Crux Ansata

An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church

by
H.G. Wells

First published by Penguin oo!s" #ondon" $%&'
First () edition* Agora Publishing Co." +e, -or!" $%&&
1
.A#/ 0F C0+./+.)
Introduction
I. Why Do We Not Bomb Rome?
II. The Development Of The Idea Of hri!tendom
III. The "!!ential Wea#ne!! Of hri!tendom
I$. %ere!ie! &re "'periment! In (an)! *n!ati!fied +earch ,or Truth
$. The ity of -od
$I. The hurch +alva.e! /earnin.
$II. harlema.ne
$III. Blac# Interlude
I0a. The /aunchin. Of The ru!ade! By The hurch
I0b. hri!tendom (arche! "a!t
0. & atholic -entleman of 1112
0I. +ocial Ine3uality In The 11th &nd 14th enturie!
0II. The Da5n Of +ocial Di!content
0IIIa. The (ental &tmo!phere Before The Reformation
0IIIb. %o5 %enry $III Became & 6rote!tant 6rince
0I$. The ounter7Reformation
0$. The 8e!uit!
0$I. The ontinual +hrin#a.e Of The Roman atholic hurch
0$II. The +tru..le ,or Britain
0$III. +hinto atholici!m
0I0. Roman atholici!m In &merica
00. The *nited hri!tian ,ront
00I. The 6reten!ion! &nd /imitation! Of 6ope 6iu! 0II
9

:ru' &n!ata;: &.ora 6ubli!hin. o.; Ne5 <or#; 1=11
>
I+.R01(C.I0+
Written at the hei.ht of WW9; Crux Ansata ?/atin@ :The ro!! 5ith a handle:A i! an uncomprimi!in.
attac# on Roman atholici!m and 6ope 6iu! 0II. Indeed !ome 5ill contend that Well! .oe! too far; but
thi! boo#; it mu!t be remembered 5a! part of the 5ar effort. When it 5a! 5ritten; Well! had recently
retired from the po!ition of (ini!ter of &llied 6ropa.anda; but that official retirement did not !top him
continuin. that effort.
Durin. tho!e .rim day! of bombin. and terror; many 5ealthy people fled /ondon to the !afety of
country e!tate!. But %.-. Well! refu!ed to leave /ondon. %e #ne5 that !hared !ufferin. bet5een the
economic cla!!e! 5a! #ey to the 5ar effort. %e 5ould not leave #no5in. that the poor had no choice
but to !tay and he meant to !hame hi! 5ealthy fello57/ondoner! by hi! re!olve. %i! front door 5a!
blo5n in !everal time! by -erman bomb!; and even thou.h he 5a! in hi! late B2)! and ill health; he
Coined in the re.ular patrol! of the 5ar7time !treet! for fire!. It 5a! under thi! !ort of dure!! that he
5rote Crux Ansata.
In ru'; Well! u!e! hi! pulpit of public teacher to add fuel to the fire of Briti!h morale. %e prai!e! the
independant !pirit of the "n.li!hman and denounce! the :!preadin. octopu!: of the hurch and it!
:+hinto alliance.: %o5ever; the bul# of thi! boo# remain! a very readable hi!tory of hri!tianity; not
unli#e the !tyle of hi! famou! Outline of %i!tory; thou.h it !uffer! !li.htly from a forced 3uality; almo!t
a! if he 5ere tired of recitin.. It ha! occa!ional lon. 3uote! by other author!; but a! 5a! nece!!itated by
the difficultie! of 5ar time; it i! a !hort boo#D ter!e and to the point. There are time! thou.h 5hen ru'
&n!ata d5indle! into va.uene!!; and one .et! a brief pa!!in. feelin. that %.-.)! mental !harpne!! 5a!
be.inin. to errode. De!pite thi!; ho5ever; ru' ha! it! !hare of po5erful 3uote! that; in part; !ave it
from bein. merely a piece of 5artime propo.anda.
:hri!tianity early cea!ed to be purely prophetic and creative. It entan.led it!elf 5ith archaic tradition!
of human !acrifice; 5ith (ithraic blood7clean!in.; 5ith prie!tcraft a! ancient a! human !ociety; and
5ith elaborate doctrine! about the !tructure of the divinity. The .ory entrail7!earchin. forefin.er of the
"tru!can pontifex maximus pre!ently over!hado5ed the teachin.! of 8e!u! of NaEareth...: ?Crux
Ansata; pa.e 19A.
:"ven in compari!on 5ith ,a!ci!m and the NaEi adventure; Roman atholici!m i! a bro#en and utterly
de!perate thin.; capable only of mali.nant mi!chief in our a5a#enin. 5orld: ?ibid; pa.e B=A.
:Watch a prie!t in a public conveyance. %e i! fi.htin. a.ain!t di!turbin. !u..e!tion!. %e mu!t not loo#
at 5omen le!t he thin# of !e'. %e mu!t not loo# about him; for reality; that i! to !ay the devil; 5ait! to
!educe him on every hand. <ou !ee him mutterin. hi! protective incantation!; avoidin. your eye. %e i!
!uppre!!in. :!inful: thou.ht!: ?ibid; pa.e 11>A.
1
I. 2 WH- 10 W/ +0. 03 R03/4
I cut the follo5in. para.raph from The Times of October 9Bth; 1=19.
:The air raid! on Italy have created the .reate!t !ati!faction in (alta; 5hich ha! !uffered !o much at
&'i! hand!. &t lea!t the Italian! no5 reali!e 5hat bein. bombed mean! and the nature of the !ufferin.
they have !o callou!ly inflicted on little (alta !ince 8une 19th; 1=12; 5hen they !ho5ered their fir!t
bomb! on 5hat 5a! then an almo!t defencele!! i!land.
:&! that bombin. 5a! inten!ified; e!pecially !ince the Italian! a!#ed -ermany)! help in their vain
attempt to reduce (alta; the people)! reaction became violent and e'pre!!ed it!elf in t5o 5ord! )Bomb
Rome); 5hich 5ere 5ritten prominently on 5all! in every locality.:
On 8une 1!t; 1=19; the enemy bombed anterbury and a! near a! po!!ible .ot the &rchbi!hop of
anterbury. But 5hat i! a mere 6rote!tant &rchbi!hop a.ain!t %i! %oline!! the 6ope?
In (arch 1=1> Rome 5a! !till unbombed.
No5 con!ider the follo5in. fact!.
We are at 5ar 5ith the Fin.dom of Italy; 5hich made a particularly cruel and !tupid attac# upon our
allie! -reece and ,ranceD 5hich i! the homeland of ,a!ci!mD and 5ho!e :Duce: (u!!olini be..ed
particularly for the privile.e of a!!i!tin. in the bombin. of /ondon.
There are al!o Italian troop! fi.htin. a.ain!t our allie! the Ru!!ian!. & thorou.h bombin. ?a la BerlinA
of the Italian capital !eem! not !imply de!irable; but nece!!ary. &t pre!ent a common per!ua!ion that
Rome 5ill be let off li.htly by our bomber! i! leadin. to a .reat con.e!tion of the 5or!t element!. of
the ,a!ci!t order in and around Rome.
Not only i! Rome the !ource and centre of ,a!ci!m; but it ha! been the;!eat of a 6ope; 5ho; a! 5e !hall
!ho5; ha! been an open ally of the NaEi7 ,a!ci!t7+hinto &'i! !ince hi! enthronement. %e ha! never
rai!ed hi! voice a.ain!t that &'i!; he ha! never denounced the abominable a..re!!ion!; murder and
crueltie! they have inflicted upon man#ind; and the plea! he i! no5 ma#in. for peace and for.ivene!!
are manife!tly de!i.ned to a!!i!t the e!cape of the!e criminal!; !o that they may pre!ently launch a fre!h
a!!ault upon all that i! decent in humanity. The 6apacy i! admittedly in communication 5ith the
8apane!e; and maintain! in the $atican an active 8apane!e ob!ervation po!t.
No other capital ha! been !pared the brunt of thi! 5ar.
Why do 5e not bomb. Rome? Why do 5e allo5 the!e open and declared anta.oni!t! of democratic
freedom to entertain their +hinto allie! and or.ani!e a p!eudo7atholic de!truction of democratic
freedom? Why do 5eafter all the !urpri!e! and treacherie! of thi! 5arallo5 thi! open preparation
of an internal attac# upon the rehabilitation of "urope? The an!5er lie! in the deliberate blindne!! of
our ,orei.n Office and open! up a very !eriou! indictment of the mi!chievou! !ocial di!inte.ration
inherent in contemporary Roman atholic activitie!.
4
II. 2 .H/ 1/5/#0P3/+. 0F .H/ I1/A 0F
CHRI)./+103
/"T u! tell a! compactly a! po!!ible certain !alient pha!e! in the hi!tory of the hri!tian or.ani!ation
that led up to the breach bet5een the variou! form of 6rote!tanti!m and Rome. /i#e all human
or.ani!ation! that have played a part throu.h many .eneration!; the career of the atholic hurch ha!
pa!!ed throu.h .reat fluctuation!. It had pha!e! of vi.orou! belief in it!elf and 5i!e leader!hipD it fell
into evil 5ay! and !eemed no better than a dyin. carca!!D it revived; it !plit. There i! no need for u! to
e'plore the early development and variation! of hri!tianity before it a!!umed it! definite form under
the patrona.e and very definite ur.ency of the "mperor on!tantine. The recrimination! of the early
,ather!; their !tran.e idea! and !tran.er practice! need not concern u! here. There 5ere churche!; but
there 5a! no !in.le unified hurch.
atholici!m a! 5e #no5 it a! a definite and formulated belief came into e'i!tence 5ith the formulation
of the Nicene reed. "u!ebiu! .ive! a curiou! account of that !tran.e a!!embla.e at Nicaea; over 5hich
the "mperor; althou.h he 5a! not yet a bapti!ed hri!tian; pre!ided. It 5a! not hi! fir!t council of the
hurch; for he had already ?in >11A pre!ided over.a council at &rle!. %e !at in the middle of the ouncil
of Nicaea upon a .olden throne; and; a! he had little -ree#; 5e mu!t !uppo!e he 5a! reduced to
5atchin. the countenance! and .e!ture! of the debater!; and li!tenin. to their intonation!.
The council 5a! a !tormy one. When old &riu! ro!e to !pea#; one; Nichola! of (yra; !truc# him in the
face; and after5ard! many ran out; thru!tin. their fin.er! into their ear! in affected horror at the old
man)! here!ie!. One i! tempted to ima.ine the .reat emperor; deeply an'iou! for the !olidarity of hi!
empire; firmly re!olved to end the!e divi!ion!; bendin. to5ard! hi! interpreter! to a!# them the
meanin. of the uproar.
The vie5! that prevailed at Nicaea are embodied in the Nicene reed; a !trictly Trinitarian !tatement;
and the "mperor !u!tained the Trinitarian po!ition. But after5ard!; 5hen &thana!iu! bore too hardly
upon the &rian!; he had him bani!hed from &le'andriaD and 5hen the hurch at &le'andria 5ould have
e'communicated &riu!; he obli.ed it to readmit him to communion.
& very important thin. for u! to note i! the role played by thi! emperor in the unification and fi'ation of
hri!tendom. Not only 5a! the ouncil of Nicaea a!!embled by on!tantine the -reat; but all the .reat
council!; the t5o at on!tantinople ?>G1 and 44>A; "phe!u! ?1>1A; and halcedon ?141A; 5ere called
to.ether by the imperial po5er. &nd it i! very manife!t that in much of the hi!tory of hri!tianity at thi!
time the !pirit of on!tantine the -reat i! a! evident a!; or more evident than; the !pirit of 8e!u!.
on!tantine 5a! a pure autocrat. &utocracy had ou!ted the la!t trace! of con!titutional .overnment in
the day! of &urelian and Diocletian. To the be!t of hi! li.ht! the "mperor 5a! tryin. to recon!truct the
H
totterin. empire 5hile there 5a! yet time; and he 5or#ed; accordin. to tho!e li.ht!; 5ithout any
councillor!; any public opinion; or any !en!e of the need of !uch aid! and chec#!.
The idea of !tampin. out all controver!y and divi!ion; !tampin. out all independent thou.ht; by
impo!in. one do.matic creed upon all believer!; i! an alto.ether autocratic idea; it i! the idea of the
!in.le7handed man 5ho feel! that to .et anythin. done at all he mu!t be free from oppo!ition and
critici!m. The !tory of the hurch after he had con!olidated it become!; therefore; a hi!tory of the
violent !tru..le! that 5ere bound to follo5 upon hi! !udden and rou.h !ummon! to unanimity. ,rom
him the hurch ac3uired that di!po!ition to be authoritative and un3ue!tioned; to develop a centrali!ed
or.ani!ation and run parallel 5ith the Roman "mpire 5hich !till haunt! it! mentality.
& !econd .reat autocrat 5ho pre!ently empha!i!ed the di!tinctly authoritarian character of atholic
hri!tianity 5a! Theodo!iu! I; Theodo!iu! the -reat ?>B=7>=4A. %e handed all the churche! to the
Trinitarian!; forbade the unorthodo' to hold meetin.!; and overthre5 the heathen temple! throu.hout
the empire; and in >=2 he cau!ed the .reat !tatue of +erapi! at &le'andria to be de!troyed. %enceforth
there 5a! to be no rivalry; no 3ualification to the ri.id unity of the hurch.
%ere 5e need tell only in the broade!t outline of the va!t internal trouble! the hurch; it! indi.e!tion!
of here!yD of &rian! and 6aulician!; of -no!tic! and (anichaean!.
The denunciation of here!y came before the creed! in the formative pha!e of hri!tianity. The hri!tian
con.re.ation! hadintere!t! in common in tho!e day!D they had a !ort of freema!onry of common
intere!t!D their .eneral theolo.y 5a! 6auline; but they evidently di!cu!!ed their fundamental doctrine!
and document! 5idely and !ometime! acrimoniou!ly. hri!tian teachin. almo!t from the out!et 5a! a
matter for vehement di!putation. The very -o!pel! are rife 5ith un!ettled ar.ument!D the "pi!tle! are
di!putation!; and the !earch for truth inten!ified diver.ence. The violence and intolerance of the Nicene
ouncil 5itne!!e! to the doctrinal !tre!!e! that had already accumulated in the earlier year!; and to the
perple'ity confrontin. the !tate!men 5ho 5i!hed to pin the!e 5arrin. theolo.ian! do5n to !ome
dominatin. !tatement in the face of thi! theolo.ical Babel.
It i! impo!!ible for an intelli.ent modern !tudent of hi!tory not to !ympathi!e 5ith the underlyin. idea
of the papal court; 5ith the idea of one univer!al rule of ri.hteou!ne!! #eepin. the peace of the earth;
and not to reco.ni!e the many element! of nobility that entered into the /ateran policy. +ooner or later
man#ind mu!t come to one univer!al peace; unle!! our race i! to be de!troyed by the increa!in. po5er
of it! o5n de!tructive invention!D and that univer!al peace mu!t need! ta#e the form of a .overnment;
that i! to !ay; a la57!u!tainin. or.ani!ation; in the be!t !en!e of the 5ord reli.iou!a .overnment
rulin. men throu.h the educated co7ordination of their mind! in a common conception of human
hi!tory and human de!tiny.
The atholic hurch 5a! the fir!t clearly con!ciou! attempt to provide !uch a .overnment in the
5or1d. We cannot too earne!tly. e'amine it! deficiencie! and inade3uacie!; for every le!!on 5e can
dra5 from them i! nece!!arily of the .reate!t value in formin. our idea! of our o5n international
B
relation!hip!.
III. 2 .H/ /))/+.IA# W/A6+/)) 0F CHRI)./+103
&ND fir!t amon. the thin.! that confront the !tudent i! the intermittence of the effort! of the hurch to
e!tabli!h the 5orld7ity of -od. The policy of the hurch 5a! not 5hole7heartedly and continuou!ly
!et upon that end. Only no5 and then !ome fine per!onality or !ome .roup of fine per!onalitie!
dominated it in that direction. :The fatherhood of -od: that 8e!u! of NaEareth preached 5a! overlaid
almo!t from the be.innin. by the doctrine! and ceremonial tradition! of an earlier a.e; and of an
intellectually inferior type. hri!tianity early cea!ed to be purely prophetic and creative. It entan.led
it!elf 5ith archaic tradition! of human !acrifice; 5ith (ithraic blood7clean!in.; 5ith prie!tcraft a!
ancient a! human !ociety; and 5ith elaborate doctrine! about the !tructure of the divinity. The .ory
entrail7!earchin. forefin.er of the "tru!can pontife' ma'imu! pre!ently over!hado5ed the teachin.! of
8e!u! of NaEarethD the mental comple'ity of the &le'andrian -ree# entan.led them. In the Can.le of
the!e incompatible! the hurch; tryin. de!perately to .et on 5ith it! unifyin. ta!#; became do.matic
and re!orted to arbitrary authority.
It! prie!t! and bi!hop! 5ere more and more men moulded to creed! and do.ma! and !et procedure!D by
the time they became pope! they 5ere u!ually oldi!h men; habituated to a politic !tru..le for
immediate end! and no lon.er capable of 5orld5ide vie5!. They had for.otten about the ,atherhood of
-odD they 5anted to !ee the po5er of the hurch; 5hich 5a! their o5n po5er; dominatin. men)! live!.
It )5a! Cu!t becau!e many of them probably doubted !ecretly of the entire !oundne!! of their va!t and
elaborate doctrinal fabric that they 5ould broo# no di!cu!!ion of it. They 5ere intolerant of doubt! and
3ue!tion!; not becau!e they 5ere !ure of their faith; but becau!e they 5ere not. The un!ati!fied hun.er
of intelli.ent men for e!!ential truth !eemed to promi!e nothin. but perpetual diver.ence.
&! the !olidarity and do.mati!m of the hurch hardened; it !lou.hed off and per!ecuted heretical
bodie! and individual! 5ith increa!in. ener.y. The credulou!; naive and 5orthy &bbot -uibert of
No.ent7!ou!7oucy; in hi! pricele!! autobio.raphy; .ive! u! the !tate of affair! in the eleventh century;
and reveal! ho5 varied and abundant 5ere both the internal and e'ternal revolt! a.ain!t the hardenin.
authoritariani!m that %ildebrand had implemented.
&bbot -uibert him!elf i! an incipient internal rebel 5ith critici!m! of epi!copal and papal corruption
that already anticipate the /ollard! and /uther; and the !torie! he tell! of devil! diabolical po!!e!!ion
and infidel death7bed!; 5itne!! to the 5ide prevalence of !coffin. in hri!tendom even at that early
time.
<et &bbot -uibert; albeit a potential 6rote!tant; 5a! a! completely tied to the atholic hurch a! 5e
are all tied by .ravitation to the earth. There 5a! a! yet no mean! of brea#in. a5ay. The formulae of
G
!eparation had !till to be di!covered. +coffer! mi.ht !coff; but they came to heel on the death7bed. ,our
lon. centurie! of mental travail had to intervene before the!e tie! 5ere bro#en.
But by the thirteenth century the hurch had become morbidly an'iou! about the .na5in. doubt! that
mi.ht pre!ently lay the 5hole !tructure of it! preten!ion! in ruin!. It 5a! huntin. every5here for
heretic!; a! timid old ladie! are !aid to loo# under bed! and in cupboard!. before retirin. for the ni.ht.
I5. 2 H/R/)I/) AR/ /7P/RI3/+.) I+
3A+8) (+)A.I)FI/1 )/ARCH F0R .R(.H
/"T u! e'amine !ome of the broad problem! that 5ere producin. here!ie!. hief of the heretical !tem!
5a! the (anichaean 5ay of thin#in. about the conflict! of life.
The 6er!ian teacher (ani 5a! crucified and flayed in the year 9BB. %i! 5ay of repre!entin. the !tru..le
bet5een .ood and evil
5a! a! a !tru..le bet5een a po5er of li.ht and a po5er of dar#ne!! inherent in the univer!e. &ll the!e
profound my!terie! are nece!!arily repre!ented by !ymbol! and poetic e'pre!!ion!; and the idea! of
(ani !till find a re!pon!e in many intellectual temperament! to7day. One may hear (anichaean
doctrine! from many hri!tian pulpit!. But the orthodo' atholic !ymbol 5a! a different one.
(anichaean idea! !pread very 5idely in "urope; and particularly in Bul.aria and the !outh of ,rance.
In the !outh of ,rance the people 5ho held them 5ere called the athar!. They aro!e in "a!tern "urope
in the ninth century amon. the Bul.arian! and !pread 5e!t5ard. The Bul.arian! had recently become
hri!tian and 5ere affected by duali!tic ea!tern thou.ht. They in!i!ted upon an e'ce!!ive !e'le!!ne!!.
They 5ould eat no food that 5a! !e'7 be.ottene..!; chee!e even; 5ere taboo but they ate fi!h
becau!e they !hared the common belief of the time that fi!h !pa5ned !e'le!!ly. Their idea! Carred !o
little 5ith the e!!ential! of hri!tianity; that they believed them!elve! to be devout hri!tian!. &! a
body they lived live! of o!tentatiou! purity in a violent; undi!ciplined and viciou! a.e. They 5ere
protected by 6ope -re.ory $II ?%ildebrandA; becau!e their vie5! enforced hi! impo!ition of celibacy
upon the cler.y ?of 5hich 5e !hall tell in hapter $IIA in the eleventh century. But later their
e'periment! in the !earch for truth carried them into open conflict 5ith the con!olidatin. hurch. They
re!orted to the Bible a.ain!t the prie!t!. They 3ue!tioned the doctrinal !oundne!! of Rome and the
orthodo' interpretation of the Bible. They thou.ht 8e!u! 5a! a rebel a.ain!t the cruelty of the -od of
the Old Te!tament; and not %i! harmoniou! +on; and ultimately they !uffered for the!e diver.ent
e'periment!.
lo!ely a!!ociated 5ith the athar! in the hi!tory of here!y are the Walden!e!; the follo5er! of a man
called Waldo; 5ho !eem! to have been comparatively orthodo' in hi! theolo.y; and le!! in!i!tent on the
=
:pure: life; but offen!ive to the !olidarity of the hurch becau!e he denounced the riche! and lu'ury of
the hi.her cler.y. Waldo 5a! a rich man 5ho !old all hi! po!!e!!ion! in order to preach and teach in
poverty. %e attracted devoted follo5er! and for a time he 5a! tolerated by the hurch. But hi!
follo5er! and particularly tho!e in /ombardy; 5ent further. Waldo had tran!lated the Ne5 Te!tament;
includin. the Revelation; into 6roven.al; and pre!ently hi! di!ciple! 5ere denouncin. the Roman
hurch a! the +carlet Woman of the &pocalyp!e. Thi! 5a! enou.h for the /ateran; and pre!ently 5e
have the !pectacle of Innocent III; after attempt! at ar.ument and per!ua!ion; lo!in.; hi! temper and
preachin. a ru!ade a.ain!t the!e trouble!ome en3uirer!. The !tory of that cru!ade i! a chapter in
hi!tory that the Roman atholic hi!torian! have done their be!t to obliterate.
"very 5anderin. !coundrel at loo!e end! 5a! enrolled to carry fire and !5ord and rape and every
conceivable outra.e amon. the mo!t peaceful !ubCect! of the Fin. of ,rance; The account! of the
crueltie! and abomination! of thi! cru!ade are far more terrible to read than any account of hri!tian
martyrdom! by the pa.an!; and they have the added horror of bein. indi!putably true.
<et they did not e'tirpate the Walden!e!. In remote valley! of +avoy a remnant !urvived and lived on;
.eneration after .eneration; until it 5a! incorporated 5ith the .eneral movement of the Refoundation
and faced and !uffered before the reinvi.orated :Roman atholic hurch in the full drive of the
ounter Reformation. Of that 5e !hall tell later.
The intolerance of the narro5in. and concentratin. hurch 5a! not confined to reli.iou! matter!. The
!hre5d; pompou! ira!cible; di!illu!ioned and rather mali.nant old men 5ho manife!tly con!tituted the
prevailin. maCority in the council! of the hurch; re!ented any #no5led.e but their o5n #no5led.e;
and di!tru!ted any thou.ht that they did not correct and control. &ny mental activity but their o5n
!truc# them a! bein. at lea!t in!olent if not po!itively 5ic#ed. later on they 5ere to have a .reat
!tru..le upon the 3ue!tion of; the earth)! po!ition in !pace; and 5hether it moved round the !un or not.
Thi! 5a! really not the bu!ine!! of the hurch at all. +he mi.ht very 5ell have left to rea!on the thin.!
that are rea!on)!; but !he !eem! to have been impelled by an inner nece!!ity to e!tran.e the intellectual
con!cience in men.
%ad thi! intolerance !prun. from a real inten!ity of conviction it 5ould have been bad enou.h; but it
5a! accompanied by an undi!.ui!ed contempt for the mental di.nity of the common man that ma#e! it
far le!! acceptable to our modern idea!. Iuite apart from the trouble! in Rome it!elf there 5a! already
manife!t in the t5elfth century a !tron. feelin. that all 5a! not 5ell 5ith the !piritual atmo!phere.
There be.an movement!movement! that no5aday! 5e !hould call :revivali!t: 5ithin the hurch;
that implied rather than uttered a critici!m of the !ufficiency of her e'i!tin. method! and or.ani!ation.
(en !ou.ht fre!h form! of ri.hteou! livin. out!ide the mona!terie! and prie!thood.
One out!tandin. fi.ure i! that of +t. ,ranci! of &!!i!i ?11G17199HA. Thi! plea!ant youn. .entleman had
a !udden conver!ion in the mid!t of a life of plea!ure; and; ta#in. a vo5 of e'treme poverty; .ave
him!elf up to an imitation of the life of;hri!t; and to the !ervice of the !ic# and 5retched; and more
particularly to the !ervice of the leper! 5ho then abounded in Italy.
12
%e 5a! Coined by number! of di!ciple!; and !o the fir!t ,riar! of the ,ranci!can Order came into
e'i!tence. &n order of 5omen devotee! 5a! !et up be!ide the ori.inal confraternity; and in addition
.reat number! of men and 5omen 5ere brou.ht into le!! formal a!!ociation. %e preached; unmole!ted
by the (o!lem! be it noted; in ".ypt and 6ale!tine; thou.h the ,ifth ru!ade 5a! then in pro.re!!. %i!
relation! 5ith the hurch are !till a matter for di!cu!!ion. %i! 5or# had been !anctioned by 6ope
Innocent III; but 5hile he 5a! in the "a!t there 5a! a recon!titution of hi! order; inten!ifyin. di!cipline
and !ub!titutin. authority for re!pon!ive impul!e; and a! a con!e3uence of the!e chan.e! he re!i.ned it!
head!hip. To the end he clun. pa!!ionately to the ideal of poverty; but he 5a! hardly dead before the
order 5a! holdin. property throu.h tru!tee! and buildin. a .reat church and mona!tery to hi! memory
at &!!i!i. The di!cipline! of the order that 5ere applied after hi! death to hi! immediate a!!ociate! are
!carcely to be di!tin.ui!hed from a per!ecutionD !everal of the more con!picuou! Eealot! for !implicity
5ere !cour.ed; other! 5ere impri!oned; one 5a! #illed 5hile attemptin. to e!cape; and Brother
Bernard; the :fir!t di!ciple:; pa!!ed a year in the 5ood! and hill!; hunted li#e a 5ild bea!t.
Thi! !tru..le 5ithin the ,ranci!can Orr i! intere!tin.; becau!e it fore!hado5ed the .reat trouble! that
5ere comin. to hri!tendom. &ll throu.h the thirteenth century a !ection of the ,ranci!can! 5ere
!trainin. at the rule of the hurch; and in 1>1G four of them 5ere burnt alive at (ar!eille! a!
incorri.ible heretic!. There !eem! to have been little difference bet5een the teachin. and the !pirit of
+t. ,ranci! and that of Waldo in the t5elfth century; the founder of the ma!!acred but uncon3uerable
!ect of Walden!e!. Both 5ere pa!!ionately; enthu!ia!tic for the !pirit of 8e!u! of NaEareth. But 5hile
Waldo rebelled a.ain!t the hurch; +t. ,ranci! did hi! be!t to be a .ood child of the hurch; and hi!
comment on the !pirit of official hri!tianity 5a! only implicit. But both 5ere in!tance! of an outbrea#
of con!cience a.ain!t authority and the ordinary procedure of the hurch. &nd it i! plain that in the
!econd in!tance; a! in the fir!t; the hurch !cented rebellion.
& very different character to +t. ,ranci! 5a! the +paniard +t. Dominic ?11B271991A; 5ho 5a!; above all
thin.!; orthodo'. ,or him the hurch 5a! not orthodo' enou.h. %e 5a! a reformer on the Ri.ht Win..
%e had a pa!!ion for the ar.umentative conver!ion of heretic!; and he 5a! commi!!ioned by 6ope
Innocent III to .o and preach to the &lbi.en!e!. %i! 5or# 5ent on !ide by !ide 5ith the fi.htin. and
ma!!acre! of the cru!ade. Whom Dominic could not convert; Innocent)! ru!ader! !le5. <et hi! very
activitie! and the reco.nition and encoura.ement of hi! order by the 6ope 5itne!! to the ri!in. tide of
di!cu!!ion and to the per!ua!ion even of the 6apacy that force 5a! a remedy.
In !everal re!pect! the development of the Blac# ,riar! or Dominican!the ,ranci!can! 5ere the -rey
,riar!!ho5! the Roman hurch at the partin. of the 5ay!; committin. it!elf more and more deeply
to a hopele!! conflict 5ith the 3uic#enin. intelli.ence and coura.e of man#ind. +he 5ho!e duty it 5a!
to teach; cho!e to compel. The la!t di!cour!e of +t. Dominic to the heretic! he had !ou.ht to convert i!
pre!erved to u!. It betray! the fatal e'a!peration of a man 5ho ha! lo!t hi! faith in the po5er of truth
becau!e hi! truth ha! not prevailed.
:,or many year!;: he !aid; :I have e'horted you in vain; 5ith .entlene!!; preachin.; prayin. and
11
5eepin.. But accordin. to th proverb of my.country; )Where ble!!in. can accompli!h nothin.; blo5!
may avail); 5e !hall rou!e a.ain!t you prince! and prelate!; 5ho; ala!)J 5ill arm nation! and #in.dom!
a.ain!t thi! land;... and thu! blo5! 5ill avail 5here ble!!in.! and .entlene!! have been po5erle!!.:K1L
K1L "ncyclopaedia Britannica; art. :Dominic:.
