XV. duct of the public preachers of religion, it CHAP, can excite no surprise that Pontano, Sanazzaro, and other distinguished Latin writers of the times, should have admitted throughout all their poetical works, as well on sacred subjects as profane, a constant reference to the mythology of the pagan world; or that Marullus should have written a series of hymns, addressed, with every sentiment of piety and veneration, to the deities of ancient Greece and Rome. A. D. 1517. A. Et. 42. A. Pont. V. And of the Platonic The unfavourable effect which these circumstances must have produced, as well on study of the the minds of the populace, as on the great philosophy. scholars and dignified ecclesiastics of the time, may readily be conceived; but the injury thus done to the cause of the Romish religion by the mixture of paganism, was perhaps yet inferior to that which was occasioned by the revival of the Platonic Philosophy; the doctrines of which were at this period embraced by many persons of great rank and learning with peculiar earnestness. Besides the vari ous systems of ethics, physics, and metaphysics, which may be traced in the writings of Plato and his followers, they also contain a system of theology, differing, as may be expected, in many important points from that of the CHAP. the Romish church. As opposed to the Chris XV. tian idea of the Trinity, the Platonists assert the notion of pure theism, expressly maintaining the unity of the divine Being. Instead of the rewards of heaven and the punishments. of hell, the human soul is represented by them, as having been united with imperfect matter, and placed here in a state of probation; where, by constant struggling to rise above the passions of sense, it is at length disengaged from its degrading combination and restored to its original splendour. Even in admitting the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, the followers of Plato differ greatly from the received opinions of the Christian church. With the former, the Soul is a portion of the Divinity himself. According to the latter, it is a distinct and peculiar being, the object of punishment or reward. The labours of Marsilio Ficino, of Pico of Mirandula, of his nephew Gian-Francesco, of Girolamo Benivieni and others, had contributed to diffuse these doctrines among the learned and polite; but the great patron, and perhaps the most powerful advocate of this sect was Lorenzo de' Medici, the father of the pontiff, whose writings contain frequent allusions to the refined notions of the Platonists, and whose pieces on religious subjects, instead of conforming A. D. 1517. A. Et. 42. XV. conforming to the dogmas of the church, are CHAP evidently founded on, and greatly illustrate, the principles of this theology.(a) A. D. 1517. A. Et. 42. A. Pont. Vi on philoso As the opinions of these modern Plato- Restraints nists were, however, originally adopted only imposed by by speculative men, who had the discretion the church not to attempt the formation of an ostensible phical stu sect, they were not only tolerated, but consi- dies. dered as favourable to many of the more mysterious doctrines of the Christian faith. A great number of persons of considerable talents and learning became the avowed teachers of these opinions, and the inculcation of them was established, as a branch of education, in almost every university in Italy. Even the supreme pontiff was himself supposed to be more favourable to them, than to those sciences, which, it has been observed, would better have become his dignity and his character. The scepticism and indifference which were thus introduced, relaxed in a great degree the severity (a) This will appear from the admirable LAUDE, or Hymn, of Lorenzo de' Medici, given in the Appendix. Of this piece a translation is also there attempted; which is, however, very inadequate to convey to the English reader a full idea of the majestic grandeur and profound piety of the original. v. Appendix, No. CXLVII. XV. CHAP. rity of ecclesiastical discipline, and afforded a wider scope for those inquiries, the result of which was so injurious to the interests of the Roman church. The danger, however, became at length too evident to remain unnoticed, and in the eighth session of the council of Lateran, held under Leo X. it was declared by a solemn decree, that the soul of man is immortal, and that different bodies are not actuated by a portion of the same soul, but that each has a soul peculiar to itself. It was also ordered, that all persons professing to teach the doctrines of the ancient philosophers should explain in what respects the same differed from the established faith, and particularly as to the immortality and the unity of the soul, the eternity of the world, and similar subjects; and should endeavour to inculcate the truths of religion and invalidate the objections which might be raised against them, to the utmost of their power. In the same session it was also decreed, that no person intended for sacred orders should devote more than five years to the studies of poetry and philosophy; but that at the end of that. period, he should diligently apply himself to the sciences of theology and ecclesiastical jurisprudence; in order that he might be enabled, thereby, to correct the errors which he A. D. 1517. A. Et. 42. he might have imbibed from his former suits.(a) A. D. 1517. A. Et. 47. Whatever might have been the effect of A. Pont. V. these and similar precautions, had they been General early adopted and vigilantly enforced, they spirit of inwere now too late. A general spirit of in- quiry. quiry and dissatisfaction had already diffused itself throughout all Christendom; and a proper opportunity alone was wanting to call it forth and direct it to some certain point. With the causes before stated, as having contributed to excite this spirit, and which appear not to have been observed, or sufficiently insisted on, by former writers, many others undoubtedly concurred. Among these may be enumerated the long schism of the church of Rome in the fourteenth century; the misconduct of Alexander VI. and of Julius II. the usurpations and encroachments of the clergy on the rights of the laity, the venality of the Roman court; and above all perhaps the general progress of liberal studies, and the happy VOL. III. P 66 (a) ut in his sanctis et utilibus professionibus "Sacerdotes Domini inveniant, unde infectas Philosophiæ "et Poesis radices purgare et sanare valeant." S. S. Concilia. tom. xiv. p. 188. |