The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-08-02

two large fishes to distribute. and he
gave the two large ones to himself
and the small one to the two clerics,
defending the equity Of the division
by the remark: "Here you have one
small (himself) and two large (fishes)
and there you have two large (clerics)
and one small (hsh)."
An Unconscious 'Hsrstio.
His works are treatise ION Pre-
destination" also a translation of the
Pseudo-Dionysius, of which Anasta-
sius, the Roman librarian, says that
1.-The charity of God and the neighbor
was the mistress that taught him, and
that the Holy Spirit made him fiery
and fluent. though barbarian from
the end of the world" Based on the
Neo-Platonic philosophy Of the
Pseudo-Dionysius is his famous work
ION the Division of Nature" This
work was ordered to be burned by
Pope Honortus III in 1925 A. D. 1t
taught a most brilliant and fascinat-
ing form Of Pantheism. According to
Erigena spirit was an emanation of
God, and matter was an emanation of
spirit, and into the essence OF God
they will all return.
Although he never had a good word
to say of heretics, he was himself an
unconscious one. But he ventured on
uncharted seas; he entered untraveled
fields of thought; he was led astray
by the authority of an alleged apos-
tolic work-"The Dionysius; /"
yet in all his intellectual wanderings
of the most daring type his restless
spirit, he tells us, ever found the
homeward way to God. Ills Is kim
dred spirit with the German Panthe-
istic Idealists Of the present day; and
through them his name is becoming
mounting the heavens. He is also
supposed to be akin to modern Ra-
tionalists, but all they have in COM
mon is defense Of the rights of rea-
son; but in regard to the abuse of
reason. in setting 1t up as independ-
emit of authority, Erigena and Ration
alism part company.
In sentence which shows his char
acteristic eloquence, he writes: II am
not SO brow-beaten by authority, nor
SO fearful of the assault of less able
minds as to be afraid to utter with
fearless forehead what true reason
clearly determines and Individually
demonstrates: especially as there
must be question of such only
amongst the wise, to whom nothing is
more sweet to hear than true reason,
nothing more delightful to investi-
gate, when it is found" Rejecting
the knowledge of the Irish schools of
the times. Erigena and Albinus Of
Pavia, and other Irish saints prepared
the ground for the classics and phil
osophy Of the medieval universities
and this was not the least of their
great contributions to European cul-
ture.
Visited All Lands.
These are but few examples OF
Irish missionaries abroad. I have
fixed the telescope of history on a
few stars in the galaxy of the Irish
apostles that diffused the white light
of science and Christian purity
throughout Europe. What land in
Europe was left unvisited by them
The numerous libraries of the cont.
nent Of Europe contain copies of Irish
manuscripts. and their marginal gloss
es in Gaelic enabled the great Ger
man scholar, Zeuse, to write gram.
mar Of the Irish language.
What land did not bear their num-
erous footprints emitting the frag-
rance of the charity of Christ? Wa,
1t Scotland? It had COLUMBIA, first OF
exiles and missionaries amongst the
Picts and Scots; also Albanian, his
biographer. Was it England? It ha.
the Columbian monks Of Lindisfarne
in Northumberland, Aidan, Colmau
and Finnan; also Diuma. and Kelleck
amongst the Middle and the East
Angles.
The Roll Of Honor.
France had Fiacre of Meaux, Fur.
sey the Visionary. and Foilan, Cob.
ban, and Dicuil of Lagny; Fridelinu.
the Traveller (who also labored ir
Switzerland and along the Rhine);
Clemens, Charlemagne's professor al
Paris; Erigena, also of Paris; Mar.
Janus scotus of Mayence, the Chron.
icler, of the eleventh century.
Spain had the later Sedulius not t.
be COMPOUNDED with another Seduliul
called the Christian Virgil. He wrot.