the story of mankind-第47章

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set　out　upon　the　seemingly　hopeless　task　of　changing　the　character

of　his　millions　of　fellow　men　who　inhabited　the　wide　plains

of　eastern　Asia。　The　Chinese　had　never　been　much　interested

in　religion　as　we　understand　that　word。　They　believed　in

devils　and　spooks　as　most　primitive　people　do。　But　they　had

no　prophets　and　recognised　no　‘‘revealed　truth。''　Confucius

is　almost　the　only　one　among　the　great　moral　leaders　who　did

not　see　visions；　who　did　not　proclaim　himself　as　the　messenger

of　a　divine　power；　who　did　not；　at　some　time　or　another；　claim

that　he　was　inspired　by　voices　from　above。



He　was　just　a　very　sensible　and　kindly　man；　rather　given

to　lonely　wanderings　and　melancholy　tunes　upon　his　faithful

flute。　He　asked　for　no　recognition。　He　did　not　demand　that

any　one　should　follow　him　or　worship　him。　He　reminds　us

of　the　ancient　Greek　philosophers；　especially　those　of　the　Stoic

School；　men　who　believed　in　right　living　and　righteous　thinking

without　the　hope　of　a　reward　but　simply　for　the　peace　of

the　soul　that　comes　with　a　good　conscience。



Confucius　was　a　very　tolerant　man。　He　went　out　of　his

way　to　visit　Lao…Tse；　the　other　great　Chinese　leader　and　the

founder　of　a　philosophic　system　called　‘‘Taoism；''　which　was

merely　an　early　Chinese　version　of　the　Golden　Rule。



Confucius　bore　no　hatred　to　any　one。　He　taught　the　virtue

of　supreme　self…possession。　A　person　of　real　worth；　according

to　the　teaching　of　Confucius；　did　not　allow　himself　to　be

ruffled　by　anger　and　suffered　whatever　fate　brought　him　with

the　resignation　of　those　sages　who　understand　that　everything

which　happens；　in　one　way　or　another；　is　meant　for　the　best。



At　first　he　had　only　a　few　students。　Gradually　the　number

increased。　Before　his　death；　in　the　year　478　B。C。；　several　of　the

kings　and　the　princes　of　China　confessed　themselves　his　disciples。

When　Christ　was　born　in　Bethlehem；　the　philosophy　of

Confucius　had　already　become　a　part　of　the　mental　make…up

of　most　Chinamen。　It　has　continued　to　influence　their　lives

ever　since。　Not　however　in　its　pure；　original　form。　Most　religions

change　as　time　goes　on。　Christ　preached　humility　and

meekness　and　absence　from　worldly　ambitions；　but　fifteen

centuries　after　Golgotha；　the　head　of　the　Christian　church　was

spending　millions　upon　the　erection　of　a　building　that　bore

little　relation　to　the　lonely　stable　of　Bethlehem。



Lao…Tse　taught　the　Golden　Rule；　and　in　less　than　three

centuries　the　ignorant　masses　had　made　him　into　a　real　and

very　cruel　God　and　had　buried　his　wise　commandments　under

a　rubbish…heap　of　superstition　which　made　the　lives　of　the　average

Chinese　one　long　series　of　frights　and　fears　and　horrors。



Confucius　had　shown　his　students　the　beauties　of　honouring

their　Father　and　their　Mother。　They　soon　began　to　be　more

interested　in　the　memory　of　their　departed　parents　than　in　the

happiness　of　their　children　and　their　grandchildren。　Deliberately

they　turned　their　backs　upon　the　future　and　tried　to

peer　into　the　vast　darkness　of　the　past。　The　worship　of　the

ancestors　became　a　positive　religious　system。　Rather　than

disturb　a　cemetery　situated　upon　the　sunny　and　fertile　side　of

a　mountain；　they　would　plant　their　rice　and　wheat　upon　the

barren　rocks　of　the　other　slope　where　nothing　could　possibly

grow。　And　they　preferred　hunger　and　famine　to　the　desecration

of　the　ancestral　grave。



At　the　same　time　the　wise　words　of　Confucius　never　quite

lost　their　hold　upon　the　increasing　millions　of　eastern　Asia。

Confucianism；　with　its　profound　sayings　and　shrewd　observations；

added　a　touch　of　common…sense　philosophy　to　the　soul　of

every　Chinaman　and　influenced　his　entire　life；　whether　he　was

a　simple　laundry　man　in　a　steaming　basement　or　the　ruler　of　vast

provinces　who　dwelt　behind　the　high　walls　of　a　secluded　palace。



In　the　sixteenth　century　the　enthusiastic　but　rather　uncivilised

Christians　of　the　western　world　came　face　to　face　with

the　older　creeds　of　the　East。　The　early　Spaniards　and　Portuguese

looked　upon　the　peaceful　statues　of　Buddha　and　contemplated

the　venerable　pictures　of　Confucius　and　did　not　in

the　least　know　what　to　make　of　those　worthy　prophets　with

their　far…away　smile。　They　came　to　the　easy　conclusion　that

these　strange　divinities　were　just　plain　devils　who　represented

something　idolatrous　and　heretical　and　did　not　deserve　the

respect　of　the　true　sons　of　the　Church。　Whenever　the　spirit

of　Buddha　or　Confucius　seemed　to　interfere　with　the　trade　in

spices　and　silks；　the　Europeans　attacked　the　‘‘evil　influence''

