Umbhalo Owalahleka KaJohn Milton

KUYAQABUKELA ukuba umbhali abe nethonya elikhulu kangaka emhlabeni njengoJohn Milton, umbhali wenkondlo ephambili yesiNgisi ethi Paradise Lost. Umbhali othile womlando wokuphila kwabantu, uthi uMilton “wayethandwa abaningi, abanye bemzonda, kodwa bembalwa abangamazi.” Kuze kube namuhla, umsebenzi wakhe ulokhu unegalelo elikhulu ezincwadini nasemasikweni amaNgisi.

Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba uJohn Milton abe nethonya elingaka? Yini eyenza ukuba umbhalo wakhe wokugcina—othi On Christian Doctrine—ususe isidumo esikhulu kangangokuba wahlala unganyathelisiwe iminyaka engu-150?

Iminyaka Yakhe Yokuqala

UJohn Milton wazalelwa emkhayeni omi kahle ngokwezimali eLondon ngo-1608. UMilton uthi: “Kusukela ngisemncane kakhulu ubaba wangikhuthaza ukuba ngifunde ukubhala izincwadi nezinkondlo, futhi ngangikuthanda kangangokuthi kusukela ngineminyaka eyishumi nambili zimbalwa izikhathi engangilala ngazo kungakabi phakathi kwamabili ngifunda.” Wayebaqwaqwada emakhanda abanye abafundi futhi ngo-1632 wathola iziqu ze-master eCambridge. Ngemva kwalokho, waqhubeka efunda izincwadi zomlando nezesiGreki nesiRoma sasendulo.

UMilton wayefuna ukuba umbhali wezinkondlo, kodwa osukwini lwakhe kwakuxabene ubendle eNgilandi ngenxa yezinguquko. IPhalamende, liholwa ngokuyinhloko u-Oliver Cromwell, labeka inkantolo eyenza ukuba kubulawe iNkosi uCharles I ngo-1649. Esebenzisa ulimi oluvamile olukholisayo, uMilton wasivuna lesi senzo wayeseba usomlomo kahulumeni kaCromwell. Empeleni, engakabi umbhali wezinkondlo odumile, uJohn Milton wayesaziwa kakhulu ngamapheshana akhe akhuluma ngezombusazwe nokuziphatha.

Ngemva kokuvuswa kwendlu yasebukhosini ngokubekwa kukaCharles II njengenkosi ngo-1660, ukuchema kukaMilton noCromwell kwabeka ukuphila kwakhe engcupheni. UMilton wahamba wayocasha, nanokuthi akabulawanga wasizwa abangane bakhe abasezikhundleni eziphakeme. Kukho konke lokhu wayelokhu ezithanda kakhulu izinto ezingokomoya.

‘Izindinganiso ZeBhayibheli’

Echaza ukuqala kwakhe ukuthanda izinto ezingokomoya, uMilton wabhala: “Lapho ngisewumfana ngazinikela ekutadishisiseni iThestamente Elidala Nelisha ngezilimi zalo zokuqala.” UMilton wabheka imiBhalo Engcwele njengewukuphela kwesiqondiso esinokwethenjelwa ezindabeni zokuziphatha nezingokomoya. Kodwa lapho ehlola izincwadi zenkolo ezihlonishwayo zosuku lwakhe, wadumazeka kakhulu. Kamuva wabhala: “Ngaphetha ngokuthi ngangingeke ngisekele izinkolelo zami noma ithemba lensindiso yami ezincwadini ezinjalo.” Ezimisele ukuhlola izinkolelo zakhe “ngezindinganiso zeBhayibheli,” uMilton wenza izinhlu zemiBhalo ebalulekile zaba ngaphansi kwezihloko ezithile, wayesecaphuna amavesi eBhayibheli akulezi zinhlu.

Namuhla, uJohn Milton ukhunjulwa kakhulu ngokubhala i-Paradise Lost, inkondlo ekhuluma ngokulandisa kweBhayibheli kokulahlekelwa komuntu ukuphelela. (Genesise, isahluko 3) Iyona le nkondlo, eyanyatheliswa okokuqala ngo-1667, eyenza uMilton waduma njengombhali, ikakhulu kubantu abakhuluma isiNgisi. Kamuva wabhala enye inkondlo elama le enesihloko esithi Paradise Regained. Lezi zinkondlo zikhuluma ngenjongo kaNkulunkulu yokuqala ngomuntu—ukujabulela ukuphila okuphelele emhlabeni oyipharadesi—nangokubuyisela kukaNkulunkulu iPharadesi emhlabeni ngoKristu. Ngokwesibonelo, enkondlweni ethi Paradise Lost, uMikayeli ingelosi enkulu ubikezela ngesikhathi lapho uKristu “eyovuza abathembekile baKhe, abanikeze injabulo, kungaba sezulwini noma emhlabeni, ngoba ngaleso sikhathi wonke umhlaba uyobe uyipharadesi, uyindawo ejabulisa ngaphezu kwase-Edene, nezinsuku ezimnandi.”

