of the Saints for the Church on earth, and the
wish to obtain a share in their prayers. So again, the denial of the
cup to the laity, which was justly felt by many to be such a grievous
privation, was the natural consequence of the over-refinements of the
Roman Church respecting the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist[5].

[Sidenote: The right spirit in which to regard the Mediaeval Church.]

But whatever imperfections may have clung to the Visible Church in the
Middle Ages, whether owing to external hindrances, or to the human
frailties of her members, we have no right to doubt that she was still
the one great instrument in God's Hands for the salvation of souls.
Neither should we dwell so exclusively on what is often an exaggerated
estimate of the extent and duration of these blemishes, as to ignore
the zeal and self-devotion which grudged neither expense nor labour in
the service of God and the adornment of His House and Worship, the
charity which truly "cared for the poor," the faith and holiness which
shone forth in the public and private lives of such men as St.
Ferdinand of Spain, St. Louis of France, and Rudolf of Hapsburg,
Emperor of Germany, and were, doubtless, not wanting in the case of
countless numbers of their fellow-Christians, whose names, little known
and soon forgotten on earth, are for ever written in God's Book of
Remembrance.

[1] Especially the Cluniacs, founded by Berno, Abbot of Clugny, A.D.
910, and the Cistercians, founded by Robert of Citeaux, A.D. 1098, and
rendered illustrious by St. Bernard, afterwards Abbot of Clairvaux
(A.D. 1113-A.D. 1153).

[2] The order of Franciscan Friars was founded by St. Francis of
Assisi, A.D. 1207, and that of the Dominicans by St. Dominic of
Castile, A.D. 1215. They were originally intended to supplement the
real or supposed defects of the Clergy and the regular orders, and to
aid in the suppression of heresy.

[3] See "Key to the Prayer Book," pp. 1-8.

[4] See "Key to the Bible," pp. 18-23.

[5] The practice of communion in one kind made its way very slowly,
especially in England, where it was perhaps never universal. A decree
of the Council of Constance in A.D. 1415 gave its first authoritative
sanction.

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CHAPTER XI

The Mediaeval History of Continental Churches

A.D. 900-A.D. 1500

[Sidenote: No Mediaeval Church history in Asia or Africa.]

Before proceeding to the consideration of the different European
Churches in Mediae