Mistakes and misstatements of Myers; or, Notes on Myers ̓Mediaeval and modern history

Front matter

MISTAKES

AND

MISSTATE3IENTI

CHAPTER I. Migrations and Seittlements oi^ thi; Te;utonic Tribes

Kingdom of the Ostrogoths. —

Kingdom of the Visigoths. —

Kingdom of the Burgundians. —

Kingdom of the Vandals. —

Myers — "Being Arian Christians, they (the Vandals) persecuted with furious zeal the orthodox party, the followers of Athanasius."

Comment — Naturally, you will ask yourselves, who was this Athanasius whom the orthodox Christians followed? He was St. Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt. The author says that the heretical Vandals waged war against his followers, the orthodox Christians, the African Catholics ; and the Catholic Eastern Emperor, Justinian, sent Belisarius to restore the African province to the bosom of the Catholic. Church. Here are Christians, occupying the extremities of the earth, east, south-east and south-west, all, as can ^ be easily shown, in intimate communion with Rome, firmly united among themselves, and declared by our author to be true orthodox Catholics. Should, therefore, any Protestant friend ask you how you know that the early Christians of the fifth and sixth centuries were Catholics, you can refer him to this anti-Catholic authority for proof.

The Pranks under the Merovingians. —

Myers— "The Bishops of the Christian Church * * * * {j^ Gaul * * * * espoused with all the weight of their authority, which was not small, * * * the cause of Clovis, hoping in return to receive his support in their contest with the yet unconverted enemies of the Church."

Comment — The author's statement is somewhat inaccurate; the Bishops of Gaul did not unanimously espouse the cause of Clovis, though many of them did, because the times were troublous and there was urgent need of an able monarch, and Clovis seemed to possess the requisite ability.

The author says more truly that the Bishops had great authority over even the unconverted barbarians. The pagans witnessed the miracles they wrought, recognized the finger of God, and feared.

Kingdom of the Lombards. —

Myers — "When they (the Lombards) entered Italy they were Christians of the Arian sect; W afterwards they became converts to the orthodox faith of the Roman Church, and Pope Gregory I bestowed upon the Lombard king an iron crown."

Comment — Let us recount and sum up the admissions which Mr. Myers has already made. The Church which Christ our Lord founded, and against which he promised the gates of hell should not prevail, established itself by the preaching of the Apostles, first in Jerusalem and the surrounding country; then, "going forth from Semitic Judea," it converted the Roman Empire, and was extended "by the missionaries of Rome, to the younger world," the heathen nations, who, one after another, were converted. Now, in the face of these admissions we look forward with expectant interest to our author's effort to justify the Protestant Rebellion against the Catholic Church.

The Anglo-Saxon Conquest of Britain. —

Teutonic Tribes Outside the Umpire. —

CHAPTER ir.

I. Thi: Introduction of Christianity Among the Different Tribes.

Inirodnctory. — ■ »

Myers — "Those peoples who have no temples have but a small attachment to their own religion."

Comment — It may reasonably be questioned whether the Hebrews had a greater attachment to their religion after, than before the building of the temple by King Solomon.

Myers — "Races whose religion is merely traditional and not yet embalmed in literature, will more readily give it up in exchange for a new than those whose faith is conserved by the authority of books venerable through age, and sacred by virtue of mysterious or forgotten origin."

Comment — Is there any race "whose religion is merely traditional and not yet embalmed" in some kind of literature, written or spoken ? There is none such.

Myers — "(Those races) will more readily give it (their religion) up in exchange for a new, than those whose faith is conserved by the authority of books venerable through age, and sacred by virtue of mysterious or forgotten origin."

Comment — Faith is not, and cannot be, conserved by books, either of ancient or modern origin, for the reason that a book can, at most, conserve only letters

IB MISTAKES AND MiSSTAfljMiiN'TS.

and words, but not their sense, which varies with the interpreters. The reason why faith is conserved among CathoHcs is that the interpreter, the Church, is one and infalHble. Among Protestants every man is his own falHble interpreter, the Revealed Truth is rent to fragments, and a speedy end is made of faith.

Mye^rs — "Whose faith is conserved by the authority of books, venerable through age, and sacred by virtue of mysterious or forgotten origin."

Comment — We were not aware that books of forgotten origin were more sacred than those of remembered origin. We would be deeply indebted to Mr. Myers if he would kindly mention a book whose sacredness is in any way due to the oblivion of its origin.

