beacon lights of history-iii-2-第54节

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

Nothing　which　a　created　mortal　can　do　is　infinite；　it　is　only

finite：　the　infinite　belongs　to　God　alone。　　Hence　an　infinite

penalty　for　a　finite　sin　conflicts　with　consciousness　and　is

nowhere　asserted　in　the　Bible；　which　is　transcendently　more

merciful　and　comforting　than　many　theological　systems　of　belief；

however　powerfully　sustained　by　dialectical　reasoning　and　by　the

most　excellent　men。　　Human　judgments　or　reasonings　are　fallible　on

moral　questions　which　have　two　sides；　and　reasonings　from　texts

which　present　different　meanings　when　studied　by　the　lights　of

learning　and　science　are　still　more　liable　to　be　untrustworthy。　　It

would　seem　to　be　the　supremest　necessity　for　theological　schools　to

unravel　the　meaning　of　divine　declarations；　and　present　doctrines

in　their　relation　with　apparently　conflicting　texts；　rather　than

draw　out　a　perfect　and　consistent　system；　philosophically

considered；　from　any　one　class　of　texts。　　Of　all　things　in　this

wicked　and　perplexing　world　the　science　of　theology　should　be　the

most　cheerful　and　inspiring；　for　it　involves　inquiries　on　the

loftiest　subjects　which　can　interest　a　thoughtful　mind。



But　whatever　defects　the　system　of　doctrines　which　Calvin

elaborated　with　such　transcendent　ability　may　have；　there　is　no

question　as　to　its　vast　influence　on　the　thinking　of　the　sixteenth

and　seventeenth　centuries。　　The　schools　of　France　and　Holland　and

Scotland　and　England　and　America　were　animated　by　his　genius　and

authority。　　He　was　a　burning　and　a　shining　light；　if　not　for　all

ages；　at　least　for　the　unsettled　times　in　which　he　lived。　　No

theologian　ever　had　a　greater　posthumous　power　than　he　for　nearly

three　hundred　years；　and　he　is　still　one　of　the　great　authorities

of　the　church　universal。　　John　Knox　sought　his　counsel　and　was

influenced　by　his　advice　in　the　great　reform　he　made　in　Scotland。

In　France　the　words　Calvinist　and　Huguenot　are　synonymous。

Cranmer；　too；　listened　to　his　counsels；　and　had　great　respect　for

his　learning　and　sanctity。　　Among　the　Puritans　he　has　reigned　like

an　oracle。　　Oliver　Cromwell　embraced　his　doctrines；　as　also　did　Sir

Matthew　Hale。　　Ridicule　or　abuse　of　Calvin　is　as　absurd　as　the

ridicule　or　abuse　with　which　Protestants　so　long　assailed

Hildebrand　or　Innocent　III。　　No　one　abuses　Pascal　or　Augustine；　and

yet　the　theological　views　of　all　these　are　substantially　the　same。



In　one　respect　I　think　that　Calvin　has　received　more　credit　than　he

deserves。　　Some　have　maintained　that　he　was　a　sort　of　father　of

republicanism　and　democratic　liberty。　　In　truth　he　had　no　popular

sympathies；　and　leaned　towards　an　aristocracy　which　was　little

short　of　an　oligarchy。　　He　had　no　hand　in　establishing　the

political　system　of　Geneva；　it　was　established　before　he　went

there。　　He　was　not　even　one　of　those　thinkers　who　sympathized　with

true　liberty　of　conscience。　　He　persecuted　heretics　like　a

mediaeval　Catholic　divine。　　He　would　have　burned　a　Galileo　as　he

caused　the　death　of　Servetus；　which　need　not　have　happened　but　for

him。　　Calvin　could　have　saved　Servetus　if　he　had　pleased；　but　he

complained　of　him　to　the　magistrates；　knowing　that　his　condemnation

and　death　would　necessarily　follow。　　He　had　neither　the　humanity　of

Luther　nor　the　toleration　of　Saint　Augustine。　　He　was　the

impersonation　of　intellect；like　Newton；　Leibnitz；　Spinoza；　and

Kant；which　overbore　the　impulses　of　his　heart。　　He　had　no

passions　except　zeal　for　orthodoxy。　　So　pre…eminently　did　intellect

tower　above　the　passions　that　he　seemed　to　lack　sympathy；　and　yet；

such　was　his　exalted　character；　he　was　capable　of　friendship。　　He

was　remarkable　for　every　faculty　of　the　mind　except　wit　and

imagination。　　His　memory　was　almost　incredible；　he　remembered

everything　he　ever　read　or　heard；　he　would；　after　long　intervals；

recognize　persons　whom　he　had　never　seen　but　once　or　twice。　　When

employed　in　dictation；　he　would　resume　the　thread　of　his　discourse

without　being　prompted；　after　the　most　vexatious　interruptions。

His　judgment　was　as　sound　as　his　memory　was　retentive；　it　was

almost　infallible；no　one　was　ever　known　to　have　been　misled　by

it。　　He　had　a　remarkable　analytical　power；　and　also　the　power　of

generalization。　　He　was　a　very　learned　man；　and　his　Commentaries

are　among　the　most　useful　and　valued　of　his　writings；　showing　both

learning　and　judgment；　his　exegetical　works　have　scarcely　been

