passages from an old volume of life-第23章

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ys　so。'〃

The　〃old　man〃　came　pretty　near　hitting　the　mark；　as　we　shall　see　if　we　consider　what　took　place　in　the　decade　from　1860　to　1870。　　In　1864　the　Pope　issued　the　〃Syllabus　of　Errors；〃　which　〃must　be　considered　by　Romanistsas　an　infallible　official　document；　and　which　arrays　the　papacy　in　open　war　against　modern　civilization　and　civil　and　religious　freedom。〃　　The　Vatican　Council　in　1870　declared　the　Pope　to　be　the　bishop　of　bishops；　and　immediately　after　this　began　the　decisive　movement　of　the　party　known　as　the　〃Old　Catholics。〃　　In　the　exact　year　looked　forward　to　by　the　New　England　prophet；　1866；　the　evacuation　of　Rome　by　the　French　and　the　publication　of　〃Ecce　Homo〃　appear　to　be　the　most　remarkable　events　having　Special　relation　to　the　religious　world。　　Perhaps　the　National　Council　of　the　Congregationalists；　held　at　Boston　in　1865；　may　be　reckoned　as　one　of　the　occurrences　which　the　oracle　just　missed。

The　confidence；　if　not　the　spirit　of　prophecy；　lasted　down　to　a　later　period。　　〃In　half　a　century；〃　said　the　venerable　Dr。　Porter　of　Conway；　New　Hampshire；　in　1822；　〃there　will　be　no　Pagans；　Jews；　Mohammedans；　Unitarians；　or　Methodists。〃　　The　half…century　has　more　than　elapsed；　and　the　prediction　seems　to　stand　in　need　of　an　extension；　like　many　other　prophetic　utterances。

The　story　is　told　of　David　Osgood；　the　shaggy…browed　old　minister　of　Medford；　that　he　had　expressed　his　belief　that　not　more　than　one　soul　in　two　thousand　would　be　saved。　　Seeing　a　knot　of　his　parishioners　in　debate；　he　asked　them　what　they　were　discussing；　and　was　told　that　they　were　questioning　which　of　the　Medford　people　was　the　elected　one；　the　population　being　just　two　thousand；　and　that　opinion　was　divided　whether　it　would　be　the　minister　or　one　of　his　deacons。　　The　story　may　or　may　not　be　literally　true；　but　it　illustrates　the　popular　belief　of　those　days；　that　the　clergyman　saw　a　good　deal　farther　into　the　councils　of　the　Almighty　than　his　successors　could　claim　the　power　of　doing。

The　objects　about　me；　as　I　am　writing；　call　to　mind　the　varied　accomplishments　of　some　of　the　New　England　clergy。　　The　face　of　the　Revolutionary　preacher；　Samuel　Cooper；　as　Copley　painted　it；　looks　upon　me　with　the　pleasantest　of　smiles　and　a　liveliness　of　expression　which　makes　him　seem　a　contemporary　after　a　hundred　years'　experience　of　eternity。　　The　Plato　on　this　lower　shelf　bears　the　inscription：〃　Ezroe　Stiles；　1766。　　Olim　e　libris　Rev。　Jaredis　Eliot　de　Killingworth。〃　　Both　were　noted　scholars　and　philosophers。　　The　hand…　lens　before　me　was　imported；　with　other　philosophical　instruments；　by　the　Reverend　John　Prince　of　Salem；　an　earlier　student　of　science　in　the　town　since　distinguished　by　the　labors　of　the　Essex　Institute。　Jeremy　Belknap　holds　an　honored　place　in　that　unpretending　row　of　local　historians。　　And　in　the　pages　of　his　〃History　of　New　Hampshire〃　may　be　found　a　chapter　contributed　in　part　by　the　most　remarkable　man；　in　many　respects；　among　all　the　older　clergymen　preacher；　lawyer；　physician；　astronomer；　botanist；　entomologist；　explorer；　colonist；　legislator　in　state　and　national　governments；　and　only　not　seated　on　the　bench　of　the　Supreme　Court　of　a　Territory　because　he　declined　the　office　when　Washington　offered　it　to　him。　　This　manifold　individual　was　the　minister　of　Hamilton；　a　pleasant　little　town　in　Essex　County；　Massachusetts；the　Reverend　Manasseh　Cutler。　　These　reminiscences　from　surrounding　objects　came　up　unexpectedly；　of　themselves：　and　have　a　right　here；　as　showing　how　wide　is　the　range　of　intelligence　in　the　clerical　body　thus　accidentally　represented　in　a　single　library　making　no　special　pretensions。