Progress of Christianity Before the Pall of Rome. — Conversion of the Goths. — Conversion of the Vandals and Other Tribes. — Conversion of the Pranks. —

Myi;rs — (Clovis in desperate circumstances called upon God for help, whereupon the tide of battle suddenly changed.)

"This incident illustrates how the very superstitions of the barbarians, their belief in omens and divine interpositions contributed to their conversion."

Comment — Here is a good illustration of how "books sacred by virtue of mysterious or forgotten origin" conserve the faith for some Protestants. The Bible abounds with relations of how God at diverse times has interposed in the affairs of men ; and now comes our famous

MISTAKES AND MlSSTAfE;MEN'rS. 17

professor, fresh from his eloquent espousal of the cause of the Reformers, with their Bible as the sole and sufficient rule of faith, and solemnly declares that belief in "divine interpositions" is superstition. Now, a good way to test a doctrine is to follow out its consequences. If belief in "divine interpositions" is superstition, "divine interpositions" are unreal, fallacious ; but as the gifts of prophecy and miracles, the inspiration of Holy Scriptures, and the mission of Christ, are "divine interpositions," they are unreal; therefore Christianity is a fraud. We always thought that the professor was an infidel.

Myurs— (The Bulgarians in the time of plague, sought refuge and relief by a profession of the Christian faith.) "In like manner the Burgundians * * * * embraced in a body the religion of the Christians. Thus the reception of the new faith was often a tribal or national affair, rather than a matter of personal conviction."

Comment— Is there any reason why a visible and wonderful interposition of God, extending to, and affecting a whole nation, should be incapable of bringing personal conviction to every member of the nation? If a miracle wrought by God for the preservation of an individual is sufficient to bring personal conviction to the mind of that individual, doubtless a miracle wrought for the preservation of a nation could personally convince the whole nation.

Augustine's Mission to England. —

Myers— (The pagan Angles and Saxons drove westward the Catholic Welsh, and occupied the lands left vacant by them.) "The Welsh still retained the

18 MiS'rAKE;S and MISSTAtEM^N'l^g.

Christian faith; but they felt no incHnation to help these barbarians who had robbed them of their lands, to secure a title to the heavenly inheritance."

Comment — Our divine Lord taught the kind of retribution the Christian should seek : 'Xove your enemies ; do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you." The Welsh, in so far as they were Catholics, possessed this spirit, but their ability to give to their enemies the true faith may not have been commensurate with their inclination or desire. Their visits would have been suspected, and their efforts opposed and nullified.

The Celtic Chiirch. —

Myers — (Irish missionaries traversed every land.) "For a time it seemed as if Celtic, and not Latin Christianity was to mould the destinies of the churches of the west."

Comment — There is no difference, not even a distinction, between Celtic and Latin Christianity : they are identical, the one Roman Catholic Church. Before undertaking his missionary labors in Ireland, St. Patrick had travelled into Italy where he received from Pope Celestine I his mission and the Apostolic benediction.

The Celtic Mission to Northnmhria. —

Rivalry Betzueen the Roman and the Celtic Church. —

Myers — "The Celtic Church * * * * ^as inclined to look upon St. John rather than upon St. Peter as the apostle of pre-eminence."

Comment — There may have been some private discussion as to which was pre-eminent in our Lord's affection; but there was no question as to St. Peter's pre-eminence in jurisdiction; and Mr. Myers himself states that the Celtic monks admitted that Christ gave to St. Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

Myers — ''The Celtic Church * * * * had come to differ somewhat from it (the Roman Church), in the matter of certain ceremonies and observances."

Comment — The Celtic Church is the Catholic Church among the Celts, and the Roman Church is the Catholic Church in Rome. The discussion concerned the day on which Easter should be celebrated. It was a mere matter of discipline, and occasioned neither rivalry, rupture, nor serious disturbance.

The Council of Whitby. —

Myers — "The decision of the prudent Oswy gave the British Isles to Rome."

Comment — All the parties concerned professed the faith of the Roman Catholic Church ; all acknowledged her divine authority and no one desired, or even thought of refusing obedience, and going into heresy or schism. There was no ominous significance in the discussion and settlement of the question. To this day little differences of ceremonial frequently come up for adjudication by the Church.

IVie Roman Victory Fortunate for England. —

Myers — "In this struggle between the Celtic and the Roman Church * * * * there is no doubt but that it was very fortunate for England that the controversy turned as it did."

