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A COMPENDIUM

OF THE HISTORY OF THE

CATHOLIC CHURCH,

From the Commencement of the Christian Era,
Sfa thij (BtumiMtirnl d^oundl of th ©aliran,

In which are Narrated her Combats, and her Victories In Times of Perse-
cution, Heresyi and Scandal, and wherein is shown that
her Preservation is a Divine Work.

(S^ompiUb VLXiii S^ranslatjcb from llje ^zst gitit^ors»

By Rev. Theodoke Noethen.

Second Revised Edition.

BALTIMORE:

Published by John Murphy & Co.

182 Baltiuore Street.
1810.

^AN STACK

gnttnb a«0xbing I0 ^tt ai Congrtss, to il}t gtar 1870, bj

John Murphy,
iu t^J ©ffitt 0f tVt JCibrariatx at Congrrss, at 3aas;(?ingt0n.

PREFACE.

A GENERAL knowledge of what is termed "Pro-
fane History/' or the record of the principal facts
and events of all the nations and peoples who
have lived and flourished from the Creation to
the present time, is deemed a necessary portion
of a thorough education, and every effort is used
to store our minds with this important and inter-
esting information.

Wliile there are numerous and excellent works
of profane history published, a reliable and au-
thentic history of the Catholic Church has been
an acknowledged want, particularly at the present
time, when the Ecumenical Council of the Vati-
can, now in session, is awakening an interest in all
the nations of the world, Catholic and Protestant,
in regard to the Future of that Church, wliich,
from her very foundation, was the means of the
wonderful spread of the Gospel among all nations.

In our own country. Catholic Missionaries have
been the zealous and successful pioneers, not only
in civih'zing the Aborigines, but in discovering
and developing the sources of our greatest treas-
ures, and consequently of diffusing civilization and
refinement wherever their salutary and enlighten-
ing influence has been extended.

653

4 PREFACE.

Ill order to supply this want, the present work
has been compiled and translated from the ablest
and most reliable authors. Every important event
connected with the History of the Church, her
ttrials and her progress; her victories over perse-
cutions, heresies, and even scandals, are briefly
and impartially stated.

As some are frequently deterred from reading
books of this nature, by their length, and not less
by the high prices they command, this volume has
been prepared with the view of placing it within
the reach of all, and in such language, as will
prove interesting to the most casual and hasty
reader.

It is confidently hoped, that this work will
inspire all with a new love and reverence for our
Holy Mother, the Churcli ; while the touching
examples of the martyrs' constancy in persecution
and torments, and the edifying lives of the saints
who have adorned every century, will animate
and encourage the practice of piety and virtue.

The Translator.
Albany, May, 18t0.

INTRODUCTION.

The Church is that society which Jesus Christ
established in order to give a spiritual birth to the
children of God, and to form in virtue and holiness,
those who are destined one day to become the citi-
zens of heaven. As the execution of this design
embraces all ages, it is necessary that the Church
should exist without interruption until the end of
the world ; she must be always visible, and always
pure in faith and morals ; she must always possess
saints, and charity must always abide with her.
" The race of Christians," says St. Bernard, " shall
never fail, neither shall faith among men, nor charity
in the Church, because Jesus Christ has sanctified
all ages."

Nevertheless it has been predicted that the Church
shall be persecuted by the powers of this world ;
that she shall be torn by heresies and schisms ; that
scandals shall spring up in her midst, and that tares
shall grow up with the wheat. It is therefore evi-
dent, that, attacked on all sides, she could not have
existed, much less have established herself, unless
1*

6 INTRODUCTION-.

she had been sustained by an All-powerfnl hand.
Her Divine Author has also i)romised to be with
her until the end of time; that is to say, He will
always assist her with His invisible protection.

Her birth was miraculous, and she has been sus-
tained by a continual miracle ; it was necessary that
God should enable her to triumph over every obsta-
cle that men have never ceased to place in her w^ay.
Without His protection she would have perished
under the sword of persecutors, who endeavored for
three centuries to strangle her in her cradle; but
persecution, instead of destroying, has only served
to extend and multiply her. God has inspired a
multitude of heroes with supernatural courage and
patience, and the admiration which their virtues
excited converted the executioners themselves.

The Church would have perished owing to the
efforts of numerous heretics who have successively
attacked the dogmas of faith; but their efforts,
although often supported by the power of emperors
and kings, instead of changing the faith has only
served to place it in a brighter light and exhibit it
to greater advantage.

God has raised up a vast army of holy Doctors to
refute each error as soon as it appeared. He has
facilitated the holding of councils where all novel-
ties in faith have been solemnly condemned, and
where the truth has been declared authoritatively

IN^TllODUCTION". 7

in terms wliicli admit of no equivocation or sub-
terfuge.

The Church would have perished owing to tlie
laxity of morals, which at certain times prevailed
among her children, and even among her priests ;
but, notwithstanding the vices and disorders which
have sometimes reigned in her midst, the pastoral
authority has always been recognized, her discipline
has ever remained holy, and her teachings irrepre-
hensible. She has never ceased to oppose to indif-
ferentism and sin, the holy maxims of the gospel ;
she has never ceased to form perfect christians,
whose eminent sanctity has loudly condemned the
prevailing vices, and she has held up to the gaze of
the Universe, models of every virtue. This abiding
victory which the Church has obtained over tyrants,
over heresies and over sin, is a striking miracle of
the power of God ; the waters have sought to engulf
her, the winds have howled and raged against her,
but she has never fallen, because she is founded upon
the rock which is Jesus Christ and upon his inviola-
ble promises. How beautiful, how worthy of vener-
ation, is this Church, which, in its duration as well
as in its origin, gives evidence of its divine character.

There is nothing more admirable than a society
of men, who alone remain unchangeable in the con-
stant vicissitudes of human events, who, although
every thing else crumbles around them, stand firm

8 I X T R D U C T I N".

and immovable, like a rock in the midst of the sea,
always Oney always Holy, always Catholic, always
Apostolic ; that is to say, the Church has preserved
without interruption all her marks and prerogatives,
although assailed by violent tempests. It is the
visible accomplishment of the words of her divine
Author: "All power is given to me; go teach all
nations; and behold I am with you always, even to
the consummation of the world." Nothing less than
an omnipotent power could preserve the Church from
that instability which belongs to the things of this
earth ; nothing less than a divine hand could build
an immortal edifice which neither violence nor storm
could shake or destroy, and which, instead of being
weakened, is strengthened and fortified by the very
means used by its enemies to overthrow it.

"No," exclaims the illustrious Bossuet, "there is
nothing greater, nothing more divine in the charac-
ter of Jesus Christ than for Him to have predicted
on the one side that the Church would always be
attacked, either by persecutions, by heresies and
schisms which would spring up daily, or by the
coldness of charity which would result from relaxa-
tion of discipline, and on the other hand to have
promised, that, despite all obstacles, nothing should
prevent this Church from preserving her vitality,
from always having pastors who would transmit
from one to the other, from hand to hand, the

INTRODUCTION". 9

authority of Jesus Christ and with it the holy doc-
trines and sacraments. No other founder of a new
sect has ever dared to say what would either become
of him or of the society he established. Jesus
Christ is the only one who has explained in clear
and precise terms, not alone the circumstances of
His passion and death, but also the combats and
victories of His Church. " I have established you,"
said He to the Apostles, " that you shall go, that
you shall bear fruit, and that your fruit shall re-
main." And how shall it remain? He does not
hesitate to declare, and He announces in emphatic
language a duration witliout interruption and with-
out any other end than that of tlie Universe itself.

These are the promises which He has made in
return for the labors of twelve fishermen, and beliold
the manifest seal of the truth of His words. We
are confirmed in our belief of past events, by re-
marking the distinctness with which He saw into
the future.

Two tilings strengthen us in our faith — the mira-
cles worked by Jesus Christ in the presence of the
Apostles and the people, and the visible accomplish-
ment of his predictions and promises.

The Apostles saw but the first of these two things,
and we see but the second, nevertlieless it is as im-
possible to refuse to believe in one who worked such
prodigies and to deny the truth of His predictions,

10 INTRODUCTION".

as it is to deny that He was capable of perfoiiniTig
sncli wonders. "Therefore," says St. Augustine,
"our faith is cojitirmed on two sides, neither the
Apostles nor we can doubt, that which they saw in
the beginning assured them of what would follow —
that which has already happened assures us of that
which they saw and admired in the beginning."

Bossuet again says : " Beside the advantage which
the Church of Jesus Christ possesses of being
founded upon divine and miraculous facts which
were recorded with due solemnity and without fear
of contradiction at the very time of their occur-
rence, there is another in favor of those who did
not live at that time, a perpetual miracle, which
confirms the truth of all the others, and that is the
continuance of a religion always victorious over the
efforts made to destroy it."

What a consolation for the children of God, what
a convincing argument of the truth of their faith
when they are enabled to trace it back in uninter-
rupted succession from Pius IX, who now fills the
pontifical chair, to St. Peter, who was made the
Prince of the Apostles by Jesus Christ Himself
And from thence ascending to the pontiffs of the
old law, they trace it back to Aaron and Moses, and
then to the patriarchs — and from them to the very
beginning of the world.

What a succession ! what a tradition ! what a mar

IKTRODUCTION. 11

7elous chain of events! If our- mind, naturally
unstable, has become by reason of its uncertainty
the sport of its judgment, and therefore requires,
when questions arise which concern our eternal sal-
vation, a fixed and absolute authority — what greater
authority is necessary than that of the Catholic
Church which unites in itself all the authority of
past ages, all the ancient traditions of the human
race to its very origin, which justifies itself by its
succession, and which carries in its eternal dura-
tion the plain impress of the hand of God.

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH,

PAKT FIRST.

PREACHING OF THE APOSTLES.

When" Jesus Christ had ascended into heaven,
the Apostles returned to Jerusalem, and, according
to the command they had received, retired to the
Cenacle, in order to prepare themselves by seclusion
and prayer for the reception of the Holy Ghost
who had been promised them. On the tenth day,
which was that of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit de-
scended visibly upon them, and they were made new
men. Endowed with a celestial strength, inflamed
with a divine fire, the Apostles began to speak dif-
ferent languages and to proclaim the greatness of
God. The people who had repaired in crowds to
Jerusalem in order to celebrate the feast, ran with
eagerness to hear them.

They had come this year from all parts of the
world, and in a greater number than usual, because
lliey were convinced throughout all the east, that
the Messiali was about to appear. This vast con-
course, a mixture of so many nations, were amazed
to hear the Apostles speak the languages of dif-
ferent countries. St. Peter took occasion from it
to say to them: "The wonder which astonishes
you is the evident fulfilment of the prophecy
2

14 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

of Joel, expressed in these words — 'And it shall
come to pass after this that I will pour out my
Bpirit upon all flesh. And I will show wonders
in heaven and on earth, and your sons and your
daughters shall prophecy.' " He then announced to
them the divinity of Jesus Christ whom they had
crucified, declaring to them that He was truly the
Messiah expected by their fathers from the beginning
of the world. He exhorted them to be baptized in
His name, in order to receive the remission of their
sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. In fine, three
thousand were converted and added to the number of
the disciples. They persevered in the doctrine of the
Apostles, listening diligently to their instructions.

God confirmed this doctrine by a great num-
ber of miracles, which filled the people with a
holy fear. St. Peter and St. John, having gone up
to the temple at the hour of sacrifice, found at the
door a man forty years of age, who had been lame
from his birth. This man asked alms of them
according to his custom. St. Peter said to him:
" Silver and gold I have none ; but what I have, I
give thee : In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
arise, and walk." The lame man was cured on the
spot, began to walk, and entered the temple trans-
ported with joy, and praising God. The people
hastened to the temple when they heard the news
of this miracle, and St. Peter delivered a second
discourse, which converted five thousand more.

The high priests, and the officers of the temple,
enraged at the wonderful success of the preaching of
the Apostles, arrested them, and threw them into

PREACnilsTG OF THE APOSTLES. 15

prison. The next day the Sanhedrim, which was the
supreme council of the nation, was assembled, and
having had the Apostles brought before them, they
asked them by what authority they acted. Then St.
Peter, full of the Holy Ghost, replied Avith boldness :
" It is in the name of Jesus Christ, whom you have
crucified." All those who composed the council
were struck with astonisliment at seeing the firm-
ness of the Apostles, whom they knew to be only
men of the people. They contented themselves
with forbidding them to teach in the name of Jesus.
The Apostles answered them, with a holy intre-
pidity : " If it be just in the sight of God to obey
you, rather than God, judge ye. For we cannot but
speak the things which we have seen and heard,
when God commands us to make them known."
Thereupon they let them go.

The Apostles summoned the faithful together, to
relate to them that which had passed ; all then
returned thanks to God, and asked of Him the
courage to announce His word without fear of the
prohibition or of the threats of men, which should
be counted as nothing, when it was their duty to
accomplish the law of God.

The fiiithful assembled in the temple to pray,
in the gallery of Solomon. The people did not
dare to join them, for fear of being disturbed by
the public authority; but nothing could prevent
them from honoring and praising them, at the sight
of the wonders wliich they wrought every day.
They exposed the sick on their beds along the
streets, so that the shadow of St. Peter might fall

16 HISTORY OF THE CHUECH.

on them when he passed by. Many were even
brought from neighboring cities, and all returned
to their homes cured.

The high priest, filled with rage, had the Apostles
thrown a second time into prison ; but an Angel
delivered them, and commanded them to go to
the temple, and fearlessly preach the word of God.
The council sent an order for the Apostles to appear
before them; but although the prison had been
securely locked, no one was found there. Some per-
son came at the same time to give notice that the
prisoners Avere in the temple, teaching the people.
Then the captain of the guards of the temple repaired
to it with some officers, and carried away the Apostles,
but without using force, ])ecause he feared the people.

When they were presented to the council, he wlio
presided said to them: "Have we not expressly
forbidden you to preach in the name of Jesus?
Why, therefore, have you filled Jerusalem with your
doctrine, and why do you charge us with the blood
of this man?" Peter and the Apostles replied,
" We ought to obey God rather than man." Wlien
the human law is found to be in opposition to that
of God, there should be no doubt as to the choice ;
we should always give preference to the divine law.
Generous reply ! which all the martyrs, inspired by
the example of the Apostles, have repeated in the
presence of tyrants, who forbade them to do that
which God commands, or commanded them to do
that which God forbids.

The members of the supreme council, transported
with rage, considered how they should put the Apos-

PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL. 17

ties to death, but one among them, named Gamaliel,
counselled moderation. " If this undertaking comes
from man, it will disappear very soon of itself; but
if it comes from God, you cannot prevent it from
succeeding," His advice was followed; neverthe-
less they had the Apostles beaten with rods before
they were dismissed, and renewed the prohibition
for them not to speak again in the name of Jesus.
The Apostles went away full of joy, because they
had been judged worthy to suffer this affront for the
name of their Master; they continued to preach
Jesus Christ in the temple, and to teach the faith-
ful daily in their own houses.

WONDERFUL PROGRESS OF. THE GOSPEL.

The disciples of Jesus Christ increased from day
to day ; the number of the faithful belonging to the
Church of Jerusalem was already large when St.
Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles. We read that
it was composed of persons of each sex, and of every
condition ; but it was not only at Jerusalem that
the faith made conquests. The Apostles, having
been obliged to separate, on account of the persecu-
tion which broke out in that city, scattered every-
where the seed of the Divine word, and established,
in the places where they sought refuge, other
Churches, composed of Jews and Gentiles.

St. Peter travelled through many provinces and
founded many churches. He at first established his
chair at Antioch,and went afterward to Rome, which
Was at that time the centre of idolatry, in order to

18 HISTORY OF THE CIIURCn.

oppose it, even in the place where it rnlecl Avith the
greatest sway. He had also preached to the Jews,
settled in Pontus^ in Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia
and Bithynia, and to them lie addressed his first
letter. He sent some of his disciples to found
churches in the west.

St. Paul also preached Jesus Christ to the Gentiles
with the same success; he then went, first to Selcu-
cia, to Salamina, to Paphos, and there converted the
proconsul Sergius Paulus, who was governor, and
the greater part of the island received the Gospel.
He travelled over Pisidia, Pamphylia, Lycaonia,
Phrygia, Galatia, Mysia, and Macedonia. His preach-
ing was always followed by the conversion of the
people, and he established at Philippi a church
which remained inviolably attached to the doctrine,
and to the person of the holy Apostle.

After having reaped an ample harvest on his
way, he stopped at Thessalonica, the capital of Mace-
donia, and there founded a church, the zeal of whose
members served as a model to all otlier churches.
Thence he passed into Achaia and preached in
Athens, where he delivered in the Areopagus a cele-
brated discourse, which was followed by the conver-
sion of St. Denis and of many others. He repaired to
Rome and remained there two whole years, announc-
ing the kingdom of God, even in the palace of the
Emperor Nero, Avhere he converted several persons.

The other Apostles scattered themselves also
through the different provinces of the Roman
Empire, in order to carry there the good and ad-
mirable tidings of salvation. The conversions were

PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL. 19

SO frequent in the commencement of the church,
and the light of the gospel was diffused in so many
phices, that at the end of the first century, Chris-
tians were found throughout the greater part of the
Iloman Empire. It was thus in the face of all
nations, of Jews and of Gentiles, of Greeks and of
Barbarians, of the wise and of the ignorant, of the
people and of princes, that the Apostles bore testi-
mony to the miracles of the Son of God, and
especially to that of His resurrection, — miracles
which they had seen with their eyes, heard with
their ears, and touched with their hands. They
continued to give this testimony without any profit
to themselves, contrary to all the dictates of human
l)rudence, even to their last breath, and they finally
sealed it with their blood.

The unheard-of rapidity with which the Christian
religion established itself everywhere proves clearly
that it is divine, and that it is the work of God. It
is a manifest prodigy which incredulity would not
deny, if it did not close its eyes to the truth. Jesus
Christ had prophesied that the Gospel would be
preached over all the earth ; this wonder was to hap-
pan immediately after His death ; He had said that
when He should be raised from the earth — that is to
say, when He would be fastened to the cross — He
Avould draw all things to Himself

The Apostles had not yet finished their course
when St. Paul announced to the Romans that the
faith was proclaimed to all the world ; he wrote to
the Colossians that the gospel was heard by every
creature, that it was preached, that it Avould bear

20 HISTORY OF THE ClIUKCH.

fruit, and that it would increase tliroiigliout the
whole world. In short, tradition teaches us that St.
Thomas carried the gospel to the Indies, St. John to
Asia Minor, St, Andrew among the Scythians, St.
Philip to Asia, St. Baiiholomew to Great Armenia,
St. Matthew to Persia, St. Simon to Mesopotamia, St.
Luke to Arabia, and St. Matthias to Ethiopia. But
there is no need of histories in order to confirm this
truth, the result speaks for itself. The numerous
churches established at the end of this century were
not formed of themselves, but they show with how
much reason St. Paul applies to the Apostles this
passage of the Psalmist : " Their voice is heard over
all the earth, and their word has been carried even
to the extremities of the world."

VIRTUES OF THE FIRST CHRISTIANS.

Nothing is -more beautiful, nor more touching,
than the picture of the infant Church ; it has been
described by St. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles :
" All the multitude of those who believed had but
one heart and one soul, and not one of them
appropriated to himself that which he pos-
sessed ; but they had all things in common. There
were no poor among them, because all those who
liad lands or houses sold them, and brought back
the price ; they placed it at the feet of the Apostles,
and they distributed it to each one according to his
need. The faithful persevered in the doctrine of the
Saviour, in prayer, and in the breaking of the bread,
that is to say in the participation of the Divine

YIKTUES OF THE FIRST CHRISTIANS. 21

Eucharist." And in another place : " They were
all united together, and all that which they had was
in common ; their possessions and their goods they
sold, and divided them among all, according as
every one had need. And continuing daily with one
accord in the temple, and breaking bread from
house to house, they took their meat Avith gladness
and simplicity of heart, praising God, and having
favor with all the people."

" A great many miracles and wonders were worked
by the hands of the Apostles, and they were all
animated by the same spirit. Not one of the others
dared to unite themselves with them in the temple;
but the people bestowed great praises upon them ;
and the number of those who believed in the Lord,
increasing more and more, the Church established
herself thus, walking in the fear of the Lord, and she
was filled with the consolation of the Holy Ghost."

The sacred historian speaks of the Church of Jeru-
salem. Although \he other churches, composed prin-
cipally of Gentiles, had not arrived at this perfec-
tion, we cannot but think they were prodigies of
virtue and sanctity, if we consider the state in which
the Gentiles were found before their conversion.
When they had once received baptism they were no
longer like the same persons ; they commenced to lead
a new and truly spiritual life, and they found that
easy which had formerly appeared impossible to
them. Those who had been slaves to voluptuousness
became suddenly chaste and temperate ; the ambi-
tious saw no real greatness but in the cross ; the
passions were conquered, and virtue practiced ; they

32 HISTORY OF THE CHUliCH.

renounced all that was sweet and agreeable in life ;
labor and retirement, fasting and silence, had now
only attraction for them.

The first and jirincipal of their occupations was
prayer, which is also that which St. Paul recom-
mends in the first place ; and as he exhorts them to
pray without ceasing, according to the precept of
Jesus Christ, they employed all kinds of means in
order to interrupt as little as was possible the appli-
cation of their mind to God and to celestial things.
They prayed in common as often as they could,
persuaded that the greater the number that met
together to ask of God the same graces, the more
certainly would their petitions be granted, for the
Saviour says : " If two among you unite together
on earth to pray, all that which they ask Avill be
given them by my Father who is in Heaven ;
for where two or three persons assemble in my
name I am found in their midst." In order to
keep their thoughts fixed upon God, they said spe-
cial prayers before commencing and after finishing
their work ; they studied the law of God, repeating
in their houses that which they had heard spoken
in the place of assembly, and they fixed in their
memory the explanations of the pastor by convers-
ing with one another on the subject. Fathers,
especially, exhibited great care in the religious
training of their children.

Thus the life of a Christian was a continual course
of prayer, reading and labor, one duty succeeded the
other without other interruption than that which the
necessities of life demanded. This conduct was the

COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM. 23

more admirable in a number of men, who, until
their conversion, had given themselves up to all the
disorders of idolatry. Whence came so sudden and
wonderful a change ? They must have been very
sensibly impressed by the miracles and the virtues of
those who announced this new religion. The spirit
of God must have acted very powerfully in their
souls to have made them chaste and mortified men,
detached from riches, and only desirous of obtain-
ing invisible and eternal good. Such a change was
clearly the work of that power which has created
the world out of nothing, and which is still more
glorious when it triumphs over hearts without
impairing their liberty. On one side God acts as
Master and finds no opposition; on the other,
although He exacts implicit obedience from man,
He nevertheless leaves him the power to resist.

COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM.

Some of the lately converted Jews still remained
attached to the law of Moses, and they wished the
Gentiles who had become Christians to be subject to
it. This opinion spread as far as Antioch, where
St. Paul and St. Barnabas were residing at that time,
and it caused great trouble among those Gentiles
who had been converted to the faith, when they were
told that they could not be saved without submit-
ting to the law of circumcision and other practices
commanded by Moses. St. Paul and St. Barnabas
opposed it, aflarming that Jesus Christ had come to
free men from this subjection, and that His grace

24 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

would avail nothing to those who regarded circum-
cision as necessary.

It was therefore determined that they should go
to Jerusalem to consult the Apostles on this ques-
tion. On their arrival they were received by all the
Church. St. Paul had been divinely inspired to
undertake this journey. He conferred with the
Apostles who were at Jerusalem, that is to say with
St. Peter, St. James, and St. John, who were looked
upon as the pillars of the church. He compared
their doctrine with that which he preached to the
Gentiles, and which he had not learned from any
man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ,. and his
teachings were conformable to theirs.

The five Apostles and the priests then assem-
bled together in order to examine and determine
the question which had arisen, and after a long dis-
cussion, St. Peter rose and said : " Men, brethren,
you know that in former days God made choice
among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should
hear the word of God and believe, and God who
knoweth the hearts gave testimony, giving unto
them the Holy Ghost as well as to us (he spoke of
the conversion of Cornelius). Now, therefore, why
tempt you God to put a yoke upon the necks of the
disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have
been able to bear ? But by the grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ we believe to be saved in like manner
as they also."

St. Peter having thus spoken, all the assembly
kept silence, and they listened to the wonders that
St. Paul and St. Barnabas related, which God had

COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM. 2$

wrought among the Gentiles through them. St.
James then continued the discourse, and confirmed
the counsel of St. Peter by the testimony of the
prophets respecting the vocation of the Gentiles.
" For which cause, said he, I judge that they who
from among the Gentiles are converted to God
are not to be disquieted. But we write unto them
that they refrain from the pollutions of idols, and
from fornication, and from things strangled and from
blood." The Aj^ostles warned the Gentiles to avoid
fornication because the atrocity of the crime was not
acknowledged in paganism, and as for the prohibition
to eat strangled things and blood, it was a condescen-
sion of the Apostles, who wished to preserve for a
time, at least, this one lawful observance, in order the
more easily to reunite the Gentiles with the Jews.

When the question had been decided, the Apos-
tles, the priests, and all the Church, resolved to
choose some one from among themselves and to send
him to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. And they
intrusted him with a letter which contained the
decision of the Council, expressed in these words :
" It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us,
to lay no further burden upon you than to abstain
from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and
from things strangled, and from fornication."

The Apostles in this first Council have given the
example which the Church has since followed in all
her general councils ; that is to say, all questions
of faith and whatever relates to the salvation of
souls as well as to discipline, is decided by a sovereign
authority without any reference to the secular power

26 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

It was the occasion of a dispute among the faithful ;
they therefore sent to consult the church of Jerusa-
lem, where the preaching of the gospel had begun,
and where St. Peter then was.

The Apostles met together; St. Peter presided
over the assembly. He proposed the question, and
was the first to give his opinion ; but he was not
the only judge. St. James also gave his decision ;
the decision was founded on the Holy Scriptures
and formed by the common consent of the clergy;
they committed it to writing, not as a human judg-
ment, but as a decree of the Holy Ghost, and they
said with confidence : " It hath seemed good to tlie
Holy Ghost and to us." They sent this decision to
their particular churches, not to be questioned, but
to be received and executed with entire submission.
The Holy Ghost therefore makes Himself heard
through the voice of the Church.

St. Paul and Silas also, who carried to the faith-
ful this first decree of the Apostles, far from per-
mitting a new discussion on that which they had
decided, went through the cities teaching them to
keep the laws of the Apostles. It is thus that the
children of God comply with the decrees of tlie
Church, convinced that they hear through her
mouth the voice of the Holy Ghost. It is for this
reason, that after having said in the creed : " I
believe in the Holy Ghost," we add immediately, " and
in the Holy Catholic Church," by which we oblige
ourselves to acknowledge an infallible and perpetual
truth in the universal Church, since this same
Church that we believe in, during all time, would

DEATH OF ST. JAMES THE LESSER. 27

cease to be the Church, if she ceased to teach the
truth revealed by God.

This belief is founded on the solemn promise
which Jesus Christ has made in these words : " All
power is given to me, in Heaven and on earth ;
going therefore, teach ye all nations, teaching them
to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you, and behold, I am with you all days, even to the
consummation of the world." Jesus Christ has
given His almighty power for the foundation of
this promise. "With this all-powerful help, teach
all truth, combat all errors; nothing shall be able to
overthrow you, and this aid will never fail you; all
days I will be with you,and I will be with you until the
end of the world."

DEATH OF ST. JAMES THE LESSER.

Year of Our Lord 52.

St. James, surnamed the Lesser in order to distin-
guish him from the other Apostle of the same
name, had been appointed Bishop of Jerusalem.
It was he, who in the first council spoke after St.
Peter. He was beloved by all tlie faithful, and
respected even by the Jews on account of his emi-
nent sanctity. His litb was austere : his hair and
beard were never cut, and he drank no wine.

It is added that he wore no shoes, and that he had
only one tunic and a simple cloak of coarse stuff.
He had a habit of going to the lomple at an hour
when no one was there, and, prostrating himself
before God, he praj^ed for the sins of the people.

28 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

He remained for so long a time upon his knees that
they became hardened like the skin of a camel. It
was this diligence in prayer and his ardent charity
that caused him to be called the Just.

After the death of Festus, governor of Judea, and
before the arrival of his successor, the high priest
Ananus wished to profit by this interval to arrest the
progress of the gospel. He assembled a great coun-
cil before which St. James was brought. Ananus
pretended at first to consult him on the subject of
Jesus Christ. " The people take Jesus Christ for
the Messiah," said he to him ; " it is for you to dis-
sipate this error, since every one is ready to believe
that which you will say."

Then he was made to ascend the steps of the
temple in order that he could be heard by all the
multitude. When ho appeared on this elevated
place the scribes and the pharisees cried out to him,
" just man whom we ought all to believe, since
the people go astray in following Jesus crucified ;
tell us what we should think of it." Then St.
James replied in a loud voice : " Jesus, the son of
man, of whom you speak, is now seated at the right
hand of the Sovereign Majesty, as the Son of God,
and He is to come on the clouds of Heaven to judge
all the world." Such clear testimony rendered to
the divinity of Jesus Christ served greatly to con-
firm the new Christians in the faith which they had
first embraced. They all cried out with one voice,
" Glory to the son of David ! honor and glory to
Jesus !" But on the other side the pharisees, seeing
themselves foiled in their attempt, said one to the

DEATH OF ST. JAMES THE LESSER. .* 29

other : " What have we done ? wliy have we excited
this testimony in favor of Jesus ? We must over-
tlirow this man." They therefore began to cry :
" What ? is the Just also in error ?" Then, animated
oy a blind fury, they ascended to the pinnacle of the
temple and hurled the holy Apostle from it. Nev-
ertheless, St. James was not killed imm-ediately, but
had still enough strength to kneel down and address
God in this prayer : " Lord, forgive them, for they
know not what they do ! "

The cruel men now said : " We must stone him ! "
and they immediately threw on him a shower of
stones. One alone among them, touched by some
feeling of humanity, sixid to the others : *'What are
you doing ? stop ; the Just prays for you, and you
put him to death." These words could not subdue
their rage ; a fuller, who was present, took his rod
and aimed a heavy blow at the head of the Saint
and completed his martyrdom.

The holy Apostle had such a great reputation for
sanctity among the people, that they attributed to
his death the ruin of Jerusalem, which shortly after
followed. He was buried near the temple on the
same spot where he was martyred, and there they
erected a monument to him.

St. James wrote an epistle, which is to be found
in the New Testament, and one of the scA^en which
are called Catholic ; that is to say, addressed to the
universal Church. He endeavors in this epistle to
prove the necessity of good works in order to be
saved, because he had heard that some persons pre-
tended that faith was sufficient without works.
3*

30 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

The holy Apostle, on the contrary, teaches that
justice, when it is true, is willing to obseiTO the
commandments, and that the seiTants of God are
always faithful in good works, which he shows hy
the example of all the saints, who are in all times
distinguished for their virtuous actions.

FIRST PERSECUTION UNDER THE EMPEROR
NERO.

Year 54.

The Church had already suffered greatly on the
part of the Jews and Pagans, but these persecutions
were not general. The Emperor Nero was the first
who employed his sovereign poAver against the
Christians.

This cruel prince, enraged because several persons
in his palace had abandoned the worship of idols,
published an edict forbidding any one to embrace
the Christian religion. It was on the occasion of
the great fire which consumed nearly the whole city
of Eome. Many believed that Nero himself had
set fire to the city in order to rebuild it afterwards
with more magnificence.

With the view of pacifying the angry rumors
which were being circulated against him, and to
give an object to the public hatred, he accused the
Christians of being the incendiaries, and commenced
to persecute them in the most barbarous manner.
A great number of them were put to death, say the
Pagan authors themselves, not because they were
convicted of the crime of incendiarism, but because

FIRST PERSECUTION UNDER NERO. 31

they were odious to mankind on account of the
religion which they professed.

Nero did not content himself in their regard with
even the customary torments ; some of them were
wrapped in the skins of wild beasts and exposed to
the dogs to be devoured by them ; others, after hav-
ing been dressed in tunics soaked in pitch, were
fastened to posts, they were then set on fire, and
thus served for torches to give light during the
night. The emperor made a spectacle of them in
his gardens, where he himself drove his chariot by
the glare of these horrible torches. The Roman peo-
ple, who otherwise hated the Christians, nevertheless
felt compassion for them, and saw with sorrow that
they were sacrificed to the cruelty of the tyrant.

It was during this persecution that St. Peter and
St. Paul ended their lives by martyrdom. It is said
that these holy Apostles were kept nine months in a
prison which was at the foot of the capitol; that
two of their guards, astonished at the miracles
which they saw them work, were converted, and that
St. Peter baptized them with forty-seven other per-
sons who were at that time in the prison.

The faithful who were at Eome conveyed to St.
Peter the means of escape, and urged him to make
use of them in order to preserve his life, so precious
to the Church. The holy Apostle yielded at length
to their entreaties, but when he had arrived at the
gate of the city, Jesus Christ appeared to him, and
told him that He was going to Rome to be there
crucified over again. St. Peter penetrated the
meaning of these words, and understood that it was

32 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

in the person of His Vicar, that the Saviour was to
be a second time crucified. He returned to the
prison and was condemned to the torment of the
cross ; but he asked to be fastened to it with his
head downwards, judging himself unworthy to die
in the same manner as his Divine Master.

St. Paul, being a Eoman citizen, was beheaded.
It is related that on his way to execution he con-
verted three soldiers, who suffered martyrdom shortly
afterwards.

Such was the origin of the first persecution which
the Church suffered from the Roman emperors, and it
is glorious for her to have had for persecutor a prince
who was an enemy to every virtue. The most wicked
of men was worthy to be the first of persecutors.

TERRIBLE PROPHECY CONCERNING THE CITY OF
JERUSALEM.

The time drew near when the prophecy of Jesus
Christ should be accomplished against the city and
the temple of Jerusalem. The generation was not to
pass away before the misfortunes which were fore-
told should happen. It is a perpetual tradition,
certified to in the Talmud of the Jews and con-
firmed by all the rabbi's, that forty years before the
ruin of Jerusalem, which goes back to the time of
the death of Jesus Christ, they did not cease seeing
strange things in the temple. Every day there
appeared new wonders, so that a famous rabbi cried
out one day: " temple ! temple ! what causeth

TERRIBLE PROPHECY OF JERUSALEM. 33

thy commotion, and why art thou temfied for thy-
self?"

What could be more dreadful than the frightful
noise which was heard in the sanctuary on the day
of Pentecost, or more fearful than the voice which
resounded all through the sacred place: "Depart
HEN'CE ! Depart hence !" The holy angels, pro-
tectors of the temple, declared loudly that they
abandoned it, because God, who had chosen it as
His dwelling place for so many centuries, had con-
demned it.

At length, forty years before the war in which
Jerusalem was destroyed, the Jews received a terri-
ble warning, which appeared before the eyes of all
the people. Josephus, the Jewish historian, thus
relates it :

" One, named Jesus, son of Ananus, having come
from the country to the feast of the Tabernacles,
when the city Avas still in a profound peace, began
suddenly to cry out : ' Woe to the city ! woe to the
temple ! voice of the east, voice of the west, voice of
the four winds ; woe to the temple ! woe to Jeru-
salem !' He never ceased, day or night, traversing
the city, repeating continually the same threat.
The magistrates in order to stop him caused him fco
be severely punished. He did not say a word to
clear himself nor did he make a complaint, but he
continued to cry out as before : ' Woe to the tem-
ple ! woe to Jerusalem !' Then they took him to the
Roman governor, who had him beaten with rods.
The pain did not make him ask for mercy, nor did
it cause him to shed a single tear ; at every blow

34 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

that tliey gave him, he repeated in a still more
mournful voice : * Woe ! woe to Jerusalem !' He
redoubled his cries on feast days ; and when they
asked him who he was, from whence he came, and
what he meant by his cries, he replied to none of
these questions, but continued in the same manner
and with the same vehemence, so that they dismissed
him as a madman. It was remarked that his voice,
although incessantly and violently exercised, never
became at all weakened.

" At the last siege of Jerusalem he shut himself up
in the city ; and walking indefatigably round and
round the ramparts, he cried out with all his
strength, ^ Woe to the temple ! woe to Jerusalem .
'W'oe to the people !' At the end he added, ^ Woe to
myself!' and immediately afterwards lie was killed
by a stone thrown from a machine."

Is it not manifest that this mau was but an instru-
ment in the hands of God, and that he only existed
in order to announce these judgments? He was
not only the prophet and the Avitness, but the vic-
tim, for the manner of his death only made the
threats of God more conspicuous. This prophet of
the misfortunes of Jerusalem called himself Jesus.
It seemed that the name of Jesus, the name of salva-
tion and of peace, was destined to become an omen
of calamity to the Jews, who despised it in the per-
son of our Lord ; and that because this ungrateful
people rejected one Jesus, who announced to them
pardon, mercy and life, God sent them another Jesus
to foretell irremediable evils, and the inevitable de-
cree of their approaching ruin.

destructio:n" of Jerusalem. 35

the destruction of jerusalem.

The Jews, who had always detested the yoke of
the Romans, revolted agamst them, and this revolt
caused their ruin. The wisest among them left
Jerusalem, foreseeing the misfortunes which were
about to befall her. It was then that the Christians
who were in the city retired to the little city of
Pella, situated in the midst of the mountains of
Syria, thus following the advice given by our Lord
to His disciples, when He predicted to them the
destruction of the temple.

The Roman army at first suffered a slight defeat,
which emboldened the rebels ; but the command of
the army having been given to Vespasian, that gen-
eral very soon regained the advantage over them.
Then commenced divisions and dissensions among
the Jews, and different parties were formed in the
city, all of whom committed the greatest excesses.
This unhappy city was attacked on both sides — by
cruel factions within and by the Romans without.
Vespasian, informed of what was taking place in
Jerusalem, suffered the Jews to destroy themselves,
in order that he might the more easily gain his own
ends.

Being at that time the recognized emperor, he
entrusted Titus, his son, with the continuation of
the siege. This young prince encamped three miles
from Jerusalem and closed all the entrances to the
city. As it was near the feast of the Passover, a
great number of Jews were shut up in the city, and
they consumed in a short time all the food that was

36 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

there. Famine was most terribly felt. Tlie factious
riislied into the houses to search them; they ill-
treated those who had hidden any food, and com-
pelled them by cruel torments to give up all that
they possessed. The greater part of the citizens
were obliged to eat any thing they could find ; they
even snatched the food from one another, and they
would take away from the children the bread which
they held in their hands. The seditious were not
at all affected by these evils, and they were only
more enraged and more determined to continue the
war. Nevertheless, Titus, having taken the fortress
called Antonia, advanced his works, went as far as
the temple, and made himself master of the two
exterior galleries.

It was then that the famine became horrible ; the
people searched in the gutters for something to eat,
and they devoured food that was even tainted. A
woman, overcome by hunger and reduced to despair,
took her child still at the breast, and looking at it
with frenzied eyes, exclaimed : " Unhappy wretch,
for what do I reserve thee ? To die of hunger or
to become a slave of the Romans ?'' She cut its
throat immediately, roasted it, ate a part of it, and
hid the rest.

The rioters, attracted by the odor, entered the
house and threatened to kill the woman if she did
not show them what she had concealed. She laid
before them that which remained of her child, and
seeing them transfixed with horror, she said to
them : " You can certainly eat of it, if I have done
so ; it is my child ; it is I who have killed it ; you

DESTRUCTIOl^r OF JERUSALEM. 37

ire neither more delicate than a woman, nor more
tender hearted than a mother." They left the house
trembling with fear.

Titus now attacked the second enclosure of the
temple and set fire to the gates, commanding them,
however, to preserve the body of the edifice ; but a
Roman soldier, impelled, says Josephus the historian,
by a divine inspiration, took a firebrand, and caus-
ing himself to be raised up by his companions, he
threw it into one of the rooms which the temple
contained. The fire instantly caught, penetrated
into the interior of the temple, and entirely con-
sumed it, notwithstanding the efforts which Titus
made to arrest the flames.

The Romans massacred all whom they found in
the city, and destroyed every thing by fire and by the
sword: thus was accomplished the prophecy of
Jesus Christ. Titus himself declared that this suc-
cess was not his work, and that he had only been
the instrument of divine vengeance. There per-
ished in this siege eleven hundred thousand inhabit-
ants. The remainder of this unhappy nation were
widely scattered over the empire.

Who does not see in this terrible disaster the just
punishment of the impious rage which the Jews
had exercised against the Messiah ? Other cities
have had to endure the horrors of a siege or of a
famine ; but it has never happened that the citizens
of a besieged city have carried on the war with so
much fury, or that they ever practiced against one
another a more atrocious cruelty than that Avhich
they suffered from the hands of the enemy itself.
4

38 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

This is a solitary example, and will always be so ;
but this one example was necessary to verify the
prediction of Jesus Christ, and to render the pun-
ishment of Jerusalem proportionate to the crime
which she had committed in crucifying her God; a
crime which stands alone, and which has never had
an example in the past nor will have in the future.

SECOND PERSECUTION UNDER DOMITIAN.

The wars in which the emperors who succeeded
Nero were engaged, and the pacific character of
Vespa:sian and of Titus, gave the Christians some
respite, until the time when Domitian commenced
the second general persecution.

This emperor, who had all the vices of Nero,
imitated him also in his hatred of Christians. He
published an edict intended to overthrow, if it had
been possible, the Church of God, already firmly
established in a great number of places. God had
warned His servants of this tribulation before it
came to pass, in order that they might prepare for it
by a renewal of zeal.

We can judge of the violence of this persecution
by the manner in wbich the emperor treated the
most distinguished persons, and even his nearest
relatives. He put to death the consul, Flavins
Clemens, his first cousin, and banished Domitilla,
the wife of the consul, because they became Chris-
tians. Two of their slaves, Nereus and Achilleus,
who were also converted to the faith, suffered many
torments, and were at last beheaded.

SECOND PERSECUTIO]!T UNDER DOMITIAN. 39

There were a great many others who were put to
death, or deprived of their possessions; but that
which rendered the persecution of Domitian most
famous is the martyrdom of St. John. The holy
Apostle was brought to Rome, where he was thrown
into a vessel of boiling oil, but without receiving
any injury. Jesus Christ, who had specially fa-
vored him among all the Apostles, granted him,
like the others, the glory of martyrdom ; but He
did not wish to leave to men the power of shorten-
ing so precious a life. Thus was accomplished that
which our Lord had prophesied, that this Apostle
would drink the chalice of His passion. This
miracle happened near the Latin gate, according to
the tradition which is yet preserved in Rome, and
there is still to be seen an illustrious and most
ancient memorial of it. It is a church .that the
Christians erected on the spot, and it bears his
name, in order to perpetuate the remembrance of
this event.

St. John, having escaped death by so evident a
miracle, was exiled by Domitian to the Island of
Patmos, which is one of the islands of the Egean
sea. It was in this place that he wrote his Apoc-
alypse ; far from the intercourse of men he had
prophetic revelations, which he addressed to the
seven principal Churches of Asia, more particularly
committed to his care. In this divine book, after
giving to his Churches such advice as was expedient
for each of them, he, enlightened by the Spirit of God,
predicts under the most sublime images the destruc-
tion of idolatry and the triumph of the Church.

40 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

When, after the death of the tyrant, the senate
had annulled all his decrees, St. John returned to
Ephesus, and there passed the remainder of his life,
watching over the interests of the Churches of Asia.
He was then ninety years old, but his great age did
not prevent him from sometimes going into the
neighboring provinces to ordain bishops, or to form
and establish new Churches.

He wrote his Gospel at the solicitation of the
Bishops of Asia, who entreated him to give in writ-
ing an authentic testimony of the divinity of Jesus
Christ, which some heretics had attacked ; he wrote
it after proclaiming a fast and public prayers. . His
epistles date from about the same time ; they
breathe throughout the most tender charity, and it
can be easily seen from them that his heart was
filled with that divine fire which he had drawn from
the bosom of the Saviour, on which he reposed at
the last supper. The first is addressed to the Par-
thians, and the two others to particular persons ; he
does not take there the title of Apostle, but that of
the Ancient, which they commonly gave him.

THE LAST ACTION OF ST. JOHN.

There is related of St. John a very touching
event, and which forcibly portrays the ardor of his
charity. In one of his journeys, after having deliv-
ered an exhortation to the faithful of a city of Asia,
he observed in the assembly a young man of attract-
ive appearance, to whom he became attached, and
addressing himself to the bishop, he said to him

LAST ACTION OF ST. JOHN". 41

before all tlie people : " Take care of this youth ; I
recommend him to you in the presence of the
Church and of Jesus Christ," and then St. John
departed for Ephesus. The bishop instructed the
young man, and prepared him to receive baptism.

After having admitted him to the sacrament of
confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist, and believing
him worthy of Christ, he ceased to watch over him, and
gave him more liberty. The young man abused the
confidence placed in him, and became intimate with
some libertines of his own age, who persuaded him
to indulge with them in all kinds of vice ; and he
even went to greater extremes than his disorderly
companions, for he finally became chief of a band of
robbers. «».

Some years afterwards St. John returned to this
same city, and demanded of the bishop an account
of the trust he had confided to him. The bishop
was at first surprised, thinking that he had refer-
ence to some money, " It is the youth whom I have
intrusted to you," said the Apostle, " it is the soul
of your brother." " He is dead," answered the bishop,
concealing his eyes. "Dead?" asked the Saint,
"of what did he die?" "He is dead to God,"
replied the bishop ; " he has become a wicked man
and a robber, and has taken possession of a moun-
tain, where he dwells with a band of wretches like
himself."

At this intelligence, the holy Apostle groaned

aloud. " Give me a horse and a guide," said he. He

left the Church, and repaired to the place where the

robbers were to be found. Their sentinels arrested

42 HISTOEY OF THE CHUKCH.

him and took liim before their captain, who waited
to receive him. The young man, ha^dng recognized
St. John, was seized with shame, and fled. Then tlie
holy Apostle, forgetting his great age, pursued him
and cried out to him : " My son, why do you fly from
me ; why do you fly from your father, an old man, with-
out Aveapons ? My son, have pity on me ; do not fear ;
there is still hope of your salvation. I will answer
for you to Jesus Christ. I would willingly give my life
for you, as Jesus Christ has given His for us ; stop,
believe me, it is Jesus Christ who has sent me to
you." At these words, the robber stopped, let fall
his arms, and burst into tears. The holy old man
embraced him with tenderness, reassured him, and
promising him, on the part of the Lord, the forgive-
ness of his sins, he took him back to the Church ;
prayed for him, fasted with him, conversed with
him on the most edifying subjects, and did not leave
him until he had reconciled him with God.

St. John lived until he was one hundred years
old. His advanced age did not impair his useful-
ness ; he wished the people to take innocent recrea-
tions, and himself set the example. One day when
amusing himself by petting a tame pigeon, he was
met by a sportsman, who appeared astonished to see
so great a man indulge in such a pastime. " What
have you in your hand ?" said St. John to him. " A
bow," replied the sportsman. "Why do you not
always keep it bent ?" " It would lose its strength,"
said the sportsman. "Well," responded the holy
Apostle, " it is for the same reason that I give some
recreation to my mind."

DIVISION IN THE CHURCH. 43

THE DIVISION IN THE CHURCH OF CORINTH.

After the death of St. Peter, the Church of Rome
was governed by St. Linus, and then by St. Cletns,
Avho was succeeded by St. Clement, who is spoken
of in the Epistle to the Philippians.

A great trouble occurred in the Church of Corinth
during his life-time. Some of the laity, excited by a
spirit of faction, rose against the priests, and caused
several of them to be unjustly deposed. Pope
Clement wrote them a most affecting and instruct-
ive letter on this subject. After the Holy Scrip-
ture, it is one of the most beautiful monuments of
ecclesiastical antiquity. It begins thus : " The
Church of God which is at Rome, to the Church of
God which is at Corinth, elect, sanctified, by the
will of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord : grace
and peace from the Almighty God, by Jesus Christ,
be multiplied unto you."

After inspiring them with horror at the division
which was agitating the Church of Corinth, he
describes the excellence of their lives as Christians.
" For who that has ever been among you has not
experienced the firmness of your faith and its fruit-
fulness in all good works ; and admired the temper
and moderation of your religion in Christ. For you
did all things without respect to persons, and walked
according to the laws of God ; being subject to those
who had authority over you, and giving the honor
that was due to such as were aged among you. You
commanded the young men to think those things
that were modest and grave. The women you

44 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

exhorted to do all things with an upright and pure
conscience ; loving their own husbands, as was fit-
ting; and that, keeping themselves within the
bounds of a lawful obedience, they should order
their houses gravely with all discretion. You were
all of you humble minded, not boasting of any
thing ; desiring rather to be subject than to govern ;
to give than to receive ; being content wath the por-
tion God had dispensed to you ; and, hearkening
diligently to His word, you were confirmed in
your charity, having His sufferings always before
your eyes.

" Thus a firm, and blessed and profitable peace was
given unto you ; and an insatiable desire to do good ;
and a plentiful effiision of the Holy Ghost was upon
all of you. And being full of good designs, you
did, with great readiness of mind, and with a relig-
ious confidence, stretch forth your hands to God
Almighty; beseeching Him to be merciful unto
you, if in anything you had unwillingly sinned
against Him. You contended day and night for
the whole brotherhood ; that with compassion, and
a good conscience, the number of His elect might
be saved.

You Avere sincere, and without offense towards
each other ; not remembering injuries ; all sedition
and schism were an abomination unto you. You
bewailed every one his neighbor's sins, esteeming
their defects your own. You were kind one to
another without grudging ; always ready to perform
every good Avork. And being gifted Avith a conA^er-
sation altogether virtuous and religious, you did all

DIVISTOIT IJT THE CHURCH. 45

things in the fear of God, whose commandments
were written upon the tables of joiw heart."

The Holy Pope then pictures the evils occasioned
by discord. " From thence came emulation, and
envy, and strife, and sedition, persecution and dis-
order, war and captivity." He produces proofs
from the Old Testament in order to show the bad
eifects of jealousy ; he exhorts the Corinthians to
repentance, charity and humility by the example of
the saints, the consideration of the goodness of
God, and finally by the sacred ties which unite all
Christians.

"Wherefore are there strifes, and anger, and
divisions, and schisms, and wars, among us ?" he
exclaims. "Have we not all one God, and one ^
Clirist ? Is not one spirit of grace poured out upon
us all ? Have we not one calling in Christ ? Why
then do we rend and tear in pieces the members of
Christ, and raise seditions against our own body,
and are come to such a height of madness, as to
forget that we are members one of another ? Your
schism has perverted many, has discouraged many ;
it has caused diffidence in many, and grief in us all.
Let us therefore with all haste put an end to this
sedition ; and let us fall down before the Lord and
beseech Him with tears that He would be favorably
reconciled to us, and restore us again to a seemly
and holy course of brotherly love."

This letter produced the effect the holy Pope
desired, and he had the consolation of suppressing
this schism which distracted the Church of Corinth,

46 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

THIRD PERSECUTION UNDER TRAJAN.
(Year 106.)

The third persecution commenced during the
pontificate of St. Evaristus, who had succeeded St.
Clement. Although less violent than the two first,
it lasted a long time, and made a very great number
of martyrs. The emperor Trajan, whom history
otherwise praises for his wisdom and clemency,
encouraged the barbarities which were practiced
against the Christians. Although he had not issued
new edicts against them, he nevertheless wished the
cruel laws to be executed which had been made by
his predecessors throughout the different provinces
of the empire.

A remarkable memorial of this fact has been
handed down to us in the reply of this prince to
Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia. Pliny
wrote to Trajan, in order to consult him as to the
course of conduct he should pursue with regard to
the Christians; he declared that he finds them
innocent of any crime. " All their error, he says,
consists in this one thing, that on a certain day
they assemble before sun-rise and with two choirs
sing hymns in honor of Christ, whom they look
upon as a God. They also pledge themselves by
oath not to commit such crimes as robbery and
adultery, to be faithful to their word, and to confess
the truth. I have not discovered any superstitious
practices in their worship, and for this reason I have
suspended all the laws against them until further
orders from you. The affair has appeared to me

THIRD PERSECUTIOI?' UlfDER TRAJAIT. 47

worthy of your consideration, on account of the
vast number of those who are implicated in this
accusation ; for there are a great many of every age,
of each sex, and of all conditions ; this contagious
evil has not only infected the cities, it has extended
to the villages and country places. On my arrival
in Bithynia, I found the temples of our gods
deserted, the feasts abolished, and it was difficult to
find any one to bury the victims."

This letter of a Pagan governor shows how much
the Church had progressed at the end of the first
century, and the great purity of the :^iith professed
by the Christians. This testimony rendered to their
innocence by a persecutor is a glorious tribute paid to
the religion of Christ. Trajan replied to him that
it was not necessary to institute inquiries about the
Christians ; but that if they, when denounced,
acknowledged themselves Christians, they should be
punished with death ; an absurd and extraordinary
answer on the part of an otherwise estimable prince.
If the Christians are guilty, why forbid any inquir-
ies about them ? If, on the contrary, they are inno-
cent, why punish them as soon as an accusation is
made against them ? How limited is the knowledge
of men when they are not enlightened by the torch
of faith! How imperfect and defective is even
their justice !

This prince put to death several Christians. One
of the first who suffered martyrdom was St. Simeon,
a near relative of Our Lord. He was Bishop of
Jerusalem, and one hundred and twenty years of age
when he was denounced as a Christian and as being

48 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

of the race of David. For this double crime they
made him undergo many torments, which he endured
with an admirable constancy. The spectators were
amazed to see so much courage and strength in a
man of such advanced age. At length he was con-
demned to be crucified, and he had the glory of
giving his life for Jesus Christ, and of dying by the
same punishment as his Divine Master.

TRAJAN INTERROGATES ST. IGNATIUS AND CON-
DEMNS HIM TO DEATH.

The emperor Trajan not only instigated the
magistrates against the Christians, but took part
himself in the persecution. In passing through
Antioch on his way to make war on the Persians,
he ordered Ignatius, surnamed Theophorus, Bishop
of Antioch, to be brought before him.

"Is it thou," said Trajan, "who like a wicked
demon dares to violate my commands, and seekest by
thy example to induce others to ruin themselves ?"
Ignatius replied, " Prince, none other than thyself
has ever called Theophorus a wicked demon (he
alluded to the signification of the Greek word
Theophorus, which means, one who carries God in
his heart) ; far from the servants of God being evil
spirits, know that the demons tremble before them,
and take flight at the sound of their voice."

" And who is Theophorus ?" asked the emperor.
" It is I," replied Ignatius, " and whosoever like me
carries Jesus Christ in his heart." " Dost thou then
believe," asked Trajan, " that we also carry in our

TRAJAN" INTERROGATES ST. IGNATIUS. 49

hearts the gods who combat for us ?" " They are
not Gods, they are devils," replied Ignatius, " there
is but one God, who has made heaven and earth, and
there is but one Jesus Christ, the only son of God,
in the kingdom to which I aspire." "Speakest
thou," asked Trajan, " of that Jesus whom Pilate
had fastened to a cross ?" " Say rather," answered
the holy bishop, " that Jesus fastened to the cross sin
and its author, and that He then gave to those who
carry Him in their hearts the authority to confound
hell and its powers." " Thou carriest then Christ
within thee ?" said the emperor. " Yes, undoubted-
ly," replied Ignatius, " for it is written : ' I will dwell
within them, and I will accompany all their steps.' "
Trajan, annoyed by the ready and apt replies of
St. Ignatius, pronounced sentence against him.
" We command that Ignatius, who glories in carry-
ing within him the Crucified, shall be placed in irons,
and conducted under a strong guard to Eome, to be
there exposed* to wild beasts, and to serve as a spec-
tacle to the people." Upon hearing this decree, the
Saint cried out in a transport of joy : "I return thee
thanks, Lord, for having given me a perfect love
for thee, and for honoring me with the same fetters
with which thou didst formerly honor the great
Paul, thy Apostle." While uttering these words lie
fastened the chains upon himself, and with tears
recommended the Church to God. He then placed
himself in the hands of a band of cruel and inhu-
man soldiers, who were to conduct him to Rome, to
serve as food for the lions, and amusement for the
people.

60 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

In his impatience to shed his blood for Jesns
Christ, he joyfully left Antioch in order to repair to
Seleucia, where he was to embark. After a long and
dangerous voyage, he landed at Smyrna. As soon
as he reached the shore, he went to see St. Polycarp,
w^ho was the bishop of that city, and who had been,
like himself, a disciple of St. John. St. Ignatius
expressed the joy he felt at being in chains for Jesus
Christ. At Smyrna he found deputies from all tlie
neighboring churches, who had come to salute him,
and who were eager to have some share in the
spiritual grace with which he was filled. The holy
bishop entreated them all, and particularly St.
Polycarp, to unite their prayers to his, in order to
obtain for him the grace to die for Jesus Christ.

From Smyrna he wrote to the Churches of Asia
letters full of the apostolic spirit. Then, addressing
himself to the deputies who had come to visit him,
he implored them not to retard him in his journey,
but to suffer him to go quickly to Jesus Christ, by
means of the teeth of the wild beasts who waited to
devour him. As he feared that the Christians who
were at Rome would put obstacles in the way of his
ardent desire to die for Christ, he sent them an
admirable letter by the Ephesians, who were to pre-
cede him, imploring them not to prevent him from
suffering the torments to which he was condemned.

LETTER OF ST. IGN^ATIUS. 51

LETTER OF ST. IGNATIUS TO THE FAITHFUL AT
ROME.

St. Ignatius, in the letter he wrote the faithful
at Rome, commences by expressing the joy he ex-
perienced in the hope of seeing them soon again.
He entreats them in the most ardent and affec-
tionate language not to deprive him of the fulfil-
ment of his desires by preventing, through their
influence, his being immolated to Jesus Christ by
martyrdom.

He writes, "I fear your love, lest it do me an
injury. For it is easy for you to do what you please ;
but it will be hard for me to attain unto God, if you
spare me. But I would not that ye should please
men, but Grod, whom also ye do please. Neither
shall I ever have such an opportunity of going unto
God ; nor will you, if ye shall now be silent, ever be
entitled to a better work. For if you shall be silent
in my behalf, I shall be made partaker of God.
But if you shall love my body, I shall have my
course again to run.

" Wherefore ye cannot do me a greater kindness
than to suffer me to be sacrificed unto God, now that
the altar is already prepared. Only pray for me,
that God would give me both inward and outward
strength, that I may not only say, but will ; nor be
only called a Christian, but be found one. For if I
shall be found a Christian, I may then deservedly be
called one ; and be thought faithful, when I shall
no longer appear to the world. Nothing is good
that is seen.

52 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

" A Christian is not a work of opinion ; bnt of
greatness of mind, especially when he is hated by
the world. I will write to the Churches and signify
to them all , that I am willing to die for God, unless
you hinder me. I beseech you that you show not an
unseasonable good will towards me. Suffer me to
be food for the wild beasts ; by which I shall attain
unto God. For I am the wheat of God ; and I
shall be ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that
I may be found the pure bread of Christ. May I
enjoy the wild beasts that are prepared for me;
which also I wish may exercise all their fierceness
upon me. And for that end I will encourage them,
that they may be sure to devour me, and not serve
me as they have done some, whom out of fear they
have not touched. But, if they will not do it wil-
lingly, I will provoke them to it. Pardon me in this
matter ; I know what is profitable for me.

" Now I begin to be a disciple ; nor shall any
thing move me, whether visible or invisible, that I
may attain to Jesus Christ. Let fire, and the cross ;
let the companies of wild beasts ; let breakings of
bone, and tearing of members ; let the scattering in
pieces of the whole body, and all the wicked tor-
ments of the devil come upon me ; only let mo
enjoy Jesus Christ. All the ends of the world, and
the kingdoms of it, will profit me nothing. I would
rather die for Jesus Christ than rule to the utmost
ends of the earth. Him T seek who died for us ;
Him I desire, that rose again for us. This is the
gain that is laid up for me.

MARTYKDOM OF ST. IGN^ATIUS. 53

"Permit me to imitate the passion of my God.
If any one has Him within himself let him consider
what I desire ; and let him have compassion on me,
knowing how I am straitened. For though I am
alive at the writing of this, yet my desire is to die.
My love is crucified ; and the fire that is within me
does not desire any water; but being alive, and
springing within me, says, * Come to the Father.' I
take no pleasure in the food of corruption, nor in
the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God,
which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, of the seed of
David; and the drink that I long for is his blood,
which is incorruptible love. I have no desire to
live any longer after the manner of men.

" Remember in your prayers the Church of An-
tioch, which now enjoys God for its shepherd instead
of me; let Jesus Christ only oversee it, and your
charity." It is unnecessary to remark that the
spirit of God speaks in this letter ; it is evident it is
not the language of man.

MARTYRDOM OP ST. IGNATIUS.
Year 107.

After remaining for a while at Smyrna, St.
Ignatius continued his journey; being eager to
arrive at Rome, as the time appointed for the games
was near. Anchoring at Troas, they crossed through
Macedonia, and, finding a ship ready to sail on the
coast of Epirus, they embarked on the Adriatic
Sea, and soon reached the Bay of Tuscany. The
wind favored the eagerness of the holy martyr,
5*

54 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

and the vessel was anchored at the mouth of the
Tiber.

At the news of his arrival, the faithful of Rome
went to meet him. They were greatly rejoiced to
see and converse with him; hut their joy was
mingled with sadness when they remembered that
he was soon to be put to death. As the people were
sometimes moved to compassion, several of the
faithful proposed that they should try and persuade
the emperor to spare the life of the venerable old
man ; but the holy bishop spoke to them with so
much eloquence and force, imploring so earnestly
not to be deprived of the happiness of going quickly
to God, that they yielded to his prayers. Falling
upon their knees, the Saint elevated his voice in
the midst of them, and asked of Jesus Christ to
put an end to the persecution, to give peace to the
Church, and to maintain in the hearts of all the
faithful a tender and mutual charity. The prayer
finished, he was led by the soldiers into the amphi-
theatre.

It was one of those days which Pagan superstition
had consecrated to the worship of Saturn. The
whole city was present ; on entering the arena the
holy martyr heard the roaring of the lions, but
neither his firmness nor ardor was abated at the
sight of his tormentors; his face and deportment
on the contrary announced a great joy and perfect
peace. He had not long to wait for death ; in one
moment two lions tore him to pieces, and in a short
time nothing remained of his body save a few
bones, which were collected with respect by the

MARTYRDOM OF ST. IGKATIUS. 55

faithful, and conveyed to Antiocli as a treasure of
inestimable value.

Wherever these holy relics were carried, they were
received with reverence by the Christians, and were
finally placed in a casket and deposited in a
cemetery near the gate of the city.

Those who have written the history of this mar-
tyr terminate it thus : " We were eye-witnesses to
this glorious death, which caused us to shed a tor-
rent of tears, and we passed the night in vigils and
prayers, supplicating on our knees Our Lord to
sustain our weakness. The holy martyr Ignatius
appeared to us in the form of an athlete Avho comes
out of a painful and glorious combat; he was
standing before the Lord, surrounded by an ineffable
glory. Filled with joy at this vision, we returned
thanks to the Author of all good, and blessed Him
for the happiness He had accorded His servant.
We marked the day of his death, that we may be
able to meet together every year to honor his mar-
tyrdom at the time he suffered, in the hope of
participating in the victory of this generous athlete
of the Church, who has despised the demon through
the help of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom and
with whom, glory and power be to the Father, with
the Holy Ghost, in all ages. Amen."

56 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

APOLOGY OF ST. JUSTIN.
Year 150.

While the holy martyrs, by the effusion of their
blood, rendered a bright testimony to the truth of
the Christian religion, the holy Doctors defended
the faith by learned apologies. The first of these
which have come down to us is the Apology of St.
Justin ; he had the courage to commence it with his
name, and addressed it to Antoninus, and his two
sons, Marcus Aurelius and Commodus.

St. Justin was born in paganism, and did not
embrace the Christian religion until the age of
thirty, after a serious examination and deep reflec-
tion, based upon the most solid reasons. The con-
stancy of the martyrs filled him with admiration
and confirmed his judgment. The study which he
made of the Holy Scriptures, especially of the
prophets, convinced him of the truth of the
Christian religion.

In his apology, he begins by entreating the
Emperor to judge by their actions, and not simply by
their name, those who would be brought to him as
Christians; not to condemn them solely because
they are Christians. "We pray you," said he,
" listen neither to passion nor false reports in pro-
nouncing decrees, which will injure you alone, for
they could not harm us, should they even deprive
us of liberty or of life. That strict inquiries may
be made into the crimes imputed to us ; if proved,
that we be punished; but, if not found guilty of
any offense, justice demands the exoneration of the

APOLOGY OF ST. JUSTIiq-. 67

innocent. How can we be treated as impious men,
we, who adore the true God, the Father Eternal,
Creator of all things ; His Son, Jesus Christ, who
was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and the Holy
Ghost, who has spoken by the prophets ?"

In order to show that this crucified Jesus is truly
God, he says that Jesus Christ is the Sovereign
Truth, which changes the heai'ts of those who
follow his doctrines. " We were formerly slaves of
pleasure, and now we lead a pure and chaste life ;
we were fond of riches, and now we place our goods
in common, so as to share with each other; we
hated our enemies, and now we love them and pray
for them."

He then quotes some of the precepts of the law
of Jesus Christ. " If you will deign," adds he, " to
examine our principles and our conduct, you will
be convinced that you have not more submissive
subjects, none more disposed to maintain peace and
the public tranquillity. Neither your laws nor
your punishments restrain the wicked; they know
they can conceal from you the commission of
crime ; as for us, we are certain that nothing is
hidden from the eyes of God ; that He is to judge
us one day, and punish or reward us according to
our works. We worship God alone, but we cheer-
fully obey you in every thing else, acknowledge you
as our Emperor and as master of the world. Our
most fervent supplications ascend daily to the
throne of God in your behalf, that you may unite
to the sovereign power an upright mind and
prudent counsel."

58 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Then the holy Doctor proves the truth of the
religion by the prophecies, which have been col-
lected and preserved according to the order of time
in which they were written. He dwells upon those
that relate to the destruction of Jerusalem, tlie
dispersion of the Jews, and the calling of the
Gentiles. After showing how the then recent
accomplishment of so remarkable a prophecy is a
decisive proof of the truth of the Christian religion,
he concludes from thence that the other prophecies,
and particularly those which refer to the second
coming of Jesus Christ, the resurrection, and the
last judgment, will also be fulfilled.

Finally, in order to reply to the calumnies con-
cerning the Christian assemblages, he explains in
detail all their ceremonies, and we see with satisfac-
tion a perfect conformity between those spoken of
by St. Justin, and those practiced among us at the
present day. He concludes with these words : " If
this doctrine appears reasonable to you, estimate it
as it deserves ; on the contrary, if it does not please
you, do not embrace it; you should not condemn
to death, however, those whose only fault is its pro-
fession." St. Justin had, afterwards, the happiness
to seal with his blood this public defense of the
Christian religion.

FOURTH PERSECUTIOiq^ UKDER AURELIUS. 59

FOURTH PERSECUTION UNDER MARCUS
AURELIUS.

Year 166.

At this time the still growing Church was spread
over all the world; it extended not only through
the East, where it had commenced, that is to say,
in Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Asia Minor and Greece,
but also in the West, through Italy, the different
nations of the Gauls, all the provinces of Spain,
Africa, Germany and Great Britain. It extended
to places hitherto impenetrable to the Roman arms,
and beyond the limits of the empire ; into Armenia,
Persia and the Indies ; among the most barbarous
people, such as the Sarmatians, Dacians and Scyth-
ians, and even in the most obscure islands Chris-
tians were to be found.

The blood of its martyrs rendered the Church
fruitful. The emperor Marcus Aurelius, unfortu-
nately prejudiced by the calumnies alleged against
Christianity, manifested great severity towards those
who professed the faith. From the great number of
those who then suffered martyrdom, the persecution
appears to have been very violent. It began in
Asia, and the first cruelties were practiced at
Smyrna. Several Christians were brought from the
neighborhood and conducted to the tribunal of the
governor of Asia, who resided in this city.

After generously confessing Jesus Christ, they
were made to endure all kinds of tortures, the
details of which are related in the beautiful letter
the faithful of Smyrna wrote to the other Churches

60 HISTOEY OF THE CHURCH.

on this occasion. " These holy martyrs," says this
letter, "were so torn with lashes that the veins,
arteries and even their entrails could be seen. In
the midst of this cruel torture, they remained firm
and unshaken ; and, whilst even the spectators were
moved to tears at the dreadful sight, these generous
soldiers of Jesus Christ did not utter the least cry
nor the faintest groan.

" They saw, without flinching, their blood flowing
from a thousand wounds; beheld with calmness
their palpitating entrails ; they advanced joyously
to execution, suffered in silence, and their mouths,
closed to complaint, opened but to bless the Lord.
It seemed as if their souls had already left their
bodies and were listening to the voice of Jesus
Christ speaking within them ; the joy of His pres-
ence caused them to despise every torture, and they
were happy to escape eternal punishment by the
endurance of a momentary pain, the flames that
consumed them appearing as nothing in comparison
to those everlasting fires which are never extin-
guished.

"Their thoughts were fixed on the ineffable
happiness God reserves for those who persevere to
the end ; happiness which the eye hath not seen,
nor the ear heard, nor hath it entered into the
heart of man to conceive, but which God disclosed
to them, because they were no longer men, but
angels.

" Those who were condemned to the wild beasts
bore the weariness of a long imprisonment until the
arrival of the day destined for the attainment of

ST. rOLYCARP BEFORE THE PROCONSUL. 61

their glorious crown. Others were stretched naked
and bleeding on beds of shells and pointed stones ;
a thousand species of torture were used to weaken
their courage and to induce them to renounce
Jesus Christ, for there is no invention hell has not
employed against them, but through the grace of
God they were not overcome by the most dreadful
sufferings.

A young man, named Gernianicus, strengthened
the others by his example. Before he was exposed
to the wild beasts, the proconsul, through a feeling
of humanity, exhorted him to save his life by
denying his faith ; but the holy martyr boldly
replied, " that he preferred losing his life a thousand
times, rather than preserve it at the price of his
innocence." Then, fearlessly advancing towards a
lion that approached him, he was immediately
devoured by the infuriated animal ; thus hastening
to quit the bloody tabernacle of his body and a
world full of impiety and crime. This heroic
action so exasperated the people, that a thousand
enraged voices made the amphitheatre resound
with these cries: "May the impious be punished,
let the bishop Polycarp be brought forth !"

ST. POLYCARP, BISHOP OF SMYRNA, IS SEIZED

AND BROUGHT BEFORE THE

PROCONSUL.

Search was everywhere made for St. Polycarp in
order to put him to death, as the people, irritated
by the admirable constancy of the martyrs, loudly
6

62 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

demanded that he should be given np to their rage.
The holy bishop experienced no fear, and wished to
remain in the city, but he yielded to the entreaties
of the faithful and retired to a house not far
distant.

Some days after, the search being still continued,
he sought refuge in a house in the country ; when
leaving this last asylum, his pursuers entered it.
Not finding him they seized two young men, one of
whom, overcome by the torture, revealed the new
retreat of the holy bishop. The archers arrived
there one night armed as if to apprehend a robber.
St. Polycarp was asleep in an upper chamber, and
had he wished, could easily have escaped, but he
said: "The will of God be done." He therefore
descended and spoke to the archers, who, seeing his
great age and wonderful courage, could not refrain
from saying : " Was it necessary to hasten so much
in order to seize this good old man ?" They were
angry at having been sent on so odious an errand,
but would have been still more enraged had they
lost the reward these arrests insured.

St. Polycarp had a supper prepared for them, and
being permitted a short time for his devotions,
prayed for the whole Church with so mucli fervor
that those present, even his enemies, were filled with
admiration.

On their journey homeward, the holy bishop was
mounted on an ass, and upon arriving in tlie city
was immediately conducted to the amphitheatre,
where the people were assembled. He was taken
before the proconsul, who exhorted him to obey the

ST. POLYCARP BEFORE THE PROCONSUL. 63

commands of the emperor in order to preserve his
life. "Have pity on thy gray hairs," said the
magistrate; "dost thou believe thyself able to
endure tortures, the sight alone of which causes
the bravest youth to tremble?" But the holy
bishop was as little moved by the false compassion
exhibited for him, as by their threats and menaces.

The proconsul urged him, saying : " Blaspheme
Christ, and I will let thee go !" Polycarp replied,
" For eighty-six years have I served Him, and He
has never injured me, how then can I blaspheme
my King who is my salvation ?" The proconsul
continued : " Swear by the wealth of the Ceasars."
" Thou givest thyself useless trouble," answered the
Saint, " as thou art not perhaps aware what faith I
profess. I declare it boldly ; I am a Christian. If
thou dost wish to hear what is the doctrine of the
Christians, I will make it known to thee."

Then the proconsul threatened to expose him to
the wild beasts. " It is profitable for me," said the
holy bishop, "to attain by sufferings to perfect
justice!" "Since thou dost not fear the wild
beasts," added the proconsul, "I will have thee
burned alive!" Polycarp replied: "Thou dost
threaten me with a fire which is extinguislied in a
moment, because thou dost not know of the eternal
fire reserved for the impious. What delays thee?
Do with me as thou pleasest !"

While thus speaking, he appeared full of confi-
dence and joy, and his sublime faith made his
countenance so radiant that the proconsul gazed at
him with astonishment. Then the enraged people

64 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

cried out : " Deliver him up to the wild beasts ; he
is the father of the Christians, the enemy of our
gods !" But as the time for the games was ended,
the proconsul condemned the holy bishop to be
burned aliye.

MARTYRDOM OF ST. POLYCARP.
Year 166.

As soon as the sentence was pronounced, the
people ran in crowds to look for wood in order to
construct the pyre. The holy martyr then took off
his girdle, divested himself of his garments, and,
like a victim chosen, from the flock, ascended the
pyre as if it were an altar, to be there sacrificed for
his Lord.

They prepared to fasten him, according to the
custom, with iron chains ; but he said to his execu-
tioners: "Leave me thus. He who will give me
strength to endure the flames wull cause me to
remain firm on the pile without being bound by your
chains." His hands were therefore only tied behind
him, and they laid him down. Then raising his
venerable eyes to Heaven, the holy martyr said the
following prayer :

"Almighty God, Father of Jesus Christ, thy
Only Son, through whom Ave have received the
grace to know thee, I thank thee, for what it hath
pleased thee to grant me this happy day, when
I shall enter into the company of thy martyrs, and
participate in the chalice of thy Son, that I may
attain unto eternal life, and be soon admitted into

MARTYRDOM OF ST. POLYCARP. 65

thy presence as an acceptable sacrifice. I praise
thee, I glorify thee, I bless thee, with the eternal
Pontiff Jesus Christ, thy Son, through whom,
glory be given to thee and the Holy Ghost, now
and forever. Amen."

When his prayer was concluded, the wood was
kindled, and a great flame immediately arose from
it, which, by a wonderful miracle, did not touch the
body of the Saint, but surrounded him in the form
of an arch. He lay in the midst of the fire, like
gold in the crucible ; and he emitted an odor as
agreeable as that of the most delightful perfumes.

The Pagans, seeing that his body was not con-
sumed, caused him to be pierced with the point of
a sword, and the blood gushed forth so profusely
as to entirelv extinjGfuish the fire. This touching:
history of the martyrdom of St. Polycarp was
written by those who witnessed it. They add that
the Pagans did not allow them to remove the body,
but had it burned, fearing lest the Christians should
forsake the Crucified and adore this man. To
which groundless apprehension the writers of this
history reply: "Do they not know that we can
never forsake Jesus Christ, who has suffered for the
salvation of us all, nor honor in the same manner
any other? For we adore Him, because He is the
Son of God ; we only consider the martyrs as His
disciples, and His imitators, and we justly revere
them on account of their fidelity to their King and
Master."

The narrative concludes thus : " We gathered his
bones, more precious than jewels, from the smoul-
6*

66 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

dering ashes, and placed them in a secure spot,
where we hope to meet together every year to joy-
fully celebrate the feast of the holy martyr, to the
end that the faithful hereafter may he inspired by
his glorious example to prepare for the combat."

We see by these words that the Catholic Church
honored the Saints from the earliest ages, as being
the servants and friends of God ; and that she has
at all times regarded with religious veneration their
relics or their remains, as having been sacrifices to
God, by martyrdom or by penance, and the living
members of Jesus Christ and temples of the Holy
Ghost. This holy pmctice is therefore authorized
by the traditions of all ages, and consequently rests
on the same foundation as religion itself.

THE THUNDERING LEGION.
Year 174.

The emperor Marcus Aurelius put an end to this
persecution on occasion of a signal favor received
from Heaven through the mediation of the Chris-
tian soldiers serving in his army ; for the camps, as
well as the cities and country places, were filled with
the followers of Christ. God made use of the Roman
soldiers as missionaries, to carry the faith into the
most distant countries, whither they were ordered in
the service of the state, and He wrought miracles
from time to time in their behalf. The miracle
granted to the prayers of the Thundering Legion
was very extraordinary.

The emperor was at war with the Sarmatians and

THE THUI^DERIN^G LEGIOI^. 6t

other German tribes ; at a certain time the Roman
army found itself in the arid mountains of Bohemia,
surrounded by these barbarians, who were their su-
periors in regard to numbers. It was in the middle
of summer, during an excessive heat, and there was
no Avater to be had in the place. The Eomans were
in danger of perishing from thirst. In this extrem-
ity, the Christian soldiers fell on their knees and
addressed fervent prayers to God, that He would
grant them relief.

Their enemies, beholding this, scoffed at and
ridiculed them. Suddenly the heavens were covered
with clouds, and an abundant rain fell on the side
of the Romans, who raised their drooping heads to
receive the water in their mouths, so excessive was
their thirst. They then filled their helmets, drink-
ing plentifully themselves, offering it also to their
suffering horses. The barbarians, conceiving this a
favorable moment for an attack, whilst they were
engaged in allaying their burning thirst, prepared
to fall upon them. But the elements, at the com-
mand of God, warred against the scoffers, and a
frightful hail storm, accompanied by thunder-
bolts, crushed their battalions, whilst the troops
of Marcus Aurelius were refreshed by a soft and
abundant rain.

This astonishing miracle insured the victory to
the Romans, for the barbarians, throwing down
their arms, sought refuge among their enemies
from the thunderbolts which carried destruction
into their camp. This event was universally con-
sidered as miraculous ; and the Christian troops.

68 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

who had obtained this favor from Heaven by their
prayers, were called the " Thundering Legion."

The emperor himself wrote to the Senate on the
subject. The historian Eusebius relates, that Mar-
cus Aurelius asserts in that letter that the army,
nearly lost, had been saved by the prayers of the
Christians. This victory of the Roman arms
disposed the emperor more favorably towards the
Christians ; he ordered that their treatment should
be less severe, and prohibited their being persecuted
on account of their religion.

In order to perpetuate the remembrance of this
miracle, a monument was erected in Rome, and
there can be seen in that city at the present day,
as a representation of this event, a bas-relief on the
Column of Antoninus, raised at that time. The
Romans appear armed against the barbarians, who
lie stretched on the earth beside their horses, whilst
a rain, accompanied by lightning and thunderbolts,
descends upon them.

It was on this occasion that the army gave the
title of Imperator to Marcus Aurelius for the
seventh time, although the right of bestowing it
belonged exclusively to the Senate. The emperor
accepted this title of dignity as being decreed by
Heaven.

PERSECUTIOiq^ IIT GAUL. 69

PERSECUTION IN GAUL.
Year 177.

Three years after the miracle of the Thundering
Legion the persecution again broke out under the
name and authority of Marcus Aurelius. Whether
he had been afterwards persuaded that he was
indebted to his gods for tliis prodigy, or whether it
was through the blind fury of the people, and the
hatred of the Roman officers, who caused the old
edicts to be revived whenever they pleased, is not
known.

This new storm raged especially in Lyons. It is
believed that the faith had been carried there by the
disciples of the Apostles, and that St. Trophimus,
first bishop of Aries, was sent to this city by St.
Peter. From thence the gift of faith was commu-
nicated to the neighboring provinces.

The rapid progress of the gospel in this country
excited the rage of the idolaters, who commenced
the persecution by rendering the Christian name
odious, and by imputing to them the most enor-
mous crimes ; refusing them at the same time
admission to the markets and public places. These
oppressions were accompanied by all kinds of out-
rages ; the Christians were insulted wherever they
appeared, beaten, stoned, and finally taken before
the magistrates.

An account of this persecution is found in an
interesting letter, written by the faithful of Lyons
to their brethren of Asia : " Those among us," they

70 HISTORY OF THE CHUECH.

write, "who were questioned as to their faith,
confessed it with courage, and were immediately
placed in bonds, until the arrival of the president."
Some days after this official had returned, they were
ordered before his tribunal, and treated with so
much harshness that a young man named Epaga-
thus, who was present, could not refrain from
testifying his indignation. He was a Christian,
inflamed with an ardent love for God, and perfect
charity for his fellow-men. His morals were pure,
his life austere, although still at an age when the
passions are strong ; but he walked in the way of
the Lord and fulfilled His precepts, always ready to
serve God and assist his neighbor, ever animated
with zeal for the glory of his Master, and filled
with fervor for the salvation of his brethren. He
therefore asked permission to say a word in defense
of the Christians, showing that the accusation of
impiety and irreligion was a mere calumny ; but a
thousand voices instantly arose againt him.

The judge, irritated at his request to speak in
favor of the accused, asked him if he was a Chris-
tian. Epagathus boldly confessed himself a fol-
lower of the Crucified, and was immediately placed
in the ranks of the martyrs. Out of derision the
angry judge bestowed on him the glorious title of
" Defender of the Christians," thus unwittingly
prononncing his eulogy by a single word. This
heroic example encouraged the other Christians,
who, with glowing countenances and joyful voices,
declared their eternal allegiance to Jesus Christ.

In the mean time orders had been given to seize

TORMENTS OF THE HOLY MARTYRS. 71

the blessed Pothinus, bishop of Lyons, who to a
weak body united the qualities of a young and
vigorous soul ; his great infirmities rendered assist-
ance necessary, and he was borne in the arms of
soldiers, who placed him at the foot of the tribunal ;
the people, following in crowds, loaded him with
opprobrious epithets. The holy patriarch then
rendered a glorious testimony to the divinity of his
King and Master, for, the president having asked
him who was the God of the Christians, the bishop
replied : " Thou shalt know Him, if thou art
worthy."

He was instantly seized, dragged Avith violence,
and overwhelmed with blows ; those who were near
the Saint struck him with their feet and hands;
others more distant threw at his defenseless form
whatever missile they could find, Avithout the least
regard for his advanced age. All the rabble would
have believed that they had committed a great act
of impiety, had they failed to insult the enemy of
their gods. He was taken half dead from the hands
of the infuriated populace, and cast into a prison,
where he expired a few days afterwards.

TORMENTS OF THE HOLY MARTYRS.

The rage of the magistrates and the people then
pursued Sanctus, deacon of the Church of Lyons ;
Maturus, who was still a neophyte; Attalus and
a young girl named Blandina, who was a slave.
The extreme delicacy of Blandina caused her com-
panions to fear that she had not the courage to

72 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

confess the faith ; but this generous maiden aston-
ished them all by her heroic answers, and tired out
the executioners who successively tortured her from
morning until night. After exhausting on her
tender frame all the torments cruelty could suggest,
they were compelled to desist, and acknowledge
themselves conquered by a young girl. That she
still breathed was a miracle, as a single one of the
tortures she had endured was more than sufficient
to cause her death; but this youthful martyr
gained new strength with every additional suffer-
ing. The testimony she so generously rendered
Jesus Christ seemed to infuse new life into her,
and her only solace consisted in uttering these
words : " I am a Christian ; no crime is committed
among us."

The deacon Sanctus also endured incredible
torments. The Pagans hoped to make him use
some expression unworthy of the faith he professed,
but he had sufficient firmness neither to reveal his
name, country nor condition. His only reply to all
the questions addressed to him was: "I am a
Christian." This resolution irritated the president
and the executioners ; after the customary tortures,
they heated plates of copper and applied them to
the most tender parts of his body. The holy
martyr felt his flesh burning without evincing the
least emotion or allowing the slightest sign of pain
to escape him. The executioners only desisted
when his body was one great wound, scarcely a
vestige of the human form remaining; his con-
tracted and mutilated limbs were no longer in their

TORMENTS OF THE HOLY MARTYRS. 73

natural position ; and his quivering, bleeding jBlesh
was a dreadful sight to behold.

All disfigured as he was, he now became an object
of admiration, as he was animated by Jesus Christ,
who wrought in his poor, mortal frame, wonders
worthy of Omnipotence; causing these shapeless
remains to confound the tyrant, vanquish the
demon and destroy the power of hell. Thus it is
evident that the perfect and ardent love of God
dispels fear and deadens all sensation of pain. The
blood-thirsty Pagans again seized the holy martyr
in order to torture him anew, and flattered them-
selves that they could weaken his constancy by
re-opening his still inflamed wounds, and applying
once more the red-hot irons, while he was in such
a state as scarcely to bear the slightest touch ; but
these impious men were frustrated in their dia-
bolical attempt by an evident proof of the Divine
power. The new torture served as a remedy to the
wounds made by the first, and after this second
application the body of the martyr was found
entirely healed.

All these different torments proving useless, the
holy martyrs were cast into a frightful dungeon, and
their feet placed in the stocks, a wooden machine
which held the limbs of the victims firmly com-
pressed. In this condition, the most horrible that
can be imagined, the executioners, enraged at being
foiled so often by these intrepid saints, practiced
npon them all the cruelties their wicked hearts
could devise. These last torments were so terrible
that several died under them ; God thus permitting
7

74 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

some to perish for His greater honor and glorj;
others, hoAvever, He preserved tlirongh all this snf-
fering, restoring health to their bodies and strength-
ening their souls for new combats. Although
deprived of all human aid, they were so supemat-
urally fortified that they consoled and encouraged
the faithful who were among the spectators.

HUMILITY OF THE HOLY MARTYRS.

The profound humility of the holy martyrs
strengthened their other virtues, and rendered
them still greater objects of admiration. Although
they had repeatedly confessed Jesus Christ, and
endured the most horrible torments with wonderful
constancy, bearing on their bodies the glorious
marks of their victories over the demon, they did
not consider themselves, even then, worthy of the
name of martyr, and would not permit the title to
be given to them. " Whenever," say the writers of
this affecting account, " we called them thus, in our
conversations, or when they received letters bearing
this inscription, they were much grieved, and could
not refrain from giving us mild but earnest
reproofs for thus designating them. *This great
name,' they would say, * belongs only to those who
have run their race, and to whom Jesus Christ
opened the gates of Heaven at the moment of their
confession, and not to vile creatures like ourselves.'
Then, clasping our hands and bathing them with
tears, they implored us to obtain through our
prayers a happy termination to their labors.

HUMILITY OF THE HOLY MAETYES. 75

"They possessed all the virtues of martyrs, their
mildness, patience and glorious courage raised them
above all fear, and made them worthy of the heroic
title their meekness and humility refused to
accept. Divine charity reigned in their hearts and
souls, and their greatest desire was to endeavor to
imitate the example of Jesus Christ, who so loved
ungrateful man as to suffer the ignominious death
of the cross for his salvation. Like this merciful
Saviour they forgave their enemies, and addressed
fervent prayers to the throne of God in behalf of
their persecutors.

" They censured no one, were forbearing to all,
and especially to repentant sinners. Some, through
dread of the torture, succumbed at the first ques-
tion, but were, nevertheless, placed in the same
prison with the holy martyrs, who did not, how-
ever, treat them with severity, but like a tender and
compassionate mother, led them gently back to the
feet of the loving Jesus, whom they had denied
through human weakness, and, by the torrent of tears
they shed in the presence of the Lord, obtained from
His infinite goodness the reconciliation of their
irring brethren.

"In fine, those who had fallen, acknowledged
their fault, and afterwards repaired it by a generous
confession of the faith. Their return was not less
glorious to Jesus Christ than amazing to the
Pagans ; for in the second examination they under-
wont separately, and only for sake of form, as they
were to be immediately sent back to prison, the
judge was astonished to hear them recant their

70 HISTOBY OP THE CHURCH.

former errors and proclaim themselves followers of
the Crucified. They were greatly encouraged by a
zealous Christian, named Alexander, a physician by
profession, who approached the tribunal, and by
animated signs exhorted them to remain firm in
the faith. The people observed him, and, furious
at seeing those who had renounced Christianity
return to their allegiance, and boldly confess their
Lord, directed their rage against Alexander, and
denounced him to the president. The magistrate
asked him who he was. Alexander replied : " I am
a Christian." At this answer he was placed in the
ranks of the martyrs, and, having been condemned
to the wild beasts, received the bright crown prom-
ised to those who persevere to the end."

LAST COMBAT OF THE MARTYRS.

After the holy martyrs had been in prison some
days they were led out, once more, in order to have
the sentence executed which condemned them to
different kinds of death. Maturus, Sanctus, Blan-
dina and Attains were destined for the amphi-
theatre, and a day was appointed when they were to
afford a spectacle to the people. After again
enduring the torture, which served as a prelude to
the execution, they were exposed to the wild beasts,
who, not being as ravenous as usual, did them no
harm.

The people then demanded that Maturus and
Sanctus should be seated in iron chairs heated rod
hot, but as, notwithstanding their dreadful suffer-

LAST COMBAT OF THE MARTYRS. 7?

ings, they still breathed, the executioners were
obliged to end their torments by the stroke of a
sword. Blandina had been fastened to a stake with
her arms extended, and the sight of this youthful
Saint, thus representing our Saviour on the cross,
sustained the courage of her companions.

As the wild beasts had not approached her, she
was reserved for another day, but the enraged popu-
lace demanded Attains, who was well known to
them. He was made to walk round the amphi-
theatre bearing on his breast a placard inscribed
with these words: "Attalus the Christian." The
people uttered the most abusive cries against him,
clamoring loudly for his death ; but the president,
learning that he was a Eoman citizen, remanded
him to prison with the other martyrs, there to await
the reply of the Emperor, to whom he wrote on the
subject. This prince announced that it was neces-
sary for the safety of the empire to put to death all
those who persisted in confessing Jesus Christ, but
to release those who would renounce Him. The
president being seated in his tribunal, the prisoners
were again summoned to his presence and ques-
tioned as before, but as they all reiterated their
tirst confession, sentence was immediately pro-
nounced against them.

The next day the physician Alexander was con-
ducted into the amphitheatre accompanied by
Attains, whom the judge, in order to please the
people, had condemned to the same punishment,
notwithstanding his having the rank of a Roman
citizen. After enduring all the customary tortures,
7*

78 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

these generous martyrs perished by the sword.
Pinally, on the last day of the public games, Blan-
dina and a Christian youth named Ponticus, fifteen
years of age, were brought forth and subjected to
all kinds of tortures without consideration either
for the age of the one, or for the sex of the other.
They remained steadfast in their faith, and joyfully
met their death.

Ponticus was the first to consummate his sacri-
fice, and Blandina remained alone in the arena.
She was confined in a net, and exposed to a furious
bull, which tossed her and trampled on her for a long
while, but the blessed hope of eternal bliss and her
ardent love for God rendered her insensible to its
rage. At length, like a pure and obedient lamb, she
presented her delicate throat to the knife which
immolated this acceptable yictim to the God of
Virgins.

On the admission of the Pagans themselves, a
woman had never before sufiered such cruel and
multiplied torments. Their hatred was not yet
satiated, but vented itself on the mangled remains
of the victims, and, losing all sense of humanity,
they cast the bodies of the holy martyrs to the
dogs. Then, collecting all the scattered bones, they
burned them, and threw the ashes into the Rhone.
All these human precautions availed nothing
against the power of the Lord, as the place where
their ashes reposed was afterward revealed, and
they were ultimately secured and placed under the
altar of the Church erected in honor of these holy
martyrs, and which is now called St Nizier.

MART1:RD0M of STS. EPIPODIUS and ALEXANDER. 79

These holy martyrs were forty-eight in number, and
their names have been preserved.

MARTYRDOM OF ST. EPIPODIUS AND OF ST.
ALEXANDER.

The blood of so many martyrs had not extin-
guished the fire of persecution. A great number of
others suffered at that time in Gaul, and the city
of Lyons had again the glory of giving to the Church
two of her sons, called Epipodius and Alexander.
These young men were of distinguished birth, and
united by a tender friendship, sanctified by their
pious lives. Having been denounced by the presi-
dent, they left the city and took refuge in the hut of
a poor widow, remaining there for some time in
safety. But as a strict search was instituted, they
were soon discovered and cast into prison ; in a few
days they were brought before the tribunal.

The judge asked their names and the religion
they professed, to which questions they replied,
boldly declaring themselves to be Christians. The
clamorous voices of the people instantly arose
against them, and the judge, in a passion, cried out,
" What, dare they again violate the edicts of the
emperor? What have availed the torments we have
caused the martyrs to endure ?" To prevent their
encouraging one another, they were immediately
separated. Alexander, the eldest, was sent back to
prison, and the torture applied to Epipodius^ who
appeared to be the weaker of the two.

Before applying the torture, the judge, hoping to

80 HISTORY OF THE CHUBCH.

win him by flattering speeches, thus addressed him ;
"Thou must not perish through obstinacy; we
adore the immortal gods, whom the emperor and
the whole world worship, and we honor them by
joyful festivals and public games. Thou adorcst a
crucified man whom thou canst not please without
renouncing all pleasures. Deny Christ, and enjoy
the good things of this life which especially belong
to thy age !" Epipodius replied, " Thy false compas-
sion does not affect me. Thou knowest not that
Jesus Christ, after being crucified, arose, and, being,
at the same time, by a wonderful mystery, God and
man, he opened to his faithful servants the portals of
the heavenly Jerusalem. But, to speak of things
more comprehensible to thee, art thou ignorant of
the fact that man is composed of two parts, the soul
and the body? The pleasures to which thou
yieldest flatter indeed the senses, but kill the soul.
We make war against the body in order to enfran-
chise the soul, and to preserve the sway of the
spiritual over the material. After yielding like the
beasts of the field to the gratification of your
appetites, a sad and hopeless death awaits thee;
whereas, when we die, we enter into eternal life."

The judge, provoked at this bold answer, ordered
one of the attendants to strike him across the mouth
with his clenched fists. He was then extended on
a wooden horse, and two executioners on either side
tore his limbs with iron claws ; but this cruel sen-
tence was too lenient for the enraged multitude, who
demanded with loud cries that he should be given
up to them, that they might tear him to pieces.

MARTYRDOil OF ST. STMPHORIAI^. 81

Th6 president, fearing to lose the respect due his
position, would not accede to their wishes, and
ordered him to be beheaded. After an intenal of a
day, this wicked tyrant, desiring to gratify his rage
as well as that of the people, by the torments reserved
for Alexander, caused him to appear before his tri-
bunal, and said to him : " Thou canst yet profit by
the example of the others; we have sustained so
long a war against the Christians that thou art now
the only one remaining among us." Alexander
answered : " I return thanks to God that, in recall-
ing to me the triumphs of the martyrs, thou dost
animate me by their heroic example; for the rest
thou art mistaken, the name of Christian cannot
perish. I am a Christian; and with the grace of
God will always be one."

The judge then ordered him to be stretched on a
wooden horse, and beaten by two executioners, who
relieved each other at intervals. During this torture,
the holy martyr ardently invoked the aid of Heaven,
and he received from the Lord so much strength
that the executioners were more wearied with
striking him, than he was tired of suffering.
Finally, seeing that he was immovable, they con-
demned him to be crucified.

