beacon lights of history-iii-2-第38节

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and　unscrupulous　minister　of　an　absolute　monarch；　bent　on　sweeping

away　abuses　of　all　kinds；　but　with　the　idea　of　enlarging　the　royal

authority　as　much；　perhaps；　as　promoting　the　prosperity　of　the

realm。



He　therefore　turned　his　attention　to　the　ecclesiastical　courts；

which　from　the　time　of　Becket　had　been　antagonistic　to　royal

encroachments。　　The　war　between　the　civil　power　and　these　courts

had　begun　before　the　fall　of　Wolsey；　and　had　resulted　in　the

curtailment　of　probate　duties；　legacies；　and　mortuaries；　by　which

the　clergy　had　been　enriched。　　A　limitation　of　pluralities　and

enforcement　of　residence　had　also　been　effected。　　But　a　still

greater　blow　to　the　privileges　of　the　clergy　was　struck　by　the

Parliament　under　the　influence　of　Cromwell；　who　had　elevated　it　in

order　to　give　legality　to　the　despotic　measures　of　the　Crown；　and

in　this　way　a　law　was　passed　that　no　one　under　the　rank　of　a

subdeacon；　if　convicted　of　felony；　should　be　allowed　to　plead　his

〃benefit　of　clergy；〃　but　should　be　punished　like　ordinary

criminals；thus　re…establishing　the　constitutions　of　Clarendon　in

the　time　of　Becket。　　Another　act　also　was　passed；　by　which　no　one

could　be　summoned；　as　aforetime；　to　the　archbishop's　court　out　of

his　own　diocese；a　very　beneficent　act；　since　the　people　had　been

needlessly　subject　to　great　expense　and　injustice　in　being　obliged

to　travel　considerable　distances。　　It　was　moreover　enacted　that　men

could　not　burden　their　estates　beyond　twenty　years　by　providing

priests　to　sing　masses　for　their　souls。　　The　Parliament　likewise

abolished　annats；a　custom　which　had　long　prevailed　in　Europe；

which　required　one　year's　income　to　be　sent　to　the　Pope　on　any　new

preferment；　a　great　burden　to　the　clergy；　a　sort　of　tribute　to　a

foreign　power。　　Within　fifty　years；　one　hundred　and　sixty　thousand

pounds　had　thus　been　sent　from　England　to　Rome；　from　this　one

source　of　papal　revenue　alone；equal　to　three　million　pounds　at

the　present　time；　or　fifteen　millions　of　dollars；　from　a　country　of

only　three　millions　of　people。　　It　was　the　passage　of　that　act

which　induced　Sir　Thomas　More　（a　devoted　Catholic；　but　a　just　and

able　and　incorruptible　judge）　to　resign　the　seals　which　he　had　so

long　and　so　honorably　held；the　most　prominent　man　in　England

after　Cromwell　and　Cranmer；　and　it　was　the　execution　of　this　lofty

character；　because　he　held　out　against　the　imperious　demands　of

Henry；　which　is　the　greatest　stain　upon　this　monarch's　reign。

Parliament　also　called　the　clergy　to　account　for　excessive　acts　of

despotism；　and　subjected　them　to　the　penalty　of　a　premunire　（the

offence　of　bringing　a　foreign　authority　into　England）；　from　which

they　were　freed　only　by　enormous　fines。



Thus　it　would　seem　that　many　abuses　were　removed　by　Cromwell　and

the　Parliament　during　the　reign　of　Henry　VIII。　which　may　almost　be

considered　as　reforms　of　the　Church　itself。　　The　authority　of　the

Church　was　not　attacked；　still　less　its　doctrines；　but　only　abuses

and　privileges　the　restraint　of　which　was　of　public　benefit；　and

which　tended　to　reduce　the　power　of　the　clergy。　　It　was　this

reduction　of　clerical　usurpations　and　privileges　which　is　the　main

feature　in　the　legislation　of　Henry　VIII。；　so　far　as　it　pertained

to　the　Church。　　It　was　wresting　away　the　power　which　the　clergy　had

enjoyed　from　the　days　of　Alfred　and　Ina；a　reform　which　Henry　II。

and　Edward　I。；　and　other　sovereigns；　had　failed　to　effect。　　This

was　the　great　work　of　Cromwell；　and　in　it　he　had　the　support　of　his

royal　master；　since　it　was　a　transfer　of　power　from　the　clergy　to

the　throne；　and　Henry　VIII。　was　hated　and　anathematized　by　Rome　as

Henry　IV。　of　Germany　was；　without　ceasing　to　be　a　Catholic。　　He

even　retained　the　title　of　Defender　of　the　Faith；　which　had　been

conferred　upon　him　by　the　Pope　for　his　opposition　to　the

theological　doctrines　of　Luther；　which　he　never　accepted；　and　which

he　always　detested。



Cromwell　did　not　long　survive　the　great　services　he　rendered　to　his

king　and　the　nation。　　In　the　height　of　his　power　he　made　a　fatal

mistake。　　He　deceived　the　King　in　regard　to　Anne　of　Cleves；　whose

marriage　he　favored　from　motives　of　expediency　and　a　manifest

desire　to　promote　the　Protestant　cause。　　He　palmed　upon　the　King　a

woman　who　could　not　speak　a　word　of　English；a　woman　without

graces　or　accomplishments；　who　was　absolutely　hateful　to　him。

Henry's　disappointment　was　bitter；　and　his　vengeance　was

unrelenting。　　The　enemies　of　Cromwell　soon　took　advantage　of　this

mistake。　　The　great　Duke　of　Norfolk；　head　of　the　Catholic　party；

accused　him　at　the　council…board　of　high　treason。　　Two　years

before；　such　a　charge　would　have　received　no　attention；　but　Henry

now　hated　him；　and　was　resolved　to　punish　him　for　the　wreck　of　his

domestic　happiness。



Cromwell　was　hurried　to　that　gloomy　fortress　whose　outlet　was

generally　the　scaffold；　he　was　denied　even　the　form　of　trial。　　A

bill　of　attainder　was　hastily　passed　by　the　Parliament　he　had

ruled。　　Only　one　person　in　the　realm　had　the　courage　to　intercede

for　him；　and　this　was　Cranmer；　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　but　his