20 MISTAKi;S AND MISSTATIXMENTS.

Comment — There was no struggle between the Celtic and the Roman Church. The Celts were professed subjects of the Roman Catholic Church and obedient to her commands. A delegation of Celtic monks attended the Council of Whitby to present their arguments why Rome should permit them to continue their local observance, which differed somewhat from the general custom. Now, what vital interest of England depended on the decision of Rome, either granting or refusing the request?

Myers — "The re-establishment of the connection of the island with Roman civilization."

Comment — Not at all. That depended on the union of England with the Roman Catholic Church, and not upon a ceremony.

Myers — "Now all this advantage would have been lost had lona instead of Rome won at Whitby."

Comment — As Rome was the judge, she could not lose. We would advise the author to purchase a child's catechism, if he would not make himself ridiculous.

Pagan and Christian Literature of the Anglo-Saxons. —

Bffect of Conversion upon the Martial Spirit of the Anglo-Saxons. —

Myers — "The conversion of England was effected chiefly through the labor of monks, and consequently it was the monastic form of Christianity that was introduced."

Comment — Christianity, or Catholicity, has no monastic form, no parochial form, no collegiate form and no secular form — it has the Christian form. A monk has the same form of Christianity as a layman or a diocesan priest.

Myers — "The land became crowded with monasteries and nunneries."

Comment — But not overcrowded. Our Saviour said: "If thou will be perfect, go, sell what thou hast and give it to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven ; and come follow me." Perfection cannot be excessive, or too universal.

Myers — "More than thirty kings and queens descended from the throne to end their days in cloistral retreats."

Comincnf — And thereby set their subjects a salutary example. Truly was England then called "The Isle of Saints."

Myers — "Perhaps no other Teutonic tribes gave up so much of their native strength upon receiving Christianity, as did the Angles and Saxons of Britain."

Comment — Perhaps no other Teutonic tribes gave up so much of their native ferocity.

Myers — "The practice of arms was discouraged and neglected."

Comment — The excessive and cruel use of arms was discouraged and neglected.

Myers — "The people became a 'nation of praying monks.' "

Comment — The best warriors in the world have been men of prayer. If you would be convinced, read the two books of Machabees.

Myers — "The decay of the martial spirit in a martial age, * * * * brought upon England centuriesof invasion, woe and disaster."

Comment — The Angles and Saxons had been freebooters before they became Christians. Christianity did not rob them of their fortitude and courage, though it diverted their minds from war and the chase, to more peaceful and profitable pursuits, and very naturally they ceased to be as skillful swordsmen and archers as they had been. Surely our author is a severe critic. Barbarians are condemned for devoting themselves to the art of war, and Christians are condemned for devoting themselves to the arts of peace.

Myers — "The infusion of the fresh blood of the northern peoples (the Danes or Northmen), resulted finally in the revival of the early vigor and martial spirit of the nation."

Comment— How could that be since it did not lessen the number of "monasteries and nunneries," nor silence the voice of the "nation of praying monks?"

The Conversion of Germany. —

Myers — "The conversion of the tribes of Germany was effected by Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Frankish missionaries — and the sword of Charlemagne."

Comment — This is very smart, and a fair specimen of the author's delicate drollery; but it will not succeed. Enemies are physically, not spiritually subdued by the sword. Charlemagne repressed the violence of -the savage pagans and made the residence and labor of the Christian missionaries possible among them. For this, his salutary co-operation with the Church, he is sneeringly styled "a Christian Mohammed." The sneer would come with better grace from a heathen than a Christian historian.

Myers — "Russia's * * * * evangelization was effected by the missionaries * * * * Qf ^|^g Greek or Eastern Church."

Comment — The work of conversion was effected at the time that the Greek Church was still united with Rome. Schismatical and heretical sects are ever barren in their missionary labors.

Christianity in the North. —

Myers — (In Iceland any one publicly worshipping the ancient deities was to be punished.) "But private worship, the exposing of infants, the eating of horse-flesh and other practices not inconsistent with the precepts of Christianity, were .still tolerated."

Comment — Surely the author does not mean to say that private pagan worship or the eating of horse-flesh as a religious rite, both of which are sins against the first commandment, or the exposing of infants to death, a transgression of the fifth commandment; are not inconsistent with the precepts of Christianity. Nor can he mean that these sins were tolerated by the Church. It is impossible to determine his meaning from his words, and we doubt if he himself attaches any definite meaning to them. Perhaps, being occult sins, and therefore beyond the cognizance of the civil law, the}' were not legislated against.

