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The Growth of the Papal Supremacy

and Feudalism.

LECTURE IV.

THE REV. ROBERT RITCHIE,

Rector of the Church of St. James the Less, Philadelphia, Pa.

THE GROWTH OF THE PAPAL SUPREM ACY AND FEUDALISM.

IT is a common remark that in a state which has a representative government practical results are accomplished by the conflict of parties, generally only two. The same dualism seems to pervade all human affairs, and is most clearly manifest when they are considered historically. When the two great dominant forces are blended and confused in the thoughts of men, the consequence is apt to be anarchy rather than government, war rather than peace. But over all, throughout the whole series of blind struggles and enthusiastic attempts, which never reach the goals their partisans looked for, the gracious Providence of God actively reigns, working in His mysterious way the preservation of His Church, the salvation of His elect.

We are to consider the clashing of two wonderful ideas in the Middle Ages-the Papal Supremacy and Feudalism. They are both human ideas in the sense that they did not come by Revelation; yet of neither of them can it be said that any man or body of men invented it. The foundation of Feudalism seems to have been the partial understanding of the great natural truth that those to whom God gives power are responsible for the welfare and government of their subjects, and are therefore entitled to their homage and service. Following upon the flocking of warlike heathen tribes, like vultures, to prey upon the remains of the ancient Western Empire, came the inevitable feeling that he who could hold conquered land because he was a mighty war-lord was the ruler to whom others must attach themselves for safety and for the opportunity of getting their bread. We need not consider the steps by which this grew into a system of greater and lesser lords, and vassals owing fealty and doing homage; nor its great enlightening by the institution of Christian chivalry. Feudalism grew up in Christianized tribes which yet retained much of the simple barbarism of their heathen ancestors. It began at a time when the Roman Civil Law was in abeyance, having been paralyzed for a while by the crushing disasters of the Empire. But from the first it found itself in the face of the other great branch of medieval

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