over the teacups-第39章

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

of　the　faith　he　accepted；man　inherits　the　curse　of　God　as　his

principal　birthright。



What　shall　we　say　to　the　doctrine　of　the　fall　of　man　as　the　ground　of

inflicting　endless　misery　on　the　human　race？　　A　man　to　be　punished

for　what　he　could　not　help！　　He　was　expected　to　be　called　to　account

for　Adam's　sin。　　It　is　singular　to　notice　that　the　reasoning　of　the

wolf　with　the　lamb　should　be　transferred　to　the　dealings　of　the

Creator　with　his　creatures。　　〃You　stirred　the　brook　up　and　made　my

drinking…place　muddy。〃　　〃But；　please　your　wolfship；　I　couldn't　do

that；　for　I　stirred　the　water　far　down　the　stream；below　your

drinking…place。〃　　〃Well；　anyhow；　your　father　troubled　it　a　year　or

two　ago；　and　that　is　the　same　thing。〃　　So　the　wolf　falls　upon　the

lamb　and　makes　a　meal　of　him。　　That　is　wolf　logic；and　theological

reasoning。



How　shall　we　characterize　the　doctrine　of　endless　torture　as　the

destiny　of　most　of　those　who　have　lived；　and　are　living；　on　this

planet？　　I　prefer　to　let　another　writer　speak　of　it。　　Mr。　John　Morley

uses　the　following　words：　〃The　horrors　of　what　is　perhaps　the　most

frightful　idea　that　has　ever　corroded　human　character；the　idea　of

eternal　punishment。〃　　Sismondi；　the　great　historian；　heard　a　sermon

on　eternal　punishment；　and　vowed　never　again　to　enter　another　church

holding　the　same　creed。　　Romanism　he　considered　a　religion　of　mercy

and　peace　by　the　side　of　what　the　English　call　the　Reformation。　I

mention　these　protests　because　I　happen　to　find　them　among　my　notes；

but　it　would　be　easy　to　accumulate　examples　of　the　same　kind。　　When

Cowper；　at　about　the　end　of　the　last　century；　said　satirically　of　the

minister　he　was　attacking；



　　　　　　　　　　〃He　never　mentioned　hell　to　ears　polite；　〃



he　was　giving　unconscious　evidence　that　the　sense　of　the　barbarism　of

the　idea　was　finding　its　way　into　the　pulpit。　　When　Burns；　in　the

midst　of　the　sulphurous　orthodoxy　of　Scotland；　dared　to　say；



　　　　　　　　　〃The　fear　o'　hell　's　a　hangman's　whip

　　　　　　　　　　To　haud　the　wretch　in　order；〃



he　was　oily　appealing　to　the　common　sense　and　common　humanity　of　his

fellow…countrymen。



All　the　reasoning　in　the　world；　all　the　proof…texts　in　old

manuscripts；　cannot　reconcile　this　supposition　of　a　world　of

sleepless　and　endless　torment　with　the　declaration　that　〃God　is

love。〃



Where　did　this　〃frightful　idea〃　come　from？　　We　are　surprised；　as　we

grow　older；　to　find　that　the　legendary　hell　of　the　church　is　nothing

more　nor　less　than　the　Tartarus　of　the　old　heathen　world。　　It　has

every　mark　of　coming　from　the　cruel　heart　of　a　barbarous　despot。

Some　malignant　and　vindictive　Sheik；　some　brutal　Mezentius；　must　have

sat　for　many　pictures　of　the　Divinity。　　It　was　not　enough　to　kill　his

captive　enemy；　after　torturing　him　as　much　as　ingenuity　could

contrive　to　do　it。　　He　escaped　at　last　by　death；　but　his　conqueror

could　not　give　him　up　so　easily；　and　so　his　vengeance　followed　him

into　the　unseen　and　unknown　world。　　How　the　doctrine　got　in　among；

the　legends　of　the　church　we　are　no　more　bound　to　show　than　we　are　to

account　for　the　intercalation　of　the　〃three　witnesses〃　text；　or　the

false　insertion；　or　false　omission；　whichever　it　may　be；　of　the　last

twelve　verses　of　the　Gospel　of　St　Mark。　　We　do　not　hang　our

grandmothers　now；　as　our　ancestors　did　theirs；　on　the　strength　of　the

positive　command；　〃Thou　shalt　not　suffer　a　witch　to　live。〃



The　simple　truth　is　that　civilization　has　outgrown　witchcraft；　and　is

outgrowing　the　Christian　Tartarus。　　The　pulpit　no　longer　troubles

