§4. GENIUS OF MEDIAEVAL CHRISTIANITY. 11
are isolated from the main current; but recently they have begun to develop their resources, and seem to have a great future before them through the commanding political power of Russia in Europe and in Asia. Russia is the bearer of the destinies of Panslavism and of the Eastern Church.
5. The GREEK nationality, which figured so conspicuously in ancient Christianity, maintained its independence down to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453 ; but it was mixed with Slavonic elements. The Greek Church was much weakened by the inroads of Mohammedanism, and lost the possession of the territories of primitive Christianity, but secured a new and vast missionary field in Russia.
§ 4. Genius of Mediaeval Christianity.
Mediaeval Christianity is, on the one hand, a legitimate con tinuation and further development of ancient Catholicism ; on the other hand, a preparation for Protestantism.
Its leading forces are the papacy, monasticism, and scholasti cism, which were developed to their height, and then assailed by growing opposition from within.
Christianity, at its first introduction, had to do with highly civilized nations ; but now it had to lay the foundation of a new civilization among barbarians. The apostles planted churches in the cities of the Jews, Greeks, and Romans, and the word "pagan," i. e. villager, backwoodsman, gradually came to de note an idolater. They spoke and wrote in a language which had already a large and immortal literature ; their progress was paved by the high roads of the Roman legions ; they found everywhere an established order of society and government; and their mission was to infuse into the ancient civilization a new spiritual life and to make it subservient to higher moral ends. But the missionaries of the dark ages had to visit wild woods and untilled fields, to teach rude nations the alphabet, and to lay the foundation for society, literature and art.
Hence Christianity assumed the character of a strong discipli nary institution, a training school for nations in their infancy,
12 MEDIAEVAL CHURCH HISTORY.
which had to be treated as children. Hence the legalistic, hier archical, ritualistic and romantic character of mediaeval Catholi cism. Yet in proportion as the nations were trained in the school of the church, they began to assert their independence of the hierarchy and to develop a national literature in their own language. Compared with our times, in which thought and reflection have become the highest arbiter of human life, the middle age was an age of passion. The written law, such as it was developed in Roman society, the barbarian could not under stand and would not obey. But he was easily impressed by the spoken law, the living word, and found a kind of charm in bending his will absolutely before another will. Thus the teach ing church became the law in the land, and formed the very foundation of all social and political organization.
The middle ages are often called "the dark ages:" truly, if we compare them with ancient Christianity, which preceded, and with modern Christianity, which followed ; falsely and un justly, if the church is made responsible for the darkness. Christianity was the light that shone in the darkness of sur rounding barbarism and heathenism, and gradually dispelled it. Industrious priests and monks saved from the wreck of the Roman Empire the treasures of classical literature, together with the Holy Scriptures and patristic writings, and transmitted them to better times. The mediaeval light was indeed the borrowed star and moon-light of ecclesiastical tradition, rather than the clear sun-light from the inspired pages of the New Testament ; but it was such light as the eyes of nations in their ignorance could bear, and it never ceased to shine till it disappeared in the day-light of the great Reformation. Christ had his witnesses in all ages and countries, and those shine all the brighter who were surrounded by midnight darkness.
" Pause where we may upon the desert-road, Some shelter is in sight, some sacred safe abode."
On the other hand, the middle ages are often called, especially by Roman Catholic writers, "the ages of faith." They abound