beacon lights of history-iii-2-第31部分

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What　an　abomination！　what　treachery　to　heaven！　what　peril　to　the

souls　of　men！　　Besides；　your　authorities　differ。　　Augustine　takes

different　ground　from　Pelagius；　Bernard　from　Abelard；　Thomas

Aquinas　from　Dun　Scotus。　　Have　not　your　grand　councils　given

contradictory　decisions？　　Whom　shall　we　believe？　　Yea；　the　popes

themselves；　your　infallible　guides；have　they　not　at　different

times　rendered　different　decisions？　　What　would　Gregory　I。　say　to

the　verdicts　of　Gregory　VII。？



〃No；　the　Scriptures　are　the　legacy　of　the　early　Church　to　universal

humanity；　they　are　the　equal　and　treasured　inheritance　of　all

nations　and　tribes　and　kindreds　upon　the　face　of　the　earth；　and

will　be　till　the　day　of　judgment。　　It　was　intended　that　they　should

be　diffused；　and　that　every　one　should　read　them；　and　interpret

them　each　for　himself；　for　he　has　a　soul　to　save；　and　he　dare　not

intrust　such　a　precious　thing　as　his　soul　into　the　keeping　of

selfish　and　ambitious　priests。　　Take　away　the　Bible　from　a　peasant；

or　a　woman；　or　any　layman；　and　cannot　the　priest；　armed　with　the

terrors　and　the　frauds　of　the　Middle　Ages；　shut　up　his　soul　in　a

gloomy　dungeon；　as　noisome　and　funereal　as　your　Mediaeval　crypts？

And　will　you；　ye　boasted　intellectual　guides　of　the　people；

extinguish　reason　in　this　world　in　reference　to　the　most　momentous

interests？　　What　other　guide　has　a　man　but　his　reason？　　And　you

would　prevent　this　very　reason　from　being　enlightened　by　the

Gospel！　　You　would　obscure　reason　itself　by　your　traditions；　O　ye

blind　leaders　of　the　blind！　　O　ye　legal　and　technical　men；

obscuring　the　light　of　truth！　　O　ye　miserable　Pharisees；　ye　bigots；

ye　selfish　priests；　tenacious　of　your　power；　your　inventions；　your

traditions；will　ye　withhold　the　free　redemption；　God's　greatest

boon；　salvation　by　the　blood　of　Christ；　offered　to　all　the　world？

Yea；　will　you　suffer　the　people　to　perish；　soul　and　body；　because

you　fear　that；　instructed　by　God　himself；　they　will　rebel　against

your　accursed　despotism？　　Have　you　considered　what　a　mighty　crime

you　thus　commit　against　God；　against　man？　　Ye　rule　by　an　infernal

appeal　to　the　superstitious　fears　of　men；　but　how　shall　ye

yourselves；　for　such　crimes；　escape　the　damnation　of　that　hell　into

which　you　would　push　your　victims　unless　they　obey　YOU？



〃No；　I　say；　let　the　Scriptures　be　put　into　the　hands　of　everybody；

let　every　one　interpret　them　for　himself；　according　to　the　light　he

has；　let　there　be　private　judgment；　let　spiritual　liberty　be

revived；　as　in　Apostolic　days。　　Then　only　will　the　people　be

emancipated　from　the　Middle　Ages；　and　arise　in　their　power　and

majesty；　and　obey　the　voice　of　enlightened　conscience；　and　be　true

to　their　convictions；　and　practise　the　virtues　which　Christianity

commands；　and　obey　God　rather　than　man；　and　defy　all　sorts　of

persecution　and　martyrdom；　having　a　serene　faith　in　those　blessed

promises　which　the　Gospel　unfolds。　　Then　will　the　people　become

great；　after　the　conflicts　of　generations；　and　put　under　their　feet

the　mockeries　and　lies　and　despotisms　which　grind　them　to　despair。〃



Thus　was　born　the　third　great　idea　of　the　Reformation；　out　of

Luther's　brain；　a　logical　sequence　from　the　first　idea；the　right

of　private　judgment；　religious　liberty；　call　it　what　you　will；　a

