beacon lights of history-iii-2-第25章

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extravagance；　ostentatious　living；　unseemly　dresses　in　the　house　of

God。　　He　was　the　foe　of　all　levities；　all　frivolities；　all

insidious　pleasures。　　Bad　men　found　no　favor　in　his　eyes；　and　he

exposed　their　hypocrisies　and　crimes。　　He　denounced　sin；　in　high

places　and　low。　　He　did　not　confine　himself　to　the　sins　of　his　own

people　alone；　but　censured　those　of　princes　and　of　other　cities。

He　embraced　all　Italy　in　his　glance。　　He　invoked　the　Lord　to　take

the　Church　out　of　the　hands　of　the　Devil；　to　pour　out　his　wrath　on

guilty　cities。　　He　throws　down　a　gauntlet　of　defiance　to　all

corrupt　potentates；　he　predicts　the　near　approach　of　calamities；　he

foretells　the　certainty　of　divine　judgment　upon　all　sin；　he　clothes

himself　with　the　thunders　of　the　Jewish　prophets；　he　seems　to

invoke　woe；　desolation；　and　destruction。　　He　ascribes　the　very

invasion　of　the　French　to　the　justice　of　retribution。　　〃Thy　crimes；

O　Florence！　thy　crimes；　O　Rome！　thy　crimes；　O　Italy！　are　the　causes

of　these　chastisements。〃　　And　so　terrible　are　his　denunciations

that　the　whole　city　quakes　with　fear。　　Mirandola　relates　that　as

Savonarola's　voice　sounded　like　a　clap　of　thunder　in　the　cathedral；

packed　to　its　utmost　capacity　with　the　trembling　people；　a　cold

shiver　ran　through　all　his　bones　and　the　hairs　of　his　head　stood　on

end。　　〃O　Rome！〃　exclaimed　the　preacher；　〃thou　shalt　be　put　to　the

sword；　since　thou　wilt　not　be　converted。　　O　Italy！　confusion　upon

confusion　shall　overtake　thee；　the　confusion　of　war　shall　follow

thy　sins；　and　famine　and　pestilence　shall　follow　after　war。〃　　Then

he　denounces　Rome：　〃O　harlot　Church！　thou　hast　made　thy　deformity

apparent　to　all　the　world；　thou　hast　multiplied　thy　fornications　in

Italy；　in　France；　in　Spain；　in　every　country。　　Behold；　saith　the

Lord；　I　will　stretch　forth　my　hand　upon　thee；　I　will　deliver　thee

into　the　hands　of　those　that　hate　thee。〃　　The　burden　of　his　soul　is

sin；sin　everywhere；　even　in　the　bosom　of　the　Church；and　the

necessity　of　repentance；　of　turning　to　the　Lord。　　He　is　more　than

an　Elijah；he　is　a　John　the　Baptist。　　His　sermons　are　chiefly

drawn　from　the　Old　Testament；　especially　from　the　prophets　in　their

denunciation　of　woes；　like　them；　he　is　stern；　awful；　sublime。　　He

does　not　attack　the　polity　or　the　constitution　of　the　Church；　but

its　corruptions。　　He　does　not　call　the　Pope　a　usurper；　a　fraud；　an

impostor；　he　does　not　attack　the　office；　but　if　the　Pope　is　a　bad

man　he　denounces　his　crimes。　　He　is　still　the　Dominican　monk；

owning　his　allegiance；　but　demanding　the　reformation　of　the　head　of

the　Church；　to　whom　God　has　given　the　keys　of　Saint　Peter。　　Neither

does　he　meddle　with　the　doctrines　of　the　Church；　he　does　not　take

much　interest　in　dogmas。　　He　is　not　a　theologian；　but　he　would

change　the　habits　and　manners　of　the　people　of　Florence。　　He　would

urge　throughout　Italy　a　reformation　of　morals。　　He　sees　only　the

degeneracy　in　life；　he　threatens　eternal　penalties　if　sin　be

persisted　in。　　He　alarms　the　fears　of　the　people；　so　that　women

part　with　their　ornaments；　dress　with　more　simplicity；　and　walk

more　demurely；　licentious　young　men　become　modest　and　devout；

instead　of　the　songs　of　the　carnival；　religious　hymns　are　sung；

tradesmen　forsake　their　shops　for　the　churches；　alms　are　more

freely　given；　great　scholars　become　monks；　even　children　bring

their　offerings　to　the　Church；　a　pyramid　of　〃vanities〃　is　burned　on

the　public　square。



And　no　wonder。　　A　man　had　appeared　at　a　great　crisis　in　wickedness；

and　yet　while　the　people　were　still　susceptible　of　grand

sentiments；　and　this　manvenerated；　austere；　impassioned；　like　an

ancient　prophet；　like　one　risen　from　the　deaddenounces　woes　with

such　awful　tones；　such　majestic　fervor；　such　terrible　emphasis；　as

to　break　through　all　apathy；　all　delusions；　and　fill　the　people

with　remorse；　astonish　them　by　his　revelations；　and　make　them

really　feel　that　the　supernal　powers；　armed　with　the　terrors　of

