a study of bible-第30节

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the　fighting　element　of　Scripture；　while　the　Quaker　movement　drew　into　itself　more　of　the　uniting；　pacifying　element　of　Scripture。　The　third　effect　of　the　Quaker　movement　is　John　Greenleaf　Whittier；　with　his　gentle　but　never　weak　demand　that　national　freedom　should　not　mean　independence　of　other　people　alone；　but　the　independence　of　all　people　within　the　nation。　So　that　while　the　Quaker　spirit　helped　the　colonies　to　break　loose　from　foreign　control　and　become　a　nation；　it　helped　the　nation　in　turn　to　break　loose　from　internal　shackles。　The　nation　stood　free　within　itself　as　well　as　free　from　others。　Yet　the　Quaker　movementand　this　is　the　argumentis　itself　the　result　of　the　English　Bible；　and　the　Quaker　influence　is　the　influence　of　the　English　Bible　on　history。

There　is　not　need　for　extended　word　about　the　great　Wesleyan　movement　in　the　midst　of　this　period；　which　has　so　profoundly　affected　both　English　and　American　history。　It　has　not　worked　out　into　such　visible　political　forms。　But　any　movement　that　makes　for　larger　spiritual　life　makes　for　the　strengthening　of　the　entire　life　of　the　nation。　The　mere　figures　of　the　early　Wesleyan　movement　are　almost　appalling。　Here　was　a　man；　John　Wesley；　an　Oxford　scholar；　who　spent　nearly　fifty　years　traveling　up　and　down　and　back　and　forth　through　England　on　horseback；　covering　more　than　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　miles；　preaching　everywhere　more　than　forty　thousand　times；　writing；　translating；　editing　two　hundred　works。　When　death　ended　his　busy　life　there　were　in　his　newly　formed　brotherhood　one　hundred　and　thirty…five　thousand　members；　with　five　hundred　and　fifty　itinerants　who　were　following　his　example　with　incessant　preaching　and　Bible　exposition。　It　was　the　old　Wiclif…Lollard　movement　over　again。　And　here　was　the　other　Wesley；　Charles；　teaching　England　to　sing　again；　teaching　the　old　truths　of　the　Bible　in　rhyme　to　many　who　could　not　read；　so　that　they　became　familiar；　writing　on　horseback；　in　stage…coaches；　everywhere；　writing　with　one　passion；　to　help　England　back　to　the　Bible　and　its　truth。　Such　activity　could　not　leave　the　nation　unmoved；　all　its　religious　life　felt　it；　and　its　political　life　from　serf　to　king　was　deeply　affected　by　it。　It　is　a　common　saying　that　the　Wesleyan　movement　saved　English　liberty　from　European　entanglement。　Yet　the　Wesleyan　movement　issued　from　the　Bible　and　led　England　back　to　the　Bible。

But　apart　from　these　wide　movements　and　the　great　souls　who　led　them；　there　is　time　for　thought　of　one　typical　character　on　each　side　of　the　sea　who　did　not　so　much　make　a　movement　as　he　proved　the　point　around　which　a　great　fluid　idea　crystallized　into　strength。　Across　the　sea　the　character　shall　be　that　man　whom　Carlyle　gave　back　to　us　out　of　obloquy　and　misunderstanding；　Oliver　Cromwell。　Choosing　him；　we　pass　other　names　which　crowd　into　memory；　names　of　men　who　have　served　the　need　of　England　well…Wilberforce；　John　Howard；　Shaftesbury；　Gladstonewho　drew　their　strength　from　this　Book。　Yet　we　choose　Cromwell　now　for　argument。　On　this　side　it　must　be　that　best　known；　most　beloved；　most　typical　of　all　Americans；　Abraham　Lincoln。

