Asa H. Craig, (Asa Hollister), 1847-1934
While a short description of these important periods in the world’s history may not be closely identified with the object of this publication, yet there is so much of Christian ardor, and Christian love and veneration for the Holy City, and the land where Jesus dwelt, that to record the events of Christian persecution during the early centuries, and not prepare a chapter on these remarkable Crusades, would drop a link in the wonderful chain of evidence that the Spirit of Christ has ever followed and sustained his people in their afflictions.
We often hear public speakers, or writers, mention the Crusades, but few of us realize their meaning. We do not comprehend the extent to which great military expeditions were undertaken by the Christian nations of Europe, who organized vast armies for the purpose of rescuing from the hands of the Mohammedans the holy places of Palestine. To some these expeditions may appear as the result of fanaticism rather than the furthering of a noble and glorious purpose. But discuss it as we may, the fact remains that the Christians were in earnest; they exhibited the same desire to serve God, to protect the sacred lands of our Savior, as did the followers of Christ who remained true to His teachings under the persecutions of Nero, or Diocletian. If it was fanaticism to protect the grave of Jesus, then it is fanaticism to remember Him by the countless means of adoration.
So great was their devotion to the Savior of the world, that even the thought that the land of His birth and crucifixion was in the hands of infidels was distressing to them. The greater their love for Jesus, the greater their veneration for the Holy City. Bethlehem, Judea, Jerusalem, and Calvary, were sacred to the memory of Christ and must be preserved from Jhe hands of those who could not appreciate the holy memories, or who, from wanton cruelty, would desecrate and destroy every object of veneration.
The Crusades are usually divided into four different important periods, although others were instituted, but not with the same heroic purpose and the same sacrifice of life. These “Minor Crusades” while they were organized with the same enthusiasm, yet the results were unimportant, and unless we itemize history, they are not usually enumerated.
To thoroughly understand the objects of those military achievements we must go back to the year 638, when the Arabian Moslems had seized Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and although it was in the hands of the infidels, yet the Christians were given all their rights of worship, and even the sacred places of veneration were protected from the hand of destruction, not because of their love for Christ, but for love of revenue, each pilgrim Christian being taxed in some manner for the privilege of visiting and worshiping at these holy shrines. No pilgrim was allowed to enter the most sacred places without he paid the tribute of a piece of gold.
For over four hundred years the land of our Savior was held as a ransom for the Christian world. The Moslems were awake to the necessity of carefully protecting every renowned spot or place, every scene or relic, for by these holy remembrances they gathered the tributes which were imposed upon Christians, and which were joyfully paid, so eager were they to see and be where Christ had been. As these great interests were cared for by apparently loving hands, the pilgrims were satisfied, not caring who controlled the government, as long as all the liberties of worship were accorded them. But when the land fell into the hands of the Turks, then followed a line of persecution, misery, sacrilege, and destruction.
The Turks disregarded the revenue clause of their predecessors, and in brutal insolence trampled upon every Christian right. To them there were no Christian rights. Jerusalem was the property of the Turks, and every sacred spot, and even the Mount of Calvary, and the grave of Jesus, was theirs.
By the right of force, they could defile these sacred places and trample upon Christian worship with all the coarse indifference of a savage nation. They never knew Christ, and in their ignorance could not reverence his name, nor could they tolerate any religion that opposed theirs.
Christians were regarded as slaves, and the pilgrims were insulted, persecuted, robbed, and even denied admission to the Holy City. Thousands being thus refused, died within sight of the great objects of their pilgrimage. Although denied the blessed privilege of walking where once our Savior trod, or worshiping at the shrine for which the heart had so long yearned, yet they sang songs of praise for being permitted to see, even if they could not kneel, at the tomb of Jesus. With these songs as the last utterance of a sacrificed life they lay down and died.
The conditions, now, of the Christians, were most pitiable indeed. Not only were they denied the privilege of pilgrimage, but they were dragged to tortures most terrible, and forced to deny their faith. But be it said to their great glory, few yielded to the cruelty of their oppressors. Here, again, we find the same determined faith that has ever characterized the Christian in the field of persecution. So devoted were they to their religion that “to die was gain,” and now to surrender their faith for exemption from bodily pain was impossible, and as such, could not be considered.
The churches of Jerusalem were either destroyed, or, to grieve the spirits of the devout Christians, they were turned into stables. Even the magnificent church of the Resurrection was destroyed and all the objects of veneration cast into the fire. Once when the Christians were at divine service, a mob of unbelievers rushed into the sanctuary, sprang upon the altar, flung (town the chalice, and catching the patriarch by the hair and beard dragged him to the ground and in other ways persecuted him and his followers.