Omnipotence；　would　hurl　them　into　hell　unless　they　repented。



No　man　in　Europe　at　the　time　had　a　more　lively　and　impressive　sense

of　the　necessity　of　a　general　reformation　than　the　monk　of　St。

Mark；　but　it　was　a　reform　in　morals；　not　of　doctrine。　　He　saw　the

evils　of　the　dayyea；　of　the　Church　itselfwith　perfect

clearness；　and　demanded　redress。　　He　is　as　sad　in　view　of　these

acknowledged　evils　as　Jeremiah　was　in　view　of　the　apostasy　of　the

Jews；　he　is　as　austere　in　his　own　life　as　Elijah　or　John　the

Baptist　was。　　He　would　not　abolish　monastic　institutions；　but　he

would　reform　the　lives　of　the　monks；cure　them　of　gluttony　and

sensuality；　not　shut　up　their　monasteries。　　He　would　not　rebel

against　the　authority　of　the　Pope；　for　even　Savonarola　believed

that　prelate　to　be　the　successor　of　Saint　Peter；　but　he　would

prevent　the　Pope's　nepotism　and　luxury　and　worldly　spirit；make

him　once　more　a　true　〃servant　of　the　servants　of　God；〃　even　when

clothed　with　the　insignia　of　universal　authority。　　He　would　not

give　up　auricular　confession；　or　masses　for　the　dead；　or　prayers　to

the　Virgin　Mary；　for　these　were　indorsed　by　venerated　ages；　but　he

would　rebuke　a　priest　if　found　in　unseemly　places。　　Whatever　was　a

sin；　when　measured　by　the　laws　of　immutable　morality；　he　would

denounce；　whoever　was　guilty　of　it；　whatever　would　elevate　the

public　morals　he　would　advocate；　whoever　opposed。　　His　morality　was

measured　by　the　declaration　of　Christ　and　the　Apostles；　not　by　the

standard　of　a　corrupt　age。　　He　revered　the　Scriptures；　and

incessantly　pondered　them；　and　exalted　their　authority；　holding

them　to　be　the　ultimate　rule　of　holy　living；　the　everlasting

handbook　of　travellers　to　the　heavenly　Jerusalem。　　In　all　respects

he　was　a　good　man；a　beautiful　type　of　Christian　piety；　with　fewer

faults　than　Luther　or　Calvin　had；　and　as　great　an　enemy　as　they　to

corruptions　in　State　and　Church；　which　he　denounced　even　more

fiercely　and　passionately。　　Not　even　Erasmus　pointed　out　the　vices

of　the　day　with　more　freedom　or　earnestness。　　He　covered　up

nothing；　he　shut　his　eyes　to　nothing。



The　difference　between　Savonarola　and　Luther　was　that　the　Saxon

reformer　attacked　the　root　of　the　corruption；　not　merely　outward

and　tangible　and　patent　sins　which　everybody　knew；　but　also　and

more　earnestly　the　special　principles　of　theology　and　morals　which

sustained　them；　and　which　logically　pushed　out　would　necessarily

have　produced　them。　　For　instance；　he　not　merely　attacked

indulgences；　then　a　crying　evil；　as　peddled　by　Tetzel　and　others

like　him；　for　collecting　money　to　support　the　temporal　power　of　the

popes　or　build　St。　Peter's　church；　but　he　would　show　that　penance；

on　which　indulgences　are　based；　is　antagonistic　to　the　doctrine

which　Paul　so　forcibly　expounded　respecting　the　forgiveness　of　sins

and　the　grounds　of　justification。　　And　Luther　saw　that　all　the

evils　which　good　men　lamented　would　continue　so　long　as　the　false

principles　from　which　they　logically　sprung　were　the　creed　of　the

Church。　　So　he　directed　his　giant　energies　to　reform　doctrines

rather　than　morals。　　His　great　idea　of　justification　could　be

defended　only　by　an　appeal　to　the　Scriptures；　not　to　the　authority

of　councils　and　learned　men。　　So　he　made　the　Scriptures　the　sole

source　of　theological　doctrine。　　Savonarola　also　accepted　the

Scriptures；　but　Luther　would　put　them　in　the　hands　of　everybody；　of

peasants　even；and　thus　instituted　private　judgment；　which　is　the

basal　pillar　of　Protestantism。　　The　Catholic　theologians　never

recognized　this　right　in　the　sense　that　Luther　understood　it；　and

to　which　he　was　pushed　by　inexorable　logic。　　The　Church　was　to

remain　the　interpreter　of　the　doctrinal　and　disputed　points　of　the

Scriptures。



Savonarola　was　a　churchman。　　He　was　not　a　fearless　theological

doctor；　going　wherever　logic　and　the　Bible　carried　him。　　Hence；　he

did　not　stimulate　thought　and　inquiry　as　Luther　did；　nor　inaugurate

a　great　revolutionary　movement；　which　would　gradually　undermine