beacon lights of history-iii-2-第60章

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

monks　and　the　Indian　theosophists；　and　the　orthodox　scholastics　of

the　Middle　Ages；all　of　whom　were　comparatively　indifferent　to

material　pleasure　and　physical　progress；　and　sought　the　salvation

of　the　soul　and　the　favor　of　God　beyond　all　temporal　blessings。　　Of

the　other　class　have　been　the　Greek　philosophers　and　the

rationalizing　schoolmen　and　the　modern　lights　of　science。



Now　Calvin　was　imbued　with　the　lofty　spirit　of　the　Fathers　of　the

Church　and　the　more　religious　and　contemplative　of　the　schoolmen

and　the　saints　of　the　Middle　Ages；　when　he　attached　but　little

dignity　to　man　unaided　by　divine　grace；　and　was　absorbed　with　the

idea　of　the　sovereignty　of　God；　in　whose　hands　man　is　like　clay　in

the　hands　of　the　potter。　　This　view　of　God　pervaded　the　whole

spirit　of　his　theology；　making　it　both　lofty　and　yet　one…sided。　　To

him　the　chief　end　of　man　was　to　glorify　God；　not　to　develop　his　own

intellectual　faculties；　and　still　less　to　seek　the　pleasures　and

excitements　of　the　world。　　Man　was　a　sinner　before　an　infinite　God；

and　he　could　rise　above　the　polluting　influence　of　sin　only　by　the

special　favor　of　God　and　his　divinely　communicated　grace。　　Man　was

so　great　a　sinner　that　he　deserved　an　eternal　punishment；　only　to

be　rescued　as　a　brand　plucked　from　the　fire；　as　one　of　the　elect

before　the　world　was　made。　　The　vast　majority　of　men　were　left　to

the　uncovenanted　mercies　of　Christ；the　redeemer；　not　of　the　race；

but　of　those　who　believed。



To　Calvin　therefore；　as　to　the　Puritans；　the　belief　in　a　personal

God　was　everything；　not　a　compulsory　belief　in　the　general

existence　of　a　deity　who；　united　with　Nature；　reveals　himself　to

our　consciousness；　not　the　God　of　the　pantheist；　visible　in　all　the

wonders　of　Nature；　not　the　God　of　the　rationalist；　who　retires　from

the　universe　which　he　has　made；　leaving　it　to　the　operation　of

certain　unchanging　and　universal　laws：　but　the　God　whom　Abraham　and

Moses　and　the　prophets　saw　and　recognized；　and　who　by　his　special

providence　rules　the　destinies　of　men。　　The　most　intellectual　of

the　reformers　abhorred　the　deification　of　the　reason；　and　clung　to

that　exalted　supernaturalism　which　was　the　life　and　hope　of　blessed

saints　and　martyrs　in　bygone　ages；　and　which　in　〃their　contests

with　mail…clad　infidelity　was　like　the　pebble　which　the　shepherd　of

Israel　hurled　against　the　disdainful　boaster　who　defied　the　power

of　Israel's　God。〃　　And　he　was　thus　brought　into　close　sympathy　with

the　realism　of　the　Fathers；　who　felt　that　all　that　is　valuable　in

theology　must　radiate　from　the　recognition　of　Almighty　power　in　the

renovation　of　society；　and　displayed；　not　according　to　our　human

notions　of　law　and　progress　and　free…will；　but　supernaturally　and

mysteriously；　according　to　his　sovereign　will；　which　is　above　law；

since　God　is　the　author　of　law。　　He　simply　erred　in　enforcing　a

certain　class　of　truths　which　must　follow　from　the　majesty　of　the

one　great　First　Cause；　lofty　as　these　truths　are；　to　the　exclusion

of　another　class　of　truths　of　great　importance；　which　gives　to　his

system　incompleteness　and　one…sidedness。　　Thus　he　was　led　to

undervalue　the　power　of　truth　itself　in　its　contest　with　error。　　He

was　led　into　a　seeming　recognition　of　two　wills　in　God；that　which

wills　the　salvation　of　all　men；　and　that　which　wills　the　salvation

of　the　elect　alone。　　He　is　accused　of　a　leaning　to　fatalism；　which

he　heartily　denied；　but　which　seems　to　follow　from　his　logical

conclusions。　　He　entered　into　an　arena　of　metaphysical　controversy

which　can　never　be　settled。　　The　doctrines　of　free…will　and

necessity　can　never　be　reconciled　by　mortal　reason。　　Consciousness

reveals　the　freedom　of　the　will　as　well　as　the　slavery　to　sin。　　Men

are　conscious　of　both；　they　waste　their　time　in　attempting　to

reconcile　two　apparently　opposing　facts；like　our　pious　fathers　at

their　New　England　fire…sides；　who　were　compelled　to　shelter

