beacon lights of history-iii-2-第38章

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not　deny　authority；　but　appealed　to　it　in　its　highest　form。　　This

was　unexpected　ground。　　The　Church　was　not　prepared　openly　to　deny

the　authority　of　Saint　Paul　or　Saint　Peter；　and　Luther；　if　he　did

not　gain　his　case；　was　far　from　being　beaten；　andwhat　was　of

vital　importance　to　his　successhe　had　the　Elector　and　the　people

with　him。



Thus　was　born　the　second　great　idea　of　the　Reformation；the

supreme　authority　of　the　Scriptures；　to　which　Protestants　of　every

denomination　have　since　professed　to　cling。　　They　may　differ　in　the

interpretation　of　texts；and　thus　sects　and　parties　gradually

arose；　who　quarrelled　about　their　meaning；but　none　of　them　deny

their　supreme　authority。　　All　the　issues　of　Protestants　have　been

on　the　meaning　of　texts；　on　the　interpretation　of　the　Scriptures；

to　be　settled　by　learning　and　reason。　　It　was　not　until　rationalism

arose；　and　rejected　plain　and　obvious　declarations　of　Scripture；　as

inconsistent　with　reason；　as　interpolations；　as　uninspired；　that

the　authority　of　the　Scriptures　was　weakened；　and　these

rationalistsand　the　land　of　Luther　became　full　of　themhave　gone

infinitely　beyond　the　Catholics　in　undermining　the　Bible。　　The

Catholics　never　have　taken　such　bold　ground　as　the　rationalists

respecting　the　Scriptures。　　The　Catholic　Church　still　accepts　the

Bible；　but　explains　away　the　meaning　of　many　of　its　doctrines；　the

rationalists　would　sweep　away　its　divine　authority；　extinguish

faith；　and　leave　the　world　in　night。　　Satan　came　into　the

theological　school　of　the　Protestants；　disguised　in　the　robes　of

learned　doctors　searching　for　truth；　and　took　away　the　props　of

religious　faith。　　This　was　worse　than　baptizing　repentance　with　the

name　of　penance。　　Better　have　irrational　fears　of　hell　than　no

fears　at　all；　for　this　latter　is　Paganism。　　Pagan　culture　and　Pagan

philosophy　could　not　keep　society　together　in　the　old　Roman　world；

but　Mediaeval　appeals　to　the　fears　of　men　did　keep　them　from　crimes

and　force　upon　them　virtues。



The　triumph　of　Luther　at　Leipsic　was；　however；　incomplete。　　The

Catholics　rallied　after　their　stunning　blow。　　They　said；　in

substance：　〃We；　too；　accept　the　Scriptures；　we　even　put　them　above

Augustine　and　Thomas　Aquinas　and　the　councils。　　But　who　can

interpret　them？　　Can　peasants　and　women；　or　even　merchants　and

nobles？　　The　Bible；　though　inspired；　is　full　of　difficulties；　there

are　contradictory　texts。　　It　is　a　sealed　book；　except　to　the

learned；　only　the　Church　can　reconcile　its　difficulties。　　And　what

we　mean　by　the　Church　is　the　clergy；the　learned　clergy；

acknowledging　allegiance　to　their　spiritual　head；　who　in　matters　of

faith　is　also　infallible。　　We　can　accept　nothing　which　is　not

indorsed　by　popes　and　councils。　　No　matter　how　plain　the　Scriptures

seem　to　be；　on　certain　disputed　points　only　the　authority　of　the

Church　can　enlighten　and　instruct　us。　　We　distrust　reason；that

is；　what　you　call　reason；for　reason　can　twist　anything；　and

pervert　it；　but　what　the　Church　says；　is　true；its　collective

intelligence　is　our　supreme　law　＇thus　putting　papal　dogmas　above

reason；　above　the　literal　and　plain　declarations　of　Scripture＇。

Moreover；　since　the　Scriptures　are　to　be　interpreted　only　by

priests；　it　is　not　a　safe　book　for　the　people。　　We；　the　priests；

will　keep　it　out　of　their　hands。　　They　will　get　notions　from　it

fatal　to　our　authority；　they　will　become　fanatics：　they　will；　in

their　conceit；　defy　us。



Then　Luther　rose；　more　powerful；　more　eloquent　more　majestic　than

before；　he　rose　superior　to　himself。　　〃What；〃　said　he；　〃keep　the

light　of　life　from　the　people；　take　away　their　guide　to　heaven；

keep　them　in　ignorance　of　what　is　most　precious　and　most　exalting；

deprive　them　of　the　blessed　consolations　which　sustain　the　soul　in

trial　and　in　death；　deny　the　most　palpable　truths；　because　your

dignitaries　put　on　them　a　construction　to　bolster　up　their　power！

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　the