lectures11-13-第10章

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intolerable。　　All　the　mind's　objects　and　occupations　must　be



ordered　with　reference　to　the　special　spiritual　excitement　which



is　now　its　keynote。　　Whatever　is　unspiritual　taints　the　pure



water　of　the　soul　and　is　repugnant。　　Mixed　with　this　exaltation



of　the　moral　sensibilities　there　is　also　an　ardor　of　sacrifice；



for　the　beloved　deity's　sake；　of　everything　unworthy　of　him。　



Sometimes　the　spiritual　ardor　is　so　sovereign　that　purity　is



achieved　at　a　stroke　we　have　seen　examples。　　Usually　it　is　a



more　gradual　conquest。　　Billy　Bray's　account　of　his　abandonment



of　tobacco　is　a　good　example　of　the　latter　form　of　achievement。







〃I　had　been　a　smoker　as　well　as　a　drunkard；　and　I　used　to　love　my



tobacco　as　much　as　I　loved　my　meat；　and　I　would　rather　go　down



into　the　mine　without　my　dinner　than　without　my　pipe。　　In　the



days　of　old；　the　Lord　spoke　by　the　mouths　of　his　servants；　the



prophets；　now　he　speaks　to　us　by　the　spirit　of　his　Son。　　I　had



not　only　the　feeling　part　of　religion；　but　I　could　hear　the



small；　still　voice　within　speaking　to　me。　　When　I　took　the　pipe



to　smoke；　it　would　be　applied　within；　'It　is　an　idol；　a　lust；



worship　the　Lord　with　clean　lips。'　　So；　I　felt　it　was　not　right



to　smoke。　　The　Lord　also　sent　a　woman　to　convince　me。　　I　was　one



day　in　a　house；　and　I　took　out　my　pipe　to　light　it　at　the　fire；



and　Mary　Hawkefor　that　was　the　woman's　namesaid；　'Do　you　not



feel　it　is　wrong　to　smoke？'　　I　said　that　I　felt　something　inside



telling　me　that　it　was　an　idol；　a　lust；　and　she　said　that　was　the



Lord。　　Then　I　said；　'Now；　I　must　give　it　up；　for　the　Lord　is



telling　me　of　it　inside；　and　the　woman　outside；　so　the　tobacco



must　go；　love　it　as　I　may。'　　There　and　then　I　took　the　tobacco



out　of　my　pocket；　and　threw　it　into　the　fire；　and　put　the　pipe



under　my　foot；　'ashes　to　ashes；　dust　to　dust。'　　And　I　have　not



smoked　since。　　I　found　it　hard　to　break　off　old　habits；　but　I



cried　to　the　Lord　for　help；　and　he　gave　me　strength；　for　he　has



said；　'Call　upon　me　in　the　day　of　trouble；　and　I　will　deliver



thee。'　　The　day　after　I　gave　up　smoking　I　had　the　toothache　so



bad　that　I　did　not　know　what　to　do。　　I　thought　this　was　owing　to



giving　up　the　pipe；　but　I　said　I　would　never　smoke　again；　if　I



lost　every　tooth　in　my　head。　　I　said；　'Lord；　thou　hast　told　us　My



yoke　is　easy　and　my　burden　is　light；'　and　when　I　said　that；　all



the　pain　left　me。　　Sometimes　the　thought　of　the　pipe　would　come



back　to　me　very　strong；　but　the　Lord　strengthened　me　against　the



habit；　and；　bless　his　name；　I　have　not　smoked　since。〃







Bray's　biographer　writes　that　after　he　had　given　up　smoking；　he



thought　that　he　would　chew　a　little；　but　he　conquered　this　dirty



habit；　too。　　〃On　one　occasion；〃　Bray　said；　〃when　at　a　prayer…



meeting　at　Hicks　Mill；　I　heard　the　Lord　say　to　me；　'Worship　me



with　clean　lips。'　　So；　when　we　got　up　from　our　knees；　I　took　the



quid　out　of　my　mouth　and　'whipped　'en'　＇threw　it＇　under　the　form。







But；　when　we　got　on　our　knees　again；　I　put　another　quid　into　my



mouth。　　Then　the　Lord　said　to　me　again；　'Worship　me　with　clean



lips。'　　So　I　took　the　quid　out　of　my　mouth；　and　whipped　'en　under



the　form　again；　and　said；　'Yes；　Lord；　I　will。'　　From　that　time　I



gave　up　chewing　as　well　as　smoking；　and　have　been　a　free　man。〃







The　ascetic　forms　which　the　impulse　for　veracity　and　purity　of



life　may　take　are　often　pathetic　enough。　　The　early　Quakers；　for



example；　had　hard　battles　to　wage　against　the　worldliness　and



insincerity　of　the　ecclesiastical　Christianity　of　their　time。　



Yet　the　battle　that　cost　them　most　wounds　was　probably　that　which



they　fought　in　defense　of　their　own　right　to　social　veracity　and



sincerity　in　their　thee…ing　and　thou…ing；　in　not　doffing　the　hat



