beacon lights of history-iii-2-第54章

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circulation　of　the　Scriptures　among　the　people　and　free　inquiry　and

private　judgment；in　short；　to　all　the　ideas　of　the　reformation。

But　whatever　they　are；　and　however　askance　Protestants　regard　them；

they　have　in　our　country；this　land　of　unbounded　religious

toleration；the　same　right　to　their　religion　and　their

ecclesiastical　government　that　any　other　sects　have；　and　if

Protestants　would　nullify　their　influence　so　far　as　disliked；　they

must　outshine　them　in　virtues；　in　a　religious　life；　in　zeal；　and　in

devotion　to　the　spiritual　interests　of　the　people。　　If　the　Jesuits

keep　better　schools　than　Protestants　they　will　be　patronized；　and

if　they　command　the　respect　of　the　Catholics　for　their　virtues　and

intelligence；　whatever　may　be　the　machinery　of　their　organization；

they　will　retain　their　power；　and　not　until　they　interfere　with

elections　and　Protestant　schools；　or　teach　dangerous　doctrines　of

public　morality；　has　our　Government　any　right　to　interfere　with

them。　　They　will　stand　or　fall　as　they　win　the　respect　or　excite

the　wrath　of　enlightened　nations。　　But　the　principles　they　are

supposed　to　defend；expediency；　casuistry；　and　hostility　to　free

inquiry　and　the　circulation　of　the　Scriptures　in　vernacular

languages；these　are　just　causes　of　complaint　and　of　unrelenting

opposition　among　all　those　who　accept　the　great　ideas　of　the

Protestant　Reformation；　since　they　are　antagonistic　to　what　we　deem

most　precious　in　our　institutions。　　So　long　as　the　contest　shall

last　between　good　and　evil　in　this　world；　we　have　a　right　to

declaim　against　all　encroachments　on　liberty　and　sound　morality　and

an　evangelical　piety　from　any　quarter　whatever；　and　we　are　recreant

to　our　duties　unless　we　speak　our　minds。　　Hence；　from　the　light　I

have；　I　regard　the　Society　of　Jesus　as　a　questionable　institution；

unfortunately　planted　among　us；　but　which　we　cannot　help；　and　can

attack；　if　at　all；　only　with　the　weapons　of　reason　and　truth。



And　yet　I　am　free　to　say　that　for　my　part　I　prefer　even　the　Jesuit

discipline　and　doctrines；　much　as　I　dislike　them；　to　the　unblushing

infidelity　which　has　lately　been　propagated　by　those　who　call

themselves　savans；and　which　seems　to　have　reached　and　even

permeated　many　of　the　schools　of　science；　the　newspapers；

periodicals；　clubs；　and　even　pulpits　of　this　materialistic　though

progressive　country。　　I　make　war　on　the　slavery　of　the　will　and　a

religion　of　formal　technicalities；　but　I　prefer　these　evils　to　a

godless　rationalism　and　the　extinction　of　the　light　of　faith。





AUTHORITIES。





Secreta　Monita；　Steinmetz's　History　of　the　Jesuits；　Ranke's　History

of　the　Popes；　Spiritual　Exercises；　Encyclopaedia　Britannica；

Biographie　Universelle；　Fall　of　the　Jesuits；　by　St。　Priest；　Lives

of　Ignatius　Loyola；　Aquiviva；　Lainez；　Salmeron；　Borgia；　Xavier；

Bobadilla；　Pascal's　Provincial　Letters；　Bonhours'　Cretineau；

Lingard's　History　of　England；　Tierney；　Lettres　Aedificantes；　Jesuit

Missions；　Memoires　Secretes　du　Cardinal　Dubois；　Tanner's　Societas

Jesu；　Dodd's　Church　History。







JOHN　CALVIN。



A。　D。　1509…1564。



PROTESTANT　THEOLOGY。





John　Calvin　was　pre…eminently　the　theologian　of　the　Reformation；

and　stamped　his　genius　on　the　thinking　of　his　age；equally　an

authority　with　the　Swiss；　the　Dutch；　the　Huguenots；　and　the

Puritans。　　His　vast　influence　extends　to　our　own　times。　　His　fame

as　a　benefactor　of　mind　is　immortal；　although　it　cannot　be　said

that　he　is　as　much　admired　and　extolled　now　as　he　was　fifty　years

ago。　　Nor　was　he　ever　a　favorite　with　the　English　Church。　　He　has

been　even　grossly　misrepresented　by　theological　opponents；　but　no

critic　or　historian　has　ever　questioned　his　genius；　his　learning；

or　his　piety。　　No　one　denies　that　he　has　exerted　a　great　influence

on　Protestant　countries。　　As　a　theologian　he　ranks　with　Saint

Augustine　and　Thomas　Aquinas；maintaining　essentially　the　same

views　as　those　held　by　these　great　lights；　and　being　distinguished