improved。　　He　had　no　sceptical　or　rationalistic　tendencies；　and

therefore　his　Commentaries　may　not　be　admired　by　men　of　〃advanced

thought；〃　but　his　annotations　will　live　when　those　of　Ewald　shall

be　forgotten；　they　still　hold　their　place　in　the　libraries　of

biblical　critics。　　For　his　age　he　was　a　transcendent　critic；　his

various　writings　fill　five　folio　volumes。　　He　was　not　so　voluminous

a　writer　as　Thomas　Aquinas；　but　less　diffuse；　his　style　is　lucid；

like　that　of　Voltaire。



Considering　the　weakness　of　his　body　Calvin's　labors　were

prodigious。　　There　was　never　a　more　industrious　man；　finding　time

for　everything；for　an　amazing　correspondence；　for　pastoral

labors；　for　treatises　and　essays；　for　commentaries　and　official

duties。　　No　man　ever　accomplished　more　in　the　same　space　of　time。

He　preached　daily　every　alternate　week；　he　attended　meetings　of　the

Consistory　and　of　the　Court　of　Morals；　he　interested　himself　in　the

great　affairs　of　his　age；　he　wrote　letters　to　all　parts　of

Christendom。



Reigning　as　a　religious　dictator；　and　with　more　influence　than　any

man　of　his　age；　next　to　Luther；　Calvin　was　content　to　remain　poor；

and　was　disdainful　of　money　and　all　praises　and　rewards。　　This　was

not　an　affectation；　not　the　desire　to　imitate　the　great　saints　of

Christian　antiquity　to　whom　poverty　was　a　cardinal　virtue；　but　real

indifference；　looking　upon　money　as　impedimenta；　as　camp　equipage

is　to　successful　generals。　　He　was　not　conscious　of　being　poor　with

his　small　salary　of　fifty　dollars　a　year；　feeling　that　he　had

inexhaustible　riches　within　him；　and　hence　he　calmly　and　naturally

took　his　seat　among　the　great　men　of　the　world　as　their　peer　and

equal；　without　envy　of　the　accidents　of　fortune　and　birth。　　He　was

as　indifferent　to　money　and　luxuries　as　Socrates　when　he　walked

barefooted　among　the　Athenian　aristocracy；　or　Basil　when　he　retired

to　the　wilderness；　he　rarely　gave　vent　to　extravagant　grief　or　joy；

seldom　laughed；　and　cared　little　for　hilarities；　he　knew　no　games

or　sports；　he　rarely　played　with　children　or　gossiped　with　women；

he　loved　without　romance；　and　suffered　bereavement　without　outward

sorrow。　　He　had　no　toleration　for　human　infirmities；　and　was

neither　social　nor　genial；　he　sought　a　wife；　not　so　much　for

communion　of　feeling　as　to　ease　him　of　his　burdens；not　to　share

his　confidence；　but　to　take　care　of　his　house。　　Nor　was　he　fond；

like　Luther；　of　music　and　poetry。　　He　had　no　taste　for　the　fine

arts；　he　never　had　a　poet　or　an　artist　for　his　friend　or　companion。

He　could　not　look　out　of　his　window　without　seeing　the　glaciers　of

the　Alps；　but　seemed　to　be　unmoved　by　their　unspeakable　grandeur；

he　did　not　revel　in　the　glories　of　nature　or　art；　but　gave　his　mind

to　abstract　ideas　and　stern　practical　duties。　　He　was　sparing　of

language；　simple；　direct；　and　precise；　using　neither　sarcasm；　nor

ridicule；　nor　exaggeration。　　He　was　far　from　being　eloquent

according　to　popular　notions　of　oratory；　and　despised　the　jingle　of

words　and　phrases　and　tricks　of　rhetoric；　he　appealed　to　reason

rather　than　the　passions；　to　the　conscience　rather　than　the

imagination。



Though　mild；　Calvin　was　also　intolerant。　　Castillo；　once　his

friend；　assailed　his　doctrine　of　Decrees；　and　was　obliged　to　quit

Geneva；　and　was　so　persecuted　that　he　died　of　actual　starvation；

Perrin；　captain…general　of　the　republic；　danced　at　a　wedding；　and

was　thrown　into　prison；　Bolsec；　an　eminent　physician；　opposed　the

doctrine　of　Predestination；　and　was　sentenced　to　perpetual

imprisonment；　Gruet　spoke　lightly　of　the　ordinances　of　religion；

and　was　beheaded；　Servetus　was　a　moral　and　learned　and　honest　man；

but　could　not　escape　the　flames。　　Had　he　been　willing　to　say；　as

the　flames　consumed　his　body；　〃Jesus；　thou　eternal　Son　of　God；　have

mercy　on　me！〃　instead　of；　〃Jesus；　thou　son　of　the　eternal　God！〃　he

might　have　been　spared。　　Calvin　was　as　severe　on　those　who　refused

to　accept　his　logical　deductions　from　acknowledged　truths　as　he　was

on　those　who　denied　the　fundamental　truths　themselves。　　But

toleration　was　rare　in　his　age；　and　he　was　not　beyond　it。　　He　was

not　even　beyond　the　ideas　of　the　Middle　Ages　in　some　important

points；　such　as　those　which　pertained　to　divine　justice；the　wrath

rather　than　the　love　of　God。　　He　lived　too　near　the　Middle　Ages　to

be　emancipated　from　the　ideas　which　enslaved　such　a　man　as　Thomas

Aquinas。　　He　had　very　little　patience　with　frivolous　amusements　or

degrading　pursuits。　　He　attached　great　di