Interesting!
I noticed Dante gives a good air to Christianity in the first circle of hell:
"To me the Master good: “Thou dost not ask
What spirits these, which thou beholdest, are?
Now will I have thee know, ere thou go farther,
That they sinned not; and if they merit had,
’Tis not enough, because they had not baptism
Which is the portal of the Faith thou holdest;
And if they were before Christianity,
In the right manner they adored not God;
And among such as these am I myself
For such defects, and not for other guilt,
Lost are we and are only so far punished,
That without hope we live on in desire.”"
I find it very interesting: "that they had not baptism which is the portal of the Faith thou holdest;"
So Dante could be talking of followers? But why would he not criticise Christianity and its followers or Catholicism and its followers too in this respect?
"And if they were before Christianity, in the right manner they adored not God; And among such as these am I myself for such defects" - even Virgil too?
Virgil signifies his Master and Being, which I'm guessing Dante would not credit as his personal Master had he not have actually have been a full fledged venerable Master, so what is Virgil identifying by saying this to Dante?
Thank-you for your time, and love and peace be upon you! God-bless.