It　is　not　so　exalted　a　claim　to　make　for　them；　but　it　may　be　added　that　they　were　often　the　wits　and　humorists　of　their　localities。　Mather　Byles's　facetie　are　among　the　colonial　classic　reminiscences。　But　these　were；　for　the　most　part；　verbal　quips　and　quibbles。　　True　humor　is　an　outgrowth　of　character。　　It　is　never　found　in　greater　perfection　than　in　old　clergymen　and　old　college　professors。　　Dr。　Sprague's　〃Annals　of　the　American　Pulpit〃　tells　many　stories　of　our　old　ministers　as　good　as　Dean　Ramsay's　〃Scottish　Reminiscences。〃　　He　has　not　recorded　the　following；　which　is　to　be　found　in　Miss　Larned's　excellent　and　most　interesting　History　of　Windham　County；　Connecticut。　　The　Reverend　Josiah　Dwight　was　the　minister　of　Woodstock；　Connecticut；　about　the　year　1700。　　He　was　not　old；　it　is　true；　but　he　must　have　caught　the　ways　of　the　old　ministers。　　The　〃sensational〃　pulpit　of　our　own　time　could　hardly　surpass　him　in　the　drollery　of　its　expressions。　　A　specimen　or　two　may　dispose　the　reader　to　turn　over　the　pages　which　follow　in　a　good…natured　frame　of　mind。　　〃If　unconverted　men　ever　got　to　heaven；〃　he　said；　〃they　would　feel　as　uneasy　as　a　shad　up　the　crotch　of　a　white…oak。〃　　Some　of　his　ministerial　associates　took　offence　at　his　eccentricities；　and　called　on　a　visit　of　admonition　to　the　offending　clergyman。　　〃　Mr。　Dwight　received　their　reproofs　with　great　meekness；　frankly　acknowledged　his　faults；　and　promised　amendment；　but；　in　prayer　at　parting；　after　returning　thanks　for　the　brotherly　visit　and　admonition；　'hoped　that　they　might　so　hitch　their　horses　on　earth　that　they　should　never　kick　in　the　stables　of　everlasting　salvation。'〃

It　is　a　good　thing　to　have　some　of　the　blood　of　one　of　these　old　ministers　in　one's　veins。　　An　English　bishop　proclaimed　the　fact　before　an　assembly　of　physicians　the　other　day　that　he　was　not　ashamed　to　say　that　he　had　a　son　who　was　a　doctor。　　Very　kind　that　was　in　the　bishop；　and　very　proud　his　medical　audience　must　have　felt。　　Perhaps　he　was　not　ashamed　of　the　Gospel　of　Luke；　〃the　beloved　physician；〃　or　even　of　the　teachings　which　came　from　the　lips　of　one　who　was　a　carpenter；　and　the　son　of　a　carpenter。　　So　a　New…Englander；　even　if　he　were　a　bishop；　need　not　be　ashamed　to　say　that　he　consented　to　have　an　ancestor　who　was　a　minister。　　On　the　contrary；　he　has　a　right　to　be　grateful　for　a　probable　inheritance　of　good　instincts；　a　good　name；　and　a　bringing　up　in　a　library　where　he　bumped　about　among　books　from　the　time　when　he　was　hardly　taller　than　one　of　his　father's　or　grandfather's　folios。　　What　are　the　names　of　ministers'　sons　which　most　readily　occur　to　our　memory　as　illustrating　these　advantages？　　Edward　Everett；　Joseph　Stevens　Buckminster；　Ralph　Waldo　Emerson；　George　Bancroft；　Richard　Hildreth；　James　Russell　Lowell；　Francis　Parkman；　Charles　Eliot　Norton；　were　all　ministers'　boys。　　John　Lothrop　Motley　was　the　grandson　of　the　clergyman　after　whom　he　was　named。　　George　Ticknor　was　next　door　to　such　a　descent；　for　his　father　was　a　deacon。　　This　is　a　group　which　it　did　not　take　a　long　or　a　wide　search　to　bring　together。

Men　such　as　the　ministers　who　have　been　described　could　not　fail　to　exercise　a　good　deal　of　authority　in　the　communities　to　which　they　belonged。　　The　effect　of　the　Revolution　must　have　been　to　create　a　tendency　to　rebel　against　spiritual　dictation。　　Republicanism　levels　in　religion　as　in　everything。　　It　might　have　been　expected；　therefore；　that　soon　after　civil　liberty　had　been　established　there　would　be　conflicts　between　the　traditional；　authority　of　the　minister　and　the　claims　of　the　now　free　and　independent　congregation。　　So　it　was；　in　fact；　as　for　instance　in　the　case　which　follows；　for　which　the　reader　is　indebted　to　Miss　Lamed's　book；　before　cited。

