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Causes　of　the　decline　of　their　influence

Corruption　of　most　human　institutions

The　Jesuits　become　rich　and　then　corrupt

Esprit　de　corps　of　the　Jesuits

Their　doctrine　of　expediency

Their　political　intrigues

Persecution　of　the　Protestants

The　enemies　they　made

Madame　de　Pompadour

Suppression　of　the　Order

Their　return　to　power

Reasons　why　Protestants　fear　and　dislike　them





JOHN　CALVIN。



PROTESTANT　THEOLOGY。



John　Calvin's　position

His　early　life　and　precocity

Becomes　a　leader　of　Protestants

Removes　to　Geneva

His　habits　and　character

Temporary　exile

Convention　at　Frankfort

Melancthon；　Luther；　Calvin；　and　Catholic　doctrines

Return　to　Geneva；　and　marriage

Calvin　compared　with　Luther

Calvin　as　a　legislator

His　reform

His　views　of　the　Eucharist

Excommunication；　etc

His　dislike　of　ceremonies　and　festivals

The　simplicity　of　the　worship　of　God

His　ideas　of　church　government

Absence　of　toleration

Church　and　State

Exaltation　of　preaching

Calvin　as　a　theologian；　his　Institutes

His　doctrine　of　Predestination

His　general　doctrines　in　harmony　with　Mediaeval　theology

His　views　of　sin　and　forgiveness；　Calvinism

He　exacts　the　same　authority　to　logical　deduction　from　admitted

truths　as　to　direct　declarations　of　Scripture

Puritans　led　away　by　Calvin's　intellectuality

His　whole　theology　radiates　from　the　doctrine　of　the　majesty　of　God

and　the　littleness　of　man

To　him　a　personal　God　is　everything

Defects　of　his　system

Calvin　an　aristocrat

His　intellectual　qualities

His　prodigious　labors

His　severe　characteristics

His　vast　influence

His　immortal　fame





LORD　BACON。



THE　NEW　PHILOSOPHY。



Lord　Bacon　as　portrayed　by　Macaulay

His　great　defects　of　character

Contrast　made　between　the　man　and　the　philosopher

Bacon's　youth　and　accomplishments

Enters　Parliament

Seeks　office

At　the　height　of　fortune　and　fame

His　misfortunes

Consideration　of　charges　against　him

His　counterbalancing　merits

The　exaltation　by　Macaulay　of　material　life

Bacon　made　its　exponent

But　the　aims　of　Bacon　were　higher

The　true　spirit　of　his　philosophy

Deductive　philosophies

His　new　method

Bacon's　Works

Relations　of　his　philosophy

Material　science　and　knowledge

Comparison　of　knowledge　with　wisdom





GALILEO。



ASTRONOMICAL　DISCOVERIES。



A　brilliant　portent

The　greatness　of　the　sixteenth　century

Artists；　scholars；　reformers；　religious　defenders

Maritime　discoveries

Literary；　ecclesiastical；　political　achievements

Youth　of　Galileo

His　early　discoveries

Genius　for　mathematics

Professor　at　Pisa

Ridicules　the　old　philosophers；　invents　the　thermometer

Compared　with　Kepler

Galileo　teaches　the　doctrines　of　Copernicus。

Gives　offence　by　his　railleries　and　mockeries。

Theology　and　science

Astronomical　knowledge　of　the　Ancients

Utilization　of　science

Construction　of　the　first　telescope

Galileo's　reward

His　successive　discoveries

His　enemies

High　scientific　rank　in　Europe

Hostility　of　the　Church

Galileo　summoned　before　the　Inquisition；　his　condemnation　and

admonition

His　new　offences

Summoned　before　a　council　of　Cardinals

His　humiliation

His　recantations

Consideration　of　his　position

Greatness　of　mind　rather　than　character

His　confinement　at　Arceti

Opposition　to　science

His　melancholy　old　age　and　blindness

Visited　by　John　Milton；　comparison　of　the　two；　when　blind

Consequence　of　Galileo's　discoveries

Later　results

Vastness　of　the　universe

Grandeur　of　astronomical　science







BEACON　LIGHTS　OF　HISTORY。





DANTE。



A。D。　1265…1321。



RISE　OF　MODERN　POETRY。





The　first　great　genius　who　aroused　his　country　from　the　torpor　of

the　Middle　Ages　was　a　poet。　　Poetry；　then；　was　the　first　influence

which　elevated　the　human　mind　amid　the　miseries　of　a　gloomy　period；

if　we　may　except　the　schools　of　philosophy　which　flourished　in　the

rising　universities。　　But　poetry　probably　preceded　all　other　forms

of　culture　in　Europe；　even　as　it　preceded　philosophy　and　art　in

Greece。　　The　gay　Provencal　singers　were　harbingers　of　Dante；　even

as　unknown　poets　prepared　the　way　for　Homer。　　And　as　Homer　was　the

creator　of　Grecian　literature；　so　Dante；　by　his　immortal　comedy；

gave　the　first　great　impulse　to　Italian　thought。　　Hence　poets　are

great　benefactors；　and　we　will　not　let　them　die　in　our　memories　or

hearts。　　We　crown　them；　when　alive；　with　laurels　and　praises；　and

