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beacon lights of history-iii-2-第41章

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Frankfort to advocate more radical changes in government and

doctrine。  Popular enthusiasm was kindled; never afterwards to be

repressed。



The great ideas of the Reformation began now to agitate the mind of

England;not so much the logical doctrines of Calvin as the

emancipating ideas of Luther。  The Renaissance had begun; and the

two movements were incorporated;the religious one of Germany and

the Pagan one of Italy; both favoring liberality of mind; a freer

style of literature; restless inquiries; enterprise; the revival of

learning and art; an intense spirit of progress; and disgust for

the Dark Ages and all the dogmas of scholasticism。  With this

spirit of progress and moderate Protestantism Elizabeth herself;

the best educated woman in England; warmly sympathized; as did also

the illustrious men she drew to her court; to whom she gave the

great offices of state。  I cannot call her age a religious one: it

was a merry one; cheerful; inquiring; untrammelled in thought; bold

in speculation; eloquent; honest; fervid; courageous; hostile to

the Papacy and all the bigots of Europe。  It was still rough;

coarse; sensual; when money was scarce and industries in their

infancy; and material civilization not very attractive。  But it was

a great age; glorious; intellectual; brilliant; with such statesmen

as Burleigh and Walsingham to head off treason and conspiracy; when

great poets arose; like Jonson and Spenser and Shakspeare; and

philosophers; like Bacon and Sir Thomas Browne; and lawyers; like

Nicholas Bacon and Coke; and elegant courtiers; like Sidney and

Raleigh and Essex; men of wit; men of enterprise; who would explore

distant seas and colonize new countries; yea; great preachers; like

Jeremy Taylor and Hall; and great theologians; like Hooker and

Chillingworth;giving polish and; dignity to an uncouth language;

and planting religious truth in the minds of men。



Elizabeth; with such a constellation around her; had no great

difficulty in re…establishing Protestantism and giving it a new

impetus; although she adhered to liturgies and pomps; and loved

processions and fetes and banquets and balls and expensive

dresses;a worldly woman; but progressive and enlightened。



In the religious reforms of that age you see the work of princes

and statesmen still; rather than any great insurrection of human

intelligence or any great religious revival; although the germs of

it were springing up through the popular preachers and the

influence of Genevan reformers。  Calvin's writings were potent; and

John Knox was on his way to Scotland。



I pass by rapidly the reforms of Elizabeth's reign; effected by the

Queen and her ministers and the convocation of Protestant bishops

and clergy and learned men in the universities。  Oxford and

Cambridge were then in their glory;crowded with poor students

from all parts of England; who came to study Greek and Latin and

read theology; not to ride horses and row boats; to put on

dandified airs and sneer at lectures; running away to London to

attend theatres and flirt with girls and drink champagne; beggaring

their fathers and ruining their own expectations and their health。

In a very short time after the accession of Elizabeth; which was

hailed generally as a very auspicious event; things were restored

to nearly the state in which they were left by Cranmer in the

preceding reign。  This was not done by direct authority of the

Queen; but by acts of Parliament。  Even Henry VIII。 ruled through

the Parliament; only it was his tool and instrument。  Elizabeth

consulted its wishes as the representation of the nation; for she

aimed to rule by the affections of her people。  But she recommended

the Parliament to conciliatory measures; to avoid extremes; to drop

offensive epithets; like 〃papist〃 and 〃heretic;〃 to go as far as

the wants of the nation required; and no farther。  Though a zealous

Protestant; she seemed to have no great animosities。  Her

particular aversion was Bonner;the violent; blood…thirsty;

narrow…minded Bishop of London; who was deprived of his see and

shut up in the Tower; put out of harm's way; not cruelly treated;

he was not even deprived of his good dinners。  She appointed; as

her prerogative allowed; a very gentle; moderate; broad; kind…

hearted man to be Archbishop of Canterbury;Parker; who had been

chaplain to her mother; and who was highly esteemed by Burleigh and

Nicholas Bacon; her most influential ministers。  Parliament

confirmed the old act; passed during the reign of Henry VIII。;

making the sovereign the head of the English Church; although the

title of 〃supreme head〃 was left out in the oath of allegiance; to

conciliate the Catholic party。  To execute this supremacy; the

Court of High Commission was established;afterwards so abused by

Charles I。  The Church Service was modified; and the Act of

Uniformity was passed by Parliament; after considerable debate。

The changes were all made in the spirit of moderation; and few

suffered beyond a deprivation of their sees or livings for refusing

to take the oath of supremacy。



Then followed the Thirty…nine Articles; setting forth the creed of

the Established Church;substantially the creed which Cranmer had

made;and a new translation of the Bible; and the regulation of

ecclesiastical courts。



But whatever was done was in good taste;marked by good sense and

moderation;to preserve decency and decorum; and repress all

extremes of superstition and license。  The clergy preached in a

black gown and Genevan bands; using the surplice only in the

liturgy; we see no lace or millinery。  The churches were stripped

of images; the pulpits became high and prominent; the altars were

changed to communion…tables without candles and symbols。  There was

not much account made of singing; for the lyric version of the

Psalms was execrable。  For the first time since Chrysostom and

Gregory Nazianzen; preaching became the chief duty of the

clergyman; and his sermons were long; for the people were greedy of

instruction; and were not critical of artistic merits。  Among other

things of note; the exiles were recalled; who brought back with

them the learning of the Continent and the theology of Geneva; and

an intense hatred for all the old forms of superstition;images;

crucifixes; lighted candles; Catholic vestments;and a supreme

regard for the authority of the Scriptures; rather than the

authority of the Church。



These men; mostly learned and pious; were not contented with the

restoration as effected by Elizabeth's reformers;they wanted

greater simplicity of worship and a more definite and logical

creed; and they made a good deal of trouble; being very

conscientious and somewhat narrow and intolerant。  So that; after

the re…establishment of Protestantism; the religious history of the

reign is chiefly concerned with the quarrels and animosities within

the Church; particularly about vestments and modes of worship;

things unessential; minute; technical;which led to great acerbity

on both sides; and to some persecution; for these quarrels provoked

the Queen and her ministers; who wanted peace and uniformity。  To

the Government it seemed strange and absurd for these returned

exiles to make such a fuss about a few externals; to these

intensified Protestants it seemed harsh and cruel that Government

should insist on such a rigid uniformity; and punish them for not

doing as they were bidden by the bishops。



So they separated from the Established Church; and became what were

called Nonconformists;having not only disgust of the decent

ritualism of the Church; but great wrath for the bishops and

hierarchy and spiritual courts。  They also disapproved of the holy

days which the Church retained; and the prayers and the cathedral

style of worship; the use of the cross in baptism; godfathers and

godmothers; the confirmation of children; kneeling at the

sacrament; bowing at the name of Jesus; the ring in marriage; the

surplice; the divine right of bishops; and some other things which

reminded them of Rome; for which they had absolute detestation;

seeing in the old Catholic Church nothing but abominations and

usurpations; no religion at all; only superstition and anti…

Christian government and doctrine;the reign of the beast; the

mystic Babylon; the scarlet mother revelling in the sorceries of

ancient Paganism。  These terrible animosities against even the

shadows and resemblances of what was called Popery were increased

and intensified by the persecution and massacres which the

Catholics about this time were committing on the Protestants in

France and Germany and the Low Countries; and which filled the

people of England;especially the middle and lower classes; with

fear; alarm; anger; and detestation。



I will not enter upon the dissensions which so early crept into the

English Church; and led to a separation or a schism; whatever name

it goes by;to most people in these time
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