5. 2 .H/ CI.- 0F G01
+o the intolerance of the atholic hurch drove !teadily to5ard! it! o5n di!ruption. Neverthele!! for
nearly a thou!and year! the idea of hri!tendom !u!tained a conception of human unity more intimate
and far 5ider than 5a! ever achieved before.
&! early a! the fifth century hri!tianity had already become .reater; !turdier and more endurin. than
any empire had ever been; becau!e it 5a! !omethin. not merely impo!ed upon men; but inter5oven
5ith their deeper in!tinct for ri.hteou!ne!!. It reached out far beyond the utmo!t limit! of the empire;
into &rmenia; 6er!ia; &by!!inia; Ireland; -ermany; India and Tur#e!tan. It had become !omethin. no
!tate!man could i.nore.
Thi! 5ide!pread freema!onry; 5hich 5a! particularly !tron. in the to5n! and !eaport! of the collap!in.
"mpire; mu!t have had a very !tron. appeal to every political or.ani!er. The hri!tian! 5ere e!!entially
to5n!men and trader!. The countrymen 5ere !till pa.an! ?pa.ani M villa.er!A.
:Thou.h made up of 5idely !cattered con.re.ation!;: !ay! the Encyclopaedia Britannica in it! article
on :hurch %i!tory:; :it 5a! thou.ht of a! one body of hri!t; one people of -od. Thi! ideal unity
found e'pre!!ion in many 5ay!. Intercommunication bet5een the variou! hri!tian communitie! 5a!
very active. hri!tian! upon a Courney 5ere al5ay! !ure of a 5arm 5elcome from their fello5
di!ciple!. (e!!en.er! and letter! 5ere !ent freely from one hurch to another. (i!!ionarie! and
evan.eli!t! 5ent continually from place to place. Document! of variou! #ind!; includin. .o!pel! and
apo!tolic epi!tle!; circulated 5idely. Thu! in variou! 5ay! the feelin. of unity found e'pre!!ion;; and
the development of 5idely !eparated part! of hri!tendom conformed more or le!! clo!ely to a
common type.:
Idea! of 5orldly rule by thi! !preadin. and ramifyin. hurch 5ere indeed already prevalent in the
fourth century. hri!tianity 5a! becomin. political. +aint &u.u!tine; a native of %ippo in North &frica;
5ho 5rote bet5een >41 and 1>2; .ave e'pre!!ion to the political idea of the) hurch in hi! boo#; The
ity of -od. The ity of -od lead! the mind very directly to5ard! the po!!ibility of ma#in. the 5orld
into a theolo.ical and or.ani!ed Fin.dom of %eaven.. The city; a! &u.u!tine put! it; i! :a !piritual
!ociety of the prede!tined faithful; but the !tep from that to a political application 5a! not a very 5ide
one. The hurch 5a! to be the ruler of the 5orld over all nation!; the divinely7led rulin. po5er over a
.reat lea.ue of terre!trial !tate!.
19
+ub!e3uently the!e idea! developed into a definite political theory and policy. &! the barbarian race!
!ettled and became hri!tian; the 6ope be.an to claim an overlord!hip of their Fin.!. In a fe5
centurie! the 6ope had become in /atin atholic theory; and to a certain e'tent in practice; the hi.h
prie!t; cen!or; Cud.e and divine monarch of hri!tendomD hi! influence; a! 5e have noted; e'tended far
beyond the utmo!t ran.e of the old empire. ,or more than a thou!and year! thi! idea of the unity of
hri!tendom; of hri!tendom a! a !ort of va!t &mphictyony; 5ho!e member! even in 5artime 5ere
re!trained from many e'tremitie! by the idea of a common brotherhood and a common loyalty to the
hurch; dominated "urope. The hi!tory of "urope from the fifth century on5ard to the fifteenth i! very
lar.ely the hi!tory of the failure of thi! .reat idea of a divinely ordained and ri.hteou! 5orld
.overnment to reali!e it!elf in practice.
5I. 2 .H/ CH(RCH )A#5AG/) #/AR+I+G
I, the dar# di!order! of the decline and fall of the Roman "mpire; the ne5ly or.ani!ed atholic hurch
played an important role in the pre!ervation of learnin. and !ocial idea!. +t. Benedict and a!!iodoru!
in particular !et them!elve! to the !alva.e of boo#! and teachin.; and amon. their immediate follo5er!
5a! one of the fir!t .reat 6ope!; -re.ory the -reat. In tho!e day! the local hri!tian prie!t 5a! often
too i.norant;to under!tand the /atin phra!e! he mumbled and muttered at hi! !ervice!. -re.ory)!
educational ener.y corrected that. %e re!tored the prie!t!) /atin. +o that later the atholic hurch
retained it! 5ide!pread !olidarity in !pite of the mo!t e'traordinary happenin.! in Rome. It 5ould no
doubt have preferred to #eep it! /atin lan.ua.e 5ithout the /atin cla!!ic!; but their u!e 5a!
unavoidable if the lan.ua.e 5a! to be !teadied and !u!tained.
+t. Benedict 5a! born at +poleto in Italy; a youn. man of .ood family. The !hado5 of the time! fell
upon him; he conceived a di!.u!t for the evil in life; and; li#e Buddha a thou!and year! before him; he
too# to the reli.iou! life and !et no limit to hi! au!teritie!. ,ifty mile! from Rome i! +ubiaco; and there
at the end of a .or.e of the &nio; beneath a Cun.le .ro5th of 5eed! and bu!he!; ro!e a de!erted palace
built by the "mperor Nero; overloo#in. an artificial la#e that had been made in tho!e day! of departed
pro!perity by dammin. bac# the 5ater! of the river. %ere 5ith a hair !hirt a! hi! chief po!!e!!ion;
Benedict too# up hi! 3uarter! in a cave in the hi.h !outh5ard7 loo#in. cliff that overhan.! the !tream;
in !o inacce!!ible a po!ition tat hi! food had to be lo5ered to him on a cord by a faithful admirer. Three
year! he lived here; and hi! fame !pread a! Buddha)! did; a! a .reat !aint and teacher.
6re!ently 5e find him no lon.er en.a.ed in !elf7torment; but controllin. a .roup of t5elve
mona!terie!; the re!ort of a .reat number of people. <outh! are brou.ht to him to be educated; and the
5hole character of hi! life ha! cea!ed to be a!cetic.
,rom +ubiaco he removed to (onte a!!ino; half75ay bet5een Rome and Naple!; a. lonely and
1>
beautiful mountain in the mid!t of a .reat circle of maCe!tic hei.ht!. %ere; it i! intere!tin. to note that in
the !i'th century &.D. he found a temple of &pollo and a !acred .rove; and the country!ide !till
5or!hippin. at thi! !hrine. %i! fir!t labour! had to be mi!!ionary labour!; and 5ith difficulty he
per!uaded the !imple pa.an! to demoli!h their temple and cut do5n their .rove. The e!tabli!hment
upon (onte a!!ino became a famou! and po5erful centre 5ithin the lifetime of it! founder. (i'ed up
5ith the imbecile invention! of marvel7lovin. mon#! about demon! e'orci!ed; di!ciple! 5al#in. on the
5ater; and dead children re!tored to life; 5e can !till detect !omethin. of the real !pirit of Benedict.
6articularly !i.nificant are the !torie! that repre!ent him a! di!coura.in. e'treme mortification. %e !ent
a dampin. me!!a.e to a !olitary 5ho had invented a ne5 de.ree in !aintline!! by chainin. him!elf to a
roc# in a narro5 cave. :Brea# thy chain;: !aid Benedict; :for he true !ervant of -od i! chained not to
roc#! by iron; but to ri.hteou!ne!! by hri!t.:
Ne't to the di!coura.ement of !olitary !elf7torture; Benedict in!i!ted upon hard 5or#. Throu.h the
le.end! !hine the clear indication! of the trouble made by hi! patrician !tudent! and di!ciple! 5ho
found them!elve! obli.ed to toil in!tead of leadin. live! of lei!urely au!terity under the mini!tration! of
the lo5ercla!! brethren.
& third remar#able thin. about Benedict 5a! hi! political influence. %e !et him!elf to reconcile -oth!
and Italian!; and it i! clear that Totila; hi! -othic #in.; came to him for coun!el and 5a! .reatly
influenced by him. When Totila retoo# Naple! from the -ree#!; the -oth! protected the 5omen from
in!ult and treated even the captured !oldier! 5ith humanity. Beli!ariu!; 8u!tinian)! .eneral; had ta#en
the !ame place ten year! previou!ly; and had celebrated hi! triumph by a .eneral ma!!acre.
No5 the mona!tic or.ani!ation of Benedict 5a! a very .reat be.innin. in the We!tern 5orld. One of
hi! prominent follo5er! 5a! 6ope -re.ory the -reat ?4127H21A; the fir!t mon# to become 6ope ?4=2AD
he 5a! one of the mo!t capable and ener.etic of the 6ope!; !endin. !ucce!!ful mi!!ion! to the
unconverted; and particularly to) the &n.lo7+a'on!. %e rule! in Rome li#e an independent #in.;
or.ani!in. armie!; ma#in. treatie!. To hi! influence i! due the impo!ition of the Benedictine rule upon
nearly the 5hole of /atin mona!tici!m.
-re.ory the -reat ruled in Rome li#e an independent #in. or.ani!in. armie!; ma#in. treatie!. It 5a! he
5ho !a5 t5o fair captive! from Britain; and; havin. a!#ed 5hence they came and bein. told they 5ere
&n.le!; !aid they mi.ht be an.el!non Angli sed Angelirather than &n.le! if they had the ,aith. %e
made it hi! !pecial bu!ine!! to !end mi!!ionarie! to "n.land. Thi! i! a hi.h 5ater mar# in the
che3uered hi!tory of the Roman hurch. ,rom -re.ory I it pa!!e! into a pha!e of decadence not only at
Rome but throu.hout it! entire !phere of influence.
11
5II. 2 CHAR#/3AG+/
&N intere!tin. amateur in theolo.y 5ho 5a! de!tined to drive a 5ed.e into the !olidarity of the
hri!tian !y!tem 5a! the "mperor harlema.ne; harle! the -reat; the friend and ally of Fin. &lfred
of We!!e'. The 5ed.e 5a! unpremeditated. The learned; inve!tin. hi!tory 5ith the unde!erved di.nity
their !cholarly mind! craved; have endo5ed harle! 5ith an almo!t inhuman fore!i.ht. %e 5a! the !on
of 6epin; 5ho had been (ayor of the 6alace to the la!t of the (erovin.ia Fin.!; and; on the !tren.th of
hi! bein. de facto Fin.; he appealed to the 6ope to tran!fer the ro5n to hi! head. Thi! the 6ope did.
"very5here in "urope the a!cendant ruler! !eiEed upon hri!tianity a! a unifyin. force to cement their
con3ue!t!. hri!tianity became a banner for a..re!!ive chief!a! it did in *.anda in &frica in the
bloody day! before that country 5a! anne'ed to the Briti!h "mpire.
harlema.ne 5a! mo!t !imply and enthu!ia!tically hri!tian; and hi! di!po!ition to !in! of the fle!h; to
a certain dome!tic la'ityhe i! accu!ed amon. other thin.! of ince!tuou! relation! 5ith hi! dau.hter!
merely !harpened hi! redeemin. Eeal for the hurch. &n a..re!!ive hurch had lon. !ince decided
that !in! of the fle!h are venal !in! 5hen 5ei.hed a.ain!t unorthodo'y; and he 5a! able to offer up va!t
hecatomb! of con3uered pa.an! to appea!e the more and more complai!ant atholic hurch. %e
in!i!ted on their becomin. hri!tian!; and to refu!e bapti!m or to retract after bapti!m 5ere e3ually
crime! puni!hable by death. &fter he 5a! cro5ned "mperor he obli.ed every male !ubCect over the a.e
of t5elve to rene5 hi! oath of alle.iance and underta#e to be not !imply a .ood !ubCect but a .ood
hri!tian.
& ne5 6ope; /eo III; in B=4; made harlema.ne "mperor. %itherto the court at ByEantium had
po!!e!!ed a certain Indefinite authority over the 6ope. +tron. emperor! li#e 8u!tinian had bullied the
6ope! and obli.ed them to vi!it on!tantinopleD 5ea# emperor! had annoyed them ineffectively. The
idea of a breach; both !ecular and reli.iou!; 5ith on!tantinople had lon. been entertained at the
/ateran; and in the ,ran#i!h po5er there !eemed to be Cu!t the !upport that 5a! nece!!ary if
on!tantinople 5a! to be defied.
+o upon hi! acce!!ion /eo III !ent the #ey! of the tomb of +t. 6eter and a banner to harlema.ne a! the
!ymbol! of hi! !overei.nty in Rome a! Fin. of Italy. $ery !oon the 6ope had to appeal to the protection
he had cho!en. %e 5a! unpopular in RomeD he 5a! attac#ed and ill7treated in the !treet! durin. a
proce!!ion; and obli.ed to fly to -ermany ?B==A. ".inhard !ay! hi! eye! 5ere .ou.ed out and hi!
ton.ue cut off. %e !eem!; ho5ever; to have had both eye! and ton.ue a.ain a year later. harlema.ne
brou.ht him bac# to Rome and rein!tated him ?G22A.
Then occurred a very important !cene. On hri!tma! Day in the year G22; a! harle! 5a! ri!in. from
prayer in the hurch of +t. 6eter; the 6ope; 5ho had everythin. in readine!!; clapped a cro5n upon hi!
head and hailed him ae!ar and &u.u!tu!. There 5a! .reat popular applau!e. But ".inhard; the friend
and bio.rapher of harlema.ne; !ay! that the ne5 "mperor 5a! by no mean! plea!ed by thi! coup of
6ope /eo)!. If he had #no5n thi! 5a! to happen; he !aid; :he 5ould have not entered the hurch; .reat
fe!tival thou.h it 5a!.:
14
No doubt he had been thin#in. and tal#in. of ma#in. him!elf "mperor; but he had evidently not
intended that the 6ope !hould ma#e him "mperor. %e had had !ome idea of marryin. the "mpre!!
Irene; 5ho at that time rei.ned in on!tantinople; and !o becomin. monarch of both "a!tern and
We!tern "mpire!. But no5 he 5a! obli.ed to accept the title in the manner that /eo had adopted; a! a
.ift from the 6ope; and in a 5ay that e!tran.ed on!tantinople and !ecured the !eparation of Rome
from the ByEantine hurch.
&t fir!t ByEantium 5a! un5illin. to reco.ni!e the imperial title of harlema.ne. But in G11 a .reat
di!a!ter fell upon the ByEantine "mpire. The pa.an Bul.arian!; under their prince Frum; defeated and
de!troyed the armie! of the "mperor Nicephoru!; 5ho!e !#ull became a drin#in. cup for Frum. The
.reat pat of the Bal#an penin!ula 5a! con3uered by the!e people. &fter thi! mi!fortune ByEantium 5a!
in no po!ition to di!pute thi! revival of the empire in the We!t; and in G19 harlema.ne 5a! formally
reco.ni!ed by ByEantine envoy! a! "mperor and &u.u!tu!.
The defunct We!tern "mpire ro!e a.ain a! the :%oly Roman "mpire:. While .it! military !tren.th lay
north of the &lp!; it! centre of authority 5a! Rome. It 5a! from the be.innin. a divided thin.; a claim
and an ar.ument rather than a nece!!ary reality. The .ood -erman !5ord 5a! al5ay! clatterin. over
the &lp! into Italy; and mi!!ion! and le.ate! toilin. over in the rever!e direction. But the -erman!
never could hold Italy permanently; becau!e they could not !tand the malaria that the ruined; ne.lected;
undrained country fo!tered. &nd in Rome; a! 5ell a! in !everal other of the citie! of Italy; there
!mouldered a more ancient tradition; the tradition of the ari!tocratic republic; ho!tile to both "mperor
and 6ope.
In !pite of the fact that 5e have a.life of him 5ritten by hi! contemporary; ".inhard; the character and
per!onality of harlema.ne are difficult to vi!uali!e. ".inhard 5a! a poor 5riterD he .ive! many
particular!; but not the particular! that ma#e a livin. fi.ure. harlema.ne; he !ay!; 5a! a tall man; 5ith
a rather feeble voiceD and he had bri.ht eye! and a lon. no!e. :The top of hi! head 5a! round;:
5hatever that may mean; and hi! hair 5a! :5hite:. 6o!!ibly that mean! he 5a! a blond. %e had a thic#;
rather !hort nec#; and :hi! belly too prominent:. %e 5ore a tunic 5ith a !ilver border; and .artered
ho!e. %e had a blue cloa#; and 5a! al5ay! .irt 5ith hi! !5ord; hilt and belt bein. of .old and !ilver.
%e 5a! a man of .reat animation and hi! abundant love affair! did not interfere at all 5ith hi! ince!!ant
military and political labour! %e too# much e'erci!e 5a! fond of pomp and reli.iou! ceremonie!; and
.ave .enerou!ly. %e 5a! a man of con!iderable intellectual enterpri!e; 5ith a !elf7confident vanity
rather after the fa!hion of William II; the e'7-erman "mperor; 5ho died at Doorn !o unimpre!!ively
the other day.
%i! mental activitie! are intere!tin.; and they !erve a! a !ample of the intellectuality of the time.
6robably he could readD at meal! he :li!tened to mu!ic or readin.; but he never ac3uired the art of
5ritin.D :he u!ed;: !ay! ".inhard; :to #eep hi! 5ritin. boo# and tablet! under hi! pillo5; that 5hen he
had lei!ure he mi.ht practi!e hi! hand in formin. letter!; but he made little pro.re!! in an art be.un too
late in life.: %e certainly di!played a hun.er for #no5led.e; and he too# pain! to attract men of
1H
learnin. to hi! ourt.
The!e learned men 5ere; of cour!e; cler.ymen; there bein. no other learned men then in the 5orld and
naturally they .ave a !tron.ly clerical tin.e to the information they imparted. &t hi! ourt; 5hich 5a!
u!ually at &i'7la7 hapelle or (ayence; he 5hiled a5ay the 5inter !ea!on by a curiou! in!titution
called hi! :!chool:; in 5hich he and hi! erudite a!!ociate! affected to lay a!ide all thou.ht! of 5orldly
po!ition; a!!umed name! ta#en from the cla!!ical 5riter! or from %oly Writ; and di!cour!ed upon
learnin. and theolo.y. harlema.ne him!elf 5a! :David:. %e developed a con!iderable #no5led.e of
theolo.y; and it i! to him that 5e mu!t a!cribe the propo!al to add the 5ord! filioque to the Nicene
reedan addition that finally !plit the /atin and -ree# hurche! a!under. But it i! more than
doubtful 5hether he had any !uch !eparation in mind. %e 5anted to add a 5ord or !o to the reed; Cu!t
a! the "mperor William II 5anted to leave hi! mar# on the -erman lan.ua.e and -erman boo#!; and
he too# up thi! filioque idea; 5hich 5a! ori.inally a +pani!h innovation. 6ope /eo di!creetly oppo!ed
it. When it 5a! accepted centurie! later; it 5a! probably accepted 5ith the deliberate intention of
enforcin. the 5idenin. breach bet5een /atin and ByEantine hri!tendom.
The filio3ue point i! a !ubtle one; and a 5ord or !o of e'planation may not !eem ami!! to tho!e 5ho are
unin!tructed theolo.ically. /atin hri!tendom believe! no5 that the %oly -ho!t proceed! from the
,ather and the +onD -ree# and "a!tern hri!tian!; that the %oly +pirit proceed! from the ,ather;
5ithout any mention of the +on. The latter attitude !eem! to incline a little to5ard! the &rian point of
vie5. The atholic belief i! that the ,ather and the +on have al5ay! e'i!ted to.ether; 5orld 5ithout
endD the -ree# orthodo' idea i! tainted by a very human di!po!ition to thin# father! ou.ht to be at lea!t
a little !enior to their !on!. The reader mu!t .o to hi! o5n reli.iou! teacher! for preci!e in!truction
upon thi! point.
The di!po!ition of men in po!ition! of !upreme educational authority in a community; to direct thou.ht
into !ome particular channel by 5hich their e'i!tence may be made the more memorable; i! not
uncommon@ The "mperor William; for in!tance; helped to ma#e the -erman! a people apart; and did
much for the !pectacle7ma#er! of -ermany; by u!in. hi! influence to !u!tain the heavy Teutonic blac#
letter and in!i!tin. upon the reCection of alien 5ord! and root! from the .ood old -erman vocabulary.
:Telephone: for in!tance 5a! anathema; and :Fernsprecher: 5a! !ub!titutedD and 5irele!! became
:drahtlos:. +o nationali!m in -ermany achieved the !ame end a! the re!i!tance of "n.li!h !tupidity to
ortho.raphic chan.e!; and made the lan.ua.e difficult for and repul!ive to forei.ner!.
The normal !peech of harlema.ne 5a! ,ran#i!h. %e may have under!tood /atin; more particularly if
it 5a! u!ed 5ith con!ideration; but he could have had no opportunity of -ree#. %e made a collection of
old -erman !on.! and tale!; but the!e 5ere de!troyed by hi! !on and !ucce!!or; /oui! the 6iou!;
becau!e of their pa.ani!m.
1B
5III. 2 #AC6 I+./R#(1/
,OR a very lon. time the hold of the "mperor! and the 6ope! upon the ity of Rome 5a! a very
in!ecure one. (any of the !urvivin. patrician familie! and al!o the Roman mob claimed the mo!t
conflictin. privile.e! in the election and removal of the 6ope!; the -erman "mperor claimed !imilar
ri.ht!; and on the other hand the pope! 5ould a!!ert their ri.ht! to depo!e and e'communicate
emperor!. In thi! confu!ion pope! multiplied; even a layman; 8ohn 0I0; 5a! made pope; and there
5ere overlappin. pope! incon!iderable abundance. In 1214 there 5ere three pope! !tru..lin. in Rome;
the notoriou!ly viciou! Benedict I0; +ylve!ter III and -re.ory $I. -re.ory $I bou.ht the 6apacy from
Benedict; 5ho !ub!e3uently 5ent bac# on hi! bar.ain.
%ildebrand became 6ope -re.ory $II. %e !ucceeded 6ope &le'ander; 5ho; under hi! in!piration; had
been attemptin. to reform and con!olidate the hurch or.ani!ation. %e impo!ed celibacy on the cler.y
and !o cut them off from family and !ocial tie!. It con!olidated the hurch but it dehumani!ed the
hurch. %ildebrand fou.ht a lon. fi.ht 5ith the "mperor %enry I$. %enry depo!ed him and -re.ory
depo!ed and e'communicated the "mperor; 5ho repented and did penance at ano!!a. &fter5ard!
%enry re.retted hi! humiliation and created an &nti76ope; lement III. %e be!ie.ed -re.ory 5ho held
out in the a!tle of +t. &n.elo. Robert -ui!card; a Norman freebooter; 5hom 6ope Nichola! n had
made :Du#e of &pulia and alabria and future /ord of +icily by the -race of -od and +t. 6eter:; came
to the re!cue; drove out the "mperor and &nti76ope and incidentally !ac#ed Rome. &fter 5hich
-re.ory 5ent off under the protection of the Norman! and died at +alerno; a hated and unhappy man; a
.ood and .reat7!pirited man defeated by the uncontrollable comple'itie! of life.
+o the !tory of !chi!m! and conflict! run! on throu.h the record! of the hurch. (any of the pope!
fou.ht for po5er for the vile!t end!; but 5e do !uch men a! -re.ory $II and *rban II ?the 6ope of the
,ir!t ru!adeA the .ro!!e!t inCu!tice if 5e i.nore the fact that behind thi! barbaric !tru..le for po5er
there could be lon. vie5! and di!intere!ted aim!. onformity to the concept! of hri!tendom or a
merely brutal life impul!e 5ere the alternative .uide! bet5een 5hich men had to choo!e in the
atmo!phere of that period. (en :!inned: violently and defiantly and yet 5ere !uper!titiou!ly
afraid.Death7bed! .enerally ree#ed 5ith penitence; abCect confe!!ion! and piou! be3ue!t!. It i! difficult
for a modern mind to ima.ine ho5 much in that a.e of confu!ion men could believe; and ho5 little
di.nity; coherence and critici!m there 5a! in their belief!.
%o5 far thin.! could .o 5ith the 5ea#; the viciou! and the in!olent i! !ho5n by one pha!e in the
hi!tory of Rome at thi! time; an almo!t inde!cribable pha!e. The decay of the "mpire of harlema.ne
had left the 6ope un!upported; he 5a! threatened by ByEantium and by the +aracen! ?5ho had ta#en
+icilyA; and face to face 5ith the unruly noble! of Rome. &mon. the mo!t po5erful of the!e noble!
5ere t5o 5omen. Theodora and (aroEia; mother and dau.hter;K1L 5ho in !ucce!!ion held that !ame
a!tle of +t. &n.elo; 5hich Theophylact; the patrician hu!band of Theodora; had !eiEed to.ether 5ith
mo!t of the temporal po5er of the 6ope. The!e t5o 5omen 5ere a! bold; un!crupulou! and di!!olute a!
any male prince of the time could have been; and they are abu!ed by ma!culine hi!torian! a! thou.h
1G
they 5ere ten time! 5or!e. (aroEia !eiEed and impri!oned 6ope 8ohn 0 ?=9GA; 5ho !peedily died under
her hand!. %er mother; Theodora; had been hi! mi!tre!!. (aroEia !ub!e3uently made her ille.itimate
!on 6ope; under the title of 8ohn 0I.
K1L -ibbon mention! a !econd Theodora; the !i!ter of (aroEia.
&fter him her .rand!on; 8ohn 0II; filled the chair of +t. 6eter. -ibbon)! account of the manner! and
moral! of 8ohn 0II i! !uffu!ed 5ith blu!he! and ta#e! refu.e at la!t beneath a veil of /atin footnote!.
Thi! 6ope; 8ohn 0II; 5a! finally de.raded by the -erman "mperor Otto; !cion of a ne5 dyna!ty that
had ou!ted the arlovin.ian!; 5ho came over the &lp! and do5n into Italy to be cro5ned in =H9. %ar!h
critic! of the hurch call thi! pha!e in it! hi!tory the pornocracy.
That :pornocracy: !ound! much more a5ful for the atholic hurch than 5a! the reality. It ha! very
little controver!ial 5ei.ht if our critici!m i! to be Cu!t. It 5a! a purely Roman !candal; and the ,aithful
throu.hout hri!tendom probably never heard a 5ord about thi! :pornocratic: pha!e. They 5ent about
their !imple reli.iou! dutie! a! they had been tau.ht. It 5a! not an a.e of ea!y travel; and practically
nobody in the tenth century 5ent to Rome or heard 5hat 5a! happenin. there. That !ort of !tre!! 5a! to
come later.
I7a 2 .H/ #A(+CHI+G 0F .H/ CR()A1/) - .H/
CH(RCH
IN thi! brief hi!tory of the comple' effort of the human mind and 5ill to !ecure !ome ma!tery over it!
internal and e'ternal perple'itie!; the ru!ade!; and particularly the ,ir!t ru!ade; demand our
particular attention. The ,ir!t ru!ade di!play! :hri!tendom: at it! ma'imum effectivene!! a! a
con!olidatin. and Cu!tifyin. idea; and it !ho5! al!o ho5 the e!!ential in!tability of the Roman
leader!hip and the ideolo.ical frea#i!hne!! of harlema.ne combined 5ith the inherent !elf7!ee#in.
and confu!ion in the human .mind at lar.eD to defeat every ostensible purpose of thi! .reat ea!t5ard
drive. "very o!ten!ible purpo!e. But the reaction of the min.lin. of idea! and purpo!e! hat en!ued had
unfore!een con!e3uence! in the di!inte.ration of hri!tendom that 5a! pre!ently to en!ue.
The ru!ade! 5ere the direct 5or# of the hurch. It had been con!olidatin. it!elf !lo5ly fro the
uncertaintie! of the earlier Dar# &.e!. The e!tabli!hment of clerical celibacy in the ninth and tenth
centurie! 5a! i!olatin. it from the !ocial ma!!; and the retreat from the pa!!ionate !ide of life to
mona!tici!m dotted the 5e!tern 5orld 5ith centre! of indu!triou! hu!bandry; 5hich availed them!elve!
of the protection of the developin. feudal or.ani!ation and provided retreat! from 5hich men of
con!iderably riper year! emer.ed a! mini!ter!; councillor!; educator!. Bec#et 5a! about fifty 5hen he
5a! #illed; &n!elm lived to be !eventy7five; /anfranc)! a.e i! uncertain; but it 5a! !ome5here about
ei.hty. No 5onder they carried 5ei.ht in a .enerally puerile 5orld.
1=
& man i! a! old a! hi! arterie!; 5e !ay no5aday!; but the #ey to a real and authoritative old a.e for
the!e divine! of the Dar# &.e! 5a! probably the inherited !oundne!! of their teeth. Tho!e 5ho!e teeth
decayed cea!ed to !pea# 5ith di.nity and authority. There 5a! no denti!try e'cept e'traction..
:Benefit of cler.y:; 5hich 5or#ed out at la!t a! a convenient miti.ation of har!h penal la5!; aro!e out
of the claim of the con!olidatin. hurch to ta#e cleric! out of the hand! of the temporal po5er and deal
5ith them in it! o5n fa!hion. But the mona!terie! 5ere only a..re!!ive 5hen they daredD they 5ere not
immune from local di!order! and had to be !teered 5ith di!cretion. There 5a! ince!!ant bic#erin.;
robbery and 5arfare; and intermittent local famine; and the !tandard of life ro!e and fell here and there
and from time to time.
In the eleventh and t5elfth centurie!; the civili!ation of We!tern "urope probably di!played far le!!
!ocial in!ecurity and ine3uality; and far le!! .ro!! brutality; than in the !ucceedin. period. There 5ere
re.ion! and pha!e! of comparative health and vitality. But !uch pha!e! meant the accumulation of
lootable re!ource!; and opened the 5ay to conception! of con3ue!t upon a lar.er and more lucrative
!cale. The Norman on3ue!t of "n.land 5a! a con!iderable achievement for that a.e. The tradition of
the Roman "mpire; the tradition of .reat and rich citie! to the !outh7ea!t; !till haunted men)!
ima.ination! and did much to prepare them for the .reater adventure of the ru!ade!.
The older and 5i!er head! 5ho 5ere con!olidatin. a rena!cent /atin hurch in the tenth and eleventh
centurie! 5ere !tru..lin. a.ain!t the ince!!ant bic#erin. 5arfare of the time!. The hurch then 5a!
