lecture02-第5章

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which　it　finds　reigning；　so　far　as　to　acknowledge　and　obey　it；



but　it　may　obey　it　with　the　heaviest　and　coldest　heart；　and　never



cease　to　feel　it　as　a　yoke。　　But　for　religion；　in　its　strong　and



fully　developed　manifestations；　the　service　of　the　highest　never



is　felt　as　a　yoke。　　Dull　submission　is　left　far　behind；　and　a



mood　of　welcome；　which　may　fill　any　place　on　the　scale　between



cheerful　serenity　and　enthusiastic　gladness；　has　taken　its　place。







It　makes　a　tremendous　emotional　and　practical　difference　to　one



whether　one　accept　the　universe　in　the　drab　discolored　way　of



stoic　resignation　to　necessity；　or　with　the　passionate　happiness



of　Christian　saints。　　The　difference　is　as　great　as　that　between



passivity　and　activity；　as　that　between　the　defensive　and　the



aggressive　mood。　　Gradual　as　are　the　steps　by　which　an　individual



may　grow　from　one　state　into　the　other；　many　as　are　the



intermediate　stages　which　different　individuals　represent；　yet



when　you　place　the　typical　extremes　beside　each　other　for



comparison；　you　feel　that　two　discontinuous　psychological



universes　confront　you；　and　that　in　passing　from　one　to　the　other



a　〃critical　point〃　has　been　overcome。







If　we　compare　stoic　with　Christian　ejaculations　we　see　much　more



than　a　difference　of　doctrine；　rather　is　it　a　difference　of



emotional　mood　that　parts　them。　　When　Marcus　Aurelius　reflects　on



the　eternal　reason　that　has　ordered　things；　there　is　a　frosty



chill　about　his　words　which　you　rarely　find　in　a　Jewish；　and



never　in　a　Christian　piece　of　religious　writing。　　The　universe　is



〃accepted〃　by　all　these　writers；　but　how　devoid　of　passion　or



exultation　the　spirit　of　the　Roman　Emperor　is！　　Compare　his　fine



sentence：　　〃If　gods　care　not　for　me　or　my　children；　here　is　a



reason　for　it；〃　with　Job's　cry：　　〃Though　he　slay　me；　yet　will　I



trust　in　him！〃　and　you　immediately　see　the　difference　I　mean。　



The　anima　mundi；　to　whose　disposal　of　his　own　personal　destiny



the　Stoic　consents；　is　there　to　be　respected　and　submitted　to；



but　the　Christian　God　is　there　to　be　loved；　and　the　difference　of



emotional　atmosphere　is　like　that　between　an　arctic　climate　and



the　tropics；　though　the　outcome　in　the　way　of　accepting　actual



conditions　uncomplainingly　may　seem　in　abstract　terms　to　be　much



the　same。







〃It　is　a　man's　duty；〃　says　Marcus　Aurelius；　〃to　comfort　himself



and　wait　for　the　natural　dissolution；　and　not　to　be　vexed；　but　to



find　refreshment　solely　in　these　thoughtsfirst　that　nothing



will　happen　to　me　which　is　not　conformable　to　the　nature　of　the



universe；　and　secondly　that　I　need　do　nothing　contrary　to　the　God



and　deity　within　me；　for　there　is　no　man　who　can　compel　me　to



transgress。　　He　is　an　abscess　on　the　universe　who　withdraws



and　separates　himself　from　the　reason　of　our　common　nature；



through　being　displeased　with　the　things　which　happen。　　For　the



same　nature　produces　these；　and　has　produced　thee　too。　　And　so



accept　everything　which　happens；　even　if　it　seem　disagreeable；



because　it　leads　to　this；　the　health　of　the　universe　and　to　the



prosperity　and　felicity　of　Zeus。　　For　he　would　not　have　brought



on　any　man　what　he　has　brought　if　it　were　not　useful　for　the



whole。　　The　integrity　of　the　whole　is　mutilated　if　thou　cuttest



off　anything。　　And　thou　dost　cut　off；　as　far　as　it　is　in　thy



power；　when　thou　art　dissatisfied；　and　in　a　manner　triest　to　put



anything　out　of　the　way。〃＇14＇







＇14＇　Book　V。；　ch。　ix。　（abridged）。















Compare　now　this　mood　with　that　of　the　old　Christian　author　of



the　Theologia　Germanica：







〃Where　men　are　enlightened　with　the　true　light；　they　renounce　all



desire　and　choice；　and　commit　and　commend　themselves　and　all