It was this condition which existed when Peter the Hermit made his pilgrimage in 1093 to the Holy Sepulcher. The sacrilege of the infidels, the desolation of the holy places, the piteous distress of the Christians, filled his heart with compassion and his eyes with tears. His sorrow over these scenes of idolatrous desecration awoke in him a deep desire to rescue these places of Christian veneration from the hands of the Turks. Chrises people were being ground beneath the
yoke of oppression, and they must be free. Accordingly, he determined to devote himself to the great task of redemption, and after fervently praying for the preservation of his people and the tomb of his Redeemer, he hastened homewards, where, on his arrival, he communicated to Pope Urban II the wretched and deplorable situation of the Christians, and explained to him the condition of the holy relics. He earnestly pleaded for assistance in the great undertaking which he had planned.
The Pope received Peter with favor, and heard with deep sympathy the persecutions of his followers in Jerusalem, and with deepest love for Christian humanity he authorized Peter to make known everywhere the oppression that existed, and the necessity of a strong invasion by Western Christians to drive the enemies of Christ from these sacred lands and to restore the worship of God where, of all places, it should remain pure and undefiled. The Pope also declared that he would call together the influential and pious princes, bishops, and laymen of the West and urge them to organize a mighty army to give battle to this powerful foe that was now destroying Christianity and threatening with destruction the entire sacred institutions of the Holy Land.
Peter, filled with patriotic and pious longings, zealously described to the people of France and Italy the impending fate of Jerusalem. He was stopped neither by fatigue nor difficulties, but hurried from city to city, from hamlet to hamlet, addressing the multitudes in the churches, the streets, or in the open fields, describing the conditions of their brethren, and the unholy hordes that were now devastating the land of Jesus. The crowds were fired with sympathy, or indignation, as he recited the sufferings at the hands of the infidels, or pictured the profanation of the holy places by the presence and insults of those Turkish barbarians. Not since the days of Christ and his Apostles were the people so enthused as they were now over the words of Peter. With one accord they arose to offer their fortunes and their lives. It was one grand demonstration of filial devotion to the cause of Christianity.
In November, 1095, Pope Urban summoned a great council at Clearmont, in France, where there gathered together fourteen archbishops, three hundred bishops, four hundred abbots, and thousands of knights, princes, and laymen. Amidst profound silence Peter pictured, in glowing Words, to the listening crowd the misery and sufferings of the Eastern Christians, and the profanation of the grave of Jesus. He declared that no man could describe the awful persecution which was at that moment being waged against their Christian brethren. No eye remained dry; all present wept and sighed. The fervent appeal of Peter had stirred the soul’s longing, to not only liberate their brethren but to rescue the Holy Land from the hand of the desecrator.
The Holy Father, being deeply moved, then addressed his hearers: “Beloved brethren, the Land of Promise, the cradle of the Savior, the land in which was consummated the work of our salvation, is in the power of an impious people, dogs have entered the sanctuary, and the Holy of Holies is defiled. The faithful lie slain in the churches, and neither age nor sex is spared. The blood of the saints is poured out like water, and there are none there to bury their bodies. Who can hear this with dry eyes? Better for us that we had never been born than that we should see the ruin of our people and of the Holy City, and yet sit still and let the enemy work his pleasure. Arm yourselves with the zeal of God, beloved brothers; gird on your swords, and show yourselves sons of the Mighty One. Better it is to die in battle thaw to see the sufferings of our people and of the saints. Go forth, and God will be with you. Turn those weapons with which you now so wickedly make war on one another and spill the blood of your brethren, against the enemy of the Christian faith and name. God wills it! Trusting in His mercy, and in the power of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, we remit to all the faithful who shall assume arms in a spirit of true piety, and who take on them the labors of this pilgrimage, all the penances laid upon them for their sins; and whoever shall die on this journey will, if truly penitent, receive without doubt remission of all their sins, and enter into life everlasting. None shall venture to molest the goods or the families of the absent pilgrims; we place them and theirs under the protection of the Holy Church.”
So great was the earnest enthusiasm for the relief of distressed Christians and the restoration of the land of Jesus from the hands of infidels that the entire multitude cried: “God wills it! God wills it!” “Be these words,” the Pope replied, “your battle-cry in every danger; be the Cross your sign of strength and of humility, and the gracious Mother of God your patroness.”
