beacon lights of history-iii-2-第39章

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anybody　doubt　the　marvellous　progress　of　Protestant　nations　in

consequence　of　the　translation　and　circulation　of　the　Scriptures？

How　these　are　bound　up　with　their　national　life；　and　all　their

social　habits；　and　all　their　religious　aspirations；　how　they　have

elevated　the　people；　ten　hundred　millions　of　times　more　than　the

boasted　Renaissance　which　sprang　from　apostate　and　infidel　and

Pagan　Italy；　when　she　dug　up　the　buried　statues　of　Greece　and　Rome；

and　revived　the　literature　and　arts　which　soften；　but　do　not　save

for　private　judgment　and　religious　liberty　mean　nothing　more　and

nothing　less　than　the　unrestricted　perusal　of　the　Scriptures　as　the

guide　of　life。



This　right　of　private　judgment；　on　which　Luther　was　among　the　first

to　insist；　and　of　which　certainly　he　was　the　first　great　champion

in　Europe；　was　in　that　age　a　very　bold　idea；　as　well　as　original。

It　flattered　as　well　as　stimulated　the　intellect　of　the　people；　and

gave　them　dignity；　it　gave　to　the　Reformation　its　popular

character；　it　appealed　to　the　mind　and　heart　of　Christendom。　　It

gave　consolation　to　the　peasantry　of　Europe；　for　no　family　was　too

poor　to　possess　a　Bible；　the　greatest　possible　boon　and　treasure；

read　and　pondered　in　the　evening；　after　hard　labors　and　bitter

insults；　read　aloud　to　the　family　circle；　with　its　inexhaustible

store　of　moral　wealth；　its　beautiful　and　touching　narratives；　its

glorious　poetry；　its　awful　prophecies；　its　supernal　counsels；　its

consoling　and　emancipating　truths；so　tender　and　yet　so　exalting；

raising　the　soul　above　the　grim　trials　of　toil　and　poverty　into　the

realms　of　seraphic　peace　and　boundless　joy。　　The　Bible　even　gave

hope　to　heretics。　　All　sects　and　parties　could　take　shelter　under

it；　all　could　stand　on　the　broad　platform　of　religion；　and　survey

from　it　the　wonders　and　glories　of　God。　　At　last　men　might　even

differ　on　important　points　of　doctrine　and　worship；　and　yet　be

Protestants。　　Religious　liberty　became　as　wide　in　its　application

as　the　unity　of　the　Church。　　It　might　create　sects；　but　those　sects

would　be　all　united　as　to　the　value　of　the　Scriptures　and　their

cardinal　declarations。　　On　this　broad　basis　John　Milton　could　shake

hands　with　John　Knox；　and　John　Locke　with　Richard　Baxter；　and

Oliver　Cromwell　with　Queen　Elizabeth；　and　Lord　Bacon　with　William

Penn；　and　Bishop　Butler　with　John　Wesley；　and　Jonathan　Edwards　with

Doctor　Channing。



This　idea　of　private　judgment　is　what　separates　the　Catholics　from

the　Protestants；　not　most　ostensibly；　but　most　vitally。　　Many　are

the　Catholics　who　would　accept　Luther's　idea　of　grace；　since　it　is

the　idea　of　Saint　Augustine；　and　of　the　supreme　authority　of　the

Scriptures；　since　they　were　so　highly　valued　by　the　Fathers：　but

few　of　the　Catholic　clergy　have　ever　tolerated　religious　liberty；

that　is；　the　interpretation　of　the　Scriptures　by　the　people；for

it　is　a　vital　blow　to　their　supremacy；　their　hierarchy；　and　their

institutions。　　They　will　no　more　readily　accept　it　than　William　the

Conqueror　would　have　accepted　the　Magna　Charta；　for　the　free

circulation　and　free　interpretation　of　the　Scriptures　are　the

charter　of　human　liberties　fought　for　at　Leipsic　by　Gustavus

Adolphus；　at　Ivry　by　Henry　IV。　　This　right　of　worshipping　God

according　to　the　dictates　of　conscience；　enlightened　by　the　free

reading　of　the　Scriptures；　is　just　what　the　〃invincible　armada〃　was

sent　by　Philip　II。　to　crush；　just　what　Alva；　dictated　by　Rome；

sought　to　crush　in　Holland；　just　what　Louis　XIV。；　instructed　by　the

Jesuits；　did　crush　out　in　France；　by　the　revocation　of　the　Edict　of

Nantes。　　The　Satanic　hatred　of　this　right　was　the　cause　of　most　of

the　martyrdoms　and　persecutions　of　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth

