beacon lights of history-iii-2-第35章

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despotism　exercised　by　priests；　with　their　inquisitions　and

excommunications；　all　centring　in　the　terrible　usurpation　of　the

popes；　keeping　the　human　mind　in　bondage；　and　suppressing　all

intellectual　independence；these　evils　prevailed　everywhere。　　I

say　nothing　here　of　the　massacres；　the　poisonings；　the

assassinations；　the　evil　doings　of　various　kinds　of　which　history

accuses　many　of　the　pontiff's　who　sat　on　papal　thrones。　　Such　evils

did　not　stare　the　German　and　English　in　the　face；　as　they　did　the

Italians　in　the　fifteenth　century。　　In　Germany　the　vices　were

mediaeval　and　monkish；　not　the　unblushing　infidelity　and　levities

of　the　Renaissance；　which　made　a　radical　reformation　in　Italy

impossible。　　In　Germany　and　England　there　was　left　among　the　people

the　power　of　conscience；　a　rough　earnestness　of　character；　the

sense　of　moral　accountability；　and　a　fear　of　divine　judgment。




Luther　was　just　the　man　for　his　work。　　Sprung　from　the　people；

poor；　popular；　fervent；　educated　amid　privations；　religious　by

nature；　yet　with　exuberant　animal　spirits；　dogmatic；　boisterous；

intrepid；　with　a　great　insight　into　realities；　practical；　untiring；

learned；　generally　cheerful　and　hopeful；　emancipated　from　the

terrors　of　the　Middle　Ages　through　great　struggles；　progressive　in

his　spirit；　lofty　in　his　character；　earnest　in　his　piety；　believing

in　the　future　and　in　God；such　was　the　great　leader　of　this

emancipating　movement。　　He　was　not　so　learned　as　Erasmus；　nor　so

logical　as　Calvin；　nor　so　scholarly　as　Melancthon；　nor　so　broad　as

Cranmer。　　He　was　not　a　polished　man；　he　was　often　offensively　rude

and　brusque；　and　lavish　of　epithets。　　Nor　was　he　what　we　call　a

modest　and　humble　man；　he　was　intellectually　proud；　disdainful；　and

sometimes；　when　irritated；　abusive。　　None　of　his　pictures　represent

him　as　a　refined…looking　man；　scarcely　intellectual；　but　coarse　and

sensual　rather；　as　Socrates　seemed　to　the　Athenians。　　But　with

these　defects　and　drawbacks　he　had　just　such　traits　and　gifts　as

fitted　him　to　lead　a　great　popular　movement；bold；　audacious；　with

deep　convictions　and　rapid　intellectual　processes；　prompt；　decided；

kind…hearted；　generous；　brave；　in　sympathy　with　the　people；

eloquent；　Herculean　in　energies；　with　an　amazing　power　of　work；

electrical　in　his　smile　and　in　his　words；　and　always　ready　for

contingencies。　　Had　he　been　more　polished；　more　of　a　gentleman；

more　fastidious；　more　scrupulous；　more　ascetic；　more　modest；　he

would　have　shrunk　from　his　tasks；　he　would　have　lost　the　elasticity

of　his　mind；　he　would　have　been　discouraged。　　Even　Saint　Augustine；

a　broader　and　more　catholic　man　than　Luther；　could　not　have　done

his　work。　　He　was　a　sort　of　converted　Mirabeau。　　He　loved　the

storms　of　battle；　he　impersonated　revolutionary　ideas。　　But　he　was

a　man　of　thought；　as　well　as　of　action。



Luther's　origin　was　of　the　humblest。　　Born　in　Eisleben；　Nov。　10；

1483；　the　son　of　a　poor　peasant；　his　childhood　was　spent　in　penury。

He　was　religious　from　a　boy。　　He　was　religious　when　he　sang　hymns

for　a　living；　from　house　to　house；　before　the　people　of　Mansfield

while　at　school　there；　and　also　at　the　schools　of　Magdeburg　and

Eisenach；　where　he　still　earned　his　bread　by　his　voice。　　His

devotional　character　and　his　music　gained　for　him　a　friend　who

helped　him　through　his　studies；　till　at　the　age　of　eighteen　he

entered　the　University　at　Erfurt；　where　he　distinguished　himself　in

the　classics　and　the　Mediaeval　philosophy。　　And　here　his　religious

meditations　led　him　to　enter　the　Augustinian　monastery：　he　entered

that　strict　retreat；　as　others　did；　to　lead　a　religious　life。　　The

great　question　of　all　time　pressed　upon　his　mind　with　peculiar

force；　〃What　shall　a　man　give　in　exchange　for　his　soul？〃　　And　it

shows　that　religious　life　in　Germany　still　burned　in　many　a　heart；

in　spite　of　the　corruptions　of　the　Church；　that　a　young　man　like

Luther　should　seek　the　shades　of　monastic　seclusion；　for　meditation

