The power of the Church
>Few people today are able to appreciate fully the power wielded by the early Christian Church. Christianity had been the accepted religion of Western Europe for over 500 years by the time of the Viking incursions of the late 700's. Within the next 200 years a good number of these Norse invaders had settled down to the life of trader or farmer and had also embraced the white Christ. In 1016 the throne of Norway came to Olaf II Haraldsson, who continued with its 'Christianisation' and has gone into the annals of history as Saint Olaf.
For the first 200 - 300 years of its history the Church was formulating beliefs and doctrines in which period it seemed that it was not so much which interpretation was right but which 'holy father' had the most clout. Heresies sprang up with alarming regularity only to be crushed, usually by excommunicating the 'heretic' and later by more bloody means.
In 1076 Pope Gregory VII excommunicated the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV - one of the most powerful monarchs in Europe. By the 13th.Cent. the Church was the strongest single influence in Europe. Everyone - with the exception of Jews, Arabs and members of the Byzantine Empire - belonged to the Church. The Pope had more power and wealth than all the kings and nobles combined. In 1213 King John of England was forced to lay his crown at the feet of Pope Innocent III. Archbishops, Bishops and Abbots were usually great feudal lords. Church Courts controlled all cases involving clergy and Church property, plus those involving marriage, wills and orphans. . The Church owned a quarter of the land in England. Peasants had to pay a tithe of one tenth of all the food they grew to their priest. Not all priests were wealthy but the Church certainly was. Two centuries earlier the writing was on the wall and bearing in mind how slowly things progressed in those days it would not be unreasonable to suppose that the Church had long been the most powerful and wealthiest influence in the land.
Despite the power it held and the fear it engendered the church was nonetheless an influence for the common good. Many historians say that the spirit of the Church and its work were the great civilising influences of the Middle Ages. Life was hard for the peasants. Disease and hunger were common. But the Church helped to comfort them by reminding them of the joys waiting for them in Heaven - if they led virtuous and righteous lives. The priest was, of course, quick to inform his flock of the terrors and torments that awaited them in hellfire, should they not die in a state of grace. Being excommunicated meant that the offender was excluded from the communion of believers, the rites or sacraments1 of the Church, (such as the consecrated bread given at Mass) and the rights of church membership. If one died as an excommunicate, Hell and damnation for all eternity was a certainty. What was fifty years or so on this Earth, even living a harsh life, when an eternity of suffering was assured? Thus absolute obedience to the rules and practices of the Church was essential in order to stand any chance at all of eternal salvation. Is it any wonder that people lived every day in fear for their immortal souls?
To reinforce this belief there was often a huge painting on the church wall (known as a "Doom painting") to remind people about what happened after they died. The painting showed angels welcoming good people into Heaven whilst devils roasted wicked people over fires in Hell. The clergy were, after all, the only learned and educated people around so their influence over the common man was enormous. Education was usually only open to the sons of the wealthy so knowledge was at a premium. With no incentive to question these beliefs people followed the teachings of the Church blindly. People believed in the Church implicitly; in what it preached and in what it stood for. Ordinary people did not argue with the Church. They trusted their priest. He told them what was right and what was wrong. The priest listened to their confessions, baptised their children, married and buried them. For these latter three services there was a charge. One priest even took the clothes from a dead man's bed as payment for his funeral! As stated above the people had to pay to the Church one tenth of the food they grew. It was often a great hardship to pay this. One priest asked the peasants to bring cheese instead of milk as a tithe. The peasants in question were angry and poured the milk all over the church floor! The priest's reactions are unrecorded!
The main beliefs of the Catholic Church (the only Christian Church at the time - until the Great Schism in 1054 when the Eastern Churches split from Rome) were formulated in the three ancient creeds of the church -
The Apostles' Creed (Council of Nicaea, 325) see below.
The Nicene Creed (Originally drawn up at the Council of Nicaea, 325 and added to at the Council of Constantinople, 381) see below.
The Athanasian Creed. (6th.Cent.) This is really a misnomer for it was neither written by Athanasius nor is it strictly speaking, a creed. At the Council of Nicaea Athanasius had been the chief speaker against the Arian heresy and had, as a result become the leader of the 'orthodox' party, whose members came to be known as 'Athanasians'. He died in 373 and it was some afterwards that this creed, stating and defending the true doctrine as Athanasius might well have done, came to be used.
It might be better termed a 'doctrinal hymn'. It does not begin with the words 'I believe' and it ends with the Gloria. It may be found in the Book of Common Prayer. Here is an extract:
'We worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity ...none is greater or lesser than the other... the Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.'
THE APOSTLES' CREED
(Used at the Sacrament of Baptism)
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of Heaven and Earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
And born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into Heaven
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic Church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins
The resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
THE NICENE CREED
(Used in the Mass)
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth,
And of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God.
Born of the Father before all ages. God of God, Light of Light,
True God of true God. Begotten, not made,
one in substance with the Father: by whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven.
AND WAS INCARNATE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT OF
THE VIRGIN MARY: AND WAS MADE MAN.
He was crucified also for us: suffered under Pontius Pilate,
and was buried.
On the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures.
He ascended into Heaven where he sitteth
at the right hand of the Father.
He shall come again to judge both the living and the dead.
His kingdom shall have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life:
Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son.
Who together with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified:
He it was who has spoken through the Prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.
And I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of
The world to come.
Amen.
The Canon of the New Testament.
At the Council of Nicaea in 325 the cataloguing of the various scriptural writings began. Some books were rejected at this time, such as the Book of Revelation. These rejections were usually because of implied heresies or because these non-canonical books offered nothing new. This selection process was virtually complete by the Council of Laodicea in 363 and by 367 the Canon was completed. As with the Old Testament many books had been omitted - presumably to fit in with the current thinking - although all good Catholics would believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding the selection Committee!
1 Sacrament - '..the visible form of an invisible grace' - St. Augustine of Hippo (354 - 430A.D.)