beacon lights of history-iii-2-第55节

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Aquinas。　　He　had　very　little　patience　with　frivolous　amusements　or

degrading　pursuits。　　He　attached　great　dignity　to　the　ministerial

office；　and　set　a　severe　example　of　decorum　and　propriety　in　all

his　public　ministrations。　　He　was　a　type　of　the　early　evangelical

divines；　and　was　the　father　of　the　old　Puritan　strictness　and

narrowness　and　fidelity　to　trusts。　　His　very　faults　grew　out　of

virtues　pushed　to　extremes。　　In　our　times　such　a　man　would　not　be

selected　as　a　travelling　companion；　or　a　man　at　whose　house　we

would　wish　to　keep　the　Christmas　holidays。　　His　unattractive

austerity　perhaps　has　been　made　too　much　of　by　his　enemies；　and

grew　out　of　his　unimpulsive　temperament；call　it　cold　if　we　must；

and　also　out　of　his　stern　theology；　which　marked　the　ascetics　of

the　Middle　Ages。　　Few　would　now　approve　of　his　severity　of

discipline　any　more　than　they　would　feel　inclined　to　accept　some　of

his　theological　deductions。



I　question　whether　Calvin　lived　in　the　hearts　of　his　countrymen；　or

they　would　have　erected　some　monument　to　his　memory。　　In　our　times

a　statue　has　been　erected　to　Rousseau　in　Geneva；　but　Calvin　was

buried　without　ceremony　and　with　exceeding　simplicity。　　He　was　a

warrior　who　cared　nothing　for　glory　or　honor；　absorbed　in　devotion

to　his　Invisible　King；　not　indifferent　to　the　exercise　of　power；

but　only　as　he　felt　he　was　the　delegated　messenger　of　Divine

Omnipotence　scattering　to　the　winds　the　dust　of　all　mortal

grandeur。　　With　all　his　faults；　which　were　on　the　surface；　he　was

the　accepted　idol　and　oracle　of　a　great　party；　and　stamped　his

genius　on　his　own　and　succeeding　ages。　　Whatever　the　Presbyterians

have　done　for　civilization；　he　comes　in　for　a　share　of　the　honor。

Whatever　foundations　the　Puritans　laid　for　national　greatness　in

this　country；　it　must　be　confessed　that　they　caught　inspiration

from　his　decrees。　　Such　a　great　master　of　exegetical　learning　and

theological　inquiry　and　legislative　wisdom　will　be　forever　held　in

reverence　by　lofty　characters；　although　he　may　be　no　favorite　with

the　mass　of　mankind。　　If　many　great　men　and　good　men　have　failed　to

comprehend　either　his　character　or　his　system；　how　can　a　pleasure…

loving　and　material　generation；　seeking　to　combine　the　glories　of

this　world　with　the　promises　of　the　next；　see　much　in　him　to

admire；　except　as　a　great　intellectual　dialectician　and　system…

maker　in　an　age　with　which　it　has　no　sympathy？　　How　can　it

appreciate　his　deep　spiritual　life；　his　profound　communion　with

God；　his　burning　zeal　for　the　defence　of　Christian　doctrine；　his

sublime　self…sacrifice；　his　holy　resignation；　his　entire

consecration　to　a　great　cause？　　Nobody　can　do　justice　to　Calvin　who

does　not　know　the　history　of　his　times；　the　circumstances　which

surrounded　him；　and　the　enemies　he　was　required　to　fight。　　No　one

can　comprehend　his　character　or　mission　who　does　not　feel　it　to　be

supremely　necessary　to　have　a　definite；　positive　system　of

religious　belief；　based　on　the　authority　of　the　Scriptures　as　a

divine　inspiration；　both　as　an　anchor　amid　the　storms　and　a　star　of

promise　and　hope。



And；　after　all；　what　is　the　head　and　front　of　Calvin's　offending？

that　he　was　cold；　unsocial；　and　ungenial　in　character；　and　that；　as

a　theologian；　he　fearlessly　and　inexorably　pushed　out　his

deductions　to　their　remotest　logical　sequences。　　But　he　was　no　more

austere　than　Chrysostom；　no　more　ascetic　than　Basil；　not　even

sterner　in　character　than　Michael　Angelo；　or　more　unsocial　than

Pascal　or　Cromwell　or　William　the　Silent。　　We　lose　sight　of　his

defects　in　the　greatness　of　his　services　and　the　exalted　dignity　of

his　character。　　If　he　was　severe　to　adversaries；　he　was　kind　to

friends；　and　when　his　feeble　body　was　worn　out　by　his　protracted

labors；　at　the　age　of　fifty…three；　and　he　felt　that　the　hand　of

death　was　upon　him；　he　called　together　his　friends　and　fellow…

laborers　in　reform；the　magistrates　and　ministers　of　Geneva；

imparted　his　last　lessons；　and　expressed　his　last　wishes；　with　the

placidity　of　a　Christian　sage。　　Amid　tears　and　sobs　and　stifled

groans　he　discoursed　calmly　on　his　approaching　departure；　gave　his

affectionate　benedictions；　and　commended　them　and　his　cause　to

Christ；　lingering　longer　than　was　expected；　but　dying　in　the

highest　triumphs　of　Christian　faith；　May　27；　1564；　in　the；　arms　of

his　faithful　and　admiring　Beza；　as　the　rays　of　the　setting…sun

