beacon lights of history-iii-2-第53节

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

show　their　general　spirit　and　meaning；　rather　than　to　draw

conclusions　from　any　particular　class　of　subjects。　　Any　system　of

deductions　from　texts　of　Scripture　which　are　offset　by　texts　of

equal　authority　but　apparently　different　meaning；　is　necessarily

one…sided　and　imperfect；　and　therefore　narrow。　　That　is　exactly　the

difficulty　under　which　Calvin　labored。　　He　seems；　to　a　large　class

of　Christians　of　great　ability　and　conscientiousness；　to　be　narrow

and　one…sided；　and　is　therefore　no　authority　to　them；　not；　be　it

understood；　in　reference　to　the　great　fundamental　doctrines　of

Christianity；　but　in　his　views　of　Predestination　and　the　subjects

interlinked　with　it。　　And　it　was　the　great　error　of　attaching　so

much　importance　to　mere　metaphysical　divinity　that　led　to　such　a

revulsion　from　his　peculiar　system　in　after　times。　　It　was　the

great　wisdom　of　the　English　reformers；　like　Cranmer；　to　leave　all

those　metaphysical　questions　open；　as　matters　of　comparatively

little　consequence；　and　fall　back　on　unquestioned　doctrines　of

primitive　faith；　that　have　given　so　great　vitality　to　the　English

Church；　and　made　it　so　broad　and　catholic。　　The　Puritans　as　a　body；

more　intellectual　than　the　mass　of　the　Episcopalians；　were　led　away

by　the　imposing　and　entangling　dialectics　of　the　scholastic　Calvin；

and　came　unfortunately　to　attach　as　much　importance　to　such

subjects　as　free…will　and　predestinationquestions　most

complicatedas　they　did　to　〃the　weightier　matters　of　the　law；〃　and

when　pushed　by　the　logic　of　opponents　to　the　decretum　horribile；〃

have　been　compelled　to　fall　back　on　the　Catholic　doctrine　of

mysteries；　as　something　which　could　never　be　explained　or

comprehended；　but　which　it　is　a　Christian　duty　to　accept　as　a

mystery。　　The　Scriptures　certainly　speak　of　mysteries；　like

regeneration；　but　it　is　one　thing　to　marvel　how　a　man　can　be　born

again　by　the　Spirit　of　God；a　fact　we　see　every　day；and　quite

another　thing　to　make　a　mystery　to　be　accepted　as　a　matter　of　faith

of　that　which　the　Bible　has　nowhere　distinctly　affirmed；　and　which

is　against　all　ideas　of　natural　justice；　and　arrived　at　by　a　subtle

process　of　dialectical　reasoning。



But　it　was　natural　for　so　great　an　intellectual　giant　as　Calvin　to

make　his　startling　deductions　from　the　great　truths　he　meditated

upon　with　so　much　seriousness　and　earnestness。　　Only　a　very　lofty

nature　would　have　revelled　as　he　did；　and　as　Augustine　did　before

him　and　Pascal　after　him；　in　those　great　subjects　which　pertain　to

God　and　his　dispensations。　　All　his　meditations　and　formulated

doctrines　radiate　from　the　great　and　sublime　idea　of　the　majesty　of

God　and　the　comparative　insignificance　of　man。　　And　here　he　was　not

so　far　apart　from　the　great　sages　of　antiquity；　before　salvation

was　revealed　by　Christ。　　〃Canst　thou　by　searching　find　out　God？〃

〃What　is　man　that　Thou　art　mindful　of　him？〃



And　here　I　would　remark　that　theologians　and　philosophers　have　ever

been　divided　into　two　great　schools；those　who　have　had　a　tendency

to　exalt　the　dignity　of　man；　and　those　who　would　absorb　man　in　the

greatness　of　the　Deity。　　These　two　schools　have　advocated　doctrines

which；　logically　carried　out　to　their　ultimate　sequences；　would

produce　a　Grecian　humanitarianism　on　the　one　hand；　and　a　sort　of

Bramanism　on　the　other；the　one　making　man　the　arbiter　of　his　own

destiny；　independently　of　divine　agency；　and　the　other　making　the

Deity　the　only　power　of　the　universe。　　With　one　school；　God　as　the

only　controlling　agency　is　a　fiction；　and　man　himself　is　infinite

in　faculties；　the　other　holds　that　God　is　everything　and　man　is

nothing。　　The　distinction　between　these　two　schools；　both　of　which

have　had　great　defenders；　is　fundamental；such　as　that　between

Augustine　and　Pelagius；　between　Bernard　and　Abelard；　and　between

Calvin　and　Lainez。　　Among　those　who　have　inclined　to　the　doctrine

of　the　majesty　of　God　and　the　littleness　of　man　were　the　primitive

monks　and　the　Indian　theosophists；　and　the　orthodox　scholastics　of

the　Middle　Ages；all　of　whom　were　comparatively　indifferent　to

material　pleasure　and　physical　progress；　and　sought　the　salvation

of　the　soul　and　the　favor　of　God　beyond　all　temporal　blessings。　　Of

the　other　class　have　been　the　Greek　philosophers　and　the

rationalizing　schoolmen　and　the　modern　lights　of　science。



Now　Calvin　was　imbued　with　the　lofty　spirit　of　the　Fathers　of　the

