beacon lights of history-iii-2-第61章

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mediaeval　Catholic　divine。　　He　would　have　burned　a　Galileo　as　he

caused　the　death　of　Servetus；　which　need　not　have　happened　but　for

him。　　Calvin　could　have　saved　Servetus　if　he　had　pleased；　but　he

complained　of　him　to　the　magistrates；　knowing　that　his　condemnation

and　death　would　necessarily　follow。　　He　had　neither　the　humanity　of

Luther　nor　the　toleration　of　Saint　Augustine。　　He　was　the

impersonation　of　intellect；like　Newton；　Leibnitz；　Spinoza；　and

Kant；which　overbore　the　impulses　of　his　heart。　　He　had　no

passions　except　zeal　for　orthodoxy。　　So　pre…eminently　did　intellect

tower　above　the　passions　that　he　seemed　to　lack　sympathy；　and　yet；

such　was　his　exalted　character；　he　was　capable　of　friendship。　　He

was　remarkable　for　every　faculty　of　the　mind　except　wit　and

imagination。　　His　memory　was　almost　incredible；　he　remembered

everything　he　ever　read　or　heard；　he　would；　after　long　intervals；

recognize　persons　whom　he　had　never　seen　but　once　or　twice。　　When

employed　in　dictation；　he　would　resume　the　thread　of　his　discourse

without　being　prompted；　after　the　most　vexatious　interruptions。

His　judgment　was　as　sound　as　his　memory　was　retentive；　it　was

almost　infallible；no　one　was　ever　known　to　have　been　misled　by

it。　　He　had　a　remarkable　analytical　power；　and　also　the　power　of

generalization。　　He　was　a　very　learned　man；　and　his　Commentaries

are　among　the　most　useful　and　valued　of　his　writings；　showing　both

learning　and　judgment；　his　exegetical　works　have　scarcely　been

improved。　　He　had　no　sceptical　or　rationalistic　tendencies；　and

therefore　his　Commentaries　may　not　be　admired　by　men　of　〃advanced

thought；〃　but　his　annotations　will　live　when　those　of　Ewald　shall

be　forgotten；　they　still　hold　their　place　in　the　libraries　of

biblical　critics。　　For　his　age　he　was　a　transcendent　critic；　his

various　writings　fill　five　folio　volumes。　　He　was　not　so　voluminous

a　writer　as　Thomas　Aquinas；　but　less　diffuse；　his　style　is　lucid；

like　that　of　Voltaire。



Considering　the　weakness　of　his　body　Calvin's　labors　were

prodigious。　　There　was　never　a　more　industrious　man；　finding　time

for　everything；for　an　amazing　correspondence；　for　pastoral

labors；　for　treatises　and　essays；　for　commentaries　and　official

duties。　　No　man　ever　accomplished　more　in　the　same　space　of　time。

He　preached　daily　every　alternate　week；　he　attended　meetings　of　the

Consistory　and　of　the　Court　of　Morals；　he　interested　himself　in　the

great　affairs　of　his　age；　he　wrote　letters　to　all　parts　of

Christendom。



Reigning　as　a　religious　dictator；　and　with　more　influence　than　any

man　of　his　age；　next　to　Luther；　Calvin　was　content　to　remain　poor；

and　was　disdainful　of　money　and　all　praises　and　rewards。　　This　was

not　an　affectation；　not　the　desire　to　imitate　the　great　saints　of

Christian　antiquity　to　whom　poverty　was　a　cardinal　virtue；　but　real

indifference；　looking　upon　money　as　impedimenta；　as　camp　equipage

is　to　successful　generals。　　He　was　not　conscious　of　being　poor　with

his　small　salary　of　fifty　dollars　a　year；　feeling　that　he　had

inexhaustible　riches　within　him；　and　hence　he　calmly　and　naturally

took　his　seat　among　the　great　men　of　the　world　as　their　peer　and

equal；　without　envy　of　the　accidents　of　fortune　and　birth。　　He　was

as　indifferent　to　money　and　luxuries　as　Socrates　when　he　walked

barefooted　among　the　Athenian　aristocracy；　or　Basil　when　he　retired

to　the　wilderness；　he　rarely　gave　vent　to　extravagant　grief　or　joy；

seldom　laughed；　and　cared　little　for　hilarities；　he　knew　no　games

or　sports；　he　rarely　played　with　children　or　gossiped　with　women；

he　loved　without　romance；　and　suffered　bereavement　without　outward

sorrow。　　He　had　no　toleration　for　human　infirmities；　and　was

neither　social　nor　genial；　he　sought　a　wife；　not　so　much　for

communion　of　feeling　as　to　ease　him　of　his　burdens；not　to　share

his　confidence；　but　to　take　care　of　his　house。　　Nor　was　he　fond；

like　Luther；　of　music　and　poetry。　　He　had　no　taste　for　the　fine

