study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第40章
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〃Here lies our sovereign lord； the king； Whose word no man
relies on； Who never said a foolish thing； And never did a wise
one。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ White； in his History of England； says that Charles replied that the
explanation was easy： His discourses were his own； his actions were his
ministry's！
As at other times； the King was only talking with no meaning； but the
people did not know him yet。 They had made their Bible the great test of
their liberties： will a king stand by that or will he not？ If he will not； let
him remember Charles the First！ And from that day no English king； no
American leader； has ever successfully restricted English…speaking people
from free access to their great Book。 It has become a banner of their
liberties。 The child was wiser than he knew when he was asked what
lesson we may learn from Charles I。； and replied that we may learn that a
man should not lose his head in times of excitement。 Charles lost his head
long before he laid it on the block。
Besides the scene at Dover； we may watch that great emigration of the
Scotch…Irish from Ulster； beginning in 1689； seventy years after the
Puritan exodus and eighty years after the version was issued； which
peopled the backwoods of America with a choice； strong population。 They
were only following the right to worship freely； the right to their Bible
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without chains on its lids or on the lips of its preachers。 They were making
no protest against Romanism nor against Anglicanism in themselves。 They
only claimed the right to worship as they would。 Under William and Mary；
after James II。 had fled to France； toleration became the law in England；
but when Ireland was reconquered by William's generals； the act of
toleration was not extended to it。 Baptists； Presbyterians； all except the
small Anglican Church； were put under the ban and forbidden to worship。
But the Bible had made submission impossible； and there came about that
great exodus to the new land which has so blessed it。
There are other signal events which might be observed。 But all the
while there would be danger of magnifying the importance of events
which seem to prove the point。 The view needs to be a more general one
instead。 The period is not longthree hundred years at the most though it
has a background of all English history。 We have already seen how from
the first there have been determined efforts to make the Bible common to
the people； yet； of course； the influence of our version can appear only in
these three hundred years since it was issued。 That short period has not
only been interesting almost to the point of excitement in English life； but
it covers virtually all American life。 Take； therefore； the broader view of
the influence of the English Bible on history； apart from these striking
events。
It is to be assumed at once that much of its influence is indirect。 Indeed；
its chief influence must be through men who prove to be leaders and
through that public sentiment without which leaders are powerless。 If
leaders live by it and stand or fall by its teaching； then their work is its
work。 If they find a public sentiment issuing from it which gives them
power； a sentiment which crystallizes around them when they appear；
because it is of kindred spirit with themselves； then the power of that
sentiment is the power of the Bible。 The influence of Pilgrim's Progress or
The Saint's Rest is the influence of Bunyan and Baxter； but back of them
is the Bible。 In language； in idea； in spirit； they were only making the
Bible a common Book to their readers。 Their value for life and history is
the Bible's value for life and history。
The power of great souls is frequently and easily underestimated。
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Scientific study has tended to that by magnifying visible conditions and by
trying to calculate the force of laws which are in plain sight。 Buckle's
theory of civilization has influenced our times greatly。 It explains national
character as the outcome of natural conditions； and lays such stress on
circumstances as left it possible for Buckle to declare that history and
biography are in different spheres。 It is still true； however； that most
history turns on biography。 Great souls have been the chief factors in great
movements。 Whether the movement could have occurred without them
will never be possible to decide； if it should be disputed。 In a chemical
laboratory the essential factors of any phenomenon can be determined by
the process of elimination。 All the elements which preceded it except one
can be introduced； if the result is the same as in its presence； manifestly it
is not essential。 So the experiment can go on until the result becomes
different； when it is evident that the last omitted element is an essential
one。 But no such process is possible in great historical movements。 The
only course open to us is to consider carefully the elements which do
appear。
Take three great movements which are easiest to follow in these three
centuries。 Whether the spiritual independence of England would have been
secured without the Quakers may be debated； but this fact can hardly be
debated： certainly it was not so secured； whether or not the Quakers could
have been without George Fox； certainly they did not occur without him。
Take the second： whether or not some other movement could have done
what Puritanism did is hardly a question for history； Puritanism actually
did the work for England and America which gave both their strongest
qualities。 There is no testing the period to see whether Puritanism could be
left out。 There it stands as a powerful factor； and no analysis of the history
can possibly omit it。 Or the third： it is not a question for a historian
whether English history could have been the same without Methodism and
whether Methodism could have been at all without the Wesleys； certainly
nothing took its place； nor did any one else stand at the head of the
movement。
Here are these three great movements； not to seek others。 All of them
have had tremendous influence in the religious and political history of
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both the nations where they have moved most freely。 Each of them is a
direct and undisputed result of the influence of the Bible。 Much has
already been said of the Puritans in England； and there will be occasion to
see what was their influence in America。 But think for a moment of the
Quakers。 James Freeman Clark calls them the English mystics； certainly
they were more than that。＇1＇ George Fox had little learning but the Bible；
that he knew well。 He first came to himself out in the fields alone with the
Bible。 He was not stirr