themselves　behind　mystery。



The　tendency　of　Calvin's　system；　it　is　maintained　by　many；　is　to

ascribe　to　God　attributes　which　according　to　natural　justice　would

be　injustice　and　cruelty；　such　as　no　father　would　exercise　on　his

own　children；　however　guilty。　　Even　good　men　will　not　accept　in

their　hearts　doctrines　which　tend　to　make　God　less　compassionate

than　man。　　There　are　not　two　kinds　of　justice。　　The　intellect　is

appalled　when　it　is　affirmed　that　one　man　JUSTLY　suffers　the

penalty　of　another　man's　sin；although　the　world　is　full　of

instances　of　men　suffering　from　the　carelessness　or　wickedness　of

others；　as　in　a　wicked　war　or　an　unnecessary　railway　disaster。　　The

Scripture　law　of　retribution；　as　brought　out　in　the　Bible　and

sustained　by　consciousness；　is　the　penalty　a　man　pays　for　personal

and　voluntary　transgression。　　Nor　will　consciousness　accept　the

doctrine　that　the　sin　of　a　mortalespecially　under　strong

temptation　and　with　all　the　bias　of　a　sinful　natureis　infinite。

Nothing　which　a　created　mortal　can　do　is　infinite；　it　is　only

finite：　the　infinite　belongs　to　God　alone。　　Hence　an　infinite

penalty　for　a　finite　sin　conflicts　with　consciousness　and　is

nowhere　asserted　in　the　Bible；　which　is　transcendently　more

merciful　and　comforting　than　many　theological　systems　of　belief；

however　powerfully　sustained　by　dialectical　reasoning　and　by　the

most　excellent　men。　　Human　judgments　or　reasonings　are　fallible　on

moral　questions　which　have　two　sides；　and　reasonings　from　texts

which　present　different　meanings　when　studied　by　the　lights　of

learning　and　science　are　still　more　liable　to　be　untrustworthy。　　It

would　seem　to　be　the　supremest　necessity　for　theological　schools　to

unravel　the　meaning　of　divine　declarations；　and　present　doctrines

in　their　relation　with　apparently　conflicting　texts；　rather　than

draw　out　a　perfect　and　consistent　system；　philosophically

considered；　from　any　one　class　of　texts。　　Of　all　things　in　this

wicked　and　perplexing　world　the　science　of　theology　should　be　the

most　cheerful　and　inspiring；　for　it　involves　inquiries　on　the

loftiest　subjects　which　can　interest　a　thoughtful　mind。



But　whatever　defects　the　system　of　doctrines　which　Calvin

elaborated　with　such　transcendent　ability　may　have；　there　is　no

question　as　to　its　vast　influence　on　the　thinking　of　the　sixteenth

and　seventeenth　centuries。　　The　schools　of　France　and　Holland　and

Scotland　and　England　and　America　were　animated　by　his　genius　and

authority。　　He　was　a　burning　and　a　shining　light；　if　not　for　all

ages；　at　least　for　the　unsettled　times　in　which　he　lived。　　No

theologian　ever　had　a　greater　posthumous　power　than　he　for　nearly

three　hundred　years；　and　he　is　still　one　of　the　great　authorities

of　the　church　universal。　　John　Knox　sought　his　counsel　and　was

influenced　by　his　advice　in　the　great　reform　he　made　in　Scotland。

In　France　the　words　Calvinist　and　Huguenot　are　synonymous。

Cranmer；　too；　listened　to　his　counsels；　and　had　great　respect　for

his　learning　and　sanctity。　　Among　the　Puritans　he　has　reigned　like

an　oracle。　　Oliver　Cromwell　embraced　his　doctrines；　as　also　did　Sir

Matthew　Hale。　　Ridicule　or　abuse　of　Calvin　is　as　absurd　as　the

ridicule　or　abuse　with　which　Protestants　so　long　assailed

Hildebrand　or　Innocent　III。　　No　one　abuses　Pascal　or　Augustine；　and

yet　the　theological　views　of　all　these　are　substantially　the　same。



In　one　respect　I　think　that　Calvin　has　received　more　credit　than　he

deserves。　　Some　have　maintained　that　he　was　a　sort　of　father　of

republicanism　and　democratic　liberty。　　In　truth　he　had　no　popular

sympathies；　and　leaned　towards　an　aristocracy　which　was　little

short　of　an　oligarchy。　　He　had　no　hand　in　establishing　the

political　system　of　Geneva；　it　was　established　before　he　went

there。　　He　was　not　even　one　of　those　thinkers　who　sympathized　with

true　liberty　of　conscience。　　He　persecuted　heretics　like　a

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

caused　the　death　of　S