a study of bible-第37章
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the people of a Book； and that Book was the Bible。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ Green； Short History of the English People。
Add to that personal appeal and that absolute fairness to humanity the constant challenge of the Bible to the nobler elements of humanity。 It never trifles。 It is in deadly earnest。 And it makes earnest men。 Probably we cannot illustrate that earnestness more clearly than by a study of one element in Puritan history； which is confused in many minds。 It is the matter of the three great antagonisms of Puritanism in England and America。 They can never be understood by moral triflers。 They may not be approved by all the morally serious； but they will be understood by them。 What are those three marked antagonisms？ The antagonism to the stage； to popular frivolity； and to the pleasure Sabbath。
1。 The early English stage had the approval of virtually all the people。 There were few voices raised against the dramas of Shakespeare。 But the cleavage between the Puritans and the stage grew greater as the years went on。 There were riotous excesses。 The later comedy after Shakespeare was incredibly gross。 The tragedies were shallow； they turned not on grave scenes of conscience； but on common and cheap intrigues of incest and murder。 In the mean time； 〃the hatred of the Puritans for the stage was only the honest hatred of God…fearing men against the foulest depravity presented in poetic and dramatic forms。〃 The Bible was laying hold on the imagination of the people； making them serious； thoughtful； preparing them for the struggle for liberty which was soon to come。 The plays of the time seemed too trifling or else too foul。 The Puritans and the English people of the day were willing to be amused； if the stage would amuse them。 They were willing to be taught； if the stage would teach them。 But they were not willing to be amused by vice and foulness； and they were not willing to be taught by lecherous actors who parroted beautiful sentiments of virtue on the stage and lived filthy lives of incest and shame off the stage。 Life had to be whole to the Puritan； as indeed it has to be to other thoughtful men。 And the Bible taught him that。 His concern was for the higher elements of life； his appeal was to the worthier values in men。 The concern of the stage of his day was for the more volatile elements in men。 The test of a successful play was whether the crowds； any crowds； came to it。 And as always happens when a man wants to catch the interest of a crowd； the stage catered to its lowest interests。 You can hardly read the story of the times without feeling that the Puritan made no mistake in his day。 He could not have been the thoughtful man who would stand strong in the struggle for liberty on that side of the sea and the struggle for life on this side of the sea without opposing trifling and vice。
2。 The antagonism of the early Puritan to popular frivolity needs to have the times around it to be understood。 No great movement carries everybody with it； and while it is still struggling the majority will be on the opposing side。 While the real leadership of England was passing into the stronger and more serious hands the artificial excesses of life grew strong on the people。 〃Fortunes were being sunk and estates mortgaged in order that men should wear jewels and dress in colored silks。〃＇1＇ In the pressure of grave national needs men persisted in frivolity。 The two reigning vices were drunkenness and swearing。 In their cups men were guilty of the grossest indecencies。 Even their otherwise harmless sports were endangered。 The popular notion of the May…pole dances misses the real point of the Puritan opposition to it in Old and New England。 It was not an innocent； jovial out…door event。 Once it may have been that。 Very often it was only part of a day which brought immorality and vice in its train。 It was part of a rural paganism。 Some of the customs involved such grave perils； with their seclusion of young people from early dawn in the forests； as to make it impossible to approve it。 Over against all these things the Puritans set themselves。 Sometimes they carried this solemnity to an absurd length； justifying it by Scripture verses misapplied。 Against the affected elegancies of speech they set the plain yea； yea and nay； nay of Scripture。 In their clothing； their homes； their churches； they； and in even more marked degree； the Quakers； registered their solemn protest against the frivolity of the times。 If they went too far； it is certain their protest was needed。 Macaulay's epigram is familiar； that the Puritan 〃hated bear…baiting； not because it gave pain to the bear； but because it gave pleasure to the spectators。〃 In so far as that is true； it is to the credit of the Puritan； for the bear can stand the pain of being baited far better than human nature can stand the coarsening effects of baiting him； and it is nobler to oppose such sport on human grounds than on animal grounds。 But； of course； the epigram is Macaulay's； and must be read with qualification。 The fact is； and he says it often enough without epigrams； that the times had become trifling except as this grave； thoughtful group influenced them。
＇1＇ Trevelyan； England under the Stuarts； p。 66。
3。 The attitude of the Puritans toward the Sabbath came from their serious thought of the Bible。 Puritanism gave England the Sabbath again and planted it in America as an institution。 Of course； these men learned all that they knew of it from the Bible。 From that day； in spite of much change in thought of it； English… speaking people have never been wilful abusers of the Sabbath。 But the condition in that day was very different。 Most of the games were on the day set apart as the Sabbath。 There were bull…baiting； bear…baiting； and football on Sunday。 Calvin himself； though not in England； bowled on Sunday； and poor Knox attended festivities then； saying grimly that what little is right on week…days is not wrong on Sundays。 After the service on Sunday morning the people thronged to the village green； where ale flowed freely and games were played until the evening dance was called。 It was a work…day。 Elizabeth issued a special injunction that people work after service on Sundays and holidays if they wished to do so。 Employers were sustained in their demand for Sunday work。
There are always people in every time who count that the ideal Sabbath。 The Puritans found it when they appeared。 The English Reformation found it when it came。 And the Bible found it when at last it came out of obscurity and laid hold on national conditions。 Whatever is to be said of other races； every period of English…speaking history assures us that our moral power increases or weakens with the rise or fall of Sabbath reverence。 The Puritans saw that。 They saw； as many other thoughtful people saw； that the steady； repeated observance of the Sabbath gave certain national influences a chance to work； reminded the nation of certain great underlying and undying principles； in short； brought God into human thought。 The Sunday of pleasure or work could never accomplish that。 Both as religionists and as patriots； as lovers of God and lovers of men； they opposed the pleasure…Sunday and held for the Sabbath。
But that comes around again to the saying that the persistent moral appeal of the Bible gives it inevitable influence on history。 It centers thought on moral issues。 It challenges men to moral combats。
Such a force persistently working in men's minds is irresistible。 It cannot be opposed； it can only fail by being neglected。 And this is the force which has been steadily at work everywhere in English…speaking history since the King James version came to be。
LECTURE VI
THE BIBLE IN THE LIFE OF TO…DAY
THIS lecture must differ at two points from those which have preceded it。 In the first place； the other lectures have dealt entirely with facts。 This must deal also with judgments。 In the earlier lectures we have avoided any consideration of what ought to have been and have centered our interest on what actually did occur。 We especially avoided any argument based on a theory of the literary characteristics or literary influence of the Bible； but sought first to find the facts and then to discover wh