With wild scenes of joy at the prospect of an universal uprising against the Turkish enemy the council dispersed, each eager to spread the news and urge their friends to join the great army of Crusaders. The inspiration that had seized the members of this council spread with lightning rapidity, and soon the whole country was aflame to that cry of freedom. Their brethren in Jerusalem were being cruelly persecuted and the sacred land of our Lord was made desolate by the hands of a barbarous horde. Down with the tyrants! Down with usurpers of Christian rights! was rung from one end of the country to the other. France and Italy had never before beheld such loyalty to the cause of Christian humanity. Towns and villages became the camping grounds of a mighty army. Everywhere men were arming themselves, fired with the zeal of vengeance. Counts left their castles, princes their possessions, the peasant his plow, and the monk his cell. Even women and children became imbued with the inspiration of action and clamored for the right to assist in this great undertaking.
Murderers and robbers came forth from their hiding places, and in atonement for their sins, offered to join the holy war. The same universal spirit seemed to pervade the entire people. Strife, feud, and oppression everywhere ceased, national difficulties were wiped away, and all longed for the hour when they should start. So great was the desire of the people to avenge the wrongs at Jerusalem that many beseeched Peter to lead them at once against the enemy, and before the regular organized Crusade began its march 80,000 enthusiastic and impatient Christians started by an overland route through Germany and Hungary to Constantinople. Thousands fell in battle with the natives of the countries through which they passed, and thousands more perished miserably with hunger and exposure. Those who crossed the Bosporus were attacked by the Turks, who were informed of their coming, and Were mercilessly slaughtered.
Thus perished the vanguard of this wonderful demonstration for the liberation of the Holy Land. Tew of this first great army of Christians lived to relate the suffering, the pious longing to serve the followers of Christ, or to see, or feel, the first elements of success. Theirs was the beginning, and in this consolation they laid down their lives, knowing that their misfortunes would pave the Way for the success of those who were to follow.
Meanwhile the great armies of the West were being trained and disciplined, and hone but those who were earnest champions of the holy cause were accepted. No curser, blasphemer, nor even a mischief-making person was taken. Godfrey of Bouillon, Duke of Lorraine, and Tancred, “the mirror of knighthood,” were among the most noted leaders of the different divisions of the army. The camp of Godfrey was a model of perfection. Strict religious exercises were observed, and no man was requested to remain who did not feel that he was called by Heaven to answer the prayers of Jerusalem.
Morning and evening all joined in prayer to God, and psalms and hymns in praise to Christ, His Blessed Mother, the Saints, and all the heavenly throng. Besides these devotional duties they would unite in the wild spirit of chivalry, and the camps would resound from one end to the other with patriotic and warlike songs. No army was ever established with such true devotion, such heartfelt sympathy, and such fervent zeal. Each sought to outvie the other in marks of obedience, and discipline, and the whole was a grand consummation of pious love and reverence.
The expedition numbered about 700,000 men, of whom fully 100,000 were mailed knights. They traversed Europe by different routes and re-assembled at Constantinople. After crossing the Bosporus, the first brilliant achievement of the Christians was a great victory before the walls of Nicaea, the Turkish capital, in Bithynia. The Mahometan hosts fought with desperation. The assaults of the Christians were as a mighty hurricane as they threw themselves against the walls and defenses. On to Jerusalem! was the battle-cry, and again and again did they attack ‘the fortifications until the walls yielded and the enemy were driven from the city.
Having captured this stronghold of Mahomet they set out across Asia Minor for Syria. Fearful sufferings followed their pathway through that immense uninhabitable waste. The line of their dreary march between Nicaea and Antioch was whitened with the bones of nearly one-half of their numbers. But so great was their faith in God that no complaints escaped their lips and no disloyalty was made manifest. From the beginning they had consecrated their lives, and in this consecration they would live or die.
At Antioch the Crusaders saw a fortress so strong that but for their confidence in God they could never have succeeded in its capture. But to them there was no defeat. “God wills it! God wills it!” ever sounded in their ears, and in the inspiration of an assured victory they rushed to the assault. When we understand that the city was encircled with an immense wall more than fourteen feet in thickness and was commanded with four hundred and fifty high towers, and defended with a powerful army, we can imagine something of the human strength, courage, and valor it required to capture it. Yet to this Christian army there could be no defeat. With the thought of soon seeing the. blessed land of Jesus they mounted those powerful walls, threw down their enemies, and in triumph entered the city.
