a study of bible-第42部分

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le　men　who　know　themselves　（and　these　are　the　only　ones　who　do　things）　know　that　the　story　is　not　true。　On　the　other　hand；　there　are　books　which　are　depressing。　Their　pigments　are　all　black。　They　move　from　the　dignity　of　Schopenhauer's　pessimism　to　the　bedlam　of　Nietzsche's　contempt　for　life　and　goodness。　But　here；　also；　the　sane　common　sense　of　humanity　comes　to　the　rescue。　The　picture　is　not　true　if　it　is　all　white　or　all　black。　The　Bible　is　absolutely　fair　to　humanity。　It　moves　within　the　circle　of　man's　experience；　and；　while　it　deals　with　men；　it　results　in　a　treatment　of　man。

That　is　how　it　comes　about　that　the　Bible　inspires　men；　and　puts　them　at　their　best。　No　moral　appeal　can　be　successful　if　it　fails　to　reach　the　better　part　of　a　man；　and　lays　hold　on　him　there。　Just　that　it　did　for　the　English　people。　〃No　greater　moral　change　ever　passed　over　a　nation　than　passed　over　England　during　the　years　that　parted　the　middle　of　the　reign　of　Elizabeth　from　the　meeting　of　the　Long　Parliament。　England　became　the　people　of　a　Book；　and　that　Book　was　the　Bible。〃＇1＇


＇1＇　Green；　Short　History　of　the　English　People。


Add　to　that　personal　appeal　and　that　absolute　fairness　to　humanity　the　constant　challenge　of　the　Bible　to　the　nobler　elements　of　humanity。　It　never　trifles。　It　is　in　deadly　earnest。　And　it　makes　earnest　men。　Probably　we　cannot　illustrate　that　earnestness　more　clearly　than　by　a　study　of　one　element　in　Puritan　history；　which　is　confused　in　many　minds。　It　is　the　matter　of　the　three　great　antagonisms　of　Puritanism　in　England　and　America。　They　can　never　be　understood　by　moral　triflers。　They　may　not　be　approved　by　all　the　morally　serious；　but　they　will　be　understood　by　them。　What　are　those　three　marked　antagonisms？　The　antagonism　to　the　stage；　to　popular　frivolity；　and　to　the　pleasure　Sabbath。

1。　The　early　English　stage　had　the　approval　of　virtually　all　the　people。　There　were　few　voices　raised　against　the　dramas　of　Shakespeare。　But　the　cleavage　between　the　Puritans　and　the　stage　grew　greater　as　the　years　went　on。　There　were　riotous　excesses。　The　later　comedy　after　Shakespeare　was　incredibly　gross。　The　tragedies　were　shallow；　they　turned　not　on　grave　scenes　of　conscience；　but　on　common　and　cheap　intrigues　of　incest　and　murder。　In　the　mean　time；　〃the　hatred　of　the　Puritans　for　the　stage　was　only　the　honest　hatred　of　God…fearing　men　against　the　foulest　depravity　presented　in　poetic　and　dramatic　forms。〃　The　Bible　was　laying　hold　on　the　imagination　of　the　people；　making　them　serious；　thoughtful；　preparing　them　for　the　struggle　for　liberty　which　was　soon　to　come。　The　plays　of　the　time　seemed　too　trifling　or　else　too　foul。　The　Puritans　and　the　English　people　of　the　day　were　willing　to　be　amused；　if　the　stage　would　amuse　them。　They　were　willing　to　be　taught；　if　the　stage　would　teach　them。　But　they　were　not　willing　to　be　amused　by　vice　and　foulness；　and　they　were　not　willing　to　be　taught　by　lecherous　actors　who　parroted　beautiful　sentiments　of　virtue　on　the　stage　and　lived　filthy　lives　of　incest　and　shame　off　the　stage。　Life　had　to　be　whole　to　the　Puritan；　as　indeed　it　has　to　be　to　other　thoughtful　men。　And　the　Bible　taught　him　that。　His　concern　was　for　the　higher　elements　of　life；　his　appeal　was　to　the　worthier　values　in　men。　The　concern　of　the　stage　of　his　day　was　for　the　more　volatile　elements　in　men。　The　test　of　a　successful　play　was　whether　the　crowds；　any　crowds；　came　to　it。　And　as　always　happens　when　a　man　wants　to　catch　the　interest　of　a　crowd；　the　stage　catered　to　its　lowest　interests。　You　can　hardly　read　the　story　of　the　times　without　feeling　that　the　Puritan　made　no　mistake　in　his　day。　He　could　not　have　been　the　thoughtful　man　who　would　stand　strong　in　the　struggle　for　liberty　on　that　side　of　the　sea　and　the　struggle　for　life　on　this　side　of　the　sea　without　opposing　trifling　and　vice。

