beacon lights of history-iii-2-第57章

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Christmas　was　the　only　festival　he　retained。　　He　was　even

slanderously　accused　of　wishing　to　abolish　the　Sabbath；　the

observance　of　which　he　inculcated　with　the　strictness　of　the

Puritans。　　He　introduced　congregational　singing；　but　would　not

allow　the　ear　or　the　eye　to　be　distracted。　　The　music　was　simple；

dispensing　with　organs　and　instruments　and　all　elaborate　and

artistic　display。　　It　is　needless　to　say　that　this　severe

simplicity　of　worship　has　nearly　passed　away；　but　it　cannot　be

doubted　that　the　changes　which　the　reformers　made　produced　the

deepest　impression　on　the　people　in　a　fervent　and　religious　age。

The　psalms　and　hymns　of　the　reformers　were　composed　in　times　of

great　religious　excitement。　　Calvin　was　far　behind　Luther；　who　did

not　separate　the　art　of　music　from　religion；　but　Calvin　made　a

divorce　of　art　from　public　worship。　　Indeed；　the　Reformation　was

not　favorable　to　art　in　any　form　except　in　sacred　poetry；　it

declared　those　truths　which　save　the　soul；　rather　than　sought　those

arts　which　adorn　civilization。　　Hence　its　churches　were　barren　of

ornaments　and　symbols；　and　were　cold　and　repulsive　when　the　people

were　not　excited　by　religious　truths。　　Nor　did　they　favor　eloquence

in　the　ordinary　meaning　of　that　word。　　Pulpit　eloquence　was　simple；

direct；　and　without　rhetorical　devices；　seeking　effect　not　in

gestures　and　postures　and　modulated　voice；　but　earnest　appeals　to

the　heart　and　conscience。　　The　great　Catholic　preachers　of　the

eighteenth　centurylike　Bossuet　and　Bourdaloue　and　Massillon

surpassed　the　Protestants　as　rhetoricians。



The　simplicity　which　marked　the　worship　of　God　as　established　by

Calvin　was　also　a　feature　in　his　system　of　church　government。　　He

dispensed　with　bishops；　archdeacons；　deans；　and　the　like。　　In　his

eyes　every　man　who　preached　the　word　was　a　presbyter；　or　elder；　and

every　presbyter　was　a　bishop。　　A　deacon　was　an　officer　to　take　care

of　the　poor；　not　to　preach。　　And　it　was　necessary　that　a　minister

should　have　a　double　call；both　an　inward　call　and　an　outward

one；or　an　election　by　the　people　in　union　with　the　clergy。　　Paul

and　Barnabas　set　forth　elders；　but　the　people　indicated　their

approval　by　lifting　up　their　hands。　　In　the　Presbyterianism　which

Calvin　instituted　he　maintained　that　the　Church　is　represented　by

the　laity　as　well　as　by　the　clergy。　　He　therefore　gave　the　right　of

excommunication　to　the　congregation　in　conjunction　with　the　clergy。

In　the　Lutheran　Church；　as　in　the　Catholic；　the　right　of

excommunication　was　vested　in　the　clergy　alone。　　But　Calvin　gave　to

the　clergy　alone　the　right　to　administer　the　sacraments；　nor　would

he　give　to　the　Church　any　other　power　of　punishment　than　exclusion

from　the　Lord's　Supper；　and　excommunication。　　His　organization　of

the　Church　was　aristocratic；　placing　the　power　in　the　hands　of　a

few　men　of　approved　wisdom　and　piety。　　He　had　no　sympathy　with

democracy；　either　civil　or　religious；　and　he　formed　a　close　union

between　Church　and　State；giving　to　the　council　the　right　to

choose　elders　and　to　confirm　the　election　of　ministers。　　As　already

stated；　he　did　not　attempt　to　shield　the　clergy　from　the　civil

tribunals。　　The　consistory；　which　assembled　once　a　week；　was　formed

of　elders　and　preachers；　and　a　messenger　of　the　civil　court

summoned　before　it　the　persons　whose　presence　was　required。　　No

such　power　as　this　would　be　tolerated　in　these　times。　　But　the

consistory　could　not　itself　inflict　punishment；　that　was　the

province　of　the　civil　government。　　The　elders　and　clergy　inflicted

no　civil　penalties；　but　simply　determined　what　should　be　heard

before　the　spiritual　and　what　before　the　civil　tribunal。　　A　syndic

presided　in　the　spiritual　assembly　at　first；　but　only　as　a　church

elder。　　The　elders　were　chosen　from　the　council；　and　the　election

was　confirmed　by　the　great　council；　the　people；　and　preachers；　so

that　the　Church　was　really　in　the　hands　of　the　State；　which