centuries。　　It　was　the　declaration　of　this　right　which　emancipated

Europe　from　the　dogmas　of　the　Middle　Ages；　the　thraldom　of　Rome；

and　the　reign　of　priests。　　Why　should　not　Protestants　of　every

shade　cherish　and　defend　this　sacred　right？　　This　is　what　made

Luther　the　idol　and　oracle　of　Germany；　the　admiration　of　half

Europe；　the　pride　and　boast　of　succeeding　ages；　the　eternal　hatred

of　Rome；　not　his　religious　experiences；　not　his　doctrine　of

justification　by　faith；　but　the　emancipation　he　gave　to　the　mind　of

the　world。　　This　is　what　peculiarly　stamps　Luther　as　a　man　of

genius；　and　of　that　surprising　audacity　and　boldness　which　only

great　geniuses　evince　when　they　follow　out　the　logical　sequence　of

their　ideas；　and　penetrate　at　a　blow　the　hardened　steel　of　vulcanic

armor　beneath　which　the　adversary　boasts。



Great　was　the　first　Leo；　when　from　his　rifled　palace　on　one　of　the

devastated　hills　of　Rome　he　looked　out　upon　the　Christian　world；

pillaged；　sacked；　overrun　with　barbarians；　full　of　untold

calamities；order　and　law　crushed；　literature　and　art　prostrate；

justice　a　byword；　murders　and　assassinations　unavenged；　central

power　destroyed；　vice；　in　all　its　enormities；　vulgarities；　and

obscenities；　rampant　and　multiplying　itself；　false　opinions　gaining

ground；　soldiers　turned　into　banditti；　and　senators　into　slaves；

women　shrieking　in　terror；　bishops　praying　in　despair；　barbarism

everywhere；　paganism　in　danger　of　being　revived；　a　world

disordered；　forlorn；　and　dismal；　Pandemonium　let　loose；　with

howling　and　shouting　and　screaming；　in　view　of　the　desolation

predicted　alike　by　Jeremy　the　prophet　and　the　Cumaean　sybil；great

was　that　Leo；　when　in　view　of　all　this　he　said；　with　old　patrician

heroism；　〃I　will　revive　government　once　more　upon　this　earth；　not

by　bringing　back　the　Caesars；　but　by　declaring　a　new　theocracy；　by

making　myself　the　vicegerent　of　Christ；　by　virtue　of　the　promise

made　to　Peter；　whose　successor　I　am；　in　order　to　restore　law；

punish　crime；　head　off　heresy；　encourage　genius；　conserve　peace；

heal　dissensions；　protect　learning；　appealing　to　love；　but　ruling

by　fear。　　Who　but　the　Church　can　do　this？　　A　theocracy　will　create

a　new　civilization。　　Not　a　diadem；　but　a　tiara　will　I　wear；　the

symbol　of　universal　sovereignty；　before　which　barbarism　shall　flee

away；　and　happiness　be　restored　once　more。〃　　As　he　sent　out　his

legates；　he　fulminated　his　bulls　and　established　tribunals　of

appeal；　he　made　a　net…work　of　ecclesiastical　machinery；　and

proclaimed　the　dangers　of　eternal　fire；　and　brought　kings　and

princes　before　him　on　their　knees。　　The　barbaric　world　was　saved。



But　greater　than　Leo　was　Luther；　whenoutraged　by　the　corruptions

of　this　spiritual　despotism；　and　all　the　false　and　Pagan　notions

which　had　crept　into　theology；　obscuring　the　light　of　faith　and

creating　an　intolerable　bondage；　and　opposing　the　new　spirit　of

progress　which　science　and　art　and　industry　and　wealth　had　invoked…

…he　courageously　yet　modestly　comes　forward　as　the　champion　of　a

new　civilization；　and　declares；　with　trumpet　tones；　〃Let　there　be

private　judgment；　liberty　of　conscience；　the　right　to　read　and

interpret　Scripture；　in　spite　of　priests！　so　that　men　may　think　for

themselves；　not　only　on　the　doctrines　of　eternal　salvation　but　on

all　the　questions　to　be　deduced　from　them；　or　interlinked　with　the

past　or　present　or　future　institutions　of　the　world。　　Then　shall

arise　a　new　creation　from　dreaded　destruction；　and　emancipated

millions　shall　be　filled　with　an　unknown　enthusiasm；　and　advance

with　the　new　weapons　of　reason　and　truth　from　conquering　to

conquer；　until　all　the　strongholds　of　sin　and　Satan　shall　be

subdued；　and　laid　triumphantly　at　the　foot　of　His　throne　whose

right　it　is　to　reign。〃



Thus　far　Luther　has　appeared　as　a　theologian；　a　philosopher；　a　man

of　ideas；　a　man　of　study　and　reflection；　whom　the　Catholic　Church

distrusts　and　fears；　as　she　always　has　distrusted　genius　and　manly

independence；　but　he　is　henceforth　to　appear　as　a　reformer；　a

warrior；　to　carry　out　his　ideas　and　also　to　defend　himself　against

the　wrath　he　has　provoked；　impelled　step　by　step　to　still　bolder

aggressions；　until　he　attacks　those　venerable　institutions　which　he

once　respe