登陆注册
4705400000344

第344章

A century and a half passed away; and then came the second great rising up of the human intellect against the spiritual domination of Rome. During the two generations which followed the Albigensian crusade, the power of the Papacy had been at the height. Frederic the Second, the ablest and most accomplished of the long line of German Caesars, had in vain exhausted all the resources of military and political skill in the attempt to defend the rights of the civil power against the encroachments of the Church. The vengeance of the priesthood had pursued his house to the third generation. Manfred had perished on the field of battle, Conradin on the scaffold. Then a turn took place. The secular authority, long unduly depressed, regained the ascendant with startling rapidity. The change is doubtless to be ascribed chiefly to the general disgust excited by the way in which the Church had abused its power and its success. But something must be attributed to the character and situation of individuals. The man who bore the chief part in effecting this revolution was Philip the Fourth of France, surnamed the Beautiful, a despot by position, a despot by temperament, stern, implacable, and unscrupulous, equally prepared for violence and for chicanery, and surrounded by a devoted band of men of the sword and of men of law. The fiercest and most high minded of the Roman Pontiffs, while bestowing kingdoms and citing great princes to his judgment-seat, was seized in his palace by armed men, and so foully outraged that he died mad with rage and terror. "Thus," sang the great Florentine poet, "was Christ, in the person of his vicar, a second time seized by ruffians, a second time mocked, a second time drenched with the vinegar and the gall." The seat of the Papal court was carried beyond the Alps, and the Bishops of Rome became dependants of France. Then came the great schism of the West. Two Popes, each with a doubtful title, made all Europe ring with their mutual invectives and anathemas. Rome cried out against the corruptions of Avignon; and Avignon, with equal justice, recriminated on Rome. The plain Christian people, brought up in the belief that it was a sacred duty to be in communion with the head of the Church, were unable to discover, amidst conflicting testimonies and conflicting arguments, to which of the two worthless priests who were cursing and reviling each other, the headship of the Church rightfully belonged. It was nearly at this juncture that the voice of John Wickliffe began to make itself heard. The public mind of England was soon stirred to its inmost depths: and the influence of the new doctrines was soon felt, even in the distant kingdom of Bohemia.

In Bohemia, indeed, there had long been a predisposition to heresy. Merchants from the Lower Danube were often seen in the fairs of Prague; and the Lower Danube was peculiarly the seat of the Paulician theology. The Church, torn by schism, and fiercely assailed at once in England and in the German Empire, was in a situation scarcely less perilous than at the crisis which preceded the Albigensian crusade.

But this danger also passed by. The civil power gave its strenuous support to the Church; and the Church made some show of reforming itself. The Council of Constance put an end to the schism. The whole Catholic world was again united under a single chief; and rules were laid down which seemed to make it improbable that the power of that chief would be grossly abused.

The most distinguished teachers of the new doctrine were slaughtered. The English Government put down the Lollards with merciless rigour; and in the next generation, scarcely one trace of the second great revolt against the Papacy could be found, except among the rude population of the mountains of Bohemia.

Another century went by; and then began the third and the most memorable struggle for spiritual freedom. The times were changed.

The great remains of Athenian and Roman genius were studied by thousands. The Church had no longer a monopoly of learning. The powers of the modern languages had at length been developed. The invention of printing had given new facilities to the intercourse of mind with mind. With such auspices commenced the great Reformation.

We will attempt to lay before our readers, in a short compass, what appears to us to be the real history of the contest which began with the preaching of Luther against the Indulgences, and which may, in one sense, be said, to have been terminated, a hundred and thirty years later, by the treaty of Westphalia.

同类推荐
  • 指归集

    指归集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 西塍集

    西塍集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 埋忧集

    埋忧集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 述报法兵侵台纪事残辑

    述报法兵侵台纪事残辑

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 释迦文尼佛金刚一乘修行仪轨法品一卷

    释迦文尼佛金刚一乘修行仪轨法品一卷

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 贺邢州卢员外

    贺邢州卢员外

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 平天帝

    平天帝

    九州平,人皇现,神鼎出,天道灭当曾经的勇者重新开始他的人生后,整个天下都将匍匐在他的脚下。
  • 一品仙劫

    一品仙劫

    他风流无比,却深情的对她说:“我此生唯你一个。”最后他手执长剑刺入她胸膛。她执着于仙位,却身在仙劫中无处可走。最后才发现她这一生就是她最大的仙劫。---------------------------------------------走过路过,帮忙点个收藏点个推荐吧~
  • 喂食者协会

