The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-04-12
FLORENCE AND
SAVANAROLA
Lecture by the Rev. WAL
lace Nutting.
"A VALUABLE DISCOURSE.
Delivered Before the Congregational
Club Last Evening.
A VALUABLE DISCOURSE.
PRAISE FOR THE PRESIDENT.

The regular meeting Of the ConRrega-
tional Club was held at Iiliinehast's last
night. The. hour from q to wAs spent
in tho parIors. the members mingling In
social intercourse. Thers was very
large atten dance and the parlors were
none too large to accommodate the 40
present
Ihe company adjourned about o'clock
to the banquet hail and after the blessing
had been invoked by hev. William 4.
Holmes. the material things served by
Caterer Tiliinghast were discussed for
about an hour. Tue post-prandial exer.
oissss wero opened with short prayer by
Rev. Mr.. Campbell. w. Q. Chambers,
4. Il. Bates and Rev. w. 4. Holmes were
duly elected members of the club. After
the reading of the minutes Of the last
meeting DIR. Woolley OF Paw tucket made
the motion that, considering the critical
situation as between this nation and
Spain, the club express Its confidencs in
our president and Its sympathy with him
in the burden Of the responsibility laid
upon his shoulders. This motion was re-
ceivsd with much enthusiasm and clap
ping Of hands. IL was voted to transmit
the resolution to President Mckinley by
telegraph.
President Huptsman then introduced
Rev. Wallacs Nutting as the speiksr Of
the evening. His subject was "Florsnoe
and Savannrola. He said In part: The
Dations, like relays OF messengers, have
taken the toroh OF culture and passed 1t
on to the next, leaving that from which
they took 1t in darkness. In the 10Th cen.
tur fhof Aaa fta ~
northern Italy. Venice was full of spoils
from the East. All the possibilities Of
man, however, were not kfndled by IL.
Away inland among the hills was Flor
ence. Here was Eorn Dante, and here
Brunelisschi reared the dome of Florence.
Here also Giotto, sculptor and architect,
worked. Here Fra Angelica glnrifisd
painting by using IL for the expression
OF etherenl beauty. Here wrought Leon.
ardo da Vinci, Micnael Angelo and Lo-
renzo.
In Florence scholarship was q passion.
People were then not satisfied to know
one profession. She was the centre of
culture. not Of Italy. but OF the world. In
this city were more great minds al one
time, having o Rrester influence on civil
tzation than anywhere else at any time |
except possibly Athens.
As to It's moral tone, the vendetta RI |
vallsd religion as . ruling force. II |
robbed Christianity OF its core. The pub |
lie conscience was so degraded that the
horrible immortality seemed to arouse little
indignation and less protest. Florence
lacked no element Of glory except charac-
ter. SAvanarolx came TO declare charao-
ter. He was rs child studious and |
quick -wittad destined TO be q physician,
but his tutor was taken away, ana, left |
to himself, ne brooded over the world and |
saw its wickedncss. At length no tore
himself away from the world and went
to convent Here re lived seven years
and won a name for himself. But he
saw that the reform ne sought to produce
clergy. He revoited. he was sent to
Florence. where DO met with no favor on
account OF his moral Intensity. He with
drew aud later was called back to become
the Elijah. the prophet who was TO
preach as long ss he lived against the
Judgment Men either loved. feared or
The we'll recognized abilities and sanc-
tity OF Savanarola pointed him out as
the proper person TO be prior OF his con-
vent. On his election the conflict with
Lorenzo began. he was urged To thank
Lorenzo. but he said, II will thank
God" He applied TO Rome to have mis-
convent removed from Lofonzo's author
ity, for he feared Lcrsnzo would defeat
his objects OF raform. Savanarola checked
Lorenzo at every turn and gradually
grew In power and finally thundered his
words against Lorenzo. who was Obliged
to withdraw from the city. he worked a
wonderful chsnge In tho morals Of the
atty.
On his death bed Lorenzo could not rest
easy till he had sent for snvauArols, who
he said was the one honest man. For the
a nj nj nm, ,NovRa RaA ~txx1 /
Savanarola demanded Of him three
things All but the last he granted, but
not accediug To this. Savaparola Wo uld
not grant him ahsolution. A few days
after he died in mental anguish and ter
ror. Much OF bis power came from the
general idea OF a monks sauotity and his
wonderful personality. ana the telief
that he was q seer. His insight into the
institutions OF Italy was remarka BILE.
His scheme Tor tie goverument OF Flor
ente has BEEN pronounced the best pos
sible for that time. He was now nc the
height OF his glory. He menaced ths pops
In his evil ways He was good Catholic
and believed In the authority OF the pope.
but ne said the pope was no pope, as he |
was Q lected by simony.
After . years struggle the pope had
gathered forces, so that Savanarola saw
the final strueals was on. lie was COM |
manded 10 cesss preaching and be tempo |
rarily did so. BY all the levers of the |
church at the command Of the pope he |
Was finally brought TO triui, so-cslled.
The tortuIes of the inquisition 10 which |
ho was subjected were OF tie most hor- |
rible ana excruciaiing nnture. But his |
courage could NOT be matched As for his |
claim to prophecy, admit be was wrong,
yet he died as Christ or at least no lived |
as Christ. Hut he was q prophet In |
many senses. An unconscious Protestant |
In the church before the Reformation. |
lie was not an enemy OF art or philos- |
ophy. His sermons are masterpieces. lie
fought grandiy against the crimes Of the
times ana taught tyranny OF man must
br overcome with submission to uod. lie
struck az wrong where wrong bred
wrong. He went TO he root. He saw
that reform must bogin In the leader Of
TIE ststs and tie church Considcrins
nis environn ents and temptations thore
IL no Rrancer figure rising IN all history.
lie was ,trily Christ-lite. Tonight IL
Jrst fCD years since tee siguing OF the
order for the torture OF Sayanarois. ana
II America nescs anything today IL In n
~