!omethin. very different from 6ope 6acelli)! hurch of to7day. In it! rea5a#ened eleventh7century
form; under the direction of that .reate!t of papal !tate!men; 6ope -re.ory $II ?%ildebrandA; it 5a! the
mo!t civili!ed and civili!in. thin. in the We!tern 5orld. It 5a! at it! be!t. Not only the Roman hurch
a! 5e #no5 it; but all the 6rote!tant !ect!; are derived from it. It had tried variou! e'pedient! to put a
truce upon local violence; and it !eiEed upon the Tur#i!h ill7treatment of pil.rim! to the %oly +epulchre
a! an incentive. The!e Tur#! had !ma!hed the ByEantine armie! and driven them out of &!ia (inor.
They !at do5n in Nicaea; oppo!ite ByEantium it!elf. In thi! e'tremity &le'i! omnenu!; the ByEantine
"mperor; appealed to 6ope -re.ory $II for help; and the /atin7!pea#in. We!t re!ponded promptly and
vi.orou!ly. Both the We!tern "mpire and the hurch !a5 plainly before it the !ubCu.ation of the
"a!tern 5orld by the We!t.
I7b 2 CHRI)./+103 3ARCH/) /A).
T%" incitement to cru!ade arou!ed a !tupenpdou! and varied re!pon!e. It relea!ed all the latent
unifyin. force! that had accumulated about the idea of hri!tendom.
In the be.innin. of the !eventh century 5e !a5 We!tern "urope a! a chao! of !ocial and political
fra.ment!; 5ith no common idea nor hope; a !y!tem !hattered almo!t to a du!t of !elf7!ee#in.
92
individual!. No5; at the clo!e of the eleventh century; 5e di!cover a common belief; a lin#in. idea; to
5hich men may devote them!elve!; and by 5hich they can co7operate to.ether in a univer!al
enterpri!e. We reali!e that; in !pite of much 5ea#ne!! and intellectual and moral un!oundne!!; to thi!
e'tent the hri!tian hurch had worked. We are able to mea!ure the evil pha!e! of tenth7century Rome;
the !candal!; the filthine!!; the murder! and violence; at their proper value by the !cale of thi! fact. No
doubt; not only in Rome it!elf; but all over hri!tendom; there had been many laEy; evil and fooli!h
eccle!ia!tic!; but it i! manife!t that in !pite of them a ta!# of teachin. and co7ordination had been
accompli!hed by a .reat multitude of ri.ht7livin. prie!t! and mon#! and nun!. & ne5 and .reater
amphictyony; the amphictyony of hri!tianity; had come into the 5orld; and it had been built by
thou!and! of the!e anonymou! faithful live!.
&nd the re!pon!e to the appeal of *rban II 5a! not confined only to 5hat 5e !hould call educated
people. It 5a! not !imply #ni.ht! and prince! 5ho 5ere 5illin. to .o cru!adin.. +ide by !ide 5ith the
fi.ure of *rban 5e mu!t put that of 6eter the %ermit; a type novel to "urope; albeit a little remini!cent
of the %ebre5 prophet!. Thi! man appeared preachin. the cru!ade to the common people. %e told a
!tory5hether truthful or untruthful hardly matter! in thi! connectionof hi! pil.rima.e to 8eru!alem;
of the 5anton de!truction at the %oly +epulchre by the +elCu# Tur#!; 5ho too# it !ome5hen about l2B4
the chronolo.y of thi! period i! !till very va.ueand of the e'action!; brutalitie! and deliberate
crueltie! no5 practi!ed upon the hri!tian pil.rim!.to the %oly 6lace!. Barefooted; clad in a coar!e
.arment; ridin. on an a!! and bearin. a hu.e cro!!; thi! man travelled about ,rance and -ermany; and
every5here haran.ued va!t cro5d! in church or !treet or mar#et7place.
%ere for the fir!t time 5e di!cover the ma!!e! of "urope 5ith a common idea. %ere i! a collective
re!pon!e of indi.nation to the !tory of a remote 5ron.; a !5ift reali!ation of a common cau!e by rich
and poor ali#e. <ou cannot ima.ine that happenin. in the "mpire of &u.u!tu! re.ar; or; indeed; in any
previou! !tate in the 5orld)! hi!tory. +omethin. of the #ind mi.ht perhap! have been po!!ible in the far
!maller 5orld of %ella!; or in &rabia before I!lam. But thi! movement affected nation!; #in.dom!;
ton.ue! and people!. We are dealin. 5ith !omethin. ne5 that ha! come into the 5orld.
,rom the fir!t thi! flamin. enthu!ia!m 5a! mi'ed 5ith ba!er element!. There 5a! the cold and
calculated !cheme of the free and ambitiou! /atin hurch to !ubdue and replace the ByEantine hurchD
there 5a! the freebootin. in!tinct of the Norman!; no5 tearin. Italy to piece!; 5hich turned readily
enou.h to a ne5 and richer 5orld of plunderD and there 5a! !omethin. in the multitude 5ho no5
turned their face! ea!t; !omethin. deeper than love in the human compo!ition; namely; fear7born hate;
that the impa!!ioned appeal! of the propa.andi!t! and the e'a..eration of the horror! and crueltie! of
the infidel had fanned into flame.
&nd !till other force! 5ere at 5or#D the intolerant +elCu#! and the intolerant ,atimite! lay no5 an
impa!!able barrier acro!! the ea!t5ard trade of -enoa and $enice that had hitherto flo5ed throu.h
Ba.hdad; &leppo and ".ypt. *nle!! on!tantinople and the Blac# +ea route 5ere to monopoli!e
"a!tern trade alto.ether; they mu!t force open the!e clo!ed channel!. (oreover; in 12=1 and 12=4 there
91
had been a pe!tilence and famine from the +cheldt to Bohemia; and there 5a! .reat !ocial
di!or.ani!ation.
:No 5onder;: 5rote (r. "rne!t Bar#er; :that a !tream of emi.ration !et to5ard! the "a!t; !uch a! 5ould
in modern time! flo5 to5ard! a ne5ly di!covered .oldfielda !tream carryin. in it! turbid 5ater!
much refu!e@ tramp! and ban#rupt!; camp7follo5er! and huc#!ter!; fu.itive mon#! and e!caped
villein!; and mar#ed by the !ame motley .roupin.; the !ame fever of life; the !ame alternation! of
affluence and be..ary; 5hich mar# the ru!h for a .oldfield to7day.:
But the!e 5ere !econdary contributory cau!e!. The fact of predominant intere!t to the hi!torian of
man#ind i! thi! 5ill to cru!ade !uddenly revealed a! a ne5 ma!! po!!ibility in human affair!.
The fir!t force! to move ea!t5ard 5ere .reat cro5d! of undi!ciplined people rather than armie!; and
they !ou.ht to ma#e their 5ay by the valley of the Danube; and thence !outh5ard to on!tantinople.
Thi! ha! been called the :people)! cru!ade:. Never before in the 5hole hi!tory of the 5orld had there
been !uch a !pectacle a! the!e ma!!e! of practically leaderle!! people moved by an idea. It 5a! a very
crude idea. When they .ot amon. forei.ner!; they did not reali!e they 5ere not already amon. the
infidel. T5o .reat mob!; the advance .uard of the e'pedition; committed !uch e'ce!!e! in %un.ary;
5here the lan.ua.e 5a! incomprehen!ible to them; that they 5ere ma!!acred. & third ho!t be.an 5ith a
.reat po.rom of the 8e5! in the Rhineland; and thi! multitude 5a! al!o de!troyed in %un.ary. T5o
other !5arm! under 6eter him!elf reached on!tantinople; to the a!toni!hment and di!may of the
"mperor &le'iu!. They looted and committed outra.e!; until he !hipped them acro!! the Bo!phoru!; to
be ma!!acred rather than defeated by the +elCu#! ?12=HA.
Thi! fir!t unhappy appearance of the :people: a! people in modern "uropean hi!tory 5a! follo5ed in
12=B by the or.ani!ed force! of the ,ir!t ru!ade. They came by diver!e route! from ,rance;
Normandy; ,lander!; "n.land; +outhern Italy and +icily and the 5ill and po5er of them 5ere the
Norman!. They cro!!ed the Bo!phoru! and captured Nicaea; 5hich &le'iu! !natched a5ay from them
before they could loot it.
Then they 5ent to &ntioch; 5hich they too# after nearly a year)! !ie.e. Then they defeated a .reat
relievin. army from (o!ul.
& lar.e part of the cru!ader! remained in &ntioch; a !maller force under -odfrey of Bouillon 5ent on
to 8eru!alem. To 3uote Bar#er a.ain@ :&fter a little more than.a month)! !ie.e; the city 5a! finally
captured ?8uly 14th; 12==A. The !lau.hter 5a! terribleD the blood of the con3uered ran do5n the !treet!;
until men !pla!hed in blood a! they rode. &t ni.htfall; )!obbin. for e'ce!! of Coy); the cru!ader! came to
the +epulchre from their treadin. of the 5inepre!!; and put their blood7!tained hand! to.ether in prayer.
+o; on that day of triumph; the ,ir!t ru!ade came to an end.:
The authority of the 6atriarch of 8eru!alem 5a! at once !eiEed upon by the /atin cler.y 5ith the
e'pedition; and the Orthodo' hri!tian! found them!elve! in rather a 5or!e ca!e under /atin rule than
under the Tur#. There 5ere already /atin principalitie! e!tabli!hed at &ntioch and "de!!a; and bet5een
99
the!e variou! court! and #in.! be.an a !tru..le for a!cendancy. There 5a! an un!ucce!!ful attempt to
ma#e 8eru!alem a property of the 6ope. The!e are complication! beyond our pre!ent !cope.
/et u! 3uote; ho5ever; a characteri!tic pa!!a.e from -ibbon; to !ho5 the drift of event!@
:In a !tyle le!! .rave than that of hi!tory; I !hould perhap! compare the "mperor &le'iu! to the Cac#al;
5ho i! !aid to follo5 the !tep! and devour the leavin.! of the lion. Whatever had been hi! fear! and
toil! in the pa!!a.e of the ,ir!t ru!ade; they 5ere amply recompen!ed by the !ub!e3uent benefit!
5hich he derived from the e'ploit! of the ,ran#!. %i! de'terity and vi.ilance !ecured their fir!t
con3ue!t of Nicaea; and from thi! threatenin. !tation the Tur#! 5ere compelled to evacuate the
nei.hbourhood of on!tantinople.
:While the ru!ader!; 5ith blind valour; advanced into the midland countrie! of &!ia; the crafty -ree#
improved the favourable occa!ion 5hen the emir! of the !ea coa!t 5ere recalled to the !tandard of the
+ultan. The Tur#! 5ere driven from the i!land! of Rhode! and hio!D the citie! of "phe!u! and +myrna;
of +arde!; 6hiladelphia and /aodicea; 5ere re!tored to the empire; 5hich &le'iu! enlar.ed from the
%elle!pont to the ban#! of the (aeander and the roc#y !hore! of 6amphylia. The churche! re!umed
their !plendourD the to5n! 5ere rebuilt and fortifiedD and the de!ert country 5a! peopled 5ith colonie!
of hri!tian!; 5ho 5ere .ently removed from the more di!tant and dan.erou! frontier.
:In the!e paternal care! 5e may for.ive &le'iu! if he for.ot the deliverance of the holy !epulchreD but
by the /ain! he 5a! !ti.mati!ed 5ith the foul reproach of trea!on and de!ertion. They had !5orn
obedience and fidelity to hi! throneD but he had promi!ed to a!!i!t their enterpri!e in per!on; or; at lea!t;
5ith hi! troop! and trea!ure!D hi! ba!e retreat di!!olved all their old .ain!D and the !5ord; 5hich had
been the in!trument of their victory; 5a! the pled.e and title of their Cu!t independence. It doe! not
appear that the emperor attempted to revive hi! ob!olete claim! over the #in.dom of 8eru!alem; but the
border! of ilicia and +yria 5ere more recent in hi! po!!e!!ion and more acce!!ible to hi! arm!. The
.reat army of the cru!ader! 5a! annihilated or di!per!edD the principality of &ntioch 5a! left 5ithout a
head; by the !urpri!e and captivity of BohemondD hi! ran!om had oppre!!ed him 5ith a heavy debtD and
hi! Norman follo5er! 5ere in!ufficient to repel the ho!tilitie! of the -ree#! and Tur#!.
:In thi! di!tre!!; Bohemond embraced a ma.nanimou! re!olution; of leavin. the defence of &ntioch to
hi! #in!man; the faithful TancredD of armin. the We!t a.ain!t the ByEantine "mpire; and of e'ecutin.
the de!i.n 5hich he inherited from the le!!on! and e'ample of hi! father -ui!card. %i! embar#ation
5a! clande!tineD and if 5e may credit a tale of the 6rince!! &nna; he pa!!ed the ho!tile !ea clo!ely
!ecreted in a coffin. ?&nna onpena add! that; to complete the imitation; he 5a! !hut up 5ith a dead
coc#D and conde!cend! to 5onder ho5 the barbarian could endure the confinement and putrefaction.
Thi! ab!urd tale i! un#no5n to the /atin!.A...:
+o -ibbon; cau!tic but veraciou!; dete!tin. Roman and ByEantine 5ith an impartial dete!tation; bear!
hi! 5itne!!.
It 5a! in thi! 5idenin. conflict of the /atin and the -ree# that that theolo.ical frea# of harlema.ne;
9>
the filio3ue clau!e; became important politically.
We have traced the .ro5th of thi! idea of a reli.iou! .overnment of hri!tendomand throu.h
hri!tendom of man#indand 5e have !ho5n ho5 naturally and ho5 nece!!arily; becau!e of the
tradition of 5orld empire; it found a centre at Rome. The 6ope of Rome 5a! the only We!tern
patriarchD he 5a! the reli.iou! head of a va!t re.ion in 5hich the rulin. ton.ue 5a! /atinD the other
patriarch! of the Orthodo' hurch !po#e -ree# and !o 5ere inaudible throu.hout hi! domain!D; and the
t5o 5ord! filio3ue; 5hich had been added to the /atin creed; no5 !plit off the ByEantine hri!tian! by
one of tho!e impalpable and elu!ive doctrinal point! upon 5hich there i! no reconciliation. ?The final
rupture 5a! in 1241.A
The broad reality of the ru!ade! 5a! that all the !urplu! ener.y of the We!t; in a pa!!ion of .reed;
piety and virtuou! indi.nation; poured do5n upon the far more !ophi!ticated /evant and returned 5ith
a thou!and hitherto unheard7of thin.!. (o!t of the ran# and file 5ere #illed off ?:The men 5ere
!plendid:A; but the #ni.ht! and noblemen 5ho returned 5ith their retinue! came bac# 5ith !il# and
velvet; dye! and chain armour; and cravin.! and conception! of lu'ury that had been !ubmer.ed in the
mind! of 5e!tern men !ince the collap!e of the Roman "mpire.
7. 2 A CA.H0#IC G/+.#/3A+ 0F $&&9
/"T u! no5 !#etch the face and 3uality of human life in "urope at that time; in the fourteenth and
fifteenth centurie!. We mu!t clear our mind! of the popular per!ua!ion that the people 5ho 5ent to and
fro in the to5n! and villa.e! 5e inherit 5ere very much li#e the people 5ho 5al# about our !treet! to7
day; e'cept that they 5ore different co!tume!. That i! a complete delu!ion. There 5a! no !uch fancy
dre!! ball. The!e fifteenth7century people 5ere; on the avera.e; t5enty year! youn.er; they 5ere le!!
healthy loo#in.; and they !tan# 3uite abominably. The barbari!m of the period 5a! not primitive. It had
ari!en out of the decadence of a precedin. !ocial order. The .reat public bath! of the Roman tradition
had faded out of the crumblin. !ocial edifice. Not only are 5e mi!led by the natural
anthropomorphi!m; !o to !pea#; that ma#e! u! ima.e the cro5d! in the pa!t e!!entially li#e the cro5d!
of to7day; but 5e are al!o mi!led by the picture! and record! 5hich mi!repre!ent the !pectacle of the
time!.
The printed boo# had !till to da5n upon the 5orld; and 5hatever record 5a! made of the !ho5 of
thin.! 5a! #ept by mon#i!h chronicler! employed by the 6rince! and 6otentate! of the time. The!e
#eeper! of the record! !at and toiled to ma#e their manu!cript! a! bri.ht and plea!in. to their employer!
a! po!!ible. +o that our vi!ion of that time i! ma.ically illuminated by their art. & ree#in. !lum of
human indi.nity i! lit up by the flatterin. bri.htne!! of the !ub!ervient chronicler and the blaEon! of
heraldry; and it i! only 5hen 5e !ubCect them to a clo!er !crutiny that 5e are able to .ra!p the !3ualid
91
fact! of human life durin. that period.
Then a! no the 5orld had it! o5n loveline!!; !unri!e and !un!et; the .loriou! on!et of !prin.; the .olden
autumn; the 5hite fro!t flo5er! upon the branche!; but the dye! and fabric! of thirteenth7 and
fourteenth7century clothin. in hri!tendom had none of the .ilt and !hinin. pi.mentation of the
illuminator. lothin. mu!t have been !till crude in colour and !tale and dirty in !ub!tance. The normal
!pan of life 5a! brief and men 5ere flim!ier. We find the arm our of our ance!tor! too !mall and ti.ht
for even puny men to7day. But then; one may a!#; 5a! it 5orn by real .ro5n7up men? The!e people
5ere often married at thirteen; they 5ere 5arrior! and leader! in their later teen!D they became cruel old
!atyr! at !i'7and7thirty. In fact they never .re5 up either phy!ically or mentally. They lived in a 5orld
of 5itle!! lord!hip and puerile melodrama.
,rom thi! di!illu!ionin. di.re!!ion upon the brilliance in the fifteenth century; 5e can turn to one
e'ceptionally :brilliant: youn. man; -ille! de Rai!; a type of hi! time; of 5ho!e life 5e have by
variou! accident! an e'ceptionally full record. %e 5a! married to a rich heire!! at !i'teen after t5o
earlier attempt! to ma#e a match for him ?the earlie!t at thirteenA had fallen throu.h. %e 5a! a boy not
only of e'ceptional ener.y but of e'ceptional .ift!. %e patroni!ed mu!ic. %e illuminated and bound
boo#!. &nd from the out!et he 5a! 5hat people call :unbalanced:.
+ome people may be di!po!ed to account for hi! peculiar aberration! by !ayin. he Cu!t :5ent mad:. But
madne!! i! a! pitile!! and con!i!tent a proce!! a! anythin. el!e that can happen; the !e3uence of idea!
in tho!e 5e call in!ane i! a! inevitable; you can find their ori.in! and their a!!ociation!; and no5aday!
5hen 5e are all out of harmony 5ith our condition! of !urvival; to !ay merely that he :5ent mad: doe!
not even put him out!ide the pale of normal e'perience. "'ceptionally 5ealthy at the out!et; hi! mental
liveline!! made him a !pendthrift. /i#e many youn.!ter! born rich; he could not ima.ine bein. hard up
until he 5a!. %e li#ed to .ive e'trava.ant entertainment!; my!terie! and moralitie!. ,rom fir!t to la!t he
5a! a .ood atholic; con!cientiou!ly and unfei.nedly reli.iou!. But for that he mi.ht never have been
hun.. %e dabbled in alchemy and the blac# art!D there 5a! no (onte arlo for him in tho!e day! and
no turfand he tried to ma#e up for hi! ma.ic by e'trava.ant charity and !pecial ma!!e!.
&ll thi! i! the behaviour of an uncontrolled upper7form !choolboy 5ith a belief in hi! luc#; an uncritical
piety of the :On5ard hri!tian +oldier!: type; and an unanaly!ed di!po!ition to torment fa.!. It mu!t
be cited to place him definitely in relation to our o5n mind!; but not in any 5ay a! a condonation of
5hat he did. %e 5a! cruelD by all our !tandard! he 5a! hideou!ly cruelD he deli.hted in the tormentin.
of childrenD and the point! be!t 5orth di!cu!!in. about him here are; first, 5hether he 5a! an
e'ceptional !inner; or 5hether hi! crime! 5ere the outcome of a mental di!po!ition that ha! al5ay!
been operative !ince that 5retched con.e!tion of man#ind 5hich i! called civili!ation be.anD and
secondly; and more important for our pre!ent purpo!e; ho5 far the reli.iou! belief! and practice! of
atholic hri!tendom in the fifteenth century really condemned hi! abomination!.
The hri!tian! before the day! of on!tantine the -reat had !tood out valiantly a.ain!t the crueltie! of
the arena and for the practical brotherhood of man; but 5a! the hurch !till doin. !o 5hen -ille! de
94
Rai! 5a! a .reat nobleman? The record! tell that he 5a! hun. for the torture and murder of 112
children to 5hich he confe!!ed; in the year 1112. %e had committed !acrile.e and infrin.ed clerical
immunity by enterin. the hurch of +t. "tienne de (er (orte Cu!t after (a!! and dra..in. out a
certain 8ean de ,erron 5ho 5a! #neelin. there in prayer. Thi! precipitated the ho!tility and !u!picion
that 5a! accumulatin. a.ain!t him. &! a !e3uel to thi! outra.e he 5a! arre!ted and cited before the
Bi!hop of Nante! on variou! char.e!; of 5hich !acrile.e and here!y 5ere the chief and the!e murder! a
!condary i!!ue; & parallel en3uiry 5a! made by 6ierre de l)%tpital; 6re!ident of the Breton parlement;
by 5ho!e !entence he 5a! finally condemned. %i! piety and abCect confe!!ion !aved him from torture;
of 5hich he probably 5ent in profound dread becau!e of the fa!cination it had for him.
%e 5a! hun.; :hou!ell)d; appointed; anel)d:; more fortunate than %amlet)! father; and hi! body 5a!
!aved from bein. burnt by :four or five dame! and demoi!elle! of .reat e!tate:; 5ho removed hi! body
from the flame! of the pyre built !o that he 5ould fall into it. (anife!tly they thou.ht no .reat evil of
5hat he had done. %i! t5o a!!ociate! had no !uch !ocial !tandin.; and their bodie! 5ere burnt. Thi!; I
under!tand; 5ill cau!e them con!iderable trouble at the Re!urrection from 5hich the ari!tocratic -ille!
5ill be e'empt.
%e be.an life brilliantly and honourably. %e mu!t have !eemed a !plendid youn. man to the 5orld
about him; and by every current !tandard he 5a! !plendid. %e 5a! a clo!e ally and !upporter of 8oan of
&rc; 5ith 5hom he fou.ht !ide by !ide at Orlean! and later at 8ar.eau and 6atay. %e carried out the
coronation of harle! $II at Reim!; and he 5a! made marichal of ,rance upon that important occa!ion.
Thi! riddle of condonation of !ocial ine3uality and cruelty confront! u! at every !ta.e of the lon.
:(artyrdom of (an:. (an i! evidently an animal 5hich 5ill fi.ht; and on occa!ion fi.ht de!perately;
but 5hich prefer! to fi.ht at an advanta.e. %e ha! been readier to u!e moderation and ma#e
conce!!ion! 5hen fi.htin. a.ain!t hi! 3ua!i7e3ual! than a.ain!t tho!e 5ho are alto.ether helple!!; and
al5ay! he ha! !ho5n little or no re.ard for hi! inferior!; the ran# and file; !till le!! for the feeble fol#
5ho .et in hi! militant 5ay. When a !corched earth policy had to be underta#en; or if they 5ere 8e5! or
infidel!; they counted for nothin. at all.
The erchant of !enice; the dulle!t play perhap! produced by the +ha#e!peare .roup; e'hibit! an
internal !tru..le bet5een a liberal7minded and a preCudiced element in the .roup of player! 5hich
vamped up that fundamentally dreary !tory of hate a.ain!t hate. The !tru..le bet5een the!e t5o
element! .oe! on in every human .roupin.; not only bet5een one man and another; but bet5een 5hat
5e are apt to call a man)! better !elf and hi! lo5er nature bet5een hi! !en!e of ri.hteou!ne!! and hi!
even more deeply rooted preCudice!. It run! throu.h the entire hri!tian !tory; and our ca!e a.ain!t the
atholic hurch i! that; albeit it ori.inated in a pa!!ionate a!!ertion of the conception. of brotherly
e3uality; it relap!ed !teadily from the broad nobility of it! be.innin.! and pa!!ed over at la!t almo!t
completely to the !ide of per!ecution and the plea!ure! of cruelty.
9H
7I. 2 )0CIA# I+/:(A#I.- I+ .H/ $&.H A+1 $;.H
C/+.(RI/)
B< the on!et of the fifteenth century; the .enerally youthful population of hri!tendom had achieved
it! ma'imum comple' of human ine3uality; and di!played an intricacy of !ocial !tratification that only
ca!te7ridden India could e'cel. If one turn! over the picture! of tho!e admirable compilation!; (.&.
Racinet)! "e Costume #istorique; or; !till better; &dolf Ro!enber.)! $eschichte des %ostums; one can
!ee the 5hole proce!! of an incoherent barbari!m pa!!in. vi!ibly into an inten!ely !ophi!ticated !ocial
!tructure; 5ith an ever 5idenin. .ap bet5een cla!! and cla!!; in the cour!e of three centurie!. The
common people !till .o half na#ed; or they 5ear !#in! and have rude puttee! 5rapped bout their feet.
+o the ma!! remain!D but pre!ently intermediate !trata appear. Belo5 the !trenuou! ma.nificence of the
nobility) and .entry appear craft!men !ub!ervin. the e'pandin. need! of their !uperior!. *pper !ervant!
appear; and attendant! made pa!!able in their appearance! and even 5earin. liverie!.
Nobody catered for the ordinary man)! clothin.. %e 5ore old ca!t7off !tuff. "ven to7day there i! !till a
.reat mar#et for ca!t7off clothe!. Ri.ht do5n to the meddle nineteenth century :6addy: 5a! 5earin.
inappropriate !econd7hand!. %i! tail coat and debo!hed top7hat 5a! part of the fun the "n.li!h made of
him. Belo5 the level of .entility nobody thou.ht of caterin. for the lo5er7cla!! body or the lo5er7cla!!
home. I am no5 nearly !eventy7!even and I 5a! brou.ht up in a home in 5hich everythin.; carpet!;
bed! and all; e'cept for a mu!lin curtain or !o; had been bou.ht at !ale!. It 5a! an indi.nant
philanthropi!t at 6lymouth 5ithout any thou.ht of .ain 5ho re!olved to ma#e furniture that 5ould meet
the need! of the poor home; lo5er7middle7cla!! chiefly. %e blundered into a fortune and launched
+hoolbred)!; (aple)!; %eal)! and all the re!t of them on their va!t pro!perou! career!. In the period of
-ille! de Rai!; no :inferior: dared enCoy anythin. until it had done it! !ervice at the rich man)! table. To
everyone in the 5orld; thi! !eemed alto.ether natural. (eanly and dirtily dre!!ed; ill7nouri!hed; ill7
hou!ed and de!pi!edD that 5a! the lot of the vul.ar. Witne!! our :myriad7minded: +ha#e!peare. %o5
!ome one in that :myriad: could de!pi!e their :.rea!y cap!: and moc# their poor effort! to imitate and
propitiate their better!J
Dirt and mutual contempt; !mothered re!entment! and crin.in. ac3uie!cence!. +uch 5a! !ocial reality
in the fifteenth century; in 5hich -ille! de Rai! lived; in!anitary finery above broodin. over .reat
!3ualour. +uch 5a! the !ocial atmo!phere of the !upreme di!ruptive pha!e in hri!tendom.
"ven 5hen one !crutini!e! the !ort of thin. the fourteenth and fifteenth centurie! e!teemed finery; there
i! a cheapne!! of invention and a factor of animal a!!ertion that Car! upon the di.nity and re!ervation!
of our maturer mind!. The cod7piece; often formidably enlar.ed; 5itne!!e! to the !e'ual ob!e!!ion! of
the!e adole!cent ance!tor! of our!; and !u..e!t! the graffiti of the public urinal 5hich relea!e! the
a5a#enin. mind! of contemporary youth.
&part from that; a!pect of the fourteenth and fifteenth centurie!; the co!tume of the middlin. !ort
di!play! a re!ort to pin#in.; puffin.; !la!hin.; le.! of different colour! and the li#e feeble device!.
9B
+ome5hen about thi! time there came a 5ave of better ta!teI thin# out of entral &!ia. It came 5ith
playin. card!. The pin#in. and puffin. and !la!hin.; the !illy lon.7toed !hoe! ad !o forth; pre!ently
vani!hed before it! influence for a time. The court card! of the normal pac# fore!hado5 the dre!! of
the !eventeenth century. Thi! 5ave of better ta!te did not come 5ith the returnin. ru!ader!; but by
!ome more northern route; about 5hich I am e3ually curiou! and i.norant. With it! on!et a certain
!obriety impo!ed it!elf upon the co!tume of the intermediate cla!!e!. Their !uperior! !oon returned to
the ruff! and beCe5elled embroidery. Their inferior! remained !3ualid. &! they are to thi! day.
7II. 2 .H/ 1AW+ 0F )0CIA# 1I)C0+./+.
No5 it happened that t5o very con!iderable !tre!!e! in the common 5ay of livin. in "urope occurred
in the middle fourteenth century. &t fir!t they had little to do 5ith each other or 5ith the reli.iou!
development of hri!tendom. /ater they 5ere to revolutioni!e it alto.ether. They both came from the
"a!t. One 5a! the Blac# DeathD the other 5a! the manufacture of paper and the obviou! po!!ibility it
brou.ht 5ith it of printin. uniform boo#! from movable type. The one made labour dearD the other
made boo#! and #no5led.e cheap. The fir!t; a! 5e !hall !ee; launched !ociali!m upon the 5orldD the
!econd liberated the critical intelli.ence of man#ind. %itherto the !ubCu.ation of the common people
had been an ea!y matter. There 5ere plenty of them; and if they 5ould not 5or# for the /ord of the
(anor or hi! !ub7tenant!; they could freeEe and !tarve. Then came deliverance out of the "a!t and
found a ready !oil in the filthy to5n! and dirty villa.e! of the mediaeval country!ide; the -reat
6e!tilence.
Never 5a! there !uch a pe!tilence. It came and it returned. It 5ell ni.h blotted out man#ind. (ore than
half of the three or four million! 5ho formed the population of "n.land 5ere !5ept a5ay. There 5ere
no hand! to till the !oilD there 5ere none left 5ho could drive the !trayin. cattle out of the field! and
corn.
,or the fir!t time in the hi!tory of hri!tendom there follo5ed a !tru..le bet5een property and the
5or#er. 6roperty; in accordance 5ith it! a.e7lon. e!tabli!hed ideolo.y; could find no better 5ay of
dealin. 5ith the univer!al di!tre!! than to a!!ert that the 5or#er! mu!t toil very much harder. The
propertied cla!!e! of the de!olation after the Blac# Death tried to tie !uch 5or#er! a! there 5ere to their
Cob!; by forbiddin. mi.ration; fi'in. 5a.e! belo5 !tarvation level; and !o forth; and bein. very
implacable about it all.