An　English　historian　has　said　that　the　most　influential；　the　most　unescapable　years　in　English　history　are　those　of　the　Protectorate。　That　is　a　strong　saying。　They　were　brief　years。　There　were　many　factors　in　them。　Oliver　Cromwell　was　only　one；　but　he　was　chief　of　all。　He　was　not　chief　in　the　councils　which　resulted　in　the　beheading　of　Charles　I。　on　that　30th　of　January；　1649；　though　he　took　part　in　them。　Increasingly　in　the　movements　which　led　to　that　event　and　which　followed　it　he　was　growing　into　prominence。　After　Marston　Moor；　Prince　Rupert　named　him　Ironsides；　and　his　regiment　of　picked　men；　picked　for　their　spirit；　went　always　into　battle　singing　psalms；　〃and　were　never　beaten。〃　As　he　rode　out　to　the　field　at　Naseby　（1645）　he　knew　he　faced　the　flower　of　the　loyalist　army；　while　with　him　were　only　untrained　men；　yet　he　smiled；　as　he　said　afterward；　in　the　〃assurance　that　God　would；　by　things　that　are　not；　bring　to　naught　things　that　are。〃　Then　he　adds；　〃God　did　it。〃　Never　did　he　raise　his　flag　but　in　the　interests　of　the　liberty　of　the　people；　and　back　of　every　movement　of　his　army　there　was　his　confidence　in　the　Bible；　which　was　his　mainstay。　They　offered　him　the　throne；　he　would　not　have　it。　He　dissolved　the　Parliament　which　had　dragged　on　until　the　patience　of　the　people　was　exhausted。　He　called　another　to　serve　their　need。　The　evening　before　it　met　he　spent　in　meditation　on　the　One　hundred　and　third　Psalm。　The　evening　before　the　second　Parliament　of　his　Protectorate　he　brooded　on　the　Eighty…fifth　Psalm；　and　opened　the　Parliament　next　day　with　an　exposition　of　it。　The　man　was　saturated　with　Scripture。　Yes；　the　times　were　rude。　It　was　an　Old　Testament　age；　and　in　right　Old　Testament　spirit　did　Cromwell　work。　And　it　seemed　that　his　work　failed。　There　was　no　one　to　succeed　him；　and　soon　after　his　death　came　the　Restoration　and　the　return　of　Charles　II。；　of　which　we　have　already　spoken；　in　which　occurred　that　hint　of　the　real　sentiment　of　the　English　people　which　a　wise　man　had　better　have　taken。　Yet；　recall　what　actually　happened。　Misunderstanding　the　spirit　of　the　English　people；　which　Cromwell　had　helped　to　form；　but　which　in　turn　had　made　Cromwell　possible；　the　servile　courtiers　of　the　false　king　unearthed　the　Protector's　body；　three　years　buried；　hanged　it　on　a　gallows　in　Tyburn　for　a　day；　beheaded　it；　and　threw　the　trunk　into　a　pit。　His　head　they　mockingly　set　on　a　pinnacle　of　the　Parliament　Hall；　whence　for　some　weeks　it　looked　over　the　city　which　he　had　served。　Then；　during　a　great　storm；　it　came　clattering　down；　only　a　poor　dried　skull；　and　disappeared　no　one　knows　where。　But　when　you　stand　opposite　the　great　Parliament　buildings　in　London　to…day；　the　most　beautiful　buildings　for　their　purpose　in　the　world；　the　buildings　where　the　liberties　of　the　English　express　themselves　year　after　year；　whose　is　the　one　statue　that　finds　place　within　the　inclosure；　near　the　spot　where　that　poor　skull　came　rattling　down？　Not　Charles　II。you　shall　look　in　vain　for　him。　Not　George　Monk；　who　brought　back　the　Kingyou　shall　not　find　him　there。　The　one　statue　which　England　has　cared　to　plant　beside　its　Parliament　buildings　is　that　of　Oliver　Cromwell；　its　Lord　Protector。　There　he　stands；　warning　kings　in　the　interests　of　liberty。　John　Morley　makes　no　ideal　of　him。　He　thinks　he　rather　closed　the　medieval　period　than　opened　the　modern　period；　but　he　will　not　have　Cromwell　compared　to　Frederick　the　Great；　who　spoke　with　a　sneer　of　mankind。　Cromwell　〃belonged　to　the　rarer　and　nobler　type　of　governing　men；　who　see　the　golden　side；　who　count　faith；　piety；　hope　among　the　counsels　of　practical　wisdom；　and　who　for　political　power　must　ever　seek　a　moral　base。〃　That　is　a　rare　and　noble　type　of　men；　whether　they　govern　or　not。　But　no　man　of　that　type　governs　without　red　blood　in　his　veins；　and　the　iron　that　made　this　man's　blood　run　red　came　from　the　English　Bible。

It　is　a　far　cry　from　Oliver　Cromwell　to　Abraham　Lincolnfar　in　years；　far　in　deeds；　far　in　methods；　but　not　far　in　spirit。　Great　men　are　kindred；　generations　over。　We　pass　from　the　Old　Testament　into　the　New　when　we　pass　from　Cromwell　to　Lincoln；　but　we　still　feel　the　spirit　of　liberty。　From　the　days　of　the　Puritans；　the　Quakers　and　the　Dutch；　history　had　been　preparing　for　this　time。　Benjamin　Franklin　had　done　his　great　work　for　human　liberty；　he　had　summed　up　his　hope　for　the　nation　in　his　memorable　address　in　1787；　when　he　stood　eighty…　one　years　old；　before　the　convention　assembled　to　frame　a　constitution　for　the　new　government。　He　reminded　them　that　at　the　beginning　of　the　contest　with　the　British　they　had　had　daily　prayers　in　that　room　in　Philadelphia　for　the　Divine　protection；　and　said：　〃I　have　lived　for　a　long　time；　and　the　longer　I　live　the　more　convincing　proof　I　see　of　this　truth；　that　God　governs　in　the　affairs　of　men。　And　if　a　sparrow　cannot　fall　to　the　ground　without　His　notice；　is　it　probable　that　an　empire　can　rise　without　His　aid？　We　have　been　assured；　Sir；　in　the　sacred　writings；　that　'Except　the　Lord　build　the　house；　they　labor　in　vain　that　build　it。'　I　firmly　believe　this；　and　I　also　believe　that　without　His　concurring　aid　we　shall　proceed　in　this　political　building　no　better　than　the　builders　of　Babel。　I　therefore　beg　leave　to　move　that；　henceforth；　prayers　imploring　the　assistance　of　Heaven　and　its　blessing　on　our　deliberation　be　held　in　this　assembly　every　morning　before　we　proceed　to　business；　and　that　one　or　more　of　the　clergy　of　this　city　be　requested　to　officiate　in　that　service。〃

George　Washington　sounded　a　familiar　note　in　his　farewell　address：　〃Of　all　the　dispositions　and　habits　which　lead　to　political　prosperity；　religion　and　morality　are　indispensable　supports。　A　volume　could　not　trace　all　their　connection　with　private　and　public　felicity。　Let　us　with　caution　indulge　the　supposition　that　morality　can　be　maintained　without　religion。　Whatever　may　be　conceded　to　the　influence　of　refined　education　on　minds　of　peculiar　structure；　reason　and　experience　both　forbid　us　to　expect　that　national　morality　can　prevail　in　exclusion　of　religious　principles。〃　Thomas　Jefferson；　of