MARTYRDOM OF ST. SYMPHORIAN.

During this persecution the city of Autun pre-
sented a most edifying spectacle in the person of St.
Symphorian, a young man of distinguished birth.
One day, when the feast of Cybele, a pagan goddess.

82 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

was being celebrated with much pomp and splendor,
Symphorian publicly avowed the horror he felt at
the impious worship. He was seized and taken
before the governor, who was then in Autun for
the purpose of persecuting the Christians.

This man said to him : " How hast thou hitherto
escaped my vigilance, for I believed that I had
purged this city of all the followers of the Crucified.
Tell me, why thou dost refuse to worship the ' great
Cybele.' " Symphorian replied : " I am a Christian,
and adore but one Grod, who reigns in Heaven ; as
for the statue of thy goddess, I not only refuse to
adore it, but would joyfully destroy it." " Thy birth
apparently inspires thee with this impious presump-
tion," said the judge; "but dost thou know the
decrees of the Emperor ? " Then the edict was read,
which ordered the immediate execution of all those
who should refuse to sacrifice to the gods. " What
hast thou to reply," added the magistrate, " can we
violate the commands of the prince ? " " This idol,"
answered Symphorian, " is an invention of the devil,
who makes use of it, in order to ruin men ; a Chris-
tian who abandons himself to crime will fall into
the eternal abyss, as God punishes sin and rewards
virtue. I will never reach the haven of a blessed
eternity but by steadfastly persevering in the con-
fession of His holy name."

At this response, the judge had him beaten witli
rods and sent to prison, causing him to be brought
out some days after, and offering him a gift from the
public treasury, and a commission in the army if
he would adore the statue. " A judge," said Sym-

MARTYRDOM OF ST. SYMPHORIAN. 83

phorian, " should not waste his time in useless dis-
courses, nor lay snares for innocence. I do not fear
death ; we should return our life to Him who is the
author of it; why should we not offer as a voluntary
gift, that which we are obliged to pay Him one day
as a debt ? Thy favors are but venomous poisons,
hidden under the guise of a treacherous bribe ; time,
like a rapid torrent, carries away your possessions ;
God alone can bestow everlasting and unutterable
happiness on His foithful servants. The remotest
antiquity saw not the beginning of His glory, and
future ages will not behold its end!" "I cannot
have patience with thee," angrily said the judge;
"if, therefore, thou dost not instantly sacrifice to
Cybele, I will condemn thee to death this day, after
having made thee suffer the most ten-ible tor-
ments human ingenuity can devise." Symphorian
answered : " I only fear the God who has created
me, and serve Him alone ; my body is in thy power,
but not my soul."

Then the enraged magistrate pronounced the sen-
tence in these words: "Let the sacrilegious Sym-
phorian die by the sword, and thus avenge the gods
and the laws." As he was being led to execution,
his mother ran up to him, not to move him by her
tears, but to strengthen and encourage him by her
exhortations. She cried out to him: "My son
Symphorian, my dear son, think of the living God
and show thy courage ; we should not fear a death
which surely leads to everlasting life. Do not regret
leaving the earth, but raise thy eyes to Heaven, and
despise torments which only last a few moments, and

84 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

if thou art constant will soon be changed into eternal
felicity." The sublime faith which made this noble
mother victorious over the tenderness nature inspires,
is not less admirable than the heroic courage which
enabled her son to triumph over the horrors of death.

APOLOGY OF TERTULLIAN.

Knowledge as well as sufferings contributed
towards the progress of Christianity; and the
Church was no less avenged by the solid writings
of her defenders, than honored by the invincible
courage of her martyrs. Tertullian, a priest of
Carthage, published at this period a work in behalf
of the Christian religion, entitled " The Apology,"
which struck a mortal blow at paganism.

He commences by complaining that the Christians
are condemned without allo^ving them any defense :
"The Christians alone," he writes, "are deprived
of the privilege of defending themselves before
their judges, and of producing testimony which, if
received, would prove their innocence." He shows
that the laws condemning the Christian religion
were manifestly unjust, as they were made by wicked
princes, whose memory and actions are detested by
the pagans themselves. He replies to the reproach
of not adoring the gods of the empire, and after
exposing the origin of the pagan divinities, the
absurdity of their worship, and the indecencies of
their ceremonies, draws the conclusion, that these
idols are unworthy of adoration, and are only devils
who deceive men. "Bring forth," said he, "some

APOLOGY OF TERTULLIAN-. 85

one of the statues believed to be divinely inspired,
having the power to deliver oracles ; the first Avord
of a Christian, commanding him to speak, will force
him to avow that he is in reality a wicked demon.
If he does not instantly acknowledge the power of
the Holy Name of Jesus, I consent that the Christian
who questions him shall be put to death."

The gift of casting out devils must have been very
common in the Church, to justify the boldness of
Tertullian in making so public a challenge. He
then exonerates the Christians from the accusation
of impiety, by explaining the true object of their
worship. " The God of the Christians," he writes,
" is the Creator of the Universe, who has made the
world out of nothing by His power, arranged it by
His wisdom, and directs the whole by His provi-
dence. The magnificent spectacle of nature renders
the most glorious homage to this Supreme Being, and
the pagans themselves, blinded as they are by their
passions, and the prejudices of education, acknowl-
edge Him, when in the midst of danger they cry
out : ' Great God ! Good God ! ' thus giving proof
of the soul being naturally Christian. This great
Lord has made Himself known during all ages by
oral traditions, and the writings of the prophets,
whom He has raised up and filled with His spirit.
These writings cannot be doubted, as they are in the
hands of our enemies the Jews, who read them pub-
licly in their synagogues; and their antiquity is
incontestible, it being certain that the first of these
authors lived before there was question of either
Greeks or Romans, and those prophets who appeared
8

86 HISTOEY OF THE CHURCH.

at a later day, were cotemporary with your first
historians and lawgivers. The accomplishment of
these predictions clearly proves their divine origin,
and affirms the truth of those yet to be fulfilled.

" The Scriptures announced the destruction of
the Jewish nation, which prophecy we see literally
verified at the present day. God had loaded this
ungrateful people with favors on account of the
piety of their fathers, and He continued His pro-
tection until they proved themselves unworthy.
His avenging hand cannot be mistaken when we
behold the unhappy state to which they are
reduced ; exiles from their native land, wanderers
over the whole earth, without laws, magistrates or
country. The same prophecies which foretold their
misfortunes, also declare that God will choose
faithful worshipers from all nations, to whom He
will communicate His grace through the saving
merits of His Crucified Son."

Tertullian then speaks of Jesus Christ, and of
the mystery of the Incarnation; establishes the
Divinity of Our Lord by the prophecies, by His
miracles, and by His resurrection ; and says that
the circumstances of His death on the Cross
appeared so extraordinary to the pagans themselves,
that Pilafce advised the Emperor Tiberius to have an
account of them deposited in the jjublic archives
of Rome, and further adds, that this Emperor would
have believed in Jesus Christ, if he could have
been a Caesar and a Christian at the same time.

APOLOGY OF TERTULLIAI^. 87

CONTINUATION OF THE APOLOGY OF TER-
TULLIAN.

After establishing the truth of Christianity, Ter-
tuUian energetically refutes the calumnies alleged
against the Christians: "We are accused of not
honoring the Emperor by sacrifices: it is true we
do not offer victims, but we pray to the one true
God, for the salvation of our princes; we respect
them, but we cannot perjure our souls by calling
them gods. Our perfect fidelity to our Lord and
Master cannot be doubted, for our patience in en-
during the most cruel sufferings for His sake proves
it. We are frequently stoned by the enraged popu-
lace, our houses are burned, and in the wild frenzy
of the bacchanals even the sacred dead are not spared,
but are dragged from their silent tombs and torn to
pieces. How have we revenged ourselves for all
these wrongs ? If we desired to make war against
you have we not hosts of Christian soldiers? We
are comparatively but of yesterday, and already we
fill your villages, castles, boroughs and fields ; we are
found in the Senate and the public places; nothing
remains to you but your temples. Could we not even
war with unequaled forces, we Avho fear not the most
excruciating torments, it being one of our precepts
to suffer death rather than inflict it. We might be
avenged by Avithdrawing entirely from the empire,
and you would then be astonished at the immensity
of your loss."

lu order to show that the assemblies of the Chris-
tians were not seditious, TertuUian thus describes

88 HISTOEY OF THE CHURCH.

their proceedings : " We form but one body, because
we have the same religion, the same doctrines, the
same hopes; and we meet together to render our
prayers more importunate and powerful, this violence
being agreeable to God. Those who preside at our
assemblies are old men of tried virtue, who have
attained this honor, not through bribery, but by
reason of their good lives and holy examples ; for in
the Church of God money is powerless."

"If we possess a treasury, it reflects not on our
religion, for every one contributes toward it accord-
ing to his means, all donations being entirely volun-
tary. This sum is a sacred deposit, which is not
spent in useless festivities, but serves to maintain
orphans, and comfort the poor and afflicted. It is
strange that this charity should be a subject of cen-
sure. * Behold I ' they say, * how Christians love one
another ; behold ! how ready they are to die for each
other!'

" Our union astonishes the pagans, because they
indulge in cruel hatreds among themselves. As we
possess but one soul and one mind, it is not difficult
for us to share our goods in common, and it is not
surprising that so disinterested a friendship should
cause strange reports. Our public meals are called
Agapes, signifying charity ; and the poor as well as
the rich are admitted to them, everything being con-
ducted with modesty and decency. Before sitting
down at table, a prayer is said, invoking the blessing
of God; the conversation is always most edifying
and instructive, ever remembering the presence of
God. The repast finishes in the same manner as it

FIFTH peksecutio:n' ukder severus. 89

commenced — that is to say, by thanksgiving and
prayer." Such were the assemblies of the Chris-
tians, so much decried by unbelievers.

" How can they say," adds Tertullian, " that we
are helpless in the ordinary affairs of life ? We live
with you, eat the same food, wear the same apparel,
and use the same furniture, and reject nothing God
has created. We only use all His gifts with moder-
ation, returning thanks to Him who is their author.
We navigate the seas, till the ground, bear arms,
and trade with you. Why, therefore, do we deserve
death ? . Is a Christian ever found among the crim-
inals brought before your tribunals ? I refer to your
records for the truth of my assertion. If a Chris-
tian is condemned, it is only on account of his
name; if any other cause is alleged, he is not a
Christian. Innocence of life is a necessity with us ;
we follow the example of Our Divine Saviour, who
is Holiness itself, and we endeavor to keep our
consciences pure and unsullied as commanded by
this great Judge, *Who cannot deceive nor be
deceived.'" Such was the life of the Christians in
the third age of the Church.

FIFTH PERSECUTION UNDER THE EMPEROR
SEVERUS.

A. D. 202.

After the death of Marcus Aurelius the Church

enjoyed an interval of peace ; the Emperor Severus

was at first noted for his clemency, and it was even

believed that he was inclined towards Christianity;

90 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

but his future course proved that he had only
permitted the numbers of Christians to increase in
order to immolate more yictims to his rage." In the
tenth year of his reign he published bloody edicts
against them, which were enforced with so much
rigor that the faithful believed the time of Anti-
Christ had arrived.

The persecution commenced in Egypt, and was
very violent. Among the martyrs who then shed
their blood for the faith, a young slave, named
Potamiena, signalized herself. The master to
whom she belonged attempted several times to
corrupt her, but she firmly resisted his solicitations.
Enraged at his repulse, he determined to destroy
this holy maiden, and accordingly denounced her as
a Christian to the governor of Alexandria ; at the
same time he engaged the governor to assist him
in his designs by promising him a large sum of
money if he could induce Potamiena to yield to his
desires. It was agreed that she was not to be
condemned to death except in the event of her
persisting in her refusal. She was therefore con-
ducted before the tribunal of the governor, who
employed every imaginable art to tempt her. The
noble maiden remained firm and did not allow
herself to be moved, either by the false kindness of
the iniquitous judge, or by fear of the torments
with which he threatened her.

This constancy so incensed the governor that he
condemned her to be thrown into a cauldron of
burning pitch. As they proceeded to disrobe her,
she implored the executioners not to divest lior of

MARTYRDOM OF ST. IRENEUS. 91

her garments; in exchange for this favor which
modesty obtained, she consented to be lowered
slowly into the cauldron ; the continuance of her
sufferings was a proof of the power of Jesus Christ
in strengthening and sustaining those who devote
themselves to Him. The executioners granted her
request, and proceeded so slowly that her tortures
lasted three hours. They were then convinced that
the grace of Jesus Christ sustained His servants
through the longest and most painful trials. One
of the guards named Basilides, who assisted at her
execution, manifested compassion towards the saint,
and prevented the populace from insulting her;
when, regarding him with gratitude, she promised
to intercede with God for his conversion.

Some time afterward, Basilides, inspired by God,
declared himself a Christian. At first it was
thought that he did so in order to mock and
ridicule Christianity ; but persisting in the confes-
sion of his faith, he was taken before the judge,
who sent him to prison. Faithful Christians visited
him, and baptism was administered to him. The
next day he was beheaded, after having gloriously
confessed Jesus Christ. It is only the one true
religion which has power to sustain its followers
tlirough prolonged and cruel torments.

MARTYRDOM OF ST. IREXEUS, BISHOP OF LYONS.

This persecution extended even into Gaul, and
there is every reason to believe that during its con-
tinuance St. Ireneus, Bishop of Lyons, obtained the

92 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

crown of martyrdom. He liad been the disciple of
St. Polycarp, and while attending his school imbibed
a knowledge of the religion which rendered him one
of the lights of the church. St. Polycarp trained
both his mind and heart by his holy teachings and
pious example; the disciple, filled with veneration
for the eminent virtues of his master, carefully
■watched his deportment and actions, so that ho
might acquire also the spirit which inspired him.
" I listened," he says, " carefully to his instructions,
and engraved them, not on tablets, but in the depths
of my heart. I still vividly remember the dignity
of his movements, the majesty of his countenance,
the purity of his life, the holy exhortations with
which he nourished his people. It seems to me that
I hear him now describing his conversations with
St. John and others who had seen Jesus Christ;
the words which he had heard from their mouths ;
all the particulars they had learned of the miracles
and of the doctrine of the divine Saviour ; and all
that he related of it was in conformity with Holy
Scripture."

St. Ireneus was chosen to succeed St. Pothinus in
the Episcopal See of Lyons ; he had all the requisite
qualities to confirm and console the church in those
troubled times: knowledge, an ardent zeal, pro-
found erudition and a tried sanctity. These char-
acteristics were needed to repair the losses the
Church had sustained, and to form a new army of
martyrs who would soon renew her triumphs. It is
asserted, that the Emperor Severus, learning the
increasing numbers of the faithful in Lyons, under

MARTYRDOM OF ST. IRENEUS. 93'

the labors of this holy prelate, adopted a resolution
worthy of his cruel heart. He ordered his soldiers
to surround the city, and to put to the sword all
those who declared themselves Christians. The
massacre was almost general. St. Ireneus was con-
ducted before the tyrant, who condemned him to
death, exulting at having thus destroyed the pastor
and the flock.

These events we learn from the acts of St. Ireneus,
and from other memorials confirming them. St.
Ado, in his chronicle, relates that St. Ireneus suf-
fered martyrdom at the same time with an in-
numerable multitude of Christians, and an ancient
inscription, which is still to be seen in Lyons, shows
that without counting the women and children, the
number of martyrs amounted to nineteen thousand.
This can easily be believed, if we consider the cru-
elty of the Emperor Severus, and the constancy of
the faithful.

It is this fact, without doubt, Avhich induced St.
Eucherius to say, that Lyons had given birth to a
race of martyrs. The great St. Gregory said : " There
was so vast a multitude of Christians slain for the
faith, that their blood flowed like a stream through
the public places." The holy fathers have bestowed
magnificent eulogies on this great bishop. One holy
priest, named Zacharias, who escaped the slaughter,
took care of his tomb, and was, it is believed, his
successor ; God having preserved him like a spark,
in order to rekindle in the Church the same fire
which had purified so many victims.

94 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

MARTYRDOM OF ST. PERPETUA AND ST.
FELICITAS.

A. D. 205.

The persecution was not less violent at Carthage.
Four young men were arrested in that city, Saturnin,
Revocatus, Secundillus and Satur, and with them
two young women, Perpetua and Felicitas. The
first, who was of noble condition, and sister of Satur,
had an infant still at the breast. Felicitas was
pregnant. Nothing is more interesting than the
history of their combat, written by Perpetua herself.
She expresses herself in these words : " When we
were apprehended, they guarded us for some time
before throwing us into j)rison. My father, the only
member of the family who was not a Christian,
hastened to us, and endeavored to make me change
my resolution. As he implored me most earnestly
not to declare myself a Christian, I showed him a
vessel, and said : * Father, can there be any other
name given to this vessel than the one which belongs
to it?' 'No,' he replied. 'AYell, I cannot call
myself that which I am not.' At these words he
rushed at me as if he would tear out my eyes. He
then withdrew, ashamed at his outburst of passion,
and did not return for some days, thereby giving me
a little rest. In this interval we were baptized, and
the Holy Ghost then inspired me not to ask for any
thing but constancy during my torments.

" A short time afterwards we were led to prison.
I was shocked on entering it, for I had never before
been near such places. What painful days of

MARTYRDOM OF STS. PERPETUA AKD FELICITAS. 95

intense heat ; it was suffocating ; we were so much
crowded ; and, added to this discomfort, was the
brutality of the soldiers who guarded us. But the
greatest distress i sujffered was separation from my
infant. At length they restored it to me, and two
deacons, Festus and Pomponius, obtained, through
a bribe, permission to have us removed for a few
hours every day to a more comfortable place. Each
one thought of that which affected him most : for
me, I had nothing more urgent than to nurse my
infant, who was dying of hunger. I earnestly
solicited my mother, when she visited me, to protect
it. I was deeply grieved at seeing my family so
afflicted on my account, and this sorrow continued
for many days, but it left me after a while; the
prison even became to me an agreeable abode.

" One day my brother said to me, ' You can obtain
much from our Lord, pray to Him to make known
to you if you shall suffer death, or if you will be
dismissed.' As I had already experienced the good-
ness of God, I promised my brother to inform him
of the result the next day. In fine, after my prayer,-
I beheld a golden ladder which reached heaven, but
so narrow, that but one person could ascend it at a
time ; the sides of the ladder were bordered with
swords, daggers and lances, in such a manner that
without great care, and without looking up, you
could not escape being wounded in all parts of the
body. At the foot of the ladder was a terrible
dragon, ready to rush upon those who went up.
Satur, my brother, had ascended, and from the top
of the ladder said to me, * Pei*petua, I wait for you !

■% HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

but take care of the dragon !' I replied, ' It will do
me no harm, I trust in our Lord Almighty.' In
short, I approached, and the dragon gradually low-
ered its head as if afraid of me ; I put my foot on
its head, which served me for the first round of the
ladder.

" On gaining the top I beheld an immense garden,
and in the middle of it a venerable man, under the
appearance of a shepherd, surrounded by a vast mul-
titude of people robed in white. This venerable
personage said to me, ^ Welcome, my daughter,' and
he put in my mouth a delicious food, which I
received with folded hands. All the immense crowd
responded *Amen,' which awakened me, and I per-
ceived that I was still eating something of a wonder-
ful sweetness. The next day I related this dream to
my brother, and we concluded that we would very
soon suffer martyrdom. We commenced to detach
ourselves entirely from all earthly things, and to
turn our thoughts towards Eternity."

EXAMINATION AND CONDEMNATION OF THE
HOLY MARTYRS.

St. Perpetua thus continues the account of her
martyrdom : " Some days after, it was noised abroad
that we were to be examined. My father came again
to the prison, and, overwhelmed with grief, said to
me : * My daughter, have pity on my white hairs, have
pity on your father. If I have reared you with ten-
der care, if I have cherished you more than any
other of my children, do not now cover my old

EXAMINATION^ AND CONDEMNATION. 97

age with reproach. Have consideration for your
mother ; think of your infant who cannot live with-
out you, and cease this obstinacy which will ruin us
all !' In speaking thus, he took me by the hands,
kissed them, and bathed them with his tears. His
entreaties pierced me to the heart, and I lamented
that he only, of all my family, grieved at my ap-
proaching martyrdom. Nevertheless, without allow-
ing myself to be affected, I said to him, ^ The result
of this examination will be as God pleases, for we
are not in our own power, but in His.'

" The next day, while we were at dinner, the guards
entered, and commanded us to proceed to the tribu-
nal ; the greatest excitement prevailed, and we found
the place crowded with people. We were made to
ascend the scaffold ; my companions were first inter-
rogated, and courageously confessed Jesus Christ. I
was next questioned. My father, with my child in
his arms, forced his way through the crowd, at-
tempted to drag me from my place, and implored
me more vehemently than ever to change my resolu-
tion. The judge added his entreaties to my father's.
*Have compassion on the old age of your father,
and on the infancy of your son — sacrifice to the
prosperity of the Emperor !' * I will not sacrifice,' I
replied. * You are then a Christian ?' * I am one.'
As my father tried to pull me from the scaffold, the
judge ordered that he should be removed himself,
and they went so far as to strike him, in order to
enforce obedience. I felt the blow they gave him as
keenly as if I had received it myself, and my heart
9

98 HISTOBY OF THE CHURCH.

ached at witnessing this ill-treatment of my father
in his venerable age.

"Then the jndge pronounced onr sentence: we
were all condemned to the wild beasts. We returned
filled with joy to our prison, but our joy was troubled
by the condition of Felicitas who was in the eighth
month of her pregnancy, and from this fact she
feared greatly that her martyrdom would be deferred.
We all united in fervent prayer that Felicitas might
be delivered before the day appointed for the com-
bat. Scarcely had we ended our prayers, when
Felicitas felt the pangs of child-birth, and, as her
full time had not arrived the pains were very severe,
so much so, that from time to time she cried out in
her agony. One of the guards said to her : ' If you
complain now, what will you do when you are being
torn to pieces by the wild beasts ?' To which this
noble woman replied, ^ Now it is I who suffer, but
then there will be another within me who will suffer
for me, because I will suffer for Him.' Felicitas
gave birth to a daughter, whom a Christian woman
received and promised to care for as her own child.

"In the mean time the jailer of the prison, named
Pudens, perceiving that God had granted us signal
favors, had great consideration for us, and allowed a
free entrance to all who desired to visit us. A few
days previous to that appointed for our death, I saw
my father enter the prison. He had come to make a
last appeal ; he was inexpressibly dejected. He tore
his beard, he threw himself on the ground and re-
mained there on his face, utte^g. the most lament-.
able sighs and groans, and cursing his old age. His

EXECUTION OF THE MARTYRS. 99

anguisli overwhelmed me with, grief, but God sus-
tained me against the yioleiice of this hist effort to
change my resolution." Here ends the narrative of
the saint ; the continuation has been written by an
eve-witness.

EXECUTION OF THE MARTYRS.

When the day of the spectacle had arrived, the
holy martyrs w^ere led to the amphitheatre. Joy
was painted on their countenances, it sparkled in
their eyes, it animated their gestures, it resounded
in their words. Perpetua walked the last — the
tranquillity of her soul was evinced in her manner
and in her gait ; she kept her eyes cast down in
order to hide their brilliancy from the spectators.
Felicitas' satisfaction at being sufficiently recovered
to proceed with the others was equally manifest.
Saturnin and Satur threatened the idolatrous people
who surrounded them with the anger of God, and
when they approached the judge who had con-
demned them, they said to him, " You condemn us
to-day, but soon God will condemn you."

The people, irritated at these reproaches,
demanded that they should be scourged. Over-
joyed at gaining this new feature of resemblance to
the Saviour, the holy martyrs only manifested the
greatest contentment. God accorded them the kind
of death each one had desired, for, when convers-
ing together regarding the different punishments
usually inflicted, Saturnin expressed his wish to
aombat against nil the beasts of the amphitheatre.

100 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

In truth, after having been assailed, in company
with Eevocatus, by a furious leopard, they were then
both mangled by a bear. Satur, on the contrary,
feared nothing so much as a bear, and wished that a
leopard would kill him at the first attack. JS'ever-
theless, he was at first exposed to a wild boar, but
the animal turned against the keeper who led him,
and wounded him mortally. They then exposed
him to a bear, but the animal would not leave its
den ; thus Satur did not receive a single wound.

The two Saints, Perpetua and Felicitas, were
exposed in a net to a mad bull. The animal first
attacked Perpetua, tossed her in the air, letting her
fall with great violence to the ground. Perpetua
raised herself up, re-adjusted her hair, and perceiv-
ing Felicitas, whom the bull had also assaulted,
and who was stretched on the ground all bruised
from her wounds, she gave her her hand and
assisted her to rise. During this time she was not
conscious of what had occurred, but asked, " When
will they expose us to the bull T^ In oixier to con-
vince her that she had already suffered, they pointed
to her torn garments and the wounds she had
received. Then, having recognized a Catechumen
named Rusticus, she begged him to call her brother
Satur, and when they approached her she exhorted
them to remain firm in the faith.

Satur, having withdrawn under one of the porticos
of the amphitheatre, said to the jailer, Pudens, who
was there stationed: "Did I not tell you that the
beasts to which we would first be exposed would not
injure me, but that it would be the tooth of a leopard

EXECUTION^ OF THE MARTYRS. 101

which would cause my death ?" When brought for-
ward for the third time a leopard rushed upon him,
and in an instant wounded him so severely that he
was covered with blood. The delighted spectators
cried out : " Behold, he is baptized a second time ! "
Then Satur, turning his eyes on Pudens, said:
" Farewell, dear friend, bear testimony to my faith,
and imitate it." He then asked the jailer for the
ring he wore on his finger, dipped it in his blood,
and returning it said : " Keep this as a testimony
of my faith and a pledge of my friendship," and
immediately expired.

Thus Satur died first, in accordance with the
vision of St. Perpetua. Towards the close of the
spectacle, the people demanded that the martyrs
should be brought back to the center of the amphi-
theatre to receive the death blow. They came for-
ward, and of their own accord submitted their
throats to the knife without manifesting the slight-
est agitation. Perpetua fell into the hands of a
clumsy gladiator, who tortured without killing her;
until at last, fainting and exhausted, she was obliged
to guide his hand to her throat, thus indicating the
place where the blow should fall. Such heroism in
delicate women is so contrary to nature, that it is
evident, nature alone could not sustain them, and
that we must therefore ascribe it to grace.
9*

103 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

BEAUTIFUL CHARACTERISTICS OP ORIGEN.

During this period, Origen, from his earliest yonth,
had become famous throughout the whole Church.
He was the son of St. Leonidas, who suffered for the
faith in the persecution of Alexandria, under the
Emperor Severus. The holy martyr had educated
him with the greatest care in the liberal arts and
belles-lettres, he had also instructed him in the Holy
Scriptures, causing him every day to commit some
portion to memory. The young Origen applied
himself to study with incredible ardor, but his father
admired in him the virtues with Avhich grace had
endowed him, more than the acquisitions gained by
his natural talents. Often, while Origen slept, his
father would enter his room, reverently uncover his
breast, and kiss it with respect, as being the temple
of the Holy Ghost.

During the persecution, Origen conceived so lively
a desire to undergo martyrdom that he would have
presented himself for it, had not the tears and pray-
ers of his mother prevented him. When his father
was arrested, his eagerness was redoubled, and they
were obliged to hide his clothes in order to prevent
him from leaving the house. Not being able to join
his father, he wrote him a most touching letter, in
which he exhorted him to endure martyrdom:
'' Have no anxiety about your children," he wrote,
" God will take care of us." Leonidas was beheaded.
His property having been confiscated, his family
were reduced to actual poverty.

For some time Origen found an asylum in the

BEAUTIFUL CHARACTERISTICS OF ORIGEN-. 103

house of a wealthy lady ; he soon opened a grammar
school in order to support himself; and finally he
was appointed the head of the school of Alexandria,
which had become A^ery celebrated. Origen sold all
his profane books, in order to apply himself wholly
to the study of the Scriptures, and at the same time
to provide a subsistence for himself — the lessons of
the school being gratuitous. He took from this
scanty sum but six cents a day, and this pittance
sufficed for the self-denying life he led.

Notwithstanding this austerity, the sweetness and
gentleness of his manners charmed every one, and
the amenity of his disposition as much as the bril-
liancy of his talents, attracted a prodigious crowd of
scholars not alone from among the youths, but from
among philosophers, whether Christian or Pagan.
He made a great number of conversions, and several
of his disciples became illustrious saints ; some of
them even obtained the crown of martyrdom. It
was above all in regard to those who were arrested
for the faith, that he fulfilled with zeal the functions
of a Christian master. He visited them in prison,
when lying there, bound in fetters ; he accompanied
them to the examination, and even to the place of
execution, where he encouraged them by signs and
the most animated exhortations.

He exposed his life fearlessly in this zealous exer-
cise of charity, and was frequently in danger of being
stoned and otherwise ill-treated. He was eventually
arrested, loaded with chains and cast into a dungeon.
That they did not immediately put him to death,
was owing to the hope his persecutors indulged of

104 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

tiring out his patience, and of thus perverting num-
bers of Christians by the example of so ilhistrious a
man. They caused him to endure hunger, thirst,
nakedness and imprisonment, without disturbing in
the least degree either his patience or courage. The
austere habits of his life had strengthened him
against all trials ; he fasted almost continually ; he
passed the greater part of the night in prayer and
meditation on the Holy Scriptures ; and, during the
slight repose he was obliged to yield to nature, the
bare earth sufficed for his bed.

His wonderful genius was universally admired;
there was no kind of learning in which he was not
proficient, and with him this diversity of knoAvledge
did not in the least weaken the solidity of his judg-
ment. His manner of expressing himself was so
clear, that he made the most difficult subjects easy
of comprehension, and he spoke with a grace which
inspired love for the truths he taught.

WORKS OF ORIGEN.

The most celebrated writing of Origen is the one
he published against Celsus, in order to refute the
calumnies this pagan philosopher had circulated
against Christians. This work is regarded as the
most complete apology of the Christian religion
which has been handed down to us from antiquity.
This is the substance of the document : " It would,
perhaps, have been more appropriate," says Origen,
« to imitate Jesus Christ, who kept a profound silence
before his judges, and who opposed to the slanders

WORKS or ORIGEK. 105

of his enemies, the sanctity of his life, and the luster
of his miracles : thus, it might be considered useless
to refute, by argument, the falsehoods which the
malice of men ceases not to circulate against Him,
because he defends himself only by the solid virtues
of His disciples, whose holiness confounds the cun-
ning of their accusers. I do not, therefore, write for
the faithful; for them an apology is superfluous; but
I write for the infidel, to whom this instruction may
be useful."

After proving the falsity of the particular objec-
tions brouglit forward by Oelsus, he victoriously
establishes the truth of the Christian religion by
incontrovertible facts, by the propliecies which fore-
told Jesus Christ, by His miracles, and by the holy
lives of His disciples. " As to the prophecies, is it
not just," he asks, " to put faith in the Jewish books ?
their antiquity cannot be doubted, if we consider the
proofs given by Josephus and Tatian, whose authority
is of great weight." Origen quotes the prophecies
which distinctly predicted the birth, the passion, the
death and all the circumstances attending the coming
of Jesus Christ. He remarks, that since the coming
of Jesus Christ the Jews have neither prophecies
nor miracles, nor any other mark of the divine pro-
tection, as manifested among Christians.

With regard to miracles, Celsus does not deny that
Jesus Christ performed them, but he attributes them
to magic. Origen replies, that " there are some means
by which the illusions of the devil can be discerned
from the real mimcles which have God for their
author. These means consist in examining the

106 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

morals of those who perform them, their doctrine,
and the effects which these miracles produce. Moses
and the prophets have taught nothing which is not
most worthy of God, entirely conformable to reason,
and every way useful to the good morals of civilized
society. They have first practiced that which they
taught, and the effect has been great and lasting.
Moses established an entire nation governed by holy
laws. Jesus Christ has united all nations in the
knowledge of the true God, and in the practice of
all virtues. Charlatans and impostors do not seek
to reform mankind, and their delusions are of short
duration. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, which
is a great miracle and the foundation of Christianity,
cannot be suspected of any artifice. After being
buried, after remaining three days in a tomb sealed
by his enemies, the Jews, and guarded by Roman
soldiers, He appeared again during forty days ; first
to Peter and the twelve apostles, then to fire hun-
dred disciples at one time. If they had not seen Him
risen, if they had not been convinced of His divinity,
they would never have exposed themselves to suffer-
ing and to death, in order (in obedience to His com-
mands) to announce to all nations the religion they
had received from Him.

" His ignominous death on the Cross would have
shaken their faith; they would have considered
themselves deceived, and they would have been the
first to condemn Him. It is evident they must have
witnessed something very extraordinary to induce
them to embrace His precepts, and to cause others
to embrace them at tlie expense of their peace, their

APOLOGY OF ORIGEN". 107

liberty and their life. How could coarse and
illiterate men, if they had not felt themselves sus-
tained by supernatural grace, undertake to reform
the world? How would the people under the
influence of their preaching have forsaken their
ancient customs to follow a contrary doctrine, if
they had not been changed by an extraordinary
power and convinced by wonderful facts ?

CONTINUATION OF THE APOLOGY OF ORIGEN.

Origen proves the divinity of the Christian
religion by the astonishing change it produces in
those who embrace it. " The great end of the
preaching of the gospel," he says, " is the reforma-
tion of morals. If some one had eradicated from a
number of persons the vice of impurity, it would be
difficult to believe that he had nothing supernatural
about him ; what, then, should be thought of the
doctrines of Christianity influencing so vast a mul-
titude, who have become other men since they
received these truths, and whose members extend
throughout the whole empire ?

" The morals of the Christians place them very far
above those who have not the faith ; a Christian
overcomes his most violent passions with the view
of pleasing God, whereas, the pagans abandon
themselves to the most shameful voluptuousness
"without a blush, and while in the indulgence of
their vices they pretend still to retain the character
of pure and honest men. The simplest Christian
is infinitely more enlightened upon the excellence

108 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

and merit of cliastity than the philosophers, the
Testals and the priests, who are supposed to lead the
most regular lives among the pagans. None among
us are sullied by these excesses, or, if one is found
guilty of them, he is not of the number of those
who assist at our assemblies, for he is no longer a
Christian. In truth, they who fall into any sin,
above all, that of impurity, are expelled from the
Church, they are mourned over as being dead
to God, and when they return by repentance and
penance, they are subjected to longer probation
than those preparing for baptism, neither are they
permitted to exercise any public function in the
Church.

"The fidelity of Christians to the laws is well
tested ; they are so averse to exciting the slightest
disturbance, that, in obedience to the commands
received from their lawgiver, they employ no other
weapon than patience against their enemies. Jesus
Christ has commar<led that they should allow
themselves to be slaughtered like sheep rather than
oppose the least violence ; God takes charge of their
interests and their defense, and they gain more by
this mildness than they would by resenting injuries.
So far from the pagans being able to exterminate
the Christians, the death of the martyrs has tended
only to augment the number.

" The severities practiced towards the Christians
could not diminish their zeal for the conversion of
infidels ; among them were some whose only occu-
pation was to travel through cities, burroughs and
villages, in order to announce the Gospel ; and, lest

APOLOGY OF ORIGEK. 109

they should be suspected of interested motives, they
refas3d all recompense and every delicacy, accepting
only the plainest food for the sustenance of nature.
Now," adds Origen, " if among those who are con-
verted there are found the rich, persons of estab-
lished rank, and women of distinguished position, it
may be said perhaps that there is some glory in
making known our doctrine to such as these ; but
this suspicion could never have arisen in the begin-
ning. At the present time the honor received from
some does not equal the contempt and insults we
endure from the Pagans."

Origen shows that the Christians, notwithstand-
ing the ardent zeal which animated them, in order
to attract infidels to the faith, did not hesitate to
test as much as possible those who wished to embrace
it. They were instructed in private before being
received into the assembly, and when it was evident
that they really had a sincere determination to lead a
new life, they were allowed admission, being still
divided into two ranks, the one of the beginners,
and the other of those who were more advanced.

Persons were employed to watch over these neo-
phytes, to separate them from those whose lives were
not conformable with the sanctity of Christianity,
and to direct them in the practices of piety. Such
was still the virtue of Christians a long time after
the age of the Apostles, which ancient apologists,
witnesses of these facts, have cited, to prove the
divinity of the Christian religion, to confute the
injustice of their persecutors, and to reproach the
excesses of the pagans.
10

110 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

SIXTH PERSECUTION UNDER THE EMPEROR
MAXIMIN.

Year 235.

During the space of twenty-four years the Chris-
tians were left in peace ; the Emperor who succeeded
Severus did not persecute them. Alexander was
even favorable towards them, he honored Jesus
Christ as one of his own gods, and placed his
statue in his domestic temple; he conceived the
design of having it solemnly placed among the
divinities by the Senate. This prince approved par-
ticularly of this precept which he had learned from
the Christians : " Do unto others, what you would
wish others to do to you !" He had it engraved on
the walls of his palace, and when he had condemned
some malefactors to punishment, he caused it to be
cried through the streets by a herald.

Alexander's kind disposition towards the Chris-
tians, was a sufficient reason for Maximin to perse-
cute them. This prince, who was naturally cruel,
published new edicts against them. It is believed
that a Christian soldier, by a singular act which
caused a great sensation at the time, was the inno-
cent cause of this persecution. When Maximin was
proclaimed Emperor, he made, according to custom,
presents to the troops. Every soldier was obliged
on such occasions to present himself before the
Emperor with a crown of laurel on his head. There
appeared one among them whose head was bare, and
who carried his crown in his hand ; he had already
passed the Tribune without attracting notice, when

SIXTH PERSECUTION UN^DER MAXIMIN^. Ill

the murmurs of his companions caused him to be
observed. This officer asked the soldier why he did
not, like his companions, wear his crown on his
head. " It is because I am a Christian," he replied,
" and my religion does not permit me to wear your
crowns !" It appears the wearing the crown was an
idolatrous custom. The soldier was immediately
divested of his uniform and imprisoned.

This affair created so great an excitement that a
general persecution was the result ; nevertheless, the
Emperor did not issue sentence of death indiscrimi-
nately, but only against those who taught others,
and those who governed churches, being persuaded
that the people, deprived of the support of their
pastors, would be easily conquered. Besides, he was
afraid of depopulating the empire, should severe
measures be extended to the multitudes of the
faithful ; for the cities and the country, the armies
and the courts of justice, were filled with Christians.
The rigors of the persecution fell, therefore, on the
bishops and priests ; the tribunals condemned to the
greatest torments all those whom they arrested.
The Pope Pontian was one of the first who then
suffered for the faith. St. Antherius, who succeeded
him, occupied the chair but for six weeks, and it is
believed that he also received the crown of martyrdom.

The reign of Maximin was but a continuation of
cruelties, but the details have not been handed down
to us; it is only remarked that he caused the
churches to be burned, which shows conclusively
that the Christians had public places wherein to
hold their assemblies. This persecution continued

112 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

only three years, because Maximin, by his cruelties,
had rendered himself so extremely odious that he
was killed by one of his own soldiers.

* SEVENTH PERSECUTION UNDEK THE EMPEROR
DECIUS.

A. D. 249.

The Emperor Decius was the instigator of the
seventh persecution. At the commencement of his
reign he published a bloody edict against the Chris-
tians, which was sent to all the goyernors of tlie
provinces. This edict was executed with such
extreme rigor that the only occupation of the
magistrates was to search for Christians, and to
invent every variety of punishment with which to
torment them. Prisons, whips, fire, wild beasts,
boiling pitch, melted wax, sharp stakes and red hot
pincers, were all put in use ; but the Church had the
consolation to see her children remain firm, and
suffer the longest and most cruel tortures with an
admirable constancy.

The Pope, St. Fabian, set them an example, and
was one of the first victims immolated in this per-
secution. St. Alexander, bishop of Jerusalem, a
venerable old man, was presented before the tribunal
of the governor of Palestine, and generously confessed
the name of Jesus Christ for the second time, for he
had already rendered testimony under the Emperor
Severus, about forty years before. He was east into
prison and died in his chains. St. Babylas, bishop
of Antioch, also received the crown of martyrdom ai

SEVENTH PERSECUTIOIf UNDER DECIUS. 113

the same time with three young children whom he
had instructed. The number of those who at this
time suffered for the faith was so great, according to
the historian Nicephorus, that it was impossible to
count them. After having employed in vain the
most violent punishments, the persecutors, in order
to wear out their patience, inflicted slow and agoniz-
ing tortures, varied by all the allurements of pleasure,
in vain efforts to corrupt them. We will give two
examples of the refinement of cruelty to which they
had recourse.

A Christian had already endured the torture of
the iron claws and of red-hot plates ; his whole body
was covered with wounds ; honey was then spread
over him, his hands were tied behind his back, and
he was laid down in the burning sun to be stung to
death by bees and other insects. Another Christian
who was still very young, was, by order of the judge,
led into a delightful garden, adorned with lilies and
roses, and all other exquisite and fragrant flowers,
and through which flowed a gentle rivulet. The
attendants laid him on a soft bed, to which they
bound him with silken cofds. He was then left
alone. A young and beautiful courtesan whom the
judge selected on account of her singular and varied
fascinations, and whom he had commanded to use
all her arts and allurements for the ensnarement of
the youth, then approached him. So violent was
this temptation, and so great his danger, that, for
want of other means of defense, this heroic youth
bit off his tongue and spat it in the face of the
10*

114 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

wretched woman, who retired from the contest
utterly confounded at his invincible virtue.

A great many Christians, in order to escape from
this persecution, in which sometimes violence and
sometimes seductions were emplojed, fled into the
deserts. Of this number was St. Paul, born in The-
l)ais, a province of Egypt. When very young he
retired into a solitude, and led there an evangelical
life, in an entire separation from the world and in
close union with God.

MARTYRDOM OF "ST. PIONIUS.

Among the generous champions who suffered
death for Jesus Christ, during the persecution of the
Emperor Decius, there was none more illustrious than
St. Pionius, a priest of Smyrna. One day, Avhile at
prayer in the church, it was revealed to him that on
the following day he would be arrested. He imme-
diately placed a chain around his neck, so that his
persecutors might know he was prepared to suffer;
and, in the event of his being taken to the temples
of the false gods, that the spectators might perceive
it was against his will. Pionius was arrested the next
day, and when the officer asked him if he was aware
of the commands of the Emperor, he replied : " We
are not ignorant of the fact that there is one
Supreme command ; it is that which obliges us to
adore one God alone." " Proceed to the square,"
said the officer, " and you will see the edict of the
Emperor which orders every one to sacrifice to the
gods."

MARTYRDOil OF ST. PION^IUS. 115

A multitude of Jews and pagans followed in the
procession. St. Pionius delivered a long discourse to
the people, who listened with attention, and Avhen
at the conclusion he declared that he would not
adore their gods nor their images, they entreated
him to change his resolution. " Allow yourself to
be persuaded," they said to him ; " a man of your
merit is worthy to live and enjoy the pleasures of
life." "Without doubt," answered the holy priest,
" life is a blessing, and a Christian does not despise
it, but we aspire to a higher life, which is in every
^way preferable. I thank you for your sympathy,
but I suspect the artifice; open malice is less
dangerous than deceitful caresses." Then, turning
towards the judge, he said: "If your office is to
convert me or to punish me, punish me, for you
will never persuade me."

The judge then commenced the examination in
legal form, in order that all things should be in
readiness for the arrival of the proconsul, who was
expected in a few days. This magistrate, having
arrived at Smyrna, commanded St. Pionius to be
brought before him. "Do you persist in your
determination, or will you change while there is yet
time?" "I will never change," replied the holy
martyr. The proconsul reiterated his persuasions,
granting a still longer time for consideration.
" The delay is useless," said St. Pionius ; " I shall
remain firm." The judge then pronounced the
sentence ; it was written on a tablet in these words :
" AVe comm-ind tha^ the sacrilegious Pionius, who lias
avowed himself a Chri.-.tian, shall be burned alive.

116 HISTORY OF THE CHUKCET.

in order to avenge the gods and give warning to
men." The martyr walked with a firm step and
cheerful countenance to the place of execution.
He disrobed, stretched himself on the stake, and
was nailed to it. When all was ready, the execu-
tioner said to him : " Forsake your error, there is
still time ; promise to do that which is asked of
you and we will remove the nails." " No," answered
the martyr ; " I hasten to die, in order that I may
live again." They then raised him, fastened to the
stake, and turned his face toAvards the east, heaping
around him a great quantity of wood, which they
set on fire.

Closing his eyes, the people thought him dead,
but he was only absorbed in prayer. The prayer
ended, he opened his eyes as the flames arose around
him, and, looking at the fire with a joyous air, he
said : " Amen ; Lord receive my soul !" Immediately
after, with a gentle sigh, he expired. When the
fire was extinguished, the faithful, who were present,
found his body entirely perfect and apparently in
full health ; the hair unsinged, the beard beautiful,
and the whole countenance bright and glorious.
The Christians retired from the scene confirmed in
their faith, but the pagans with perplexed minds
and troubled consciences.

EIGHTH PERSECUTION^ UJ^DER VALERIAN". 117

EIGHTH PERSECUTION UNDER THE EMPEROR
VALERIAN,

Year 257.

The persecution, which had abated a little, com-
menced Avith renewed violence under the Emperor
Valerian. This prince was excited against the
Christians by one of his ministers who hated them,
and who persuaded him that, in order to succeed in
a war in which he was engaged, he should abolish
Christianity. With this view, he published edicts
which procured the crown of martyrdom for many
Christians.

The most illustrious among these martyrs was St.
Laurence, the first deacon in the Roman church.
When the Pope St. Sixtus, who had elevated him to
the deaconship, was being led to execution, St. Lau-
rence followed him weeping, and said to him:
" Where are you going my father, without your son ?
Holy Pontiff, where are you going without your
minister ?" St. Sixtus replied to him : " My son, a
still greater combat is reserved for you. In three
days you will follow me." Laurence, consoled by
these words, prepared himself for martyrdom, and
hastened to distribute to the poor all the money
deposited with him, for it was the duty of the dea-
cons to distribute the alms of the church. The
prefect of Rome, having been informed that the
Church possessed a large treasure, desired to obtain
it, and he said to St. Laurence : " You complain to
other Christians that you are treated with severity,
but here no torture is to be used. I ask you simply

118 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

for that which you can give me. I know that you
have vases of gold and silver for your sacrifices;
deliver them to me ; the Emperor has need of them
in order to maintain his troops!" St. Laurence
answered : " I acknowledge that our Church is rich,
and that the Emperor possesses no treasures so pre-
cious; I will show you a good portion of them;
grant me but a little time to put all things in order."
The prefect, not understanding what riches he spoke
of, accorded three days' delay.

In this interval the holy deacon went over the
whole city, in order to assemble all the poor whom
the church maintained; he then reported to the pre-
fect that all was ready. The prefect followed him,
and seeing a crowd of blind, deformed and wretched
creatures, instead of the precious vases he expected,
<iast on the holy deacon a threatening look. " What
you behold, disappoints and enrages you," said St.
Laurence to him ; " gold is a base metal, the cause of
many evils ; the true gold is the divine knowledge
which enlightens these poor people; these are the
riches which I have promised you!" "Is it thus
you mock me ? " exclaimed the prefect in a rage ; " I
know that Christians pretend to despise death, so do
not hope to die quickly ; your tortures shall be so
prolonged that you shall die by degrees." Accord-
ingly they commenced by tearing his body with
lashes; they then placed him on an iron gridiron
over lighted coals, and fastened the holy martyr to
it in such a manner that his flesh was very slowly
penetrated by tlie heat.

The fire of charity wliich inflamed his heart was

ST. CYPKIAN^ IS SENT INTO EXILE. 119

stronger than that which consumed his body, and
rendered him insensible to the torture. His only
thought was the law of the Lord, and his torment
became to him a real refreshment. After enduring
for a long time this horrible suffering, he said calmly
to the judge: "My body is sufficiently burned on
this side, have it turned on the other ; " and some
moments after he added : " My flesh is now roasted
enough ; you can eat it." Then, raising his eyes to
Heaven, he prayed to God for the preservation of
Rome, and expired. What courage, what calmness
in the midst of the most acute sufferings ! in vain
would we seek for the motive elsewhere than in the
all powerful strength of the divine aid.

ST. CYPRIAN IS ARRESTED AND SENT INTO
EXILE.

It was in the same persecution that St. Cyprian,
bishop of Carthage, suffered martyrdom. He was
born in Africa of a distinguished family, and previous
to his conversion had acquired a great reputation by
teaching Rhetoric. It was only when he had reached
a mature age, and after profound reflection, that ha
embraced Christianity, for he hesitated a long time
before renouncing the errors of paganism. He found
it difficult to uproot old prejudices, to lead a new life,
and to become a new man. " How can Ave," he asks,
"destroy inveterate habits, which have become a
second nature ; how pi-actice frugality, when we are
accustomed to an abundant and luxurious table?"
This is what he wrote to one of his friends. " But,"

120 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

he adds, " when the water of regeneration liad washed
away the stains of my past life, and my purified heart
had received the celestial light, all my difficulties
vanished. I found that easy which had appeared
impossible."

He made such great progress in virtue, that he
was considered a proper candidate for the priesthood,
a short time after his baptism. In the course of
time, the bishop of Carthage having died, the faith-
ful of that city entreated that he should be made
their pastor. On receiving this intelligence, the
holy priest secreted himself, desiring to yield to his
elders an honor of which he believed himself
unworthy. The place of his concealment being
discovered, he was obliged to submit. His virtues
shone with redoubled lustre in this distinguished
position. His charity for the poor knew no bounds.
He at once applied himself with indefatigable zeal to
strengthen discipline, and to instruct his flock. He
escaped the persecution of the Emperor Decius, by
withdrawing for some time from the city, because it
was he whom the pagans especially sought to put
to death, and several times the amphitheatre had
resounded with the cry: "Cyprian to the lions!
Cyprian to the lions!" He was not idle in his
retreat, but toiled unceasingly for the good of his
people, either by letters or by the ministry of those
to whom he had confided them. On returning to
Carthage he extended his vigilance into the interior
of Africa. Nothing escaped his pastoral care. A
schism had sprung up in Eome. Novatian had been

ST. CYPRIAIS' IS SENT INTO EXILE. 121

tlien ordained bishop in the life-time of St. Cornelius,
the legitimate Pontiff.

When this news reached St. Cyprian his zeal was
enkindled, and he commenced writing against the
intruder. "It is in this way," said he, "that all
schisms arise, when by impious rashness some persons
depose the bishop, of whom there can be but one in a
see, and reject him whom God has appointed. There
is but one God, but one Jesus Christ, but one Epis
copal see, originally founded by St. Peter, on the
authority of our Lord. No other altar can be
erected, nor any other priesthood established. It is
erecting another altar to raise a new bishop in the
place of him whom the church has appointed. All
that which men undertake, contrary to divine insti-
tutions, is false, profane and sacrilegious. The
church of Jesus Christ is essentially one, it cannot
be divided ; Jesus Clirist tells us there is but one
fold. In order to make this unity more evident, the
Lord has built His Church on one alone — on St.
Peter, to whom He has given the power of the
keys.

" Cornelius has been appointed, according to the
holy canons, to the pontifical chair; therefore, he
who claims to be bishop of Rome breaks the unity.
Hi ; ordination cannot be legitimate. As there can-
not be two bishops in the same see, he who is created
bishop after the first, is not the second ; he is noth-
ing — he has neither the power nor the rank of
bishop. He is not a pastor, biit a profaner, a
stranger, an apostate; he succeeds no one, he begins
with himself. He endeavors to establish a new
11

122 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

church, a purel}^ human church, in the place of the
Church of God; this is what Noyatian has done.
He has been elected, against all the laws of disci-
pline, by the deserters who have abandoned their
true pastor. When a bishop has been once estab-
lished, there is no way of appointing another in the
same place. It is a monstrous crime to attempt to
elect a second ; it is so great a sin, that martyrdom
even could not expiate it. There is no real martyr-
dom out of the church. Schismatics can be put to
death, but they cannot be crowned. Whoever divides
the flock of the Lord becomes corrupt, a stranger,
and an enemy. They cannot have God for a father,
when they have not the Church for a mother."

MARTYRDOM OF ST. CYPRIAN.

St. Cyprian zealously engaged in the discharge
of his holy functions, when the persecution of Vale-
rian broke out. Paternus, proconsul of Africa, had
him brought before his tribunal : " The Emperor
commands me," said he, " to force all his subjects to
embrace the same religion which he himself pro-
fesses; who are you?" "I am a Christian and a
bishop," answered Cyprian ; " I know but one true
God, who has made heaven and earth. It is this God
whom we serve, and" to whom we pray in a special
manner for the prosperity of the Emperors." "I.
wish to know," inquired the proconsul, " who are tho
priests attached to your church ?" " I cannot reveal
them," replied Cyprian ; "your own laws condemn
informers." After more questions, and as firm re-

MARTYRDOM OF ST. CYPRIAN^. 123

plies, the proconsul ordered him to be exiled to
Carube, a little city situated on the coast, not very
far distant from Carthage.

Several other African bishops and a great number
of priests were banished at the same time, and dis-
persed through uncivilized places, where they had
every kind of privation and inconvenience to un-
dergo. St. C^^prian comforted them by a letter,
wliich cannot be read without our feeling some
degree of the divine warmth with which his heart
was filled, and which made his happiness consist in
suffering for Jesus Christ. He remained a year in
exile ; he was then recalled to Carthage, to be there
judged by the new proconsul who had succeeded
Paternus. The persecution was commenced with
redoubled violence, and the edict of the Emperor
Valerian ordered, that the bishops, priests and dea-
cons should be immediately put to death. St. Cy-
prian was confided to the captain of the guards who
resided in a suburb of Carthage; his friends were
permitted to visit him, and his faithful people flocked
around him. The Christians, fearing he would be
put to death during the night, passed the whole
night at the door of the house where he was guarded.

The proconsul was residing at his country house,
and thither the holy bishop was conducted, the
weather being intensely warm. The soldiers, seeing
him overcome by profuse perspiration, offered him a
change of garments. " For what purpose" said the
Saint, "would you endeavor to mitigate sufferings
which will soon end?" When they had reached the
end of their journey the proconsul asked the bishop

124 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

if he was called Cyprian. " That is my name," he
replied. " The Emperor commands you to sacrifice
to the gods," said the proconsul. " I will not do
it," replied Cyprian. "Think of the danger m
which you stand," said the judge. St. Cyj)rian
answered, "In so just a cause there is no delibera-
tion." The proconsul, after consulting with his
council, spoke thus to the holy bishop : " For a long
time you have made a profession of impiety, and
our Emperor has not been able to bring you back to
better sentiments. Since you are the head of this
pernicious sect, you shall serve for an example to
those whom you have led into disobedience; the
discipline of the laws shall be strengthened by your
blood." He then read from the tablet, on whicli it
was written, the sentence of condemnation. It was
expressed in these words : " It is commanded that
Cyprian shall be punished by the sword." The
holy bishop responded, " I return tlianks to God."
The faithful, who were very numerous in the
assembly, cried out, " May we also be beheaded."
They had appointed for the place of execution a
square bordered with large trees, at some distance
from the city. Although the place was very spa-
cious it was too small for the vast multitude who
assembled there.

The holy bishop gave proofs, even to the end, of
his solicitude for his flock, for, knowing that in the
crowd thei*e were many helpless women, he dii-eohed
that care should be taken to protect them from all
dangers. Arrived at the place of execution, ho
prostrated himself on the ground in fervent prj^yer

PERSECUTION^ I^ AFRICA. 125

to God, When it was concluded, he removed his
garments, giving them to his deacons; he then
took the bandage in order to cover his eyes, but, as
he had some difficulty in tying it, a priest and
deacon performed this last office for him. The
executioner then appeared, to whom the holy
martyr presented twenty-five gold pieces; then,
kneeling down, he crossed his hands over his heart
and waited for the stroke which was to change for
him, time into a glorious eternity. The faithful
collected his blood on the linen cloths which they
had spread around him before he was beheaded, and
preserved with religious respect these sacred relics.

CONTINUATION OF THE PERSECUTION IN
AFRICA.

The persecution did not end with the death of
St. Cyprian, for, a few months afterwards, a multi-
tude of martyrs attained tlie crown. The account
of their martyrdom, written by themselves while in
prison, is still extant, and was completed by an eye-
witness. It says: "When we were arrested we
learned that the governor had decided that we
should be burned alive, and that the execution
would take place the next day ; but God, Avho holds
in His hand the hearts of Judges, did not permit
them to torture us in this manner. The governor
altered his determination and we were remanded
to prison. This place was not terrible to us; its
darkness was changed to a celestial brightness, a
ray from the Holy Ghost penetrated this gloomy
11*

126 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

dwelling and dispersed all fear. The next day,
towards evening, we were conducted by the guard
to the palace to undergo our examination. Oh,
happy day ! oh, how light appeared the chains with
which they loaded us. The governor put several
questions to us, intermingled with threats and
promises. Our replies were modest but firm, gen-
erous and christian-like, and we went forth from our
interrogation, victorious over the demon. We were
sent back to prison, and there prepared ourselves for
a new combat.

"The most painful trial we had to endure was
hunger and thirst ; for, after compelling us to work
all day, they denied us every thing, even a little
water. God, himself, comforted us, by making
known to us in a vision that we had but a few days
more to suffer, and that He would never forsake us.
Through the instrumentality of two Christians, pro-
visions were conveyed to us. This assistance relieved
us a little ; our sick recovered ; we soon forgot our
troubles, and we blessed the divine mercy which had
deigned to alleviate our sufferings. The intimate
union which exists among us contributes greatly
towards sustaining and consoling us; we are but
of one mind, and pray and "converse continually
together. Nothing is sweeter than this fraternal
charity, which is so agreeable to God, and by which
we obtain from Him all that we ask, according to
the consoling promise of Jesus Christ : ' If two per-
sons unite on earth in asking something of my
Father, they will certainly obtain it.' "

Finally the governor again summoned them before

ADMIRABLE CONSTANCY OF A CHILD. 127

his tribunal. All boldly avowed their firm adherence
to their first confession of faith. Then the governor
read the sentence condemning them to be beheaded ;
and they were led to the place of execution where
they found a great concourse of people ; the faithful
and the gentiles both hastening to the spot. The
countenances of the holy martyrs were illumined by
a heavenly joy at the blissful hope of soon being
admitted to the presence of the Lamb ; they cour-
ageously exhorted the eager spectators : the faithful
to remain firm in their fiiith, and carefully guard
this precious gift of a loving Father ; the idolaters
to acknowledge and adore the one true God. " Every
man," said the martyrs to the pagans, " who sacri-
fices to the false gods shall be exterminated; it is
a horrible impiety to abandon the true God and
worship demons." The executioners then advanced
and with their cruel weapons released these impatient
souls from the bondage of this life.

ADMIRABLE CONSTANCY OF A CHILD.

Almighty God, in His infinite power, can endow
the tongues of children with eloquence when He
desires to add to His glory, and He also causes them
to be the means of triumph to the faith by generously
conf ssing it. At Cesarea, in Cappadocia, a child,
named Cyril, displayed an extraordinary courage,
which filled the faithful with joy and admiration.
The sacred name of Jesus Christ was incessantly on
his lips, and he derived so much strength in pro-
nouncino: it as to become insensible to the threats

128 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

and promises addressed to him by his inhuman
judges. His father, who was an idolater, could not
induce him to invoke the false gods, and after shame-
fully ill-treating him drove him from his house.

The judge of the city, hearing of what had happened,
sent soldiers to arrest the youthful Cyril, and conduct
him before his tribunal. " My child," gently said the
magistrate, "I am most anxious to pardon your
offense in consideration of your tender age ; you can
regain your father's favor and return to your home
if you will be docile and obedient. Comply, there-
fore, with our wishes, and renounce Christianity."
The holy child replied: "I am rejoiced at being
enabled to suffer reproaches for my conduct. God
will receive me, and I shall find Him a tender, loving
parent. Most happy am I in being driven from the
paternal roof, as I shall dwell in a mansion a thou-
sand times more spacious and beautiful. I willingly
renounce temporal goods, in order to gain heavenly
treasures ; death has no terrors for me, because it is
the entrance to eternal life." He uttered these words
with a marvelous courage, showing that he was
animated by the divine spirit. Then the judge,
assuming a severe tone with the intention of terri-
fying the holy child, threatened him with death,
ordered him to be bound as if to be carried to execu-
tion, and commanded a pile of wood to be prepared
and ignited. But this admirable child, far from
manifesting the slightest fear, only appeared firmer
and more confident, and did not shed a single tear
at the sight of the horrible death that awaited him.
The executioners led him to the fire and threatened

ADMIRABLE CONSTANCY OF A CHILD. 129

to throw him into the flames, but Cyril lost none of
his sublime fortitude, and remained unmoved.

The judge had privately given orders only to
frighten him, and when they saw that the sight of
the punishment made no impression on him, he was
once more conducted before the tribunal. The
magistrate thus addressed him: "You have seen
the fire and sword prepared for you, and I trust will
show youreelf obedient and submissive to my will
and that of your father. Are you not desirous of
regaining his affection and of returning home?"
Cyril answered : " You have deprived me of celes-
tial happiness by recalling me to your presence ; I
fear neither the fire nor the sword, but languish for
my heavenly home, and sigh for imperisliable riches,
exceeding ail the wealth of my father. Jesus Christ
our Lord Avill receive me into the home of the blessed,
and reward me with a crown of everlasting glory ;
hasten, then, and put me to death, so that I may go
to Him the sooner."

The assistants wept at hearing him speak thus,
but he said to them : " Do not mourn for me, but
rejoice at the happy fate which awaits me ; seek not
to weaken me by your tears, but rather encourage
me to suffer every thing for God. You know not
the glorious destiny I shall obtain, nor the bright
hope of a blissful immortality by which I am
animated and sustained. I am eager to terminate
my mortal life, and ready to endure the most excru-
ciating torments. Come, then, and open for my
eager soul the golden portals of the heavenly Jeru-
salem." In these holy dispositions he was led to

130 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

execution; but the kind of death he suffered is not
mentioned in the account of his martyrdom. It is
thus that the power of religion, of which we have
seen such evident proofs, in a weak and delicate sex,
is also manifested at an age Avhen timidity and
inconstancy are so natural.

PUNISHMENT OF THE PERSECUTORS — CHARITY
OF THE CHRISTIANS.

Divine vengeance overtook Valerian, who was one
of the most inhuman persecutors of Christianity.
This prince, after experiencing a defeat, imprudently
engaged in a conference with Sapor, King of Persia,
by whom he was seized, confined as a prisoner, and
treated with the greatest indignity. When Sapor
wished to mount his horse he made the Emperor
bend before him, and placing his foot on his neck
leaped into the saddle. Finally, the unhappy
Valerian was flayed alive ; and his skin, after being
dyed red, was suspended in a Persian temple as a
monument of the ignominious defeat of the Eoman
arms. The pagans were horror stricken at the
dreadful fate of the Emperor, but the Christians
recognized the avenging hand of God in the punish-
ment of a prince who had cruelly persecuted His
children.

The empire was, at that period, plunged into the
most unhappy condition by the barbarians, who
ruthlessly invaded all its provinces. The Goths
overran Thrace and Macedonia, and devastated
Greece ; the Germans crossed the Alps and advanced

PUNISHMENT OF THE PERSECUTORS. 131

into Italy as far as Ravenna; other tribes entered
Gaul and passed into Spain ; the Sarmatians ravaged
Pannonia, and the Parthians penetrated as far as
Syria. Civil wars raged throughout the empire, and
as many as thirty tyrants sprang up, who called
themselves Roman Emperors. Earthquakes were of
frequent occurrence, and the sea overflowed, com-
pletely inundating several cities. The plague suc-
ceeded all these evils, and was so violent in Rome as
to carry off several thousand victims in one day.

This dreadful scourge made no less havoc in Alex-
andria. "Universal mourning prevailed," says St.
Denis, bishop of this great city ; " cries of lamentation
issued from every house, and the deserted streets
resounded with the groans and shrieks of the dying."
The holy bishop adds, "that this disease was, for
the pagans, the greatest of all calamities, and, for
the Christians, an occasion to practice the most
heroic charity; as they alone nursed the sick and
buried the dead." "The Christians," he writes,
"have acted nobly, visiting the sick, consoling
the bereaved, and, heedless of the contagion, have
frequently fallen victims to the pestilence, while
serving others. A number of priests, deacons and
the laity have thus sacrificed their lives, but those
who remain replace them, and continue to labor in
the cause of charity. The pagans, on the contrary,
fly from the scourge ; abandon those who are dearest
to them ; cast the bodies of their relatives into the
street before life is extinct, leaving their remains
without burial, to become the food of dogs, so great
is their dread of contracting tlie fatal disease, whicli

132 - HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

nevertheless they cannot avoid." This extraordinary
difference of conduct created much remark, and the
pagans themselves openly declared that the Chris-
tians alone exercised true piety. The Church still
honors those martyrs who, at the time of this plague,
fell victims to divine charity.

NINTH PERSECUTION UNDER THE EMPEROR
AURELIAN.

A. D. 274.

The Emperor Aurelian, who, in the first years of
his reign, had not shown himself adverse to the
Christians, suddenly changed his conduct in their
regard, as he thought to win the affection of the
senate and the people by persecuting the enemies of
their gods. He was prevented from signing a terri-
ble edict against them by a thunderbolt falling at
his feet, which so overpowered him with terror, as to
cause him to abandon his design ; but his determin-
ation was not altered, and the persecution was only
deferred. " Soon after, being given up to the cor-
ruption of his heart," says Lactantius, who lived at
a nearly cotemporary period, "Aurelian published
bloody edicts against us ; but it was happily at the
end of his reign, which was very short, so that the
laws had not yet been enforced in the more distant
provinces at the time of his death." Thus our
divine Lord shows, that He has not confided unlim-
ited power to the hands of earthly rulers, but
governs the world by His justice and providence.
Nevertheless, as the known wishes of Emperors are

KINTH PERSECUTION UNDER AURELIAN. 133

not less effective than their commands, the hatred
of the Christian name, manifested by Anrelian before
his death, did not fail to make a great many martyrs.

One of the most illustrions was St. Conon, who
suffered in Lyconia. When the judge derided his
austere and mortified life, the holy martyr boldly
replied : " The cross constitutes all my delight ; do
not, therefore, think to intimidate me by the prepa-
ration of tortures. I am sensible of their value, and
know how much they contribute to true happiness ;
the longest and most painful sufferings are the objects
of my ardent desire." In order to shake his resolu-
tion, the judge asked him if he had any children.
"I have one son," he answered, "and I most earn-
estly wish he could participate in my joyful fate.'
The child was immediately summoned, and con-
demned to the same punishment as his father.
Their hands were severed from the wrist by a wooden
saw, and the martyrs then placed on a bed of red
hot coals, and finally cast into a caldron of boiling
oil, where they gave up the ghost, while praising
the goodness of God.

The martyrdom of St. Denis, first bishop of Paris,
is also said to have occurred during this persecution
Tliis holy prelate, after establishing a flourishing
church in Paris, labored, through the ministry of
his disciples, to extend the faith into the neighbor-
ing provinces, with a zeal which merited for him the
title of the apostle of Gaul. The detailed account
of the lives of these apastolic men is not extant;
but that they cultivated most successfully this bar-
ren field is shown by their heroic deaths, not liesi-
12

134 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

tating to slied their blood to render it more fertile
and productive of abundant fruit. God crowned
the labors of their noble leader by a glorious mar-
tyrdom, of which, however, there is no record ; it is
only known, that, during a persecution which sud-
denly broke out, St. Denis, a priest named Rusticus,
and the deacon Eleutherius, were seized by order of
the president Fescennine, and, after generously con-
fessing the faith, were scourged, tortured, and finally
beheaded.

An old tradition, supported by the testimony of
ancient monuments, relates that it was on a moun-
tain near Paris that these servants of God were exe-
cuted, called for this reason the Mount of Martyrs,
or as it is styled at the present day — " Montmartre."
The place where St. Denis was imprisoned is still
shown in Paris, as also the spot where he was tor-
tured ; and two churches were subsequently erected
in his honor. The president had commanded that
the bodies of the martyrs should be thrown into the
Seine ; but a pagan lady, who was favorably disposed
towards Christianity, bribed the men intrusted with
this commission, and had the holy relics secretly
buried.

TENTH AND LAST PERSECUTION UNDER
DIOCLESIAN.

A. D. 303.

The Roman empire, which had for three centuries
directed almost continual attacks against Chris-
tianity, made a last effort to destroy it ; which, how-

TEJ^TH Aiq^D LAST PERSECUTION. 135

ever, instead of overthrowing, served more com-
pletely to establish the religion of Jesus Christ.
Dioclesian reigned at this period in the East, and
Maximian in the West. The former published an
edict in Nicomedia, in the year 303, ordering the
churches to be destroyed, and the Holy Scriptures
to be burned. This was only a prelude to the cruel
laws which followed, and which caused rivers of
blood to flow in all the provinces of the empire;
for Maximian, his colleague, readily imitated an
example so consonant with his ferocious disposition.
He practiced the most unheard of cruelties towards
the Christians, and employed tortures hitherto
unknown.

In Mesopotamia, some of the faithful were sus-
pended with the head downwards, and suffocated by
a slow fire ; in Syria they were roasted on gridirons ;
in the province of Pontus, sharp reeds were driven
under their nails, and melted lead poured over their
bodies ; in Egjrpt, after being torn and lacerated with
red hot pincers, they were flayed alive with pieces of
broken iron ; in Phrygia, a Christian city was sur-
rounded by soldiers and destroyed by fire. Men,
women and children perished in the flames, while
fervently invoking the assistance of Jesus Christ.
The historian Eusebius, an eye-witness of some
of these barbarous scenes, says that the cruelties
practiced against the servants of God during this
horrible persecution surpassed all belief. "The
whole earth," says Lactantius, " streamed with blood,
from the East to the West."

The Church, however, was visibly sustained during

136 HISTORY OF THE CHURGH.

this terrible trial, and God bestowed His divine aid
when every thing was looked upon as lost. The per-
secution commenced in the imperial palace. Several
of the highest officers were Christians, and were
commanded to sacrifice to the gods ; but they pre-
ferred to lose the favor of the prince, be divested of
their rank and endure the crudest tortures, rather
than ftiil in their fidelity to God.

One among them, named Peter, suffered, with an
invincible constancy, the most excruciating tor-
ments, the recital of which would make us shudder.
After stripping him of his garments, the executioners
fastened him to a machine, which suddenly elevated
him to a great height and then let him fall again on
the pavement. Although his body was all crushed
and mangled by this fall, they struck him with a
heavy club, thus breaking all his bones ; salt and
vinegar were then poured into the deep, gaping
wounds ; but the agonizing pain which ensued did
not for a moment shake his courage. He was then
placed on a gridiron over a hot fire, and slowly
roasted ; in order to prolong this frightful torment,
the fire was allowed to go out at intervals and was then
rekindled. All this refinement of cruelty was in
vain ; the heroic martyr, who conquered physical
pain and his inhuman enemies at the same time,
expired on this dreadful bed without allowing the
faintest sigh to escape his parched lips. What
wonderful strength! What sublime constancy!
Weak human nature could not display such super-
natural fortitude, if not assisted by divine grace and
miraculously sustained in the midst of a fiery furnace.

MARTYRDOM OF ST. QUINTIN^. 137

MARTYRDOM OF ST. QUINTIN.

Rictius Varus had been appointed prefect in Gaul
by Maximian. Imitating the cruelty of his master,
this man hurried from city to city, creating fear and
terror wherever he went, and shedding Christian
blood in all the places through which he passed.
He proceeded to Amiens, where the holy teachings
of the Gospel were proclaimed with zeal and success
by St. Quintin. The holy apostle was arrested and
summoned before the tribunal. On being asked his
name, the Saint replied : " I am a Christian and am
called Quintin." "Who are your parents?" said
the prefect. " I am a Roman citizen, and son of the
senator Zeno," answered the holy man. "How is
it," asked the prefect, "that, being the son of so
noble a parent, you have allowed yourself to become
attached to such foolish superstitions ? " " The most
exalted nobility," said Quintin. " consists in know-
ing God, and in keeping His commandments. The
Christian religion cannot be superstitious, since it is
through its means that we obtain eternal happiness,
and learn to know the one true God and His Son,
Jesua Christ, the Creator of all things, and who in
all things is equal to His Father." " If you do not
sacrifice instantly," angrily exclaimed the prefect,
" I swear by our gods, that I will condemn you to
the most frightful tortures, and the most agonizing
death." " And I," said the intrepid Saint, " swear
by the Lord, my God, that I will not obey your
impious commands. I no more fear your threats,
than I dread the anger of your false gods."
12*

138 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

He was immediately seized and cruelly scourged,
then manacled and thrown into a narrow prison.
An Angel visited him in his loathsome cell, and
ordered him to go and instruct the people. Miracu-
lously released from his fetters, the Saint left the
dungeon without meeting the slightest obstacle,
and hastened to the public square, where he began
to preach to the populace. This wonderful miracle,
and the sufferings he had endured for Jesus Christ,
lent such power and unction to his words, that he
converted nearly six hundred persons. Even his
guards, eye witnesses to his supernatural deliverance,
were convinced of the truth, and believed in Jesus
Christ, who thus visibly protected His servant. St.
Quintin was summoned a second time before the
prefect, who endeavored to win him over by flatter-
ing promises, which proving as useless as his threats,
the tyrant had recourse to new tortures, in order to
overcome the constancy of the holy martyr. His
body was stretched in so violent a manner, by means
of pulleys, that all his limbs were dislocated, and his
flesh torn with blows from a heavy iron chain. Boil-
ing oil, pitch and melted grease were poured into
the quivering wounds, and finally burning torches
applied to the bleeding mass.

The cruelty of men has never been exercised with
so much cunning and ingenuity as against the
martyrs of Jesus Christ. The inhuman Varus,
finding, that, notwithstanding these excruciating
torments, Quintin did not cease praising the Lord,
caused his mouth to be filled with lime and vinegar;
then had him loaded with chains and led into the

MARTYRDOM OF THE THEBAIC LEGIOJ^". 139

hospital of Vermandois. Providence, however, had
destined the holy martyr to be the patron of this
city which now bears his name. Varus here made a
last effort to destroy this noble soul, but in vain.
Perceiving that the Saint appeared to derive new
strength from his torments, he openly vented his
rage, by ordering him to be pierced with two rods
of iron from the neck to the thighs. Sharp irons
were then driven under his finger nails, and, as after
this last torture the Saint still breathed, he was con-
demned to be beheaded.

Having been carried to the place of execution,
Quiutin requested a few moments of time for prayer.
On finishing his petition to the throne of grace, he
turned towards his executioners and said: "I am
now ready ; perform your duty." He was immedi-
ately beheaded, and his head and body thrown into
the river Somme, but God did not allow the blessed
remains of so illustrious a martyr to be lost to the
Church; a Christian lady, namsd Eusebia, found
the body and interred it with respect. This account
of the martyrdom of St. Quintin was written by an
eye witness.

MARTYRDOM OF THE THEBAN LEGHOX.

Maximian proceeded to Gaul, in order to repress
a faction which had sprung up in that portion of
th2 Roman Empire. As he thought it was necessary
to re-enforc3 his army, the Theban legion was suni-
mon3:l fi-om the Eist. This legion wai en^irily
compo3ed of Cliristiaiu, wh )S3 faith inspirel them

140. HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

with the most ardent and daring courage. These
generous soldiers were commanded by an officer
named Maurice, and the next in authority were
Exuperus and Candidus. Before crossing the Alps
they joined the body of the army and sojourned for
a short time at Octodurum, called at the present day
Martigny in Valois.

Maximian, who was more bent on exterminating
the Christians than crushing the enemies of the
State, commanded the Theban legion to persecute
the faithful, or as other accounts relate, wished to
compel them to participate in the solemn sacrifices
he offered to his gods on entering Gaul. These
brave soldiers replied, that they had come to oppose
the enemies of the State, and not to dip their hands
in their brothers' blood or sully them by a false wor-
ship. Maximian was so enraged at this response,
that he immediately ordered every tenth soldier of
the legion to be punished by death. Those on whom
the lot fell, suffered their throats to be cut without
offering the slightest resistance. This horrible
slaughter did not terrify their comrades, but only
augmented their desire to share the same glorious
. fate, and caused them to loudly proclaim their utter
detestation of the pagan divinities. On being in-
formed of this noble declaration, Maximian com-
manded the legion to draw lots a second time ; when
urged to obey the ordsrs of the tyrant, these fervent
champions of Jesus Christ presented the following
address:

"We are your soldiers, 0, powerful prince, but we
are also the S3rvants of God ; we owe you our ser-

MARTYRDOM OF THE THEBAN LEGIOJf. 141

vices on the field of battle, but must render homage
to God, by the innocence and purity of our lives ;
we receive pay from you, but He has created and
preserved us ; we cannot obey you, our earthly mon-
arcli, by renouncing our Omnipotent Lord and Mas-
ter; we ari3 willing to execute your commands in
every thiug that does not offend Jesus Christ; but,
if we are forced to choose between disobeying God
or man, we prefer to obey God. Lead us to battle ;
W3 are ready to combat the enemy, but cannot shed
the blood of our innocent brethren. We pledged
ourselves to God, before swearing allegiance to you ;
how then could you rely on our fidelity, if we fail
in our inviolable promise to the God of truth. If
you seek to destroy Christians, put us to death ; we
believe in one God — Creator of the Universe, and
in Jesus Christ, His Son ; we are prepared to suffer
the same punishment as our companions, Avhose fate
we envy. Do not fear a revolt; Christians know
how to die but not to rebel ; we have arms, but we
will not use them against our prince, desiring rather
to suffer an innocent death, than to live a guilty
life."

So noble and prudent a remonstrance only in-
flamed the rage of the tyrant, and in despair of
overcoming Christian heroism, he resolved to mas-
sacre the entire legion. The gallant band was
surrounded by the whole army, and its generous
mambers condemned to pass successively under the
11 id 3 of the sword; these courageous warriors threw
down their weapons, cast off their breast-plates, and
presented their bare necks to the executioners.

142 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Neither groans nor lamentations were heard, but
they exhorted and encouraged each other to suffer
for Jesus Christ. In a short time the ground was
strewn with the mangled bodies, and dyed with the
sacred blood of more than six thousand victims.

What a beautiful spectacle is presented to our con-
templation, in beholding a whole legion of armed
soldiers animated by such a holy, sublime, and extra-
ordinary spirit, which led them to execution with
unfaltering steps, and obtained for them the glorious
title of soldiers of the Cross ! Does not a religion
which is capable of forming such perfect men, bear
on her brow the evident marks of a divine origin ?
The grace of God can alone inspire such heroism,
and such great prudence, which knew how to per-
form every duty ; to remain faithful to God, and, at
the same time, not to oppose their earthly ruler,
even when he proved himself a most unjust and
cruel prince.

MARTYRDOM OF ST. VICTOR OF MARSEILLES.

A short time after the massacre of the Theban
legion, St. Victor of Marseilles, rendered a most
glorious testimony to Jesus Christ. He was in the
army, and belonged to a distinguished family; he
was noted also for his gallantry and bravery, and
especially for his steadfastness in the faith. The
Emperor Maximian had directed his march towards
Marseilles, and the rumor of his approach caused
the persecution to rage with ten-fold violence. Vic-
tor endeavored to encourage and re-assurc the faith-

MARTYRDOM OF ST. VICTOR. 143

fill; lie visited the soldiers constantly, exhorting
them to behave on this occasion like true warriors
of Jesus Christ, and to despise the pains of a death
which conducted their souls to the eternal joys of
Paradise. He was arrested while thus laboring for
the salvation of his brethren, and carried before the
tribunal of prefects ; but as he was of noble rank, it
was thought advisable to refer the judgment of his
case to the Emperor.

On the arrival of Maximian, Victor was summoned
before him ; promises and threats were vainly tried,
to induce him to sacrifice to the gods ; but the holy
martyr confounded the tyrant and his officers, by
demonstrating to them the divinity of Jesus Christ,
and the folly of worshipping idols. Then the
Emperor, thinking that a soldier would be more
susceptible to disgrace than to pain, condemned
him to bo dragged through the streets, bound hand
and foot. After this first punishment, the holy
martyr was conducted, all covered with blood, to the
tribunal of prefects. These men, supposing him
vanquished by all that he had endured, urged him
to sacrifice to the gods of the empire, but he replied
with a noble courage, that he had not been guilty
of any offense against the State or the Emperor, and
would never consent to adore the pagan deities,
whose abominations he openly proclaimed. He
was then fastened to a wooden horse, and most cru-
elly tortured for a long time; while undergoing this
dreadful agony, the Saint raised his eyes to Heaven,
and supplicated Almighty God for patience, con-
stancy and fortitude.

144 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Jesus Christ appeared to him holding His Cross,
and said to him: "Peace be with thee, I am the
Jesus who sutfers in the persons of my Saints ; take
courage, my son, I will sustain thee in the combat,
and will reward thee with a bright crown of ever-
lasting glory after thou hast achieved a victory over
the powers of the world, the flesh, and the devil."
These consoling words reanimated Victor, and ren-
dered him insensible to physical pain. As nothing
was gained by torturing him, he was reconducted to
prison. God visited his servant in his gloomy dun-
geon, and during the night his cell was filled witli a
shining light; three of his guards, on beholding this
celestial radiance, cast themselves at the feet of the
Saint and entreated him to baptize them.

On learning of the conversion of his soldiers, Max-
imian ordered them to be put to death, if they did
not abjure the faith ; all, however, courageously con-
fessed Jesus Christ, and were beheaded. The Em-
peror then commanded Victor to appear before him ;
and after applying new tortures exhorted him to
offer incense before an altar which had been erected,
promising to restore him his liberty and rank if he
would obey. Victor approached, as if about to sacri-
fice, and kicked the altar over with one of his feet ;
the infuriated tyrant ordered the foot to be immedi-
ately cut off, and sentenced the Saint to be crushed
under tlie grindstone of a mill ; this cruel order was
executed at once, but Victor still breathed when tlie
machine broke and released its victim. He was
fintilly beheaded, and a voice from Heaven was
heard saying: "Thou hast conquered; Victor, thou

MARTYRDOM OF ST. VIIS'CENT. 145

hast conquered." Maximian commanded the bodies
of the martyrs to be cast into the sea, but the waves
threw the sacred remains on the shore and they were
buried by some of the faithful in a cave, where God
wrought a great number of miracles.

MARTYRDOM OF ST. VINCENT OF SARAGOSSA.
A. D. 304.

During this same persecution, Spain also testified
her adherence to the faith, and produced a great
many martyrs ; the most illustrious of whom was
St. Vincent, of Saragossa, a deacon of the Church.
Dacian, at that time the governor, was the most
inhuman enemy of Christianity. He caused Vin-
cent to be arrested, and thrown into a dark prison,
where he was left almost entirely without food of
any kind, in order to diminish his courage, and
weaken his body by the pangs of hunger. Finding
that he remained immovable, Dacian summoned him
once more to his presence, and tempted him with
the fairest promises ; but failing to make the slight-
est impression on the saint, he threatened him with
excruciating tortures if he refused to worship the
idols. The holy deacon, however, remained indif-
ferent either to smiles or frowns, declaring tliat he
was a Christian, and ready to suffer everything for
the one true God. He was then fastened to a wooden
horse, which was stretched with so much violence as
to dislocate his bones, and almost tear limb from
limb. While in this horrible state, his sides were
13

146 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

lacerated with iron claws, in such a manner, that
the entrails were visible.

In the midst of these agonizing sufferings, the holy
martyr testified the greatest joy. His unalterable
patience and serene countenance enraged the judge,
who ordered the executioners themselves to be seized
and beaten, in order to make them redouble their
cruel efforts. They commenced anew, therefore, to
torture the holy martyr, and expended so much
strength on their victim, as to be forced to desist
through weariness. The magistrate himself, seeing
that the blood j9 owing from every part, and the
frightful condition of the martyr, made no change
in the constancy of Vincent, was overcome with
astonishment, and secretly acknowledged himself
conquered by this true and invincible soldier of
Jesus Christ. He then essayed other means to
accomplish his designs. "Have pity on yourself,"
he said mildly to the holy deacon ; " sacrifice to the
gods, or at least, deliver the writings of the Chris-
tians to me !" Vincent replied that he dreaded tor-
tures infinitely less than a false compassion.

Dacian, more furious than ever, had the martyr
stretched on a bed of iron, the bars of which were
furnished with sharp points, and then placed on a
red hot furnace; heated plates were applied to all
portions of the body that did not touch this painful
couch ; salt was thrown into the agonizing wounds,
the particles of which penetrated into the quivering
flesh. During this horrible punishment, Vincent
remained immovable, his eyes raised towards Heaven,
as if already beholding the glorious re-ward that

MARTYRDOM OF ST. VIJ^CEKT. 147

awaited him in the abode of the blessed. Dacian,
wlioUy disconcerted, was at a loss what course to
pursue, and sent him back to prison, with orders to
lay him on pieces of broken earthenware, and to place
his feet in the stocks, and distend his aching limbs
with the utmost violence. But God did not desert
His servant, bright angels descended from Heaven
and comforted this heroic soul, and the holy martyrs
united their voices Avith his in praising the goodness
and mercy of a God, who had sustained them through
similar combats.

The jailer heard the celestial music, and was im-
mediately converted, while Dacian wept with rage
when informed of what had happened, and in order
to deprive the holy martyr of the glory of dying
during the torture, he commanded him to be placed
on a soft bed. Then this generous champion, whom
the iron claws and fiery furnace had been unable to
conquer, was much distressed at this alleviation of
his sufferings, which retarded his eternal happiness,
and, earnestly entreating the Lord to bestow upon
him the crown promised to those who persevere to
the end, he yielded up the ghost.

Never had the triumph of Jesus Christ over the
demon been more manifest ; every species of torture
was vainly exhausted on this admirable martyr, but
God inspired His servant with a courage far exceed-
mg the most frightful sufferings, and forced the
inhuman tyrant to confess himself vanquished by an
humble Christian. No effort of man or Satan can
oppose the almighty power of the Lord Jesus Christ.

148 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

REFLECTIONS ON THE PERSECUTIONS.

In order to demonstrate the divine origin of the
Church, God has ordained that she should establish
herself, notwithstanding the opposition of the world,
the flesh, and the devil ; and that the blood of her
martyrs should fertilize her soil. He had, Himself,
predicted to His disciples, that they would be per-
secuted, dragged before kings and magistrates,
maltreated and put to death for His sake, but He at
the same time promised to overthrow all the efforts
of their enemies. " Be not afraid of those who kill
the body ; not a hair of your head can fall without
the permission of your Heavenly Father. By
patience you will possess your soul in peace, and
I will be your helper ; I will give you courage and
strength to overcome your enemies; I have over-
come the world, and so shall you likew^ise."

In truth, since the foundation of Christianity, all
the powers of the earth have risen up against it; the
senses, the passions, human interest were in ftivor of
idolatry; pleasure, amusements, games, spectacles,
and licentiousness composed the pagan religion, and
were a part of the divine worship ; their feasts were
scenes of debauchery, and all the laws of virtue and
decency were violated in their ceremonies and mys-
teries. The Christian faith, chaste and severe, the
enemy of the senses, and only attached to invisible
gods, could not please the corrupt minds of the
pagans ; and the followers of the God-man, who
refused to participate in their abominable festivities,
naturallv incurred the hatred of their base natures.

REFLECTIONS ON THE PERSECUTIONS. 149

To the motives above mentioned were united the
interests of the State, as the Roman government con-
sidered its gods as the powerful protectors of the
public good, and, consequently, feared the slightest
innovation in their form of worship.

Rome boasted of being a holy city from her very
foundation, consecrated from the beginning under
divine auspices, and dedicated by her founder to the
god of war. She believed herself indebted to her
religion for her victories, and through its means she
imagined she had conquered nations and extended
her empire over nearly the whole of the known world.
Not to acknowledge her gods was to attack the very
basis of the empire, and despise the virtue and power
of the Roman arms. Thus the Christians, enemies
of her gods, were regarded at the same time as
enemies of the republic; and the Emperors were
more earnestly bent on their extermination than on
subduing the Parthians, Sarmatians and Dacians.

From the reign of Nero, the Christians were con-
tinually persecuted by the good as well as bad Empe-
rors. These persecutions were sometimes commenced
by the command of an Emperor, or by the private
hatred of the magistrates ; sometimes the decree of
the senate, or the rage of the populace, which was
excited by the calumnies proclaimed against the
servants of Jesus Christ. Occasionally the persecu-
tions were abated for a short time, but the public
hatred soon prevailed, the fury of the pagans was
redoubled, and the whole empire streamed with the
innocent blood of thousands of Christians of every
age and sex. When sanctioned by the authorities
13*

150 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

the persecution became more violent and general;
and church historians count ten frightful persecu-
tions under the approbation of as many Emperors.
The martyrs were innumerable, and are computed
at several millions. The idolatrous princes hoped to
annihilate by this wholesale carnage a religion which
they hated ; but the Church of God received addi-
tional strength, and augmented the number of its
followers in the midst of consuming flames and
excruciating tortures. The most dreadful torments
were employed in vain ; claws of iron, wheels armed
with sharp blades, red-hot gridirons, the stake, wild
beasts, and a thousand other cruelties were daily
suffered by the Christians with admirable courage.
The more violent the persecutions, the more vic-
tims presented themselves ; the blood of the martyrs
proving a prolific seed, which produced most abun-
dant fruit, and continually supplied the persecutors
with new objects, on which to vent their diabolical
rage. The meek followers of the Lamb, only op-
posed patience to the fury of the tyrants, and accord-
ing to the promise of their divine Master, this
patience enabled them to triumph over all the efforts
of their enemies. They never offered the slightest
resistance, and during centuries of persecution the
Church has never wavered for a moment, nor has one
of her children proved himself unworthy of the
glorious title of soldier of the Cross. We see th«
church as submissive under Dioclesian, when she
was spread over the whole world, as under Nero,
when she was struggling into existence. "Suffer
every thing for the truth," was the motto of the

KEFLECTIONS Olf THE PBRSECUTIOI^S. 151

faithful, and they hastened to the place of execution
with more eagerness, than did the pagans to their
bacchanals. Infirm old men, delicate virgins, and
weak children, braved the tortures, joyously ascended
the scaffold, allowed themselves to be bound to the
stake, and fearlessly confessed Jesus Christ, enduring
without a groan the most frightful torments.

The sword often fell from the hand of the execu-
tioners, who, suddenly converted by such heroic
examples, presented themselves in their turn to the
judges, and were condemned to the same punish-
ment they had inflicted on others. The vanquished
tyrant was often obliged to abate the persecution,
for fear of depopulating the empire. How manifest
is the hand of God ! The pagans themselves, aston-
ished at the constancy and miraculous endurance of
the martyrs, acknowledged them to be sustained by
a divine power, and frequently the crowded theatre
resounded with the cries of the people : " The God
of the Christians is great ! how mighty is the God
of the Christians!"

Surely we cannot contemplate the continuance,
extent, and cruelty of the carnage which laid Avaste
the infant church, without recognizing the extraor-
dinary virtue, indomitable courage, and supernatural
endurance of the martyrs as the work of God. If
there are a few examples of fanatical men, who have
sacrificed their lives in defense of error, it should be
remembered that it was merely for the sake of an
opinion, and not through a divine motive ; whereas,
the martyrs shed their blood in testimony of well
substantiated and immutable facts. The appearance

152 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

of truth sometimes deceives; but falsehood rarely
prevails for any great period of time ; men are not
willing to be put to death, in order to support
doubtful facts. The martyrs suffered cheerfully for
a cause which visibly bore the impress of truth itself.
We must, therefore, conclude, that the many vain
attempts of the whole Eoman empire to exterminate
the Christians, that is to say, men who were ready to
suffer and die for their religion, demonstrates that
this religion is the work of God, and that men could
not have established what men could not destroy.

The Catholic Cliurch exists, then, not only with-
out support, but even in spite of the opposition of
the powers of the world. She remains immova-
ble; never changing her hierarchy, her laws, or
her spiritual authority, but maintaining the same
doctrine, pure and uncorrupted as she received it
from her divine Founder. This extraordinary per-
petuity and wonderful courage in the midst of
violent assaults could only be the work of God.
According to the promise of Jesus Christ, the
Church, His Spouse, will exist until the consum-
mation of time ; unshaken by the tempest of per-
secution; uninjured by the waves of time, and
unsullied by the designs of men. She stands like
a lily in the midst of thorns, pure and immaculate ;
always One, Holy and Apostolic, and visibly sustained
by the all powerful hand of God.

PEOTECTING THE CHRISTIAI^S. 153

CONST ANTIUS CHLORUS PROTECTS THE CHRIS-
TIANS.

A. D. 305.

At the height of the most violent and wide-spread
persecution to which the Church had yet been ex-
posed, God, whose command stills the fury of the
tempest, put a stop also to the authority of the
tAVo tyrants Dioclesian and Maximian, who were
compelled to abdicate the imperial throne in favor
of Constantius Chlorus and Galerius, who were next
in rank and bore the title of Caesars. Galerius was
of obscure and poor parentage, and his inclinations
and tastes were of the lowest order; he continued
the persecution in the East. Constantius Chlorus,
on the contrary, merited equally the eulogies of the
Christians and pagans ; full of goodness and clem-
ency, his glory consisted in rendering his subjects
happy and gaining their love and affection; he
esteemed and protected the Christians because he
loved virtue.

A remarkable fact is related, which is no less hon-
orable to him than to religion. When he filled the
office of Caesar there were a great number of Chris-
tians in his palace and among the officers attached
to his person. After the edict of Dioclesian against
the Christians was publislied, Constantius Chlorus
assembled all the Christian officers, notified them of
the commands of the Emperor, and ordered them to
sacrifice to the idols or resign their positions in the
imperial household. This command, on the part of
a prince who had always been favorably inclined

154 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

towards religion, excited the utmost consternation
among the Christians ; but the greater number pro-
tested that they preferred sacrificing their fortunes
and their lives rather than dishonor the fixith. A
few, however, who, like true courtiers, were com-
pletely swayed by the will of their sovereign, con-
sented to offer incense to the pagan divinities, in
order to retain the royal favor and their positions in
the palace. Then Constantius declared his true
sentiments, loudly praising the courageous firmness
of the former, and severely censuring the criminal
sycophancy of the latter. " How," said he to the lat-
ter, " will you be faithful to the Emperor when you
are treacherous and perfidious to your God ?" and
they were dismissed from the palace as unworthy of
remaining in his service. Those, however, who had
so generously preferred to renounce wealth and dig-
nities, rather than deny their Lord and Master, were
regarded as true and faithful servants. They retained
their offices and enjoyed the affection and confidence
of Constantius, who declared that subjects with such
principles were the most precious treasures of the
empire.

So noble a prince could not persecute the Chris-
tians, and religion was protected during the whole
of his reign as Emperor. The faithful in Gaul, who
were under his dominion, soon repaired the losses
they had suffered under the cruel Maximian. When
peace was once more restored to the church, the
Gospel spread rapidly throughout all the provinces,
and the harvest was most abundant, in a field which
had been rendered fruitful by the sacred blood of

COXVERSIOX OF CONSTAXTINE. 155

iunumerable martyrs. The ranks of the priesthood,
which had been decimated by the sword of the per-
secutors, were soon filled with zealous pastors, but
this was only the glimmering of the dawn of peace,
which was to shine upon the afflicted Church; it
was, however, reserved for the son of Constantius
Chlorus to become the champion of the faith, and
he it was who caused it to triumph over the pride of
the Csesars. Although favorably disposed towards
Christianity, Constantius had not the courage to
become a Christian; and God, in establishing the
power of his family, rewarded him on earth for his
moral virtues, but which, without faith, are worthless
in the sight of Heaven.

