Church History, Volume 2 (of 3)Kurtz, J. H. (Johann Heinrich)
History
Church History, Volume 2 (of 3)
Kurtz, J. H. (Johann Heinrich)
Church history
Setting aside Anselm’s theory of satisfaction, he regards
the redemption and reconciliation of man as consisting in
the awakening in sinful man, by means of the infinite love
displayed by Christ’s teaching and example, by His life,
sufferings and death upon the cross, a responding love of
such fulness and power, that he is thereby freed from the
dominion of sin and brought into the glorious liberty of
the children of God.[298]--Abælard’s fame and following
grew in a wonderful manner from day to day; but also
powerful opponents dragged his heresies into light and
vigorously combated them. The most important of these were
the Cistercian monk William of Thierry and St. Bernard, who
called attention to the dangerous tendency of his teaching.
St. Bernard dealt personally with the heretic, but when
he failed in converting him, he appeared in A.D. 1141 at
the Synod of Sens as his accuser. The synod condemned as
heretical a series of statements culled from his writings
by Bernard. Abælard appealed to the pope, but even his
friends at Rome, among whom was Card. Guido de Castella,
afterwards Pope Cœlestine II., could not close their
eyes to his manifest heterodoxies. His friendship for
Arnold of Brescia also told against him at Rome (§ 108, 7).
Innocent II. therefore excommunicated Abælard and his
supporters, condemned his writings to be burnt and himself
to be confined in a monastery. Abælard found an asylum
with the abbot Peter the Venerable of Clugny, who not
only effected his reconciliation with Bernard, but also,
on the ground of his _Apologia s. Confessio fidei_, in
which he submitted to the judgment of the church, obtained
permission from the pope to pass his last days in peace at
Clugny. During this time he composed his _Hist. calamitatum
Abælardi_, an epistolary autobiography, which, though
not free from vanity and bitterness, is yet worthy to be
ranked with Augustine’s “Confessions” for its unreserved
self-accusation and for the depth of self-knowledge which
it reveals. He died in A.D. 1142, in the monastery of
St. Marcellus at Chalons, where he had gone in quest of
health. He was buried in the abbey of the Paraclete, where
Heloise laid on his coffin the letter of absolution of Peter
of Clugny. Twenty-two years later Heloise herself was laid
in the same quiet resting place.[299]
§ 102.3.
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