gilded　with　their　glory　his　humble　chamber　of　toil　and　spiritual

exaltation。



No　man　who　knows　anything　will　ever　sneer　at　Calvin。　　He　is　not　to

be　measured　by　common　standards。　　He　was　universally　regarded　as

the　greatest　light　of　the　theological　world。　　When　we　remember　his

transcendent　abilities；　his　matchless　labors；　his　unrivalled

influence；　his　unblemished　morality；　his　lofty　piety；　and　soaring

soul；　all　flippant　criticism　is　contemptible　and　mean。　　He　ranks

with　immortal　benefactors；　and　needs　least　of　all　any　apologies　for

his　defects。　　A　man　who　stamped　his　opinions　on　his　own　age　and

succeeding　ages　can　be　regarded　only　as　a　very　extraordinary

genius。　　A　frivolous　and　pleasure…seeking　generation　may　not　be

attracted　by　such　an　impersonation　of　cold　intellect；　and　may　rear

no　costly　monument　to　his　memory；　but　his　work　remains　as　the

leader　of　the　loftiest　class　of　Christian　enthusiasts　that　the

modern　world　has　known；　and　the　founder　of　a　theological　system

which　still　numbers；　in　spite　of　all　the　changes　of　human　thought；

some　of　the　greatest　thinkers　and　ablest　expounders　of　Christian

doctrine　in　both　Europe　and　America。　　To　have　been　the　spiritual

father　of　the　Puritans　for　three　hundred　years　is　itself　a　great

evidence　of　moral　and　intellectual　excellence；　and　will　link　his

name　with　some　of　the　greatest　movements　that　have　marked　our

modern　civilization。　　From　Plymouth　Rock　to　the　shores　of　the

Pacific　Ocean　we　still　see　the　traces　of　his　marvellous　genius；　and

his　still　more　wonderful　influence　on　the　minds　of　men　and　on　the

schools　of　Christian　theology；　so　that　he　will　ever　be　regarded　as

the　great　doctor　of　the　Protestant　Church。





AUTHORITIES。





Henry's　Life　of　Calvin；　translated　by　Stebbings；　Dyer's　Life　of

Calvin；　Beza's　Life　of　Calvin；　Drelincourt's　Defence　of　Calvin；

Bayle；　Maimbourg's　Histoire　du　Calvinisme；　Calvin's　Works；　Ruchat；

D'Aubigne's　History　of　the　Reformation；　Burnet's　Reformation；

Mosheim；　Biographie　Universelle；　article　on　Servetus；　Schlosser's

Leben　Bezas；　McCrie's　Life　of　Knox；　Original　Letters　（Parker

Society）。







FRANCIS　BACON。



A。　D。　1561…1626。



THE　NEW　PHILOSOPHY。





It　is　not　easy　to　present　the　life　and　labors　of





　　　　〃The　wisest；　brightest；　meanest　of　mankind。〃





So　Pope　sums　up　the　character　of　the　great　Lord　Bacon；　as　he　is

generally　but　improperly　called；　and　this　verdict；　in　the　main；　has

been　confirmed　by　Lords　Macaulay　and　Campbell；　who　seem　to　delight

in　keeping　him　in　that　niche　of　the　temple　of　fame　where　the　poet

has　placed　him；contemptible　as　a　man；　but　venerable　as　the

philosopher；　radiant　with　all　the　wisdom　of　his　age　and　of　all

preceding　ages；　the　miner　and　sapper　of　ancient　falsehoods；　the

pioneer　of　all　true　knowledge；　the　author　of　that　inductive　and

experimental　philosophy　on　which　is　based　the　glory　of　our　age。

Macaulay　especially；　in　that　long　and　brilliant　article　which

appeared　in　the　〃Edinburgh　Review〃　in　1837；　has　represented　him　as

a　remarkably　worldly　man；　cold；　calculating；　selfish　a　sycophant

and　a　flatterer；　bent　on　self…exaltation；　greedy；　careless；　false；

climbing　to　power　by　base　subserviency；　betraying　friends　and

courting　enemies；　with　no　animosities　he　does　not　suppress　from

policy；　and　with　no　affections　which　he　openly　manifests　when　it

does　not　suit　his　interests：　so　that　we　read　with　shame　of　his

extraordinary　shamelessness；　from　the　time　he　first　felt　the

cravings　of　a　vulgar　ambition　to　the　consummation　of　a　disgraceful

crime；　from　the　base　desertion　of　his　greatest　benefactor　to　the

public　selling　of　justice　as　Lord　High　Chancellor　of　the　realm；

resorting　to　all　the　arts　of　a　courtier　to　win　the　favor　of　his

sovereign　and　of　his　minions　and　favorites；　reckless　as　to　honest

debts；　torturing　on　the　rack　an　honest　parson　for　a　sermon　he　never

preached；　and；　when　obliged　to　confess　his　corruption；　meanly

supplicating　mercy　from　the　nation　he　had　outraged；　and　favors　from

the　monarch　whose　cause　he　had　betrayed。　　The　defects　and

delinquencies　of　this　great　man　are　bluntly　and　harshly　put　by

Macaulay；　without　any　attempt　to　soften　or　palliate　them：　as　if　he

would　consign　his　name　and　memory　not　〃to　men's　charitable

speeches；　to　foreign　nations；　and　to　the　next　ages；〃　but　to　an

infamy　as　lasting　and　deep　as　that　of　Scroggs　and　of　Jeffreys；　or

any　of　those　hideous　tyrants　and　monsters　that　disgraced　the　reigns

of　the　Stuart　kings。



And　yet　while　the　man　is　made　to　appear　in　such　hideous　colors；　his