Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/129

 "UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER CENTRES OF LEARNING 117 in the linguistic knowledge necessary for fully under- standing them, and, secondly, because their minds will not have become disciplined to severe mental work. Secular studies are as it were steps leading up to theology, the highest of all studies.' It was in order to be well strengthened and grounded for the study of the Scriptures that the Fathers of the Church had given so much attention to the classics. ' Had you read the writings of the Fathers,' he continues, ' had you read St. Jerome, you would have understood the mystical signification of the stories of the Israelites taking the gold and silver vases of the Egyptians ; of their gilding the ark of the covenant with the gold of the heathens ; of the queen of Sheba laying the treasures and perfumes of Arabia at the king's feet ; of the Magi travelling from foreign lands in order to offer gold, frankincense, and myrrh at the Saviour's crib ; you would understand that all the intellectual treasures of the heathen world are part and parcel of Christian truth, and all tend to the glory of the most High •God.' When St. Jerome relates of himself that he was severely chastised by God for being more of a Ciceronian than a Christian, we must not let this example set us against the study of antiquity per se, but remember that St. Jerome was punished for his excessive love of these heathen works, whereby he was in danger of losing his taste for godly things. It was this very knowledge of the classics which made St. Jerome such a shining light in the Church ; and if God willed that he should translate the books of the Old and New Testaments for the use of the Church, He willed also that he should go through those studies