Myers — "By the opening of the fourteenth century all Europe was claimed by Christianity, save a limited dis-

24 MISTAKES AND misstat£;m]5;nts.

trict in Southern Spain held by the Moors, and another in the Baltic regions possessed by the still pagan Finns and Lapps."

Comment — The whole civilized world, and much of the uncivilized world, was now Catholic. In less than thirteen centuries the great work of evangelizing the world had been accomplished. You shall soon learn how this magnificent work was in part undone by the machinations of proud and unscrupulous men.

The Paganising of Christianity. —

Myers — "The subjects of the Roman Empire, in adopting the new religion in exchange for their own, had mingled with it many of their heathen notions and rites. Then, when these semi-Christian Latins imparted this modified Christianity to their conquerors, it naturally underwent a still further corruption among the latter."

Comment — The author labors hard to prove that there is no pure Christianity in the world. He does not blame the Catholic Church for what it could not prevent. Christian truth, he says, in its passage down the ages, from nation to nation, from the civilized to the semi-civilized and to the barbarian ; from the Christian to the semi- Christian and to the heathen, was obscured, and Christian morality was corrupted ; pagan myth mingled with divine truth and pagan rite with Christian ceremony. Now, what the author says actually happened, most certainly would have happened, had not our divine Saviour with divine wisdom placed an infallible teaching authority in his Church for the very purpose of preventing the introduction of, or eliminating, the pagan myth and the pagan rite and the pagan vice, and preserving Christian truth and morality integral and immaculate.

Myers — "The simple-minded barbarians being utterly unable to comprehend the metaphysical subtleties elaborated by the Greek and Latin Fathers out of the plain doctrines and precepts of Christ and the teachings of His disciples, naturally fell away into all sorts of heresies."

Comment — The simple-minded barbarians were innocent of all acquaintance with the metaphysical subtleties elaborated by the Greek and Latin Fathers. The Church does not teach metaphysical or theological subtleties to simple-minded people, whether barbarians or civilized. She teaches them the plain truths of Christian doctrine.

Myers — "The Church even intentionally transformed herself ****** 'She made herself a child to prattle with her child, and translated the ineffable to it in puerile legend.' "

Comment — The author has just now told us that the Church taught "the simple-minded barbarians metaphysical subtleties elaborated by the Greek and Latin Fathers." That, he thinks, was most blamable. And now he condemns the Church for having avoided "metaphysical subtleties," and having "prattled with her child" as a child. Verily, he is a hard man to please. The plain truth is that the Catholic missionary did and does what every sensible teacher does, accommodated his discourse to the capacity of his hearers.

Myers — " 'To dazzle the senses of the barbarians, and work upon their imagination,' says Guizot, 'she increased wonderfully the number, pomp, and variety of her religious ceremonies.' "

Comment — The Church does not institute ceremonies to dazzle or bewilder. Ceremonies are auxiliary, and al-

26 MIS'rAKE;S and MISSTATKMliNTS.

ways in strict harmony with the mystery that is commemorated, or the feast that is celebrated.

Myers — "Many of our rehgious ideas, festivals and ceremonies, as witness Easter and Christmas, may be traced back to an origin in the practices and beliefs of our heathen ancestors."

Comment — We have a very strong suspicion that the professor is talking through his professorial hat. What did "our heathen ancestors" know about Christmas? Why, the Incarnation was a mystery hidden from the beginning, not even revealed to the angels; and, ignorant that the "Word was made flesh," our "heathen ancestors" could know nothing of the resurrection of the flesh.

II. De;velopment oi" thk Monastic System.

Origin of Monasticism. —

Myers — "The central idea underlying the system is, that the body is a weight and hindrance to the spirit ; and that it is especially meritorious to refuse gratification to all those appetites and instincts that have their rise in our physical nature."

Comment — We beg leave to inform the learned author that he misunderstands monasticism ; and that the "central idea" which he imagines "underlying the system," is the veriest fiction. Monasticism is not manichaeism, and he does not evince much "metaphysical subtlety" in confounding them. In the hope of setting him right, we will quote a passage from the great monastic authority, Thomas A'Kempis : "Sometimes, indeed, we 'must do violence, and manfully resist the sensual appetite, and not regard what the flesh liketh or disliketh, but rather

MISTAKES AND MISSTA']'EM£;nTS. 27

endeavor that, even against its will, it may be subject to the spirit.

