beacon lights of history-iii-2-第42节

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English　Church；　and　led　to　a　separation　or　a　schism；　whatever　name

it　goes　by；to　most　people　in　these　times　not　very　interesting　or

edifying；　because　they　were　not　based　on　any　great　ideas　of

universal　application；　and　seeming　to　such　minds　as　Bacon　and

Parker　and　Jewell　rather　narrow　and　frivolous。



The　great　Puritan　controversy　would　have　no　dignity　if　it　were

confined　to　vestments　and　robes　and　forms　of　worship；　and　hatred　of

ceremonies　and　holy　days；　and　other　matters　which　seemed　to　lean　to

Romanism。　　But　the　grandeur　and　the　permanence　of　the　movement　were

in　a　return　to　the　faith　of　the　primitive　Church　and　a　purer

national　morality；　and　to　the　unrestricted　study　of　the　Bible；　and

the　exaltation　of　preaching　and　Christian　instruction　over　forms

and　liturgies　and　antiphonal　chants；　above　all；　the　exaltation　of

reason　and　learning　in　the　interpretation　of　revealed　truth；　and

the　education　of　the　people　in　all　matters　which　concern　their

temporal　or　religious　interests；　so　that　a　true　and　rapid　progress

was　inaugurated　in　civilization　itself；　which　has　peculiarly　marked

all　Protestant　countries　having　religious　liberty。　　Underneath　all

these　apparently　insignificant　squabbles　and　dissensions　there　were

two　things　of　immense　historical　importance：　first；　a　spirit　of

intolerance　on　the　part　of　government　and　of　church　dignitaries；

the　State　allied　with　the　Church　forcing　uniformity　with　their

decrees；　and　severely　punishing　those　who　did　not　accept　them；in

matters　beyond　all　worldly　authority；　and；　secondly；　a　rising

spirit　of　religious　liberty；　determined　to　assert　its　glorious

rights　at　any　cost　or　hazard；　and　especially　defended　by　the　most

religious　and　earnest　part　of　the　clergy；　who　were　becoming

Calvinistic　in　their　creed；　and　were　pushing　the　ideas　of　the

Reformation　to　their　utmost　logical　sequence。　　This　spirit　was

suppressed　during　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　out　of　general　respect

