beacon lights of history-iii-2-第41章

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cherish　in　our　memories　and　our　hearts；　as　among　the　most　precious

of　the　heirlooms　of　genius；　susceptible　of　boundless　application。

And　it　is　destined　to　grow　brighter　and　richer；　in　spite　of

counter…reformation　and　Jesuitism；　of　Pagan　levities　and　Pagan

lies；　of　boastful　science　and　Epicurean　pleasures；　of　material

glories；　of　dissensions　and　sects　and　parties；　as　the　might　and

majesty　of　ages　coursing　round　the　world　regenerates　institutions

and　nations；　and　proclaims　the　sovereignty　of　intelligence；　the

glory　and　the　power　of　God。





AUTHORITIES。



Ranke's　Reformation　in　Germany；　D'Aubigne's　History　of　the

Reformation；　Luther's　Letters；　Mosheim's　History　of　the　Church；

Melancthon's　Life　of　Luther：　Erasmi　Epistolae；　Encyclopaedia

Britannica。







THOMAS　CRANMER。



A。　D。　1489…1556。



THE　ENGLISH　REFORMATION。





As　the　great　interest　of　the　Middle　Ages；　in　an　historical　point　of

view；　centres　around　the　throne　of　the　popes；　so　the　most　prominent

subject　of　historical　interest　in　our　modern　times　is　the　revolt

from　their　almost　unlimited　domination。　　The　Protestant

reformation；　in　its　various　relations；　was　a　movement　of

transcendent　importance。　　The　history　of　Christendom；　in　a　moral；　a

political；　a　religious；　a　literary；　and　a　social　point　of　view；　for

the　last　three　hundred　years；　cannot　be　studied　or　comprehended

without　primary　reference　to　that　memorable　revolution。



We　have　seen　how　that　great　insurrection　of　human　intelligence　was

headed　in　Germany　by　Luther；　and　we　shall　shortly　consider　it　in

Switzerland　and　France　under　Calvin。　　We　have　now　to　contemplate

the　movement　in　England。





The　most　striking　figure　in　it　was　doubtless　Thomas　Cranmer；

Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　although　he　does　not　represent　the