when　they　die；　we　erect　monuments　to　their　honor。　　They　are　dear　to

us；　since　their　writings　give　perpetual　pleasure；　and　appeal　to　our

loftiest　sentiments。　　They　appeal　not　merely　to　consecrated　ideas

and　feelings；　but　they　strive　to　conform　to　the　principles　of

immortal　art。　　Every　great　poet　is　as　much　an　artist　as　the

sculptor　or　the　painter：　and　art　survives　learning　itself。　　Varro；

the　most　learned　of　the　Romans；　is　forgotten；　when　Virgil　is

familiar　to　every　school…boy。　　Cicero　himself　would　not　have　been

immortal；　if　his　essays　and　orations　had　not　conformed　to　the

principles　of　art。　　Even　an　historian　who　would　live　must　be　an

artist；　like　Voltaire　or　Macaulay。　　A　cumbrous；　or　heavy；　or

pedantic　historian　will　never　be　read；　even　if　his　learning　be

praised　by　all　the　critics　of　Germany。



Poets　are　the　great　artists　of　language。　　They　even　create

languages；　like　Homer　and　Shakspeare。　　They　are　the　ornaments　of

literature。　　But　they　are　more　than　ornaments。　　They　are　the　sages

whose　sayings　are　treasured　up　and　valued　and　quoted　from　age　to

age；　because　of　the　inspiration　which　is　given　to　them；an　insight

into　the　mysteries　of　the　soul　and　the　secrets　of　life。　　A　good

song　is　never　lost；　a　good　poem　is　never　buried；　like　a　system　of

philosophy；　but　has　an　inherent　vitality；　like　the　melodies　of　the

son　of　Jesse。　　Real　poetry　is　something；　too；　beyond　elaborate

versification；　which　is　one　of　the　literary　fashions；　and　passes

away　like　other　fashions　unless；　redeemed　by　something　that　arouses

the　soul；　and　elevates　it；　and　appeals　to　the　consciousness　of

universal　humanity。　　It　is　the　poets　who　make　revelations；　like

prophets　and　sages　of　old；　it　is　they　who　invest　history　with

interest；　like　Shakspeare　and　Racine；　and　preserve　what　is　most

vital　and　valuable　in　it。　　They　even　adorn　philosophy；　like

Lucretius；　when　he　speculated　on　the　systems　of　the　Ionian

philosophers。　　They　certainly　impress　powerfully　on　the　mind　the

truths　of　theology；　as　Watts　and　Cowper　and　Wesley　did　in　their

noble　lyrics。　　So　that　the　most　rapt　and　imaginative　of　men；　if

artists；　utilize　the　whole　realm　of　knowledge；　and　diffuse　it；　and

perpetuate　it　in　artistic　forms。　　But　real　poets　are　rare；　even　if

there　are　many　who　glory　in　the　jingle　of　language　and　the

structure　of　rhyme。　　Poetry；　to　live；　must　have　a　soul；　and　it　must

combine　rare　things；art；　music；　genius；　original　thought；　wisdom

made　still　richer　by　learning；　and；　above　all；　a　power　of　appealing

to　inner　sentiments；　which　all　feel；　yet　are　reluctant　to　express。

So　choice　are　the　gifts；　so　grand　are　the　qualities；　so　varied　the

attainments　of　truly　great　poets；　that　very　few　are　born　in　a　whole

generation　and　in　nations　that　number　twenty　or　forty　millions　of

people。　　They　are　the　rarest　of　gifted　men。　　Every　nation　can　boast

of　its　illustrious　lawyers；　statesmen；　physicians；　and　orators；　but

they　can　point　only　to　a　few　of　their　poets　with　pride。　　We　can

count　on　the　fingers　of　one　of　our　hands　all　those　worthy　of　poetic

fame　who　now　live　in　this　great　country　of　intellectual　and

civilized　men；　one　for　every　ten　millions。　　How　great　the　pre…

eminence　even　of　ordinary　poets！　　How　very　great　the　pre…eminence

of　those　few　whom　all　ages　and　nations　admire！



The　critics　assign　to　Dante　a　pre…eminence　over　most　of　those　we

call　immortal。　　Only　two　or　three　other　poets　in　the　whole　realm　of

literature；　ancient　or　modern；　dispute　his　throne。　　We　compare　him

with　Homer　and　Shakspeare；　and　perhaps　Goethe；　alone。　　Civilization

glories　in　Virgil；　Milton；　Tasso；　Racine；　Pope；　and　Byron；all

immortal　artists；　but　it　points　to　only　four　men　concerning　whose

transcendent　creative　power　there　is　unanimity　of　judgment；

prodigies　of　genius；　to　whose　influence　and　fame　we　can　assign　no

limits；　stars　of　such　surpassing　brilliancy　that　we　can　only　gaze

and　wonder；growing　brighter　and　brighter；　too；　with　the　progress

of　ages；　so　remarkable　that　no　barbarism　will　ever　obscure　their

brightness；　so　original　that　all　imitation　of　them　becomes

impossible　and　absurd。　　So　great　is　original　genius；　directed　by

art　and　consecrated　to　lofty　sentiments。



I　have　assumed　the　difficult　task　of　presenting　one　of　these　great

lights。　　But　I　do　not　presume　to　analyze　his　great　poem；　or　to

point　out　critically　its　excellencies。　　This　would　be　beyond　my

powers；　even　if　I　were　an　Italian。　　It　takes　a　poet　to　reveal　a

poet。　　Nor　is　criticism