and　love　for　her　as　a　Queen；　and　the　external　dangers　to　which　the

realm　was　exposed　from　Spain　and　France；　which　diverted　the

national　mind。　　But　it　burst　out　fiercely　in　the　next　reigns；　under

James　and　Charles；　about　the　beginning　of　the　seventeenth　century。

And　this　is　the　last　development　of　the　Reformation　in　England　to

which　I　can　allude；the　great　Puritan　contest　for　liberty　of

worship；　running；　when　opposed　unjustly　and　cruelly；　into　a　contest

for　civil　liberty；　that　is；　the　right　to　change　forms　and

institutions　of　civil　government；　even　to　the　dethronement　of

kings；　when　it　was　the　expressed　and　declared　will　of　the　people；

in　whom　was　vested　the　ultimate　source　of　sovereignty。



But　here　I　must　be　brief。　　I　tread　on　familiar　ground；　made

familiar　by　all　our　literature；　especially　by　the　most　brilliant

writer　of　modern　times；　though　not　the　greatest　philosopher：　I　mean

that　great　artist　and　word…painter　Macaulay；　whose　chief　excellence

is　in　making　clear　and　interesting　and　vivid；　by　a　world　of

illustration　and　practical　good…sense　and　marvellous　erudition；

what　was　obvious　to　his　own　objective　mind；　and　obvious　also　to

most　other　enlightened　people　not　much　interested　in　metaphysical

disquisitions。　　No　man　more　than　he　does　justice　to　the　love　of

liberty　which　absolutely　burned　in　the　souls　of　the　Puritans；that

glorious　party　which　produced　Milton　and　Cromwell；　and　Hampden　and

Bunyan；　and　Owen　and　Calamy；　and　Baxter　and　Howe。



The　chief　peculiarity　of　those　Puritansonce　called

Nonconformists；　afterwards　Presbyterians　and　Independentswas

their　reception　of　the　creed　of　John　Calvin；　the　clearest　and　most

logical　intellect　that　the　Reformation　produced；　though　not　the

broadest；　who　reigned　as　a　religious　dictator　at　Geneva　and　in　the

Reformed　churches　of　France；　and　who　gave　to　John　Knox　the

positivism　and　sternness　and　rigidity　which　he　succeeded　in

impressing　upon　the　churches　of　Scotland。　　And　the　peculiar

doctrines　which　marked　Calvin　and　his　disciples　were　those　deduced

from　the　majesty　of　God　and　the　comparative　littleness　of　man；

leading　to　and　bound　up　with　the　impotence　of　the　will；　human

dependence；　the　necessity　of　Divine　grace；Augustinian　in　spirit；

but　going　beyond　Augustine　in　the　subtlety　of　metaphysical

distinctions　and　dissertations　on　free…will　election；　and

predestination；unfathomable；　but　exceedingly　attractive　subjects

to　the　divines　of　the　seventeenth　century；　creating　a　metaphysical

divinity；　a　theology　of　the　brain　rather　than　of　the　heart；　a

brilliant　series　of　logical　and　metaphysical　deductions　from

established　truths；　demanding　to　be　received　with　the　same

unhesitating　obedience　as　the　truths；　or　Bible　declarations；　from

which　they　are　deduced。　　The　greatness　of　human　reason　was　never

more　forcibly　shown　than　in　these　deductions；　but　they　were　carried

so　far　as　to　insult　reason　itself　and　mock　the　consciousness　of

mankind；　so　that　mankind　rebelled　against　the　very　force　of　the

highest　reasonings　of　the　human　intellect；　because　they　pushed

logical　sequence　into　absurdity；　or　to　dreadful　conclusions：

Decretum　quidem　horribile　fateor；　said　the　great　master　himself。



The　Puritans　were　trained　in　this　theology；　which　developed　the

loftiest　virtues　and　the　severest　self…constraints；　making　them

both　heroes　and　visionaries；　always　conscientious　and　sometimes

repulsive；　fitting　them　for　gigantic　tasks　and　unworthy　squabbles；

driving　them　to　the　Bible；　and　then　to　acrimonious　discussions；

creating　fears　almost　mediaeval；　leading　them　to　technical

observation　of　religious　duties；　and　transforming　the　most　genial

and　affectionate　people　under　the　sun　into　austere　saints；　with

whom　the　most　ascetic　of　monks　would　have　had　but　little　sympathy。



I　will　not　dwell　on　those　peculiarities　which　Macaulay　ridicules

and　Taine　repeats；the　hatred　of　theatres　and　assemblies　and

symbolic　festivals　and　bell…ringings；　the　rejection　of　the

beautiful；　the　elongated　features；　the　cropped　hair；　the　unadorned

garments；　the　proscription　of　innocent　pleasures；　the　nasal　voice；

the　cant　phrases；　the　rigid　decorums；　the　strict　discipline；

these；　doubtless　exaggerated；　were　more　than　balanced　by　the

observance　of　the　Sabbath；　family　prayers；　temperate　habits；　fervor

of　religious　zeal；　strict　morality；　allegiance　to　duty；　and　the

perpetual　recognition　of　God　Almighty　as　the　sovereign　of　this

world；　to　whom　we　are　responsible　for　all　our　acts　and　even　our

thoughts。　　They　formed　a　noble　material　on　which　every　emancipating

idea　could　work；　men　trained　by　persecutions　to　self…sacrifice　and

humble　duties；making　good　soldiers；　good　farmers；　good　workmen　in

every　department；　honest　and　sturdy；　patient　and　self…reliant；

devoted　to　their　families　though　not　demonstrative　of　affection；

keeping　the　Sunday　as　a　day　of　worship　rather　than　rest　or

recreation；　cherishing　as　the　dearest　and　most　sacred　of　all

privileges　the　right　to　worship　God　according　to　the　dictates　of

conscience　enlightened　by　the　Bible；　and　willing　to　fight；　even

amid　the　greatest　privations　and　sacrifices；　to　maintain　this

sacred　right　and　transmit　it　to　their　children。　　Such　were　the　men

who　fought　the　battles　of　civil　liberty　under　Cromwell；　and

colonized　the　most　sterile　of　all　American　lands；　making　the　dreary

wilderness　to　blossom　with　roses；　and　sending　out　the　shoots　of

their　civilization　to　conserve　more　fruitful　and　favored　sections

of　the　great　continent　which　God　gave　them；　to　try　new　experiments

in　liberty　and　education。



I　need　not　enumerate　the　different　sects　into　which　these　Puritans

were　divided；　so　soon　as　they　felt　they　had　the　right　to　interpret

Scripture　for　themselves。　　Nor　would　I　detail　the　various　and　cruel

persecutions　to　which　these　sects　were　subjected　by　the　government

and　the　ecclesiastical　tribunals；　until　they　rose　in　indignation

and　despair；　and　rebelled　against　the　throne；　and　made　war　on　the

King；　and　cut　off　his　head；　all　of　which　they　did　from　fear　and　for

self…defence　as　well　as　from　vengeance　and　wrath。



Nor　can　I　describe　the　counter　reformation；　the　great　reaction

which　succeeded　to　the　violence　of　the　revolution。　　The　English

reformation　was　not　consummated　until　constitutional　liberty　was

heralded　by　the　reign　of　William　and　Mary；　when　the　nation　became

almost　unanimously　Protestant；　with　perfect　toleration　of　religions

opinions；　although　the　fervor　of　the　Puritans　had　passed　away

forever；　leaving　a　residuum　of　deep…seated　popular　antipathy　to　all

the　institutions　of　Romanism　and　all　the　ideas　of　the　Middle　Ages。

The　English　reformation　began　with　princes；　and　ended　with　the

agitations　of　the　people。　　The　German　reformation　began　with　the

people；　and　ended　in　the　wars　of　princes。　　But　both　movements　were

sublime；　since　they　showed　the　force　of　religious　ideas。　　Civil

liberty　is　only　one　of　the　sequences　which　exalt　the　character　and

dignity　of　man　amid　the　seductions　and　impediments　of　a　gilded

material　life。





AU