This heavenly city, then, while it sojourns on earth, calls citizens out of all nations, and gathers together a society of pilgrims of all languages, not scrupling about diversities in the manners, laws, and institutions whereby earthly peace is secured and maintained, but recognizing that, however various these are, they all tend to one and the same end of earthly peace.
St. Augustine of Hippo, Algeria c.425
trans. Marcus Dodds
There are some who wish to learn for no other reason than that they may be looked upon as learned, which is a ridiculous vanity. . . . Others desire to learn that they may morally instruct others; that is love. And, lastly, there are some who wish to learn that they may be themselves edified; and that is prudence.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, France c. 1145
trans. S. J. Eales
Bernard of Chartres, the most abounding spring of letters in Gaul in modern times, followed this method. . . . Where the subject of his own lesson had reference to other disciplines, these matters he brought out clearly in such wise that he did not teach everything about each topic, but in proportion to the capacity of his audience dispensed to them in time the due measure of his subject. . . . And he brought it about that he who imitated his predecessors became worthy of imitation by his successors.
John of Salisbury, England c. 1165
trans. C. H. Haskins