CONVERSION OF CONSTANTINE.
A. D. 312.

"When God had plainly manifested His protecting
hand in the establishment of His Church, and shown
that all the powers of earth could not destroy the
sacred fabric. He at length admitted Emperors
into His fold; and the great Constantine became
the declared protector of religion. That prince Avas
the son of Constantius Chlorus, and united in his
person the most eminent qualities ; a brilliant intel-
lect, tempered by a rare wisdom, was still more
enhanced by a splendid form and noble counte-
nance. The Emperor Galerius, who hated him,
endeavored on several occasions to destroy him ; but
God, who had special designs in his regard, always
delivered him from the snares of his enemy.

156 HISTOEY OF THE CHURCH.

After the death of his father, Constantme was
declared Emperor, at the age of thirty-one. Ilis
right to this dignity was disputed by Maxentius, son
of the Emperor Maximian ; they had several encoun-
ters in which Maxentius gained the advantage, and,
finally, Oonstantine resolved to have a decisive battle.
With this intention he led his army into Italy, and
advanced towards Rome. As the troops of Maxen-
tius far exceeded his forces in number, Oonstantine
felt that he had need of extraordinary succor, and he
determined to solicit the protection of the God of
the Christians. He prayed most earnestly that God
would make Himself known to him, and his petition
was immediately answered. About the hour of noon,
on a calm, serene day, when marching at the head
of his men, he perceived in the heavens a brilliant
cross, on which were traced in luminous characters
these words: "By this sign thou shalt conquer."
The entire army beheld this prodigy, but no one
was more sensibly struck by it than the prince, and
he spent the remainder of the day in trying to deci-
pher the signification of this wonder.

The following night during his sleep, Jesus Christ
appeared to him, bearing the same sign, and com-
manded him to have a banner made according to
this model, to be carried in battle as a safeguard
against his enemies. In the morning the Emperor
sent for workmen, and drew the design of the stand-
ard he desired them to make. It was a species of
pike, plated with gold, with extended poles in the
form of a cross, from which hung a veil of golden
tissue. The cross was surmounted by a crown,

COJ^VERSIOl^ OF CONSTANTIiq^E. 157

enriclied with jewels. The letters "J. C," incrnsted
with precious stones, forming the center, and beneath
the veil appeared the portraits of the Emperor and
his children. This banner was called the "Laba-
rum," and Constantine chose fifty of the bravest and
most pious of his guards to carry it in succession.
Encouraged by this celestial vision, he no longer
hesitated to commence the combat. A bloody battle
ensued, in which Maxentius was conquered, and,
while endeavoring to escape, his whole army was
driven into the Tiber. Rome immediately threw
open her gates to the victorious Constantine, who
entered the city in triumph, and, soon after his
arrival, he was instructed at his own request in the
truths of Christianity, and made a public profession
of faith.

No historical fact is more clearly attested than
this miraculous event, related by the historian Euse-
bius of Cesarea, and confirmed by a vast number of
writers, and monuments erected in commemoration
of the extraordinary occurrence. " If the great Con-
stantine had not himself related the fact," says the
historian Eusebius, " we might doubt its truth ; but,
having heard the account from his own lips, which
account he affirmed by oath, there can be no ques-
tion as to its truth, especially as the result justified
the promise." These are the words of a Avriter who
was a cotemporary of Constantine, and whose nar-
ration, if false, could have been contradicted by the
many eye witnesses of the miracle.
14

l58 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

TRIUMPH OF CHRISTIANITY.

Constantine, after the defeat of Maxentiiis, re-
turned thanks to Jesus Christ, the Grod of battles, for
havmg croAvned his arms with victory ; and he used
every means to establish the true faith, throughout
the whole extent of his empire. As he understood
the spirit of Christianity, which onl}^ employs in-
struction and persuasion in order to gain disciples,
he was careful not to excite opposition by any severe
measures.

Although hating idolatry, he, nevertheless, allowed
his subjects entire liberty in religious matters; a
sudden suppression of paganism, which had been the
only form of worship for so many centuries, would
have caused a general revolution throughout the
empire; and he believed it sufficient to protect
Christianity, and place the Church in a position to
overthrow her adversaries by the wisdom of her
dogmas, and the purity of her morals. Mild and
temperate means were, therefore, used to win the
pagans to a renunciation of their false gods, and
this moderation converted a great number. He
commenced by repairing all the evils that had been
perpetrated by the preceding Emperors; recalling
those in exile, and restoring to the Christians all
their places of worship which had been seized by the
persecutors; full of zeal for the glory of God, he
enriched the churches with precious rases and
magnificent ornaments, and caused the religious
services to be celebrated with great splendor and
pomp.

TRIUMPH OF CHRISTIANITY. 159

' This truly Christian prince paid every honor to
the priests and prelates, and conferred many privi-
leges upon the ministry. The bishop of Rome,
who had been persecuted in a special manner,
attracted the attention of Constantine; he pre-
sented him with the Lateran palace, and an adjacent
palace he converted into a basilica, under the name
of Constantine, known now as the Church of St.
John of Lateran, and this was the first patrimony
of the popes. The Christians rejoiced in being
delivered from the persecutions they had endured
during three centuries; and beheld with astonish-
ment and thankfulness the miracles wrought in
their behalf. A Christian prince on the throne of
the Cajsars, the worship of the true God honored
and reverenced, the exiles recalled to their native
land, and churches rebuilt and decorated with
magnificence. A change so little anticipated in-
spired sentiments of the purest joy, and excited the
sweetest hopes for the future.

The Christian religion was venerated by even
pagans when they beheld the great Constantine
publicly practicing all its duties. In the imperial
palace an oratory had been arranged, where the
Emperor was accustomed to repair at certain hours
for prayer, meditation, and for the reading of the
holy Scriptures. This pious example converted a
number of idolaters to Christianity. The true faith
penetrated even into the Roman senate, which was
considered the strongest bulwark of paganism.
Auicius, an illustrious senator, was the first who
embraced Christianity, and in a short time the most

160 HISTOEY OF THE CHURCH.

distinguished men in Rome humbly bowed their
proud heads to the yoke of the Gospel. Constantino
experienced the greatest joy at these conversions,
and was more gratified at winning one single soul
to the fold of Jesus Christ than at hearing of the
conquest of a province. His zeal extended beyond
the limits of the Roman empire; and he sent mis-
sionaries among the barbarous nations who were not
under his dominion, as he was desirous that the
saving light of the Gospel should awaken these
heathen people from the dark slumber of idolatry
into which they were plunged.

At his entrance into Rome he desired that the
Cross, which had been the token of his victory,
should also be the most conspicuous ornament of his
triumph ; and the statue, which was erected in his
honor, represented him as holding in his hand this
blessed sign of redemption. Thus the Cross, which
had been an object of ignominy and the punishment
of slaves, became a glorious sign of salvation to the
Caesars, who adorned their imperial diadems with
this symbol and placed it on the dome of the capitol,
as if to announce to the whole world the triumph of
a Crucified God over paganism.

FINDING OF THE HOLY CROSS.

The most striking proof Constantine gave of his
respect for Christianity was his veneration for the
sacred places consecrated by the visible presence of
Jesus Christ. He proposed building a magnificent
church in Jerusalem, and St. Helena, his mother.

FIJSTDING OF THE HOLY CROSS. 161

..entertaining, like her son, a great devotion for the
Holy Land, went to Palestine, although then in her
eightieth year. On arriving in Jerusalem she felt
animated with an ardent desire to discover the Cross
upon which our divine Saviour had suffered for
mankind. This was a very difficult undertaking, as
the pagans, wishing to abolish the memory of the
resurrection of Jesus Christ, had raised a great
mound of earth before the entrance of the sepulchre,
which served as the foundation of a temple of Venus,
which they had erected on this site, in order to pre-
vent the Christians from visiting this sacred spot.

No human obstacle, however, could deter the
pious princess, and she conferred with the patriarch
of Jerusalem, Avho assured her if she could discover
the holy sepulchre she would certainly find the
instruments of the Passion ; as it was customary
among the Jews to inter with the body all the im-
plements of torture used at the execution of a
criminal.

The Empress immediately ordered the idolatrous
temple to be razed to the ground and the earth cleared
away ; the workmen were soon amply rewarded for
their labors, by discovering the entrance to the grotto
of the Holy Sepulchre. Near the tomb were three
crosses ; and the inscription, I. N. R. I., was found at
a little distance detached from the cross on which
Jesus Christ had suffered deatli, and the cruel nails
that had pierced His sacred flesh lay beside it. The
identification of the true cross was now the only diffi-
culty ; but a lively faith can remove the most insur-
mountable obstacles. St. Helena, by the advice of
14*

162 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

St. Macarius, bishop of Jerusalem, had the crosses
carried to the house of a sick woman who had been
afflicted for a long time with an incurable malady,
and each of the crosses was applied to her, while
fervent prayers were offered to Jesus Christ that He
would make known the one which He had conse-
crated by the effusion of His sacred blood. The two
first crosses effected nothing ; but, when the third
was brought, the sick woman rose from her bed,
instantly and completely cured.

The historian Sozomen also asserts that, on its
being applied to a corpse, the body was immediately
resuscitated ; and St. Paulinus relates a similar mira-
cle. The pious princess was transported with joy at
witnessing the proof of the sacred properties of the
true cross, and at finding herself in possession of a
treasure she valued more than all the wealth of the
Roman empire. She reserved a piece of the true
cross for her son, and, having inclosed the rest in a
silver casket, placed it in the hands of the bishop of
Jerusalem, to be deposited in the church which
Oonstantine had commanded to be erected over the
Holy Sepulchre. This edifice was constructed on a
scale of magnificence worthy of the sanctity of its
foundation, embracing -the Holy Sepulchre in its
inclosure, and extending as far as Mount Calvary.

St. Helena also built two other churches : one on
the spot where our Saviour ascended into Heaven,
and the other at Bethlehem, the place of His birth.
Her piety was not confined to the erection of splendid
temples in honor of the crucified Jesus, but was mani-
fested, in all the cities through which she passed, by

ORIGIJf OF THE HERMITS — ST. AKTHONY. 163

munificent acts of charity. She comforted widows,
orphans and the poor, by distributing abundant alms
among them ; and having a particular affection for
virgins consecrated to the service of God, she invited
all those who were in Jerusalem to a banquet, at
which she herself served the guests. She did not
long survive her journey to Jerusalem, but termi-
nated her virtuous and saintly career in the arms of
Constantine. God had been pleased to call her son
first to the knowledge of the true faith. His example
induced St. Helena to embrace Christianity; and it
was through her labors and zeal that the Church
recovered the very wood upon which a God-man ex-
pired for the redemption of His ungrateful creatures.

ORIGIN OF THE HERMITS — ST. ANTHONY.
A. D. 306.

When the persecutions ceased, the Church pre-
sented to the world a new spectacle, as edifying as
the one she exhibited in the sufferings of her
martyrs. We behold at this period, arid and barren
deserts inhabited by saintly hermits, who led the
most angelic lives. In former ages there had been
fervent Christians called Ascetics, who, renouncing
the world, applied themselves exclusively to prayer
and works of mortification, living in perfect solitude
in the neighborhood of cities and towns. At the
time of which we speak, however, all these holy
solitaries met together and formed themselves into
communities.

St. Anthony, the founder of this new institution,

164 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

was born in Egypt, of rich, noble and yirtuous
parents, who brought up their son in the most
Christian manner, and carefully guarded him from
the dangers that beset youth ; but he was so unfor-
tunate as to lose his estimable parents at an early
age. Having heard one day during divine service
these words of the Gospel, ^' If thou wilt be perfect,
go sell what thou hast ; and give it to the poor, and
thou shalt have treasures in Heaven," he applied
them to himself, and returning home, sold all his
possessions and distributed the proceeds to the poor ;
then returning into his solitude, he was only occupied
with the affairs of salvation. Being animated by a
spirit of pious emulation, he went in search of the
most fervent servants of God, in order to derive some
spiritual benefit from their teachings and examjole.

Pursuing this exemplary mode of life, Anthony
soon became an accomplished model of every virtue.
The arch-enemy of mankind, enraged at foreseeing
the glorious termination of so happy a beginning,
had recourse to all kinds of temptations, with the
design of overcoming the Saint. The young hermit,
however, was victorious over all the assaults of Satan
by means of prayer and mortification. His bed con-
sisted of a straw mat, but he frequently slept on the
bare ground ; and after sunset took bis only meal,
composed of a little bread and salt ; water was his
only beverage, and he wore a garment made of sack-
cloth, a mantle of sheep-skin and a cowl over his head.
As he was destined to be the founder of the hermits,
he retired into the most complete solitude, crossing
over the Nile and penetrating as far as Thebes.

OBIQIN OF THE HERMITS — ST. ANTHONY. 165

After a long period of separation from all human
intercourse, God, who wished to proclaim the virtues
of His servant, bestowed upon Anthony the gift of
miracles. The cures he effected soon attracted a
crowd of disciples, who begged to remain under his
holy guidance ; and accordingly a great number of
monasteries were built to receive them. Anthony
instructed his followers both privately and publicly,
and made rules for the regulation of their lives.
" May the remembrance of eternity," said he to
them, " never leave your minds ; think every morn-
ing that perhaps you may not survive until evening,
and each night that you may not see the morrow.
Perform every action as though it were to be your
last ; be always on your guard against temptations,
and courageously resist all assaults of the devil, who
is very easily conquered when we know how to
disarm him. He dreads fasting, prayer, humility,
and all good works, the blessed sign of the cross will
immediately dispel all his wicked suggestions and
illusions. Yes, this sacred sign of the Saviour, who
has deprived him of his dominion over the world,
is sufficient to make him tremble in the very depths
of hell."

Sanctified by his admirable example and holy pre-
cepts, the disciples of St. Anthony attained so high a
degree of perfection as to become objects of admira-
tion to the great St. Athanasius. "Their monas-
teries," he writes, " resemble so many temples, where
they pass their lives in chanting psalms, reading,
privinT fn^ting and watching; placino: all their
hopes in a life to come. United by perfect charity,

166 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

they labor less for their own maintenance than for
the benefit of the poor. Their communities are like
a vast country, which is entirely separated from the
rest of the world, and whose happy inhabitants are
only solicitous about the affairs of heaven."

ST. HILARION ESTABLISHES MONASTERIES IN
PALESTINE.

A. D. 327.

That which St. Anthony accomplished in Egypt was
imitated by his disciple, St. Hilarion, in Palestine and
Syria, he being the first who established monasteries
and introduced the austere life of the hermits in these
countries. The parents of Hilarion were idolaters,
but as God had special designs with regard to their
son, he embraced Christianity when only twelve years
of age. He was sent from the town of Tabbath, his
birthplace, to study in the celebrated schools of Alex-
andria, where, beside acquiring the natural sciences,
he attained the priceless knowledge of God and His
holy Church ; and, in order to become more perfect,
this fervent Christian went in search of St. Anthony,
with whom he lived for some time, conforming to
the asc.etic life of the holy solitary by frequent
prayer, profound humility, perseverance in daily toil,
and in the practice of all kinds of austerities.

On leaving this excellent school of virtue, he, to-
gether with some monks, returned to his country,
with the intention of continuing the same solitary
and mortified life. His parents having died during
his absence, he distributed all his possessions to the

ST. HILARION ESTABLISHES MOliTASTERIES. 167

poor, and retired with his companions into the desert,
which, beginning at the city of Gaza, extended as far
as the sea-shore. This wilderness was infested with
robbers, who plundered unwar}^ travelers, or despoiled
shipwrecked mariners of what little they had saved
from their vessels. Shortly after St. Hilarion had
taken up his abode in this desolate region, several
of these brigands entered his cell. He met them
so calmly that the ruffians were completely abashed.
"I see you do not fear us," said one of the band.
" Why should I fear you ?" answered Hilarion, " since
I have no possessions ?" " We can take your life, if
we please," said the man. " When one is detached
from all the things of earth," answered the youthful
Hilarion, " he does not regret leaving a wicked world."
In truth, all that belonged to the hermit, was a
sack and a tunic of sheep skin, given him by St.
Anthony ; his bed consisted merely of a rush mat,
and his cell was so small he could hardly stand
upright in it, which made it look much more like a
sepulchre than the home of a human being. Six
ounces of bread and a few dried herbs was his daily
allowance, but notwithstanding his austere and
mortified life, he attained the advanced age of
eighty years. His occupation was tilling the ground
and weaving rush baskets, and, while working, he
meditated on the Holy Scriptures, which he had
learned by heart. In order to manifest the sanctity
of His servant, God bestowed upon him the gift
of working miracles, and the wonderful cures he
effected attracted such a number of disciples, that
Palestine was soon filled with monasteries.

168 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

When Hilarion visited the hermits under his
guidance, they assembled around their master to
the number of three thousand. Several cities were
reclaimed from idolatry and converted to Chris-
tianity through his labors and zeal ; but as his soli-
tude was disturbed by frequent visitors, and his
humility wounded by the marks of respect paid to his
many virtues, he complained of these distractions,
saying: "Alas! I, who have renounced the world,
am receiving my reward in this life." He was desir-
ous of retiring into some remote region ; but the news
of his intended departure having spread abroad, all
Palestine was filled with as much grief and conster-
nation as if a national misfortune was about to befall
the country. He was followed by crowds who rever-
enced him as being a man of God, who had the power
of curing the sick, casting out devils, and obtaining
the conversion of souls through his intercession.

When healing the sick he always added a pious
exhortation, and endeavored to impress the afflicted
person with the magnitude and danger of the mala-
dies of the soul; showing how much more they
were to be dreaded than the most painful corporeal
diseases. Although his whole life had been a series
of penances and mortifications, and adorned with
every good work, the fear of the terrible judgment
seized him at his last hour, and he strove to recover
confidence in the mercy of God by uttering these
words: "Arise, my soul, arise! Wherefore this
uneasiness and dread ? Thou hast had the happi-
ness of serving Jesus Christ for eighty long years,
and still thou fearest death !"

LIFE OF THE HERMITS. 169

LIFE OF THE HERMITS.

The attainment of Christian perfection was the
object of all the desires and actions of the holy soli-
taries, by the practice of the evangelical counsels of
perpetual chastity and voluntary poverty. They
employed four principal means to accomplish this
end — solitude, labor, fasting, and prayer — and they
renounced the world and retired into vast deserts.
These deserts were not large forests, nor wildernesses
which could be cultivated, but arid and uninhabita-
ble plains, barren mountains, and frightful preci-
pices. The hermits built their miserable huts of
wood or reeds, near the few springs which were occa-
sionally found in these desolate regions. In complete
solitude, entirely separated from the world, these
holy recluses strove to acquire that purity of heart
which merits admission into the presence of God.
They endeavored to avoid the least sin, and applied
themselves to the zealous practice of every virtue,
combatting avarice by poverty, and by the deter-
mination to possess every thing in common.

Indolence was conquered by perpetual labor, which
did not however disturb their pious meditations on
the great truths of religion. Their occupation of
weaving mats and baskets of rushes, possessed the
double advantage of enabling them to avoid idleness,
and of securing for them a livelihood. As their
expenses were few, they gave abundant alms, and
always distributed to the poor a part of the proceeds
of their daily labor. These holy solitaries fasted
every day in the year except Sundays, and during
X6

170 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

the pasclial season; their food consisting of bread,
and water from the springs. The quantity of bread
allowed was regulated by a Eoman measure, and
they made but two meals, one in the morning and
the other after sunset ; confining themselves to this
small amount of nourishment, after finding by experi-
ence that it was sufficient to sustain life, and render
them capable of a great deal of hard labor. In truth
this austere and fnigal diet prolonged their lives,
and preserved their health, as they generally attained
advanced ages and were seldom ill.

St. Anthony, the founder of the hermits, was over
one hundred years old when he died. The hours for
prayer were regulated with the same wisdom ; they
assembled together twice during the day; when they
recited twelve psalms, intermixed with short prayers,
and terminating with two lessons from the Bible.
The brothers each chanted a psalm in succession,
standing in the middle of the assembly, all the rest
being seated in profound silence. The remainder of
the day was passed in prayer and labor in the soli-
tude of their own huts, where they meditated on
the truths of religion, and on the precepts of the
Grospel. Implicit obedience was the remedy they
opposed to pride, which is so strong in the hearts of
men, but so unworthy the character of a Christian ;
they were as submissive as little children to their
superiors, although large communities were often
under the sole guidance of one Abbot, for these mon-
asteries soon became very numerous, and an austere
and self-denying life was embraced by a great many
of the faithful..

THE ARIA]!f HERESY. 171

The deserts were filled with holy penitents, who
mortified their bodies, and punished the wicked in-
clinations of human nature, by depriving themselves
of whatever is agreeable to the senses. These sacred
retreats became so crowded, that those who aimed at
a very high degree of perfection were obliged to seek
some more retired place, so attractive was a contem-
plative and solitary life to these fervent Christians.
Such were the fruits of virtue produced by the teach-
ings of the G-ospel, the hitherto persecuted Church
becoming rich in the sanctity of her saints, thus
plainly demonstrating the holiness of her doctrines.

THE ARIAN HERESY.
A, D. 319.

"Hell," says St. Cyprian, "beholding its idols
completely overthrown, invented a new means for
destroying the peace of the Church, by exciting
heresies and schisms, which strove to corrupt the
faith and disturb its unity ; but these new assaults
of the demon only afforded her an opportunity for
still greater triumphs. Heresies had already arisen,
but none so widely spread and so disastrous as
Arianism."

Arius, a priest of the Church of Alexandria, was
an ambitious and violent man, who aspired to the
bishopric of that great city ; but being frustrated in
his hopes by the election of St. Alexander to this
dignity, he was filled with jealousy and revenge,
and began to oppose the teachings of this holy
prelate by introducing a new doctrine. A spirit of

172 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

pride always originates heresies, hidden, however,
under a guise of humility. Thus, an affected
modesty and a mortified exterior, joined to au
advanced age, enabled him to attract some followers.
Arius dared to attack the divinity of Jesus Christ,
and declared that the Son of God was not equal in
all things to His Father. This new doctrine, en-
tirely opposed to the teachings of the Church, was the
cause of great scandal. The faithful immediately
rejected it, and regarded this most wicked insult to
our divine Lord with sentiments of horror and dis-
gust. St. Alexander, at first, endeavored to reclaim
Arius, by charitable warnings and mild remonstran-
ces, but seeing that his moderation and paternal
exhortations were without effect, and that the
impious creed was beginning to spread, he boldly
and fearlessly excommunicated the leader of the
heresy, in a synod composed of all the suffragan
bishops. He then WTote an explicit account of the
whole affair to the Pope and bishops of the Church,
warning them of the danger that menaced the faith,
and asking their approbation of the course he had
pursued.

This unexpected sentence astonished Arius, but
did not in the least abash him, and retiring to
Palestine, he made a few proselytes ; from thence
crossed into Nicomedia, where the Emperor usually
resided, and succeeded in gaining the bishop Euse-
bius as a partisan and protector. Finding himself
sustained by so powerful an adherent, he strove to
promulgate his impious doctrine among the common
people, and, in order to accomplish his designs, com-

THE ARIAN^ HERESY. 173

posed hymns in which he introduced the new creed.
Through these artful means, the people sucked in
the poison without perceiving their danger. The
Emperor was much grieved at this division in
the Church, and remonstrated with Eusebius, who
told him that the evil was occasioned by the hatred
of the bishop Alexander for Arius, and advised
him to arrest llie further progress of the scandal by
imposing silence on them both. Constantine, thus
deceived, believed it sufficient to write to Alexander
and Arius, exhorting them to unity of sentiment.

With this object in view, he sent Osius, bishop of
Cordova, in whom he reposed great confidence, to
Alexandria. Osius was a venerable old man, had
occupied the episcopal chair for thirty years, suffered
in the persecution under Maximian, and was re-
nowned for his sanctity throughout the whole
Church. On arriving in Alexandria with the Em-
peror's letter, he called together a synod, used every
means to conciliate all parties, but so much dissen-
sion prevailed, that he was obliged to return to Nico-
media without having accomplished any good.
Arius and his partisans, with the usual obstinacy of
heretics, refused to submit to the silence imposed on
them by the Emperor ; and, on the other side, Alex-
ander and his clergy, feeling sure that they possessed
the true faith, which God commanded them to pre-
serve inviolate, and transmit to their successors,
could not consent to remain passive. Osius reported
the unsuccessful result of his visit to the Emperor,
and convinced Constantine of the errors of the new
15*

174 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

doctrine, and showed the magnitude of the eyil
which threatened to fall npon the Church.

THE COUNCIL OF NICE.
A. D. 325.

On learning that his letter had been without any-
good effect, Oonstantine resolved, by the advice of
his bishops, to assemble an Ecumenical or universal
council, in order to condemn the heresy and repri-
mand its followers. During the reigns of the pagan
Emperors, these large assemblies could not be held ;
but Oonstantine, who ruled over the whole empire,
was able to immediately execute this project, so
worthy of his faith and piety, and we cannot refrain
from admiring the Providence of God, who facili-
tated this good work, by uniting so many countries
under the dominion of one sovereign. The city of
Nice was chosen for the council, on account of its
proximity to Nicomedia, where the Emperor resided.
Oonstantine, therefore, sent letters of invitation to
all the bishops, requesting their attendance, and
ordered that all the necessary expenses for the jour-
ney should be paid from the royal treasury.

This council was of so much importance, that the
bishops eagerly responded to the imperial summons,
and assembled at Nice, to the number of three hun-
dred and eighteen, representing ^U the provinces of
the empire, without counting the priests and dea-
cons. Osius, bishop of Oordova, presided, as the
deputy of the Pope St, Sylvester, who sent two
prie^tS; being unable to iitteii4 in person on account

THE COUNCIL OF NICE. 175

of his great age. St. Alexander, bishop of Alexan-
dria, was accompanied by the youthful deacon,
Athanasius, Avhom he greatly esteemed and found
of much assistance. The assembled council was a
grand and imposing spectacle ; several of the bishops
were of eminent sanctity, and still bore the marks
of wounds received for the faith during the last per-
secution, among whom was St. Paphnutius, bishop
of Upper Egypt, who had lost his right eye.

The Emperor frequently invited the holy prelate to
the imperial palace, conversed upon religous topics
with him, and showed every respect and honor to
this heroic soul who had suffered in the cause of
truth. The appointed day having arrived, all who
were to assist at the council repaired to a large hall,
and after the bishops were all assembled, Constan-
tine entered, thus manifesting his reverence for this
august body. He informed the bishops that he did
not wish his presence to interfere with their discus-
sing freely, all questions appertaining to the dogmas
of faith. They commenced by examining the doc-
trine of Arius, who was summoned before the council,
and who dared to avow and defend his blasphemous
creed. The bishops were unmoved by his sophis-
tries, expressed the holiest indignation, and refuted
by powerful arguments the impious heresy, opposing
the authority of the Holy Scriptures, and the writ-
ings of the early fathers, which are the foundation
of the true faith, to his abominable errors.

The council then declared that Jesus Christ is the
true Son of God, equal to His Father, possessing the
same divine attributes, in a word, God Himself. As

176 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

the subtle Arians were so artful as to evade the real
meauing of these expressions, and admit them with-
out renouncing their error, the council could devise
no other term which would more clearly express the
nature of indivisible unity than the word " Consub-
stantial ;" and this word, which banished all subter-
fuge, became the terror of the Arians, as it distinctly
declares that the Son is equal in every thing to His
Father, and is one and the same God with Him.
The Arians withdrew from the assemblage, but the
Fathers of the council always adhered to this term,
which afterward became a distinctive mark of catho-
licity. The solemn profession of faith which is
known as the Nicene creed was then declared. All
the bishops, with the exception of a few Arians,
subscribed to this document, and pronounced an
anathama against Arius and his followers. In vir-
tue of this sentence, which the secular power sup-
ported without the slightest hesitation, the Emperor
condemned Arius to banishment. Such was the
conclusion of this celebrated council, which is still
held in the greatest veneration by the Church.

CONST ANTINE RECALLS THE HERETICS AND
EXILES ST. ATHANASIUS.

The spirit of heresy, which is restless and turbu-
lent, was not repressed by the authority of the coun-
cil of Nice; and the Arians, although condemned,
soon caused new troubles in the Church. They
wrote to the Emperor, and by pretending to admit
the articles of the Nicene creed, succeeded in having

CON-STANTIl^E EEC ALLS THE HERETICS. 177

themselves recalled from banishment. They then
endeavored by different artifices to prejudice the
Emperor against the Catholic bishops, particularly
Athanasius, who, after the death of St. Alexander
had become bishop of Alexandria, and whom they
regarded as their most formidable adversary. They
strove to exculpate Arius, by assuring the Emperor
that he had only been condemned because he had
not clearly explained the meaning of his doctrine,
and they declaimed, also, that as Arius was now most
excellently disposed, it would be pleasing to God if
he commanded Athanasius to receive him back into
the Church. This was only designed as a trap in
which they hoped to ensnare the holy bishop, know-
ing that he would refuse acquiescence, and thus irri-
tate the Emperor.

Constantine followed the advice of the heretics,
and ordered Athanasius to receive Arius, under pain
of being deposed from his office. The Arians were
not satisfied with this success, but published all
kinds of calumnies against Athanasius, which were
so widely circulated that it became at least necessary
to examine whether such grave accusations had any
foundation in truth. The Emperor, therefore, con-
vened an assembly of bishops in the city of Tyre, for
the purpose of inquiring into the conduct of Athan-
asius, and commanded the accused to appear before
it. The Arians had been careful to select the judges
from the bishops of their own party, and St. Atha-
nasius was treated by these heretical prelates in the
most insulting manner; not being permitted to sit
with them, but obliged to stand like a criminal who

178 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

waits for his sentence to be pronounced. The holy
bishop listened quietly to the charges brought
against him, and then answered their calumnies in
an admirable defense, which clearly proved his inno-
cence and confounded his enemies.

The Arians, being unable to refute his able argu-
ment, were transported with rage and hatred, and
would have torn him to pieces if an imperial officer
had not interfered. St. Athanasius, seeing that his
life was in peril, proceeded to Constantinople, in
order to justify himself in the presence of the Em-
peror. During his absence the Arians hastened to
depose him from his bishopric, and were not ashamed
to repeat the very same calumnies he had so clearly
refuted ; then following him to Constantinople, they
added another accusation which they believed would
malce a great impression on the mind of the
Emperor.

They said that Athanasius had threatened to pre-
vent the usual transportation of corn from Alexan-
dria to Constantinople. The holy bishop vainly
protested against the palpable falsehood. Constan-
tine, deceived and blinded by prejudice, judged him
guilty, and banished him to Treves, a large city of
Gaul, eight hundred leagues from Alexandria.
Athanasius immediately obeyed the sentence of
exile, and arrived in Treves in the beginning of the
year 336. What a sad destiny is the heritage of
royalty! Actuated by the best motives, sovereigns
sometimes commit the greatest acts of injustice,
through the artfulness of wicked courtiers who

obtain an undue influence over their minds.

DBEADFUL DEATH OP ARIUS. 179

DREADFUL DEATH OF ARIUS.
A. D. 336.

The Arians, emboldened by the success of their
plot against St. Athanasius, undertook to establish
Arius as bishop of Alexandria ; who, profiting by the
absence of the holy prelate, repaired to that city and
attempted to enter the Church; but the Catholics
would not suffer him to remain, and his presence
caused so much excitement that the Emperor was
obliged to recall him to Constantinople. In order
to avenge the rejection of their leader by the faithful
of Alexandria, the Arians determined to give him a
brilliant reception in the Church of Constantinople.
The bishop of that imperial city was a venerable old
man, and a devoted soldier of Jesus Christ ; the
Arians endeavored to persuade him to admit Arius
to communion, but he peremptorily refused their
request.

Enraged at their failure, the heretics threatened to
depose him, or force him by command of the Empe-
ror to receive Arius into the Church. They suc-
ceeded in obtaining the royal order, and a Sunday
was chosen for the return of the wicked Arius, so
as to render their victory the more conspicuous. In
this fearful emergency, the holy bishop had recourse
to prayer, and, retiring into his church, prostrate at
the foot of the altar, all bathed in tears, he addressed
this humble and fervent petition to the throne of
justice : " If the wicked Arius is to be received into
the Church, I implore thee, Lord, to take me
hence ; but if thou lovest thy faithful children, do

180 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

not permit us to become objects of scorn and con-
tempt to the Catholic world !" The following day
the disciples of Arias met together, and prepared to
conduct their leader to the church, notwithstand-
ing the opposition of the lawful bishop. They
accompanied him through the streets in triumph, in
the mean time heaping the most opprobrious epithets
upon the holy prelate.

When the cortege arrived in sight of the church,
Arius was stricken with a sudden deadly palor, and
obliged to retire from the procession. JJs'ot returning
for some time, a search was instituted, and he was
found extended dead on the ground, bathed in his
blood. This horrible spectacle inspired every one
with horror, causing even his followers to tremble ;
and the spot where he lay was instantly deserted, no
one daring to approach one who was considered the
object of divine vengeance. The dreadful tidings
soon spread abroad, and the next day the holy bishop
returned solemn thanks to God — not for the death
of Arius, whose unhappy end he deplored, but for
His deigning to prevent in so signal a manner the
entrance of heresy into the sanctuary.

The Emperor was deeply impressed by the event,
recognizing in it the hand of God ; and, from that
time, he conceived the greatest aversion for the
wicked sect, which, in the person of Arius, had been
publicly condemned by God Himself. He acknowl-
edged his error in exiling St. Athanasius, and was
about to recall him from banishment, when death
overtook him ; not, however, before he had given an
order to that effect.

THE RECALL OF ST. ATHANASIUS. 181

THE RECALL AND JUSTIFICATION OF ST.
ATHANASIUS.

A. D. 339.

The Emperor Constantine left three sons — Con-
stantine, Constantius, and Constans, who divided the
empire between them. Constantine, Emperor of
Gaul, reinstated St. Athanasius in his bishopric, and
sent him to Alexandria, with a letter containing
many expressions of admiration and esteem, and, at
the same time, expressing indignation and disap-
proval of the manner in which the bishop had been
treated by the Arians. He said, that, in restoring
St. Athanasius to his flock, he was only executing
the pious wish of his father, who would have recalled
the holy prelate himself, had not death prevented
the performance of this duty. " When, therefore,"
he added, "Athanasius returns, you will know how
much we hoj^-or him, and respect his many virtues."

The holy patriarch passed through Syria, and
finally arrived in Alexandria, where he was received
with transports of joy; the clergy and faithful run-
ning in crowds to meet him, and all the churches
resounded with joyful hymns of thanksgiving. The
Arians were greatly incensed at this ovation, and
declared his return to be contrary to the canons, as
they declared that he could not be reinstated but by
the authority of a council. His enemies invented
new calumnies against him, and resorted to every
means in order to secure his ruin ; they endeavored
to prejudice the mind of Constantius, the Emperor
of the East, by representing Athanasius as being
16

182 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

very restless and impetuous, as having excited rebel-
lion among the faithful; and falsely accused him
without the slightest evidence, of having appropri-
ated the grain destined for the maintenance of the
widows and clergy.

The holy prelate easily refuted these allegations,
but his defense did not remove the suspicions
aroused in the mind of Constantius, who espoused
the cause of the Arians, and would not listen to any
justification of the bishop. These wicked men
obtained the imperial permission to elect a new patri-
arch in Alexandria, and as they had complete con-
trol, they immediately convened a council, deposed
Athanasius, and appointed a suspended priest named
Pistus, as his successor. This bad priest, and the
bishop who consecrated him, had been excommuni-
cated by the council of Nice. On hearing of this
schismatical ordination, the Pope refused to com-
municate with the usuiper, all the Catholic churches
pronounced anathema against him, and Pistus was
deprived of the office he wished to wrest from the
rightful incumbent.

The Church has always regarded schisms with the
utmost abhorrence, and scornfully rejected those
wicked ambitious men, who aspire to the Episcopal
dignity, while the legitimate prelate is still living,
and approved of by the See of Rome. She has
declared in all ages, that such a usurper is without
power or jurisdiction ; that he is not a bishop but an
im poster, not a shepherd but a robber and a wolf,
who enters the fold in order to scatter and destroy
the flock. Thus persecuted by his enemies, St.

OUTRAGES PRACTICED BY THE SCHISMATICS. 183

Athanasius wrote to the Pope demanding justice, and
afterward proceeded to Rome in order to give a cor-
rect account of the wliole affair to the Pope.

The pontifical chair was occupied at that time by
St. Julius, who received the prelate very kindly, and
convened a council for the examination of his griev-
ances, by which St. Athanasius was justified in the
course he had pursued and confirmed in the posses-
sion of his diocese. The letter which his Holiness
wrote on this occasion is still extant, and he there
defends the truth with an earnestness and power
worthy of the Vicar of Jesus Christ. Thus, we see,
from tlie first ages of the Cliurch that it was to the
Pope, the successor of St. Peter, appointed by Jesus
Christ Himself, pastor of His flock, that decisions
of grave matters concerning the doctrines or disci-
pline of the Church were referred. The most cele-
brated bishops of antiquity addressed the Holy See,
to obtain a release from the unjust sentences often
pronounced against them by Kings and Emperors.
The whole Catholic world recognizes the pre-em-
inence of the sovereign pontiffs, and regards their
jurisdiction and authority as extending over the
entire Church, which superiority is received as an
article of faith by her children.

OUTRAGES PRACTICED BY THE SCHISMATICS.

The ill success which attended the claims of the
usurper did not disconcert the enemies of St. Athan-
asius ; but they used more artful means in electing
an )ther bishop of Alexandria. Having the authority

184 HISTOBY OF THE CHURCH.

of the Emperor to do so, they selected a natiye of
Cappadocia, named Gregory, whom they placed in
the episcopal chair, and they obliged St. Athanasius
to leave the city. The schismatics then gave them-
selves up to all kinds of excesses ; without any fear
of punishment, sustained as they were by the
sovereign power. The violent usurpation of Greg-
ory had spread alarm throughout Alexandria, and
the Catholics hastened to seek shelter within the
sacred portals of the churches. One of the imperial
officers went among the people and incited the Jews
.and the depraved, wicked men, who are always to be
found in large cities, to insult and molest the Catho-
lics who had sought refuge within the precincts of
the sanctuary.

Some of the faithful were trampled upon, others
knocked down with loaded clubs or stabbed. The
, priests were dragged before the tribunal of the gov-
ernor where Gregory was seated, and struck in the
face when they refused to acknowledge the impious
heretic as their bishop. Holy virgins were despoiled
of their garments and beaten with rods ; and the min-
isters of religion were deprived of food, in the hope
of causing their death by starvation. These fright-
ful scenes were rendered still more horrible, as they
took place during Holy Week. On Good Friday,
Gregory, accompanied by an escort of pagan soldiers,
entered a church, and some thirty-four persons, prin-
cipally women, whom he found in the sacred inclos-
ure, were publicly beaten and tlien sent to prison.

In this manner he took possession of all the
churches, so that the Catholic clergy and their coii-

OUTRAGES PRACTICED BY THE SCHISMATICS. 185

gregations were either banished from the holy table
or forced to communicate with the schismatics. The
Pope undertook the defense of St. Athanasius, and in
a council composed of a hundred and seventy bishops,
declared the ordination of the usurper to be null and
void, which sentence, however, did not prevent the
schismatics from nominating a successor after the
death of Gregory, and renewing all the shocking
outrages of the first usurpation. They disturbed the
faithful when they assembled for prayer ; carried off
several maidens from their homes, and insulted
others in the street ; the A^ives of the heretics, par-
ticipating in their husband's acts of violence, heaped
all kinds of indignities upon the Catholic women.

The persecution not only raged in Alexandria, but
extended throughout Egypt. An edict was issued
by the Emperor, banishing all the Catholic bishops
from their churches, and appointing young profli-
gates as their successors, who managed ecclesiastical
affairs according to the dictates of their wicked
hearts. These usurpers corrupted the faith in
Egypt, where the Catholic doctrine had heretofore
been taught in all its purity, and, as the faithful
would have no communication with the heretics,
they were again insulted, thrown into prison and
their property confiscated. Schism had subsequently
appeared in the Church, always bearing the same
characteristics, and the same outrages and acts of
violence have taken place, thus showing plainly
its opposition to truth and religion, as the perse-
cutors were always schismatics, and the persecuted
Catholics.

16*

186 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

THE EMPEROR CONSTANTIUS CAUSES TROUBLE
IN THE CHURCH.

A. D. 365.

Constantius, by the death of his two brothers,
having become sole master of the empire, published
an edict obliging all the bishops to sign the con-
demnation of Athanasius, under pain of banishment.
He believed that he could not abolish the Nicene
creed without first silencing its most generous de-
fenders ; in order to accomplish this object, he assem-
bled the bishops at Aries, and afterward at Milan,
appearing on both occasions as the principal accuser.
The bishops declared that they could not condemn
Athanasius without violating the holy canons.
'•Obey my will instead of the canons," said the
haughty Emperor, " or else go into exile." The prel-
ates told him that the empire did not belong to
him, but to God, who had confided it to his care ;
and they begged him to fear the judgments of the
Lord, and not confound the government of the
Church with that of the State.

This bold response, so worthy of these courageous
bishops, enraged Constantius, who, drawing his
sword, swore that some of the prelates should be
immediately executed, but he was persuaded to
modify the sentence into one of banishment. Those,
therefore, who refused to sign were driven from their
dioceses, and Arian bishops appointed as their suc-
cessors. Pope Liberius was at first strenuous in
opposing the imperial mandate, and was banished to
Beroea in Thrace ; but, being overcome by the hard-

EMPEROR COI?"STANTIUS CAUSES TROUBLE. 187

ships of his exile, he consented to sign the docu-
ment condemning Athanasius. He soon, however,
repented of this fault, and promptly repaired the
scandal his conduct had occasioned the faithful.
Shortly afterward, the Emperor, who was more oc-
cupied in causing troubles in the Church than in
governing his empire, convened a council at Rimini,
Italy, at the same time that one was in session at
Seleucia, in the East. The latter, which was not
largely attended, was of no effect, and the bishops
separated without having come to any conclusion.

As perfect liberty of speech was allowed in the
council of Rimini, the Catholic doctrine was zeal-
ously defended, and the prelates refused to accept a
new profession of fiiith ; declaring their determina-
tion to retain the Nicene Creed, which required no
retrenchment or addition, and anathematizing Arius
and his followers. The bishops to the number of
three hundred and twenty subscribed to this decree,
and the Arians who refused to sign Avere condemned,
and deposed from their dioceses. But the Emperor,
prejudiced by the heretics, sent an order to the pre-
fect of Taurus, forbidding the dispersion of the
council, until the bishops had signed an artfully
worded formula, in which the term " consubstantial"
was omitted, and banishing those who refused to
obey his commands.

Then the greater part of the prelates, wearied by so
long a separation from their flock, and intimidated
by the threats of Taurus, allowed themselves to be
deceived by the wily Arians, and, believing that tho
sense of the word " consubstantial," was merely ex-

188 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

pressed in another form, signed the document with-
out perceiving the gross imposture. Soon, however,
discerning the fraud, they loudly testified their indig-
nation, boldly rejected the perverted sense of the
formula, and declared their adherence to the doctrine
of Nice. It was on this occasion that St. Jerome
uttered his celebrated speech, " that the world was
astonished to find itself Arian." The only error of
the bishops of Rimini consisted in having, through
surprise and a want of reflection, allowed Arianism
a momentary triumph; a number of the bishops
were not imposed on, but, with Pope Liberius at
their head, energetically opposed the scandal, and
annulled the proceedings of the council of Rimini.
It is certain that the doctrines of the Church
remained unchanged, as was remarked by St. Athan-
asius two years afterward, in a letter to the Emperor
Jovian. "The Nicene creed, which we profess, has
always been taught in all the churches ; it is accepted
by those of Spain, Great Britain, Gaul, Italy, Dal-
matia, Dacia, Mysia and Macedonia, those of Greece,
and Africa ; the Islands of Sardinia, Crete, Cyprus,
Pamphylia, Lyconia, and Isauria ; Egypt, Lybia,
Pontus, and Cappadocia, all have the same faith, as
well as the majority of the Eastern Churches."
Thus, not only the whole Roman empire, but the
entire universe, including the most barbarous tribes,
were of one faith and doctrine; the few who em-
braced the error, the council of Rimini, and the
long, cruel persecutions of Constantius, could not
corrupt the pure belief of the Catholic Church.

ST. HILARY DEFENDS THE NICENE CREED. 189

ST. HILARY OF POITIERS ZEALOUSLY DEFENDS
THE NICENE CREED.

A. D. 353.

God raised up in Gaul an illustrious defender of
the Catholic faith, in the person of St. Hilary of
Poitiers ; this holy prelate effected in the West what
St. Athanasius accomplished in the East, opposing,
with an invincible courage, the teachings of the
Arians, and preserving his country from the con-
tagion by maintaining the doctrine of Nice. As
the Emperor Constantius had endeavored for sev-
eral years to extend Arianism, he presented a peti-
tion to this prince, supplicating him to cease his
unjust persecution of a number of churches, which
were deprived of their legitimate pastors, and gov-
erned by the usurpers who had been appointed to
succeed the rightful incumbents. The unhappy
state of affairs had rendered his bold remonstrance
very necessary; and he energetically opposed the
plots of Saturninus, bishop of Aries, as famous for his
vices as for his connection with the Arians. Con-
stantius, on being informed by Saturninus of the
zeal and courage of St. Hilary, banished this holy
prelate to Phrygia. This sentence was destined to
produce much good, as divine Providence often uses
the perverse will of man in the execution of His
designs.

The Emperor soon after convened a council at
Seleucia, with the intention of destroying the
canons of Nice. As the heretics were divided among
themselves, and formed into two parties, St. Hilary

190 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

was invited to attend the council by one of these
parties in the hope of winning him over to their side,
and thus confounding their opponents. The holy
prelate repaired to Seleucia and there defended the
Nicene creed with so much eloquence and boldness,
as to abash the enemies of truth. He then proceeded
to Constantinople, and asked permission of the Em-
peror to hold a public conference in his presence, in
which he proposed to answer the heretics and
demonstrate the falseness of their doctrine by their
continual changes and alterations. " Since the holy
council of Nice," said he, " those in whom you repose
your confidence do nothing but invent new creeds,
their faith is not the faith of the Scriptures, but
simply mere conjecture ; last year they altered their
creed four times, thus showing a want of unity and
stability. They advance new doctrines almost daily,
which oppose and anathematise those they held pre-
viously. They speak of the Holy Scripture and the
apostolic faith, in order to deceive the weak and give
an appearance of truth to their sophisms."

These admirable words could be applied to the
different heresies which have sprung up since the
time of St. Hilary. The Arians, who dreaded his
ardent zeal and unanswerable arguments, avoided
the discussion he asked for ; and, in order to escape
further exposure, induced the Emperor to send him
back to his church. The holy bishop when returning
to his diocese traveled through Illyria and Italy,
everywhere reanimating the weak and lukewarm
Christians with new faith and courage. His first
care, on arriving in Gaul, was to remedy the evils

ST. MARTIX, BISHOP OF TOURS. 191

which had befallen the Church ; and he excommuni-
cated and deposed Saturninus and several others,
who were guilty of heresy. The presence of the holy
bishop produced the happiest effects ; the faith was
restored in all its purity ; the discipline of the Church
recovered its pristine vigor, scandals were abolished
and peace succeeded to persecution ; and the death
of Constantius, which occurred in the year three
hundred and sixty-one, deprived the Arians of their
most powerful support.

ST. MARTIN, BISHOP OF TOURS.
A. D. 360.

The most illustrious of the disciples of St. Hilary
was St. Martin, bishop of Tours, who was much
attached to this great prelate ; ardently admiring his
virtues and always ready to participate in his com-
bats for the faith. Martin was born at Sabaria, a
city in Pannonia, of idolatrous parents. This holy
child, destined by God to lead a holy and saintly life,
at the age of ten years, went to the Christian Church
and enrolled himself in the ranks of the catechumens.

Being the son of a tribune, he was obliged to enter
the military service ; and this profession, which is
generally a very dangerous school for youth, became
for him a career of virtue and mortification. He
was especially distinguished for his tender love of
the poor, to whom he could refuse nothing, dis-
tributing nearly all his pay among the destitute and
indigent. One day, during a severe winter, he
encountered at the gate of the city of Amiens, a

192 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

wretched beggar almost insensible with cold; this
deplorable spectacle excited the charity of the holy
Martin, but he found he had nothing to bestow upon
the mendicant. He suddenly remembered his cloak,
and drawing his sabre he divided the mantle in twain
and gave one half to the suffering man. So beauti-
ful an action was soon rewarded ; the next night in
a dream Martin beheld Jesus Christ robed in this
portion of his cloak, and heard him say to the Angels
who surrounded their Lord : " Martin, although but
a catechumen, has clothed Me in this garment."
This consoling vision caused him to ask for baptism,
and after the reception of the sacrament he deter-
mined to quit the army.

Attracted toward St. Hilary of Poitiers, by his
great reputation for sanctity, he built a monastery
two leagues from that city, whither he retired with
some followers. Martin occasionally emerged from
his seclusion, in order to preach the faith to the
idolaters, who were still quite numerous in the vil-
lages, and God approved of the zeal of His servant
by bestowing upon him the gift of working miracles.
The fame of his sanctity soon spread throughout
Gaul, and he was considered worthy of the episcopal
dignity. The people of Tours desired to make him
their bishop, but it was only by means of the greatest
persuasion that he was induced to leave his solitude.

St. Martin still continued his mortified and austere
life after his elevation to the office of bishop, making
no change in his dress or table, but only desiring to
be worthy of his new position by the zealous practice
of every virtue. The destruction of idolatry was the

ST. MAKTII^, BISHOP OF TOURS. 193

object of his indefatigable labors, and he traveled
through Touraine, where he converted many of the
pagans by his sermons and miracles. Being one day
in a small town filled with idolaters, after exhorting
them to abandon their superstitious practices, he said
he could completely destroy an old tree which they
' were in the habit of worshipping. The pagans con-
sented to the trial, on condition that he should stand
on the spot where the tree was to fall. Martin seized
an ax and gave a powerful blow, which severed the
tree from the root ; but when about to fall upon him
he made the sign of the cross over the swaying mass,
Avhen it immediately raised its drooping boughs, stood
upright for a moment, and then fell heavily upon the
opposite side, striking awe and terror into the minds
of the assembled pagans, who not only beheld the
overthrow of their idol, but also witnessed the hand
of God, who had thus plainly protected His servant.
St. Martin, in addition to his missionary labors,
performed many other acts of charity; sometimes
interceding with princes for the redress of wrongs
and grievances. An object of this nature induced
him to repair to Treves to use his influence with
Maximus, to whom he presented his petition in so
dignified a manner as to impress even the Emperor,
who was much pleased with his deportment and
appearance. St. Martin, who received several invi-
tations to dine at the palace, at first declined these
attentions, but subsequently deemed it expedient to
accept the kindness, and Maximus was so delighted
with his acquiescence, that he assembled all his court
to meet the distinguished guest.
17

194 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

The holy prelate sat next to a priest of Tours, who
always accompanied him on his missions. When the
wine was served the Emperor signed to an officer to
present the cup to St. Martin, whom he expected
would immediately pass the goblet to him ; but the
holy bishop offered it to the humble priest, as being
the most worthy of the company present, and passed
the wine to him before he did to the Emperor. This
action elicited the applause of Maximus, who praised
St. Martin for honoring the priesthood of Jesus
Christ in preference to the imperial power. His
holy, austere life, great virtues, and numerous mira-
cles, rendered the bishop of Tours very celebrated in
the Church.

THE EMPEROR JULIAN WISHES TO RE-ESTAB-
LISH PAGANISM.

A. D. 363.

Julian, who succeeded Constantius, renounced
Christianity, and for this reason was called the
Apostate. On ascending the throne he began his
reign by granting perfect liberty with regard to
religion, and recalling all those who had been exiled
on account of their faith. His motive for this course
was less to win popularity than to cast odium on the
government of his predecessor.

St. Athanasius, profiting by this clemency, returned
to Alexandria, which city he entered in triumph.
The people ran to meet him in such crowds, that it
seemed as. if the whole of Egypt had assembled to
welcome its beloved pastor. The trees and the roofs

JULIAN WISHES TO EE-ESTABLISH PAGAKISM. 195

of the houses were filled with eager spectators, and
others thronged the streets, and endeavored to ap-
proach near enough to walk within the shadow of
the Saint. This joy, however, was not of long dura-
tion. The Emperor, who, to great qualities united
a false and capricious disposition, had conceived the
insane idea of abolishing Christianity and restoring
idolatry. To accomplish this object he banished St.
Athanasius from Alexandria, and the holy bishop
was once more forced to conceal himself in order to
escape further insults.

Julian, however, did not resort to violence, but
used all kinds of artifices ; he fomented the division
between the Catholics and heretics, so as to weaken
both parties, and thus finally crush them with a sin-
gle blow. The religious freedom he ostensibly allowed
the Christians was, in reality, a state of strict bond-
age; not condemning them to death by a general
edict, but adopting other and surer means to accom-
plish their ruin. Every honor and favor were lav-
ished on the pagans, while the Christians were
scorned, insulted, and oppressed. Julian particu-
larly desired to humble the clergy, and all that
appertained to a religion he hated, and with this
view, he deprived the priests of all their privileges,
and abolished the annual pension devoted to the
maintenance of the acolytes and virgins consecrated
to the service of God. This, he said derisively, was
in order to remind them of the perfection of their
state of life, and oblige them to practice evangelical
poverty.

He plundered the churches, and used the spoils

196 HISTORY OF THE CHURC5I.

for the adornment of the pagan temples, which he
had rebuilt at the expense of the Christians. The
priests also suffered many indignities, being im-
prisoned and tortured in order to force them to give
up the sacred ornaments of their respective churches ;
and they were insulted and calumniated without
being allowed the slightest defense. The churches
were pillaged, desecrated or demolished ; the tombs
of the saints opened, their bones dishonored, and
their ashes scattered to the winds. The wily Empe-
ror endeavored to win over the lukewarm Christians
by specious promises ; the faithful who resisted these
snares were regarded as enemies of the State, whereas,
those who sacrificed their consciences to the love of
riches were loaded with honors. Apostacy was a sure
path to every dignity, and the greatest talent and
merit displayed by the Christians was of no avail at
the imperial court ; apostacy concealed every crime,
and sanctioned the most shameful outrages. Julian
issued a law excluding the Christians from holding
public offices, under the pretext that the Gospel for-
bade them to use the sword ; deprived them of all
their rights, and would not allow them any defense
when called before the tribunals. " Your religion,"
said he, " prohibits all quarrels and dissensions."

The cities that declared in favor of idolatry were
assured of his protection, while those that remained
faithful to Christianity were denied even common
justice; refusing, as he did, to grant audiences to
their deputies, and rejecting all their petitions. He
forbade the Christians to teach the arts and sciences,
for he knew that knowledge and learning served to

JULIAN UNDERTAKES TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE. 197

confound error, and defend the truth ; but the osten-
sible pretext assigned was, that the Christians should
remain in ignorance, and believe without reasoning.
This species of persecution would, perhaps, have
been more fatal to the Church, than were the cruel-
ties of Nero and Dioclesian, if God, who always pro-
tects His children, had not shortened the life of this
prince, and destroyed his infernal project by annihi-
lating its author.

JULIAN UNDERTAKES TO REBUILD THE TEM-
PLE OF JERUSALEM—HIS DEATH.

A. D. 363.

The Emperor Julian, while striving to overthrow
the Christian religion, furnished a new proof of her
divine origin, and of the truth of her doctrines. He
was acquainted with the prophecies which announced
the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, and
declared its ruin irreparable, and he knew that Jesus
Christ had predicted that not a stone should remain
on a stone. In order to falsify the Holy Scriptures,
he determined to rebuild the Temple, and, although
an enemy of the Jews, he invited them to partici-
pate in the enterprise ; promising to defray all the
necessary expenses, and sending one of his most con-
fidential officers, named Alypius, as his representa-
tive, to hasten the execution of his commands.

The Jews soon assembled from all parts of the

"country; and an immense number of workmen

gathered on the site where the Temple had formerly

stood. They cleared away the rubbish and stones

17*

198 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

and labored ardnonsly to demolish the old founda-
tions. Venerable men, delicate women, and little
children lent their assistance in removing the rnins.
Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem, however, laughed at their
futile efforts, and loudly declared, that the time for
the accomplishment of the Saviour's prediction had
arrived, and their human plans would all be frus-
trated by the hand of God Himself. Accordingly,
when the foundations of the old Temple were demol-
ished, a horrible earthquake destroyed all their labor,
scattered the materials they had collected, overturned
neighboring houses, and killed or wounded all the
workmen. Although thus visibly punished for their
presumption, the obstinacy of the Jews was not over-
come ; and soon recovering from their fright, they
again renewed their efforts. Then globes of fire
issued from the earth, throwing back the stones the
workmen were endeavoring to place on the walls,
and consuming the iron tools.

This terrible phenomenon was renewed several
times ; that it was the avenging power of God was
evident from the fact of the fire reappearing when-
ever the work was recommenced, only vanishing
when all further attempt was abandoned. So won-
derful an event astonished all the eye witnesses ; and
a great many Jews and numerous Pagans confessed
the divinity of Jesus Christ, and earnestly asked for
baptism. The Emperor, blind in the midst of light,
was disconcerted without being convinced.

This extraordinary fact is incontestable, and is
certified to by the unanimous testimony of ecclesias-
tical wx'iters of tlie third century, and also by pagan

JOVIAN PROTECTS CATHOLICITY. 199

authors, such as Ammianus Marcellinus, etc. St.
Gregory, of Nazianzen, and St. John Chrysostom,
spoke of it publicly in the presence of a vast audience,
several of whom had witnessed the prodigy. A
famous Kabbi, who wrote in the following century,
although interested in suppressing the miracle, copied
an account of the supernatural event from the Jewish
archives. Julian himself acknowledged that he at-
tempted to rebuild the Temple, and his silence con-
cerning the obstacles which forced him to relinquish
his undertaking is a tacit avowal of what is related
by the historians of his time.

THE EMPEROR JOVIAN PROTECTS CATHOLICITY.
A. D. 363.

Immediately after the death of Julian, the princi-
pal oflBcers of the army held a council, and unani-
mously elected Jovian as Emperor. He was the com-
mander of the imperial guards, and his personal
qualities gained him universal esteem. Possessed of
undisputed courage, he was capable of meeting critical
emergencies with admirable coolness and judgment.
As the Roman army was at that time in the interior
of Persia, a man of this character was needed to hold
the reins of government, and his attachment to the
Christian religion inspired confidence and hope in
the hearts of the faithful ; the following occurrence
showed the strength and purity of his faith.

When the Emperor Julian was preparing to make
war upon the Persians, he summoned Jovian to his
presence, and said to him in a peremptory manner :

200 HISTORY OF THE CHUBCH.

*' Sacrifice to the gods, or return me thy sword."
Joyian unbuckled the weapon and presented it to
the prince without the slightest hesitation. The
Emperor, however, soon restored it, as he did not
wish to lose the services of so distinguished an officer
at a period when he most required his assistance.
Before receiving the imperial insignia, Jovian assem-
bled the whole army, and proclaiming himself a
Christian, said that he would not command idola-
trous soldiers whom the Grod of battles would not
protect. The troops immediately cried out with one
voice : " Fear not. Emperor, you command a Chris-
tian army ! The most aged among us were instructed
by the great Constantine, and the rest by his son !
The reign of Julian was of too short a duration to
entirely alienate from the faith those whom he per-
suaded to apostatize, and we all declare our faith in
the Crucified Jesus, who died on the Cross for man-
kind!" Jovian was much pleased with this noble
answer; he readily assumed the sovereign power,
placed himself at the head of his troops, and by his
wise measures soon extricated the army from its
critical position, and in a short time found himself
once again in his own dominions.

The pious Emperor then applied himself to the
task of remedying the evils inflicted by Julian on
the Church, and one of his first acts was to recall
St. Athanasius from exile and re-establish him in
his diocese. The letter containing the welcome
intelligence expressed the profoundest veneration
for the holy bishop and the sincerest sympathy for
his unmerited sufferings. Athanasius once more

JOVIAN- PROTECTS CATHOLICITY. 201

left his solitude and returned to Alexandria, where
he was received with acclamations of joy and grati-
tude by his loving children. His enemies, the
Arians, endeavored to prejudice Jovian against the
Saint, but their malicious efforts happily proved
unsuccessful, as the esteem of the Emperor only
increased in his regard, and Athanasius was often
honored with the imperial confidence. In order to
strengthen his faith, and preserve the pure doctrine
of the Church, Jovian begged the holy prelate to
send him a clear and precise exposition of the
Catholic belief. Athanasius promptly acceded to his
pious request, and wrote a lucid explanation of the
faith of the Nicean council, and demonstrated plainly
that the only means of obtaining a remedy for the
evils which disti-acted the Church was by a perfect
submission to the decrees of this council.

The Church began to breathe once more after so
long a period of trial, and found in Jovian a pious
son and valiant champion. The Emperor restored
the rights and privileges of the acolytes, virgins and
widows, and ordered the governors of provinces to
protect the assemblies of the faithful, to honor the
divine worship, and attend to the instruction of the
people. The faithful, however, did not long enjoy
this peace and calm, for Jovian's sudden death
deprived them of a just and merciful sovereign, and
the Church of a zealous defender.

202 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

VALENS RENEWS THE TROUBLES OF ARIANISM.
A. D. 367.

Valentinian, wlio was elevated to the imperial
throne after the death of Jovian, divided the empire
with ValenSj his brother. The former was sincerely
attached to the true faith, and the Church enjoyed
perfect peace throughout his empire, but Valens,
who ruled over the East, commenced a violent per-
secution against the Catholics, and began by banish-
ing St. Athanasius, who was always the principal
object of hatred to the Arians and the first victim of
their fury. The outrage offered the holy prelate was
the signal for a general persecution. From that
time the Catholics suffered all kinds of trials and
shameful treatment ; their property was confiscated ;
they were loaded with chains, and dragged to execu-
tion without being allowed to utter a word of remon-
strance or defense. Among many others is related
the following instance :

The faithful of Constantinople, refusing to believe
that the Emperor authorized the persecutions, depu-
tized eighty virtuous ecclesiastics to present a petition
to the throne, demanding redress from their griev-
ances. Valens listened to their representations, while
he concealed his rage at their boldness; but when
he dismissed them from the royal presence, he com-
manded Modestus, prefect of the pretorium, to put
them all to death. The prefect, fearing a revolt in
the city, if they were publicly executed, sentenced
them to exile, and placed tliem on board of a ship,
which was to conduct them to their destination. But

THE TROUBLES OF ARIANISM RENEWED. 203

this wicked man, dreading the imperial displeasure,
privately instructed the captain of the vessel to set it
on fire as soon as they were out of sight of land, and
all the eighty priests perished either by fire or Avater.

Hearing of the sufferings of the Eastern Church,
the hermits resolved to lend her all the assistance in
their power, and emerged from their loved solitudes
in order to encourage their afflicted brethren. One
of their number, a venerable saintly recluse, attracted
the attention of the Emperor. " Whither goest thou ?"
said the prince. " Why dost thou not remain in thy
cell, instead of traveling through the cities, exciting
our subjects to revolt, and disobedience of our man-
dates?" The recluse, sustained by an ardent zeal,
boldly answered : " Prince, I remained in solitude as
long as the flocks of the Heavenly Shepherd were in
peace ; but now that I see them about to fall a prey
to ravening wolves, is it proper for me to dwell tran-
quilly in my seclusion ? If I were a daughter, who,
having retired to rest in my father's house, discovered
an incendiary about applying a flaming torch to the
paternal mansion, should I continue in quiet rej^ose,
and allow the house to be destroyed ? Should I not,
rather, give the alarm, throw water on the burning
structure, and use every effort to extinguish the con-
flagration? This is now my purpose: thou hast
kindled a fire in the house of the Lord: from my
cell I descried the flames, and I have come to quench
them."

The Emperor could not answer this noble and
generous speech, and even showed signs of relenting
towards St. Athanasius, whom he permitted to return

204 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

to his diocese; but he was only prompted to this
course for fear of irritating his brother Yalentinian,
who esteemed and respected the holy bishop. St.
Athanasius, therefore, was once more restored to his
see, and breathed his last in Alexandria, six years
afterward, having won the admiration and affection
of the whole Church by his eminent virtues and
severe trials. Five times had he been sent into ban-
ishment, and five times recalled from exile during
his eventful life.

FEARLESSNESS OF ST. BASIL, BISHOP OF
CESAREA.

A. D. 370.

Valens was unceasing in his endeavors to establish
Arianism in his dominions, and traveled in person
through several provinces in order to expel the
Catholic bishops from their dioceses, but he invari-
ably encountered generous defenders of the faith in
all the cities and country places.

St. Basil, bishop of Cesarea, in Cappadocia, was
especially distinguished for his boldness and courage.
This great prelate was an impregnable bulwark,
defeating all the efforts of heresy against the faith.
Before proceeding to Cesarea, the Emperor sent
Modestus, prefect of the pretorium, to visit St. Basil,
in the hope of winning over the Saint, or else so to
intimidate him as to oblige him to receive the Arians
into his Church. The prefect accordingly sum-
moned the holy bishop to his presence, and appar-
elled in all the insignia of his rank, the highest in

FEARLESSNESS OF ST. BASIL. 205

the empire, ascended his tribunal surrounded by
his lictors. Basil appeared perfectly composed and
tranquil.

The prefect at first was kind and gentle, and urged
him to yield to the imperial wish, and admit the
Arians to communion. This artfifl course proving
unavailing, Modestus assumed a threatening air, and
exclaimed in an angry tone : " Art thou not afraid
of incurring the displeasure of Valens ? Dost thou
think to oppose so great a prince, whose commands
are obeyed by. the whole world ? Can he not confis-
cate thy possessions, condemn thee to banishment,
and even deprive thee of life ?" " These threats do not
terrify me," replied Basil, " he who has no property has
nothing to lose ; unless thou deprivest me of these
miserable garments I wear, and a few books, which
alone constitute my wealth. As for exile I know of
none, not being attached to any place. The whole
earth belongs to God ; all parts are my country, or
rather my temporary abode. With regard to death,
I have no fear, it is but the passage from time to a
blessed eternity, and I should hasten joyfully to the
presence of the Lamb; having long renounced the
world, and practiced many austerities, tortures can-
not intimidate me; my body is so emaciated and
feeble it could not endure much suffering ; the first
blow of the executioner would terminate my life
and trials."

This sublime language, so new to the ears of a
courtier, amazed the prefect. "No one," said he,
"has ever spoken to me with so much audacity."
"Because," replied the lioly prelate, "perhaps thou

206 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

hast never before encountered a bishop." The pre-
fect was forced to admire this intrepid soul, superior
to both promises and threats; he relinquished his
efforts to gain the Saint's submission, and left Cesarea
for the purpose of relating his unsuccessful mission to
Yalens." " Prince," said he to the Emperor, " we
are conquered by one man. Smiles and frowns are
equally unheeded by this bold Christian; violence
is the only means left!" The Emperor, however,
did not deem it advisable to follow this advice, as he
was fearful of exciting the rage of the Cesareans, and
the courageous prelate commanded his involuntary
respect.

ADMIRABLE COURAGE OF A CHRISTIAN WOMAN.

Bishops and priests were not the only victims who
suffered, during the persecution of the Emperor
Valens, but persons of all ages and both sexes testi-
fied their allegiance to Jesus Christ. The following
is an example of the faith and courage of a Chris-
tian woman : The bishop of Edessa had been ban-
ished to a city of Mesopotamia, on account of his
attachment to the Nicene doctrine, and a successor
appointed by the Emperor governed his diocese.
Valens had charged Modestus to compel the priests
and deacons to receive the new bishop, and if they
refused their consent, to send them into exile.

Having convened an assembly of the clergy, the
prefect endeavored to gain their acquiesence to the
imperial commands; but one of the priests nobly
responded, in the name of the whole meeting : " We

COURAGE OF A CHRISTIAI^^ WOMAI^. 207

have a legitimate bishop, and we do not recognize
any other !" They were all sentenced to banishment
according to the royal order. The laity were encour-
aged by the example of their pastor's refusal to ac-
knowledge the usurper, and when the hour for public
prayer arrived, left the city and assembled in a
country place, where they performed their devotions.
AVhen the Emperor heard of these proceedings, he
was much incensed against Modestus, and repri-
manded him severely for not preventing these meet-
ings, which he ordered him to disperse with his
soldiers.

Although opposed to Christianity, the prefect dis-
liked vigorous measures, and secretly warned the
faithful not to repair to the usual place of assembly,
as he had been commanded by the Emperor to punish
all he should find there. He hoped by this threat to
frighten them into obedience, and thus appease the
angry Valens; but the Christians only hastened
more eagerly, and in greater numbers, to the ap-
pointed place. In this emergency the prefect was at
a loss how to act, but finally concluded to advance
noisily with his troops toward the spot, in hopes
that the faithful would receive timely intimation of
their approach and disperse.

In passing through the city, he saw a poor woman
hurry out of her house, without even closing the
door, holding a child by the hand, and suffering her
mantle to drag carelessly on the ground, instead of
fastening it, according to the custom of the country.
In this gais3 she crossed through the file of soldiers
that preceded the prefect, walking very rapidly, with-

208 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

out manifesting the least sign of fear. Modestus
ordered her to stop, and asked her whither she was
hastening. " I am hurrying," said she, " to the field
where the faithful are assembled." " Dost thou not
know," exclaimed the prefect, "that a decree has
been issued, sentencing all those who are found there,
to be put to death ?" " I am perfectly aware of it,"
replied the woman, " and for that reason am eager to
arrive there, fearing to lose the opportunity of win-
ning a martyr's crown." " But why dost thou take
thy child with thee ?" " That he may participate in
my happiness, and, while still pure and innocent,
enter into the Kingdom of Heaven," was her answer.
Astonished at the woman's extraordinary courage,
Modestus returned to the palace, and informed Va-
lens of the occurrence, and persuaded him to re-
nounce a useless enterprise, which, even if successful,
would not redound to his glory. This fact is a
sufficient illustration of the sentiments of the Chris-
tians with regard to the schism. Always faithful to
this precept of Jesus Christ : " I am the good Shep-
herd ; and I know mine, and mine know me ;" they
were ever submissive to the bishop appointed by the
Church, ready to sacrifice all they held most dear,
and even suffer death itself rather than recognize a
usurper.

VALENS REPRIMANDED BY ST. BASIL.

As the Feast of the Epiphany occurred during the
Emperor's visit to Cesarea, Valens attended divine
service at the church where St. Iksil officiated. He

VALENS REPRIMAKDED BY ST. BASIL. 209

entered the building accompanied by all his guards,
in order to astonish the holy bishop by the imposing
spectacle. On beholding, however, the beautiful
order and modest deportment of the immense con-
gregation, the profound recollection of St. Basil, who
was standing motionless before the altar, his eyes
fixed on Heaven, his thoughts raised up to God, and
the pious demeanor of the priests who surrounded
the bishop, resembling angels rather than men, he
was deeply impressed by the edifying sight, and stood
transfixed with amazement.

Overcoming his emotion, he presented an offering,
but, as none of the attendants advanced to receive it,
not knowing whether St. Basil would accept alms
from a prince who had proved so hostile to Chris-
tianity, the Emperor was so much affected that he
nearly fell to the ground, and was obliged to be
supported by one of the priests who observed his
weakness. The holy prelate deemed it advisable on
this occasion to relax the strictures of ecclesiastical
discipline and consented to receive the imperial
offering. Valens became more lenient toward the
Christians, and endeavored to win over St. Basil, by
sending magistrates, officers of the army, and other
distinguished personages to converse with him ; he
finally summoned the holy bishop to his presence,
who spoke to him with apostolic courage, and he
even silenced a courtier who addressed some insult-
ing remark to the Saint. This conference proved
very advantageous to Basil, and the Emperor donated
him a piece of ground for founding an hospital in
Cesarea; but the Arians soon perverted the royal
18*

210 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

mind and induced him to alter his intentions ; and
Valens was about to banish St. Basil, when his son
was attacked with a violent fever, which the physi-
cians could not abate.

The Emperor, convinced that this illness was a
just punishment of his wicked designs against St.
Basil, sent for the holy prelate. No sooner had the
Saint entered the palace than the young prince began
to recover, and the bishop assured Valens the child
would not die if he promised to instruct him in the
Catholic doctrine. This condition being accepted,
he knelt and prayed, and the child was immediately
cured ; but the Emperor was not faithful to his word,
and allowed an Arian bishop to baptize his son, who
was again taken ill and died in a short time. This
affliction did not soften the obdurate heart of Valens,
and the holy prelate was a second time condemned
to banishment ; but when about to sign the sentence,
the pen fell three times from his hand and he was so
much agitated that he was unable to trace a single
character. Finally the wrath of God descended on
the head of this impenitent prince, who perished in
battle, and whose body was never recovered, it being
balieved that he was carried in a disabled condition
to a cottage, which was burned by his enemies.

VIRTUES OF ST. GREGORY OF NAZIANZEN.

St. Basil was united by a tender friendship to St.
Gregory of Nazianzen, who was a zealous and ardent
defender of the faith. This intimacy, which com-
menced during the period of their studies in Athens,

VIRTUES OF ST. GREGORY OF KAZIAN^ZEK. 211

lasted until the end of their lives. " "We were both
animated by the same desire," says St. Gregory in his
beautiful account of this holy union ; "we were stead-
fast in the practice of virtue, and strove to render our
friendship eternal by preparing earnestly for a blessed
immortality; we exercised a pious vigilance over
each other, had no intercourse with dissipated com-
panions, but visited those students, who, by their
modesty, circumspection and wisdom, sustained and
encouraged us in the practice of holiness and sanc-
tity ; knowing that a bad example, like a contagious
disease, is easily communicated. We were acquainted
with but two roads in Athens, the one leading to the
Church, and the other to the schools; being per-
fectly ignorant of those which conducted to worldly
feasts, spectacles and public games."

What more beautiful example can be proposed to
youth than the edifying lives of these young Saints ?
Happy those, who, while still in the morning of life,
form virtuous and pious friendships, thus escaping
the evil influence of the vain and worldly votaries
of fashion! St. Gregoiy of Nazianzen passed the
greater part of his life in solitude, to which he was
much attached ; he was drawn from his retirement
by St. Basil, and elevated against his wishes to the
episcopacy, and was sent about the year 379 to
Constantinople, to assume the government of that
diocese, and oppose the progress of Arianism, which
was making rapid strides in that great city.

His virtues, learning and eloquence all promised
success, and he had the boldness to attack tlie
heresy in the very abode of the Emperor who pro-

212 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

tected it. Gregory bore the greatest insults with
meekness and patience ; was charitable to all, led a
penitential, austere life, weeping over his sins, and
preparing by prayer and meditation on the Holy
Scriptures for the exercise of the holy ministry. This
deportment, so worthy of a bishop, won him the affec-
tion of the people of Constantinople, who soon
learned to respect and venerate so saintly and learned
a man. His extensive knowledge of the Bible, acute
judgment, brilliant imagination, wonderful facility
of expression, and pure, concise style of preaching,
excited the admiration of the whole city. Truth
found in him a zealous defender, and the faithful a
bright example of every virtue ; but the little regard
he entertained for the great, and the jealousy his
talents excited, were the cause of so many trials to
him, that he determined once more to seek retire-
ment, and he hastened to his loved seclusion, which
now possessed new charms for him, as he wrote to
one of his friends : " I cannot sufficiently prize the
happiness my enemies have procured me ; they have
delivered me from a fiery furnace by relieving me
of the cares and responsibilities of a bishopric."

The discourses of this holy Doctor constitute the
greatest portion of his writings. Nothing is more
sublime, more noble or more worthy of the grand
mysteries of the Catholic faith, than thes3 admirable
sermons, which have acquired for St. Gregory the
title of " the Theologian " of the Church of God.

THE MACEDONIAif HERESY. 213

THE MACEDONIAN HERESY.

The death of Valens terminated the outrages
which Arianism, supported by the imperial authority,
had committed in the East ; but from the bosom of
this heresy sprang another, which was also contrary
to the dogma of the Holy Trinity, as it attacked the
divinity of the Holy Ghost. The author of this new
scandal was Macedonius, a semi-Arian, who had
usurped the diocese of Constantinople. For several
years the new doctrine was hidden under the cloak
of Arianism, and had not attracted much attention
during the great troubles occasioned by this factious
sect.

From the beginning of the reign of Valens, how-
ever, St Athanasius, who was ever watchful over the
interests of the faith, had received an intimation of
the impending evil, and wrote an able treatise refut-
ing the wicked heresy. The holy Doctor proves in
this document that the Church has always believed
and taught the existence of three persons in One God,
that the Holy Trinity has but one and the same
nature, and is but One and the same God. He shows,
by the Holy Scriptures, that the Holy Ghost is God ;
that His attributes of sanctity, vivification, immuta-
bility and infinity belong to God alone, and con-
cludes the eloquent defense by affirming that all his
arguments are based on the doctrine of the Apostles.
When the Arian influence began to decline, the
Macedonians rose in favor and appeared under a
new guise. Their morals were pure, their exterior
very grave and their life austere ; and as the popu-

^14 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

lace were deceived by this appearance of piety, the
Macedonians formed a large and powerful party in a
short time in the city of Constantinople.

This new heresy extended as far as Thrace, Bithy-
nia, and the Hellespont. The Emperor Theodosius,
the successor of Valens, was distinguished in the
beginning of his reign for his zeal in arresting the
progress of error. This prince, who, by his daring
exploits, and especially through his fervent piety
and ardent love for the Church, has merited the title
of Great, shortly after his baptism published a cele-
brated law, in which he declares that communion
with the Roman Cliurch is a sure mark of Catho-
licity. "We desire," said he, "all our subjects to
profess the religion taught the Romans by the Prince
of the Apostles, whose present successor is the Pon-
tiff Damasus ; that, according to the doctrine of the
Gospel and teaching of the Apostles, we may believe
in the divine nature of the Father, the Son and the
Holy Ghost, equal in majesty and power, being one
adorable Trinity. We declare those who accept this
pure doctrine to be Catholics, and designate those
whose rash and shameful impiety we condemn, by
the ignominious title of heretics, and command that
their places of meeting shall not be honored with the
name of church, lest we incur the divine wrath."

In fine, the Catholic faith is the one taught by
Jesus Christ, proclaimed by the Apostles, and pre-
served intact by the Fathers of the Church. The
Church is founded on this faith, and whosoever
departs from it, is not a Catholic but a heretic. The
true religion is older than any of the heresies; tho

ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF COKSTANTINOPLE. 215

Apostles lived before the authors of these sects
appeared ; truth precedes error ; in a word, the really
divine doctrine is the one which was received the
first; those which have subsequently arisen are
necessarily false, and unworthy of credence.

ECUMENICAIi COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE.
A. D. 381.

Theodosius was aware that a stronger power than
the imperial authority was necessary, to efiect a com-
plete reunion of all parties, and, on his accession to
the throne, he determined, like the great Constan-
tine, to convene a universal council, but waited until
peace was restored before executing his design. He,
therefore, wrote to all the Eastern bishops, inviting
them to repair to Constantinople, which was the city
appointed for the assembly, as he wished to attend
the sessions in person. The necessary arrangements
for the reception and entertainment of all the
bishops were made, and Theodosius was not less
lavish in his preparations for their comfort during
their sojourn, than Constantine, who spared no ex-
pense in his generous hospitality toward the prelates,
who assisted at the council of Nice.

The bishops hastened from all parts of the East,
to the number of one hundred and fifty. Meletius,
bishop of Antioch, was to preside over this august
assembly. The Emperor was very desirous to see
him, not only on account of his reputation for
sanctity, but also because of a dream, in which he
had seen him presenting him a sceptre with one

^16 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

hand and tlie crown with the other. The Emperor
entertained the warmest feelings of respect and ven-
eration for the holy prelate, from the time of this
vision, although he had never met him. As soon as
the bishops arrived they proceeded in a body to the
royal presence ; as the Emperor wished to ascertain
whether he could recognize Meletius among the
others, he would not allow him to be pointed out,
and the features of the venerable man being indeli-
bly impressed on his mind, he immediately discov-
ered him in the crowd, and, hastening toward him,
embraced him with respect and tenderness, rever-
ently kissing the hand which had crowned him in
advance. Theodosius then entreated all the bishops
to seek the most effectual means of restoring peace
to the afflicted Church, promising to support their
decisions with the imperial authority.

The council was opened with a great deal of
solemnity. The proceedings began by attempting
to reclaim the Macedonians, the Emperor himself
exhorting them to return to the faith and commu-
nion of the Church; but they absolutely refused,
and withdrew from the council, thereby publicly
avowing themselves heretics. The decrees of the
council of Nice were approved, and in confirming
the Nicene creed a few words were added, in order
to explain more fully the Incarnation of the Son of
God, and the divinity of the Holy Ghost. In speak-
ing of the Incarnation, this creed said : " He came
down from Heaven, was incarnate, and was made
man; suffered, rose again the third day, ascended
into Heaven, and will come to judge the living and

ECUMEI^ICAL COUJ^^CIL OF CO]S^STANTIN^OPLE. 217

the dead." The creed of Constantinople adds : " Who
for us men, and for our salvation, came down from
Heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the
Virgin Mary, and was made man. He was crucified
also for us, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was
buried. He rose again, according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right
hand of the Father ; and he shall come again with
glory, to judge both the living and the dead, of
whose Kingdom there shall be no end." With
regard to the third person of the Holy Trinity, the
Nicene creed explained the doctrine in these few
words: "We believe in the Holy Ghost." That of
Constantinople, on account of the Macedonian her-
esy, says : "And we believe in the Holy Ghost, the
Lord and life-giver, who proceedeth from the Father
and the Son, who, together with the Father and Son,
is adored and glorified, who spake by the prophets."
The Emperor Theodosius accepted this decree as
issuing from the mouth of God Himself, and made a
law commanding the immediate execution of all the
decisions of the Council. Although this assembly
was only composed of the Eastern bishops, neverthe-
less the approbation of the Pope and the Western
prelates caused it to be recognized as an Ecumenical
cjuncll.

218 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

CLEMENCY OF THEODOSIUS.
A. D. 387.

Theodosins was naturally impetnoiis and easily
moved to anger, but his piety enabled him to restrain
his temper. A revolution broke out in Antioch, be-
cause a tax which the people hated had been imposed
upon them. The populace, in their mad frenzy,
threw down the statues of the Emperor and Empress,
and dragged them in contempt through the streets.
On being informed of this outrage, Theodosius flew
into a violent passion, and in the heat of his anger
threatened to destroy the city and bury the inhabit-
ants under the ruins. Becoming cooler, however, he
appointed two commissioners to inquire into the dis-
turbance, investing them with authority to condemn
the guilty to death. Meanwhile the people became
conscious of their great crime against the imperial
dignity, and dreaded a well-merited punishment, not
daring to leave their homes, and constantly fearing
a summary execution.

Flavian, bishop of Antioch, was plunged in the
deepest affliction at the conduct of the infatuated
mob, but his tender heart was filled with sorrow at
the thought of their sad fate, and he passed whole
days and nights in tears at the foot of the altar im-
ploring the God of Mercy to soften the heart of the
Emperor. Finally, this old man, more venerable on
account of his sanctity than his years, sought the
imperial presence in order to intercede with Theodo-
sius in behalf of his culpable brethren. When he
appeared before the Emperor, he did not advance

CLEMENCY OF THEODOSIUS. 319

toward the throne, but stood with his eyes cast
down, as though he were the sole criminal who had
committed the outrage. Noticing his embarrass-
ment, Theodosius approached him, and after recall-
ing the favors he had generously lavished on the city
of Antioch, added, after each recital : " And it is for
conferring these benefits that I have merited such
shameful insults ?"

Flavian, overcome by his just reproaches, sighed
deeply. " Prince," said he, " we deserve every chas-
tisement ; destroy Antioch even to its foundations ;
reduce the city to ashes and still we should not be
sufficiently punished. Our grievous fault can, how-
ever, be remedied ; thou canst imitate the goodness
of God, who, although constantly outraged by His
ungrateful creatures, grants pardon and forgive-
ness to repentant sinners. Deign to overlook our
offense, and we will owe our salvation to thee ; thy
clemency will add a new luster to thy honor and
glory. The infidels will exclaim : * How great is the
God of the Christian ! He raises men above weak
human nature, and transforms them into Angels.
Do not fear that exemption from punishment will
corrupt other cities ; alas, our fate will terrify them ;
the consternation into which we are plunged is the
most cruel of punishments. Be not ashamed to
listen to the prayers of a feeble old man, as God
Himself speaks in my entreaties. He sends me to
remind thee of the precepts of the Gospel, and to say
to thee in His name : * If thou wilt not forgive others,
thy Father who is in Heaven will not forgive thee.
Think of that terrible day when princes and their

220 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

subjects shall appear before the tribunal of supreme
justice, and remember that thy sins will be par-
doned through the merits alone of Jesus Christ, who
suffered every insult and indignity at the hands of
the ungrateful and perfidious Jews. ' ''

Theodosius was moved to tears by this eloquent
appeal, and answered : " Can I refuse forgiveness to
men like myself, when the Master of the world, over-
whelmed with shame for love of us, prayed to His
Father to have mercy on His cruel executioners?
Go, Father, hasten to thy flock, restore calmness and
tranquillity to the affrighted city of Antioch ; tell the
offenders I grant them pardon, and entreat them to
repair their error by future loyalty and respect for
their lawful monarch.

FALL AND REPENTANCE OF THEODOSIUS.
A. D. 389.

Theodosius shortly afterward forgot the modera-
tion he had shown in the affair of Antioch, and
allowed himself to be overcome by his natural im-
petuosity of disposition. The city of Thessaloniea,
the capital of Illyria, revolted against its governor,
who lost his life during the excitement. The news
of this disturbance aroused the indignation of the
Emperor, who immediately ordered a massacre of all
the inhabitants of the city, without regard to age,
sex, or condition. Seven thousand fell victims to
this severe edict; St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan,
wrote to the Emperor, who was in that city, and
represented to him the crime he had committed, in

FALL AND REPENTANCE OF THEODOSIUS. 221

condemning the innocent with the guilty; he ex-
horted him to repentance; terminating his letter
by warning him that he should not assist at divine
service until he had expiated his grave offense.

The Emperor, however, was deaf to this prohibi-
tion, and at the customary hour proceeded toward
the Church ; the holy bishop met him when within
a few yards of the sacred edifice: "Go no further,
Prince," cried he, " thou dost not yet feel the enor-
mity of thy crime; reflect a moment — with what
eyes dost thou look upon the holy Temple ? Dost
thou dare enter into the sanctuary of an angry God,
thy hands still reeking with innocent blood ? Canst
thou, a murderer, presume to receive the body of the
Lord ? Withdraw, Theodosius, from these sacred
precincts, and add not the crime of sacrilege to that
of murder !" The Emperor strove to excuse his con-
duct by quoting the example of David, who was
guilty of adultery and murder. " Thou hast imitated
him in his sin," said Ambrose, " imitate him in his
repentance."

Theodosius received this reprimand with senti-
ments of humility and contrition, and returned to
the palace, where he remained in seclusion for six
months. The approach of the joyous festival of
Christmas seemed to augment his grief. "Alas!"
he exclaimed, " the Temple of God is open to the
least of my subjects, and I am denied admission !"
He sought the presence of the holy bishop, and
Avith prayers and tears entreated him to grant him
absolution. Ambrose replied, that he could not
ftUow him to assist at the divine mysteries until he
19*

222 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

had first performed a public penance, which condi
tion was cheerfully accepted by the contrite and
repentant Theodosius. The Saint also commanded
him to publish a law, susj^ending all sentences of
death for thirty days; the Emperor immediately
obeyed, and affixed the imperial signature to the
decree, promising a faithful observance of the man-
date. Then St. Ambrose, touched by his docility
and ardent faith, pronounced the sacred words which
restored the humble monarch to the communion of
the Church, and permitted him to enter the holy
Temple of the Lord, where Theodosius fell prostrate
before the altar, bathed in tears, and striking his
breast, uttered these words of David : " My soul hath
cleaved to the ground ; quicken thou me according
to thy promise."

Touched by so great an example, the people min-
gled their prayers and tears with the supplications
of their prince ; and this mighty sovereign, whose
violent rage had made his empire tremble, inspired
the liveliest sentiments of compassion and love in
the hearts of his subjects. St. Ambrose was deeply
affected, and deemed it expedient to relax the strict
ecclesiastical discipline, which granted absolution
only at the time of death in cases of murder. The
heartfelt contntion of the illustrious penitent was
still more augmented by this act of clemency, and
during the eight remaining years of his life, he con-
tinued to evince the sincerest repentance. This
great prince has always been reverenced by the
Church, and religious authors cite the Emperor
Theodosius as the model of Christian princes.

SCHISM OF THE DONATISTS. 223

SCHISM OF THE DONATISTS.

The schism of the Donatists, which distracted the
African Church for two centuries, commenced in
the reign of Oonstantine. It was at first entirely
unnoticed, but finally proved itself to be a most for-
midable enemy to the faith. The schismatics began
by inquiring if Caecilian, bishop of Carthage, was
legitimately ordained ; and several prelates, headed
by Donatus, on the pretense that his ordination was
not valid, refused to recognize Caecilian as their lawful
bishop. The affair was referred to the Pope, who
decided in favor of Caecilian, whose innocence he
proclaimed, and this judgment was subsequently
confirmed by decree of the Emperor Con stan tine.
Donatus and his partisans, however, absolutely re-
fused to submit to the sentence, and fomented the
disturbance by appointing another bishop of Car-
thage, and sending letters to all parts of Africa,
warning the faithful against acknowledging Caeci-
lian as the lawful incumbent.

This unhappy division was the cause of innumer-
able evils in Africa. The sentence of excommuni-
cation pronounced by the Church against her rebel-
lious children, did not terrify the Donatists, who
were desirous of separating from her, and thus form
a distinct society ; so that this punishment passed
unheeded, by men who sought only to destroy the
unity of the Church. The schismatical party in-
creased imperceptiblv. and. when sufficiently strong,
committed the most horrible acts of violence. In
fi ue, the obstinacy of the Donatists degenerated into

324 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

perfect fury; they took forcible possession of the
churches, drove away the bishops, and destroyed the
altars and sacred vessels. Their impiety went so far
as to rebaptize, against their will, those who had
been baptized in the Catholic church. If the faith-
ful refused to receive a second baptism from their
sacrilegious hands, they were treated in the most
barbarous manner. Not satisfied with using every
species of torture, these wretches were so inhuman
as to pour vinegar and lime into the eyes of their
victims. It is related that, on one occasion, they
rebaptized forty-eight persons, who had not strength
to endure the torments.

The Catholic bishops, at first, only opposed mild-
ness and patience to the cruelties of the schismatics,
hoping by these lenient measures to reclaim their un-
fortunate brethren. St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo,
who afterward became so celebrated, labored assidu-
ously to create a better feeling and reunite the con-
tending parties. He succeeded in converting a great
number, but the majority only became still more
infuriated, and even endeavored to seize the person
of the holy bishop. One day he nearly fell into their
hands, and would have perished but for a blunder of
his guide, who, inadvertently, strayed from the street
where the assassins were concealed. Their audacity
daily increased, and the Catholic bishops deemed it
necessary to solicit the protection of the Emperor,
who issued a severe law against these sectarians, for-
bidding them under pain of death to hold public
assemblies.

CELEBRATED CON^FEREKCE AT CARTHAGE. 225

CELEBRATED CONFERENCE AT CARTHAGE —
TERMINATION OF THE SCHISM.

A. D. 411.

The Catholic bishops, who were more anxious for
the conversion than for the punishment of the
Donatists, entreated the Emperor to employ milder
measures, and proposed to try the eiBfects of a confer-
ence, to which Constantine finally consented. All
the African bishops, Donatist as well as Catholic,
received orders to repair to Carthage, so that prel-
ates chosen from both parties could confer together.
The tribune Marcellin was appointed by the Emperor
to maintain order and tranquillity. On the sixteenth
of May, in the year four bundled and eleven, this
celebrated conference was inaugurated. Seven bish-
ops were selected fmm each side to discuss the affair,
and four ecclesiastical notaries appointed to record
their proceedings.

When these preliminaries were satisfactorily ar-
ranged, the Catholic bishops gave an admirable
example of moderation and generosity, proclaiming
verbally and by writing the following magnanimous
promise: "If our adversaries gain the advantage
over us in this conference, we consent to resign our
office and submit to their guidance ; if, on the con-
trary, the Donatists being conquered, return to the
Church, we will share the episcopal dignity with
them. If, however, the faithful object to the unusual
sight of two bishops in one diocese, we vrill retii-e and
leave them in undisturbed possession of our sees.
We can work out our salvation by living as simple

226 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Christians ; and therefore, if the resignation of our
office will promote the spiritual welfare of the faith-
ful, we will cheerfully retire."

Among nearly three hundred Catholic prelates
who assisted at this conference, only two at first
objected to this generous resolution; but they soon
concurred in the general opinion. St. Augustine,
who was the instigator of this movement, was not
only one of the seven chosen by the Catholic bishops
to defend the cause of the Church, but the six others
depended on him to refute the sophistries of the
Donatists. The most perfect order was maintained
in this celebrated conference, which lasted three
days.

St. Augustine proved incontestably that there could
be no legitimate reason for separating from the Cath-
olic Church, and eloquently depicted the criminality
of those who endeavored to destroy her unity. He
demonstrated the necessity of being in communion
with our holy Mother the Church, without which
there is no hope of salvation ; because, outside of this
One, Only, Church, there can be no true sanctity or
real holiness ; that the true Church, the spouse of
Jesus Christ, is, according to His divine promise,
spread over the whole world, and not confined to an
obscure corner of Africa ; that the good and bad are
mingled together while on earth ; that the faitlifiil
should avoid all participation in the crimes of her
unworthy children, but not separate exteriorly from
them. God rewarded the zeal of the holy Doctor.
Those ecclesiastics Avho still retained a love for truth,
and the people, who were informed of the proceedings

THE PELAGIAN^ HERESY. 227

of the conference, were finally convinced by his able
arguments, and from that time great numbers re-
turned to the Church.

THE PELAGIAN HERESY.
A. D, 412.

The schism of the Donatists had quietly disap-
peared, when the Church was attacked by new
enemies, who caused her much sorrow and grief.
Pelagius, a native of Great Britain, was the author
of the heresy ; he was a subtle, artificial and hypo-
critical character, and without changing his opinion
could use different modes of expression, and thus
deceive the unwary. He went to Eome, and there
introduced a new doctrine, the offspring of inordi-
nate pride, denying, as he did, original sin, and
salvation through the merits of the Redeemer. He
dared not explain himself openly at first, for fear of
exciting opposition, by combating the ancient and
universal belief of the Church ; but, in order to
gradually prepare the people for the reception of his
wicked doctrine, he clothed his errors in equivocal
and artful language. He attached to himself a
disciple, named Celestius, who greatly contributed
toward the extension of this impious sect. Celes-
tius proceeded to Africa, and, being of a bolder and
more enterprising nature than Pelagius, taught
openly, in direct opposition to the doctrine of St.
Paul, that the sin of our first parents is not com-
municated to their descendants, and that man, with-

228 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

out supernatural grace, can, by his own power, obey
the commandments of God.

