| Show THE APOSTASY < AFTER S I A OIlIWO nt the Clniioh In the MkUllo AKC that the Savior bestowed 1 upon lilt Apostles equal share of the Il1on the Apostleshlp nd responsibilities ol 13 much disputed point In the catty lisi 11 01 the Catholic church One Chariot and cub 1 > over master even lost right of all tc ore brethren win contended for the primacy an 11 I Vorne I u l ii was construed to men Miptem 0 I of M t peter and upon 1 that rock 1 11 I her claim to rule asserting though u Blender proolaniounting IIIlleel nothing Ih II tier Iocuf was found from whom the J by lint Apostle 11 Jecended by ordination The M tl plluii followed that she WM superior i her stir churches as Peter lint been be eml lot III brethren Not content oUI among the great bile rrone ron I tier lerchuchH of other coun tjnotggbIy Hie seas of Constintl vie anti I Alexandriaami pertcvcr 01 endeavoured and to a great extent iiKCeululb to 1 annihilate the I Ihollly or her own metropolitan I 0 iiOI western Iurope Thus all It I lion In matters ol episcopal ap IImonlo removal In coo plaints a icals was usurped 1 by Koine i I < n the metropolitan or arch Owl tId I I formerly acted Independ Illy in fill 1 own province In all milters r r lalnlnL 10 ecclesiastical 1 regulillons I V e find the encroachments ol Rome I el1111 nit as early no the third O Oft Of-t < ome centuries the dignity I ut dr trLj > was hared equal > by the I I il oi s of I Rome Conn 1 milnople I Alei I I I audrli AntUxh and Jerusalem An1 I the oruinil title that uf exarch or governor Vill let a political meaning Indeed ue burch was organued I by the filth 1 fnnry upon the model ol Ire ancient f a 010 still c The sudden Invasion of I aracinsdestroved the dioceses of Ieda X III dJ A ran lm Antioch and Jeruiitein I iIil Home and onslantinople con trijjmjalous rivalry of each other jintlivointh century the two fell i Ily apart in a qu melon eh tuLicct I 010 worship I K jiu hud already risen to un ues i nj greatness and site hencel > rlh u uJ uhoul a rival Circumstances it I 1 > Ircd 1 10 favor her Thus In ne n 11 I 1wrn I lined by Arianlsm 0 both test Tm appealed I to the bishop cl K i e thcicby t placing I him I In the proud t o jjj t n 1 ol uiuYe irbiter and protector I U I 01111 So alto the triumphant < Nth nJlII 111 visited the sec of Rome fur IItro t tears uhlch added prestige to < or fame and dignity to her assumption cfjoority In questions ol orthodoxy j ic I multiplicity of the Various le I o ol the time Te invasion ol the northern barbirl am u lale It threw the politic of west I ca urope intu litter confusion and 1 tJ n kb extlnguHhedciUluatlon while a i tc ardcd Ihe human progress and re tIcd 1 In Ihe deterioration of society I oat cvcr the lent favorable to the de fo I t mcnt of the temporal Influence and I t iso of tile pope The Gothic con ItfIrs 1 and the eastern exarchs who I ceded them placed their neat ol inurnment at Ravenna leaving the uriitlan bishop the moil conspicuous i aJ important authority In Ihe imperial 1 i We notice that It was Pope ieI 1 ha I no rmpcror or patriarch I who 1 met the I 4 rrlble Attila at the gale ol Home and plead successfully that Ihe city might be ated Ircm conlljgratlon that Ito I laho hv been described as Ihe man wanted Vho could mike the we of i I cler lake the place ol Ihe loitering nperlal power It wAs but fifteen fI IjeI gW can 17 jo 11 erthe death of Lto I that I jor Uomului Augustus was deposed and mlshed and Koman political lm rallolll ai iono forever of the old > u At thli time fierce contrineriles inLlr I it Africa and Ihe Cath lIe ritiodux party there who had hilhctlii n mtimeil such a brutality altitude uHartl Rome now appealed to her alt al-t ulumblett manner to give ail and r501 Still another precedent her V A 1 jltraUolI J n arc ol tile greatest aids 1 of the r tr nuiil ol Iho church nan the super tin ui ignorance ol Ihe barbarians who tail invaded her preclnrtt and become tjtucni ol her creed I ormer worthlp J pi ol dots and ol the chief print who j oto itcd ut pagan rile they uilllngly a cneil II similar teneratlon to the pc as chief pncit of Ihe Chri Ian curch anti to the nubordinale clergy they transferred tile same IttHng 1 of frilulctynndtccreiiccliichtlicy I I for II II ro rl m Iv allotted the priced of Ihelr heathen thooiy Indeed their Ignorant ceiluleiy I superstition and reverence ic mcduj llallam 1 > a > ito Invite imposture im-posture and l papal Rome was not slow to advance a claim or to improve 1 an pportunil The rude Invaders de oully fatted peace olTerlnts lor Ihe I I 1parious deeds of which they were too I lien guilty and Catholic Uome gradu Iv learned lo indulge In a barter of 10 h 1 for worldly pelf Indeed while 44 M doubtlessly In precarious pos < on ul land unsecured by legal lilies Ji thrsc t imperial Rome would never trariti when lint the barbirlansdecend J also few the e plti I we find her Inc In-c jurseof a few centuries I posses < cJ > ihe lion liare ol all Ihe countries Of i iropc and wo stand ag hall I at 1 rord of sordid uorlilmes 11 ilio lias I made llercovelouiiieis hc I a no airuilng In thu middle ages T cvotion ol an Ignorant and super xuus pe leh as we leave just pointed Oll eiiUied I her with pious bequests bItt to mount heaven at a single Qul J I anxious to obtain remission lot I tho 1 n > of a marauding exlstei cc the I shmi inner terrorstricken at the pros M t ui 1 eternal damnation for the sins Ih at 11e i ired but lo olten