beacon lights of history-iii-2-第58章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

materially　from　the　Catholic　clergy　in　persisting　on　the　acceptance

of　the　authority　of　the　Church　as　to　matters　of　doctrine。　　Probably

a　church　organization　is　impossible　without　a　formulated　creed。

Such　a　creed　has　existed　from　the　time　of　the　Council　of　Nice；　and

is　not　likely　ever　to　be　abandoned　by　any　Christian　Church　in　any

future　age；　although　it　may　be　modified　and　softened　with　the

advance　of　knowledge。　　However；　it　is　difficult　to　conceive　of　the

unity　of　the　Church　as　to　faith；　without　a　creed　made　obligatory　on

all　the　members　of　a　communion　to　accept；　and　it　always　has　been

regarded　as　a　useful　and　even　necessary　form　of　Christian

instruction　for　the　people。　　Calvin　himself　attached　great

importance　to　catechisms；　and　prepared　one　even　for　children。



He　also　put　a　great　value　on　preaching；　instead　of　the　complicated

and　imposing　ritual　of　the　Catholic　service；　and　in　most　Protestant

churches　from　his　day　to　ours　preaching；　or　religious　instruction；

has　occupied　the　most　prominent　part　of　the　church　service；　and　it

must　be　conceded　that　while　the　Catholic　service　has　often

degenerated　into　mere　rites　and　ceremonies　to　aid　a　devotional

spirit；　so　the　Protestant　service　has　often　become　cold　and

rationalistic；and　it　is　not　easy　to　say　which　extreme　is　the

worse。



Thus　far　we　have　viewed　Calvin　in　the　light　of　a　reformer　and

legislator；　but　his　influence　as　a　theologian　is　more　remarkable。

It　is　for　his　theology　that　he　stands　out　as　a　prominent　figure　in

the　history　of　the　Church。　　As　such　he　showed　greater　genius；　as

such　he　is　the　most　eminent　of　all　the　reformers；　as　such　he

impressed　his　mind　on　the　thinking　of　his　own　age　and　of　succeeding

ages；an　original　and　immortal　man。　　His　system　of　divinity

embodied　in　his　〃Institutes〃　is　remarkable　for　the　radiation　of　the

general　doctrines　of　the　Church　around　one　central　principle；　which

he　defended　with　marvellous　logical　power。　　He　was　not　a　fencer

like　Abelard；　displaying　wonderful　dexterity　in　the　use　of

sophistries；　overwhelming　adversaries　by　wit　and　sarcasm；　arrogant

and　self…sufficient；　and　destroying　rather　than　building　up。　　He

did　not　deify　the　reason；　like　Erigina；　nor　throw　himself　on

authority　like　Bernard。　　He　was　not　comprehensive　like　Augustine；

nor　mystical　like　Bonaventura。　　He　had　the　spiritual　insight　of

Anselm；　and　the　dialectical　acumen　of　Thomas　Aquinas；　acknowledging

no　master　but　Christ；　and　implicitly　receiving　whatever　the

Scriptures　declared；　he　takes　his　original　position　neither　from

natural　reason　nor　from　the　authority　of　the　church；　but　from　the

word　of　God；　and　from　declarations　of　Scripture；　as　he　interprets

them；　he　draws　sequences　and　conclusions　with　irresistible　logic。

In　an　important　sense　he　is　one…sided；　since　he　does　not　take

cognizance　of　other　truths　equally　important。　　He　is　perfectly

fearless　in　pushing　out　to　its　most　logical　consequences　whatever

truth　he　seizes　upon；　and　hence　he　appears　to　many　gifted　and

learned　critics　to　draw　conclusions　from　accepted　premises　which

apparently　conflict　with　consciousness　or　natural　reason；　and　hence

there　has　ever　been　repugnance　to　many　of　his　doctrines；　because　it

is　impossible；　it　is　said；　to　believe　them。



In　general；　Calvin　does　not　essentially　differ　from　the　received

doctrines　of　the　Church　as　defended　by　its　greatest　lights　in　all

ages。　　His　peculiarity　is　not　in　making　a　digest　of　divinity；

although　he　treated　all　the　great　subjects　which　have　been

discussed　from　Athanasius　to　Aquinas。　　His　〃Institutes〃　may　well　be

called　an　exhaustive　system　of　theology。　　There　is　no　great

doctrine　which　he　has　not　presented　with　singular　clearness　and

logical　force。　　Yet　it　is　not　for　a　general　system　of　divinity　that

he　is　famous；　but　for　making　prominent　a　certain　class　of　subjects；

among　which　he　threw　the　whole　force　of　his　genius。　　In　fact　all