This new profanity caused many disturbances.
St. Augustine in learned treatises admirably refuted
it, and proved by the express words of Scripture,
and by the sacrament of infant baptism, that we arc
all born in original sin ; quoting the beautiful prayer
which emanated from the divine lips of a God-man,
as conclusive evidence of our daily need of grace, to
direct and aid our will in all that appertains to the
salvation of our immortal souls. Celestius was
therefore condemned at Carthage, and excluded from
all ecclesiastical communion.

In the meantime, Pelagius, who had proceeded to
Palestine, and succeeded by his dissimulation and
falsehoods, in deceiving the bishops of that country,
becoming bolder, sent his apology to St. Augustine,
in which he boasted of the favorable opinion he had
won in the East. This scandalous conduct excited
the zeal of the African bishops, by whom two coun-
cils were convened — one at Carthage, and the other
at Milevis — in which were declared, according to
the Catholic doctrine, that the sin of Adam had
descended to his posterity, and that, without an
interior grace which inspires the love of virtue, we
cannot perform any spiritual action conducive to
salvation.

The Fathers of these councils wrote to Pope St.
Innocent, requesting him to confirm this decision
by the authority of the apostolic See. The sovereign
Pontiff replied to the synodical letters of the African
bishops, approving of their zeal in preserving the

INTRIGUES AN-D OBSTIN-ACY OF THE PELAGIAI^^S. 229

purity of the faith, and firmly establishing the old
doctrine of original sin, and the necessity of super-
natural grace for the worthy performance of all acts
of Christian piety. He solemnly condemned Pela-
gius, Celestius, and their followers, declaring them
separated from the communion of the Church, unless
they abjured their errors.

After the publication of the pontifical decree, St.
Augustine considered the affair terminated. " Rome
has spoken/' says the holy Doctor ; " the decision of
the African bishops has been sent to the Holy See,
the letters of the Pope, confirming it, have been
received; the controversy is finished, and may it
please God to exterminate the error as well !"

INTRIGUES AND OBSTINACY OF THE PELAGIANS.

The desire of St. Augustine was not gratified, the
error continuing to exist, notwithstanding the con-
demnation it had received. Pelagius and his followers
refused to submit to the sentence pronounced against
them, and strove to efface in the eyes of the world
their disgraceful defeat. Pope Innocent, who had
condemned them, was dead, and Pelagius wrote in a
forcible and respectful manner to his successor,
Zozimus, in order to prove his innocence. Celestius
then repaired to Rome, and presented an artfully
worded confession of faith to the Pontiff, promising
to abjure all that the Holy See anathematized.

The new Pope asked him several questions, to
which Celestius replied with that appearance of
simplicity and candor, deceit can so well assume.
20

230 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Zozimus did not pursue his investigations, but pro-
nounced liim innocent ; not that he approved of his
errors, but because this imposter had previously
declared himself willing to abide by the judgment
of the Holy See. Zozimus wrote a letter to the
African bishops, in which he appeared convinced of
the sincerity of Pelagius, and spoke a little reproach-
fully of their conduct in his regard, without, how-
ever, uttering a word in favor of the heresy.

The African prelates immediately saw that the
Pope had been deceived by these artful impostors,
and hastily convened a numerous council. Two
hundred and fourteen bishops composed the assem-
bly ; they gave a more minute account of the schism,
explained all that had taken place in Africa, exposed
the venomous doctrine concealed under the profes-
sion of faith, as well as the hypocrisy of the heretics,
and they drew up certain canonical laws which they
sent to Eome, accompanied by a letter expressed in
these terms: "We have decreed that the sentence
pronounced by Innocent against Pelagius and Celes-
tius is in full force, until they frankly acknowledge
that the grace of Jesus Christ is necessary, not only
to know, but in order to follow, the paths of right-
eousness, as without this supernatural aid we can
neither think, say, nor perform any pious thought,
word, or action. The vague submission of Celestius
to the Holy See is not sufficient reparation for the
scandal he has caused ; he must anathematize, with-
out the least equivocation or ambiguity, whatever is
at all doubtful in his profession of faith, lest some
may infer — not that the schismatic has abandoned

ERRORS OF THE SEMI-PELAGIANS. 231

fiis errors, but that the Holy See has approved of
them."

These representations produced the desired effect.
Zozimus attentively examined the whole affair, and,
becoming convinced of the deception of Celestius,
pronounced a sentence which confirmed the de-
cisions of the African bishops and condemned Pela-
gius and his followers. This decree was received
with respect and obedience by the whole Christian
world ; but the heretics then showed the insincerity
and falseness of the promises they had previously
made to the sovereign Pontiff. They appealed from
the judgment of the Pope to a general council, but
St. Augustine opposed them, and asserted that the
assembled Church would only ratify the decision of
Zozimus and the African bishops ; that the heresy
was sufficiently condemned; and that no further
examination was needed, but, on the contrary, every
effort should be made to repress the schism. The
Emperor Honorius approved of this decree, and
pronounced a sentence of banishment against those
who obstinately persisted in countenancing the
condemned doctrine.

ERRORS OP THE SEMI-PELAGIANS.

The Pelagian heresy was gradually extinguished,
but from its ashes arose another sect, which softened
all that was most revolting in the first, and adopted
a medium course between the doctrine of Pelagius
and the orthodox faith. This milder form of error
was introduced by some priests of Marseilles, who

232 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

were called Semi-Pelagians. They attributed the
commencement of faith and the first good impulses
of the human heart to free will. According to their
teachings, God, in consequence of these holy emo-
tions, gives an increase of faith, and the grace to per-
form good works. Thus the Semi-Pelagians, like
the Catholics, admit original sin, and the necessity
of an interior grace to practice' virtue, but they con-
tended that man could merit this grace by a com-
mencement of faith and a first good emotion, of
which God is not the author.

St. Augustine ably refuted this pernicious error,
and directed all his zeal against this insidious heresy.
He composed two works on this subject, in which
he clearly shows, that not only the increase, but
even the beginning, of faith is a gift of God ; that
the first movements of grace cannot be founded on
our own merits, and do not emanate from us in any
way whatever. To prove this, he quotes several
passages from the Bible, which teach that it is God
Himself, who directs the human will and disposes
it to good, and he also dwells particularly upon these
words of the Apostle: "What have you that you
have not received?" words clearly showing that
man has need of the grace of God in order to com-
mence to perform good actions conducive to salva-
tion ; that God does not call men because they are
righteous, but that they may become righteous. He
affirms, that the Church has always declared, in her
prayers, that she expects divine mercy, not in con-
sequence, however, of any intrinsic merit of ours,
and that grace would cease to be grace were it not

ERRORS OF THE SEMI-PELAGIAKS. 233

gratuitous. Finally, he demonstrates this truth by
the baptism of infants, who are called to this grace
without any merit of theirs ; " for," said he, " where
is the faith or good works of these infants ? "

The Pope St. Celestin, hearing of the erroneous
doctrine of the priests of Marseilles, condemned
them, and declared, in opposition to their heretical
teachings, that God operates in such a manner in
the human heart that a holy thought or pious de-
sire — in short, every good emotion, is of a super-
natural nature; and that if we are capable of a
meritorious action it is through the merits of Jesus
Christ, without whom we can do nothing.

These disputes were at length terminated by the
celebrated canon of the second council of Orange,
over which presided the illustrious St. Cesarius of
Aries, and is expressed in these words : " If any one
says that either the increase or commencement of
faith, and the first good impulses of the heart, by
which we believe in Him who justifies the sinner, is
not the effect of supernatural grace, but a natural
tendency toward good, he contradicts the belief of
the Apostles themselves, since St. Paul says : * We
are confident that He who has commenced the good
work in you, my brethren, will perfect it until the
day of Our Lord ;' and again : * You have received
the grace to believe in Jesus Christ ; . . . it is by
this grace that you will be saved through faith which
does not come from you, but is a gift of God.' "
20*

234 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

ST. JEROME.

St. Jerome, one of the most illustrious Doctors of
the Church, united with St. Augustine in combating
the Pelagian heresy. Born in Dalmatia, of wealthy
Christian parents, at a very early age Jerome
showed so much aptness for learning, that his father
considered it his duty to carefully cultivate this
happy disposition, and accordingly sent him to Rome,
where he made wonderful progress in his studies and
oratory ; but, as the esteem and praise of men was
rather the object of his wishes than any desire of
advancing in the way of salvation, God permitted
him to fall into great excesses. He soon, however,
returned to the path of virtue, and, toward the year
374, retired into the desert of Chalcis, in Syria, a
vast solitude scorched by the intense heat of the sun,
but nevertheless inhabited by a few hermits, whose
love of a penitential life led them to choose this
wilderness for their abode.

Seized with fear of the judgments of God, Jerome's
only desire in leaving the world was to escape the
divine anger, when suddenly Pelagius appeared in
Palestine, and endeavored to promulgate his errors
in that country. The holy recluse, alarmed at the
danger which menanced the faith, strenuously op-
posed the new doctrine. Pelagius became infuria-
ted, and not only wrote in defense of his errors, but
excited his followers against St. Jerome to such an
extent, that they committed the most horrible acts
of violence, attacking, plundering, and burning the
monastery in which he resided. St. Jerome repaired

ST. JEROME. 235

to Antioch, where Paulinus, the bishop of that city,
ordained him priest ; but he did not remain here,
or become connected with any Church, as it was
still his desire to lead a life of solitude and penance.

Proceeding to Constantinople, he remained for
some time with St. Gregory of Nazianzen, and, under
the guidance of this able master, applied himself to
the study of the Holy Scriptures. From thence he
went to Eome, where Pope Damasus detained him,
in order to reply to those who wished to consult his
Holiness upon scriptural matter or points of moral
theology. After the death of the Pontiff he returned
to Palestine, and resided in Bethlehem ; here it was
that the holy Doctor, in the enjoyment of his long
desired rest, wrote the greater number of those
admirable works on the Holy Scriptures, which are
of inestimable value to the Church. He also under-
took to translate the Bible into Latin, adhering care-
fully to the original text, and with this view, devoted
himself to the study of the Hebrew language, receiv-
ing lessons from a learned Jew, whom he converted,
and who also became his disciple. He not only
enriched the Church with a new translation, but
also Avrote treatises elucidating the meaning of the
sacrei volume.

Several commentaries of St. Jerome are still ex-
tant. In the preface of the one on the prophet Isaiah,
who lived seven hundred years before our Lord, he
says, that he not only regards Isaiah as a prophet,
but also as an evangelist and apostle, as his proplie-
"sies contain an account of the whole life of our
Saviour ; His being born of a virgin. His ignomini-

236 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

ous death, the glory of His Resurrection, and the
establishment of His Church, throughout the world.
"Isaiah," says this learned translator, "spoke so
plainly of all these things, that he seems rather to
record a history of past events, than to predict what
was to be accomplished in the future."

VIRTUES AND SUFFERINGS OF ST. JOHN
CHRYSOSTOM.

A. D. 407.

At this period St. John Chrysostom, archbishop
of Constantinople, rendered glory to God by his
apostolic zeal in the reformation of the clergy and
inhabitants of that great city. He boldly repri-
manded the inordinate love of riches, the luxurious
habits of the women, and the overweening pride of
the great. The court itself did not escape his vigi-
lance, and he frequently reminded the Emperor and
his wife Eudoxia, of the weighty obligations of their
high position.. This courageous conduct made him
powerful enemies ; the Empress especially was dis-
pleased with a sermon in which she imagined that
he alluded to her. She sought for means of revenge,
and, in the person of Theophilus, bishop of Alexan-
dria, found a willing instrument to carry out her
plans. St. Chrysostom was accordingly deposed and
exiled, but the very next day a terrible earthquake
occurred in Constantinople, which was regarded as
an evidence of divine wrath.

Eudoxia herself was so much alarmed, that she
implored the Emperor to recall the holy bishop, who

SUFFERINGS OF ST. JOHJf CHRYSOSTOM. 237

returned in triumph to the city. A new disturbance,
however, soon arose ; a silver statue of the Empress
had been erected near the principal church of Con-
stantinople; and public games, interspersed with
superstitious practices, were celebrated in its vi-
cinity. The holy bishop preached against this
irreligious custom, which sermon exasperated Eu-
doxia to such a degree that she determined upon the
ruin of the holy prelate ; she deposed and banished
him to Cucusus, a small city in Armenia; having
chosen this barren country in order to make the
Saint feel the full weight of her anger. The jour-
ney occupied seventy days, and was attended by
many hardships and inconveniences, occasioned by
his ill health and the harshness of the soldiers who
accompanied him. As soon as he recovered, St.
John labored still more zealously for the welfare of
the Church ; instructing the people of the country,
assisting the poor and ransoming the captives. His
enemies, although successful in their efforts against
him, became jealous of his good works, and banished
him to Pythyus, an obscure city on the extreme
borders of the empire, and near the eastern shore of
the Euxine sea. He was conducted to this new
place of exile by two brutal soldiers, who treated
him in the most cruel and violent manner, for a
reward had been promised them if the Saint died on
the journey.

The holy bishop, weak and exhausted, finally
sank under so many sufferings ; and after a toilsome
march of three months, arrived near Comana, in
Pontus, and was attacked with a malignant fever.

238 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

which obliged him to stop in that city in the pres-
bytery of St. Basiliscns, bishop and martyr. That
night Basiliscns appeared to him and said : " Conr-
age, my brother, to-morrow we shall be together."
The next day the Church lost one of her holiest
bishops and most illustrious Doctors. His extra-
ordinary eloquence, which equaled the most cele-
brated orators of antiquity, won for him the surname
of Chrysostom, or the " Golden Mouth."

THE NESTORIAN HERESY.

The spirit of error, after attacking the mystery of
the Holy Trinity, the doctrine of original sin and
that of grace, strove to undermine the belief in the
mystery of the Incarnation. The Church had
always taught that Jesus Christ is the Word made
flesh, and that accordingly, there are two natures
and but one person in Jesus Christ ; whereas, Nes-
torius. Patriarch of Constantinople, declared there
were two persons in the Son of God. Not venturing
to openly assail the Catholic doctrine, he pursued
another plan, and said that the Blessed Virgin ought
not to be called the Mother of God, but simply the
Mother of Christ, thus distinguishing between the
person of Christ and that of the Word.

This impious heresy, entirely contrary to the faith
and tradition of the Church, greatly scandalized the
clergy and laity. The first time this blasphemy was
proclaimed in Constantinople, the faithful left the
Church in order to show their disgust for the sacri-
legious Nestorius. Thus the voice of faith is always

THE KESTORIAN HERESY. 239

raised in opposition and condemnation of every
heresy, that is to say, whenever the doctrines of the
Church are attacked. Nestorius, who was in favor
at court, endeavored to influence the Emperor, and
by this means promulgate his errors ; but God pro-
vided a remedy against the danger which threatened
the Church, in the person of an illustrious defender
of the dogma assailed. St. Cyril, bishop of Alexan-
dria, was the invincible bulwark which Providence
opposed to the wily efforts of the heretic.

As soon as the holy prelate was warned of the
progress of the impious doctrine, he published a
work, clearly explaining the truth of the mystery of
the Incarnation. " I am amazed," he writes, " how
it can be doubted that the Blessed Virgin is the
mother of God ; for if our Lord Jesus Christ is God,
the Blessed Virgin, His mother, is unquestionably
the mother of God. The Apostles have taught us,
and the early Fathers declare, not that the nature of
the Word or the divinity originated in Mary, but
that the sacred body, to which the Word is hypo-
statically united, was formed in her womb, and ani-
mated with a rational soul ; thus it is said the Word
was made flesh. In the order of nature, although
the mother has no part in the creation of the soul,
still we do not hesitate to say that she is the mother
of the entire man, and not simply of the body."
This defence of St. Cyril became very celebrated in
the Eastern churches, and was most consoling to
the faithful, who had been scandalized by the perni-
cious doctrine of Nestorius. St. Cyril wrote to the
heretic, mildly endeavoring to reclaim him from his

240 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

errors, and exhorting him to atone for the scandal
he had given, by calling the Blessed Virgin by her
rightful title of mother of God. " Be assured," he
adds, " I am ready to suffer every thing — imprison-
ment and death itself, in defense of the teachings
of our Lord Jesus Christ."

This letter was of no avail, as the author of a
heresy is rarely converted or convinced of his crim-
inality, in attacking the pure faith of the Catholic
Churcb. The holy bishop finding his hopes frus-
trated with regard to Nestorius, appealed to Pope
St. Celestine, to whom he gave an account of what
had occurred, and of the existing state of the Church
of Constantinople, imploring his Holiness to use
every means to exterminate the heresy. Nestorius
also sent his written profession of faith to Rome.
The sovereign Pontiff convened an assembly of
bishops, in which the writings of Nestorius were
carefully examined, and, being found contrary to
that of the Fathers, were unanimously condemned.
Celestine wrote to the bishops of the principal
Eastern dioceses, notifying them of this decision,
and addressed a letter to St. Cyril, praising his
zeal and vigilance, and expressing his approval of
his explanation of the mystery of the Incarnation,
assuring him that if Nestorius continued to assail
the Catholic doctrine, and within a given time did
not abjure his errors, he should be excommunicated
from the Church.

GENERAL COUNCIL OF EPHESUS. 241

GENERAL COUNCIL OF EPHESUS.
A. D. 431.

Nestorius refused to submit to the sentence pro-
nounced by the Holy See, and, like all other heretics,
was only the more eager to spread his impious doc-
trine. Although he had partisans at court, the Em-
peror Theodosius, the younger, who was sincerely
attached to the faith, was astonished at hearing of the
tumult rais3d by the faithful of Constantinople, and
he resolved to convene a general council at Ephesus.
This intelligence infused joy into every Catholic
heart, and the bishops assembled from all parts
of the Christian world to the number of two hun-
dred — St. Cyril presiding in the name of the Pope.
Nestorius also repaired to Ephesus, accompanied by
the Count Candidian, whom the Emperor had ap-
pointed for the protection of the council, but who,
nevertheless, openly sided with the heretic. Nesto-
rius refused to appear at the council, although three
times officially summoned ; giving for a pretext the
absence of John, bishop of Antioch, and the suffragan
bishops who had not yet arrived. As the delay of
those prelates seemed intentional, and as fifteen days
of the time appointed by the Emperor for the open-
ing of the council had elapsed, the first session was
finally held.

In the center of the church, on an elevated throne,
was placed the book of the Gospels, representing
the presence of Jesus Christ in their midst, in
accordance with His divine promise of being with
those who assemble together in His name. The
21

242 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

bishops were seated on either side, according to their
respective rank. As Nestorius positively refused to
appear, it was necessary to examine his teachings
through his writings, which were read aloud. When
the reading was concluded the bishops exclaimed :
"Anathema to these impious errors! anathema to
whoever holds this doctrine, which is contrary to the
Holy Scriptures, and the traditions of the Fathers !"
The letter of Pope Celestine to Nestorius was then
read, and several passages from the writings of the
most illustrious Fathers, such as St. Cyprian, St.
Athanasius, St. Ambrose, and St. Basil were cited,
in opposition to the heretical assertions of Nestorius.
Then, after each bishop had solemnly testified to the
faith of his Church, the Blessed Virgin was declared
to be the mother of God, and a sentence of excom-
munication was pronounced against Nestorius.

When the people of Ephesus heard of this decree
they were transported with joy, and loaded the
Fathers of the council with thanks and benedictions,
the whole city resounding with the name and praises
of the mother of God. The prelates wrote to the
Emperor, informing him of this decision, but Count
Candidian intercepted the letters, and, in concert
with Nestorius, prejudiced Theodosius against them
by a false account of the proceedings of the assem-
bly; preventing the deputies of the council from
reaching the Emperor by guarding the vessels and
roads, so that truth Avould have succumbed for a
while beneath this vigorous resistance, if God had
not overcome every obstacle, and defeated all the
conspiracies formed against his Church. One of the

THE EUTYCHIAN HERESY. 243

deputies, disguised as a beggar, carried the true ver-
sion of the proceedings of the council concealed in
a hollow staff, and succeeded in effecting an entrance
into the palace. Upon receiving a correct account
of the council, the Emperor banished Nestorius to
a monastery of Antioch, and, as he there continued
to promulgate his errors, he was exiled to Oasis, in
Egypt, where he died a miserable death three years
afterwards.

THE EUTYCHIAN HERESY.

The Nestorian heresy gave rise to another which
appeared soon after, and was not less opposed to the
mystery of the Incarnation. Eutyches, while op-
posing Nestorius, fell into error himself. He taught
that there was only one nature in Jesus Christ after
the Incarnation. Thus does the human mind only
avoid one extreme to fall into another; but the
Church, guided by the spirit of truth, condemns all
doctrines opposed to faith. Nestorius had divided
the persons of Jesus Christ, and Eutyches con-
founded the two natures. He was the superior of a
monastery near Constantinople, and had been very
zealous in maintaining the unity of persons in oppo-
sition to the teachings of Nestorius ; but this aver-
sion to ^N'estorianism threw him into still greater
error, which caused as much scandal as the one pre-
ceding. Eutyches at first only explained his views
to some friends in private conversations, but subse-
quently strove to diffuse his doctrine throughout the
monasteries of Constantinople. His friends used

244 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

every effort to undeceive him, and prevent the
slightest appearance of scandal, but all their efforts
were in vain, as he was of a most obstinate nature ;
they were then obliged to denounce him to St.
Flavian, patriarch of Constantinople.

This holy prelate, after employing mild and gen-
tle means to reclaim the heretic, assembled the
bishops, who were then in the imperial city, and
summoned Eutyches before them. He at first re-
fused to appear, and, as he pei*sisted in his opinions,
the prelates condemned his doctrine, and deposed
him from his position of superior of his monastery.
Eutyches, nevertheless, found partisans at court,
who encouraged him in his rebellious conduct;
Ohrysaphius, one of tlie principal ministers of the
Emperor, sustained him with all his influence; he
was a barbarian, whose handsome face was his only
merit ; avaricious, cruel and irreligious, he possessed
the confidence of the Emperor and governed the
affairs of State. Ohrysaphius obtained from Theo-
dosius permission to have the doctrine of Eutyches
examined in another assembly of bishops, and ap-
pointed Dioscorus, bishop of Alexandria, president,
as he was a friend of Eutyches, and prejudiced
against St. Flavian. Constituting himself master
of the convention, Chrysaphius conducted the pro-
ceedings in the most violent manner, making it
resemble a meeting of brigands, rather than an
ecclesiastical assembly. Two copimissioners of the
Emperor entered accompanied by soldiers bearing
chains in their hands, and threatening the most
dreadful fate to those who would not accede to the

GENERAL COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON. 245

commands of the imperial favorite. In the midst of
this tumult Eutyches was absolved and St, Flavian
condemned.

As several bishops refused their approval of this
iniquitous sentence, the doors were closed and they
were forced to sign the decree. Those who would
not yield to these violent measures were banished,
among whom was St. Flavian, who, during the jour-
ney to the place of exile, was severely beaten, and
died a few days afterwards. The Emperor Theodo-
sius, who had allowed himself to be influenced in so
weak and criminal a manner, did not long survive
him. The blind confidence he reposed in his favorite,
tarnished the glory of his reign, the end of which
was as sad as the beginning had been bright and
promising. Marcian, a religious prince, succeeded
him, whose first care was to preserve the purity of
the Catholic faith without spot or stain.

GENERAL COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON.
A. D. 451.

St. Leo, who was at this period the worthy occu-
pant of the chair of St. Peter, felt most keenly the
injury the Church had sustained, and he earnestly
endeavored to restore peace. The most prompt and
efficacious remedy was a general council, which the
Emperor Marcian, according to the desire of the
Holy Pontiff, convened at Chalcedon, a suburb of
Constantinople, as this prince wished to attend in
person in order to maintain decorum and tranauillity.
The bishops assembled to the number of twfe^iuu-
21*

246 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

dred and sixty in the church of St. Eiipheraia, and
the first session was held on the 8th of October
in the year 451. St. Leo, not being able to go, sent
three legates, who presided in his name. The book
of the Gospels was, as in the council of Ephesus,
placed on a raised dais in the midst of the assembly.
They commenced by examining the violent and
unjust conduct of Dioscorus with regard to St. Fla-
vian, and reproached him with having trampled on
every rule of the Church, and they concluded by
deposing him from the episcopal dignity.

An admirable letter, written by St. Leo to St. Fla-
vian at the beginning of this heresy, was then read,
in which the holy Doctor explained in a clear and
forcible manner the Catholic doctrine concerning
the mystery of the Incarnation ; that is to say, the
unity of persons, and distinction of natures in Jesus
Christ. This belief, found to be in perfect conform-
ity with the Nicene creed and that of Constantinople,
Avas unanimously approved, and regarded as an infal-
lible rule of faith. " We all believe this," exclaimed
the bishops. " Peter, himself, the great Prince of the
Apostles, speaks to us by the mouth of St. Leo; this
doctrine must be received as orthodox ; anathema to
all who differ from us." The prelates then drew up
a confession of ftiith, in which, after referring to the
creeds of Nice and Constantinople, they continue as
follows : " We declare that it is necessary to believe
in one and the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord, true
God and true man, perfect in both natures ; consub-
stantial to the Father according to the divine nature,
and to man according to the human nature ; engen-

GENERAL COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON. 247

dered by the Father, before all ages, according to the
divine nature, and born of the Virgin Mary in time
according to the human nature ; one and the same
Jesus Christ, Our Lord, in two natures, without
contradiction, without change, without separation,
without the union destroying the different natures.
On the contrary, the properties of both are preserved,
and unite in one single person, in such a manner as
to form one and the same only Son, God, the Word,
our Lord Jesus Christ." The Emperor assisted in
person at the sixth session, assuring the Fathers that,
like the great Constantine, his only desire in being
present was to sustain the decisions of the Council
with the imperial authority, and not to alter their
decrees. All the bishops cried out : "Long live the
new Constantine ! Long live our Catholic Emperor
and Empress ! God grant many years and a pros-
pei'ous reign to Marcian, the servant of Christ !"

The Emperor desired the confession of faith to be
read aloud to him, and when it was concluded asked
if all agreed on what they had just heard. The prel-
ates exclaimed: "We have but one faith and one
doctrine ; such was the belief of the holy Doctors ;
such was the faith of the Apostles, and it is this faith
which has saved the world !" Acclamations of joy -
resounded on all sides ; they called the Emperor and
Empress the new Constantine and the new Helena,
with many other titles of respect and affection. Mar-
cian enforced the execution of the decrees of the
Council by a law, saying that whoever made further
inquiries after this decision, evinced a love of false-
hood and a desire to disagree.

248 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

GREAT QUALITIES OF ST. LEO.

St. Leo had been raised up by divine Providence
principally to combat the Eutychian heresy; but
this was not the only service he rendered the Church.
This great Pontiff rescued his flock on two critical
occasions, w^hen all seemed lost. Attila, king of the
Huns, who called himself the scourge of God, after
ravaging Italy with fire and sword, advanced towards
Eome, which city he intended to destroy. The Em-
peror, who was not prepared to defend it, consulted
with the senate as to what course he should pursue.
They could devise no other plan than to send a depu-
tation to the barbarian, offering terms of peace. St.
Leo, convinced that God can change the most obdu-
rate heart by His almighty power, undertook in per-
son this dangerous mission, w^hich he executed so
boldly as to impress the savage conqueror, who,
although not at all imposing in appearance, was still
terrible to behold, showing his barbarous origin in
every feature. He was of small stature, but very
broad, an immense head, bright eyes, a very slight
beard and thin hair, which the hardships of war had
whitened at an early age, a flat nose, swarthy com-
plexion, and a haughty and threatening manner,
made him a very repulsive and alarming object to
approach.

St. Leo, sustained by an invisible power superior
to all human strength, appeared boldly and confi-
dently before this mighty prince, whose glance alone
caused the most powerful kings, his vassals, to trem-
ble. The Pontiff spoke respectfully but forcibly to

GREAT QUALITIES OF ST. LEO. 249

Attila, asking him to restore peace and tranquillity
to Italy. The courage of the prelate astonished the
barbarian, who, turning to his attendants, said : " I
know not why, but the words of this priest have
touched me." Becoming more tractable, he listened
to the proposals of the Emperor, and ceasing his hos-
tilities, withdrew his army from Italy. How potent
is the charm of virtue which can thus soften the
most ferocious nature.

About three years after, the Pope Avas subjected to
a similar trial, when Genseric, king of the Vandals,
in his turn desolated Italy, leaving traces of his cru-
elty wherever he passed. On entering Rome, St. Leo
sought his presence, and asked him to spare the lives
of the inhabitants. He spoke with so much dignity
and wisdom, that he succeeded in obtaining a promise
from Genseric, that neither the fire nor the sword
should be employed against the city, thus securing
the safety of the people and the public edifices ; but
the holy Pope only retarded for a short time the fall
of the Roman empire in the West. The different
provinces of which it was composed became, soon
after, the prey of several barbarous tribes, who suc-
cessively invaded them. Finally, Odoacer, king of
the Heruli, conquered Italy in 476, crowning his
victory by the capture of Rome, and extinguishing
even the name of empire in the West, by assuming
the title of king of Italy, which he considered more
glorious than that of Emperor.

In the general confusion which followed this great
event, the barbarous tribes invaded the surrounding
provinces, loading themselves with rich spoils. Thus

250 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

the most powerful empire in the world was destroyed
about 1280 years after Romulus, its founder — a
striking example of the instability of the grandest
structures of human greatness. Not only kings and
their subjects pass away, but the most powerful king-
doms are swept from the face of the earth — the
Church which Jesus Christ has established through
His sufferings and death being the only edifice that
will exist until the end of time.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH IN IRELAND.
A. D. 431.

Very little is known concerning the early history
of Ireland. According to some accounts, Milesius
with a colony of Plioenicians from the coast of
Spain, landed in Ireland in the year 1300 B. C. ; but
others assert it to have been at a much later period.
The island was divided by the Milesians among
several princes, who governed the provinces with the
title of kings. The religion of the inhabitants re-
sembled that of the Eastern nations; they adored
the sun under the name of Baal or Bel, and the
moon under that of Re ; the adoration of fire also
formed a part of their worship.

The most important event in the history of Ire-
land, was the introduction of Christianity into the
island, by the great and glorious St. Patrick, in the
year 430, under the pontificate of Pope Celestin,
whose attention had for some time been directed to
the conversion of the Irish. He therefore appointed
Palladius bishop, and instructed him to undertake

VIRTUES OF ST. PATRICK. 251

the difficult mission ; but Palladius dying soon after
his consecration, St. Patrick was chosen to succeed
him.

VIRTUES OF ST. PATRICK.

It is the generally received opinion that St. Pat-
rick was born in Gaul, of noble parents, in the year
387. At the age of sixteen he was captured by a
wandering band of robbers, and taken as a slave to
Ireland. He was placed by his master in charge of
large flocks of sheep, and being exposed at all times
to the cold and heat on the mountains and in the
valleys, he often suffered cruel hardships, but the
grace of God sustained him and dwelt in his heart.
At the end of six years he escaped from his bondage,
and returned to his native country. After spending
a short time with his parents, he entered the famous
monastery of St. Martin, near Tours, and when he
had made the necessary studies he was elevated to
the dignity of the priesthood.

Upon the death of Palladius, St. Patrick was con-
secrated bishop, and at once proceeded to the scene
of his labors. He arrived in Ireland in the first year
of the pontificate of Sixtus III, A. D. 432. He went
from province to province in order to instruct the
people in the truths of religion, and his efforts were
everywhere crowned with success. The entire island
was soon christianized, and before his death he had
founded three hundred and fifty-five churches, and
consecrated the same number of bishops. He died
on the 17th of March, A. D. 465, which day is still
celebrated by the Irish with great solemnity. He

252 HISTORY OF THE CHUKCH.

was the means used by God to convert a whole
nation to the Catholic faith, and his memory is held
in benediction and grateful remembrance by those
for whom he labored.

CONVERSION OF SCOTLAND.
A. D. 431.

Great diversity of opinion exists among historians,
in regard to the precise period of the introduction
of Christianity among the Scots. Tertullian and
Eusebius assert, that the Gospel was preached to
them very near the time of the Apostles ; but emi-
nent ecclesiastical writers represent Scotland to have
been in a rude and barbarous state, even in the fourth
^and fifth centuries. The Scottish people claim St.
Palladius as their first Apostle ; it is certain, that,
although Ireland was the scene of his early mis-
sionary labors, he, in the year 431, arrived in Scot-
land, where he preached with great success and
founded many churches.

The saint died at Fordun, near Aberdeen, in the
year 450. The Scots venerate St. Andrew as princi-
pal patron of their country, and their historians tell
us that the Abbot Regulus brought thither from
Constantinople, in the year 369, certain relics of
this Apostle, which he deposited in a church he
built in his honor with a monastery attached, where
now stands the city of St. Andrew's.

CONVERSION^ OF THE FRENCH. 253

CONVERSION OF THE FRENCH.
A. D. 493.

When the Roman empire was declining in the
"West, God did not abandon Gaul to the government
of idolatrous princes, but called Clovis, king of the
French, to a knowledge of the Gospel. This people,
issuing from Germany, had already established them-
selves in Gaul. Clovis, though still a pagan, had
espoused Clotilda, a Christian princess of great piety.
The queen frequently conversed with the king about
the Christian religion, and convinced him of the
absurdity of the pagan worship ; but Clovis could
not summon courage to renounce his idols. Never-
theless, Clotilda obtained his consent to the baptism
of their infant son ; but as the child died a few days
afterward, Clovis reproached the queen, and attrib-
uted his son's death to the anger of the gods. Tlie
pious princess, however, was not disheartened ; faith
in the Providence of God dried the tears maternal
tenderness drew forth, and sustained her in her
bereavement. Their second son also received bap-
tism, and as the child became ill, the king declared
he would die like his brother, as he had also been
baptized. Clotilda had recourse to prayer, and God,
satisfied with having tested her faith and confidence
in the divine mercy, rewarded her piety by restoring
the young prince to health.

The great qualities of Clovis, and the hopes enter-
tained of his conversion, won him the affection of his
new subjects.. The most fervent prayers were offered
for him throughout the kingdom, and the Holy Spirit
09,

254 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

was implored to enlighten his mind and touch his
heart. These supplications were at length heard,
and divine Providence decreed that the conversion
of this prince, upon which that of the whole nation
depended, should be occasioned by a miracle similar
to the one which, in former times, had caused the
great Constantine to declare his allegiance to Jesus
Christ. A miraculous victory was the means by
which these two princes were induced to embrace
Christianity. The Allemani, a warlike people of
Germany, had crossed the Rhine, and advanced
toward Gaul, with the intention of invading that
country. Clovis marched against them, and encoun-
tered them on the plain of Tolbiac, in the duchy of
Julien. Before his departure, Clotilda told him that
it he desired a victory, he must invoke the God of
the Christians.

The battle commenced, the French troops began
to falter and disperse, and this appearance of panic
redoubled the ardor of the Allemani, who considered
the day theirs. In this extremity Clovis remembered
the words of Clotilda, and addressing the throne of
grace and mercy, exclaimed : " God, whom Clotilda
adores, come to my help. If thou wilt give me the
victory, I will adore no other God but thee !" God
had chosen this moment to make Himself knoAvn
to Clovis, by granting an immediate answer to his
earnest and touching petition. Hardly had the
prince ended his supplication, when the French
rallied, and, rushing on the Allemani, put them to
flight; nearly all those who escaped the carnage
which ensued, surrendered at discretion.

BAPTISM OF CLOVIS. 255

BAPTISM OF CLOVIS.

It could not be doubted, but that Heaven had
blessed the French arms by turning the tide of con-
quest in their favor, and this warlike nation acknowl-
edged the God of Clotilda to be the God of battles
and of victory. Clovis recrossed into Gaul, in order
to fulfill the solemn vow he had made. Even during
the march he was eager to receive instruction in the
faith, and, for this purpose, when passing through
Toul, he persuaded a worthy priest to accompany
him. Clotilda was much rejoiced when she heard
of the victory, and especially at the happy intelli-
gence of the conversion of Clovis. She went as far
as Rheims to meet him, and congratulated him more
on his holy dispositions than on the conquest he
had gained.

St. Eemi, bishop of that city, whom God had
adorned with talents and virtues, in order to render
him worthy of becoming the Apostle of Gaul, con-
tinued to instruct the king in the truths of the
Catholic faith. Clovis no longer delayed his profes-
sion of faith, and assembling his soldiers, exhorted
them to follow his example — renounce their false
idols and adore the God who had blessed their efforts
against the enemy. He was suddenly interrupted
by the acclamations of his troops, who cried out:
*' We reject our mortal gods, and are ready to serve
the God of whom St. Remi preaches." Clovis, de-
lighted to find his army animated with these Chris-
tian sentiments, consulted St. Remi as to what day
should be appointed for the baptism, and they finally

256 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

decided on Christmas eve. Eemi, who wished to
impress the French by allowing them to witness the
most august ceremonies of the Church, omitted
nothing which could add to the spjendor of the
occasion. The church and baptistry were hung with
the richest tapestries, and a great number of de-
liciously perfumed wax tapers lent their brilliancy
to the scene, which diffusing an exquisite fragrance
caused the holy place to be everywhere pervaded
with a celestial odor. Nothing can be more magnifi-
cent than the description of the reception of the
new Catechumens, which is still extant. The streets
and public places were draped with rich cloths of
gorgeous hues, and they marched in procession, car-
rying the Holy Gospel and the Cross from the royal
palace to the Church, singing beautiful hymns and
solemn litanies. St. Kemi led the king by the hand,
the queen following with two princesses, sisters of
Clovis, and accompanied by three thousand soldiers,
principally officers, whom his example had won to
Jesus Christ.

On arriving at the baptistry, the king asked for bap-
tism, and the Saint replied : " Bow thy neck humbly,
Sicamber; adore that which thou hast burnt, and
burn that which thou hast adored." The king, hav-
ing thereupon confessed his faith in the Trinity, was
baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost, and was anointed with the holy chrism.
The three thousand warriors who were present, with-
out counting the women and children, were then bap-
tized by the bishops and priests, who had repaired to
Rheims for the ceremony. One of the sisters of Clovis

VIRTUES OF ST. GENEVIEVE. 257

received baptism, and another sister, who was a Chris-
tian, but who had fallen into the heresy of the Arians,
was reconciled, and received the holy chrism. The
conversion of Clovis caused universal joy and thanks-
giving throughout the Christian world. Pope Anas-
tasius I Avas the more rejoiced, as he hoped to find in
this prince a powerful protector of the Church, Clovis
being at that period the only Catholic sovereign.
From the time he embraced the true faith he be-
came its most zealous defender — an example which
his successors have imitated for twelve centuries —
thus meriting the title of Christian kings.

VIRTUES OF ST. GENEVIEVE.

Clovis greatly venerated a holy maiden named
Genevieve, who lived during his reign, and was cele-
brated throughout Gaul for the purity of her life
and her extraordinary miracles. She was born at
Nanterre, near Paris. St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre,
in passing through this place, discerned something
very remarkable in this young girl. He advised her
to consecrate her virginity to God, conducted hei
to Church, and bestowed upon her the blessing of
the Virgins. The following day he asked her if she
remembered her promise ; and when she replied that
she would fulfill it with the grace of God, he gave
her a copper medal, on which a cross was engraved,
advising her to wear it around her neck, and for-
bidding her all ornaments of gold, silver or precious
stones.

From this time Genevieve made great progress in
22*

258 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

virtue, and practiced the most austere penances.
She ate but twice a week, her food consistins: of a
small quantity of barley bread and a few roots,
moistened with a little water — this rigorous fast be-
ing sustained by means of fervent and almost con-
tinual prayer. She would prostrate herself in the
presence of God, and bathe the ground with her
innocent tears. Her many virtues, however, did not
avert the shafts of calumny, but these trials only
increased her sweetness and patience. God was not
unmindful of His faithful servant, and proclaimed
her sanctity by bestowing upon her the gift of work-
ing miracles and uttering prophecies. The cruel
Attila having turned his devastating march in the
direction of Paris, the city was thrown into the
greatest consternation. Genevieve exhorted the citi-
zens to appease the divine wrath by earnest prayers,
vigils and fasts. She united her supplications to
theirs, and it was revealed to her that this scourge
of God would not enter Paris, which prediction was
verified. Thus delivered from such imminent peril,
the grateful inhabitants rushed in crowds to implore
the aid of the Saint, and the holy maiden refused
nothing which contributed to the service of God or
the salvation of souls.

Through her efforts and influence a church was
erected in honor of St. Denis and his companions;
and during a time of famine Genevieve undertook a
long voyage, and after many difficulties and obsta-
cles, succeeded in procuring food for the starving
people. The admirable virtue of holiness was never
more fully displayed than in this remarkable girl;

t)RIGl]Sr OF ST. BENEDICT. 259

and the envious, who had at first calumniated her,
were finally compelled to acknowledge the sanctity
of her penitential and mortified life. Notwithstand-
ing her great austerities she lived to an advanced age,
and after passing ninety years in the practice of all
kinds of good works, died in the year 511. Her re-
mains were interred near the body of Clovis in the
church of the Apostles SS. Peter and Paul, which,
at the present day, is called in her honor the church
of St. Genevieve. The timely assistance this virtuous
maiden procured for the city of Paris did not cease
after her death, but she continues to protect the
capital which venerates her as its patroness, and
treasures her precious relics as a safeguard against
all public calamities.

ORIGIN OF ST. BENEDICT.

A. D. 480.

Benedict, whom Providence had destined to be-
come the founder of the monastic life in the West,
or at least to perfect this holy state, was born of
noble parents at Norcia, in Italy. At an early age
he was sent to Rome, where he remained three years,
living in the greatest retirement, having no acquaint-
ances, with the exception of a holy monk named
Romain, who supplied him with the small quantity
of bread necessary for his sustenance. His reputa-
tion for sanctity soon became known, and he ac-
quired so great a celebrity in that city, that the
Religious of a neighboring monastery asked liim to
become their Abbot. St. Benedict refused to accept

260 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

the iiiAdtation for a long time, telling them they
would not be satisfied Avith his mode of life.

Overcome by their earnest entreaties, he finally
consented to assume the charge of the monastery ;
but some wicked men among the Keligious, unable to
endure his regular and penitential discipline, resolved
to get rid of the Saint by means of poison, which
they placed in a glass of water which they knew he
would drink at one of his meals. During the repast,
St. Benedict, according to his custom, made the sign
of the cross over the glass, and it immediately fell
to pieces. Benedict divined the cause and saw from
what danger he had been delivered ; quietly rising
from his seat, he said to the guilty monks : " Brethren
why have you treated me in this manner ? I pre-
dicted that you would not be satisfied with your
choice ; seek then a superior who will please you."

Leaving the convent he resumed his solitary life,
but notwithstanding his endeavors to remain con-
cealed from the eyes of men, his reputation for
sanctity spread abroad, and the desert Avas soon filled
with recluses. As several persons entreated his
guidance in the way of salvation, he was obliged to
receive them as his disciples. Benedict erected
twelve monasteries, in each of which he placed
twelve monks, subject to the rule of a superior,
retaining himself those who still needed his instruc-
tions. Young men went in crowds to seek him, and
the mast illustrious fiimilies of Rome confided their
children to liis care, among whom particular men-
tion is m.ida of Maurus and Placidus, sons of two
distinguished senators. Educated in his school these

MONASTERY OF MONTE GASSING. 261

youths became great saints, and were the means of
attracting many souls to the path of virtue.

One day the young Placidus while drawing water
fell into the lake. St. Benedict, who was in the
monastery, received a supernatural Avarning of what
had occurred, and said to Maurus : " Hasten, brother,
Placidus has fallen into the lake !" Maurus eagerly
ran to the spot, found Placidus gasping for breath,
and seizing him by the hair dragged him on shore.
On recovering from his alarm, Maurus looked at the
scene of the accident, and was terrified at perceiving
that he had walked on the water. On recounting
this phenomenon to his superior, St. Benedict at-
tributed the miracle to his prompt obedience ; but
the humble Maurus contended that it was owing to
the prayers of the Saint.

FOUNDATION OF THE MONASTERY OF MONTE
CASSINO.

The principal institution of St. Benedict was the
monastery of Monte Cassino, which was situated in
the kingdom of Naples. When the holy Abbot first
visited this mountain, an ancient temple of Apollo
stood on its summit, where the people were accus-
tomed to worship. On beholding this remnant of
paganism, Benedict destroyed the statue, and suc-
ceeded by his discourses and miracles in efiecting the
conversion of these poor people. God then granted
His servant the gift of prophesy, and proclaimed his
sanctity by a great number of miracles. Totila, king
of the Goths, struck Avith astonishment at all he

262 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

heard concerning the holy Abbot, was seized with a
great desire to visit him. He accordingly proceeded
to Monte Cassino, and in order to ascertain if Bene-
dict could really predict future events, sent word to
tho. Saint that he intended visiting him ; but instead
of going himself, he dispatched one of his officers
to the monastery, appareled in his royal robes and
accompanied by numerous attendants.

Benedict, who had never met Totila, was not,
however^ deceived, but on seeing the officer ex-
claimed : " My son, take off the garments which do
not belong to you I" The officer and his retinue,
lost in astonishment, hastened to inform Totila of
what had occurred. Then this prince, no longer
doubting that there was something wonderful about
this extraordinary man, solicited an audience. On
being admitted he approached St. Benedict with
respect and fear, and prostrating himself at his feet,
remained in this position until the holy Abbot as-
sisted him to rise. The Saint then gave him most
salutary advice, and predicted the principal events
of his future life. Totila begged his prayers, and
adopted a more humane course of conduct. Shortly
after, capturing the city of Naples, he treated the
prisoners with a kindness totally unexpected, and
unusual in a barbarian conqueror.

St. Benedict sent several of his disciples to France,
for the purpose of founding monasteries in that
country. He foretold his death, some time before
he was attacked with his last illness, prepared his
grave and was soon after seized with a violent fever.
As his disease increased rapidly he desired to be car-

FIFTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL. 263

ried to the church, and there received the body
and blood of Jesus Christ, then raising his hands
toward heaven, he expired, in his sixty-third year.
St. Benedict left his disciples so admirable a rule of
life as to merit the eulogiums of Pope St. Gregory ;
and we behold in this holy monk a man profoundly
versed in the science of salvation, and endowed by
the Holy Ghost with the grace to conduct souls to
the highest state of perfection. His rule of life was
found to be so full of wisdom and prudence, that it
was adopted by all the Western monks. The cele-
brated Cosmo de Medici, and several other able law-
givers, frequently referred to this rule, which they
regarded as a rich treasury of invaluable precepts,
most useful in the art of governing mankind. This
pious institution also became a source of many other
inestimable advantages ; besides the beautiful exam-
ples of virtue it has produced, we are indebted to the
monks for the preservation of the most important
facts of history; the sciences and literature were
also cultivated in the secluded shades of the cloister,
to the fullest extent the times allowed.

FIFTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL.
A. D. 553.

THE THREE CHAPTERS.

After the death of the Emperor Marcian, the Euty-
chians reappeared in Egypt, and committed the most
horrible acts of violence. No opposition was ventured
on, because of their great number and immense influ-
ence. They used every means to weaken the Council

264 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

of Ohalcedoii, by which they had been condemned ;
and the following is an account of the efipDrts used to
accomplish their object. Since the time of Nestorius,
three works in favor of that heresy had appeared, viz.,
the writings of Theodoret, bishop of Cyrus, against
St. Cyril ; the letter of Ibas, bishop of Edessa, and
the works of Theodore, bishop of Mopsuestia. These
three publications, called the Three Chapters, were
of a most reprehensible nature; but their authors,
apparently, retracted their errors, by making a
profession of orthodox faith in the Council of
Chalcedon.

The Fathers of this Council, being assembled for a
different purpose, did not examine the Three Chap-
ters, and were contented with obliging their authors
to anathematize Nestorius ; to which Theodoret and
Ibas consented, the third bishop having died. The
declaration of the two bishops was approved without
any reference being made to their works. The Euty-
chians, who wished to attack the Council of Chal-
cedon, complained of its silence in regard to the
Three Chapters, and for having received its authors
as orthodox Catholics. They warmly insisted on the
condemnation of the Three Chapters, and secured
the protection and authority of the Emperor Justin-
ian. Tiiis prince, Avho wished to increase his power'"
in religious affairs, published an edict condemning
the three works. The Catholics, although disap-
proving of the doctrine advocated in these writings,
and acknowledging them to be most pernicious,
feared, in attacking them, to assail and Aveaken the
authority of the Council of Chalcedon, and thus

FIFTH ECUMENICAL COUN^CIL. 265

augment the triumpli of the Eutychians. This affair
created a great sensation. Pope Vigilius, at first,
rejecte'd the edict of the Emperor against the Three
Chapters, then, in hopes of promoting peace, con-
demned them himself, with this reservation: In
accordance with the authority of the Council of
Chalcedon.

Finally, they determined to convene a general
council at Constantinople, in order to terminate the
dispute. The three works which excited so much
disturbance were then examined and condemned,
but without the least reflection on the Council of
Chalcedon. The Fathers expressly declared that
they held the same faith as the four first Councils,
thus placing that of Chalcedon in the san\p rank as
the three others. It was also decided that the works
of an author could be justly censured without con-
demning him personally. Pope Vigilius, after some
opposition, confirmed this decision, and all the East-
ern and Western Churches testified their approbation.
This Council of Constantinople was, therefore, re-
garded as the fifth general Council ; and we here see
a remarkable proof of the power possessed by the
Church to condemn heretical works, explain the
sense of doubtful writings, and compel the faithful
to submit to her decrees. This supreme authority
is absolutely necessary for the protection of the faith,
since one of the most effectual means of preserving
the integrity of the holy doctrines she teaches, is to
guide the faithful to the pure fountain of truth,
and guard them from the poisoned stream of error.
Chargetl by her Divine Spouse to promulgate the
23

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

truth, she always strives earnestly to warn her chil-
dren against falsehood and the wicked machinations
of corrupt men.

CONVERSION OF ENGLAND.
A. D. 596.

The Gospel was preached in England during the
second century, but had become extinct at the time
that kingdom was conquered by the Saxon idolaters,
who banished the first inhabitants. St. Gregory the
Great, when still but a deacon, conceived the idea of
re-establishing Christianity in this country. One day,
while passing by a market in Rome, his attention was
attracted* by the fair and beautiful complexion of
some English slaves, who were exposed for sale, and
he asked the merchant if they were Christians. " No,"
was the reply ; " they are pagans." " It is a pity,"
said the Saint, "that so handsome a race should be
under the dominion of the devil." He was unable
to undertake this mission himself, but when elected
to the chair of St. Peter he immediately proceeded
to execute his long cherished project. Accordingly,
forty missionaries were sent to England, under the
charge of Augustine, prior of the monastery of St.
Andrew. This apostolic band courageously went
forth to announce Jesus Christ to a new people, and
landed on the coast of Kent.

The king, Avho was named Ethelbcrt,- gi'anted the
missionaries a public audience, and they marched to
the palace in procession, carrying a silver cross,
adorned with the image of the Saviour, whilst re-

CONVERSIOJf OF ENGLAND. 207

citing fervent prayers for the salvation of this nation,
in whose spiritual behalf they had journeyed from so
great a distance. The king bade them be seated, and
lent an attentive ear to their discourse. " We come
to announce to you the happiest tidings," said St.
Augustine, " the God who sends us here offers you,
after this life is ended, a kingdom infinitely more
glorious and lasting than your beautiful England."
" That is an inviting promise," said Ethelbert, " but
as it is something entirely new to me, I cannot
abandon the worship I have so long practiced, to-
gether with the whole English nation. Neverthe-
less, I do not prevent you from converting to your
religion all those whom you can convince; and as
you have come from a distance, in order to benefit
us by what you believe to be the truth, I will have
you furnished with all that is necessary for your
subsistence."

The holy missionaries began to preach the Gospel,
faithfully imitating the life of the Apostles. The
purity of their morals, their abstemiousness, disin-
terested piety, and the gift of working miracles
which God had bestowed on them, deeply impressed
a great number of idolaters, who renounced their
superstitions and embraced Christianity. The king
himself, astonished at the wonders performed by
these extraordinary men, was converted to the faith.
His conversion was followed by that of an immense
number of his subjects. From this period, Ethel-
bert showed the greatest zeal for the promulgation
of the faith throughout his dominions, but used no
compulsion, as he was taught by the missionaries

268 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

that the service of Jesus Christ should be free and
vohintary ; he therefore contented himself with re-
posing the greatest confidence in those who professed
Christianity, and manifested the utmost kindness
towards them.

ST. AUGUSTINE CONSECRATED BISHOP OF
CANTERBURY.

In order to give some form to the rising church
in England, and firmly establish the faith in this
country, Augustine crossed over to France, and re-
ceived the Episcopal consecration from the hands of
the bishop of Aries, who was the vicar of the Holy
See in Gaul. He then returned to England, where
he effected the most wonderful change, and God sus-
tained his preaching by numerous and extraordinary
miracles, for he had the happiness of baptizing over
two thousand persons at Canterbury on Christmas
day. The fame of the pix)digies worked by St.
Augustine in England spread as far as Kome, and
St. Gregoiy wrote him letters of counsel and advice,
and warned him to use with fear and trembling the
great gift of miracles God had vouchsafed to bestow
upon him.

After congratulating the bishop on the conversion
of the English, he says to him : " This joy, my dear
brother, should be mingled with fear; for I know
that God has accomplished great things through
your ministry in this nation. Eemember then, that
when the Apostles joyfully said to their divine Mas-
ter, * Lord, we have conquered the devils themselves

ST. AUGUSTINE CONSECRATED BISHOP. 269

through thy name/ He replied: *You should not
rejoice at that, but rather because your names are
written in Heaven.' While God thus acts outwardly
in your regard, you should, my dear brother, severely
scrutinize your conscience, and learn the state of your
soul. If you find you have offended God, by word
or action, always keep the remembrance of your sins
before your mind, in order to repress any secret self-
complacency which may unwittingly creep into your
heart. Remember that the gift of miracles is not
given in your behalf, but for those whose salvation
you are to secure. You know the words of Truth
itself contained in the Gospel: ^Many will come
and say to me, we have wrought miracles in thy
name, and I Avill declare to them that I know them
not.'" Nothing so surely proves the miracles of St.
Augustine as these solemn words of St. Gregory.

As the conversions in England daily increased, the
Pope sent new laborers to cultivate this rich soil,
which divine grace had rendered so fruitful. He
invited English youths to Rome, where they were
instructed in the monasteries, and then returned to
their native country as ministers of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. The zeal of the holy Pope extended
over the whole Church, guarding and watching his
flock with the most untiring vigilance. Notwith-
standing a very weak constitution, Gregory was ever
faithful in the exact performance of his apostolic
functions, correcting abuses and maintaining the
strictest discipline. He protected the defenseless
and assisted the poor, upon whom he showered such
an abundance of alms, as sometimes to deprive
23*

270 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

himself of the barest necessaries of life. Although
overwhelmed with business, he always personally
instructed the people by oral teaching and written
discourses.

Grregoiy wrote a great number of works, in which
he explains the principles and maxims of Christian
morality in a clear and comprehensive manner. Such
arduous labors and continual application finally un-
dennined his health, and terminated his useful life.
St. Augustine, his loved disciple, suiTived him but
three years, and then hastened to receive the same
bright crown of everlasting glory promised to those
who labor for the salvation of souls.

MAHOMET APPEARS AS A PROPHET.
A. D. 622.

The conversion of the North to Christianity in
some measure repaired the losses the Church had
experienced in the East. We often have occasion
to remark the wisdom and justice of God, who thus
passes the torch of faith from one nation to another,
so that the Church regains in one country what
she has lost elsewhere, and thus remains always
Catholic.

Mahomet, who deprived her of the most beautiful
of the provinces of the East, was bom at Mecca, in
Arabia, of a pagan father and a Jewish mother. Both
parents died when he was still a child, and Mahomet
was educated by an uncle, who established him in
business. He married a widow, whose agent he
had been. When about forty years of age he

MAHOMET APPEARS AS A PROPHET. 271

eornrnenced his course of deception and impos-
ture, and asserting that God inspired him, without
furnishing the slightest proof of a divine mission,
he introduced a new religion, which was a mix-
ture of Judaism and Christianity, adding some
dogmas peculiar to the inhabitants of Arabia.
He taught that there is only one God, but without
any distinction of persons in the divinity; reject-
ing the Incarnation and the other mysteries of
the Christian religion, while accepting the rite of
circumcision, and prescribing abstinence from wine
and pork: allowing, however, every man as many
wives as he wished, having himself sometimes ten at
once. This impostor exhorted the people to take up
arms in defense of the religion, promising those who
fell in battle, a paradise, where they would be steeped
in every sensual pleasure. When asked to perform
miracles in proof of his mission, he replied that he
was not sent to work miracles, but to promulgate
his doctrine by means of the sword.

As Mahomet could neither read nor write, he em-
ployed an amanuensis to transcribe his impious
teachings, which work when completed, he called
the Koran. Being subject to epileptic fits, he repre-
sented them as ecstasies occasioned by the visits of
the angel Gabriel, who revealed his doctrine to him.
Robbers and fugitive slaves became his most at-
tached followers, as he promised them perfect license
in their conduct and morals. After raising a small
army, Mahomet placed himself at their head as com-
mander and lawgiver; he began his pretended mis-
sion by attacking the caravans which traversed the

272 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

desert for trading purposes, thus enriching his dis-
ciples and himself with the plunder, and providing
the requisite means for accomplishing his designs.
When his party augmented in numbers, he marched
toward the city of Mecca, which he captured, and he
subsequently conquered the Arabian tribes, forcing
them to submit to his authority and embrace his
religion.

His progress was so rapid, that when he died in
631, nearly the whole of Arabia was under his do-
minion ; his successors continued his conquests, and
in a short time acquired a vast empire. It is very
plainly seen, by what means this sect was so widely
spread; violence and the love of pleasure being the
two powerful causes which secured its success. Ma-
homet established his religion by allowing free scope
to the passions, and by putting to death those who
refused to accept his doctrine ; whereas the Apostles,
following the footsteps of their Divine Master, estab-
lished Christianity by preaching and practicing a
pure code of morals, and shedding their blood in
defense of the faith. The one is all material in its
origin, and the other is manifestly of divine growth.

TAKING OF JERUSALEM BY CHOSROES, KING OF
PERSIA.

A. i). 614.

The Persians, under the command of Chosroes,
their king, attacked the Eastern empire with terri-
ble violence. Having crossed the Euphrates, they
seized the city of Apamea, and advanced in the work

TAKING OF JERUSALEM BY CHOSROES. 273

of destrnction as far as the gates of Antioch. A
Roman army which they encountered in their march
was cut to pieces. They penetrated into Palestine
and crossed the Jordan, and the banks of this river
were covered with ruins wherever they appeared.
The people of the country fled before them, but the
hermits, who could not consent to leave their cher-
ished solitudes, at first suffered the most horrible
tortures, and finally were cruelly massacred. The
army then marched toward Jerusalem, which they
entered without encountering the slightest resist-
ance ; the garrison had abandoned the city, and a
genei'al consternation filled the minds of the unfor-
tunate inhabitants.

The Persians destroyed every thing by fire and the
sword, and a great number of priests and Religious
perished; it was against these that the idolaters
principally directed their rage. The rest of the citi-
zens, men, women and children, were loaded with
chains and dragged beyond the Tigris. The Jews
alone were spared, on account of the hatred they
bore the Christians, which they signalized on this
occasion by carrying their atrecities to gi'eater
lengths than even the pagans themselves. They
bought all the Christian captives they could obtain
from the Persians, in order to enjoy the barbarous
pleasure of putting them to death. Eighty thou-
8 md were thus massacred by the Jews, and the bishop
Zacharias was carried into captivity.

After pillaging the Holy Sepulchre and the other
churches of Jerusalem, they applied the torch to
them, and these noble edifices soon fell a prey to the

274 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

devouring flames. They carried off the sacred ves-
sels, and all the splendid ornaments that the piety
of the faithful had accumulated in those holy places ;
but the most severe loss to the Christians was that
of the true Cross, which each one of them would
have ransomed with his heart's blood. The Per-
sians carried away this sacred relic in the very state
in which they found it, that is to say, enclosed in a
case, and marked with the seal of the bishop. The
Christians succeeded in saving the sponge which had
been saturated with vinegar and presented to Jesus
Christ while on the cross, and the lance that had
pierced His sacred side. An officer of the Emperor
took these holy relics from the sacrilegious hands of
a Persian soldier, who exchanged them for a large
sum of money, and carried them back to Jerusalem,
where they were exposed during four days to the
veneration of the faithful, who bathed them with
their tears.

The Holy Cross was deposited at Tarsus, in Ar-
menia, and the ruins of a castle are still shown where
this sacred relic was placed, as it appeared less
valuable to the Persians than the other spoils they
had secured. After the departure of the Persians,
the inhabitants of Jerusalem who had escaped by
flight returned to the holy city. The priest Mod-
estus, in the absence of the Bishop Zacharias, as-
sumed the government of this desolated church, and
assiduously labored to restoi*e the demolished edi-
fices. In this pious enterprise he received great
assistance from John, patriarch of Alexandria, sur-
named the Almoner. It was in this capital of

THE HOLY CROSS RETURNED TO JERUSALEM. 275

Egypt, that a great number of the inhabitants of
Palestine had taken refuge. The holy prelate re-
ceived them with paternal tenderness, placed the
wounded in hospitals and supplied the wants of all
in necessity. To those remaining in Jerusalem he
sent money, wheat, and clothing, and alleviated by
every means the unhappy condition of these suffering
people.

THE HOLY CROSS DLSCOVERED AND RETURNED
TO JERUSALEM.

A. D. 628.

The Emperor Heraclius sent an embassy to Chos-
roes, to treat with him regarding terms of peace ;
but this idolatrous prince exacted as a condition, that
he should abjure Christianity and adore the sun, the
principal divinity among the Persians. Heraclius
rejected this impious proposition with horror, and
determined to strain every nerve for the preservation
of religion and the empire. He raised an army and
marched against the enemy. God aided His people,
and in the very first campaign the Emperor gained
the advantage over the Persians. This success raised
the courage of his troops, and war was waged against
these pagans during a period of four years. Hera-
clius resolved then on a decisive battle, and having
assembled his soldiers, he animated them to combat
by enumerating all the evils the Persians had brought
on the empire — the country ravaged, villages sacked
and plundered, the altars desecrated, the churches
reduced to ashes. " Behold," he said, to them, " the

276 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

enemies with whom you contend ; they declare war
against God Himself, and they have gone so far as
to burn His altars and temples. God will combat
for you; take up your arms with confidence and
courage ; faith surmounts all obstacles, and triumphs
over death itself!" These glowing words made a
powerful impression on the troops, who with the
greatest impetuosity attacked the Persians. The
Emperor was conspicuous in the thickest of the
fight ; he received several blows, which fell upon his
shield, and thus saved his life. The contest lasted a
whole day ; the Persians lost three of their principal
officers, and more than half their soldiers, while only
fifty men perished in the Roman army.

Chosroes fled, and after a retreat of eight leagues
passed the night in a miserable cottage, the roof of
which was so low that he was obliged to crawl into
it on his hands and knees. Weakened by these un-
accustomed hardships, and attacked by a violent
disease, he named a favorite son for his successor,
thus depriving his eldest son of the throne, who, in
consequence, revolted against his father, took him
prisoner, and kept him in close confinement, where
he died of starvation. The new Persian king pro-
posed a cessation of hostilities, and sent back all the
Christians who had been dragged into captivity:
among others, the patriarch Zacharias, to whom he
gave the Holy Cross, which had been carried off four-
teen years before. During all this time this holy relic
remained enclosed in its case, the Persians not having
sufficient curiosity to break the seal. This seal was
recognized by the patriarch, and the sacred relic was

HERESY OF TlTE MOI^OTHELITES. 277

returned to his hands in the same condition as when
it had been stolen. Thus we see that God Himself
protected this precious relic from the sacrilegious
hands of the pagans.

The Emperor Heraclius returned to Constantino-
ple in triumph, seated in a chariot drawn by four
elephants, preceded by the Holy Cross — the most
glorious trophy of his victory. At the beginning of
spring Heraclius left Constantinople for Jerusalem,
there to return thanks to God for his success, and to
replace the Holy Cross in the church of the Eesur-
rection. He desired to tread in the sacred foot-r
steps of the Saviour, and to bear the Cross on his
shoulders to the summit of Mount Calvary, in
imitation of his divine Ma'ster. This day was ob-
served by the Christians as a solemn festival, and
the Church still celebrates its anniversary on the
fourteenth of September.

HERESY OF THE MONOTHELITES.
A. D. 630.

The joy which the Church experienced at the
recovery of the true Cross, was interrupted by a
violent storm, which broke out in the East, where
a new heresy, or, rather, that of Eutyches, a little
disguised, reappeared under another name. The
secret followers of this heretic taught, that there is
only one will and one operation in Jesus Christ,
which is the signification of the Greek word Mono-
thelism, the name of this sect. The Catholic Church,
on tlie contrary, which recognized two natures in
24

278 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Jesus Christ, recognized also two wills: the divine
will and the human will, which are never in opposi-
tion, but are also perfectly distinct. The Monothe-
lites were firmly supported by Sergius, the patriarch
of Constantinople, who used all his influence in their
behalf. He skillfully insinuated his views into the
mind of the Emperor Heraclius, who protected him
by publishing a famous proclamation under the title
of the Ecthesis, or Exposition.

St. Sophronius, the patriarch of Jerusalem, zeal-
ously combated this new heresy, and published a
work, in which, after proving the distinction of
natures in Jesus Christ, he clearly explained the
doctrine of the Church concerning the two wills,
and the two distinct rfatures. Sergius, who feared
that the Pope Honorius would be prejudiced against
his new creed, was the first to write to him, in order
to win him over to the same belief. This ktter was
flattering, and artfully worded. In it he stated that
the question which had arisen placed an obstacle
in the conversion of heretics, and asked that there
should be no mention of either one or two wills of
Jesus Christ, as silence was the only means of uniting
the factions. Honorius fell into the snare, and entered
into a dangerous agreement with him. He consenf-ed
to a silence, in which truth and falsehood were equally
suppressed ; and by this weakness, without actually
promulgating the error, he gave rise to a suspicion
that he was favorably inclined toward the heresy.
Finally, the artifices of these heretics were disco-
vered by the vigilance of St. Sophronius, who in-
formed the Pope of the progress of the new sect.

THE SIXTH GENERAL COUNCIL. 379

Honorius was dead, but his successor condemned
both the error and the proclamation issued by the
Emperor in its favor. This first sentence was sub-
sequently confirmed by the Pope St. Martin, and the
zeal which he manifested in preserving the purity of
the faith cost him his liberty and his life.

The Emperor Constans, the successor of Heraclius,
having published a second proclamation in favor of
Monothelism, removed the holy Pope from Rome,
and had him brought in chains to Constantinople,
where he endured the most shameful insults and
indignities. St. Martin was afterward exiled, and
died after ten years of captivity and suffering, with-
out uttering a single complaint, or relinquishing any
of the duties of his sacred office. A holy abbot of
Constantinople, named Maximus, imitated the zeal
of the saintly Pope, and received the same treatment
from the hands of the heretics. He was cruelly
beaten, his tongue cut out by the roots, and he ter-
minated his martyrdom in a state of banishment.

THE SIXTH GENERAL COUNCIL.
A. D. 680.

The Emperor Constantino, surnamed Pogonatus,
assuaged the grief of the Church, and repaired the
wrongs which had been practiced against her by his
predecessors. This prince thought he could not
make a better use of his authority than by conven-
ing a general Council. He wrote on the subject to
Pope Agatho, who informed the western bishops of
the pious intentions of the Emperor, and appointed

280 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

three legates to preside over the Council in his
name. The new error had not penetrated as far as
the West, and all the bishops united in the recogni-
tion of two wills in Jesus Christ as well as two
natures. The Emperor received the legates of the

^ Holy See with every honor, and the opening of the
Cx)uncil took place in one of the halls of the palace,
the book of the Gospels being placed, as was the
custom, in the middle of the assembly.

The Emperor was present, accompanied by thirteen
of his principal officers. The legates of the Pope
spoke first, and proposed the subject for the considera-
tion of the Council. "For more than forty years,"
said they, "Sergius and others have taught that
there is only one will and one nature in our Lord
Jesus Christ. The Holy See has rejected this error,
and exhorted them to renounce their pernicious
belief, but without any good result ; this, then, is the
reason why we demand of them an explanation of
their doctrine." The Canons of the preceding
Councils, and the authority of the early Fathers,
were then carefully examined, and the new Creed
was found to be contrary to Scripture and tradition.
The Monothelites were convicted of having altered
the passages quoted from the Fathers in defense of
their errors. The letter of St. Sophronius, which
they had opposed, was produced, and proved to be
in exact conformity with the true faith, the doctrine
of the Apostles and the traditions of the early
Fathers.

After this examination, the confession of faith was
proclaimed, in which their adherence to the doctrines

CONVERSIOIT OF GERMANY. 281

of the preceding Councils was declared, and then
sentence was pronounced in these words: "We
decide that there are two wills and two natural
manifestations in Jesus Christ, and we forbid the
teaching of a contrary doctrine. We abhor and
detest the impious belief of the heretics who only
admit one will and one nature in Jesus Christ, as
these dogmas are in opposition to the doctrine of
the Apostles, the decrees of the Councils, and the
opinions of the early Fathers," The holy Council
afterward anathematized the authors of the sect, and
even censured Honorious, who had seemed to be their
partisan The Emperor Constantine, who was present
at the conclusion of the council, received the same
honors as had formerly been paid the great Con-
stantine, Theodoaius and Marcian. The decisions
were signed by the legates, all the bishops to the
number of one hundred and sixty, and the Emperor
himself, who ordered the decrees to be immediately
executed, and he enforced them with all his au-
thority ; in short, the error was now completely con-
quered, and the troubles ceased.

CONVERSION OF GERMANY.
A. D. 723.

The torch of faith, like the sun, only leaves one
country for a time, to enlighten another. In pro-
portion as the light of the gospel was dimmed in the
East by the conquests of the Mohammedans, it shed
its saving rays on the pagan IS'orth through the
apostolical labors of missionaries. The most cele-
24*

282 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

brated of them all was St. Boniface, Archbishop of
Mayence, and the Apostle of Germany. He was of
English birth, and from his earliest infancy gave
tokens of his high destiny. Several missionaries
visited his father and spoke to him of heavenly
things, and the youthful Boniface was so much
affected by their edifying instructions, that he was
seized with an ardent desire to imitate them and
consecrate himself to God. Although still but a
child, the virtuous impressions he then received
were never efiixced from his mind. He entered a
monastery, where he was trained in the duties of the
holy ministry; and, having been ordained priest at
the age of thirty, his zeal for the instruction of the
people and the salvation of souls daily increased.
He lamented unceasingly over the unhappy condi-
tion of the nations still plunged in the darkness of
idolatry.

Overcome by these reflections, he had recourse to
Pope Gregory, who, recognizing his divine vocation,
invested him with authority to announce the Gospel
to the Germans. The holy apostle found it very
difficult to awaken in the hearts of these barbarous
people the sentiments of meekness and piety taught
by the Scriptures; but, finally, his labors were re-
warded, and the harvest was abundant. He first
went to Bavaria and Thuringia, where he baptized
a great number of infidels. The pagan temples were
everywhere destroyed, and Christian churches erected
on their sites. The holy apostle, nevertheless, endured
many trials, especially in Thuringia, a country that
had lately been devastated by the Saxons, and where

MARTYRDOM OF ST. BONIFACE. 283

the people were so poor that they were obliged to
procure their necessary subsistence by the hardest
manual labor. From thence he proceeded to Fries-
land, where, for three years, he exercised the func-
tions of the holy ministry, and converted a multitude
of souls to Christianity.

The Pope, hearing of the immense harvests his
apostolic labors were reaping, commanded him to
come to Rome, in order to receive the episcopal dig-
nity. On his return from this journey, St. Boniface
began to preach the faith in Hesse, where he was
rewarded by extraordinary success, and he there
founded several churches and monasteries. Sum-
moned to Bavaria by tlie duke of that province, he
was the means of reforming the abuses which had
crept into the Church ; and, finding that impostors
had sprung up, who deceived the people by their
artifices and scandalized them by their disorderly
lives, he silenced some and expelled others, thus
restoring the original purity of faith and morals in
this country. The Pope appointed him his legate in
Germany, and allowed him to make whatever regula-
tions he pleased for the welfare of the infant Church.

MARTYRDOM OF ST. BONIFACE.

The reputation of St. Boniface spread over the
greater part of Europe, and his Apostolic labors
were so much venerated, that a great number of
holy men associated themselves with this mission,
and thus mitigated its hardships and trials. Then
the holy archbishop, weighed down with age and

284 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

infirmities, tliought of choosing a successor. After
consecrating a new arclibislioj) of Majence, he
charged him with the care of this particular chu rch,
so that he might be at liberty to follow the vocation
he had received from Heaven, and devote himself to
the conversion of infidels. He could not rest while
so many souls were still ignorant of Jesus Christ ;
moreover, he was inflamed with a desire to shed his
blood for the faith, and he had a presentiment that
his death was near at hand. Having, therefore,
arranged all the affairs of his church, he departed,
accompanied by several zealous co-operators, to
preach the Gospel to an idolatrous nation on the
most remote coast of Friesland, and there converted
a great number of pagans, whom he baptized. He
appointed a day on Avhich to administer to them the
sacrament of confirmation, and, as they could not
all assemble in the same church, he named an
adjoining field, where they should meet for the
reception of this sacrament. Tents were erected,
and the day for the solemnization of the ceremony
arrived.

While waiting for the newly made Christians, St.
Boniface was engaged in prayer ; but, instead of the
converts appearing, a troop of pagans arrived armed
with swords and lances ; they immediately destroyed
the tents, and then rushed upon the holy bishop.
His attendants armed themselves to repel the attack
of the barbarians ; but the bishop, hearing the noise,
summoned his clergy, and holding in his hands the
relics he always carried with him, thus addressed
his companions : " My children, lay down your arms,

HERESY OF THE ICO:J^OCLASTS. 285

the Scripture forbids us to return evil for evil ; the
day I have so long expected has arrived ; hope in
God, He will save our souls." He then exhorted
them to suffer courageously a momentary death,
which would conduct them to life eternal.

The example of the holy prelate strengthened
them more than his words. He had scarcely finished
speaking when the barbarians assailed him ; but the
bishop was immovable. The infuriated wretches
instantly massacred the saint, together with his
companions, to the number of fifty-tAvo. St. Boni-
face thus terminated by a glorious death, a life
which had been a continuous martyrdom, as it had
been entirely devoted to the conversion of the pagans.
His immense labors, and the benefits which the
Church received from his exertions, entitled him to
the precious crown. The body of the holy martyr
was carried to the Abbey of Fulda, which he had
founded, and God there honored His servant by the
great number of miracles which were wrought at
his tomb.

HERESY OF THE ICONOCLASTS OR IMAGE-
BREAKERS.

A. D. 727.

The Eastern Church was frequently disturbed by
now heresies, which succeeded each other after short
intervals of repose. Those which arose in the eighth
century were the more dangerous in having a prince
for their author. It has already been seen that
Emperors sometimes protected error; but now wo

286 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

behold an Emperor who is the leader of the sect.
Leo, the Isaurian, had risen to the imperial dignity
through his warlike qualities. Born, and we may-
say nurtured, in the camp, he was entirely without
education; nevertheless he had the foolish vanity to
assume the office of a religious reformer. He allowed
himself to be prejudiced against the veneration of
holy images, which he called idolatry ; and issued a
proclamation, in which he commanded all the images
of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin and the Saints
to be removed from the churches. This order, so
contrary to the constant and universal practice of
the Church, occasioned intense excitement, and the
inhabitants of Constantinople openly murmured
against it.

Germanus, the patriarch of this city, zealously
opposed the heresy, heedless of the anger of the
Emperor ; he at first endeavored privately to disa-
buse the mind of the prince of its error, by explain-
ing to him that the veneration paid the holy images
referred to those they represented, in the same man-
ner as the statue of an Emperor is honored, that
this relative homage had always been rendered to
the images of Our Lord and His Holy Mother from
the time of the Apostles, and that it was the rankest
impiety to attack so ancient a custom. But the
Emperor, who was ignorant of the elements of the
Christian doctrine, clung obstinately to his heretical
opinions. The patriarch then wrote to the Pope of
all that had occurred in Constantinople.

The sovereign Pontiff replied to the holy bishop,
congratulating him on his courage in combating

HERESY OF THE ICOKOCLASTS. 287

theorising heresy, and an assemblage of bishops was
held, in which it was condemned. The Holy Father
wrote also to the Emperor, exhorting him to revoke
the edict, warning him that it was not the place of
a prince to decide in matters of faith, or to alter the
discipline of the Church. These remonstrances had
no effect on the Emperor, who only became more
determined npon the immediate enforcement of his
law. He had all the images destroyed, and the walls
of the churches, which had been ornamented with
pictures, were painted white. He ordered a large
Crucifix which Constantine, after his victory, had
placed at the entrance of the imperial palace, to be
broken to pieces. The women who were present
essayed at first by their entreaties to induce the offi-
cer who had been empowered to carry this order
into execution to desist from this impious act ; but
their prayers were of no avail, as the officer himself
ascended the ladder and struck the figure three
times with a hatchet.

The pious women, fired with a holy indignation,
overturned the ladder, and the sacrilegious officer
died from the effects of his fall. The women were
condemned to be executed with six other persons,
whom the Emperor suspected of instigating this
opposition to his edict. The patriarch St. Germanus
was driven from his see, and died in exile at the
advanced age of ninety years.

288 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

VIOLENCE OF THE ICONOCLASTS.

Constantine, surnamed Oopronymus, son and suc-
cessor of Leo, followed in the footsteps of his father,
and went even to greater lengths. Educated in
impiety, of a passionate and fiery nature, increased
by an insolent and bold demeanor, he furiously per-
secuted those who persisted in honoring the holy
images. Constantinople became a scene of blood-
shed; the Catholics were tormented in every way;
their eyes were put out, they were severely whipped,
and then cast into the sea. The Emperor was par-
ticularly incensed against the monks, who were made
to endure all kinds of sufferings ; their beards 'were
soaked in pitch and then set on fire, and pieces of
wood, ornamented with pictures of saints, were then
broken over their heads. These atrocities only di-
verted Constantine, and his chief amusement during
his respasts was to listen to the recital of the cruel-
ties that had been practiced during the day. Not
content with the outrages perpetrated through his
officers, he presided himself at executions, gratifying
thus his sanguinary taste. He caused a tribunal to
be erected at one of the gates of the city, and there,
urrounded by the executioners, he tortured the
Jatholics, and feasted his eyes on spectacles too
horrible for any but himself and his courtiers to
witness.

There lived near Nicomedia a holy abbot named
Stephen, who was held in great veneration on account
of his sanctity and many virtues. The Emperor, wish-
ing to win him over to his party, summoned him to

viole:n^ce of the icois-oclasts. 289

Constantinople, and undertook to question him him-
self, in the hope of convincing him by his arguments,
as this prince considered himself a most logical
reasoner. He accordingly entered into a controversy
with the holy bishop. " Oh, stupid man," said the
Emperor, " canst thou not trample on the image of
Jesus Christ without offending Jesus Christ Him-
self?" St. Stephen approached him, and showed
him a piece of money stamped with his portrait.
"I can, then," replied the holy abbot, ^^ treat this
image in the same manner, without failing in the
respect I owe you as the Emperor!" and, throwing
the money on the ground, he trampled on it.

The courtiers rushed upon him to punish him for
his boldness. "What," said St. Stephen, sighing
deeply, " is it a crime to dishonor the image of an
earthly prince, and no sacrilege to cast into the
flames the image of the King of Heaven ! " No
answer could be made to this appeal, but his de-
struction was resolved upon. He was accordingly
imprisoned, and shortly afterward put to death.
Nineteen officers, accused of an intimacy with the
holy martyr, and of having praised his constancy,
were tortured, and two of the most distinguished
were beheaded by command of the Emperor. The
pf^rsecution extended to the provinces, and the gov-
ernors, in order to please Con stan tine, signalized
themselves by practicing the greatest atrocities
against the Catholics throughout the whole empire.
They not only desecrated the images of the Saints,
but profaned holy relics, which they tore from the
sanctuaries, and then threw them into the sewers
25

^90 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

and rivers, or burned them witli the bones of
animals, so that the ashes could not be distin-
guished.

SEVENTH GENERAL COUNCIL, AND SECOND
COUNCIL OF NICE.

A. D. 787.

After the death of Constantine Copronymus and
his son Leo , the sovereign power fell into the hands
of Irene, who governed as regent during the minor-
ity of her infant son Constantine, and the suffering
Church, so long tormented by the Iconoclasts, began
to taste the sweets of peace. This princess, who was
attached to the Catholic doctrine, undertook to re-
pair the evils caused by the bad government of the
last Emperors. By the advice of Tarasius, patriarch
of Constantinople, she wrote to Pope Adrian, asking
for the convocation of a general Council. The Pope
approved of her request, and sent two legates to pre-
side over the Council in his name. Constantinople
was first chosen as the place of assembly, but as the
Iconoclasts, who were very numerous in this city,
began to create disturbances, the place of assembly
was transferred to Nice, a city already celebrated for
the holding of the first general Council. The bishops
of the different provinces of the empire assembled to
the number of three hundred and seventy-seven.
Two imperial officers were appointed to maintain
order, and the bishops were allowed perfect freedom
of speech. Eight sessions were held. In the first a
letter from the Pope was read, in which he vindi-

SEVENTH GENERAL COUNCIL. 291

cated the traditions of tlie Churcli concerning the
veneration of holy images. He explained, also, the
object of this homage.

The profession of faith of the Eastern bishops,
who could not attend the Council, as they were under
the dominion of the Mahomedans, was read, and
their doctrine was found to be in perfect conformity
with the pontifical letter. The testimony of the
Holy Scriptures and of the early Fathers was then
produced, and the arguments of the Iconoclasts
refuted, the heresy crushed and silenced, and, finally,
the bishops, after declaring their entire concurrence
in the decisions of the preceding Councils, pro-
nounced sentence in these words : " We decree that
images and pictures shall not only adorn the
churches, the sacred vessels, the vestments and the
walls, but also be placed in houses, and on the road-
side, because the oftener the images of Jesus Christ
and His holy mother, the Apostles and Saints, are
seen, the more frequently are we reminded of those
whom they are intended to represent: honor and
reverence should be rendered to these images, but
not supreme worship, which belongs alone to the
Deity. Incense and lights may be burned before
these holy images, as was the custom with regard to
the cross and Gospel and other sacred things, as the
homage paid to the image referred to the object it
represented. Such is the doctrine of the holy Fathers
and the Catholic Church."

Anathemas were pronounced against the Icono-
clasts, which decree was signed by the legates and all
the bishops. The bishops afterward repaired to

293 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Constantinople, where the eighth session was held
in the presence of the Emperor and his mother, who
signed the decision of the council amidst the accla-
mations of the audience. Thus this heresy was
extinguished for a time, but subsequent reformers,
following in the footsteps of these early fanatics,
revived the error in the sixteenth century, commit-
ting the same acts of destruction and violence.

BEAUTIFUL CHARACTERISTICS AND HOLY ZEAL
OF CHARLEMAGNE, KING OF FRANCE.

A. D. 768.

The piety of Charlemagne, king of France, was a
subject of great joy to the Church, which this prince
unceasingly protected during the course of a long
and glorious reign. He ascended the throne while
very young, but he was only youthful in his vigorous
constitution and activity; prudence governed his
career, and his imperial power was employed in
extending the religion of Jesus Christ. During the
first years of his reign he published, by the request
of the bishops, a code of laws, in order to maintain
the ecclesiastical discipline, and he protected the
Holy See from the usurpations of the king of the
Lombards. For a long time the Saxons had invaded
his dominions, and to punish them, lie waged a
lengthy war against them, which terminated in the
conversion of the nation; and this was the most
precious fruit he derived from his conquest, as it
was not submission to his authority he desircd, but
the enlightenment of these ignorant pagans.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CHARLEMAGNE. 293

This idolatrous people made a long resistance,
but finally embraced Christianity, which procured
tlieir pardon for their continual inroads. As Char-
lemagne distrusted their constancy, and as several
among them appeared to be actuated only by political
motives, he sent zealous missionaries to strengthen
them in their faith; nevertheless, Witikind, the
most influential of their chiefs, refused to accept
the faith, and was more exasperated than vanquished
by their defeat. Charlemagne, who failed to con-
quer him by belligerent means, did not despair of
gaining him by a treaty, and proposed, therefore,
that a conference should be held. Witikind repaired
to Attigny, where the court was held, and then, what
terrible combats had failed to effect, was accom-
plished by the majesty and goodness of Charle-
magne ; these noble qualities disarmed this leader of
the rebels, who now cheerfully acknowledged the
power of this great prince.

During his sojourn in France, Witikind carefully
examined the truths of Christianity, and when he
understood them he believed ; thus, suddenly awaken-
ing to the grace which spiritually enlightened him,
and detesting paganism, he asked for baptism, which
he received, Charlemagne standing as his sponsor.
Witikind, not less candid than honorable, gave
striking proofs of the sincerity of his conversion, by
manifesting as much zeal for the propagation of the
faith, as he had formerly shown in arresting its pro-
gress. Charlemagne referred the glory of his success
to God, to whom he rendered solemn thanksgiving,
for the conversion of the Saxons and their leader.
25*

294 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

CHARLEMAGNE REVIVES LITERATURE.

When Charlemagne ascended the tlirone, ignor-
ance was nniversal throughout France. The taste for
letters had been entirely lost, and there were neither
masters nor public schools where learning could be
acquired. Charlemagne, who knew that the cultiva-
tion of the arts and sciences contributed not only to
the good of religion, but to the glory of the empire,
determined to revive literature in his kingdom. In
order to succeed, it was necessary to establish schools
and excite emulation, and to find masters capable of
giving instruction. Of the latter, France was very
deficient. Charlemagne invited to his court the most
learned men and most renowned personages of foreign
countries, and induced them to remain in his empire,
by conferring on them rewards worthy of the mon-
arch, and of the scholars who had left their native
land to benefit his people. He did not consider any
price too dear which procured him the services of
men, who, by their talents, reflected honor and glory
upon France and upon religion.

The celebrated Alcuin, a learned Englishman,
whom he loaded with honors and favors, assisted
him greatly in his laudable endeavors. Alcuin was
the most intellectual man of his age, and had taught
the sacred and profane sciences in his own country
with immense success. He accepted the invitation
of Charlemagne, and advised that prince to establish
schools in the principal cities and large monasteries
of the kingdom. Charlemagne followed this counsel,
and wrote a circular letter to the bishops and abbots.

CHARLEMAGNE REVIVES LITERATURE. 295

exhorting them to begin this most useful and neces-
sary work. As oral teaching was not sufficient, and
as it was necessary to have books, which are in a
measure the guardians and depositaries of knowledge,
the king used great precaution to prevent this source
of public erudition from being corrupted by the neg-
ligence of copyists, whose services were employed
before the discovery of the art of printing.

He published a law, by which he commanded that
only intelligent and venerable men should be ap-
pointed to transcribe books. The study of religion
was the principal object of his attention, and he
caused the manuscripts of the Old and New Testa-
ment to be revised and corrected with the utmost
exactness. He also undertook the correction of the
prayers of the divine office, so that they should be
free from any expression which did not refer to the
honor and majesty of God. He obtained choristers
from Kome, who taught the French the plain Koman
chant, and he ordered all books of vocal music to be
examined and corrected. He also appointed these
choristers the principal masters of music throughout
the kingdom. In order to set an example of applica-
tion to study, and to excite emulation, he established
an academy within the precincts of the palace,
where the youthful princes and the children of his
courtiers were educated.

Charlemagne, himself, condescended to enter the
ranks of the disciples of Alcuin. France derived
the greatest advantages from this institution. The
thirst for knowledge became universal, and every
one was desirous of receiving instruction. In a

296 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

sliort time Charlemagne gathered together a band
of learned men, whose united efforts furthered the
cause of science, and whose brilliant intellects
brought literature to a high state of cultivation.
It is believed that this academy was the commence-
ment of the University of Paris, the oldest and most
celebrated in Europe.

PART SECOND.

CHARLEMAGNE IS CROWNED EMPEROR OF THE
WEST.

A. D. 800.

Charlemagne was now master of nearly all the
provinces composing the Western empire. Germany,
Gaul, and the greater part of Spain and Italy being
under his dominion, the title of Emperor Avas the
only thing wanting to complete his glory. The
Romans had conferred upon him the dignity of
patrician of Eome, and his subjects could not more
worthily acknowledge the signal services he had
rendered the Church and State, than by offering
him the imperial crown. During a visit which he
made to Rome, Pope Leo III, in concert with the
principal Roman lords, determined to proclaim him
Emperor of the West. They did not give him the
slightest intimation of their intention, lest it might
be supposed that he had solicited the dignity, and
in order to render his promotion more glorious and
honorable.

On Christmas day the king went to the church
of St. Peter to assist at the divine sacrifice, and when
kneeling at the foot of the altar the Sovereign Pont-
iff placed the imperial diadem on his head, amid the
joyous acclamations of the thousands who had as-
sembled for mass. " Life and victory to Charles the

398 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

most pious and august, crowned by God, the great
and pacific Emperor of the Romans." Leo then
anointed the king and his son, prince Louis, with
holy oil, and was the first to render homage to the
new Emperor, by prostrating himself before Char-
lemagne. It is thus that the Western empire, which
had been abandoned by its former rulers, passed
into the hands of the French, in the person of a
prince, capable by his valor and piety of augmenting
the glory Constantine and Theodosius had won
during their prosperous reigns. The modesty
manifested by this great prince, on this occasion,
lent a new lustre to his dignity, and gave him
another claim to imperial honors.

Eginhard, his secretary, relates, that, on returning
from the ceremony, Charlemagne declared, that, if
his absence could have defeated the plan, he would
not have attended divine service, notwithstanding
the solemn festival. He made magnificent presents
to the church of St. Peter, and the other churches
of Rome, and returned after Easter to Aix la Cha-
pelle. Finding himself at peace with all the neigh-
boring nations, Charlemagne desired to mark the
beginning of his imperial rule by redoubling his
zeal for the welfare of his subjects, and by severely
punishing crime and vice. He accordingly sent
officers of the royal household into the different
provinces, to inquire into abuses and render justice
to the weak and oppressed. It was by making one
of these acts of reparation that he prepared himself
for death. The time appointed by God for recom-
pensing his virtues had arrived, and this great

C0KVERSI02S" OF THE DA:N"ES AH^B SWEDES. 299

prince was attacked by a fever. As his disease
hourly increased, he received the holy viaticum
with the most fervent piety, and yielded his soul to
God, in the seventy-second year of his age. ' Such
was the Christian death of the greatest and most
valiant king of France; one of the most zealous
defenders of the Church ; a prince whom the world
numbers among her heroes, and whom religion has
placed in the rank of the saints.

CONVERSION OF THE DANES AND SWEDES.
A. D. 829.

The conversion of the Saxons was followed by that
of several other nations, which were gradually en-
lightened and civilized. St. Ansgarius preached
the faith in Denmark and Sweden. This holy Apos-
tle was born in France, and had been educated in a
monastery of Corbie. After acquiring the Apostolic
spirit in this holy retreat, he was sent by his supe-
riors to Denmark, in order to announce the glad
tidings of salvation to these barbarous and idola-
trous people. His labors were crowned with success,
and the number of converts daily increased. The
most effacacious means he employed to perpetuate
the first of his teachings was, by purchasing young
slaves, and inculcating in their youthful minds the
fear of God and the practice of virtue, and he thus
succeeded in establishing a flourishing school. "While
this work was prospering, the King of Sweden asked
the Emperor, Louis Debonnaire, to send mission-
aries to announce the Gospel in his dominions.

300 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Louis appointed Ansgarius, and another religions
of Corbie, who volunteered his services, to undertake
the mission. The two priests departed, loaded with
rich presents from Louis, to the King of Sweden,
but were attacked during the voyage by pirates, vv^ho
appropriated the gifts, and they consequently arrived
in Sweden empty handed. The king, nevertheless,
received them very kindly, and they made a great
many conversions. The governor of the city was
one of the first who embraced the faith, and this
lord, who was one of the royal favorites, erected a
church in honor of the true God. When the number
of Christians had considerably increased, an Archi-
episcopal see was established at Hamburg, and St.
Ansgarius appointed archbishop. He labored most
zealously for the salvation of souls, w^hile leading an
austere and mortified life; his food consisting of
only bread and water. Ansgarius frequently retired
to a little hermitage which he had built, as an as}^-
lum from worldly cares and distractions, and in this
peaceful abode he would shed tears of penitence
before God, when he was not occupied with his pas-
toral duties.

God bestowed the gift of miracles on his servant,
who cured a great many sick persons by his prayers ;
but his humility was so great, that on one occasion,
when several persons were speaking in his presence
of some miraculous cures he had effected, he said :
*'If my prayers were of any avail before God, I
would ofier them to obtain one miracle, and that is,
to make me His faithful servant." The holy prelate
always desired to shed his blood for the faith, and.

CONVERSIOX OF THE SCLAVOXIANS. 301

when attacked by his last illness, was inconsolable
at the thought of losing this happiness. ^-Alas '/' he
exclaimed, '' my manifold sins have deprived me of
a martyr's crown." When near his end, he employed
his failing strength in exhorting his disciples to
serve God with fidelity, and persevere in the mission
which was dear to him. This infant Church was
exposed for some time to a violent storm through an
invasion of barbarians ; the precious seed, sown by
the holy Apostle, was not lost, however, but pro-
duced abundant fruit, owing to the labors of his
successors.

CONVERSION OF THE SCLAVONIANS AND
RUSSIANS.

A. D. 842.

The Sclavonians, a barbarous people who in-
habited a portion of the country known at the
present day by the name of Poland, frequently made
incursions beyond the limits of the Western empire ;
they thus were brought in contact with the Christian
religion, and soon evinced a desire to embrace the
faith. With this intention they had recourse to the
Empress Theodora, who governed as regent during
her son's minority, begging of her to send them mis-
sionaries, promising in return for this inestimable
benefit, to be henceforth docile and obedient subjects
of the empire. A priest, named Constantine, was
chosen for this mission. When he arrived at his
destination, he applied himself to the study of the
language of the country, and translated into this
26

302 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

tongue the Gospels and other parts of the Scripture
which he considered the most useful for the instruc-
tion of the converts.

God blessed his labors, and the whole nation
became christianized, and their neighbors, the
Russians, followed their example, and the light
of faith soon penetrated these heathen countries.
The Emperor Basil took advantage of this happy
change to conclude a treaty of peace with them,
and after propitiating them by handsome presents,
induced them to receive a bishop ordained by
Ignatius, patriarch of Constantinople. A striking
miracle wrought by this Saint caused his teachings
to yield abundant fruit. The Russian prince had
assembled the people in order to deliberate whether
they should abandon their old worship ; the bishop
was summoned and interrogated as to his creed;
the holy prelate in reply exhibited the book of the
Gospels, and related several miracles from the Old
and New Testament. That of the three children
in the fiery furnace made a deep impression on
the assembly, and they said to Ignatius : " If thou
canst perform a similar wonder, we will believe that
thou speakest the truth." "^Yo are not permitted
to tempt God," answered the bishop ; " if, however,
you are resolved to behold His power, ask what you
will, and He will manifest His omnipotence through
the ministry of His servant."