We now come to the approach of the long-desired city of Jerusalem. It was June, 1099, when the Crusaders neared the goal of their ambitions. All night long they pushed forward without rest, so eager were they to see the Holy City by the light of the rising sun. The weary were assisted by those who were strong, and all vied with each other in the manifestations of courage and endurance. When at last the City of Jerusalem burst upon their view, a perfect delirium of joy seized them. The horsemen dismounted, and fell upon their knees and kissed the earth, shedding tears of joy. They embraced one another, and cried like children. The pent-up enthusiasm now found vent in these unbounded manifestations of gladness. Had heaven descended with all its glorious brightness, the vision could not have been more inspiring than this vision of the Holy City. They had conquered the wilderness, the armies of oppression, and now, in the faith of God, they would soon expel the defiling hordes of infidelity.
As they passed on they took off their shoes, and marched with uncovered heads and bare feet, singing the words of the prophet: “Jerusalem, lift up thine eyes, and behold the liberator, who comes to break thy chains.” The magnificent army of 700,000 men was now reduced to a mere pittance of its original numbers. They could scarcely number 20,000 foot and 1,500 horse, and before them was the strongly fortified city of Jerusalem with an army of 40,000 well-armed men. The Crusaders were almost worn out with fatigue and exposure, and yet, with this unequal contest before them they would not even hesitate, nor seek to regain their strength, but with the impetuous longing to rescue their brethren and to know and feel that the land of their Savior was once more free, they rushed into the mad conflict. They believed that God had guided them through these long difficulties, and that now, as they approached the City of God, He would not desert them. With this faith and confidence, the champions of the Cross could not be discouraged, nor could they be defeated.
On the sixth day after their arrival, they attacked the outer defenses with such courage and valor that the enemy became alarmed and retired within the inner walls, which had the appearance of being impregnable. Where, in all that treeless waste, could they find material from which they could con- struct battering-rams? Without these necessary implements of warfare, how could they ever break into the city of Jerusalem? They had captured the outer defenses, but the strength of a wondrous construction faced them, and meant apparent defeat. Parties were dispatched to scour the country and find, if possible, some substance which could be used with sufficient force to break the gates that separated them from the city.
Was it God’s providence that led them to a valley near Bethlehem, where huge trunks of trees lay buried beneath the earth? Great was the rejoicing when the glad tidings were brought of this rich discovery. All vied with each other in the work of excavation and in the construction of huge battering-rams and other engines of attack.
The Christian camp, in the meanwhile, was suffering much from the great scarcity of water. The sun’s heat was almost unbearable, and the infidels had destroyed all the springs and other means of obtaining water. The animals were dying of , thirst, and noxious vapors poisoned the air. The only water supply was six miles distant, and each time these valiant followers of Christ sought to renew their supply they must fight their way through the enemy’s outlying bands. To these sufferings we must add that of starvation, for nowhere could there be new supplies outside the gates of Jerusalem,
During this distressing period the joyful news reached them that a Genoese fleet had just landed at Joppa, bringing provisions, tools, and skilled workmen. Again, did these valiant Crusaders see the hand of Providence. Without this needed assistance they must have perished outside the gates of Jerusalem. Now they could be relieved of their pressing necessities, and with the skill of their new friends they could proceed to a systematic mode of attack.
In the morning of July 8, the whole host left the camp, and, preceded by priests in white vestments, bearing crosses, banner, and relics, they marched barefooted to the Holy City, invoking with prayers and psalms the help of God and the saints. Mass was said within sight of Calvary, and on the Mount of Olives the Flemish priest, Arnulf, and Peter of Amiens, so powerfully addressed the army that all, leaders and followers alike, grasped each others’ hands, and swore to stand by one another truly till death.
After a, few feints, the real siege began on the 14th of July. In all the camp there was not one who was not inspired with martial ardor; the sick, old men, and boys, even the very women, took up arms. With bold hearts they drew their besieging engines to the walls. Showers of arrows were poured on them by the enemy, and huge stones, beams, torches, and burning pitch flung down upon them. But the Crusaders stood firm, till night put an end to the struggle. Day had scarcely begun to dawn when each was again at his post. The battle raged as fiercely as before, and with unflagging energy. But the storm lasted many hours, and the victory was not yet gained. The strength of the Christians flagged, when suddenly, just at the hour our Lord died upon the cross, a knight with a shining shield appeared upon the side of the Mount of Olives and signed to them to continue the struggle. ‘Do you see the heavenly sign? Godfrey exclaimed with joy. The Christians again took courage, shouting loudly, ‘God helps us! God wills it!’ They pushed forward with renewed vigor, broke through the outer wall, and flung the drawbridges from Godfrey’s tower across to the inner wall. Led by Godfrey, they rushed bold as lions on the unbelievers, drove them from the walls and towers, and opened the gates. In poured the whole Christian host, and a desperate battle ensued within the city.’’