"And so long must it be chastised and kept in servitude, till it readily obey in all things, and learn to be content with a little, and to be pleased with simplicity and not to murmur at any inconvenience."

Does our author think that our sensual appetites should be gratified in all things, and that passion and not reason should govern man's conduct?

Myers— "In the ascetic mode of life adopted * * * * by Elijah and John the Baptist, we find illustration of this" (monasticism).

Comment— Does our author venture to criticise the ascetic lives of Elijah and St. John the Baptist? Ingersoll once toured the country, delivering his famous lecture, "Mistakes of Moses." The world may yet be treated to a companion piece, "Mistakes of Elijah and John the Baptist."

Myers — "A misconception of certain Scriptural texts * * * which enjoin the mortification of the flesh, encouraged and fostered the doctrine (of monasticism)." Comment— Who is this unfledged upstart who dares compare his penny candle, veiled in darkness, with those great luminaries of the desert, and tell them that they did not understand the Scriptures? "A little learning is a dangerous thing."

Myers— "It was not, however, until the beginning of the third century that the idea became a part of the theology of the Church."

Comment— The idea, the "central idea" of monasticism, which the author tells us is asceticism, though he

28 M1STAK1<;S AND misstate; ME NTS.

misunderstands it, is as old as Christianity, and has at all times been taught and practiced in the Church. He calls the monastic spirit a "strange enthusiasm," because he is a stranger to it; and he likens it to a pest because the carnal man despises mortification of the flesh.

Myers — "These pious enthusiasts of the desert, renouncing family and friends and the world, thought by the most ingenious self-torture and sacrifice of the body to make sure of the salvation of their souls."

Comment — St. Paul says : "I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a cast-away." Now, if the great apostle was afraid to omit corporal chastisement, lest he should become a cast-away; has not Mr. Myers reason to fear that its omission should effect his own reprobation ? Perhaps the "pious enthusiasts of the desert" were not so foolish after all. We think that Mr. Myers calumniates the memory of the saints dead just as the hostile world persecuted them living. It is not true that the monks and hermits of the desert placed their hope of heaven in the maceration of the body, but they reduced their sensual passions to servitude, that they might be free to cultivate heroic Christian virtues in peace.

Myers — "Some acquired the reputation of immaculate purity of soul by allowing their bodies, untouched by water, to accumulate the filth of half a century."

Comment — And others there are, but neither saints nor solitaries, who have acquired a reputation for learning by stupid criticisms ; who suffer their souls to accumulate the spiritual filth of half a century, yet are fastidious about their personal appearance.

MlStAKliS AND MlSStAtl^MENTS. 29

Mye;rs — "The most renowned of all, however, was St. Simeon Stylites, who spent thirty years on a pillar sixty feet high and only three feet in circumference, thereby earning the titles of Star of the Earth and Wonder of the World."

Comment — Mr. Myers thinks that St. Simeon was called "Star of the Earth" because he was up in the air; and that he was called "Wonder of the World" because he never fell down.

Myers — '"On this aerial perch 'he remained exposed to every change of climate, ceaselessly and rapidly bending his body in prayer almost to the level of his feet.' "

Comment — No, not ceaselessly. He preached to the people at stated times, and one sermon did more good than all Myers' histories combined, — to say nothing of evil.

Myers — " 'His biographer was commissioned to stand by his side, to pick up the worms that fell from his body, and replace them in the sores.' "

Comment — Doubtless our author wonders whether the biographer was called "Wonder of the World," seeing that he, too, did not fall from the pillar.

Myers — " 'To pick up the worms, and replace them in the sores, the Saint saying to the worm, "Eat what God has given you." ' "

Comment — Some persons there are who shudder at a temporal worm, yet fear not the eternal one, that dieth not though it inhabiteth inextinguishable fire. St. Simeon was not one of these, but with St. Augustine he prayed: "Here strike, O God; here burn;" here let the worm devour, "but spare me for eternity." The author so MISTAKES ANt) MISSTAT]<;mENTS.

adds that "a. crowd of prelates followed the saint to the grave," praising and approving his heroic discipline. Furthermore the infallible Church has canonized him. Let this suffice. We add only what is most evident, that St. Simeon belongs to that class of exalted Christian heroes, who are to be admired rather than imitated. Monasticism in the West. —

Myers — "The rules of this fraternity (Benedictine order) were simple and some of them very sensible, as for instance that which made work with the hands a pious duty."

