beacon lights of history-iii-2-第59章

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mercy　on　whom　he　will　have　mercy；　and　whom　he　will　he　hardeneth；〃

〃Hath　not　the　potter　power　over　his　clay？〃　　No　one　denies　that　from

these　texts　the　Predestination　of　Calvin　as　well　as　Augustinefor

they　both　had　similar　viewsis　logically　drawn。　　It　has　been

objected　that　both　of　these　eminent　theologians　overlooked　other

truths　which　go　in　parallel　lines；　and　which　would　modify　the

doctrine；even　as　Scripture　asserts　in　one　place　the　great　fact

that　the　will　is　free；　and　in　another　place　that　the　will　is

shackled。　　The　Pelagian　would　push　out　the　doctrine　of　free…will　so

as　to　ignore　the　necessity　of　grace；　and　the　Augustinian　would　push

out　the　doctrine　of　the　servitude　of　the　will　into　downright

fatalism。　　But　these　great　logicians　apparently　shrink　from　the

conclusions　to　which　their　logic　leads　them。　　Both　Augustine　and

Calvin　protest　against　fatalism；　and　both　assert　that　the　will　is

so　far　free　that　the　sinner　acts　without　constraint；　and

consequently　the　blame　of　his　sins　rests　upon　himself；　and　not　upon

another。　　The　doctrines　of　Calvin　and　Augustine　logically　pursued

would　lead　to　the　damnation　of　infants；　yet；　as　a　matter　of　fact；

neither　maintained　that　to　which　their　logic　led。　　It　is　not　in

human　nature　to　believe　such　a　thing；　even　if　it　may　be

dogmatically　asserted。



And　then；　in　regard　to　sin：　no　one　has　ever　disputed　the　fact　that

sin　is　rampant　in　this　world；　and　is　deserving　of　punishment。　　But

theologians　of　the　school　of　Augustine　and　Calvin；　in　view　of　the

fact；　have　assumed　the　premisewhich　indeed　cannot　be　disputed

that　sin　is　against　an　infinite　God。　　Hence；　that　sin　against　an

infinite　God　is　itself　infinite；　and　hence　that；　as　sin　deserves

punishment；　an　infinite　sin　deserves　infinite　punishment；a

conclusion　from　which　consciousness　recoils；　and　which　is　nowhere

asserted　in　the　Bible。　　It　is　a　conclusion　arrived　at　by

metaphysical　reasoning；　which　has　very　little　to　do　with　practical

Christianity；　and　which；　imposed　as　a　dogma　of　belief；　to　be

accepted　like　plain　declarations　of　Scripture；　is　an　insult　to　the

human　understanding。　　But　this　conclusion；　involving　the　belief

that　inherited　sin　IS　INFINITE；　and　deserving　of　infinite

punishment；　appals　the　mind。　　For　relief　from　this　terrible　logic；

the　theologian　adduces　the　great　fact　that　Christ　made　an　atonement

for　sin；another　cardinal　declaration　of　the　Scripture；and　that

believers　in　this　atonement　shall　be　saved。　　This　Bible　doctrine　is

exceedingly　comforting；　and　accounts　in　a　measure　for　the

marvellous　spread　of　Christianity。　　The　wretched　people　of　the　old

Roman　world　heard　the　glad　tidings　that　Christ　died　for　them；　as　an

atonement　for　the　sins　of　which　they　were　conscious；　and　which　had

chained　them　to　despair。　　But　another　class　of　theologians　deduced

from　this　premise；　that；　as　Christ's　death　was　an　infinite

atonement　for　the　sins　of　the　world；　so　all　men；　and　consequently

all　sinners；　would　be　saved。　　This　was　the　ground　of　the　original

Universalists；　deduced　from　the　doctrines　which　Augustine　and

Calvin　had　formulated。　　But　they　overlooked　the　Scripture

declaration　which　Calvin　never　lost　sight　of；　that　salvation　was

only　for　those　who　believed。　　Now　inasmuch　as　a　vast　majority　of

the　human　race；　including　infants；　have　not　believed；　it　becomes　a

logical　conclusion　that　all　who　have　not　believed　are　lost。　　Logic

and　consciousness　then　come　into　collision；　and　there　is　no　relief

but　in　consigning　these　discrepancies　to　the　realm　of　mystery。



I　allude　to　these　theological　difficulties　simply　to　show　the

tyranny　to　which　the　mind　and　soul　are　subjected　whenever

theological　deductions　are　invested　with　the　same　authority　as

belongs　to　original　declarations　of　Scripture；　and　which；　so　far

from　being　systematized；　do　not　even　always　apparently　harmonize。

Almost　any　system　of　belief　can　be　logically　deduced　from　Scripture

texts。　　It　should　be　the　work　of　theologians　to　harmonize　them　and

