The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-28
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Still More About the Middle Ages

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 Will you bear with me, if I feel con strained to answer again in your pages the middle ages. In the first place. I would like to disabuse the mind of the Rev. Coyle of the notion that I am his opponent. The fact is, that rather like him personally But I am and shall all ways be opposing statements which, ac- cordng to the limited light I have. are not borne out by facts.
 History proves and it did not need
 the more researchful historian of the nineteenth century to bring 1t to light,
 that they had great schools, monasteries and cloister schools in the middle ages.
 They invented clocks, spectacles, gun
 powder, paper and the compass and adopted decimal notation, and greatest of all inventions Gutenberg invented nov able type and printing. History proves that they had some great writers, paint CTS, sculptors and architects, but in spite of all this, the middle ages must be calico dark. because the light. which the church undoubtedly had was not trans
 
 pie. The ignorance of the masses. I am rot speaking merely of iliteracy is proved by some of the writers which the Rev. Coyle cites. Hollam says: Flu iope was altogether decayed in intellectual character, partly through barbarian incur sions, partly through other similar infiu- ences. We certainly owe to the church every spark of learning which then glim- mered and which she preserved through that darkness, to rekindle the light of 0 happier day" And Bosangot says: We speak sometimes of the dark ages and in matters of the exact sciences, perhaps they were dark enough" He then speaks os architecture as an index to the hap piness and freedom of the people. Here differ from him. While I cannot help the grandeur and beauty of the great Gothic cathedrals built in the mid dle ages, I must always think of the ex-l tortions rracticed on the common people which made such structures possible. No doubt this was one of the causes of the prevailing poverty. When I see picture of great St. Peters at Rome, built by Peters pence, garnered in from all Chris tendom I must always think of the in dulgenoes, paid for by the people in hard cash. to swell the building fund.
 The Rev. Coyle says common schools TOT lne HdSSeS were StdTteu aDOut lnc thirteenth century. My information is that in Germany they were started with the reformation, when Luther urged upon the princes and municipalities that they should SC. to 1t that the children were taught and not permitted to grow up like dumb beasts The reformation was the dawning of a new era, which dispelling the darkness of the ages past rekindled the spark of learning which the church ba Cbriqtta nifV g1Icl If was, dominated the mediaeval centuries, and the Rev. Coyle complains that this is the reason why so many historians do not treat the clergy of the mediaeval church with fairness. That is to say, that they do not give due credit to the merits of the priests and blame them too much for the evils then existing. Now, let us see. The church had the light, the people were in darkness. Was this the fault of the people? They were eager enough for education, when Luther came. As to the abuses which prevailed throughout the middle ages, and which kept the common herd in ignorance and poverty. and which finally brought on the reform tion, I wish to cite some Cath ollie sources:
 In the Diet at Worms, Duke George of Saxony. bitter enemy of Luther and the reformation, speaking about the ex- isting depravity in the church and of the corruption and greed of the priesthood, summed up as follows: 'These are but few of the abuses which cry out against Rome for redress. All shame Is laid aside and enc object alone epursued-money! ever more money! so that the very men whose duty 1t is to teach the truth. utter nothing but falsehoods, and are not only tolerated but rewarded, because the greater their lies the greater their gains. This Is the foul source from which so many cor rupt streams now out on every side. Pro- fligacy and avarice go hand in hand. Alas. 1t Is this scandal caused by the clergy. that plunses so many poor souls into hell. A thorough reform must be affected"
 'The Diet then appointed committee