Comment — Servile work of itself is not a "pious duty," nor a pious occupation. Manual labor, like every other employment, is sanctified by the virtuous intention of the doer, not otherwise. All the talk about the nobility and sanctity of labor is mere trash.

Advantages of the Monastic System. — Bvils of the System. —

Myers — "The religious orders too often forgot or neglected their vows, and the monasteries, instead of fostering piety and devotion, became the nurseries of indolence and profligacy."

Comment — No, not "nurseries of indolence and profligacy." There was one wicked apostle, but the apostolic college was not a college of wickedness. There have been profligate monks, but the monasteries were not nurseries of profligacy.

Myers — "The tendency of the entire system was to cast contempt upon woman and degrade the domestic relations."

Comment — The author pours out his crude statements with the recklessness of a mountebank. He is a quack historian, and no amount of self-assurance or bravado can save him from contempt, or his .profession from the contamination of his company. The tendency and effect of the system has been the very opposite of the author's declaration. Every Catholic child knows that religious women by their vows sanctify virginity, and shed a salutary and elevating influence upon all the feminine domestic relations.

Myers — "Again, the movement withdrew from active life ****** many of the choicest spirits of the age."

Comment — "The monks became missionaries ;" "they also became teachers ;" "they became copyists ;" "they became agriculturists ;" "they became the almoners of the pious and wealthy." "Everywhere the monasteries opened their hospitable doors to the weary, the sick and the discouraged." "These retreats were the inns, and the hospitals, as well as the schools of learning and the nurseries of religion of mediaeval Europe." These quotations are all taken from the previous article, indicted by Mr. Myers himself, and they show that while monasticism withdrew men from the wickedness of the world, it did not withdraw them from an active life for the world.

Myers — "The monastic orders contributed to the building up of the colossal power of the Papacy."

Comment — The monastic orders contributed nothing to the building up of the Papacy, or even to the support of the Papacy; for the Papacy, perfectly built up, was conferred by Christ upon St. Peter ; and ever since has been supported by divine power. They simply contributed to the popular recognition of the divine institution, and obedience to it.

Myers — "The Papacy, which enchained the temporal princes of Europe."

Comment — In the servitude of the Gospel. This we readily admit.

Conclusion. —

Myers — "The adoption of a common faith set in the midst of the seething, martial nations and races of Europe an influence that fostered the gentler virtues, and a power that was always to be found on the side of order, and usually of mercy."

Comment — "And usually of mercy." The author seems quite incapable of composing a really good sentence without attaching to it some word or phrase, which like a wart on the nose, disfigures the whole beauty. The Church has always been on the side of both order and mercy. The severest measures are often the most merciful.

CHAPTER III. Fusion of The; Latin and Teutonic Peoples

Myers — "The Hebrew element, that is, the ideas, be- Hefs, and sentiments of Christianity."

Comment — The professor, in identifying Judaism with Christianity, repeats the error of the pagan Romans, who confounded the Jews with the Christians ; and shows that his knowledge of "metaphysical subtleties" is on a par with theirs and that of the "simple-minded barbarians."

The Barbarians and the Roman Lands. —

The Romance Nations. —

The Formation of the Romance Languages. —

Consequences of the Confusion of Languages. —

The Barbarians and Roman Learning —

The Barbarian Codes. —

Personal Character of the Teutonic Legislation.

Ordeals. —

Comment — So deep-seated and inveterate were the pagan superstitions, and superstitious practices, called ordeals, that the Church was unable to eradicate them at once; but was constrained to practice condescension and forbearance, or give up altogether the education of her recent barbarian converts. She was obhged, now and then, to tolerate, but always with reluctance and sorrow, some of the milder ordeals ; but she constantly exerted her influence and authority, even from the beginning, to abolish such as could not be practiced without imminent danger to the life of the contestants, and to substitute for them the sworn testimony of witnesses. It is not impossible that religious disputes, even concerning the liturgy, may have been tried in this way by private individuals ; nor impossible, either, that corporations had legal defenders of their rights as we have sheriffs. Wherever the Church succeeded in introducing a trial by sworn testimony in place of the bloody ordeals, she generally took charge of the case, herself. But we are surprised to find our author condemning the clergy for interfering in the bloody ordeals, and by the employment of "devices and tricks," saving the innocent, and perhaps the guilty, too, from unjust and horrible punishment. The author again evinces pitiable ignorance of "metaphysical subtleties" in confounding these superstitious and barbarous practices with the divinely instituted trials of the Old Testament.