The Triumph of the Cross ought to “satisfy” the English mind upon the subject of his orthodoxy for ever. The Triumph of the Cross gives the “reason” of it, in clear and concise and unmistakable words. It is difficult to see how any one who has read it, could entertain the shadow of a doubt about the author’s loyal devotion to the Church of which he was a faithful child, or of his belief in the teaching of the one whom he proudly called his “Mother”. Indeed, it is impossible to see how, with the evidence of this book before him, any man could hesitate for a moment as to his belief in the unwavering loyalty of Savonarola both to the Church and the Church’s teaching, and to her divinely appointed visible Head.
St. Peter, the Dominican Martyr, as he fell under the blow of the assassin’s sword, wrote with his own blood on the ground the word Credo. Savonarola, the Dominican Apologist, has written Credo in large letters over every page of The Triumph of the Cross. It is a history of the religious opinions of his times. It is more. It is the exposition in writing of the doctrines which he preached, with such incomparable eloquence, from beginning to end of his apostolic life. It is his clear and uncompromising profession of faith to all time. It is his solemn anathema to heresy, of which, nevertheless, men have sometimes dared to accuse him. This book ought to lay that ghost of an accusation against the Florentine Reformer for ever and for ever. It proclaims Savonarola’s Catholicity beyond denial or doubt. It was intended to be his defence of the faith. It was written as his profession of belief. It was to be his Credo in life, and the echo of his belief after his death, when his voice was still, and he could no longer protest, as he did with such vigour in his lifetime, against his false accusers. In the Preface which he wrote to the Apologeticum Fratrum Sancti Marci—published probably the year before his death—he says: “Three accusations have been brought against me: (1) That I have taught a doctrine which is not true (perversum dogma) ... to this I have already replied, and my orthodoxy will be clearly seen in my work, The Triumph of the Cross, which will shortly appear”. In a letter to Pope Alexander VI., written from St. Marco, Florence, on the 22nd of May, 1497,[15] he writes: “The work which I shall shortly bring out on The Triumph of the Cross is a witness to my faith; and from it can be seen if I have ever taught heresy, or in any way opposed the Catholic faith”. This book is his testimony unto all time.
The late indefatigable and zealous champion of Savonarola, Professor Paolo Luotto, wrote a goodly volume, to which he gave the title: Il Vero Savonarola, et Il Savonarola di S. Pastor. The English people, as well as Signor Pastor, have had a Savonarola of their own. The Savonarola of the English is a Savonarola created by novels and romances, by non-Catholic and anti-Catholic histories and biographies, by prejudiced enthusiasts, and unscrupulous translators. This faithful English translation of the whole of The Triumph of the Cross—for which we are indebted to an anonymous but graceful as well as faithful pen—will, let us hope, reveal The True Savonarola—the Savonarola of fact and not of fiction, the Savonarola of history and not merely of romance, the Savonarola as mirrored in his own words, and not as misrepresented and distorted, and rendered beyond recognition by many who, whilst professing to extol him, and to add lustre to his name, have, in reality, belittled him, and sullied his fair fame.
JOHN PROCTER, O.P.
Postscript.—Since writing the foregoing Introduction the recent valuable and interesting work, The Story of Florence, by Mr. Edmund G. Gardner, has come into my hands. I have much pleasure in transcribing the following note, which occurs on page 128: “Professor Villari justly remarks that ‘Savonarola’s attacks were never directed in the slightest degree against the dogmas of the Church of Rome, but solely against those who corrupted them’. The Triumph of the Cross was intended to do for the Renaissance what St. Thomas Aquinas had accomplished for the Middle Ages in his Summa Contra Gentiles. As this book is the fullest expression of Savonarola’s creed, it is much to be regretted that more than one of its English translators have omitted some of its most characteristic and important passages bearing upon Catholic practice and doctrine, without the slightest indication that any such process of ‘expurgation’ has been carried out.” The italics are mine.