The　ministerial　veto　allowed　by　the　Saybrook　Platform　gave　rise；　in　the　year　1792；　to　a　fierce　conflict　in　the　town　of　Pomfret；　Connecticut。　　Zephaniah　Swift；　a　lawyer　of　Windham；　came　out　in　the　Windham　〃Herald；〃　in　all　the　vehemence　of　partisan　phraseology；　with　all　the　emphasis　of　italics　and　small　capitals。　　Was　it　not　time；　he　said；　for　people　to　look　about　them　and　see　whether　〃such　despotism　was　founded　in　Scripture；　in　reason；　in　policy；　or　on　the　rights　of　man！　　A　minister；　by　his　vote；　by　his　single　voice；　may　negative　the　unanimous　vote　of　the　church！　　Are　ministers　composed　of　finer　clay　than　the　rest　of　mankind；　that　entitles　them　to　this　preeminence？　Does　a　license　to　preach　transform　a　man　into　a　higher　order　of　beings　and　endow　him　with　a　natural　quality　to　govern？　　Are　the　laity　an　inferior　order　of　beings；　fit　only　to　be　slaves　and　to　be　governed？　　Is　it　good　policy　for　mankind　to　subject　themselves　to　such　degrading　vassalage　and　abject　submission？　　Reason；　common　sense；　and　the　Bible；　with　united　voice；　proclaim　to　all　mankind　that　they　are　all　born　free　and　equal；　that　every　member　of　a　church　or　Christian　congregation　must　be　on　the　same　footing　in　respect　of　church　government；　and　that　the　CONSTITUTION；　which　delegates　to　one　the　power　to　negative　the　vote　of　all　the　rest；　is　SUBVERSIVE　OF　THE　NATURAL　RIGHT　OF　MANKIND　AND　REPUGNANT　TO　THE　WORD　OF　GOD。〃

The　Reverend　Mr。　　Welch　replied　to　the　lawyer's　attack；　pronouncing　him　to　be　〃destitute　of　delicacy；　decency；　good　manners；　sound　judgment；　honesty；　manhood；　and　humanity；　a　poltroon；　a　cat's…paw；　the　infamous　tool　of　a　party；　a　partisan；　a　political　weathercock；　and　a　ragamuffin。〃

No　Fourth…of…July　orator　would　in　our　day　rant　like　the　lawyer；　and　no　clergyman　would　use　such　language　as　that　of　the　Reverend　Moses　Welch。　　The　clergy　have　been　pretty　well　republicanized　within　that　last　two　or　three　generations；　and　are　not　likely　to　provoke　quarrels　by　assertion　of　their　special　dignities　or　privileges。　　The　public　is　better　bred　than　to　carry　on　an　ecclesiastical　controversy　in　terms　which　political　brawlers　would　hardly　think　admissible。　　The　minister　of　religion　is　generally　treated　with　something　more　than　respect；　he　is　allowed　to　say　undisputed　what　would　be　sharply　controverted　in　anybody　else。　　Bishop　Gilbert　Haven；　of　happy　memory；　had　been　discussing　a　religious　subject　with　a　friend　who　was　not　convinced　by　his　arguments。　　〃Wait　till　you　hear　me　from　the　pulpit；〃　he　said；　〃there　you　cannot　answer　me。〃　　The　preacherif　I　may　use　an　image　which　would　hardly　have　suggested　itself　to　himhas　his　hearer's　head　in　chancery；　and　can　administer　punishment　ad　libitum。　　False　facts；　false　reasoning；　bad　rhetoric；　bad　grammar；　stale　images；　borrowed　passages；　if　not　borrowed　sermons；　are　listened　to　without　a　word　of　comment　or　a　look　of　disapprobation。

One　of　the　ablest　and　most　conscientiously　laborious　of　our　clergymen　has　lately　ventured　to　question　whether　all　his　professional　brethren　invariably　give　utterance　to　their　sincerest　beliefs；　and　has　been　sharply　criticised　for　so　doing。　　The　layman；　who　sits　silent　in　his　pew；　has　his　rights　when　out　of　it；　and　among　them　is　the　right　of　questioning　that　which　has　been　addressed　to　him　from　the　privileged　eminence　of　the　pulpit；　or　in　any　way　sanctioned　by　his　religious　teacher。　　It　is　nearly　two　hundred　years　since　a　Boston　layman　wrote　these　words：　〃I　am　not　ignorant　that　the　pious　frauds　of　the　ancient；　and　the　inbred　fire　（I　do　not　call　it　pride）　of　many　of　our　modern　divines；　have　precipitated　them　to　propagate　and　maintain　truth　as　well　as　falsehoods；　in　such　an　unfair　manner　as　has　given　advantage　to　the　enemy　to　suspect　the　whole　doctrine　these　men　have　profest　to　be　nothing　but　a　mere　trick。〃

So　wrote　Robert　Calef；　the　Boston　merchant；　whose　book　the　Reverend　Increase　Mather；　president　of　Harvard　College；