beacon lights of history-iii-2-第52节

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truth　he　seizes　upon；　and　hence　he　appears　to　many　gifted　and

learned　critics　to　draw　conclusions　from　accepted　premises　which

apparently　conflict　with　consciousness　or　natural　reason；　and　hence

there　has　ever　been　repugnance　to　many　of　his　doctrines；　because　it

is　impossible；　it　is　said；　to　believe　them。



In　general；　Calvin　does　not　essentially　differ　from　the　received

doctrines　of　the　Church　as　defended　by　its　greatest　lights　in　all

ages。　　His　peculiarity　is　not　in　making　a　digest　of　divinity；

although　he　treated　all　the　great　subjects　which　have　been

discussed　from　Athanasius　to　Aquinas。　　His　〃Institutes〃　may　well　be

called　an　exhaustive　system　of　theology。　　There　is　no　great

doctrine　which　he　has　not　presented　with　singular　clearness　and

logical　force。　　Yet　it　is　not　for　a　general　system　of　divinity　that

he　is　famous；　but　for　making　prominent　a　certain　class　of　subjects；

among　which　he　threw　the　whole　force　of　his　genius。　　In　fact　all

the　great　lights　of　the　Church　have　been　distinguished　for　the

discussion　of　particular　doctrines　to　meet　the　exigencies　of　their

times。　　Thus　Athanasius　is　identified　with　the　Trinitarian

controversy；　although　he　was　a　minister　of　theological　knowledge　in

general。　　Augustine　directed　his　attention　more　particularly　to　the

refutation　of　Pelagian　heresies　and　human　Depravity。　　Luther's

great　doctrine　was　Justification　by　Faith；　although　he　took　the

same　ground　as　Augustine。　　It　was　the　logical　result　of　the

doctrines　of　Grace　which　he　defended　which　led　to　the　overthrow；　in

half　of　Europe；　of　that　extensive　system　of　penance　and　self…

expiation　which　marked　the　Roman　Catholic　Church；　and　on　which　so

many　glaring　abuses　were　based。　　As　Athanasius　rendered　a　great

service　to　the　Church　by　establishing　the　doctrine　of　the　Trinity；

and　Augustine　a　still　greater　service　by　the　overthrow　of

Pelagianism；　so　Luther　undermined　the　papal　pile　of　superstition　by

showing　eloquently；what　indeed　had　been　shown　before；　the　true

ground　of　justification。　　When　we　speak　of　Calvin；　the　great

subject　of　Predestination　arises　before　our　minds；　although　on　this

subject　he　made　no　pretention　to　originality。　　Nor　did　he　differ

materially　from　Augustine；　or　Gottschalk；　or　Thomas　Aquinas　before

him；　or　Pascal　and　Edwards　after　him。　　But　no　man　ever　presented

this　complicated　and　mysterious　subject　so　ably　as　be。



It　is　not　for　me　to　discuss　this　great　topic。　　I　simply　wish　to

present　the　subject　historically；to　give　Calvin's　own　views；　and

the　effect　of　his　deductions　on　the　theology　of　his　age；　and　in

giving　Calvin's　views　I　must　shelter　myself　under　the　wings　of　his

best　biographer；　Doctor　Henry　of　Berlin；　and　quote　the　substance　of

his　exposition　of　the　peculiar　doctrines　of　the　Swiss；　or　rather

French；　theologian。



According　to　Henry；　Calvin　maintained　that　God；　in　his　sovereign

will　and　for　his　own　glory；　elected　one　part　of　the　human　race　to

everlasting　life；　and　abandoned　the　other　part　to　everlasting

death；　that　man；　by　the　original　transgression；　lost　the　power　of

free…will；　except　to　do　evil；　that　it　is　only　by　Divine　Grace　that

freedom　to　do　good　is　recovered；　but　that　this　grace　is　bestowed

only　on　the　elect；　and　elect　not　in　consequence　of　the

foreknowledge　of　God；　but　by　his　absolute　decree　before　the　world

was　made。



This　is　the　substance　of　those　peculiar　doctrines　which　are　called

Calvinism；　and　by　many　regarded　as　fundamental　principles　of

theology；　to　be　received　with　the　same　unhesitating　faith　as　the

declarations　of　Scripture　from　which　those　doctrines　are　deduced。

Augustine　and　Aquinas　accepted　substantially　the　same　doctrines；

but　they　were　not　made　so　prominent　in　their　systems；　nor　were　they

so　elaborately　worked　out。



The　opponents　of　Calvin；　including　some　of　the　brightest　lights

which　have　shone　in　the　English　church；such　men　as　Jeremy　Taylor；

Archbishop　Whately；　and　Professor　Mosley；affirm　that　these

doctrines　are　not　only　opposed　to　free…will；　but　represent　God　as

arbitrarily　dooming　a　large　part　of　the　human　race　to　future　and

endless　punishment；　withholding　from　them　his　grace；　by　which　alone

they　can　turn　from　their　sins；　creating　them　only　to　destroy　them：

not　as　the　potter　moulds　the　clay　for　vessels　of　honor　and

dishonor；　but　moulding　the　clay　in　order　to　destroy　the　vessels　he

has　made；　whether　good　or　bad；　which　doctrine　they　affirm　conflicts