Umbhalo Othi On Christian Doctrine

Kwase kuyiminyaka eminingi uMilton efuna nokubhala incwadi ekhuluma ngokuningiliziwe ngokuphila kobuKristu nezimfundiso zabo. Nakuba ayeseyimpumputhe ngo-1652, wazikhandla ebhala lo mbhalo esizwa onobhala kwaze kwaba yilapho eshona ngo-1674. UMilton wabiza lo mbhalo wakhe wokugcina ngokuthi A Treatise on Christian Doctrine Compiled From the Holy Scriptures Alone. Esanduleleni sawo, wabhala: “Iningi lababhali eliye labhala ngale ndaba . . . liye layibhala eceleni kwekhasi imibhalo okusekelwe kuyo konke elikufundisayo, nakhona izahluko namavesi ambalwa. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, mina ngizame ukufaka izingcaphuno eziningi ngangokunokwenzeka ezithathwe kuzo zonke izingxenye zeBhayibheli.” Njengokusho kukaMilton, i-On Christian Doctrine ibhekisela noma icaphune emiBhalweni izikhathi ezingaphezu kuka-9 000.

Nakuba uMilton ayengazange ngaphambili abe mathintanyawo ukuveza imibono yakhe, akazange awushicilele lo mbhalo. Isizathu? Okokuqala, wayazi ukuthi izincazelo ezingokomBhalo ezikuwo zazihluke kakhulu ezimfundisweni ezamukelwayo zesonto. Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba indlu yasebukhosini yayisivusiwe, wayesenyamanambana kuhulumeni. Kungenzeka ukuthi wayelinde ukuthi isimo sithi ukuzola kancane. Noma ngabe yikuphi, ngemva kokufa kukaMilton, unobhala wakhe wayisa umbhalo wesandla wesiLatini enkampanini yokunyathelisa eyenqaba ukuwunyathelisa. Ungqongqoshe waseNgilandi wabe esewuthatha wawubeka. Kwakusazodlula ikhulu leminyaka nengxenye ngaphambi kokuba utholwe.

Ngo-1823, umabhalane wawuthola lo mbhalo wesandla osongiwe walo mlobi wezinkondlo odumile. Owayeyinkosi yaseNgilandi ngaleso sikhathi uGeorge IV wathi lo mbhalo awuhunyushwe ususwa olimini lwesiLatini, usakazwe emphakathini. Lapho unyatheliswa ngesiNgisi ngemva kweminyaka emibili wasusa isidumo esikhulu ezazini zenkolo, nakubabhali nabafundi bezinkondlo. Omunye umbhishobhi wavele waphika ukuthi lo mbhalo wesandla okaMilton, engafuni ukukholwa ukuthi uMilton—abaningi abambheka njengombhali wezinkondlo zenkolo waseNgilandi obedlula bonke—wayengazilahla ngokuqine kangaka izimfundiso zesonto ezithandwayo. Ngenxa yokuthi umhumushi wayesolile ukuthi ungase ungamukelwa lo mbhalo efuna nokuqinisekisa ukuthi ubhalwe uMilton, wafaka imibhalo yaphansi ebonisa izinto ezifanayo ezingu-500 phakathi kombhalo othi On Christian Doctrine nenkondlo ethi Paradise Lost.a

Izinkolelo ZikaMilton

Osukwini lukaMilton, iNgilandi yase yamukele iNguquko YobuProthestani futhi ingasadlelani neSonto LamaRoma Katolika. AmaProthestani ayekholelwa ukuthi yimiBhalo Engcwele kuphela enegunya ezindabeni zokholo nokuziphatha, hhayi upapa. Nokho, embhalweni othi On Christian Doctrine, uMilton wabonisa ukuthi izimfundiso nemikhuba eminingi yobuProthestani nayo yayingavumelani nemiBhalo. Esebenzisa iBhayibheli, wayichitha imfundiso kaCalvin yokunqunyelwa kusengaphambili wasekela eyenkululeko yokuzikhethela. Wakhuthaza ukuba igama likaNkulunkulu elithi Jehova lisetshenziswe ngenhlonipho, futhi walisebenzisa kaningi emibhalweni yakhe.

