Art of the Eternal by Victoria Charles

Author:Victoria Charles [Charles, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783107780
Publisher: Parkstone International

— John Milton,

excerpt from Paradise Lost: Book I, Lines 1-26

Michaelangelo, The Creation of Adam

(sixth panel of the vault), circa 1510.

Fresco, 280 x 570 cm. Sistine Chapel, Vatican City.

Andrea Mantegna, St Sebastian, c. 1470-1475.

Tempera on wood, 68 x 30 cm.

Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

Modern Doctrine of Future Life

The idiocy and paganism of some of the Church dogmas, the avaricious nature of its spirit, the tyranny of its rule, and the immoral character of many of its practices, had often awakened the indignant protests and the determined opposition of men of enlightened minds, vigorous consciences, and generous hearts. Many such men, vainly struggling to purify the Church from its iniquitous errors, or to relieve mankind from its outrageous burdens, had been silenced and crushed by its relentless might. Arnold, Wickliffe, Wessel, Savonarola, and many others, are to be gratefully remembered forever as the heroic yet unsuccessful forerunners of the powerful monk of Wittenberg. The corruption of the medieval Church grew worse, and eventually caused extensive disgust and revulsion. Wholesale pardons for all their sins were granted indiscriminately to those who accepted the terms of the papal officials; while every independent thinker, however evangelical his faith and exemplary his character, was hopelessly doomed to hell. Particularly the pardons given to pilgrims and to the Crusaders, Bernard of Clairvaux, exhorting the people to undertake a new Crusade, claimed that “God condescends to invite into his service murderers, robbers, adulterers, perjurers, and those sunk in other crimes; and whosoever falls in this cause shall secure pardon for the sins which he has never confessed with contrite heart.” Ecclesiasticism devoured ethics; allegiance to morality was exchanged for devotion to a ritual. The sale of indulgences at length became too impudent and blasphemous to be continued, when John Tetzel, a Dominican monk, travelled through Europe, and, setting up his auction block in the churches, offered for sale those famous indulgences of Leo x which promised to everyone rich enough to pay the requisite price, remission of all sins. This bold but authorised charlatan boasted that “he had saved more souls from hell by the sale of indulgences than St. Peter had converted to Christianity by his preaching.” He also said that “even if anyone had ravished the Mother of God he could sell him a pardon for it!” Martin Luther counteracted this with his Ninety-Five Theses which led to the Protestant Reformation. This great movement produced, in relation to subject of future life, three important results that will be discussed in detail. It noticeably modified the practice and the popular preaching of the Roman Catholic Church.

The dogmas of the Romanist theology remained as they were before. But a marked change took place in the public conduct of the papal functionaries. Morality was made more prominent and mere ritualism less obtrusive. Comparatively speaking, an emphasis was taken away from ecclesiastic confession and indulgence, and laid upon ethical obedience and piety. The Council of Trent, held at this time, says in its decree concerning indulgences, “In granting indulgences, the Church desires that moderation be observed, lest, by excessive facility, ecclesiastical discipline be enervated.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.