beacon lights of history-iii-2-第22章

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question　is；　whether　America　is　or　is　not　more　favorable　for　its

healthy　developments　and　applications　than　the　other　countries　of

Christendom　are。　　We　believe　that　it　is。　　If　it　is　not；　then

America　is　only　a　new　field　for　the　spread　and　triumph　of　material

forces。　　If　it　is；　we　may　look　forward　to　such　improvements　in

education；　in　political　institutions；　in　social　life；　in　religious

organizations；　in　philanthropical　enterprise；　that　the　country　will

be　sought　by　the　poor　and　enslaved　classes　of　Europe　more　for　its

moral　and　intellectual　advantages　than　for　its　mines　or　farms；　the

objects　of　the　Puritan　settlers　will　be　gained；　and　the　grandeur　of

the　discovery　of　a　New　World　will　be　established。





　　　　〃What　sought　they　thus　afar？

　　　　　　　Bright　jewels　of　the　mine？

　　　　　The　wealth　of　seas；the　spoils　of　war？

　　　　　　　They　sought　for　Faith's　pure　shrine。

　　　　　Ay；　call　it　holy　ground；

　　　　　　　The　soil　where　first　they　trod；

　　　　　They've　left　unstained　what　there　they　found；

　　　　　　　Freedom　to　worship　God。〃





AUTHORITIES。





Prescott's　Ferdinand　and　Isabella；　Washington　Irving；　Cabot's

Voyages；　and　other　early　navigators；　Columbus；　by　De　Costa；　Life　of

Columbus；　by　Bossi　and　Spatono；　Relations　de　Quatre　voyage　par

Christopher　Colomb；　Drake's　World　Encompassed；　Murray's　Historical

Account　of　Discoveries；　Hernando；　Historia　del　Amirante；　History　of

Commerce；　Lives　of　Pizarro　and　Cortes；　Frobisher's　Voyages；

Histories　of　Herrera；　Las　Casas；　Gomera；　and　Peter　Martyr；

Navarrete's　Collections；　Memoir　of　Cabot；　by　Richard　Biddle；

Hakluyt's　Voyages；　Dr。　Lardner's　Cyclopaedia；History　of　Maritime

and　Inland　Discovery；　Anderson's　History　of　Commerce；　Oviedo's

General　History　of　the　West　Indies；　History　of　the　New　World；　by

Geronimo　Benzoni；　Goodrich's　Life　of　Christopher　Columbus。







SAVONAROLA。



A。　D。　1452…1498。



UNSUCCESSFUL　REFORMS。





This　lecture　is　intended　to　set　forth　a　memorable　movement　in　the

Roman　Catholic　Church；a　reformation　of　morals；　preceding　the

greater　movement　of　Luther　to　produce　a　reformation　of　both　morals

and　doctrines。　　As　the　representative　of　this　movement　I　take

Savonarola；　concerning　whom　much　has　of　late　been　written；　more；　I

think；　because　he　was　a　Florentine　in　a　remarkable　age；the　age　of

artists　and　of　reviving　literature；than　because　he　was　a　martyr；

battling　with　evils　which　no　one　man　was　capable　of　removing。　　His

life　was　more　a　protest　than　a　victory。　　He　was　an　unsuccessful

reformer；　and　yet　he　prepared　the　way　for　that　religious　revival

which　afterward　took　place　in　the　Catholic　Church　itself。　　His

spirit　was　not　revolutionary；　like　that　of　the　Saxon　monk；　and　yet

it　was　progressive。　　His　soul　was　in　active　sympathy　with　every

emancipating　idea　of　his　age。　　He　was　the　incarnation　of　a　fervid；

living；　active　piety　amid　forms　and　formulas；　a　fearless　exposer　of

all　shams；　an　uncompromising　enemy　to　the　blended　atheism　and

idolatry　of　his　ungodly　age。　　He　was　the　contemporary　of　political；

worldly；　warlike；　unscrupulous　popes；　disgraced　by　nepotism　and

personal　vices；men　who　aimed　to　extend　not　a　spiritual　but

temporal　dominion；　and　who　scandalized　the　highest　position　in　the

Christian　world；　as　attested　by　all　reliable　historians；　whether

Catholic　or　Protestant。　　However　infallible　the　Catholic　Church

claims　to　be；　it　has　never　been　denied　that　some　of　her　highest

dignitaries　have　been　subject　to　grave　reproaches；　both　in　their

character　and　their　influence。　Such　men　were　Sixtus　IV。；　Julius

II。；　and　Alexander　VI。；able；　probably；　for　it　is　very　seldom　that

the　popes　have　not　been　distinguished　for　something；　but　men；

nevertheless；　who　were　a　disgrace　to　the　superb　position　they　had

succeeded　in　reaching。



The　great　feature　of　that　age　was　the　revival　of　classical　learning

and　artistic　triumphs　in　sculpture；　painting；　and　architecture；

blended　with　infidel　levity　and　social　corruptions；　so　that　it　is

