lectures11-13-第13章

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not　allowed　among　us　that　our　cells　should　be　ornamented　with



pictures　or　aught　else；　neither　armchairs；　carpets；　curtains；　nor



any　sort　of　cabinet　or　bureau　of　any　elegance。　　Neither　is　it



allowed　us　to　keep　anything　to　eat；　either　for　ourselves　or　for　



those　who　may　come　to　visit　us。　　We　must　ask　permission　to　go　to



the　refectory　even　for　a　glass　of　water；　and　finally　we　may　not



keep　a　book　in　which　we　can　write　a　line；　or　which　we　may　take



away　with　us。　　One　cannot　deny　that　thus　we　are　in　great　poverty。







But　this　poverty　is　at　the　same　time　a　great　repose　and　a　great



perfection。　　For　it　would　be　inevitable；　in　case　a　religious



person　were　allowed　to　own　supernuous　possessions；　that　these



things　would　greatly　occupy　his　mind；　be　it　to　acquire　them；　to



preserve　them；　or　to　increase　them；　so　that　in　not　permitting　us



at　all　to　own　them；　all　these　inconveniences　are　remedied。　Among



the　various　good　reasons　why　the　company　forbids　secular　persons



to　enter　our　cells；　the　principal　one　is　that　thus　we　may　the



easier　be　kept　in　poverty。　　After　all；　we　are　all　men；　and　if　we



were　to　receive　people　of　the　world　into　our　rooms；　we　should　not



have　the　strength　to　remain　within　the　bounds　prescribed；　but



should　at　least　wish　to　adorn　them　with　some　books　to　give　the



visitors　a　better　opinion　of　our　scholarship。〃＇192＇







＇192＇　Rodriguez：　　Op。　cit。；　Part　iii；　Treatise　iii。；　chaps。　vi。；



vii。















Since　Hindu　fakirs；　Buddhist　monks；　and　Mohammedan　dervishes



unite　with　Jesuits　and　Franciscans　in　idealizing　poverty　as　the



loftiest　individual　state；　it　is　worth　while　to　examine　into　the



spiritual　grounds　for　such　a　seemingly　unnatural　opinion。　　And



first；　of　those　which　lie　closest　to　common　human　nature。







The　opposition　between　the　men　who　HAVE　and　the　men　who　ARE　is



immemorial。　　Though　the　gentleman；　in　the　old…　fashioned　sense　of



the　man　who　is　well　born；　has　usually　in　point　of　fact　been



predaceous　and　reveled　in　lands　and　goods；　yet　he　has　never



identified　his　essence　with　these　possessions；　but　rather　with



the　personal　superiorities；　the　courage；　generosity；　and　pride



supposed　to　be　his　birthright。　　To　certain　huckstering　kinds　of



consideration　he　thanked　God　he　was　forever　inaccessible；　and　if



in　life's　vicissitudes　he　should　become　destitute　through　their



lack；　he　was　glad　to　think　that　with　his　sheer　valor　he　was　all



the　freer　to　work　out　his　salvation。　　〃Wer　nur　selbst　was　hatte；〃



says　Lessing's　Tempelherr；　in　Nathan　the　Wise；　〃mein　Gott；　mein



Gott；　ich　habe　nichts！〃　　This　ideal　of　the　well…born　man　without



possessions　was　embodied　in　knight…errantry　and　templardom；　and；



hideously　corrupted　as　it　has　always　been；　it　still　dominates



sentimentally；　if　not　practically；　the　military　and　aristocratic



view　of　life。　　We　glorify　the　soldier　as　the　man　absolutely



unincumbered。　　Owning　nothing　but　his　bare　life；　and　willing　to



toss　that　up　at　any　moment　when　the　cause　commands　him；　he　is　the



representative　of　unhampered　freedom　in　ideal　directions。　　The



laborer　who　pays　with　his　person　day　by　day；　and　has　no　rights



invested　in　the　future；　offers　also　much　of　this　ideal



detachment。　　Like　the　savage；　he　may　make　his　bed　wherever　his



right　arm　can　support　him；　and　from　his　simple　and　athletic



attitude　of　observation；　the　property…owner　seems　buried　and



