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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. 
 
 Me 
 
 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 
 
 4* 
 
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. 
 
 5 
 
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; 
 
 8* 
 
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 
 
 o 
 
 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. 
 
 19 
 
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. 
 
 38 
 
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 
 
 ay 
 
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 
 
 40 
 
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. 
 
 45 
 
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- 
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580 
 
 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 
 
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 A.D, 
 
 1823 
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 1846 
 
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 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 
 
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 books, that has issued from the American Press. 
 
 Manual of the Apostleship of Prayer, Enriched with 
 ample Indulgences, by His Holiness Pius IX., and Approved of 
 by a large number of Archbishops and Bishops, and Affiliated to 
 the Association of the Sacred Heart, established in Rome, in the 
 Church della Pace. By the Rev. H. Ramiere, S. J., Director of 
 the Association. Translated from the French. 
 
 Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged 82o. cloth, 36 
 
 TTie Apostleship of Frayer Association. Explanation 
 and Practical Instruction by Father Ramiere, S. J. Translated 
 from the French by a Father of the Society. 
 
 Price, 5 cts. Net, per 100, $3. 
 
 J®^ The large and constantly increasing demand for these Works is an evidence of 
 
 their merits, and the great popularity of this Association. 
 
 Tlie Love of Meligious Perfection; Or, How to Awaken, 
 Increase, and Preserve it in the Religious Soul. From the Latin 
 
 of Father Joseph Bayma, S. J 18o. cloth, 75 
 
 do. do. cloth, gilt, 1 25 
 
 No one can read, in the proper spirit, this valuable Treatise, without perceiving 
 It well deserves the reputation it has won. Learning, wisdom, and piety unite to 
 recommend it to all who wish to advance in that best and purest of all Sciences, 
 the Science of Salvation. 
 
 A Pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. Teresa, at Alba de 
 Tormes, in Spain. By Rev. Canon Dalton 15 
 
 Short and Familiar Ansivers to tlie Objections most 
 
 commonly urged against Religion. From the French of the Abbb 
 DE Segur 18o. cloth, 60 
 
 ]IM:a/n-aa.ls of tli© tlixTjilee. 
 
 Published with the Approbation of the Most Bev. Archbishop SPAIDnro. 
 Itifitruetions on the J'tibilee, and Prayers, Recommended to be said in 
 the STATION CHURCHES. To whicli is prefixed THE PASTORAL 
 LETTER of the Abp. of Baltimore paper 3 cts.; per 100, ^2 ; per 1000, §15 
 
 INSTRUCTIONS ON THE JUlilT.EE, in Oerman.-S cts. 
 
 MunrHY & Co., PuUishcrs ^ Booksellers^ Baltimore. 
 
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- 
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 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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