A terrible slaughter of the infidels now took place. For seven days the carnage went on. Blood flowed in streams, and the unbelievers lay slain by thousands in the houses, streets, and public places. So great was this vengeance that scarcely any of the Moslem faith were left alive. The Christians “had accomplished the great work of their mission. Jerusalem had surrendered, and the Holy Land was once more in the hands of those who loved God.
After the city had been duly secured and sentinels placed in all the towers, the blood-stained victors laid aside their arms, changed their garments, and then barefooted, many of them on their knees, went humbly and with tears of thanksgiving, to visit those sacred spots which our Lord had hallowed by His presence. “It was a most fair sight,” writes William, Archbishop of Tyre, “to see with what fervent devotion the people trod the holy places, and with what spiritual joy and exultation they kissed the spots where our Lord had suffered. All wept and sighed, not from sorrow and anguish, but from the ardor of piety and the abundance of interior joy. Some confessed their sins to God, vowing never to return to them; others gave all they had to the poor, because they counted that God had given them the highest riches in allowing them to see that day.”
Great was the rejoicing of the delivered Christians. Their gratitude knew no bounds. They had endured the persecution of the infidels, and now they were free. They kissed their deliverers and offered them all their possessions. In their frenzied joy they prayed to God with all the fervency of a devout spirit. Feasts were instituted in perpetual memory of the wonderful deliverances which had been secured. The bishops and priests offered the holy sacrifice in the churches, prayed for the people, and returned thanks for the miracles which had been shown unto them.
In the establishment of government all with one voice voted in favor of Godfrey, the most valiant and devoted of the Crusader knights. The prince refused the title and vestments of royalty, declaring that he would never wear a crown of gold in the city where his Lord and Master, the king of kings, had worn a crown of thorns, and the only title he would accept was that of “Guardian of the Holy Sepulcher.”
Hardly had Godfrey converted chaos into order, when he ascertained that the Sultan of Egypt was fast approaching with an army of 300,000 men to save the sinking power of Islam from destruction. Against this mighty host Godfrey had scarcely 20,000 to oppose them. This unequal contest must decide the fate of Jerusalem. Godfrey called his followers together and eloquently pictured their desperate condition, and the sad fate of defeat. They had overcome every obstacle in their march of progress; they had delivered their brethren from the hands of infidels, and had rescued the tomb of their Savior from the hand of destruction. God had given them strength to subdue their enemies, and now, in the final struggle, the same God would watch over them and give victory to their arms. His eloquence moved his followers to the same eagerness to fight that always animated them. Thrice welcomed was this new opportunity to prove their loyalty and devotion. They had seen the fall of the Moslem power in Jerusalem, and they had worshiped at the grave of Jesus, and now in the fullness of a glorious thanksgiving they eagerly besought Godfrey to lead them to battle.
Trusting in God’s protection Godfrey faced his army towards the advancing foe, and with the Cross borne before them as an emblem of faith in Divine assistance they went to meet the enemy. Near Ascalon they encountered the camp of this great Egyptian army. Immediately all fell upon their knees and earnestly besought help from above. The magnificent army of the Sultan was before them. They had come to avenge the death of the followers of Islam, to annihilate Christianity, and to capture Jerusalem. Others than these Crusaders, who were filled with the conscious power of God, would have feared in this unequal battle, but to Godfrey and his heroic band there could be only victory, even if the whole Islam force of idolatrous worshipers were before them. These Christians knew no fear, and, inspired from on high for the conflict, they would break all opposition, destroy the power of armies, and drive into exile those who denied Christ and would defile his Holy Land.
The battle was fought. Godfrey and his troops were victorious. They defeated the Moslems with great slaughter, and seized their camp. Thus defeated, the Sultan retreated to his own lands, leaving the Christians with a glorious victory and complete dominion in Palestine. Thus ended the first great Crusade against the infidels of the East for the restoration of the land of Jerusalem.
THE SECOND CRUSADE.
The Second Crusade occurred during the years 1147 to 1149. In the year 1146, the city of Edessa, the greatest defense to Jerusalem on the side towards Mesopotamia, was taken by the Turks, and the entire population was murdered or sold into slavery. It is estimated that the Mussulmans slew 30,000 of the inhabitants and carried 16,000 into slavery. This disaster threw the entire West into a state of greatest alarm, lest the little” Christian state, which was established at such cost of tears and suffering, should again be overwhelmed with infidelity, and all the holy places become a desolation.
