passages from an old volume of life-第34章

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The　〃old　gospel　ship；〃　as　the　Methodist　song　calls　it；　carries　many　who　would　steer　by　the　wake　of　their　vessel。　　But　there　are　many　others　who　do　not　trouble　themselves　to　look　over　the　stern；　having　their　eyes　fixed　on　the　light…house　in　the　distance　before　them。　　In　less　figurative　language；　there　are　multitudes　of　persons　who　are　perfectly　contented　with　the　old　formulae　of　the　church　with　which　they　and　their　fathers　before　them　have　been　and　are　connected；　for　the　simple　reason　that　they　fit；　like　old　shoes；　because　they　have　been　worn　so　long；　and　mingled　with　these；　in　the　most　conservative　religious　body；　are　here　and　there　those　who　are　restless　in　the　fetters　of　a　confession　of　faith　to　which　they　have　pledged　themselves　without　believing　in　it。　　This　has　been　true　of　the　Athanasian　creed；　in　the　Anglican　Church；　for　two　centuries　more　or　less；　unless　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　Tillotson；　stood　alone　in　wishing　the　church　were　well　rid　of　it。　　In　fact；　it　has　happened　to　the　present　writer　to　hear　the　Thirty…nine　Articles　summarily　disposed　of　by　one　of　the　most　zealous　members　of　the　American　branch　of　that　communion；　in　a　verb　of　one　syllable；　more　familiar　to　the　ears　of　the　forecastle　than　to　those　of　the　vestry。

But　on　the　other　hand；　it　is　far　from　uncommon　to　meet　with　persons　among　the　so…called　〃liberal〃　denominations　who　are　uneasy　for　want　of　a　more　definite　ritual　and　a　more　formal　organization　than　they　find　in　their　own　body。　　Now；　the　rector　or　the　minister　must　be　well　aware　that　there　are　such　cases；　and　each　of　them　must　be　aware　that　there　are　individuals　under　his　guidance　whom　he　cannot　satisfy　by　argument；　and　who　really　belong　by　all　their　instincts　to　another　communion。　　It　seems　as　if　a　thoroughly　honest；　straight…collared　clergyman　would　say　frankly　to　his　restless　parishioner：　〃You　do　not　believe　the　central　doctrines　of　the　church　which　you　are　in　the　habit　of　attending。　　You　belong　properly　to　Brother　A。's　or　Brother　B。's　fold；　and　it　will　be　more　manly　and　probably　more　profitable　for　you　to　go　there　than　to　stay　with　us。〃　　And；　again；　the　rolling…　collared　clergyman　might　be　expected　to　say　to　this　or　that　uneasy　listener：　〃You　are　longing　for　a　church　which　will　settle　your　beliefs　for　you；　and　relieve　you　to　a　great　extent　from　the　task；　to　which　you　seem　to　be　unequal；　of　working　out　your　own　salvation　with　fear　and　trembling。　　Go　over　the　way　to　Brother　C。's　or　Brother　D。's；　your　spine　is　weak；　and　they　will　furnish　you　a　back…board　which　will　keep　you　straight　and　make　you　comfortable。〃　　Patients　are　not　the　property　of　their　physicians；　nor　parishioners　of　their　ministers。

As　for　the　children　of　clergymen；　the　presumption　is　that　they　will　adhere　to　the　general　belief　professed　by　their　fathers。　　But　they　do　not　lose　their　birthright　or　their　individuality；　and　have　the　world　all　before　them　to　choose　their　creed　from；　like　other　persons。　　They　are　sometimes　called　to　account　for　attacking　the　dogmas　they　are　supposed　to　have　heard　preached　from　their　childhood。　　They　cannot　defend　themselves；　for　various　good　reasons。　　If　they　did；　one　would　have　to　say　he　got　more　preaching　than　was　good　for　him；　and　came　at　last　to　feel　about　sermons　and　their　doctrines　as　confectioners'　children　do　about　candy。　　Another　would　have　to　own　that　he　got　his　religious　belief；　not　from　his　father；　but　from　his　mother。　　That　would　account　for　a　great　deal；　for　the　milk　in　a　woman's　veins　sweetens；　or　at　least；　dilutes　an　acrid　doctrine；　as　the　blood　of　the　motherly　cow　softens　the　virulence　of　small…pox；　so　that　its　mark　survives　only　as　the　seal　of　immunity。　　Another　would　plead　atavism；　and　say　he　got　his　religious　instincts　from　his　great…grandfather；　as　some　do　their　complexion　or　their　temper。　　Others　would　be　compelled　to　confess　that　the　belief　of　a　wife　or　a　sister　had　displaced　that　which　they　naturally　inherited。　　No　man　can　be　expected　to　go　thus　into　the　details　of　his　family　history；　and；　therefore；　it　is　an　ill…　bred　and　indecent　thing　to　fling　a　man's　father's　creed　in　his　face；　as　if　he　had　broken　the　fifth　commandment　in　thinking　for　himself　in　the　light　of　a　new　generation。　　Common　delicacy　would　prevent　him　from　saying　that　he　did　not　get　his　faith　from　his　father；　but　from　somebody　else；　perhaps　from　his　grandmother　Lois　and　his　mother　Eunice；　like　the　young　man　whom　the　Apostle　cautioned　against　total　abstinence。