    喂食者协会

    那多的朋友冯逸在一场游戏中意外死亡。而死因竟是一次寻常的无目的性的换水事件!那多抽茧剥丝,发现一百年来最大的隐秘:这个世界居然存在一个“喂食者协会”!世界上最优秀的头脑聚集在一起,旨在让全人类成为可操纵的“被喂食者”!喂食者协会所涉及的学科早已走在了世界的前列,他们的新血计划开始向全世界渗透……那多被挤在巨大的漩涡之中,一个想摧毁钓鱼岛的阴谋呈现,杀机重重。渺小的人类将走向何方?到底有没有自由意志?那多带你亲临拯救人类思想的伟大冒险,窥破世界末日的无穷奥秘!
  • 盛宠呆萌妻:男神,我不包月

    盛宠呆萌妻:男神,我不包月

    “我…不包月。”雾言沉默了一下,再次在支票上添了一个零,然后递给男人。一个亿,一个亿人民币买男人一夜?!这种豪气让男人都有点震惊了。这是出手何等阔绰的土豪啊,这是何等败家的小姑娘啊!他堂堂一个坐拥上千亿资产的总裁,被一个小姑娘用钱侮辱了?是可忍孰不可忍!...“坦白说,作为她的朋友,我想说她的难追程度,可能还要超过你。”女子同情的看着他。本以为她只是个普通的小姑娘,万万没想到,
  • 哈尼阿培聪坡坡:哈尼族迁徙史诗(中华大国学经典文库)

    哈尼阿培聪坡坡:哈尼族迁徙史诗(中华大国学经典文库)

    这部史诗是哈尼族传统文学的顶峰之作,具有较高的历史价值,是目前发现的系统、完整地记载哈尼族历史沿革的长篇史诗之一。作为哈尼族人民的“史记”,全诗长5000余行,由歌头和以下七章组成:《远古的虎尼虎那高山》、《从什虽湖到嘎鲁嘎则》、《惹罗普楚》、《好地诺马阿美》、《色厄作娘》、《谷哈密查》、《森林密密的红河两岸》。它以现实主义手法记叙了哈尼祖先在各个历史时期的迁徙情况,并对其迁徙各地的原因、路线、途程、在各个迁居地的社会生活、生产、风习、宗教,以及与毗邻民族的关系等等,均作了详细而生动的辑录,因而作品不仅具有文学价值,而且具有重大的历史学、社会学及宗教学价值。
  • 御龙匣

    御龙匣

    御龙现世,师门惨灭,自己侥幸逃生,而青梅竹马的师妹竟是敌人?复仇路遇逃婚公子,与自己称兄道弟不说,还要帮自己找到仇敌!不料阴差阳错,却踏上了修炼之道!两个同路少年,相反的人生;另类的仙侠,不一样的仙途。且看小小御龙匣,如何荡起轩然大波!
  • 嘿,别那么傲娇

    嘿,别那么傲娇

    杨一航看谢欣:肤浅、绿茶、关系户。谢欣看杨一航:学霸、考神、禁欲系。直到两人走入同一间教室。彼时还把自己打扮得平平无奇的杨大帅:呵呵,果然肤浅、绿茶、关系户。披荆斩棘以吊车尾成绩混入蓉城大学研究生院的贫苦少女谢欣:我何时得罪了杨大学霸?针锋相对,亏得毕业才落得耳根清净,可是某人摇身一变……蓝色suv旁屹立一面容俊朗、身材挺拔的风流男神。谢欣眼睛都看直了:“你介意我拿个爱的号码牌吗?”杨一航:“介意。”………………她,百折不挠!男神,别那么傲娇!穿插大学生活苦与乐,揭秘女生寝室塑料姐妹情,熟记24字核心价值观,弘扬奋发向上青年正能量。
  • 邪魔之牛X仙妃

    邪魔之牛X仙妃

    卧槽!姐不就跟魔界那啥谈场恋爱,你们几个仙界的老头子,老妖婆至于气愤成这样!小心把姐惹毛了,叫你们一个个跪在那唱《爱情买卖》!她君倾,二十一世纪的一个顶尖级神偷兼业余杀手,却因一只魔箫穿越到沧屿大陆君家一个最不受欢迎的废材嫡女身上!她凭借自已的资质,隐藏峰芒,一步步攀上仙界的巅峰!打破自古以来仙魔不能相恋的传统,成为整个沧屿大陆唯一一个让三界闻风丧胆的人物!她丢下狠话:“天下,挡我者,必杀之!”女主,皮厚,无耻,有时有点下流!男主,虽是个魔,但却完美得不像话!不管是男是女,通杀!他冷血,无情,但却唯独对她一点点地沦陷!她与他又有怎样的恩怨纠葛……!此文(修仙+玄幻+女强!),欢迎各位收藏,评论!敬请关注!!
  • 重生蚁皇

    重生蚁皇

    佛说:蝼蚁尚且偷生!在实力低微的时候确实如此!但是这只蝼蚁却要逆天!