Church　and　the　more　religious　and　contemplative　of　the　schoolmen

and　the　saints　of　the　Middle　Ages；　when　he　attached　but　little

dignity　to　man　unaided　by　divine　grace；　and　was　absorbed　with　the

idea　of　the　sovereignty　of　God；　in　whose　hands　man　is　like　clay　in

the　hands　of　the　potter。　　This　view　of　God　pervaded　the　whole

spirit　of　his　theology；　making　it　both　lofty　and　yet　one…sided。　　To

him　the　chief　end　of　man　was　to　glorify　God；　not　to　develop　his　own

intellectual　faculties；　and　still　less　to　seek　the　pleasures　and

excitements　of　the　world。　　Man　was　a　sinner　before　an　infinite　God；

and　he　could　rise　above　the　polluting　influence　of　sin　only　by　the

special　favor　of　God　and　his　divinely　communicated　grace。　　Man　was

so　great　a　sinner　that　he　deserved　an　eternal　punishment；　only　to

be　rescued　as　a　brand　plucked　from　the　fire；　as　one　of　the　elect

before　the　world　was　made。　　The　vast　majority　of　men　were　left　to

the　uncovenanted　mercies　of　Christ；the　redeemer；　not　of　the　race；

but　of　those　who　believed。



To　Calvin　therefore；　as　to　the　Puritans；　the　belief　in　a　personal

God　was　everything；　not　a　compulsory　belief　in　the　general

existence　of　a　deity　who；　united　with　Nature；　reveals　himself　to

our　consciousness；　not　the　God　of　the　pantheist；　visible　in　all　the

wonders　of　Nature；　not　the　God　of　the　rationalist；　who　retires　from

the　universe　which　he　has　made；　leaving　it　to　the　operation　of

certain　unchanging　and　universal　laws：　but　the　God　whom　Abraham　and

Moses　and　the　prophets　saw　and　recognized；　and　who　by　his　special

providence　rules　the　destinies　of　men。　　The　most　intellectual　of

the　reformers　abhorred　the　deification　of　the　reason；　and　clung　to

that　exalted　supernaturalism　which　was　the　life　and　hope　of　blessed

saints　and　martyrs　in　bygone　ages；　and　which　in　〃their　contests

with　mail…clad　infidelity　was　like　the　pebble　which　the　shepherd　of

Israel　hurled　against　the　disdainful　boaster　who　defied　the　power

of　Israel's　God。〃　　And　he　was　thus　brought　into　close　sympathy　with

the　realism　of　the　Fathers；　who　felt　that　all　that　is　valuable　in

theology　must　radiate　from　the　recognition　of　Almighty　power　in　the

renovation　of　society；　and　displayed；　not　according　to　our　human

notions　of　law　and　progress　and　free…will；　but　supernaturally　and

mysteriously；　according　to　his　sovereign　will；　which　is　above　law；

since　God　is　the　author　of　law。　　He　simply　erred　in　enforcing　a

certain　class　of　truths　which　must　follow　from　the　majesty　of　the

one　great　First　Cause；　lofty　as　these　truths　are；　to　the　exclusion

of　another　class　of　truths　of　great　importance；　which　gives　to　his

system　incompleteness　and　one…sidedness。　　Thus　he　was　led　to

undervalue　the　power　of　truth　itself　in　its　contest　with　error。　　He

was　led　into　a　seeming　recognition　of　two　wills　in　God；that　which

wills　the　salvation　of　all　men；　and　that　which　wills　the　salvation

of　the　elect　alone。　　He　is　accused　of　a　leaning　to　fatalism；　which

he　heartily　denied；　but　which　seems　to　follow　from　his　logical

conclusions。　　He　entered　into　an　arena　of　metaphysical　controversy

which　can　never　be　settled。　　The　doctrines　of　free…will　and

necessity　can　never　be　reconciled　by　mortal　reason。　　Consciousness

reveals　the　freedom　of　the　will　as　well　as　the　slavery　to　sin。　　Men

are　conscious　of　both；　they　waste　their　time　in　attempting　to

reconcile　two　apparently　opposing　facts；like　our　pious　fathers　at

their　New　England　fire…sides；　who　were　compelled　to　shelter

themselves　behind　mystery。



The　tendency　of　Calvin's　system；　it　is　maintained　by　many；　is　to

ascribe　to　God　attributes　which　according　to　natural　justice　would

be　injustice　and　cruelty；　such　as　no　father　would　exercise　on　his

own　children；　however　guilty。　　Even　good　men　will　not　accept　in

their　hearts　doctrines　which　tend　to　make　God　less　compassionate

than　man。　　There　are　not　two　kinds　of　justice。　　The　intellect　is

appalled　when　it　is　affirmed　that　one　man　JUSTLY　suffers　the

penalty　of　another　man's　sin；although　the　world　is　full　of

instances　of　men　suffering　from　the　carelessness　or　wickedness　of

others；　as　in　a　wicked　war　or　an　unnecessary　railway　disaster。　　The

Scripture　law　of　retribution；　as　brought　out　in　the　Bible　and

sustained　by　consciousness；　is　the　penalty　a　man　pays　for　personal

and　voluntary　transgression。　　Nor　will　consciousness　accept　the

doctrine　that　the　sin　of　a　mortalespecially　under　strong

temptation　and　with　all　the　bias　of　a　sinful　natureis　infinite。

Nothing　which　a　created　m