The va.ue indi.nation of popular common !en!e found e'pre!!ion in the preachin. of one 5hom the
courtly ,roi!!art called :a mad prie!t of Fent:; 8ohn Ball.
:-ood people;: cried the preacher; :thin.! 5ill never .o 5ell in "n.land !o lon. a! .ood! be not in
common; and !o lon. a! there be villein! and .entlemen. By 5hat ri.ht are they 5hom 5e call lord!
9G
.reater fol# than 5e? On 5hat .round! have they de!erved it? Why do they hold u! in !erfa.e? If 5e all
came of the !ame father and mother; of &dam and "ve; ho5 can they !ay or prove that they are better
than 5e; if it be not that they ma#e u! .ain for them by our toil that they !pend in their pride? They are
clothed in velvet and 5arm in their fur! and their ermine!; 5hile 5e are covered 5ith ra.!. They have
5ine and !pice! and fair breadD and 5e oat7ca#e and !tra5; and 5ater to drin#. They have lei!ure and
fine hou!e!D 5e have pain and labour; the rain and the 5ind in the field!. &nd yet it i! of u! and of our
toil that the!e men hold their !tate.:
&nd !o to the plain challen.e of
:When &dam delved and "ve !pan; Who 5a! then the .entleman?:
the ,rench 8ac3uerie 5a! !imultaneou! and all of a piece 5ith the primordial !ociali!m of 8ohn Ball. &t
that time Fent and the !outh7ea!t of "n.land 5ere far more clo!ely lin#ed 5ith the north7ea!t of ,rance
in thou.ht and !ocial life than 5ith the land! behind either re.ion. There 5ere parallel movement! in
,lander!; and e!pecially -hent and Bru.e! and <pre!. The -hent 5eaver! 5ere the !toute!t. :,or !i'
year!; de!pite amaEin. vici!!itude!; they held their o5n a.ain!t the prince; the noble! and all ).ood fol#
5ho had anythin. to lo!e): ?%enri 6irenne; A #istory of EuropeA.
%o5 Wat Tyler 5a! murderedD ho5 later on 8ohn Ball 5a! e'ecuted in the !i.ht of Richard lID ho5 that
tra.ic and in.loriou! #in. lied and cheated hi! 5ay out of the 6ea!ant RevoltD ho5 the people tru!ted
him and 5ere ma!!acred for their touchin. di!po!ition to accept the 5ord of a .entlemanD and ho5;
after a pha!e of alleviation; due to the fact that the more they 5ere butchered the rarer they became;
they increa!ed and multiplied and 5ere economically deba!ed once moreD all that i! to be found in any
hi!tory.
But the !pirit of that Fenti!h revolt did not dieD it remained a! an in!ubordination that pre!ently; 5ith
the tran!lation and pre!ently the printin. and cheapenin. of the Bible and the do5n5ard e'ten!ion of
literacy that en!ued; developed into reli.iou! recalcitrance; into nonconformity and di!!ent; into
radicali!m and at la!t into lucid 5orld !ociali!m; a.ain!t 5hich tradition; the old idea of lord over
inferior a! the natural !tructure of !ociety; never completely rein!tated it!elf.
7IIIa. 2 .H/ 3/+.A# A.30)PH/R/ /F0R/ .H/
R/F0R3A.I0+
IT mu!t be under!tood that it 5a! from 5ithin the body of the atholic hurch that the de!truction of
it! o5n unity came. It 5a! men in holy order! !trivin. to be .ood hri!tian! 5ho be.an to 3ue!tion the
method! and di!cipline! of the hurch. The Reformation came out of the heart of the hurch. It 5a! the
!ubtle and ob!tinate Wycliffe 5ho denied Tran!ub!tantiation and !plit off a livin. and pro.re!!ive
9=
6rote!tanti!m from an ever more reactionary hurch; 5ho had the Bible tran!lated into the vul.ar
ton.ue; and; to.ether 5ith hi! pupil; 8an %u!!; be.ot the Reformation.
The !pirit of 6rote!tanti!m !pran. from men 5ho too# their un3ue!tionin. atholic faith 5ith !uch
!eriou!ne!! that they could not but prote!t a.ain!t the evil thin.! they beheld about them. In the le!!
critical eleventh century; in the day! 5hen %ildebrand ?6ope -re.ory $IIA 5a! bracin. up the !olidarity
of the hurch by in!i!tin. on prie!tly celibacy and the complete detachment from normal human livin.
that thi! involved; there had been an e'traordinary 5illin.ne!! to believe the atholic prie!thood .ood
and 5i!e. Relatively it 5a! 5i!er and better in tho!e day!. -reat po5er! beyond her !piritual function!
had been entru!ted to the hurch; and very e'traordinary freedom!. The tra.edy of the hurch i! that
!he put her !piritual influence to evil end! and abu!ed her freedom! 5ithout mea!ure.
The 6ope 5a! the !upreme la5.iver of hri!tendom; and hi! court at Rome the final and deci!ive court
of appeal. The hurch levied ta'e!D it had not only va!t propertie! and a .reat income from fee!; but it
impo!ed a ta' of a tenth; the tithe; upon it! !ubCect!. It did not call for thi! a! a piou! benefactionD it
demanded it a! a ri.ht. +teadily more and more of the nation)! property fell into the dead hand
?(ortmainA of the hurch and paid it! tribute to +t. 6eter. The cler.y; on the other hand; claimed
e'emption from lay ta'ation.
Thi! attempt to trade upon their peculiar pre!ti.e and evade their !hare in fi!cal burden! 5a! certainly
one con!iderable factor in the .ro5in. di!!ati!faction 5ith the cler.y. &part from any 3ue!tion of
Cu!tice; it 5a! impolitic. It made ta'e! !eem ten time! more burthen!ome to tho!e 5ho had to pay. It
made everyone re!ent the immunitie! of the hurch.
&nd a !till more e'trava.ant and un5i!e claim made by the hurch 5a! the claim to the po5er of
di!pen!ation. It did not interpret ri.ht and 5ron. no5D it 5a! above ri.ht and 5ron. and it could ma#e
5ron. ri.ht and ri.ht 5ron.. The 6ope in many in!tance! !et a!ide the la5! of the hurch in individual
ca!e!D he allo5ed cou!in! to marry; permitted a man to have t5o 5ive!; relea!ed men from vo5!. The
hurch)! cro5nin. folly in the !i'teenth century 5a! the !ale of indul.ence 5hereby the !ufferin.! of
the !oul in pur.atory could be commuted for money payment.
By the da5n of the !i'teenth century; the hurch; blindly and ra!hly; had come to a final partin. of the
5ay!. The force of prote!t; that i! to !ay of 6rote!tanti!m; 5a! .atherin. a.ain!t it; and the alternative!;
5hether it 5ould moderni!e or 5hether it 5ould .do.mati!e or fi.ht; 5ere before it. It cho!e to fi.ht
and tyranni!e.
Before the thirteenth century it had been cu!tomary for the 6ope to ma#e occa!ional in3ue!t! or
en3uirie! into here!y in thi! re.ion or that; but Innocent III found in the Dominican! a po5erful
in!trument of !uppre!!ion. The In3ui!ition 5a! or.ani!ed a! a !tandin. en3uiry under their direction
and 5ith fire and torture the hurch !et it!elf; throu.h thi! in!trument; to a!!ail and 5ea#en the human
con!cience in 5hich it! !ole hope of 5orld dominion re!ided. Before the thirteenth century the penalty
of death had been inflicted but rarely upon heretic! and unbeliever!. No5 in a hundred mar#et7place! in
>2
"urope the di.nitarie! of the hurch 5atched the blac#ened bodie! of it! anta.oni!t; for the mo!t part
poor and in!i.nificant people; burn and !in# pitifully; and their o5n .reat mi!!ion to man#ind burn and
!in# 5ith them into du!t and a!he!.
haucer; one of the mo!t typical and commandin. fi.ure! in "n.li!h literature; in hi! anterbury Tale!;
.ive! incidentally and inadvertently a picture of the !tate of opinion about the hurch on the very eve
of the impendin. Reformation. We have a company of pil.rim! .oin. to anterburyfor a pil.rima.e
5a! then the only 5ay of ta#in. a holiday in comparative !ecurity and they are all; li#e haucer
him!elf; nominally .ood atholic!. They are; !o to !pea#; provi!ionally atholic!; there bein. no
alternative. "'cept the enthu!ia!m of /ollardry. <et their critical contempt for the method! and
e'action! of the hurch i! plain and out!po#en; and the t5o mo!t contemptible fi.ure! in hi! vivid
album are t5o clerical official!; the !ummoner and the pardoner.
It i! our mi!fortune that hi! contribution to "n.lI!h literature i! practically unreadable in it! ori.inal
form. The lan.ua.e 5a! not yet fi'ed and it under5ent profound chan.e! afar hi! death in 1122. It 5a!
fi'ed by the tran!lation of the Bible an the literary activitie! of the later Tudor period; and no5 the
ordinary reader of "n.li!h can read him comfortably only in !uch I moderni!ation! a! that of 8.*.
Nicol!on.
haucer 5a! nearly !i'ty in 1122 and yet death too# him by !urpri!e and only a third of the 5ritin.! he
5a! collectin. under the title of the anterbury Tale! had been a!!embled. <et even !o; they 5itne!! to
hi! amaEin. ver!atility and have di!tinctive "n.li!h 3ualitie! that 5ere after5ard! to reappear in the
humori!t in +ha#e!peare; in ,ieldin.; in Dic#en! and a ho!t of le!!er !tory teller! do5n to !uch
contemporary 5riter! a! hri!topher (orley; and 5hich are manife!t in e3ual mea!ure in no other
literature.
&ll of them di!play that #een intere!t in individual fact! and that di!ta!te for do.matic and enthu!ia!tic
final Cud.ment! 5hich ha! characteri!ed "n.li!h thou.ht and literature from it! be.innin.. Thi!
!ceptical mentality; 5hich i! !o manife!t in the "n.li!h ma#e7up; ran.e! fro a !ort of ob!tinate; !tupid
and con!ervative unteachablene!! to a profound and e'plicit perception of the unreality of appearance!;
and the impo!!ibility of ultimate !olution!. There i! every type of intermediate mentality in the "n.li!h
5orld; but they po!!e!! a family li#ene!!. The Briti!h oaf and the Briti!h .eniu! are born brother!.
Thi! innate di!po!ition to re.ard all e'i!tence a! e'perimental and to di!tru!t and reCect the .lib
profunditie! of the reli.iou! :my!tic: i! incomprehen!ible to many Indian mind!. Their obCection find!
typical e'pre!!ion in +ha#e!peare throu.h "a!tern "ye! by (r. RanCee -. +hahani; B.&.; D./itt.; 5hich
ha! !omeho5 .ot on to my readin. de!#. ,or :+ha#e!peare: 5e may !ub!titute the "n.li!hman.
(r. RanCee -. +hahani i! obliviou! to the obviou! probability of a mi'ed ori.in for +ha#e!peare)!
play!; and he find! a confe!!ion of faith in any utterance of any character in any of them; and;
re.ardle!! of the entirely provi!ional nature of lan.ua.e and of all human !ymbol!; he let! loo!e at thi!
!ample We!tern 5ith a voluminou! !mo#e !creen of pretentiou! .abble. Thi! !ort of thin.@
>1
:&n Indian 5ould !ay that +ha#e!peare had not probed far enou.h into the human !oul and the Over7
+oul 5e call -od. No5 the Oriental thin#er i! profoundly concerned not only in under!tandin. the!e
principle! but in findin. a relation bet5een them. The fundamental thou.ht of the *pani!had!
5ritin.! containin. the mo!t occult and my!tical idea! of the %indu!con!i!t! in the reco.nition of the
onene!! of the Brahman and &tman; of -od and the +oul. Thi! i! al!o the 3uinte!!ential principle of the
$edanta !y!tem. )Who could breathe 5ho could e'i!t;) declare! the Fena *pani!had; )if there 5ere not
the bli!! of Brahma 5ithin the ether of hi! heart?) +ir "d5in &rnold ri.htly .au.e! the Indian !pirit
5hen he !ay! that thou.h inconceivable to the mind; thi! all comprehen!ive Bein. i! !till a nece!!ity of
true thou.ht; and veritable beyond every other conception of reality).
:The %indu dharma declare! that man doe! not live by hi! appetite! alone@ he mu!t live by hi! life of
!pirit al!o. (o#!ha i! the .oal indicated. (o#!ha i! freedom from the perpetuity of incarnation. It i! in
the end the union of the finite 5ith the Infinitethe mer.in. of the individual !oul 5ith the illimitable
ocean. In other 5ord!; thi! i! the nirvana of the Buddha....
:To the Oriental mind; reli.iou! my!tici!m i! a !heer Coy. The entire literature of India i! !teeped in thi!
element. But 5hen the Indian turn! to +ha#e!peare he find! that thi! my!tic 3uality i! utterly ab!ent... .
:Devotee! of "a!t and We!t declare that no Coy tran!cend! that 5hich i! derived from my!tical
e'perience. Roumi; Fabir; (ei!ter "c#hart; +5edenbor.; +t. There!a; +t. 8ohn of the ro!!; and many
other!; all bear 5itne!! to the !ame effect. +urely; there i! nothin. finer or hi.her for man than to #no5
5hat; )in the la!t analy!i!; hold! the univer!e to.ether.) Thi! i! the 3ue!tion that ,au!t a!#! him!elf; and
!o doe! every my!tic. ,or $ive#ananda; a! for Rama#ri!hna; hi! ma!ter; )the #no5led.e of Brahma i!
the ultimate end; the hi.he!t de!tiny of man)...
:(r. (iddleton (urry; in harmony 5ith the ancient!; con!ider! the poet a! a &ates sacer; bearin. a
direct me!!a.e from -od....
:)The poetry of my!tici!m;) !ay! (i!! "velyn *nderhill; )mi.ht be defined on the one hand a! a
temperamental reaction to the vi!ion of RealityD on the other; a! a form of prophecy. &! it i! the !pecial
vocation of the my!tical con!ciou!ne!! to mediate bet5een t5o order!; .oin. out in lovin. adoration
to5ard! -od and comin. home to tell. the !ecret! of "ternity to other menD !o the arti!tic !elf7
e'pre!!ion of thi! con!ciou!ne!! ha! al!o a double character. It i! love7poetry; but love7poetry; 5hich i!
often 5ritten 5ith a mi!!ionary intention.)
:The Indian fail! to find anythin. of thi! #ind in +ha#e!peare. %i! poetry i! not an outbur!t of ec!ta!y
and e'altation. We di!cover thi! combination in the 6er!ian my!tic!; in the +ufi poet!; in a fe5 We!tern
bard!; and in the hri!tian !aint!. We al!o detect thi! fu!ion in Fabir. /et u! li!ten to one of hi! poem!
tran!lated by the united effort! of Rabindranath Ta.ore and (i!! "velyn *nderhill@
Tell me, O Swan, your ancient tale.
From what land do you come, O Swan?
To what shore will you fly?
Where would you take your rest, O Swan,
>9
And what do you seek?
Even this morning, O Swan, awake, arise, follow me
There is a land where no dou!t nor sorrow have rule"
Where the terror of #eath is no more.
There the woods of s$ring are a%!loom,
And the fragrant scent &'e is (& is !orne on the wind"
There the !ee of the heart is dee$ly immersed,
And desires no other )oy.
,rom 'ongs of %abir. Tran!lated by Rabindranath Ta.ore; 1=1H
In the pre!ence of thi! !ort of ec!ta!y the broad !tream of creative literature in "n.land from haucer to
the pre!ent day unite! in ma#in. loud rude !ceptical noi!e!.
The fir!t !tory in the haucer portfolio i! the Fni.ht)! !tory of 6alamon and &rcite; a len.thy and
di.nified !tory after the Italian; of an e'alted nobility and cha!tity. Ne't to that; a! thi! time it i! no
tran!lation; and a! it 5ere a relief from that; the drun#en miller tell! hi! ob!cene !tory of ho5 the
carpenter 5a! cuc#olded and moc#ed by Nichola! the cler# and ho5 &b!alom the pari!h prie!t 5a!
moc#ed and di!.u!ted.
Whereupon the reeve i! moved to tell of the outra.eou! cuc#oldin. of a miller; and the coo# be.in!
bri.htly 5ith a !pendthrift .entleman 5ho :had a 5ife that #ept; for countenance; a !hop and 5hored to
.ain her !u!tenance:; or; to 3uote the ori.inal; :hadde a wyf that heeld for contenance a shoppe, and
swy&ed for hir sustenance:. But thi! fra.ment of life end! abruptly. It 5a! never fini!hed.
The !ailor follo5! and tell! the !tory of a mercenary 5oman and her pa!!ion for a mon#; of 5hich the
moral i!; :Invite no more mon#! to your hou!e or inn:; and then come! (adame ".lantine; the
priore!!; 5ho tell! a horrifyin. invention about the murder of a boy in a :8e5ry: throu.h 5hich
hri!tian boy! 5ere un5i!ely allo5ed to pa!!; and ho5; bein. murdered and buried; he !till !an. on to
reveal hi! fate. That (adame ".lantine; 5e are told in the 6rolo.ue;
...was so charita!le and $iteous
That she would wee$ if she !ut saw a mouse
*aught in a tra$, though it were dead or !led.
She had some little dogs, too, that she fed
On roasted flesh, or milk, or fine white !read.
+ut sore she,d wee$ if one of them were dead,
Or if men smote it with a rod to smart"
For $ity ruled her, and her tender heart.&
&nd thi! i! the piteou! 5ay in 5hich !he deal! 5ith the 8e5!@
With torture and with shameful death each one,
The $rovost did these cursed 'e!rew serve
Who of the murder knew, and that anon-
>>
From )ustice to the villains he,d not swerve.
Evil shall have what evil does deserve.
And therefore, with wild horses- did he draw,
And after hang, their !odies, all !y law.&
&nd ho5 !he recall! the alle.ed :Ritual (urder: of %u.h of /incoln@
O you young 'ugh of .incoln, slain also
+y cursed /ews, as is well known to all,
Since it was !ut a little while ago,
0ray you for us, sinful and weak, who call
That, of 'is 1ercy, 2od will still let fall
Something of grace, and mercy multi$ly,
For reverence of 'is 1other dear on high. Amen.
haucer him!elf i! then called upon; and produce! +ir Thopa!; a cheerful burle!3ue of the old7
fa!hioned romantic !torie!; until the ho!t implore! him in e'tremely foul lan.ua.e to di!continue.
Whereupon he turn! about and tell! a tale of (elibeu! and the 5i!dom and .oodne!! of for.ivin.. %ere
the /ollard! .et a pa!!in. 5ord from the !ailor; :impatient at their Eeal:.
&( smell a .ollard in the wind-& 3uoth he.
&'o, good men& said our host, &no hearken me-
Wait !ut a !it, for 2od,s high $assion do,
For we shall have a sermon ere we,re through-
This .ollard here will $reach to us somewhat.&
&4ay, !y my father,s soul, that he shall not&
5e$lied the sailor. &'ere he shall not $reach,
4or comment on the gos$els here, nor teach.
We all !elieve in the great 2od,& said he,
&+ut he would sow among us difficulty,
Or s$rinkle cockles in our good clean corn.&
In thi! promi!cuou! carele!! fa!hion the .reat portfolio !pill! it! varied content!. The Wife of Bath; a
companion piece to (i!tre!! Iuic#ly; and almo!t a! .reat a fi.ure of comedy; come! upon the !cene....
+o 5e !ample the !tate of mind of "n.land on the very eve of the Reformation. The melan.e of inten!e
amu!ement at individual character; 5ith parody and .ro!! lau.hter; i! po!!ible only becau!e of the
entire ab!ence of any ur.ent po!itive conviction!. &nd a! it 5a! in the be.innin.; !o it i! 5ith "n.li!h
thou.ht and art to thi! day.
/an.land; 5ho 5rote The !ision of (iers (lowman; 5a! a contemporary of haucer. %i! manu!cript
5a! recopied 5ith variation! and addition! and pa!!ed from hand to hand. It 5itne!!e! to the !ame !tate
of corruption and indifference on the part of tho!e 5ho ruled over the hurch a! doe! haucer; but it!
critici!m of abu!e! i! far bitterer. While haucer i! e!!entially irreli.iou!; /an.land i! a theolo.ian;
and; thou.h he believe! him!elf to be an entirely orthodo' hri!tian; hi! doctrine i! !ub!tantially a !ort
of alvini!tic %umanitariani!m. %i! :hri!t: i! "veryman; the common man at your elbo5. In the
fourteenth century; recurrent epidemic!; local famine!; and !torm! of violence !eemed to be in the
natural order of thin.!. "veryone 5a! at lea!t intermittently ill and mo!t people 5ere by our modern
>1
!tandard! under7vitali!ed. Ne5! !oa#ed about the 5orld haphaEard; 5a! di!torted or evaporated. The
Blac# Death; the revolt of 8ohn Ball and the men of Fent; are i.nored by both haucer and /an.land;
nor had they the !li.hte!t #no5led.e of Ro.er Bacon)! vi!ion of the po!!ibilitie! of mental relea!e and
human 5elfare. <et; una5are of each other and each after hi! fa!hion; !uch "n.li!hmen 5ere feelin.
their 5ay out of the mental dar#ne!! of the mediaeval 5orld.
Not only the moral but the intellectual pre!ti.e of Rome 5a! fadin. in the .ro5in. li.ht of the time!.
Wycliffe ?1>9271>G1A 5a! a learned doctor at O'fordD for a time he 5a! (a!ter of BalliolD and he held
variou! livin.! in the hurch. Iuite late in hi! life he be.an a !erie! of out!po#en critici!m! of the
corruption of the cler.y and the un5i!dom of the hurch.
Be or.ani!ed a number of poor prie!t!; the Wycliffite!; to !pread hi! idea! throu.hout "n.landD and in
order that people !hould Cud.e bet5een the hurch and him!elf; he had the Bible tran!lated into
"n.li!h.
%e 5a! a more learned and far abler man than either +t. ,ranci! or +t. Dominic. %e had !upporter! in
hi.h place! and a .reat follo5in. amon. the peopleD and thou.h Rome ra.ed a.ain!t him and ordered
hi! impri!onment; he died a free man; !till admini!terin. the !acrament! a! pari!h prie!t of /utter5orth.
The blac# and ancient !pirit that 5a! leadin. the hurch to it! de!truction 5ould not let hi! bone! re!t
in hi! .rave. By a decree of the ouncil of on!tance; in 1114; hi! remain! 5ere ordered to be du. up
and burnt; an order 5hich 5a! carried out; at the command of 6ope (artin $; by Bi!hop ,lemin. in
119G. Thi! de!ecration 5a! not the act of !ome i!olated fanaticD it 5a! the official act of thi! hurch 5e
no5 indict.
&ll throu.h four centurie! of d5indlin. pre!ti.e; Rome; 5ith a !ort of !enile ob!tinacy; per!i!ted in it!
encroachment! upon both the prince! and people! of hri!tendom; and !till it 5a! blind to the
vulnerability of it! o5n po!ition in the face of the force! it 5a! provo#in. a.ain!t it!elf. The prince!
reali!ed more and more clearly the hu.e proportion of 5ealth in the (ortmain and the ever7.ro5in.
tribute they paid 5ithout compen!ation to Rome. They lo!e their tru!t in eccle!ia!tical. !tate!men 5ith a
foot in either campD and loo#ed about them for more complai!ant mini!ter!. The people moc#ed at the
all too fre3uent !candal! in the convent! and mona!terie! and at the 5orldline!! of the hi.her
eccle!ia!tic!. Rome remained blind to the development of an upper and nether mill!tone about it!elf;
and !till !tuc# to it! ever narro5er and ever more e'actin. claim!. The !moulderin. fire blaEed up at
la!t in open rebellion; the Reformation.
The Reformation had a threefold a!pect. The 6rince!) Reformation 5anted to !top the flo5 of money to
Rome; and !eiEe the moral authority; the educational po5er and the material po!!e!!ion! of the hurch
5ithin their dominion!D the Reformation; accordin. to the people; !ou.ht to ma#e hri!tianity a po5er
a.ain!t the unri.hteou!ne!! of the rich and po5erulD and a movement of Reformation 5ithin the
hurch; of 5hich +t. ,ranci! of &!!i!i 5a! the precur!or; !ou.ht to re!tore the unifyin. virtue of the
hurch; and; throu.h it! virtue; it! po5er.
>4
The 6rince! had no intention of relea!in. the Cud.ment! of their !ubCect!; more particularly 5hen it
too# on the 3uality; a! 5e !hould no5 !ay; of a revolutionary popular !ociali!m.
They !ou.ht merely to ou!t the papal influence and e!tabli!h national churche! dependent upon
them!elve!. &! "n.land; +cotland; +5eden; Nor5ay; Denmar#; North -ermany and Bohemia bro#e
a5ay from the Roman communion; the prince! and their mini!ter! !ho5ed the utmo!t !olicitude to #eep
the movement under control. 8u!t a! much Reformation a! 5ould !ever the lin# 5ith Rome they
permitted. &nythin. beyond that; any dan.erou! brea# to5ard! the primitive teachin.! of 8e!u! or the
crude direct interpretation of the Bible; they re!i!ted. The "!tabli!hed hurch of "n.land i! one of the
mo!t typical and !ucce!!ful of the re!ultin. compromi!e!; !till !acramental and !acerdotal.
The popular Reformation 5a! very different and it! !pirit and 3uality varied from country to country.
The 5ide !piritual upheaval! of the time 5ere at once more hone!t; more confu!ed; more endurin.; and
le!! immediately !ucce!!ful than the reform! of the prince!. $ery fe5 reli.iou!7!pirited men had the
darin. to brea# a5ay or the effrontery to confe!! that they had bro#en a5ay from all authoritative
teachin.; and that they 5ere no5 relyin. entirely upon their o5n mind! and con!cience!. That re3uired
a very hi.h intellectual coura.e. The .eneral drift of the common man in thi! period in "urope 5a! to
!et up hi! ne5 ac3ui!ition; the Bible; a! a counter7authority to the hurch. Thi! 5a! the ca!e 5ith the
.reat leader of -erman 6rote!tanti!m; (artin /uther ?11G>7141HA.
&ll over -ermany; and; indeed; all over We!tern "urope; there 5ere no5 men !pellin. over the blac#7
letter pa.e! of the ne5ly7tran!lated and printed Bible; over the Boo# of /eviticu! and the +on. of
+olomon and the Revelation of +t. 8ohn the Divine!tran.e and perple'in. boo#!3uite a! much a!
over the !imple and in!pirin. record of 8e!u! in the -o!pel!. Naturally; they produced .rote!3ue
interpretation!. It i! !urpri!in. that they 5ere not !tran.er and .rote!3uer. But the bul# of the!e ne5
Bible !tudent! too# 5hat their con!cience! approved from the Bible; !3uared it to their !en!e of human
ri.ht and di.nity; and i.nored it! riddle! and contradiction!.
The !tran.e!t of the!e outbrea#! of !ocial and reli.iou! revolt occurred in -ermany. It had a certain
paralleli!m 5ith the !ocial and reli.iou! outbrea# in We!tern "urope t5o centurie! before. The
reli.iou! di!turbance! 5ere relea!in. men)! critici!m of !ocial ine3uality; but no5; in!tead of bein.
illiterate believer! in the e!tabli!hed hri!tian !tory of the 5orld; a! they 5ere told it in church; they
had a !torm of open doctrinal di!cu!!ion about them and the Bible to puEEle over for them!elve!. The
impul!e; a! ever; 5a! to a!!ume the entire corruption of the Roman hurch; and to revert to a
conception of an early hri!tianity 5hen the faithful had their .ood! in common and the only rule for
the true believer 5a! the inner li.ht in hi! con!cience under the .uidance of -od. The &nabapti!t!
?from Anabaptismo; 5hich mean! to re7bapti!e; becau!e they denied the validity of infant bapti!mA
!eiEed upon the to5n of (un!ter and !et them!elve! to e!tabli!h there a ne5 Fin.dom of -od upon
earth.
The inner li.ht and an indi.e!tion of Bible and !peculative theolo.y produced amaEin. re!ult!.
Boc#hold; a tailor; better #no5n in hi!tory a! 8ohn of /eyden; in!pired by dream! and vi!ion!; ruled the
>H
to5n. /i#e %itler; he 5a! mentally unbalanced and he dominated hi! a!!ociate! by hi! frenEied
vehemence. They did not .ain!ay him; they follo5ed hi! e'ample. %e chan.ed the name of (un!ter to
Nion and declared him!elf the !ucce!!or of Fin. David. %e re!tored poly.amy; 5hich a! a matter of
fact never ha! di!appeared from hri!tendom !o far a! tho!e 5ho have had the mean! to practi!e it are
concerned. %e him!elf had four 5ive!; one of 5hom he beheaded in the mar#et7place 5ith hi! o5n
hand. ,or no recorded rea!on. ,or a year; !ay! my authority; (un!ter 5a! :a !cene of unbridled
profli.acy:; 5hich mean! in effect that people did not dra5 the blind!. Then the to5n 5a! !tormed; and
outra.ed !ocial order tortured 8ohn and hi! leadin. a!!ociate! 5ith .reat in.enuity; finally e'ecutin.
and e'po!in. their man.led bodie!. +o thi! -erman e!!ay in !ocial and reli.iou! revolution ended; and
the ma!!e! 5ere brou.ht to heel. They had .one farther and fared 5or!e than the populace of any other
country.
&ll over "urope; a livin. and very active re!iduum of 6rote!tant! remained 5ho declined to have their
reli.ion made over for them by their prince!. They 5ere a medley of !ect!; havin. nothin. in common
but their re!i!tance to authoritative reli.ion; 5hether of the 6ope or of the +tate. In -ermany; after the
&nabapti!t collap!e; popular nonconformity 5a! or the mo!t part !tamped out by the prince!D in -reat
Britain di!!ent remained !ober; po5erful and variou!. (any of the difference! in the behaviour of the
-erman; and the Briti!h people! may be traceable to the relative !uppre!!ion of free Cud.ment in
-ermany at thi! time.
(o!t; but not all; of the!e Nonconformi!t! and Di!!enter! held to the Bible a! a divinely in!pired and
authoritative .uide. Thi! 5a! a !trate.ic rather than an abidin. po!ition; and the modern drift of
Nonconformity ha! been on5ard a5ay from thi! ori.inal Bibliolatry to5ard! a miti.ated and
!entimentali!ed reco.nition of the bare teachin.! of 8e!u! of NaEareth. Beyond the ran.e of
nonconformity; beyond the ran.e of profe!!ed hri!tianity at all; there 5a! al!o no5 a .reat and
.ro5in. ma!! of e3ualitarian belief and altrui!tic impul!e; 5hich relea!ed a !moulderin. innate !en!e
of Cu!tice in the human ma#e7up.
