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Aquinas。 He had very little patience with frivolous amusements or
degrading pursuits。 He attached great dignity to the ministerial
office； and set a severe example of decorum and propriety in all
his public ministrations。 He was a type of the early evangelical
divines； and was the father of the old Puritan strictness and
narrowness and fidelity to trusts。 His very faults grew out of
virtues pushed to extremes。 In our times such a man would not be
selected as a travelling companion； or a man at whose house we
would wish to keep the Christmas holidays。 His unattractive
austerity perhaps has been made too much of by his enemies； and
grew out of his unimpulsive temperament；call it cold if we must；
and also out of his stern theology； which marked the ascetics of
the Middle Ages。 Few would now approve of his severity of
discipline any more than they would feel inclined to accept some of
his theological deductions。
I question whether Calvin lived in the hearts of his countrymen； or
they would have erected some monument to his memory。 In our times
a statue has been erected to Rousseau in Geneva； but Calvin was
buried without ceremony and with exceeding simplicity。 He was a
warrior who cared nothing for glory or honor； absorbed in devotion
to his Invisible King； not indifferent to the exercise of power；
but only as he felt he was the delegated messenger of Divine
Omnipotence scattering to the winds the dust of all mortal
grandeur。 With all his faults； which were on the surface； he was
the accepted idol and oracle of a great party； and stamped his
genius on his own and succeeding ages。 Whatever the Presbyterians
have done for civilization； he comes in for a share of the honor。
Whatever foundations the Puritans laid for national greatness in
this country； it must be confessed that they caught inspiration
from his decrees。 Such a great master of exegetical learning and
theological inquiry and legislative wisdom will be forever held in
reverence by lofty characters； although he may be no favorite with
the mass of mankind。 If many great men and good men have failed to
comprehend either his character or his system； how can a pleasure…
loving and material generation； seeking to combine the glories of
this world with the promises of the next； see much in him to
admire； except as a great intellectual dialectician and system…
maker in an age with which it has no sympathy？ How can it
appreciate his deep spiritual life； his profound communion with
God； his burning zeal for the defence of Christian doctrine； his
sublime self…sacrifice； his holy resignation； his entire
consecration to a great cause？ Nobody can do justice to Calvin who
does not know the history of his times； the circumstances which
surrounded him； and the enemies he was required to fight。 No one
can comprehend his character or mission who does not feel it to be
supremely necessary to have a definite； positive system of
religious belief； based on the authority of the Scriptures as a
divine inspiration； both as an anchor amid the storms and a star of
promise and hope。
And； after all； what is the head and front of Calvin's offending？
that he was cold； unsocial； and ungenial in character； and that； as
a theologian； he fearlessly and inexorably pushed out his
deductions to their remotest logical sequences。 But he was no more
austere than Chrysostom； no more ascetic than Basil； not even
sterner in character than Michael Angelo； or more unsocial than
Pascal or Cromwell or William the Silent。 We lose sight of his
defects in the greatness of his services and the exalted dignity of
his character。 If he was severe to adversaries； he was kind to
friends； and when his feeble body was worn out by his protracted
labors； at the age of fifty…three； and he felt that the hand of
death was upon him； he called together his friends and fellow…
laborers in reform；the magistrates and ministers of Geneva；
imparted his last lessons； and expressed his last wishes； with the
placidity of a Christian sage。 Amid tears and sobs and stifled
groans he discoursed calmly on his approaching departure； gave his
affectionate benedictions； and commended them and his cause to
Christ； lingering longer than was expected； but dying in the
highest triumphs of Christian faith； May 27； 1564； in the； arms of
his faithful and admiring Beza； as the rays of the setting…sun
gilded with their glory his humble chamber of toil and spiritual
exaltation。
No man who knows anything will ever sneer at Calvin。 He is not to
be measured by common standards。 He was universally regarded as
the greatest light of the theological world。 When we remember his
transcendent abilities； his matchless labors； his unrivalled
influence； his unblemished morality； his lofty piety； and soaring
soul； all flippant criticism is contemptible and mean。 He ranks
with immortal benefactors； and needs least of all any apologies for
his defects。 A man who stamped his opinions on his own age and
succeeding ages can be regarded only as a very extraordinary
genius。 A frivolous and pleasure…seeking generation may not be
attracted by such an impersonation of cold intellect； and may rear
no costly monument to his memory； but his work remains as the
leader of the loftiest class of Christian enthusiasts that the
modern world has known； and the founder of a theological system
which still numbers； in spite of all the changes of human thought；
some of the greatest thinkers and ablest expounders of Christian
doctrine in both Europe and America。 To have been the spiritual
father of the Puritans for three hundred years is itself a great
evidence of moral and intellectual excellence； and will link his
name with some of the greatest movements that have marked our
modern civilization。 From Plymouth Rock to the shores of the
Pacific Ocean we still see the traces of his marvellous genius； and
his still more wonderful influence on the minds of men and on the
schools of Christian theology； so that he will ever be regarded as
the great doctor of the Protestant Church。
AUTHORITIES。
Henry's Life of Calvin； translated by Stebbings； Dyer's Life of
Calvin； Beza's Life of Calvin； Drelincourt's Defence of Calvin；
Bayle； Maimbourg's Histoire du Calvinisme； Calvin's Works； Ruchat；
D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation； Burnet's Reformation；
Mosheim； Biographie Universelle； article on Servetus； Schlosser's
Leben Bezas； McCrie's Life of Knox； Original Letters （Parker
Society）。
FRANCIS BACON。
A。 D。 1561…1626。
THE NEW PHILOSOPHY。
It is not easy to present the life and labors of
〃The wisest； brightest； meanest of mankind。〃
So Pope sums up the character of the great Lord Bacon； as he is
generally but improperly called； and this verdict； in the main； has
been confirmed by Lords Macaulay and Campbell； who seem to delight
in keeping him in that niche of the temple of fame where the poet
has placed him；contemptible as a man； but venerable as the
philosopher； radiant with all the wisdom of his age and of all
preceding ages； the miner and sapper of ancient falsehoods； the
pioneer of all true knowledge； the author of that inductive and
experimental philosophy on which is based the glory of our age。
Macaulay especially； in that long and brilliant article which
appeared in the 〃Edinburgh Review〃 in 1837； has represented him as
a remarkably worldly man； cold； calculating； selfish a sycophant
and a flatterer； bent on self…exaltation； greedy； careless； false；
climbing to power by base subserviency； betraying friends and
courting enemies； with no animosities he does not suppress from
policy； and with no affections which he openly manifests when it
does not suit his interests： so that we read with shame of his
extraordinary shamelessness； from the time he first felt the
cravings of a vulgar ambition to the consummation of a disgraceful
crime； from the base desertion of his greatest benefactor to the
public selling of justice as Lord High Chancellor of the realm；
resorting to all the arts of a courtier to win the favor of his
sovereign and of his minions and favorites； reckless as to honest
debts； torturing on the rack an honest parson for a sermon he never
preached； and； when obliged to confess his corruption； meanly
supplicating mercy from the nation he had outraged； and favors from
the monarch whose cause he had betrayed。 The defects and
delinquencies of this great man are bluntly and harshly put by
Macaulay； without any attempt to soften or palliate them： as if he
would consign his name and memory not 〃to men's charitable
speeches； to foreign nations； and to the next ages；〃 but to an
infamy as lasting and deep as that of Scroggs and of Jeffreys； or
any of those hideous tyrants and monsters that disgraced the reigns
of the Stuart kings。
And yet while the man is made to appear in such hideous colors； his