Pope Eugenius III commissioned St Bernard, an eloquent monk, to preach a new Crusade in France and Germany. The scenes that marked the opening of the First Crusade were now repeated in all the countries of the West. St. Bernard was the second Peter the Hermit, and wherever he went great multitudes gathered to listen to his burning appeals. He went everywhere exhorting the Christians to arise in defense of the birthplace of their religion. Edessa had been captured and its people slain, and now in the flush of victory they would march upon Jerusalem, and naught could stay the desecration that would soon follow.
St. Bernard was spreading the holy enthusiasm, and the contagion seized not only barons, knights, and the common people, which classes composed the armies of the First Crusade, but kings and emperors were now infected with the sacred frenzy. Jerusalem was in danger and the fever of excitement was wild to defeat the Turkish enemy. Louis VII of France, and Conrad III, emperor of Germany, were foremost in the establishment of powerful armies. Louis was led to this undertaking as a penance — remorse of conscience — for having perpetrated an act of great cruelty upon his revolting subjects, which act was the burning of thirteen hundred people in a church, whither they had fled for refuge. To atone for this sin he would personally lead an army to the relief of Jerusalem, and if in this act of Christian piety he should lose his life, or suffer the distress of privations, then, in a measure, he might free his conscience from its deep remorse.
The success of this magnificent army of Crusaders was turned to a disastrous defeat when they crossed to Asia Minor, and be it said to the eternal shame of the Greeks, their emperor, Manuel, through the jealousy of the Western successes, and enthusiasm, caused the Crusading army to be misled through waste and trackless regions, where, through hunger and exposure, and the swords of the Turks, a great part perished, so that it was with a small remnant of their followers that the princes reached the end of their journey.
Thus, was rendered futile, through treacherous jealousy, the Second Crusade against the barbarous hordes, who were becoming stronger and stronger, and were even threatening Constantinople. In later years, as though it were a judgment sent against the Greek emperors, Constantinople was captured by the infidels. Had the Second Crusade met with its anticipated success, by the defeat of these gathering hordes of Moslems, the future history of the Christian Greeks might have been different and their beloved city would not have fallen into the hands of their enemies. But judgment or no judgment, the great struggle of 1453, when the Turks succeeded in obtaining the mastery over a large portion of the Eastern Empire, was due to their own local quarrels and the blind jealousy of their Western neighbors.
THE THIRD CRUSADE.
The Third Crusade occurred in 1189 to 1192, and was instituted because of the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt. It was now scarcely ninety years since these holy lands had been rescued from the hands of the infidels, but from a lack of union between the Eastern and Western divisions of Christianity, the Moslems had gathered courage, and strength and were now the masters of the Holy City. On the bloody field of Hattin they destroyed the Christian army, imprisoned the King of Jerusalem, and forced his capital to surrender. Thus did the Holy City, for which hundreds of thousands of Christians had joyfully surrendered the pleasures of earth, and through the terrible march of destitution, of holy sacrifice, had given their lives and shed their blood, now again fall into the hands of the infidels. The holy places were being desecrated, and the Cross, the Christian’s sign of faith and endurance, was scorned, insulted, and trampled underfoot.
This condition of things was most heart-rending to the devout Christians of. the West, and although there was no Peter or St. Bernard to stir the multitudes with the pictured scenes of persecution and desolation, yet they were ever ready to respond to the call of loyalty to the holy land of Jesus.
Three great sovereigns united in this third defense, or rather protection, of the lands of Palestine. Frederick Barbarossa of Germany, Philip Augustus of France, and Richard I of England, assumed the Cross, and each at the head of a large army, set out for the recovery of the Holy City and the land of Christian veneration.
The English king, Richard, afterwards given the title of the “Lion-hearted, v in memory of his noble and heroic exploits in Palestine, became the central figure among the Christian knights of this Crusade. Besides his deeds of valor, and his ardent desire to redeem the land of Christ from its enemies, he was equally zealous in his determination at home to raise money to defray the necessary expenses of his campaign. He imposed enormous taxes on all classes, sold offices, positions, and royal lands, and when questioned regarding his means of raising money, replied, “I would sell the city of London, if I could find a purchaser!”
The German army, under Frederick, while crossing to Asia Minor, met with an awful defeat The hardships had decimated their ranks, and, unable to withstand the fierce assaults of the Turks, the Christians were completely routed. The emperor was drowned while crossing a swollen stream, and the survivors of the army, disheartened by the loss of their leader, returned to Germany.
