按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
but on thy mercy。〃 His few remaining days in prison were passed in
holy meditation。
At last the officers of the papal commission arrive。 The tortures
are renewed； and also the examinations； with the same result。 No
fault could be found with his doctrines。 〃But a dead enemy；〃 said
they； 〃fights no more。〃 He is condemned to execution。 The
messengers of death arrive at his cell； and find him on his knees。
He is overpowered by his sufferings and vigils； and can with
difficulty be kept from sleep。 But he arouses himself； and passes
the night in prayer； and administers the elements of redemption to
his doomed companions； and closes with this prayer： 〃Lord； I know
thou art that perfect Trinity；Father； Son； and Holy Ghost； I know
that thou art the eternal Word； that thou didst descend from heaven
into the bosom of Mary； that thou didst ascend upon the cross to
shed thy blood for our sins。 I pray thee that by that blood I may
have remission for my sins。〃 The simple faith of Paul； of
Augustine； of Pascal！ He then partook of the communion； and
descended to the public square； while the crowd gazed silently and
with trepidation； and was led with his companions to the first
tribunal； where he was disrobed of his ecclesiastical dress。 Then
they were led to another tribunal； and delivered to the secular
arm； then to another； where sentence of death was read； and then to
the place of execution；not a burning funeral pyre； but a
scaffold； which mounting； composed； calm； absorbed； Savonarola
submitted his neck to the hangman； in the forty…fifth year of his
life： a martyr to the cause of Christ； not for an attack on the
Church； or its doctrines； or its institutions； but for having
denounced the corruption and vices of those who ruled it；for
having preached against sin。
Thus died one of the greatest and best men of his age； one of the
truest and purest whom the Catholic Church has produced in any age。
He was stern； uncompromising； austere； but a reformer and a saint；
a man who was merciful and generous in the possession of power； an
enlightened statesman； a sound theologian； and a fearless preacher
of that righteousness which exalteth a nation。 He had no vices； no
striking defects。 He lived according to the rules of the convent
he governed with the same wisdom that he governed a city； and he
died in the faith of the primitive apostles。 His piety was
monastic； but his spirit was progressive； sympathizing with
liberty； advocating public morality。 He was unselfish；
disinterested； and true to his Church； his conscience； and his
cause；a noble specimen both of a man and Christian； whose deeds
and example form part of the inheritance of an admiring posterity。
We pity his closing days； after such a career of power and
influence； but we may as well compassionate Socrates or Paul。 The
greatest lights of the world have gone out in martyrdom； to be
extinguished； however； only for a time； and then to loom up again
in another age； and burn with inextinguishable brightness to
remotest generations； as examples of the power of faith and truth
in this wicked and rebellious world；a world to be finally
redeemed by the labors and religion of just such men； whose days
are days of sadness； protest； and suffering； and whose hours of
triumph and exaltation are not like those of conquerors； nor like
those whose eyes stand out with fatness； but few and far between。
〃I have loved righteousness； I have hated iniquity；〃 said the great
champion of the Mediaeval Church； 〃and therefore I die in exile。〃
In ten years after this ignominious execution； Raphael painted the
martyr among the sainted doctors of the Church in the halls of the
Vatican； and future popes did justice to his memory； for he
inaugurated that reform movement in the Catholic Church itself
which took place within fifty years after his death。 In one sense
he was the precursor of Loyola； of Xavier； and of Aquaviva；those
illustrious men who headed the counter…reformation； Jesuits indeed；
but ardent in piety； and enlightened by the spirit of a progressive
age。 〃He was the first；〃 says Villari； 〃in the fifteenth century；
to make men feel that a new light had awakened the human race； and
thus he was a prophet of a new civilization；the forerunner of
Luther； of Bacon； of Descartes。 Hence the drama of his life
became； after his death； the drama of Europe。 In the course of a
single generation after Luther had declared his mission； the spirit
of the Church of Rome underwent a change。 From the halls of the
Vatican to the secluded hermitages of the Apennines this revival
was felt。 Instead of a Borgia there reigned a Caraffa。〃 And it is
remarkable that from the day that the counter…reformation in the
Catholic Church was headed by the early Jesuits； Protestantism
gained no new victories； and in two centuries so far declined in
piety and zeal that the cities which witnessed the noblest triumphs
of Luther and Calvin were disgraced by a boasting rationalism； to
be succeeded again in our times by an arrogance of scepticism which
has had no parallel since the days of Democritus and Lucretius。
〃It was the desire of Savonarola that reason； religion； and liberty
might meet in harmonious union； but he did not think a new system
of religious doctrines was necessary。〃
The influence of such a man cannot pass away； and has not passed
away； for it cannot be doubted that his views have been embraced by
enlightened Catholics from his day to ours；by such men as Pascal；
Fenelon； and Lacordaire； and thousands like them； who prefer
ritualism and auricular confession； and penance； monasticism； and
an ecclesiastical monarch； and all the machinery of a complicated
hierarchy； with all the evils growing out of papal domination； to
rationalism； sectarian dissensions； irreverence； license； want of
unity； want of government； and even dispensation from the marriage
vow。 Which is worse； the physical arm of the beast； or the maniac
soul of a lying prophet？ Which is worse； the superstition and
narrowness which darken the mind and the spirit； or that unbounded
toleration which smiles on those audacious infidels who cloak their
cruel attacks on the faith of Christians with the name of a
progressive civilization？and so far advanced that one of these
new lights； ignorant； perhaps； of everything except of the fossils
and shells and bugs and gases of the hole he has bored in； assumes
to know more of the mysteries of creation and the laws of the
universe than Moses and David and Paul； and all the Bacons and
Newtons that ever lived？ Names are nothing； it is the spirit； the
animus； which is everything。 It is the soul which permeates a
system； that I look at。 It is the Devil from which I would flee；
whatever be his name； and though he assume the form of an angel of
light； or cunningly try to persuade me； and ingeniously argue； that
there is no God。 True and good Catholics and true and good
Protestants have e