第 27 节
作者:片片      更新:2022-08-21 16:31      字数:9322
  courage to brave not only the tyranny of the judges who condemned
  him; but of the mob who could not understand him。  He died
  discoursing of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul; his
  last words to his judges being; 〃It is now time that we departI
  to die; you to live; but which has the better destiny is unknown
  to all; except to the God。〃
  How many great men and thinkers have been persecuted in the name
  of religion!  Bruno was burnt alive at Rome; because of his
  exposure of the fashionable but false philosophy of his time。
  When the judges of the Inquisition condemned him; to die; Bruno
  said proudly: 〃You are more afraid to pronounce my sentence than I
  am to receive it。〃
  To him succeeded Galileo; whose character as a man of science is
  almost eclipsed by that of the martyr。  Denounced by the priests
  from the pulpit; because of the views he taught as to the motion
  of the earth; he was summoned to Rome; in his seventieth year; to
  answer for his heterodoxy。  And he was imprisoned in the
  Inquisition; if he was not actually put to the torture there。  He
  was pursued by persecution even when dead; the Pope refusing a
  tomb for his body。
  Roger Bacon; the Franciscan monk; was persecuted on account of his
  studies in natural philosophy; and he was charged with; dealing in
  magic; because of his investigations in chemistry。  His writings
  were condemned; and he was thrown into prison; where he lay for
  ten years; during the lives of four successive Popes。  It is even
  averred that he died in prison。
  Ockham; the early English speculative philosopher; was
  excommunicated by the Pope; and died in exile at Munich; where he
  was protected by the friendship of the then Emperor of Germany。
  The Inquisition branded Vesalius as a heretic for revealing man to
  man; as it had before branded Bruno and Galileo for revealing the
  heavens to man。  Vesalius had the boldness to study the structure
  of the human body by actual dissection; a practice until then
  almost entirely forbidden。  He laid the foundations of a science;
  but he paid for it with his life。  Condemned by the Inquisition;
  his penalty was commuted; by the intercession of the Spanish king;
  into a pilgrimage to the Holy Land; and when on his way back;
  while still in the prime of life; he died miserably at Zante; of
  fever and wanta martyr to his love of science。
  When the 'Novum Organon' appeared; a hue…and…cry was raised
  against it; because of its alleged tendency to produce 〃dangerous
  revolutions;〃 to 〃subvert governments;〃 and to 〃overturn the
  authority of religion;〃 (2) and one Dr。 Henry Stubbe (whose name
  would otherwise have been forgotten) wrote a book against the new
  philosophy; denouncing the whole tribe of experimentalists as 〃a
  Bacon…faced generation。〃  Even the establishment of the Royal
  Society was opposed; on the ground that 〃experimental philosophy
  is subversive of the Christian faith。〃
  While the followers of Copernicus were persecuted as infidels;
  Kepler was branded with the stigma of heresy; 〃because;〃 said he;
  〃I take that side which seems to me to be consonant with the Word
  of God。〃  Even the pure and simpleminded Newton; of whom Bishop
  Burnet said that he had the WHITEST SOUL he ever knewwho was a
  very infant in the purity of his mindeven Newton was accused of
  〃dethroning the Deity〃 by his sublime discovery of the law of
  gravitation; and a similar charge was made against Franklin for
  explaining the nature of the thunderbolt。
  Spinoza was excommunicated by the Jews; to whom he belonged;
  because of his views of philosophy; which were supposed to be
  adverse to religion; and his life was afterwards attempted by an
  assassin for the same reason。  Spinoza remained courageous and
  self…reliant to the last; dying in obscurity and poverty。
  The philosophy of Descartes was denounced as leading to
  irreligion; the doctrines of Locke were said to produce
  materialism; and in our own day; Dr。 Buckland; Mr。 Sedgwick; and
  other leading geologists; have been accused of overturning
  revelation with regard to the constitution and history of
  the earth。  Indeed; there has scarcely been a discovery
  in astronomy; in natural history; or in physical science;
  that has not been attacked by the bigoted and narrow…minded
  as leading to infidelity。
  Other great discoverers; though they may not have been charged
  with irreligion; have had not less obloquy of a professional and