7IIIb. 2 H0W H/+R- 5III /CA3/ A PR0./).A+.
PRI+C/
T%" motive! of the prince! and the feelin.! of the ma!!e! fluctuated throu.h the period of the
Reformation very 5idely. 6er!onal factor! came into play. %enry $III of "n.land be.an hi! rei.n a! a
devout Roman atholic. %e 5rote a.ain!t here!y and 5a! re5arded by the 6ope 5ith the title of
Defender of the ,aith. :Fid) *ef): i! !till on the obver!e of many Briti!h coin!. "n.land !eemed !aved
for Rome. Then hi! attention !trayed from hi! 5ife atherine of &ra.on to a livelier youn. 5oman
called &nne Boleyn; and; becau!e the hurch 5ould not !et a!ide hi! marria.e and leave him free to
marry thi! ne5 mi!tre!!; he 5ent over ?carryin. "n.land 5ith himA to the 6rote!tant !ide.
>B
<et Rome had been very obli.in. to %enry in the matter of hi! marria.e. atherine of &ra.on 5a! the
dau.hter of ,erdinand and I!abella of +pain; the ,erdinand and I!abella of olumbu! and the con3ue!t
of -ranada; and !he 5a! married to &rthur; the elder brother of %enry; in 1421. Both bride and
bride.room 5ere then !i'teen year! old. They 5ere childle!!; and 6rince &rthur died in the follo5in.
year. But the papal policy; 5hich 5a! then ho!tile to ,rance; dictated a clo!e a!!ociation bet5een +pain
and "n.land; and; 5ith a complete di!re.ard of it! o5n teachin.!; the %oly +ee .ranted a di!pen!ation
to allo5 her to marry %enry. The di!pen!ation 5a! .ranted in 142>; but the youn. prince !ho5ed no
.reat appetite for the lady; and the actual union only occurred !i' year! later.
atherine 5a! plain to loo# upon; thic#7!et and irritatin.ly piou!; ob!tinate and 5ell7educated. Durin.
that interval %enry)! youthful pa!!ion! had found an outlet el!e5here; and he had an ille.itimate !on.
%enry; 5hom he after5ard! made Du#e of Richmond. atherine; poor youn. 5oman; had a dull time
mean5hile. Thi! tepid marria.e of policy produced !i' children all of 5hom died in infancy or 5ere
!tillborn; e'cept one dau.hter; (ary; and popular opinion attributed thi! to the divine re!entment
a.ain!t ince!t; 5ith 5hich idea %enry 5a! only too di!po!ed to a.ree; a! hi! 5earine!! 5ith atherine
increa!ed. %e developed con!cientiou! !cruple! over that papal di!pen!ation and betrayed a di!po!ition
to le.itimi!e hi! ba!tard the Du#e of Richmond; to 5hom he .ave precedence not only over all the
peer! of the realm but over atherine)! dau.hter (ary.
%ere 5a! a problem 5hich evo#ed all the intricate in!incerity of the Roman !y!tem. It had !5allo5ed
that di!pen!ation from it! o5n doctrine. ould it no5 re.ur.itate?
The .reat and in.eniou! ardinal Wol!ey !u..e!ted a 3uiet little !uit a.ain!t the Fin. for ince!t; to
relea!e him from hi! bond!. There 5a! much comin. and .oin. of the perple'ed learned; of *niver!ity
doctor! and papal le.ate!. & divorce 5a! out of the 3ue!tion if the di!pen!ation and marria.e 5ere
invalidD then plainly the Fin. 5a! free; and the !ub!e3uent ne.otiation! turned upon that point. The
more fervently the Fin. 5anted hi! &nne Boleyn; the more convinced he 5a! that he had been livin. in
mortal !in 5ith atherine. & con!iderable amount of pride and ob!tinacy in atherine)! ma#e7up
fru!trated the hurch in it! effort! to .et her to retire to a nunnery and cea!e her re!i!tance to the
annulment. The hurch veered round to her !ide. 6ope lement i!!ued a brief forbiddin. the Fin. to
ma#e a !econd marria.e and commandin. him to re!tore atherine)! connubial ri.ht!. &nd !o %enry
bro#e 5ith Rome and "n.land came do5n on the 6rote!tant !ide.
7I5. 2 .H/ C0(+./R<R/F0R3A.I0+
T%" Reformation had cau.ht the hurch of Rome in a !tate of la' internal di!cipline; e'a!peratin.
a..re!!ion and intolerance and blindne!! to the drift of 5orldly event!. But her pre!ti.e 5a! !till very
.reat; there 5ere multitude! of the perple'ed but !till obedient ,aithful; and the !elf7!ee#in. prince!
>G
and influential o5ner! of property felt a deeper menace of popular relea!e and critici!m beneath the
Reformation.
The Roman atholic hurch; no lon.er the atholic hurch; 5o#e up to the realitie! of her po!ition; to
the threat of complete de!truction at no very di!tant date unle!! !he or.ani!ed her!elf to re!i!t.
The Reformation; the e'propriation of the mona!tic propertie! and the revolt a.ain!t the a!cendancy of
Rome; la!ted for le!! than a century; and then it 5a! overta#en by the ounter Reformation of the
alarmed and a5a#ened Roman hurch. It 5a! a belated a5a#enin.; and it! hi!tory unfold! the !ame
record; on an inten!ified !cale of confu!ed motive!; levity of purpo!e; ob!tinate in!i!tence upon
frea#i!h doctrinal point!; the fear of death that ari!e! from belief in an incalculable future life and in a
pitile!!ly vindictive deity; amenable only to the ma.ic of orthodo' formulae; 5hich hitherto had
confu!ed and had no5 !plit hri!tendom.
The ounter Reformation fell bac# upon the ideal of hri!tendom a! an obedient family of nation!
under the parental .uidance of the 6ope. In ,rance; 5here the i!!ue 5a! fou.ht out very typically; the
hurch directed the reaction to a revival of the tradition of 8oan of &rc; the a!!ociate of that
abominable torturer of children; -ille! de Rai!; (ar!hal of ,rance; and adopted a! it! !ymbol and
banner the double cro!! of /orraine the banner and !ymbol to7day of harle! de -aulle; that !tran.e
prote.e of the Briti!h ,orei.n Office. The %oly /ea.ue ?/a +ainte /i.ueA or.ani!ed the ounter7
Reformation under that !ymbol. There 5a! a pha!e of attempted compromi!e bro#en by the Roman
atholic!; 5ho murdered a number of %u.uenot! a!!embled for divine 5or!hip in a barn at 6oi!!y. &
fluctuatin. civil 5ar en!ued; Treatie! of peace 5ere made 5hen no peace 5a! po!!ible. oli.ny;
out!tandin. %u.uenot leader; 5a! a!!a!!inated and matter! culminated in the ma!!acre of +t.
Bartholome5)! "ve ?&u.u!t 14B9A.
The initiative for the crime re!t! 5ith atherine de (edici. Di!3uieted by the .ro5in. influence of
&dmiral oli.ny; 5ho a.ain!t her 5i!he! 5a! endeavourin. to dra5 harle! I0 into a 5ar 5ith +pain;
!he re!olved to have him murdered. The fir!t attempt failed; ho5ever; and atherine then determined to
ma!!acre all the %u.uenot leader!. +he .ot oli.ny in the .eneral ba.. The ma!!acre be.an on &u.u!t
91; +t. Bartholome5)! Day; at daybrea#; and continued in 6ari! till +eptember 1Bth. ,rom 6an!; it
!pread to the province!. The Duc de /on.ueville in 6icardy; habot7harny ?!on of &dmiral habotA at
DiCon; the omte de (ati.non ?14947=BA in Normandy and other provincial .overnor! refu!ed to
authori!e the ma!!acre!. ,ran.oi! %otman e!timate! the number #illed in the 5hole of ,rance at
42;222. atherine de (edici received the con.ratulation! of all the atholic po5er!; and 6ope -re.ory
0III commanded bonfire! to be li.hted and a medal to be !truc#.
& !turdy remnant of %u.uenot! remained and 5a! able to hold out a.ain!t the murder policy of the
pontiff. %e had reCoiced too !oon. +ufficient 6rote!tant! had !urvived for an effective rally. (any of
them; li#e onde and %enry I$ of Navarre; e!caped that ni.ht of murder by a precipitate and 3uite
temporary conver!ion to atholici!m.
>=
Thi! %enry I$ i! an out!tandin. fi.ure in thi! hi!tory; and one very typical of the time!. %e 5a! of
6rote!tant upbrin.in. and throu.hout hi! life hi! !oundly 6rote!tant bia! 5a! manife!t. %e 5a! a 5it
and a ra#e and he !uffered from; and 5a! evidently .reatly entertained by; the temptation! natural to an
e'ceptionally :charmin.: per!on. When he found the %oly /ea.ue !tron.ly e!tabli!hed in 6ari! a.ain!t
him; he too# the 5ind out of it! intolerant !ail! by becomin. a atholic him!elf. :6ari!;: he Ce!ted; :5a!
5ell 5orth a (a!!.: But he !a5 to it that the %u.uenot! .ot !omethin. li#e active protection from
another +t. Bartholome5)! "ve by the "dict of Nante!; and the protective vi.ilance of hi! .reat mini!ter
+ully .ave the common people road!; canal!; indu!trie! and a :fo5l in the pot: on +unday for every
pea!ant.
The "dict of Nante! 5a! revo#ed by Fin. /oui! 0I$. %e 5a! the (o!t hri!tian Fin. and elde!t !on
of the hurch; ruler not only of the bodie! of hi! !ubCect! but of their !oul!. %e felt him!elf called upon
to e!tabli!h the unity of the faith and to repel 5ith the hand of orthodo'y all Di!!enter!; %u.uenot!;
8an!eni!t! and Iuieti!t!. The %u.uenot! had lon. enCoyed freedom of 5or!hip and had pro!pered
con!picuou!ly in th field! of indu!try; a.riculture and commerce. The ompa.nie +aint7+acrament
re!ented the!e immunitie!; and throu.h it! influence bet5een 1HH1 and 1HG4 the %u.uenot! 5ere
e'po!ed to increa!in.ly heavy penaltie! and !ucce!!fully e'cluded from +tate!7-eneral; the diplomatic
!ervice; and the municipalitie!; and deprived of their ho!pital!; colle.e!; academie! and !chool!. ,ine!
provin. inade3uate; !oldier! 5ere 3uartered upon the recalcitrant by /ouvoi! and encoura.ed to behave
5ith the utmo!t brutality ?the dra.onnade!A until at la!t /oui! revo#ed the "dict of Nante! alto.ether
?1HG4A; a! bein. out of date and no lon.er nece!!ary in a re7unified ,rance; re7unified lar.ely by
ma!!acre. There follo5ed on the part of the %u.uenot! an emi.ration en ma!!e; to the .reat benefit of
the trade and indu!trie! of /ondon.
+till later came the revolt of the ami!ard! and it! !ava.e !uppre!!ion and a civil 5ar in the evenne!;
5hich held the Royal &rmie! in chec# from 1B2> to 1B11; at a time 5hen the #in.dom 5a! threatened
5ith inva!ion. +o it 5a! that the true hurch defended it!elf; rec#le!! even of the !afety of the !tate
5hich !u!tained it.
In 1HH4 one of the!e Roman atholic ma!!acre! of 6rote!tant! 5a! in pro.re!! in +avoy. ,or a
con!iderable period a remnant of the Walden!e! had e!caped the piou! murder !torm! that 5ere
eliminatin. ,rench 6rote!tanti!m; under the protection of the Du#e of +avoy; but he 5a! !o ill advi!ed
a! to re!pond to the !olicitation! of the hurch and Coin in the fun of ma!!acre. %e #illed a lot; but tho!e
5ho e!caped into the mountain! !ent an appeal to "n.land. "n.land 5a! then in a pha!e of e'treme
prote!tanti!m under the protectorate of Oliver rom5ell. & National fa!t 5a! ordered; O12;222 5a!
collected for the immediate relief of the victim!; and immediate ho!tilitie! from the !ea 5ere
threatened. +o hi.h had the 6rote!tant re.ime rai!ed the pre!ti.e of the country that the Du#e collap!ed
at once. The occa!ion 5a! made memorable by (ilton; 5ho!e indi.nant !onnet i! one of the .reate!t in
the lan.ua.e. It run! a! follo5!@
Avenge, O .ord, Thy slaughter,d saints, whose !ones
.ie scatter,d on the Al$ine mountains cold-
12
Ev,n them who ke$t Thy truth so $ure of old,
When all our fathers worshi$$,d stocks and stones,
Forget not" in Thy !ook record their groans,
Who were Thy shee$, and in their ancient fold
Slain !y the !loody 0iedmontese that roll,d
1other with infant down the rocks. Their moans
The vales redou!led to the hills, and they
To 'eav,n. Their martyr,d !lood and ashes sow
O,er all the (talian fields, where still doth sway
The tri$le tyrant- there from these may grow
A hundredfold, who having learn,d Thy way
Early may fly the +a!ylonian woe.
(ilton i! one of the !tron.e!t fi.ure! "n.li!h 6rote!tanti!m ha! ever produced; a combination of
colo!!al learnin.; reli.iou! independence and a pa!!ion for out!po#en truth and rational action; !tran.e
to controver!iali!t! upon 5hatever !ide in tho!e day! of conflict. %e had manife!t 5ea#ne!!e!. %e had
!o .reat a re.ard for hi! per!onal appearance that he preferred to .o blind rather than 5ear !pectacle!.
But he could anticipate our modern idea! by !uch 5i!dom a! thi!@
:... a! .ood almo!t #ill a man a! #ill a .ood boo#@ 5ho #ill! a man #ill! a rea!onable creature; -od)!
ima.eD but he 5ho de!troy! a .ood boo# #ill! rea!on it!elf; #ill! the ima.e of -od a! it 5ere; in the eye.
(any a man live! a burden to the earthD but a .ood. boo# i! the preciou! life7blood of a ma!ter7 !pirit;
embalmed and trea!ured up on purpo!e to a life beyond life. )Ti! true no a.e can re!tore a life; 5hereof
perhap! there i! no .reat lo!!D and revolution! of a.e! do not oft recover the lo!! of a reCected truth; for
the 5ant of 5hich 5hole nation! fare the 5or!e. We !hould be 5ary; therefore; 5hat per!ecution 5e
rai!e a.ain!t the livin. labour! of public men; ho5 !pill that !ea!oned life of man; pre!erved and !tored
up in boo#!D !ince 5e !ee a #ind of homicide may thu! be committedD !ometime! a #ind of martyrdomD
and if it e'tended to the 5hole impre!!ion; a #ind of ma!!acre; 5hereof the e'ecution end! not in the
!layin. of an elemental life; but !tri#e! at that ethereal and !oft e!!ence; the breath of rea!on it!elfD
!lay! an immortality rather than a life....
:Whole!ome meat! to a vitiated !tomach differ little or nothin. from un5hole!omeD and be!t boo#! to a
nau.hty mind are not unapplicable to occa!ion! of evil. Bad meat! 5ill !carce breed .ood nouri!hment
in the healthie!t concoctionD but herein the difference i! of bad boo#!; that they to a di!creet and
Cudiciou! reader !erve in many re!pect! to di!cover; to confute; to fore5arn and to illu!trate.... -ood
and evil; 5e #no5; in the field of thi! 5orld; .ro5 up to.ether almo!t in!eparablyD and the #no5led.e
of .ood i! !o involved and inter5oven 5ith the #no5led.e of evil; and in !o many cunnin. re!mblance!
hardly to be di!cerned; that tho!e confu!ed !eed! 5hich 5ere impo!ed upon 6!yche a! an ince!!ant
labour to cull out and !ort a!under; 5ere not more intermi'ed....
:/ord! and ommon! of "n.landJ con!ider 5hat nation it i! 5hereof ye are; and 5hereof ye are the
.overnor!D a nation not !lo5 and dull; but of a 3uic#; in.eniou! and piercin. !piritD acute to invent;
!ubtile and !ine5y to di!cour!e; not beneath the reach of any point that human capacity can !oar to....
:Thou.h all the 5ind! of doctrine 5ere let loo!e to play upon the earth; !o Truth be in the field; 5e do
11
inCuriou!ly; by licen!in. and prohibitin.; to mi!doubt her !tren.th. /et her and fal!ehood .rappleD 5ho
ever #ne5 Truth put to the 5or!e in a free and open encounter?...:
That 5a! 5ritten nearly three centurie! a.o. <et !till the obedient Roman atholic 5ear! hi! blin#er!
and the NaEi! celebrated their acce!!ion to po5er ten year! a.o by a .reat burnin. of boo#!.
&bout ei.hty year! before (ilton 5a! born; a ne5 5ave of Eealotry; the development of the 8e!uit
or.ani!ation; the :+ociety of 8e!u!:; had occurred in +pain and mar#ed a further !ta.e in the moral
deterioration of the dyin. yet ob!tinately a..re!!ive Roman hurch.
75. 2 .H/ =/)(I.)
T%" founder of the 8e!uit! 5a! a tou.h and .allant youn. +paniard named Ini.o /opeE de Recalde of
/oyola. /oyola 5a! hi! place of ori.in and there; until hi! vo5 of poverty; .he had an e!tate. %e 5a!
clever and de'terou! and in!pired by a pa!!ion for pluc#; hardihood and rather !ho5y .lory. %i! love
affair! 5ere fre3uent; free and picture!3ue. In 1491 the ,rench too# the to5n of 6ampeluna; in +pain;
from the "mperor harle! $; and I.natiu! 5a! one of the defender!. %i! le.! 5ere !ma!hed by a
cannon ball; and he 5! ta#en pri!oner. One le. 5a! badly !et and had to be bro#en a.ain; and the!e
painful and comple' operation! nearly co!t him hi! life. %e received the la!t !acrament!. In the ni.ht;
thereafter; he be.an to mend; and pre!ently he 5a! convale!cent but facin. the pro!pect of a life in
5hich he 5ould perhap! al5ay! be a cripple.
%i! thou.ht! turned to the adventure of reli.ion. +ometime! he 5ould thin# of a certain .reat lady; and
ho5; in !pite of hi! bro#en !tate; he mi.ht yet 5in her admiration by !ome amaEin. deedD and
!ometime! he 5ould thin# of bein. in !ome e!pecial and per!onal 5ay the Fni.ht of hri!t. In the
mid!t of the!e confu!ion!; one ni.ht a! he lay a5a#e; he tell! u!; a ne5 .reat lady claimed hi! attentionD
he had a vi!ion of the Ble!!ed $ir.in (ary carryin. the Infant hri!t in her arm!. :lmmediately a
loatin. !eiEed him for the former deed! of hi! life.: %e re!olved to .ive up all further thou.ht! of
earthly 5omen; and to lead a life of ab!olute cha!tity and devotion to the (other of -od. %e proCected
.reat pil.rima.e! and a mona!tic life.
%i! method of ta#in. hi! vo5! mar#! him the countryman of Don Iui'ote. %e had re.ained hi!
!tren.th; and he 5a! ridin. out into the 5orld rather aimle!!ly; a pennile!! !oldier of fortune 5ith little
but hi! arm! and the mule on 5hich he rode 5hen he fell in 5ith a (oor. They 5ent on to.ether and
tal#ed and pre!ently di!puted about reli.ion. The (oor 5a! the better7educated manD he had the be!t of
the ar.ument; he !aid offen!ive thin.! about the $ir.in (ary that 5ere difficult to an!5er; and parted
triumphantly. The youn. Fni.ht of Our /ady 5a! boilin. 5ith !hame and indi.nation. %e he!itated
5hether he !hould .o after the (oor and #ill him or pur!ue the pil.rima.e he had in mind. &t a for# in
the road he left thin.! to hi! mule; 5hich !pared the (oor.
19
%e came to the Benedictine &bbey of (ont!errat near (anre!a; and here he imitated that peerle!! hero
of medireval romance; &madi! de -aul; and #ept an all7ni.ht vi.il before the &ltar of the Ble!!ed
$ir.in. %e pre!ented hi! mule to the abbey; he .ave hi! 5orldly clothe! to a be..ar; laid hi! !5ord and
da..er upon the altar; and clothed him!elf in a rou.h !ac#cloth .arment and hempen !hoe!. %e then
too# him to a nei.hbourin. ho!pice and .ive him!elf up to !cour.in.! and au!teritie!. ,or a 5hole
5ee# he fa!ted ab!olutely. Thence he 5ent on a pil.rima.e to the %oly /and.
,or !ome year! he 5andered; con!umed 5ith the idea of foundin. a ne5 order of reli.iou! #ni.hthood;
but not #no5in. ho5 to !et about the enterpri!e. %e enli!ted other enthu!ia!t!; but li#e him!elf they
5ere Eealou! and indi.nant youn. men. &t fir!t they even lac#ed a prie!t in the company 5ho could
officiate for them. /oyola became more and more a5are of hi! o5n illiteracy; and the In3ui!ition;
5hich 5a! be.innin. to ta#e an intere!t in hi! proceedin.!; forbade him to attempt to teach other! until
he had !pent at lea!t four year! in !tudy. It !eem! to have been very doubtful about him.
%i! idea 5a! e!!entially an idea of a fi.htin. companyD the hurch; he reali!ed; 5a! no5 carryin. on a
defen!ive 5ar and needed a fi.htin. force 5hich 5ould fi.ht 5ith the un3ue!tionin. obedience of
di!ciplined !oldier! and 5ith an the method! of !trate.y; !urpri!e and camoufla.e that belli.erence
involve!. "very5here there 5a! doubt and challen.e. & (oor could tal# openly in +pain. /uther had
burnt a papal bull of e'communication a year or !o before. It never entered into /oyola)! head that
there mi.ht be an ade3uate rea!on for the!e denial! and repudiation. If !uch a thou.ht had come to him
he 5ould have reCected it 5ith horror. The 5orld 5a! in rebellion a.ain!t the ,aith; and that rebellion
ha! to be !tamped out by every mean! in hi! po5er.
8u!t a! for !oldier! of the old type the &rmy i! everythin.; !o in the ne5 fi.htin. force the !ociety had
to be everythin.D blind uncritical obedience to order! 5a! the +ociety)! fir!t la5; it 5a! a complete
!urrender of individual thou.ht and Cud.ment; an entire abandonment of freedom. In a letter to hi!
follo5er! at oimbra he declared that the .eneral of the order !tand! in the place of -od; 5ithout
reference to hi! per!onal 5i!dom; piety or di!cretionD that any obedience 5hich fall! !hort of ma#in.
the !uperior)! 5ill one)! o5n; in in5ard affection a! 5ell a! in out5ard effect; i! la' and imperfectD that
.oin. beyond the letter of command; even in thin.! ab!tractly .ood and ptai!e5orthy; i! di!obedience;
and that the :!acrifice of the intellect: i! the third and .reate!t .rade of obedience; 5ell plea!in. to
-od; 5hen the inferior not only 5ill! 5hat the !uperior 5ill!; but thin#! 5hat he thin#!; !ubmittin. to
hi! Cud.ment; !o far a! it i! po!!ible for the 5ill to influence and lead.
The formula of the final 8e!uit vo5; after a !erie! of preparatory !ta.e! e'tendin. over year!; run! a!
follo5!@ :I promi!e to &lmi.hty -od; before %i! $ir.in (other and the 5hole heavenly ho!t; and to all
!tandin. byD and to thee; Reverend ,ather -eneral of the +ociety of 8e!u!; holdin. the place of -od;
and to thy !ucce!!or!; 6erpetual 6overty; ha!tity and ObedienceD and accordin. to it a peculiar care in
the education of boy! accordin. to the form contained in the &po!tolic /etter! of the +ociety of 8e!u!
and in it! on!titution.:
I.natiu! him!elf laid do5n thy role that an inferior 5a! bound to ma#e all nece!!ary repre!entation! to
1>
hi! !uperior !o a! to .uide him in impo!in. a precept of obedience. When a !uperior #no5! the vie5!;
of hi! inferior and !till command!; it i! becau!e he i! a5are of other !ide! of the 3ue!tion 5hich appear
of .reater importance than tho!e that the inferior ha! brou.ht for5ard. The 8e!uit! 5ere to find their
principal 5or# in the 5orld and in direct and immediate contact 5ith man#ind. To !ee# !piritual
perfection in retired life of contemplation and prayer did not !eem to I.natiu! to be the be!t 5ay of
reformin. the evil! 5hich had brou.ht about the revolt from Rome. %e 5ith dre5 hi! follo5er! from
thi! !ort of retirement; e'cept a! a mere temporary preparation for later activityD he made habitual
intercour!e 5ith the 5orld a prime dutyD and to thi! end he ri.idly !uppre!!ed all !uch e'ternal
peculiaritie! of dre!! or rule a! tended to put ob!tacle! in the 5ay of hi! follo5er! actin. freely a!
emi!!arie!; a.ent! or mi!!ionarie! in the mo!t variou! place! and circum!tance!. The 8e!uit had no
homeD the 5hole 5orld 5a! hi! pari!h. (obility and co!mopolitani!m 5ere of the very e!!ence of the
+ociety.
Their 5or# had to be propa.andaD teachin. and the in!inuation by every po!!ible mean! of the authority
and policy of the hurch. Their teachin. 5or# 5a! indi!putably .ood for the time!. &! the
"ncyclopaedia Britannica put! it@ :&t a time 5hen primary or even !econdary education had in mo!t
place! become a mere effete and pedantic adherence to ob!olete method!; they 5ere bold enou.h to
innovate; both in !y!tem and; material. They not merely tau.ht and catechi!ed in a ne5; fre!h and
attractive manner; be!ide! e!tabli!hin. free !chool! of .ood 3uality; but provided ne5 !chool boo#! for
their pupil! 5hich 5ere an enormou! advance on tho!e they found in u!eD !o that for nearly three
centurie! the 8e!uit! 5ere accounted the be!t !choolma!ter! in "urope; a! they confe!!edly 5ere in
,rance until their forcible !uppre!!ion in 1=21. ,ranci! Bacon !uccinctly .ive! hi! opinion of the 8e!uit
teachin. in the!e 5ord!@ )&! for the peda.o.ical part; the !horte!t rule 5ould be; on!ult the !chool! of
the 8e!uit!D for nothin. better ha! been put in practice.) *e Aug mentis; vi. 1.
:&.ain; 5hen mo!t of the continental cler.y had !un# more or le!!; into the moral and intellectual
!lou.h 5hich i! pictured for u! in the 5ritin.! of "ra!mu! and the Epistolae obscurorum &irorum the
8e!uit! 5on bac# re!pect for the clerical callin. by their per!onal culture and the unimpeachable purity
of their live!. The!e 3ualitie! they have carefully maintainedD and probably no lar.e body of men in the
5orld ha! #ept up; on the 5hole; an e3ually hi.h avera.e of intelli.ene an conduct... It i! in the mi!!ion
field; ho5ever; that their achievement! have been mo!t remar#able. Whether toilin. amon. the teemm.
million! in %indu!tan and hina; labourin. amon. the %uron! and Iro3uoi! of North &merica;
.overnin. and civili!in. the native! of BraEil and 6ara.uay in the mi!!ion! and )reduction!); or
mini!terin.; at the hourly ri!# of hi! life; to hi! feIlo5 atholic! in "n.land under "liEabeth and the
+tuart!; the 8e!uit appear! ali#e devoted; indefati.able; cheerful and 5orthy of hearty admiration and
re!pect.:
*nfortunately for the 5orld the 8e!uit! have never been able to #eep clear of politic!. It 5a! a.ain!t
their 5ritten profe!!ion!; if the!e are; to be ta#en !eriou!ly; but it 5a! manife!tly amon. their inevitable
temptation!. They had their !hare; direct or indirect; in embroilin. !tate!; concoctin. con!piracie! and
#indlin. 5ar!. They had a lar.e !hare in fannin. the flame! of political hatred a.ain!t the %u.uenot!
11
under the la!t t5o $aloi! #in.!D they plotted ob!tinately a.ain!t "n.land in therei.n of "liEabethD their
!hare in the Thirty <ear!) War and in the reli.iou! mi!erie! of Bohemia i! indi!putable. Their influence
in the revocation of the "dict of Nante! and the e'pul!ion of the 6rote!tant! from ,rance i! manife!t.
The ruin of the +tuart cau!e under 8ame! II; and the e!tabli!hment of the 6rote!tant !ucce!!ion 5a! due
lar.ely to their clum!y meddlin.. In a number of ca!e! 5here the evidence a.ain!t them i! defective; it
i! at lea!t an unfortunate coincidence that there i! al5ay! direct proof of !ome 8e!uit havin. been in
communication 5ith the actual a.ent! en.a.ed.
-radually the reputation of the 8e!uit a! a dan.erou! Eealot 5ith an inordinate appetite for po5er
increa!ed. In ,rance the 8e!uit! Coined if they did not ori.inate the lea.ue a.ain!t %enry of NavarreD
ab!olution 5a! refu!ed by them to tho!e 5ho 5ould not Coin in the -ui!e rebellion. The a!!a!!ination
of %enry III in the intere!t! of the lea.ue and the 5oundin. of %enry I$ in 14=1 by ha!tel; a pupil of
their!; revealed the 3uality of their di!po!ition. In "n.land the political !chemin.! of 6ar!on! 5ere no
!mall factor! in the odium 5hich fell on the +ociety at lar.eD and hi! determination to capture the
"n.li!h atholic! a! an appana.e of the +ociety 5a! an obCect le!!on to the re!t of "urope of a re!tle!!
ambition and lu!t of domination 5hich 5ere to find many imitator!. & .eneral con.re.ation of the
+ociety in 14=1 pa!!ed a decree forbiddin. it! member! to participate in public affair!D a decree there
5a! evidently no di!po!ition to enforce. 6ar!on! 5a! allo5ed to #eep on 5ith hi! 5or#; and other
8e!uit! in ,rance for many year! directed affair! of !tate. In 1H24 too# place in "n.land the -unpo5der
6lot; in 5hich %enry -arnet; the !upenor of the +ociety in "n.land; 5a! implicated. That the
8e!uit! 5ere the direct in!ti.ator! of the plot there i! no evidence but they 5ere in clo!e touch 5ith the
con!pirator!; of 5ho!e de!i.n! -arnet had a .eneral #no5led.e. There i! no5 no rea!onable doubt that
he and other 8e!uit! 5ere le.ally acce!!orie!; and that the condemnation of -arnet a! a traitor 5a!
!ub!tantially Cu!t.