with　the　views　usually　held　out　in　the　Scriptures　of　God　as　a　God

of　love；　and　also　conflicts　with　all　natural　justice；　and　is

therefore　one…sided　and　narrow。



The　premises　from　which　this　doctrine　is　deduced　are　those

Scripture　texts　which　have　the　authority　of　the　Apostle　Paul；　such

as　these：　〃According　as　he　hath　chosen　us　in　him　before　the

foundation　of　the　world；〃　〃For　whom　he　did　foreknow　he　also　did

predestinate；〃　〃Jacob　have　I　loved　and　Esau　have　I　hated；〃　〃He　hath

mercy　on　whom　he　will　have　mercy；　and　whom　he　will　he　hardeneth；〃

〃Hath　not　the　potter　power　over　his　clay？〃　　No　one　denies　that　from

these　texts　the　Predestination　of　Calvin　as　well　as　Augustinefor

they　both　had　similar　viewsis　logically　drawn。　　It　has　been

objected　that　both　of　these　eminent　theologians　overlooked　other

truths　which　go　in　parallel　lines；　and　which　would　modify　the

doctrine；even　as　Scripture　asserts　in　one　place　the　great　fact

that　the　will　is　free；　and　in　another　place　that　the　will　is

shackled。　　The　Pelagian　would　push　out　the　doctrine　of　free…will　so

as　to　ignore　the　necessity　of　grace；　and　the　Augustinian　would　push

out　the　doctrine　of　the　servitude　of　the　will　into　downright

fatalism。　　But　these　great　logicians　apparently　shrink　from　the

conclusions　to　which　their　logic　leads　them。　　Both　Augustine　and

Calvin　protest　against　fatalism；　and　both　assert　that　the　will　is

so　far　free　that　the　sinner　acts　without　constraint；　and

consequently　the　blame　of　his　sins　rests　upon　himself；　and　not　upon

another。　　The　doctrines　of　Calvin　and　Augustine　logically　pursued

would　lead　to　the　damnation　of　infants；　yet；　as　a　matter　of　fact；

neither　maintained　that　to　which　their　logic　led。　　It　is　not　in

human　nature　to　believe　such　a　thing；　even　if　it　may　be

dogmatically　asserted。



And　then；　in　regard　to　sin：　no　one　has　ever　disputed　the　fact　that

sin　is　rampant　in　this　world；　and　is　deserving　of　punishment。　　But

theologians　of　the　school　of　Augustine　and　Calvin；　in　view　of　the

fact；　have　assumed　the　premisewhich　indeed　cannot　be　disputed

that　sin　is　against　an　infinite　God。　　Hence；　that　sin　against　an

infinite　God　is　itself　infinite；　and　hence　that；　as　sin　deserves

punishment；　an　infinite　sin　deserves　infinite　punishment；a

conclusion　from　which　consciousness　recoils；　and　which　is　nowhere

asserted　in　the　Bible。　　It　is　a　conclusion　arrived　at　by

metaphysical　reasoning；　which　has　very　little　to　do　with　practical

Christianity；　and　which；　imposed　as　a　dogma　of　belief；　to　be

accepted　like　plain　declarations　of　Scripture；　is　an　insult　to　the

human　understanding。　　But　this　conclusion；　involving　the　belief

that　inherited　sin　IS　INFINITE；　and　deserving　of　infinite

punishment；　appals　the　mind。　　For　relief　from　this　terrible　logic；

the　theologian　adduces　the　great　fact　that　Christ　made　an　atonement

for　sin；another　cardinal　declaration　of　the　Scripture；and　that

believers　in　this　atonement　shall　be　saved。　　This　Bible　doctrine　is

exceedingly　comforting；　and　accounts　in　a　measure　for　the

marvellous　spread　of　Christianity。　　The　wretched　people　of　the　old

Roman　world　heard　the　glad　tidings　that　Christ　died　for　them；　as　an

atonement　for　the　sins　of　which　they　were　conscious；　and　which　had

chained　them　to　despair。　　But　another　class　of　theologians　deduced

from　this　premise；　that；　as　Christ's　death　was　an　infinite

atonement　for　the　sins　of　the　world；　so　all　men；　and　consequently

all　sinners；　would　be　saved。　　This　was　the　ground　of　the　original

Universalists；　deduced　from　the　doctrines　which　Augustine　and

Calvin　had　formulated。　　But　they　overlooked　the　Scripture

declaration　which　Calvin　never　lost　sight　of；　that　salvation　was

only　for　those　who　believed。　　Now　inasmuch　as　a　vast　majority　of

the　human　race；　including　infants；　have　not　believed；　it　becomes　a

logical　conclusion　that　all　who　have　not　believed　are　lost。　　Logic

and　consciousness　then　come　into　collision；　and　there　is　no　relief

but　in　consigning　these　discrepancies　to　the　realm　of　mystery。



I　allude　to　these　theological　difficulties　simply　to　show　the

tyranny　to　which　the　mind　and　soul　are　subjected　whenever

theological　deductions　are　invested　with　the　same　authority　as

belongs　to　original　declarations　of　Scripture；　and　which；　so　far

from　being　systematized；　do　not　even　always　apparently　harmonize。

Almost　any　system　of　belief　can　be　logically　deduced　from　Scripture

texts。　　It　should　be　the　work　of　theologians　to　harmonize　them　and

show　their　general　spirit　and　meaning；　rather　than　to　draw

conclusions　from　an