2。　The　antagonism　of　the　early　Puritan　to　popular　frivolity　needs　to　have　the　times　around　it　to　be　understood。　No　great　movement　carries　everybody　with　it；　and　while　it　is　still　struggling　the　majority　will　be　on　the　opposing　side。　While　the　real　leadership　of　England　was　passing　into　the　stronger　and　more　serious　hands　the　artificial　excesses　of　life　grew　strong　on　the　people。　〃Fortunes　were　being　sunk　and　estates　mortgaged　in　order　that　men　should　wear　jewels　and　dress　in　colored　silks。〃＇1＇　In　the　pressure　of　grave　national　needs　men　persisted　in　frivolity。　The　two　reigning　vices　were　drunkenness　and　swearing。　In　their　cups　men　were　guilty　of　the　grossest　indecencies。　Even　their　otherwise　harmless　sports　were　endangered。　The　popular　notion　of　the　May…pole　dances　misses　the　real　point　of　the　Puritan　opposition　to　it　in　Old　and　New　England。　It　was　not　an　innocent；　jovial　out…door　event。　Once　it　may　have　been　that。　Very　often　it　was　only　part　of　a　day　which　brought　immorality　and　vice　in　its　train。　It　was　part　of　a　rural　paganism。　Some　of　the　customs　involved　such　grave　perils；　with　their　seclusion　of　young　people　from　early　dawn　in　the　forests；　as　to　make　it　impossible　to　approve　it。　Over　against　all　these　things　the　Puritans　set　themselves。　Sometimes　they　carried　this　solemnity　to　an　absurd　length；　justifying　it　by　Scripture　verses　misapplied。　Against　the　affected　elegancies　of　speech　they　set　the　plain　yea；　yea　and　nay；　nay　of　Scripture。　In　their　clothing；　their　homes；　their　churches；　they；　and　in　even　more　marked　degree；　the　Quakers；　registered　their　solemn　protest　against　the　frivolity　of　the　times。　If　they　went　too　far；　it　is　certain　their　protest　was　needed。　Macaulay's　epigram　is　familiar；　that　the　Puritan　〃hated　bear…baiting；　not　because　it　gave　pain　to　the　bear；　but　because　it　gave　pleasure　to　the　spectators。〃　In　so　far　as　that　is　true；　it　is　to　the　credit　of　the　Puritan；　for　the　bear　can　stand　the　pain　of　being　baited　far　better　than　human　nature　can　stand　the　coarsening　effects　of　baiting　him；　and　it　is　nobler　to　oppose　such　sport　on　human　grounds　than　on　animal　grounds。　But；　of　course；　the　epigram　is　Macaulay's；　and　must　be　read　with　qualification。　The　fact　is；　and　he　says　it　often　enough　without　epigrams；　that　the　times　had　become　trifling　except　as　this　grave；　thoughtful　group　influenced　them。


＇1＇　Trevelyan；　England　under　the　Stuarts；　p。　66。


3。　The　attitude　of　the　Puritans　toward　the　Sabbath　came　from　their　serious　thought　of　the　Bible。　Puritanism　gave　England　the　Sabbath　again　and　planted　it　in　America　as　an　institution。　Of　course；　these　men　learned　all　that　they　knew　of　it　from　the　Bible。　From　that　day；　in　spite　of　much　change　in　thought　of　it；　English…　speaking　people　have　never　been　wilful　abusers　of　the　Sabbath。　But　the　condition　in　that　day　was　very　different。　Most　of　the　games　were　on　the　day　set　apart　as　the　Sabbath。　There　were　bull…baiting；　bear…baiting；　and　football　on　Sunday。　Calvin　himself；　though　not　in　England；　bowled　on　Sunday；　and　poor　Knox　attended　festivities　then；　saying　grimly　that　what　little　is　right　on　week…days　is　not　wrong　on　Sundays。　After　the　service　on　Sunday　morning　the　people　thronged　to　the　village　green；　where　ale　flowed　freely　and　games　were　played　until　the　evening　dance　was　called。　It　was　a　work…day。　Elizabeth　issued　a　special　injunction　that　people　work　after　service　on　Sun