was right. were compelled to bend their
knee before the figure OF q man
whose enemies nailed him to q
tree Kings burned what they had adored and
adored what they had burned st the bidding
OF bishops who had neither earthly power nor
earthly influence to enforce their commands.
In word, the men who had broken the civil
and military power OF the empire to pieces
were themselves cong uered by religion which
is mighuest when IL seems most weak.
AT time when civil society properly so
called did not exist, 1t is not surprising that
there was much confusion between the spirit
ual and the temporal. The bishops were rec
ogniZed by kings and people not only as rulers
in the church, but they were invested
with secular jurisdiction. We must re-
as II was, was prOfessedly Christian The foun-
dations OF law, OF justice OF authority, had been
laid again in the name of Christ and by the
hands OF Chrlsts ministers. This point we
should never forget, that the preservation of
Europe from barbaTism, from ignorance, from
anarchy, is the work OF the Catholic church.
AT the head OF the church stood the bishops
of Rome. In later days men have blamed the
Popes because they attained such q command
ing position. But as Newman says, their role
was forced upon them by the very logic OF
events:
The progress Of concentration was not the work
Of the Pope; il wss brought about by the change
OF times and the vicissitudes of nations. 1t was
not his fault that the Tandals swept away the
African sees and the Saracens those Of Syria and
Asia Minor, that Constantinople and its
dependencies became the creatures of inn
perialism, that France, England and Ger
many would obey none but the author OF
their own Christianity or that clergy and people
at q distance were obstinate in sheItering
themselves under the majesty of Rome against
their own fierce Kings and MOBILES or imperious
world and on the Pope in justification of their pro-
ceedings. Ii this Will be fact whether the Popes
were ambitious or not: and still il viii be fact
that the issue Of that great change great ben
cit 10 the whole OF Europe. No one but q Master,
who was Thousand Bishops in himself at once,
could have tanned and controlled. as the Pope did,
the great and the little tyrants of the middle age.
3. This is generally confessed now, even by
Protestant historians viz, that the concentration
OF ecclesiastical power in those centuries was sim
ply necessary for the civilization OF Europe. OF
course, II does not follow that the benefits rem
dered them TO the European com naonwealth by
the political supremacy OF the Pope would, if he
still supreme. be rendered in time 10 come.
have DO wish TO make assum options yet concIu-
sions short OF this viii be unfayorabie to Mir.
Gladstones denunciatiou OF him We reap the
fruit at this day OF his services in the past. With
the purpose OF showing this make a rather long
extract from Dean Milman's Latin Christian
lty." He is speaking OF the era OF Gregory I, and
he says the papscy was the only power which lay
not entirely and absolutely PROSTATE before the
herent strength and might resume its majesty. II
was this power which was most imperatiyely re-
quired TO preserve all which TO survive OF
Lne crumolng wreck or Roman civilization.
To Western Christianity was absolutely necessary
center standing alone, strong in Evolutionary
reverence and in acknowledged claims to suprem-
acy. Even the perfect organization OF the Chris
tfan hierarchy might, in all human probability
have fallen TO pieces in perpetual conflict: il might
have degenerated into half secular feudal caste
with hereditary beneficies and more
entirely suDservient TO the civil authority
a priesthood of each nation, or of each
tribe, gradually sinking the intellectual
or religious level OF the nation or tribe on the rse
OF power both controlling and conservative hung
hum AMY speaking, the life and death OF Christi
anIty as permanent, aggressive, expansive, and
10 q certain extent, uniform system. There must
be counter balance TO barbarc force to the una
voldabe anarchy OF Teutonism, with its tribal OIL
at the utmost national dependence. forming
a host OF small, conflicting, antagonistiC
Kingdoms. All Europe would have been
Germany was when her Emperors were weak; and
even her Emperors abe owed to Rome. to the
church, TO Christianity. Providence might have
been otherwise ordained; but it is impossible for
man to imagine by what other organizing con.
soldating force the commonwealth OF the Western
nations could have grown up TO discordant, in
deed, and conflicting league, but still league
with that unity and conformity OF manners
usages, laws, religions, which have made their
ceaseless wars, the whole to issue in the
nobleS highest, most intellectual form of civiliza-
ton known TO man. 1t is impossible 10 conceive
what had been the confusion, the lawlessness, the
chaotic state OF the middle ages, without the
medieval papacy; and of the medieval papacy the
real father is Gregory the Great. In all his prede-
cessors there was much of the uncertainty and in.
dehnitenesS OF new dominion-Gregory is the
Roman altogether merged in the Christian Bishop
II is Christian dominion, of which he lays the
foundations in the Eternal City, not the old Rome
associating Christian influence TO her ancient title
OF sovereignty"
THE NEW EMPIRE.
At the end OF the eighth century Europe was
united in religion, but in civil affairs IL was
divided into warning Kingdoms. The example
however, OF an undivided church was insen-
sibly lesding the minds of men to q longing for
an undivided state. The memories of the old
empire had not passed away. Men looked TO il
. M