for　the　same　logical　power；　reigning　like　them　as　an　intellectual

dictator　in　the　schools；　but　not　so　interesting　as　they　were　as

men。　　And　he　was　more　than　a　theologian；　he　was　a　reformer　and

legislator；　laying　down　rules　of　government；　organizing　church

discipline；　and　carrying　on　reforms　in　the　worship　of　God；second

only　to　Luther。　　His　labors　were　prodigious　as　theologian；

commentator；　and　ecclesiastical　legislator；　and　we　are　surprised

that　a　man　with　so　feeble　a　body　could　have　done　so　much　work。



Calvin　was　born　in　Picardy　in　1509；the　year　that　Henry　VIII。

ascended　the　British　throne；　and　the　year　that　Luther　began　to

preach　at　Wittenberg。　　He　was　not　a　peasant's　son；　like　Luther；　but

belonged　to　what　the　world　calls　a　good　family。　　Intellectually　he

was　precocious；　and　received　an　excellent　education　at　a　college　in

Paris；　being　destined　for　the　law　by　his　father；　who　sent　him　to

the　University　of　Orleans　and　then　to　Bourges；　where　he　studied

under　eminent　jurists；　and　made　the　acquaintance　of　many

distinguished　men。　　His　conversion　took　place　about　the　year　1529；

when　he　was　twenty；　and　this　gave　a　new　direction　to　his　studies

and　his　life。　　He　was　a　pale…faced　young　man；　with　sparkling　eyes；

sedate　and　earnest　beyond　his　years。　　He　was　twenty…three　when　he

published　the　books　of　Seneca　on　Clemency；　with　learned

commentaries。　　At　the　age　of　twenty…three　he　was　in　communion　with

the　reformers　of　Germany；　and　was　acknowledged　to　be；　even　at　that

early　age；　the　head　of　the　reform　party　in　France。　　In　1533　he　went

to　Paris；　then　as　always　the　centre　of　the　national　life；　where　the

new　ideas　were　creating　great　commotion　in　scholarly　and

ecclesiastical　circles；　and　even　in　the　court　itself。　　Giving

offence　to　the　doctors　of　the　Sorbonne　for　his　evangelical　views　as

to　Justification；　he　was　obliged　to　seek　refuge　with　the　Queen　of

Navarre；　whose　castle　at　Pau　was　the　resort　of　persecuted

reformers。　　After　leading　rather　a　fugitive　life　in　different　parts

of　France；　he　retreated　to　Switzerland；　and　at　twenty…six　published

his　celebrated　〃Institutes；〃　which　he　dedicated　to　Francis　I。；

hoping　to　convert　him　to　the　Protestant　faith。　　After　a　short

residence　in　Italy；　at　the　court　of　the　Duchess　of　Ferrara；　he　took

up　his　abode　at　Geneva；　and　his　great　career　began。



Geneva；　a　city　of　the　Allobroges　in　the　time　of　Caesar；　possessed

at　this　time　about　twenty　thousand　inhabitants；　and　was　a　free

state；　having　a　constitution　somewhat　like　that　of　Florence　when　it

was　under　the　control　of　Savonarola。　　It　had　rebelled　against　the

Duke　of　Savoy；　who　seems　to　have　been　in　the　fifteenth　century　its

patron　ruler。　　The　government　of　this　little　Savoyard　state　became

substantially　like　that　which　existed　among　the　Swiss　cantons。　　The

supreme　power　resided　in　the　council　of　Two　Hundred；　which　alone

had　the　power　to　make　or　abolish　laws。　　There　was　a　lesser　council

of　Sixty；　for　diplomatic　objects　only。



The　first　person　who　preached　the　reformed　doctrines　in　Geneva　was

the　missionary　Farel；　a　French　nobleman；　spiritual；　romantic；　and

zealous。　　He　had　great　success；　although　he　encountered　much

opposition　and　wrath。　　But　the　reformed　doctrines　were　already

established　in　Zurich；　Berne；　and　Basle；　chiefly　through　the

preaching　of　Ulrich　Zwingli；　and　OEcolampadius。　　The　apostolic

Farel　welcomed　with　great　cordiality　the　arrival　of　Calvin；　then

already　known　as　an　extraordinary　man；　though　only　twenty…eight

years　of　age。　　He　came　to　Geneva　poor；　and　remained　poor　all　his

life。　　All　his　property　at　his　death　amounted　to　only　two　hundred

dollars。　　As　a　minister　in　one　of　the　churches；　he　soon　began　to

exert　a　marvellous　influence。　　He　must　have　been　eloquent；　for　he

was　received　with　enthusiasm。　　This　was　in　1536。　　But　he　soon　met

with　obstacles。　　He　was　worried　by　the　Anabaptists；　and　even　his

orthodoxy　was　impeached　by　one　Coroli；　who　made　much　mischief；　so

that　Calvin　was　obliged　to　publish　his　Genevan　Catec