41125

From the library it

William Parsons Atkinson.

178

CONTENTS

OF

THE SECOND VOLUME.

CHAPTER IV.

FROM CONSTANTINE TO CHARLEMAGNE.

Difference between the moral teaching of a philosophy and that

of a religion

Moral efficacy of the Christian sense of sin

Dark views of human nature not common in the early Church

The penitential system

Admirable efficacy of Christianity in eliciting disinterested

enthusiasm

Great purity of the early Christians

PAGE

1351

9

12

The promise of the Church for many centuries falsified

General sketch of the moral condition of the Byzantine and

Western Empires

13

13

The question to be examined in this chapter is, the cause of

this comparative failure

18

First Consequence of Christianity, a new Sense of the Sanctity of

Human Life

This sense only very gradually acquired

19

Abortion.-Infanticide.

22

Care of exposed children.-History of foundling hospitals

34

Suppression of the gladiatorial shows

Aversion to capital punishments .

41

PAGE

The Church discipline and services brought master and slave

together.

70

Ransom of captives

76

Charity. Measures of the Pagans for the relief of the poor

84

87

90

Noble enthusiasm of the Christians in the cause of charity

Their exertions when the Empire was subverted

Inadequate place given to this movement in history

Two Qualifications to our Admiration of the Charity of the

Church

Theological notions concerning insanity.

History of lunatic asylums

Indiscriminate almsgiving.-The political economy of charity.

Injudicious charity often beneficial to the donor

History of the modifications of the old views about charity

Beneficial effect of the Church in supplying pure images to the

imagination

Summary of the philanthropic achievements of Christianity

The Growth of Asceticism

Causes of the ascetic movement

Its rapid extension

The Saints of the Desert

General characteristics of their legends.

Astounding penances attributed to the saints

91

94

96

101

Miseries and joys of the hermit life.-Dislike to knowledge. 121

Hallucinations

The relations of female devotees with the anchorites

Celibacy was made the primal virtue.-Effects of this upon

moral teaching.

Depreciation of the qualities that accompany a strong physical

Destruction of the domestic virtues. Inhumanity of saints to

Influence of the former in hastening the fall of the Empire

Permanent difference between ancient and modern societies in

the matter of patriotism

Influence of this change on moral philosophy.
Historians exaggerate the importance of civic virtues

General Moral Condition of the Byzantine Empire

Stress laid by moralists on trivial matters

Corruption of the clergy

Childishness and vice of the populace
The better aspects of the Empire .

Distinctive Excellencies of the Ascetic Period

Asceticism the great school of self-sacrifice
Moral beauty of some of the legends

Legends of the connection between men and animals produced

humanity to the latter

Pagan legends of the intelligence of animals

Legal protection of animals.

Traces of humanity to animals in the Roman Empire

Taught by the Pythagoreans and Plutarch

The first influence of Christianity not favourable to it

Legends in the lives of the saints connected with animals

Progress in modern times of humanity to animals .

The ascetic movement in the West took practical forms

Attitude of the Church to the barbarians.-Conversion of the

latter

Christianity adulterated by the barbarians.-Legends of the
conflict between the old gods and the new faith.

Monachism

Causes of its attraction

171

171

173

. 174

176

New value placed on obedience and humility.Results of this

change

Propriety of the expression intellectual virtue'

The love of abstract truth

200

200

The notion of the guilt of error, considered abstractedly,

absurd

202

Some error, however, due to indolence or voluntary partiality

And some to the unconscious bias of a corrupt nature

The influence of scepticism on intellectual

The Church always recognised the tendency of character to

govern opinion

Preservation of classical literature.-Manner in which it was

Other fallacies concerning the services of the monks

PAGE

They were rather the reservoirs than the creators of literature 221

Fallacy of attributing to the monasteries the genius that was

displayed in theology

221

222

Decline of the love of truth.

225

Value which the monks attached to pecuniary compensations

for crime.

226

Doctrine of future torment much elaborated as a means of

Antipathy of the early Christians to military life

262

The belief that battle was the special sphere of Providential

Consecration of Secular Rank

The Pagan Empire became continually more despotic

The early Christians taught passive obedience in temporal, but

independence in religious matters

275

276

After Constantine, their policy much governed by their interests 276

Attitude of the Church towards Julian.

And of Gregory the Great towards Phocas

277

279

The Eastern clergy soon sank into submission to the civil

power

281

Effect of monachism on the doctrine of passive obedience

Independence of the Western clergy.-Compact of Leo and

Pepin

Fascination exercised by Charlemagne over the popular imagi-

A king and a warrior became the ideal of greatness

Conclusion