The Russians demanded that the holy volume he
held in his hand should be thrown into a fire kindled
by their own hands, and they promised, if it was not
consumed in the flames, to become Christians. Then

CONVERSION OF THE BULGARIANS. 303

the bishop, raising his eyes to Heaven, said: "Jesus,
Son of God, glorify thy holy name in the presence of
this incredulous people." The book was accordingly
cast into a red-hot furnace, and allowed to remain for
some time. On extinguishing the fire it was found
to be as perfect and unharmed as before it was thrown
into the flames. The heathens instantly asked for
baptism, and eagerly received the saving waters of
regeneration. Thus God has worked from age to
age, and renews at the present day, extraordinary
miracles in behalf of the Church. This miraculous
power is not weakened ; and, when missionaries are
sent to new countries, prodigies and wonders are
wrought in testimony of the religion our Lord Jesus
Christ has established, through His sufferings and
ignominious death on the Cross.

CONVERSION OF THE BULGARIANS.
A. D. 855.

The Bulgarians, during a war against Theophilus,
Emperor of the West, were defeated in battle, and
the sister of the vanquished king was found among
the captives. This princess was carried to Constan-
tinople with the other prisoners of war, and detained
in tliat city for thirty-eight years. During this long
captivity she was instructed in the faith and received
baptism. After the death of Theophilus, Theodora,
his widow, governed in the name of her son. The
king of Bulgaria, thinking this a favorable moment
i> r':'^riove his loss, made a declaration of war. Theo-
dora courageously replied, that, if he crossed the limits

304 HISTOEY OF THF CHUKCH.

of the empire, she would march against him, and
hoped to conquer the invader of her dominions ; but
that even if he were to gain the victory, he should
be filled with shame at having overcome a mere
woman. The king, astonished at so bold an answer,
conceived the highest esteem for Theodora, and
offered her peace on certain conditions, which she
accepted. One of the stipulations was that his
sister should be liberated from captivity.

On returning to her brother's dominions, the
princess frequently spoke to him of the Christian
religion, exhorting him to embrace the true faith.
Her entreaties touched the king's heart, and Heaven
itself seemed to act in concert with the pious prin-
cess. A contagious disease having spread through
Bulgaria, the monarch had recourse to the God
his sister worshiped, and the dreadful pestilence in-
stantly disappeared. After this miracle the king
was convinced of the truth of Christianity ; but the
dread of offending his subjects, who were strongly
attached to their superstitious practices, prevented
him from a public profession of faith. A severe
warning finally brought this stubborn prince under
the mild yoke of the Gospel.

A gallery was being decorated in the palace, and
as the king was naturally of a fierce and stern dis-
position, he had expressly commanded the painter
to choose some terrible subject. The artist, who was
a Christian, represented the Last Judgment, and
portrayed most vividly the sufferings of the damned,
with all the frightful circumstances which are capa-
ble of inspiring terror. The explanation of this pic-

PHOTIUS USURPS THE SEE OF CONSTANTINOPLE. 305

ture causpd the sovereign himself to shudder with
liorror; he resolved to abandon idolatry, and sent
word to Theodora that he only waited for a minister
of the Christian religion to receive baptism. The
Empress sent him a bishop, Avho secretly baptized
him at night ; but, notwithstanding his precautions,
the rumor of his conversion soon spread abroad.

The Bulgarians revolted and attacked the palace ;
but the king, animated with confidence in the power
of God, sallied forth at the head of his retainers and
soon dispersed the mob. He pardoned the rebels,
who were finally won over to the faith. The mon-
arch then sent ambassadors to the Pope, asking for
ministers of the Gospel, and he consulted him on
several questions concerning religion and morality.
Pope Nicholas I was deeply moved at the sight of
these new Christians who had come from such a
distance to receive the instructions of the Holy See.
After cordially welcoming them, he satisfactorily
explained whatever they did not understand, and
finally dismissed them, filled with ioy and accom-
panied by two worthy bishops.

PHOTIUS USURPS THE SEE OF CONSTANTINOPLE.
A. D. 853.

God, who consoled His Church by the progress of
Christianity in the countries of the North, allowed
her to be disturbed by the scandalous usurpation of
Photius in the See of Constantinople. This man,
equally distinguished by his noble birth, great
qualities and profound erudition, had been appoint-
26*

306 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

ed to several important posts in the imperial conrt,
but he disgraced his talents and position by his im-
postures and frauds. He was the favorite of Caesar
Bardas, uncle of the young Emperor Michael, and
his principal minister. Bardas, whose profligate and
corrupt life had caused him to be excommunicated
by St. Ignatius, patriarch of Constantinople, plotted
the destruction of this holy prelate. Having great
control over the mind of the Emperor, his nephew,
he persuaded him to banish Ignatius, and then used
every artifice to induce the patriarch to resign his
bishopric voluntarily; but, not succeeding in his
designs, he appointed Photius, who was a layman,
bishop of Constantinople.

So extraordinary a promotion created a great dis-
turbance. The suffragan bishops at first refused to
recognize Photius, but some were finally pursuaded
to receive him, and the others were exiled. The
approbation of Pope Nicholas was now the next
thing to be gained, and Photius wrote, informing
the Sovereign Pontiff of his elevation to the Patri-
archal See. The usurper employed every means to
prejudice the Pope in his favor; pretending that it
was entirely against his wishes that he had been
chosen to fill so high an office ; that he had strenu-
ously resisted the appointment, but had been forced
to accept it, and that he had shed tears when he
unwillingly consented to be consecrated bishop;
adding, that Ignatius had voluntarily retired into a
monastery, there to end his days in holy seclusion
and prayer, his advanced age and infirmities being
the cause of this step. His letter was accompanied

PHOTIUS USURPS THE SEE OF COXSTAKTIN-QPLE. 307

by another from the Emperor, confirming all these
falsehoods.

During this time, St. Ignatius was confined in a
filthy dungeon, where every insult and indignity
was heaped upon him. In order to hasten his ruin,
he was accused of having conspired against the
State, although no proof could be produced, and he
was loaded with chains and banished to Mitylene,
in the island of Lesbos.

Nicholas, who had not received any account of
the affair from Ignatius, was on his guard, and
refused to ratify the election of Photius without a
careful examination of the fticts on both sides. For
this pui*pose, lie sent two legates to Constantinople,
to ascertain the true state of the case, and render
him an exact account of all that had transpired.
During their journey the legates received rich pres-
ents from the Emperor and Photius, who thus
endeavored to gain their influence. On arriving in
Constantinople, they were placed under a strict
guard and forbidden all visitors, so as to prevent
them from learning of the violence which had been
employed toward St. Ignatius. The legates were
then threatened with the most frightful torments if
they refused to acknowledge Photius as bishop;
they resisted for a long time, but were finally over-
come by solicitations, promises, and threats, and
they yielded to the imperial command.

308 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

INFAMOUS DECEPTIONS OF PHOTIUS.

St. Ignatius at length found means of informing
the Sovereign Pontiff of all that had happened in
Constantinople. Nicholas was much grieved at the
criminal weakness of the legates, and condemned all
their proceedings. He wrote to the Emperor and
Photius, saying that he recognized Ignatius as the
legitimate Bishop, declaring the nomination of Pho-
tius to be null and void. This base impostor sup-
pressed the original letters, substituting forgeries of
his own, written as if coming from the Pope, in which
Nicholas assured him of his regret at having oj^posed
his wishes, and after having learned the truth, prom-
ised perpetual friendship and regard.

This fraud proving unsuccessful, the wicked Pho-
tius attempted another most unheard of and extra-
ordinary deception. He affirmed that a general
council had been held, in which Nicholas was con-
demned, giving this falsehood so truthful an appear-
ance as to deceive many persons. The acts of this
pretended council were so skillfully composed as to
deceive even the most incredulous minds. Photius
was well informed in regard to the proceedings of
a council. He, therefore, prepared an account, in
which was given the accusations brought against the
Pope, the testimony of the witnesses against him, as
well as a speech of his own, in which he played the
part of defender of the Pope, as he was unwilling that
the absent Pontiff should be condemned without a
hearing ; but the Fathers of the pretended council
had refused to listeu tp the arguments in his defense,

RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF ST. IGNATIUS. 309

and Photius, finally yielding with reluctance to their
authority, had pronounced a sentence of deposition
and excommunication against Nicholas.

The impostor induced several corrupt bishops to
sign these false decrees, adding himself nearly a
thousand signatures ; among others the names of the
deputies of the three Eastern patriarchs. Photius
had the audacity to send these forgeries to Louis
le Debonnaire, King of France, in order to persuade
that prince to assist him in depriving Nicholas of
the pontifical dignity. He also addressed a circular
letter to the Eastern bishops, filled with complaints
against the Latin Church, and declared the doctrine
which teaches that the Holy Ghost proceeds from
tlie Father and the Son to be an erroneous belief,
although this Catholic dogma was held by both the
Latin and Greek Church, and ratified by several
councils. He censured the Eoman Church upon
some points of discipline which he had himself
hitlierto regarded as irreproachable. Thus a
poisonous seed was planted, which subsequently
produced a grievous heresy that even exists at the
present day.

RE-ESTABLISHMEXT OF ST. IGNATIUS — EIGHTH
GENERAL COUNCIL.

A. D. 869.

Photius found that he was not regarded by the
Emperor Basil with the same favor as by Michael,
his predecessor. The new emperor, far from pro-
tecting the usui-per, assembled in his palace the

310 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

bishops who were then in Constantinople, and by
their advice removed Piiotius from the Patriarchal
see and sent him to a monastery. It was at this
time that the acts of the false council, forged by this
wicked man, commenced to excite suspicion. The
fraudulent decrees were carried to the senate and
publicly exposed before all the people, who were
horrified at so extraordinary an imposture.

Immediately after the expulsion of the usurper,
Ignatius, the lawful bishop, returned to his diocese,
and in order to repair the many scandals which dis-
graced the Church, induced the Emperor to convene
a general council. Basil despatched deputies to the
Pope, begging him to send his legates, and wrote at
the same time to the three eastern patriarchs, and to
all the other bishops of the empire, inviting their
attendance at the council, which was held in Con-
stantinople in 8G9. Pope Adrian III, the successor
of Nicholas, appointed three legates, to whom he
gave two letters, one for the Emperor and the other
for Ignatius. They were received in Constantinople
with the greatest pomp and splendor; and these
prelates, by their admirable behavior, sustained with
dignity the primacy of the Holy See ; they presided
over the council, while Ignatius and the deputies of
the other Eastern patriarchs came next in rank.
Eleven of the principal officers of the court assisted
at all the sessions, in order to maintain order and
decorum. The legates read a formula of reunion,
which was accepted by the whole council.

The primacy of the Roman Church was tlierein
recognized, and a sentence of excommunication pro-

RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF ST. IGNATIUS. 311

nounced against all heretics, Photius in particular,
as well as his followers. The bishops, who from vio-
lence or fear had espoused his cause, humbly asked
pardon for their criminal weakness and were in-
stantly forgiven. Photius hypocritically pleaded
innocence, and enacted the part of an oppressed
victim. He refused to answer the greater part of
the questions asked him ; and when forced to speak,
used the very words our Lord Jesus Christ pro-
nounced before His judges at the time of His
Passion.

This impious • conduct excited universal indigna-
tion, and he was ignominiously expelled from the
assembly. The last session was the most largely
attended, the Emperor and his two sons being pres-
ent. The decrees of the Popes, Nicholas and Adrian,
were then confirmed, and as the usurper obstinately
adhered to his heretical opinions, he and his followers
were anatliematized. Basil then declared, that, if
any one objected to the decisions of the council, he
should proclaim his reasons at once, as, after the
closing of the assembly, all its proceedings were to
be accepted with implicit obedience, under pain of
incurring the displeasure of the Church. Finally,
two letters were written in the name of tlie council
to Pope Adrian, asking him to confirm the acts of
the council, and cause them to be received by all the
Western churches; the other was addressed to all
the faithful, exhorting them to submit, without mur-
mur, to the decrees of the assembly.

312 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

REFLECTIONS ON THE HERESIES.

Heresies and schisms were the second trial through
which the Church was to pass. "Heresies must
arise," says the Apostle, " in order to try the virtue
of the faithful." The efforts of the heretics were
never more violent than when the pagans ceased to
persecute the Christians. Hell then employed every
artilice for the destruction of the still bleeding
Church, which had so successfully repulsed the
attacks of her first enemies, and she had hardly com-
menced to enjoy the peace occasioned by the conver-
sion of the great Constantine, when Arius excited a
more violent disturbance than had hitherto troub-
led the tranquillity of the spouse of Jesus Christ.

Constantius, son of Constantine, won over by the
Arians, oppressed all the Catholics in his dominions.
This new persecutor of Christianity was the more to
be dreaded, as it was in the name of Jesus Christ
that he attacked our Divine Lord Himself. After
him came Valens, also an Arian, and more implaca-
ble in his hatred than Constantius. Several other
Emperors protected the different heresies that ap-
peared at intervals, with similar vindictiveness. The
Church learned by sad experience that she had not
less to suffer from Christian Emperors than she had
endured from infidel princes, and that the blood of
the martyrs was not only to preserve her doctrine
inviolate, but also every separate article of faith,
which was successively assailed by her unworthy
children. The Divinity of Jesus Christ, His grace,
the sacraments, in short, all the dogmas of religion.

REFLECTIONS ON THE HERESIES. 313

have been the subjects of different heresies, and have
occasioned most unhappy divisions in the Church.

In this confusion of sects, all of which claimed to
be Christian, Almighty God did not forsake the
Church He had Himself built on a rock, but ren-
dered her as invincible against internal disturbances
as against external enemies. Each dogma has been
solemnly defined by the whole Church ; that is to
say, she has confirmed the belief which Avas held by
good Catholics at the time of the appearance of
the heresy; and those who attacked this creed by
Introducing new doctrines, have been expelled from
her bosom. The Church has seen heresies arise in
her midst, and she has seen them successively
crushed, according to the promise of our Divine
Lord, although they were often supported by Em-
perors and Kings. Constantius and Valens were no
more able to change the faith of the Church, than
Nero and Dioclesian could prevent its establish-
ment.

In order to try those who remained faithfully
attached to the truth, God has permitted certain
heresies to make some progress ; but error has never
prevailed, and the true faith has always been univer-
sally and publicly promulgated. The Church has
always exercised an undisputed authority, which
could never be assumed by heresy. She has never
ceased to be Catholic and Universal, as her dominion
extends over the whole world, and, although com-
peHcd at times to excommunicate her unworthy
children, she does not lose her universality. By
reading attentively the history of the Church, wo

'27

314 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

find that, whenever attacked by a heresy, she speedily
repaired her loss by making new conquests.

The Church resembles a great tree, which has
been deprived of some of its branches; its vitality
is still uninjured and it puts forth new leaves, the
pruning of the withered branches only rendering
the fruit the more abundant and excellent. She is
Apostolic, that is to say, she goes back through an
uninterrupted succession of Pontiffs to St. Peter,
who was established the chief of the Apostles by
Jesus Christ Himself, whereas each of the new sects
necessarily fail in a continuation of their ministry,
being unable to go beyond its author, who was a
member of the Catholic Church before he formed a
S3parate society. These divisions caused a great
sensation at the periods they occurred ; the pagans
regarded the Church as the parent stem from which
all the different sects detached themselves, never
losing her strength or power through the loss of
these corrupt members.

The idolaters called her the Great Church, the
Catholic Church, as it was impossible to bestow any
other name upon this divine work, whose founder
was the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. The
heretics, on the contrary, bear an unmistakable mark
of novelty and rebellion which they cannot conceal.
They can never rid themselves of the names of their
originators ; the Arians, Pelagians and Nestorians,
vainly endeavored to abolish the title bestowed upon
them against their wish ; tlie world very naturally
calls each sect after the one who first introduced the
new creed. The visible fact of their separation fi-oni

INVASION OF THE BARBARIANS. 315

the great Church, which is both imiversal and
apostolic, is most apparent; this mark of human
origin, which is ineffaceable, will always be against
them, and plainly demonstrates to the whole world
that their sects are the work of fallible men. These
rotten branches, cut off from the liying tree, have
never borne fruit, never attained any growth, and
have finally perished in obscurity. Being merely
human inventions, they have disappeared, notwith-
standing the support of the powers of the world and
hell ; while the edifice created by God has remained
firm and immovable.

The Church has triumphed over heresies, as she
triumphed over idolatry, and this will be the fate of
all the schisms which shall arise in the fold of Jesus
Christ, who will crush and destroy them by His
almighty power; the pswst victories of the Church
are a sure presage of the conquests she will gain in
the future ; the promises she has received are eternal,
and will continue to be fulfilled throughout all ages.

INVASIOX OF THE BARBARIANS— SCANDALS —
TENTH CENTURY.

During the tenth century the Church suffered
greatly from the cruelty of the northern tribes, who
ravaged successively all the provinces of the Western
empire. The Normans, Hungarians, and other sav-
age people, devastated Germany, England, France,
Italy and Spain, leaving everywhere traces of their
destructive and sanguinary march. The cities were
•reduced to ashes, monasteries plundered and de-

316 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

stroyed, schools abolished, and the arts and sciences
almost entirely abandoned. Ignorance produced a
relaxation of discipline and corruption of morals;
scandals increased ; the most holy laws were publicly
violated, and the evil extended even to the heads of
the Church, Rome itself not escaping the contagion.
The Church groaned and wept over these disorders,
this trial being much more painful than the persecu-
tions she had formerly endured. These unhappy
scandals, however, should not weaken, but strengthen
our faith ; for the sustaining hand of God was never
more manifest than at this mournful period, showing
incontestably that the divine purity of the spouse of
Jesus Christ cannot be tarnished by the wickedness
and malice of her unworthy children. In the midst
of so many excesses the faith remained the same as
in the first ages of the Church, and in the public
instructions, God did not permit the least attack to
be made upon Christian morals and Catholic be-
lief. Vices and abuses were continually opposed;
the councils renewed the laws of discipline, and
endeavored to enforce obedience to their decrees.
Divine Providence raised up illustrious Saints, who
zeiilously combated the progress of impiety. Finally,
the Church gained sufficient strength, not only to
heal the wounds she had received from the barba-
rians, but also to convert these new persecutors, and
bring them under the mild rule of the Gospel. Thus
the savage tribes, who overthrew the Roman empire,
instead of destroying the Church, were conquered by
her. It is true, that the germ of their wild origin was
only gradually eradicated, and their ignorant minds

DISCIPLINE IIS ENGLAND. 317

but slowly enlightened ; but God finally caused the
Church to triumph over ignorance and barbarism, as
she had already overcome persecution and heresies.

The arts and sciences found an asylum in the
monasteries and among the clergy; the episcopal
residences and religious houses became places of
public instruction, where the taste for study and the
love of knowledge were fostered. While the nobles
devoted themselves to the profession of arms, dis-
daining the cultivation of letters, the priests and
monks were occupied in transcribing the ancient
works they had saved from the ruthless hands of
the barbarians. These precious monuments of learn-
ing would have certainly perished if the Church had
not transmitted them to posterity. It was in her
bosom that the dying embers of literature were re-
kindled, the darkness of ignorance dispelled, and the
arts and sciences gained a new luster. Thus religion
has not only carefully preserved the ancient and in-
contestable traditions which regulate our creed and
morals, but also revived letters at a time when the
whole of Europe seemed indifferent to learning.

RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF DISCIPLINE IN
ENGLAND.

A. D. 912.

The Church, which is never forsaken by the Spirit
of God, discovered in herself, during this corrupt
period, a new principle of life, which refreshed and
invigorated her. St. Odo was placed by Providence
over the first see in England, for the purpose of
27*

318 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

restoring the discipline of this kingdom. When
made archbishop of Canterbnry, he framed wise
laws for the regulation of the clergy, nobles and
people.

King Edward seconded the efforts of the holy
prelate, and issued excellent proclamations, enforc-
ing law and order throughout his dominions. A
zealous bishop cannot fail to effect a great amount
of good, when protected by a religious prince ; thus
St. Odo reformed a great number of abuses, and the
work so happily commenced was fully accomplished
by his successor, St. Dunstan. This holy prelate,
animated by the same spirit, finding himself obliged,
in virtue of his of!ice, to watch over all the English
churches, traveled through the different cities of the
kingdom, instructing the faithful in the rules of a
Christian life, and exciting them to the practice of
virtue by his earnest and touching exhortations,
speaking with so much unction and power that it
was impossible to resist his eloquence. He was in-
defatigable in his labors; continually occupied in
abolishing scandals, settling disputes, and reuniting
those who were at variance. Dunstan only rested
from this perpetual toil during the time of prayer,
and when forced to take the necessary repose, ex-
hausted nature demanded.

The principal object of his zealous efforts was the
reformation of the clergy ; he induced the king to
inflict severe punishment upon those who desecrated
the holy ministry by their excesses, and he restored
the priesthood to its original dignity and sanctity,
so that the most illustrious houses of England

DISCIPLINE IN ENGLAND. 319

considered it an honor for their children to enter
religion. St. Dunstan was both firm and energetic
in the exercise of his duty, as will be seen by the
following example : One of the most powerful lords
in the kingdom had married his first cousin, and
although remonstrated with by the bishop, refused to
separate from her. The holy prelate forbade him to
enter the church ; upon which the baron complained
to the king and obtained an order addressed to St.
Dunstan, requesting a removal of the punishment.

The Saint, astonished that so pious a monarch
should allow himself to be deceived, exhorted the
baron to repentance, but finding that he only became
more enraged, courageously said : " When I see you
truly penitent, I will cheerfully obey the king, but
as long as you obstinately continue in your sin, no
man shall cause me to violate the law of God and
bring contempt on the decrees of the Church." The
firmness of the archbishop finally touched the heart
of the culprit, who expressed sincere contrition for
his fault, submitted to the authority of St. Dunstan,
and not only dissolved his unlawful alliance, but as
a national council was then in session, appeared in
the midst of the assembly barefooted and clotlied in
sackcloth, holding a bunch of rods in his hand, as a
sign of humility and obedience to the commands of
God and the Church. He then threw himself at the
feet of the Saint, who, mingling his tears with those
of the penitent, received the contrite baron once more
into the saving fold of Jesus Christ.

The firmness of St. Dunstan was again demon-
strated on another occasion. Although a sincere

320 HISTOBY OF THE CHURCH.

Christian, the king committed a great sin ; the
holy archbishop immediately went to him and
forcibly represented the enormity of his crime ; Ed-
ward, overcome by his reproaches, tearfully asked
him what he should do to obtain forgiveness; Dun-
stan imposed a suitable penance upon the monarch,
who performed it with sentiments of the deepest
contrition.

RESTORATION OF DISCIPLINE IN GERMANY.
A. D. 901.

At this same period saintly and illustrious bishops,
supported by the powerful authority of the Emperor
Otho, labored successfully to reform the abuses in
Germany, but none more effectually than St. Bruno,
archbishop of Cologne, and brother of the Emperor.
At four years of age he was sent to Utrecht, where
Bishop Baudri, a very learned man, gave him excel-
lent masters. Bruno made great progress in his
studies, and advanced daily in the practice of virtue ;
his thirst for knowledge did not diminish his piety;
he was most punctual in his attendance at the holy
offices, where his recollection and modesty edified
the assistants. The slightest irreverence during
divine service excited his pious indignation. One
day he saw Prince Henry, his brother, speaking
during mass to Conrad, Duke of Lorraine. After
the service he spoke to them of the impropriety of
conversing in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament,
assuring them they would incur the divine wrath if
they continued such irreverence.

RESTORATION OF DISCIPLINE IK GERMANY. 321

The love of religion was a sure claim to his regard,
and he joyfully lent his influence and protection to
all entei-prises undertaken for the glory of God, and
the salvation of souls. On returning to court he
found every encouragement to sanctity of life Avithin
its precincts ; the palace being at that time an edify-
ing school of royal and Christian perfection, St.
Matilda, mother of the Emperor Otho, and Adelaide
his wife, giving, by their excellent example, eloquent
lessons of mortification and holiness to the courtiers
and attendants. Thus, while scandals increased,
God adorned His Church with saintly monarchs,
who consoled and edified the faithful.

Bruno was prepared for the Episcopal dignity by
being appointed superior of several monasteries,
whei'e he displayed the greatest wisdom and pru-
dence, and i-estored exact discipline. Being subse-
quently raised to the see of Cologne, he gave a wider
scope to his zeal, and labored to extend piety and
religion throughout Germany. His first care was
to re-establish peace and concord in his diocese, and
regulate the proper celebration of the divine offices.

The Emperor, his brother, when leaving for Italy,
confided the royal authority to Bruno during his
absence, who faithfully acquitted himself of the
charge, understanding the duties of a prince as well
as those of a bishop. He only used his authority for
the establishment of good institutions, the protection
of the weak, the succor of the poor, the intimidation
of the wicked, and for the encouragement of the
faithful; and he also built and renovated a great
number of churches and monasteries. This holy

322 HISTORY OF THP] CHURCH.

prelate aiinoiiiiced the word of God, and explained
the Scriptures in a clear and comprehensive manner;
but his principal care was to place wise and virtuous
bishops in the provinces Avhere laxity of morals and
other abuses had been introduced, as he was per-
suaded that the most powerful means for correcting
and reclaiming those who had wandered from the
path of duty, was for their pastors to give not only
good instructions, but good examples also.

RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF MONASTIC DISCIPLINE
IN FRANCE.

A. D. 910.

Nothing contributed so much to the restoration
of ecclesiastical discipline in France as the founda-
tion of the celebrated monastery of Cluny, which
became the nursery of many apostolic men. This
congregation owed its origin to the zeal of the vir-
tuous Bernon, who was its first abbot. Descended
from one of the noblest families of Bourgogne, Ber-
non embraced the monastic life in the Abbey of St.
Martin of Autun, from which he was soon removed,
and appointed superior of the monastery of Beaume,
where he enforced regularity and order.

Several officers of William, duke of Aquitaine, hav-
ing visited this edifying institution, spoke of it in
such high terms that the duke determined to found
a similar house in his dominions, and place it under
the charge of the holy abbot. He, therefore, invited
St. Bernon to Cluny, for the purpose of choosing a
proper locality for the erection of a convent. Ber-

MON'ASTIC DISCIPLINE IK FRAJTCE. 323

non accordingly repaired thither, accompanied by St.
Hugh, then a monk of St. Germain of Autun, his
particular friend. The duke received them with
great kindness, and acquainting them with his inten-
tion of building a monastery in his domains, requested
them to find a proper site for this new establishment.
The two Religious, charmed with the situation of
Cluny, replied that they could not choose a more
agreeable spot than the one they were then occupy-
ing. The duke at first objected, as it was here his
hounds were kept. " Very well, my lord," pleasantly
answered Bernon, "dismiss the dogs and receive
the monks !" William, finally, graciously consented,
and desired that the monastery should be dedicated
to SS. Peter and Paul. He also drew up a deed of
gift, which is still extant, explaining his motives.
" Wishing," he says, " to make good use of what God
has given me, I consider it a duty to endeavor to win
the affection of the poor of Jesus Christ, and render
this work perpetual, by founding a religious commu-
nity. I give for the love of Jesus Christ, our Lord
and Saviour, my estate of Cluny, for the erection of
a monastery in honor of SS. Peter and Paul, which
will always be an asylum for those who, destitute of
the riches of this world, come to seek in religion the
treasures of virtue."

The intentions of the pious founder were fulfilled ;
the community accomplished an immense amount
of good, and was distinguished for its regular dis-
cipline and the extraordinary merits of its abbots.
The true spirit of the religious vocation emanated
from this house, and soon spread throughout France.

324 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

The holy abbot at first only placed twelve monks at
Cluny, but their repntation for piety and fervor soon
extended abroad ; other communities were desirous
of securing the guidance of the saint, and he gov-
erned seven religious houses at the same time. This
celebrated monastery has given several great Pontiffs
to the Church, and produced holy bishops who
revived Christian piety in the different dioceses of
France.

THE WORK OF REFORMATION IS CONTINUED
BY THE SUCCESSORS OF ST. BERNON.

St. Odo, who succeeded the saintly founder, com-
pleted the establishment of the new congregation,
and arranged all the minor details of the convent.
Odo was born in the province of Maine, of a noble
family ; he studied in Paris, where, notwithstanding
the unhappy state of morals, the doctrine of the
Church was perpetuated by a continual succession
of excellent teachers. The desire of consecrating
himself to God induced him to go to Rome, in the
hope of finding some community where he could
advance in the way of perfection and holiness.
Passing through Boulogne he was struck with the
spirit of piety which prevailed in the house of
Cluny, and finding in France Avliat he intended
seeking in Italy, he remained in this monastery and
asked to be admitted among the monks.

The great qualities of the new Religious were soon
discovered, and the care of the youthful pupils who
were educated at the conyont was confided to him.

THE WORK OF REFORMATIOJq^ IS CONTINUED. 325

The satisfactory manner in which he acquitted him-
self of the duties of this important office, and his
talents and virtues, which commanded universal
admiration, caused him to be chosen by his brethren
as their abbot. Odo resisted for a long time, and
only yielded to the express command of the bishop,
who threatened him with excommunication if he
persisted in his refusal. Finally he obeyed, and
received the abbatial benediction. Under his wise
rule the Abbey of Cluny was distinguished for the
exact observance of discipline, the virtuous spirit of
emulation among the Religious, the study of the doc-
trines of the Church, and charity toAvard the poor.
This edifying life attracted a great number of noble
and illustrious persons to Cluny ; not only laymen
of the highest rank repaired thither to practice pen-
ance, but bishops even left their dioceses in order to
embrace a monastic life. Counts and dukes were
eager to submit the monasteries in their domains to
the guidance of Cluny, so that the holy abbot might
reform whatever was amiss in these communities.
It was for this reason, that St. Odo did not confine
himself to one convent, but labored indefatigably for
the restoration of discipline throughout France, and
even Italy, whither he was called by the sovereign
Pontiff.

Odo Avas forced to strain every nerve to accomplish
this formidable task, but his brilliant success con-
soled him in all his eflbrts, and he demonstrated to
the world what great things can be effected by a
single man for the glory of God, Avhen he is actuated
by supernatural motives. The successors of St. Odo
28

326 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

inherited his virtues and zeal: Maienl, Odilo, the
yenerable Peter and Hugh edified the wliole Church
by their sanctity, and put the last stroke to the
work of reformation. Through their care and exam-
ple, religious fervor was rekindled in all the monas-
teries, and the good they accomplished without any
assistance inspired others with a desire to imitate
them. St. Gerard established a strict discipline in
Belgium, and Adalberon, bishop of Metz, met with
the same success in Lorraine.

REFORMATION OF THE CLERGY.

Pope Leo IX zealously applied himself to the
abolishing of evils which had crept into ecclesiasti-
cal discipline, directing his efforts against the two
prevailing vices — simony and immorality, which at
that time afflicted the Church. With this intention
he made several journeys to France and Germany,
undaunted by any dangers or obstacles which beset
his path. He assembled councils, and drew up wise
rules for the extirpation of abuses ; all guilty priests
were deposed from their office, and when they refused
submission to this sentence, were excommunicated.

The successors of the holy Pontiff" followed in his
footsteps, and imitated his firmness in reforming the
morals of the clergy. Their endeavors were wonder-
fully seconded by a remarkable man, whom Provi-
dence seemed to have raised up at this unhappy
period for the revival of religious fervor. St. Peter
Damian, who rendered the Church this important
service, was bom at Ravenna, in Italy. Deserted by

REFOKMATION OF THE CLERGY. 327

his unnatural parents, he was brought up by a chari-
table woman, who treated the unfortunate child with
maternal tenderness. God, who had destined him
for great things, gave him the means of education,
and he made extraordinary progress, both in learn-
ing and virtue, leading a mortified and studious life.
Finally, Peter renounced the world, and entered the
monastery of Fontavelle, in Umbria, where the monks
lived in separate cells, and devoted tliemselves to
prayer and reading. They subsisted on bread and
water four days in the week, and partook of a few
roots on Tuesday and Thursday. Peter gave a bright
example to all the monks, by his fervor in penitential
exercises, and he became a model of every virtue.

The Pontiffs, seeing of what great service his piety
and learning would be to the Church, elevated him
to the highest ecclesiastical dignities, and appointed
him cardinal and bishop of Ostia. The holy prelate
labored with unwearied zeal and undaunted courage
in opposing the laxity of morals, and strove to enforce
the laws of the Church. Having been sent on several
embassies, he neglected nothing which could repress
scandals, correct abuses, and re-establish everywhere
the most exact discipline. The reformation of eccle-
siastical communities, which was accomplished in a
Council held at Rome by Alexander II in 1063, was
one of the fruits of his labors.

Since the fourth century communities of priests
had existed, whose members possessed every thing in
common, and lived together under the immediate
jurisdiction of the bishop. In the midst of large
cities, surrounded by the tumult of the world, they

328 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

practiced, as well as their sacred duties would permit,
the retirement and austerities of hermits. This
institution merited the approbation of St. Ambrose,
who speaks of it in these terms : " It is a company
of celestial and saintly warriors, who spend day and
night in chanting the praises of God, without neg-
lecting the flocks intrusted to their care ; they are
continually occupied, either in pious reading or in
manual labor. Can there be any thing more admi-
rable than this life, in which pain and self-denial are
recompensed with a lieavenly peace, sustained by
mutual example, alleviated by constant habit, and
soothed by holy employments ? This life is neither
troubled by temporal cares, nor distracted by the
pleasures of the world; neither molested by the
visits of idle people, nor weakened and degenerated
by intercourse with mankind."

St. Augustine also held it in great esteem, as is
seen by two discourses which he composed on the
excellence of communities, and it has served as a
foundation for the rules observed by the canons of
the Church. This strict discipline gradually became
weakened, and was almost abolished by the incur-
sions of barbarians, who destroyed and plundered
the churches in the tenth century. It was restored
to its first state of perfection by St. Peter Damian,
and his successors were called canons regular.

CONVERSION- OF THE KORMANS. 339

CONVERSION OF THE NORMANS.
A. D. 912.

Nothing gives more honor to the Church, and
renders the powerful protection of her Divine Head
more apparent, than does the conversion of barbar-
ous tribes. We are edified and confirmed in our
faith when we see, that, during a period which was
disgraced by so many disorders, the Church, instead
of being weakened, made new conquests, and subdued
savage nations who had desolated her sanctuaries
and persecuted her children. The Normans had
ravaged France for seventy years, Avhen suddenly,
God was pleased to arrest this devastating torrent.

The time destined by Providence for the con-
version of this people had arrived, and still nothing
seemed prepared for this great event. Rollo, the
bravest of their chiefs, appeared more determined
than ever on continuing the war ; King Charles the
Simple then entered into treaty with him, offering
the province of Neustria and the hand of his
daughter in marriage, if he would receive Christian
instruction and baptism. These conditions were
accepted and peace declared. The archbishop of
Rouen instructed Rollo in the mysteries of religion
and baptized him in the beginning of the year 912.
This conversion, which seemed to be actuated by
political motives, Avas nevertheless very sincere ; the
conditions of the treaty being the means appointed
by Providence to bring this prince and his subjects
to a knowledge of Christianity.
28*

330 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

The new duke, immediately after his baptism,
asked the archbishop which were the most venerated
churches in the province of Neustria. The prelate
named the churches of Our Lady of Rouen, Bayeux,
and Evreux, those of Mount St. Michael, St. Peter
of Rouen and Jumieges. " And what saint is most
loved in our immediate neighborhood ? " asked the
duke. " St. Denis, Apostle of France," replied the
archbishop. "Very well," said Rollo, "before
sharing my lands with the nobles of my army, I
Avish to give a portion to God, the Holy Virgin, and
the saints whom you have named, so as to merit
their protection." In effect, for a week after his
baptism, during which time he wore a white gar-
ment according to the custom of the times, he each
day donated ground to some one of the churches
indicated; and then divided his lands among his
vassals. Rollo did not neglect the instruction of his
officers and subjects, nearly all of whom received
baptism; divine grace perfecting and sanctifying
whatever of human respect or worldly motive had
prompted them when first embracing Christianity.

A sudden and extraordinary change was effected
in the morals of these people ; it is only the faith of
Jesus Christ that could subdue so warlike and savage
a nation as the Normans. Rollo appeared after his
conversion as gentle and religious as he had hitherto
been ferocious and barbarous; this great warrior be-
came a wise lawgiver, and he proved that it was as
easy for him to obtain the respect and obedience of
his subjects, as it had been to terrify the world by
his military prowess. He at first established laws for

CONVERSION OF THE HUNGARIANS. 331

the government of his new dominions, and as the
Normans had formerly been addicted to phindering,
he issued very stringent decrees against theft ; his
commands being so scrupulously observed that no
one dared to pick up any thing he found on the
roadside.

The following is a remarkable example: The
duke one day hung one of his bracelets upon the
branch of an oak tree, under which he was resting
from the fatigues of the chase, and forgot to remove
it. This bracelet remained suspended from the
bough for three years, during which time no one
dared to appropriate it, so firm was the popular
belief that nothing could escape the vigilance and
severity of Rollo. His name alone inspired so much
terror, that it was sufficient for any one who had
been assailed to pronounce it, and all within hearing
would be obliged to go in pursuit of the criminal.

CONVERSION OF THE HUNGARIANS.
A. D. 1002.

The Hungarians, a savage tribe from Scythia,
devastated Germany, and penetrated as far as Lor-
raine, leaving everywhere traces of their cruel and
destructive march. They burned churches, massa-
cred priests at the foot of the altar, and carried a
great number of Christians, without distinction of
age, sex, or condition, into captivity. The grace of
God, however, softened these monsters, and inspired
them with sentiments of humility and virtue. One
of their kings became favorably disposed toward the

332 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Christians who were living in the vicinity of Hun-
gary; and he published an edict allowing them
entrance into his dominions, promising them a hos-
pitable reception.

This lenient step brought him to a knowledge
of the sanctity and truth of the faith, and finally
effected his complete conversion. He and his whole
family received baptism. St. Adalbert, bishop of
Prague, baptized his infant son, who was called
Stephen. This young prince was most carefully
educated ; from his earliest infancy he showed the
most pious dispositions, and afterward became the
Apostle of Hungary. On ascending the throne he
strove to convert his subjects, and establish Chris-
tianity in his kingdom. He was opposed in this
design by some rebellious vassals, whose attachment
to idolatry induced them to take up arms against
their sovereign ; but Stephen, full of confidence in
the assistance of God, advanced to meet them, bear-
ing on his standards a picture of St. Martin, for
whom Hungary has always had great veneration, as
he was a native of that country. Stephen conquered
the rebels, consecrated their lands to God, and
founded a monastery in honor of St. Martin.

When peace once more reigned in his dominions,
the king used every effort to propagate the faith ;
and, in order to attain this object, distributed abund-
ant alms and offered up fervent supplications to the
throne of grace; frequently prostrating himself
before the altar groaning and weeping over his own
offenses. This pious monarch sent everywhere for
evangelical laborers, and God inspired some zealous

CONVERSION OF THE HUNGARIANS. 333

priests to leave their homes and devote themselves
to the spiritual welfare of this country. Innumer-
able conversions were made, and Stephen succeeded
in abolishing idolatry from his territories. Then, in
order to give a proper form to the Hungarian Church,
it was divided into ten bishoprics ; Strigonium, on
the Danube, being the Metropolitan diocese, of
which St. Sebastian, a holy Religious, was chosen
archbishop. The king sent a bishop to Rome, ask-
ing for the confirmation of this appointment, and
the deputy related to the Pope all that the prince
had effected for the good of religion and salvation
of souls. The sovereign Pontiff was much rejoiced
at this consoling intelligence, and granted all
Stephen's requests ; he sent a crown to the king, and
also a cross, to be carried before him as a sign of his
apostleship, from which originated the title of
" apostolical," conferred upon Hungarian monarchs.
On the return of his deputy, Stephen was solemnly
crowned, with his wife, a princess of eminent piety,
who eagerly participated in all the good works of
her saintly husband. Stephen was particularly
devoted to the Mother of God, and placed himself
and his kingdom under her powerful protection ; an
example subsequently imitated by one of the kings
of France. The fervor of this religious prince
increased as he grew older, and when he felt his
death approaching, he called for the bishops and
nobles, and earnestly solicited them to protect and
promulgate the faith in Hungary.

334: HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

THE HERESY OF BERENGARIUS.
A. D. 1050.

The Church of God is not destined to enjoy the
sweets of perfect peace here below; for she is
nearly always afflicted by heresy, schism or scandals.
During the eleventh century she endured all these
different trials. Berengarius, archdeacon of Angers,
desiring to distinguish himself and acquire celebrity,
dared to attack the mystery of the Eucharist, and
taught that the body and blood of Jesus Christ are
not contained therein in reality, but only figuratively.

A universal outcry arose on every side against
this impious doctrine, entirely contrary to the belief
of the Church. The Catholic Doctors zealously
refuted this pernicious creed, and wrote to all parts
of the Christian world in defense of the truth.
Lanfranc, archbishop of Canterbury, and Adelman,
bishop of Brescia, addressed letters to the heretic,
endeavoring to reclaim him from his error. " I con-
jure you," said Adelman, '' not to disturb the peace
of the Catholic Church, for which so many milHons
of martyrs and holy Doctors have shed their inno-
cent blood. We believe that the true body and blood
of Jesus Christ are contained in the Eucharist.
This is the doctrine taught from the earliest ages,
and still preached by our holy mother the Church,
which is spread over the whole world, and bears
the title of Catholic. All those calling themselves
Christians glory in receiving, in this sacrament, the
real body and blood of Jesus Christ. Interrogate

THE HERESY OF BERENGARIUS. 335

those who have studied our holy books, ask the
Greeks, the Armenians, in fine, the Christians of
every nation, and they will all acknowledge this as
their belief."

He then establishes the truth of this Catholic
dogma by quoting the words of Scripture ; and as
Berengarius replied by saying, that he could not
understand how the bread could become the body
of Jesus Christ, Adelman added: "The just man,
who sees with the eyes of faith, does not doubt the
word of God, nor endeavor to investigate a mystery
which is above human reason; he is happy in
believing in heavenly mysteries, so as one day to
merit the reward of his faith, instead of vainly
striving to penetrate that which is incomprehensible
to finite man. It is as easy for Jesus Christ to
change the bread into His body, as to change water
into wine, or create light by His single word." In
order to silence Berengarius, a council was immedi-
ately held at Paris, where his letters upon this sub-
ject were read aloud. The Fathers were horrified at
the impious doctrine they contained, and testified
their indignation against the wicked author by unan-
imously condemning him.

Pope Nicholas II convened another council at
Kome. Berengarius attended, but dared not persist
in his error, and promised to sign the profession of
fiiith drawn up by this assembly, and expressed in
these words : " I anathematize all heresies, especially
the one of which I am accused. I protest with my
heart and with my lips, that in regard to the Eucha-
rist, I hold the same faith as the Pope and the coun-

336 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

cil have commanded me to believe on the authority
of the Scriptures, and the teachings of the apostles,
viz., that the bread and wine which arc offered at the
altar become after consecration the true body and
the true blood of Jesus Christ." Berengarius con-
firmed this declaration by an oath, and consigned
the books containing his heresy to the flames.

Soon after, it was noticed that he became unsettled
in his belief, and asserted that the substance of the
bread is not changed into the body of Jesus Christ,
but that the bread remained in union with the body
of our Lord. 'J'his was the last effort of the heretic ;
but the Church, who follows up heresies step by step,
so as to condemn error as soon as it appears, after so
clearly establishing the real presence in the first pro-
fession of faith, issued a second, in which the change
of the substance was more distinctly expressed.
Berengarius again subscribed to this, and confessed
that the bread and wine which are placed on the
altar are, in virtue of the all powerful words of
Jesus Christ, substantially changed into the true
and real body and blood of our Lord, in such a man-
ner, that the body which is received is the same that
was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered on the cross,
and is now seated at the right hand of the Father in
Heaven.

Berengarius thus condemned himself a second
time, and this heresy, anathematized by its own
author, was suppressed for a while, and did not re-
appear until several centuries later, when it was
revived by the Protestants.

SCHISM OF MICHAEL CERULARIUS. 337

SCHISM OF MICHAEL CERULARIUS, PATRIARCH
OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

A. D. 1053.

About the period that Berengarius was agitating
the Western Church, Michael Cerularius, patriarch
of Constantinople, revived the unhappy division com-
menced by the heretic Photius. The wound he
had inflicted on the Church had never entirely
healed ; a hidden jealousy still rankled in the hearts
of the bishops of Constantinople ; they envied the
prerogatives of the See of Rome, the fountain head
of Catholicity, for it was to St. Peter, first bishop of
Rome, that our Lord Jesus Christ addressed these
words : " Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my Church."

Nevertheless, Michael Cerularius, more violent
than Photius, presumed to set at defiance the Church
of Rome, and separate himself from the union of
which she is the center. In order to palliate this
scandalous rupture, he renewed the unjust accusa-
tions and absurd reproaches made by Photius against
the Latins. He prohibited all communication with
the Pope, closed the Latin Churches in his diocese,
and carried his fanaticism so far as to re-baptize
such as hud received baptism in those churches.
Pope Leo IX, hearing of these outrageous proceed-
ings, used every efibrt to calm the disturbance and
settle the difficulty, T'efuting by admirable arguments
all the accusations of the patriarch, and assuring
him that a difference of forms was not a sufficient
reason for destroying the unitv of the Church.
29

338 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Most earnestly desiring the restoration of peace
among his distracted fold, Leo sent three legates to
Constantinople to confer Avith the patriarch and
endeavor to re-establish tranqnillity and nnion ; they
were intrnsted with two letters, one for the Emperor
and the other for Michael. The legates were kindly
received by the Emperor, bnt the patriarch refnsed
to hold any intercourse Avitli them. Indignant at
such insolent behavior, the legates excommunicated
Michael, depositing the written sentence on the altar
of the principal church in the presence of the clergy.
Then shaking the dust from their feet as they left
the church they uttered these words, "May God
witness and judge our act." They bade farewell to
the Emperor, who blamed the patriarch, but had
not the courage to reprimand his unworthy conduct.

Michael Cerularius, enraged at the condemnation
of the legates, had the audacity to excommunicate
the Pope; and endeavored, by letters filled with
falsehood, to separate the Eastern patriarchs from
the Eoman Church. His fraud deceived several
bishops, who fell into his artful snare; but the
schism was not general, and did not make much
progress for more than a century afterward, Avhen
the Latins became odious to the Greeks by seizing
the city and government of Constantinople.

TROUBLES CONCERNING INVESTITURES. 339

TROUBLES IN EUROPE ON THE SUBJECT OF
INVESTITURES.

A. D. 1075.

Shortly after the scandalous attempt of Michael
Cerularius in the East, Henry IV, Emperor of Ger-
many, gave rise to a quarrel, which occasioned great
evils in the Church and Empire. It was one of the
established customs of Germany for the Emperors
to bestow their benefices on the bishops and abbots,
by presenting them with the cross and ring, which
was called the right of investiture. Henry IV was
not satisfied with following this ancient custom, but,
on this occasion, made a shameful trafiic of the
ecclesiastical dignities, conferring them, not on the
most worthy, but on those who offered the highest
price for them. Pope St. Gregory VII, filled with
zeal for the discipline of the Church, desired to cor-
rect this abuse. As the ring and crosier are the
symbols of spiritual power, which cannot be con-
ferred by laymen, he condemned the practice of
investitures, and threatened to excommunicate those
who gave or received the dignities of the Church in
this manner.

The. Emperor disregarded this menace, and, on
persisting in his obstinacy, was excommunicated.
The Pope not only inflicted this spiritual punisli-
ment, but declared Henry to be deprived of the
imperial dignity, and his subjects absolved from
their oath of allegiance. After this sentence of the
Po])e was promulgated, several nobles, dissatisfied
with the government, elevated to the imperial throne

340 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Rudolph, diike of Suabia, who was consecrated at
Metz ten days after his election. This prince raised
an army, and obtained a victory over Henry, but
this first snccess did not continue. Rudolph per-
ished in a second battle, and Henry, finding himself
in a condition to revenge himself on the Pope,
marclied into Italy, deposed Gregory, and placed
Gnibert, archbishop of llavenna, in the papal chair.
Guibert assumed the name of Clement III. This
Pope, Avho lived until the end of that century, caused
great trouble to Gregory VII and his successors.

FOUNDATION OF THE CARTHUSIAN ORDER.
A. D. 1084.

The Church, in the midst of the discords by which
she was agitated, was not without consolation. A
new order of solitaries sprung up, who, by their
examples of sanctity, lives of recollection, mortifi-
cation, and prayer, were a source of great edification
to the faithful, and of honor to religion. St. Bruno,
the founder, was bom in Cologne, of noble parents.
His childhood was marked by an extraordinary piety,
which developed with his years; his progress in
learning was not less wonderful, and he became so
able a theologian that his renown spread far and
wide. He was the rector of studies, and chancellor
in the church of Rheims, but, dreading the dangers
of the world, he formed the resolution of living in
solitude, and consecrating himself to a penitential
life. He communicated his design to several of his
friends, and, by his fervor, inspired them with the
same sentiments. They applied to St. Hugh, bishop

FOUNDATION^ OF THE CARTHUSIAN ORDER. 341

of Grenoble, who led them into a frightful desert in
his diocese, called La Chatreuse, where St. Bruno
and his companions established themselves.

The wonders which formerly excited the admira-
tion of the faithful in the Thebais were renewed in
France. ''These new solitaries resembled angels
more than men," wrote a cotemporary. Another
thus describes their manner of life : " Each one has
his separate cell, and receives one loaf and a small
quantity of vegetables for his nourishment during
the space of one week ; but all assemble on Sunday
and pass this holy day together. They wear a simple
habit, and underneath it a hair shirt; extreme
poverty reigns among them, even in their church ;
with the exception of the chalice, there are no gold
or silver ornaments. They keep perfect silence, and
ask by signs for what they absolutely need. They
are supported by the work of their hands, and are
generally occupied in copying books," which was
the only method of preserving literature in those
times, before the art of printing was discovered.
Their reputation for sanctity spread on every side,
arousing men from their indifference, and inducing
many to join them.

Persons of all ages and every condition hastened
to the desert to embrace the Cross of Jesus Christ,
and monasteries were founded in different countries.
Hardly six years had elapsed since the foundation
of this holy society, when Pope Urban II sum-
moned St. Bruno to Eome to assist him, by his
advice, in ecclesiastical affairs, but the distractions
of the world soon caused him to regret his cherished
29*

342 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

solitude, and he asked permission to return to the
desert. The sovereign Pontiff, in order to retain
him, offered to appoint him archbishop of Rheims,
but the servant of God was only the more de-
termined in his resolve, and finally obtained the
Pope's consent. He went to Calabria with some
companions who became attached to him in Italy,
and founded a new monastery.

St. Bruno passed the remainder of his life in
prayer and penitential exercises. !Peeling his end
approaching, he assembled his community, and made
a profession of faith against the heresy of Berengarius,
in these words : " I believe in the sacraments of the
Church, and particularly that the bread and wine
consecrated on the altar are the true body of Our
Lord Jesus Christ, His true body and true blood,
which we receive for the remission of our sins and
in the hope of eternal salvation." The spirit of the
holy founder was perpetuated by his disciples; his
order, with rare fidelity, did not relax from its first
fervor ; it has subsisted for eight centuries, and has
never required reformation in its rules, discipline
or morals.

FIRST CRUSADE.
A. D. 1095.

Toward the end of the eleventh century the cru-
sades commenced, that is to say, the wars under-
taken to deliver the Holy Land from the Mahometan
yoke. The Emperors of the East, whom the infidels
had deprived of their most beautiful possessions, par-
ticularly of Palestine, supplicated for a long time the

FIRST CRUSADE. 343

assistance of the Latins. In order to obtain succor,
it was necessary to impart a religious motive to their
entreaties. A priest of the diocese of Amiens, called
Peter the Hermit, having made a pilgrimage to Jeru-
salem, was much grieved at beholding the holy
places profaned by the infidels. He conferred with
Simon, patriarch of Jerusalem, and, during their con-
sultations on this subject, conceived the idea of
delivering Palestine from the servitude under which
it had groaned for so long a period. They agreed
that the patriarch should write to the Pope, and that
Peter should endeavor to win his consent to the
project.

Peter went to Italy, and gave a touching descrip-
tion of the deplorable condition of the Holy Land to
the Pope. Urban II was much affected ; he resolved
to persuade the Christian princes to unite their forces
for the deliverance of Palestine; he appointed a
council at Clermont, which was attended by a num-
ber of princes. Urban addressed them in so pathetic
a manner, that the auditors burst into tears, and
exclaimed, "God wills it!" These words, which
were unanimously pronounced as if by inspiration,
seemed a happy augury, and afterward became a
w^atchword. The greater number of those present
enrolled themselves for this expedition, and adopted
as the sign of their engagement and as their insignia,
a cross made of red cloth and worn on the right
shoulder ; this was the origin of the title " Crusader."

The bishops at the same time preached the crusade
in their dioceses, with a success which surpassed all
their hopes. Peter the Hermit traversed the prov-

344 HISTORY OF THE CHUECH.

inces in order to animate the faithful to this great
undertaking. His zeal, disinterested spirit, and
penitential life, gave him the prestige and authority
of a prophet. Preparations were soon made in
France, Italy and Germany; the nobles and com-
mon people all evinced the utmost eagerness to
assume the cross. Great edification was given by
the sudden cessation of enmities and civil wars,
which had hitherto universally prevailed in all the
provinces. Peace and justice seemed to have re-
turned to earth in order to prepare mankind for the
holy crusade. Among the French nobles who ex-
hibited the most distinguished zeal, were Godfrey
of Bouillon, duke of Lorraine, Hugh the Great,
count of Vermandois, Raymond, count of Toulouse,
Robert, count of Normandy, and Robert, count of
Flanders. Heroes like these were capable of conquer-
ing the world, had there been more union among the
commanders, and more discipline among the troops.
Godfrey of Bouillon, who deserves all the honor
of this crusade, united prudence to the ardor of
youth, and the most intrepid courage to the tender-
est piety. Although he was not the highest in rank
among the Crusaders, his army was the best, as his
reputation had attracted to his standard a great
number of youthful nobles, who wished to acquire,
in his excellent service, the science of war. The
Crusaders divided themselves into several bands,
taking different routes to Constantinople, in which
city they had agreed to meet, but large numbers
perished on the way in consequence of their excesses
and insubordination.

EXPEDITIOIT OF THE CRUSADERS. 345

EXPEDITION OF THE CRUSADERS.

Godfrey of Bouillon, who maintained strict dis-
cipline among his troops, was the first to arrive at
Constantinople, and waited there for the rest of the
Crusaders. When they were all assembled they
crossed the Hellespont and besieged Nicsea, the
capital of Bithynia, in order to open a passage to
the Holy Land. This city was strongly garrisoned,
but could not hold out against the besiegers, it
therefore surrendered at discretion. A few days
afterward the Crusaders, who resumed their march,
found themselves surrounded by enemies. A dread-
ful combat took place; the Christians fought like
lions, and the infidels fled, amidst great carnage.
This victory did not remove every obstacle, as the
Christian army was exposed to the hon^ors of famine,
the whole country being devastated by their enemies.
The scarcity of food and the fatigues of the march
carried off great numbers, and destroyed nearly all
the horses.

They finally arrived in Syria and determined to
attack Antioch, which was then one of the strongest
fortified cities of the East. The enemy, who expected
this assault, had provided for a long resistance, and
assembled a large army for its defense. The siege
lasted seven months, and the Crusaders began to
despair of success, \vhen a happy occurrence rendered
them masters of the city. The son of one of the
principal inhabitants of Antioch was taken prisoner,
and the father off'ered a large sum of money for his
ransom. The Crusader who captured the youth

346 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

returned liim without ransom. This generosity
won the heart of the father, and induced him to
admit the Christians into the city. After this suc-
cess, the way was open to them through Palestine,
and the army advanced, without further obstacles,
toward Jerusalem, the great object of the expedi-
tion. The city resisted for a long time, the enemy
having neglected nothing Avhich could assist in its
defense ; but the Crusaders performed prodigies of
valor, and at the end of five weeks stormed the city
at three o'clock on Friday : a remarkable coincidence,
as this was the day and hour in which Jesus Christ
had died on the Cross.

In the first heat of victory, nothing could resist
the soldiers. The infidels were put to the sword,
and the carnage was horrible ; but this outburst of
rage soon changed into the tenderest piety. The
crusaders threw off their blood-stained garments,
and, weeping and barefooted, visited all the holy
places consecrated by the sufferings of the Saviour.
The few Christians who lived in Jerusalem uttered
cries of joy, and returned thanks to God for deliver-
ing them from their oppressors. Eight days after,
the princes and lords assembled to elect a king,
capable of retaining this precious conquest. God-
frey of Bouillon, the most valiant and most virtuous
prince of the whole army, was chosen. He was con-
ducted to the church of the Holy Sepulchre, and
there solemnly proclaimed king. When presented
with a crown of gold, this prince refused to receive it.
" God forbid," said he, " that I should be crowned

MILITARY ORDERS. 347

with gold, iu the place where the King of Kings
was crowned with thorns."

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MILITARY ORDERS.
A. D. 1098.

The crusade gave rise to the establishment of
the military orders, the most ancient of which are
the Hospitallers of St. John, who exist at the
present day, under the name of the Knights of
Malta. The first house of this celebrated order was
in the beginning only a hospital, erected in Jerusa-
lem for the reception of pilgrims who came to visit
the holy places, and for the accommodation of the
sick. It had been founded by Neapolitan merchants,
at the time Jerusalem was still in the hands of the
infidels. The blessed Gerard, a native of Provence,
and a person of great prudence and rare virtue, was
the director of this hospital when the Crusaders
entered the city.

Godfrey of Bouillon, being elected king, protected
this establishment, and bestowed many benefits on
it. Several young gentlemen who had followed him
in his expedition, edified by the charity practiced in
the hospital toward the pilgrims and the sick, vol-
untarily renounced all idea of returning to their
country, and devoted themselves to this good work.
They did not limit themselves, as had been formerly
the case, to the peaceful exercise of charity, but took
up arms against the enemies of their religion. These
brave warriors were inspired with renewed piety and
courage for the sacred cause in which they combat-

348 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

ted. Dreaded by the Mahometans of Jerusalem, on
account of their military prowess — in the hospital
they were the humble ser\itors of the pilgrim. Aus-
tere in their own lives, they were filled with gener-
ous charity toward others ; they ate bread made of
the coarsest flour, reserving the better quality for
the sick. In order to perpetuate this beneficent
institution, they resolved to bind themselves by
solemn vows. The patriarch of Jerusalem approved
of this determination, and they took the three usual
vows of religion in his presence, to which they added
a fourth — the promise to fight against the infidels.
Pope Paschal afterwards sanctioned this order,
and endowed it with many privileges. They thus
formed, at the same time, a religious and military
body, where, without foregoing the rites of hospi-
tality, their especial object was to defend Christians
against the insults and attacks of infidels. This
new order increased rapidly, and accomplished im-
mense good in all the kingdoms of the East. A
great number of the youthful nobility hastened from
all parts of Europe to enlist under its banner. These
brave knights signalized their zeal and courage on a
thousand occasions, and became the strongest sup-
port of the throne of Jerusalem during its brief
existence. After the fall of this kingdom, which
lasted only ninety-six years, they crossed over to the
island of Rhodes, where they sustained the ever
memorable siege against Soliman, the Turkish
Sultan. They afterwards repaired to the island of
Malta, which became the principal house of the
order and the residence of the grand master, to

THE PREMOXSTRANTS. 349

whom the Emperor Charles Y yielded the sover-
eignity of the island, of which they retained posesslon
until it was captured by the French, and ultimately
taken by the English.

INSTITUTION OF THE PREMONSTRANTS.
A. D. 1120.

The Church, which had established in the East a
society of religious heroes, saw with increased joy
several new orders formed in France, destined to
produce another species of good works. St. Norbert
seemed to have been raised up by God, in order to
be a perfect model of virtues to the priesthood, and
to institute the order of canons regular. St. Norbert
was born in the Duchy of Cleves, of a noble family.
Placed at an early age in the Church, he at first did
not appreciate the holiness of his vocation.

He had been the incumbent of several benefices,
the revenues of which were wasted in luxury and
pleasure, but God, who destined him to become a
vessel of election, terrified him as He did St. Paul,
in order to raise him to a higher pinnacle of glor}^
One day when Norbert was riding through a pleas-
ant meadow, a great cloud suddenly gathered, and
a thunder-bolt fell at the feet of his horse, who,
plunging violently, threw him to the ground and
nearly killed him. Norbert remained insensible for
an hour, but, consciousness at length returning, he
cried out like Saul, " Lord, what wilt thou that I
shall do ?" God replied interiorly to him, that he
should lead a life worthy of the state he had embraced.
• 30

350 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

From that time lie was completely changed ; discard-
ing his fine apparel, he robed himself in coarse sack-
cloth, renounced all the church livings he possessed,
sold his patrimony, distributing the proceeds to the
poor, and went barefooted in search of Pope Oalixtus,
who was then holding a council at Eheims. The
Pope received him kindly, and gave him in charge
to the bishop of Laon.

This bishop, at the close of the council, proceeded
to Laon, accompanied by Norbert, and kept him with
him during the winter in order to re-establish his
health, which his austerities had very much weak-
ened. As Norbert frequently avowed a wish to
retire into solitude, the prelate, who wished to retain
him in his diocese, carried him to different places, so
that he might choose a retreat. The Saint was
attracted to a very secluded spot called Premontre,
where he fixed his abode. His eloquent sermons and
his sanctity of life soon gained him a number of
disciples; in a short time forty ecclesiastics and sev-
eral laymen joined him. They all seemed animated
by his penitential spirit, and strove to imitate the
virtues of their master.

Norbert now thought of establishing a rule of life.
After some deliberation he concluded to adopt that
of St. Augustine, to which all his followers con-
sented, and they made a solemn profession, with a
promise of fidelity. The holy founder afterward
proceeded to Rome to petition the sovereign Pontiff
to confirm his order. Pope Honorius granted his
request, and God bestowed His benediction on this
infant institution, which very soon spread over the

ST. NORBERT. 351

whole Christian world. The greatest eagerness was
everywhere manifested to obtain admission into this
holy society. Thebant, connt of Champagne, tonched
by the discourses and virtues of the pious founder,
determined to renounce the world, and offered him-
self and his possessions to Norbert, but the Saint,
who cared less for his personal aggrandizement and
the promotion of the order than for the general
good of the Church, advised him to remain in the
world, where he could advance the interests of relig-
ion, by teaching his vassals to honor and serve God.
The pure origin of the many religious orders of
the Church is well worthy of remark, the austere
life and self-abnegation of those devoting themselves
to this mode of life, prove clearly that they never
solicited donations.

ST. NORBERT IS CREATED BISHOP OF
MAGDEBURG.

God, who had raised St. Korbert to a high degree
of sanctity, destined him for the government of a
great nation and the edification of Germany.
Obliged to visit that country on affairs of import-
ance, Norbert arrived at Spire while the Emperor
Lothaire was holding a council for the election of an
archbishop of Magdeburg. He was invited to preach,
which he did so eloquently that the deputies of the
church of Magdeburg proposed him for the vacant
chair ; and, without giving him time for considera-
tion, seized hold of him, exclaiming, "Here is our
Bishop, here is our Father ! " They presented him

352 HISTORY OF THE CHITRCH.

to the Emperor, who approved of the choice of the
council.

After the confirmation of his election by the legate
of the Pope, who was present, the new archbishop
was conducted to Magdeburg. As soon as Norbert
came in sight of the city of which he was to be the
pastor, he proceeded the remainder of the way bare-
footed. On his entrance into the city, a great con-
course of people eagerly hastened to meet the holy
man ; a universal joy pervaded the city ; he was con-
ducted in procession to the church and from thence
to the Episcopal palace. He was very poorly clad,
and wore nothing which could distinguish him from
the common people ; when he was about to enter the
palace, the porter, who did not know him, mistook
him for a beggar, and roughly repulsed him, saying,
"The other poor people came in long ago — go
away, and do not disturb these lords ! " Tlie crowd
cried out, " Wretch, what are you doing ; it is the
archbishop, your master, whom you reject." The
porter, overwhelmed with shame at his blunder,
endeavored to hide himself, but the archbishop
stopped him and said, smilingly, "Fear not, my
friend, I am not displeased, you appreciate me
better than those who force me to inhabit a palace,
which is entirely unsuited to so poor a man as
myself."

St. Norbert governed his diocese with admirable
wisdom, but endured many and severe trials. The
church of Magdeburg had become very lukewarm
and indiiferent, and he was earnestly desirous of
effectinof an entire reformation. His efforts were

ORDER OF CISTERCIANS. 353

very successful with regard to some, but his pious
zeal exasperated others into bitter enmity. ^' Why,"
said they, " have we called this stranger, whose
morals are so contrary to ours, among us ? " They
loaded him with insults, and tried every means to
lower him in the esteem of the people, and, in their
rage, even threatened his life.

Norbert endured their insults with marvelous
patience, and on one occasion said to his friends:
" Is it sui'prising that the devil attacks me, when he
attempted the destruction of Jesus Christ, our Lord
and King?" His charity, mildness and perse-
verance finally triumphed over all obstacles, and he
terminated his austere and laborious life after having
perfectly fulfilled all the duties of a good pastor.

FOUNDATION OF THE ORDER OF CISTERCIANS.

A. D. 1110.

The order of Cistercians, established about the
same time as that of the Premonstrants, was not less
celebrated and useful to the Church. St. Robert, its
founder, had entered a religious life at the age of
fifteen. With the design of living in perfect soli-
tude, and rigidly practicing the rules of St. Benedict,
he and several companions established themselves
in the forest of Citeaux, fifteen miles from Dijon.
Their abode was in a wild, uncultivated region, the
resort of wild beasts, and altogether repulsive to
nature. For this very reason it appeared to them
tlie most suitable spot for the accomplishment of
their wish to retire from the world and live entirely
30*

354 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

for God. Thoy commenced to cultivate the ground,
and to build small huts in which to dwell. Here
these holy Religious unceasingly immolated their
bodies to God by the exercise of penance, and their
hearts by the fire of charity. They frequently suf-
fered for the want of bread, and, with all their
efforts, they could not procure the common necessa-
ries of life from the barren soil surrounding them.
Nevertheless, they refused all the rich presents
offered them by the duke of Burgundy, so attached
were they to their holy vow of poverty.

Although this new institution was renowned for
its fervor, several years elapsed before it made much
progress ; it was a tree which became firmly j^lanted,
before it spread forth its sheltering branches. God
was pleased to adorn it with all the virtues which
most attract the admiration of men. A young lord
named Bernard embraced the ascetic life, together
with thirty companions whom he had persuaded to
join him, and whom he brought with him to Citeaux,
as precious spoils which he had captured from the
world. Bernard, born in the castle of Fontaine, in
Burgundy, of noble parents, united extreme beauty
of person to the most brilliant mental qualities,
giving promise of a distinguished career in after
life. His prospects for worldly happiness appeared
bright and alluring, but he fonned the generous
determination of sacrificing every thing to God.

His brothers and friends, learning his intention,
used every means to deter him, but he was only the
more firm in his resolution, and, finally, by his holy
zeal and arguments, inspired his most bitter oppo-

ORDER OF CISTERCIANS. 355

nents with the same desire. He was followed to
Citeaux by all his brothers, except the youngest, who
remained with his father to be the solace and com-
fort of his declining years. When about departing,
the eldest, seeing his young brother playing with
some children, said to him : " You will be the sole
heir of our house ; we leave you all our possessions."
"Yes," replied the child, "heavenly treasures are
your portion, and earthly goods are my inheritance ;
the division is not equal." This child remained for
a short time at home, and then, relinquishing his
bright earthly prospects, joined his brothers.

Upon the retirement of Bernard to Citeaux, the
most sublime virtues were exhibited in his holy life ;
he practiced such severe mortifications, that he
seemed to become an entirely spiritual man; he
partook of the necessary food with the greatest
reluctance, and his meals were always an occasion
of penance to him. His spirit of recollection was so
profound, that, after living a whole year in the novici-
ate, he left without knowing the shape of the house ;
he spent the greater part of the night in prayer,
regarding the time given to sleep as so much time
lost. His fervent example animated his companions,
and he derived new strength by recalling to mind
the causes of his conversion, often saying to him-
self, "Bernard, for what purpose didst thou come
hither?" These few words inspired him with cour-
age to fulfill all the duties of a religious life.

356 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

ST. BERNARD IS MADE ABBOT OF CLAIRVAUX.

The reputation of St. Bernard attracted so great a
number of Eeligious to Citeaux, that, in order to
accommodate them all, several abbeys were founded,
among others that of Clairvaux. The place where
it was built was formerly called the valley of Worm-
wood, the surrounding woods having been for a long
time the retreat of robbers ; it now became the abode
of sanctity. Bernard was appointed abbot of this
new house, and removed thither with twelve com-
panions, but the number rapidly increased. The
holy abbot was accustomed to say to those admitted
to the novitiate, " If you desire to enter this door,
leave behind you the body you have brought from
the Avorld, this portal is only opened to the soul."
It must be understood that the rule they observed
was extremely severe. As the monastery was at first
very poor, their only food was barley bread and a
small quantity of soup made of roasted beech leaves.
]N"otwithstanding this meager diet, the holy society
lived in perfect contentment, for the love of penance
seasoned this rude fare.

The only occupation at Clairvaux was prayer and
manual labor, and although the community was very
numerous, the silence of night reigned during the
day. This holy silence so impressed their worldly
visitors, that they dared not hold even the most
innocent conversation while in this holy sanctuary.
Men who had been rich and honored in the world
gloried in the poverty of Jesus Christ, who cheer-
fully suffered the inconveniences of hunger, thirst,
heat and cold, and all kinds of humiliation, as an

ST. BERNARD. 357

example for His followers. The holy abbot was
foremost among them, and practiced much more than
he exacted. He entertained so high an idea of the
religions state at the beginning of his administra-
tion, that he was shocked at the smallest imperfec-
tions unavoidable in this life, desiring his monks to
live not like men, but angels. God, however, un-
deceived him, and he afterward made allowances for
human weakness, leading his Religious to perfection
by different means according to the amount of grace
he recognized in them.

St. Bernard sanctified his whole family ; his broth-
ers were with him, and his father, Tescelin, in his
old age, received the monastic habit at Clairvaux.
One married sister, much attached to the world, was
the only member of the family who had not entered
religion. Experiencing, however, a desire to see her
brother, she repaired to the monastery, superbly-
dressed, and accompanied by a numerous retinue.
The holy abbot refused to see her in all this splendor,
which circumstance filled her with shame and com-
punction. "Although I am a miserable sinner," said
she, "Jesus Christ has died for me. If my brother
detests my body, the servant of God will not despise
my soul. Tell him to come and give me his com-
mands, and I am ready to obey!" St. Bernard
then consented to see her, and she was induced by
his exhortations to renounce the pleasures of the
world. Two years afterward, having obtained the
consent of her husband, she entered the monastery
of JuUy, founded for women, where she died in the
odor of sanctity.

358 HiSTOiir OF the church.

CELEBRITY OF ST. BERNARD.

St. Bernard daily became more celebrated for his
talents and virtues, wliicli were soon rewarded by the
gift of miracles. The first was wrought in favor of
a gentleman, a relative of the holy abbot. This per-
son became ill, and suddenly lost his speech and
consciousness. His family were very much alarmed,
as the sick man had not been considered very just in
his dealings. St. Bernard was sent for. He assured
them that consciousness would return to the sick
man if they would repair the wrongs he had com-
mitted on others. Kestitution was immediately
made, and the holy abbot left him to offer up the
holy sacrifice of the mass. Before the mass was
concluded, the sick man began to speak freely, and
asked for a confessor. He wept while making his con-
fession, received the sacrameat with very holy disposi-
tions, and, three days afterward, died a most saintly
and contrite death.

One day a woman went to see the abbot, carrying
her child, whose hand was withered and the arm com-
pletely twisted. St. Bernard was moved to pity by
the deplorable sight, and told the woman to place the
child on the ground. Then, addressing a fervent
prayer to God, he made the sign of the cross on the
arm of the child, who was instantly cured, and ran
to embrace his happy mother.

The report of his miracles spread abroad, and sick
persons were brought to him from great distances.
The blind, paralytic, and diseased, were healed by
his simple touch, or by his making the sign of

CELEBRITY OF ST. BERNARD. 359

tlie cross over them. The conversions he effected
were not less surprising; no one could resist his
persuasive eloquence, or rather the divine spirit
Avhich breathed forth in all his words. A band
of youthful nobles, devoted to pleasure and amuse-
ment, were curious to see him, especially as they
were passing near his abbey of Clairvaux. The holy
abbot received them very kindly, and, in order to
turn them from their worldly and dangerous pur-
suits, invited them to sojourn with him for a few
days, until the coming of Ash Wednesday, which
was near at hand ; but they declined his hospitality.
"I hope," said he, "that God will grant me that
which you refuse." At the same time, presenting
them with some wine, he told them to drink to the
health of their souls. They laughingly complied,
and shortly afterward took their departure; but
they had scarcely lost sight of the Abbey when,
remembering what St. Bernard had said to them,
they were entirely changed in their feelings, and
returning to Clairvaux, joyfully embraced the relig-
ious life.

The holy reputation of St. Bernard induced many
churches to desire him as their pastor. The arch-
bishoprics of Milan and Rheims, and the bishoprics
of Langres and Chalons, were offered him. He
rejected all those dignities, and the sovereign Pon-
tiff respected his virtues so highly, that he refrained
from forcing any office on him. The humble recluse
only sought seclusion and retirement, devoting him-
self to the instruction of his Religious, and the ser-
vice of God; but the reputation his sanctity and

360 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

mortifications acquired for liim, was often the means
of disturbing his solitude. His advice was applied
for by all the provinces, and he was obliged to assist
in ecclesiastical affairs. He was the solace of the
unhappy, the defender of the oppressed, the scourge
of heretics, the oracle of the sovereign Pontiff, and
the counselor of bishops and kings, — in a word, a
man of the Church, always ready to sustain her
rights, to maintain unity, and to combat error.

8T. BERNARD PREACHES THE SECOND CRUSADE,
HIS DEATH.

A. D. 1146.

St. Bernard was afterward engaged in an affair
which drcAV upon him many reproaches and greatly
tried his patience. The Holy Land was in danger of
falling again into the hands of the infidels, who had
already gained possession of the city of Edessa, and
put the Christians to the sword. The King of Jeru-
salem applied to the "Western princes for help. The
Pope, alarmed at the unhappy condition of Pales-
tine, endeavored to rekindle in Christian hearts
the same enthusiasm Pope Urban had excited
half a century before. He wrote to the King of
France on the subject, exhorting the French nation
to take up arms in defense of the holy faith.

St. Bernard was appointed to preach the crusade.
The King of France had invited him, and the Pope
had written to him, suggesting this course, but the
holy abbot did not comply until he received a formal
command. He then preached, not only in France, but
in Germany, with wonderful success. His sermons

DEATH OF ST. BERNARD. 361

were sustained by miracles, and princes and nobles
rushed forth with such eagerness to assume the cross,
that all Europe seemed hastening to the Holy Land.
Although an immense number of crosses had been
prepared, they were not sufficient for the multitude
who applied for them ; the holy abbot was obliged
to tear up his garments to supply the demand.
King Louis set the example to his subjects by assum-
ing the cross, and he prepared to march in person at
the head of his army.

The Emperor Conrad, of Germany, who also joined
this expedition, led the van, and started on the
festival of the Ascension in the year 1147. This
army was composed of seventy thousand armed
knights, without counting the light infantry and
cavalry. The army of the French King, which com-
menced its march fifteen days after that of the
Emperor, was not less considerable, but nearly all
perished through the want of a proper military dis-
cipline. When the German army, with the remnant
of the French, at-rived in the Eastern empire, they
committed so many depredations, that the indigna-
tion of Manuel Comnenus, Emperor of Constanti-
nople, was aroused. This prince, who feared for the
safety of his dominions, determined upon the ruin
of the Crusaders, and gave them infidel guides, who
led them into the deserts of Asia Minor, where they
fell into the hands of their enemies. It was with
the greatest difficulty that Louis and Conrad crossed
into Syria with the remainder of their armies.
They attacked the city of Damascus, but were obliged
to abandon the siege and return to Europe.

36^ HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Thus terminated this unfortunate expedition, in
which two of the finest armies the world ever saw,
utterly perished. The shame and regret this terrible
loss occasioned, induced the people to break out into
reproaches against St. Bernard who had preached
the crusade, and who had prophesied a great suc-
cess ; but he defended himself by saying that the
Crusaders had merited the wrath of God by their
disorders, and thus prevented the fulfillment of His
promises to them, in the same way as the Israelites
in the desert had been excluded from the promised
land on account of their sins. Debilitated by hard-
ships and austerities, he did not long survive this
ungrateful return for his pious exertions. St.
Bernard is regarded as the last of the Fathers of the
Church. His eminent virtues and extraordinary
talent render any eulogy unnecessary.

FOUNDATION OF THE ORDER OF THE TRINI-
TARIANS.

A. D. 1166.

Shortly after the death of St. Bernard, France pro-
duced a new institution, which was very useful to
the Church, and reflected much glory on religion.
During the crusadas a great number of Christians
had been captured by the infidels ; they languished
in irons, exposed to the danger of losing the faith,
when a holy priest was inspired by God to under-
take their deliverance. John de Matha was born in
Provence, of virtuous parents ; he received a Chris-
tian education, and was strenghened by divine grace

ORDER OF THE TRIN^ITARIAKS. 363

in his pious disposition. Study and prayer were the
ordinary occupations of his childhood; his only
recreation consisted in reading works of piety ; from
his youth he chastised his body by fasts and other
mortifications, and distributed all the money his
parents gave him, in alms to the poor. After com-
pleting his studies, he retired for some time to a
nsighboring hermitage, in order to live in uninter-
rupted communion with Grod. Finding himself dis-
turbed by the visits of his family, he Avent to Paris,
whsre he passed through a course of theology, and
attained the rank of Doctor in the Church.

Maurice de Sully, bishop of Paris, hearing of his
learning and piety, ordamed him priest. While cele-
brating his first mass, he became aware of the designs
of Grod in his regard, and he immediately prepared
to follow his vocation by retirement and penitential
exercises. Having heard of a recluse, nam ^.d Felix
of Valois, who lived in the diocese of Meaux, in a
place called Oerfroi, ho went to see him, and in-
formed him of his intention. They formed together
the plan of a religious society, whose object would
be the deliverance of captives, and they proceeded to
Rome, where they explained their project to Pope
Innocent III, who approved of it in a bull, and
raised it to a religious order under the name of the
Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives. Re-
turning to France, they founded the first monastery
of the order, on the site of the hermitage of Felix
of Valois. Their mode of life was so holy, the
object of the institution so noble, and their efforts

364 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

SO laudable, that they soon won the esteem and
veneration of the faithful.

The number of those who asked for admission
into the community daily increased. The saintly
founder was obliged to build several monasteries,
and voluntary contributions poured in. He then
began the special work of charity to which he had
devoted himself, and sent two of his Religious to
Africa, who were the first to redeem from the hands
of the infidel one hundred and eighty-six Christian
slaves. John made several voyages to Spain and
Barbary, where he procured the liberty Of one hun-
dred and twenty captives. He endured the greatest
hardships in his diflfbrent journeys, and encountered
dangers of every kind, but nothing could daunt his
burning zeal. During all these journeys, hardships
and trials, he did not lessen his austerities. Peeling
his strength diminish, he retired to Rome, where
he passed the two last years of his life in visiting
prisoners, nursing the sick, and solacing the poor.
It is only in the Christian religion that we find such
noble examples of generous charity, sacrificing repose,
health and life itself, for the happiness of others.

Natural sensibility and human benevolence can
effect some little good, but are incapable of that
heroism which dreads neither danger, labor, nor
death. In order to acquire and perpetuate this
spirit of self-abnegation, it is necessary to be actuated
by higher motives and more powerful reasons.

MARTYRDOM OF ST. THOMAS. 365

MARTYRDOM OF ST. THOMAS OF CANTERBURY.
A. D. 1170.

The Church, which St. John de Matha honored
in France, was glorified in England by the courage
and martyrdom of St. Thomas of Canterbury. Born
in London in 1117, he evinced from his infancy the
most excellent dispositions. He attained the dignity
of Chancellor of England, and was a great favorite
of King Henry 11. The See of Canterbury being
vacant, the king wished to bestow this office on
Thomas, who refused it, and told the monarch that
if he became archbishop, he would undoubtedly
incur his displeasure, as he would consider it his
bounden duty to reform certain abuses which dis-
graced England. Henry disregarded these representa-
tions, and the Chapter of Canterbury elected Thomas
archbishop. The prediction of the holy prelate was
verified. The king appropriated to his own use the
revenues of vacant benefices, and purposely delayed
appointing new incumbents. Thomas energetically
opposed this shameful abuse ; he also objected to a
practice of the civil judges of summoning the clergy
before their tribunals, without regarding the higher
power of the church in England. He courageously
condemned the nobles and officers who oppressed the
Church and usurped ecclesiastical possessions.

Henry was much incensed, and commanded the
bishops to take an oath tj maintain all the royal
customs. The lioly archbishop understood, that
under the title of "customs," the prince meant the
abuses of which we have spoken ; he accordingly
refused to take the oath. From that time the arch-
31*

366 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

bishop was persecuted to such a degree that his life
was endangered, and he was obliged to cross over to
France. Arriving on the coast, he dispatched two
of his companions to Louis VII, asking for an Asy-
lum in his dominions. On relating all that their
master had suffered, Louis said to them, with great
kindness, " Has the King of England forgotten these
words, * be angry and sin not ? ' '' " Sire,'' replied
one of the deputies, " he would perhaps have remem-
bered it, if he had assisted at the divine office as
often as your majesty." The king smiled, and prom-
ised his protection to the archbishop, saying, " it is
in keeping with the ancient dignity of the crown of
France, that the unjustly persecuted, and especially
ministers of the Church, shall find safety and assist-
ance in our kingdom." He afterward endeavored,
in concert with the Pope, to bring about a recon-
ciliation between the archbishop and Henry.

Thinking that all his difficulties were ended,
Thomas returned to England; but three months
had not elapsed before he again incurred the king's
displeasure, who said, in a fit of passion : " What ! is
there no one who will rid me of a priest Avho disturbs
my whole kingdom ?" These words were equivalent
to a sentence of death against the holy prelate.
Four of the king's officers formed a horrible plot
for the destruction of the archbishop ; they repaired
secretly to Canterbury, and assassinated him while
he was officiating at the altar. Henry was filled
with dismay when he heard of this murder, and
swore that he had not commanded it. He remained
three days, locked in his chamber, scarcely partaking

THE THIRD CRUSADE. 367

of any food, and refusing all consolation ; and he
consented to perform any penance that might be
imposed on him. God soon manifested the sanctity
of his servant by the number of miracles wrought
at his tomb, and by the terrible punishments he
inflicted on Henry, until this prince appeased the
Divine wrath by a most sincere repentance.

THE THIRD CRUSADE.

A. D. 1191.

Henry II, king of England, in order to atone for
his sins, resolved to go in person to the Holy Land,
to the assistance of the suffering Christians. Syria
was at this time in the most unhappy condition.
Saladin, Sultan of Egypt, had invaded it at the
head of an army of fifty thousand men, and had
gained a great victory over the Christians, in which
he captured Guy of Lusignan, king of Jerusalem,
Renard of Chatillon,the grand master of the Hospi-
tallers, and many other distinguished nobles. But
the most important loss was that of the Holy Cross,
which had been carried to the field of battle, and
which fell into the sacrilegious hands of the infidels.
After this defeat of the Christian army, nothing
could arrest the progress of Saladin, nearly all the
cities voluntarily opening their gates to him. He
besieged the city of Jerusalem, and entered it in
ti-iumph; thus this holy city fell again under the
Mahometan yoke, eighty years after it had been cap-
tured from them by the Christians.

368 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

^^.Three important places, Antioch, Tyre and Trip-
^oli, were all that remained to them. The intelli-
gence of this disaster spread universal consternation
throughout the West, and Pope Urban III died of
grief. The kings of France and England, who were
then at variance, were so much afflicted that they for-
got their private quarrels, in order to fight against
the infidel. Henry II died before the accomplish-
menlt of his vow, and his son Richard, he who
afterward became so distinguished for undaunted
courage as to receive the title of " Coeur de Lion,"
(Lion-heart) took up the cross with Philip Augustus,
king of France. In order to defray the expenses of
this crusade, a tax, called the " Saladin tithe," was
imposed- on all ecclesiastical property, as it was the
tenth part of the property, and was destined to carry
on the war against Saladin.

The two kings embarked with their respective
armies. Philip Augustus arrived first in Palestine,
and joined the Christians who were besieging the city
of Acre. This most welcome re-enforcement placed
the assailants in a position to renew the siege, but
Philip, out of deference to the king of England,
waited for his arrival, in order to share with him the
honor of taking the city, which finally surrendered at
discretion ; the principal article of the treaty being a
demand for the restoration of the Holy Cross. There
was every reason to hope that this first success would
be followed by other conquests, but his ill health and
the dissatisfaction of the king of England, determ-
ined Philip to return to France. Nevertheless, for
fear of being accused of deserting his ally, he left

THE FOURTH CRUSADE. 369

Richard ten thousand infantry and five Imndred
knights, with money sufficient to maintain them lor
three years.

Richard remained in Palestine with a splendid
army, animated with zeal, and desirous of accom-
plishing a great enterprise ; he gained a victory over
Saladin, and, if he had marched directly upon Jerusa-
lem, would have easily captured the city; but he
did not profit by his advantage, and gave the enemy
time to re-enforce it. Being subsequently obliged to
abandon the projected siege, he departed for Europe,
after concluding a three years' truce with Saladin.
The only fruit of the third crusade Avas the taking
of the city of Acre, which became the refuge of the
Christians of the East ; here they waited patiently,
but in vain, for an opportunity of re-establishing the
kingdom of Jerusalem.

THE FOURTH CRUSADE.
A. D. 1195.

The slight success of the third crusade did not
prevent its being followed by a fourth, a few years
after the return of Philip Augustus, but this prince
took no part in the undertaking. The new expedi-
tion was set on foot by some French and Italian
lords, commanded by the Marquis of Montferrat, and
by Baldwin, count of Flanders. They agreed to
assemble at Venice, and that republic promised to
furnish the vessels necessary for the transportation
ef the Crusaders to the Holy Land. The Venetians,
faithful to their engagement, soon collected a suflS-

370 HISTORY OF THE CHUKCH.

cient number of ships, and nobly offered their assist-
ance in a war which concerned the faith; they
equipped at their own expense fifty galleys for the
accommodation of five hundred Venetian nobles,
who enlisted in the crusade. They were waiting for
favorable weather to set out, when the young Alexis,
son of the Emperor of Constantinople, came to
implore their aid for his father, whom a usurper had
dethroned and imprisoned after putting out his eyes.
He promised to re-establish union between the Greeks
and Latins, to furnish one hundred thousand silver
marks, and provisions for a year, to facilitate the
conquest of the Holy Land, and to provide, during
his life, for knights wounded in its defense.

These propositions appeared so advantageous that
it was thought unwise to refuse them, although, by
carrying the war into Turkey, they would deviate
from the route first proposed. Thus, instead of pro-
ceeding to Palestine, they embarked for Constanti-
nople, and in three days the Crusaders were masters
of the city. The usurper fled, and the young Alexis
was crowned Emperor. This unfortunate prince was
shortly afterward strangled by one of his officers,
who placed himself on the throne. In this crisis,
the Crusaders held a council to determine on their
course of action ; they considered themselves author-
ized to avenge the death of the prince whom they
had protected, and, once more besieging Constanti-
nople, they carried it by storm.

The authority of the commanders could not
restrain the soldiery, who committed the greatest
excesses, plundering and devastating the whole city.

THE MIXOR BROTHERS. 371

Having entire possession of Constantinople, the Cru-
saders resolved to elect one of their number Emp^^ror.
The choice fell on BaldAvin, count of Flanders, whose
many virtues won the admiration of the Greeks
themselves. This prince was solemnly crowned in
the church of St. Sophia, and from that time assumed
the title and insignia of the Eastern Emperors. The
nobles then divided most of the European provinces
among themselves, and were so occupied in main-
taining their possessions as completely to abandon
the expedition for the deliverance of the Holy Land,
to which they had pledged themselves. Thus
commenced the Latin empire in Constantinople, but
it was not of long duration. At the expiration of
fifty-seven years the Greeks succeeded in placing on
the imperial throne Michael Paleologus, a descendant
of their former emperors.

The conquest of the Latins, far from facilitating
the re-union of the Greeks to the Roman Church,
completed their separation. The excesses committed
at the taking of Constantinople inspired them with
a violent hatred against the Latins, and it was at
this period that the entire rupture and schism of the
Greek Church was consummated.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MINOR
BROTHERS.

A. D. 1204.

The establishment of two celebrated orders soon
after the fourth crusade, is a more interesting object to
the eye of faith, than the conquest of an empire. Fran-

372 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

cis, a native of Assisi, a small town in Italy, founded
the first of these orders, and gave to his disciples the
name of " Minor Brothers." His fathoi', who was a
merchant, destined him for the same business, and
did not devote much time to his education. Although
the youthful Francis showed more taste for the vain
amusements of the world than for the exercises of
piety, he manifested from his earliest years a tender
compassion for the poor, and always assisted them
to the utmost of his ability. On one occasion, how-
ever, he refused to bestow his accustomed charity,
but he experienced such deep remorse, that hence-
forth he determined to give to all who asked for
succor in the name of God.

During a dangerous illness, he resolved to renounce
the world and devote himself to the service of God.
Shortly afterward, encountering a ragged beggar, he
took off a new garment and gave it to the poor man.
One day, when on a journey, he found on the road-
side so disgusting a leper, that he was at first filled
with horror ; but, remembering that to serve Jesus
Christ we must conquer ourselves, he descended
from his horse, kissed the leper, and bestowed alms
on him. With such dispositions, progress in virtue
was very rapid, and Francis became a changed man.
He sought the greatest retirement, and meditated
continually on the passion of Jesus Christ.

The secluded life of Francis displeased his father,
who often ill treated him, and finally disinherited
him. Francis never considered himself so rich, as
at the moment when he had lost all earthly riches.
He endured all these trials with the most angelic

THE MIXOR BROTHERS. 373

patience. " Deserted by my earthly father," said he,
" I shall the more confidently adhere to my Father in
Heaven ! " He took up his abode near a small church
called the " Portiuncula," or " Our Lady of the
Angels," and devoted himself to nursing lepers, and
practicing the most mortifying works of mercy and
humility. Having heard one day those words which
our Saviour addressed to His disciples, " Possess not
gold nor silver, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff,"
" Behold," he joyfully exclaimed, " this is what I seek
and desire with my whole heart !" He immediately
took off his shoes, threw away his staff; never pos-
sessed money, and wore only a simple garment, which
he fastened with a rope around his waist, thus fol-
lowing to the letter the divine precept.

From that time he commenced to preach penance,
in simple but solid discourses, which made the
deepest impression on his hearers. He soon attracted
a number of disciples, who imitated his mortified
life, zealously announcing the word of God, exhort-
ing all whom they encountered to the fear and love
of the Saviour, and a strict observance of His com-
mandments. Some listened with attention, but the
greater number were shocked at their extraordinary
appearance, coarse habit, and the austerity and sin-
gularity of their mode of life. They were interro-
gated as to their country and profession, and were
frequently refused hospitality, as though they were
criminals, and they wore often obliged to pass the
night without other shelter than the portico of a
church. They were often grossly insulted, men,
women and children jeering and scoffing at them as
3^

374 HISTOEY OF THE CHURCH.

they passed through the streets, and throwing mud
and stones at the humble servants of God, who
patiently endured these affronts while exercising
their evangelical functions.

Finally, through their self-abnegation and super-
natural patience, they succeeded in overcoming all
prejudice, and everywhere won public veneration and
respect.

THE ORDER OF ST. FRANCIS CONFIRMED. HIS
APOSTOLIC LABORS.

St. Francis, seeing the number of his disciples daily
increasing, obliged them to practice the evangelical
counsels, adding only a few especial rules in order
to preserve uniformity in their mode of life. He
went to Kome and submitted his rule to Innocent
III, who approved of his discipline. On his return,
the servant of God conducted his little community
to the church of Our Lady of the Angels, which was
given him by the Benedictines, to whom it belonged,
and there he founded the first house of the order.

He endeavored to qualify his followers for the
worthy exercise of the apostolic functions, encourag-
ing them in the path of perfection, and instructing
them how to gain souls to Jesus Christ ; especially
exhorting them to a strict adherence to the faith of
the Roman Church. After speaking to them of the
kingdom of God, of contempt for the world, the re-
nunciation of their own will and the mortification of
the body, he added : " Do not repine, because we appear
despicable ; place your confidence in God who has
overcome the world. You will encounter unfeeling

ST. FRANCIS. 375

men, wlio will insult you ; learn to suffer, with patience
and humility, every species of opprobrium and igno-
miny." He then sent them to different countries,
reserving for himself the mission to Syria and Egypt,
in the hope of meeting with martyrdom among those
people. He embarked with one companion, and landed
at Damietta, where the Sultan Meledin resided.

This monarch ordered him to appear before him,
and asked him who had sent him to his dominions.
" Almighty God has sent me," boldly replied Francis,
" to point out the way to heaven to you and your
subjects." This courageous answer astonished the
Sultan, who invited him to remain with him. " Most
willingly," said Francis, "if you and your people will
consent to embrace Christianity. In order that you
may not hesitate to renounce the law of Mahomet,
and receive that of Jesus Christ, kindle a large fire,
and I, together with your priests, will throw our-
selves into the flames, so as to show you which is
the true religion." " I doubt very much," said the
Sultan, "whether any of our priests would submit to
this trial, and, moreover, it might create a dis-
turbance." The Sultan was so charmed with the
discourses of Francis that he offered him rich
presents, which the holy man would not accept.
This generous refusal rendered him still more
estimable in the eyes of Meledin, who dismissed
him with these words : " Pray for me, Father, that
God may reveal to me the true faith, and give me
the courage to embrace it."

On his return from Egypt, Francis convened a
general chapter at Assisi. He found that his order

376 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

had increased to the number of five thousand
Religious. As some of the members urged him to
obtain from the Pope the privilege of preaching
everywhere, without being obliged to ask permission
of the bishops of the dioceses, he indignantly replied,
" What, my brethren, do you not know the will of
God ? He wishes us at first to gain the approbation
of superiors, by humility and respect, and then to
win those who are subject to them by our discourses
and good example. When the bishops see that you
strive to lead an exemplary life, and have no desire
to interfere with their authority, they will solicit
you themselves to labor for the salvation of the souls
under their charge. Our especial privilege should
be, the absence of all privileges.'* When St. Francis
felt his end approaching, he redoubled his penances
and austerities ; on the day of his death he read the
passion of our Saviour, and commencing to recite the
one hundred and forty-first Psalm, expired while
littering these words, '' The just wait for me, until
thou reward me."

CONGREGATION OF THE PREACHING FRIARS.
A. D. 1216.