English　Reformation　in　all　its　phases。　　He　was　neither　so　prominent

nor　so　great　a　man　as　Luther　or　Calvin；　or　even　Knox。　　But；　taking

him　all　in　all；　he　was　the　most　illustrious　of　the　English

reformers；　and　he；　more　than　any　other　man；　gave　direction　to　the

spirit　of　reform；　which　had　been　quietly　working　ever　since　the

time　of　Wyclif；　especially　among　the　humbler　classes。



The　English　Reformationthe　way　to　which　had　been　long　preparing

began　in　the　reign　of　Henry　VIII。；　and　this　unscrupulous　and

tyrannical　monarch；　without　being　a　religious　man；　gave　the　first

great　impulse　to　an　outbreak　the　remote　consequences　of　which　he

did　not　anticipate；　and　with　which　he　had　no　sympathy。　　He　rebelled

against　the　authority　of　the　Pope；　without　abjuring　the　Roman

Catholic　religion；　either　as　to　dogmas　or　forms。　　In　fact；　the

first　great　step　towards　reform　was　made；　not　by　Cranmer；　but　by

Thomas　Cromwell；　Earl　of　Essex；　as　the　prime　minister　of　Henry

VIII。；a　man　of　whom　we　really　know　the　least　of　all　the　very

great　statesmen　of　English　history。　　It　was　he　who　demolished　the

monasteries；　and　made　war　on　the　whole　monastic　system；　and

undermined　the　papal　power　in　England；　and　swept　away　many　of　the

most　glaring　of　those　abuses　which　disgraced　the　Papal　Empire。

Armed　with　the　powers　which　Wolsey　had　wielded；　he　directed　them

into　a　totally　different　channel；　so　far　as　the　religious　welfare

of　the　nation　is　considered；　although　in　his　principles　of

government　he　was　as　absolute　as　Richelieu。　　Like　the　great　French

statesman；　he　exalted　the　throne；　but；　unlike　him；　he　promoted　the

personal　reign　of　the　sovereign　he　served　with　remarkable　ability

and　devotion。



Thomas　Cromwell；　the　prime　minister　of　Henry　VIII。；　after　the　fall

of　Wolsey；　was　born　in　humble　ranks；　and　was　in　early　life　a　common

soldier　in　the　wars　of　Italy；　then　a　clerk　in　a　mercantile　house　in

Antwerp；　then　a　wool　merchant　in　Middleborough；　then　a　member　of

Parliament；　and　was　employed　by　Wolsey　in　suppressing　some　of　the

smaller　monasteries。　　His　fidelity　to　his　patron　Wolsey；　at　the

time　of　that　great　cardinal's　fall；　attracted　the　special　notice　of

the　King；　who　made　him　royal　secretary　in　the　House　of　Commons。　　He

made　his　fortune　by　advising　Henry　to　declare　himself　Head　of　the

English　Church；　when　he　was　entangled　in　the　difficulties　growing

out　of　the　divorce　of　Catharine。　　This　advice　was　given　with　the

patriotic　view　of　making　the　royal　authority　superior　to　that　of

the　Pope　in　Church　patronage；　and　of　making　England　independent　of

Rome。



The　great　scandal　of　the　times　was　the　immoral　lives　of　the　clergy；

especially　of　the　monks；　and　the　immunities　they　enjoyed。　　They

were　a　hindrance　to　the　royal　authority；　and　weakened　the　resources

of　the　country　by　the　excessive　drain　of　gold　and　silver　sent　to

Rome　to　replenish　the　papal　treasury。　　Cromwell　would　make　the

clergy　dependent　on　the　King　and　not　on　the　Pope　for　their

investitures　and　promotions；　and　he　abominated　the　idle　and

vagabond　lives　of　the　monks；　who　had　degenerated　in　England；

perhaps　more　than　in　any　other　country　in　Europe；　in　consequence　of

the　great　wealth　of　their　monasteries。　　He　was　able　to　render　his

master　and　the　kingdom　a　great　service；　from　the　powers　lavished

upon　him。　　He　presided　at　convocations　as　the　King's　vicegerent；

controlled　the　House　of　Commons；　and　was　inquisitor…general　of　the

monasteries；　he　was　foreign　and　home　secretary；　vicar…general　and

president　of　the　star…chamber　or　privy…council。　　The　proud

Nevilles；　the　powerful　Percies；　and　the　noble　Courtenays　all　bowed

before　this　plebeian　son　of　a　mechanic；　who　had　arisen　by　force　of

genius　and　lucky　accidents；too　wise　to　build　a　palace　like

Hampton　Court；　but　not　ecclesiastical　enough　in　his　sympathies　to

found　a　college　like　Christ's　Church　as　Wolsey　did。　　He　was　a　man

simple　in　his　tastes；　and　hard…working　like　Colbert；the　great

finance　minister　of　France　under　Louis　XIV。；　whom　he　resembled　in

his　habits　and　policy。



His　great　task；　as　well　as　his　great　public　service；　was　the

visitation　and　suppression　of　monasteries。　　He　perceived　that　they

had　fulfilled　their　mission；　that　they　were　no　longer　needed；　that

they　had　become　corrupt；　and　too　corrupt　to　be　reformed；　that　they

were　no　longer　abodes　of　piety；　or　beehives　of　industry；　or

nurseries　of　art；　or　retreats　of　learning；　that　their　wealth　was

squandered；　that　they　upheld　the　arm　of　a　foreign　power；　that　they

shielded　offenders　against　the　laws；　that　they　encouraged　vagrancy

and　extortion；　that；　in　short；　they　were　dangerous　to　the　realm。



The　monks　and　friars　opposed　the　new　learning　now　extending　from

Italy　to　France；　to　Germany；　and　to　England。　　Colet　came　back　from

Italy；　not　to　teach　Platonic　mysticism；　but　to　unlock　the

Scriptures　in　the　original；the　centre　of　a　group　of　scholars　at

Oxford；　of　whom　Erasmus　and　Thomas　More　stood　in　the　foremost　rank。

Before　the　close　of　the　fifteenth　century；　it　is　said　that　ten

thousand　editions　of　various　books　had　been　printed　in　different

parts　of　Europe。　　All　the　Latin　authors；　and　some　of　the　Greek；

were　accessible　to　students。　　Tunstall　and　Latimer　were　sent　to

Padua　to　complete　their　studies。　　Fox；　bishop　of　Winchester；

established　a　Greek　professorship　at　Oxford。　　It　was　an　age　of

enthusiasm　for　reviving　literature；which；　however；　received　in

Germany；　through　the　influence　chiefly　of　Luther；　a　different

direction　from　what　it　received　in　Italy；　and　which　extended　from

Germany　to　England。　　But　to　this　awakened　spirit　the　monks

presented　obstacles　and　discouragements。　　They　had　no　sympathy　with

progress；　they　belonged　to　the　Dark　Ages；　they　were　hostile　to　the

circulation　of　the　Scriptures；　they　were　pedlers　of　indulgences　and

relics；　impostors；　frauds；　vagabonds；　gluttons；　worldly；　sensual；

and　avaricious。



So　notoriously　corrupt　had　monasteries　become　that　repeated

attempts　had　been　made　to　reform　them；　but　without　success。　　As

early　as　1489；　Innocent　VII。　had　issued　a　commission　for　a　general

investigation。　　The　monks　were　accused　of　dilapidating　public

property；　of　frequenting　infamous　places；　of