and　study。　　He　was　a　monk；　like　other　monks；　but　it　seems　he　had

religious　doubts　and　fears　more　than　ordinary　monks。　　At　first　he

conformed　to　the　customary　ways　of　men　seeking　salvation。　　He

walked　in　the　beaten　road；　like　Saint　Dominic　and　Saint　Francis；　he

accepted　the　great　ideas　of　the　Middle　Ages；　which　he　was

afterwards　to　repudiate；he　was　not　beyond　them；　or　greater　than

they　were；　at　first；　he　fasted　like　monks；　and　tormented　his　body

with　austerities；　as　they　did　from　the　time　of　Benedict；　he　sang　in

the　choir　from　early　morn；　and　practised　the　usual　severities。　　But

his　doubts　and　fears　remained。　　He　did　not；　like　other　monks；　find

peace　and　consolation；　he　did　not　become　seraphic；　like　Saint

Francis；　or　Bonaventura；　or　Loyola。　　Perhaps　his　nature　repelled

asceticism；　perhaps　his　inquiring　and　original　mind　wanted

something　better　and　surer　to　rest　upon　than　the　dreams　and　visions

of　a　traditionary　piety。　　Had　he　been　satisfied　with　the　ordinary

mode　of　propitiating　the　Deity；　he　would　never　have　emerged　from

his　retreat。



To　a　scholar　the　monastery　had　great　attractions；　even　in　that　age。

It　was　still　invested　with　poetic　associations　and　consecrated

usages；　it　was　indorsed　by　the　venerable　Fathers　of　the　Church；　it

was　favorable　to　study；　and　free　from　the　noisy　turmoil　of　the

world。　　But　with　all　these　advantages　Luther　was　miserable。　　He

felt　the　agonies　of　an　unforgiven　soul　in　quest　of　peace　with　God；

he　could　not　get　rid　of　them；　they　pursued　him　into　the　immensity

of　an　intolerable　night。　　He　was　in　despair。　　What　could

austerities　do　for　HIM？　　He　hungered　and　thirsted　after　the　truth；

like　Saint　Augustine　in　Milan。　　He　had　no　taste　for　philosophy；　but

he　wanted　the　repose　that　philosophers　pretended　to　teach。　　He　was

then　too　narrow　to　read　Plato　or　Boethius。　　He　was　a　self…tormented

monk　without　relief；　he　suffered　all　that　Saint　Paul　suffered　at

Tarsus。　　In　some　respects　this　monastic　pietism　resembled　the

pharisaism　of　Saul；　in　the　schools　of　Tarsus；a　technical；　rigid；

and　painful　adherence　to　rules；　fastings；　stated　prayers；　and　petty

ritualisms；　which；　originally　framed　as　aids　to　grace；　by

repetition　lose　their　power；　based　on　the　enormous　error　that　man

may　win　heaven　by　external　practices；　in　which；　however；　he　can

never　perfect　himself；　though　he　were　to　live；　like　Simeon

Stylites；　on　the　top　of　a　pillar　for　twenty　years　without　once

descending；　an　eternal　unrest；　because　perfection　cannot　be

attained；　the　most　terrible　slavery　to　which　a　man　can　be

conscientiously　doomed；　verging　into　hypocrisy　and　fanaticism。



It　was　then　that　a　kind　and　enlightened　friend　visited　him；　and

recommended　him　to　read　the　Bible。　　The　Bible　never　has　been　a

sealed　book　to　monks；　it　was　ever　highly　prized；　no　convent　was

without　it：　but　it　was　read　with　the　spectacles　of　the　Middle　Ages。

Repentance　meant　penance。　　In　Saint　Paul's　Epistles　Luther

discovers　the　true　ground　of　justification；not　works；　but　faith；

for　Paul　had　passed　through　similar　experiences。　　Works　are　good；

but　faith　is　the　gift　of　God。　　Works　are　imperfect　with　the　best　of

men；　even　the　highest　form　of　works；　to　a　Mediaeval　eye；self…

expiation　and　penance；　but　faith　is　infinite；　radiating　from　divine

love；　faith　is　a　boundless　joy；salvation　by　the　grace　of　God；　his

everlasting　and　precious　boon　to　people　who　cannot　climb　to　heaven

on　their　hands　and　knees；　the　highest　gift　which　God　ever　bestowed

on　men；eternal　life。



Luther　is　thus　emancipated　from　the　ideas　of　the　Middle　Ages　and　of

the　old　Syriac　monks　and　of　the　Jewish　Pharisees。　　In　his

deliverance　he　has　new　hopes　and　aspirations；　he　becomes　cheerful；

and　devotes　himself　to　his　studies。　　Nothing　can　make　a　man　more

cheerful　and　joyful　than　the　cordial　reception　of　a　gift　which　is

infinite；　a　blessing　which　is　too　priceless　to　be　bought。　　The

pharisee；　the　monk；　the　ritualist；　is　gloomy；　ascetic；　severe；

intolerant；　for　he　is　not　quite　sure　of　his　salvation。　　A　man　who