The second order, which sprung up at that time,
was founded by St. Dominic. Descended from an
illustrious Spanish family, St. Dominic from his
earliest years was animated with a great desire to
labor for the salvation of souls, and particularly for the
conversion of those who were plunged into the dark-
ness of error. He soon found an opportunity to

THE PREACHING FRIARS. 377

exercise liis zeal ; lie was canon-regular of the Church
of Osnia, when Diego, the bishop, was appointed by
Innocent III to instruct and reclaim to the true faith
the Albigenses, whose errors infected the city of Albi
and its vicinity. Dominic accompanied his bishop
in this Apostolic mission, and ardently applied him-
self to the conversion of these heretics.

The name of Albigenses had been given to differ-
ent sectarians, who, although divided in sentiments,
agreed among themselves to reject the authority of
the Church, abolish the sacraments, and, in short,
destroy the whole ancient discipline. These fanatics
ravaged and desolated the whole country, and some-
times bands of thousands of men attacked and
plundered cities and villages, massacred the priests,
desecrated the churches and destroyed the sacred
vessels. The missionaries were aware of the dangers
and difficulties of their enterprise, but were not in
the least daunted by them, being ready to sacrifice
their lives in a holy cause. God delivered them
several times from imminent danger. Two assassins
waited in a street through which Dominic was to
pass, intending to kill him, but he escaped from
their hands; on being asked what he would have
done had they attacked him, " I would have thanked
G od," he replied, " and would have prayed him to let
my blood flow, drop by drop, and my limbs be torn
one from another, so as to have prolonged my suf-
ferings, and thus enrich my heavenly crown." This
sublime answer made a deep impression on his
enemies.

32*

378 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

The holy missionaries held several conferences
with the heretics, all of which terminated in the
triumph of faith over error. Not a day passed with-
out extraordinary conversions taking place; this
only exasperated the Albigenses ; and, as these sec-
tarians were supported by Raymond, count of Toul-
ouse, they committed the greatest cruelties. Violent
remedies were necessary to check these proceedings,
and a new crusade was set on foot against these
heretics, as much because they disturbed the public
tranquillity, as for their eiTors. Simon, count of
Montfort, had command of the army raised against
the Albigenses. This noble carried on a vigorous
war against them, and, if we find in the course of his
exploits traces of excessive severity, it must be
remembered that he was endeavoring to deliver
poor desolated provinces from inhuman wretches
who were guilty of every crime.

St. Dominic did not participate in this military
expedition; mildness and patience were his only
weapons. When he beheld the army of Crusaders
approaching, he used every effort to arrest the pun-
ishment which threatened these obstinate people;
and, finding among the Crusaders some who had
enlisted only for the sake of booty, and who aban-
doned themselves to every excess, he undertook their
reformation, and labored as zealously for their con-
version as for the reclaiming of the Albigenses.

ST. DOMINIC. 379

ST. DOMINIC OBTAINS THE CONFIRMATION OP
HIS ORDER.

A. D. 1216.

The Crusade imdertaken against the Albigenses,
was not the only and best means of re-establishing
and maintaining the faith in Languedoc, as God
wished to effect good by persuasion, more than by
terror. He inspired St. Dominic, therefore, with the
design of founding an order of Apostolic men, who,
in sanctifying themselves by a religious life, would
labor successfully, through their preaching, to spread
the light of faith, and effect the conversion of the
wicked. With this view he received several com-
panions, who consented to live together according
to a plan he drew up for their guidance. Foulques,
the bishop of Toulouse, highly approved of this pro-
ject, and facilitated its extension with all his author-
ity. He took Dominic to Kome, in order to obtain
the approbation of the sovereign pontiff. After a
few objections, which Avere soon answered, the Pope
approved of this new institution, and affixed his offi-
cial seal to its constitution and rules. Bishop Foul-
ques gave St. Dominic and his followers their first
church, founded in honor of St. Romain, in the city
of Toulouse. A pious emulation was manifested by
the citizens, in contributing toward their permanent
establishment.

This laudable generosity soon spread throughout
the whole province, and foundations of this order
were rapidly erected at Montpellier, Bayonne, Lyons
and several other cities. The high reputation of

380 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

these new Religious, known under the name of
"Preaching Friars," attracted men of the liighest
order of intellect and virtue to their community.
The holy founder sent several of his disciples to
difiFerent countries to preach penance, and to defend
the purity of the faith against heretics. Seven pro-
ceeded to Paris, to whom the University and a pious
Doctor, named John, dean of St. Quentin, gave the
house of St. Jacques, from which they took the
name of Jacobins. This little community increased
so rapidly, that St. Dominic found there thirty
Religious, when he visited Paris in 1219.

The holy founder was much rejoiced to see the
work of God prospering, and prayed the more fer-
vently for the conversion of heretics and sinners.
Nothing would have gratified him more than to
have had the opportunity of announcing the Gospel
to heathen nations, and to shed his blood for Jesus
Christ, if the will of God had not detained him
among his brethren. It was owing to these senti-
ments that he made preaching the primary object of
his order, and he desired all his Religious to pay
particular attention to this branch of their studies.
The importance of this sublime function caused him
to use the utmost care in preparing his disciples for
missions, exhorting them to the practice of every
virtue. He taught them to preach extemporane-
ously, and inspired them with an ardent love for
their neighbor. One day, after preaching, he was
asked from what book he had studied his discourse ?
" The book which I use," he replied, " is the book of
charity."

ST. LOUIS, KING OF FRANCE. 381

He predicted the hour of his death long before
it occurred. Toward the end of July, he said to
several of his friends : " You perceive that I am at
present in good health, nevertheless I shall leave
this world before the feast of the Assumption." He
was seized with a violent fever, and, after exhorting
his Religious to edify their neighbors, and honor
their state of life by the practice of virtue, he calmly
expired on a bed of ashes, upon which he had caused
himself to be laid. If the important services ren-
dered by religious orders were properly appreciated,
and their efforts for the conversion and instruction of
the world recognized, as well as the great assistance
they have been to pastors in the exercise of the holy
ministry, it would be impossible to deny that these
establishments have produced men, alike honorable
to the Church, and to the State.

BIRTH AND liDUCATION OF ST. LOUIS, KING
OF FRANCE.

A. D. 1213.

God crowned the signal favors He had bestowed
on this period, so fruitful in saints, by the birtli of a
great prince, who sanctified the throne by his virtues,
and honored it by his rare qualities. Louis IX was
not twelve years of age when his father died; he
was educated under the guardianship of his mother,
Blanche of Castile, who governed the kingdom of
France, as regent, during the minority of her son.
This princess inculcated a love of virtue and piety
in the mind and heart of her infant son ; she often
repeated these beautiful words, so worthy of a Chris-

382 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

tian mother : "Mj son, although I love you tenderly
I would rather see you deprived of the throne, and
of life itself, than stained by one mortal sin." The
young Louis listened attentively to the wise counsels
of his mother, which were never obliterated from his
mind.

Blanche did not undertake the entire education
of the youthful king, but procured men of great
learning and wisdom to assist in forming his charac-
ter, which subsequently developed the noble quali-
ties of a hero, and the virtues of a saint. They
taught him the holiness and grandeur of Christian-
ity, and how infinitely superior were the precepts of
Jesus Christ to the false maxims of a deceitful world.
The natural disposition of the prince seconded the
efforts of his instructors, and his rapid progress in
all the branches of a royal education repaid all their
care. He manifested during his whole life an extra-
ordinary veneration for the holy sacrament of Bap-
tism, by evincing a marked attachment for the place
where the saving waters of regeneration had been
poured upon his infant head ; he frequently signed
himself Louis of Poissy, thus signifying his prefer-
ence for the glorious title of Christian, to that of
king of France.

He was anointed king at Rheims, on the first Sun-
day of Advent, 1226. This consecration was not
looked upon by the prince as a simple ceremony, but
regarded as a solemn engagement on his part to
promote the happiness and welfare of his people.
He prepared himself for it by exercises of piety,
supplicating the Lord to diffuse in his soul the holy

ST LOUIS, KING OF FRAJ^CE. 383

unction of grace. He appeared deeply impressed
with the words of the Psalm which is chanted at
the beginning of the office, and applied them to
himself: "To Thee, Lord, I have lifted up my
soul ; in Thee, God, I have put my trust." The
mind of Louis was not neglected; he was taught
the art of government and the science of war ; he
studied history, which has always been regarded the
text-book of princes ; in short, nothing which could
contribute toward the formation of kingly virtues
was neglected in his education. He was sufficiently
acquainted with Latin to understand the writings
of the Fathers which he was accustomed to read
daily in order to sanctify his other studies.

When the young king commenced to govern alone,
he assiduously applied himself to the exact and faith-
ful accomplishment of the high duties of his re-
sponsible office. Surrounded by magnificence and
splendor, he was never extravagant in his habits, but
preferred simplicity in every thing ; his apparel, his
table, his court, all announced a prince opposed to
luxury and ostentation. After devoting the greater
part of his time to affairs of state, he would enter
into conversation with some pious person ; he every
day consecrated several hours to religious exercises,
and when some wordly-minded courtier once remon-
strated with him on this practice, he mildly an-
swered : " My love for prayer is looked upon as
blamoable, while nothing would be said if the time I
give to God was employed in gambling, hunting and
other dissipations."

384 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

ST. LOUIS OBTAINS THE CROWN OF THORNS FOR
FRANCE.

A. D. 1239.

Shortly after St. Louis assumed the reins of goY-
ernment he fomid an opportunity to testify his piety
and profound respect for religion. Baldwin III,
Emperor of Constantinople, went to France to ask
for assistance in sustaining his throne. This empire
had never been firmly established since its conquest,
and was at this period strongly assailed by the Greeks,
who hoped to overthrow the Latin rule. Baldwin,
loaded with favors by the holy king, showed his
gratitude by offering him the crown of thorns worn
by our Saviour on the cross. This crown had been
preserved from time immemorial in the chapel of the
palace of the Emperors of the Eastern empire. The
religious prince was transported with joy at this
proposal, and sent deputies to Constantinople, to
whom the Emperor gave letters commanding that
this sacred relic should be placed in their hands.

On arriving at Constantinople, the deputies found
that the Venetians, who had lent a considerable sum
of money to the people of Constantinople, had de-
manded the holy crown as a pledge of repayment. It
was necessary to cancel the debt before the deputies
could obtain possession of the sacred relic. On be-
ing informed of this difficulty, Louis furnished the
requisite sum, and the sacred crown was brought to
France, secured with the seals of the empire, and the
Republic of Venice. When the king learned that
the ship carrying the precious freight was approach-
ing the coast of Sens, he advanced to meet it as far

THE CROWN OF THORNS. 385

as the town of Villeneiive, accompanied by his court
and a procession of priests. On beholding the holy
crown, he burst into tears, and every one present tes-
tified the deepest emotion ; then the king and his
brother Kobert took charge of the case in which it
was placed, and carried it to Sens, marching barefoot
in the midst of an immense concourse of people, to
the church of St. Stephen in that city. The pious
king received it with the greatest splendor in Paris,
and placed it in his palace.

Some years after, several other relics were sent to
Louis from Constantinople, including a large piece
of the true cross, the lance which pierced the side of
our Lord, and the sponge which was presented to
Him saturated with vinegar and gall. Louis caused
them to be inclosed in silver shrines enriched with
jewels ; he built a chapel for their reception on the
site of the old Oratory, and appointed canons who
should there celebrate the divine office. The dedica-
tion of the Holy Chapel was celebrated with great
solemnity, the king frequently repaired to this holy
place, and sometimes passed whole nights within its
sacred precincts ; but these religious exercises never
encroached upon the time he owed to the duties of
his position. Louis was convinced that the piety
which prevented the accomplishment of duty is con-
trary to the precepts of religion. The attention he
paid to every branch of government is attested by
the monuments which still exist, and prove that the
care of his kingdom was his principal occupation.
France owes to St Louis some of her noblest estab-
lishments and her wisest laws,
33

386 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

FIRST CRUSADE OF ST. LOUIS.
A. D. 1248.

A dangerous illness wliich attacked St. Louis was
the cause of the first crusade he undertook for the
recovery of the Holy Land. He was seized with a
violent dysentery, which reduced him to the lowest
extremity, and at one time his attendants thought
life had fled. His people, overwhelmed with sorrow
at their approaching loss, addressed fervent suppli-
cations to God, praying Him to spare their king and
father. The piece of the Holy Cross and the other
valuable relics brought from Constantinople were
applied to the dying prince, and he immediately
recovered consciousness. The first word he uttered,
was to call for the bishop of Paris and ask him for
the Cross, as he wished to go to the relief of the
Holy Land. The prelate made many objections, but
the king insisted with such heartfelt earnestness,
that the bishop finally acceded to his request. On
receiving the sacred relic, he kissed it with great
veneration, and said that he had been cured through
its supernatural qualities. When he first appeared
in public he was much affected at the joy testified
by his subjects on his happy and miraculous restora-
tion to health.

He prepared himself by the performance of all
kinds of good works for the accomplishment of his
vow. A great number of his friends received the
Cross, and their example was followed by the nobility
and common people. The king set sail with the
intention of carrying the war into Egypt, and thus

FIRST CRUSADE OF ST. LOUIS. 387

attack, in his own country, the Sultan who had sub-
jugated the Holy Land. The fleet arrived safely at
the island of Cyprus, whither the king had previously
sent stores of provisions. War was then declared
against the Sultan of Egypt in the event of his
refusing to restore to the Christians the places
sanctified by the Passion of Our Lord, and of which
the infidels had obtained possession. The haughty
Mussulman refused to yield them, and made prepara-
tions for the defense of Egypt. The fleet of the
Crusaders therefore sailed from the island of Cyprus
and arrived in sight of Damietta, one of the strongest
fortified cities in Egypt. The enemy guarded the
coast to prevent the Christians from landing. Then
the king appeared on the deck of his ship and his
nobles gathered round him. " My friends," said he,
" this voyage has been directed by a special provi-
dence; we cannot doubt but that God has some
great object in view ; we will be invincible, if we are
united, but whatever the issue, it will be for our
advantage. If we die, we shall obtain the immortal
crown of martyrdom ; if we are victorious, God will
be glorified. Let us combat for Him, and He will
secure our triumph. Do not think of any danger
to which I may be exposed, for I am but a mortal,
whose frail threads of life are in the hands of God."
These touching words, and the intrepid courage of
the king, inspired the Crusaders with renewed ardor,
and they boldly advanced toward the shore. The
legate, who was in the same ship with the king, held
the Cross aloft, in order to animate the soldiers by
the sight of this sacred symbol. A small boat led

388 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

the way, carrying the oriflamme, the standard bomo
by the French kings in battle. As the water was
too shallow to allow a nearer approach of the yessels
Louis jumped into the sea, sword in hand, and was
immediately followed by the whole army. The
enemy let loose a shower of arrows upon the ad-
vancing host, but could not resist the impetuous
attack of the French, and fled in great disorder.

The inhabitants and governor of Damietta aban-
doned the place, and St. Louis entered the city with-
out opposition; not, however, with the pomp and
splendor of a conqueror, but with the humility of a
truly Christian monarch, returning thanks to God
for this signal victory. St. Louis walked with the
princes and clergy, and proceeded in this manner as
far as the principal mosque, which the legate trans-
formed into a church, by the solemn celebration of
the holy sacrifice of the mass.

CAPTIVITY OF ST. LOUIS.
A. D. 1250.

Having thus taken the city of Damietta, St. Louis
determined to proceed to Cairo, the capital of Egypt.
In order to reach this place, he was obliged to en-
counter the mfidel army, which was enca-mped on a
spot called the Massoure. The king advanced with
his troops and attacked the enemy, who made a vig-
orous resistance. The rashness of the Count of
Artois, who, contrary to the command of the king,
his brother, pressed forward to the Massoure, brought
on himself and the whole French army all the mis-
fortunes which followed this disastrous day. The

CAPTIVITY OF ST. LOUIS. 389

enemy rushed upon the count with the greatest
fury ; the French troops flew to the rescue of the
prince, and a bloody combat ensued in which he
perished. The loss was considerable on both sides,
but the enemy could easily re-enforce themselves,
while the Crusaders labored under every disadvan-
tage.

In addition to this unhappy defeat, a contagious
m ilady appeared among them, and kept them inac-
tive for the space of several months ; and as their
provisions were exhausted, a dreadful famine ensued.
They were therefore obliged to return to Damietta,
but the enemy followed in close pursuit, the whole
march being a continued fight. St. Louis made the
most incredible exertions to save his army, but, being
forced to stop in a small city, the king, his two
brothers, and the greater part of the army fell into
the hands of the enemy. The saintly monarch in
captivity was the same as when surrounded by all
the pomp of royalty ; as great in chains, as when
victorious in the field of battle. The infidels them-
selves were astonished at his courage, and said he
was the bravest Christian they had ever known.
Although inhumanly treated, he always deported
himself with dignity, rising superior to all the re-
verses of fortune ; with a Christian faith "he intrusted
every thing to providence, and with heroic COu^^^^q
he trampled on all vicissitudes — " Yoi;;^ q^q ^-^ irons "
said the infidels, "and yet y^-^ t^g^t u^s as if we were
your captives/'

' T^'iS extraordin" — " -, , ,

• J- — x^ nrmneaa njade such an Impres-

^ cne Sultan that he offered St. Louis his

33*

390 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

liberty, provided he would give a large sum for the
ransom of himself and the other prisoners. "A
king of France cannot be ransomed with money,"
replied the king. " I will give the city of Damietta
for my freedom, and pay the required sum for the
redemption of my subjects." The Sultan, filled
with admiration, only exacted the fifth part of the
stipulated amount. The conditions were all settled,
but before they were put in execution, the Sultan
was killed by his enemies, and his untimely end
was productive of the most disastrous consequences
to the French monarch. The enraged assassins
of the Sultan rushed to his prison, but Louis met
them with perfect serenity, and abashed them by
his calm demeanor. They eventually agreed to the
treaty previously arranged, and even thought of
making Louis their Sultan, but the dread of seeing
their mosques destroyed by so religious a prince
deterred them from offering him this dignity. On
being restored to freedom, the king faithfully ad-
hered to his promises. He evacuated Damietta on
the appointed day, paid the ransom, and as the
infidels had miscalculated the amount to their dis-
advantage, he informed them of their mistake.

JOURNEY OF ST. LOUIS TO PALESTINE.

The infidels, contrary to the stipulations of the
treaty, retained a great number of French prisoners,
and used every effort to induce them to renounce
their religion. This treachery prevented Louis from
returning to France, although his presence was very

JOURNEY OF ST. LOUIS TO PALESTINE. 391

necessary in his kingdom. In order to secure the
freedom of the remaining captives, and to preserve
the Holy Land from entire destruction, he set sail
for Palestine, and arrived safely at the port of Acre.
He was received with great joy by the inhabitants,
who went in procession to meet him Avhen he landed.
Scarcely six thousand men remained of his magnifi-
cent army, too small a number to undertake any great
enterprise. Nevertheless, at the request of the Chris-
tians of this country, he concluded to remain at Acre
for a short time, but he sent his brothers, Alphonsus
of Poitiers, and Charles of Anjou, back to France.

During the sojourn of this prince in Palestine, he
visited the holy places with the tenderest sentiments
of piety, and the most edifying marks of respect.
He visited Nazareth on the day of the Annunciation,
and when within sight of the sacred spot, he
descended from his horse and prostrated himself on
the ground, and although fatigued and fasting, he
finished the journey on foot. He was extremely
desirous of going to Jerusalem, and the Sultan, who
was master of the city, readily consented to receive
him ; but he was told that if he entered the Holy
City without accomplishing its deliverance, all the
monarch s who should subseqently visit Palestine
would consider themselves released from their vow,
satisfied with his example of a simple pilgrimage of
devotion ; this argument induced him to relinquish
his design. While in Palestine he employed himself
in adjusting the affairs of the resident Christians,
and he repaired and fortified, at his own expense, the
fortresses they still held.

392 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

He was occupied with these works of charity, when
he heard of the death of his mother Queen Blanche
of Castile, On receiving this sad intelligence, he
wept bitterly, but bowed in humble Christian resig-
nation to the will of God, and kneeling at the foot
of the altar, he uttered the following words : " I thank
thee, Lord, for having preserved until now a
mother so worthy of my affections, it was a proof of
Thy mercy in my regard; and now that Thou
claimest her as Thy own, I will not murmur. I
loved her most tenderly, but since it has pleased
Thee to take her from me, may Thy holy name be
blessed forever and ever, Amen !" The death of his
mother caused him to think of returning to France,
from which he had been absent nearly six years.
He therefore issued his last orders, and, having placed
the fortresses in Palestine in a state of defense, sailed
from the port of Acre in the month of April, 1254,
loaded with the blessings of the bishop, the nobility,
and the inhabitants, who accompanied him to his
vessel.

During the voyage the holy king was continually
engaged in prayer, nursing the sick, and in instruct-
ing the sailors ; his example produced most beneficial
results, and the exercises of religion were performed
with monastic regularity. He landed at Provence,
and from thence proceeded to Paris, where he arrived
on the fifth of September. His first act was to pro-
ceed to the church of St. Denis, and there return
thanks to God for his safe voyage, and he made
magnificent presents to the church in token of his
pious gratitude.

SECOl^D CRUSADE OF ST. LOUIS, 393

SECOND CRUSADE OF ST. LOUIS — HIS DEATH.
A. D. 1270.

St. Louis, on his return from Palestine, did not
resign the Cross, as he meditated a second expedi-
tion for the same object ; he was confirmed in this
intention by the news he received from that country.
After his departure from the East, the infidels had
retaken several of the places he had fortified, and
perpetrated inhuman cruelties upon the Christians
who refused to renounce Christianity and embrace
Mahometanism. When he had regulated the affairs
of his kingdom, Louis announced his determination
to go to their assistance, and asked the lords and
princes of his dominions to enlist with him in the
sacred cause. His appeals and example made the
deepest impression on the people, and he soon found
himself at the head of a powerful army.

He embarked in the month of July, 1270, and
directed his course toward Tunis. The king of this
country had given him cause to think that he would
embrace the Christian religion, if it were not for
fear of the revolt of his subjects. This conversion,
Avhich Louis ardently desired, would greatly facili-
tate the recovery of the Holy Land. " Oh," he ex-
claimed sometimes, " if I could have the consolation
of standing god-father to a Mahometan prince."
But this sweet hope speedily vanished, for as soon
as the Crusaders landed in Africa, the king of Tunis
arrested all the Christians who were in that city,
and threatened to have them beheaded if the French
army approached the place. As the city of Tunis

394 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

was very strongly fortified, and defended by a nu-
merous garrison, Louis did not consider it prudent
to make any advance until the re-enforcements lie
expected should arrive, and he contented himself
with protecting his army from the assaults of the
enemy by surrounding his camp with ditches and
palisades. But soon malignant fevers and other dis-
eases, occasioned by the excessive heat of the climate
and the bad water, spread among the soldiers with
such violence that nearly half the army perished.
The saintly king was himself attacked, and foresaw
from the first day of his illness that it would termi-
nate fatally. The king never appeared more truly
grand than at this critical time; notwithstanding
the excruciating pains he suffered, he neglected none
of the duties of royalty; he issued his commands
with the same accuracy as when in perfect health,
and more solicitous for the good of others than for
his own relief, spared no pains for the solace and
comfort of the sick. He was finally obliged to yield
to the violence of the disease, and retired to his bed.
Philip, his eldest son, remained continually beside
his royal father; and St. Louis, who loved him
fondly, and intended him for his successor, col-
lected his failing energies to give him admirable
instructions, which are still extant, and commence
thus : " My son, the first thing I enjoin you is, to
love Grod with your whole heart, and be ready to
suffer every thing rather than commit a mortal sin."
This counsel had been inculcated into his own
infant mind by his virtuous mother, and he had
made it his own rule of life. St. Louis then asked

VIRTUES OF ST. THOMAS. 395

for tlie sacraments, and received the last rites of the
Church with a pious fervor which drew tears from the
eyes of all the assistants. When his last moments
approached, he had himself placed on a bed covered
with ashes, where, with his arms crossed on his
breast and his eyes raised to heaven, he expired,
while distinctly pronouncing these words of the
psalmist: "Lord, I will enter into Thy house, I will
adore Thee in Thy holy temple, and I will glorify
Thy name!" Thus died this most saintly king,
whose virtues we cannot admire without blessing the
religion which produced them.

VIRTUES OF ST. THOMAS OF ACQUIN.

St. Louis testified much esteem and affection for
the Keligious of the two new orders established by
St. Dominic and St. Francis. He admired their zeal
for the salvation of souls, their profound humility,
their penitential and austere lives, and their entire
self-abnegation. He said if he could divide himself
into two parts, he would give one to the children of
St. Francis and the other to the followers of St.
Dominic. St. Thomas of Acquin, descended from a
noble family in the kingdom of Naples, was at that
period the ornament and glory of this last order.
He received an education in accordance with his
birth and the position he was to occupy in life ; his
parents sent him to the most celebrated schools in
Italy — first to Monte-Cassino, and afterward to
Naples, where there was a flourishing university.

The youthful Thomas soon manifested a great

396 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

talent for the sciences, and developed the most
admirable traits of character. Several conversations
which he had with a Dominican monk, who was
filled with the spirit of God, inspired him with an
ardent desire to enter this Order, and he received
the habit at seventeen years of age. On his family
being informed of this step, they used every means
to change his resolution, but without effect. They
even went so far as to seize him, imprison and
cruelly ill treat him, but nothing could shake his
determination. Finally they employed an artifice
which hell alone could have suggested. A profligate
woman was introduced into his chamber, but the
holy Thomas, terrified at the danger which menaced
his innocence, appealed for succor to the God of
purity, and, snatching a flaming brand, indignantly
drove this infamous creature from his room. After
returning thanks to God for this victory, he conse-
crated himself anew to His service, and entreated our
divine Lord, with tearful eyes and an humble heart,
for grace to avoid the slightest sin against this beauti-
ful virtue of which the devil had sought to deprive him.
His prayer was heard, and as a reward for his fidelity
lie received the precious gift of perfect chastity.

God now restored him to liberty, and he was
allowed to follow his vocation without further obsta-
cles. His superiors sent him to Cologne, to study
theology with Albert the Great ; under the guidance
of this able master he made great progress in this
branch, but his humility concealed his talents ; and
he seldom spoke for fear of becoming vain and proud.
This silence passed for stupidity, and he was called,

VIRTUES OF ST. BOXAVENTURA. 397

through derision, " The dumb ox." But his master,
who knew him better, was of an opposite opinion,
and said to the scoffers, that the learned bellowings
of this ox would one day resound over the wliole
world, and his prediction was subsequently verified.
After finishing his career and receiving the degree
of Doctor, Thomas taught in Paris with great suc-
cess. He composed a number of excellent works,
which soon attained for him a high reputation abroad.
The holy Doctor attributed his learning less to study
than to prayer. He always invoked the Holy Ghost
before writing, and became more fervent in his sup-
plications, when engaged in a difficult passage. Pope
Clement IV offered him the archbishopric of Naples,
but the humble Doctor refused this dignity. The
Pontiff yielded to his entreaties on this point,
but ordered him to repair to the council assembled
at Lyons. Thomas obeyed, and, although suffering
with fever, departed for Lyons, but, as his indisposi-
tion increased, he was obliged to stop on the road
and expired in the diocese of Terracina, at the Abbey
of Fosse-Neuve.

VIRTUES OF ST. BONAVENTURA.

St. Bonaventura reflected as much honor on the
order of St. Francis, as St. Thomas of Acquin con-
ferred on that of St. Dominic. He was born in Tus-
cany, of parents remarkable for their piety. The
name of Bonaventura was bestowed on him by St.
Francis, who foresaw the gi*aces which divine mercy
would lavish on this child of benediction, in his after
34

398 HISTOKY OF THE CHUKCH.

life. This chosen soul, when only four years of age,
was attacked by a dangerous illness ; his disconsolate
mother went to St. Francis and asked his interces-
sion in her son's behalf. St. Francis prayed for him,
and obtained his recovery. When Bonaventura was
told of this signal favor he had received from God,
he testified the most fervent gratitude, and at the
age of twenty he entered the order of the Friars
Minors, in accordance with the vow he had made his
mother. He was shortly afterward sent to Paris to
complete his studies under the celebrated Alexander
of Hales, w^ho was one of the most learned Eeligious
of the order.

Bonaventura made rapid progress, and was ad-
mitted to the degree of Doctor at the same time as
St. Thomas, to whom he was devotedly attached.
These two holy Doctors frequently visited each other,
and entertained the highest mutual esteem. One
day St. Thomas, finding his friend occupied in
writing the life of St. Francis, did not wish to
interrupt his work; " Let one saint work for another,"
said he, " it would be unkind to deter you from so
laudable a task." At the end of seven years of
profession, he was chosen to fill the chair of Theology
in the place of Alexander of Hales, and he acquitted
himself of the responsible duties of this high ofiice
with great ability. When teaching this sublime
science, he endeavored less to form learned men
than to produce perfect Christians, and, while incul-
cating the dogmas of faith, showed, by his example,
the practical effects of religion. He was only thirty-
five years of age when he was placed, against his

VIRTUES OF ST. bo:n^aventura. 399

will, at the head of his order, which he governed in
the capacity of General, with great prudence and
wisdom.

Pope Gregory X, who admired his virtues and
talents, wished to elevate him to the dignity of
cardinal. The holy Doctor, suspecting this design,
hastened to prevent its execution by leaving Italy
privately ; but a command of the sovereign Pontiff
obliged him promptly to return. He was in a con-
vent of his order when two papal nuncios were
announced, who found him engaged in one of the
most menial employments of the community. At
this sight they testified some surprise, but the Saint
was not at all embarrassed, continuing in their
presence the work he had commenced; and when
he had finished he received the new dignity with
great reluctance, not disguising the pain he felt at
being forced to relinquish the peaceful life of the
cloister for the responsible duties imposed on him.

A short time afterward the Pope consecrated him
bishop of Albano, and commanded him to prepare
himself for the discussion of whatever subjects
would be brought up at the general council of Lyons.
St. Bonaventura attended this council and preached
at the second and third sessions, but he then fell
into a swoon from which he never recovered. He
has left a great number of works which breathe the
tenderest piety, and he was especially regarded
among the Doctors of his time as the most excellent
guide of a spiritual life.

400 HISTOBY OF THE CHURCH.

FIRST RE-UNION OF THE GREEKS— SECOND
COUNCIL OF LYONS.

A. D. 1274.

The principal object of the council of Lyons
was the reconciliation of the Greek to the Eoman
Church, from which they had long been separated.
The assembly opened on the twenty-seventh of May,
1274, and remained in session until the seventeenth
of July. The council was largely attended, five
hundred bishops and seventy abbots being present.
James, king of Arragon, was there in person ; sev-
eral princes and ambassadors from other countries
also assisted at this solemn council. Michael Pale-
ologus. Emperor of Constantinople, was very desirous
for this re-union for political reasons, as he dreaded
an attack from the J^atin princes. After having
deposed Baldwin III from the throne, he, in order
to avert the storm which threatened him, wrote to
the Pope, and promised to use all his authority in
suppressing the schism in the Church. This pro-
posal was received with much joy by the sovereign
Pontiff, as the Greeks themselves consented to a rec-
onciliation, which heretofore had been vainly urged
and the present occasion seemed very favorable to
the execution of this great design.

Michael, who had solicited Gregory X to convene
this council, did not fail to send ambassadors to it,
namely, Germanus, the patriarch of Constantinople,
Theophanes, archbishop of Nice, and George, the
grand treasurer of the empire. These deputies were
intrusted Avith a letter to the Pope, in which he was

RE-UNION OF THE GREEKS. 401

called the head of the Church, the sovereign Pontiff,
the common Father of all Christians. They also
carried another, written in the name of thirty-five
archbishops, and their suffragans.' In this letter,
the prelates expressed their gratification and concur-
rence in the re-union with the Roman Church. On
the arrival of these ambassadors, all the Fathers of
the council went to meet them, and conducted them
to the palace of the Pope, who received them most
cordially, and gave them the kiss of peace, with every
sign of a truly paternal affection. The prelates, on
their side, paid the sovereign Pontiff all the respect
due the vicar of Jesus Christ, and head of the uni-
versal Church ; declaring that they came in the
name of the Emperor, and the Eastern bishops, to
render obedience to the Roman Church, and to pro-
fess one and the same faith. This avowal excited
the liveliest joy in every Catholic heart.

On the feast of St. Peter, the Pope celebrated mass
in the Cathedral of Lyons, in presence of the whole
council. After the Creed had been chanted, the
Patriarch Germanus, and the other Greeks, repeated
it in their own language in order to show the simi-
larity of their belief. They attended the fourth ses-
sion, and were placed on the right hand of the Pope,
next to the cardinals, and read aloud the letters of
which they were the bearers. Then the grand treas-
urer, in the name of his whole country, abjured the
schism, accepted the profession of faith of the Roman
Church, and acknowledged the primacy of the Holy
See. Pope Gregory, after expressing, in a short
discourse, the joy of the Church, who tenderly wel-
34*

402 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

corned her cliildreii back to her fold, intoned the Te
Deum, and all the assistants, uniting their voices,
returned a solemn thanksgiving to Almighty God.
Every thing seemed to promise a lasting reunion,
but it was only maintained during the life of the
Emperor Michael, as his son who succeeded him
revived the schism.

WESTERN SCHISM — COUNCIL OF CONSTANCE.
A. D. 1378.

A still more scandalous schism afflicted the Church,
shortly after the suppression of that of the Greeks.
Pope Clement V, who was a Frenchman, fixed his resi-
dence at Avignon, and his successors also continued
to live in that city. Italy suffered greatly from the
absence of the Popes, and Rome especially was dis-
turbed by different factions. The return of the Pope
was ardently desired and earnestly solicited by the
inhabitants. Gregory XI yielded to their entreaties
and left Avignon. He was received in Rome with
the acclamations of the people and the liveliest ex-
pressions of public joy. After the death of Gregory
XI, the people, fearing that the new Pope, who was
also a Frenchman, would return to Avignon, gath-
ered around the place where the cardinals were
assembled, and cried out, " We will have a Roman
Pope !" and declared if the cardinals elected a for-
eigner, they would make their heads as red as their
hats. The cardinals, intimidated by these menaces,
hastily named the archbishop of Bari, who took the
name of Urban VI. This Pontiff, who was of a hard

COUKCIL OF CONSTANCE. 403

and inflexible character, soon alienated, by his impru-
dent conduct, those who had supported him. Dis-
satisfied with their choice, the majority of the cardi-
nals left Kome, declared their election null, as it
was forced from them by violence, and elected an-
other Pope under the title of Clement VII.

This unhappy occurrence threw the Church into a
dreadful state of confusion, as the Christian world
wa? divided between the Popes. Clement was recog-
nized in France, Spain, Scotland and Sicily. IJrban
was acknowledged in England, Hungary, Bohemia
and a part of Germany. They both sustained this
spiritual war, and, by their violent conduct, increased
the schism, and caused all the subsequent evils. The
death of Urban did not restore peace, and tlie car-
dinals who had adhered to him appointed his suc-
cessor. The opposite party also elected their own
Pontifi", and these disgraceful scenes were repeated
several times. Finally, the cardinals, sorely grieved
at this unfortunate division, agreed to assemble in
council at Pisa, and, in order to restore peace, de-
posed the two Popes, and unanimously named Alex-
ander V as the head of the Church.

Notwithstanding all their efforts, the schism con-
tinued and the evils increased. The obstinacy of the
Popes, the jealousy of the conflicting parties, and the
clashing interests of the crowned heads, seemed to
threaten an interminable continuance of the schism.
But God has promised His Church that He will not
forsake her in time of extreme peril. He overcame
all the obstacles which human passion opposed to the
re-establishment of unity, and peace was once more

404 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

proclaimed at the general council of Constance, held in
1414. All the aspirants to the papacy either abdicated,
or were deposed by the authority of the council, which
elected Martin V to the chair of St. Peter, and he was
recognized as the legitimate and only Pontiff.

Although some were divided as to the rights of the
competitors, still they all were not less attached to
the Apostolic See, and this schism, lamentable as it
was in itself, was not as injurious to the Church as
other scandals. The following is the opinion of St.
Antoninus, archbishop of Florence, who wrote about
the middle of the fifteenth century : " It is possible
for one to have belonged to either party in good faith
and with a safe conscience, for, althougli it is neces-
sary to believe that there is but one visible head of
the Church, if it should nevertheless happen that
two sovereign Pontiffs are elected at the same time,
it is not obligatory to accept either as the legitimate
Pope; but only to acknowledge as the true Pope
the one who has been canonically elected ; and the
people are not expected to determine which is the
Pope, but can follow the opinion and guidance of
their pastors." The great design of Cod, which is
the sanctifi cation of His elect, was accomplished even
m the midst of those scandals, and holy souls were
found numbered in the ranks of both parties.

CONDEMNATION OF WICKLIFF AND JOHN HUSS.

Besides the extirpation of the schism, the council
of Constance was assembled for the condemnation of
heresies which were spread through Germany in con-

WICKLIFF AND JOHN" HUSS. 405

seqiien ce of this unhappy schism. Wick] iif, a Doctor
of the University of Oxford, was the principal author
of these errors. He had commenced by advancing
some singular opinions which were condemned by
Pope Urban V*and the English bishops. In revenge,
this heretic attacked the whole priesthood. He taught
that the Pope is not the head of the Church, that
bishops have no pre-eminence over priests ; that the
ecclesiastical power was lost by the commission of
mortal sin, and that confession was not necessary,
but that contrition was sufficient. These errors did
not flourish in England from whence they sprung,
and after Wickliff's death, this sect gradually dis-
appeared ; but he had left writings infected with the
poison of heresy.

These works were carried to Prague by a Bohemian
gentleman who had studied at Oxford, and who gave
them to John Huss, rector of the University of
Prague, who adopted the pernicious doctrines con-
tained in these works, and proclaimed them in his
sermons with great vehemence, with the addition of
new errors, among others, the necessity of commun-
icating under two species. He attracted a great
number of followers, the most ardent of whom was
Jerome of Prague, and this sect spread rapidly
through Bohemia. The archbishops and Pope John
XXIII used every means to arrest the progress of
error and to reclaim the heretic to truth and obedi-
ence ; but their efforts were of no avail, and John
Huss continued to promulgate his doctrine in the
cities and villages, followed by an immense crowd of
people who eagerly listened to his discourse.

406 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

Affairs were at this crisis when the council of
Constance was convened, before which John Huss
appeared in person to defend his doctrine. Previous
to his departure from Prague, he caused placards to
be placed on the doors of the churches, saying that
he consented to be tried, and to suffer the punish-
ment inflicted on heretics if he could be convicted
of an error against the faith. After this proclama-
tion, the Emperor Sigismund had promised him his
protection, not to guard him against the sentence to
which he exposed himself, but to secure him a safe
journey and facilitate his justification, if he had been
calumniated. Huss had scarcely arrived at Con-
stance, when he began to inculcate his false creed,
without waiting for the judgment of the council
concerning him and his doctrine. It was thought
necessary to arrest him, and the council named two
commissioners to examine his writings. They found
a number of errors which they vainly besought
him to retract. Huss appeared before the session,
held on the fifth of June. A great many passages
in his writings, tainted with the errors of Wickliff,
were rejected. After allowing him to explain every
objectionable clause, he was exhorted to submit to
the judgment of the council, and presented with a
formula in which he renounced his errors. This
formula he obstinately refused to sign.

The council, unwilling to resort to extreme meas-
sure, convened several times, endeavoring in vain
to induce him to retract his heresy. They com-
menced by condemning his books to the flames,
thinking thus to intimidate him ; but he persevered

COUNCIL OF FLORENCE. 407

in his obstinacy. Then this headstrong heretic was
solemnly suspended from holy orders and delivered
to the civil authorities of Constance, who, in accord-
ance with the imperial laws, condemned him to be
burned. Jerome, his disciple, as obstinate as his
master, suffered the same fate. The council did not
demand his execution, but left him in the hands
of the sovereign, who, for the good of the empire,
can punish those who disturb the public tranquillity
by promulgating false doctrines.

A NEW INDUCEMENT FOR THE RE-TJNION OF
THE GREEKS. COUNCIL OF FLORENCE.

A. D. 1437.

When the Greek Church fell into a state of schism,
the sovereign Pontiffs had offered several induce-
ments for the re-establishment of unity, but with-
out success. Finally, in the year 1437," the Greek
Emperor, John Paleologus, and the Pope Eugenius
IV, having resumed negotiations, agreed to assemble
in the West a general council, composed of Greek
and Latin bishops. In virtue of this agreement,
the council was opened by the Pope himself, at
Ferrara, in Italy. The Emperor and the patriarch
of Constantinople repaired thither, accompanied by
twenty Eastern archbishops and a great number of
other ecclesiastics of distinguished merit and culti-
vated minds. The patriarchs of Alexandria, Antiocli
and Jerusalem also took their departure for the West.

It being found very inconvenient to continue the
council at Ferrara, it was, with the consent of the

408 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Greeks, themselves, transferred to Florence. After
all objections liad been satisfactorily settled, the
Emperor, patriarclis and bishops presented a pro-
fession of faith in conformity with the belief of the
Roman Church, in which they especially acknowl-
edged that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father
and the Son, and that the Pope is the head of the
universal church. The reconciliation was then con-
firmed on both sides ; a decree was issued, in which
were inserted all the points formerly contested by the
Greeks ; and this document was signed by the Pope,
the patriarchs and the other Greek prelates, with the
exception of the bishop of Ephesus, who positively
refused to add his signature. Thus ended this great
council, whose successful termination spread univer-
sal joy throughout the Catholic Church, but which,
unfortunately, was not of long duration.

When the Emperor and Greek prelates returned
to Constantinople, they found the clergy and people
strongly prejudiced against the re-union. These
schismatics loaded with insults those who had signed
the decree, and eulogized Mark of Ephesus, for hav-
ing been the only one who had the courage to refuse
his consent. Those who had assisted at the council
of Florence, intimidated by the invectives of the citi-
zens, retracted what they had done, and the schism
was thus again revived in Constantinople.

Some years afterward Pope Nicholas V, a Pontiff
of great piety, reflecting on the inutility of the efforts
which had been tried for the conversion of the Greeks,
wrote them a letter, in which, after speaking of the
preparation which the Turks were making against

CAPTURE OF COXSTAiq-TIXOPLE. 400

them, he exhorted them to abjure their past obsti-
nacy : " The Greeks," said he, " for a long time have
abused the patience of God by persisting in their
schism. According to the parable of the Gospel, God
waits to see if the fig tree, after being cultivated with
so much care, will finally bring forth fruit ; but if
in the space of three years, which God still grants it,
it bears none, the tree will be cut down at the root,
and the Greeks will be punished by the ministers of
divine justice, whom God will send to execute the
sentence he has already pronounced in Heaven."
The literal accomplishment of the prediction soon
followed.

CAPTURE OF CONSTANTINOPLE BY MAHOMET 11.
A. D. 1453.

Mahomet, the Turkish Sultan, having determined
to obtain possession of Constantinople, the capital
of the Eastern empire, laid siege to that city in 1453,
with an army of three hundred thousand men, and
one hundred galleys, without counting a great num-
ber of smaller vessels. It was of course necessary
for the Greeks to have an equal force to oppose him.
The garrison of the city consisted only of five thou-
sand Greeks and two thousand foreigners, whom tho
Emperor Con stan tine PaJeologus placed under the
command of Giustiniani, a Genoese officer of great
experience.

The Emperor neglected nothing which could
strengthen the fortifications of Constantinople,
before the arrival of the Turks. As the city was
35

410 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

surrounded by a double wall, Mahomet prepared four-
teen batteries of artillery, among which there were
several cannons of enormous size, which hurled
masses of rock weighing two hundred pounds.
These terrible machines fired, day and night, upon
the city, with such success, that large breaches were
made in the walls. In this critical situation, the
besieged opposed a vigorous resistance, by repairing
the damages as rapidly as possible, and by making
successful sallies, in which they killed a great number
of Turks and burned their works.

The disheartened Turks now clamored loudly for
the abandonment of the enterprise, but, Mahomet
having promised them the booty of the city, they
resolved upon a general attack. Preparations being
completed, Mahomet attacked the city by sea and by
land. The Greeks made a courageous defense and
performed prodigies of valor, but Giustiniani, having
been wounded, was compelled to abandon his post ;
this fact so discouraged the Greeks that they began to
waver in their defense. The Turks instantly rushed
through the breach, pursued the cowards, and put
the greater part of them to the sword. The Emperor,
who was stationed near the breach, offered the most
determined resistance, but he was hurried on by the
fugitives and perished with them. After the death
of the Emperor, the Turks met with no opposition,
and took complete possession of the city, where
nothing escaped the vengeance of the conqueror.
A horrible carnage ensued, and the city was plun-
dered for three hours, during which the most terrible
acts of violence were committed.

ORDER OF MIJ^IMS. 411

Thus fell the empire of Constantinople, after an
existence of eleven hundred and twenty-three years,
counting from the time it had been made the seat of
government by Constantine the Great in 350, A. D.
Its destruction was a visible punishment of its adher-
ence to schism. God had waited patiently for the
schismatics, and they had not profited by the time
which had been granted them to return to their alle-
giance ; they had turned a deaf ear to the exhortations
which had been addressed to them, and thus became
victims of the divine wrath. They refused to recog-
nize the authority of the Vicegerent of St. Peter,
and fell under the yoke of the infidel, from whom
they could expect nothing but oppression and slavery.
Every kingdom opposed to the authority of Jesus
Christ is threatened with the malediction of God,
and is in danger of complete annihilation.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ORDER OF MINIMS,
A. D. 1507.

The Church, in her deep grief at the entire destruc-
tion of the Eastern empire, was a little consoled by
the moderation of the conqueror, who tolerated the
Christian religion in the country of which he had
become master, and he even appointed a patriarch to
the see of Constantinople when he heard that it was
vacant The church found another source of con-
solation in the extraordinary holiness of St. Francis
of Paula, whom God raised up to found a new re-
ligious order, consecrated especially to penance and
humility. This holy man was born in the little town

412 HISTORY OF THE CHUKCH.

of Paula, in Italy, from which he took his name.
His virtuous parents inspired him at an early age
with a taste for piety, less by their precepts than by
their example. The youthful Francis felt himself
called to a life of austerity and moi*tification, which
he practiced from his childhood. He never ate meat,
fish nor eggs, nor drank milk, a rule he rigorously
observed during his whole life.

Having a great desire for solitude, he retired to a
cave on the sea shore, where he enjoyed uninterrupted
communion with his Maker. He slept on the bare
rock, and his food consisted of the herbs which grew
around his cave. Under his poor outer garment he
wore a hair shirt. The reputation of such rare vir-
tue in so young a man attracted several persons, who
begged permission to join him in his retreat, and
that he would teach them how to serve God. They
built cells and an oratory near his grotto. This was
the cradle of the order which he founded a short
time afterward, and the daily increase of his com-
munity decided him to construct a monastery and a
church on the site of their present habitations, a
project which he put in execution with the assist-
ance and contributions of the neighboring inhabit-
ants. The rule he imposed on his disciples was to
observe a perpetual Lent ; and, in oi*der to teach them
that penance was of no avail without humility, he
desired them to make a particular profession of this
virtue, and to assume tlie title of Minims ; that is to
say, the least of all Eeligious. This order was ap-
proved of by Sixtus IV in 1474.

Louis XI heard of the extraordinary virtue of

ORDER OF MINIMS. 413

Francis of Paula, and, in the hope of obtaining
througli his prayers a cure from a sickness with
which he had been attacked, he invited the holy
man to visit him. The Pope commanded Francis to
comply with the request of the king. The saint
obeyed, and was received with the greatest venera-
tion and respect at court. Louis threw himself at
his feet, and entreated him to obtain from God the
restoration of his health. Francis endeavored to instil
in him a more Christian sentiment, and exhorted the
king to submit to the divine will, and offer his life
as a sacrifice to the throne of grace. Francis won
the admiration of the whole court by his perfect
detachment from all earthly vanities, and by his
wise discourses, which, from a man without learning
or education, could only be inspired by the Holy
Ghost. He was always spoken of as the holy man,
the man of God.

The successor of Louis XI loaded him with favors,
and he had the consolation of seeing his order extend
not only through Italy and France, but also in Spain
and Germany. He was taken ill at the convent of
Plessis-les-Tours on Palm Sunday ; he went to church
on Holy Thursday, when he received holy commun-
ion with the most fervent sentiments of piety, bare-
footed, with a rope round his waist, and bathed in
tears. He died the following day, after having ex-
horted his Religious to a faithful observance of their
rule, and to fraternal charity.

35*

414 HISTOKY OF THE OHUECH.

THE HERESY OF LUTHER.
A. D. 1517.

God did not fail to console His Chnrch and bestow
proofs of His divine protection, in order to strengthen
her under the different trials which continually
assailed her. The storm excited by Luther, at the
beginning of the sixteenth century, was the most
violent and disastrous which the Church endured
since the heresy of Arius. This heretic, who Avas
born in Saxony, belonged to the order of the Hermits
of St. Augustine, and was a Doctor of the university
of Wurtemberg.

Of a quarrelsome, imperious disposition, and full
of presumption, he was much incensed at the indul-
gences granted by Leo X, because their publication
was intrusted to the Dominicans, and not to his
order. He commenced by denouncing the abuse
of indulgences, and afterward the indulgences them-
selves. He then attacked the doctrine of the Church
concerning original sin, justification, and the sacra-
ments. These impious opinions being condemned
by a papal bull, Luther furiously assailed the
primacy of the See of Kome, and losing all self-
control, he passed from error to error, from one
excess to another, even reviving the heresies of the
Albigenses, of Wickliff and of John Huss. He
wrote against purgatory, freedom of will, the merit
of good works, etc. Such was the commencement
of his unhappy apostacy from the true faith, which
he qualifies by the title of the Reformation.

As it was necessary to procure assistance to sustain

THE HERESY OF LUTHER. 415

SO bold an undertaking, Luther exhorted the Ger-
man princes to seize the ecclesiastical possessions,
the only method by which to give them influence.
The hope of securing such spoils, induced many of
the most powerful princes to join his party. Fred-
erick, the Elector of Saxony, and Philip, the Land-
grave of Hesse, publicly declared themselves his
protectors. Luther won over this last prince by a
still more shameful inducement : Philip desired to
contract another marriage, although his wife was
still living, and he wished to obtain the acquiescence
of the new reformer. He accordingly applied to
Luther, who, having assembled the Doctors of the
new reformation at Wurtemberg, gave the Landgrave,
contrary to the express commands of Jesus Christ,
permission to have two wives at the same time.

In order to attract more followers, he attacked
the law of celibacy, concerning priests and Religious,
and himself set the example of its infringement by
espousing (priest and monk though he was), a young
Religious whom he had enticed from her convent
to instruct in the new creed, and thus accomplished
her ruin. Such lessons, sustained by such examples,
soon obtained a ready entrance into the minds of
the people, and a sect so favorable to the corrupt
Inclinations of the human heart augmented daily.
From upper Saxony, it spread into the northern
provinces, the duchies of Brunswick, Mecklenlurg,
Pomerania and Prussia, where the grand master of
the Teutonic order became a Lutheran.

Luther now finding himself at the head of a formid-
able party, threw off all disguise and openly vented his

416 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

anger against the Pope and other distinguished per-
sonages, upon whom he lavished the grossest insults
that the wildest frenzy could suggest to a maniac.
The vulgar jests, scandalous levity, and vile language
which sully his writings, can only be read with dis-
gust and indignation ; it is therefore difficult to imag-
ine how this person attracted so many princes, and
even kingdoms, to join his party. Cupidity and a
love of pleasure— two powerful means employed —
must have had great influence over the minds of
men to have so completely blinded them, and to have
so rapidly spread a heresy, contrary to reason and
judgment.

CALVIN ADDS TO THE ERRORS OF LUTHER.
A. D. 1536.

When Luther set the example of making innova-
tions on the ancient faith, a number of pretended
reformers sprung up, who, while adopting some of
his errors, added others of their own. Calvin, who
is regarded as a second leader of the Protestants,
was born at Noyon. After being educated at Paris,
he w^ent to Orleans and Bourges, in order to study
law in their celebrated schools. His master, in this
last city, was a man of ability and learning, but
imbued with the heresy of Luther. Under his
guidance, Calvin imbibed a taste for novelty, and
took no pains to disguise his sentiments.

France was then striving to repel the contagion
which began to insinuate itself within its limits.
The King, Francis I, vigorously opposed the Luther-

CALVIlf. 417

ans. Fearful, therefore, of being arrested, Calvin
retired to Basle, and there published his book of
Christian Instruction, which is an abridgment of his
whole doctrine. With the exception of the article
concerning the Eucharist, they did not differ much
from the opinions of Luther, but rather adopted
some of his ideas. He taught that free will had been
entirely destroyed by sin ; that God has created the
greater part of mankind for eternal damnation, not
on account of their crimes, but because such was His
pleasui*e ; he rejected the doctrine of the invocation
of the saints, purgatory and indulgences, and desired
neither Pope, bishops, priests, festivals, external
woi*ship, nor any of those ceremonials of religion
which are of such great assistance in elevating the
soul to the adoration of the Supreme Being.

Notwithstanding the wish of Luther to deny the
real presence of the body and blood of Jesus Christ
in the Eucharist, he remained so firm in his belief,
that he never was able to reject this dogma. Calvin,
more presumptuous, dared to attack this great mys-
tery. Impressed, however, with the force of these
words : " This is my body, this is my blood," and
restrained by the ancient and universal belief in this
dogma, he showed a strange embarrassment in his
mode of expression, and seems ashamed of his own
doctrine; thus rendering an unwilling homage to
the truth he was opposing. This sectarian adopted
a different course in extending his pernicious creed ;
he established himself in Geneva, which city had
sometime previous deposed its Catholic bishop, and
embraced Lutheranism. Calvin there assumed the

418 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

office of a preacher and professor of theology, and
having acquired great influence, made this city the
center of his sect, and it was from thence he fanned
the flame of discord in France and other parts of
Europe.

His power was absolute in Geneva, and no one
dared resist him without incurring severe punish-
ment. He would not allow the slightest diflference
of opinion; and, to show the inconsistency of re-
formers, this man, who taught that it was not neces-
sary to listen to or obey the Church of God, exacted
a blind submission to all the opinions he was pleased
to advance. He ordered Doctor Michael Servetus to
be burned at Geneva for having promulgated sevscal
erroneous ideas respecting the Holy Trinity; and,
nevertheless, furiously exclaimed against the just
severity that was exercised in France against heretics.
When he could find no other mode of wreaking his
vengeance, his fiery temper was vented on all occa-
sions in a manner disgraceful, not only to a would-
be reformer, but to a well-bred man, and he bestowed
on his adversaries such epithets as sinner, beast, ass,
madman. Singular expressions to emanate from
the lips of a man calling himself an Apostle ! If we
compare this shameful language with the words of
St. Paul, we can judge, by the striking contrast, of
the difierence existing between those sent by God as
Apostles, and those who are but the corrupt instru-
ments of the demon of heresy and impiety.

VIOLE]S"CE OF THE PROTESTANTS. 419

VIOLENCE OF THE PROTESTANTS.

Heresy is the inveterate enemy of all subordina-
tion. The Arians had caused great trouble in the
Church, and practiced the most horrible acts of ^^io-
lence. The same course was pursued by the Prot-
estants, who showed no more respect for the power of
princes, than for the spiritual authority of the Pope.
" If I am allowed,'^ said Luther, in speaking to his
sovereign, *• through love of Christian liberty, not
only to despise, but to trample under foot the decrees
of the Pope, and the canons of the council, do you
suppose I have sufficient respect for your commands
to regard them as binding ?" " The Gospel," said he
on another occasion, "has always caused disturb-
ances; blood must be shed in order to establish it."
What horrible scenes has this seditious doctrine
occasioned throughout Europe !

In Germany the Lutherans assembled, armed them-
selves, devastated the provinces of Suabia, Franconia
and Alsace ; they pillaged and burned the churches,
destroyed the monasteries and castles, and mas-
sacred the priests and Religious. They soon raised
an army of seventy thousand men, and the Emperor
Charles V had great difficulty in subduing them.
What torrents of blood did not the Calvinists shed in
France ! This kingdom, during the space of three
• reigns, was distracted by continued factions, civil
wars and sanguinary battles. We cannot read the
history of the pretended reformation without shud-
dering at the recital of the dreadful excesses per-
petrated or instigated by these fanatics; twenty

420 HISTORY OF THE CHFECH.

thousand churches were destroyed during these wars.
In the single province of Dauphiny they murdered
fifty-six priests, and one hundred and ten monks,
and burned nine hundred cities and villages. Their
fury was directed even against the dead, and they
went so far as to profane with their sacrilegious
hands the precious relics of the martyrs and confes-
sors of Jesus Christ ; desecrating the holy remains
of the saints by consigning their bodies to the flames,
and then scattering their ashes to the w^nds. We
will only cite two examples of this inhuman conduct.

In 1562, they broke open the shrine of St. Francis
of Paula, at Plessis-les Tours, and finding the body in
a state of entire preservation, dragged it through the
streets, and burned it in a fire kindled with the wood
of a large cross. In the same year, they violated the
shrine of St. Bonaventura, at Lyons, despoiled it of
all its ornaments, burnt the relics of the saint, and
cast the ashes into the river Sadne. If the maxims
of the pretended reformers authorize such enormi-
ties, can their Gospel be the Gospel of Jesus Christ ?
When our Lord sent His Apostles to convert the
world. He said to them: "Behold, I send you as
sheep in the midst of wolves ; you must oppose to
their cruelty only patience and gentleness."

Blood was undoubtedly shed in establishing the
Gospel, but it was only the blood of the lambs shed
by the wolves of paganism. The apostles taught
patience and submission to legitimate sovereigns, a
doctrine to which the faithful have always strictly
adhered. St. Justin, in his apology, says: "Our
topes are not founded on this present world, and

THE PROTESTANT CHURCH. 431

thus we offer no resistance to our executioners." The
early Christians said to the Emperors : " We adore
one God alone, but we will cheerfully obey you in
every thing else." Tertullian also remarks : " As
Christians we pray God to grant the Emperor a long
life and tranquil reign, prosperity at home, victor-
ious armies abroad, docile subjects, universal peace,
and whatever a man and Emperor can desire for his
good." What a contrast does this Christian spirit
present to the intolerance of the pretended re-
formers I

VARIATIONS OF THE PROTESTANT CHURCH.

One of the characteristics of heresy is a disposi-
tion to vary and change its opinions. As it is only
the production of man, every individual member
of a sect thinks himself authorized to change its
doctrines. The originator of a sect has no more
right to attempt an innovation than has his disciples
to follow the fancies of their own brains. We have
seen changeableness of belief in the Arians, Pelagians
aaid other false creeds, and it is not less apparent in
all Protestant sects. Luther and Calvin could not
restrain their proselytes within prescribed limits, for
it was the fundamental doctrine of the reformation
that every one should enjoy perfect liberty to decide
for himself in matters of faith. What was neces-
sarily the result of this freedom ? " Those who re-
ject one doctrine," said the celebrated Vincent of
Lerins in the fifth century, " will very soon attack
others, and what will be the miserable consequence
36

422 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

of this mode of reforming religion ? It will result in
there not being one article of the original faith left."
This was the case with the so-called reformation ;
after shaking off the salutary yoke of the authority
of the Church, it had no principle of unity, for this
is the only authority which can restrain the human
mind. The reformation approved of the examina-
tion and judgment of each indiyidual; it conse-
quently assumed innumerable forms; it is now
divided into Anabaptists, Quakers, Puritans, Arme-
nians, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, and
hosts of others, all professing different creeds, rules
and discipline, uniting only in one thing, and that
is an intense hatred of the Catholic Church, and dis-
regard of all authority. New doctrines and new
preachers appear daily, promulgating new errors,
from whence arise so many contradictory confessions
of faith, the authors themselves adhering but for a
short time to their original belief, destroying to-day
what they established yesterday. The remarks of
St. Hilary, of Poitiers, to the Arians, can be justly
applied to them : " You resemble unskillful archi-
tects who are never contented with their work ; you
only build to demolish. There are now as many
different confessions of faith as there are men, and
as gi-eat a variety of creeds as of persons. Each
year and each month, a new structure appears ; you
are ashamed of the ancient faith ; but from it, you
draw new ideas in order to reject them anew."

Their instability on this point was so palpable,
that they could not refrain from complaining of it
themselves. The following are the words of one of

THE PEOTESTANT CHURCH. 423

their theologians: "What kind of men are our
Protestants, who go astray at every moment, and
then retracing their steps are blown about by every
wind of doctrine, as much on one side as on the
3ther? You may perhaps to-day be cognizant of
their opinions on religious matters, but you can never
be certain what their belief will be to-morrow. On
what article of religion do these churches, which are
separated from that of Kome, agree ? Examine all
the points of their faith from the first until the last,
and you will hardly find one single dogma supported
by one minister that is not condemned by another as
an impious doctrine."

It is not surprising that they differ thus, when
they have neither guide nor reference. They have
denied the Church which Jesus Christ commands
them to hear, and, finding themselves without a
leader, are lost in unknoAvn paths, whither the spirit
of opposition has ensnared them, losing entirely the
straight and narrow path of truth which they have
forsaken. It is not thus in the Catholic Church,
where there is perfect uniformity of discipline and
belief. Founded on Jesus Christ, and governed by
Him, according to His divine promise, she will
never vary her creed ; her doctrine, which she has
received from God Himself, is always the same, and
is preserved with inviolate fidelity, as she permits no
innovation on any single point.

424 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

THE SCHISM IN ENGLAND.
A. D. 1533.

Th& wicked passions of princes are generally the
cause of the reyolutions which occur in empires,
and especially changes in religion. This was the
case in England, where the faith at first flourished
so wonderfully that it was called the Island of Saints.
Henry VIII was remarkable for his zealous defense
of Catholicity; in the beginning of Lutheranism he
had published several edicts against the followers of
Luther in order to prevent the budding heresy from
spreading in his kingdom, and moreover wrote a
work ably refuting the errors of the reformation ;
but a criminal attachment stifled these happy dispo-
sitions and occasioned the misfortune of his reign.
Henry had espoused by dispensation Catherine of
Arragon, his brother's widow ; and this union had
existed for eighteen years, when he allowed himself
to become the victim of a passion which precipitated
his kingdom into a deplorable schism. The king
wished to bestow the title and rank of queen upon
Anna Boleyn, with whom he had become enamored ;
and in order to accomplish this design it was necess-
ary to dissolve his first marriage; accordingly, on the
plea of illegality, he urged the sovereign Pontiff to
grant the desired separation.

Clement VII, after thoroughly investigating the
reasons alleged for the divorce, declared them to be
without any foundation, refused to separate those
whom God had joined, and threatened to excommu-

THE SCHISM 11^ ENGLAND. 425

nicate Henry if he did not take back Catherine, his
lawful wife. The infatuated monarch disowned the
authority of the Pope, and by a solemn act of the
English Parliament proclaimed himself the supreme
head of the Church in England; sustaining this
schismatical step by a violent persecution against
those who refused to sign this impious declaration.
Sir Thomas More, the Chancellor of State, and
Fisher, bishop of Eochester, were the first victims of
his wrath ; on declining to acknowledge his ecclesi-
astical supremacy they were beheaded. It was then
that the chancellor made this beautiful answer to the
sacrilegious king : " If I were alone in my faith, I
would not rely on my own judgment in this matter,
but unhesitatingly accept the decision of the great
English Parliament, but I have on my side the whole
Church, that vast body of Christians." The condem-
nation of these two illustrious men was only the
prelude to a great number of horrible executions,
and Henry, who until this period had not evinced a
cruel disposition, became a violent and sanguinary
prince.

In order to punish the Religious who persevered in
the obedience due the Holy See, he suppressed the
monasteries, and appropriated their revenues to his
own use; and it is said tliat he only proclaimed
himself the head of the Anglican Church, so as
to have an excuse for plundering the ecclemastical
possessions. Henry espoused Anna Boleyn, the
original cause of all these evils, but, soon becoming
disgusted with her, had her beheaded, and contracted
a new alliance, which was followed by four others.
36*

426 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Thus God punished the first crime of this unhappy
monarch, by allowing him to fall into still greater
excesses, and abandoned him to the corrupt desires
of his heart. Henry died in the most terrible re-
morse of conscience, after a wicked and profligate
reign. Notwithstanding, however, his grievous faults,
he did not alter the doctrines of the Church, but the
schism he had excited soon led to heresy; the new
errors could not fail to be well received in a country
ready for any kind of revolution.

During Henry^s life Lutheranism had commenced
to creep into his kingdom in spite of his efforts to
crush it, and after his death Edward VI entirely
abolished the Catholic religion, and established the
pretended reformation in England. The holy sacri-
fice of the mass was forbidden, the sacred images
destroyed, the churches plundered and profaned,
and the pulpits occupied by preachers who publicly
attacked the ancient dogmas and ceremonies of relig-
ion. In order to form a correct estimate of the Angli-
can reformation, it is sufficient to recall its disgraceful
origin. Henry VIII, when stretched on his deathbed,
was deeply sensible of the wickedness and impiety of
what he had done, for, at the hour of death, illusions
vanish and truth shines forth in all its brilliancy.

CONVERSION OF THE INDIES.
A. D. 1541.

The losses endured by the Church in Europe
through schisms and heresies were amply retrieved
by the zeal of Francis Xavier, who, about this period.

CONVERSION OF THE INDIES. 427

won innumerable souls and vast countries to Jesus
Christ. Xavier was descended from a noble family
in the kingdom of Navarre. He studied in Paris,
where he taught philosophy in the University; it
was there that he formed an attachment for Ignatius,
of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, and he
became one of his first disciples. Having been chosen
by Pope Paul III to preach the gospel in the East
Indies, where the Portuguese had formed settlements,
he embarked at Lisbon in 1541, and landed, af(er
a long voyage, at Goa, capital of the Portuguese
dominions in that country.

The deplorable state in which he found religion
filled him with grief, and inflamed his zeal for the
conversion of this benighted people. As the scan-
dalous lives of the Christians in the Indies was the
great obstacle to the conversion of the idolaters scat-
tered among them, Xavier began his apostolic labors
by reclaiming these bad Catholics to the practice of
virtue and religion. In order to secure permanent
success he applied himself to the education of youth,
exciting them to a love of piety and learning. He
assembled the little children, and, leading them to
church, taught them the Apostles' creed, the ten com-
mandments, and instructed them in the exercises of
a holy and Christian life. The fervor of these chil-
dren edified the city, and very soon changed the sad
state of things; sinners began to repent of their
crimes, and, going to St. Francis, solicited his advice.
He received them with the greatest kindness, in-
structed the penitents, exhorting and converting
them by his sweetness and charity.

428 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

The saint then proceeded to the pearl-fisheries,
where the people had been baptized, but were still
attached to their superstitions and vicious habits.
In order to secure a plentiful harvest, he studied
their language ; and with great labor translated into it
the Apostles' creed, the decalogue, the Lord's prayer,
and, finally, the whole catechism ; he committed his
translation to memory, and traveled through the
country announcing the gospel in this simple man-
ner. His preaching, supported by wonderful miracles,
produced abundant fruit ; and the fervor of the con-
verts was most edifying and remarkable; from a
nation plunged in all kinds of vices the great St.
Francis Xavier raised up a people of saints. Sinners
reformed their lives, and the multitude of infidels
who asked for baptism was so immense, that Xavier,
exhausted with fatigue, could hardly raise his arm
after administering the sacrament. Encouraged by
this success, he advanced into the neighboring coun-
tries where the inhabitants had no knowledge of Jesus
Christ ; and in a short time he enjoyed the consola-
tion of seeing these pagans voluntarily destroy their
idols and erect Catholic Churches on their sites.

The following year Xavier passed into the king-
dom of Travancore, where he baptized, with his own
hand, ten thousand idolaters in the space of one
month. Forty-five churches were built in this
country, and St. Francis, who relates all these cir-
cumstances himself, adds that it was a most touching
spectacle when these converted infidels hastened
to demolish their pagan temples. The reputation
of the holy apostle spread throughout the whole

COKVERSIOJif OF THE INDIES. 429

Indies, and lie was earnestly entreated to visit the
different provinces, so as to instruct and baptize the
inhabitants. While gathering this rich harvest of
souls, Xavier wrote to Italy and Portugal, asking for
assistance in his labors; and in the excess of his
zeal wished all the Doctors of the European Univer-
sities to become missionaries. St. Francis visited
the island of Manar, Cochin, Meliapore, Malacca,
Moluccas, and Ternate, everywhere effecting a pro-
digious number of conversions, and establishing in
each place a flourishing church.

It was with incredible labor and amidst all kinds
of perils that Xavier accomplished such wonders, it
being impossible to recount all that he suffered in
his different missions ; but his interior consolations
amply repaid him for the dangers he encountered.
" The dangers to which I am exposed," he writes to
St. Ignatius, " the labors I undertake for the glory
of God alone, are sources of inexhaustible delight to
me, and these supernatural consolations are so pure,
delicious, and continual, that they cause me to forget
any pain or weariness of body." In the midst of the
celestial favors which were lavished upon him, he
would entreat the divine mercy to moderate these
heavenly gifts, as the happiness was too great for a
mortal to enjoy.

430 HISTORY OF THE CHUKCH.

CONTINUATION OF THE APOSTOLICAL LABORS
OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER.

St. Francis Xavier, whose zeal knew no bonnds,
sailed for Japan, and arrived, in 1549, in the kingdom
of Saxunia. With the assistance of a Japanese, whom
he had converted in India, he translated the creed,
and explanations of each one of the articles, into the
language of the country. The king having granted
him an audience, he obtained the royal permission
to announce the faith in his dominions. St. Francis
made a great number of conversions, but his joy
was troubled by the persecutions of the bonzas, or
Japanese priests, who succeeded in prejudicing the
king against him. He, therefore, took his departure
for Firando, the capital of another small kingdom,
where he was kindly received by the prince, who
allowed him to preach the gospel to his subjects.

The effect of these discourses was most extraordi-
nary; and more idolaters were converted here in
twenty days than during a whole year in Saxuma.
The saint left these converts under the care of a
missionary, who had accompanied him, and set out
for Meaco, the capital of Japan, passing through
Amanguchi, a most immoral and wicked city. His
preaching was of no avail, and he was even insulted
and treated with great indignity by these licentious
people. On arriving at Meaco, he met with the
same reception ; but was grieved to see the blindness
and obstinacy of the inhabitants; he therefore
returned to Amanguchi, iind, as he pei'ceived that
the poverty of his dress had shocked the idolaters.

LABORS OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER. 431

and prevented him from obtaining an audience at
court, he thought it his duty to conform to the
customs of the country. He therefore presented
himself at the palace in a rich dress, accompanied
by an imposing retinue, and carrying some presents
to the king. Through this means Xavier gained
the protection of the prince, and permission to
announce the gospel ; three thousand persons were
baptized in this city, which success greatly consoled
him for his previous failure.

From Amanguchi the holy Apostle proceeded to
Bongo, where the reigning monarch was most
anxious to see the servant of God. St. Francis here
confounded in a public argument the bonzas, who,
through interested motives, used every effort to
oppose him; several of them, however, were con-
verted to the true faith. His public discourses and
private instructions deeply impressed the people, who
hastened in crowds to ask for baptism. The king
himself was convinced of the truth of Christianity ;
but worldly considerations prevented him from em-
bracing the faith at that time. He afterwards, how-
ever, remembered the instructions he had received
from Xavier, and, overcoming human respect, asked
for baptism. Finally, after a sojourn of nearly two
years and a half in Japan, the saint was inspired
with a desire to announce the gospel in China.
Although foreigners were prohibited, under pain of
the most severe penalties, from entering this vast
empire, he endeavored to discover some way of exe-
cuting his design ; a thousand obstacles opposed this
zealous Apostle; and he experienced all kinds of

432 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

difficulties, but nothing could daunt him, and by
means of great patience, he succeeded in penetrating
as far as the Island of Sancian, near Macao, on the
coast of China.

Eternal Wisdom sometimes inspires His servants
with intentions they are not destined to fulfill, in
order to reward their good will and zeal in His ser-
vice. At this period, when the holy Apostle seemed
about accomplishing his cherished wishes, he fell ill,
and after twelve days of anguish, which he endured
without any human assistance, died at the age of
forty-six. He was buried on the sea-shore, and
unslacked lime thrown on the body, that, the flesh
being quickly consumed, the bones might be more
conviently carried in a vessel which was to return to
India in a few days ; but two months afterward his
body was found as natural and entire as when living,
and the vestments in a state of perfect preservation.
The sacred remains of St. Francis Xavier were then
conveyed to Goa, and deposited in the church of St.
Paul, with every tribute of respect and honor; a
great number of miracles were wrought upon his
tomb, testifying to the sanctity of this great Apostle
of the Indies.

OPENING OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT.
A. D. 1545.

When the pretended reformation began to spread
in Germany, it was decided that a general council
was the best means to arrest the progress of error,
and remedy the evils heresy had brought upon the

OPENING OF THE COUis'CIL OF TRENT. 433

Church. The Emperor Charles V ardently desired
it, and Pope Paul III, after learning the sentiments
of other Christian monarchs, issued a bull for the
convocation of a general council. He chose the city
of Trent for the place of assembly, as it is situated
between Italy and Germany, and thus was of easy
access to the Fathers who composed the council.
The Pope had several obstacles to contend with,
which prevented the opening of the council until
toward the end of the year 1545.

The bishops commenced by designating the points
upon which they were to treat, and the order in which
they were to be proposed. After a solemn mass of
the Holy Ghost, the creed was read, according to the
custom of the previous councils, which opposed this
divine shield to all the heresies, and which had often,
by this means alone, converted infidels to the ftxith,
and confounded heretics. The prelates then treated
upon the canonicity of the sacred volumes w^icli are
the foundation of Christianity, and unanimously
agreed that it is necessary to recognize as strictly
canonical all the books of the Old and New Testa-
ments. One of the legates spoke with great learning
and eloquence upon this subject ; showing that these
books had been received as inspired by the councils
and Fathers of the early ages.

The truth of tradition was also argued, that is to
say, the doctrine of Jesus Christ and His Apostles,
which is not contained in the Scriptures, but has been
handed down by word of mouth, and is found in the
writings of the Fathers, and other ancient ecclesias-
tical works. A decree was issued on these two points,
37

4S4 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

expressed in the following words : " The holy conn-
cil of Trent, ecumenical and general, legitimately
assembled under the guidance of the Holy Ghost,
and presided over by legates of the Apostolic See,
considering that the doctrines of faith and regula-
tion of morals are contained in the sacred writings
and unwritten traditions received by the Apostles
from the lips of Jesus Christ Himself, or revealed to
the same Apostles by the Holy Ghost, have been
handed down to us ; the holy council, following the
examples of the orthodox fathers, accept all the
books of the Old and New Testaments, and also all
the traditions concerning faith or morals as coming
from the lips of Jesus Christ, or inspired by the Holy
Ghost, and preserved in the Church by a continual
succession of pastors ; it receives them with respect
and piety ; and, that no one may doubt which are
the books approved by the council, it is ordered that
a catalogue of the volumes be inserted in this decree."
Then came the list of all the canonical books as
they are printed in the Vulgate. The council adds :
'• Whosoever refuses to receive as sacred and canoni-
cal these books in all their parts, or knowingly and
deliberately rejects the traditions which have been
mentioned, let him be anathema."

Finally, in order to restrain restless minds, the
council commands, that, in matters of faith and
morals Avhich have reference to the maintenance of
Christian doctrine, no one whosoever shall presume
to rely on his own judgment in explaining the holy
scriptures contrary to tlie interpretation of tne
Church, whose privilege it is to decide on the true

COUNCIL OX ORIGINAL SIN". 435

sense and real meaning of the Bible, or contrary to
the unanimous opinion of the Fathers. The council
also decrees that those who employ the words of the
gospel in a profiine manner, — that is, in jesting,
foolish applications, flattery or superstitious prac-
tices, shall be punished as violaters of the word of
God.

DOCTRINE OF THE COUNCIL ON ORIGINAL SIN.

The holy council of Trent explained, in the fifth
session, the Catholic doctrine of original sin, and the
remedy for this sin. It teaches that Adam, after
transgressing the command of God, lost the sanctity
and justice in which he was created ; by disobeying
God he incurred the divine wrath, became the slave
of the devil, and subject to death. By his prevarica-
tion, the first man not only sinned himself, but
entailed misery on his whole posterity ; in transmit-
ting sin, which is the death of the soul, he has
brought upon the human race the death and suffer-
ings of the body, according to the words of the
Apostle, "as by one man sin entered into the world,
and by sin death ; and so death came upon all men,
in one of whom all have sinned." This sin can-
not be effaced by natural means, but solely through
the merits of Jesus Christ, the only mediator, who
has reconciled us to God by shedding His precious
blood ; and these divine merits are equally applied to
adults and infants through the sacrament of bap-
tism, according to these words: "For there is no
other name under heaven given to men whereby we

HISTORY OF THE CHFRCH.

must be saved." And these : " Behold the lamb of
God, behold him who taketh away the sins of the
world; you all who have been baptized have been
clothed in Jesus Christ."

Thus the children born of baptized parents have
need of baptism, because they inherit from Adam
original sin, which can only be effaced by the waters
of regeneration in order to obtain eternal life. It is
for this reason, that, according to the apostolic tradi-
tion, infants, who are incapable of any actual sin,
are really baptized to obtain the remission of sin,
as this sacrament effaces the sin they inherit through
a corrupt race; for whoever is not born again by
water and the Holy Ghost cannot enter the kingdom
of heaven. Through the grace conferred in baptism,
original sin is wholly remitted and effaced, for there
is no guile in the regenerated, and there is no con-
demnation for those who have been buried with
Jesus Christ in baptism in order to die to sin, and
who do not live according to the flesh, but, divesting
themselves of the old man, and clothing themselves
in the new, have become pure without stain, the
heirs of God, and co-heirs of Jesus Christ, in such
a manner that nothing can oppose their entrance
into the kingdom of the Father.

The holy council, however, acknowledges and
confesses that concupiscence, or the tendency to sin,
remains in those who have been baptized ; this con-
cupiscence having been left, in order to be overcome,
cannot harm those who do not yield to it ; but those
who, through the grace of Jesus Christ, courageously
resist this vicious inclination, will be crowned as

THE JUSTIFICATION OF THE SINNER. 437

having fought the good fight. If St. Paul calls it
siu, it is because it is a consequence of sin, and leads
to the commission of sin. The holy council then
declares, that, in its decision concerning original sin
regarding all mankind, it does not include the
Blessed and Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of
God; testifying by this decree their zeal in maintain-
ing the pious belief of the faithful with regard to
the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin.

DOCTRINE OF THE COUNCIL ON THE JUSTIFICA-
TION OF THE SINNER,

The subject of justification naturally follows that
of sin. The holy council first remarks that each of
the dispositions that lead to the remission of sin is
the effect of actual and saving grace, which God does
not owe the sinner, but grants through pure generos-
ity. Man can commit sin, and entail death on him-
self, but he cannot by his own power, without the
assistance of divine grace, either efface sin, or even
conceive a salutary desire of repentance. He is thus
obliged to ask and hope for every thing from the
liands of God, through the saving merits of Jesus
Christ. The first disposition for justification is to
firmly believe in the truths God has revealed, and
the rewards He has promised to the faithful soul.
Among these truths some are alarming, others con-
soling, producing in the sinner dread of punishment
and hope of pardon. The sinner, overwhelmed by
fear of the judgments of God, is reassured when he
considers His mercy which is unfailing, and through
37*

438 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

a lively confidence, founded on the merits of Jesns
Christ, Avill finally cast himself into the arms of His
infinite mercy, and begin to love God as the source
of all justice.

After showing hoAV the sinner obtains justification,
the council then proceeds to explain its nature and
effects. Justification does not consist merely in
the remission of sin, but also renews the life of the
soul, in such a manner that the sinner becomes
truly righteous, the friend of God, and the heir of
eternal life. The Holy Ghost operates this wonder-
ful change, and instills into the heart of the sinner
the holy virtues of faith, hope, and charity, which
unite the soul intimately to Jesus Christ, and consti-
tute it a living member of His divine body. Man,
thus justified through the grace of our Saviour, is
not limited to the degree of sanctity he has received,
but may advance from virtue to virtue, and daily
become more holy by prayer, mortification, the
practice of all good works, the exact observance of
the law of God, and the maxims of the gospel.

In fulfilling these precepts, man proves the truth
of the words of the Bible, which declares that the
commands of God are not hard to obey, that the
yoke of Jesus Christ is sweet, and His burden light,
because, being the child of God, he loves Him as a
Father, and this filial affection renders it easy and
agreeable to accomplish His holy will. If, in order
to make us feel the need of His grace, God seems to
desert us, we should not be discouraged, but rather
increase in humility and fervor, knowing that Ho
does not command impossibilities, but has promised

COUNCIL CONCERNING THE SACRAMENTS. 439

to listen to our petitions ; and Ave shall receive help
from above which will enable us to persevere unto
the end in the way of righteousness.

DOCTRINE OF THE COUNCIL CONCERNING THE
SACRAMENTS.

The holy council then speaks of the sacraments,
which are so many means of attaining perfection,
augmenting piety, or recovering the grace we may
have lost by sin. The council teaches that the sacra-
ments of the new law have been instituted by Jesus
Christ, and are seven in number, viz. : Baptism, Con-
firmation, the Holy Eucharist, Penance, Extreme
Unction, Holy Orders and Matrimony; that each
sacrament contains the grace of which it is the sign,
and confers this grace on all those who have the
requisite dispositions.

After condemning the heresies of Luther concern-
ing the two first sacraments, the council explains
the Eucharist. The pure doctrine always taught by
the Catholic Church is, that, after the consecration of
the bread and wine, our Lord Jesus Christ, true God
and true Man, is present really and substantially
under the form of these visible appearances. It is
criminal and sacrilegious to presume to give a meta-
phorical sense to the words by which Jesus Christ
has instituted this sacrament. The Church, which
is the pillar of truth, condemns this impious asser-
tion, ever remembering, with tender gratitude, this
most precious gift she has received from Jesus Christ,
her spouse. Our Saviour, when about leaving the

440 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

earth to go to His Father, instituted this sacrament,
in which He lavished, as it were, all the riches of His
love up5n mankind, and in which is contained a
memorial of all His wonders. He desires us in
receiving this sacrament to show forth His death,
and He wishes it to be the spiritual food of our souls,
causing them to live in Him, for He says : " He that
eatetli me, the same also shall live by me." He
moreover desires this sacrament to be the pledge of
our eternal happiness, and the symbol of our union
with the body of which He is the head. The Cath-
olic Church has always believed that, when the words
of consecration are pronounced, the real body and
blood of our Saviour, together with His soul and
divinity, are present under the form of bread and
wine, and that each of the sacred species contains the
same as the two combined, for Jesus Christ is whole
and entire under the form of bread, even to the least
particle, as He also exists under the appearance of
wine even to the smallest drop ; that, by the conse-
cration of bread and wine, the substance of the bread
is changed into the body of our Lord, and the sub-
stance of the wine into His blood; which change
has been most appropriately called Transubstantia-
tion. All the faithful, therefore, are obliged to honor
the blessed sacrament with the supreme worship
which is due to Grod alone, for we believe the God
whom all the angels adored when He entered into
the world to be truly present, the same Lord and
Saviour to whom the Magi presented gold, frankin-
cense, and myrrh; the same Divine Master whom
the Apostles adored in Galilee.

THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. 441

With regard to the use of this divine sacrament,
the holy council, with paternal affection, warns,
admonishes, prays and conjures all those who bear
the name of Christians to unite under this standard
of peace, this bond of charity and symbol of concord,
always remembering the extraordinary love of Our
Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us His sacred
body to be the food of our souls after suffering an
ignominious death on the cross for our salvation ;
to believe in the mystery of the Holy Eucharist
with so firm a faith, so profound a respect, and so
sincere a piety, as to be able to worthily receive this
celestial nourishment ; so that, being sustained by
this heavenly manna, they may pass from their
earthly pilgrimage to eternal bliss, there to partake,
without a veil, of this bread of Angels which they
now behold under the simple forms of bread and wine.

DOCTRINE OF THE COUNCIL ON THE SACRIFICE
OF THE MASS.

The Euchaiist is not only a sacrament wherein
Jesus Christ gives Himself to mankind for their
spiritual nourishment, but it is also a sacrifice in
which He offers Himself to the Eternal Father as a
victim for the sins of men. The doctrine of the
Council of Trent, with regaixi to the sacrifice of the
mass, is expressed in these terms : Although Jesus
Christ, Our Lord, has offered Himself as a victim of
propitiation for the sins of the world, by expiring on
the altar of the cross, nevertheless, as the priesthood
was not to be abolished by His death. He has left the

442 HISTORY OF THE CHL'RCH.

Church, His spouse, a visible sacrifice, such as the
nature of man demands ; an unbloody sacrifice rep-
resenting the bloody sacrifice of Calvary, preserving
its memory to the end of time, and obtaining the
remission of our daily offenses. Thus, at the Last
Supper, on the very night of His betrayal, in order
to show that He was a priest forever, according to
the order of Melchisedech, He offered to Grod, the
Father, His body and blood, under the form of bread
and wine, and, under the same appearances, He
administered the sacrament of the Eucharist to the
Apostles, whom He then, for the first time, estab-
lished priests of the new testament, and by the
words : " Do this in commemoration of me," com-
manded them and their successors to offer His body
and blood in the form He Himself prescribed, which
has since been the universal practice of the Catholic
Church. For, after celebrating the ancient Pasch
offered by the Israelites in memory of their deliver-
ance from Egypt, He established the new Pasch by
giving Himself to be offered by the priests in the
name of the Church, under visible forms, in memory
of His passage from this world to His Father, when,
ransoming us by the effusion of His precious blood.
He delivered us from the powers of darkness and
transferred us to His heavenly kingdom. It is this
same offering, which cannot be sullied either by the
unworthiness or malice of those who offer it, that
our Lord predicted, through the prophet Malachy,
should be offered everywhere in His name, that
would become great among all nations. It is the
same sacrifice that the Apostle Paul, in writing to

THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. 44.3

the Corinthians, clearly indicated, when he said,
" that those who were defiled by partaking of the
table of devils could not be partakers of the table of
the Lord." Finally this sacrifice was prefigured and
represented by different kinds of sacrifices, as con-
taining all the benefits which were only signified by
the others, of which it is the perfect fulfillment;
and as the same Jesus Christ, who offered Himself
once on the cross by shedding His precious blood,
is contained and immolated in this divine sacrifice,
which is accomplished during the Holy Mass with-
out shedding His blood, the council declares, that
this sacrifice is truly and really a propitiatory offer-
ing ; that through its merits we obtain mercy, and
receive grace and help in time of need, if we assist
thereat with a sincere and contrite heart, lively faith,
and ardent hope. Appeased by this divine oblation,
God bestows the gift of repentance upon sinners,
pardons offenses, and even the greatest crimes,
because it is the same victim, the same Jesus Christ,
formerly offered on the cross, who now offers Him-
self by the hands of the priest ; there being only this
difference, that the sacrifice of the cross was bloody,
while that of the altar is unbloody. Far from the
latter detracting from the former, it is only through
the unbloody oblation that we receive the abundant
fruit of the sacrifice on Mount Calvary. Thus, in
conformity with the traditions of the Apostles, the
mass is offered, not only for the sins, sufferings, satis-
faction and necessities of the living, but also for those
who sleep in Jesus Christ, and are not yet entirely
purified from the stain of sin.

444 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

DOCTRINE OF THE COUNCIL ON PENANCE.

If all those who are regenerated by baptism
remained always in the state of grace, no other sacra-
ment would have been necessary for the remission of
sin. But God, in His infinite mercy, knowing our
frailty, has bestowed another means for renewing the
spiritual life of those who after baptism have fallen
into mortal sin, and under the dominion of Satan.
This remedy is the sacrament of penance, by which
the merits of the death of Jesus Christ are applied
to those who have lost their baptismal innocence.

Penance has always been acceptable unto God,
but before the coming of Jesus Christ it was not a
sacrament, and since His coming, it is a sacrament
only for those who have received baptism. Our
Lord Himself especially instituted the sacrament of
penance, when, after His resurrection, He breathed
on His disciples, saying, "Eeceive ye the Holy
Ghost ; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven
them," communicating by these words to the Apostles
and their successors the power of forgiving and re-
taining sins committed after baptism. There is a
great difference between these two sacraments, for
penance does not effect the entire and perfect regen-
eration accomplished by baptism, as it is only through
many contrite tears and great labor that the justice of
God is appeased, so that the holy Fathers, with much
truth, have called penance, a painful baptism. The
form of the sacrament of penance, in which princi-
pally consists its virtue and efficacy, is contained in
the words of absolution pronounced by the priest ;

THE COUNCIL ON" PENAJ^CE. 445

the dispositions of the penitent, which are contrition,
confession and satisfaction, being the substance of
the sacrament ; and the reconciliation of the sinner
with God is the effect.

Contrition, which is the first disposition of a pen-
itent, is a sincere sorrow and detestation of the sins
he has committed, with a firm resolution to avoid
sin in the future. The holy council declares that
this contrition does not mean only a cessation from
sin and a determination to lead a new life, but also
a hatred for the sins committed in our past life.
Although it sometimes happens, adds the council,
that contrition is perfected by charity, and that in
such a case man is reconciled with God before the
reception of the sacrament of penance, this recon-
ciliation nevertheless cannot be effected by contrition
alone, but must be accompanied by an earnest desire
to receive the sacrament.

Imperfect contrition, called attrition, because it is
generally occasioned by the consideration of the
vileness and deformity of sin, or the fear of punish-
ment, if accompanied by a hope of pardon and a
detestation of sin, is neither hypocritical nor criminal,
but a gift of God and an inspiration of the Holy
Ghost; not a natural impulse but a supernatural
assistance in the preparation for the worthy recep-
tion of the sacrament, and although attrition alone,
without the sacrament of penance, is not sufficient
to justify the sinner, it nevertheless disposes tho
sinner to obtain the grace of God in the proper per-
formance of this sacred duty.

446 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

DOCTRINE OF THE COUNCIL ON CONFESSION.

The Catholic Church has always taught that the
confession of all mortal sins is a necessary conse-
quence of the sacrament of penance, which was
instituted by our Saviour for the salvation of all
those who have fallen after baptism. When about
ascending into Heaven, Jesus Christ established
priests as His vicars, thus constituting them judges
before whom the faithful are obliged to reveal all
the mortal sins they may have committed, so that,
according to the power they have received of remit-
ting or retaining sins, they may pronounce sentence
upon the penitent ; but it is evident priests cannot
exercise this power without knowing the cause of
offense, nor observe justice in their judgment if the
penitent only confesses his sins in a general manner,
without explaining every particular detail; from
which the council concludes that the penitent must
accuse himself of all the mortal sins he may have
been guilty of after a strict examination of conscience ;
even when there are hidden sins committed against
the last two precepts of the decalogue which forbid
all irregular desires; these sins being sometimes
more dangerous and fatal to the soul than public
offenses.

With regard to venial sins which do not deprive us
of the grace of God, and into which we frequently
fall, they are not necessarily comprised in the pre-
cept of confession, as they can be expiated by several
other remedies. Nevertheless, it is very profitable to
confess them, as is seen by the custom of pious per-

THE COUNCIL 01^ CONFESSIOIS'. 447

sons ; but every mortal sin, even of thought, renders
us children of wrath and enemies of God, and we
are, therefore, absolutely obliged to supplicate for
pardon at the throne of grace by an unreserved, sin-
cere confession, accompanied by contrition. Those
who voluntarily conceal any one mortal sin, have no
claim to the forgiveness of God or the absolution of
the priest ; for, if a sick man is ashamed to make
known his disease to the physician, the greatest
science and most consummate skill cannot cure the
unknown malady. He must also explain in confes-
sion the circumstances, which alter the nature of
sin ; because, otherwise, the priest cannot acquire a
sufficient knowledge of the state of the soul, or
justly estimate the grievousness of the offense, so as
to bestow a suitable penance on the penitent.

It is very wrong to say that confession such as is
commanded by the Church of God is an impossi-
bility, or regard it as a torture to the conscience, for
our holy mother, the Church, only exacts that, after
a careful examination, we accuse ourselves of all the
mortal sins we can remember. The sins which may
be forgotten by an exact and conscientious Christian
are included in his confession, and it is for those sins
that we exclaim with the prophet: "Purify me,
Lord, from my hidden sins." It must be acknowl-
edged, however, that confession, by reason of the
shame we feel in avowing our sins, would appear a
heavy trial, were it not lightened by the advantages
and consolation which absolution confers on those
who approach this sacrament with the requisite dis-
positions.

448 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

DOCTRINE OF THE COUNCIL ON SATISFACTION.

The holy council declares that it is absolutely false,
and entirely contrary to the word of God, to say that
He never pardons sin without at the same time re-
mitting all the punishment due the offense; for,
besides the authority of sacred tradition, there are
several remarkable examples in holy books which
completely refute this error. It is certainly most
reasonable to suppose that Divine justice will more
readily pardon those who, before baptism, sinned
through ignorance, than those who, after having been
once delivered from the power of the devil and re-
ceived the gifts of the Holy Ghost, have deliberately
profaned the temple of God and grieved the Holy
Spirit. It is a mark of Divine clemency that our
sins are not remitted without satisfaction being
made, lest we miglit regard them as trivial offenses,
and finally commit the most horrible crimes, merit-
ing thereby the wrath of God on the day of judg-
ment. For it is certain that the punishment
inflicted for the satisfaction of sin prevents its
commission, and acts as a restraint upon sinners, in
obliging them to be more vigilant and guarded for
the future. Moreover, satisfaction is a remedy which
heals the wounds caused by sin, and destroys, by the
practice of contrary virtues, the bad habits contracted
during a sinful and unchristian life.

The Church of God has always believed that there
is no surer way of avoiding the chastisements our
sins deserve, than the practice of these penitential
works, accompanied by heartfelt contrition. Finally,

THE COUKCIL Oi^ SATISFACTIOI^-. 449

when suffering for our sins, by this species of satis-
faction, we become like Jesus Christ, who offered
satisfaction for our offenses, and we have a certain
assurance that we shall be partakers in His glory if
we have participated in His sufferings. This satis-
faction, however, which we offer for our sins is not
our own work, but only performed and accomplished
through the merits of Jesus Christ; for, though
utterly unworthy ourselves, Ave can perform wonders
with the assistance of supernatural grace. Thus, we
should have no feelings of self-complacency but
glory only in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our life,
our mediator and redeemer, who sanctifies all good
works, and renders them efficacious for salvation
through His divine merits.

The ministers of God should, therefore, according
to the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and their own
judgment, impose satisfaction suitable to the nature
of the sins and disposition of the penitent, lest by
too great leniency they become participators in the
sins of others; remembering that the satisfaction
they impose not only serves as a remedy for the
maladies of the soul, and a preservative against
future offenses, but also expiates the punishment
due past sins. The holy council also declares that
the goodness of God is so great, that through the
merits of Jesus Christ we are enabled to satisfy God
the Father, not only by the voluntary mortifications
we practice for the punishment of our sins, or by
those the priest imposes, but also by the temporal
afflictions the Lord sends us, when we bear these
trials with patience and submission.
38*

450 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

DOCTRINE OF THE^ COUNCIL ON EXTREME
UNCTION.

The council has thought proper to add to what
has been said with regard to penance the following
explanations concerning the sacrament of Extreme
TJnction, which the holy Fathers consider as not
only the consummation of penance, but of a Chris-
tian life, which should be a continual penance. The
council, therefore, declares, that Our Redeemer, who,
in His infinite goodness desires to provide His ser-
vants at all times with salutary remedies against
the attacks of their numerous enemies, has prepared
in the other sacraments powerful helps for Christians,
in order to guard them during life from every spir-
itual evil; and He wishes also to strengthen and
fortify the last hours of their mortal career by the
sacrament of Extreme Unction.