  public nature to encounter。  When Dr。 Harvey published his theory
  of the circulation of the blood; his practice fell off; (3) and
  the medical profession stigmatised him as a fool。  〃The few good
  things I have been able to do;〃 said John Hunter; 〃have been
  accomplished with the greatest difficulty; and encountered the
  greatest opposition。〃  Sir Charles Bell; while employed in his
  important investigations as to the nervous system; which issued in
  one of the greatest of physiological discoveries; wrote to a
  friend: 〃If I were not so poor; and had not so many vexations to
  encounter; how happy would I be!〃  But he himself observed that
  his practice sensibly fell off after the publication of each
  successive stage of his discovery。
  Thus; nearly every enlargement of the domain of knowledge; which
  has made us better acquainted with the heavens; with the earth;
  and with ourselves; has been established by the energy; the
  devotion; the self…sacrifice; and the courage of the great spirits
  of past times; who; however much they have been opposed or reviled
  by their contemporaries; now rank amongst those whom the
  enlightened of the human race most delight to honour。
  Nor is the unjust intolerance displayed towards men of science in
  the past; without its lesson for the present。  It teaches us to be
  forbearant towards those who differ from us; provided they observe
  patiently; think honestly; and utter their convictions freely and
  truthfully。  It was a remark of Plato; that 〃the world is God's
  epistle to mankind;〃 and to read and study that epistle; so as to
  elicit its true meaning; can have no other effect on a well…
  ordered mind than to lead to a deeper impression of His power;
  a clearer perception of His wisdom; and a more grateful sense
  of His goodness。
  While such has been the courage of the martyrs of science; not
  less glorious has been the courage of the martyrs of faith。  The
  passive endurance of the man or woman who; for conscience sake; is
  found ready to suffer and to endure in solitude; without so much
  as the encouragement of even a single sympathising voice; is an
  exhibition of courage of a far higher kind than that displayed in
  the roar of battle; where even the weakest feels encouraged and
  inspired by the enthusiasm of sympathy and the power of numbers。
  Time would fail to tell of the deathless names of those who
  through faith in principles; and in the face of difficulty;
  danger; and suffering; 〃have wrought righteousness and waxed
  valiant〃 in the moral warfare of the world; and been content to
  lay down their lives rather than prove false to their
  conscientious convictions of the truth。
  Men of this stamp; inspired by a high sense of duty; have in past
  times exhibited character in its most heroic aspects; and continue
  to present to us some of the noblest spectacles to be seen in
  history。  Even women; full of tenderness and gentleness; not less
  than men; have in this cause been found capable of exhibiting the
  most unflinching courage。  Such; for instance; as that of Anne
  Askew; who; when racked until her bones were dislocated; uttered
  no cry; moved no muscle; but looked her tormentors calmly in the
  face; and refused either to confess or to recant; or such as that
  of Latimer and Ridley; who; instead of bewailing their hard fate
  and beating their breasts; went as cheerfully to their death as a
  bridegroom to the altarthe one bidding the other to 〃be of good
  comfort;〃 for that 〃we shall this day light such a candle in
  England; by God's grace; as shall never be put out;〃 or such;
  again; as that of Mary Dyer; the Quakeress; hanged by the Puritans
  of New England for preaching to the people; who ascended the
  scaffold with a willing step; and; after calmly addressing those
  who stood about; resigned herself into the hands of her
  persecutors; and died in peace and joy。
  Not less courageous was the behaviour of the good Sir Thomas More;
  who marched willingly to the scaffold; and died cheerfully there;
  rather than prove false to his conscience。  When More had made his
  final decision to stand upon his principles; he felt as if he had
  won a victory; and said to his son…in…law Roper: 〃Son Roper; I
  thank Our Lord; the field is won!〃  The Duke of Norfolk told him
  of his danger; saying: 〃By the mass; Master More; it is perilous
  striving with princes; the anger of a prince brings death!〃。  〃Is
  that all; my lord?〃 said More; 〃then the difference between you
  and me is thisthat I shall die to…day;  and you to…m