a study of bible-第36章
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l other men if only they could。 Not fully； but vaguely； the crowd understood。 Very fully； and not vaguely； the leaders understood。 Predestination and Parliament became a cry。 That is； control lifted out of the hands of the free…will of some monarch into the hands of a sovereign God to whom every man had the same access that any other man had。 Laud decreed that all such discussion should cease。 He revived an old decree that no book could be printed without consent of an archbishop or the Bishop of London。 So the books became secret and more virulent each year。 The civil war （1642…46） between Charles and Parliament was a war of ideas。 It is sometimes called a war of religion； not quite fairly。 It was due to the religious situation； but actually it was for the liberties of the people against the power of the king。 And that question rooted far down in another regarding the rights of men to be free in their religious life。 Charles struck his coin at Oxford with the Latin inscription： 〃The Protestant religion； the laws of England； the liberties of Parliament。〃 But he struck it too late。 He had been trifling with the freedom of the people； and they had learned from their fireside Bibles and from their pulpits that no man may command another in his relation to God。 It was long after that Burns described 〃The Cottar's Saturday Night〃； but he was only describing a condition which was already in vogue； and which was having tremendous influence in England as well as in Scotland：
〃The cheerfu' supper done； wi' serious face； They； round the ingle； form a circle wide； The sire turns o'er； wi' patriarchal grace； The big ha' Bible； ance his father's pride： His bonnet rev'rently is laid aside； His lyart haffets wearing thin an' bare； Those strains that once did sweet in Zion glide； He wales a portion with judicious care； And 'Let us worship God！' he says； with solemn air。〃
Under such guidance as this the people of England； Puritans and others； relaxed the power of the Stuarts and became a democracy。 For democracy is not a form of government。 It can exist under monarchy； provided the monarchy is a convenience of the will of the people； as it is in England。 It can exist under institutions like our own； provided they also are held as a convenience of the people。 This was no rebellion against some form of monarchy。 It was simply a claim of every man to have his rights before God。 Under the Parliament of eighteen years duration； the Independensts； Presbyterians； and all other non…conforming bodies suffered as heavily as under James and Charles； yet they did not flee the land。 Their battle was really won。 They believed the time would come when they as part of 〃the people〃 who now governed should assert themselves。 If they were persecuted； it was under a government where yet they might hope for their rights。 Fleeing from England in 1620 was heroism； fleeing in 1640 would have been cowardly。 It is impossible to calculate what was the revelation to the readers of the English Bible of their rights。
Let Trevelyan tell the story： 〃While other literary movements； however noble in quality； affect only a few； the study of the Bible was becoming the national education。 Recommended by the king； translated by the Bishops； yet in chief request with the Puritans； without the rivalry of books and newspapers； the Bible told to the unscholarly the story of another age and race； not in bald generalization and doctrinal harangue； but with such wealth of simple narrative and lyrical force that each man recognized his own dim strivings after a new spirit； written clear in words two thousand years old。 A deep and splendid effect was wrought by the monopoly of this Book as the sole reading of common households； in an age when men's minds were instinct with natural poetry and open to receive the light of imagination。 A new religion arose； of which the mythus was the Bible stories and the pervading spirit the direct relations of man with God； exemplified in the human life。 And while imagination was kindled； the intellect was freed by this private study of the Bible。 For its private study involved its private interpretation。 Each reader； even if a Churchman； became in some sort a church to himself。 Hence the hundred sects and thousand doctrines that astonished foreigners and opened England's strange path to intellectual liberty。 The Bible cultivated here； more than in any other land； the growth of intellectual thought and practice。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ England under the Stuarts。
All that has seemed to refer only to England； but the same essential democracy of the Bible came to America and founded the new nation。 It was a handful of Puritans turned Pilgrims who set out in the Mayflower to give their Bible ideas free field。 In a dozen years （1628…40）； under Laud's persecution； twenty thousand Englishmen fled to join those Pilgrims。 And how much turned on that！ Suppose it had not happened。 Then the French of the North and the cavaliers of Virginia； with the Spanish of the South； would have had only the Dutch between them。 And of the four； only the Dutch had free access to the Bible。 The new land would not have been English。 It is an English writer who says that North America is now preparing the future of the world； and English speech is the mold in which the folk of all the world are being poured for their final shaping。＇1＇ It is the democracy of the Bible which is the fundamental democracy of America； in which every man has it accented to him that he is so much a child of God that his rights are inalienable。 They cover life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness。 And though we have held that principle of democracy inconsistently at times； and have paid a terrible price for our inconsistency in the past； and may pay it in the future again； it is still true that the fundamental democracy of our American life is only that essential democracy of the Bible； where every man is made the equal of his fellow by being lifted into the same relation with Almighty God。
＇1＇ Trevelyan； England under the Stuarts； p。 174。
The Bible makes its moral appeal on the same basis。 If a man is a child of God； then he is shut up to duties which cannot be avoided。 Some one else may tell a man his duty in a true monarchy。 In a democracy each man stands alone at the most solemn point of his duty。 There is no safe democracry where men refuse to stand alone there。 In Jefferson's great speech； replying to the forebodings of Patrick Henry； he insisted that if men were not competent to govern themselves they were not competent to govern other people。 The first duty of any man is to take his independent place before God。 Democracy is the social privilege that grows out of the meeting of these personal obligations。
Several facts strengthen this persistent moral appeal。 For one thing； the Book is absolutely fair to humanity。 It leaves out no line or wrinkle； but it adds none。 The men with whom it deals are typical men。 The facts it presents are typical facts。 There are books which flatter men； make them out all good； prattle on about the essential goodness of humanity； while men who know themselves （and these are the only ones who do things） know that the story is not true。 On the other hand； there are books which are depressing。 Their pigments are all black。 They move from the dignity of Schopenhauer's pessimism to the bedlam of Nietzsche's contempt for life and goodness。 But here； also； the sane common sense of humanity comes to the rescue。 The picture is not true if it is all white or all black。 The Bible is absolutely fair to humanity。 It moves within the circle of man's experience； and； while it deals with men； it results in a treatment of man。
That is how it comes about that the Bible inspires men； and puts them at their best。 No moral appeal can be successful if it fails to reach the better part of a man； and lays hold on him there。 Just that it did for the English people。 〃No greater moral change ever passed over a nation than passed over England during the years that parted the middle of the reign of Elizabeth from the meeting of the Long Parliament。 England became the people of a Book； and that Book was the Bible。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ Green； Short History of the English