appointed　the　clergy。　　It　would　thus　seem　that　Church　and　State

were　very　much　mixed　up　together　by　Calvin；　who　legislated　in　view

of　the　circumstances　which　surrounded　him；　and　not　for　other　times

or　nations。　　This　subordination　of　the　Church　to　the　State；　which

was　maintained　by　all　the　reformers；　was　established　in　opposition

to　the　custom　of　the　Catholic　Church；　which　sought　to　make　the

State　subservient　to　the　Church。　　And　the　lay　government　of　the

Church；　which　entered　into　the　system　of　Calvin；　was　owing　to　the

fear　that　the　clergy；　when　able　to　stand　alone；　might　become　proud

and　ambitious；　a　fear　which　was　grounded　on　the　whole　history　of

the　Church。



Although　Calvin　had　an　exalted　idea　of　the　spiritual　dignity　of　the

Church；　he　allowed　a　very　dangerous　interference　of　the　State　in

ecclesiastical　affairs；　even　while　he　would　separate　the　functions

of　the　clergy　from　those　of　the　magistrates。　　He　allowed　the　State

to　pronounce　the　final　sentence　on　dogmatic　questions；　and　hence

the　power　of　the　synod　failed　in　Geneva。　　Moreover；　the　payment　of

ministers　by　the　State　rather　than　by　the　people；　as　in　this

country；　was　against　the　old　Jewish　custom；　which　Calvin　so　often

borrowed；for　the　priests　among　the　Jews　were　independent　of　the

kings。　　But　Calvin　wished　to　destroy　caste　among　the　clergy；　and

consequently　spiritual　tyranny。　　In　his　legislation　we　see　an

intense　hostility　to　the　Roman　Catholic　Church；one　of　the

animating　principles　of　the　Reformers；　and　hence　the　Reformers；　in

their　hostility　to　Rome；　went　from　Sylla　into　Charybdis。　　Calvin；

like　all　churchmen；　exalted　naturally　the　theocratic　idea　of　the

old　Jewish　and　Mediaeval　Church；　and　yet　practically　put　the　Church

into　the　hands　of　laymen。　　In　one　sense　he　was　a　spiritual

dictator；　and　like　Luther　a　sort　of　Protestant　pope；　and　yet　he

built　up　a　system　which　was　fatal　to　spiritual　power　such　as　had

existed　among　the　Catholic　priesthood。　　For　their　sacerdotal

spiritual　power　he　would　substitute　a　moral　power；　the　result　of

personal　bearing　and　sanctity。　　It　is　amusing　to　hear　some　people

speak　of　Calvin　as　a　ghostly　spiritual　father；　but　no　man　ever

fought　sacerdotalism　more　earnestly　than　he。　　The　logical　sequence

of　his　ecclesiastical　reforms　was　not　the　aristocratic　and　Erastian

Church　of　Scotland；　but　the　Puritans　in　New　England；　who　were

Independents　and　not　Presbyterians。



Yet　there　is　an　inconsistency　even　in　Calvin's　regime；　for　he　had

the　zeal　of　the　old　Catholic　Church　in　giving　over　to　the　civil

power　those　he　wished　to　punish；　as　in　the　case　of　Servetus。　　He

even　intruded　into　the　circle　of　social　life；　and　established　a

temporal　rather　than　a　spiritual　theocracy；　and　while　he　overthrew

the　episcopal　element；　he　made　a　distinction；　not　recognized　in　the

primitive　church；　between　clergy　and　laity。　　As　for　religious

toleration；　it　did　not　exist　in　any　country　or　in　any　church；　there

was　no　such　thing　as　true　evangelical　freedom。　　All　the　Reformers

attempted；　as　well　as　the　Catholics；　a　compulsory　unity　of　faith；

and　this　is　an　impossibility。　　The　Reformers　adopted　a　catechism；

or　a　theological　system；　which　all　communicants　were　required　to

learn　and　accept。　　This　is　substantially　the　acceptance　of　what　the

Church　ordains。　　Creeds　are　perhaps　a　necessity　in　well…organized

ecclesiastical　bodies；　and　are　not　unreasonable；　but　it　should　not

be　forgotten　that　they　are　formulated　doctrines　made　by　men；　on

what　is　supposed　to　be　the　meaning　of　the　Scriptures；　and　are　not

consistent　with　the　right　of　private　judgment　when　pushed　out　to

its　ultimate　logical　consequence。　　When　we　remember　how　few　men　are

capable　of　interpreting　Scripture　for　themselves；　and　how　few　are

disposed　to　exercise　this　right；　we　can　see　why　the　formulated

catechism　proved　useful　in　securing　unity　of　belief；　but　when

Protestant　divines　insisted　on　the　acceptance　of　the　articles　of

faith　which　they　deduced　from　the　Scriptures；　they　did　not　differ

materially　from　the　Catholic　clergy　in　persist