smothered　in　ignoble　externalities　and　trammels；　〃wading　in　straw



and　rubbish　to　his　knees。〃　　The　claims　which　THINGS　make　are



corrupters　of　manhood；　mortgages　on　the　soul；　and　a　drag　anchor



on　our　progress　towards　the　empyrean。







〃Everything　I　meet　with；〃　writes　Whitefield；　〃seems　to　carry　this



voice　with　it'Go　thou　and　preach　the　Gospel；　be　a　pilgrim　on



earth；　have　no　party　or　certain　dwelling　place。'　My　heart　echoes



back；　'Lord　Jesus；　help　me　to　do　or　suffer　thy　will。　When　thou



seest　me　in　danger　of　NESTLINGin　pityin　tender　pityput　a



THORN　in　my　nest　to　prevent　me　from　it。'〃＇193＇







＇193＇　R。　Philip：　　The　Life　and　Times　of　George　Whitefield；



London；　1842；　p。　366。















The　loathing　of　〃capital〃　with　which　our　laboring　classes　today



are　growing　more　and　more　infected　seems　largely　composed　of　this



sound　sentiment　of　antipathy　for　lives　based　on　mere　having。　　As



an　anarchist　poet　writes：







〃Not　by　accumulating　riches；　but　by　giving　away　that　which　you



have；







〃Shall　you　become　beautiful；







〃You　must　undo　the　wrappings；　not　case　yourself　in　fresh　ones；







〃Not　by　multiplying　clothes　shall　you　make　your　body　sound　and



healthy；　but　rather　by　discarding　them　。　　。　　。







〃For　a　soldier　who　is　going　on　a　campaign　does　not　seek　what



fresh　furniture　he　can　carry　on　his　back；　but　rather　what　he　can



leave　behind；







〃Knowing　well　that　every　additional　thing　which　he　cannot　freely



use　and　handle　is　an　impediment。〃＇194＇







＇194＇　Edward　Carpenter：　　Towards　Democracy；　p。　362；　abridged。















In　short；　lives　based　on　having　are　less　free　than　lives　based



either　on　doing　or　on　being；　and　in　the　interest　of　action　people



subject　to　spiritual　excitement　throw　away　possessions　as　so　many



clogs。　　Only　those　who　have　no　private　interests　can　follow　an



ideal　straight　away。　　Sloth　and　cowardice　creep　in　with　every



dollar　or　guinea　we　have　to　guard。　　When　a　brother　novice　came　to



Saint　Francis；　saying：　　〃Father；　it　would　be　a　great　consolation



to　me　to　own　a　psalter；　but　even　supposing　that　our　general



should　concede　to　me　this　indulgence；　still　I　should　like　also　to



have　your　consent；〃　Francis　put　him　off　with　the　examples　of



Charlemagne；　Roland；　and　Oliver；　pursuing　the　infidels　in　sweat



and　labor；　and　finally　dying　on　the　field　of　battle。　　〃So　care



not；〃　he　said；　〃for　owning　books　and　knowledge；　but　care　rather



for　works　of　goodness。〃　　And　when　some　weeks　later　the　novice



came　again　to　talk　of　his　craving　for　the　psalter；　Francis　said：　



〃After　you　have　got　your　psalter　you　will　crave　a　breviary；　and



after　you　have　got　your　breviary　you　will　sit　in　your　stall　like



a　grand　prelate；　and　will　say　to　your　brother：　　〃Hand　me　my



breviary。〃。　　。　　。　And　thenceforward　he　denied　all　such　requests；



saying：　　A　man　possesses　of　learning　only　so　much　as　comes　out　of



him　in　action；　and　a　monk　is　a　good　preacher　only　so　far　as　his



deeds　proclaim　him　such；　for　every　tree　is　known　by　its



fruits。〃＇195＇







＇195＇　Speculum　Perfectionis；　ed。　　P。　Sabatier；　Paris；　1898；　pp。



10；　13。















But　beyond　this　more　worthily　athletic　attitude　involved　in　doing



and　being；　there　is；　in　the　desire　of　not　having；　something



profounder　still；　something　related　to　that　fundamental　mystery



of　religious　experience；　the　satisfaction　found　in　absolute



surrender　to　the　larger　power。　　So　long　as　any　secular　safeguard



is　retained；　so　long　as　any　residual　prudential　guarantee　is



