over the teacups-第38章

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the　order　of　nature　very　near　the　undiscovered　country。　　A　man　who

has　passed　his　eighth　decade　feels　as　if　be　were　already　in　the

antechamber　of　the　apartments　which　he　may　be　called　to　occupy　in　the

house　of　many　mansions。　　His　convictions　regarding　the　future　of　our

race　are　likely　to　be　serious；　and　his　expressions　not　lightly

uttered。　　The　question　my　correspondent　suggests　is　a　tremendous　one。

No　other　interest　compares　for　one　moment　with　that　belonging　to　it。

It　is　not　only　ourselves　that　it　concerns；　but　all　whom　we　love　or

ever　have　loved；　all　our　human　brotherhood；　as　well　as　our　whole　idea

of　the　Being　who　made　us　and　the　relation　in　which　He　stands　to　his

creatures。　　In　attempting　to　answer　my　correspondent's　question；　I

shall　no　doubt　repeat　many　things　I　have　said　before　in　different

forms；　on　different　occasions。　　This　is　no　more　than　every　clergyman

does　habitually；　and　it　would　be　hard　if　I　could　not　have　the　same

license　which　the　professional　preacher　enjoys　so　fully。



Number　Five　and　I　have　occasionally　talked　on　religious　questions；

and　discovered　many　points　of　agreement　in　our　views。　　Both　of　us

grew　up　under　the　old　〃Orthodox　〃　or　Calvinistic　system　of　belief。

Both　of　us　accepted　it　in　our　early　years　as　a　part　of　our　education。

Our　experience　is　a　common　one。　　William　Cullen　Bryant　says　of

himself；　〃The　Calvinistic　system　of　divinity　I　adopted　of　course；　as

I　heard　nothing　else　taught　from　the　pulpit；　and　supposed　it　to　be

the　accepted　belief　of　the　religious　world。〃　　But　it　was　not　the

〃five　points〃　which　remained　in　the　young　poet's　memory　and　shaped

his　higher　life。　　It　was　the　influence　of　his　mother　that　left　its

permanent　impression　after　the　questions　and　answers　of　the

Assembly's　Catechism　had　faded　out；　or　remained　in　memory　only　as

fossil　survivors　of　an　extinct　or　fast…disappearing　theological

formation。　　The　important　point　for　him；　as　for　so　many　other

children　of　Puritan　descent；　was　not　his　father's　creed；　but　his

mother's　character；　precepts；　and　example。　　〃She　was　a　person；〃　he

says；　〃of　excellent　practical　sense；　of　a　quick　and　sensitive　moral

judgment；　and　had　no　patience　with　any　form　of　deceit　or　duplicity。

Her　prompt　condemnation　of　injustice；　even　in　those　instances　in

which　it　is　tolerated　by　the　world；　made　a　strong　impression　upon　me

in　early　life；　and　if；　in　the　discussion　of　public　questions；　I　have

in　my　riper　age　endeavored　to　keep　in　view　the　great　rule　of　right

without　much　regard　to　persons；　it　has　been　owing　in　a　great　degree

to　the　force　of　her　example；　which　taught　me　never　to　countenance　a

wrong　because　others　did。〃



I　have　quoted　this　passage　because　it　was　an　experience　not　wholly


unlike　my　own；　and　in　certain　respects　like　that　of　Number　Five。　　To

grow　up　in　a　narrow　creed　and　to　grow　out　of　it　is　a　tremendous　trial

of　one's　nature。　　There　is　always　a　bond　of　fellowship　between　those

who　have　been　through　such　an　ordeal。



The　experiences　we　have　had　in　common　naturally　lead　us　to　talk　over

the　theological　questions　which　at　this　time　are　constantly

presenting　themselves　to　the　public；　not　only　in　the　books　and　papers

expressly　devoted　to　that　class　of　subjects；　but　in　many　of　the

newspapers　and　popular　periodicals；　from　the　weeklies　to　the

quarterlies。　　The　pulpit　used　to　lay　down　the　law　to　the　pews；　at　the

present　time；　it　is　of　more　consequence　what　the　pews　think　than　what

the　minister　does；　for　the　obvious　reason　that　the　pews　can　change

their　minister；　and　often　do；　whereas　the　minister　cannot　change　the

