The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-22
BANCROFT.

ION the banks of the Lake of Geneva.
Calvin stood forth, the boldest reformer
of his day. Not personally engaging in
political intrigues, yet by promulgating
great ideas, forming the Seed-plOt OF
revolution: bowling only to the Invisible !;
acknowledging no sacrament of ordina-
ton, but the choice of the Laity; no
patent Of nobility but that OF the elect OF
God, with it's seals of Eternity.
BY the side of the eternal mountains, and
the perennial SHOWS, and among the rivers
of Switzerland, Calvinisln established a
religion without prelate, a government
without king. Fortified by its faith in
fixed DEGREES, it kept possession of its
homes among the Alps. 1t grew power
full in France, and invigorated between
the feudal nobility and the crown, the
| long contest which did not end till the
subsection of the nobility, through the
Central despotism, prepared the ruin of
that despotism, by promoting the equali-
ty of the Commons. 1t entered Holland,
inspiring an Industrious nation with
heroic enthusiasm, enfranchising and unit
ing provinces, and making burghers and
weavers and artisans victors over the
highest orders of Spanish chivalry, over
the power Of the inquistion and the pre-
tended majesty of Kings. 1t penetrated
Scotland. and while it's whirlwind bore
along persuasion among glens and noun
tains, it shrank from no danger and hest
| tated at no ambition; it nerved it's hearty
| but rugged envoy to resist the batteries
! of the beautiful Queen Mary; it assumed
| the education of her only son; it divided
| the nobility; it penetrated the masses,
| overturned the ancient ecclesiastical es-
| adjustment. PLANTED THE FREE
| PAROCHIAL SCHOOL, and gave a living
| energy to the principles of liberty in a
| people. 1t infused itself into England.
| and placed it's Plebean sympathies in
| daring resistance toNthe courtly hierarchy
| dissenting from dissent longing to in
troduce the reign of righteousness. it in
| vited every man to read the Bible and
| made itself dear to the common mind by
| teaching, as Divine Revelation the
unity of the race and the natural equali-
| ty of man. Imprisoned, manned
! oppressed at home, it's independent con-
| verts in Great Britain looked beyond the
| Atlantic for a better world. Their ener-
| getic passion was nursed by trust in the
| divine protection, their power of will was
| safely intrenched in their own vigorous
L
| creed, and under the banner Of the Cos
pei with the fervid and enduring love OF
the myriads who in Europe adopted the
stern simplicity of the discipline of Cal
vim. they sailed for the wilderness far
away from popery and prelacy, from the
traditions of the church, from hereditary
power, from the sovereignty of an earthly
King-from all dominion but the Bible
and what arose from natural reason, and
the principles of equity
bancroft, Geo, U. S.-Boston, Little
Brown & Co., 1S70-Vol. W., PIP. 1924.
FROUDE.
"Calvinism is the spirit which rises il
revolt against untruth the spirit which
has appeared and re-appeared, and in du9
| time will appear again. unless God is
| delusion and man be as the beasts thai
perish. For it is but the nfiashing upof
| the conscience of the nature and origin
| of the laws by which mankind are gov
erned. When all else has failed; whel