wealbk05-第36章

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restrained　or　modified；　or　given　up　altogether；　in　many　different

parts　of　Europe；　even　before　the　time　of　the　Reformation。　As　the

clergy　had　now　less　influence　over　the　people；　so　the　state　had

more　influence　over　the　clergy。　The　clergy；　therefore；　had　both

less　power　and　less　inclination　to　disturb　the　state。

　　　　　The　authority　of　the　Church　of　Rome　was　in　this　state　of

declension　when　the　disputes　which　gave　birth　to　the　Reformation

began　in　Germany；　and　soon　spread　themselves　through　every　part

of　Europe。　The　new　doctrines　were　everywhere　received　with　a　high

degree　of　popular　favour。　They　were　propagated　with　all　that

enthusiastic　zeal　which　commonly　animates　the　spirit　of　party

when　it　attacks　established　authority。　The　teachers　of　those

doctrines；　though　perhaps　in　other　respects　not　more　learned　than

many　of　the　divines　who　defended　the　established　church；　seem　in

general　to　have　been　better　acquainted　with　ecclesiastical

history；　and　with　the　origin　and　progress　of　that　system　of

opinions　upon　which　the　authority　of　the　church　was　established；

and　they　had　thereby　some　advantage　in　almost　every　dispute。　The

austerity　of　their　manners　gave　them　authority　with　the　common

people；　who　contrasted　the　strict　regularity　of　their　conduct

with　the　disorderly　lives　of　the　greater　part　of　their　own

clergy。　They　possessed；　too；　in　a　much　higher　degree　than　their

adversaries　all　the　arts　of　popularity　and　of　gaining　proselytes；

arts　which　the　lofty　and　dignified　sons　of　the　church　had　long

neglected　as　being　to　them　in　a　great　measure　useless。　The　reason

of　the　new　doctrines　recommended　them　to　some；　their　novelty　to

many；　the　hatred　and　contempt　of　the　established　clergy　to　a

still　greater　number；　but　the　zealous；　passionate；　and　fanatical；

though　frequently　coarse　and　rustic；　eloquence　with　which　they

were　almost　everywhere　inculcated；　recommended　them　to　by　far　the

greatest　number。

　　　　　The　success　of　the　new　doctrines　was　almost　everywhere　so

great　that　the　princes　who　at　that　time　happened　to　be　on　bad

terms　with　the　court　of　Rome　were　by　means　of　them　easily

enabled；　in　their　own　dominions；　to　overturn　the　church；　which；

having　lost　the　respect　and　veneration　of　the　inferior　ranks　of

people；　could　make　scarce　any　resistance。　The　court　of　Rome　had

disobliged　some　of　the　smaller　princes　in　the　northern　parts　of

Germany；　whom　it　had　probably　considered　as　too　insignificant　to

be　worth　the　managing。　They　universally；　therefore；　established

the　Reformation　in　their　own　dominions。　The　tyranny　of　Christian

II　and　of　Troll；　Archbishop　of　Upsala；　enabled　Gustavus　Vasa　to

expel　them　both　from　Sweden。　The　pope　favoured　the　tyrant　and　the

archbishop；　and　Gustavus　Vasa　found　no　difficulty　in　establishing

the　Reformation　in　Sweden。　Christian　II　was　afterwards　deposed

from　the　throne　of　Denmark；　where　his　conduct　had　rendered　him　as

odious　as　in　Sweden。　The　pope；　however；　was　still　disposed　to

favour　him；　and　Frederick　of　Holstein；　who　had　mounted　the　throne

in　his　stead；　revenged　himself　by　following　the　example　of

Gustavus　Vasa。　The　magistrates　of　Berne　and　Zurich；　who　had　no

particular　quarrel　with　the　pope；　established　with　great　ease　the

Reformation　in　their　respective　cantons；　where　just　before　some

of　the　clergy　had；　by　an　imposture　somewhat　grosser　than

ordinary；　rendered　the　whole　order　both　odious　and　contemptible。

　　　　　In　this　critical　situation　of　its　affairs；　the　papal　court

was　at　sufficient　pains　to　cultivate　the　friendship　of　the

powerful　sovereigns　of　France　and　Spain；　of　whom　the　latter　was

at　that　time　Emperor　of　Germany。　With　their　assistance　it　was

enabled；　though　not　without　great　difficulty　and　much　bloodshed；

either　to　suppress　altogether　or　to　obstruct　very　much　the

progress　of　the　Reformation　in　their　dominions。　It　was　well

enough　inclined；　too；　to　be　complaisant　to　the　King　of　England。

But　from　the　circumstances　of　the　times；　it　could　not　be　so