This great sacrament is a certain and unfailing
protection ; for, although the devil, during the whole
course of our life, seeks and watches for occasions to
destroy our souls, there is no period Avhen he employs
his artifices and snares with more cunning, so as to
deprive us if possible of confidence in the mercy of
God, than when death is drawing near. Now this
holy anointing of the sick was established by Our
Lord as a sacrament, 'first used by St. Mark, and
plainly recommended to the faithful by St. James,
in these words : " Is any man sick among you ? Let
him bring in the priests of the Church, and let them
pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name
of the Lord. And the prayer, of faith shall save the

THE COUNCIL OF EXTREME UI^CTIOJ^. 451

sick man ; and the Lord shall raise him up, and if
he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him." By these
words, which the Church has received through
apostolic tradition as if from the lips of the Apostle
himself, she teaches the proper matter, form, admin-
istration and effect of this salutary sacrament ; for
the matter of the sacrament is the oil consecrated by
the bishop on Holy Thursday ; finally she assures us
of the grace of the Holy Ghost, by which the soul
of the sick man is, as it were, invisibly anointed.

The form consists in the prayer which accompanies
the anointing: "Through this holy unction, and
through His most tender mercy, may the Lord
pardon thee whatever sins thou hast committed by
hearing, sight, etc." The real effect of the sacra-
ment is the grace of the Holy Ghost, which remits
the punishment due to sin, and any sins which are
still to be expiated ; it solaces and strengthens the
soul of the sick person, inspires him with great
confidence in the mercy of God, sustains and enables
him to endure with patience and fortitude the incon-
venience and pains of sickness, and firmly resist
the temptations of Satan. Sometimes through virtue
of this anointing, health is restored to the body
when expedient for the salvation of the soul.

The words of the apostle clearly designate those
who are to administer this sacrament, and those who
should receive it ; the bishops and priests being the
ministers, and the sick the recipients, those espe-
cially who are attacked by a dangerous illness and in
their last agony. We should not wait, however, until
the sick person is deprived of his senses and uncon-

462 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

cious, adds the catechism, composed by command
of the Council, it being a great sin to delay nntil
the last moment the administration of this sacra-
ment, as we thus deprive the sick person of a great
part of the fruit he could have derived from extreme
unction, if he had received it in a state of perfect
consciousness by uniting with faith and piety in the
prayers of the Church.

DOCTRINE OF THE COUNCIL ON PURGATORY,

INDULGENCES, AND VENERATION OF THE

SAINTS, ETC.

The holy council of Trent, after anathematizing
the errors of Luther and Calvin, with regard to the
sacraments of holy orders and matrimony, thus
explains the Catholic doctrine of purgatory : " The
Church, inspired by the Holy Ghost, has always
taught, according to the Holy Scriptures and apos-
tolic tradition, that there is a purgatory, and that
the souls there detained, receive comfort from the
prayers and good works of the faithful, particularly
through the sacrifice of the mass, which is so accept-
able to Cod." Consequently the holy council enjoins
the bishops to be careful that the belief of the faith-
ful regarding purgatory should be conformable to
the holy doctrine transmitted to us by the Fathers
and councils, and commands the same to be univer-
sally preached and taught throughout the Church.

The council then speaks of the veneration paid
to the saints, and declares that the saints who
reign with Jesus Christ oflfer their prayers for the

THE COUI?^CIL OIT PURGATORY, ETC. 453

spiritual welfare of mankind ; that it is both advan-
tageous and profitable to humbly invoke them, and
implore their intercession and assistance in order to
obtain favors from God, through His Son, our Lord
Jesus Christ, who alone is our Redeemer and Saviour ;
that the faithful should respect the relics of the
saints, because their bodies were formerly the living
members of Jesus Christ and temples of the Holy
Ghost, and will one day rise to eternal life; that
God authorizes this veneration by working miracles
through these holy relics, as in past ages, by the
shadow of St. Peter, and the linen which had touched
the body of St. Paul. Moreover, that we should
have and preserve, especially in the churches, the
pictures and statues of Jesus Christ, the Blessed
Virgin Mother of God and the saints, paying the
honor and veneration due to them.

"It is not," adds the council, "that we believe
these images to possess any divine property or virtue
which command our veneration, nor ask of them
any grace, nor repose confidence in them like the
pagans who adore idols, but we honor them on
account of the originals which they represent ; so
that, in kissing statues or kneeling before holy
pictures, we adore Jesus Christ and honor the saints
of whom they remind us. The bishops should also
endeavor to make the history of our redemption,
represented by paintings or otherwise, serve as in-
structions to the people, and confirm them in the
practice of always remembering the articles of faith ;
that another great advantage is also derived from
the use of holy images and pictures, by their not

454 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

only recalling to the minds of the faithful the
memory of the favors and graces they have received
from God, but also because they expose to the eyes
of Christians the miracles He has wrought and the
salutary examples He presents them in the persons
of the saints, so that they may return Him thanks
and be excited by the sight of these objects to love
and worship God, and increase in piety and virtue."
The council of Trent terminates its instructions
by explaining the nature of indulgences : " Jesus
Christ," says the holy council, "having conferred
upon His Church the power of granting indulgences,
and the Church having from the earliest ages made
use of the power she has received from her Founder,
the holy council commands and enjoins her to con-
tinue this most holy practice, and confirms it by the
authority of the councils. The council anathema-
tizes those who assert that indulgences are useless or
deny the power of the Church to grant them ; which
power, however, is to be used with care and modera-
tion, according to the ancient and approved custom
of the Church, lest ecclesiastical discipline may be-
come enervated and weakened by too great license.

CONCLUSION OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT — ST.
CHARLES BORROMEO.

A. D. 1563-1584.

The council of Trent, whose first session was held
in the year 1545, was finally terminated in 1563,
under the pontificate of Pius IV. Every obstaclo
which the spirit of heresy and error could raise, was

CONCLUSION" OF THE COUNCIL. 455

opposed to this assembly for the space of eighteen
years, in order to prevent its decrees from being exe-
cuted or to weaken its authority. But faith finally
triumphed, and He who has promised to remain
always with His Church, enabled His spouse to
obtain a victory over the passions of men, and the
very heresy which seemed to threaten immediate
ruin contributed towards her conservation and
effected the happiest reformation. The twenty-fifth
and last session was held on the third of December,
1563. The secretary, after reading all the decrees
of the council, proclaimed the last at the conclusion
of this celebrated assembly. It was hardly ratified
when the Fathers, returning thanks to God, testified
their joy by tears and acclamations, as in the ancient
councils. The Pope confirmed the decisions by a
bull on the sixth of January, 1564, kings, princes,
rulers, and all the faithful being exhorted to receive
religiously and humbly the holy laws it had passed.
The Venetians were the first to submit, and their
example was very soon followed by Italy, Spain, Por-
tugal and Poland. The decrees were also published
in Flanders, the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, and
through the greater part of Germany, where, however,
the Lutherans refused to recognize their authority, as
if their consent affected the infallibility of the
Church, or their sanction was necessary for the exe-
cution of its laws. France also accepted the decis-
ions of the holy council, whose decrees are received
as rules of faith for the whole church, being held in
the same veneration as the four great councils,
according to the words of a holy pontiff, " I revere.

456 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

the four first councils as I do the four gospels." The
discipline and wise regulations of the council were
adopted and enforced but slowly ; numerous obstacles
arose on every side, and some of the principal
churches at first opposed its decrees ; but God raised
up one of those great and generous souls who have
appeared in every century in the Church, as her sup-
port and powerful defender.

Charles Borromeo, the model of bishops, and re-
storer of ecclesiastical discipline, was born in Arona,
near Milan, of one of the most illustrious Italian
families. From his earliest childhood he manifested
the most pious dispositions, plainly indicating the
wonderful designs of God in behalf of His chosen
servant. Charles embraced the religious state at an
early age, and his uncle, the Cardinal de Medicis,
having ascended the Papal chair under the title of
Pius IV, summoned him to Rome, where he was
appointed Cardinal and Archbishop of Milan, and
the principal administration of ecclesiastical affairs
was confided to his charge. Thus raised to the first
dignities of the Church, enjoying the favor of the
sovereign Pontiff, covered with glory and honor, and
still in the bloom of manhood, Borromeo escaped all
the snares that beset youth and talent, and showed
himself worthy, by his many virtues and exemplary
deportment, of the high rank to which Providence
had elevated him. Through his zealous efforts, the
Council of Trent was at length terminated ; the pub-
lication of the decrees accelerated by his urgent
solicitations to the bishops and princes, and, as soon
at this venerable assembly was dissolved, he convened

ST. CHARLES BORROMEO. 457

a large synod at Milan, in order to receive and pub-
lish its decisions.

Not satisfied with his first success, Charles applied
himself particularly to the work of reformation
commanded by the council ; having been the mov-
ing spirit and director of the last sessions, he was
perfectly acquainted with the intentions of the assem-
bly. In order to hasten matters, he began the reform
by correcting in his own person and household
whatever was derogatory to the dignity of the Epis-
copal office, replacing the most innocent pleasures
by grave and serious occupations, devotional exer-
cises, preaching, administering the sacraments, and
watching over the affairs of the diocese. But
Charles Borromeo was destined to give a still more
striking example of virtue to the Church. The
council of Trent had loudly exclaimed against those
bishops who did not reside in their dioceses. St.
Charles, detained at Rome, by the express command
of the sovereign Pontiff, considered it his imperative
duty to personally superintend the flock confided to
his pastoral care. He, therefore, asked his uncle's
permission to return to his diocese, and finally, after
urgent entreaties, obtained his request.

Restored to his beloved children, Borromeo labored
only for their sanctification and the glory of the
Church of God. Gathering around him men emi-
nent for learning and piety, he convoked a provin-
cial council, and enacted, according to the decrees of
Trent, the wisest regulations for the reception and
observance of the decisions of the council, the refor-
muition of the clergy, and the proper celebration of

458 mSTOBY OF THE CHURCH.

the divine oiBfice. While thus laboring for the wel-
fare of his flock, Charles did not spare himself, bnt
gave up all his benefices, refused to wear silk gar-
ments, and adopted a most austere mode of life.
His household was so well regulated that it resem-
bled a religious seminary, rather than the palace of
an archbishop, and, during the last years of his life,
he subsisted entirely on bread, water, and a few
coarse roots.

The great sanctity and wonderful zeal of the Car-
dinal Borromeo spread throughout Italy. This ex-
emplary bishop frequently visited every part of his
vast diocese, traveled through his ecclesiastical prov-
ince, and penetrated as far as Switzerland. During
his apostolic missions he sometimes proceeded on
foot, endured hunger, thirst, and the inclemency of
the weather, climbed the steepest mountains, and
descended the most frightful precipices, to seek for
his stray sheep and restore them to the saving fold
of Jesus Christ. His zeal was so active, and his
charity so fruitful, that he neglected nothing which
could contribute to the glory of God and the salva-
tion of souls. Unadorned altars, or negligence and
indijfference in conducting the holy ceremonies of
the Church, found in St. Charles a reformer, who,
by the use of magnificent vestments, when cele-
brating divine worship, restored the grandeur and
splendor of religion, and re-animated the piety and
fervor of the faithful.

He was the first who established seminaries, five
of which Were founded in his diocese. The Cardinal
drew up wise rules for the government of these holy

ST. CHARLES BORROMEO. 459

asylums whicli 1 ave served for models in the forma-
tion of similar institutions that have subsequently-
been so happily multiplied in the Church. He
erected colleges, hospitals, and monasteries, organized
pious associations, revived the spirit of discipline
and ervor among the regular and secular clergy of
his diocese, convened as many as six councils, all of
which were confirmed by the Holy See ; and, fearing
tha all these good works would fail to inspire his
people with the true spirit of Christianity, he still
reproached himself with not having commenced to
sanctify the flock placed under his guidance. Divine
Providence, however, sent Charles one of those great
trials by which ordinary virtue is generally pros-
trated, but which fully develop a great and gener-
ous soul. The plague appeared in Milan ; and the
wealthy portion of the inhabitants immediately
abandoned the city ; St. Charles was advised to retire
into a place of safety and preserve his life so valuable
to his diocese, but the holy prelate indignantly
rejected counsel so contrary to these words of the
Saviour: "The good shepherd giveth his life for his
sheep ;" and, offering his life as a sacrifice for his flock,
he devoted all his energies to assist those stricken
with the pestilence.

His ardent charity knew no bounds; night and
day he labored indefatigably for the temporal and
spiritual welfare of the unfortunate victims, carrying
peace and consolation wherever he appeared. His
mere presence assuaged the acutest suffering, and
his words of piety and resignation to the dying com-
forted agonizing souls in their departure from this

460 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

world. The contagion, however, continued to spread,
all resources were exhausted, and there was no poss-
ible assistance or relief for the afflicted ; but Charles,
in his unfailing charity, discovered new means for
solacing the sick. He borrowed money, sold his
possessions and furniture, even to his bed, and car-
ried, with his own hands, nourishment and remedies
to the sick, fearing neither danger nor death while
alleviating the sufferings of his beloved children.

The divine wrath was finally appeased by the
devotion of the archbishop, and before his death
Charles enjoyed the happiness of seeing tranquillity
and health restored to his diocese. Seven years after
the disappearance of the plague, this heroic soul was
summoned to receive the crown of immortal glory,
in recompense for so many virtues and sacrifices;
he died on the third of November, 1584. His flock,
whom he had cherished with the tenderness and
solicitude of a father, were overwhelmed with grief
at the loss of their beloved and saintly father ; his
death was deeply felt by the Holy See, of which he
had been a powerful support, and the Catholic world
lamented in his demise one who, by his saintly life,
wide-spread zeal and prudent reformation, had effect-
ed so much good, and excited the admiration and
gratitude of the faithful. Happy Church in whose
bosom models of such heroic virtue are formed!
What other soei-ety separated from the Catholic com-
munion has ever produced a man so eminent for
sanctity, zeal, and charity, as St. Charles Borromea ?

ST. THERESA. 461

REFORMATION OF THE ORDER OF MOUNT
CARMEL — ST. THERESA.

A. D. 1582.

While St. Charles was laboring for the restoration
of ecclesiastical discipline, zealous missionaries were
announcing the glad tidings of the gospel to bar-
barous nations, and the implacable spirit of heresy
was sending generous martyrs to Heaven ; new reli-
gious institutions were being formed in the Church,
entire reformation effected in the cloisters, and the
primitive fervor of monastic orders restored. We
can refer to this epoch, although it was established
shortly before this period, the congregation of the
Theatines, founded by Pope Paul IV ; the Barnabites,
organized by three Milanese gentlemen, and the
society of the Jesuits, which was confirmed in 1540,
and enjoyed at this time a reputation due one of the
most holy and useful orders that has ever appeared
in the Church.

These were not the only monuments of the six-
teenth century, when, notwithstanding the efforts
of heresy, religion still maintained a happy ascen-
dancy over the civilized world; St. John of God
founded the brothers of charity devoted to the ser-
vice of the sick. The sovereign Pontiff approved of
the reform of the Recollects, who observed the rule
of St. Francis in all its purity, and France beheld
the origin of the penitents of Picpus, and the reform-
ation of the mendicant friars. But of all the
institutions of this era the most illustrious is the
one which claims St. Theresa as its reformer.
39*

462 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

This ardent lover of Jesus was bom at Avila, in
Spain, and evinced from hev earliest years the most
wonderful piety. The lives of the saints, which
was her principal reading, inflamed her young heart
with a desire for martyi'dom ; but these happy dis-
positions were unfortunately weakened. Losing her
mother at an age when the passions begin to develop,
Theresa, free from all maternal restraint, occupied
her time with romances, novels and other works of
fiction, and imbibed from these poisoned sources
sentiments of vanity and worldliness; this perni-
cious literature being most fatal to innocence and
virtue. Before these inclinations, however, had made
a deep impression on her youthful mind, she was
placed in a convent, where good example and the
exercises of religion revived her piety. Theresa then
realized the magnitude of the peril to which she had
been exposed, and, in order to guard against a recur-
rence of the danger, she resolved to consecrate her-
self to God.

At the age of twenty-one she embraced the religious
life in the Carmelite order, and, like a generous
victim, zealously practiced the most rigorous pen-
ances. This new spouse of Jesus Christ was the
recipient of the signal favors of a God who never
allows Himself to be outdone by the generosity of
His children. The divine gifts Heaven showered
upon this humble servant, and the ineflfable graces
with which her soul were inundated, was the theme
of every tongue in the convent. These days of
peace and consolation were however limited. Ee-
called to the world, in order to re-establish her feeble

ST. THERESA. 463

and delicate liealth, Theresa became lukewarm and
indifferent, acquired a taste for worldly amusements,
and formed intimacies, which, although innocent in
their nature, kept her in a state of imperfection and
frivolity, so contrary to a spirit of recollection and
fervor. The death of her father, and the perusal of
the confessions of St. Augustine, re-animated the
heart of Theresa, revived her piety, detached her
from earthly affections, and raised her to a state of
the most sublime and perfect love of God. When
attempting to describe the fire which inflamed her
soul, and the ardor by which she was consumed,
words failed her ; and if in the height of her raptures
a few sentences escaped her lips, she was heard to
exclaim, " Enlarge, my God ! enlarge my heart or
withdraw thy divine grace." These celestial favors
w*ere not conferred without a mixture of trials and
sorrows. It was thought, by some persons, that the
revelations with which God favored His servant
were only mental illusions, and at one time they
threatened to take her before the tribunal of the
inquisition.

In the midst of these exterior persecutions, mental
languor and interior trials, Theresa never murmured,
but suffered with heroic calmness and resignation.
Tranquillity of mind and peace of soul soon succeeded
to the storm, her persecutors became her vindicators,
and those who had refused to recognize in her the
gifts of God were the first to proclaim her virtues.
Theresa began about this time to labor for the refor-
mation of Carmel; endowed with superior talents
and a courage not often found in a woman, she

464 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

surmounted every obstacle, and by dint of perse-
verance, labor and zeal, revived in her order a spirit
of penance and regular discipline. Sixteen convents
for females and fourteen formales, embraced during her
life-time her austere rule, which shortly afterward
extended throughout the Catholic world.

Theresa was seconded in her efforts by John
d'Ypez, better known as St. John of the Cross. An
humble, mortified Keligious, animated by the true
spirit of evangelical perfection, John d'Ypez sus-
tained and encouraged Theresa, at the same time
submitting to all she thought necessary for the res-
toration of the primitive spirit of Carmel. The
sanctity of his life and the greatness of his miracles
have placed him among the number of the saints. In
the midst of her labors for the welfare of her order,
St. Theresa was afflicted by frequent illness and ex-
cruciating physical pain, but she obtained strength
to bear them patiently from that ardent love of suf-
fering, which caused her to exclaim so often : " Let me
either suffer or die !" She never complained of these
severe maladies, but esteemed herself too happy in
purchasing, by a momentary anguish a crown of
never fading bliss, which bright recompense for her
many and heroic virtues she received on the fourth
of October, in the year 1582.

ERRORS OF BAIUS. 465

ERRORS OP BAIUS. RENEWED VIOLENCE OP
THE HERETICS.

Baius, a Doctor of Louvain, with a view of uniting
Catholics and Protestants, promulgated most errone-
ous opinions with regard to grace, free will, justifica-
tion and original sin. He taught that the involuntary
motions of concupiscence are sinful; that liberty,
according to the Holy Scriptures, is a deliverance
from sin ; that man is laid under a law of necessity ;
that since the fall of Adam all the works of men
not actuated by divine grace are criminal ; and that
a sinner before being justified can merit eternal life.
This Lutheran doctrine had no sooner appeared than
it found zealous opponents in the defenders of the
Catholic faith. The theological faculty of Paris in
1560, censured eighteen propositions extracted from
the works of Baius ; and a few years afterward the holy
Pope Pius V condemned seventy-six of his heretical
opinions. Baius, at first, seemed to submit to the
sentence, but soon published a long apology of his
doctrine, in which he unhesitatingly asserted, that
the teachings of the holy fathers were attacked in
the bull in which he was anathematized. Pius V, with
extraordinary condescension, ordered a new exami-
nation of the censured doctrine, and confirmed his
first judgment. Baius refused to sign his condemna-
tion, but finally obeyed, through fear of attracting too
much notice if he persisted in his insubordination.
After the death of the Pope, Baius and his followers
again commenced to disturb the peace of the Church.
He published the sixth apology of his doctrine, com-

466 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

plained of having been condemned withont a hear-
ing, and nsed every argument Avhich could possibly
justify his course.

Gregory XIII, in order to put an end to the trou-
ble, issued a bull in the year 1579, confirming that
of Pius V. The university of Louvain and all the
Doctors received it, and Baius was once more forced
to retract by word of mouth, and by writings, the
condemned propositions. He obeyed, but has left
posterity in doubt as to whether his last recantation
was more sincere than the preceding ones. He died
in 1589, after having traced out the labyrinth of
errors in which we behold semi-Calvinism seeking
refuge and defending its heresies with so much cun-
ning, that, notwithstanding the rejection and condem-
nation of the Church, it still desires to be looked upon
as united to her communion. While Baius promul-
gated his errors and proclaimed his pernicious doc-
trine, the Calvinists devastated Flanders, revolted in
Holland against the legitimate sovereign, and endeav-
ored to overthrow the Spanish rule, at the same time
that they separated from the Catholic communion.

About this period entire kingdoms suddenly re-
nounced the true faith, embraced the errors of
Protestantism and seemed to have completely aban-
doned the Church, to whom they owed their faith,
prosperity and happiness ; Scotland, Denmark and
Switzerland abjured the creed professed by Rome,
and heresy stalked abroad over the world. Where-
ever it prevailed, fire and sword destroyed the altars
and profaned the temples of the living God, and
cruel executioners inhumanly put to death the faith-

ERRORS OF BAIUS. 467

ful who refused to recognize or embrace their errors.
When resistance was offered and the danger partially
averted, the wicked heretics endeavored to augment
their numbers by exciting revolt and practicing un-
heard of cruelties. Thus we see heresy seated on
the throne of England, and exercising its rage
against the Catholics.

The inhuman Elizabeth, trampling under foot all
law divine or human, immolated to her jealousy, and
hatred of the religion of her fathers, the unfortunate
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, whose pure and
innocent blood swelled the sanguinary stream which
flowed for the same holy cause in every part of the
kingdom. The Catholics, murdered and proscribed,
without refuge or defense, were the unhappy victims
of the rage and malice of these barbarous heretics.
Thus in France, Calvinism attacked the sovereign,
and, notwithstanding daily losses and continual
reverses, devastated the provinces and prolonged a
civil war, which was more disastrous in its effects
than the invasions of the barbarous tribes were cen-
turies previous. The heretics finally became more
successful ; a young prince, presumptive heir to the
throne, placed himself at the head of the rebels ; vic-
tory followed him everywhere, and his white plume
was adorned with the laurels of repeated triumphs.

It was in vain that the League, a frightful mix-
ture of human passion and false zeal for religion,
strove to stem the progress of this impetuous tor-
rent. He surmounted every barrier, and a decisive
blow had already opened the gates of the capital to
the conqueror, when He, who watches over the W3l-

468 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

fare of Christian nations, toucned the heart of the
son of St. Louis. Henry IV renounced his hereti-
cal opinions before entering Paris, and made a solemn
abjuration of his errors in the church of St. Denis,
in the presence of the archbishop of Bourges and a
great number of prelates. His profession of faith
was expressed as follows : " I promise and swear, in
the presence of Almighty God, to live and die in the
Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church, to protect
and defend her at the peril of my life, and I renounce
all heresies contrary to her doctrines." Before his
recantation, Henry IV assembled the Protestant min-
isters, and asked them if they believed salvation was
to be found in the Roman Church. They were
obliged to acknowledge, that, according to their prin-
ciples, it could be found in that fold. " Why, then,"
replied the king, "have you abandoned it? The
Catholics contend that there can be no salvation in
your Church, while you admit that you could be
saved in theirs ; my common sense prompts me to
espouse the safest side, and to prefer a religion in
which, according to the testimony of the whole
world, I can secure eternal happiness."

Henry IV, when seated on the throne, used every
means to repair the losses he had inflicted on the
State and Church ; he recalled the Jesuits who were
banished by an act of parliament, adjusted difficul-
ties, quieted civil dissensions, and labored through-
out his entire reign for the welfare of his subjects.
A most estimable prince, if his passions had not
tarnished the purity of his morals. He met his
death by the hand of an assassin.

ST. FRANCIS OF SALES. 469

ST. FRANCIS OF SALES.
A. D. 1622.

The Churcli preserved the decrees of the holy
Council of Trent, while heresy, separating itself
more and more from the Catholic faith, plunged
into all kinds of errors, and embraced the most oppo-
site and contradictory doctrines. Innumerable sects
sprang up under the leadersliip of restless and vio-
lent men; each day witnessed new professions of
faith, and the continual .changes of the Protestants
seemed to presage the speedy advent of a period
when they would only maintain the appearance of
Christianity and the semblance of religion. Discord
and dissension reigned in their conventicles, and all
attempts at a reform, undertaken for the purpose of
re-establishing the purity of morals and faith, only
occasioned still greater troubles and scandals. We
will not dwell longer upon the efforts of the heretics,
but leave them to their endless broils and disputes ;
nor speak further of the Anabaptists, Libertines,
Socinians, Monists, and other horrible sects, which
Protestantism itself blushes to own ; but we will
direct our gaze to that living image of the Son of
God, conversing with men, the illustrious bishop
of Geneva, Francis of Sales, whose name is never
pronounced without recalling the most beautiful and
virtuous of souls.

lie was born near Annecy, in Savoy, in 1567, and

was indebted to his pious mother for a Christian

education, and the germs of the many virtues which

now expanded and developed his rare qualities of

470 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

mind and heart. Count de Sales, his father, sent
Francis to Paris to pursue his studies. In the midst
of the corruption of a great city, and the dangers
"which surround the young, he escaped the general
contagion, and continued to lead a most regular and
pious life. He was several times, however, subjected
to severe trials, and it is related, that, overcome by a
frightful temptation to despair, Francis for a long
time believed himself abandoned by God, and destined
to eternal flames. What a punishment for a pure
heart that served God with the most extraordinary
fervor and fidelity ! In this agonizing frame of mind
he passed whole nights in groans and tears ; nothing
could console or calm his tortured soul ; when one
day as he was prostrated before a statue of Mary, and
more than usually tormented by the dreadful thought
of his hopeless doom, Francis addressed this touch-
ing prayer to God : " my God ! since I am con-
demned to hate Thee for all eternity, grant at least
that I may love Thee with all my heart while on
earth !"

Scarcely had he finished this heroic act of love,
when a bright ray of hope illuminated the darkness
of his soul, and his supplication was rcAvarded by a
deliverance from the most dreadful of all tempta-
tions. Francis left Paris in his seventeenth year,
and repaired to Padua where he studied theology
and law with great success for several years. He
then traveled through Italy, and, in accordance with
the wishes of his father, visited all the monuments
and places of historical or artistic interest, return-
ing to his devoted family adorned with every virtue

ST. FRANCIS OF SALES. 471

and possessed of great learning ; they entreated him
to accept the position of senator in the senate of
Chambery ; but he positively refused the office, de-
claring his determination to embrace the ecclesias-
tical state.

His design was at first opposed ; the interests of
his noble house, and the brilliant destiny which
awaited him, being adduced as reasons for the relin-
quishment of his desire to retire from the world.
Finally, however, after many contests and a long
opposition, he obtained his father's consent, and we
behold him in his chosen career, instructing the poor,
converting heretics, and proclaiming his divine call-
ing by the practice of every Christian virtue. Cal-
vinism had appeared in a part of Savoy, and the
ignorant and rude inhabitants embraced its tenets
with great ardor. Francis de Sales commenced his
ministry by opposing this heresy; he traversed Cha-
blais and the neighboring country, and, in a few
years. Catholicity reigned where Protestantism had
formerly prevailed. No one could resist the sweet
persuasive words of the saint: seventy thousand
heretics returned to the Church; as many being
converted by the example of his heavenly virtues
and extraordinary mildness as through his eloquent
discourses. Elevated to the Episcopal dignity, a
few years after his ordination, he still labored inde-
fatigably for the salvation of souls, undertook the
conversion of the heretics of Gex, and his efforts
were crowned with the most abundant success.
Sovereign Pontiffs wrote him letters of praise and
commendation, and monarchs frequently bestowed

472 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

upon this humble servant of God flattering testi-
monials of their regard and esteem.

Henry IV offered him an annuity and a bishopric ;
Christine of France, who, through entreaties and
prayers, induced him to act as her almoner, regarded
•him with the warmest affection, and the Duke of
Savoy, his sovereign, seized every opportunity to
manifest his reverence and love for the holiest and
most illustrious bisliop in his dominions. The
episcopal career of St. Francis de Sales was an unin-
terrupted succession of charitable works and apos-
tolic labors. He reformed his clergy, visited his
diocese, preached in the towns and villages, crossing,
at the peril of his life, the most rapid torrents, and
descending the steepest mountains of the country.
He conversed with the peasants and the poor who
came to see him with so much paternal kindness
that he won all hearts. He himself taught the first
elements of Christian doctrine to tlie children,
encouraging their efforts and animating their cour-
age. His zeal was unbounded and universal, and
was proof against the most formidable obstacles, and
undiminished by his numerous duties. He labored
for the establishment of the Order of the Visitation,
counseled the illustrious St. Jane Frances de Chan-
tal, its foundress, directed her course and composed
the holy rules of this new community. So many
arduous occupations, however, did not completely
absorb his attention ; the saints know how to regu-
late their lives according to a system of perfect
order, and he found time to write several works.

In these productions, St. Francis of Sales shows

STATE OF RELIGIO:^ lif JAPAJ?^. 473

his angelic nature; tliey are full of sweetness and
charity, and inspire the reader with a love of piety
and religion. Virtue never appeared more lovely
than when he described its beauties, and religion
never more attractive than when he spoke of it in
words of glowing eloquence.

This great bishop, after a truly apostolical career,
died, in the prime of life, at Lyons, in 1622, and was
canonized forty-three years after his decease.

STATE OF RELIGION IN JAPAN.

The Christian religion preached in Japan by Str
Francis Xavier, in the middle of the sixteenth cen-
tury, had made rapid progress in that country, and
sixty years after his death the Catholic population
was estimated at nearly two millions of souls. The
greater number of the nobles were declared believers
in the true faith, or were the protectors and friends
of the Christians; several princes renounced the
worship of idols, among the most fervent of whom
were the sovereigns of Bongo, Arima, Fungo, Bugen
and Omura, and their ardent faith and good works
sustained and encouraged the neophytes. So won-
derful a success seemed to portend that one more
conquest would entirely christianize Japan, when
suddenly a revolution broke out in the empire, and
a severe persecution destroyed the peace and security
hitherto enjoyed by the Christians.

Tai-Kosama, a usurper, began to harass the faith-
ful, exiled those in authority whom he suspected on
account of their integrity and piety, and unhesitat-
40*

474 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

ingly slied the precious blood of the courageous
followers of Jesus Christ ; this, however, was but a
prelude to the barbarous persecution which subse-
quently desolated Japan. All who avowed them-
selves Christians, perished ; no one escaped the rage
of the persecutors; neither the infirmity of age,
delicate women, the most elevated position, nor
distinguished services, were exempted from the
frightful carnage. These heroic martyrs were sub-
jected to the severest trials ; and hell invented the
most horrible tortures to test the courage and faith
of these generous confessors. They were arrested,
not singly, but in numerous bands, not chained or
manacled, but secured with sharp pointed instru-
ments, which pierced and lacerated their limbs.
The inhuman executioners dragged their victims by
the hair, brutally assaulting and trampling upon
their quivering and aching bodies. Such was the
beginning of those awful scenes, from which the
Christians, however, emerged victorious, ready to
endure still more dreadful tortures for the sake of
their crucified Lord and Master. At first the mar-
tyrs were beheaded and their bodies consigned to the
flames, but this punishment appearing too lenient,
fresh victims were put to death in the most frightful
manner, until the diabolical rage of the persecutors
was nearly exhausted.

These barbarous men employed every means
cruelty and violence could invent for the destruction
of the Christians, sometimes actually tearing them
limb from limb. The legs of some were crushed
between two heavy wooden beams, covered with

STATE OF RELIGION^ IJi^ JAPAN". 475

sharp iron nails ; the limbs of others stretched and
extended by sIoav and exquisitely painful tortures ;
several were laid on their faces, and, after piling
large stones on their bodies, they were elevated by
ropes fastened to their hands and feet drawing them
backwards, and in a moment, crushing the bodies
to a thousand pieces. Numerous bands of execu-
tioners traversed the provinces seeking new victims,
so as to prolong the persecution. Sharp bodkins were
inserted under the nails of the mai'tyrs, and then
suddenly and violently withdrawn, occasioning the
most excruciating agony; others were thrown into
pits filled with vipers, their bodies pierced with
pointed reeds, flaming torches were applied to the
wounded flesh, and, in order to lacerate the heart as
well as the body, tender mothers were struck with the
heads of their infants who were held aloft by their
feet, the inhuman fiends redoubling their cruelty at
every agonizing shriek of the innocent lambs.

These dreadful sufferings, however, did not dimin-
ish the courage of the Christians, but seemed to
animate them with an ardent desire for martyrdom ;
they hastened to the place of execution as though it
were a great festival, and were never more joyous
than when being dragged to the scaffold ; the prisons
resounded with beautiful hymns, and the darkest
dungeons were transformed into bright sanctuaries,
where the praises of the Lord were continually sung.
When the decree proscribing the Christian religion
throughout Japan was issued, the women assembled
for prayer, boldly carrying some symbol of the faith ;
the maidens took the vow of virginity, and the little

476 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

children ran to meet the guards, so as to be placed in
the ranks of the martyrs. Seeing their parents dis-
tressed on account of their tender age and delicate
bodies, these infant soldiers of the cross promised tv>
entreat the executioners to pufthem to death the first ;
and in order to calm the fears of a fond father oi
loving mother, endeavored to become accustomed
to suffering, anticipating by voluntary tortures the
cruelties which awaited them at the hands of the
inhuman tyrant, wlio thus ruthlessly destroyed these
innocent babes. God, however, did not abandon His
servants, but sustained them with a supernatural
courage, and manifested His poAver as visibly as at
the time of the first martyrs; the chains which
bound the Christians Avere severed by invisible
hands, their frightful dungeons transformed into
abodes of bliss, and the persecutors either converted
or punished. The fire of persecution, however, can
never die out as long as any Christians remain, and
it seems that new tortures will be invented and new
cruelties practiced.

In the neighborhood of Nagazaqui there is a
frightful mountain which vomits forth flames, fetid
waters and burning lava ; the persecutors resolved
to cast the Christians into this horrible abyss ; but
as they would be immediately suffocated if thrown
with force, they were lowered by degrees that through
this insupportable agony their constancy might be
overcome, or else they would expire in the most vio-
lent convulsions. Some of the martyrs were stretched
naked upon the edge of the crater of the volcano,
and exposed to the eruptions of lava and flames

STATE OF RELIGION" IIT JAPAN". 477

which, from time to time, issued forth, they were
soon covered with pustules, which caused the most
terrible suffering; when their poor bodies were
reduced to one agonizing wound, they were abandon-
ed as corpses ready for the charnel house. To this
punishment was frequently added the torture of
water and the pit. In the first, the victim was made
to drink an immense quantity of water, and when
dreadfully swollen, a plank was laid across his stom-
ach, and by walking heavily upon it, all the water
be had swallowed, accompanied by streams of blood,
was ejected. In the second, the martyr was lowered,
head downward, into a disgusting pit, reeking with
filth, two sloping planks fastened over his back and
stomach, shut out the light, and prevented any of the
horrible odor from escaping.

In this frightful condition the generous Chris-
tians suffered a lingering martyrdom ; their nerves
shattered, muscles distended, the blood pouring
from their eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth, so copi-
ously, that death would instantly have released them
from their tortures, if their fiendish executioners
had not rendered them a cruel assistance, which
prolonged their lives in excruciating agony for nine
or ten days. It was through these diabolical means
that the Church was utterly destroyed in Japan.
All the missionaries became successively the victims
of these atrocious cruelties, and the executions were
only suspended when there were no more Christians
to be found in the empire. The tyrants abolished
the slightest vestige of religion ; every Japanese was
obliged to wear some external sign of paganism ; and

478 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

all Europeans, with the single exception of the Hol-
landers, who were allowed to land at the port of Nan-
gazaqui, were forbidden by the most stringent laws
from penetrating within the limits of the empire.
O profound wisdom of God! how inscrutable are
Thy ways ! Thou hast snatched the torch of faith from
a soil, which was so carefully cultivated, so fruitful
in virtue, watered by the innocent blood of so many
martyrs, sanctified by the labors of numerous Apos-
tles, and yet weak mortals seek to unveil Thy coun-
sels and penetrate Thy judgments!

ORIGIN OF JANSENISM.
. D. 1630.

Baius, whose errors and condemnation have been
elsewhere narrated, left disciples, who in secret spread
his doctrine and propagated his pernicious belief. It
now remains for us to show how they succeeded in
reproducing his teachings, what efforts were made to
sustain them, and for us also to demonstrate, by un-
masking their obstinacy and artifices, how the least
innovations in matters of faith are criminal and dan-
gerous. Jansenius, who gave his name to this new
heresy, was born in Holland, and had imbibed from
James Jansen, a Doctor of Louvain, the errors of
Baius. He became attached through the persuasive
eloquence of his master to the heretical opinions,
represented as being the pure doctrine of St. Augus-
tine ; and he applied himself for more than twenty
years to the examination of the writings of this great

OKIGIlSr OF JAKSENISM. 479

Doctor, hoping to discover therein the necessary
authority for supporting the opinions toward which
he was already favorably inclined.

The fruit of these labors and researches was a
large work, which he entitled " Augustinus," as if con-
taining only the doctrines of this great saint. His
book was finished in 1638, and about being published,
when he died of the plague, two years after his
nomination to the bishopric of Ypres. He had
confided his intentions to some friends, desiring
them to publish his work, after inserting several
protestations of submission to the Holy See, no
doubt insincere, since the author could not ignore
the fact, that, in reviving the errors of Baius, he
would merit the same condemnation. Two years,
therefore, after the appearance of the " Augustinus,"
Urban VIII anathematized the work as reproducing
the heresies of Baius. The censuring voice of Rome,
however, far from arresting the progress of the
creed, irritated the pride of the partisans of the new
doctrines, and rendered them more obstinate and
persistent in their defense. Cornet, head of the
faculty of Theology of Paris, presented five proposi-
tions, extracted from the writings of Jansenius, before
the Sorbonne, and the faculty having condemned
them, seventy Doctors exclaimed against the sentence
and refused to submit to the decision. The affair
was then carried before the bishops, who referred it
to Pope Innocent X, and the sovereign Pontiff, after
an examination of two years, at length solemnly
condemned the five doctrinal points.

Completely conquered and crushed by this blow,

480 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

which they had striven to elude, the Jansenists
declared that the propositions had been condemned
according to reason, but not according to fact, that
is to say, as heretical and impious in themselves, but
not according to the meaning of Jansenius, an
empty subterfuge of heresy, which only served to
unmask the false teachings of Doctor Arnaud and
his adherents. In fact, if this distinction could be
admitted, the condemnation of heresy by the Church
would be vain and useless ; it could be obstinately
defended, under the pretext that the author was mis-
understood, and the true meaning of his words
distorted and changed. Thus, in order to effectually
destroy all the resources by which cunning seeks to
sustain error, Alexanderi' YII, in his decree of 1656,
declared that the five propositions were taken from
the work of Jansenius, and were condemned accord-
ing to the meaning of this author.

Convicted by this sentence, which was sanctioned
by the whole Church, the Jansenists pretended that
the bull simply referred to the regulation of disci-
pline, which only exacted a respectful silence and
not entire submission; and in order to avoid signing
the formula of faith which was prescribed at this
period, they had recourse to equivocations and men-
tal reservations of which they pretended to have a
great horror. The heresy was finally attacked in its
last stronghold ; Clement XI, by his bull of 1705,
declared that a respectful silence was not the proper
mode of rendering the obedience due the Church ;
but that it was also necessary to condemn, as here-
tical and worthy of rejection, the real meaning of the

ORIGIN" OF JANSENISM. 481

writings of Jansenius, which had been formerly con-
demned in the five propositions.

It was in this way that the question of Jansenism
and its condemnation arose, in the beginning of the
seventeenth century. At first unknown, feeble, and
servile, this new off-shoot of heresy assumed an
appearance of piety, and an affectation of severity
and rigor in morals. It soon extended and attracted
followers, and although possessing no attractive
attributes, whole judicial and religious corporations,
through a spirit of revolt and opposition to legiti-
mate authority, which is the distinctive character-
istic of Jansenism, obstinately persisted in the
defense of a doctrine which did not seem at all
calculated to gain proselytes. In fact, far from
lightening the yoke imposed by religion, it aggra-
vated it, and it made the tribunal of penance a tri-
bunal of terror and vengeance.

The Jansenists only spoke of mortifications, aus-
terities, and self-renunciation, while maintaining
at the same time that all good works are the gifts of
God, as gratuitous and independent of the natural
inclination of man, as the rain is of the earth. They
described in glowing terms the charity and love of
God, and still represented Him as a hard and cruel
master, who wishes to reap where He has not sown,
who punishes because we have not received what He
does not judge proper to bestow, and even refuses to
give. They teach that love only, and not fear, should
attract us to a God who denies His grace not only to
sinners, but even to the righteous, who blames them
for faults it was impossible to avoid, and punishes
41

483 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

them for not possessing virtues never conferred npon
them. In short, a God who sent His only Son to die on
the cross for the salvation of a few men, and not for
the redemption of the whole human race ; such is the
substance of the pernicious doctrines of Jansenism.
A frightful combination of the most gloomy and
despairing heresies, which makes man the mere
sport of the anger of God, makes virtue a gift pos-
sessed without merit, acquired without effort, and
lost without any fault ; pictures crime as a fatality
which cannot be avoided, a misfortune that over-
whelms us, and a precipice down which Ave are
dragged by corrupt nature. We will shortly see the
disastrous consequences of this dangerous creed,
which leaves nothing undone to oppose legitimate
authority, which creates a disgust for the practice of
virtue, destroys confidence in God, and plunges us
into despair.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL.
A. D. 1660.

There are few periods in the history of the Galli-
can Church so fruitful in pious institutions, and
eminent personages renowned for the sanctity of their
lives and the firmness of their faith, as in the first
part of the seventeenth century. It seemed as if
Heaven was pleased to unite during this golden age
the most sublime virtues in opposition to the efforts
of heresy, and show to the world that it was from
the bosom of the true Church that zealous missiou-
ers came forth, as well as holy Pontiffs, pious found-
ers, and so many useful institutions established for

ST. VINCEXT I)E PAUL. 483

the glory of God, and the succor of the poor and
unfortunate,

Berulle, Oilier, Bourdaise, Vincent de Paul, and
so many others who participated in their labors, were
all children of the Catholic Church. To recount
their virtues and apostolic lives is to confound heresy
and glorify the Holy Mother of all the faithful, who
has received from her celestial spouse the power of
producing saints.

Vincent de Paul, the most illustrious of the holy
personages, who, at this remarkable epoch, reflected
honor on the Church and glorified religion, was boru
in the diocese of Dax, in 1576, of poor and obscure
parents, and during his childhood was employed in
tending sheep. He afterward had the happiness of
receiving an education, and finally entered the priest-
hood. Shortly after, when returning from Mar-
seilles to Narbonne, he fell into the hands of the
Turks, who carried him in captivity to Tunis; but
Providence, who had particular designs of mercy in
his regard, soon delivered him from prison. He suc-
ceeded in converting his master, who was a renegade
Christian, and they both escaped in a small skiff,
leaving the land of captivity to return once more
to their native country.

On arriving in France, Vincent de Paul success-
ively filled several positions where his rare humility
concealed his worth and veiled the luster of his vir-
tues. Finally, M. de Berulle placed him in the house
of Emmanuel de Grondey, general of the galleys,
where he began to manifest more openly the holy
zeal which animated his pure soul. He first estab-

484 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

lislied country missions, and ardently applied himself
to this most important work of the ministry. Being
summoned to Marseilles, whither the general of
the galleys had repaired in order to perform the
duties of his office, he could not behold, without
emotion, the frightful condition of the galley slaves ;
who, condemned by human justice, expiated their
crimes, deprived of all consolation, in the midst of
blasphemies and despair. Vincent lavished the
tenderest care upon these unfortunate beings, and
strove to soften and subdue their unhappy hearts,
rendered fierce and ungovernable by the withering
breath of sin.

Nothing seemed painful to him in the exercise of
this most arduous ministry ; he lived in the midst
of these poor wretches so as to solace their griefs and
assuage the hardships of their unfortunate lot. It
is related, that, touched by the despair of one of
the slaves, he took his place, carried his chain, and
remained for some time in the prison. St. Pi*ancis de
Sales, who said he could not find a worthier priest in
the Church of G-od than Vincent de Paul, confided to
him the direction of the Sisters of the Visitation, who
for forty years enjoyed the happiness of receiving his
intructions, and profiting by his beautiful example.

The moment had now arrived when St. Vincent
de Paul was to develop the generous and noble
inclinations of his holy soul. After the death of
M. de Gondy, he retired to the college of the Bons-
Enfants (Good Children), and there commenced the
foundation of the congregation of St. Lazar, or the
Priests of the Mission, which was approved in 1632 ;

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL. 485

and as if the establishment and direction of this
budding institution was not sufficient for his zeal,
he superintended the missions of Italy, Scotland,
Barbary, and Madagascar; gave retreats to the
young men preparing for holy orders, and organized
those celebrated ecclesiastical conferences, which have
produced so many illustrious bishops and holy
personages. Being summoned to the Queen's council,
he repaired to the court, in order to establish perfect
equity and justice, and to show all the authority
which can be exercised by a holy priest, who is only an-
imated with a desire to promote the interests of God.
The moving spirit in all kinds of good works,
which charity effected at this period, Vincent de
Paul founded the order of the Sisters of Charity for
serving the poor and sick ; erected the hospitals of
Bicetre, Salp6triere, Pitie; that of Marseilles for the
galley slaves ; and the Holy Name of Jesus for the
aged and infirm. A zealous protector of virgins
consecrated to God, he sustained the institutions of
the Daughters of Providence, St. Genevieve and the
Holy Cross. St. Vincent sjiccueded in effecting a
reformation in Grammont, Premontre and the Abbey
of St. Genevieve. But an object particularly dear
to his heart was the sad condition of so many infants,
who, born in vice or misery, were found abandoned
by their inhuman parents in the streets and alleys
of the capital. Deserted by the whole world, they
seemed to have only received life to endure suffer-
ings, or drag out a wretched existence in sorrow and
crime. Vincent de Paul could not behold these
innocent victims without sentiments of the deepest
41*

486 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

compassion and tendeniess; he commenced liis
charitable work by rescuing some of these babes,
interesting in their behalf the energies of some pions
souls, and in a short time the foundling hospital
was established and endowed.

While solacing present misfortune, however, he
foresaw the wants of the future, and organized the
confraternity of the Daughters of Charity, and these
worthy children of St. Vincent de Paul, also in-
herited his sublime charity, for no species of benevo-
lence is unknown to them, and no infirmity or mis-
fortune is unsolaced or uncared for by these holy
women. Persons afflicted with the most loathsome
diseases, hardened prisoners, destitute orphans, dis-
tant islands, foreign lands, nothing can weaken their
courage or abate their charity ; hastening as they do
to comfort misery and wretchedness wherever it may
be found. Utterly incapable of such generous devo-
tion, heresy cannot behold the Sisters of Charity
without admiration ; and its envenomed lips, which
utter the most horrible blasphemies against the
Church of God, are eloquent in their praise of these
truly Christian women. To all these good works per-
formed or directed by St. Vincent de Paul is added
the distribution, through his hands, of more than
forty million of francs in alms, not only in France
but even to the farthest extremity of the world !

Numerous provinces were rescued from the horrors
of famine through his watchful care, and the unfor-
tunate found in him a benefactor and father in times
of war or of distress. In the midst of the prodigies
wrought through his means, St. Vincent was ever

THE FAITH IN CHINA, ETC. 487

poor, humble, and considered himself the least and
most unworthy of men. Overcome by age, labor and
suffering, he entered into a blessed eternity, on the
twenty-seventh of September, 1660, in his eighty-
jSfth year, bitterly lamented by all, especially the
afflicted and unhappy, who had lost an ardent friend
and zealous protector ; and leaving to posterity a
name which is enshrined in the hearts of thousands,
who are to-day benefited by his unwearied and inde-
fatigable exertions, in the cause of suffering humanity !

PROGRESS OF THE FAITH IN CHINA, AND THE
OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE EARTH.

God does not limit His watchful care to one small
portion of the globe ; for Jesus Christ, who has died
for all mankind, provides every nation with the
means of salvation, and leads them to a knowledge of
the truth : " Who will have all men to be saved, and
to come to the knowledge of truth." (1 Tim., 2, 4.)
It is for this end that He has in all ages inspired
apostolic men with a desire to carry the light of
faith to the most distant nations, buried in the dark-
ness of infidelity.

During this century, a numerous band of holy men
devoted themselves to distant missions, one of the
most flourishing of which was the Chinese empire.
St. Francis Xavier, the Apostle of India and Japan,
expiring within sight of this country toward which
his zeal was directed, was only able to supplicate the
throne of grace for the salvation of its benighted
inhabitants. Toward the latter part of the sixteenth

488 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

century, Father Eicci and two other Jesuits, ani-
mated with the same desire to accomplish the con-
version of these infidels, succeeded in effecting an
entrance within the limits of the empire, by joining
some Portuguese merchants who were traveling
thither. Ricci, who was well acquainted with the
language, laws and customs of this nation, began by
exciting admiration through his writings and learn-
ing ; for it was by mathematics and astronomy that
Christianity was introduced, and the influence
acquired by missionaries versed in these sciences was
the means of propagating the faith in this vast
empire. Eicci first obtained permission to settle in
Canton, and afterward at Nankin, where his admir-
ers increased rapidly. He built an observatory, and
profited by the consideration in which he was held,
to announce the Christian religion, of w^hich there
scarcely remained the slightest vestige, although it
had been preached in this country during the time
of the Apostles, and subsequently in the seventh
century.

The holy missionary, assisted by his companions,
was so happy as to convert several of these infidels,
and even some of the mandarins, which prepared
the way for his entrance to the capital. He arrived
at Pekin in 1600, and won the favor of the Emperor,
who allowed him to reside in that city ; some pictures
of our Lord and the Blessed Virgin, which he pre-
sented to this prince, were accepted with pleasure,
and placed in a conspicuous position in the palace,
and every honor and respect was shown them. The
zealous missionary profited by this auspicious

THE FAITH I:N^ CHIN^A, ETC. 489

beginning, to spread the light of the gospel, the end
and aim of all his labors. He succeeded iu convert-
ing a great number of Chinese, including some of
the principal officers of the court; Ricci enjoyed the
continual favor of the Emperor, erected a church,
planted the germs of Christianity, which soon pro-
duced abundant fruit, and terminated his glorious
career in 1617.

Father Schall, a Jesuit of Cologne, who was sum-
moned to the imperial court, became the professor
of mathematics, and was appointed one of the man-
darins. His life was passed in alternate peace and
the most violent persecutions ; wasted and worn by
sufferings, he died in 1666, after having zealously
performed the laborious duties of a missionary for
the space of forty years. The Religious of difterent
orders, particularly those of St. Dominic, and the
secular clergy, associated themselves with the Jesuits
in the great work of the propagation of the gospel.
and were rewarded with numerous conversions.
Their success excited the envy of the bonzas, and
several mandarins, who began a pei^secution ; but
the ardor of these laborers in the service of God,
and the fervor of the converts, were only augmented
by this painful trial.

Toward the end of the seventeenth century a
revolution placed on the throne the dynasty of the
Tartar princes, who during the remainder of this
century were favorable to the Christians. Churches
were erected throughout the whole empire, in honor
of the one true God, and a magnificent temple built
within the precincts of the imperial palace. The

490 HI5T0RY OF THE CHURCH.

harvest was so abiindaiit that the number of mission-
aries were insufficient fortJie work; but the courage,
zeal, and activity, of tliis little band supplied the
deficiency, and they carried the light of faith into
the most remote portions of this vast empire.
During the century, God raised up other apostolic
men, who announced the glad tidings of the gospel
on the coasts of Africa, in Egypt, Greece, the Levant,
and throughout nearly the whole continent of
America.

From the sixteenth century, missionaries visited
all parts of the Western hemisphere, and while civil-
izing the people by instructing them in the true faith,
used every effort to repair the ravages which ambition
and the love of gold had made in the New World.
We cannot but admire the zeal of these missionaries,
who were not deterred by the ferocity of savage
tribes, long journeys, strange climates, the dangers
and hardships of sea voyages, or foreign and un-
known tongues. They have braved the deep snows
of the North, the burning sands of the South ; the
pride of civilized nations, such as the Chinese ; the
ignorance and stupidity of the Indians in America,
and have often been exposed to frightful perils, aud
even death itself, while exercising the functions of
the holy ministry.

It is evident that no human or interested motives
are capable of inspiring such extraordinary courage ;
that it is only Christian zeal and supernatural charity
which can infuse such noble sentiments into the
hearts of Catholic priests, who have won more and
greater triumphs than the most renowned of earthly

THE CAUSES OF INFIDELITY. 491

conquerors. If these heroic men had not commenced
to direct the route of navigators, and made the most
important discoveries, the largest portion of the globe
would be still unknown. Christianity is, therefore,
victorious over every obstacle ; always universal in
not being confined to any particular country, but is
spread through all parts of the known world, gain-
ing everywhere believers and followers. Like a great
tree planted, as St. Paul says, on the Apostles and
prophets, and on Jesus Christ, who is the corner
stone, she continually produces new branches, which
flourish in the most arid soil and bears abundant fruit.

THE CAUSES OF INFIDELITY.

The despairing doctrines of Calvin and Luther
touching predestination, free will and grace, caused
the most disastrous consequences. Calvin made God
the author of sin, as is testified by Bolsec, an apostate
Carmelite monk, and Luther professed the most
anarchical principles in his work on Christian Lib-
erty. These pretended reformers, who revived the
errors of the Albigenses and other heretics, as inju-
rious to the welfare of governments, as hurtful to the
true religion, excited in the minds of men a spirit
of unbelief and insubordination. Their pernicious
teachings produced the Socinians; the Deists ap-
proved of the creed and followed in the footsteps of the
Socinians, and from this desire of change sprang tho
iniidelity which prevails at the present day.

It was from the bosom of Protestantism, that in
England there arose Hobbes, Tholand, Woolstou,

492 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

Tindall, and so many others, who openly taught the
most imi^ious doctrines. Spinoza and Bayle ap-
peared in Holland ; one of whom established deism,
or rather materialism; and the other proclaims in
all his works a skepticism which caused him to say
that " he was really a Protestant ; since he protested
against every religion;" but Catholicity was the
principal object of all his attacks. These men can
be regarded as the first of those writers who afterward
in every country repeated and inculcated their soph-
isms under plausible forms.

But the principal support of infidelity was the
conduct of the Duke of Orleans, regent of France
during the minority of Louis XV. It seemed as if
God manifested His wrath against this nation, when
death removed the Dauphin, the father of Louis XV,
and the pupil of Fenelon, a prince who inspired fond
hopes of a prosperous and religious reign ; and also
when the father of Louis XVI was snatched from
the useful career he was pursuing, the Church and
State both suffered from his untimely loss. It was
especially during the regency of the Duke of Orleans,
that infidelity, until then fearful of exposure, began
to extend and glory in its pernicious doctrines, which
menaced the destruction of society as well as the ruin
of religion. The palace of the regent was the resort
of the wits and learned men of the day ; it was within
its precincts that they pei-petrated their epigrams
and ridiculed the most sacred things and persons
most worthy of honor and reverence ; and from its
walls issued those sarcastic and irreligious speeches
which circulated through the capital and provinces.

THE CAUSES OF INFIDELITY. 493

The regent was regarded as the protector of these
unbelievers, who took the name of philosophers, and
openly approved of the most shameful license, which
began in the palace and spread through the entire
kingdom. They began by publishing anonymous
pamphlets and short essays ; a lingering vestige of
shame preventing them from prefixing their names
to these articles, as the nation was still attached to
the religion established by Jesus Christ. It was not
until 1751 that Prades, a priest and member of the
Sorbonne, dared to defend a thesis regarded as
the first public assault of infidelity against the
Church. Diderot, one of the most violent advocates
of this philosophy, had assisted him in the composi-
tion of this work, which was a synopsis of all the
impious creeds of the pretended freethinkers.

During this same year, appeared the two first vol-
umes of the Encyclopedical dictionary, a huge com-
pilation which, according to the prospectus, claimed to
be the most complete receptacle of all human knowl-
edge, and a perfect library in itself; in reality, how-
ever, it was only the depositary of all the errors,
sophisms, and calumnies, which, from the earliest
ages, heresy had uttered against religion ; being, in
short, an arsenal of infidelity. This Encyclopedia,
by dint of influential supporters, and the laudations
and praises of all the papers belonging to their party,
soon became a popular book ; and the learned men
of the day gradually became tinctured by this per-
nicious work, which was evidently the end and aim
of its unprincipled authors.

Voltaire, who derided every precept of morality,
42

494 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

had sworn to consecrate his life to the destruction
of the Christian religion ; he was then in the zenith
of his genius. He boldly attacked the Catholic faith
in a number of writings, wielding the pen of ridicule
with the malice of a demon, and adorning his
sophisms with a brilliancy of expression that dazzled
the imagination, while it blinded the intellects of
his readers. The wide-spread perusal of his insidious
and impious works rendered Voltaire undeservedly
famous, and attracted a great number of proselytes.
Learned and able writers, however, immediately
hastened to unmask his errors, and, while victoriously
refuting his infidel creed, demonstrated the undeni-
able and unimpeachable truths of religion, and so
forcible are their arguments, that these dangerous
books can only influence those who embrace this
philsophy, on account of the license it allows their
passions, and the freedom it gives them from all
moral restraint. Infidelity rejects revelation, ridicules
tradition, and calumniates the religion established
more than eighteen hundred years ago by Jesus
Christ Himself.

SECRET SOCIETIES.
A. D. 1725.

The eighteenth century, so fruitful in errors, also
beheld the origin and extension of those secret asso-
ciations and clandestine assemblies known under the
name of Free Masonry. England, which had cast
abroad the first seeds of infidelity, was the birth-
place of the founder of this dangerous society. An

SECRET SOCIETIES. 495

English lord in 1721 established in Paris the first
I'l'ench lodge, and a few years afterward several
existed in the capital and provinces.

In the beginning, these associations did not appear
suspicious, and no great importance was attached to
the secret of the initiated ; but, soon, circumstances
aroused the vigilance of the authorities, and very
shortly alarming revelations were communicated to
the government. It was proved, that among the
Free Masons there were men who meditated the
ruin of the State and Church ; that they were bound
by the most frightful oaths ; their designs being
kept from members whose acquiescence was doubt-
ful. Secret societies were, therefore, proscribed in
several countries ; Clement XII and Benedict XIV,
condemning them under pain of excommunication.
These vigorous measures, wiiich seemed sufficient
to arrest the incipient evil, only served to spread the
contagion, and perhaps impelled it more forcibly
toward crime and rebellion ; in fact, from this period
the most influential and conspicuous characters dur-
ing the revolution were the warmest advocates of
secret societies. Voltaire, Condorcet, Bonneville,
Lalande and Volney, the moving spirits of the great
political changes ; Mirabeau, Chapelier and Fauchet,
all belonged to the highest ranks of Free Masonry.

Struck by the wonders it pretended to conceal, and
the mysterious trials and absurd ceremonies through
which the initiated are obliged to pass, several authors
carefully examined this organization, and collected
anumber of facts, showing its dangerous tendency,
and have ascertained by their researches the true

406 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

spirit and real end of Free Masonry. All the
members were not admitted to a knowledge of what
transpired in the society, the initiated alone being
cognizant of the secret plans and proceedings.
Althougli some of the writers who undertook to
unveil the mystery of these assemblies are not
altogether reliable, still there are enough undisputed
facts extant, to excite distrust and suspicion of Free
Masonry. " In short," says an author, " when it is
remembered that it was originated by a spirit of
irreligion and impiety, and lias only extended in
proportion as infidelity has increased; that it has
never been embraced by any but indifferent and
unbelieving persons, and always condemned by sin-
cere Christians, it must be regarded as a dangerous
institution, in its nature and consequences."

This opinion is stregthened when the profound
secrecy is considered, and the absurd importance
attached to its solemn observance. If the end is
praiseworthy, what occasion can there be for so much
mystery ? Why are unlawful and unnecessary oaths
imposed on the members ? What justifies their theory
of knowledge and ignorance, and of what use are
their extraordinary trials and ridiculous ceremonies ?
Has it not been clearly proved that the Masons are
the staunch supporters of philosophy, men who by
their ideas of liberty and equality excite revolutions,
foster a disgust of authority, and engender a spirit
of insurbordination ?

The entire Catholic world has always manifested
its earnest disapproval of these mysterious organiza-
tions, which sound governments discountenance as

PROGRESS OF INFIDELITY. 497

severely as religion condemns them. Pious Catholics
are never members of secret societies, and the most
lenient judgment which can be passed upon those
who frequent such assemblies is, that they are
attracted thither, not through religious conviction,
but through a desire for liberty of action, and perfect
freedom from the wholesome restraints of Christian
society.

PROGRESS OF INFIDELITY.
A. D. 1752.

After having shown the origin and principal
causes of infidelity, we will proceed to show its rapid
progress and disastrous effects. It was toward the
middle of the last century that the modern philoso-
phers, until then timid, and only venturing occasion-
ally to utter a few sarcasms against the mysteries of
religion, emerged from their obscurity, and pro-
claimed, without the least shame, the most frightful
impieties. For some years, it is true, they had made
several attacks upon religion ; a few men, without
morals or faith, had dared even to attack the pure
doctrine and consoling dogmas of Christianity, but
were immediately silenced by public opinion ; they
succeeded only in attracting a few persons of position
and wealth, who affected to believe nothing, in order
to give free license to their passions. The common
people had not yet learned to despise the faith of
their fathers, or to trample under foot all that is
most sacred and holy in religion.

At the period we have mentioned, however, the
42*

498 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

spirit of sophistry had spread through the lowest
ranks of society; it extended on every side like a
rushing torrent, and promulgated abroad its per-
nicious doctrines. Voltaire, the leader and chief of
the free-thinkers of his time, was the first to throw
off all restraint, respecting neither the altar nor the
throne, and pouring forth the most shameful sar-
casms and dreadful blasphemies. As soon as the
signal was given, the new philosophy took possession
of the public mind, inundated the capital and the
provinces with a perfect deluge of bad books, suited
to all ages, sexes, and conditions ; corrupt men were
bribed to introduce them gratuitously into colleges
and country places, and every means were used for a
universal diffusion of its poisonous and frightful
doctrines. Impiety assumed every hue, and appeared
under every imaginable form ; was reproduced in a
thousand different ways, and attacked Christianity
sometimes with ridicule, and again by the most glar-
ing falsehoods. It incited subjects against their
kings, and children against their parents and fami-
lies, and openly inculcated immorality and insubor-
dination.

During this reign of profligacy and impiety, if
any defense was undertaken in behalf of religion,
immediately violent satires and malicious epigrams
assailed the writer with ridicule. If, on the other
hand, Christianity was attacked with violence, Vol-
taire would write a flattering letter to d'Alembert,
laud him up to the societies, and a man entirely
destitute of genius was suddenly transformed into a
great writer. Thus, in a few years, philosophy sue-

PROGRESS OF INFIDELITY. 499

ceeded in changing the mind and character of a
great nation, substituted a frivolous taste in place of
a desire for knowledge, fostered egotism in society,
destroyed the ties which unite men to each other and
to their country, and inspired each individual with
an insatiable thirst for gold, thus transforming the
most generous and disinterested of nations into a
people almost devoid of loyalty. Nevertheless, in
the midst of the overthrow of all morality and prin-
ciple, Christianity has had in every age illustrious
defenders, and saints of eminent sanctity and great
virtue.

At that period the French court exhibited models
of most exemplary piety ; the Queen and her chil-
dren, although surrounded with grandeur and mag-
nificence, imitated the edifying lives of the first
Christians, and Madame Louise, her royal daughter,
preferred the holy poverty of the cloister to the
splendor of a crown. This princess entered the Car-
melite convent of St. Denis, where she lived for
many years in the practice of the most heroic vir-
tues, submitted to b\\ the requirements of an austere
rule, obedient to the voice of a simple Keligious, and
only distinguished from her companions by a more
sublime piety and a more profound humility. While
such examples consoled the afflicted hearts of the
faithful, the Pope and the French priests showed
themselves full of ardor and zeal in repressing the
license of the authors, who were enemies to order
and morality.

We can mention with honor M. De Beaumont,
archbishop of Paris, so justly called the Athanasius

500 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

of his age ; M. De Pompignan, bishop of Puy, who
ardently opposed infidelity; and M. Dnlan, arch-
bishop of Aries, who deserved to shed his blood for
the faith he had so often and so nobly defended. By
their side can be placed nnmbers of priests, who, by
the sancity of their lives and their learned writings,
avenged religion and silenced her adversaries.
Among these was Bergier, the anthor of "Deism
Kefnted by Itself," " The Assnred Proofs of Chris-
tianity," " The Apology of the Christian Religion,"
etc.; the Abbe Grnenee, who, in "Letters of some
Portuguese Jews to Voltaire," unites the force of
incontestable argument to the most charming wit,
and compelled even his opponent to express his
admiration of his ability as a writer; Bullet, who
may be regarded as one of the ablest apologists of
the Catholic faith ; Feller, Gerard, Barruel, and a
host of others, whose writings are found in almost
every library.

But the combined efforts of so many great minds
to arrest the progress of infidelity could not recall
the people to the pure faith a^d morality of their
forefathers. The evil was too great, the bait too
attractive, and error had taken too strong a hold ;
nothing would save a people who had been taught
to disbelieve in the existence of God. It was neces-
sary that in the abyss of misfortune into which they
had precipitated themselves they should discover
their folly, and acknowledge, that, when separated
from God, there can be no true liberty or real happi-
ness for nations or individuals.

THE SUPPRESSION OF THE JESUITS. 501

THE SUPPRESSION OF THE JESUITS.
A. D. 1773.

The suppression of the Jesuits was the commence-
ment of the long train of disastrous events which for
many years fill the pages of history ; and philosophy,
having deprived the Church of zealous defenders,
seemed already to prepare herself for great conquests,
and therefore reposed on the ruin she had made.
The Jesuits, who were appointed hy the government
to teach and defend religion, combated with an
energy and success worthy of all x)raise, against heresy
and infidelity. Their learned works strengthened
the faith of Catholics against the impious produc-
tions of modern infidels, and their zeal sustained the
faitliful when violently attacked by these enemies of
Christianity.

Such powerful claims on the gratitude and esteem
of mankind excited the implacable hatred of the
adversaries of religion, who resolved on their destruc-
tion. Corrupt ministers prejudiced the minds of
weak and ignorant princes, and the persecution then
commenced against the Jesuits. Portugal was the first
country to begin the shameful work. At this court
there was a wicked wretch who succeeded in gaining
the confidence of the king, and was thereby enabled
to vent his anger and hatred upon these innocent
yet dreaded victims. He commenced by spreading
throughout Europe a multitude of libels, charging
the Jesuits with the blackest crimes. He accused
them of being accomplices to a conspiracy against

503 HISTOBY OF THE CHURCH.

the king, liis master, and petitioned the sovereign
Pontiff to suppress the order.

The Pope refusing to comply with this request, the
Marquis of Pombal proscribed them throughout
Portugal, surrounded their houses with soldiers, who
arrested them and cast them into dungeons, from
which they were soon dragged to be crowded on board
of vessels, which left them, entirely destitute, on the
coasts of the Roman states. Spain in a short time
followed this example, and France hastened to drive
these soldiers of the cross, these companions of the
reviled and persecuted Jesus, from her dominions.
"Their rules," said the bishop, in a remonstrance
addressed to the king in 1772, " had been submitted to
parliament, and, after a slight examination, had been
condemned. " Without listening to their defense or
attending to their requests, their rules were declared
impious, sacrilegious, opposed to all laws human and
divine ; and, under the pretext of their having com-
mitted crimes, their colleges were closed, their noviti-
ates destroyed, their property confiscated, and their
vows annulled. They were deprived of the privileges
of their vocation, and driven from the retreats they
had chosen.

Proscribed, humiliated, neither citizens nor Relig-
ious, without country or possessions, forbidden to
exercise the functions of the holy ministry, they were
either obliged to become exiles, or sign oaths, which
their consciences condemned. These persecutions
and insults did not satisfy the enemies of the Jesuits ;
they desil-ed to obtain their general suppression from
the sovereign Pontiff. The Roman Church possessed,

THE SUPPIlESSIO:sr OF THE JESUITS. 503

in different kingdoms, lands which had been donated
by pious kings to the Holy See ; these were now
confiscated, and the foreign ambassadors, at the
Roman court, declared that they would not be
restored until there were no more Jesuits ; that their
entire suppression was the only means of re-estab-
lishing union and concord between the Holy See and
foreign powers. Clement XIV hesitated, and con-
sidered the subject for a long time, and earnestly
endeavored to save the persecuted Religious; but,
finally, overcome by urgent and pressing misrepre-
sentations, he issued, on the 21st of July, 1773, a
brief, which suppressed the Society of Jesus.

Thus was abolished a celebrated institution which
had existed for more than two centuries, and which
counted nearly twenty thousand Religious, devoted
to the arduous duties of teaching, giving missions,
and practicing every good work. When an impar-
tial and unprejudiced mind coolly examines the
cause of the suppression of the Jesuits, and considers
that their enemies were the enemies of the Church
and religion ; that the crimes imputed to them are
destitute of proof, or even the appearance of truth,
and when it is proved that these false allegations
refer only to a few members, and not to the entire
body, whose doctrines and morals were always pure,
and finally, when he remembers the services they
have rendered the Church, the benefits of education
they have procured for many kingdoms, the knowl-
edge and learning they have disseminated, the spirit
of piety they have diffused, he must be amazed at
the malice that persecuted these admirable men.

504 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

■without a hearing or an examination, and he will be
uncertain whether to compassionate those whose glory
could not be tarnished by the unjust hatred of so many
enemies, or the men who did not perceive that they
were condemning virtue and dishonoring merit.

THE TEMPORAL POWER OP THE SOVEREIGN
PONTIFF ATTACKED.

The suppression of the Jesuits had been demand-
ed as the only means of re-establishing peace between
the Church and the opposing sovereigns, but it be-
came, instead, the signal of discord and revolt against
the Holy See. On all sides, pamphlets and libels
were launched against the chair of St. Peter; violent
and unprincipled men denied its rights, despised its
authority, and were not ashamed to repeat the lan-
guage and revive the errors of Luther and Calvin.
In Germany particularly, these dangerous opinions
were embraced by many, and several universities
imbibed a system of anarchy and revolt against the
Church from the perusal of the poisonous works of
Febronius. Joseph II, the son and successor of
Maria Theresa, countenanced these novelties, and
made changes in the discipline of the Church, which
nearly terminated in a schism.

Christian schools were superseded by normal
schools, and instead of the old chairs of theology,
thoy established general seminaries, independent of
the bishops, and appointed, by a special commission,
professors infected with all the new errors. A great
number of religious houses were suppressed, and

THE TEMPORAL POWER ATTACKED. 505

others released from their vow of obedience to their
superior general. The reform did not stop here ; it
had been written and published that the bishops
were independent of the Pope, and that they could
grant dispensations from the general laws of the
Church ; one of the opposing princes commanded the
prelates to confirm this doctrine, and several bishops
were weak enough to obey this order. Alarmed at
the danger which threatened the afflicted Church,
Pius VI addressed several briefs to the bishops
and princes, entreating them not to destroy the
unity of the Church of God, but his voice was
unheeded ; he then formed a sudden resolution, and
announced to the Emperor his intention of visiting
Vienna.

Joseph II received him with respect, and treated
him with the consideration due to himself and to his
office, and was even induced to modify some of his
edicts. Pius VI then left the imperial court, and re-
turned to Rome, distressed at the unsuccessful result
of his journey, but consoled by the marks of attach-
ment and respect shown him by the people. Hardly
had the sovereign Pontiff returned to his dominions
when the schism which for several years had threat-
ened Germany seemed about to break forth. The
Emporor, by his new laws, permitted divorces in cer-
tain cases, constituted himself a judge in matters of
faith, and encroached still more on the rights of the
Church. This example was followed by several of
the bishops, who desired also to usurp certain essen-
tial and iulierent privileges of the Holy See.

The three ecclesiastical electors and the Arch-
43

506 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

bishop of Saltzburg united in contesting with the
sovereign Pontiff the right of sending nuncios
abroad, only reserving for his Holiness the preroga-
tive of dispensations in a few grave and important
cases. They convened a congress at Ems, near
Coblentz, where four ecclesiastics, who were invested
with authority, organized a kind of ecclesiastical con-
stitution, which only left the Vicar of Jesus Christ
a vain and empty title of honor, and transformed
those who had deputed them into so many Popes.

About the same period an Italian bishop revolted
against the Holy See, and embraced the so often
condemned errors. Eicci, bishop of Pistoia and of
Prato, assembled a synod, and, transforming his
friends into judges of the faith, he forced them to
frame laws which destroyed the whole hierarchy of
the Church, her discipline and her government. In
this convention all the changes made by Joseph II
and the metropolitan bishops of the German empire
were adopted, and Eicci arrogated to himself the
power of dispensing even in cases referred to the
sovereign Pontiff alone. Thus every thing tended
toward a schism, and Catholicity was threatened
with a fatal division, when a general outcry arose in
Germany, from whence all these troubles had come,
against the changes which were being introduced.
The archbishop of Malines had the courage to carry
his remonstrance to the foot of the throne, to de-
nounce the danger of these innovations, and to pre-
dict the disastrous consequences which would ensue
to Church and state.

Joseph II, against whom a party of his subjects,

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. 507

wearied with these continued disturbances, had
revolted, finally acknowledged the justness of the
archbishop's remonstrance, and the wickedness of the
advice he had followed. The evils which had already
resulted from the changes he had attempted to intro-
duce throughout his vast dominions struck him with
consternation. He accordingly, before his death,
which happened shortly after, published an edict
revoking and annulling all the previous laws relat-
ing to ecclesiastical matters.

The Pope, informed by the Emperor himself of
this unexpected step, wrote a most touching brief to
the bishops of Germany, in order to put a final stop
to the troubles by which their provinces had been
disturbed, and thus terminated the strife which had
menaced the Church with so sad a disunion. Hardly,
however, had she recovered peace on one side, than
from a kingdom, which had not taken any part in
the dispute she had just succeeded in quieting, arose
a frightful tempest which nearly accomplished her
destruction. From dreadful trials and continual
combats, we see the Church emerge triumphant,
manifesting plainly in her endurance and victories
the divine hand which sustained her.

PRELUDE AND BEGINNING OF THE FRENCH
REVOLUTION.

A. D. 1789.

Prom the time of the fatal regency of Philip of
Orleans, during which immorality and irreligion had
made such rapid progress, a spirit of restlessness and

508 HISTOET OF THE CHURCH.

universal agitation was felt everywhere. The new
doctrines which a weak government had allowed to
be spread abroad, advancing principles of a so-called
independence and liberty, had enfeebled the respect
and love which subjects should entertain toward
their sovereigns. On all sides an excessive love for
the new order of things was affected, extreme aversion
for old institutions, and a public hatred for religion.
This condition of affairs brought forth numerous
works in favor of liberty, many discourses against
ancient laws and customs, and innumerable pam-
phlets against the faith and the ministers of religion.
Terrified at the approaching storm, which threat-
ened to swallow up every thing, wise and learned
men strove to arrest its progress. They warned the
king of the danger, and the French clergy, in one
of their last assemblies, listened to these remarkable
words : "A few more years of silence, and the con-
flagmtion will become general — nothing will be left
but ruins." In fact, the moment had arrived when
unlimited power was given to the spirit of darkness,
when impiety should trample upon the saving max-
ims of religion. Cries of revolt and sedition re-
sounded on every side, with the entire abandonment
of all restraint, and incessant demands for perfect
liberty of action. These murmurs and demands
arose in favor of the pretended reformers ; essays on
the servitude under which the people groaned were
published, and they succeeded in obtaining an entire
emancipation from, and revocation of, the edict of
Nantes, which banished all the ministers, but not aU
the Protestants, as has been affirmed.

THE FREJfCH REVOLUTIOJ?-. 509

This joint victory gained, a slight embarrassment
in the finances was seized as a pretext for complain-
ing still more loudly of the government. A general
assembly was convened, in the hope of relieving the
deficiency in the public treasury ; but they soon re-
pented of a convention which intelligent men justly
dreaded. In fine, hardly had the states-general
assembled, when the enemies of order no longer dis-
guised their plans. They demanded, and they
obtained that they should not act in a body as in the
preceding assemblies, but that the ranks should be
destroyed and single votes substituted.

By this proceeding the third estate secured the
majority, as it was n*ore numerous than the clergy
and nobility united. Thus the first result of the
violation of the ancient usages was the triumph of
the faction who ruled over the assemblies, and who
commenced their exercise of power by issuing the
most injurious decrees against the Church and relig-
ion. They declared, first, that the ecclesiastical
property belonged to the state, and that the monastic
vows were provisionally suspended; shortly after-
ward they put up for sale four hundred million
francs' worth of the possessions of the Church, and
suppressed all the religious orders. The bishops
vainly expostulated against these violent measures,
but their voices were unheeded, and their remon-
strances of no avail. Anarchy daily increased;
blood began to flow, and the factions, proud of their
triumphs, promised themselves still greater success.

In the national assembly an ecclesiastical com-
mittee had been formed to attend to the affairs of
43*

610 HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

the clergy, but it was almost entirely composed of
lawyers not at all in favor of the principles of the
Church ; this committee drew up a plan of reform,
based on the doctrines in which they had been edu-
cated. First, they reduced the one hundred and
thirty-five bishoprics which existed in France, to
eighty, the number of the new departments. They
abolished sees, without establishing others; sup-
pressed chapters, abbeys, priories, chapels, and
church livings. They decreed that the new bishops
should be under the jurisdiction of the metropoli-
tan, or oldest bishop in the province, and not of the
Pope, as was the ancient discipline of the Church,
being only obliged to write to the Pope in testimony
of their communion with the Holy See. They
enjoined that the choice of the bishops and priests
should be confided to the electoral colleges, and that
the vicars should be chosen by the pastors from
among the priests ordained or admitted into the
diocese, without having recourse to the approbation
of the bishop. Finally, they particularly specified
that the bishops could not exercise any act of juris-
diction in any thing concerning the government of
the diocese, without having conferred with the Epis-
copal vicars, who thus found themselves invested
with a portion of the Episcopal jurisdiction.

Such were the principal articles of the civil con-
stitution of the clergy, which undermined the very
foundation of the authority of the Church ; deprived
her of the right she had always preserved of self-
government; regulated her discipline, appointed
bishops, and determined the extent of their dioceses.

DEATH OF LOUIS XVI. 511

Scarcely had this constitution been published and
sanctioned by the national assembly, when it was
universally denounced as contrary to the rights of
the Church, her hierarchy and discipline. Sub-
mission to its decrees was refused on all sides, and
out of one hundred and thirty-five bishops, four only
received it, and agreed to abide by its decisions.

Irritated at encountering so much resistance, the
assembly proclaimed that all the ecclesiastics who in
eight days did not take an oatli of fidelity to the
civil constitution should be regarded as having re-
nounced the ministry. The Church had the mortifi-
cation to see some of her ministers, who were carried
away by novelty, or beguiled by cunning deceivers,
take the oath and submit to the new law ; but she
was much consoled by the greater number who
refused submission, and preferred banishment, per-
secution, the loss of their parishes, rather than betray
their faith. These martyrs were immediately sus-
pended from the ministry, and replaced by those who
were willing to take the oath. Thus terminated
for a time this deplorable schism, which desolated
the Church during those awful days of revolution
and terror.

PROGRESS OF THE REVOLUTION— DEATH OP
LOUIS XVI.

A. D. 1793.

After destroying the royal authority, causing
trouble and division in the Church, suppressing all
the religious orders, and depriving the clergy of all

512 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

their rights, the national or cr^nstitutional assembly
terminated its sessions, and was replaced by the leg-
islative assembly, whose first deliberations annonnced
the fate reserved for royalty and the Religions. The
old decrees against priests who refused to take the
oath were renewed; and very soon, these measures
appearing insufficient, they were no longer treated
with moderation, but condemned to banishment.

The publication of these laws was the signal for a
universal persecution throughout France against the
priests who remained faithful to the Church. They
were driven from their parishes, stoned by the mob,
or else ruthlessly massacred ; the most severe meas-
ures were used to prevent their escaping either exile
or death. Four hundred were imprisoned at Laval,
and in the large cities, special prisons were built to
receive tlie numerous priests who were arrested ; the
ruffians dragged the nuns from their convents, and
drove the Religious from their cloisters, and the as-
sembly, far from reprimanding these arbitrary acts,
prepared to perpetrate still greater crimes. As soon
as they felt secure in their power, the assembly
adopted the most violent measures, and these suc-
ceeded each other with fearful rapidity, and new
outrages were but the prelude to horrors which were
to reflect irreparable disgrace upon this unhappy
country.

Louis XVI was attacked in the Tuilleries, his
faithful Swiss Guard massacred before his eyes, and
he was obliged to fly, in order to escape the furious
brutality of a populace thirsting for blood and
plunder. His only resource was to appeal to the

DEATH OF LOUIS XVI. 513

assembly, and rely on the mercy of the factions.
When the king entered the hall, these savage repre-
sentatives, instead of compassionating his sorrows,
reproached him with the blood which was flowing
in all parts of the kingdom, and they deprived him
of all his royal privileges. The unfortunate king
was immediately arrested, and conducted to a tower
in the Temple, accompanied by his wife, children and
sister. At the same time the list of proscription was
issued, containing the names of those who remained
faithful to their religion and their king, and hun-
dreds of victims were thrown into prison. They
did not remain long in their loathsome dungeons.
On the second of September, the massacre of the
condemned commenced, and lasted four entire days ;
more than fourteen thousand prisoners were put
to death during this short period. Over five
hundred priests were beheaded at the Carmelite
Monastery, at the Abbey and at St. Finnin, and
shortly afterward, three bishops and a great num-
ber of priests were murdered at Meaux, Versailles,
Chalons, Rheims, etc.

During these days of terror, the most fright-
ful scenes of barbarity were enacted ; executioners
danced and sang around their expiring victims, they
even drank the blood which flowed from the gap-
ing wounds their murderous hands had inflicted,
and marched aboat the city in triumph, carrying
with them the mangled remains. In the midst of
these dreadful outrages, the legislative assembly de-
clared its mission accomplished, and gave place to
the convention which terminated the revolution.

514 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

The very day of its opening it abolished royalty,
proclaimed France a republic, and in a spirit of fury
and revenge declared that Louis XVI was guilty
and should appear before the deputies of the nation,
in order to exculpate himself from the crimes im-
puted to him. The unfortunate monarch was only
allowed a few days to prepare some means of defense ;
at the appointed time he appeared before the con-
vention, and was treated as the greatest of criminals.

After the expiration of several days, during which
his case was debated, the most exemplary of kings
listened to the sentence which condemned him to
death as a tyrant who had mercilessly oppressed his
subjects. Louis XVI was executed on the twenty-
first of January, 1793, and his death was the signal
for the most horrible massacres. France was inun-
dated with blood ; neither rank, age nor sex escaping
the dreMful carnage. Whole cities were bombarded,
and thousands of citizens perished at the same time.

While the party of the revolutionists spread con-
sternation and death through all parts of the
kingdom, the convention abolished the Christian
religion, and proclaimed the worship of Eeason;
thoy celebrated in the Cathedral of Notre Dame the
first feast of this impious devotion. A profligate
actress, seated on the altar of the God of chastity,
received the homage of the infatuated multitude,
calling herself the que^n of the gods. The entire
kingdom imitated the example of the capital ; pro-
fane festivals replaced the sacred solemnities of
Christianity, and sacrilegious worship was paid to
whatever was contrary to virtue. The abominations

DEATH OF LOUIS XYI. 515

of paganism were revived by an enlightened people,
and the Christian religion, proscribed and banished,
was almost without an asylum in the land so richly
endowed with favors and blessings from the hand
of God.

Every religious exercise was prohibited, the
churches desecrated and abandoned to plunder, the
consecrated vessels broken and trodden under foot,
and the sacred vestments dragged through the streets.
These acts of impiety were among the favorite amuse-
ments of the populace. The statues and pictures of
the saints were destroyed and mutilated ; the cross
dishonored, and the asylums of charity demolished.
The whole kingdom was soon a scene of desolation
and ruin. These days of horror produced still greater
crimes, and witnessed still more shameful defections.
Twenty-seven bishops, appointed by virtue of the
famous civil constitution of the clergy of which we
have spoken, abjured the faith, and renounced
the ministry of the Catholic worship; some even
united to their apostacy the most revolting habits,
and were not ashamed to disgrace their august office
by a sacrilegious marriage.

We will not dwell longer on this sorrowful period,
but endeavor to forget the excesses and outrages of
this unhappy time, and admire the watchful Provi-
dence that has sustained the Cliurch through so
many storms, and brought lier triumphant through
such severe trials. After a violent tempest. He com-
manded the waters to abate their fury, and peace and
serenity was restored.

616 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

PIUS VI ARRESTED AND CARRIED TO FRANCE.

France, entirely given up to the horrors of anarchy,
had become the prey of a new government, which,
under the title of the Directory, was the cause of new
troubles, and spread abroad the evils of which she
was the victim, and her victorious armies carded
with them to the conquered provinces their fatal
doctrines. A large part of Italy having been sur-
rendered by its generals, the Directory hastened to
change its form of government, to proscribe religion,
and to promulgate the destructive principles which,
for many years, had occasioned so much evil. Kome,
however, was the principal object of the ambitious
desires of these wicked enemies of the Christian
faith, and it seemed a very great cause of triumph
to be able to issue their decrees of banishment and
proscription from the very stronghold of Catholicity.
The armies of the Republic therefore marched to-
ward Eome, preceded by manifestoes arid proclama-
tions, promising the people happiness and liberty,
and charging the Pontifical government with out-
rage and oppression.

Without an army, destitute of assistance, and
menaced by a speedy invasion, Pius VI negotiated,
through the Spanish ambassador, with the Directory,
and obtained, by great sacrifices, an armistice, which
was very soon violated. The French troops advanced
within the limits of the Papal States, and marched
directly to Rome, when General Bonaparte, their
commander, hearing that the Austrians were
approaching, opened a correspondence with the

PIUS VI ARKESTED. 517

archbishop of Ferrara, the legate of the Holy Sec.
The Pope, who only asked for peace, agreed to all
the conditions proposed. Unfortunately, this treaty
was of no longer contin^uance than the preceding
one ; the death of a Republican general, assassinated
in the midst of an insurrection which he helped to
excite, was the pretext for breaking the recently
established union. The Papal ambassador was arrest-
ed at Paris, and the French troops were ordered to
invade the States of the Church.

They advanced without the slightest resistance,
proclaimed the Eepublic and the abolition of the
Papal government. General Bonaparte, however,
assured the Pope that he should be respected and
acknowledged as the bishop of Rome. These prom-
ises were soon forgotten, and the night of the
nineteenth of February, fifteen days only after the
entrance of the French army into the capital of the
Christian world, Pius VI was seized and dragged
from Rome. A number of cardinals and bishops
shared the same fate, and a military government,
which exacted heavy contributions from the people,
replaced the peaceful sway of the Vicar of Jesus Christ.

The head of the Church, a captive, despoiled of
all his rank and dignity, was led from one place
of exile to another; the venerable old man, whose
virtues and age entitled him to respect, underwent
the most barbarous treatment for the remainder of
his life ; he was separated from all that was dear to
him, and exiled to distant countries without the
least regard for his age, infirmities, or tlie inclem-
ency of the season. On arriving in France, Pius
44

518 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

VI was conducted to Grenoble, where he remained
for a few days, and where, notwithstanding the
hatred of his enemies, he had the consolation of
seeing the jieople hastening in crowds to meet him,
and ask for his blessing, which they received with
the greatest devotion. On being removed to Valence,
he was seized with a sudden ftiintness and prostra-
tion, which terminated in his death. He expired on
the twenty-ninth of August, 1799, at the advanced
age of eighty-two years, after presiding over the
Holy See for more than twenty-four years.

Such was the end of this courageous and holy
Pontiff, whose reign was disturbed by so many trials
and reverses. His virtues and misfortunes entitled
him to the esteem of the Protestants themselves, and
Mallet du Pan, a citizen of Geneva, in his journal
of the twenty-fifth of May, 1799, thus speaks of his
captivity: "Of all the barbarous acts of injustice
which compose the history of the French revolution,
I do not know if there is one which excites so much
indignation as the cold-blooded and systematic con-
duct of the Directory toward the sovereign Pontiff.
His cruel treatment deserves the name of assassina-
tion ; there would have been less inhumanity in deliv-
ering the white head of Pius VI to the axe of the exe-
cutioner, than to cover it with insults and outrages ;
drag him from his plundered palace into captivity
in a strange land ; lead him from prison to prison,
allowing him to live, in order to inflict on him still
greater indignities and sufferings. And on whom
did they practice this horrible violence ? on an old
man, standing on the threshold of eternity ; on a

ELECTION OF A NEW POPE. 519

pontiff, wliose moderationj meekness, unostentatious
and sincere piety, have won the respect of denomin-
ations separated from the Church of Rome; on a
sovereign without a kingdom, deprived of his right-
ful power, abandoned by those who should have
defended him. Plundered, dethroned, and impris-
oned, without having inflicted the slightest wrong
on his enemies, what had they to fear from his weak-
ness? What satisfaction or advantage could they
derive from such wanton cruelties? How could
they injure this dying Pope, whose death or absence
would not influence the fate of either Church or
State ? Was it a hostage they wished to secure, or
did the fanaticism of philosophy induce them to add
to the number of martyrs whom they had immolated,
the chief of a religion they were eager to destroy ?"

ELECTION OF A NEW POPE — THE CONCORDAT.

Pius VI was no more, and the princes of the
Church, and those whose office it was to elect the
Vicar of Jesus Christ, were either scattered abroad
or in captivity, and could not meet to give the
Church a Pontiff and Rome a King, worthy of them
both. When suddenly He who said to the raging
waters, " Thus far shalt thou go and no further" — .
arrested the hand that was inflicting sorrow and dis-
tress on nations, stopped the successful career of the
French troops, and made the very people wlio had
long since separated themselves from the one, true
fold, serve as a triumph to the Church. The French
were driven from Rome and Italy, and the Emperor

530 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

of Germany convened the cardinals for the purpose
of electing a successor to Pius VI. They assembled
i\t Venice, formed the conclave, and, after a suffi-
ciently long deliberation, the choice fell on Cardinal
Barnabas Chiaramonte, who took the name of
"Pms VII.

The new Pope commenced his pontifical reign
by wise and honorable measures ; he hastened to
re-establish order in the government of the Eoman
Church, issued a brief in favor of the Jesuits, whom
some princes had allowed to remain in their domin-
ions; and entered at once into a negotiation with
the new French government with regard to ecclesi-
astical affairs. Cardinal Spina repaired to Paris for
this purpose, and on the fifteenth of July, 1801, con-
cluded a treaty with the first consul of the Republic.
The treaty was not immediately published ; it was
deemed necessary, at first, to interpose powerful
obstacles against its ratification. A part: of the
legislative body were still strongly opposed to reli-
gion, and they relied on the efforts of the constitu-
tional church, which had met in council, to sustain
a schism which was springing up on every side.

The first consul, who at that time seemed sincerely
anxious to re-establish religion, overcame every diffi-
culty ; he convoked a legislative assembly which was
favorable to religion and morality, and notified the
Constitutionals to disperse. The Concordat was
then submitted to the deliberation of the legislative
chamber, and adopted as a law of the state. Two
papal bulls were published at the same time : the
first, explained and ratified the agreement made

ELECTIOJS^ OF A NEW POPE. 531

witli the French government ; the second, suppressed
all the dioceses in France, and created in their
stead sixty new ones, divided into ten archbishop-
rics. Before issuing these bulls, Pius VII had
addressed a brief to the French bishops, requesting
the resignation of their sees. Out of eighty-one^
bishops who were still living, forty-five immediately
acquiesced, and thirty-six expressed their regret at
being unable to follow this example ; after a time,
however, many of them returned to their allegiance,
and submitted to the commands of the Pontiff.

As soon as the Concordat was proclaimed, the ex-
ercise of public worship was resumed. The first
ceremony took place at Notre Dame, on Easter Sun-
day ; the cardinal legate celebrated the mass ; the
three consuls, and the legislative body were present.
A Te Deum was sung in thanksgiving for the happy
change, and for the restoration of Catholicity. Tran-
quillity, peace and confidence were resumed. The
pastors of the churches hastened to leave the strange
lands where they had endured a weary exile, and
re-appeared among their flocks. France gradually
became once more a Christian nation, destroyed the
temple of Reason, and abolished the feasts of the
Supreme Being.

They re-established the asylums of charity ; the
teaching of Christian doctrine was resumed, and
several of the monasteries were re-opened. The
priests traversed the cities and country places in-
structing the people, and striving to rekindle the
nearly extinguished spark of faith in their hearts,
and if the Concordat had not been productive of
44*

522 HISTORY OF THE CHUKCH.

other good results, its opj)onents would have re-
spected it for this cause alone. But France was not
the sovereign Pontiff's only object of solicitude ; the
churches of Piedmont, Italy and Germany also
occupied his attention, and he hastened to provide
them with pastors, to re-establish discipline, and to
restore the faith which the disastrous events of the
late wars had banished and prohibited.

BONAPARTE.

While the Church was engaged in repairing the
evils caused by the late disturbances, a man, whose
great ambition and Avonderful success, at the head
of the French troops, had won him honor and dis-
tinction, received the title of Emperor. Too happy to
escape the terrors of anarchy, France felt as though
she had returned to the beautiful days of her ancient
glory, and hoped for a time that the warrior whom she
had placed at the head of her government would
resemble her first sovereigns ; but these fond expec-
tations were doomed to disappointment. Europe,
exhausted and worn out by long wars, acknowledged
the new Emperor, and the sovereign Pontiff was
compelled, for the welfare of religion, to obey the
command he received, to repair to Paris in order to
crown Bonaparte.

Pius VII, on arriving in France, was welcomed
by testimonials of the most profound veneration
and the liveliest affection ; he was amazed at finding
so much faith and piety in a people who had been
so nearly perverted by the pernicious teachings of

BONAPARTE. 523

wicked men. During his sojourn in Paris, his prin-
cipal occupation Avas to provide for the wants of tlie
Church, to interest the government in favor of the
clergy, and to obtain a release from the fetters which
certain laws imposed on the exercise of the holy
ministry.

