The Republican journal., 1899-04-20


of ancient lore; and to these we may add
her efforts for the suppression of violence.
| During the early days of moral and in
| tellectual progress, the church was the
chief promoter, hence all progress was
essentially theological. Everything was
| viewed from religious standpoint. Bacon
| and Descartes were the first to take the
human mind outside of theology. This
religious influence has given to modern
civilization an extent and variety not to be
! found in the ancient world. We are not
only introduced to every department of ma
ture but to all Its hidden mysteries or
| spiritual essence. Among the ancient
| Greeks the religious element was ex-
| cluded. They concerned themselves only
with the present interests of man. In
! government, the church adopted two sys-
| tens, neither of which is adapted to the
condition of civilized man. The church
took its origin under the Roman Empire,
hence it imbibed much of its tyranny as
we'll as its culture.
1t also Inherited the principles of theo-
clacy. These principles of empire or
theocracy prevailed in all its institutions
and laws Religion being restraint or
authority it is liable, in the name of
Divinity, to assume a dcspotc nature in
1
ages for the church to discover that liber-
ty is a condition, without which man can
not be morally governed. BY forgetting
that individual liberty must be preserved
in the midst of submission to Divine law,
religious power and individual liberty
have often suffered together. We Lave
glanced ever the beneficial effects Of the
church upon individual character and its
false principles of civil governemnt. We
Will now review some of the incidents in
the history Of the church. Theodosius
at the end of the fourth century subdued
the Arian heresy and abolished the wor-
ship Of iaois throughout the Roman
world. Now that pagansm was subdued,
new pagans and heretics appeared and the
Roman empire was no more. Municipal
government and absolute power were
cherished as all that remained of the en-
pire. When the barbarian kings were
/ converted they were invited to become
Roman emperols. The church wished to
place them ia power that she might share
their power, but it was impossible TO
mould Roman empire out of barbarlans.
Even the Roman language disappeared
and all became buried in barbamsm
Barbarians entered the church and be-
came bishops and priests. Gregory of
Tours gave an account of several bishops
who adopted barbarian life and became
chiefs Of maraudng bands without quit
ting their bishoprics.
The separation of spiritual and tenn
poral powers and the establishment of
monastic orders were the two principal
religious events of the barbarc period.
A first work did not belong to the clerical
body but in the sixth century the seclud-
ed life pf he nlppastprv WAS fn1od ~
possess great power over the barbarian i'm
agination and monaStic life became very
popular There was an attempt under
Charlemagne to revive the Roman empire.
The popes derived permanent advantage
from this alliance of church and state.
After his death Church and State fell into
chaos to be revived again under feudalsm.
After the ties of the HE archy had
become weakened by the love of independ-
ence, there was an attempt to establish
! national churches. But this attempt was
followed by greater isolation OF the
bishops, prelates and abbots. The loose
ness of morals occasioned by this isola-
ton caused the better portion of the peo-
pie and clergy to wish to establish some
authority which might impose wholesome
restraint on the others. Such was Gregory
VII, though he has not received credit for
the work he did. Like Charlemagne and
Peter the Great, he was a reformer Of the
despotic school While Gregory was at
tempting to bring the civil world into sub
lection to the church and the church to
the See of Rome, that it's condition might
be improved, many reformers were at
work il the monasteries.
At the same time defenders of the
right of reason and individual liberty
sprang up. At the beginning of the
twelfth century, the church had establish
ed its monastic and theocratic form and
declared war against the advocates OF free
inquiry. The advocates of intellectual
liberty also declared war against the
advocates of political liberty. 1t has re
quired ages to make these powers realize
that they have common interests.
GEO. NJ. COLE.
Hosmer, Edmunds Co. S. Oak. April 4, 90.