without　giving　offence　to　a　still　greater　sovereign；　Charles　V；

King　of　Spain　and　Emperor　of　Germany。　Henry　VIII　accordingly；

though　he　did　not　embrace　himself　the　greater　part　of　the

doctrines　of　the　Reformation；　was　yet　enabled；　by　their　general

prevalence；　to　suppress　all　the　monasteries；　and　to　abolish　the

authority　of　the　Church　of　Rome　in　his　dominions。　That　he　should

go　so　far；　though　he　went　no　further；　gave　some　satisfaction　to

the　patrons　of　the　Reformation；　who　having　got　possession　of　the

government　in　the　reign　of　his　son　and　successor；　completed

without　any　difficulty　the　work　which　Henry　VIII　had　begun。

　　　　　In　some　countries；　as　in　Scotland；　where　the　government　was

weak；　unpopular；　and　not　very　firmly　established；　the　Reformation

was　strong　enough　to　overturn；　not　only　the　church；　but　the　state

likewise　for　attempting　to　support　the　church。

　　　　　Among　the　followers　of　the　Reformation　dispersed　in　all　the

different　countries　of　Europe；　there　was　no　general　tribunal

which；　like　that　of　the　court　of　Rome；　or　an　oecumenical　council；

could　settle　all　disputes　among　them；　and　with　irresistible

authority　prescribe　to　all　of　them　the　precise　limits　of

orthodoxy。　When　the　followers　of　the　Reformation　in　one　country；

therefore；　happened　to　differ　from　their　brethren　in　another；　as

they　had　no　common　judge　to　appeal　to；　the　dispute　could　never　be

decided；　and　many　such　disputes　arose　among　them。　Those

concerning　the　government　of　the　church；　and　the　right　of

conferring　ecclesiastical　benefices；　were　perhaps　the　most

interesting　to　the　peace　and　welfare　of　civil　society。　They　gave

birth　accordingly　to　the　two　principal　parties　of　sects　among　the

followers　of　the　Reformation；　the　Lutheran　and　Calvinistic　sects；

the　only　sects　among　them　of　which　the　doctrine　and　discipline

have　ever　yet　been　established　by　law　in　any　part　of　Europe。

　　　　　The　followers　of　Luther；　together　with　what　is　called　the

Church　of　England；　preserved　more　or　less　of　the　episcopal

government；　established　subordination　among　the　clergy；　gave　the

sovereign　the　disposal　of　all　the　bishoprics　and　other

consistorial　benefices　within　his　dominions；　and　thereby　rendered

him　the　real　head　of　the　church；　and　without　depriving　the　bishop

of　the　right　of　collating　to　the　smaller　benefices　within　his

diocese；　they；　even　to　those　benefices；　not　only　admitted；　but

favoured　the　right　of　presentation　both　in　the　sovereign　and　in

all　other　lay…patrons。　This　system　of　church　government　was　from

the　beginning　favourable　to　peace　and　good　order；　and　to

submission　to　the　civil　sovereign。　It　has　never；　accordingly；

been　the　occasion　of　any　tumult　or　civil　commotion　in　any　country

in　which　it　has　once　been　established。　The　Church　of　England　in

particular　has　always　valued　herself；　with　great　reason；　upon　the

unexceptionable　loyalty　of　her　principles。　Under　such　a

government　the　clergy　naturally　endeavour　to　recommend　themselves

to　the　sovereign；　to　the　court；　and　to　the　nobility　and　gentry　of

the　country；　by　whose　influence　they　chiefly　expect　to　obtain

preferment。　They　pay　court　to　those　patrons　sometimes；　no　doubt；

by　the　vilest　flattery　and　assentation；　but　frequently；　too；　by

cultivating　all　those　arts　which　best　deserve；　and　which　are

therefore　most　likely　to　gain　them　the　esteem　of　people　of　rank

and　fortune；　by　their　knowledge　in　all　the　different　branches　of

useful　and　ornamental　learning；　by　the　decent　liberality　of　their

manners；　by　the　social　good　humour　of　their　conversation；　and　by

their　avowed　contempt　of　those　absurd　and　hypocritical

austerities　which　fanatics　inculcate　and　pretend　to　practise；　in

order　to　draw　upon　themselves　the　veneration；　and　upon　the

greater　part　of　men　of　rank　and　fortune；　who　avow　that　they　do

not　practise　them；　the　abhorrence　of　the　common　people。　Such　a

clergy；　however；　while　they　pay　their　court　in　this　manner　to　the

higher　ranks　of　life；　are　very　apt　to　neglect　altogether　the

means　of　maintaining　their　influence