both　interesting　and　hideous。　　It　is　interesting　for　its　triumphs

of　genius；　its　dispersion　of　the　shadows　of　the　Middle　Ages；　the

commencement　of　great　enterprises　and　of　a　marked　refinement　of

manners　and　tastes；　it　is　hideous　for　its　venalities；　its　murders；

its　debaucheries；　its　unblushing　wickedness；　and　its　disgraceful

levities；　when　God　and　duty　and　self…restraint　were　alike　ignored。

Cruel　tyrants　reigned　in　cities；　and　rapacious　priests　fattened　on

the　credulity　of　the　people。　　Think　of　monks　itinerating　to　sell

perverted　〃indulgences〃；　of　monasteries　and　convents　filled；　not

with　sublime　enthusiasts　as　in　earlier　times；　but　with　gluttons　and

sensualists；　living　in　concubinage　and　greedy　of　the　very　things

which　primitive　monasticism　denounced　and　abhorred！　　Think　of　boys

elevated　to　episcopal　thrones；　and　the　sons　of　popes　made　cardinals

and　princes！　　Think　of　churches　desecrated　by　spectacles　which　were

demoralizing；　and　a　worship　of　saints　and　images　which　had　become

idolatrous；a　degrading　superstition　among　the　people；　an　infidel

apathy　among　the　higher　classes：　not　infidel　speculations；　for

these　were　reserved　for　more　enlightened　times；　but　an　indifference

to　what　is　ennobling；　to　all　vital　religion；　worthy　of　the　Sophists

in　the　time　of　Socrates！



It　was　in　this　age　of　religious　apathy　and　scandalous　vices；　yet　of

awakening　intelligence　and　artistic　glories；　when　the　greatest

enthusiasm　was　manifested　for　the　revived　literature　and　sculptured

marbles　of　classic　Greece　and　Rome；　that　Savonarola　appeared　in

Florence　as　a　reformer　and　preacher　and　statesman；　near　the　close

of　the　fifteenth　century；　when　Columbus　was　seeking　a　western

passage　to　India；　when　Michael　Angelo　was　moulding　the　〃Battle　of

Hercules　with　the　Centaurs；〃　when　Ficino　was　teaching　the

philosophy　of　Plato；　when　Alexander　VI。　was　making　princes　of　his

natural　children；　when　Bramante　was　making　plans　for　a　new　St。

Peter's；　when　Cardinal　Bembo　was　writing　Latin　essays；　when　Lorenzo

de'　Medici　was　the　flattered　patron　of　both　scholars　and　artists；

and　the　city　over　which　he　ruled　with　so　much　magnificence　was　the

most　attractive　place　in　Europe；　next　to　that　other　city　on　the

banks　of　the　Tiber；　whose　wonders　and　glories　have　never　been

exhausted；　and　will　probably　survive　the　revolutions　of　unknown

empires。



But　Savonarola　was　not　a　native　of　Florence。　　He　was　born　in　the

year　1452　at　Ferrara；　belonged　to　a　good　family；　and　received　an

expensive　education；　being　destined　to　the　profession　of　medicine。

He　was　a　sad；　solitary；　pensive；　but　precocious　young　man；　whose

youth　was　marked　by　an　unfortunate　attachment　to　a　haughty

Florentine　girl。　　He　did　not　cherish　her　memory　and　dedicate　to　her

a　life…labor；　like　Dante；　but　became　very　dejected　and　very　pious。

His　piety　assumed；　of　course；　the　ascetic　type；　for　there　was

scarcely　any　other　in　that　age；　and　he　entered　a　Dominican　convent；

as　Luther；　a　few　years　later；　entered　an　Augustinian。　　But　he　was

not　an　original　genius；　or　a　bold　and　independent　thinker　like

Luther；　so　he　was　not　emancipated　from　the　ideas　of　his　age。　　How

few　men　can　go　counter　to　prevailing　ideas！　　It　takes　a　prodigious

genius；　and　a　fearless；　inquiring　mind；　to　break　away　from　their

bondage。　　Abraham　could　renounce　the　idolatries　which　surrounded

him；　when　called　by　a　supernatural　voice；　Paul　could　give　up　the

Phariseeism　which　reigned　in　the　Jewish　schools　and　synagogues；

when　stricken　blind　by　the　hand　of　God；　Luther　could　break　away

from　monastic　rules　and　papal　denunciation；　when　taught　by　the

Bible　the　true　ground　of　justification；but　Savonarola　could　not。

He　pursued　the　path　to　heaven　in　the　beaten　track；　after　the

fashion　of　Jerome　and　Bernard　and　Thomas　Aquinas；　after　the　style

of　the　Middle　Ages；　and　was　sincere；　devout；　and　lofty；　like　the

saints　of　the　fifth　century；　and　read　his　Bible　as　they　did；　and

essayed　a　high　religious　life；　but　he　was　stern；　gloomy；　and

austere；　emaciated　by