or　giving　titles　of　respect。　It　was　laid　on　George　Fox　that　these



conventional　customs　were　a　lie　and　a　sham；　and　the　whole　body　of



his　followers　thereupon　renounced　them；　as　a　sacrifice　to　truth；



and　so　that　their　acts　and　the　spirit　they　professed　might　be



more　in　accord。







〃When　the　Lord　sent　me　into　the　world；〃　says　Fox　in　his　Journal；



〃he　forbade　me　to　put　off　my　hat　to　any；　high　or　low：　and　I　was



required　to　'thee'　and　'thou'　all　men　and　women；　without　any



respect　to　rich　or　poor；　great　or　small。　　And　as　I　traveled　up



and　down；　I　was　not　to　bid　people　Good…morning　or　Good…evening；



neither　might　I　bow　or　scrape　with　my　leg　to　any　one。　　This　made



the　sects　and　professions　rage。　　Oh！　the　rage　that　was　in　the



priests；　magistrates；　professors；　and　people　of　all　sorts：　　and



especially　in　priests　and　professors：　　for　though　'thou'　to　a



single　person　was　according　to　their　accidence　and　grammar　rules；



and　according　to　the　Bible；　yet　they　could　not　bear　to　hear　it：　



and　because　I　could　not　put　off　my　hat　to　them；　it　set　them　all



into　a　rage。　。　。　。　Oh！　the　scorn；　heat；　and　fury　that　arose！　　Oh！



the　blows；　punchings；　beatings；　and　imprisonments　that　we



underwent　for　not　putting　off　our　hats　to　men！　　Some　had　their



hats　violently　plucked　off　and　thrown　away；　so　that　they　quite



lost　them。　　The　bad　language　and　evil　usage　we　received　on　this



account　is　hard　to　be　expressed；　besides　the　danger　we　were



sometimes　in　of　losing　our　lives　for　this　matter；　and　that　by　the



great　professors　of　Christianity；　who　thereby　discovered　they



were　not　true　believers。　　And　though　it　was　but　a　small　thing　in



the　eye　of　man；　yet　a　wonderful　confusion　it　brought　among　all



professors　and　priests：　　but；　blessed　be　the　Lord；　many　came　to



see　the　vanity　of　that　custom　of　putting　off　hats　to　men；　and



felt　the　weight　of　Truth's　testimony　against　it。〃







In　the　autobiography　of　Thomas　Elwood；　an　early　Quaker；　who　at



one　time　was　secretary　to　John　Milton；　we　find　an　exquisitely



quaint　and　candid　account　of　the　trials　he　underwent　both　at　home



and　abroad；　in　following　Fox's　canons　of　sincerity。　　The



anecdotes　are　too　lengthy　for　citation；　but　Elwood　sets　down　his



manner　of　feeling　about　these　things　in　a　shorter　passage；　which



I　will　quote　as　a　characteristic　utterance　of　spiritual



sensibility：







〃By　this　divine　light；　then；〃　says　Elwood；　〃I　saw　that　though　I



had　not　the　evil　of　the　common　uncleanliness；　debauchery；



profaneness；　and　pollutions　of　the　world　to　put　away；　because　I



had；　through　the　great　goodness　of　God　and　a　civil　education；



been　preserved　out　of　those　grosser　evils；　yet　I　had　many　other



evils　to　put　away　and　to　cease　from；　some　of　which　were　not　by



the　world；　which　lies　in　wickedness　（I　John　v。　19）；　accounted



evils；　but　by　the　light　of　Christ　were　made　manifest　to　me　to　be



evils；　and　as　such　condemned　in　me。







〃As　particularly　those　fruits　and　effects　of　pride　that　discover



themselves　in　the　vanity　and　superfluity　of　apparel；　which　I　took



too　much　delight　in。　　This　evil　of　my　doings　I　was　required　to



put　away　and　cease　from；　and　judgment　lay　upon　me　till　I　did　so。







〃I　took　off　from　my　apparel　those　unnecessary　trimmings　of　lace；



ribbons；　and　useless　buttons；　which　had　no　real　service；　but　were



set　on　only　for　that　which　was　by　mistake　called　ornament；　and　I



ceased　to　wear　rings。







〃Again；　the　giving　of　flattering　titles　to　men　between　whom　and



me　there　was　not　any　relation　to　which　such　titles　could　be



pretended　to　belong。　　This　was　an　evil　I　had　been　much　addicted



to；　and　was　accounted　a　ready　artist　in；　therefore　this　evil　also



was　I　required　to　put　away　and　cease　from。　　So　that　thenceforward



I　durst　not　say；　Sir；　Master；　My　Lord；　Madam　（or　My　Dame）；　or　say



Your