pews；　or　can　do　so　only　to　a　very　limited　extent。　　The　preacher's

garment　is　cut　according　to　the　pattern　of　that　of　the　hearers；　for

the　most　part。　　Thirty　years　ago；　when　I　was　writing　on　theological

subjects；　I　came　in　for　a　very　pretty　share　of　abuse；　such　as　it　was

the　fashion　of　that　day；　at　least　in　certain　quarters；　to　bestow　upon

those　who　were　outside　of　the　high…walled　enclosures　in　which　many

persons；　not　naturally　unamiable　or　exclusive；　found　themselves

imprisoned。　　Since　that　time　what　changes　have　taken　place！　　Who　will

believe　that　a　well…behaved　and　reputable　citizen　could　have　been

denounced　as　a　〃moral　parricide；〃　because　he　attacked　some　of　the

doctrines　in　which　he　was　supposed　to　have　been　brought　up？　　A　single

thought　should　have　prevented　the　masked　theologian　who　abused　his

incognito　from　using　such　libellous　language。



Much；　and　in　many　families　most；　of　the　religious　teaching　of

children　is　committed　to　the　mother。　　The　experience　of　William

Cullen　Bryant；　which　I　have　related　in　his　own　words；　is　that　of　many

New　England　children。　　Now；　the　sternest　dogmas　that　ever　came　from　a

soul　cramped　or　palsied　by　an　obsolete　creed　become　wonderfully

softened　in　passing　between　the　lips　of　a　mother。　　The　cruel　doctrine

at　which　all　but　case…hardened　〃professionals〃　shudder　cones　out；　as

she　teaches　and　illustrates　it；　as　unlike　its　original　as　the　milk

which　a　peasant　mother　gives　her　babe　is　unlike　the　coarse　food　which

furnishes　her　nourishment。　　The　virus　of　a　cursing　creed　is　rendered

comparatively　harmless　by　the　time　it　reaches　the　young　sinner　in　the

nursery。　　Its　effects　fall　as　far　short　of　what　might　have　been

expected　from　its　virulence　as　the　pearly　vaccine　vesicle　falls　short

of　the　terrors　of　the　confluent　small…pox。　　Controversialists　should

therefore　be　careful　（for　their　own　sakes；　for　they　hurt　nobody　so

much　as　themselves）　how　they　use　such　terms　as　〃parricide〃　as

characterizing　those　who　do　not　agree　in　all　points　with　the　fathers

whom　or　whose　memory　they　honor　and　venerate。　　They　might　with　as

much　propriety　call　them　matricides；　if　they　did　not　agree　with　the

milder　teachings　of　their　mothers。　　I　can　imagine　Jonathan　Edwards　in

the　nursery　with　his　three…year…old　child　upon　his　knee。　　The　child

looks　up　to　his　face　and　says　to　him；〃Papa；　nurse　tells　me　that　you

say　God　hates　me　worse　than　He　hates　one　of　those　horrid　ugly　snakes

that　crawl　all　round。　　Does　God　hate　me　so？〃



〃Alas！　　my　child；　it　is　but　too　true。　　So　long　as　you　are　out　of

Christ　you　are　as　a　viper；　and　worse　than　a　viper；　in　his　sight。〃



By　and　by；　Mrs。　　Edwards；　one　of　the　loveliest　of　women　and　sweetest

of　mothers；　comes　into　the　nursery。　　The　child　is　crying。



〃What　is　the　matter；　my　darling？〃



〃　Papa　has　been　telling　me　that　God　hates　me　worse　than　a　snake。〃



Poor；　gentle；　poetical；　sensitive；　spiritual；　almost　celestial　Mrs。

Jonathan　Edwards！　　On　the　one　hand　the　terrible　sentence　conceived；

written　down；　given　to　the　press；　by　the　child's　father；　on　the　other

side　the　trusting　child　looking　up　at　her；　and　all　the　mother

pleading　in　her　heart　against　the　frightful　dogma　of　her　revered

husband。　　Do　you　suppose　she　left　that　poison　to　rankle　in　the　tender

soul　of　her　darling？　　Would　it　have　been　moral　parricide　for　a　son　of

the　great　divine　to　have　repudiated　the　doctrine　which　degraded　his

blameless　infancy　to　the　condition　and　below　the　condition　of　the

reptile？　　Was　it　parricide　in　the　second　or　third　degree　when　his

descendant　struck　out　that　venomous　sentence　from　the　page　in　which

it　stood　as　a　monument　to　what　depth　Christian　heathenism　could　sink

