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the　better　part　of　the　people。



But　the　Prior　of　St。　Mark　did　not　confine　himself　to　constitutional

questions　and　issues　alone。　　He　would　remove　all　political　abuses；

he　would　tax　property；　and　put　an　end　to　forced　loans　and　arbitrary

imposts；　he　would　bring　about　a　general　pacification；　and　grant　a

general　amnesty　for　political　offences；　he　would　guard　against　the

extortions　of　the　rich；　and　the　usury　of　the　Jews；　who　lent　money

at　thirty…three　per　cent；　with　compound　interest；　he　secured　the

establishment　of　a　bank　for　charitable　loans；　he　sought　to　make　the

people　good　citizens；　and　to　advance　their　temporal　as　well　as

spiritual　interests。　　All　his　reforms；　political　or　social；　were

advocated；　however；　from　the　pulpit；　so　that　he　was　doubtless　a

political　priest。　　We；　in　this　country　and　in　these　times；　have　no

very　great　liking　to　this　union　of　spiritual　and　temporal

authority：　we　would　separate　and　divide　this　authority。

Protestants　would　make　the　functions　of　the　ruler　and　the　priest

forever　distinct。　　But　at　that　time　the　popes　themselves　were

secular　rulers；　as　well　as　spiritual　dignitaries。　　All　bishops　and

abbots　had　the　charge　of　political　interests。　　Courts　of　law　were

presided　over　by　priests。　　Priests　were　ambassadors　to　foreign

powers；　they　were　ministers　of　kings；　they　had　the　control　of

innumerable　secular　affairs；　now　intrusted　to　laymen。　　So　their

interference　with　politics　did　not　shock　the　people　of　Florence；　or

the　opinions　of　the　age。　　It　was　indeed　imperatively　called　for；

since　the　clergy　were　the　most　learned　and　influential　men　of　those

times；　even　in　affairs　of　state。　　I　doubt　if　the　Catholic　Church

has　ever　abrogated　or　ignored　her　old　right　to　meddle　in　the

politics　of　a　state　or　nation。　　I　do　not　know；　nor　do　I　believe；

that　the　Catholic　clergy　in　this　our　country　take　it　upon

themselves　to　instruct　the　people　in　their　political　duties。　　No

enlightened　Protestant　congregation　would　endure　such　interference。

No　Protestant　minister　dares　ever　to　discuss　direct　political

issues　from　the　pulpit；　except　perhaps　on　Thanksgiving　Day；　or　in

some　rare　exigency　in　public　morality。　　Still　less　would　he　venture

to　tell　his　parishioners　how　they　should　vote　in　town…meetings。　　In

imitation　of　ancient　saints　and　apostles；　he　is　wisely　constrained

from　interference　in　secular　and　political　affairs。　　But　in　the

Middle　Ages；　and　the　Catholic　Church；　the　priest　could　be　political

in　his　preaching；　since　many　of　his　duties　were　secular。

Savonarola　usurped　no　prerogatives。　　He　refrained　from　meeting　men

in　secular　vocations。　　Even　in　his　politics　he　confined　himself　to

his　sphere　in　the　pulpit。　　He　did　not　attend　the　public　debates；　he

simply　preached。　　He　ruled　by　wisdom；　eloquence；　and　sanctity；　and

as　he　was　an　oracle；　his　utterances　became　a　law。



But　while　he　instructed　the　people　in　political　duties；　he　paid　far

more　attention　to　public　morals。　　He　would　break　up　luxury；

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　ear