Light in the Dark Places: Or, Memorial of Christian Life in the Middle Ages
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Light in the Dark Places: or, Memorial of Christian Life in the Middle Ages. Author(s): Neander, Augustus (1789-1850) Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Description: Augustus Neander began his religious studies in speculative theory, but his changing interests led him to the study of church history. In his book, Light in the Dark Places, Neander©s talent as a writer and a historian is tremendously evident; collected within this volume is an abundance of re- markable information about church history. Neander shares information about the lives of Christian individuals and com- munities during times of darkness and of triumph. Neander also reveals unknown facts about early missionaries and martyrs of the church. This historical analysis will provide today©s Christians with insight into the church©s elaborate past, so that they may learn from previous mistakes and embrace habits of righteousness. Emmalon Davis CCEL Staff Writer i Contents Title Page 1 Prefatory Material 2 Preface to the American Edition. 2 Preface. 3 Contents. 4 Part I. Operations of Christianity During and After the Confusion Produced by the 6 Irruption of the Barbarians. Introduction 7 The North African Church Under the Vandals. 8 Everinus in Germany. 19 Labours of Pious Men in France. 26 Germanus of Auxerre (Antistodorum). 27 Lupus of Troyes. 29 Cæsarius of Arles. 30 Epiphanius of Pavia. 49 Eligius, Bishop of Noyon. 50 The Abbots Euroul and Loumon. 58 Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome. 59 Christianity in Poverty and Lowliness, and on the Sick Bed. 72 Part II. Memoirs from the History of Missions in the Middle Ages. 74 General Remarks on the History of Missions in This Age. 75 The Life and Labours of Individual Missionaries. 86 Patrick, Apostle of the Irish. 87 Columban. 94 Gallus, Apostle of Switzerland. 105 Boniface, Apostle of the Germans. 108 ii Gregory, Abbot of Utrecht. 120 Abbot Sturm of Fulda. 122 Alcuin on True Missionary Labours. 124 Lindger and Willehad. 127 Anschar, Apostle of the North. 130 The Martyr Adalbert in Prussia. 135 The Monk Nilus. 138 Otho, Bishop of Bamberg. 146 Raymond Lull. 158 Indexes 169 Index of Scripture References 170 Latin Words and Phrases 172 Index of Pages of the Print Edition 173 iii This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. The mission of the CCEL is to make classic Christian books available to the world. • This book is available in PDF, HTML, ePub, Kindle, and other formats. See http://www.ccel.org/ccel/neander_a/light.html. • Discuss this book online at http://www.ccel.org/node/3690. The CCEL makes CDs of classic Christian literature available around the world through the Web and through CDs. We have distributed thousands of such CDs free in developing countries. If you are in a developing country and would like to receive a free CD, please send a request by email to [email protected]. The Christian Classics Ethereal Library is a self supporting non-profit organization at Calvin College. If you wish to give of your time or money to support the CCEL, please visit http://www.ccel.org/give. This PDF file is copyrighted by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. It may be freely copied for non-commercial purposes as long as it is not modified. All other rights are re- served. Written permission is required for commercial use. iv Title Page Title Page LIGHT 1 IN THE DARK PLACES: OR, MEMORIALS OF CHRISTIAN LIFE IN THE MIDDLE AGES. FROM THE GERMAN OF THE LATE AUGUSTUS NEANDER, FIRST PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY IN THE ROYAL UNIVERSITY OF BERLIN. New-York: PUBLISHED BY LANE & SCOTT, 200 Mulberry-street. JOSEPH LONGKING, PRINTER. 1851. 2 3 1 Prefatory Material PrefacePrefatory to the American Material Edition. PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. NEANDER’S aim, in the work from which this volume is a translation, was to employ the most striking facts of Church History for general Christian edification. The faith, the zeal, and the piety of the early missionaries and martyrs of the Church, and the Christian life of individuals, and even of communities, amid periods of darkness and delusion, are commemorated here with that genial sympathy for pure religion, however and wherever manifested, which so strongly characterized. Neander. His charity may, in some few instances appear excessive; but excess of love is so rare, that it may well be excused. J. M’Clintock. April 10, 1851. 