heroes and hero worship-第33节
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into the Heavens; yet in the clefts of it fountains; green beautiful valleys with flowers! A right Spiritual Hero and Prophet; once more; a true Son of Nature and Fact; for whom these centuries; and many that are to come yet; will be thankful to Heaven。
The most interesting phasis which the Reformation anywhere assumes; especially for us English; is that of Puritanism。 In Luther's own country Protestantism soon dwindled into a rather barren affair: not a religion or faith; but rather now a theological jangling of argument; the proper seat of it not the heart; the essence of it sceptical contention: which indeed has jangled more and more; down to Voltaireism itself;through Gustavus…Adolphus contentions onwards to French…Revolution ones! But in our Island there arose a Puritanism; which even got itself established as a Presbyterianism and National Church among the Scotch; which came forth as a real business of the heart; and has produced in the world very notable fruit。 In some senses; one may say it is the only phasis of Protestantism that ever got to the rank of being a Faith; a true heart…communication with Heaven; and of exhibiting itself in History as such。 We must spare a few words for Knox; himself a brave and remarkable man; but still more important as Chief Priest and Founder; which one may consider him to be; of the Faith that became Scotland's; New England's; Oliver Cromwell's。 History will have something to say about this; for some time to come!
We may censure Puritanism as we please; and no one of us; I suppose; but would find it a very rough defective thing。 But we; and all men; may understand that it was a genuine thing; for Nature has adopted it; and it has grown; and grows。 I say sometimes; that all goes by wager…of…battle in this world; that _strength_; well understood; is the measure of all worth。 Give a thing time; if it can succeed; it is a right thing。 Look now at American Saxondom; and at that little Fact of the sailing of the Mayflower; two hundred years ago; from Delft Haven in Holland! Were we of open sense as the Greeks were; we had found a Poem here; one of Nature's own Poems; such as she writes in broad facts over great continents。 For it was properly the beginning of America: there were straggling settlers in America before; some material as of a body was there; but the soul of it was first this。 These poor men; driven out of their own country; not able well to live in Holland; determine on settling in the New World。 Black untamed forests are there; and wild savage creatures; but not so cruel as Star…chamber hangmen。 They thought the Earth would yield them food; if they tilled honestly; the everlasting heaven would stretch; there too; overhead; they should be left in peace; to prepare for Eternity by living well in this world of Time; worshipping in what they thought the true; not the idolatrous way。 They clubbed their small means together; hired a ship; the little ship Mayflower; and made ready to set sail。
In Neal's _History of the Puritans_ 'Neal (London; 1755); i。 490' is an account of the ceremony of their departure: solemnity; we might call it rather; for it was a real act of worship。 Their minister went down with them to the beach; and their brethren whom they were to leave behind; all joined in solemn prayer; That God would have pity on His poor children; and go with them into that waste wilderness; for He also had made that; He was there also as well as here。Hah! These men; I think; had a work! The weak thing; weaker than a child; becomes strong one day; if it be a true thing。 Puritanism was only despicable; laughable then; but nobody can manage to laugh at it now。 Puritanism has got weapons and sinews; it has firearms; war…navies; it has cunning in its ten fingers; strength in its right arm; it can steer ships; fell forests; remove mountains;it is one of the strongest things under this sun at present!
In the history of Scotland; too; I can find properly but one epoch: we may say; it contains nothing of world…interest at all but this Reformation by Knox。 A poor barren country; full of continual broils; dissensions; massacrings; a people in the last state of rudeness and destitution; little better perhaps than Ireland at this day。 Hungry fierce barons; not so much as able to form any arrangement with each other _how to divide_ what they fleeced from these poor drudges; but obliged; as the Colombian Republics are at this day; to make of every alteration a revolution; no way of changing a ministry but by hanging the old ministers on gibbets: this is a historical spectacle of no very singular significance! 〃Bravery〃 enough; I doubt not; fierce fighting in abundance: but not braver or fiercer than that of their old Scandinavian Sea…king ancestors; _whose_ exploits we have not found worth dwelling on! It is a country as yet without a soul: nothing developed in it but what is rude; external; semi…animal。 And now at the Reformation; the internal life is kindled; as it were; under the ribs of this outward material death。 A cause; the noblest of causes kindles itself; like a beacon set on high; high as Heaven; yet attainable from Earth;whereby the meanest man becomes not a Citizen only; but a Member of Christ's visible Church; a veritable Hero; if he prove a true man!