After remaining some months in France, Pius
VII returned to Rome, leaving everywhere the
sweet odor of his many virtues ; and he left the
country for which he had made so many sacrifices,
regretting that he" had fiot been able to supply all
the wants of her churches. On his arrival at the
capital of tlie Christian Avorld, the Pope, in a secret
consistory of cardinals, gave an account of his jour-
ney ; he spoke of the fruits which religion had pro-
duced, and of the reconciliation of Ricci, bishop of
Pistoia, to the Roman Church. Thus all seemed to
promise peace and concord, when the ambition of a
single man destroyed the harmony which was about
being restored to the Church. The French Emperor
commenced by seizing Ancona, in order, he said, to
defend the city from the invasion of the Mahome-
tans and Greeks. This hostility, exercised without
the least provocation, betokened a speedy rupture
between the two courts. Nevertheless, two or three
years elapsed without further demonstration, and
during this interval the canonization of several
saints was solemnized at Rome, which ceremony had
not taken place for the space of fifty years.

The Emperor issued several decrees in favor of the
clergy and religion ; these were the only good offices
he ever rendered them, as he subsequently did every

524 HISTORY OF THE CHURCF-

tliing to annoy and harass them. Blinded by pros-
perity, Bonaparte formed the most ambitions phins,
and desired the sovereign Pontiff to join a league he
had formed against his neighboring monarchs, com-
pletely excluding the English. The Pope refused,
and showed how opposed such a course would be to
his dignity and office if he took part in the wars of
Europe. On the reception of this conclusive an-
swer, the French troops were ordered to march tow-
ard Rome ; they took possession of the city without
fighting, disarmed the Porntifical guard, and pro-
ceeded to fortify the castle of St. Angelo.

Pius yil protested against these outrages, but his
remonstrances were unavailing. The French con-
tinued to exasperate his subjects, imprison the most
faithful, and treat them as conquered enemies. Al-
ready a captive in his own palace, the Pojie could
only groan over the acts of violence by which they
insulted his august person and his loyal subjects, and
await with a holy resignation the issue of this revo-
lution ; when Bonaparte from Vienna, which city he
had entered as victor, decreed the union of the
Roman states with the French empire, under the
pretext that they had only been granted to the sov-
ereign Pontiffs under the title of fiefs, and to indem-
nify the Pope for his losses he allowed him two
millions of the revenue. Pius VII strenuously
opposed this wholesale plunder, and published a bull
of excommunication against the authors, abettors,
and executioners of the outrages offered the Holy
See, without however designating any particular in-
dividual.

BON^APARTE. 525

Enraged at this decisive blow, Napoleon was still
more determined to pursue his victim. The Pope
was carried off during the night from Rome, con-
ducted to Savona, where he experienced the same
shameful treatment endured by his predecessor.
Athough guilty of so wicked an attempt, and
proving himself to be a persecutor of the Church,
Napoleon, nevertheless, published a circular, ad-
dressed to the bishops, justifying his seizure of the
Church lands. He pretended great zeal for the
cause of religion, and, on" the Pope's refusing to con-
firm the nomination of the new bishops, he convoked
an assemblage of bishops, in order to devise means
for providing for the wants of those churches desti-
tute of pastors. The assembly declared itself incom-
petent, and proposed to convene a national council,
which was opened at Notre Dame on the sixteenth
of June, 1814. The result of the deliberations was,
that the council could not oppose the papal bulls,
which decision so irritated the Emperor, that he
dissolved tlie council, and ordered those bishops Avho
had advised the adoption of this decree, to be taken
to the fortress of Vincennes.

A few days afterward, however, the council was
recalled, the bishops again met together, and they
agreed that the bishoprics could not remain vacant
longer than a year ; that the Pope should confirm
the choice during the six months following the
nomination ; and that, after these six months had
elapsed, the metropolitan bishop could appoint
whomsoever he pleased. In consequence of this
decision, a deputation of nine prelates was sent to

536 HISTOEY OF THE CHURCH.

Savona. The Pope received it, acquiesced in all their
demands, and confirmed, by a brief, all of the proposed
articles. The brief arrived in Paris, and was submit-
ted to the state council, who, displeased Avith some
of the expressions, refused to receive it. The nego-
tiations were therefore interrupted, and the council
dissolved without coming to any final conclusion.

Pius yil, in the mean time, in liis banishment at
Savona, suffered all the hardships of a long exile,
when, without assigning any cause, his persecutors
removed him to Fontainbleau. This new prison
did not alter his situation, and his captivity received
no amelioration. But at length the time had arrived
when Providence was to arrest the ambitious career
of Napoleon, and restore the successor of St. Peter
to the pontifical chair. Innumerable reverses suc-
ceeded the triumphs which had hitherto crowned
the arms of Napoleon, and the conqueror of so
many nations was forced to retreat before his victo-
rious enemies. He arrived in Paris, and a few days
afterward repaired to Fontainbleau, in order to
commence a new treaty with the Pope. Pius VII
made every possible sacrifice, and acceded to all the
demands proposed to him, but, perceiving that he
was not re-established in his dominions, he retracted
all his concessions, and from that time absolutely
refused to listen to any proposition or agreement
whatever, and replied that he would not discuss these
matters until his return to Kome.

It was in consequence of the news he received
that Italy was threatened with a speedy conquest,
rather than this response, that decided Bonaparte to

THE FKENCH MO>^ARCHY. 527

send the Pope back to Rome. He commanded that
a portion of his possessions should be restored to
him, and dismissed him from Fontainbleau. Pius
VII finally quitted the land of exile, and returned
to his dominions on the day that the allied sovereigns
entered Paris, and that his persecutor, conquered
and forced to abdicate, ended his reign, so disastrous
to the peace and happiness of Europe.

RESTORATION OF THE FRENCH MONARCHY.

The yoke of Bonaparte was shaken off, his empire
destroyed, and this haughty conqueror of so many
crowns was reduced to the sovereignty of the small
and uncivilized island of Elba, in the Mediterranean
sea. The princes of the house of Bourbon had re-
ascended the throne of their ancestors, and their
presence seemed to presage future tranquillity. The
Pope returned to Rome, obliterated by his paternal
goodness the remembrance of the troubles and dis-
turbances caused by his banishment, and the allied
sovereigns endeavored to repair, as rapidly as possible,
the demoralization of their respective kingdoms.
Thus, every thing seemed to betoken the end of the
long series of misfortunes and political disasters
which, for more than twenty years, had agitated the
world, when, suddenly, a fatal conspiracy replaced
Napoleon on the throne.

His return from Elba was the signal for new
troubles, and new wars. The whole of Europe
roused itself against this indomitable enemy, and
prepared by their united efforts to overwhelm the fac-

528 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

tion he had gathered round his standard. One single
battle decided the fate of so many nations, whose
destinies were to be controlled by the success or
discomfiture of the usurper. He was conquered,
and his defeat restored Louis XVIII to France, and
peace to Europe. The king returned to his capital,
which he had been forced to abandon, and was received
with the greatest enthusiasm and joy by his subjects,
who hastened in crowds to meet him, loading him
with blessings and congratulations.

Those who had been most active in the late trou-
bles, gradually returned to their allegiance, and the
ancient order of things began once more to prevail.
In Kome, the sovereign Pontiff, who had already
re-established the Jesuits, entered upon several im-
portant negotiations concerning the good of religion.
In Bavaria, Sicily and Sardinia, the monarchs loudly
proclaimed their sincere conviction of the necessity
and importance of religion, and made arrangements
with the Holy See for promoting the growth of the
faith among their subjects. Spain pursued the same
course, happy at having profited by her old sacrifices,
and for having been preserved from the evils of the
revolution. In France the king declared his ear-
nest desire to see religion honored and reverenced
throughout his kingdom ; he published decrees in
its favor, re-established religious houses, and ordered
the final settlement of the treaty commenced with
Rome and interrupted by the invasion of Napoleon.

Pius YII did not long enjoy the consolations an-
ticipated from the happy calm which had succeeded
so many storms. Death removed from the Church

THE FREN^CH MONARCHY. 529

this venerable Pontiff, on the 20th of August, 1823 ;
he was a most exemplary Pope, and he was one
whose misfortunes and virtues place him in the ranks
of the Pontiffs who have been most generous in their
defense of the faith, and in protecting the rights of
the Church. Cardinal Delia Genga was his successor.
Elected Pope on the twenty-eighth of September of
the same year, he took the name of Leo XII, and
managed the affairs of the Church with a rare pru-
dence. His death, which took place on the tenth of
February, 1829, was the occasion of a conclave,
which chose, on the following thirty-first of March,
a new Pontiff to govern and watch over the flock of
Jesus Christ. Cardinal Castiglioni was elected,
and took the name of Pius VIII. Cardinal
Maurus Cappellari succeeded him on the first of
February, 1831, under the name of Gregory XVI,
and he in turn was succeeded in 1846, by the
venerable and admirable Pius IX, now gloriously
reigning. In the year 1830 a new revolution
had banished the oldest branch of the Bourbons.
The Duke of Orleans, who was placed on the
throne under the title of Louis Phillipe, en-
deavored to calm the passions aroused by the new
movement, and the outrages committed by some in-
furiated men against the temples of the Lord and
the clergy were promptly repressed. The revolution
of 1830 only served to exalt the virtue and demon-
strate the tolerance of the French Church, which
enjoys comparative peace and tranquillity at the
present day.

530 HISTOKT OF THE CHURCH.

REFLECTIONS ON THE SCANDALS.

It is necessary for scandals to appear, our Divine
Lord Himself says. It is one of the trials by
which He desires to test His servants, in order to
render them worthy of their Master. " There shall
come a time when charity will become cold, and
iniquity abound among mankind." Vice springs
from the passions which religion does not destroy ;
she teaches mankind how to overcome them, but
allows the perfect exercise of free will, either to
indulge or to avoid them. It is not sui-prising, there-
fore, that scandals have appeared in the Church ; it
is the field in which the tares grow up with the
grain, until the time of the great harvest ; it is a barn
where the straw is mixed with the wheat ; a ship in
which is found both good and bad fish. All these
comparisons which the Gospel employs teach us that
abuses and disorders will arise in the Church ; but
that she neither approves nor tolerates them, but on
the contrary, laments, condemns, and abhors them.

So long as the Church exists, scandals will arise
among the faithful, and even among the clergy, her
ministers. Jesus Christ has promised to the body
of pastors, infallibility in their teachings and doc-
trine, but not sanctity in their conduct. " Go," said
Jesus Christ to them, " teach all nations, baptize them,
and teach them to observe all that I have commanded
you, and I will be with you all days, even to the con-
summation of time." By virtue of this promise, Jesus
Christ is witli the clergy, to guard them against all
errors, but not to exempt them from sin.

REFLECTIOXS 0:N^ THE SCANDALS. 531

" Although the good example of the pastor is an
excellent means of preaching the gospel," says the
illustrious Bossuet, " God does not wish to limit the
progress of the true faith to the purity of their
morals, for those who appear to be saints, may be
hypocrites in disguise, but the doctrine which they
teach is public, certain, and cannot deceive. He has
said, I will be with you in teaching — but He did
not say that He would be with them in practicing all
that He had commanded. He also adds while speak-
ing to the faithful, ^ Follow their teachings, but not
their actions.' " Nevertheless their preaching will not
be without effect, as the word of God is always fruitful,
and as grace never fails to accompany the holy doc-
trines of religion, the Church will always produce
saints, but the saints will sometimes be few in com-
parison with the wicked. It is certainly miraculous
that the multitudes of those who dishonor the Church
do not present the propagation of religion ; that the
innumerable disorders and abuses can neither extin-
guish nor obscure the light of faith, and that the
bark of Peter, thus attacked on every side, should
still remain uninjured.

Scandals will arise in the kingdom of Jesus Christ,
as He predicted that they would, but these scandals
will not prevent Him from being with His Church,
and her teachings from bearing abundant fruit
as her Lord has promised. Thus, during all
ages, even, the darkest periods, there have always
been great and illustrious examples of virtue and
sanctity. The precepts of the Gospel have always
been practiced by Christians in every condition of

532 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

life ; eyery century has produced models of sanctity,
irreproachable pastors, pnre yirgins, fervent Relig-
ious, laymen faithful to all their religious duties, and
true penitents, for it was the sincere desire of repent-
ance, during the eleventh century, when great laxity
of morals prevailed, that introduced so many new
religious orders. God has raised up extraordinary
men, so that they might rekindle piety ; the sanctity
of the Church consists, therefore, not in the sanctity
of all her members, nor only in tlie sanctity of her doc-
trines and sacraments, but in there always being saints
in her midst, and her including all saints in her fold.

The Church, says the same prelate, is always holy,
because she teaches publicly and distinctly the good
doctrine of purity of morals, and because her doc-
trines of piety and virtue will be practiced during
all time, even during the most profligate periods.
Thus, notwithstanding that the corruption of morals
may be great, it cannot be said to be universal,
because truth always subsists whole and entire. If
there are in the Church wicked and disobedient
members, there will always be saints and good men
as long as the preaching of the Gospel continues,
that is, until the end of time. "We must judge of
the Church," says St. Augustine, *'not by the bad
Christians, but by the good, who will always pre-
dominate. The Church tolerates the wicked for a
while, and it would be a manifest error to think that
the promises of her eternal Author cannot be accom-
plished even amidst the most shameful abuses and
scandals. God has permitted that the heads of the
Church should not always be irreproachable men.

REFLECTIONS ON THE SCANDALS. 533

because the preservation of the Church does not
depend on the sanctity of her Pontiffs, but on the
word which He has given to be with her until the
consummation of ages, "

The destinies of earthly empires depend on the
conduct of the princes who govern them, but such
is not the case with regard to the Church. God
Himself has established the Church, and fortified
her so strongly that neither men nor time can
destroy her. Such is the conclusion to be drawn
from certain passages of ecclesiastical history,
that refer to the abuses which, at times, pervaded
the Church; but far from being scandalized at these
disorders, we should remember that they were all
predicted, and are the consequence of the present
state of the Church. This world is not her place
of rest, her country is Heaven ; the earth is only a
place of probation and trials ; a strange land, where
she is surrounded with enemies, who vainly strive to
deprive her of her most precious treasures — charity
and truth.

Although the tempest may be violent, there is no
fear of the bark of Peter being submerged. He who
commands the sea and winds is the pilot who directs
her course, and He will bring her safely to port.
Born and educated in the bosom pf the Church,
instructed^n her doctrines, sanctified by her sacra-
ments, inviolably attached to her faith and submis-
sive to her authority, we should be edified by the
good work she performs, and lament the evils she
cannot prevent, and endeavor carefully to preserve
union, through the bonds of peace,
45*

534 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

DESTINY OF THE CHURCH.

The prophets if ad predicted that the Messiah
would be a king ; that His dominion should extend
over the whole universe, and that His reign would be
eternal. It is very evident that the empire of Jesus
Christ is no other than the Church which He has
established. His empire is very different from the
kingdoms of the earth ; it possesses none of the at-
tributes which elevate earthly kingdoms in the eyes
of men, and causes them to flourish and prosper.
In the empire of Christ, gold and silver are counted
as nothing ; the glory of arms is not known to her ;
she is divested of all these splendors. The Church
possesses no other riches than grace, no other
strength than virtue. It is an entirely spiritual em-
pire, the reign of truth and virtue ; its mission is to
enlighten and sanctify mankind. Jesus Christ reigns
over the mind by faith, and governs the heart by
charity. The only enemies of this empire are error
and vice, and the Church is continually engaged in
combating them, but she only employs instruction
and patience as the means of vanquishing them, and
possessed of these weapons, she is secure of victory.

The Christian Church extends among all civilized
nations ; whatever may be their form of government,
she enters and unites herself to it, without chang-
ing the political order she finds established, she
imparts new strength to them, consecrates their
laws and institutions, and becomes the strongest
support of the state. The Church is to subsist until
the consummation of time ; her fate does not depend

DESTINY OF THE CHURCH. 535

on the stability of the governments with which she
may be allied; the revolutions they experience do
not affect her ; she exists after nations are destroyed,
and survives amidst the ruin of ages. She has seen
the decline and fall of the Eoman empire, but she
remained firm and immovable. She has sustained
herself for eighteen hundred years amidst the storms
which have arisen on every side, and she will be per-
petuated until the end of the world, notwithstand-
ing the tempests which may arise in the future, for
it is the destiny of the Church, as long as she is on
earth, to be always assailed, but eventually to
triumph over all the powers of the world by the
assistance of her divine Author. Posterity will find
her unchanged, because this perpetual duration has
been promised to her, and He who gave this promise
is immutable, faithful and omnipotent.

" Read, " says St. Augustine, " what has been pre-
dicted, behold what has been accomplished, and con-
clude that the rest will certainly be fulfilled : Prae-
dicta lege, impleta cerne, implenda collige." Yes,
the Church will fulfill her glorious destiny ; she will
continue to advance with a firm step, untouched by
human revolutions, until the end of time, in order
to unite herself to Jesus Christ, her spouse, in the
realms of immortality.

How venerable in the eyes of faith is this Church,
the masterpiece of the power of God. Happy those
who love and honor her ! Attachment to the Church
IS the characteristic of the children of God; we
cannot love God without loving the Church, which
is the city in which He reigns, the abode of eternal

536 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

truth, the sanctuary of divine charity. Happy those
who love the Church, who rejoice when she is at
peace, who ask this peace of God, and endeavor to
procure it by every means in their power. But h^r
true peace will only be found in Heaven ; there sh^
will be inundated by the visions of peace of which
God Himself is the source. While awaiting this
ineffable peace, the Church has combats to sustain
on earth ; but in the midst of these combats she
will have a foretaste of it in the persons of her true
children ; the peace of God, the peace which sur-
passes all understanding, and which consists in firm-
ness of faith, in the consolations of hope, and in the
union of hearts through charity.

PART THIRD,

CATHOLICITY IN THE UNITED STATES.

We have traced the progress of the Gospel from
the time of the Apostles until the present day, in
the Old World, and have seen with admiration the
divine establishment and miraculous duration of the
one time faith. We have mourned over the fall of
flourishing kingdoms, the decline of mighty empires,
and the destruction of cities and provinces; but
amid all this human decay and ruin, we have seen
the grand spectacle of the Church of Christ, now
hidden in the gloom of the Catacombs, then red
with the blood of countless martyrs, persecuted by
tyrants, in fine, assailed on eveiy side by the powers
of darkness and the passions of men, rise triumph-
ant over all obstacles, and finally plant the emblem
of Christianity in the very center of idolatry, pagan
Rome. Bright and glorious, the cross, the blessed
standard of Christian faith, is found in eveiy part
of. Catholic Europe ; and we now turn to our own
country, and see the same sacred symbol raised on
high in every town and village of America.

Since the happy moment when the pious Isabella
of Spain sent Columbus to discover a new world,
and bring a strange people to the knowledge of the
one true God, America has been the recipient of

538 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

innumerable favors and blessings. When the weary
and dispirited mariners joyfully hailed the welcome
sight of land, after a long and dangerous voyage,
their first action was to sing a hymn of praise,
and the first object which touched the Island of St.
Salvador, was the cross, that precious sign of our
redemption. Thus, claimed as a child of the Church,
in the first moment of her discovery, America has
always been the scene of truly Apostolic labors and
successful missions.

The Franciscans, Dominicans, and Jesuits labored
most assiduously for the conversion of souls, from
the very beginning of the colonial settlements, and
their efforts were amply rewarded by the steady pro-
gress of the faith throughout the States. Maine,
New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, the Valley of
the Mississippi, and the Spanish colonies of New
Mexico, Florida and California, were successively the
theater of missionary zeal, and numerous tribes of
Indians were taught the saving truths of religion,
and became fervent children of the Church. These
admirable works, however, were not accomplished
without many struggles and grievous trials, and sev-
eral heroic priests won a martyr's crown in the wilds
of the Western continent. Father Padilla, a Fran-
ciscan, and a lay brother fell victims to Indian
cruelty, in New Mexico, in 1542 ; and Father Raslc,
who lived for thirty-two years among the Penobscots
and Passamaquoddies, was put to death by the Eng-
lish settlers in 1724.

The Jesuit Fathers suffered severely in the State
of New York in their efforts to convert the Iroquois;

CATHOLICITY IN THE UKITED STATES. 539

after succeeding in their labors, the enmity of the
English forced the converts to emigrate to Canada,
where the nation still exists. In the seventeenth
century the Society of Jesus sent missionaries to the
West, and we are indebted to Father Marquette, one
of the number, for the discovery and exploration of
the Mississippi river in 1673, and members of the
same society discovered the Falls of Niagara and
the almost inexhaustible salt-springs of Salina,
in the State of New York. Numerous tribes were
converted by these indefatigable priests, but, when
the Jesuits were suppressed, the pastors necessarily
became fewer, and in some of the settlements the
light of faith was for a time obscured. In 1727 an
Ursuline convent was founded by the French in New
Orleans ; the first female religious community organ-
ized in the States, and it is still in a flourishing
condition. In the year 1570, Jesuits from Florida
visited Maryland, with the intention of converting
the natives, but were betrayed by their Indian guide
and put to death; As this State, however, was des-
tined to become the very center of Catholicity, in the
United States, another century had not elapsed be-
fore the faith was successfully established within its
limits.

About the year 1631, George Calvert, Lord Balti-
more, a Catholic nobleman, obtained a charter from
Charles I, King of England, for the settlement of
Maryland, and a colony of two hundred English
families embarked from the Isle of Wight, on the 22d
of November, 1633, and reached the shores of the
ChesaDeake on the the 35th of March, 1634. Father

540 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

Andrew White, Father T. Altham and two lay
brothers, all Jesuits, accompanied the emigrants,
and on the beautiful feast of the Annunciation of
the Blessed Virgin, the holy sacrifice of the mass
was solemnly celebrated by these fervent exiles, and
their new home sanctified by planting the cross on
the shores of what was soon to be known as Catholic
Maryland. They immediately commenced to build
the town of St. Mary's on the river of the same name,
and a large Indian hut was used as a chapel. Father
White converted several Indian tribes, and in 1639,
a priest was stationed on Kent Island, in Chesapeake
bay; nearly all the natives of Potopaco (Port
Tobacco) were baptized, and the greater part of the
Piscataway tribe embraced Christianity. The Jesuit
Fathers continued to preach the faith with great
success for ten years, some Capuchin friars joining
in the good work ; but, in 1644, political events
suspended their labors. In 1645, a band of lawless
soldiers destroyed the colony, banished the governor,
and captured the priests. The Maryland Catholics
were not, however, destined to enjoy perfect freedom
in the practice of the religion for whose sake they
had voluntarily left their native land in order to
find an asylum in a distant country. The English
spirit of Protestanism had crept into the colony, and
a persecution was commenced against the Catholics;
the provincial government taxed them for the sup-
port of the Anglican clergy, abolished their schools,
prevented the free practice of religion, and excluded
them from public office if they refused to take an
oath, which amounted to an abjuration of Catholicity.

CATHOLICITY 12^ THE UNITED STATES. 541

A great many remained true to the faith, some
returned to the Continent, and others proved false to
their God and conscience, by apostatizing.

Notwithstanding this intolerance, divine worship
continued to be held in private residences and
chapels, and thus the faith was preserved until 1770,
when the Catholics were allowed more liberty of
conscience. In the early history of Pennsylvania,
we also find that missionaries labored for the salva-
tion of souls, and in 1730, Father Greaton, a Jesuit,
erected the church of St. Joseph, in Philadelphia,
while several towns enjoyed the ministry of Catholic
priests. New York, however, at first proved a most
unfruitful soil, as the faith was regarded with hatred
by the authorities, and the spirit of persecution went
so far SLS to execute a man because he was supposed
to be a priest. The oppressive measures of the
British government had for some time irritated and
incensed the American Colonies, and on the fourth
day of July, 1776, an illustrious body of statesmen
assembled in the State House in Philadelphia, and
by an immortal act declared the colonial States of
America free and independent. This may be hailed
as the dawn of religious freedom and liberty of con-
science in the United States, it being one of the acts
of the new constitution, that every individual should
be allowed the unrestricted practice of his religion.
About this period was felt the necessity of an author-
ized superior; and in answer to an appeal made by
the American clergy, the Holy See invested the Rev.
Mr. Carroll with certain episcopal faculties, such as
administering confirmation, and appointed him pre-
40

642 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

feet apostolic of America, which position he ably
filled for six years, when he was elected bishop of
Baltimore, the first bishopric created in the United
States.

Bishop Carroll was consecrated at Lulworth Cas-
tle, England, by Rt. Rev. Dr. Walmesby, on the 15th
of August, A. D. 1790. This distinguished prelate
was a member of one of the first Maryland families,
an educated gentleman, and a learned theologian.
On returning to his diocese he applied himself, with
the greatest zeal, to the spiritual advancement of the
flock confided to his charge, and convened a diocesan
synod, for the purpose of regulating ecclesiastical
affairs in the church in America. Accordingly on the
7th of November, 1791, he presided over an assembly
of twenty-two clergymen, when many salutary laws
for the benefit of religion were adopted. The pas-
toral letter addressed at this time by the venerated
bishop to his extensive diocese is well worthy of
perusal; his zealous admonitions and excellent
instructions breathing a spirit of Christian charity
and love. Before his nomination to the Episcopal
dignity. Bishop Carroll had founded a religious
academy of learning in Georgetown, D. C, and a
Sulpitian Seminary in Baltimore, for the purpose
of educating young men for the priesthood.

Numerous European priests visited the United
States, eager to lend a helping hand in gathering
the abundant harvest which was ripening in every
part of this favored country. The bishops assigned
each one a particular mission, and, while some la-
bored in the cities and towns, others were sent to con-

CATHOLICITY I:N" THE UKITED STATES. 543

yerfc and evangelize the Indians, enduring clieerf iilly,
the greatest hardships and privations in the service
of God and the Church. While fervent priests were
thus winning immortal souls to Heaven, pious wo-
men were forming themselves into communities for
the education of Catholic maidens. In 1790 a Car-
melite convent was founded in Charles county,
Maryland, and a community of Poor Clares for a
time existed in Georgetown, D. C, but were suc-
ceeded by the sisters of the Visitation, a cloistered
order, living under the rule of St. Francis of Sales,
which foundation has proved the mother house of a
number of flourishing institutions in different parts
of the United States.

The Sisters of Charity were established by Mrs.
Seton, first in Baltimore in 1808, and the next year
removed to Emmetsburg, Maryland, from which
foundation, houses have spread throughout the coun-
try; nursing the sick, visiting the prisons, aiding
the poor, solacing the orphan, and every other corpo-
ral and spiritual work of mercy being the daily
occupation of these devoted daughters of charity.
The colleges and church of St. Augustine, near Phil-
adelphia, owe their origin to the Hermits of St.
Augustine, introduced by Father Carr, in 1790. The
Society of Jesus was again re-established in the
United States, and several members sent to George-
town college, which institution, under their learned
auspices, has risen to a high rank among the educa-
tional schools of the country. The Dominicans also
Cvommenced a foundation of their order in 1806 in
Washington county, Kentucky, under the superiu-

544 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

tendence of Rev. Edward Fenwick. It is an
interesting fact that the first priest ordained in the
United States, the Key. Stephen L. Badin, was sent
to the above mentioned state in 1794, where for many-
years he exercised the functions of the holy ministry.
' In 1793 New Orleans was created an Episcopal
See, and Dr. Penalver appointed bishop. For several
years, in this diocese, as well as in other parts of the
country, the Church was disgraced by many dis-
orders and scandals. But the worthy archbishop
Carroll was consoled for these evils and abuses by
the creation of four suffragan bishops, and he had the
happiness of consecrating Rev. Michael Egan bishop
of Philadelphia, Rev. Benedict Flaget, of Bardstown,
and Rev. John Cheverus, of Boston, while Rev. Luke
Concanen, of the Order of Preachers, was raised
to the episcopal dignity in Rome, and consecrated
bishop of New York, but died at Naples, when about
sailing for America.

We thus see what rapid strides the faith made in
the New "World, and how successfully apostolic
missionaries labored in every part of the United
States. These heroic men suffered many and great
hardships while cultivating the vineyard of the
Lord ; the severe frosts of Northern winters, the
intense heat of the Southern sun, hunger, thirst,
want of proper raiment, the inclemency of the
weather, insults and indignities, were cheerfully
suffered by these humble followers of the Divine
Model, whose command to " Leave all things and
follow me!" had been chosen as the rule of their
mortified lives. The Sisters of Loretto, Sisters of

CATHOLICITY IN THE UNITED STATES. 545

Charity of Nazareth, as well as an ecclesiastical
seminary, were established by Bishop Flaget, in Ken-
tucky, assisted by Rev. John B. David. An orphan
asylum and school were placed under the direction
of the Sisters of Charity, in Philadelphia, during
the adminstratorship of Rev. Lewis Debarth. But
the Catholics of America were now to be deprived,
by death, of their zealous and saintly shepherd, the
excellent Archbishop of Baltimore, who breathed his
last on the 3d of December, 1815, at the advanced
age of eighty-one years.

Right Rev. Leonard Neale, his coadjutor, was
appointed to fill the Archiepiscopal See. For a quar-
ter of a century this zealous priest had labored for
the welfare of the Church, occupying at different
periods the positions of pastor in Philadelphia, presi-^
dent of the college, and director of the Visitation
Convent, of Georgetown, and eighteen months after
his nomination to the episcopal dignity he died in
Georgetown, full of years and honor. Rev. Ambrose
Marechal, professor at St. Mary's Seminary, in Balti-
more, was called to the vacant See, and, immediately
after his accession to office, was obliged to exercise
his authority, in regard to some matters which were
a source of annoyance and scandal to the Church.
Rt. Rev. Dr. England, in 1820, was created bishop of
Charleston, S. C, and he founded the Sisters of
Mercy in his diocese. In 1822 the Marian Theologi-
cal Faculty was instituted by the sovereign Pontiff,
in the university of St. Mary, Baltimore.

In 1818 Rev. Nicholas D. Young erected the first
Catholic church in Ohio, and Cincinnati was chosen
46*

546 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

as the residence of the new bishop, Kev. E. Fenwick,
who was placed over a large western diocese. New
Orleans was blessed with a most worthy pastor, in
the person of Rt. Rev. Dr. Dubourg, who established
the Lazarists, viz., priests of the mission, in charge of a
college and seminary in Missouri ; he also founded
a Jesuit college at St. Louis, and a Novitiate of the
same order at Florissant. The ladies of the Sacred
Heart here began the excellent female seminaries,
which have subsequently proved of incalculable bene-
fit throughout the whole country. The magnificent
convent of Manhattanville, on the banks of the
Hudson, Kenwood, near Albany, Eden Hall, near
Philadelphia, the houses in St. Louis, Detroit, and
numerous other branches of the same order, are
^mong the finest schools in the United States.

Rt. Rev. Dr. Connolly, a Dominican, about 1815,
was appointed to the See of New York, and he and
his successor, Rt. Rev. John Dubois, introduced sev-
eral religious orders in their diocese. Rt. Rev. Drs.
Matignon, Cheverus and Benedict L. Fenwick ably
administered in succession to the spiritual wants of
the growing Catholic population of the See of Bos-
ton, and Rt. Rev. Henry Conwell was equally beloved
in Philadelphia. His episcopacy was disturbed by
the scandalous and unprincipled conduct of Rev.
William Hogan, pastor of St. Mary's church, and
being summoned to Rome to explain the aff*air, Rev.
William Matthews, of Washington city, D. C, was
placed in charge of the diocese during the absence
of the bishop.

About this time wonderful miracles strengthened

CATHOLICITY IN THE UNITED STATES. 547

the faith of American Catholics, the case of Mrs.
Ann Mattingly, of Washington city, who was raised
suddenly from a dying bed through the prayers of a
Novena, offered by direction of Prince Hohenlohe,
canon of Olmutz, being one of the most extraordi-
nary ; several miraculous events also occurred at the
convent of the Visitation, in Georgetown, and St.
Joseph, Emmetsburg.

In 1822 the admirable association of the Propaga-
tion of the Faith was organized under the auspices
of the pious Bishop Marechal, who, six years after,
closed his mortal career, on the 29th of January,
1828, and was succeeded by Rev. John Whitfield. On
the 14th of October the first provincial council was
held in Baltimore, composed of one archbishop, six
bishops and twelve clergymen, while several prelates
were unable to attend. The second council was
called in October, 1833, archbishop Whitfield pre-
siding, assisted by five bishops. The third council
took place in Baltimore in April, 1837, Rt. Rev.
Samuel Eccleston, the successor of Bishop Whitfield,
being at the head of the eight bishops who were
present. The fifth council, convened in May, 1843,
consisted of sixteen bishops, and the sixth, which
met in May, 1846, counted as many as twenty-three
bishops. Twenty-five bishops assembled in May,
1849, and in May, 1852, a plenary council met, com-
posed of six archbishops and twenty-six bishops.
Councils have also been held in different provinces,
but on the 25th of July, 1858, a decree was passed,
giving the precedence to the metropolitan See of
Baltimore, in virtue of this diocese having been the

548 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

first; erected by the sovereign Pontiff in the United
States, hence the archbishop of Baltimore is entitled
to the highest rank in every ecclesiastical assembly.

Rt. Rev. Dr. Kendrick, Bishop of Philadelphia,
succeeded Archbishop Eccleston, and throughont
an episcopacy of over twelve years, was loved and
revered for his many virtues, great learning, and his
services in the cause of religion. Rt. Rev. Dr. Spald-
ing, the present incumbent, was transferred from the
diocese of Louisville to the arch-diocese of Balti-
more in 1864, and is regarded as one of the ablest
supports of Catholicity in America. On the 7th of
October, 1866, the second Plenary Council assembled
in Baltimore, at which were present seven arch-
bishops, thirty-seven bishops, two mitred abbots, and
nineteen superiors of religious orders, the most Rev.
Dr. Spalding presiding as Apostolic delegate.

This brief sketch of the extraordinary progress of
the faith in this country, the facts and dates of
which are taken from the admirable history of Cath-
olicity in the United States, by the learned and
accomplished scholar Dr. C. I. White, D. D., of
Washington, D. C, in the appendix to the history
of the Church by the Abbe Darras, must excite the
wonder and admiration of the faithful in America.
Our European brethren are worthy of the most sin-
cere thanks for their zealous co-operation in all the
good works commenced and successfully continued
in this country, as without the assistance of foreign
missionaries the torch of faith could not have illu-
mined so rapidly every portion of the western con-
tinent. Placed under the special protection of the

CATHOLICITY IX THE UKITED STATES. 549

Immaculate Motlier of God, by a solemn decree of
the council held in 1846, the watchful care and
maternal solicitude of the most Holy Virgin over
the United States is manifested to-day throughout
the whole land. The flourishing state of religion,
the great number of churches, the piety, zeal and
learning of the clergy, the countless religious orders,
both male and female, the success of educational
institutions, the many able works daily issuing from
the pen of Catholic authors, the excellent weekly
and monthly magazines and journals, are brilliant
and incontestable proofs of the triumph of the true
faith, and presage a glorious future for Catholicity
in this country.

The Indian tribes are especially indebted to the
members of the Society of Jesus, who for many years
have labored so heroically for their spiritual and tem-
poral welfare ; and though many have fallen victims
to the treacherous savage, these apostolic men have
always succeeded in converting numerous tribes to
the fold of Christ. We cannot conclude without
mentioning the colored portion of our communities,
many of whom are pious and devoted Catholics. Al-
ways solicitous for each member of her flock, our
lioly Mother the Church, in establishing schools and
aftbrding means of instruction to the negro, has
raised the African race from a condition of unbelief
and ignorance, and brought them to a knowledge
and practice of the saving truths of Christianity.
The Rev. H. Joubert, about the year 1828, founded
tlie Oblates, Sisters of Providence, a religious society
of colored women in Baltimore, which, with another

550 HISTOEY OF THE CHURCH.

foundation, lias effected great good, in the Christian
education of colored children. Let us hope that the
Catholic negroes of America will profit by their re-
cent emancipation, and use their freedom as a means
for the still more earnest cultivation of piety and
religious principles.

PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH IN PRUSSIA AND
SWITZERLAND.

Germany, a soil fruitful in heresy and schism,
continued to be the scene of religious disturbance.
The bishops of Rhenish Prussia had been strictly
forbidden by Pius VII to solemnize mixed marriages,
except on certain specified conditions ; which prohi-
bition was renewed by his successor, Gregoiy XVI.
Frederick William III, King of Prussia, endeavored
to persuade the prelates to disobey the command of
the sovereign Pontiff; but the courageous bishops,
like true children of the Church, absolutely refused
compliance with the royal wishes. Accordmgly, on
the 20th of November, A. D. 1837, Mgr. Clemens
August Count Droste-Vischering, archbishop of
Cologne, was arrested and thrown into prison, as was
the archbishop of Gnesen-Posen ; but instead of
weakening the cause, the incarceration of these holy
prelates proved of immense service to religion in
Prussia, and ultimately saved the Orthodox church
in Germany. Switzerland also persecuted the faith,
especially directing its attacks against Mgr Marilley,
bishop of Lausanne and Geneva.

Prance was agitated by the struggles concerning

PERSECUTION I]^ PRUSSIA, ETC. 551

the University monopolies, the freedom of teaching
and that of the councils. Mgr. de Quelen died in
1840, mourned by the whole French nation, and was
succeeded by Mgr. Affre, who was destined to win a
martyr's crown. The strong arm of Providence was
still, however, extended over His flock, and the won-
derful success of the new confraternities and societies,
which were organized about this period, cheered
every Catholic heart, and consoled the Church for
the persecutions she endured in different countries.

The society of the Propagation of the Faith, and
the confraternity of Notre Dame des Victoires, de-
serves special mention ; the former, true to its name,
being the means of shedding the light of faith upon
heathen nations plunged in the darkness of pagan-
ism, and the latter proclaiming the power of the
Mother of God, by the numerous miracles and con-
versions affected through the fervent prayers of its
members. France was noted for the piety, zeal and
learning of her clergy, such as Mgr. Gousset, arch-
bishop of Rheims and Mgr. Parisis, bishop of Arras ;
Fathers Ravignan and Lacordaire, models of sacred
oratory and eloquence, and Count Montalembert,
the illustrious champion of religion and justice;
while Thiers and Guizot was forced to record past
and present historical events in a more lenient and
less anti-catholic spirit.

552 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

DEATH OF GREGORY XVI— PIUS IX HIS SUC-
CESSOR.

A. D. 1846.

On the 1st of June, 1846, the Church wept oyer
the loss of one of her greatest Pontiffs — Gregory
XVI — whose wisdom, firmness and constancy in
the midst of innumerable trials, have won him
imperishable laurels in the annals of history.
Fifteen days after his decease, on the 16th of June,
1846, Cardinal Mastai Ferretti, Bishop of Imola,
was elected his successor, under the venerated name
of Pius IX, and is honored and obeyed throughout
the Christian world to-day as the worthy Vicar of
Jesus Christ, and the chief pastor of the Church.
On his accession to the Pontifical throne, Pius IX
evinced a noble and generous spirit, a liberal and
enlightened policy, and devoted himself to the
spiritual and temporal advancement of his sub-
jects. His laudable conduct at first won deserved
applause; but the ungrateful Italians, instigated by
such men as Mazzini, Sterbini and Galletti, formed
a secret political organization, whose object was the
destruction of the Church and State.

Notwithstanding the persuasions of these design-
ing men, the sovereign Pontiff refused to join in the
war against Austria, the blame of which was artfully
thrown on the Jesuits, whom they represented as
friends of Austria and enemies of Italian independ-
ence. Popular feeling turned against the worthy
and zealous members of the Society of Jesus, and
the persecution of the "blacks/' as they were called.

PIUS IX. 553

became so violent they could not appear on the pub-
lic streets iu safety, and were finally driven from
Italy. The cardinals were the next object of attack,
and every effort was used to deprive the Pope of his
most trusty counselors. They were also accused of
a secret preference for the Austrian government,
with which, it was said, they were in league for the
purpose of giving the death-blow to Italian inde-
pendence ; and it was also asserted that they influ-
enced the Pope to such an extent as to prevent him
from executing certain measures of reform he wished
to institute for the welfare of his subjects.

These plausible calumnies had the desired effect,
and the cardinals became the subjects of the hatred
and bitter denunciations of the people. At this
alarming crisis, Pius IX appointed Count Rossi, in
1848, his prime minister; an able and energetic man,
a true patriot, and fully capable of meeting the
emergencies of the times. He immediately com-
menced active measures for the restoration of
national peace, and endeavord to quell the growing
abuses and disorders which were disgracing the city
of Home. His bold and vigorous acts so enraged
the conspirators that they determined to assassinate
him, and this excellent man and wise statesman was
brutally murdered in the Senate Chamber. Rome
was thrown into a state of intense excitement by this
frightful event, and during the confusion, Mazzini,
Galletti, Sterbini, and others, formed themselves
into a committee for the preservation of the public
safety, assumed the civil and military command,
and marched in procession to the Quirinal, accom-
47

654 HISTOKT OF THE CHURCH.

panied by crowds of dmnken soldiers, and an ex-
cited populace.

They refused to listen to any remonstrance of the
Pope, or heed his request for time to consider their
demands, but behaved in the most violent and
shameful manner ; they fired the gates of the palace,
attempted to scale the walls, and shot Mons. Palma,
Latin secretary of the Pope, when he appeared at
one of the windows. The infuriated mob kept Pius
IX for several days a prisoner in the palace, and
learning that the new ministry intended to deprive
him of all temporal power, and even threatened his
life, his Holiness determined to leave Rome. He
accordingly effected his escape with the assistance
of the French and Bavarian ambassadors, on the
24th of November, 1848, and fled to Gaeta, in
Naples, where he was kindly and hospitably received
by the royal family.

The insurgents immediately abolished the Papal
government, and declared Italy a republic. During
his exile the sovereign Pontiff issued proclamations
condemning the acts of the conspirators, and calling
on the Catholic countries of Europe for help and
protection. Napoleon III was among the first to
answer the appeal, and a French army, under the
command of General Oudinot, was sent to crush
the rebellion, and landed in the papal states in the
latter part of April, 1849. Being repulsed in his
first attack on the city of Rome, General Oudinot
retired to Palo, and waited for reinforcements ; in
the middle of June hostilities were resumed, and the
siege lasted for nearly a fortnight. On the second

PIUS IX. 555

of July, the French army entered Rome in triumph,
and the victorious general dispatched a messenger to
the anxious Pontiff, apprising him of the happy
Intelligence, and of the complete defeat of his ene-
mies. Pius IX remained in Gaeta until the follow-
ing April, and then returned to his dominions, and
quietly resumed the reigns of government. He
found the whole kingdom in a state of great dis-
order and agitation ; the people oppressed, commerce
suspended, and the whole country suffering from the
violent intrigues of the conspirators.

Imitating the forgiving spirit of his Divine Mas-
ter, this excellent Pontiff pardoned the ungrateful
conduct of his unworthy subjects, and applied him-
self to the correction of all evils and abuses, and the
restoration of national peace and happiness. In a
short time, the government was more firmly estab-
lished than ever, public confidence restored, and new
vitality infused throughout the Papal dominions.
Thus, by calmness, prudence, wisdom, and modera-
tion, Pius IX won the reluctant admiration of his
enemies, and endeared himself still more to his
faithful and loyal children. While the machinations
of wicked men were thus striving to destroy the
power and glory of the Holy See, and subjecting the
Vicar of Jesus Christ to insults and indignities, God
was preparing a new consolation for His suffering
spouse.

From the earliest ages, the Church had taught
that Mary, the mother of God, had never been sullied
for one moment by the stain of original sin, but it
was not until the nineteenth century that this belief

656 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

was declared an article of faith. After his restora-
tion to the Pontifical throne, Pius IX, on the 8tli of
December, 1854, solemnly declared the Immaculate
Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary a dogma of
the Church, and commanded it to be received as
such, by all the faithful. This glorious testimony to
the sinlessness and purity of the Queen of Heaven,
was hailed with joy and gratitude by the whole
Church, and the eighth of December is annually cel-
ebrated as a day of triumph and thanksgiving
throughout the Catholic world.

In 1862, Pius IX canonized a number of martyrs
who suffei-ed for the faith in Japan, and on the 29th
of June, 1867, the splendid church of St. Peter's in
Rome was the scene of a most gorgeous and impres-
sive ceremony. Five hundred bishops from all parts
of the globe, and 25,000 ecclesiastics of all ranks, on
this day assembled by invitation of the Sovereign
Pontiff, to assist in the celebration of the eighteen
hundreth anniversary of SS. Peter and Paul, and the
canonization of several new saints and martyrs. No
effort was spared to render this great event the
most magnificent pageant of modern times, and five
hundred prelates, representing every portion of the
Catholic world, testified the love and devotion of all
the faithful to the illustrious successor of St. Peter,
our saintly and beloved Pius IX.

CATHOLICITY IInT ENGLAND, ETC. 557

PROGRESS OF CATHOLICITY IN ENGLAND AND
SCOTLAND.

Within the last few years the number of con-
versions to the Catholic Church have been very
numerous, both in England and Scotland. Many
clerg}Tnen belonging to the Anglican communion,
have resigned valuable livings and entered the one
true fold of Christ. Some among them were distin-
guished for their literary attainments, and since
their admittance into the Church they have labored
unceasingly to promulgate the doctrines of the
ancient and universal faith — the names of Faber,
Newman, Manning and Wilberforce, are sufficient
proof of the trutli of our assertion. In 1848 the
hierarchy was re-established in England by Pius IX,
who appointed Dr. Nicholas Wiseman, Cardinal
Archbishop of Westminster. He was a man of
varied accomplishments, a great linguist, and a most
admirable writer and controversiaUst; he was suc-
ceeded in the See of Westminster by Dr. Henry
Edward Manning, the present occupant, who is a
convert from Anglicanism. A vast number of con-
versions have taken place among the higliest nobility
of England and Scotland, and daily accessions are
being made to tlie ranks of the faithful. Churches
are being built and chapels dedicated in places where
a few years ago it was a penal offense to offer \\\) the
holy sacrifice of the mass. The Catholics of Great
Britain have every reason to thank Almighty God
for tlie signal favors He has bestowed upon them. The
prejudice of ages is gradually disappearing, and, to
47*

558 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

quote the language of a cotemporary — " The day has
arrived in England when the Protestant premier and
the Catholic primate shake hands, not merely as
private friends, but also as representative men; and
when they were seen not long ago in familiar inter-
course at the foot of the steps of the throne in the
House of Lords, they were for the moment living
signs and symbols of that vast and happy change
which has come over the relations between the
English government and its Catholic subjects."

IRELAND.

Up to the reign of Edward I of England, Ireland
was comparatively tranquil; but at that time the
Irish, led by Edward Bruce, brother of the famous
Robert Bruce of Scotland, made another desperate
struggle to overcome the English. After various
successes, however, they were defeated, and Bruce
slain. During the civil wars between the houses
of York and Lancaster, in England, between the
years 1453-1485 the Irish people were warm adher-
ents of the house of York, and by their fidelity to
that house brought down upon themselves many
severe and cruel trials. The measure of their mis-
fortunes was filled in the reign of Elizabeth, who,
actuated by a vindictive spirit of religious bigotry,
created laws for the purpose of extirpating the Cath-
olic religion from Ireland. The horrid details of
the persecutions under which the Irish people
labored in consequence of these fiendish enactments,
during three centuries, make the heart sick. Not-

IRELAND. 559

withstanding this cruel and inhuman policy, the
ohject was never gained. On the contrary, Ireland
clung with even greater tenacity to the Catholic
religion, and has remained to this day, through all
her trials, unswerving and uncompromising in her
devoted attachment to the faith which she received
from the sacred mission of St. Patrick.

During the reign of the Stuarts, Ireland suffered
great misery, but after the execution of Charles I,
and the accession of Oliver Cromwell to power, the
unfortunate country passed through an ordeal of
remorseless cruelty unparalleled in the annals of any
nation. From that period to the time of James II
the unhappy people of Ireland, stripped of their
rights, despoiled of their possessions, governed by
strangers toward whom they entertained the strong
hate which centuries of cruel wrong had engendered
in their hearts, and compelled to contribute toward
the support of a religion they despised, made no
active resistance to the power of England. At that
time, however, James II, having been forced to aban-
don the throne on the approach of William, Prince
of Orange, found in the Irish people his warmest
and most devoted friends. The result of their gen-
erous struggle is known ; the battles of Boyne and
Aughrim blasted the hopes of James, and entailed
upon Ireland additional miseries, although by the
terms of the treaty of Limerick, which was grossly
violated by the British government, the people of
Ireland imagined that they had secured themselves
from further persecution.

The heinous oppression and injustice of the British

560 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

government toward the people of Ireland continued
without restraint up to the period of the American
revolution, Avhen, the coasts of Ireland being exposed
to the attack of American privateers, and the British
government being unable to guard against them, a
large portion of the Irish people armed in their own
defense, and enrolled themselves under the name of
Irish Volunteers. This noble band, with ai-ms in
their hands, afterward extorted from the peers of
Britain much that repeated appeals to her justice
had failed to obtiiin ; the power of the British Parlia-
ment to bind Ireland was renounced in the year 1782.

But this concession proved an inadequate relief,
and when the French revolution of 1789, and the
events growing out of it, were agitating Europe, the
Irish people made a gallant but ineffectual effort to
obtain that complete independence, to which, as a
nation, they aspired. This struggle took place in the
year 1798, and is called the rebellion of that year.
It was speedily crushed by British bayonets, and
two years after, 1800, through the influence of fraud,
bribery, corruption, and intimidation, the infamous
act of union passed the Irish Parliament, at once
annihilating the independent nationality of Ireland,
reducing her to the degrading position of a province,
and exposing the noblest rights of her people to the
arbitrary control of a foreign government, and an
unfeeling and despotic ministry.

Since that period, Ireland has languished through
years of misery and degradation, and though the
passage of the emancipation act, in 1829, removing
many of the disabilities which oppressed the Catholic

IRELAND. 561

population, gave some hope that she might yet regain,
by peaceful efforts, her sacred rights, she still remains
a province; and the noble efforts of Daniel
O'Oonnell, after his triumph in the cause of Catholic
emancipation, in the year 1829, have yet produced no
satisfactory results. The cry for justice, which, from
the impoverished and starving millions of Ireland,
has constantly risen to the British throne, has been
cruelly disregarded, and famine and pestilence, with
all their attendant horrors, which have stalked
through the devoted island — the terrible fruits of
British cruelty and injustice — ^liave failed to soften
the stony heart, or awaken a feeling of sympathy in
the bosom of that remorseless government. An
attempt was made, in 1848, by certain members of
what was known as the "Young Ireland Party,"
entirely to throw off the British yoke; but from
vai'ious, yet obvious causes, like all former attempts,
it proved a failure, and only added to the misery it
was intended to relieve.

Since then, however, the horizon of the Catholic
Church in Europe has become dark and gloomy in
some parts, but bright in othei*s. For the first time
since the Reformation we see Ireland freed from the
most unjust and cruel burden of supporting the
English Church and its ministers; we see her people
for the first time in many centuries breathing the
pure and invigorating air of religious toleration, pro-
claimed by the liberal majority of England, which
fact was accomplished by the persistent efforts of the
premier, the Hon. Mr. Gladstone. Fenianism un-
doubtedly made an impression upon the leaders in

562 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

the English Parliament, and it is owing to the terror
its organization inspired, that the English govern-
ment felt impelled to make concessions, which, it is
to be hoped, will be followed by many others, so that
Ireland, relieved from English tyranny and oppres-
sion, and her children from being forced to seek
shelter in other countries, may yet enjoy the happi-
ness of remaining in their own dear and beautiful
Emerald Isle.

Without intending any invidious comparison to
other nationalities who have rendered such great ser-
vices to the cause of Catholicity in America, we may
be allowed to ask the question : If Ireland had not
been persecuted, what would have been the state of
religion in the United States, as well as in other parts
of the world? The liberality of the Irish when
called upon to assist in the erection of churches, their
never failing co-operation in all good works, and
their unbounded respect for the clergy, entitles them
to the gratitude of whatever people they live among.
Let us then admire the inscrutable ways of God, who
causes good to come out of evil.

PRESENT STATE OF THE CHURCH IN EUROPE.

While we see the star of liberty rising over Ireland,
we see, on the other hand, Russia, Austria, Bavaria
and Spain trying to extinguish the light of the Cath-
olic faith in their respective countries. Russia, pre-
tending, as she does, to be one of the most enlightened
powers in the world, is in reality most cruel and tyran-
nical as regards her Catholic subjects, especially the

STATE OF THE CHURCH IIST EUROPE. 5G3

Catholic bishops and priests of the empire. The Em-
peror, who claims to be the head of the Church in Rus-
sia, will not permit the Catholic bishops to commu-
nicate with the Pope of Rome ; and woe to the faithful
servant of God who chooses to obey God rather than
the Emperor — a living martyrdom or exile to Siberia
will surely be his portion ! It can be truly said of
Russia, that she is the most intolerant country in
Europe, and that China, Japan and other pagan
nations excel her in real civilization and humanity.
The day will come, however, when the Lord shall
take revenge upon her for the innumerable cruelties
practiced by her upon Catholics.

Although Russian intolerance and persecution
should serve as a warning to all other princes and
countries, we find on the contrary, that civil liberty,
which beyond all doubt is making great progress in
Europe, has become a subject of contention among
Catholic rulers. Austria, a Catholic country, has
endeavored to deprive her schools of Catholic influ-
ence, by taking the control of them from ecclesiastics,
and placing the same m the hands of certain officials
of her weak and wicked government. The concordat
between Rome and Austria has been thus annulled by
the latter ; Monscigneur Rudiger, bishop of Linz, how-
ever, remained faithful to the concordat, and as he
opposed the infamous scheme, he was arrested for
disobedience, and sentenced to two weeks' confine-
ment, but the punishment was remitted by the
Emperor. It is to be hoped that the courageous
conduct of the bishop of Linz will act as a check
upon the government in its endeavor to make infi-

564 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

dels of the Catholic youth of Austria. If these men
were real statesmen, they would readily understand
that to alienate Catholics from their religion, is
equivalent to making them unfaithful citizens.

In Bavaria, also, a severe conflict is going on
between the government and the Church, on account
of the former wishing to deprive the latter of the
control of the education of Catholic children. If
a Catholic government openly attacks the Church
and her ministers, how can it be expected that the
Catholic clergy will be honored by the great mass
of the people, who as in the times of Luther con-
found political with religious liberty, and who, after
having removed religion from the schools, and the
altars from the churches, will not hesitate to under-
mine the already unstable government of Bavaria.

In Baden the spirit of darkness still prevails.
As of late in Austria and Bavaria, so also in Baden,
the subject of discussion, the education of youth, has
not as yet been settled, although the late most
venerable Archbishop Herman, of Freiburg, strove
earnestly to maintain the rights of his Catholic
children.

Sad as are the prospects in the above named states,
they are as nothing in comparison to. the changes
that are now going on in Spain ; for, since the expul-
sion of Queen Isabella, that country has been in a
state of political and religious confusion. The first
act of the provisional government was to expel the
Jesuits and suppress other religious orders, and
many atrocities were committed in churches and
upon priests and nuns.

STATE OF THE CHURCH IN" EUROPE. 565

If we turn our eyes towards Prussia, we find there
the Catholic Church as free as in America, and her
school system even superior to that of the United
States, the land of religious liberty. Although tlie
government is Protestant, the Catholic clergy has
the entire control of the Catholic schools, which are
supported by the government ; and, while Protestants
and Jews enjoy the same privileges, there is more
harmony and charity among different denominations,
than here in America, where, in regard to public
schools, the same injustice is practiced as formerly in
Ireland in regard to the established Church ; for the
Catholics of the United States are taxed to support
schools in which their faith is held up to ridicule,
and at the same time are obliged in conscience to
support their own private schools, although they are
entitled by right to the same privileges and support
from the government that Protestants enjoy. It
would be well, therefore, for America to imitate
Prussia, not only in regard to the school system, but
also in the administration of justice to Catholics.

The Holy Father, Pius IX, the indefatigable and
ever watchful pastor of the flock of Christ, has
assembled all the Catholic prelates of the world in
Ecumenical Council, which was opened on the 8th
of December, 1869, seven hundred and seventy-nine
(779) bishops being present. It is the first council
held since that of Trent ; and it is a remarkable fact,
that, whereas, at the council of Trent, there were but
three English speaking bishops, of whom two were
Irish and one English, there were in the Council of
the Vatican, in 1870, no less than one hundred and
48

566 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

sixty English speaking bishops, the great majority of
whom were Irish by birth or descent.

All eyes are fixed upon Rome ; for great benefits
are expected to result from the council. May the
Holy Ghost enlighten the bishops now gathered
together, so that at the termination of their labors
the whole world may exclaim as with one voice :
''GLORIA IN EXCEL818 DEO, ET IN
TERRA PAX HOMINIBUS BONJE VOL-
UNTATISr

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.

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HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH.

PRINCIPAL EVENTS.

THE DATES MARK THE BEGINNING

OF EVENTS, AND THE DEATH

OF PERSONS.

Jesuits restored.
Cath. Einancipat'n Act.

Pius IX, at Gaeta.
Death of the Archbp. of

Paris.
Re-establishment of the

Hierarchy in England.
The Immaculate Con-

cept'n decreed, Dec. 8.
Twentieth Ecumenical

Council (First of the

Vatican), assembled
. Dec. 8th.

■ ' ' ' 1

A. D.

1814
1829

1848
1848

1850

1854

1869

..4

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A.D,

1823
1829
1830
1846

-Is

•a

i 1

1 -3

1 i

A.D.

1885
1848

INDEX.

Preface, 3

Introduction, 5

PART I.

Preaching of the Apostles, 13

Wonderful progress of the Gospel, 17

Virtues of the first Christians, 20

Council of Jerusalem, 23

Death of St. James the Lesser, 27

First persecution under the Emperor Nero, 30

Terrible prophecy against the city of Jerusalem, 32

Destruction of Jerusalem, 35

Second persecution under Domitian, 39

Last actions of St. John, . 40

Division in the Church of Corinth, 43

Third persecution under Trajan, 46

Trajan interrogates and condemns St. Ignatius to death, 48

Letter of St. Ignatius to the faithful at Rome, 51

Martyrdom of St. Ignatius, 53

Apology of St. Justin, 56

Fourth persecution under Marcus Aurelius, 59

St. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, is arrested and carried

before the proconsul, 61

Martyrdom of Polycarp, 64

The thundering Legion, 66

Persecution in Gaul, 69

Torments endured by the Holy Martyrs, 71

Humility of the Holy Martyrs, 74

49*

Il^TDEX.

PAOB.

Last combat of the Holy Martyrs, 76

Martyrdom of St. Epipodius and St. Alexander, 79

Matyrdom of St. Symphorian, 81

Apology of Tertullian, 84

Continuation of the Apology of Tertullian, 87

Fifth persecution under the Emperor Severus, 89

Martyrdom of St. Ireneus, bishop of Lyons, 91

Martyrdom of St. Perpetua and St. Felicitas, 94

Examination and condemnation of the Holy Martyrs, . . 96

Execution of the Martyrs, 99

Beautiful qualities of Origen, ... 102

Works of Origen, 104

Continuation of the Apology of Origen, 107

Sixth persecution under the Emperor Maximin, 110

Seventh persecution under the Emperor Decius, 112

Martyrdom of St. Pionius, 114

Eighth persecution under the Emperor Valerian, 117

St. Cyprian is arrested and banished, 119

Martyrdom of St. Cyprian, 122

Continuation of the persecution in Africa, 125

Admirable constancy of a child. 127

Punishment of the persecutors — charity of the Chris-
tians, 130

Ninth persecution under the Emperor Aurelian, 132

Tenth and last persecution under Dioclesian, 134

Martyrdom of St. Quintin, 137

Martyrdom of the Theban Legion. 139

Martyrdom of St. Victor of Marseilles, 142

Martyrdom of St. Vincent of Saragossa, 145

Reflections on the persecutions, 148

Constantius Chlorus favors the Christians, 153

Conversion of Constantine, 155

Triumph of Christianity, 158

Finding of the True Cross, 160

Origin of the Hermits. St. Anthony, 163

INDEX. . 583

PAGE.

St. Hilarion establishes monasteries in Palestine, 1G6

Life of the Hermits, 169

The Arian Heresy, 171

Council of Nice, 174

The Emperor is deceived and exiles St. Athanasius, . . . 176

Frightful death of Arius, 179

Recall and justification of St. Athanasius, 181

Violence practiced by the Schismatics, 183

The Emperor Constantius causes trouble in the Church, 186

Zeal of St. Hilary of Poitiers for the Nicene Creed, 189

St. Martin, bishop of Tours, , 191

The Emperor Julian wishes to re-establish Paganism, . . 194
Julian undertakes to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem.

His death, 197

The Emperor Jovian protects the Catholic faith, 199

Valens renews the troubles of Arianism, 202

Fearlessness of St. Basil, bishop of Cesarea, 204

Admirable courage of a Christian woman, 206

Valens reprimanded by St. Basil, 208

Virtues of St. Gregory of Nazianzer, 210

The Macedonian heresy, 213

Ecumenical council of Constantinople, 215

Clemency of Theodosius, 218

Fall and repentance of Theodosius, 220

Schism of the Donatists, 223

Celebrated Conference at Carthage. Termination of the

Schism, 225

The Pelagian heresy, 227

Intrigues and obstinacy of the Pelagians, 229

Errors of the Semi-Pelagians, 231

St. Jerome, 234

Virtues and sufferings of St. John Chrysostom, 236

The Nestoriiin heresy, 238

General council of Ephesus, 241

Eutychian heresy, 243

584 lifDEX.

PAGE.

General council of Chalcedon, 245

Great qualities of St. Leo, 248

Conversion of Scotland and Ireland, 250

Conversion of the French, 253

Baptism of Clovis, 255

Virtues of St. Genevieve, 257

Origin of St. Benedict, 259

Foundation of the Monastery of Monte Cassino, 2G1

Fifth General council. The Three Chapters, 263

Conversion of England, 266

St. Augustine consecrated bishop of Canterbury, ..... 268

Mahomet appears as a prophet, 270

Taking of Jerusalem by Chosroes, King of Persia, 272

The Holy Cross discovered and returned to Jerusalem, 275

Heresy of the Monotholites, 277

The sixth general council, 279

Conversion of Germany, 281

Martyrdom of St. Boniface, 283

Heresy of the Iconoclasts or Image breakers, 285

Violence of the Iconoclasts, 288

Seventh general council and second council of Nice, . . 290

Beautiful characteristics and holy zeal of Charlemagne, . . 292

Charlemagne revives literature, 294

PART II.

Charlemagne is crowned Emperor of the AVest, 297

Conversion of the Danes and Swedes, 299

Conversion of the Sclavonians and Russians, 301

Conversion of the Bulgarians, 303

Photius usurps the See of Constantinople, 305

Infamous deceptions of Photius, 308

Re-establishment of St. Ignatius. Eighth general

council, 309

Reflections on the Heresies, 312

Invasion of the Barbarians. Scandals. Tenth Century, 315

ii^DEX. 585

PAGE.

Re-establishment of discipline in England, 317

Restoration of discipline in Germany, 320

Re-establishment of monastic discipline in France, .... 322
The work of reformation continued by the successors of

• St. Bernon, 324

Reformation of the Clergy, 326

Conversion of the Normans, 329

Conversion of the Hungarians, 330

Heresy of Berengarius, 334

Schism of Michael Cerularius, patriarch of Constanti-
nople, 337

Troubles in Europe on the subject of investitures, 339

Foundation of the Carthusian Order, 340

First Crusade, 342

Expedition of the Crusaders, 345

Establishment of the Mihtary Orders, 347

Institution of the Premonstrants, . . 349

St. Norbert is created bishop of Magdeburg, 351

Foundation of the order of Cistercians, 353

St. Bernard is made abbot of Clairvaux, 356

Celebrity of St. Bernard, 358

St. Bernard preaches the second Crusade. His death, . 360

Foundation of the order of the Trinitarians, 362

Martyrdom of St. Thomas, of Canterbury, 365

The third Crusade, 367

The fourth Crusade, 369

The establishment of the Minor Brothers, 371

The order of St. Francis confirmed. His Apostolic

labors, 374

Congregation of the Preaching Friars, 376

St. Dominic obtains the confirmation of his order, 379

Birth and education of St. Louis, King of France, 381

St. Louis obtains the Crown of Thorns for France, 384

First Crusade of St. Louis, 386

Captivity of St. Louis, 388

586 IKDEX.

PAGE.

Journey of St. Louis to Palestine, , 390

Second Crusade. St. Louis. His death, 393

Virtues of St. Thomas, of Acquin, 395

Virtues of St. Bonaventura, 397

First re-union of the Greeks. Second Council of Lyons, 400

Western Schism. Council of Constance, 402

Condemnation of WicklifF and John Huss, 404

A new inducement for the re-union of the Greeks.

Council of Florence, 407

Capture of Constantinople by Mahomet II, 409

Establishment of the order of Minims, 411

The heresy of Luther, , 414

Calvin adds to the errors of Luther, 416

Violence of the Protestants, 419

Variations of the Protestant Churches, 421

Schism in England, 424

Conversion of the Indies, 426

Continuation of the Apostolical labors of St. Francis

Xavier, 430

Opening of the Council of Trent, 432

Doctrine of the Council on original sin, 435

Doctrine of the Council on the justification of the sinner, 437
Doctrine of the Council concerning the Sacraments, . . . 439
Doctrine of the Council on the Sacrifice of the Mass,. . 441

Doctrine of the Council on penance, 444

Doctrine of the Council on confession, 446

Doctrine of the Council on satisfaction, 448

Doctrine of the Council on Extreme Unction, 450

Doctrine of the Council on Purgatory, indulgences, rev-
erence of the Saints, etc., 452

Conclusion of the Council of Trent. St. Charles Bor-

romeo, 454

St. Theresa. Reformation of the Order of Mount Car-

mel, 461

E rors of Baius. Renewed violence of the heretics,. . . 465

iifDEX. 587

PAGE.

St. Francis of Sales, 469

State of religion in Japan, 473

Origin of Jansenism, 478

St. Vincent of Paul, 482

Progress of the faith in China and other countries of

the earth, 487

The causes of Infidehty, 491

Secret societies, 494

Progress of Infidehty, 497

The suppression of the Jesuits, , . . 501

The temporal power of the Sovereign Pontiff attacked, 504

Prelude and beginning of the French Revolution, 507

Progress of the revolution. Death of Louis XVI, 511

Pius VI arrested and carried to France, 516

Election of a new Pope. Concordat, 519

Bonaparte, 522

Restoration of the French Monarchy, 527

Reflections on the Scandals, 530

Destiny of the Church, 534

PART III.

Catholicity in the United States, 537

Persecution of the Church in Prussia and Switzerland,. 550

Death of Gregory XVI — Pius IX his successor, 552

Progress of Catholicity in England and Scotland, 557

Ireland, 558

Present state of the Church in Europe, and the Ecu-
menical Council of the Vatican, 502

Chronological Table, '. . 567

January 1, 1870.
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Published by Murphy & Co., Baltimore.

Think Well On't; Or, Reflections on the Great Truths of the
Christian Religion. By the Rt. Rev. Dr. Challoner.

No. 1 32o. cloth, 80

2 cloth, gilt side and edges, 45

3 arabesque, gilt centre and edges, 60

"This little standard book of devotion among Catholics has been translated into
different languages for the tise of the faithful ; a circumstance which of itself evinces
the high estimation iu which it is held." U. S. Catholic Magazine.

Manual of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

Twentieth enlarged and revised edition ; with appropriate Hymna

set to Music, &c 32o. cloth, 45

do. do. cloth, gilt sides and edges, 60

Contents. — Diploma of the Sodality; Indulgences of the Sodality ; General Rules
of the Sodality; Office of the Blessed Virgin; Office for the Dead; Rules of the
Sodality; Method of Mental Prayer; Plenary Indulgence, Ac; Litany of the B. V. M.
in Latin; do. do. in Enjrlish; Occasional Prayers; Mode of applying for Affiliation to
Head-Sndality; Formula of Reception into the Sodality of the Holy Infant Jesus; and
of the lloly Angels."

This cxccllant Manual of devotional exercises contains the various offices com-
posed by the Church to honor the Virgin Mary, with appropriate Litanies, and
Hymns set to Music. It will bo found useful in our colleges, and in fivct wherever
the children of Mary congregate to honor her. Its charming simplicity and the
fervent spirit of devotion which characterize its pages, form not the least commendable
feature in the compilation of prayers.

Manual of Devotions of the Arch-confratemity of the Most Holy
and Immaculate Heart of Mary 32o. cloth, 30

A. Treatiseon General Confessions, Conversations between
Confessor and Penitent 32o. cloth, 45

The making of a General Confession, which is a work of so much importance,
and often of great diflBculty, will be very cousiderably facilitated by the excellent
instructions contained in this little work. A reading of it will satisfy any one that
it comes from the pen of a judicious and experienced Director, while the high ap-
proval which it bears will recommend it, as a safe assistant to those who have the caro
of souls, as well as to all who seek to make their peace with God in the tribunal of
Penance.

Tlie Official Documents connected with the Defini^
tion of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of

the Blessed Virgin Mary — in Latin and English. With a com-
plete list of the Cardinals and Prelates present in the Basilica

of St, Peter, the 8th of December, 1854 8o. cloth, 2 50

f^^ It may be had in finer bindings.

This work was undertaken at the earnest request of several friends, who desired
to possess, in a beautiful form, for preservation, correct and authentic coi>ies of thcso
important Documents. No expense has been spared to present this publication in a
style of elegance and neatness commenflurate with the importance of the subject,
and worthy of Ihsse whoso encouraging patronage is respectfully solicited.

TJie Choice of a State of Life, by Father Rossignoli, S. J.
Republished, with the approbation of the Most Rev. Archbishop
Spalding. This Little Work is dedicated, under the auspices of
the B. V. Mary, to Catholic Youth 18o. cl. 75 cts. ; gilt, 1 25.

" This little book clearly exposes the motives which should govern us in the choice
of a state of life. If read in a calm and undisturbed state of mind, wo do not doubt
it will do a great deal of good, and induce many to embrace the better part which
shall not be taken away from them." Catfiolic World.

"This highly interesting little volume will be hailed with great pleasure by Spirit-
ual Directors, an<l Directors of Sodalities. It is the very book to be placed in the hands
of such youth as show disposition for ecclesiastical or cloistered life: although it will
help any one who wishes to bo guided by tho Light of God, in the choice of a pro-
fession or a stato of life." Boston PiloL

MuRPUY & Co., Publishers ^ Booksellers, Baltimore.

List of Standard Catholic Books,

A New Book of Meditations.

With an Introduction by The Most Rev. Archbishop Spalding.

Gooel Thoughts for Priest and People; Or, Short
Meditatiofis for Every Day in the Year. On the

Gospels of the Sundays and Festivals ; together with Exercises
for a Three Days' Retreat. Translated from the German by the

Rev. T. NoiTHEN 12o, cloth, 1 50

do. do. cloth, gilt edges, 2 00

Extract from the Most Rev. Archbishop Spalding's Introduction.
"We have seldom seen a better or more useful work than this collection of Good
Thoughts, 80 happily arranged, will be available to both priests and people, to
religious men and -women, and to tliose living in the world. Brief and comprehen-
sive enough for the latter class, they are eminently suggestive for the former,
and may furnish the groundwork of an excellent instruction when the hard-
worked Pastor will not have time to read more lengthy essays. We take pleasure in
commending them to the favorable attention of the Catholic community."

The Following of Christ, By A^Kempis. With Practical
Reflections, and a Prayer at the end of each chapter.

No. 1 48o. cloth, 45

2 cloth, gilt side and edges, 75

3 ..arabesque, gilt centre and edges, 90

4 turkey, super extra, 2 00

5, turkey, sunk, panel, med. centre, 3 00

In preparing the present edition for the press, no pains have been spared to
render it in every way worthy of patronage. Thy text was carefully examined by a
reverend gentleman eminently qualified. It is comprised in a neat volume of about
550 pages, and may justly be considered the neatest, cheapest, and most convenient
edition of this excellent work that has ever been issued from the press in this country.
It is to be hoped that these will be sufficient inducements for all to supply themselves
with the work, pronounce<l by Fontanelle the best that ever came from the pen of
man — the Bible being of divine origin.

Tlie Garden of Moses and Valley of lAlies, By A^Kempis.

No. 1 32o. cloth, 45

2 cloth, gilt side and edges, 75

3 arabesque, gilt centre and edges, 1 00

4 turkey, sup. extra, 2 00

Of the many admirable works written by the celebrated author, this is perhaps thu
most generally useful, as it is unquestionably the most practical.

Christian Catechisin of an Interior Life, By Rev. J. J.

Olier 32o. cloth, 45

do. do. cloth, gilt edges, 75

The author is well known in the Catholic world as one of the deei)est Spiritual
Writers of modern times.

spiritual Combat, To wliich is added. Peace of the Soul,
Happiness of the Heart, &c.

No.l 32o. cloth, 40

2 cloth, gilt side and edges, 60

3 arab. gilt centre and edges, 75

4 ,. turkey, super extra, 2 00

Extracts from the Preface. — "This little treatise comprehends, in a concise manner,
the whole system of a Devout Life, gathered from the maxims of the Gospel, particu-
larly from those which regard humility and self-denial.

Murphy & Co., Publishers ^ Booksellers, Baltimore.

List of Standard Catholic BookSj
THE METROPOLITAN EDITION OF BUTLER'S LIVES OF THE SAINTS.

Published with the Approbation and Recommendation of
The Most Reveuend Archbishop Kenbick.

27ie Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and other Princi"
pal Saints, Compiled from the original Monuments and other
authentic Records, illustrated with the remarks of Judicious
Modern Critics and Historians. By the Rev. Alban Butler.
Metropolitan Edition. Embellished with Fine Engravings.
No. 1—2 vols. 80. cloth 4plates, 7 00

3 — 4 vols. cloth, fine paper 8 do. 8 00

4 — 4 vols, roan 8 do. 9 00

6— 4 vols, library style 16 do. 12 00

6 — 4 vols, cloth, gilt sides and edges 16 do. 14 00

7 — 4 vols, imitation, gilt sides and edges 24 do. 16 00

8 — 4 vols, super extra 24 do. 20 00

To R work 80 well and so favorably known as the Lives of the Saints, it is deemed
unnecessary to say anything by way of commendation. Suffice it to state, that this
Metropolitan edition has been gotten up with the greatest care, under the supervision
of the eminent Professors of St. Mary's College, Baltimore. It is printed on fine paper,
from a good, clear, and bold type, and may justly be considered the most compkte, as
it U unquestionably tlie cheapest' edition published.

Life of Christ. By St. Bonaventure. To which are added
the Devotion to the Three Hours, Agony of our Lord on the Cross,

and the Life of the Glorious St. Joseph I80. cloth, 75

do. do. cloth, gilt sides and edges, 1 00

The merits of this standard work are so well known in the Catholic community,
as worthy of the eminent sanctity of its author, and as a vast source of edification
to the pious reader, that any commendatory remai'ks would be superfluous.

Life of St, Francis Xavier, Apostle of the Indies and Japan.

From the Italian of Bartoli and Maffei. With a Preface, by

the Rev. Father Faber 12o. cloth, 1 75

do. do. cloth, gilt edges 2 25

*• Saints are often made by reading Saints' lives. Let us hope that something of
this grace will accompany the reading of this life." Faber.

" The character of St. Francis Xavier is one that the present ago needs especially to
sttidy. Among all the siunts set before us by the Holy Church, there is not ono who
Btirs us with a sense of our own slothfulness, and wins us more affectionately to him-
self in a more eminent degree than he. In the contemplation of his heroic apostolato,
heresy forgets its bitterness and animosity, and breaks into accents of admiration
and praise. Even an Edinburgh reviewer speaks of him as 'Xavier the magnani-
mous, the holy, and the giiy; the canonized enint, not of Rome only, but of universal
Christendom.' Messrs. Murphy & Co.'s edition is well printed, and may be regis-
tered as one of the standard Catholic books of America from this time forth." — IMot.

Manual of the Lives of the Popes, from St. Peter to Pius
IX. By J. C. Earle, B.A 12o. cloth. 125

The DcBUN Review, in noticing this work, says: — " We notice with great pleasure
the appearance of this invaluable Manual. It meets a want long felt in English
Ciithalic Literature; and will bo exceedingly useful in our Colleges and Schools."

Life of St, Vincent €le Paul, Founder of the Congregation of
the Mission, and of the Sisters of Charity. By M. Collet.

12o. cloth, 1 00
do. do. cloth, gilt edges, 1 50

" Few biographies of the saints could be found to possess a greater interest than
that of St. Vincent do Paul; none could be more practically useful. His life was
80 unequivocally and eo copiously fruitful in every species of good works, that it
has been eulogized even by Protestant pens. It should for this reason be intro*
duced into every Catholic family." U. S. Magazine.

Murphy & Co., Publishers ^ Booksellers, Baltimore.

Published by Murphy & Co., Baltimore.
Uniform Edition of Father Faber's Works,

In 8 vols. 12o. cloth, $1.50; gilt edges, $2 per vol. The conjplete
set, in boxes, 8 vols, cloth, $12 ; cloth, gilt, $16, Half calf, $24.

ui.ll for tfesus ; Or, the Easy Ways of Divine Love.

The JBlessed Sacrament ; Or, Works and Ways of God.

Growth in Holiness ; Or, Progress of the Spiritual Life.

TheCreator and the Creature ; Or, the Wonders of Divine Love.

The Foot of the Cross ; Or, Sorrows of Mary.

Bethlelieni, Spiritual Conferences,

The Precious Stood; Or, the Price of our Salvation.

4^ Upwards of 50,000 copies of Father Faber's Popular Devotional Works have
been sold in this country, and the demand is constantly increasing.

One of the most eloquent and distinguished clergymen in the United States, in
writing an Introduction to one of Father Faber's Works, says:

"We turn to this last work of the Kev. Dr. Faber, with sentiments of gratitude
to heaven, and hope for its abundant blessing on the teachings of such a guide,
■which our most earnest language would but faintlj' express. If the power to con-
ceive and convey to others the sublime, and at the same time the most practical
truths that can interest the human mind, be a title to the homage of men. then has
Father Faber established for himself a claim which no length of years nor change of
circumstances can efface. Few writers, since the days of St. Francis de Sales, have
made more Christian hearts bow in loving adoration before our tabernacles than the
author of 'All for Jesus,' ' The Blessed Sacrament,' &c. &c. &c."

Bishop Ullathorne on tJie Immaculate Conception

of the Mother of God ISo. cloth, 60

do. do. cloth, gilt sides and edges, 80

" In all the copious and exquisite literature of the Immaculate Conception, we
have met with nothing more interesting than this brief treatise which contains a
world of learning and an abundant treasure of the most striking thoughts, conveyed
in the most beautiful language."

The Means of Acquiring Perfection, By Liguori, 25

Memorial to Preserve the Precious Fruits of First
Communion 48o. paper, gt. 10

Every Catholic should write down the day on which he first had the happiness to
receive the Holy Communion, in order that ho might annually solemnize it by acts
of devotion and thanksgiving, such as he will find in this little book.

Holy Way of the Cross, Illustrated with Beautiful Engrav-
ings, 32o. paper, 10 cts. Flexible cloth, 15

" This is the neatest edition of the Stations which wo have yet seen. It is pre-
faced by a short introduction, and finely illustrated."

Pittsburg Catholic

The Little Testament of Our Lord tTesus Christ and
the Blessed Virgin, Or an Admonition, Aspiration, and
Practice for each day. Paper, 15 cts. Paper, gilt edges, 20

Bevotion to the Pope, By Faber. Paper, 15 c. Flex. cl. 30

Tlie Immaculate Conception. By Faber 1(

Murphy & Co., Publishers and Booksellers, Baltimore.

NEW BOOKS — Published in 1869.

The Life and Letters of F. W, FABEB, 2>. D., author of
"All for Jesus ;" " Growth in Holiness ;" "B. Sacrament," etc., etc.
By Rev. J. E. Bowden. With an introduction by an Ameri-
can Clergyman. Embellished with a Fine Steel Portrait,
demi 80. cl. $2 cl. bev. tint, paper, gilt top, $2.50 half calf, $3.50

Prom the London Catholic Register.— ^'^ Within the last few days one of the most
important and most welcome works ever written by an English Catholic has
i^)peared. We congratulate Father Bowden, and the whole body of Oratorians,
npon the book before us. Already, we hear, Dr. Newman has written to congratu-
late the author upon what he has accomplished, and no better judge could pro-
nounce upon the merits of such a work."

From the London Tablet. — " We cannot but congratulate Father Bowden on the
way in which he has accomplished a task so full to him of deep and yet melan-
choly pleasure."

From the Dublin Review. — "We know of no one man who has done more to
make the men of his day love Qrod and aspire to a higher path of interior life;
and we know of no man who so nearly represents to us the mind and the preach-
ing of St. Bernard and St. Bernardine of Sienna, in the tenderness and beauty
with which he has surrounded the names of Jesus and Mary."

FVom the N. 0. Morning Star. — " No writer of modern times has done more to
edify and instruct in holiness than Father Faber. His works, translated into
almost every European language, is to be found in every Catholic's collection,
however small that may be; his influence is felt far and wide ; his loving voice
brings consolation to the stricken heart, encourages the wavering, and fortifies
the timid."

A Memoir on tJie Life and Character of the Rev,

Detnetrius A. De Gallitzin, Founder of Loretto and

Catholicity, Cambria Co., Pa. Apostle of the Alleghanies. By

Very Kev. Thomas Hetden, of Bedford, Pa I80. cloth, 1.00

cloth, bevelled, gilt edges, 1.50

•*In the Life of Rev. Prince Gallitzin, we have a type of men nowhere to be
found outside of the Catholic Church. Here we find a man of the highest
descent, inheriting the fame and fortune of a princely ancestry, abandoning all
that is calculated to allure the fancy or minister to the ambition, to undergo the
privations of an obscure missionary life— all for the love of God and the salva-
tion of souls." iV. O. Morning Star.

Order and Chaos; A Lecture, Delivered at Loyola College,
Baltimore, in July, 1869. By T. W. M. Marshall, Esq., Author
of Christian Missions, etc 80. paper, 25

The readers of Butler's Analogi/ are familiar with the argument of that cele-
brated treatise, and know how to demonstrate that there can be no contradiction
between the works of nature and grace, because they have the same immutable
Author. In the Lecture before us it is contended, that since Protestanism is
"the most complete negation known among men of all the prime attributes of
God, and notably of Divine Order and Unity," it cannot proceed from God, be-
cause God cannot contradict Himself. The contrast between the Church and
the Sects, of which the former alone reflects the Divine presence and attributes,
is traced in detail, and abundant reasons are furnished for applying to the first
the title of "Temple of Order," and to the last of "Temple of Chaos."

The Southern Metropolis says : " We have heard many lecturers, including Ed-
ward Everett, Henry Ward Beecher, Wendell Phillips, and Bayard Taylor, but
never has it been our happiness to listen to Mr. Marshall's equal. To a puie,
vigorous, idiomatic English he unites a satire which has the pungency of Juve-
nal without the coarseness; and the incisive, refreshing invective of Swift.
After listening to Mr. Marshall, we can well understand how he extorted from
the leading journals of London, on the publication of his ^ Comedtf of Convoco'
tion,^ the praise of being the wittiest man who has appeared in Great Britain
since Dean Swift. His great work on the 'Christian Missions,* is one of the most
eomplete and profound contributions to recent literature.

McRPBT A Co., Publishers Sb Booksellers, Baltimore,
12

New Books, Published in 1869, Continued.

With the Approbation of The Most Rev. Archbishop Spalding.

One Hundred Short Sermons, being a plain and familiar
Exposition of the Apostles' Creed — The Lord's Prayer— The
Angelical Salutation — The Commandments of God— The Pre-
cepts of the Church — The Seven Sacraments — And the Seven
Deadly Sins. By H. J. Thomas, Canon of the Cathedral of
Liege, Belgium. Translated from the French, by Rev. G. A.
Hamilton. With an introduction, by M. J. Spalding, D. D.,

ArcJibishop of Baltimore 80., cloth, bevelled, $2 60

do. do do. cloth, bevelled., gilt, 3 00

Extract/rom 3fo*t Rev. Archbishop Spalding's Tntrotliiclion. — " The Hundred Short Ser-
mons of Canon Thonas, now presented for the first time to the American public, may be
•aid to constitute an epitome of Moral Theology, and of Dogmatic Theology also, so far as
tliis is connected witii Moral. The most striking characteristics of these discourses are
brevity, elearness, soliditj', simplicity, unction, method, and thoroughness.

"The SnouT Seumoxs will be found valuable, not merely to the priest who wishes to in-
struct others, but also to the people who are to be instnicted, in the ways of salvation. They
will form an excellent and most useful book for the family. Those who may not be abla
to assist at the Holy Sacrifice on every Sunday and Holiday of the year, may usefully read
one or two of these Sermons, either privately for their own profit, or in the family for the
instruction of all under their charge. Every priest and every Catholic family should pos-
sess a copy of a work so very valuable in itself, aad so strongly recommended by the highest
ecclesiastical authorities."

Preparation for Death, or. Considerations on the
Eternal 3Iaxinis, Useful for all as a Book of Meditations.
By St. Alphonsus M. Liguori. Prom the Italian, by a

Catholic Clergyman 12o., cloth, 1 25

do. do. cloth bev., gilt, 1 75

Ertnxet/rom the Prf/ace to the First American E<iiHon. — "Several of the pious produc-
tions of St. Alphonsus M. Liguorf, have already been presented to the American public,
and received with much pleasure, and no doubt also with great profit and advantage.
They have been justly admired and esteemed for their unction and piety, for the wisdom of
their teaching, and for the sacred erudition which enriches and adorns them. For the per-
sons who have been fortunate enough to procure and read these works, it will be a suf-
ficient recommendation of the present volume to remark, that it is from the pen of this
learned and holy Bishop. It is even one of his very best productions, composed, as he in-
forms us, with the two-fold design, of furnishing to the laity a book of meditations to aid
their steps in the path of virtue and spirituality, and of giving to the clergy a collection of
matter proper for their sermoas and exhortations."

A Spiritual Retreat of Eight Days, By the Rt. Rev.
John M. David, D. D., First Coadjutor of Bishop Flaget.
Edited, with additions, and an introduction, by M. J. Spald-
ing, D. D., Abp. of Baltimore small 12o. cloth bev., 1 00

do do. cloth bev., gilt, 1 50

Extract/rom the Most Rev. Editor's Pre/ace. — "Of the twenty-four Meditations which were
to be embraced in the Eight Days' llctreat, three are wanting, all belonging to the last
Week. These I have supplied from ' Manresa, or the Spiritual Exerciecs of St. Iguaiius
for general use,' a valuaole London publication. From the same source I have freely
borrowed whatever seemed to be necessary for rendering the present little work a mr>re
complete and practical Manual for the performance of the Spiritual Exercises; such as the
practi al advices, or Additions, of St. Ignatius to those who wibh to make a Retreat with
fruit, his methods of Prayer, and of Examination of Conscience, both general and particular,
and Considerations for each day of the Retreat. I have also thought it well to prefix to the
publication a brief biographical sketch of the saintly Bisuop David, together with his short
but admirable Method of Mental Prayer.

".Many pious persons, both ia Kentucky and elsewhere, have alreadyused the Meditations
of the good Bishop David with much relish and fruit. In publishing them for general
use, I ha»e merely endeavored to furnish a not wholly unsuitable frame for a picture of
great and solid merit. All that I ask of those who will use this little work is, that they
will strive to profit by its contents, and will have the charity to breathe forth occasionally
a short prayer for the unworthy Editor."

" This very edifying work of the pious Bishop David, has long been a favorite with those
accustomed to make and give spiritual retreats. It contains the usual number of exercises
for an eight day retreat, and being rather pious suggestions than little essays, they give
food for real meditation. This work of Bishop David, will be found eminently useful as »
guide and help iu spiritual retreats." Waichnxan of the West,

Mdbphv & Co., Publishers and Booksellers, Baltimore,
13

New Books, Published in 1869, Continued,

Practical Piety. By St. Francis De Sales, Bishop and
Frince of Geneva. Collected from his Letters and Dis-
courses ^ small 12o., cloth bev., 1 00

do. ' do. cloth bev., gilt, 1 50

Recommendation of the iloxt Rev. Archbinhnp — We take much pleasure in commending
to Our Diocesans the Work entitled, Pkactical Piety, set foktu bv Saint Fkancis db
Sales, re-published by John Murphy A Co., of Baltimore. The Spiritual Works of the
illustrious St. Fninci* d<f Sales, from which these practical lessons are extracted, need no
euolojjy ; a general use of them for more than two hundred years has embalmed them ia
the minds and hearts of the faithful. Their practical wisdom, their great moderation, their
marvellous sweetness and unction, have made them the favorite reading of the pious in all
portions of the Church of God. The devout perusal of them has been productive of immense
good in fostering and increasing Catholic piety. MARTIN J. SPALDING, Abp of BalU

Baltimore, Featt of the Jloly Nameof Jesus, 1869.

"This beautiful work, like all the works of the meek Saint of Geneva, is replete with
the teni orjst, yet most practical piety. St. Francis is the prophet of modern ascetism, as
St. Benedict the other Francis and Augustine, were oriental and medieval. His works
while giving the most minute lessons of the highest spiritual perfection, possess a charm
and an insight into the wants and weaknesses of every day life that make them pleasant
and instructive reading for ordinary christians." Watchman of' the West.

John M, Costello; or, the Beauty of Virtue, Exemplified \n

an American Youth 18o. cloth. 75

dc. do. cloth, gilti 1 25

Jt^Thia edifying Biography $hould he placed in the hands of every Catholic Youth.

The Author of this edifying Biography lays before the reader "the virtues
of a young man who pas.sed seventeen years of his short life in the peaceful
seclusion of his home, and the remaining two and a half in the quiet routine
of a college, and who, therefore, could have practised only what St, Francis
of Sales calls ' little virtues.' " It is earnestly hoped that no parent or con-
ductor of an Educational Institution or Catholic Library in the land will fail
to secure early copies of this little book, which will serve as a model for
American youth.

" It is impossible to read the description of the most ordinary events of
the life of tnis holy child of God without emotion. What in others of his
ajje and general character might justly be unworthy of note in him becomes
worthy to be written in letters of gold. We would say to all Catholic parents,
among the hundreds of volumes standing on the bookseller's shelves in-
viting purchase by their gay bindings and prettily illustrated pages, and
almost forcing themselves into your hands as birthday or holiday presents
to your darling children, choose this one, and teach them, by the winning
example of such virtue as they will here see presented to them, to emulate,
not the daring exploits of some lion-killer or wild adventurer, or it may be,
the imaginary success of some fortunate youth in the pursuit of riches, but
rather the heroism, the piety, the humility, the chastity, the self-renuncia-
tion of the Christian saint." Catholic World.

Cliristfnas Giffs, from tlie Infant tTesus, This collec-
tion of Devotional Gems, suitable in a special manner to the last
days of the closing year, and the first of the opening one, is

issued in a very neat and attractive style per 100, 7 50

do. do. gilt edges, 10 00

First Communion and Confirmation Cerliflcntes.

Ren^xcal of the Baptismal Promises on the occa.sion of First Communion and
Con/i»7«afion illustrated with neat and appropriate Engravings, printed
on extra super Tinted Paper, suitable for Framing, 9 x 12.

First Communion Certificates per dozen, 50

do. do. per 100, 8 50

First Communion and Confirmation Certificates.... -per dozen, 50
do. do. per 100, 8 50

4S*Attention is respectfully invited to the abov«, as the neatest, most ap-
propriate, and Cheapest Certificates ever offered to the public.

McBPHY & Co., Publishers and Booksellers, Baltimore,
14

REGENT PUBLICATIOIJS, &c

THE PARADISE OF THE EAIITII ; or The True
Cleans of Findlnr/ Hajypiness in lieligious State,

according to the liulcs of the Masters of Spiritual lAfe, and Examples of the
Saints. From the French of L'Abb6 Sanson by the Rev F. Ignatius Sisk

It is full of the choicest selections from Bourdaloue, M.assillon, St. Jure,

Guillor6, St. Liguori, St. Bernard, St. Teresa, and others. Though designed

more particularly for those who have consecrated themselves to God in tho

Religious State. U abounds in useful instruction for such as live in the world.

Cap, 80., cloth, «1.25 cloth, bev., gilt edges, $1.50

DEVOTION to the SACRED HEART of JESUS,

From the Italian of Secondo Franco, S. J.
It is full of unction, as it is of instruction; and its perusal cannot fail to
detach the heart of the reader from material allurements, by enkindling in
it th°. love of our divine Redeemer. I80. cloth, 75 el., bev., gilt edges, §1

4®* Cheap Edition, for General Circulation, paper 30 cts.; in lots
of 50 copies, §10— 100 copies, $18— 250 copies $10 — 500 conies, $7'

A COMPENDIUM of the HISTORY of the CATH-
OLIC CHURCH, front the Commencement of the Christian Era
to1h<- Ecumenical Council oftlie Vatican, in which are narrated her
Combats and her Victories in times of Persecution, Heresy and Scandal,
and wherein is shown that her Preservation is a Divine Work.

Compiled and translated from the best authors. By Rev. Theodore NoETnEX.
12o., cloth, $2 tinted paper, cloth, bev., gilt edges, $?."0

^tuflent^s Manual of Catholic Drvotioufi, containinsf all
tho Povo ions usual in Ci>neges, A ad mies, etc. Bcj^ides tho Devotions
C'>mm n to all, this Manual contains tlie Devotions to the Sacred Heart
of Josus, as gencrary practiced by students of C^'leges and ptipils of
Convents, and tho prayers prescribed to the memhers of the Sodali'y.
aio. cloth, 40 cts clotli, Lev., gilt edges, 60 cts.

This Manual is Published, with the Approbation and Recommendation of
'''he Most Rev. THEAuciir,isiio°s of BALTiMor.E axd S " Louis.

Eegisters of Matrimony and Baptism.

Prepared by Order of the Xth Provincial Council of Baltimore.
Now Ready in Books of 1000, <^6— 1500, $7.<50— 2000, $9.
Mafrimoniorunt Registrutn, Ad Mentem Patram Con-
oil ii Provincialis Baltimorensis X. Concinnatum.
B(i ftfisniorutn lief/istrum. Ad Mentem Patrum Concilii
Provincialis Baltimorensis X. Concinnatum.

ipprobatio II1°>> ac Rct°" Archirpiscopl BaKimorensIs.

Formula qnge sequitur pro Resristro Matrimoniorum, (Baptia-
mo; urn) ad Concilii Baltimorensis Provincialis X. Patrum men-
tem concinnata quseque Formulso in Rituali Romano contentJB
prope accedit,ft Kobis pro Provincire Nostrteecclesiis probatur.
' et omnibus quorum interest in'Domino commendatur.
_ Datum ex sedibus Nostris, Baltimore, in die Festo S. Matthia

Apostoli. A. D. 1869. MARTINUS JOANNES SPALDING,

Archiep. Baltimorensis.
These Registers, carefully prepared with printed forms in Latin, in con-
formity with the formula prescribed by tho Roman Ritual, are neatly and
si:bFtantially bound in Books of a convenient size, uniform with our OLD
SERIES of CHURCH REGISTERS, viz: Registers of Confirmations, Inter-
ments, Pews, and Parish Records. Also Records of Baptism and Matrimony.

This SERIES of CHURCH RECORDS, prepared by an eminent Clergyman,
of great experience, are conveniently arranged with Printed Headings, for
keeping Church Records, in such a manner as to save much time and labor
to tho Pastor, and affording ready facility for reference at all times.
Murphy & Co., Publishers and Booksellers, Baltimore.

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