Their ho!tility to the %u.uenot! forced on the Revocation of the "dict of Nante! in 1HG4; and their 5ar
a.ain!t their 8an!eni!t opponent! did not cea!e till the very 5all! of 6ort Royal 5ere demoli!hed in
1B12; even to tbe very abbey church it!elf; and the bodie! of the dead ta#en 5ith every mar# of in!ult
from their .rave! and literally flun. to the do.! to devour. Their 8apane!e mi!!ion vani!hed in blood in
1H41D and thou.h many 8e!uit! died 5ith their convert! bravely a! martyr! for the ,aith; it i! impo!!ible
to ac3uit them of e'treme political provocation.
We need not e'pand thi!; indictment further. &lmo!t every country in "urope e'cept "n.land had at
one time or another been provo#ed to e'pel the 8e!uit!; and; a! 5e !hall !ho5 pre!ently; their obdurate
per!i!tence in evil7 doin. continue! to thi! day. They are to7day the mo!t active front of the Roman
atholic re!iduum.
14
75I. 2 .H/ C0+.I+(A# )HRI+6AG/ 0F .H/ R03A+
CA.H0#IC CH(RCH
,OR it i! no5 only a re!iduum. The number of practi!in. Roman atholic! i! enormou!ly e'a..erated.
+teadily throu.hout thi! blac# record of it! a..re!!ive intolerance; the Roman atholic hurch ha!
e'uded and per!ecuted vitality and contracted into the actively mali.nant and !till d5indlin. body it i!
to7day. 8o!eph (cabe ha! made a vi.orou! e'amination of it! numerical claim!.
(cabe i! one of the mo!t able and intere!tin. and learned of all anti7 atholic 5riter!; and; li#e all the
mo!t thorou.h7.oin. reformer! in the pa!t; he !pran. from the bo!om of the hurch. %e be.an life 5ith
a !oundly Roman atholic up7brin.in.D he 5a! born in 1GHB. he 5a! a ,ranci!can mon# at !i'teen; a
prie!t at t5enty7three; 6rofe!!or of +chola!tic 6hilo!ophy for four year!; and then Rector of
Buc#in.ham olle.e. %i! clerical tide; 5hich he ha! cea!ed to u!e; i! the $ery Reverend ,ather
&ntony. %e bro#e a5ay from the hurch in 1G=H and he married three year! later. One mi.ht de!cribe
him a! the ultimate 6rote!tant; that i! to !ay he ha! no !crap of reli.iou! belief left in himD he ha! lon.
!ince reali!ed that 5hatever Bein. may !u!tain thi! univer!e it can have nothin. in common 5ith the
vain and vindictive Bo.y 5hich prie!tcraft ha! elaborated to !care and !ubCu.ate man#ind. %e 5rite!
5ith an erudition and an amount of #no5led.e that put him by him!elf a! the mo!t capable critic the
papal !y!tem ha! ever had. I !hall venture to cite hi! e'tremely di!re!pectful account of a Roman
onclave later in thi! chapter. But fir!t I 5ill avail my!elf of a little tract of hi! on the Blac#
International ?+econd +erie!; No. 1>A; to !u!tain my !tatement of the !hrin#a.e of the Roman remnant
of hri!tendom.
The number of Roman atholic! in the 5orld claimed by atholic authoritie!; he point! out; varie!
a!toni!hin.ly. & atholic e'pert in the ne5 "ncyclopaedia &mericana .ive! 9=1;4G>;222; the ?Briti!hA
atholic Directory .ive! >=G;9BB;222. :"very prie!t;: !ay! (cabet :ma#e! an annual report to hi!
bi!hop!I have a!!i!ted in thi! Coband the!e report! provide national total! 5hich are for5arded to
Rome. T5o thin.!; amon.!t other!; are reported@ ho5 many atholic! in the loo!e !en!ei.e. bapti!ed
per!on!there are in the pari!h and; particularly; ho5 many of them are real atholic! a! te!tified by
attendance at hurch on +unday! and the number of confe!!ion! at "a!ter. But neither local prelate!
nor the $atican ever publi!h the!e re!ult!. The neare!t approach to an official international annual i!
Orbi! atholicu!; and it .ive! no 5orld7totalD thou.h if you add up the !tatement! for each country the
total run! to about >42;222;222.
:The !um7total i! u!ually compiled by an entirely di!hone!t method; but even profe!!or! of !ociolo.y
5ho include the hurche! a! !ocially valuable a.encie! never condemn thi!. ountrie! 5hich; from
.eo.raphical or hi!torical condition!; never accepted tbe Reformation are !till called atholic countrie!;
and the 5hole population i! u!ually included in the atholic total or only from 1 to 4 per cent. i!
allo5ed for 6rote!tant!; 8e5!; andthou.h they .enerally form the lar.e!t body!ceptic!. The!e
countrie! ?,rance and it! colonie!; Italy; +pain and it! former colonie!; 6ortu.al and it! colonie!
+pani!h &merica; and .enerally &u!triaA 5ith a total population of more than 922;222;222 ma#e the
1H
bul# of the atholic fi.ure. ,or other countne! the fi.ure! are e3ually fanta!tic. The atholic 5riter in
the "ncyclopaedia &mericana .ive! 11;222;222 to Ru!!ia 5here no atholic claim! more than
>;222;222 and there are no5 certainly not >22;222D >=;222;222 to &u!tria and %un.ary; 5hich have had
for a 3uarter of a century a total ?mi'edA population of only 14;222;222@ 91;222;222 to -ermany 5here
the hurch i! in ruin!@ >4;222;222 to ,ranceD 5hich i! at lea!t five time! too much.
:In e'aminin. the!e fi.ure! 5e mu!t clearly under!!tand the condition!. What i! a atholic or a
member of the Roman hurch? The anon /a5 i! !imple and peremptory@ everybody 5ho once
received atholic bapti!m) ?(cabe; inter aliaJA. :&merican atholic 5riter! are unea!y about thi!
arro.ant theory of their hurch that you cannot !ecede from it; and they are !hifty and eva!ive in
definin. 5hat they mean 5hen they claim that there are more than 92;222;222 atholic! in the *nited
+tate!. In a fanta!ticatholic! call it a !cientific 5or#; %a! the Immi.rant Fept the ,aith? ?1=94A;
,r. -. +hau.ne!!y !ay! that by atholic he mean! one 5ho ha! received atholic bapti!m; marrie! in
the hurch and ha! hi! children bapti!ed; and at death receive! the la!t !acrament!. %e at once admit!
that the third condition i! )rather theoretical)he i! perfectly a5are that it i! not ta#en into account
and he ou.ht to #no5; and probably doe! #no5; that Iri!h; Italian and other atholic! commonly marry
in the hurch and allo5 the mother! or relative! to have the children bapti!ed thou.h they have
definitely abandoned it; ,rom 3ue!tion! .iven in (oore)! Will &merica become atholic? ?1=>1A it
appear! that in atholic periodical! ,r. +hau.ne!!y; a profe!!or at a atholic colle.e; i! accu!tomed to
.ive the u!ual definition of a atholic@ one 5ho 5a! bapti!ed in infancy. Thi! i! the !trict la5 of the
hurch; and it i! the .uidin. principle of the prie!t! 5ho compile the parochial !tati!tic! from 5hich the
national and 5orld7total! are compiled.:
I 5ill not .o on 5ith (cabe)! contemptuou! analy!i!. %e emer.e! 5ith a po!!ible ma'imum of 1G2
million atholic!; includin. a lar.e proportion of children ?42 million!A and illiterate!; probably 122
million!; in the 5hole 5orld population of 9;222 million!. The 6ope; he !ay!; certainly ha! not more
than 42 million !ubCect! upon thi! planet 5ho can 5rite their o5n name!. &nd all over the 5orld 5here
!tati!tic! are !till available; the number of atholic criminal! and pro!titute! i! out of all proportion to
their number! in the .eneral population.
The $ery Reverend ,ather &ntony 5rite! 5ith a ruthle!! confidence in hi! #no5led.e that I cannot
emulate.
:%i! 5ell7#no5n #istory of the (opes ?Watt! P o.; 1=>=A i! a cla!!ic 5hich every !tudent of reli.iou!
hi!tory mu!t !tudy; but 5hen it come! to controver!y a certain re!traint fall! from him; and !o; !ince I
5i!h to ma#e thi! boo# a! una..re!!ive a! po!!ible; I 5ill 3uote only one other of hi! more
controver!ial ?Blac# International Tract!; +econd +erie!; No. 11A.:
:Three time!;: !ay! he; :!ince 1=22; the voter! have put at the head of their hurch ?a 5orld75ide
bu!ine!! 5ith an income of hundred! of million! of dollar! a year at it! central office aloneA a man 5ho
5ould have failed to run a Q>;222 !tore. I have Cu!t read fifteen atholic boo#!Briti!h; ,rench; Italian
and -ermanon them and I ou.ht to #no5 them....
1B
:/et u! con!ider the 6apal election ?onclaveA in it!elf... . The theory you probably #no5. +i'ty or
!eventy cardinal! elect the 6ope. They are loc#ed and carpentered in a !pecial part of the $atican
palace; 5here each no5 ha! a !uite of room!in the old day! 5hen they 5ere all loc#ed in a chapel
day and ni.ht for 5ee#! the odour 5a! not one of !anctityuntil one of the rival candidate! .et! t5o7
third! of the vote!. There i! much prayin. to the %oly -ho!t for .uidance; but they !till have to be
loc#ed in and 5atched le!t they al!o con!ult profane per!on! out!ide....
:In practice the onclave i! much more human than the theory. "ver !ince the hurch of Rome became
rich in the fourth century there ha! been a !pirited !tru..le for the control of the trea!ury. &! early a!
>HH more than 1H2 of the !upporter! of the rival candidate! had to be buried; and a! late a! 11=9 the
)butcher)! bill) 5a! more than 922. The !tru..le i! no5 more refinedD thou.h 5hen the 6ope !ay! hi!
fir!t (a!! he !till ha! noble! at hand to ta#e the fir!t !ip of the 5ine and !ee that it ha! not been
poi!oned.
:& feveri!h intri.ue 5arm! Rome before a 6ope)! death. Broadly there are t5o !chool! of cardinal!@ the
)Eealot!)thin# of the hairy hill7men of Fentuc#y 5ho roar out the hymn )Old7,a!hioned Reli.ion)7and
the )political!) or practical men. There are .enerally four or five cardinal! 5ho fancy their chance! and
carry the bet! of the Roman!; and they canva!! the voter! of the rival !chool! and let it be #no5n that
they are .rateful to !upporter!. "ach party !elect! one champion; and they enter the onclave 5ith the
%oly -ho!t on their lip! and the name of a candidate in their poc#et!... .
:They pray and tal# for an hour or t5o and then ta#e a vote ?5rittenA. The t5o favourite! are bound to
haveD perhap!; a third of the vote! each; and the nibblin. at each other)! partie! and the neutral! be.in!.
There i! !till .enerally a deadloc# and they turn to the !trin. of )al!o ran). & fe5 colourle!! out!ider! are
tried until one .et! the t5o7third! vote. %e i! .enerally advanced in a.e or an invalid; !o that the
!tru..le may be re!umed in a fe5 year!. The luc#y man 5ho at la!t .et! the re3uired maCority murmur!
)I am not 5orthy) andbecau!e a 6ope 5a! once ta#en !eriou!ly 5hen he !aid thi!ma#e! for the
pontifical robe!; 5hich are 5aitin. ?in three !iEe!A. Then they ta#e him out on the balcony to !ho5 to
the public. The hi!torical record of the!e onclave! by 6etrucelli; della -attina beat! the hi!tory of
Tammany for clean fun.
:&n Italian atholic prie!t; -. Berthelet ?'toria e +i&ila,ioni sul Concla&e; 1=21A !ay! of the election of
the ).reat) /eo 0III@
:)If 6iu! I0 had fore!een the election of /eo 0III he 5ould have e'communicated him; but if /eo 0III
had fore!een that at hi! death the cardinal! 5ould vote for -iu!eppe +arto; he 5ould have
e'communicated the lot of them.)
:+arto; &rchbi!hop of $enice; 5a! a .ood old man of pea!ant ori.in. %i! !i!ter #ept the villa.e pub. %e
loved to tal# broad $enetian 5ith a countryman and !hoc# the more !tarchy cardinal!. But 5hat el!e
could the poor voter! do? ,or year! ardinal Rampolla; the able!t of them; a lean blac#7 vi!a.ed lyn'7
eyed !chemer li#e the pre!ent 6ope; had 5or#ed for the po!ition. The candidate of the Eealot! 5a!
1G
-atti... &! that very !ober and 5ei.hty ,rench ne5!paper "e Temps !aid in it! account of thi! onclave@
)The %oly -ho!t 5a! clearly ma#in. for the ,rench candidate ?RampollaA but the Triplice ?Triple
&llianceA headed him off....)
+uch i! the :atholic atmo!phere: in Rome to7day; and !uch i! the pre!ent pha!e of the di!inte.ration
of the hri!tendom of our ance!tor!. "ven in compari!on 5ith ,a!ci!m and the NaEi adventure Roman
atholici!m i! a bro#en and utterly de!perate thin.; capable only of mali.nant mi!chief in our
a5a#enin. 5orld. The 6ope i! no5 only the head of about fifty million! of !emi7 literate! !cattered
about the planet; trailin. after them a blind entirely i.norant multitude of :,aithful:D a follo5in. of
i.norant men; 5omen and children that doe! not e'ceed at the out!ide 192 million! all told.
With that the 6ope !et! him!elf to hold bac# and fru!trate the !ecular moderni!ation of the 5orld.
75II. 2 .H/ ).R(GG#/ F0R RI.AI+
T%" !cheme of thi! analy!i! of Roman atholici!m 5ould be incomplete 5ithout a fe5 note! to
remind the reader of the curiou! conflict that ha! been 5a.ed from the Reformation on5ard by the
Roman atholic hurch in order to recover it! a!cendancy over Britain.
None of the Briti!h mi'ture of people! )can be de!cribed a! pa!!ionately reli.iou!. None of them indeed
!eem to be pa!!ionate in any re!pect. They have a! little li#in. and !ympathy for the crime passionel a!
they have for the 5ild7eyed devotee in a manife!t hair !hirt. One can 5rite a !ort of cento of their pet
phra!e!. Their 5ea#ne!! and their .reate!t dan.er at the pre!ent time i! their di!po!ition to be
:rea!onable) to let by.one! be by.one!; not to cry over !pilt mil#; to live and let live; and believe that
all other people in the 5orld have a !imilarly rea!onable e3uable temperament. They 5ill fi.ht for
point!; :play the .ame:; and they have to be !mac#ed .ood and hard and !pat upon and .enerally
in!ulted before they can be induced to fi.ht all out. They are rather plea!ed to lo!e every battle but the
la!t; :muddle throu.h: and then ma#e a :.ood humoured: !ettlement that lo!e! the peace. They are bad
allie! for 5ea#er people! becau!e of the!e tru!tful !ettlement! they 5ill ma#e. /eave them alone; don)t
rou!e them; and you may !teal the #ey! of the !afe. (any "n.li!hmen thin# it i! bad form to count their
chan.e; and they dete!t ca!h re.i!ter!. But 5hen they reali!e they have been cheated and have .ot
!omethin. they didn)t bar.ain for; they may e'plode dan.erou!ly.
(aybe it i! the -ulf +tream or !omethin. .eo.raphical that ma#e! them li#e thi!; maybe it i! the fact
that livin.; !o to !pea#; at the end of "urope; !o that for centurie!; until &merica came into the 5orld;
every !ort o.f man came to "n.land and nobody 5et a5ay; they are o !o mi'ed a !train that they believe
nothin. decidedly. ompromi!e and lac# of empha!i! i! in their nature.
If I 5anted to bra. about the "n.li!h peopleD if I 5ere briefed for that purpo!e and had no 5ay of
evadin. !o uncon.enial a ta!#; I !hould certainly a!!ociate thi! di!po!ition to indifference in reli.iou!
1=
and !ocial do.ma! 5ith the very e'ceptional !hare they have had in the in!piration and early
or.ani!ation of !cientific re!earch.
They are di!po!ed to put a note of interro.ation to every po!itive a!!ertion; becau!e they have a
profound !en!e of the pre!ent imperfection! of lan.ua.e and every !ort of !ymbol and !tatement. They
feel that thin.! may be !o to a certain e'tent and yet not 3uite !o. They reali!e that our mind! are at
their be!t e'tremely imperfect implement!. ontinually 5e !eem to be approachin. truth; but every
actuality 5e con3uer open! up fre!h 3ue!tion!. Thi! approach to truth .oe! on unendin.ly; and every
.eneration ha! it! achievement! and it! fre!h !timulu! to further .ro5th. That i! not !imply the
di!po!ition of the !cientifically trained "n.li!hmanD it corre!pond! to !omethin. li#e an in!tinct in the
common !ort of people. They dete!t all preci!e and bindin. and conclu!ive !tatementD they feel
!omethin. 5ron. about it; and they de!pi!e do.matic enthu!ia!m. They invented the 5ord :humbu.:
and they are far le!! patriotic than the naturali!ed alien. When they are vi.orou! they are in!ubordinate
and deri!ive; and 5hen they are devitali!ed they are apathetic and unconvinced.
"3uable. +o the Briti!h are no5 and !o they have al5ay! been. I have noted ho5 "n.land became
6rote!tant. Would !he have remained atholic but for &nne Boleyn? That i! not !o certain.
6rote!tanti!m leave!) them at their ea!e in many 5ay!; but; a! 5e have !een throu.hout thi! !tudy; the
6apacy ha! never been able to refrain from provocation. It ha! never let &n.lo7+a'on! !leep. By it!
very nature it ha! to encroach until !ome !ort of e'plo!ion occur!..
We have .iven a brief account of here!ie! in hapter I$. The Briti!h have never !tarted an a..re!!ive
here!y. But they have re!ented bein. pu!hed about. They have Ceered at and critici!ed the preten!ion! of
the hurch; they have 3ue!tioned and 3ue!tioned that; de!tructively; but they have never be.un the
!tru..le. The hurch made a do.ma of Tran!ub!tantiation.
Wycliffe put a 3uery a.ain!t it that !plit the hurch in t5ain; but he remained in the hurch to hi!
death. The maCority of the anterbury 6il.rim!; a! 5e have noted in hapter 0IIIa; are ea!y7.oin.
moc#er!. <ou cannot tell 5hether that compo!ite per!on; +ha#e!peare; 5a! a atholic or a 6rote!tant
or; li#e hi! (acbeth; an out7and7out athei!t. &ll three 5ent to the ma#in. of him. The official "n.li!h
Reformation ended in that remar#able compromi!e; the "!tabli!hed hurch and the Thirty7nine
&rticle!; 5hich 5a! Cu!t atholic enou.h to .ive the 6apacy and the 8e!uit! hope for 3uiet
rein!tatement. Then; Cu!t a! the handcuff! 5ere on a.ain and the .a. nearly fi'ed; came the inevitable
a5a#enin. and e'plo!ion.
The hi!tory of "n.land !ince the Reformation could be 5ritten a! a recurrent and .enerally combined
attac# of the Roman atholic hurch and the totalitarian !tate ?of 5hich perhap! %obbe!) /eviathan i!
the complete!t e'pre!!ion and the Divine Ri.ht of Fin.! the political claimA upon the common7 !en!e
a.no!tici!m and individuali!m of the "n.li!h people. &l5ay! it i! the !ame !tory of a rene5ed a!!ault;
apparent !ucce!! and then e'plo!ion.
In the pha!e of 6uritani!m that follo5ed the pa!!in. of the "liEabethan! 5e find the "n.li!h in an
42
un!u!piciou! pha!e; leadin. the live! they 5ere di!po!ed to live; and feelin. no threat to their 5ay of
life. In 8. R. -reen)! 'hort #istory of the English (eople; 5e find a portrait !#etch of olonel
%utchin!on; one of; the Re.icide!; 5hich I 5ill 3uote 5ith a fe5 abrid.ment!.
:With the clo!e of the "liEabethan a.e; indeed; the intellectual freedom 5hich had mar#ed it faded
in!en!ibly a5ay@ the bold philo!ophical !peculation! 5hich +idney had cau.ht from Bruno; and 5hich
had brou.ht on (arlo5e and Ralei.h the char.e of athei!m; died; li#e her o5n reli.iou! indifference;
5ith the Iueen. But the li.hter and more ele.ant !ide! of the "liEabethan culture harmoni!ed 5ell
enou.h 5ith the temper of the 6uritan .entleman.
:The fi.ure of olonel %utchin!on; one of the Re.icide!; !tand! out from hi! 5ife)! canva! 5ith the
.race and codin. of a portrait by $andyc#. +he d5ell! on the per!onal beauty 5hich di!tin.ui!hed hi!
youth; on )hi! teeth even and 5hite a! the pure!t ivory); )hi! hair of bro5n; very thic#!et in hi! youth;
!ofter than the fine!t !il#; cudin. 5ith .reat loo!e rin.! at the end!.) +eriou! a! 5a! hi! temper in .raver
matter!; the youn. !3uire of O5thorpe 5a! fond of ha5#in.; and pi3ued him!elf on hi! !#ill in dancin.
and. fence. %i! arti!tic ta!te !ho5ed it!elf in a critical love of paintin.; !culpture and all liberal art!) a!
5ell a! in the plea!ure he too# in hi! .arden!; in plantin. .rove! and 5al#! and fore!t tree!.)
:%i! life 5a! orderly and methodical; !parin. of diet and of !elf7 indul.enceD he ro!e early; he never
5a! at any time idle; and hated to !ee anyone el!e !o). The ne5 !obriety and !elf7re!traint mar#ed it!elf
even in hi! chan.e of dre!!. The .or.eou! colour! and 8e5el! of the Rena!cence di!appeared. olonel
%utchin!on )left off very early the 5earin. of anythin. that 5a! co!tly; yet in hi! plaine!t ne.li.ent
habit appeared very much a .entleman).
:The lo!! of colour and variety in life 5a! compen!ated by !olid .ain!. -reate!t amon. the!e 5a! the
ne5 conception of !ocial e3uality. Their common brotherhood in hri!t annihilated that overpo5erin.
!en!e of !ocial di!tinction! 5hich characteri!ed the a.e of "liEabeth. The proude!t noble reco.ni!ed a
!piritual e3uality in the poore!t )!aint). It 5a! felt even more in the ne5 di.nity and !elf7re!pect 5ith
5hich the con!ciou!ne!! of their )callin.) inve!ted the cla!!e! beneath the ran# of the .entry....
:It i! in a 6uritan of the middle cla!! that 5e find the fulle!t and noble!t e'pre!!ion of the ne5
influence 5hich 5a! leavenin. the temper of the time. 8ohn (ilton i! not only the hi.he!t; but the
complete!t type of 6uritani!m. %e 5a! born 5hen it be.an to e'erci!e a direct po5er over "n.li!h
politic! and "n.li!h reli.ionD he died 5hen it! effort to mould them into it! o5n !hape 5a! over; and it
had !un# a.ain into one of the many influence! to 5hich 5e o5e our "n.li!h character. %i! earlier
ver!e; the pamphlet! of hi! riper year!; the epic! of hi! a.e; mar# 5ith a !in.ular preci!ion three .reat
!ta.e! in hi! hi!tory. %i! youth !ho5! that much of the .aiety; the poetic ea!e; the intellectual culture of
the Rena!cence lin.ered in a 6uritan home. +crivener and )preci!ian) a! hi! father 5a!; he 5a! a !#illed
mu!icianD and the boy inherited hi! father)! !#ill on lute and or.an....
:In !pite of the 5ar bet5een play5ri.ht and preci!ian; a 6uritan youth in (ilton)! day! could !till avo5
hi! love of the !ta.e; )if 8on!on)! learned !oc# be on; or !5eete!t ;+ha#e!peare; ,ancy)! child; 5arble hi!
41
native 5oodnote! 5ild). %e could .ather from the )ma!3ue! and anti3ue pa.eantry) of the courtrevel
hint! for hi! o5n omu! and &rcade!. Nor doe! any !hado5 of the comin. !tru..le a.ain!t the hurch
di!turb the youn. !cholar)! reverie; a! he 5ander! beneath )the hi.h embo5ed roof; 5ith anti3ue pillar!
ma!!y proof; and !toried 5indo5! richly di.ht; ca!tin. a dim reli.iou! li.ht); or a! he hear! )the pealin.
or.an blo5 to the full7voiced choir belo5; in !ervice hi.h and anthem clear). %i! enCoyment of the
.aiety of life !tand! in bri.ht contra!t 5ith the .loom and !ternne!! 5hich !trife and per!ecution
fo!tered in the later 6uritani!m. In !pite of 5hat he de!cribed a! )a certain re!ervedne!! of natural
di!po!ition) 5hich !hran# from )fe!tivitie! and Ce!t!; in 5hich I ac#no5led.e my faculty to be very
!li.ht the youn. !in.er could !till enCoy the )Ce!t and youthful Collity) of the 5orld around him; it! )3uip!
and cran#! and 5anton 5ile!)D he could loo# plea!antly on )at the villa.e fair; )5here the Cocund rebec#!
!ound to many a youth and many a maid; dancin. in the che3uered !hade.)
:There 5a! nothin. a!cetic in hi! loo#; in hi! !lender; vi.orou! frame; hi! face full of a delicate yet
!eriou! beauty; the rich bro5n hair 5hich clu!tered over hi! bro5.... %e dran# in an ideal chivalry from
+pen!er; but hi! reli.ion and purity di!dained the outer pled.e on 5hich chivalry built up it! fabric of
honour. )"very free and .entle !pirit;) !aid (ilton; )5ithout that oath; ou.ht to be a #ni.ht). It 5a! 5ith
thi! temper that he pa!!ed from hi! /ondon !chool; +t. 6aul)!; to hri!t)! olle.e at ambrid.e; and it
5a! thi! temper that he pre!erved throu.hout hi! *niver!ity career.:
But 5e have already dra5n very .enerou!ly upon (ilton in thi! boo#. "ven before the death of Iueen
"liEabeth 6apal a..re!!ion 5a! already provo#in. an.er in the country.
:+in.le7handed; un!upported by any of the !tate!men or divine! about her; the Iueen had forced on the
5arrin. reli.ion! a !ort of armed truce. The main principle! of the Reformation 5ere accepted; but the
Eeal of the ultra7 reformer! 5a! held at bay. The Bible 5a! left open; private di!cu!!ion 5a!
unre!trained; but the 5arfare of pulpit a.ain!t pulpit 5a! !ilenced by the licen!in. of preacher!. Outer
conformity; attendance at the common prayer; 5a! e'acted from allD but the chan.e! in ritual; by 5hich
the Eealot! of -eneva .ave prominence to the radical feature! of the reli.iou! chan.e 5hich 5a!
pa!!in. over the country; 5ere re!i!ted. While "n.land 5a! !tru..lin. for e'i!tence; thi! balanced
attitude of the ro5n reflected faithfully enou.h the balanced attitude of the nationD but 5ith the
declaration of 5ar by the 6apacy in the Bull of Depo!ition the movement in favour of a more
pronounced 6rote!tanti!m .athered a ne5 !tren.th. *nhappily the Iueen clun. ob!tinately to her
!y!tem of compromi!e; 5ea#ened and bro#en a! it 5a!. With the reli.iou! enthu!ia!m 5hich 5a!
.ro5in. up around her !he had no !ympathy 5hatever. %er pa!!ion 5a! for moderation; her aim 5a!
!imply civil orderD and both order and moderation 5ere threatened by the #not of clerical bi.ot! 5ho
.athered under the banner of 6re!byteriani!m. Bi.otry 5a! rou!in. counter7 bi.otry. Of the!e bi.ot! of
the left Thoma! art5ri.ht 5a! the chief. %e had !tudied at -enevaD he returned 5ith a fanatical faith
in alvini!m; and in the !y!tem of hurch .overnment 5hich alvin had devi!edD and a! (ar.aret
6rofe!!or of Divinity at ambrid.e he u!ed to the full the opportunitie! 5hich hi! chair .ave him of
propa.atin. hi! opinion!. No leader of a reli.iou! party ever de!erved le!! of after !ympathy than
art5ri.ht. %e 5a! un3ue!tionably learned and devout; but hi! di!po!ition 5a! that of a mediaeval
49
in3ui!itor. The relic! of the old ritual; the cro!! in bapti!m; the !urplice; the .ivin. of a rin. in marria.e;
5ere to him not merely di!ta!teful; a! they 5ere to the 6uritan! at lar.e; they 5ere idolatrou! and the
mar# of the bea!t.:
art5ri.ht cut no ice; a! the !ayin. .oe!; 5ith the "n.li!h people. The !pirit of alvini!tic
6re!byteriani!m e'cluded all toleration of practice or belief.
&! (ilton; mo!t modern7!pirited of 6rote!tant!; put it@
:Ne5 6re!byter i! but Old 6rie!t 5rit lar.e.:
:To the ordinary "n.li!h 6rote!tant;: !ay! 8. R. -reen; :no innovation in faith or 5or!hip 5a! of !mall
account; if it tended in the direction of Rome. The peril 5a! too .reat to admit of tolerance or
moderation....
:We !ee the 6uritan temper already in the (illenary 6etition ?a! it 5a! calledA; 5hich 5a! pre!ented to
8ame! the ,ir!t on hi! acce!!ion by !ome ei.ht hundred cler.ymen; about one7tenth of the 5hole
number in hi! realm. It a!#ed for no chan.e in the .overnment or or.ani!ation of the hurch; but for a
reform of it! court!; the removal of !uper!titiou! u!a.e! from the Boo# of ommon 6rayer; the di!u!e
of le!!on! from the apocryphal boo#! of +cripture; a more ri.orou! ob!ervance of +unday!; and the
provi!ion and trainin. of preachin. mini!ter!. "ven !tate!men 5ho had little !ympathy 5ith the
reli.iou! !pirit about them pleaded for the purcha!e of reli.iou! and national union by eccle!ia!tical
reform!. )Why;) a!#ed ,ranci! Bacon; )!hould the civil !tate be pur.ed and re!tored by .ood and
5hole!ome la5! made every three year! in 6arliament a!!embled; devi!in. remedie! a! fa!t a! time
breedeth mi!chief; and contrari5i!e the eccle!ia!tical !tate !till continue upon the dre.! of time; and
receive no alteration the!e forty7five year! or more?) & .eneral e'pectation; in fact; prevailed that; no5
the Iueen)! oppo!ition 5a! removed; !omethin. 5ould be done. *nhappily her !ucce!!or proved
e3ually re!olute a.ain!t all chan.e! in hurch matter!.