Well; this is what I mean by a whole 〃nation of heroes;〃 a _believing_ nation。 There needs not a great soul to make a hero; there needs a god…created soul which will be true to its origin; that will be a great soul! The like has been seen; we find。 The like will be again seen; under wider forms than the Presbyterian: there can be no lasting good done till then。Impossible! say some。 Possible? Has it not _been_; in this world; as a practiced fact? Did Hero…worship fail in Knox's case? Or are we made of other clay now? Did the Westminster Confession of Faith add some new property to the soul of man? God made the soul of man。 He did not doom any soul of man to live as a Hypothesis and Hearsay; in a world filled with such; and with the fatal work and fruit of such!
But to return: This that Knox did for his Nation; I say; we may really call a resurrection as from death。 It was not a smooth business; but it was welcome surely; and cheap at that price; had it been far rougher。 On the whole; cheap at any price!as life is。 The people began to _live_: they needed first of all to do that; at what cost and costs soever。 Scotch Literature and Thought; Scotch Industry; James Watt; David Hume; Walter Scott; Robert Burns: I find Knox and the Reformation acting in the heart's core of every one of these persons and phenomena; I find that without the Reformation they would not have been。 Or what of Scotland? The Puritanism of Scotland became that of England; of New England。 A tumult in the High Church of Edinburgh spread into a universal battle and struggle over all these realms;there came out; after fifty years' struggling; what we all call the 〃_Glorious_ Revolution〃 a _Habeas Corpus_ Act; Free Parliaments; and much else!Alas; is it not too true what we said; That many men in the van do always; like Russian soldiers; march into the ditch of Schweidnitz; and fill it up with their dead bodies; that the rear may pass over them dry…shod; and gain the honor? How many earnest rugged Cromwells; Knoxes; poor Peasant Covenanters; wrestling; battling for very life; in rough miry places; have to struggle; and suffer; and fall; greatly censured; _bemired_;before a beautiful Revolution of Eighty…eight can step over them in official pumps and silk…stockings; with universal three…times…three!
It seems to me hard measure that this Scottish man; now after three hundred years; should have to plead like a culprit before the world; intrinsically for having been; in such way as it was then possible to be; the bravest of all Scotchmen! Had he been a poor Half…and…half; he could have crouched into the corner; like so many others; Scotland had not been delivered; and Knox had been without blame。 He is the one Scotchman to whom; of all others; his country and the world owe a debt。 He has to plead that Scotland would forgive him for having been worth to it any million 〃unblamable〃 Scotchmen that need no forgiveness! He bared his breast to the battle; had to row in French galleys; wander forlorn in exile; in clouds and storms; was censured; shot at through his windows; had a right sore fighting life: if this world were his place of recompense; he had made but a bad venture of it。 I cannot apologize for Knox。 To him it is very indifferent; these two hundred and fifty years or more; what men say of him。 But we; having got above all those details of his battle; and living now in clearness on the fruits of his victory; we; for our own sake; ought to look through the rumors and controversies enveloping the man; into the man himself。
For one thing; I will remark that this post of Prophet to his Nation was not of his seeking; Knox had lived forty years quietly obscure; before he became conspicuous。 He was the son of poor parents; had got a college education; become a Priest; adopted the Reformation; and seemed well content to guide his own steps by the light of it; nowise unduly intruding it on others。 He had l