itself　about　witches　and　their　evil　doings。　　All　the　legends　in　the

world　could　not　arrest　the　decay　of　that　superstition　and　all　the

edicts　that　grew　out　of　it。　　All　the　stories　that　can　be　found　in　old

manuscripts　will　never　prevent　the　going　out　of　the　fires　of　the

legendary　Inferno。　　It　is　not　much　talked　about　nowadays　to　ears

polite　or　impolite。　　Humanity　is　shocked　and　repelled　by　it。　　The

heart　of　woman　is　in　unconquerable　rebellion　against　it。　　The　more

humane　sects　tear　it　from　their　〃Bodies　of　Divinity〃　as　if　it　were

the　flaming　shirt　of　Nessus。　　A　few　doctrines　with　which　it　was　bound

up　have　dropped　or　are　dropping　away　from　it：　the　primal　curse；

consequential　damages　to　give　infinite　extension　to　every

transgression　of　the　law　of　God；　inverting　the　natural　order　of

relative　obligations；　stretching　the　smallest　of　finite　offenses　to

the　proportions　of　the　infinite；　making　the　babe　in　arms　the

responsible　being；　and　not　the　parent　who　gave　it　birth　and

determined　its　conditions　of　existence。



After　a　doctrine　like　〃the　hangman's　whip〃　has　served　its　purpose；

if　it　ever　had　any　useful　purpose；after　a　doctrine　like　that　of

witchcraft　has　hanged　old　women　enough；　civilization　contrives　to　get

rid　of　it。　　When　we　say　that　civilization　crowds　out　the　old

superstitious　legends；　we　recognize　two　chief　causes。　　The　first　is

the　naked　individual　protest；　the　voice　of　the　inspiration　which

giveth　man　understanding。　　This　shows　itself　conspicuously　in　the

modern　poets。　　Burns　in　Scotland；　Bryant；　Longfellow；　Whittier；　in

America；　preached　a　new　gospel　to　the　successors　of　men　like　Thomas

Boston　and　Jonathan　Edwards。　　In　due　season；　the　growth　of　knowledge；

chiefly　under　the　form　of　that　part　of　knowledge　called　science；　so

changes　the　views　of　the　universe　that　many　of　its　long…unchallenged

legends　become　no　more　than　nursery　tales。　　The　text…books　of

astronomy　and　geology　work　their　way　in　between　the　questions　and

answers　of　the　time…honored　catechisms。　　The　doctrine　of　evolution；

so　far　as　it　is　accepted；　changes　the　whole　relations　of　man　to　the

creative　power。　　It　substitutes　infinite　hope　in　the　place　of

infinite　despair　for　the　vast　majority　of　mankind。　　Instead　of　a

shipwreck；　from　which　a　few　cabin　passengers　and　others　are　to　be

saved　in　the　long…boat；　it　gives　mankind　a　vessel　built　to　endure　the

tempests；　and　at　last　to　reach　a　port　where　at　the　worst　the

passengers　can　find　rest；　and　where　they　may　hope　for　a　home　better

than　any　which　they　ever　had　in　their　old　country。　　It　is　all　very

well　to　say　that　men　and　women　had　their　choice　whether　they　would

reach　the　safe　harbor　or　not。



　　　　　　　　　〃Go　to　it　grandam；　child；

　　　　　　　　　　Give　grandam　kingdom；　and　it　grandam　will

　　　　　　　　　　Give　it　a　plum；　a　cherry　and　a　fig。〃



We　know　what　the　child　will　take。　　So　which　course　we　shall　take

depends　very　much　on　the　way　the　choice　is　presented　to　us；　and　on

what　the　chooser　is　by　nature。　　What　he　is　by　nature　is　not

determined　by　himself；　but　by　his　parentage。　　〃They　know　not　what

they　do。〃　　In　one　sense　this　is　true　of　every　human　being。　　The　agent

does　not　know；　never　can　know；　what　makes　him　that　which　he　is。　　What

we　most　want　to　ask　of　our　Maker　is　an　unfolding　of　the　divine

purpose　in　putting　human　beings　into　conditions　in　which　such　numbers

of　them　would　be　sure　to　go　wrong。　　We　want　an　advocate　of　helpless

humanity　whose　task　it　shall　be；　in　the　words　of　Milton；



　　　　　　　　　　〃To　justify　the　ways　of　God　to　man。〃



We　have　heard　Milton's　argument；　but　for　the　realization　of　his

vision　of　the　time



　　　　　　　　　〃When　Hell　itself　shall　pass　away；

