the story of mankind-第43节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　second　great　power　in　the　world？　The　Church　has　changed

greatly　since　the　early　days　of　the　Middle　Ages；　when　it　started

out　to　conquer　the　heathen　and　show　them　the　advantages　of

a　pious　and　righteous　life。　In　the　first　place；　the　Church　has

grown　too　rich。　The　Pope　is　no　longer　the　shepherd　of　a　flock

of　humble　Christians。　He　lives　in　a　vast　palace　and　surrounds

himself　with　artists　and　musicians　and　famous　literary　men。

His　churches　and　chapels　are　covered　with　new　pictures　in

which　the　saints　look　more　like　Greek　Gods　than　is　strictly

necessary。　He　divides　his　time　unevenly　between　affairs　of

state　and　art。　The　affairs　of　state　take　ten　percent　of　his　time。

The　other　ninety　percent　goes　to　an　active　interest　in　Roman

statues；　recently　discovered　Greek　vases；　plans　for　a　new　summer

home；　the　rehearsal　of　a　new　play。　The　Archbishops　and

the　Cardinals　follow　the　example　of　their　Pope。　The　Bishops

try　to　imitate　the　Archbishops。　The　village　priests；　however；

have　remained　faithful　to　their　duties。　They　keep　themselves

aloof　from　the　wicked　world　and　the　heathenish　love　of　beauty

and　pleasure。　They　stay　away　from　the　monasteries　where

the　monks　seem　to　have　forgotten　their　ancient　vows　of　simplicity

and　poverty　and　live　as　happily　as　they　dare　without

causing　too　much　of　a　public　scandal。



Finally；　there　are　the　common　people。　They　are　much

better　off　than　they　have　ever　been　before。　They　are　more

prosperous；　they　live　in　better　houses；　their　children　go　to　better

schools；　their　cities　are　more　beautiful　than　before；　their

firearms　have　made　them　the　equal　of　their　old　enemies；　the

robber…barons；　who　for　centuries　have　levied　such　heavy　taxes

upon　their　trade。　So　much　for　the　chief　actors　in　the

Reformation。



Now　let　us　see　what　the　Renaissance　has　done　to　Europe；

and　then　you　will　understand　how　the　revival　of　learning　and

art　was　bound　to　be　followed　by　a　revival　of　religious　interests。

The　Renaissance　began　in　Italy。　From　there　it　spread

to　France。　It　was　not　quite　successful　in　Spain；　where

five　hundred　years　of　warfare　with　the　Moors　had　made　the

people　very　narrow　minded　and　very　fanatical　in　all　religious

matters。　The　circle　had　grown　wider　and　wider；　but　once　the

Alps　had　been　crossed；　the　Renaissance　had　suffered　a　change。



The　people　of　northern　Europe；　living　in　a　very　different

climate；　had　an　outlook　upon　life　which　contrasted　strangely

with　that　of　their　southern　neighbours。　The　Italians　lived　out

in　the　open；　under　a　sunny　sky。　It　was　easy　for　them　to　laugh

and　to　sing　and　to　be　happy。　The　Germans；　the　Dutch；　the

English；　the　Swedes；　spent　most　of　their　time　indoors；　listening

to　the　rain　beating　on　the　closed　windows　of　their　comfortable

little　houses。　They　did　not　laugh　quite　so　much。　They

took　everything　more　seriously。　They　were　forever　conscious

of　their　immortal　souls　and　they　did　not　like　to　be　funny　about

matters　which　they　considered　holy　and　sacred。　The　‘‘humanistic''

