beacon lights of history-iii-2-第36节

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

Deity；　like　soofists　and　fakirs　and　Braminical　devotees。　　In

defiance　of　the　most　sacred　of　the　institutions　of　the　Middle　Ages；

he　openly　marries　Catherine　Bora　and　sets　up　a　hilarious　household；

and　yet　a　household　of　prayer　and　singing。　　He　abolishes　the　old

Gregorian　service；　and　for　Mediaeval　chants；　monotonous　and　gloomy；

he　prepares　hymns　and　songs；not　for　boys　and　priests　to　intone　in

the　distant　choir；　but　for　the　whole　congregation　to　sing；　inspired

by　the　melodies　of　David　and　the　exulting　praises　of　a　Saviour　who

redeems　from　darkness　into　light。　　How　grand　that　hymn　of　his；



　　　　〃A　mighty　fortress　is　our　God；

　　　　　　　A　bulwark　never　failing。〃





He　makes　worship　more　heartfelt；　and　revives　apostolic　usages：

preaching　and　exhortation　and　instruction　from　the　pulpit；a

forgotten　power。　　He　appeals　to　reason　rather　than　sense；　denounces

superstitions；　while　he　rebukes　sins；　and　kindles　a　profound

fervor；　based　on　the　recognition　of　new　truths。　　He　is　not　fully

emancipated　from　the　traditions　of　the　past；　for　he　retains　the

doctrine　of　transubstantiation；　and　keeps　up　the　holidays　of　the

Church；　and　allows　recreation　on　the　Sabbath。　　But　what　he　thinks

the　most　of　is　the　circulation　of　the　Scriptures　among　plain

people。　　So　he　translates　them　into　German。　　And　this；　not　the

first　but　the　best　translation；　is　done　so　well　that　it　becomes　the

standard　of　the　German　language；　as　the　Bible　of　Tindale　helped　to

form　the　English　tongue；　and　not　only　so；　but　it　has　remained　the

common　version　in　use　throughout　Germany；　even　as　the　authorized

King　James　version；　made　nearly　a　century　later　by　the　labor　of

many　scholars　and　divines；　has　remained　the　standard　English　Bible。

Moreover；　he　finds　time　to　make　liturgies　and　creeds　and　hymns；　and

to　write　letters　to　all　parts　of　Christendom；a　Jerome；　a

Chrysostom；　and　an　Augustine　united；　a　kind　of　Protestant　pope；　to

whom　everybody　looks　for　advice　and　consolation。　　What　a　wonderful

man！　　No　wonder　the　Germans　are　so　fond　of　him　and　so　proud　of

him；a　Briareus　with　a　hundred　arms；　a　marvel；　a　wonder；　a　prodigy

of　nature；　the　most　gifted；　versatile；　hard…working　man　of　his

century　or　nation！



At　last；　this　great　theologian；　this　daring　innovator；　is　summoned

by　imperial；　not　papal；　authority　before　the　Diet　of　the　empire　at

Worms；　where　the　Emperor；　the　great　Charles　V。；　presides；　amid

bishops；　princes；　cardinals；　legates；　generals；　and　dignitaries。

Thither　Luther　must　go；yet　under　imperial　safe　conduct；and

consummate　his　protests；　and　perhaps　offer　up　his　life。　　Painters；

poets；　historians；　have　made　that　scene　familiar；the　most

memorable　in　the　life　of　Luther；　as　well　as　one　of　the　grandest

spectacles　of　the　age。　　I　need　not　dwell　on　that　exciting　scene；

where；　in　the　presence　of　all　that　was　illustrious　and　powerful　in

Germany；　this　defenceless　doctor　dares　to　say　to　supremest　temporal

and　spiritual　authority；　〃Unless　you　confute　me　by　arguments　drawn

from　Scripture；　I　cannot　and　will　not　recant　anything　。　。　。　　Here　I

stand；　I　cannot　otherwise：　God　help　me！　　Amen。〃　　How　superior　to

Galileo　and　other　scientific　martyrs！　　He　is　not　afraid　of　those

who　can　kill　only　the　body；　he　is　afraid　only　of　Him　who　hath　power

to　cast　both　soul　and　body　into　hell。　　So　he　stands　as　firm　as　the

eternal　pillars　of　justice；　and　his　cause　is　gained。　　What　if　he

did　not　live　long　enough　to　accomplish　all　he　designed！　　What　if　he

made　mistakes；　and　showed　in　his　career　many　of　the　infirmities　of

human　nature！　　What　if　he　cared　very　little　for　pictures　and

statues；the　revived　arts　of　Greece　and　Rome；　the　Pagan

Renaissance　in　which　he　only　sees　infidelity；　levities；　and

luxuries；　and　other　abominations　which　excited　his　disgust　and

abhorrence　when　he　visited　Italy！　　HE　seeks；　not　to　amuse　and　adorn

the　Papal　empire；　but　to　reform　it；　as　Paul　before　him　sought　to

plant　new　sentiments　and　ideas　in　the　Roman　world；　indifferent　to

the　arts　of　Greece；　and　even　the　beauties　of　nature；　in　his

absorbing　desire　to　convert　men　to　Christ。　　And　who；　since　Paul；

has　rendered　greater　service　to　humanity　than　Luther？　　The　whole

race　should　be　proud　that　such　a　man　has　lived。





We　will　not　follow　the　great　reformer　to　the　decline　of　his　years；

we　will　not　dwell　on　his　subsequent　struggles　and　dangers；　his

marvellous　preservation；　his　personal　habits；　his　friendships　and