clung　to；　so　long　the　surrender　is　incomplete；　the　vital　crisis



is　not　passed；　fear　still　stands　sentinel；　and　mistrust　of　the



divine　obtains：　　we　hold　by　two　anchors；　looking　to　God；　it　is



true；　after　a　fashion；　but　also　holding　by　our　proper



machinations。　　In　certain　medical　experiences　we　have　the　same



critical　point　to　overcome。　　A　drunkard；　or　a　morphine　or　cocaine



maniac；　offers　himself　to　be　cured。　　He　appeals　to　the　doctor　to



wean　him　from　his　enemy；　but　he　dares　not　face　blank　abstinence。　



The　tyrannical　drug　is　still　an　anchor　to　windward：　　he　hides



supplies　of　it　among　his　clothing；　arranges　secretly　to　have　it



smuggled　in　in　case　of　need。　　Even　so　an　incompletely　regenerate



man　still　trusts　in　his　own　expedients。　　His　money　is　like　the



sleeping　potion　which　the　chronically　wakeful　patient　keeps



beside　his　bed；　he　throws　himself　on　God；　but　IF　he　should　need



the　other　help；　there　it　will　be　also。　　Every　one　knows　cases　of



this　incomplete　and　ineffective　desire　for　reform…drunkards　whom；



with　all　their　self…reproaches　and　resolves；　one　perceives　to　be



quite　unwilling　seriously　to　contemplate　NEVER　being　drunk　again！



Really　to　give　up　anything　on　which　we　have　relied；　to　give　it　up



definitely；　〃for　good　and　all〃　and　forever；　signifies　one　of



those　radical　alterations　of　character　which　came　under　our



notice　in　the　lectures　on　conversion。　In　it　the　inner　man　rolls



over　into　an　entirely　different　position　of　equilibrium；　lives　in



a　new　centre　of　energy　from　this　time　on；　and　the　turning…point



and　hinge　of　all　such　operations　seems　usually　to　involve　the



sincere　acceptance　of　certain　nakednesses　and　destitutions。







Accordingly；　throughout　the　annals　of　the　saintly　life；　we　find



this　ever…recurring　note：　　Fling　yourself　upon　God's　providence



without　making　any　reserve　whatevertake　no　thought　for　the



morrowsell　all　you　have　and　give　it　to　the　pooronly　when　the



sacrifice　is　ruthless　and　reckless　will　the　higher　safety　really



arrive。　　As　a　concrete　example　let　me　read　a　page　from　the



biography　of　Antoinette　Bourignon；　a　good　woman；　much　persecuted



in　her　day　by　both　Protestants　and　Catholics；　because　she　would



not　take　her　religion　at　second　hand。　　When　a　young　girl；　in　her



father's　house







〃She　spent　whole　nights　in　prayer；　oft　repeating：　　Lord；　what



wilt　thou　have　me　to　do？　　And　being　one　night　in　a　most　profound



penitence；　she　said　from　the　bottom　of　her　heart：　　'O　my　Lord！



What　must　I　do　to　please　thee？　　For　I　have　nobody　to　teach　me。　



Speak　to　my　soul　and　it　will　hear　thee。'　At　that　instant　she



heard；　as　if　another　had　spoke　within　her：　　Forsake　all　earthly



things。　　Separate　thyself　from　the　love　of　the　creatures。　Deny



thyself。　　She　was　quite　astonished；　not　understanding　this



language；　and　mused　long　on　these　three　points；　thinking　how　she



could　fulfill　them。　　She　thought　she　could　not　live　without



earthly　things；　nor　without　loving　the　creatures；　nor　without



loving　herself。　　Yet　she　said；　'By　thy　Grace　I　will　do　it；　Lord！'



But　when　she　would　perform　her　promise；　she　knew　not　where　to



begin。　　Having　thought　on　the　religious　in　monasteries；　that　they



forsook　all　earthly　things　by　being　shut　up　in　a　cloister；　and



the　love　of　themselves　by　subjecting　of　their　wills；　she　asked



leave　of　her　father　to　enter　into　a　cloister　of　the　barefoot



Carmelites；　but　he　would　not　permit　it；　saying　he　would　rather



see　her　la