beacon lights of history-iii-2-第35节

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as　the　unity　of　the　Church。　　It　might　create　sects；　but　those　sects

would　be　all　united　as　to　the　value　of　the　Scriptures　and　their

cardinal　declarations。　　On　this　broad　basis　John　Milton　could　shake

hands　with　John　Knox；　and　John　Locke　with　Richard　Baxter；　and

Oliver　Cromwell　with　Queen　Elizabeth；　and　Lord　Bacon　with　William

Penn；　and　Bishop　Butler　with　John　Wesley；　and　Jonathan　Edwards　with

Doctor　Channing。



This　idea　of　private　judgment　is　what　separates　the　Catholics　from

the　Protestants；　not　most　ostensibly；　but　most　vitally。　　Many　are

the　Catholics　who　would　accept　Luther's　idea　of　grace；　since　it　is

the　idea　of　Saint　Augustine；　and　of　the　supreme　authority　of　the

Scriptures；　since　they　were　so　highly　valued　by　the　Fathers：　but

few　of　the　Catholic　clergy　have　ever　tolerated　religious　liberty；

that　is；　the　interpretation　of　the　Scriptures　by　the　people；for

it　is　a　vital　blow　to　their　supremacy；　their　hierarchy；　and　their

institutions。　　They　will　no　more　readily　accept　it　than　William　the

Conqueror　would　have　accepted　the　Magna　Charta；　for　the　free

circulation　and　free　interpretation　of　the　Scriptures　are　the

charter　of　human　liberties　fought　for　at　Leipsic　by　Gustavus

Adolphus；　at　Ivry　by　Henry　IV。　　This　right　of　worshipping　God

according　to　the　dictates　of　conscience；　enlightened　by　the　free

reading　of　the　Scriptures；　is　just　what　the　〃invincible　armada〃　was

sent　by　Philip　II。　to　crush；　just　what　Alva；　dictated　by　Rome；

sought　to　crush　in　Holland；　just　what　Louis　XIV。；　instructed　by　the

Jesuits；　did　crush　out　in　France；　by　the　revocation　of　the　Edict　of

Nantes。　　The　Satanic　hatred　of　this　right　was　the　cause　of　most　of

the　martyrdoms　and　persecutions　of　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth

