The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-20

aired Wesley W1Shart gives to his new
work the full title of "a Short History of
Monks and Monastertes," and such if
really deserves being evidently compiled
from the best sources availablei and con.
sidered in as nearly a dispassionate light
as any one with opinions Of his own can
consider a subject as broad as the one
taken up.
Mr.. Wishart Is confessedly not in SYM
pathy with monasticism, the whole
without reference to any ore of the re-
lig1ous faiths in whose exposition the IN
stitution assisted. He urges while con-
ceding the magnificent work of monks for
civilization, and in many cases for the
material progress of humanity that the
world must have lost much In the cloister
by the losing to common knowledge of
the researches and thought of. the high
minded, and IN conspicuous cases, emf,
nently scholarly men, who withdrew from
the world to embrace the menastic vows
Reviewing as he does. the monastic
orders from beyond the CHRISTIAN era
where the Hindoos are found TO have
their ascetic priests, through the early
days Of the Christian church, the found
ing by ST. Benedict of an order, epochal
In his magnitude and influence, giving as
It has forty-eight popes and a host OF
other high dignltaries to the church of
Rome, the author considers the church as
transplanted in England, and its final
downfall as a monastic order under the
aggressions of the temporal power
The order Of Jesus is given consider
able attention, and while evidently not
a high admirer of the basic principles of
the order founded by Ignatius Loyola he
does relieve it from the eft heard accu-
satiOn that its motto is "the end justifies
the means" This, Mr. Wishart says, had
its origin in very bad translaung of the
Latin rules governing it, although he sug-
gests that the author OF the rule was not
overly careful of Latin grammar in pre-
pairing his code.
Implicit obedience to his superior, how
ever, the rigid rule OF the Jesuit, is ex-
copied to by Mr.. Winshart, who insists
however, that the Order of sJesus is not
the Roman Catholic church. aud that the
latter should not be neld culpable for the
defects in the former, which is but one
of its component organizations.
But from the almost prehistoric ex-
istence of monastic orders, the author
concludes that the basis of monastic life
is broader than any creed. The Asiatic
instances cited place the monastic enthu-
siasm in man on a basis earlier than the
days of Jesus, and hence independent of
him. That 1t is in an innate desire for
righteousness, Mr.. Wishart believes, and
that the monastic order becomes clearer
in vision as man himself Is brought to q
clearer idea of the ethical character of
God and Of true Righteousness, he sup
ports. Moral purity and fellowship with
God has always, he says, been in some
way associated with self-denial.
AS to the causes of variations in mon
asticism, Mr. Wishart writes:
THE monasticism as we'll as the relig-
Ion of the East has always differed from
the monasticism and religion Of the West
The Eastern mind is mythical dreamy,
contemplative; the Western mind loves
activity, is intensely practical But aside
from these differences, the Christian in
stitution passed through a variety of
changes. The monastic institution grew!
up amid the radical, changes ofgEuropear
society. 1t has witnessed the invasion of
the barbarians, which swept away old
political divisions, and destroyed many
of the heritages of an ancient civilization,
Then the process of reconstruction began
The barbarian was to lay the foundation
of great cities and organize powerful
commemorative out of wild but victorious
tribes The monk could not remain in
hiding. He was brother to the rowing
warrior. He became a jealous missionary
of the church; patron sof5Iettens and OF
agriculture a stirring participant In the
work of civilization. Next came tho
Crusades, Jerusalem was to be captured
for Christ and the church. The monk
then appeared as crusade preacher, a
warrior on the battle field, or nurse in
the military hospital
The ultimate monastic ideal was the
publication of the soul, but when trans
lated into definite concrete terms, the i'm
mediate aim Of the monk was to live a
life of poverty, celibacy and obedience"
The historian points cut that not all
the evils popularity accredited to nonasti-
ctsm were due to the institution, but to
the character of individuals who made it
a mask for purposes other than It's true
ones. Some of its Institutions, too, and
rules, We're not we'll calculated to further
the ultimate ideal, the publication Of the
soul but he says:
"A careful and sympathetic curvey OF
monastic history compels the conclusion
that monasticism, while not a blessing
to the world, was not an unmitigat ted
evil Any religious institution or ideal Of
life that has survived the changes OF
twelve centuries, and that has enlisted
The enthusiastic services and warmest
sympathies of numerous men and women
who have been hoporably distinguished
for their intellectual attachments and
moral character must have possessed ele-
ments of truth and moral worth. A con-
temptuOus treatment of monasticism i'm
plies either an ignorance of it's real his
tory or wilful disregard of the deep sig
nificance of its comnendable features.
Under the head of monasticism and
civic duties, Mr. Wishart thus mildly
criticiZes the institution:
The withdrawal of a considerable mum,
Der OF men of character and talent from
the exercise of civic duties is injurious to
the state. The burdens on those who re-
main, become heavier. while Society is
deprived of the moral influence of those
who forsake their civic responsibilities
When the monk attempted to exert an
1ntll1PnCa M Eo Ior r11t, Cot
ideals of life were not formulated in a
real world, but in an artificial, anti-sociql
environment ~
He was unable to appreciate the 20
Htlcal needs of men. and yet in later
years, the abbots Of the principal mon
asteries occupied seats in the legislative
assemblies of Germany, Hungary, Spain,
England, Italy and France. In many in.
stances they stood between the violence
of the mobiles and the unprotected vassaI.
Political monks secured the passage Cf
wise and humane regulations.
And Mr.. Wishart further mourns:
1t is an interesting speculation to
imagine what the intellectual development
OF Europe would have been. had secular
learning been commended by the monks,
and the common people encouraged to
exercise their minds. 1t is sad to reflect
how many great thoughts must have per,
ished still-born in the students cloister
cell, and to picture the silent grief with
which many a brilliant soul must have
repressed his eager imagination.
Modern mopasticism has forsaken the
column of st. Simeon Stylites and the
rags of ST. Francis. 1t has given I'D the
ancient and fantastic feats of asceticism,
and the spiritual extravagances of tbs
early monks The old monasticisn has
lost its hold upon the modern man be-
cause the ancient ideas of God and HIS
world upon which it thrived have PASSED
away