arts；　he　never　had　a　poet　or　an　artist　for　his　friend　or　companion。

He　could　not　look　out　of　his　window　without　seeing　the　glaciers　of

the　Alps；　but　seemed　to　be　unmoved　by　their　unspeakable　grandeur；

he　did　not　revel　in　the　glories　of　nature　or　art；　but　gave　his　mind

to　abstract　ideas　and　stern　practical　duties。　　He　was　sparing　of

language；　simple；　direct；　and　precise；　using　neither　sarcasm；　nor

ridicule；　nor　exaggeration。　　He　was　far　from　being　eloquent

according　to　popular　notions　of　oratory；　and　despised　the　jingle　of

words　and　phrases　and　tricks　of　rhetoric；　he　appealed　to　reason

rather　than　the　passions；　to　the　conscience　rather　than　the

imagination。



Though　mild；　Calvin　was　also　intolerant。　　Castillo；　once　his

friend；　assailed　his　doctrine　of　Decrees；　and　was　obliged　to　quit

Geneva；　and　was　so　persecuted　that　he　died　of　actual　starvation；

Perrin；　captain…general　of　the　republic；　danced　at　a　wedding；　and

was　thrown　into　prison；　Bolsec；　an　eminent　physician；　opposed　the

doctrine　of　Predestination；　and　was　sentenced　to　perpetual

imprisonment；　Gruet　spoke　lightly　of　the　ordinances　of　religion；

and　was　beheaded；　Servetus　was　a　moral　and　learned　and　honest　man；

but　could　not　escape　the　flames。　　Had　he　been　willing　to　say；　as

the　flames　consumed　his　body；　〃Jesus；　thou　eternal　Son　of　God；　have

mercy　on　me！〃　instead　of；　〃Jesus；　thou　son　of　the　eternal　God！〃　he

might　have　been　spared。　　Calvin　was　as　severe　on　those　who　refused

to　accept　his　logical　deductions　from　acknowledged　truths　as　he　was

on　those　who　denied　the　fundamental　truths　themselves。　　But

toleration　was　rare　in　his　age；　and　he　was　not　beyond　it。　　He　was

not　even　beyond　the　ideas　of　the　Middle　Ages　in　some　important

points；　such　as　those　which　pertained　to　divine　justice；the　wrath

rather　than　the　love　of　God。　　He　lived　too　near　the　Middle　Ages　to

be　emancipated　from　the　ideas　which　enslaved　such　a　man　as　Thomas

Aquinas。　　He　had　very　little　patience　with　frivolous　amusements　or

degrading　pursuits。　　He　attached　great　dignity　to　the　ministerial

office；　and　set　a　severe　example　of　decorum　and　propriety　in　all

his　public　ministrations。　　He　was　a　type　of　the　early　evangelical

divines；　and　was　the　father　of　the　old　Puritan　strictness　and

narrowness　and　fidelity　to　trusts。　　His　very　faults　grew　out　of

virtues　pushed　to　extremes。　　In　our　times　such　a　man　would　not　be

selected　as　a　travelling　companion；　or　a　man　at　whose　house　we

would　wish　to　keep　the　Christmas　holidays。　　His　unattractive

austerity　perhaps　has　been　made　too　much　of　by　his　enemies；　and

grew　out　of　his　unimpulsive　temperament；call　it　cold　if　we　must；

and　also　out　of　his　stern　theology；　which　marked　the　ascetics　of

the　Middle　Ages。　　Few　would　now　approve　of　his　severity　of

discipline　any　more　than　they　would　feel　inclined　to　accept　some　of

his　theological　deductions。



I　question　whether　Calvin　lived　in　the　hearts　of　his　countrymen；　or

they　would　have　erected　some　monument　to　his　memory。　　In　our　times

a　statue　has　been　erected　to　Rousseau　in　Geneva；　but　Calvin　was

buried　without　ceremony　and　with　exceeding　simplicity。　　He　was　a

warrior　who　cared　nothing　for　glory　or　honor；　absorbed　in　devotion

to　his　Invisible　King；　not　indifferent　to　the　exercise　of　power；

but　only　as　he　felt　he　was　the　delegated　messenger　of　Divine

Omnipotence　scattering　to　the　winds　the　dust　of　all　mortal

grandeur。　　With　all　his　faults；　which　were　on　the　surface；　he　was

the　accepted　idol　and　oracle　of　a　great　party；　and　stamped　his

genius　on　his　own　and　succeeding　ages。　　Whatever　the　Presbyterians

have　done　for　civilization；　he　comes　in　for　a　share　of　the　honor。

Whatever　foundations　the　Puritans　laid　for　national　greatness　in

this　country；　it　must　be　confessed　that　they　caught　inspiration

from　his　decrees。　　Such　a　great　master　of　exegetical　learning　and

theological　inquiry　and　legislative　wisdom　will　be　forever　held　in

reverence　by　lofty　characters；　although　he　may　be　no　favorite　with

the　mass　of　mankind。　　If　many　great