the　great　lights　of　the　Church　have　been　distinguished　for　the

discussion　of　particular　doctrines　to　meet　the　exigencies　of　their

times。　　Thus　Athanasius　is　identified　with　the　Trinitarian

controversy；　although　he　was　a　minister　of　theological　knowledge　in

general。　　Augustine　directed　his　attention　more　particularly　to　the

refutation　of　Pelagian　heresies　and　human　Depravity。　　Luther's

great　doctrine　was　Justification　by　Faith；　although　he　took　the

same　ground　as　Augustine。　　It　was　the　logical　result　of　the

doctrines　of　Grace　which　he　defended　which　led　to　the　overthrow；　in

half　of　Europe；　of　that　extensive　system　of　penance　and　self…

expiation　which　marked　the　Roman　Catholic　Church；　and　on　which　so

many　glaring　abuses　were　based。　　As　Athanasius　rendered　a　great

service　to　the　Church　by　establishing　the　doctrine　of　the　Trinity；

and　Augustine　a　still　greater　service　by　the　overthrow　of

Pelagianism；　so　Luther　undermined　the　papal　pile　of　superstition　by

showing　eloquently；what　indeed　had　been　shown　before；　the　true

ground　of　justification。　　When　we　speak　of　Calvin；　the　great

subject　of　Predestination　arises　before　our　minds；　although　on　this

subject　he　made　no　pretention　to　originality。　　Nor　did　he　differ

materially　from　Augustine；　or　Gottschalk；　or　Thomas　Aquinas　before

him；　or　Pascal　and　Edwards　after　him。　　But　no　man　ever　presented

this　complicated　and　mysterious　subject　so　ably　as　be。



It　is　not　for　me　to　discuss　this　great　topic。　　I　simply　wish　to

present　the　subject　historically；to　give　Calvin's　own　views；　and

the　effect　of　his　deductions　on　the　theology　of　his　age；　and　in

giving　Calvin's　views　I　must　shelter　myself　under　the　wings　of　his

best　biographer；　Doctor　Henry　of　Berlin；　and　quote　the　substance　of

his　exposition　of　the　peculiar　doctrines　of　the　Swiss；　or　rather

French；　theologian。



According　to　Henry；　Calvin　maintained　that　God；　in　his　sovereign

will　and　for　his　own　glory；　elected　one　part　of　the　human　race　to

everlasting　life；　and　abandoned　the　other　part　to　everlasting

death；　that　man；　by　the　original　transgression；　lost　the　power　of

free…will；　except　to　do　evil；　that　it　is　only　by　Divine　Grace　that

freedom　to　do　good　is　recovered；　but　that　this　grace　is　bestowed

only　on　the　elect；　and　elect　not　in　consequence　of　the

foreknowledge　of　God；　but　by　his　absolute　decree　before　the　world

was　made。



This　is　the　substance　of　those　peculiar　doctrines　which　are　called

Calvinism；　and　by　many　regarded　as　fundamental　principles　of

theology；　to　be　received　with　the　same　unhesitating　faith　as　the

declarations　of　Scripture　from　which　those　doctrines　are　deduced。

Augustine　and　Aquinas　accepted　substantially　the　same　doctrines；

but　they　were　not　made　so　prominent　in　their　systems；　nor　were　they

so　elaborately　worked　out。



The　opponents　of　Calvin；　including　some　of　the　brightest　lights

which　have　shone　in　the　English　church；such　men　as　Jeremy　Taylor；

Archbishop　Whately；　and　Professor　Mosley；affirm　that　these

doctrines　are　not　only　opposed　to　free…will；　but　represent　God　as

arbitrarily　dooming　a　large　part　of　the　human　race　to　future　and

endless　punishment；　withholding　from　them　his　grace；　by　which　alone

they　can　turn　from　their　sins；　creating　them　only　to　destroy　them：

not　as　the　potter　moulds　the　clay　for　vessels　of　honor　and

dishonor；　but　moulding　the　clay　in　order　to　destroy　the　vessels　he

has　made；　whether　good　or　bad；　which　doctrine　they　affirm　conflicts

with　the　views　usually　held　out　in　the　Scriptures　of　God　as　a　God

of　love；　and　also　conflicts　with　all　natural　justice；　and　is

therefore　one…sided　and　narrow。



The　premises　from　which　this　doctrine　is　deduced　are　those

Scripture　texts　which　have　the　authority　of　the　Apostle　Paul；　such

as　these：　〃According　as　he　hath　chosen　us　in　him　before　the

foundation　of　the　world；〃　〃For　whom　he　did　foreknow　he　also　did

predestinate；〃　〃Jacob　have　I　loved　and　Esau　have　I　hated；〃　〃He　hath

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

〃H