centuries。　　It　was　the　declaration　of　this　right　which　emancipated

Europe　from　the　dogmas　of　the　Middle　Ages；　the　thraldom　of　Rome；

and　the　reign　of　priests。　　Why　should　not　Protestants　of　every

shade　cherish　and　defend　this　sacred　right？　　This　is　what　made

Luther　the　idol　and　oracle　of　Germany；　the　admiration　of　half

Europe；　the　pride　and　boast　of　succeeding　ages；　the　eternal　hatred

of　Rome；　not　his　religious　experiences；　not　his　doctrine　of

justification　by　faith；　but　the　emancipation　he　gave　to　the　mind　of

the　world。　　This　is　what　peculiarly　stamps　Luther　as　a　man　of

genius；　and　of　that　surprising　audacity　and　boldness　which　only

great　geniuses　evince　when　they　follow　out　the　logical　sequence　of

their　ideas；　and　penetrate　at　a　blow　the　hardened　steel　of　vulcanic

armor　beneath　which　the　adversary　boasts。



Great　was　the　first　Leo；　when　from　his　rifled　palace　on　one　of　the

devastated　hills　of　Rome　he　looked　out　upon　the　Christian　world；

pillaged；　sacked；　overrun　with　barbarians；　full　of　untold

calamities；order　and　law　crushed；　literature　and　art　prostrate；

justice　a　byword；　murders　and　assassinations　unavenged；　central

power　destroyed；　vice；　in　all　its　enormities；　vulgarities；　and

obscenities；　rampant　and　multiplying　itself；　false　opinions　gaining

ground；　soldiers　turned　into　banditti；　and　senators　into　slaves；

women　shrieking　in　terror；　bishops　praying　in　despair；　barbarism

everywhere；　paganism　in　danger　of　being　revived；　a　world

disordered；　forlorn；　and　dismal；　Pandemonium　let　loose；　with

howling　and　shouting　and　screaming；　in　view　of　the　desolation

predicted　alike　by　Jeremy　the　prophet　and　the　Cumaean　sybil；great

was　that　Leo；　when　in　view　of　all　this　he　said；　with　old　patrician

heroism；　〃I　will　revive　government　once　more　upon　this　earth；　not

by　bringing　back　the　Caesars；　but　by　declaring　a　new　theocracy；　by

making　myself　the　vicegerent　of　Christ；　by　virtue　of　the　promise

made　to　Peter；　whose　successor　I　am；　in　order　to　restore　law；

punish　crime；　head　off　heresy；　encourage　genius；　conserve　peace；

heal　dissensions；　protect　learning；　appealing　to　love；　but　ruling

by　fear。　　Who　but　the　Church　can　do　this？　　A　theocracy　will　create

a　new　civilization。　　Not　a　diadem；　but　a　tiara　will　I　wear；　the

symbol　of　universal　sovereignty；　before　which　barbarism　shall　flee

away；　and　happiness　be　restored　once　more。〃　　As　he　sent　out　his

legates；　he　fulminated　his　bulls　and　established　tribunals　of

appeal；　he　made　a　net…work　of　ecclesiastical　machinery；　and

proclaimed　the　dangers　of　eternal　fire；　and　brought　kings　and

princes　before　him　on　their　knees。　　The　barbaric　world　was　saved。



But　greater　than　Leo　was　Luther；　whenoutraged　by　the　corruptions

of　this　spiritual　despotism；　and　all　the　false　and　Pagan　notions

which　had　crept　into　theology；　obscuring　the　light　of　faith　and

creating　an　intolerable　bondage；　and　opposing　the　new　spirit　of

progress　which　science　and　art　and　industry　and　wealth　had　invoked…

…he　courageously　yet　modestly　comes　forward　as　the　champion　of　a

new　civilization；　and　declares；　with　trumpet　tones；　〃Let　there　be

private　judgment；　liberty　of　conscience；　the　right　to　read　and

interpret　Scripture；　in　spite　of　priests！　so　that　men　may　think　for

themselves；　not　only　on　the　doctrines　of　eternal　salvation　but　on

all　the　questions　to　be　deduced　from　them；　or　interlinked　with　the

past　or　present　or　future　institutions　of　the　world。　　Then　shall

arise　a　new　creation　from　dreaded　destruction；　and　emancipated

millions　shall　be　filled　with　an　unknown　enthusiasm；　and　advance

with　the　new　weapons　of　reason　and　truth　from　conquering　to

conquer；　until　all　the　strongholds　of　sin　and　Satan　shall　be

subdued；　and　laid　triumphantly　at　the　foot　of　His　throne　whose

right　it　is　to　reign。〃



Thus　far　Luther　has　appeared　as　a　theologian；　a　philosopher；　a　man

of　ideas；　a　man　of　study　and　reflection；　whom　the　Catholic　Church

distrusts　and　fears；　as　she　always　has　distrusted　genius　and　manly

independence；　but　he　is　henceforth　to　appear　as　a　reformer；　a

warrior；　to　carry　out　his　ideas　and　also　to　defend　himself　against

the　wrath　he　has　provoked；　impelled　step　by　step　to　still　bolder

aggressions；　until　he　attacks　those　venerable　institutions　which　he

once　respected；all　the　dexterous　inventions　of　Mediaeval

despotism；　all　the　machinery　by　which　Europe　had　been　governed　for

one　thousand　years；　yea；　the　very　throne　of　the　Pope　himself；　whom

he　defies；　whom　he　insults；　and　against　whom　he　urges　Christendom

to　rebel。　　As　a　combatant；　a　warrior；　a　reformer；　his　person　and

character　somewhat　change。　　He　is　coarser；　he　is　more　sensual…

looking；　he　drinks　more　beer；　he　tells　more　stories；　he　uses　harder

names；　he　becomes　arrogant；　dogmatic；　he　dictates　and　commands；　he

quarrels　with　his　friends；　he　is　imperious；　he　fears　nobody；　and　is

scornful　of　old　usages；　he　marries　a　nun；　he　feels　that　he　is　a

great　leader　and　general；　and　wields　new　powers；　he　is　an　executive

and　administrative　man；　for　which　his　courage　and　insight　and　will

and　Herculean　physical　strength　wonderfully　fit　him；the　man　for

the　times；　the　man　to　head　a　new　movement；　the　forces　of　an　age　of

protest　and　rebellion　and　conquest。



How　can　I　compress　into　a　few　sentences　the　demolitions　and

destructions　which　this　indignant　and　irritated　reformer　now　makes

in　Germany；　where　he　is　protected　by　the　Elector　from　Papal

vengeance？　　Before　the　reconstruction；　the　old　rubbish　must　be

cleared　away；　and　Augean　stables　must　be　cleansed。　　He　is　now　at

issue　with　the　whole　Catholic　regime；　and　the　whole　Catholic　world

abuse　him。　　They　call　him　a　glutton；　a　wine…bibber；　an　adulterer；　a

scoffer；　an　atheist；　an　imp　of　Satan；　and　he　calls　the　Pope　the

scarlet　mother　of　abominations；　Antichrist；　Babylon。　　That　age　is

prodigal　in　offensive　epithets；　kings　and　prelates　and　doctors

alike　use　hard　words。　　They　are　like　angry　children　and　women　and

pugilists；　their　vocabulary　of　abuse　is　amusing　and　inexhaustible。

See　how　prodigal　Shakspeare　and　Ben　Jonson　are　in　the　language　of

vituperation。　　But　they　were　all　defiant　and　fierce；　for　the　age

was　rough　and　earnest。　　The　Pope；　in　wrath；　hurls　the　old　weapons

of　the　Gregorys　and　the　Clements。　　But　they　are　impotent　as　the

darts　of　Priam；　Luther　laughs　at　them；　and　burns　the　Papal　bull

before　a　huge　concourse　of　excited　students　and　shopkeepers　and

enthusiastic　women。　　He　severs　himself　completely　from　Rome；　and

declares　an　unextinguishable　warfare。　　He　destroys　and　breaks　up

the　ceremonies　of　the　Mass；　he　pulls　down　the　consecrated　altars；

with　their　candles　and　smoking　incense　and　vessels　of　silver　and

gold；　since　they　are　the　emblems　of　Jewish　and　Pagan　worship；　he

tears　off　the　vestments　of　priests；　with　their　embroideries　and

their　gildings　and　their　millineries　and　their　laces；　since　these

are　made　to　impose　on　the　imagination　and　appeal　to　the　sense；　he

breaks　up　monasteries　and　convents；　since　they　are　dens　of　infamy；

cages　of　unclean　birds；　nurseries　of　idleness　and　pleasure；　abodes

at　the　best　of　narrow…minded；　ascetic　Asiatic　recluses；　who　rejoice

in　penance　and　self…expiation　and　other　modes　of　propitiating　the

Deity；　like　soofists　and　fakirs　and　Braminical　devotees。