great　inspiration　which　in　after　times　was　destined　to　march

triumphantly　over　battle…fields；　and　give　dignity　and　power　to　the

people；　and　lead　to　the　reception　of　great　truths　obscured　by

priests　for　one　thousand　years；　the　motive　of　an　irresistible

popular　progress；　planting　England　with　Puritans；　and　Scotland　with

heroes；　and　France　with　martyrs；　and　North　America　with　colonists；

yea；　kindling　a　fervid　religions　life；　creating　such　men　as　Knox

and　Latimer　and　Taylor　and　Baxter　and　Howe；　who　owed　their

greatness　to　the　study　of　the　Scriptures；at　last　put　into　every

hand；　and　scattered　far　and　wide；　even　to　India　and　China。　　Can

anybody　doubt　the　marvellous　progress　of　Protestant　nations　in

consequence　of　the　translation　and　circulation　of　the　Scriptures？

How　these　are　bound　up　with　their　national　life；　and　all　their

social　habits；　and　all　their　religious　aspirations；　how　they　have

elevated　the　people；　ten　hundred　millions　of　times　more　than　the

boasted　Renaissance　which　sprang　from　apostate　and　infidel　and

Pagan　Italy；　when　she　dug　up　the　buried　statues　of　Greece　and　Rome；

and　revived　the　literature　and　arts　which　soften；　but　do　not　save

for　private　judgment　and　religious　liberty　mean　nothing　more　and

nothing　less　than　the　unrestricted　perusal　of　the　Scriptures　as　the

guide　of　life。



This　right　of　private　judgment；　on　which　Luther　was　among　the　first

to　insist；　and　of　which　certainly　he　was　the　first　great　champion

in　Europe；　was　in　that　age　a　very　bold　idea；　as　well　as　original。

It　flattered　as　well　as　stimulated　the　intellect　of　the　people；　and

gave　them　dignity；　it　gave　to　the　Reformation　its　popular

character；　it　appealed　to　the　mind　and　heart　of　Christendom。　　It

gave　consolation　to　the　peasantry　of　Europe；　for　no　family　was　too

poor　to　possess　a　Bible；　the　greatest　possible　boon　and　treasure；

read　and　pondered　in　the　evening；　after　hard　labors　and　bitter

insults；　read　aloud　to　the　family　circle；　with　its　inexhaustible

store　of　moral　wealth；　its　beautiful　and　touching　narratives；　its

glorious　poetry；　its　awful　prophecies；　its　supernal　counsels；　its

consoling　and　emancipating　truths；so　tender　and　yet　so　exalting；

raising　the　soul　above　the　grim　trials　of　toil　and　poverty　into　the

realms　of　seraphic　peace　and　boundless　joy。　　The　Bible　even　gave

hope　to　heretics。　　All　sects　and　parties　could　take　shelter　under

it；　all　could　stand　on　the　broad　platform　of　religion；　and　survey

from　it　the　wonders　and　glories　of　God。　　At　last　men　might　even

differ　on　important　points　of　doctrine　and　worship；　and　yet　be

Protestants。　　Religious　liberty　became　as　wide　in　its　application

as　the　unity　of　the　Church。　　It　might　create　sects；　but　those　sects

would　be　all　united　as　to　the　value　of　the　Scriptures　and　their

cardinal　declarations。　　On　this　broad　basis　John　Milton　could　shake

hands　with　John　Knox；　and　John　Locke　with　Richard　Baxter；　and

Oliver　Cromwell　with　Queen　Elizabeth；　and　Lord　Bacon　with　William

Penn；　and　Bishop　Butler　with　John　Wesley；　and　Jonathan　Edwards　with

Doctor　Channing。



This　idea　of　private　judgment　is　what　separates　the　Catholics　from

the　Protestants；　not　most　ostensibly；　but　most　vitally。　　Many　are

the　Catholics　who　would　accept　Luther's　idea　of　grace；　since　it　is

the　idea　of　Saint　Augustine；　and　of　the　supreme　authority　of　the