with　bullets　and　grape…shot。　That　system　had　certain　very

definite　disadvantages。　It　has　left　us　an　unpleasant　heritage

of　ill…will　which　promises　little　good　for　the　immediate　future。







THE　REFORMATION



THE　PROGRESS　OF　THE　HUMAN　RACE　IS　BEST

COMPARED　TO　A　GIGANTIC　PENDULUM

WHICH　FOREVER　SWINGS　FORWARD　AND

BACKWARD。　THE　RELIGIOUS　INDIFFERENCE

AND　THE　ARTISTIC　AND　LITERARY

ENTHUSIASM　OF　THE　RENAISSANCE

WERE　FOLLOWED　BY　THE　ARTISTIC　AND

LITERARY　INDIFFERENCE　AND　THE　RELIGIOUS

ENTHUSIASM　OF　THE　REFORMATION





OF　course　you　have　heard　of　the　Reformation。　You　think

of　a　small　but　courageous　group　of　pilgrims　who　crossed　the

ocean　to　have　‘‘freedom　of　religious　worship。''　Vaguely　in　the

course　of　time　（and　more　especially　in　our　Protestant　countries）

the　Reformation　has　come　to　stand　for　the　idea　of

‘‘liberty　of　thought。''　Martin　Luther　is　represented　as　the

leader　of　the　vanguard　of　progress。　But　when　history　is

something　more　than　a　series　of　flattering　speeches　addressed

to　our　own　glorious　ancestors；　when　to　use　the　words　of　the

German　historian　Ranke；　we　try　to　discover　what　‘‘actually

happened；''　then　much　of　the　past　is　seen　in　a　very　different

light。



Few　things　in　human　life　are　either　entirely　good　or　entirely

bad。　Few　things　are　either　black　or　white。　It　is　the　duty　of

the　honest　chronicler　to　give　a　true　account　of　all　the　good　and

bad　sides　of　every　historical　event。　It　is　very　difficult　to　do

this　because　we　all　have　our　personal　likes　and　dislikes。　But

we　ought　to　try　and　be　as　fair　as　we　can　be；　and　must　not　allow

our　prejudices　to　influence　us　too　much。



Take　my　own　case　as　an　example。　I　grew　up　in　the　very

Protestant　centre　of　a　very　Protestant　country。　I　never　saw

any　Catholics　until　I　was　about　twelve　years　old。　Then　I　felt

very　uncomfortable　when　I　met　them。　I　was　a　little　bit　afraid。

I　knew　the　story　of　the　many　thousand　people　who　had　been

burned　and　hanged　and　quartered　by　the　Spanish　Inquisition

when　the　Duke　of　Alba　tried　to　cure　the　Dutch　people　of　their

Lutheran　and　Calvinistic　heresies。　All　that　was　very　real

to　me。　It　seemed　to　have　happened　only　the　day　before。　It

might　occur　again。　There　might　be　another　Saint　Bartholomew's

night；　and　poor　little　me　would　be　slaughtered　in　my

nightie　and　my　body　would　be　thrown　out　of　the　window；　as

had　happened　to　the　noble　Admiral　de　Coligny。



Much　later　I　went　to　live　for　a　number　of　years　in　a　Catholic

country。　I　found　the　people　much　pleasanter　and　much

more　tolerant　and　quite　as　intelligent　as　my　former　countrymen。

To　my　great　surprise；　I　began　to　discover　that　there

was　a　Catholic　side　to　the　Reformation；　quite　as　much　as　a

Protestant。



Of　course　the　good　people　of　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth

centuries；　who　actually　lived　through　the　Reformation；　did

not　see　things　that　way。　They　were　always　right　and　their

enemy　was　always　wrong。　It　was　a　question　of　hang　or　be

hanged；　and　both　sides　preferred　to　do　the　hanging。　Which

was　no　more　than　human　and　for　which　they　deserve　no　blame。



When　we　look　at　the　world　as　it　appeared　in　the　year　1500；

an　easy　date　to　remember；　and　the　year　in　which　the　Emperor

Charles　V　was　born；　this　is　what　we　see。　The　feudal　disorder

of　the　Middle　Ages　has　given　way　before　the　order　of　a　number

of　highly　centralised　kingdoms。　The　most　powerful　of

all　sovereigns　is　th