The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-03-06
DARK AGES" BRIGHTER.
So Called Higher Criticism Has
Joined Hands With Socialism
In Interpreting Scriptures
Term Ozark Ages" Used
against Catholic Church
in Derision--Scholars
Find it Rich in In
ventiveness and
Power

Higher criticism of the scriptures" I"
the logical outcome of Professionalism,
has, as was to be expected, Joined
hands with Socialism in the interpre-
tation of sacred history. BY a terrible
and extremely unscientifc distortion
OF historical facts, it strives to show
that the message Of the prophets and
of the Messiah whom they foretold
was nothing but a message of eco.
nomic salvation, that there is in it, in
fact, no idea or intimation at all of re.
lgion as it has always been under.
stood. Practically all of the Protest
ant seminaries have succumbed, or are
well on the way to so doing, to this
absurd and destructive tenet, Union
Theological Seminary being the
principal home of these ideas. Hosts
OF ministers have been affected by the
new theories and among them has
been Henry c. Vedder, professor of
church history in Grocer Theological
Seminary, who has written several
books setting forth his opinions on
these matters.
It is quite refreshing, to say the
least, to find in book so full of
jumbled philosophy as Mr.. vedder's
last work, "The Gospel of Jesus and
the Problems of Democracy" COM
plimentary reference to the middle
ages and to the social conditions ex.
listing at that time. OF course, the
fact that the middle ages were times
Of the highest social Justice. brought
about by the teachings of the Church,
has been attested to time and time
again. Men Of such varying beliefs as
Thorold Rogers, the well-known lib
eral economist, in his Economic In
depreciation Of History" Henry De-
marest Lloyd, the American Socialist,
In his Men, the Workers." Prince p.
A. Krorotkin. the Russian anarchist,
in his Mutual Aid Factor of Evolu
tion." and Henry M. Hyndman. the
founder of the British Socialist party,
in his Historical Basis of Socialism in
England" as was set forth in the pam.
phlet on 'Why Catholic Workingmen
Should not be Socialists" recently
published by the Central Bureau of
the Central Verein, have testified to
this fact. But the idea has become
so prevalent, through its constant par.
rot-like repetition in our public schools
and by our second rate writer's, that
the middle ages we're times of dark
ness that it is difficult to think that
the truth in the case would be found
in book such as Mr.. Vedder's.
But it is there, almost hidden away,
and this is what is said in few brief
words: "The despised middle ages
were, in many respects, marked by a
social Justice superior to our own. So
ciety then tried to prevent unfair
competition, to give every man q
chance in his own rank. Rising cap
italism was from the beginning i'm
patient of all such restraints, and in
sisted that they should be removed,
so that competition might be made
free and every man find his level. It
proved lstrong enough to carry it's
point; restraints were removed; com.
petition was without limit. What fol-
lowed? We have but to look about US
and see." (New York. 1914, p. 72.)
But it was not alone in social JUS
tice and the practice of its kindred vir.
ture, charity, that the middle ages ex.
celled. James Russell Lowell, the
noted American essayist, tells us of
some of the other things in which the
middle ages were supreme. II am not
ashamed to confess" he writes in his
"Fireside Travels" "a singular sym
pathy with what are known as the
middle ages. I cannot help thinking
that few periods have left behind them
such traces Of inventiveness and pow
er. Nothing is more tiresome than
the sameness Of modern cities; and II
has often struck me that this must
also have been true Of those ancient
ones in which Greek architecture OF
its derivatives prevailed-true at least
as respects public buildings. But
medieval towns, especially in Italy
even when fifty miles asunder, have
an individuality Of character al
marked as that Of trees. Nor is II
merely that originality that attracts
me, but likewise the sense that, how
ever old, they are nearer to me in be
ing modern and Christian" (Boston
1876, p. 318-"A Few Bits Of Roman
Nosaic.") ..... .,
Nor does Lowell fail to give du,
credit to the Church, whose spirit wa
responsible for the cultural instinct O
the medieval peoples. "That is wha
the Roman Church does for religion.