4 5 2 Preface. Preface. PREFACE. WHEN a child is frightened at any strange apparition, the best remedy is to lead him up to it; and when men have been accustomed to pay homage to some wonder-working image, the most effectual argument against their idolatry has sometimes been found to show them how the idol is made. Many have, perhaps, been led to make one or other of these mistakes with regard to the Middle Ages; the long shadows of the past so easily convert common things into miracles or monsters. It is hoped that the simple narratives contained in this volume may help, in some degree, to remove both mistakes, by showing things as they are. This little work is a translation of the Second Part of Neander’s “Denkwürdigkeiten aus der Geschichte des christlichen Lebens,” which may be regarded as a popular and practical 6 supplement to his “History of the Christian Religion and Church.” The translator would feel the toil of many summer hours amply rewarded, should this volume tend in any measure to strengthen our reverent love for the good men of other times, whilst manifesting their mistakes; to lessen any blind homage for the “golden mean” of time, whilst unveiling the lights which have shone before those who watched for them in the darkest ages; to dispel any sentimental worship of times and seasons, and human institutions; and at the same time to enlarge our sympathies with that holy Church of the redeemed and the regenerate, which is catholic amongst, the centuries as well as amongst the nations. She will look on her labours as indeed blessed, should they be the means of leading one dark heart into the path of light, or one sick soul to Him who healeth “all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease,” or one languid disciple to more effective service, by the inspiration of holy example. We have, all of us, but a little while to prove how we love Him, who has so 7 loved us; and it will be no small thing to have the gracious approval of the “faithful servant” added to the recognition of the forgiven child. May we also, with Dr. Neander, as with all human teachers, remember that they are “ours”—not we “theirs;” not, indeed, in the spirit of “right” and self-will, but of lowlier subjection to a loftier guide—and of that true loyalty to our Lord, which makes all hero- worship for us not only idolatry, but treason. And now that his words come to us with the touching solemnity of a voice which death has so recently silenced, may we listen to them, and learn from them, in the spirit which he would desire from the place of rest to which God has taken him, where all the broken glimpses of truth, which cause error and division here, are filled up and he has, ere this, learned to know even as he is known. 8 9 3 Contents. Contents. CONTENTS. PART I. Page OPERATIONS OF CHRISTIANITY DURING AND AFTER THE IRRUPTION OF THE BARBARIANS. Introduction 11 1. The North African Church under the Vandals 13 (Martyrs.—Eugenius, Bishop of Carthage 22 (Fulgentius, Bishop of Ruspe) 31 2. Severinus in Germany 36 3. Labours of Pious Men in France 50 a. Germanus of Auxerre 50 b. Lupus of Troyes 54 c. Cæsarius of Arles 56 d. Epiphanius of Pavia 96 e. Eligius of Noyon 98 (Archanefreda, Mother of Desiderius 98 Desiderius of Cahors 111 f. The Abbots Euroul and Loumon 115 4. Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome 117 5. Christianity in Poverty and Lowliness, and on the Sick Bed 146 PART II. 10 MEMOIRS FROM THE HISTORY OF MISSIONS IN THE MIDDLE AGES. 1. General Remarks on the History of Missions in this Age 150 Christianity in its relations to Barbarism and Civilization 151 4 Contents. Manifold modes of Conversion 158 Death of the Venerable Bede 162 2. The Life and Labours of individual Missionaries 173 a. Patrick, Apostle of the Irish 173 b. Columban 187 c. Gallus, Apostle of Switzerland 211 d. Boniface, Apostle of the Germans 217 e. Gegory, Abbot of Utrecht 243 f. Sturm, Abbot of Fulda 247 g. Alcuin on true Missionary Labours 251 h. Lindger and Willehad 256 i. Anschar, Apostle of the North 261 j. The Martyr Adalbert in Prussia 272 k. The Monk Nilus 277 l. Otho of Bamberg, Apostle of the Pomeranians 294 m. Raymond Lull 320 11 5 Part I. Operations of Christianity During and After the Confusion Produced¼ Part I. Operations of Christianity During and After the Confusion Produced by the Irruption of the Barbarians. MEMORIALS OF CHRISTIAN LIFE IN THE MIDDLE AGES. PART I. OPERATIONS OF CHRISTIANITY DURING AND AFTER THE CONFUSION PRODUCED BY THE IRRUPTION OF THE BARBARIANS. 6 Introduction Introduction INTRODUCTION. IN the fifth century we see destruction fall on the empire of the city which called itself eternal; and even the great ecclesiastical institutions, the fruit of the blood of martyrs and the prolonged labours of enlightened and pious doctors, swept away by the tide of this mighty devastation. But whilst the heathen mourned hopelessly over the grave of these earthly splendours, and saw, despairingly, the old forms of civilization perish before the inroads of barbarism, good Christians held fast to the anchor of hope, on which they could raise themselves above all mutable things, and by which they could find a firm footing in the very midst of this torrent of destruction.