The English and French sovereigns were more successful than the emperor of Germany. They first met the enemy beneath the walls of Acre, where the most desperate and longest siege ever held in Asia, occurred. It is estimated that over 600,000 were engaged in the investment of the place, but at last the Crusaders forced the place to surrender. During this siege, the renowned Saladin, the chief of the Mohammedans, fought with wonderful heroism to render relief to his garrison, but again and again he was repulsed, until, subdued by the force of Christian strength, he ceased to attack.
During Richard’s march through Palestine this Turkish chief was his most obstinate as well as his most chivalrous enemy. Once, when Saladin ascertained that Richard was sick with a fever, and knowing that he must be poorly supplied with delicacies, he sent him a gift of the choicest fruits of the land. And again, when Richard’s horse had been killed in battle, he caused a magnificent Arabian steed to be led to the camp of the Christians as a present for his rival.
For two years Richard and Saladin were in almost daily combat for the possession of the tomb of Christ. These two generals could neither conquer nor be conquered, and finally Richard concluded a treaty of peace for three years and eight months with Saladin. This treaty gave to the Christians, during the period of time mentioned, free access to the holy places; they were also to remain in undisturbed possession of the coast from Jaffa to Tyre. Thus closed the last of the Crusades which were directed wholly to the recovery of Palestine from the hands of the infidels. The others which followed either did not accomplish the objects sought, or they were diverted from their purpose by different conditions which arose, chief among which was the ambition of selfish rulers.
THE FOURTH CRUSADE (1202-1204).
This Crusade relates more especially to the trouble existing between the Eastern and Western divisions of the Christian Church. The Eastern, or Greek division, had become overbearing and demonstrative against the Roman Church, and in their hostility demanded the right to dictate the powers of the Popes, the proper form of worship, and the designation of objects of veneration. In this Crusade the Western Christians, instead of reaching Jerusalem, captured Constantinople, overthrew a usurper who had seized the Byzantine throne, and restored Alexius as the rightful claimant.
Scarcely was Alexius seated on the throne, before another revolt broke out, and he met his death. The Crusaders were now determined to seize the capital and place a Western prince on the throne of Constantine. The struggle was desperate, but finally Constantinople was the second time taken
by storm, and sacked, and Baldwin, Count of Flanders, was crowned Emperor of the East.
This new control of the Eastern Empire lasted but little more than half a century, when the Greeks, in 1261, succeeded in regaining the throne, which was held by them until Constantinople was captured by the Turks in 1453.
THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE (1212).
To complete this chapter without giving the children of that period their just due would be a gross injustice to them.
Strange as it may seem to us, it is nevertheless true that the religious fervor became so inspiring that nearly 100,000 children were seized with the belief that for them was reserved the task to finally restore the Holy Land to the Christian faith. The leader of this movement was a French peasant lad named Stephen, who became convinced that he was divinely inspired, and in his zeal to follow Christ and fulfil his holy mission he went about preaching. The children became wild with excitement. The eloquent appeals of Stephen again threw the country into that wondrous desire to rescue the tomb of Jesus from the hands of the infidels. Crowds gathered everywhere. Children who had known nothing of the hardships of life could not be restrained. “Even bolts and bars could not hold them. It was the grandest outpouring of Christian faith that the world has ever seen. While the people of mature years were intensely interested, yet to the children must be given the credit for this wonderful movement.
Two different opinions were raised as to the inspiration of this Crusade. Some believe that the Holy Spirit had taken possession of the children, and in their confidence cited these words of Scripture: “A child shall lead them.” “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained praise.” In opposition to this belief others were confident that it was the work of the Devil. But at least this result was obtained: The people were aroused to the rapid encroachment of the Turk upon the Eastern countries, and if not resisted he would overrun Europe, root out the Christian worship of the West, and thus again place Europe in the hands of the infidels. Even the Pope exclaimed: “These children reproach us having fallen asleep, whilst they were flying to the assistance of the Holy Land.”
We will but briefly follow this heroic army of innocent children. At Marseilles there congregated about 30,000 French, many of whom actually set sail, but being betrayed were sold to the Mohammedans at Alexandria, and other slave markets, and none ever returned. The 50,000 German children crossed the Alps and marched down the shores of Italy, looking for transportation through the Mediterranean. Some thousands of these little crusaders sailed away into oblivion, and no word ever came back from them. After severe hardships the remainder of this pious band of Christian children returned to their native homes.