under　the　teaching　of　the　great　master　of　logic　and　spiritual

inhumanity？　　It　is　too　late　to　be　angry　about　the　abuse　a　well

meaning　writer　received　thirty　years　ago。　　The　whole　atmosphere　has

changed　since　then。　　It　is　mere　childishness　to　expect　men　to　believe

as　their　fathers　did；　that　is；　if　they　have　any　minds　of　their　own。

The　world　is　a　whole　generation　older　and　wiser　than　when　the　father

was　of　his　son's　age。



So　far　as　I　have　observed　persons　nearing　the　end　of　life；　the　Roman

Catholics　understand　the　business　of　dying　better　than　Protestants。

They　have　an　expert　by　them；　armed　with　spiritual　specifics；　in　which

they　both；　patient　and　priestly　ministrant；　place　implicit　trust。

Confession；　the　Eucharist；　Extreme　Unction；these　all　inspire　a

confidence　which　without　this　symbolism　is　too　apt　to　be　wanting　in

over…sensitive　natures。　　They　have　been　peopled　in　earlier　years　with

ghastly　spectres　of　avenging　fiends；　moving　in　a　sleepless　world　of

devouring　flames　and　smothering　exhalations；　where　nothing　lives　but

the　sinner；　the　fiends；　and　the　reptiles　who　help　to　make　life　an

unending　torture。　　It　is　no　wonder　that　these　images　sometimes　return

to　the　enfeebled　intelligence。　　To　exorcise　them；　the　old　Church　of

Christendom　has　her　mystic　formulae；　of　which　no　rationalistic

prescription　can　take　the　place。　　If　Cowper　had　been　a　good　Roman

Catholic；　instead　of　having　his　conscience　handled　by　a　Protestant

like　John　Newton；　he　would　not　have　died　despairing；　looking　upon

himself　as　a　castaway。　　I　have　seen　a　good　many　Roman　Catholics　on

their　dying　beds；　and　it　always　appeared　to　me　that　they　accepted　the

inevitable　with　a　composure　which　showed　that　their　belief；　whether

or　not　the　best　to　live　by；　was　a　better　one　to　die　by　than　most　of

the　harder　creeds　which　have　replaced　it。



In　the　more　intelligent　circles　of　American　society　one　may　question

anything　and　everything；　if　he　will　only　do　it　civilly。　　We　may　talk

about　eschatology；　the　science　of　last　things；or；　if　you　will；　the

natural　history　of　the　undiscovered　country；　without　offence　before

anybody　except　young　children　and　very　old　women　of　both　sexes。　　In

our　New　England　the　great　Andover　discussion　and　the　heretical

missionary　question　have　benumbed　all　sensibility　on　this　subject　as

entirely；　as　completely；　as　the　new　local　anaesthetic；　cocaine；

deadens　the　sensibility　of　the　part　to　which　it　is　applied；　so　that

the　eye　may　have　its　mote　or　beam　plucked　out　without　feeling　it；as

the　novels　of　Zola　and　Maupassant　have　hardened　the　delicate　nerve…

centres　of　the　women　who　have　fed　their　imaginations　on　the　food　they

have　furnished。



The　generally　professed　belief　of　the　Protestant　world　as　embodied　in

their　published　creeds　is　that　the　great　mass　of　mankind　are　destined

to　an　eternity　of　suffering。　　That　this　eternity　is　to　be　one　of

bodily　painof　〃torment　〃is　the　literal　teaching　of　Scripture；

which　has　been　literally　interpreted　by　the　theologians；　the　poets；

and　the　artists　of　many　long　ages　which　followed　the　acceptance　of

the　recorded　legends　of　the　church　as　infallible。　　The　doctrine　has

always　been　recognized；　as　it　is　now；　as　a　very　terrible　one。　　It　has

found　a　support　in　the　story　of　the　fall　of　man；　and　the　view　taken

of　the　relation　of　man　to　his　Maker　since　that　event。　　The　hatred　of

God　to　mankind　in　virtue　of　their　〃first　disobedience〃　and　inherited

depravity　is　at　the　bottom　of　it。　　The　extent　to　which　that　idea　was

carried　is　well　shown　in　the　expressions　I　have　borrowed　from

Jonathan　Edwards。　　According　to　his　teaching；and　he　was　a　reasoner

who　knew　what　he　was　talking　about；　what　was　involved　in　the　premises