:No !overei.n could have Carred more utterly a.ain!t the conception of an "n.li!h ruler 5hich had
.ro5n up under 6lanta.enet or Tudor than 8ame! the ,ir!t. %i! bi. head; hi! !lobberin. ton.ue; hi!
3uilted clothe!; hi! ric#ety le.!; !tood out in a! .rote!3ue a contra!t 5ith all that men recalled of %enry
or "liEabeth a! hi! rhodomontade; a! hi! 5ant of per!onal di.nity; hi! buffoonery; hi! coar!ene!! of
!peech; hi! pedantry and co5ardice. *nderneath thi! ridiculou! e'terior; ho5ever; lay much natural
ability; a !cholar 5ith a con!iderable fund of !hre5dne!!; mother75it and ready repartee. %i! readin.;
e!pecially in theolo.ical matter!; 5a! e'ten!iveD and he 5a! a voluminou! author on !ubCect! 5hich
ran.ed from prede!tination to tobacco. But hi! !hre5dne!! and learnin. only left him; in the phra!e of
%enry the ,ourth; )the 5i!e!t fool in hri!tendom). %e had the temper of a pedant; a pedant)! conceit; a
pedant)! love of theorie!; and a pedant)! inability to brin. hi! theorie! into any relation 5ith actual fact!.
&ll mi.ht have .one 5ell had he confined him!elf to !peculation! about 5itchcraft; about
prede!tination; about the no'iou!ne!! of !mo#in..
:*nhappily for "n.land and for hi! !ucce!!or; he clun. yet more pa!!ionately to theorie! of
4>
.overnment 5hich contained 5ithin them the !eed! of a death7!tru..le bet5een hi! people and the
ro5n. "ven before hi! acce!!ion to the "n.li!h throne; he had formulated hi! theory of rule in a 5or#
on The True /a5 of ,ree (onarchyD and announced that; )althou.h a .ood Fin. 5ill frame hi! action!
to be accordin. to la5; yet he i! not bound thereto; but of hi! o5n 5ill and for e'ample7.ivin. to hi!
!ubCect!). With the Tudor !tate!men 5ho u!ed the phra!e; )an ab!olute Fin.) or )an ab!olute (onarchy)
meant a !overei.n or rule complete in them!elve!; and independent of all forei.n or 6apal interference.
8ame! cho!e to re.ard the 5ord! a! implyin. the monarch)! freedom from all control by la5 or from
re!pon!ibility to anythin. but hi! o5n royal 5ill.
:The Fin.)! theory 5a! !oon a! the Divine Ri.ht of Fin.! to become a doctrine 5hich bi!hop!
preached from the pulpit onvocation in it! boo# of anon! denounced a! a fatal error the a!!ertion
that )all civil po5er; Curi!diction and authority 5ere fir!t derived from the people and di!ordered
multitude and either i! ori.inally !till in them or el!e i! deduced by their con!ent naturally from themD
and i! not -od)! ordinance ori.inally de!cendin. upon %im and dependin. upon %im).
:o5ell; a civilian follo5ed up the di!coverie! of onvocation by an announcement that )the Fin. i!
above the la5 by hi! ab!olute po5er; and that )not5ith!tandin. hi! oath he may alter and !u!pend any
particular la5 that !eemeth hurtful to the public e!tate). The boo# 5a! !uppre!!ed on the remon!trance
of the %ou!e of ommon!; but the party of pa!!ive obedience .re5 fa!t. & fe5 year! before the death
of 8ame!D the *niver!ity of O'ford decreed !olemnly that )it 5a! in no ca!e la5ful for !ubCect! to ma#e
u!e of force a.ain!t their prince!; or to appear offen!ively or defen!ively in the field a.ain!t them.) )&!
it i! athei!m and bla!phemy to di!pute 5hat -od can do) !aid 8ame! in a !peech delivered in the +tar
hamber; )!o it i! pre!umption and a hi.h contempt in a !ubCect to di!pute 5hat a Fin. can do; or to !ay
that a Fin. cannot do thi! or that.):
&mon. the Fin.)! mo!t ardent !upporter! and intellectual a!!ociate! 5a! 8ohn Donne the poet 5ho
be.an hi! career a! an amori!t of the mo!t brilliant type and commemorated it in deathle!! ver!e fell
deeply in love; eloped and became a faithful hu!band had t5elve annual children of 5hom he buried
five and 5hen hi! 5ife died under the !train devoted him!elf to ill7health and hi! poetical .ift. The
Fin. found Donne)! erudition .reater than hi! o5n and hi! belief in Divine Ri.ht very !u!tainin..
8ame! per!uaded him to ta#e %oly Order! 5hich he had hitherto declined; and made him Dean of +t.
6aul)!; the fir!t of a lon. !erie! of di!tin.ui!hed Dean!. Whether Donne preferred hi! (aCe!ty to hi!
(a#er i! by no mean! clear. Donne #illed him!elf 5hen in the 5or!t of health by in!i!tin. upon ma#in.
hi! per!onal attendance upon hi! Royal (a!ter and preachin. thi! cu!tomary /enten !ermon.
The peculiar temperamental perver!ion that handed over Donne)! 5or!hipful monarch to a !erie! of
youthful male :favourite!:; of 5hich the Du#e of Buc#in.ham 5a! the chief; and the attempt! to marry
the 6rince of Wale! to a +pani!h atholic 6rince!!; inten!ified the .eneral unea!ine!!. There i! no need
to detail the :romantic: vi!it of Buc#in.ham and 6rince harle! to (adrid. That adventure ended in
failure. The return of the 6rince :5a! the !i.nal for a bur!t of national Coy. &ll /ondon 5a! ali.ht 5ith
bonfire!; in her Coy at the failure of the +pani!h match; and of the collap!e; humiliatin. a! it 5a!; of the
41
policy 5hich had !o lon. trailed "n.li!h honour at the chariot5heel! of +pain.:
There follo5ed an under!tandin. 5ith ,rance and the marria.e of harle! I ?5ho had !ucceeded to the
throneA to %enrietta; the !i!ter of the ,rench Fin..
:It 5a! !u!pected; and !u!picion 5a! !oon to be chan.ed into certainty; that in !pite of hi! pled.e to
ma#e no reli.iou! conce!!ion!; harle! had promi!ed on hi! marria.e to rela' the penal la5! a.ain!t
atholic!; and that a forei.n po5er had a.ain been .iven the ri.ht of intermeddlin. in the civil affair!
of the realm. It 5a! men 5ith atholic leanin.! 5hom harle! !eemed di!po!ed to favour. Bi!hop /aud
5a! reco.ni!ed a! the centre of that varied oppo!ition to 6uritani!m; 5ho!e member! 5ere loo!ely
.rouped under the name of &rminian!D and /aud became the Fin.)! advi!er in eccle!ia!tical matter!.
With /aud at it! head the ne5 party .re5 in boldne!! a! 5ell a! number!. It naturally !ou.ht !helter for
it! reli.iou! opinion! by e'altin. the po5er of the ro5n. & court favourite; (onta.ue; ventured to
!li.ht the Reformed hurche! of the continent in favour of the hurch of Rome; and to advocate a! the
faith of the hurch the very doctrine! reCected by the alvini!t!. The temper of the ommon! on
reli.iou! matter! 5a! clear to every ob!erver. )Whatever mention doe! brea# forth of the fear! or
dan.er! in reli.ion; and the increa!e of 6opery;) 5rote a member 5ho 5a! notin. the proceedin.! of the
%ou!e; )their affection! are much !tirred.):
Buc#in.ham 5a! murdered in 1H9G; amid!t re.rettable reCoicin.! on the part of the /ondon mob; /aud
became Bi!hop of /ondon in the !ame year; and the 6uritan emi.ration 5hich laid the foundation of
Ne5 "n.land became an or.ani!ed movement. ?The ayflower had !ailed from %olland in 1H92.A
&ll throu.h the rei.n of harle! I; the encroachment! of monarchical ab!oluti!m and of both Roman
and &n.lican atholici!m continued; and at every challen.e the ho!tility of the ma!! of "n.li!h people
to the!e encroachment! 5a! manife!t. When; after the failure of a reactionary &rmy 6lot harle! I; to
!ave hi! o5n !#in; betrayed hi! chief !upporter; +trafford the 5hole country reCoiced.
:+trafford died a! he had lived. %i! friend! 5arned him of the va!t multitude .athered before the To5er
to 5itne!! hi! fall. )I #no5 ho5 to loo# death in the face; and the people too;) he an!5ered proudly. )I
than# -od I am no more afraid of death; but a! cheerfully put off my doublet at thi! time a! ever I did
5hen I 5ent to bed.) &! the a'e fell; the !ilence of the .reat multitude 5a! bro#en by a univer!al !hout
of Coy. The !treet! blaEed 5ith bonfire!. The bell! cla!hed out from every !teeple. )(any;) !ay! an
ob!erver; )that came to to5n to !ee the e'ecution rode in triumph bac#; 5avin. their hat!; and 5ith all
e'pre!!ion! of Coy throu.h every to5n they 5ent; cryin. :%i! head i! offJ %i! head i! offJ:):
+trafford had prepared an army to !upport the Fin. in Ireland. No5 that army 5a! headle!!.
:The di!banded !oldier! he had rai!ed !pread over the country; and !tirred the !moulderin. di!affection
into a flame. & con!piracy; or.ani!ed 5ith 5onderful po5er and !ecrecy; bur!t forth in *l!ter; 5here
the confi!cation of the +ettlement had never been for.iven; and !pread li#e 5ildfire over the centre and
5e!t of the i!land. Dublin 5a! !aved by a mere chance. In the open country the 5or# of murder 5ent
on unchec#ed. Thou!and! of "n.li!h people peri!hed; and rumour doubled and trebled the number.
44
Tale! of horror and outra.e came day after day over the Iri!h hannel. +5orn depo!ition! told ho5
hu!band! 5ere cut to piece! in pre!ence of their 5ive!; their children)! brain! da!hed out before their
face!; their dau.hter! brutally violated and driven out na#ed to peri!h froEen in the 5ood!.
:)+ome;) !ay! (ay; )5ere burned on !et purpo!e; other! dro5ned for !port or pa!time; and if they !5am
#ept from landin. 5ith pole!; or !hot; or murdered in the 5ater many 5ere buried 3uic#; and !ome !et
into the earth brea!t7hi.h ;and there left to fami!h.) The revolt 5a! unli#e any earlier ri!in. in it!
reli.iou! character. No lon.er 5a! it a !tru..le; a! of old; of elt a.ain!t +a'on; but of atholic a.ain!t
6rote!tant. The 6api!t! 5ithin the 6ale Coined hand! in it 5ith the 5ilderne!! out!ide the 6ale....:
+o the !tory run! on. The ivil War 5a! fou.ht to a fini!h and harle! bein. a !hamele!! cheat and lIar
5a! finally beheaded for a hitherto unheard7of crime; trea!on to the people. Then came the Re!toration
and a pha!e of uncertain loyalty until fre!h 8e!uit activitie! rou!ed the popular di!tru!t a.ain. There 5a!
a real plot; but al!o there 5a! a bo.u! plot invented by a !coundrel; Titu! Oate!. Thi! :6opi!h 6lot:;
min.lin. reality and ima.ination; produced the u!ual re!pon!e from the populace. It became manife!t
that 8ame!; Du#e of <or#; the Fin.)! brother and !ucce!!or; 5a! involved in a proCected re!toration of
the papal rule in "n.land.
Never had the ,rench alliance !eemed !o full of dan.er to "n.li!h irreli.ion. "urope had lon. been
tremblin. at the ambition of /oui! 0I$D it 5a! tremblin. no5 at hi! bi.otry. %e declared 5ar at thi!
moment upon reli.iou! freedom by revo#in. the "dict of Nante!; the mea!ure by 5hich %enry the
,ourth after hi! abandonment of 6rote!tanti!m !ecured toleration and the free e'erci!e of their 5or!hip
for hi! 6rote!tant !ubCect!. It had been re!pected by Richelieu even in hi! victory over the %u.uenot!;
and only li.htly tampered 5ith by (aEarin. But from the be.innin. of hi! rei.n. /oui! had re!olved to
!et a!ide it! provi!ion!; and hi! revocation of it in 1HG4 5a! only the natural clo!e of a pro.re!!ive
!y!tem of per!ecution. The Revocation 5a! follo5ed by outra.e! more cruel than even the blood!hed
of &lva. Dra.oon! 5ere 3uartered on 6rote!tant familie! and .iven the utmo!t freedom of outra.e;
5omen 5ere flun. from their !ic#7bed! into the !treet!; children 5ere torn from their mother!) arm! to
be brou.ht up in atholici!m; mini!ter! 5ere !ent to the .alley!.
In !pite of the royal edict!; 5hich forbade emi.ration to the victim! of the!e horrible atrocitie!; a
hundred thou!and 6rote!tant! fled over the border!; and %olland; +5itEerland; the 6alatinate; 5ere
filled 5ith ,rench e'ile!. Thou!and! found refu.e in "n.land; and their indu!try founded in the field!
ea!t of /ondon the !il# trade of +pitalfield!. But 5hile the "n.li!h people beheld the!e event! 5ith
horror; 8ame! dre5 from them ne5 hope!. In defiance of the la5; he filled fre!h re.iment! 5ith
atholic officer!. %e met the 6arliament 5ith a hau.hty declaration that 5hether le.al or no hi! .rant
of commi!!ion! to atholic! mu!t not be 3ue!tioned; and 5ith a demand for !upplie! for hi! ne5
troop!. /oyal a! 5a! the temper of the %ou!e!; their alarm for the Reformed Reli.ion and their dread of
a !tandin. army 5a! yet !tron.er than their loyalty. The ommon!; by a maCority of a !in.le vote;
deferred the .rant of !upplie! until .rievance! 5ere redre!!ed; and demanded in I their addre!! the
recall of the ille.al commi!!ion!. The /ord! too# a bolder toneD and the prote!t of the bi!hop! a.ain!t
4H
any infrin.ement of the Te!t &ct 5a! bac#ed by the elo3uence of %alifa'. Both %ou!e! 5ere at once
proro.ued. &n amba!!ador; the "arl of a!tlemaine; 5a! !ent to implore the 6ope)! ble!!in. on the!e
proceedin.!.
:atholic! 5ere admitted into civil and military office! 5ithout !tint; and four atholic peer! 5ere
!5orn a! member! of the 6rivy ouncil. The la5! 5hich forbade the pre!ence of atholic prie!t! in the
realm; or the open e'erci!e of atholic 5or!hip; 5ere !et at nou.ht. & .or.eou! chapel 5a! opened in
the palace of +t. 8ame! for the u!e of the Fin.. armelite!; Benedictine!; ,ranci!can! appeared in their
reli.iou! .arb in the !treet! of /ondon; and the 8e!uit! !et up a cro5ded !chool in the +avoy.:
The manife!t popular :di!content at the!e act! 5ould have !tartled a 5i!er man into prudence; but
8ame! prided him!elf on an ob!tinacy 5hich never .ave 5ayD and a riot 5hich too# place on the
openin. of a fre!h atholic chapel in the ity 5a! follo5ed by the e!tabli!hment of a camp of thirteen
thou!and men at %oun!lo5 to overa5e the capital.
:8ame! clun. to the hope of findin. a compliant 6arliament; from 5hich he mi.ht 5in a repeal of the
Te!t &ct. In face of the do..ed oppo!ition of the country the election! had been adCournedD and a
rene5ed Declaration of Indul.ence 5a! intended a! an appeal to the nation at lar.e. &t it! clo!e he
promi!ed to !ummon a 6arliament in November; and he called on the elector! to choo!e !uch member!
a! 5ould brin. to a !ucce!!ful end the policy he had be.un. It 5a! in thi! character of a royal appeal
that he ordered every cler.yman to read the declaration durin. divine !ervice on t5o !ucce!!ive
+unday!. /ittle time 5a! .iven for deliberation; but little time 5a! needed. The cler.y refu!ed almo!t to
a man to be the in!trument! of their o5n humiliation. The Declaration 5a! read in only four of the
/ondon churche!; and in the!e the con.re.ation floc#ed out of church at the fir!t 5ord! of it. Nearly all
of the country cler.y refu!ed to obey the royal order!. The Bi!hop! 5ent 5ith the re!t of the cler.y.
:& fe5 day! before the appointed +unday &rchbi!hop +ancroft called hi! !uffra.an! to.ether; and the
!i' 5ho 5ere able to appear at /ambeth !i.ned a temperate prote!t to the Fin.; in 5hich they declined
to publi!h an ille.al DeclaratIon. )It i! a !tandard of rebellion;) 8ame! e'claimed a! the 6rimate
pre!ented the paperD and the re!i!tance of the cler.y 5a! no !ooner announced to him than he
determined to 5rea# hi! ven.eance on the prelate! 5ho had !i.ned the prote!t. %e ordered the
"ccle!ia!tical ommi!!ioner! to deprive them of their !ee!; but in thi! matter even the ommi!!ioner!
!hran# from obeyin. him. The hancellor; /ord 8effrey!; advi!ed a pro!ecution for libel a! an ea!ier
mode of puni!hmentD and the bi!hop!; 5ho refu!ed to .ive bail; 5ere committed on thi! char.e to the
To5er. They pa!!ed to their pri!on amid!t the !hout! of a .reat multitude; the !entinel! #nelt for their
ble!!in. a! they entered it! .ate!; and the !oldier! of the .arri!on dran# their health!. +o threatenin.
5a! the temper of the nation that hi! mini!ter! pre!!ed 8ame! to .ive 5ay. But hi! ob!tinacy .re5 5ith
the dan.er. )Indul.ence;) he !aid; )ruined my father)D and on the 9=th of 8une the bi!hop! appeared a!
criminal! at the bar of the Fin.)! Bench. The Cury had been pac#ed; the Cud.e! 5ere mere tool! of the
ro5n; but Cud.e! and Cury 5ere ali#e overa5ed by the indi.nation of the people at lar.e. No !ooner
had the foreman of the Cury uttered the 5ord! )Not .uilty) than a roar of applau!e bur!t from the cro5d;
4B
and hor!emen !purred alon. every road to carry over the country the ne5! of the ac3uittal.:
The la!t militant act of Fin. 8ame! a! the !#ie! blac#ened over him 5a! to brin. over draft! from the
atholic army Tyrconnell had rai!ed for him. Thi! produced amon. other thin.! one of the be!t
marchin. tune! in the Briti!h &rmy; :/illiburlero:. It 5a! immen!ely popular. It 5a! !un. throu.hout
the country. The tune i! !aid to have been ba!ed upon an old Iri!h lullaby; but the 5ord! !eem to have
been put to.ether in a pretended Iri!h bro.ue by Thoma! /ord Wharton; and the air 5a! made into 5hat
it !till i!; the mo!t !ava.ely thunderou! and popular of Briti!h marchin. tune!; by no le!! a compo!er
than %enry 6urcell. %e publi!hed and fathered it a! a :Ne5 Iri!h Tune: in 1HG= in hi! usic-s
#andmaid.
There are endle!! ver!ion! of the 5ord!. 6eople improvi!ed and altered a! it pa!!ed li#e a 5ind throu.h
the country. The .eneral burthen ran very much after thi! fa!hion@
"Ho! brother Teague, do you hear the decree?
Lilliburlero, bullen a-la,
That we are to have a new Deputy,
Lilliburlero, bullen a-la.
Lero lero, lilliburlero, lero, lero, bullen a-la.
Ho! by Saint Tyburn, it is the Talbot
Lilliburlero, bullen a-la.
!nd he shall cut the "nglish#an$s throat.
Lilliburlero, bullen a-la.
Lero lero, lilliiburlero, lero, lero, bullen a-la.
"Though by #y soul the "nglish do prate,
The law$s on their side and %hrist &nows what.
"'ut i( dispensation shall co#e (ro# the )ope,
*e$ll hang +agna %arta and the# in a rope...
"!ll in ,rance have ta&en a swear
That they will have no )rotestant heir...
?Thi! ea!ily became :No 6rote!tant! there:.A
&There was an old $ro$hecy found in a !og
That we shall !e ruled !y an ass and a dog.&
?:Do.: 5a! Wharton)! 5ord; but the popular voice !peedily chan.ed it to :ho.:.A
&And now is this $ro$hecy coming to $ass,
6Overwhelming *rescendo.7
For Tal!ot,s the hog and /ames is the ass.&
,anta!tically bitter do..erel; put it relea!ed the accumulatin. re!entment of the country at the
threatened return of Roman atholic domination.
Thereafter came the :-loriou! Revolution:; 5hich ultimately e!tabli!hed the 6rote!tant !ucce!!ion in
4G
"n.land; confirmed the e'clu!ion of Roman atholic! from the univer!itie! and public office; and
rela'ed the !u!picion! of the .eneral public. The dan.er 5a! felt to be over. The habitual torpor of the
"n.li!h mind in the face of theolo.y !upervened.
+o far I have been follo5in. -reen)! 'hort #istory of the English (eople. But no5 I have to re!ort to
other authoritie!. The name of /ord -eor.e -ordon and the !tory of the :No 6opery: riot! of 1BG2
came bac# to me; and I !earched -reen in vain. I turned up my copy of Barnaby +udge. Dic#en!
caricature! the 5hole affair. To him they are !hameful riot!; :be.otten of intolerance and per!ecution:.
:%o5ever imperfectly;: he 5rite!; :tho!e di!turbance! are !et forth in the follo5in. pa.e!; they are
impartially painted by one 5ho ha! no !ympathy 5ith the Romi!h hurch; thou.h he ac#no5led.e!; a!
mo!t men do; !ome e!teemed friend! amon. the follo5er! of it! creed.:
rabbe !a5 the!e riot! 5hich 8. R. -reen i.nore! and de!cribe! them in hi! 8ournal to hi! beloved
:(ira:; that i! to !ay +ally "lmy; 5ho later on became hi! 5ife. The mob; he !ay!; 5a! a mi'ture of
very variou! element!. :Iuiet and decent: he de!cribe! it at We!tmin!ter; but the !tormin. of the
#eeper)! hou!e at the Old Bailey and the Cail delivery of convicted felon! evidently fri.htened him.
They relea!ed all the debtor! al!o; and Ne5.ate 5a! an open hou!e for all to come and .o. &
formidable contin.ent of criminal! from the !lum! !tarted burnin. and lootin.. :&bout ten or t5elve of
the mob .ettin. to the top of the debtor!) pri!on; 5hil!t it 5a! burnin.; to halloo; they appeared rolled
in blac# !mo#e mi'ed 5ith !udden bur!t! of fire li#e (ilton)! infernal!; 5ho 5ere a! familiar 5ith
flame a! 5ith each other. On comparin. note! 5ith my nei.hbour!; I find I !a5 but a !mall part of the
mi!chief. They !ay /ord (an!field)! hou!e i! no5 in flame!.:
But 8. R. -reen ha! not a 5ord to !ay about the!e trouble!. /i#e Dic#en!; he 5a! !aturated 5ith the
amiable liberali!m of the -lad!tonian pha!e in "n.li!h thou.ht. The leopard had chan.ed it! !pot! and
everythin. 5a! different.
(anife!tly the!e e'cellent liberal! thou.ht that 6opery had cea!ed to be a dan.er to the libertie! of the
"n.li!h people. I !u..e!t that in thi! matter the in!tinct! of that ei.hteenth7century /ondon cro5d 5ere
!ounder than hi! uncritical toleration.
The O'ford ounter Revolution i! be!t dealt 5ith by 8ame! &nthony ,roude; in a !tudy under that title;
and in hi! .emesis of Faith. %i! #istory of England from the Fall of /olsey to the *efeat of the
'panish Armada i! al!o; by the by; a fran# and vivid piece of hi!tory from the 6rote!tant point of vie5.
The reader 5ill find only a ho!tile appreciation of him in (r. -arvin)! lamentable Encyclopaedia
Britannica manife!tly 5ritten by a Roman atholic 5ho remain! characteri!tically and di!creetly
anonymou!. & timely appreciation by &. /. Ro5!e in the .ew 'tatesman of (arch 92th; 1=1>; !5eep!
a5ay the!e in!inuation!.
:Of all the .reat $ictorian! ,roude; it !eem! to me; i! the 5riter lea!t e!timated at hi! proper 5orth and
mo!t 5orth 5hile revivin.. There i! !o much in him that !hould appeal to our a.eD in many 5ay! he had
more affinitie! 5ith the t5entieth century than 5ith the nineteenth@ the !train of !ceptici!m in him for
4=
one thin.; the hi!torian)! relativi!m that made him !ee all reli.ion! a! myth! and men)! philo!ophie! a!
rationali!ation! of their intere!t! and de!ire!... &nd 5hat a ma.nificent 5riterD 5hat a !tyli!tJ +o
infinitely better than arlyle; to 5hom he deferred; li#e the re!t of the I am not !o !ure that in addition
to 5ritin. better; he had not more to arlyle had. -ive me ,roude every time@ a better hi!torian; a better
5riter; a more !ceptical; a more !ubtle; intelli.ence...
:%e 5a! read. %e held people)! attention. %e had admirer! if fe5 defender! and no follo5er!. %e 5a! a
lonely fi.ure; at the !ame time a! he 5a! much !ou.ht after; and a di!tin.ui!hed per!on in !ociety....
:... hi! trouble! be.an 5ith hi! fir!t boo#!; and per!i!ted to the la!t. The Neme!i! of ,aith i! chiefly
#no5n for havin. been publicly burnt by the +ub7Rector of hi! colle.e at O'ford 5hen ,roude 5a! a
youn. ,ello5. It i! de!ervin. of attention on more !eriou! .round! and for it! o5n !a#e. It! !ubCect i!
the ferment of thou.ht about the foundation! of faith !tirred up by the O'ford (ovement; the dilemma
of belief 5hich 5a! !uch a critical i!!ue to !en!itive mind! in the mid7nineteenth century and e!pecially
to tho!e brou.ht up in a clerical environment li#e ,roude; 5ho!e livelihood and career 5ere involved in
it.:
I have been 5atchin. the current :effort to !ubCu.ate thi! ea!y7.oin.; profoundly !ceptical country to
the Roman atholic hurch 5ith a lively intere!t. The proce!! ha! been !y!tematic and impudent to the
point of incredibility. I only reali!e ho5 much ha! been attempted no5 that it i! pa!t it! clima'. In the
!ame 5ay one did not reali!e the .ravity of the BlitE#rie. until the clima' 5a! pa!t. There ha! been a
atholic BlitE#rie. upon Britain durin. the immen!e !tre!!e! of the 5ar. The one remainin. ve!ti.e of
6rote!tant "n.land ha! been the 6rote!tant +ucce!!ion. By relea!in. the ro5n from that 6rote!tant
oathand that mi.ht ea!ily have been arran.ed in the name of :freedom of 5or!hip:that la!t ob!tacle
5ould have been removed.
,or four 5ar year! -reat Britain officially ha! been behavin. li#e a atholic country determined to
emer.e from a deplorable pa!t. The Rev. +o7and7+o; +.8.; and the $ery $enerable +o7and7+o; +.8.; have
had a di!proportionately lar.e !hare of our broadca!tin. time. Non7hri!tian voice! have been
relatively inaudible althou.h the .reat maCority of people! in the Briti!h "mpire do not profe!! to be
hri!tian!.
The teachin. of the Roman atholic hurch put! the ,aith before any other !ocial or political
con!ideration; and the Roman atholic! in any country and under any form of .overnment con!titute an
e!!entially alien body. The over7 confident liberali!m of the early nineteenth century enfranchi!ed thi!
body of outlander!; believin. it 5ould in !ome my!teriou! manner play the .ame of mutual toleration
5hich !eemed !o natural to the e!!entially !ceptical and !ecular liberal mentality. Nothin. of the !ort
en!ued. +teadily; per!i!tently; the atholic hurch ha! 5or#ed for the de!truction of that very
liberali!m 5hich re!tored it to political influence. 6er!ecutin. relentle!!ly 5here it 5a! in the
a!cendant; and cantin. about individual liberty of con!cience 5herever it 5a! faced by a modern
or.ani!ation of !ociety; thi! mental cancer ha! !pread it!elf bac# to de!troy the health and hope of our
modern 5orld.
H2
There i! !omethin. in thi! Roman atholic bu!ine!! that !end! me bac# to olerid.e)! Christabel. The
reader may remember ho5 a my!teriou! maiden; -eraldine; came to hri!tabel and !ou.ht her
protection; and ho5 hri!tabel !heltered her in !pite of a !erie! of creepy intimation! that all 5a! not
ri.ht 5ith the vi!itant.
&And 2eraldine...
Softly gathering u$ her train,
That o,er her right arm fell again-
And folded her arms across her chest,
And couched her head u$on her !reast-
And looked askance at *hrista!el8
/esu, 1aria, shield her well
&A snake,s dull eye !links dull and shy-
And the lady,s eyes they shrunk in her head,
Each shrunk u$ to a ser$ent,s eye,
And with something of malice, and more of dread,
At *hrista!el she looked askance8
One moment8and the sight was fled
+ut *hrista!el in di99y trance
Stum!ling on the unsteady ground...&
&Again she saw that !osom old,
Again she felt that !osom cold...&
&! thi! pre!ent 5orld 5ar .oe! on; and even if there i! !ome !ort of temporary half peace before it
de.ene1fate! into a tan.le of minor 5ar!; it 5ill become plainer and plainer that it i! no lon.er a
.eo.raphically determined 5arfare of .overnment!; nation! and people!; but the 5orld75ide !tru..le of
our !pecie! of relea!e it!elf from the !tran.lin. octopu! of atholic hri!tianity. "very5here the
hurch e'tend! it! tentacle! and fi.ht! to prolon. the (artyrdom of (an. Throu.h +t. yr and de
-aulli!m it a!!ail! the fine liberal tradition of ,ranceD it dominate! the policy of the Briti!h War Office
and ,orei.n Office; and throu.h the!e the B.B.. and the pre!!D by a di!ciplined atholic vote; a
ca!tin. vote in endle!! election! and a !u!tained or.ani!ation of menace and boycott; it !ilence! the
fran# di!cu!!ion of it! influence in &merica. It 5or#! counter both to the old nationali!m! that bro#e
a5ay from it at the Reformation and to the emer.ence of a !cientifically .uided 5orld common5eal
from the initial e'periment of Ru!!ian communi!m. /i#e an octopu! it ha! no creative impul!e but only
an in!tinct to !urvive. In Ireland; +pain; Italy; reactionary ,rance; North and +outh &merica; 8apan; and
5herever it can !tretch a tentacle; it !ee#! allie! in every element that i! !ocially ba!e that 5ill help it to
continue it! !tru..le a.ain!t the a5a#enin. liberali!m of the :*nited Democracie!:; a! :it i! our
hopeful cu!tom to call them.