red djcd m I opeitlon knew Ito bounds to tile nni lence ol his bequest In the hope Ollaturng rlestly absolution 1 J the simple faith ol those earlv I times conspired In many other way to Till the I cotters the pope ll Is true she had I many 1 Irreprelienalble ources of wrthli Such were the culllvatlon ol unappropriated lands I ih thriftlneee 5f edor I and Industry of monastic I association the purchase ot larded estate from alodiallatsor nobles far f w Itch she was i ollllly ethic to I pay l through l l long nccum I ev IA 11 one The stales nl I tile church granted the pope by I coin and confirmed fi 7 fe rbte r firmed and enforced amy a-my also 1 IK said In the lanuace nl I ronquest to have leell it it Illetal Though here we cannot but charge Iraud < l as It N4 largely 1 through eq ilvo cation ol firmer pretend d claims that the papacy laNcrelle these grants nl temporal I possessions Kepieseitllng that d clutter of Und had been presented present-ed lo the holy see by the Kmperor Constantine the pope exhorted the i Iranklsh emperors under pentlly of the displeasure of Go1 I St I later ind the saints to latllyand imitate Ihe pinus act file Merovingian CaroHnglan and Saxon dynasties as well as the kings nf nsland I dynasties Spain I were lavish I i In their endowments of the church and early In the twellth century Ihe Great Countess M Hilda I ol Tuscany further 11 mef enriched It 1 by a bequest of me duchy if hpoletii and Ihe M Tell of Ancona Hut we find ourselves disgusted and wearied by a rtcltnl uf clerical appall prlatlons uf legacies and donations Intended In-tended lor charitable purposes ol the enforcement of tithing I I as Ihe highest thily tlie scandalous Irafli 1 in Indul genclel and all Ihe various methods of oppressive avarice which the church 1 adopted Among them He find nut the least reprehensible of these despicable rrelhods the lorjn ol deeds or charters chart-ers to property la which they were not entitled The general illiteracy of Ihe times made these Impositions ei v of accomplishment by a pr Ashland trained scholastic arts Then there was the I relic superstition The rule of the Catholic church reilultoot that elry altar used for celebrating mass must Indispensably In-dispensably conti some authorised relic Inserted willim a sealed cavity or leceptacle prepared for them Toe were for tile by the holy see and com nun lid mmense prices Tnol I lor Instance Re find that C mute the Dane who ruleJ ever PiieUm commisslcntd an agent to go to kom and purchase I I aa r IIXu II the I arm ol I Si Augustine one bun dred Uhnts of silver and one ol gold I lu Illustrate this bronKe Anti loo ish ersililon we will quo c an ancient writer i A monk ol St Anthou having been at Je usalem saw there several re Ics l III IleU r fi Ct among which were a bit of the linger of ihe I Holy I Ghost as sound and entire as It had ever been the snout uf the ser aphlm that appeared to ill I rancls one I ot the nails ot a cherubim one of the ribs ot the U ord made flesh some uf Ihe ratio the star which appeared to i the three kings III Ine East I a vial of St i Michaels SKeatwhen he was fighting I against I the devil a hem ol Joseph tlc el = r noU l garment vehicle he wore w hen cleaved wood etc all ol which things I have brought very devotedly with me home Can we wonder at the wars pronounced upon a church which I would I practice such blasphemies I In the name ol Christ i lot the sake ol Increasing its hurt nets I Ire church received and lies owed 1 benclices In feudal tenure which I were I IrJ f exempted from taxation bu for which she was sometime required to furnish military assistance this military service was generally looked upon by Ihe clergy as a great hardship One piece of Irand was In lay members transferring their properly to the church and receivIng receiv-Ing it back 11 I tenure In avoid taxation 1 Frequently 1 on alit other hand I the latter UOI ITt lead recourse to ucslowIng I property ii Ihe same manner to obtain poucnul protectors t gained marauders who in I I luin = enough became hard 1 and 1 fraudulent miitsri I Thus we find Hut wealth poured Into the colitis of I Ihe miudle age church Catcalls many channels and that they wlto food In high places as Ihe shepherds ol the flock scrupled not at any mans how ncr dishonorable lo increase their worldly opulence I and power Ihe most sacred things win h humanity hold dear and holy were subverted and Prostituted pros-tituted to the same sordid end They W r rl I failed not as Italians iui above allis l all-is Inculcate Ion the wealthy sinner that no atonement could be so accept al 1 > le to heaven as liberal presents Its earthly delegates The church was uealthy and with It powerful 1 ll for In el this l world I wealth and power alas generally jj hand In hand 1 very day HO sea arrogance iiccml the throne and meekness ulcedlng at his feet Hut right comes uppermost In I time even though that tune extend Into eternity Power was what papal Roma lived and worked fur Sue scrupled not to lay claim I to domlncn over the temper d affairs ot men since she claimed I I tile higher right und wisdom lu direct 11 their salvation Ideas j of the old Korian universal dominion mingled perhaps In her assumptions a J leave woken r of her wealth t At tome future lime I we may devote a chap ler with the c editor content I tu Ihe power of the church of Rome and l her struggles for supremacy m the wars ot the investitures Hi uv I AXONT |