UMilton wakusekela ngemiBhalo ukuthi umphefumulo ongumuntu uyafa. Ekhuluma ngoGenesise 2:7, wabhala: “Lapho umuntu esedalwe ngale ndlela, kuthiwa ekugcineni: umuntu waba kanjalo umphefumulo ophilayo. . . . Akahlukene kabili futhi akahlukaniseki: akakhiwe izinto ezimbili ezingefani, umphefumulo nomzimba, njengoba kuvame ukucatshangwa kanjalo. Kunalokho, umuntu ewonke ungumphefumulo, nomphefumulo uwumuntu.” UMilton wabe esebuza lo mbuzo: “Ingabe umuntu ewonke uyafa, noma kufa umzimba wodwa?” Ngemva kokuveza amavesi eBhayibheli amaningi abonisa ukuthi umuntu ewonke uyafa, wathi: “Kodwa incazelo ekholisa kunazo zonke engingayisho yokuthi umphefumulo uyafa ekaNkulunkulu uqobo lwakhe, kuHez[ekeli 18:]20: umphefumulo owonayo uyakufa.” UMilton wabhekisela nasemiBhalweni enjengoLuka 20:37 noJohane 11:25 ukuze abonise ukuthi ithemba ngabantu abafile liwukuthi esikhathini esizayo bayovuswa ekulaleni kokufa.

Yini eyenza ukuba ungafunwa kangaka umbhalo othi On Christian Doctrine? Kwakuwubufakazi bukaMilton obulula kodwa obunamandla obuseBhayibhelini bokuthi uKristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, ungaphansi kukaNkulunkulu, uYise. Ngemva kokucaphuna uJohane 17:3 noJohane 20:17, uMilton uyabuza: “Uma uYise enguNkulunkulu kaKristu noNkulunkulu wethu, futhi uma kunoNkulunkulu oyedwa kuphela, ubani ongabuye abe uNkulunkulu ngaphandle kukaYise?”

Ngaphezu kwalokho, uMilton uthi: “INdodana ngokwayo nabaphostoli bayo bayavuma kukho konke abakushoyo nabakubhalayo ukuthi uYise mkhulu kuneNdodana kukho konke.” (Johane 14:28) “Ngempela nguKristu othi, kuMath xxvi. 39: Baba‚ uma kungenzeka‚ akudlule kimi lesi sitsha; nokho kungabi njengokuba ngithanda mina‚ kodwa njengokuba uthanda wena. . . . Kungani ethandaza kuYise kuphela, engathandazi kuye ngokwakhe uma ngempela enguNkulunkulu? Uma engumuntu aphinde abe uNkulunkulu ophakeme, usayithandazelelani into akwaziyo ukuyenza? . . . Njengoba iNdodana ithanda futhi iphakamisa uYise kuphela yonke indawo, isifundisa ukuba nathi senze okufanayo.”

Ukushiyeka KukaMilton

UJohn Milton wayefuna iqiniso. Kodwa akukho soka elingenasici, futhi kungenzeka ukuthi eminye imibono yakhe yayithonywe izinto ezimbi ezamehlela. Ngokwesibonelo, kwathi besasanda kushada, umakoti wakhe, owayeyindodakazi encane yesikwaya sasebukhosini, wemuka wabuyela kubo iminyaka emithathu. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi, uMilton wabhala amapheshana avumela isehlukaniso, hhayi nje kuphela ngezizathu zokungathembeki emshadweni—okuwukuphela kwesizathu sikaJesu—kodwa nanalapho ningafanelene. (Mathewu 19:9) Wakhuthaza into efanayo nasembhalweni othi On Christian Doctrine.

Naphezu kokushiyeka kukaMilton, umbhalo othi On Christian Doctrine uwuveza ngokunamandla umbono weBhayibheli ngezimfundiso eziningi ezibalulekile. Kuze kube manje, umbhalo wakhe wenza abafundi bawo bahlole izinkolelo zabo besebenzisa izindinganiso zemiBhalo Engcwele ezingashayi eceleni.

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UMilton wayengumfundi okhuthele weBhayibheli

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Courtesy of The Early Modern Web at Oxford

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Inkondlo ethi “Paradise Lost” yenza uMilton waduma

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Courtesy of The Early Modern Web at Oxford

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Umbhalo wokugcina kaMilton walahleka iminyaka engu-150

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Image courtesy of Rare Books and Special Collections, Thomas Cooper Library, University of South Carolina

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 11]

Image courtesy of Rare Books and Special Collections, Thomas Cooper Library, University of South Carolina