It　is　always　the　right；　and　may　sometimes　be　the　duty；　of　the　layman　to　call　the　attention　of　the　clergy　to　the　short…comings　and　errors；　not　only　of　their　own　time；　but　also　of　the　preceding　generations；　of　which　they　are　the　intellectual　and　moral　product。　　This　is　especially　true　when　the　authority　of　great　names　is　fallen　back　upon　as　a　defence　of　opinions　not　in　themselves　deserving　to　be　upheld。　It　may　be　very　important　to　show　that　the　champions　of　this　or　that　set　of　dogmas；　some　of　which　are　extinct　or　obsolete　as　beliefs；　while　others　retain　their　vitality；　held　certain　general　notions　which　vitiated　their　conclusions。　　And　in　proportion　to　the　eminence　of　such　champions；　and　the　frequency　with　which　their　names　are　appealed　to　as　a　bulwark　of　any　particular　creed　or　set　of　doctrines；　is　it　urgent　to　show　into　what　obliquities　or　extravagances　or　contradictions　of　thought　they　have　been　betrayed。

In　summing　up　the　religious　history　of　New　England；　it　would　be　just　and　proper　to　show　the　agency　of　the　Mathers；　father　and　son；　in　the　witchcraft　delusion。　　It　would　be　quite　fair　to　plead　in　their　behalf　the　common　beliefs　of　their　time。　　It　would　be　an　extenuation　of　their　acts　that；　not　many　years　before；　the　great　and　good　magistrate；　Sir　Matthew　Hale；　had　sanctioned　the　conviction　of　prisoners　accused　of　witchcraft。　　To　fall　back　on　the　errors　of　the　time　is　very　proper　when　we　are　trying　our　predecessors　in　foro　conscientace：　The　houses　they　dwelt　in　may　have　had　some　weak　or　decayed　beams　and　rafters；　but　they　served　for　their　shelter；　at　any　rate。　　It　is　quite　another　matter　when　those　rotten　timbers　are　used　in　holding　up　the　roofs　over　our　own　heads。　　Still　more；　if　one　of　our　ancestors　built　on　an　unsafe　or　an　unwholesome　foundation；　the　best　thing　we　can　do　is　to　leave　it　and　persuade　others　to　leave　it　if　we　can。　　And　if　we　refer　to　him　as　a　precedent；　it　must　be　as　a　warning　and　not　as　a　guide。

Such　was　the　reason　of　the　present　writer's　taking　up　the　writings　of　Jonathan　Edwards　for　examination　in　a　recent　essay。　　The　〃Edwardsian〃　theology　is　still　recognized　as　a　power　in　and　beyond　the　denomination　to　which　he　belonged。　　One　or　more　churches　bear　his　name；　and　it　is　thrown　into　the　scale　of　theological　belief　as　if　it　added　great　strength　to　the　party　which　claims　him。　　That　he　was　a　man　of　extraordinary　endowments　and　deep　spiritual　nature　was　not　questioned；　nor　that　be　was　a　most　acute　reasoner；　who　could　unfold　a　proposition　into　its　consequences　as　patiently；　as　convincingly；　as　a　palaeontologist　extorts　its　confession　from　a　fossil　fragment。　　But　it　was　maintained　that　so　many　dehumanizing　ideas　were　mixed　up　with　his　conceptions　of　man；　and　so　many　diabolizing　attributes　embodied　in　his　imagination　of　the　Deity；　that　his　system　of　beliefs　was　tainted　throughout　by　them；　and　that　the　fact　of　his　being　so　remarkable　a　logician　recoiled　on　the　premises　which　pointed　his　inexorable　syllogisms　to　such　revolting　conclusions。　　When　he　presents　us　a　God；　in　whose　sight　children；　with　certain　not　too　frequent　exceptions；　〃are　young　vipers；　and　are　infinitely　more　hateful　than　vipers；〃　when　he　gives　the　most　frightful　detailed　description　of　infinite　and　endless　tortures　which　it　drives　men　and　women　mad　to　think　of　prepared　for　〃the　bulk　of　mankind；〃　when　he　cruelly　pictures　a　future　in　which　parents　are　to　sing　hallelujahs　of　praise　as　they　see　their　children　driven　into　the　furnace；　where　they　are　to　lie　〃roasting〃　forever；we　have　a　right　to　say　that　the　man　who　held　such　beliefs　and　indulged　in　such　imaginations　and　expressions　is　a　burden　and　not　a　support　in　reference　to　the　creed　with　which　his　name　is　associated。　　What　heathenism　has　ever　approached　the　horrors　of　this　conception　of　human　destiny？　　It　is　not　an　abuse　of　language