show　their　general　spirit　and　meaning；　rather　than　to　draw

conclusions　from　any　particular　class　of　subjects。　　Any　system　of

deductions　from　texts　of　Scripture　which　are　offset　by　texts　of

equal　authority　but　apparently　different　meaning；　is　necessarily

one…sided　and　imperfect；　and　therefore　narrow。　　That　is　exactly　the

difficulty　under　which　Calvin　labored。　　He　seems；　to　a　large　class

of　Christians　of　great　ability　and　conscientiousness；　to　be　narrow

and　one…sided；　and　is　therefore　no　authority　to　them；　not；　be　it

understood；　in　reference　to　the　great　fundamental　doctrines　of

Christianity；　but　in　his　views　of　Predestination　and　the　subjects

interlinked　with　it。　　And　it　was　the　great　error　of　attaching　so

much　importance　to　mere　metaphysical　divinity　that　led　to　such　a

revulsion　from　his　peculiar　system　in　after　times。　　It　was　the

great　wisdom　of　the　English　reformers；　like　Cranmer；　to　leave　all

those　metaphysical　questions　open；　as　matters　of　comparatively

little　consequence；　and　fall　back　on　unquestioned　doctrines　of

primitive　faith；　that　have　given　so　great　vitality　to　the　English

Church；　and　made　it　so　broad　and　catholic。　　The　Puritans　as　a　body；

more　intellectual　than　the　mass　of　the　Episcopalians；　were　led　away

by　the　imposing　and　entangling　dialectics　of　the　scholastic　Calvin；

and　came　unfortunately　to　attach　as　much　importance　to　such

subjects　as　free…will　and　predestinationquestions　most

complicatedas　they　did　to　〃the　weightier　matters　of　the　law；〃　and

when　pushed　by　the　logic　of　opponents　to　the　decretum　horribile；〃

have　been　compelled　to　fall　back　on　the　Catholic　doctrine　of

mysteries；　as　something　which　could　never　be　explained　or

comprehended；　but　which　it　is　a　Christian　duty　to　accept　as　a

mystery。　　The　Scriptures　certainly　speak　of　mysteries；　like

regeneration；　but　it　is　one　thing　to　marvel　how　a　man　can　be　born

again　by　the　Spirit　of　God；a　fact　we　see　every　day；and　quite

another　thing　to　make　a　mystery　to　be　accepted　as　a　matter　of　faith

of　that　which　the　Bible　has　nowhere　distinctly　affirmed；　and　which

is　against　all　ideas　of　natural　justice；　and　arrived　at　by　a　subtle

process　of　dialectical　reasoning。



But　it　was　natural　for　so　great　an　intellectual　giant　as　Calvin　to

make　his　startling　deductions　from　the　great　truths　he　meditated

upon　with　so　much　seriousness　and　earnestness。　　Only　a　very　lofty

nature　would　have　revelled　as　he　did；　and　as　Augustine　did　before

him　and　Pascal　after　him；　in　those　great　subjects　which　pertain　to

God　and　his　dispensations。　　All　his　meditations　and　formulated

doctrines　radiate　from　the　great　and　sublime　idea　of　the　majesty　of

God　and　the　comparative　insignificance　of　man。　　And　here　he　was　not

so　far　apart　from　the　great　sages　of　antiquity；　before　salvation

was　revealed　by　Christ。　　〃Canst　thou　by　searching　find　out　God？〃

〃What　is　man　that　Thou　art　mindful　of　him？〃



And　here　I　would　remark　that　theologians　and　philosophers　have　ever

been　divided　into　two　great　schools；those　who　have　had　a　tendency

to　exalt　the　dignity　of　man；　and　those　who　would　absorb　man　in　the

greatness　of　the　Deity。　　These　two　schools　have　advocated　doctrines

which；　logically　carried　out　to　their　ultimate　sequences；　would

produce　a　Grecian　humanitarianism　on　the　one　hand；　and　a　sort　of

Bramanism　on　the　other；the　one　making　man　the　arbiter　of　his　own

destiny；　independently　of　divine　agency；　and　the　other　making　the

Deity　the　only　power　of　the　universe。　　With　one　school；　God　as　the

only　controlling　agency　is　a　fiction；　and　man　himself　is　infinite

in　faculties；　the　other　holds　that　God　is　everything　and　man　is

nothing。　　The　distinction　between　these　two　schools；　both　of　which

have　had　great　defenders；　is　fundamental；such　as　that　between

Augustine　and　Pelagius；　between　Bernard　and　Abelard；　and　between

Calvin　and　Lainez。　　Among　those　who　have　inclined　to　the　doctrine

of　the　majesty　of　God　and　the　littleness　of　man　were　the　primitive

monks　and　the　Indian　theosophists；　and　the　orthodox