Was it not the spot
where the Cross of the Saviour had been raised? Had not once before
heaven opened above the city to receive His risen body? Was it not the
scene of countless miracles in the past? Why should it be different now?
Men knew practically nothing of Palestine; they had in their minds a
fantastic picture tallying, in every respect, with Biblical accounts;
doubtless, the footprints of the Redeemer could easily be traced
everywhere; the possession of the country promised the fulfilment of
transcendental dreams.
The impulse and the strength necessary for the organisation of the
Crusades were spiritual phenomena inherently foreign and even hostile to
the Church; but thanks to the mental superiority of the popes of that
period, and the overpowering conception of a divine kingdom, they became
the instruments of the greatest triumphs vouchsafed to the Church of
Rome. The hosts, driven across the sea by inner restlessness and
ill-defined longing, in reality fought for the aggrandisement of the
Church.
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