J. P.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
| PAGE | ||
| Introduction | [v-xxvi] | |
| [BOOK I.] | ||
| Prologue | [3] | |
| CHAPTER | ||
| I. | How by means of visible things we arrive at the knowledge of such as are invisible | [5] |
| II. | How the Triumph of Christ testifies to the truth of our Faith | [7] |
| III. | Containing certain fundamental and irrefragable principles | [10] |
| IV. | Answers to the objections which may be brought against the foregoing propositions | [12] |
| V. | The mode in which our argument must be conducted | [15] |
| VI. | The existence of God | [17] |
| VII. | God is not a body, nor the form of a body, nor is He a complex substance | [19] |
| VIII. | God is the perfect and supreme Good, and is of Infinite power; He is in every place; and He is immutable and eternal | [21] |
| IX. | God is One | [22] |
| X. | God knows all things perfectly, and acts of His own Will, and not from natural necessity | [23] |
| XI. | The Providence of God extends over all things | [25] |
| XII. | The end to which man is guided by Divine Providence | [27] |
| XIII. | Man’s last end cannot be attained in this present life | [28] |
| XIV. | The soul of man is immortal | [33] |
| [BOOK II.] | ||
| Method observed throughout this Book | [39] | |
| I. | Some true Religion exists in the world | [41] |
| II. | Religion is both interior and exterior | [42] |
| III. | No better life can be found than the Christian life | [43] |
| IV. | The end presented to us by the Christian Religion is the best which can possibly be conceived | [45] |
| V. | A Christian life is the best possible means for attaining to happiness | [47] |
| VI. | The Christian life is a most sure means of attaining to beatitude | [49] |
| VII. | The faith of Christ is true, because it causes men to lead a perfect life | [51] |
| VIII. | The Doctrines taught by Christianity are true and come from God | [55] |
| IX. | The truth of the faith proved by arguments founded on the prayer and contemplation of Christians | [60] |
| X. | Proofs of the truth of the Christian Religion founded on its external forms of worship | [63] |
| XI. | The truth of Christianity evidenced by its effects on the interior life of Christians | [67] |
| XII. | The truth of Christianity manifested by its visible effects on the lives of Christians | [71] |
| XIII. | The truth of the faith demonstrated by the wonderful works of Christ, especially those which pertain to His power | [74] |
| XIV. | The truth of Christianity shown by arguments based on the Wisdom of Christ | [81] |
| XV. | The truth of Christ’s teaching is proved by His goodness | [86] |
| XVI. | The truth of Christianity is proved by the power, wisdom, and goodness of Christ, considered collectively | [91] |
| [BOOK III.] | ||
| Method observed throughout this Book | [95] | |
| I. | God contains within Himself, and can perform, an infinite number of things surpassing human understanding | [97] |
| II. | An examination of certain Articles of the Christian Creed which exceed the limits of human understanding | [99] |
| III. | The mystery of the Trinity is neither unreasonable nor incredible | [101] |
| IV. | The Christian Doctrine of Creation is neither incredible nor unreasonable | [108] |
| V. | The Christian teaching concerning the Sanctification, Glory, and Resurrection of rational creatures contains no Article which is either impossible or unreasonable | [110] |
| VI. | The Doctrine of the Damnation of the wicked is one befitting Christianity | [113] |
| VII. | The Doctrine of the Incarnation of the Son of God is, in no sense, incredible, unseemly, or unreasonable | [114] |
| VIII. | The belief in the Virginal birth of Christ is consistent with reason, and His life befitted, in all respects, His dignity | [117] |
| IX. | The Christian Doctrine of Original Sin is neither unreasonable nor incredible | [119] |
| X. | Our belief in the Passion of Christ, in the other mysteries of His Humanity, and in all the Articles defined by the Church, is strictly consistent with reason | [123] |
| XI. | The Christian Religion most prudently establishes the two precepts of charity, as the foundation of our whole moral life | [127] |
| XII. | The excellence of the moral teaching of the Church | [130] |
| XIII. | The perfect reasonableness of the Christian constitution and code of judicial law | [133] |
| XIV. | The Sacraments of the Church have been instituted by Christ, and are admirably adapted to the needs of mankind | [137] |
| XV. | The number of the Sacraments is reasonable | [139] |
| XVI. | The rites used in the administration of the Sacraments are both reasonable and seemly | [140] |
| XVII. | Answers to certain objections brought against the Doctrine of the Blessed Eucharist | [148] |
| XVIII. | The reasonableness of the Ceremonies of the Church | [151] |
| [BOOK IV.] | ||
| Introduction. Method observed throughout this Book | [155] | |
| I. | No Religion except Christianity can be true | [157] |
| II. | The defective and erroneous Religions taught by Heathen Philosophers | [158] |
| III. | The futility and superstition of the traditions of astrology | [165] |
| IV. | Idolatry is of all things the most vain | [174] |
| V. | A refutation of the Jewish perfidy and superstition | [179] |
| VI. | The malicious untruthfulness of heretics | [190] |
| VII. | The utter irrationality of the Mahometan Religion | [195] |
| VIII. | The Christian Religion will remain true and unwavering unto the end | [202] |
| IX. | Epilogue | [204] |
| Alphabetical Index | [211] | |