The Minor Crusades are known as the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth. The Sixth Crusade was so fortunate as to secure from the Saracens the restoration of Jerusalem, together with several other cities of Palestine, which occurred in 1229. The Eighth Crusade was instituted in 1270-1272, because of the misfortunes of Palestine, and again was Christian blood spilled to rescue these sacred places which were early remembrances of Christ. In this Crusade the Christians captured Nazareth, and compelled the Sultan of Turkey to sign a treaty of peace favorable to them.
We now close this history of the Holy Crusades which for more than two centuries and a half had been an almost constant battle for the preservation of Jerusalem from the hands of the infidels. According to historians the upholding of the Christian faith cost Christianity the awful sacrifice of from 2,000,000 to 6,000,000 human beings. Besides the misery and untold sufferings, there was a waste of treasure which can never be computed.
But we must not look upon these wars as a waste of treasure and useless sacrifice of life. Had religious zeal never culminated in united action, had the Christians of Western Europe never attacked the Turks in their own country, then the advancing hordes of infidelity would have swept Europe as an all-consuming fire, destroying intelligence, overthrowing society, and crushing the spirit of Christianity. While it was a sacrifice almost beyond the conception of mind, yet on the counter page we see the beneficent results, we trace the stability of Christian worship, the renewed power of the Church, the intellectual development of Europe, and the instituting of that great outburst of mental activity known as the “Revival of Leaming”.
For centuries Europe had slumbered in its mental decay, but now the mind had been called into action, a wondrous system of chivalry had been established, and the whole of Europe had been aroused to deeper thoughts of life and action. This broadened intelligence was the great incentive to discovery and exploration. It caused Marco Polo and Sir John Mandeville to explore the most remote countries of Asia, and by it Columbus, Vasco de Gama, and Magellan were also inspired to adventure and voyages of discovery. Not only was the mind awakened to the study of art and science, to develop learning, and to extend Christianity, but it had stimulated trade and commerce. The wants of the Crusaders had thrown into the laps of Venice, Pisa, and Genoa the great wealth which they had obtained. The Mediterranean was whitened with the sails of their transport ships, which were constantly winding their ways between the various ports of Europe and the coast of Syria. Inventions were being devised and the march of progress and improvement was stamped upon every thought and motion of the Western people of this revived continent.
Thus, do we trace the present enlightenment of Europe, and that of our own country, to these Christian Crusades. It seems as though God, in his infinite wisdom, had planned this inspiring zeal to rescue the tomb of Jesus from the hands of the infidels, and in doing so, had held in check the Moslem hordes, had developed the pride, the power, and the ingenuity of Christian mankind, and had been the means of this wonderful “Revival of Learning,” the advancement of prosperity and the grand achievements of success.
Had there been no Crusades, the world’s history would be far different from what it now is. By simply reading these historic events as they then occurred, we may not observe, we may not understand, the wisdom of Providence in these remarkable attempts to wrest from the hands of the Infidels those holy places, but for all that, these timely attacks of the Western Christians held in check the Turkish power, which was gradually encroaching upon the dominions of Christianity. This power would, by a succession of triumphs, have overrun Europe, and where now stands the Cross of Christ, there would have appeared the Crescent of Mohammed.
No prince, emperor, Pope, or Christian could have been aroused against the dangers lurking in the wake of this foe, so stealthily did he gather his forces on the Eastern frontiers of these Christian nations. The march of Mohammedanism was slow but sure, and but for the religious zeal that swept the Crusaders into the land of the Infidels, and there battled with them in their own defenses, no power of man could have checked the future desolation that would have marked the path of the Turks, as in their onward march, bent upon conquest, they would have engulfed all Europe.
Constantinople was at one time the seat of the great Roman Empire. It was here that Constantine, the Pagan emperor of Rome, was converted to Christianity, and gave to the world the boon of a free worship of God. It was from here that the gospel of Christ spread with such wonderful rapidity, and here also it was that science, art, and learning flourished in its grandest perfection. But alas! the followers of Constantine, in after years, became overbearing in their greatness, and because of their inability to domineer the Pope of Rome they severed themselves from the Church. Over-confident of their own strength, they dissipated their forces on the sands of disunion, and as a result, in 1453, Constantinople was captured by the Turkish hordes and the great Church of St. Sophia became the property of the Moslems, and the Cross, which for centuries had surmounted its dome, was replaced by the Crescent, which remains to this day. Thus. we find that the present grandeur of Europe is due, in a large measure, to the unquenchable religious zeal that, during the period of the Crusades, held in check the Turkish power, which, even then, was a menace to these Western countries.