part　of　the　Renaissance；　the　books；　the　studies　of　ancient

authors；　the　grammar　and　the　text…books；　interested　them

greatly。　But　the　general　return　to　the　old　pagan　civilisation

of　Greece　and　Rome；　which　was　one　of　the　chief　results　of　the

Renaissance　in　Italy；　filled　their　hearts　with　horror。



But　the　Papacy　and　the　College　of　Cardinals　was　almost

entirely　composed　of　Italians　and　they　had　turned　the　Church

into　a　pleasant　club　where　people　discussed　art　and　music　and

the　theatre；　but　rarely　mentioned　religion。　Hence　the　split

between　the　serious　north　and　the　more　civilised　but　easy…going

and　indifferent　south　was　growing　wider　and　wider　all　the

time　and　nobody　seemed　to　be　aware　of　the　danger　that　threatened

the　Church。



There　were　a　few　minor　reasons　which　will　explain　why　the

Reformation　took　place　in　Germany　rather　than　in　Sweden

or　England。　The　Germans　bore　an　ancient　grudge　against

Rome。　The　endless　quarrels　between　Emperor　and　Pope　had

caused　much　mutual　bitterness。　In　the　other　European　countries

where　the　government　rested　in　the　hands　of　a　strong

king；　the　ruler　had　often　been　able　to　protect　his　subjects

against　the　greed　of　the　priests。　In　Germany；　where　a　shadowy

emperor　ruled　a　turbulent　crowd　of　little　princelings；　the　good

burghers　were　more　directly　at　the　mercy　of　their　bishops　and

prelates。　These　dignitaries　were　trying　to　collect　large　sums

of　money　for　the　benefit　of　those　enormous　churches　which

were　a　hobby　of　the　Popes　of　the　Renaissance。　The　Germans

felt　that　they　were　being　mulcted　and　quite　naturally　they　did

not　like　it。



And　then　there　is　the　rarely　mentioned　fact　that　Germany

was　the　home　of　the　printing　press。　In　northern　Europe　books

were　cheap　and　the　Bible　was　no　longer　a　mysterious　manu…

script　owned　and　explained　by　the　priest。　It　was　a　household

book　of　many　families　where　Latin　was　understood　by　the

father　and　by　the　children。　Whole　families　began　to　read　it；

which　was　against　the　law　of　the　Church。　They　discovered　that

the　priests　were　telling　them　many　things　which；　according　to

the　original　text　of　the　Holy　Scriptures；　were　somewhat　different。

This　caused　doubt。　People　began　to　ask　questions。　And

questions；　when　they　cannot　be　answered；　often　cause　a　great

deal　of　trouble。



The　attack　began　when　the　humanists　of　the　North　opened

fire　upon　the　monks。　In　their　heart　of　hearts　they　still　had

too　much　respect　and　reverence　for　the　Pope　to　direct　their

sallies　against　his　Most　Holy　Person。　But　the　lazy；　ignorant

monks；　living　behind　the　sheltering　walls　of　their　rich　monasteries；

offered　rare　sport。



The　leader　in　this　warfare；　curiously　enough；　was　a　very

faithful　son　of　the　church　Gerard　Gerardzoon；　or　Desiderius

Erasmus；　as　he　is　usually　called；　was　a　poor　boy；　born　in

Rotterdam　in　Holland；　and　educated　at　the　same　Latin　school

of　Deventer　from　which　Thomas　a　Kempis　had　graduated。

He　had　become　a　priest　and　for　a　time　he　had　lived　in　a　monastery。

He　had　travelled　a　great　deal　and　knew　whereof　he　wrote；

When　he　began　his　career　as　a　public　pamphleteer　（he　would

have　been　called　an　editorial　writer　in　our　day）　the　world　was

greatly　amused　at　an　anonymous　series　of　letters　which　had

just　appeared　under　the　title　of　‘‘Letters　of　Obscure　Men。''

In　these　letters；　the　general　stupidity　and　arrogance　of　the

monks　of　the　late　Middle　Ages　was　exposed　in　a　strange

German…Latin　doggerel　which　reminds　one　of　our　modern

limericks。　Erasmus　himself　was　a　very　learned　and　serious

scholar；　who　knew　both　Latin　and　Greek　and　gave　us　the　first

reliable　version　of　the　New　Testament；　which　he　translated

into　Latin　together　with　a　corrected　edition　of　the　original

Greek　text。　But　he　believed　with　Sallust；　the　Roman　poet；

that　nothing　prevents　us　from　‘‘stating　the　truth　with　a　smile

upon　our　lips。''



In　the　year　1500；　while　visiting　Sir　Thomas　More　in　Eng…

land；　he　took　a　few　weeks　off　and　wrote　a　funny　little　book；

called　the　‘‘Praise　of　Folly；''　in　which　he　attacked　the　monks

and　their　credulous　followers　with　that　most　dangerous　of　all

weapons；　humor。　The　booklet　was　the　best　seller　of　the　sixteenth

century。　It　was　translated　into　almost　every　language

and　it　made　people　pay　attention　to　those　other　books　of

Erasmus　in　which　he　advocated　reform　of　the　many　abuses　of

the　church　and　appealed　to　his　fellow　humanists　to　help　him

in　his　task　of　bringing　about　a　great　rebirth　of　the　Christian

faith。



But　nothing　came　of　these　excellent　plans。　Erasmus　was

too　reasonable　and　too　tolerant　to　please　most　of　the　enemies

of　the　church。　They　were　waiting　for　a　leader　of　a　more

robust　nature。



He　came；　and　his　name　was　Martin　Luther。



Luther　was　a　North…German　peasant　with　a　first…class

brain　and　possessed　of　great　personal　courage。　He　was　a

university　man；　a　master　of　arts　of　the　University　of　Erfurt；

afterwards　he　joined　a　Dominican　monastery。　Then　he　became

a　college　professor　at　the　theological　school　of　Wittenberg

and　began　to　explain　the　scriptures　to　the　indifferent　ploughboys

of　his　Saxon　home。　He　had　a　lot　of　spare　time　and　this　he　used

to　study　the　original　texts　of　the　Old　and　New　Testaments。

Soon　he　began　to　see　the　great　difference　which　existed　between

the　words　of　Christ　and　those　that　were　preached　by　the　Popes　and　the　Bishops。

In　the　year　1511；　he　visited　Rome　on　official　business。

Alexander　VI；　of　the　family　of　Borgia；　who　had　enriched　himself

for　the　benefit　of　his　son　and　daughter；　was　dead。　But　his

successor；　Julius　II；　a　man　of　irreproachable　personal　character；

was　spending　most　of　his　time　fighting　and　building　and

did　not　impress　this　serious　minded　German　theologian　with

his　piety。　Luther　returned　to　Wittenberg　a　much　disappointed

man。　But　worse　was　to　follow。



The　gigantic　church　of　St。　Peter　which　Pope　Julius　had

wished　upon　his　innocent　successors；　although　only　half　begun；

was　already　in　need　of　repair。　Alexander　VI　had　s