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beacon lights of history-iii-2-第48章

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organization; their constitution; were deemed hostile to liberty

and the progress of society。  And if zealous governmentsCatholic

princes themselvesshould feel that the Jesuits were opposed to

the true progress of nations; how much more reason had Protestants

to distrust them; and to rejoice in their fall!



And it was not until the French Revolution and the empire of

Napoleon had passed away; not until the Bourbons had been restored

(in August; 1814); that the Order was re…established and again

protected by the Papal court。  They have now regained their ancient

power; and seem to have the confidence of Catholic Europe。  Some of

their most flourishing seminaries are in the United States。  They

are certainly not a scandal in this country; although their spirit

and organization are still maintained: regarded with some mistrust

by the strong Protestants; as a matter of course; as such a

powerful organization naturally would be; hostile still to the

circulation of the Scriptures among the people and free inquiry and

private judgment;in short; to all the ideas of the reformation。

But whatever they are; and however askance Protestants regard them;

they have in our country;this land of unbounded religious

toleration;the same right to their religion and their

ecclesiastical government that any other sects have; and if

Protestants would nullify their influence so far as disliked; they

must outshine them in virtues; in a religious life; in zeal; and in

devotion to the spiritual interests of the people。  If the Jesuits

keep better schools than Protestants they will be patronized; and

if they command the respect of the Catholics for their virtues and

intelligence; whatever may be the machinery of their organization;

they will retain their power; and not until they interfere with

elections and Protestant schools; or teach dangerous doctrines of

public morality; has our Government any right to interfere with

them。  They will stand or fall as they win the respect or excite

the wrath of enlightened nations。  But the principles they are

supposed to defend;expediency; casuistry; and hostility to free

inquiry and the circulation of the Scriptures in vernacular

languages;these are just causes of complaint and of unrelenting

opposition among all those who accept the great ideas of the

Protestant Reformation; since they are antagonistic to what we deem

most precious in our institutions。  So long as the contest shall

last between good and evil in this world; we have a right to

declaim against all encroachments on liberty and sound morality and

an evangelical piety from any quarter whatever; and we are recreant

to our duties unless we speak our minds。  Hence; from the light I

have; I regard the Society of Jesus as a questionable institution;

unfortunately planted among us; but which we cannot help; and can

attack; if at all; only with the weapons of reason and truth。



And yet I am free to say that for my part I prefer even the Jesuit

discipline and doctrines; much as I dislike them; to the unblushing

infidelity which has lately been propagated by those who call

themselves savans;and which seems to have reached and even

permeated many of the schools of science; the newspapers;

periodicals; clubs; and even pulpits of this materialistic though

progressive country。  I make war on the slavery of the will and a

religion of formal technicalities; but I prefer these evils to a

godless rationalism and the extinction of the light of faith。





AUTHORITIES。





Secreta Monita; Steinmetz's History of the Jesuits; Ranke's History

of the Popes; Spiritual Exercises; Encyclopaedia Britannica;

Biographie Universelle; Fall of the Jesuits; by St。 Priest; Lives

of Ignatius Loyola; Aquiviva; Lainez; Salmeron; Borgia; Xavier;

Bobadilla; Pascal's Provincial Letters; Bonhours' Cretineau;

Lingard's History of England; Tierney; Lettres Aedificantes; Jesuit

Missions; Memoires Secretes du Cardinal Dubois; Tanner's Societas

Jesu; Dodd's Church History。







JOHN CALVIN。



A。 D。 1509…1564。



PROTESTANT THEOLOGY。





John Calvin was pre…eminently the theologian of the Reformation;

and stamped his genius on the thinking of his age;equally an

authority with the Swiss; the Dutch; the Huguenots; and the

Puritans。  His vast influence extends to our own times。  His fame

as a benefactor of mind is immortal; although it cannot be said

that he is as much admired and extolled now as he was fifty years

ago。  Nor was he ever a favorite with the English Church。  He has

been even grossly misrepresented by theological opponents; but no

critic or historian has ever questioned his genius; his learning;

or his piety。  No one denies that he has exerted a great influence

on Protestant countries。  As a theologian he ranks with Saint

Augustine and Thomas Aquinas;maintaining essentially the same

views as those held by these great lights; and being distinguished

for the same logical power; reigning like them as an intellectual

dictator in the schools; but not so interesting as they were as

men。  And he was more than a theologian; he was a reformer and

legislator; laying down rules of government; organizing church

discipline; and carrying on reforms in the worship of God;second

only to Luther。  His labors were prodigious as theologian;

commentator; and ecclesiastical legislator; and we are surprised

that a man with so feeble a body could have done so much work。



Calvin was born in Picardy in 1509;the year that Henry VIII。

ascended the British throne; and the year that Luther began to

preach at Wittenberg。  He was not a peasant's son; like Luther; but

belonged to what the world calls a good family。  Intellectually he

was precocious; and received an excellent education at a college in

Paris; being destined for the law by his father; who sent him to

the University of Orleans and then to Bourges; where he studied

under eminent jurists; and made the acquaintance of many

distinguished men。  His conversion took place about the year 1529;

when he was twenty; and this gave a new direction to his studies

and his life。  He was a pale…faced young man; with sparkling eyes;

sedate and earnest beyond his years。  He was twenty…three when he

published the books of Seneca on Clemency; with learned

commentaries。  At the age of twenty…three he was in communion with

the reformers of Germany; and was acknowledged to be; even at that

early age; the head of the reform party in France。  In 1533 he went

to Paris; then as always the centre of the national life; where the

new ideas were creating great commotion in scholarly and

ecclesiastical circles; and even in the court itself。  Giving

offence to the doctors of the Sorbonne for his evangelical views as

to Justification; he was obliged to seek refuge with the Queen of

Navarre; whose castle at Pau was the resort of persecuted

reformers。  After leading rather a fugitive life in different parts

of France; he retreated to Switzerland; and at twenty…six published

his celebrated 〃Institutes;〃 which he dedicated to Francis I。;

hoping to convert him to the Protestant faith。  After a short

residence in Italy; at the court of the Duchess of Ferrara; he took

up his abode at Geneva; and his great career began。



Geneva; a city of the Allobroges in the time of Caesar; possessed

at this time about twenty thousand inhabitants; and was a free

state; having a constitution somewhat like that of Florence when it

was under the control of Savonarola。  It had rebelled against the

Duke of Savoy; who seems to have been in the fifteenth century its

patron ruler。  The government of this little Savoyard state became

substantially like that which existed among the Swiss cantons。  The

supreme power resided in the council of Two Hundred; which alone

had the power to make or abolish laws。  There was a lesser council

of Sixty; for diplomatic objects only。



The first person who preached the reformed doctrines in Geneva was

the missionary Farel; a French nobleman; spiritual; romantic; and

zealous。  He had great success; although he encountered much

opposition and wrath。  But the reformed doctrines were already

established in Zurich; Berne; and Basle; chiefly through the

preaching of Ulrich Zwingli; and OEcolampadius。  The apostolic

Farel welcomed with great cordiality the arrival of Calvin; then

already known as an extraordinary man; though only twenty…eight

years of age。  He came to Geneva poor; and remained poor all his

life。  All his property at his death amounted to only two hundred

dollars。  As a minister in one of the churches; he soon began to

exert a marvellous influence。  He must have been eloquent; for he

was received with enthusiasm。  This was in 1536。  But he soon met

with obstacles。  He was worried by the Anabaptists; and even his

orthodoxy was impeached by one Coroli; who made much mischief; so

that Calvin was obliged to publish his Genevan Catechism in Latin。

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