　　　　　　　　　　And　leave　her　dolorous　mansions　to　the　peering　day；〃



our　suffering　race　must　wait　in　patience。



The　greater　part　of　the　discourse　the　reader　has　had　before　him　was

delivered　over　the　teacups　one　Sunday　afternoon。　　The　Mistress　looked

rather　grave；　as　if　doubtful　whether　she　ought　not　to　signify　her

disapprobation　of　what　seemed　to　her　dangerous　doctrine。



However；　as　she　knew　that　I　was　a　good　church…goer　and　was　on　the

best　terms　with　her　minister；　she　said　nothing　to　show　that　she　had

taken　the　alarm。　　Number　Five　listened　approvingly。　　We　had　talked

the　question　over　well；　and　were　perfectly　agreed　on　the　main　point。

How　could　it　be　otherwise？　　Do　you　suppose　that　any　intellectual；

spiritual　woman；　with　a　heart　under　her　bodice；　can　for　a　moment

seriously　believe　that　the　greater　number　of　the　high…minded　men；　the

noble　and　lovely　women；　the　ingenuous　and　affectionate　children；　whom

she　knows　and　honors　or　loves；　are　to　be　handed　over　to　the　experts

in　a　great　torture…chamber；　in　company　with　the　vilest　creatures　that

have　once　worn　human　shape？



〃If　there　is　such　a　world　as　used　to　be　talked　about　from　the　pulpit；

you　may　depend　upon　it；〃　she　said　to　me　once；　〃there　will　soon　be

organized　a　Humane　Society　in　heaven；　and　a　mission　established　among

'the　spirits　in　prison。'〃



Number　Five　is　a　regular　church…goer；　as　I　am。　　I　do　not　believe

either　of　us　would　darken　the　doors　of　a　church　if　we　were　likely　to

hear　any　of　the　〃old…fashioned〃　sermons；　such　as　I　used　to　listen　to

in　former　years　from　a　noted　clergyman；　whose　specialty　was　the

doctrine　of　eternal　punishment。　　But　you　may　go　to　the　churches　of

almost　any　of　our　Protestant　denominations；　and　hear　sermons　by　which

you　can　profit；　because　the　ministers　are　generally　good　men；　whose

moral　and　spiritual　natures　are　above　the　average；　and　who　know　that

the　harsh　preaching　of　two　or　three　generations　ago　would　offend　and

alienate　a　large　part　of　their　audience。　　So　neither　Number　Five　nor

I　are　hypocrites　in　attending　church　or　〃going　to　meeting。〃　　I　am

afraid　it　does　not　make　a　great　deal　of　difference　to　either　of　us

what　may　be　the　established　creed　of　the　worshipping　assembly。　　That

is　a　matter　of　great　interest；　perhaps　of　great　importance；　to　them；

but　of　much　less；　comparatively；　to　us。　　Companionship　in　worship；

and　sitting　quiet　for　an　hour　while　a　trained　speaker；　presumably

somewhat　better　than　we　are；　stirs　up　our　spiritual　nature；these

are　reasons　enough　to　Number　Five；　as　to　me；　for　regular　attendance

on　divine　worship。



Number　Seven　is　of　a　different　way　of　thinking　and　feeling。　　He

insists　upon　it　that　the　churches　keep　in　their　confessions　of　faith

statements　which　they　do　not　believe；　and　that　it　is　notorious　that

they　are　afraid　to　meddle　with　them。　　The　Anglo…American　church　has

dropped　the　Athanasian　Creed　from　its　service；　the　English　mother

church　is　afraid　to。　　There　are　plenty　of　Universalists；　Number　Seven

says；　in　the　Episcopalian　and　other　Protestant　churches；　but　they　do

not　avow　their　belief　in　any　frank　and　candid　fashion。　　The　churches

know　very　well；　he　maintains；　that　the　fear　of　everlasting　punishment

more　than　any　or　all　other　motives　is　the　source　of　their　power　and

the　support　of　their　organizations。　　Not　only　are　the　fears　of

mankind　the　whip　to　scourge　and　the　bridle　to　restrain　them；　but　they

are　the　basis　of　an　almost　incalculable　material　interest。　　〃Talk

about　giving　up　the　doctrine　of　endless　punishment　by　fire！〃

exclaimed　Number　Seven；　〃there　is　more　capital　embarked　in　the

subterranean　fire…chambers　than　in　all　the　iron…furnaces　on　th