his　hatreds；　his　joys　and　sorrows；　his　bitter　alienations；　his

vexatious；　his　disappointments；　his　gloomy　anticipations　of

approaching　strife；　his　sickened　yet　exultant　soul；　his　last　days

of　honor　and　of　victory；　his　final　illness；　and　his　triumphant

death　in　the　town　where　he　was　born。　　It　is　his　legacy　that　we　are

concerned　in；　the　inheritance　he　left　to　succeeding　generations；

the　perpetuated　ideas　of　the　Reformation；　which　he　worked　out　in

anguish　and　in　study；　and　which　we　will　not　let　die；　but　will

cherish　in　our　memories　and　our　hearts；　as　among　the　most　precious

of　the　heirlooms　of　genius；　susceptible　of　boundless　application。

And　it　is　destined　to　grow　brighter　and　richer；　in　spite　of

counter…reformation　and　Jesuitism；　of　Pagan　levities　and　Pagan

lies；　of　boastful　science　and　Epicurean　pleasures；　of　material

glories；　of　dissensions　and　sects　and　parties；　as　the　might　and

majesty　of　ages　coursing　round　the　world　regenerates　institutions

and　nations；　and　proclaims　the　sovereignty　of　intelligence；　the

glory　and　the　power　of　God。





AUTHORITIES。



Ranke's　Reformation　in　Germany；　D'Aubigne's　History　of　the

Reformation；　Luther's　Letters；　Mosheim's　History　of　the　Church；

Melancthon's　Life　of　Luther：　Erasmi　Epistolae；　Encyclopaedia

Britannica。







THOMAS　CRANMER。



A。　D。　1489…1556。



THE　ENGLISH　REFORMATION。





As　the　great　interest　of　the　Middle　Ages；　in　an　historical　point　of

view；　centres　around　the　throne　of　the　popes；　so　the　most　prominent

subject　of　historical　interest　in　our　modern　times　is　the　revolt

from　their　almost　unlimited　domination。　　The　Protestant

reformation；　in　its　various　relations；　was　a　movement　of

transcendent　importance。　　The　history　of　Christendom；　in　a　moral；　a

political；　a　religious；　a　literary；　and　a　social　point　of　view；　for

the　last　three　hundred　years；　cannot　be　studied　or　comprehended

without　primary　reference　to　that　memorable　revolution。



We　have　seen　how　that　great　insurrection　of　human　intelligence　was

headed　in　Germany　by　Luther；　and　we　shall　shortly　consider　it　in

Switzerland　and　France　under　Calvin。　　We　have　now　to　contemplate

the　movement　in　England。





The　most　striking　figure　in　it　was　doubtless　Thomas　Cranmer；

Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　although　he　does　not　represent　the

English　Reformation　in　all　its　phases。　　He　was　neither　so　prominent

nor　so　great　a　man　as　Luther　or　Calvin；　or　even　Knox。　　But；　taking

him　all　in　all；　he　was　the　most　illustrious　of　the　English

reformers；　and　he；　more　than　any　other　man；　gave　direction　to　the

spirit　of　reform；　which　had　been　quietly　working　ever　since　the

time　of　Wyclif；　especially　among　the　humbler　classes。



The　English　Reformationthe　way　to　which　had　been　long　preparing

began　in　the　reign　of　Henry　VIII。；　and　this　unscrupulous　and

tyrannical　monarch；　without　being　a　religious　man；　gave　the　first

great　impulse　to　an　outbreak　the　remote　consequences　of　which　he

did　not　anticipate；　and　with　which　he　had　no　sympathy。　　He　rebelled

against　the　authority　of　the　Pope；　without　abjuring　the　Roman

Catholic　religion；　either　as　to　dogmas　or　forms。　　In　fact；　the

first　great　step　towards　reform　was　made；　not　by　Cranmer；　but　by

Thomas　Cromwell；　Earl　of　Essex；　as　the　prime　minister　of　Henry

VIII。；a　man　of　whom　we　really　know　the　least　of　all　the　very

great　statesmen　of　English　history。　　It　was　he　who　demolished　the

monasteries；　and　made　war　on　the　whole　monastic　system；　and

undermined　the　papal　power　in　England；　and　swept　away　many　of　the

most　glaring　of　those　abuses　which　disgraced　the　Papal　Empire。

Armed　with　the　powers　which　Wolsey　had　wielded；　he　directed　them

into　a　totally　different　channel；　so　far　as　the　religious　welfare

of　the　nation　is　considered；　although　in　his　principles　of

government　he　was　as　absolute　as　Richelieu。　　Like　the　great　French

statesman；　he　exalted　the　throne；　but；　unlike　him；　he　promoted　the

personal　reign　of　the　sovereign　he　served　with　remarkable　ability

and　devotion。



Thomas　Cromwell；　the　prime　minister　of　Henry　VIII。；　after　the　fall

of　Wolsey；　was　born　in　humble　ranks；　and　was　in　early　life　a　common

soldier　in　the　wars　of　Italy；　then　a　clerk　in　a　mercantile　house　in

Antwerp；　then　a　wool　merchant　in　Middleborough；　then　a　member　of

Parliament；　and　was　employed　by　Wolsey　in　suppressing　some　of　the

smaller　monasteries。　　His　fidelity　to　his　patron　Wolsey；　at　the

time　of　that　great　cardinal's　fall；　attracted　the　special　notice　of

the　King；　wh