entreaties　were　futile。　　The　fallen　minister　had　no　chance　of　life；

and　no　one　knew　it　so　well　as　himself。　　Even　a　trial　would　have

availed　nothing；　nothing　could　have　availed　him；he　was　a　doomed

man。　　So　he　bade　his　foes　make　quick　work　of　it；　and　quick　work　was

made。　　In　eighteen　days　from　his　arrest；　Thomas　Cromwell；　Earl　of

Essex；　Knight　of　the　Garter；　Grand　Chamberlain；　Lord　Privy　Seal；

Vicar…General；　and　Master　of　the　Wards；　ascended　the　scaffold　on

which　had　been　shed　the　blood　of　a　queen；making　no　protestation

of　innocence；　but　simply　committing　his　soul　to　Jesus　Christ；　in

whom　he　believed。　　Like　Wolsey；　he　arose　from　an　humble　station　to

the　most　exalted　position　the　King　could　give；　and；　like　Wolsey；　he

saw　the　vanity　of　delegated　power　as　soon　as　he　offended　the　source

of　power。





　　　　〃He　who　ascends　the　mountain…tops　shall　find

　　　　　The　loftiest　peak　most　wrapped　in　clouds　and　storms。

　　　　　Though　high　above　the　sun　of　glory　shines；

　　　　　And　far　beneath　the　earth　and　ocean　spread；

　　　　　Round　HIM　are　icy　rocks；　and　loudly　blow

　　　　　Contending　tempests　on　his　naked　head。〃





On　the　disappearance　of　Cromwell　from　the　stage；　Cranmer　came

forward　more　prominently；　he　was　a　learned　doctor　in　that

university　which　has　ever　sent　forth　the　apostles　of　great

emancipating　movements。　　He　was　born　in　1489；　and　was　therefore

twenty　years　of　age　on　the　accession　of　Henry　VIII。　in　1509；　and

was　twenty…eight　when　Luther　published　his　theses。　　He　early

sympathized　with　the　reform　doctrines；　but　was　too　politic　to　take

an　active　part　in　their　discussion。　　He　was　a　moderate；　calm；

scholarly　man；　not　a　great　genius　or　great　preacher。　　He　had　none

of　those　bold　and　dazzling　qualities　which　attract　the　gaze　of　the

world。　　We　behold　in　him　no　fearless　and　impetuous　Luther；

attacking　with　passionate　earnestness　the　corruptions　of　Rome；

bracing　himself　up　to　revolutionary　assaults；　undaunted　before

kings　and　councils；　and　giving　no　rest　to　his　hands　or　slumber　to

his　eyes　until　he　had　consummated　his　protests；a　man　of　the

people；　yet　a　dictator　to　princes。　　We　see　no　severely　logical

Calvin；pushing　out　his　metaphysical　deductions　until　he　had

chained　the　intellect　of　his　party　to　a　system　of　incomparable

grandeur　and　yet　of　repulsive　austerity；　exacting　all　the　while　the

same　allegiance　to　doctrines　which　he　deduced　from　the　writings　of

Paul　as　he　did　to　the　direct　declarations　of　Christ；　next　to　Thomas

Aquinas；　the　acutest　logician　the　Church　has　known；　a　system…maker；

like　the　great　Dominican　schoolmen；　and　their　common　master　and

oracle；　Saint　Augustine　of　Hippo。　　We　see　in　Cranmer　no

uncompromising　and　aggressive　reformer　like　Knox；controlling　by　a

stern　dogmatism　both　a　turbulent　nobility　and　an　uneducated　people；

and　filling　all　classes　alike　with　inextinguishable　hatred　of

everything　that　even　reminded　them　of　Rome。　　Nor　do　we　find　in

Cranmer　the　outspoken　and　hearty　eloquence　of　Latimer；appealing

to　the　people　at　St。　Paul's　Cross　to　shake　off　all　the　trappings　of

the　〃Scarlet　Mother；〃　who　had　so　long　bewitched　the　world　with　her

sorceries。



Cranmer；　if　less　eloquent；　less　fearless；　less　logical；　less　able

than　these；　was　probably　broader；　more　comprehensive　in　his　views；

adapting　his　reforms　to　the　circumstances　of　the　age　and　country；

and　to　the　genius　of　the　English　mind。　　Hence　his　reforms；　if　less

brilliant；　were　more　permanent。　　He　framed　the　creed　that　finally

was　known　as　the　Thirty…nine　Articles；　and　was　the　true　founder　of

the　English　Church；　as　that　Church　has　existed　for　more　than　three

centuries；　neither　Roman　nor　Puritan；　but　〃half…way　between　Rome

and　Geneva；〃　a　compromise；　and　yet　a　Church　of　great　vitality；　and

endeared　to　the　hearts　of　the　English　people。　　Northern　Germany

the　scene　of　the　stupendous　triumphs　of　Lu