things　to　the　eternal　Goodness；　so　that　every　enlightened　man



could　say：　　'I　would　fain　be　to　the　Eternal　Goodness　what　his　own



hand　is　to　a　man。'　　Such　men　are　in　a　state　of　freedom；　because



they　have　lost　the　fear　of　pain　or　hell；　and　the　hope　of　reward



or　heaven；　and　are　living　in　pure　submission　to　the　eternal



Goodness；　in　the　perfect　freedom　of　fervent　love。　　When　a　man



truly　perceiveth　and　considereth　himself；　who　and　what　he　is；　and



findeth　himself　utterly　vile　and　wicked　and　unworthy；　he　falleth



into　such　a　deep　abasement　that　it　seemeth　to　him　reasonable　that



all　creatures　in　heaven　and　earth　should　rise　up　against　him。　



And　therefore　he　will　not　and　dare　not　desire　any　consolation　and



release；　but　he　is　willing　to　be　unconsoled　and　unreleased；　and



he　doth　not　grieve　over　his　sufferings；　for　they　are　right　in　his



eyes；　and　he　hath　nothing　to　say　against　them。　　This　is　what　is



meant　by　true　repentance　for　sin；　and　he　who　in　this　present　time



entereth　into　this　hell；　none　may　console　him。　　Now　God　hath　not



forsaken　a　man　in　this　hell；　but　He　is　laying　his　hand　upon　him；



that　the　man　may　not　desire　nor　regard　anything　but　the　eternal



Good　only。　　And　then；　when　the　man　neither　careth　for　nor



desireth　anything　but　the　eternal　Good　alone；　and　seeketh　not



himself　nor　his　own　things；　but　the　honour　of　God　only；　he　is



made　a　partaker　of　all　manner　of　joy；　bliss；　peace；　rest；　and



consolation；　and　so　the　man　is　henceforth　in　the　kingdom　of



heaven。　　This　hell　and　this　heaven　are　two　good　safe　ways　for　a



man；　and　happy　is　he　who　truly　findeth　them。〃＇15＇







＇15＇　Chaps。　x。；　xi。　　（abridged）：　　Winkworth's　translation。















How　much　more　active　and　positive　the　impulse　of　the　Christian



writer　to　accept　his　place　in　the　universe　is！　Marcus　Aurelius



agrees　TO　the　schemethe　German　theologian　agrees　WITH　it。　　He



literally　ABOUNDS　in　agreement；　he　runs　out　to　embrace　the　divine



decrees。







Occasionally；　it　is　true；　the　stoic　rises　to　something　like　a



Christian　warmth　of　sentiment；　as　in　the　often　quoted　passage　of



Marcus　Aurelius：







〃Everything　harmonizes　with　me　which　is　harmonious　to　thee；　O



Universe。　　Nothing　for　me　is　too　early　nor　too　late；　which　is　in



due　time　for　thee。　　Everything　is　fruit　to　me　which　thy　seasons



bring；　O　Nature：　　from　thee　are　all　things；　in　thee　are　all



things；　to　thee　all　things　return。　　The　poet　says；　Dear　City　of



Cecrops；　and　wilt　thou　not　say；　Dear　City　of　Zeus？〃＇16＇







＇16＇　Book　IV。；　523















But　compare　even　as　devout　a　passage　as　this　with　a　genuine



Christian　outpouring；　and　it　seems　a　little　cold。　Turn；　for



instance；　to　the　Imitation　of　Christ：







〃Lord；　thou　knowest　what　is　best；　let　this　or　that　be　according



as　thou　wilt。　　Give　what　thou　wilt；　so　much　as　thou　wilt；　when



thou　wilt。　　Do　with　me　as　thou　knowest　best；　and　as　shall　be　most



to　thine　honour。　　Place　me　where　thou　wilt；　and　freely　work　thy



will　with　me　in　all　things。　。　。　。　　When　could　it　be　evil　when



thou　wert　near？　　I　had　rather　be　poor　for　thy　sake　than　rich



without　thee。　　I　choose　rather　to　be　a　pilgrim　upon　the　earth



with　thee；　than　without　thee　to　possess　heaven。　　Where　thou　art；



there　is　heaven；　and　where　thou　art　not；　behold　there　death　and



hell。〃＇17＇







＇17＇　Benham's　translation：　　Book　III。；　chaps。　　xv。；　lix。　　Compare



Mary　Moody　Emerson：　　〃Let　me　be　a　blot　on　this　fair　world；　the



obscurest　the　loneliest　sufferer；　with　one　provisothat　I　know



it　is　His　agency。　　I　will　love　Him　though　He　shed　frost　and



darkness　on　every　way　of　mine。〃　　R。　W。　Emerson：　　Lectures　and



Biographical　Sketches；　p。　188。















It　is　a　good　rule　in　physiology；　when　we　are　studying　the　meaning



of　an　organ；　to　ask　after　its　most　peculiar　and　characterist