%ere are e'tract! from an article by Fatharine %ayden +alter; in the ?&mericanA Churchman of 8anuary
14th; 1=1>.
:The October 4th ?1=19A i!!ue of a Toledo ne5!paper carried the follo5in. !tatement a! a ne5! item@
:(on!i.nor +heen; a!!ociate profe!!or of philo!ophy in atholic *niver!ity; Wa!hin.ton; D..; and
H1
director of the atholic %our radio pro.ramme; !po#e on The Crisis of Christendom; in a meetin.
!pon!ored by the (ary (an!e &lumnae &!!ociation. %e !aid@
:)/e are li&ing at the end of an era, ushered in by the (rotestant +e&olt 011 years ago2a re&olt that
denied authority, so that as a result we ha&e been li&ing without $od, we ha&e tossed #im out of #is
own world)) (on!i.nor +heen called the 5ar a Cud.ment on the 5ay man ha! lived; and !aid that
victory 5ill be our! only on condition that 5e repent.
:+imon and +chu!ter have recently brou.ht out a boo#; The Catholic (attern by Thoma! Woodloc#. It
i! built around e'actly the !ame the!i!that the cau!e of thi! 5ar i! the Reformation; the )Revolt) the
)metaphy!ical here!y) of havin. left the atholic hurch. )It i! an a!!ault on the entire 6rote!tant 5or1dD
and it in!i!t! that the Declaration of Independence it!elf ?5ritten by Thoma! 8effer!on; a dei!t and
)heretic) if ever there 5a! one; !o far a! atholic do.ma i! concernedA 5a! en.endered by the atholic
6attern....
:In the ,ebruary 11th; 1=9G; i!!ue of America; an important 8e!uit publication; harle! 8. (ullaly; +.8.;
!tate! the ca!e fully. /et me 3uote a bit from it. ,ather (ullaly de!cribe! in detail the 5or#in.! of a
atholic boycott; thou.ht up by hi! fello5 8e!uit! of an earlier day and carried throu.h; in 1=1>; in
Wa!hin.ton; D..; 5hen a ne5!paper tried to inve!ti.ate condition! in a atholic home for 5ay5ard
.irl!. %e de!cribe! the total boycott; dutifully carried throu.h by the laity and cler.y; 5ithout a hitch
!ave one obCect of atholic !corn)a 5ea#7#need atholic adverti!er 5ho declared that he did not
believe in mi'in. bu!ine!! and reli.ionJ) Then ,ather (ullaly proudly !ay!@ )The forty per cent. lo!! of
circulation no5 meant al!o a forty per cent. fall in the rate! for adverti!in.).... The )!lo.an 5a! !oundin.
throu.h Wa!hin.ton; :Do not buy any paper that in!ult! the atholic reli.ion; and do not buy from any
!tore that adverti!e! in !uch a paper.: The le!!on 5a! a la!tin. one.)...
:)%i!tory often repeat! it!elf. +ince !ome !ecular ma.aEine! and ne5!paper! no5 believe; a! thi!
Wa!hin.ton editor believed in 1=1>; that it pay! to in!ult the atholic hurch and to fo!ter reli.iou!
controver!y; 5hy cannot atholic! in every city let the hi!tory of thi! counter7attac# repeat it!elf for
them? They fan follo5 the e'ample of the atholic! in Wa!hin.ton; in 1=1>....
:)The le!!on! learned in Wa!hin.ton in 1=1> may briefly be !ummed up a! follo5!@
:)1. Do not attac# a ma.aEine or ne5!paper throu.h it! editorial department! but act throu.h it!
bu!ine!! office.
:)9. When a ma.aEine or ne5!paper i! attac#in. your reli.ion; 5rite to the bu!ine!! mana.er and
inform him that you 5ill not buy the offendin. periodical a.ain; and mean it....
:)If atholic! follo5 the e'ample of the atholic! in Wa!hin.ton in 1=1>; 5e !hall !oon deci!ively
an!5er the 3ue!tion 5hich the editor! of !ome !ecular periodical! are no5 a!#in. them!elve!@ DO"+
IT 6&< TO IN+*/T &T%O/I+?):
That i! the lan.ua.e and techni3ue of thi! la!t atholic offen!ive. &re decent 6rote!tant! to emulate thi!
H9
foul fi.htin.; are 5e to demand of our .rocer and boo#!eller 5hether he i! a atholic and boycott him
if he i!; or 5ould it not be better to re!tore the alien !tatu! of the 5hole or.ani!ation? 6lainly the moral
for u! to7day i! the moral of haucer)! !ailor !i' lon. centurie! a.o. :Invite no more mon#! to your
hou!e or inn.:
To propitiate the Roman atholic or.ani!ation 5ith political office or po5er i! li#e e!tabli!hin.
friendly relation! 5ith an area !nea# by handin. him the family !ilver.
75III. 2 )HI+.0 CA.H0#ICI)3
6O6" 6I*+ 0II; the open enemy of everythin. creative and recon!tructive in the 5orld; 5a! fir!t
educated in the -re.orian *niver!ity and Roman +eminary; fi.ured profe!!orially in the &cademy of
Noble "ccle!ia!tic!; 5a! &rchbi!hop of +arde!; 1=1B; 5hen he tried to per!uade the Fai!er to ma#e a
moderate peace; developed hi! political idea! a! 6apal Nuncia in Bavaria and -ermany; and !o forth.
%avin. tied him!elf irrevocably to the &'i!; he had to accept; and he accepted all too readily; the
a!!imilation for mutual a!!i!tance of +hintoi!m and atholici!m.
%o5 far that a!!imilation ha! .one let thi! pa!!a.e from 6rofe!!or Farl &dam)! The 'pirit of
Catholicism bear 5itne!!.
:We atholic!;: !ay! thi!. authoritative e'ponent of Roman atholic orthodo'y; :ac#no5led.e readily;
5ithout any !hame; nay 5ith pride; that atholici!m cannot be identified !imply and 5holly 5ith
primitive hri!tianity; nor even 5ith the -o!pel of hri!t; in the !ame 5ay that the .reat oa# cannot be
identified 5ith the tiny acorn. There i! no mechanical identity; but an or.anic identity. &nd 5e .o
further and !ay that thou!and! of year! hence atholici!m 5ill probably be even richer; more lu'uriant;
more manifold in do.ma; moral!; la5 and 5or!hip; than the atholici!m of the pre!ent day. & reli.iou!
hi!torian of the fifth millennium &.D. 5ill 5ithout difficulty di!cover in atholici!m conception! and
form! and practice! 5hich 5ill drive from India; hina and 8apan; and he 5ill have to reco.ni!e a far
more obviou! )comple' of oppo!ite!). It i! 3uite true; atholici!m i! a union of contrarie!. But
)contrarie! are not contradiction!)... The -o!pel of hri!t 5ould have been no livin. .o!pel; and the
!eed 5hich %e !cattered no livin. !eed; if it had remained ever the tiny !eed of &.D. >>; and not !truc#
root; and had not a!!imilated forei.n matter; and had not by the help of thi! forei.n matter .ro5n up
into a tree; !o that the bird! of the air d5ell in it! branche!.:
It i! intere!tin. to con!ider the!e :conception!; form! and practice!: that the Roman atholic hurch;
a! 6rofe!!or Farl &dam e'pound! it; i! no5 incorporatin..
(r. &. (or.an <oun. ha! recently publi!hed an admirable !ummary of them ?The +ise of a (agan
'tate; 1=>=A. %e .ive! hi! !ource! for 5hatever !tatement! he ma#e!; !o that the intere!ted reader can
.et hi! boo# and verify and e'pand 5hat i! !tated here.
H>
The ba!i! of +hinto i! the FoCi#i; a compilation of the ei.hth century &.D. It i! readable in it! entirety
only by !cholar!; it! lan.ua.e bein. far more remote from the 8apane!e of to7day than ei.hth7century
&n.lo7+a'on 5ould be from current "n.li!h. ,or variou! rea!on! only portion! of it have been
moderni!ed for .eneral u!e. It be.in! 5ith a !ort of !torm of .od! neither made nor be.otten but
pa!!in. a5ay. ,rom thi! tumult emer.e t5o hi.hly !e'ual fi.ure!; IEana.i and IEanami; 5ho mi.ht be
de!cribed in %olly5ood lan.ua.e a! male and female :!e' appeal:. They re!pond to each other 5ith
tremendou! vi.our; be.ettin. .od! and i!land! and at la!t a ,ire -od 5ho burn! up hi! mother IEanami.
But by thi! time IEana.i i! !o !et on procreation that everythin. about him procreate!D he thro5! off hi!
clothe! and they become !ea .od! and land .od!. ,inally he produce! the +un -odde!! from hi! left
eye; the (oon -od from hi! ri.ht eye and the headlon. +u!a7no7o by blo5in. hi! no!e. &fter 5hich he
!eem! to have retired and the +un -odde!! and +u!a7no7o occupy the !ta.e.
&fter variou! remar#able adventure!; no doubt of the .reate!t !piritual !i.nificance and full of le!!on!
for the true believer; +u!a7no7o meet! a formidable dam!el7devourin. dra.on 5ith ei.ht head! and
other alarmin. acce!!orie!; into'icate! the bea!t 5ith !a#i; #ill! it and cut! it up. But one of the tail!
re!i!t! and brea#! hi! !5ord; becau!e a better !5ord i! hidden in it. Thi! he pre!ent! to hi! !i!ter the +un
-odde!!. It lie! to7day; thic#ly !5athed in brocade; in the ,amily +hrine of the Imperial %ou!e in
To#yo. It i! one of the Three +acred Trea!ure!; the !5ord; the mirror and the Ce5el; 5hich the +un
-odde!! tran!mitted to the divine "mperor!; the livin. -od! of 8apan.
To the atholic mind; accu!tomed to a 5idely different !y!tem of myth! and ab!urditie!; thi! read! li#e
mon!trou! non!en!e. It i! 5i!er not to !ay that in 8apan. ,or e'ample; Dr. Inoue Tet!uCiro; a loyal but
liberal7minded +hintoi!t ventured to doubt the; authenticity of the Three +acred Trea!ure!. %e 5a!
denounced; hi! publi!her penali!ed; and he 5a! e'pelled from the Imperial *niver!ity. /ater on; 5hile
attendin. the memorial !ervice of a friend; he 5a! !et upon by a .an. of piou! ruffian! and beaten !o
that one eye 5a! de!troyed. No one 5a! puni!hed for thi! outra.e; 5hich indeed i! only one !ample
amon. many of the !pirit of rena!cent +hintoi!m. It i! 3uite .ood form to Cump at a man 5ho u!e! a
phra!e or ma#e! a .e!ture that !eem! lac#in. in piety; and !tab him. It i! li#e tho!e fierce old colonel!
in "n.land 5ho a!!ault people for not !tandin. !tiff to :-od +ave the Fin.:. It i! the very !pirit of the
Trinitarian! at Nicaea.
The .reat a!!imilation prophe!ied by 6rofe!!or Farl &dam ha! already be.un. The crude early
hri!tian!; !till in the :acorn: pha!e; preferred martyrdom to burnin. a pinch of incen!e to the Roman
-od7"mperor!; but the Roman atholic hurch of to7day ha! already e!tabli!hed friendly relation!
5ith the +hinto faith; and the 8apane!e atholic bo5! in the +hinto temple! in ac3uie!cence to the local
!upremacy of the "mperor7Divinity over the $atican.
There 5ill be no Roman atholic hurch at all in the fifth millennium &.D.; or it 5ould be amu!in. to
!peculate ho5 the !ucce!!or! of 6rofe!!or Farl &dam; lon. before then; 5ould have plaited into the
Trinity that -od of (ale +e' &ppeal from 5ho!e left eye !pran. the +un -odde!!; 5hile he ble5 +u!a7
no7o; the dra.on7!layin. +u!a7no7o; from hi! no!e.
H1
7I7. 2 R03A+ CA.H0#ICI)3 I+ A3/RICA
+*% i! atholici!m a! it i! under!tood by 6ope 6acelli and 8apan. But the !pirit of Roman
atholici!m a! one find! it in &merica i! very different from that. Roman atholic! in &merica are
influential becau!e of their !olid vote at election!; but for all that the &merican Roman atholic doe!
not li#e to hearand to the be!t of hi! ability 5ill not hearof the $atican78apane!e alliance. If he i!
one of the 5ell7trained faithful he Cu!t pretend! it i!n)t there. &nd 5e may counterbalance !ome of 5hat
ha! .one before by a 5ord or !o from a much !aner type of Roman atholic; (r. 8o!eph Dinneen; 5ho
recently 5rote; and 5rote very ably; an account of thi! &'i! pontiff from the !tandpoint of an &merican
Cournali!t.
%i! fronti!piece i! a portrait of 6ope 6acelli; under 5hich 5e read the!e !in.ular 5ord!@ :Bi!hop of
Rome; 6atriarch of the We!t; +upreme 6ontiff of the *niver!al hurch.: I do not #no5 ho5 far (r.
Dinneen endor!e! thi! in!cription. But in hi! 6reface he tell! very di!armin.ly of ho5 it !truc# him
5hen he learnt that 6iu! 0 5a! an inveterate ci.ar !mo#er and he reali!ed that :6ope! are human:. %e
!ay!@
:The doctrine of infallibility al5ay! puEEle! my 6rote!tant friend!. The an!5er to the 3ue!tion on thi!
in the atholic catechi!m i!@ )The hurch teache! infallibly 5hen it !pea#! throu.h the 6ope and the
bi!hop!; united in .eneral council; or throu.h the 6ope alone 5hen he proclaim! to the faithful a
doctrine of faith or moral!.) /i#e a .ood many other atholic!; I have often been told by !mu. friend!
that my intellect i! nece!!arily limited and bounded by my obedience to the 6ope; and I !hru. my
!houlder! and turn a5ay; becau!e I reali!e no amount of ar.ument can convince them that I can be
happy in my reli.ion; believe in it! tenet! and teachin.! implicitly; and !till thin# for my!elf in matter!
temporalD that the forei.n policy of the +ecretary of +tate at the $atican; for in!tance; i! a temporal
matter; and I can di!a.ree 5ith the po!ition of the hurch in +pain; and !till be a .ood atholic and
receive the !acrament!.:
That i! .ood; plain &merican atholici!m. &nd there i! not a 5ord of truth in it. It i! out of date. It i!
almo!t pre7Reformation !tuff. It !hould be di!tin.ui!hed a! Old atholici!m. It i! not. the atholici!m
of an ever more de!perately a..re!!ive 6apacy....
,or many men 5ho 5ere once .ood atholic!; the doctrine of infallibility 5a! a turnin.7point.
On matter! of hurch hi!tory Dr. -. -. oulton i! a patient; unrelentin.; tru!t5orthy .uide; and no one
intere!ted in the fatal concentration of po5er in the hand! of the 6ope !ince 1GB2 !hould fail to read
him@ In hi! boo#; (apal 3nfallibility ?1=>9A; he !ho5! ho5 !uch hi!torical authoritie! a! /ord &cton for
e'ample 5ere driven into open oppo!ition by that do.ma. &cton 5a! him!elf a atholic; the one
out!tandin. hi!torian the hurch can claim in modern time!; yet he 5rote of thi! doctrine 5ith
H4
!orro5ful prophetic in!i.ht@ :"rected ori.inally a! an impre.nable fortre!! a.ain!t advancin. liberali!m
it !eem! more li#ely no5 to prove an ineluctable death7trap. ) ,or the moment; indeed; it mi.ht have
!eemed to Cu!tify the Roman hurch completely in all her action!D but no5; more and more clearly; 5e
!ee that !he need! to !ummon up all the memorie! of her pa!t pre!ti.e; and all the re!ource! of her
elaborate bureaucracy; and all her di!ciplinary !everity; in order to put a colourable face upon thi!
doctrine; !o !tran.e both from the hi!torical and from the philo!ophical point of vie5.:
%ere i! a more emphatic !tatement from the !ame !ource. /ord &cton i! 5ritin. to the atholic
hi!torian /ady Blennerha!!et@
:The accomplice! of the Old (an of the (ountain! ?the cla!!ic a!!a!!in! of hi!toryA pic#ed off
individual victim!; but the 6apacy contrived murder and ma!!acre on the lar.e!t and al!o on the mo!t
cruel and inhuman !cale. They 5ere not only 5hole!ale a!!a!!in!; but they al!o made the principle of
a!!a!!ination a la5 of the hri!tian hurch and a condition of !alvation: ?+election! from the
orre!pondence of the ,ir!t /ord &cton; 1=1B; $ol. i; p. 44A.
,rom 1G92 to 1GH2 at lea!t >22;222 unarmed men; 5omen and even children died in ma!!acre!; on the
!caffold; or in pe!tilential Cail! for claimin. 5hat 5e no5 con!ider human ri.ht!.
:The more atholic the country; indeed; the more !ava.e 5ere the torture and blood!hed. The Fin.dom
of the +icilie! ?Italy and +icilyA 5itne!!ed the lon.e!t and vile!t reaction. -eneral oletta claim! that
there 5ere 922;222 victim! from 1B=2 to 1G>2 and hi! Neapolitan !ucce!!or claim! 942;222 in the ne't
thirty ear!D and a! late a! 1GH2 the brutality of the oppre!!ion !hoc#ed all "urope. The!e fi.ure! are
uncertain; !ince it i! very difficult to compile them; and in the ca!e of Italy they include a percenta.e of
armed rebel!; but after a !evere en3uiry I find that at lea!t >22;222 men and 5omen and children
peri!hed in Italy; +pain and 6ortu.al. In the 6ope)! o5n #in.dom; 5ith a population of about >;222;222;
many thou!and! died by e'ecution; in ma!!acre!; or in Cail! of an incredibly cruel character. The
!ava.ery of the clerical7royali!t! and the foul character of mo!t of the monarch! are de!cribed in the
Cambridge odern #istory and all authoritative manual!....
:One other point mu!t be made. The !ocial order 5hich 5a! protected by thi! brutality 5a! a!
inefficient a! it 5a! unCu!t; and it 5a! at it! 5or!t in the 6ope)! o5n +tate!. On thi! all authoritie! are
a.reed. /ady Blennerha!!et approvin.ly 3uote! in the Cambridge odern #istory ?'; 1H1A the
reflection of ,ather /amennai!; on vi!itin. Rome; that it 5a! )the mo!t hideou! !e5er that ever
offended the eye of man).: ?A #istory of the (opes; by 8o!eph (cabe. Watt!; /ondon; 1=>=.A
Dinneen tell! a deli.htful anecdote of the &merican ardinal -ibbon! returnin. from the election of
6iu! 0I. %e 5a! a!#edmanife!tly by an &merican5hat he thou.ht of papal infallibility. %e
reflected. :Well;: he !aid; 5ith a t5in#le; :he called me 8ibbon!.:
$ery plainly &merican atholici!m i! bound to inflict !ome uncomfortable .ymna!tic! on our Berlin7
Rome7To#yo 6ontiff. We .odle!! people carry on our intellectual 5arfare for convert! and !ub!idie!
a.ain!t the atholici!m of Dinneen; but I; for one; doubt very .reatly 5hether in hi! heart Dinneen)!
HH
di!tru!t of 6iu! 0II varie! very 5idely from mine.
No5 in the face of the military alliance and dependence of the :*nited Nation!: upon the ma.nificent
morale of the Ru!!ian and hine!e people!; 5e have thi! &'i! 6ope clamourin. for a bitter conflict
a.ain!t !omethin. :*nchri!tian: called :Bol!hevi!ation:; 5hich 5ill de!troy every decent thin. in
e'i!tence; !uperior! and inferior!; the familythe atholic! are al5ay! very .reat on the familyand
dividend!.
77. 2 .H/ (+I./1 CHRI).IA+ FR0+.
B",OR" me a! I 5rite i! a very intere!tin. document. It open! up the .rave 3ue!tion for all 5ho
profe!! them!elve! hri!tian!; to con!ider e'actly 5hat; in the face of that document; they mean by that
profe!!ion. It 5a! publi!hed in 1=>G; and it i! headed *nited hri!tian ,ront. The chairman of thi!
*nited
hri!tian ,ront i! that aptain &rchibald Ram!ay 5ho; 5ith (o!ley; 5a! interned on the outbrea# of
the 5ar. %i! $ice7hairman and Trea!urer 5a! the late +ir %enry /unn; a !ound Tory; 5ho; li#e !ir
+amuel %oare; believed that the adventurer ,ranco 5a! :a hri!tian .entleman:..
&nother member of thi! *nited hri!tian ,ront 5a!or i! for I do not #no5 ho5 far it !till e'i!t! a! an
active bodythat !teadfa!t defender of hi! inve!tment! a.ain!t the 3uite ima.inary e'ce!!ive
proliferation of the non7inve!tin. cla!!e!; Dean In.e. I dealt 5ith hi! peculiaritie! in a little 6en.uin
boo#; The Commonsense of /ar and (eace; and In.e ha! never replied to my challen.e. But here i! +ir
%enry /unn defendin. the Dean a.ain!t the Bi!hop of helm!ford for 3uotin. him a! !ayin.@ :one7
3uarter of the prie!t! and nun! in +pain have been murdered; !ome of them after horrid torture:. The
Bi!hop; it !eem!; had 5ritten that thi! 5a! not !o; and had 3uoted the $atican 4sser&atore +omano;
5hich could hardly be re.arded a! an anti7atholic publication; for claimin. only H;222; out of Dean
In.e)! 3uarter of 12H;B1>. But that H;222; !ay! +ir %enry; refer! only to !ecular prie!t!; implyin. rather
than a!!ertin. that the Dean 5a! tellin. the a5ful truth. 6oor +ir %enry 5a!ted hi! !ubtletie!. Bac#
come! the Dean 5ith thi!@
:The Bi!hop of helm!ford mi!3uote! me a! !ayin. that one7 3uarter of the nun! in +pain have been
murdered. I !aid nothin. of the #ind. (any have been #illedD but the Bi!hop)! prote.e! 5ere more often
content to !trip them na#ed and violate them.
:It i! really rather horrible to find a Bi!hop championin. men 5ho; acin. on in!truction! from (o!co5
to e'terminate the middle cla!!; have !lau.htered; at a lo5 e!timate; 922;222 helple!! and harmle!!
people; and 5ho!e avo5ed obCect i! to e'tirpate the hri!tian faith in the country of +t. Tere!a and +t.
8ohn of the ro!!.
HB
:There i! abundance of 5ell7documented evidence for tho!e minority; I fear; 5ho 5i!h to #no5 the
truth.:
No documented evidence 5a! adduced; becau!e no documentary evidence can be adduced.
I 5ill not pillory the odd collection of name! that rallied about aptain &rchibald Ram!ay in 1=>G; for
!ome of them may have come to !ee the error of their 5ay! !ince that year. The point to note i! the
inten!e fear of (o!co5 and the frantic di!po!ition to .et to.ether 5ith anyone profe!!in. to be pro7
hri!tian; even 5ith ,ranco and hi! (o!lem blac#amoor! a.ain!t thi! dreaded ne5 thin. in the 5orld.
Ram!ay; (o!ley; (u!!olini; Dean In.e; the Fin. of Italy; de -aulle; 6itain ?not the .allant ,rench
aviator but the old man of $ichyA; and at the ape' of the pyramid thi! +hinto atholic 6ope; 6iu! 0IIJ
What a motley cre5 it i!J *nited only in one thin.; and that i! fear and hatred of a !ane !cientific
e3ualitarian order in the 5orld. %o5 far are 5e people of the ne5 order .oin. to let !uch people 5a!te
the ne57born hope of man#ind?
The late!t drive to rally :Believer!: i! an amal.amation of t5o or.ani!ation!. It! !ole obCective; !o far
a! I can find an under!tandable obCective; i! to drive every hone!t teacher of hi!tory or !cience out of
our !chool!. Then our people)! mind! can be bun.ed up 5ith mud thorou.hly and finally. )The fir!t and
mo!t formidable i! a Roman atholic or.ani!ation called The +5ord of the +pirit. The !econd i! called
Reli.ion and /ife; and it !eem! to be lar.ely under the !5ay of (r. T. +. "liot. Roman atholici!m
pre!erve! a !tron. tradition of cannibali!m; and I can .ive a .ood .ue!! 5ho 5ill live lon.e!t on thi!
conCoint raft. It 5ill be amu!in. to 5atch it! .yration!.
The pro.ramme i! e'tremely va.ue about the relation! of the 6rimate of all "n.land and the 6rimate of
"n.land and ardinal %in!ley and the (oderator of the ,ree hurch ,ederal ouncil; to the raft and
each other. Out of con!ideration for %i! %oline!!; there i! no arran.ement for beatin. off !har#! and the
8apane!e; 5ho are al!o; a! 5e have !een; deeply reli.iou! people. What !eem! to me a !eriou! practical
over!i.ht i! that there i! no provi!ion a.ain!t poachin.. <ou #no5 the!e .entlemen 5ill poach. There
5ill be !u!picion! and denunciation!.
I can ima.ine the !cene@ the 5hi!perin. !ilence of the!e holy men and then a !udden outcry. :%ereJ
5ho!e orphan are you !tealin.? %e come! under my .rantJ: onfu!ion on the raft and a !pla!h.
ommotion amon. the !har#!.
*nanimity i! re!tored only by the appearance of a driftin. biolo.ical e'perimental !tation choc#7full of
dan.erou! boo#! about reality and truth. If it hit! a.ain!t the raft; it may !end the 5hole craEy
accumulation to the bottom. :&ll hand! to the !5eep!J: ,or a time after thi! :ri!i! for hri!tianity: the
*nited hri!tian ,ront i! re!tored.
I am deridin. or.ani!ed %i.h hurch and atholic hri!tianity; and I 5ould li#e to ma#e it plain that in
doin. !o I am not di!re.ardin. 5hat I mi.ht call the nece!!ity of many mind!; perhap! mo!t youn.
mind!; feel for !omethin. one can e'pre!! by !uch phra!e! a! :the fatherhood of -od: and :the
#in.dom of heaven 5ithin u!:. That i! the need the Roman atholic hurch trade! upon and betray!.
HG
77I. 2 .H/ PR/./+)I0+) A+1 #I3I.A.I0+) 0F P0P/
PI() 7II
To return to that typical 6ope; 6ope 6iu! 0II. It i! nece!!ary to in!i!t upon hi! profound i.norance and
mental inferiority. (o!t of u! are !till livin. in the old tradition! of !ociety; 5e honour and obey tho!e
5ho are put in authority over u!; and it !hoc#! u! profoundly to hear that #in.! and mini!ter! and
particularly the Roman atholic hierarchy are nece!!arily much more i.norant than a .reat and
increa!in. multitude of 3uite common men. But let u! con!ider the peculiar limitation! to 5hich the!e
prie!t! are !ubCected. They have been !et a!ide from the common !anity of man#ind from their youth
up.
In the atmo!phere in 5hich 6iu! 0II 5a! educated; 5hat chance had he to ac3uire even the mo!t
.eneral idea! about modern biolo.y or modern thou.ht? /ife i! too !hort for #no5led.e anyho5; but
con!ider ho5 much of hi! brief candle ha! .uttered to 5a!te.
Deduct; for e'ample; from hi! natural allo5ance of year! and day! the time con!umed by the !ervice!
of the hurch. "very day there i! a round of ceremonie! he mu!t perform. %o5 many hour! they
con!ume I do not #no5; but they mu!t mean a con!iderable moiety; and; apart from that; there are the
prie!tly dutie! of the confe!!ional; the arran.ement! of fa!t! and fe!tival!. They do not leave him much
time for e'traneou! readin.. & common Briti!h or &merican out7of75or# livin. on the dole and reedin.
the abundant literature of an ordinary public library; can; if he ha! the curio!ity; ac3uire a #no5led.e of
modern biolo.y and modern thou.ht and modern 5ay! of life; incomparably .reater than the
e3uipment of any 6ope 5ho ha! ever lived. The out7of75or# ha! the advanta.e of a con!iderable and
.ro5in. ma!! of di.e!ted biolo.ical thou.ht and fact upon 5hich !cientific en3uirer! have !pent a
!ucce!!ion of lifetime!5hich he can read 5ithout re!triction. "ven if the 6ope had been free to read
modern !cientific literature in !uch !crap! of time a! 5ere available for that purpo!e; he 5ould !till be a
relatively i.norant man. But a atholic prie!t i! not free to read 5hat he li#e!. %i! readin. and thin#in.
are elaborately controlled and rationed. The hurch i! !o e!!entially out of harmony 5ith reality and
the truth of thin.!; and i! !o a5are of it; that it ha! had to train it! prie!t! from the out!et to !hut their
eye!; to clo!e their ear!.
Watch a prie!t in a public conveyance. %e i! fi.htin. a.ain!t di!turbin. !u..e!tion!. %e mu!t not loo#
at 5omen le!t he thin# of !e'. %e mu!t not loo# about him; for reality; that i! to !ay the devil; 5ait! to
!educe him on every hand. <ou !ee him mutterin. hi! protective incantation!; avoidin. your eye. %e i!
!uppre!!in. :!inful: thou.ht!.
That type i! the bindin. material of the hurch. The appeal of !e' i! a! natural to a youn. male a!
eatin.. It! !uppre!!ion i! a defiance of everythin. for 5hich a healthy male e'i!t!. +o that in the prie!tly
H=
mind 5e deal 5ith !omethin. fru!trated and !ecretly re!entful; !omethin. !e'ually a! 5ell a!
intellectually mali.nant. &nd thi! applie!; throu.h all the .lamour of hi! ve!tment!; incen!e and !o
forth; to the 6ope; a! to any other member of the hierarchy. We are dealin. 5ith idea! left over from the
Dar# &.e!; in the brain! of a bein. at once puerile; perverted and mali.nant. 6iu! 0II; 5hen 5e !trip
him do5n to reality; !ho5ed him!elf a! unreal and i.norant a! %itler. 6o!!ibly more !o. Both have been
incoherent and headlon. men; 5hom chance ha! made fi.ure7head! for the undi!ciplined fooli!hne!! of
thi! dyin. a.e. The mere fact that a man by accident and mi!direction can trail a va!t trace of blood!hed
and bitter !ufferin. about the 5orld doe! not ma#e him any the .reater or 5i!er. Before man#ind .et!
rid of it; the 6apacy may be dro5nin. our hope! for the comin. .eneration in a 5elter of bloodin an
attempt to achieve a final 5orld75ide +t. Bartholome5)! "veand it 5ill not add an inch to hi! !tature
nor alter the fact that the 6ope; any 6ope; i! nece!!arily an ill7educated and fooli!h ob!tacle; a nucleu!
of ba!e re!i!tance; heir to the tradition of Roman atholici!m in it! la!t !ta.e of poi!onou! decay; in the
5ay to a better order in the 5orld.
.H/ /+1
B2