THE MILITARY FUNCTIONS OF PRIESTS. &quot;783 



as leading their parishioners -to battle, and the abbots their 

 vassals, in 1094, and again in 1108 ; while in 1119 the 

 bishops summoned the priests with their parishioners. Even 

 after the middle of the fifteenth century the Cardinal de 

 Balue mustered troops in Paris; and &quot;the bishop, the heads 

 of the university, the abbots, priors, and other churchmen,&quot; 

 &quot; appeared there with a certain number of men.&quot; Not until 

 nearly the middle of the seventeenth century was there 

 issued an edict which exempted the clergy from personal 

 service in the armies. Even now, Christendom is not with 

 out an example of union between the man-slaying and soul- 

 saving functions. It is remarked that the Montenegrins 

 form &quot; the only community now in Europe governed by a 

 military bishop ; &quot; and the Eev. W. Denton says &quot; the priests 

 carry arms, and are generally good heroes/ the first at a 

 gathering, the leaders of their flocks in war.&quot; 



To a direct participation in war exhibited by actual 

 service in the army, must be added an indirect participation 

 implied by administrative control of the fighting organizations. 

 Cardinal Richelieu was director of both navy and army. 

 Moreover, his policy &quot; was the opening of a new era for 

 France, an era of great and systematized warfare ; &quot; and he, 

 &quot;in his Testament politiyue, recalls with pride the discipline 

 he established in the army of Italy and among the troops 

 which besieged La Rochelle. They obeyed like monks 

 under arms. &quot; 



Now-a-days people have become unaccustomed to these 

 connexions, and forget that they ever existed. The military 

 duties of priests among ourselves have dwindled down to the 

 consecration of flags, the utterances by army-chaplains of 

 injunctions of forgiveness to men who are going to execute 

 vengeance, joined with occasional prayers to the God of love 

 to bless aggressions, provoked or unprovoked. 



632. Thus, contemplation of facts supplied by all places 

 and times, reverses that association of ideas which the facts 