Scriptures；　since　they　were　so　highly　valued　by　the　Fathers：　but

few　of　the　Catholic　clergy　have　ever　tolerated　religious　liberty；

that　is；　the　interpretation　of　the　Scriptures　by　the　people；for

it　is　a　vital　blow　to　their　supremacy；　their　hierarchy；　and　their

institutions。　　They　will　no　more　readily　accept　it　than　William　the

Conqueror　would　have　accepted　the　Magna　Charta；　for　the　free

circulation　and　free　interpretation　of　the　Scriptures　are　the

charter　of　human　liberties　fought　for　at　Leipsic　by　Gustavus

Adolphus；　at　Ivry　by　Henry　IV。　　This　right　of　worshipping　God

according　to　the　dictates　of　conscience；　enlightened　by　the　free

reading　of　the　Scriptures；　is　just　what　the　〃invincible　armada〃　was

sent　by　Philip　II。　to　crush；　just　what　Alva；　dictated　by　Rome；

sought　to　crush　in　Holland；　just　what　Louis　XIV。；　instructed　by　the

Jesuits；　did　crush　out　in　France；　by　the　revocation　of　the　Edict　of

Nantes。　　The　Satanic　hatred　of　this　right　was　the　cause　of　most　of

the　martyrdoms　and　persecutions　of　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth

centuries。　　It　was　the　declaration　of　this　right　which　emancipated

Europe　from　the　dogmas　of　the　Middle　Ages；　the　thraldom　of　Rome；

and　the　reign　of　priests。　　Why　should　not　Protestants　of　every

shade　cherish　and　defend　this　sacred　right？　　This　is　what　made

Luther　the　idol　and　oracle　of　Germany；　the　admiration　of　half

Europe；　the　pride　and　boast　of　succeeding　ages；　the　eternal　hatred

of　Rome；　not　his　religious　experiences；　not　his　doctrine　of

justification　by　faith；　but　the　emancipation　he　gave　to　the　mind　of

the　world。　　This　is　what　peculiarly　stamps　Luther　as　a　man　of

genius；　and　of　that　surprising　audacity　and　boldness　which　only

great　geniuses　evince　when　they　follow　out　the　logical　sequence　of

their　ideas；　and　penetrate　at　a　blow　the　hardened　steel　of　vulcanic

armor　beneath　which　the　adversary　boasts。



Great　was　the　first　Leo；　when　from　his　rifled　palace　on　one　of　the

devastated　hills　of　Rome　he　looked　out　upon　the　Christian　world；

pillaged；　sacked；　overrun　with　barbarians；　full　of　untold

calamities；order　and　law　crushed；　literature　and　art　prostrate；

justice　a　byword；　murders　and　assassinations　unavenged；　central

power　destroyed；　vice；　in　all　its　enormities；　vulgarities；　and

obscenities；　rampant　and　multiplying　itself；　false　opinions　gaining

ground；　soldiers　turned　into　banditti；　and　senators　into　slaves；

women　shrieking　in　terror；　bishops　praying　in　despair；　barbarism

everywhere；　paganism　in　danger　of　being　revived；　a　world

disordered；　forlorn；　and　dismal；　Pandemonium　let　loose；　with

howling　and　shouting　and　screaming；　in　view　of　the　desolation

predicted　alike　by　Jeremy　the　prophet　and　the　Cumaean　sybil；great

was　that　Leo；　when　in　view　of　all　this　he　said；　with　old　patrician

heroism；　〃I　will　revive　government　once　more　upon　this　earth；　not

by　bringing　back　the　Caesars；　but　by　declaring　a　new　theocracy；　by

making　myself　the　vicegerent　of　Christ；　by　virtue　of　the　promise

made　to　Peter；　whose　successor　I　am；　in　order　to　restore　law；

punish　crime；　head　off　heresy；　encourage　genius；　conserve　peace；

heal　dissensions；　protect　learning；　appealing　to　love；　but　ruling

by　fear。　　Who　but　the　Church　can　do　this？　　A　theocracy　will　create

a　new　civilization。　　Not　a　diadem；　but　a　tiara　will　I　wear；　the

symbol　of　universal　sovereignty；