reformers-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



him。　　If　it　cannot　carry　itself　as　it　ought；　high　and　unmatchable　in

the　presence　of　any　man；　if　the　secret　oracles　whose　whisper　makes

the　sweetness　and　dignity　of　his　life；　do　here　withdraw　and

accompany；　him　no　longer；　it　is　time　to　undervalue　what　he　has

valued；　to　dispossess　himself　of　what　he　has　acquired；　and　with

Caesar　to　take　in　his　hand　the　army；　the　empire；　and　Cleopatra；　and

say；　‘All　these　will　I　relinquish；　if　you　will　show　me　the　fountains

of　the　Nile。'　Dear　to　us　are　those　who　love　us；　the　swift　moments　we

spend　with　them　are　a　compensation　for　a　great　deal　of　misery　they

enlarge　our　life；　　but　dearer　are　those　who　reject　us　as　unworthy；

for　they　add　another　life：　they　build　a　heaven　before　us；　whereof　we

had　not　dreamed；　and　thereby　supply　to　us　new　powers　out　of　the

recesses　of　the　spirit；　and　urge　us　to　new　and　unattempted

performances。　　As　every　man　at　heart　wishes　the　best　and　not　inferior

society；　wishes　to　be　convicted　of　his　error；　and　to　come　to　himself；

so　he　wishes　that　the　same　healing　should　not　stop　in　his　thought；

but　should　penetrate　his　will　or　active　power。　　The　selfish　man

suffers　more　from　his　selfishness；　than　he　from　whom　that　selfishness

withholds　some　important　benefit。　　What　he　most　wishes　is　to　be

lifted　to　some　higher　platform；　that　he　may　see　beyond　his　present

fear　the　transalpine　good；　so　that　his　fear；　his　coldness；　his　custom

may　be　broken　up　like　fragments　of　ice；　melted　and　carried　away　in

the　great　stream　of　good　will。　　Do　you　ask　my　aid？　　I　also　wish　to　be

a　benefactor。　　I　wish　more　to　be　a　benefactor　and　servant；　than　you

wish　to　be　served　by　me；　and　surely　the　greatest　good　fortune　that

could　befall　me；　is　precisely　to　be　so　moved　by　you　that　I　should

say；　‘Take　me　and　all　nine；　and　use　me　and　mine　freely　to　your　ends'！

for；　I　could　not　say　it；　otherwise　than　because　a　great　enlargement

had　come　to　my　heart　and　mind；　which　made　me　superior　to　my　fortunes。

Here　we　are　paralyzed　with　fear；　we　hold　on　to　our　little　properties；

house　and　land；　office　and　money；　for　the　bread　which　they　have　in

our　experience　yielded　us；　although　we　confess；　that　our　being　does

not　flow　through　them。　　We　desire　to　be　made　great；　we　desire　to　be

touched　with　that　fire　which　shall　command　this　ice　to　stream；　and

make　our　existence　a　benefit。　　If　therefore　we　start　objections　to

your　project；　O　friend　of　the　slave；　or　friend　of　the　poor；　or　of　the

race；　understand　well；　that　it　is　because　we　wish　to　drive　you　to

drive　us　into　your　measures。　　We　wish　to　hear　ourselves　confuted。　　We

are　haunted　with　a　belief　that　you　have　a　secret；　which　it　would

highliest　advantage　us　to　learn；　and　we　would　force　you　to　impart　it

to　us；　though　it　should　bring　us　to　prison；　or　to　worse　extremity。

Nothing　shall　warp　me　from　the　belief；　that　every　man　is　a　lover　of

truth。　　There　is　no　pure　lie；　no　pure　malignity　in　nature。　　The

entertainment　of　the　proposition　of　depravity　is　the　last　profligacy

and　profanation。　　There　is　no　skepticism；　no　atheism　but　that。　　Could

it　be　received　into　common　belief；　suicide　would　unpeople　the　planet。

It　has　had　a　name　to　live　in　some　dogmatic　theology；　but　each　man's

innocence　and　his　real　liking　of　his　neighbor；　have　kept　it　a　dead

letter。　　I　remember　standing　at　the　polls　one　day；　when　the　anger　of

the　political　contest　gave　a　certain　grimness　to　the　faces　of　the

independent　electors；　and　a　good　man　at　my　side　looking　on　the

people；　remarked；　〃I　am　satisfied　that　the　largest　part　of　these　men；

on　either　side；　mean　to　vote　right。〃　I　suppose；　considerate　observers

looking　at　the　masses　of　men；　in　their　blameless；　and　in　their

equivocal　actions；　will　assent；　that　in　spite　of　selfishness　and

frivolity；　the　general　purpose　in　the　great　number　of　persons　is

fidelity。　　The　reason　why　any　one　refuses　his　assent　to　your　opinion；

or　his　aid　to　your　benevolent　design；　is　in　you：　he　refuses　to　accept

you　as　a　bringer　of　truth；　because；　though　you　think　you　have　it；　he

feels　that　you　have　it　not。　　You　have　not　given　him　the　authentic

sign。　　If　it　were　worth　while　to　run　into　details　this　general

doctrine　of　the　latent　but　ever　soliciting　Spirit；　it　would　be　easy

to　adduce　illustration　in　particulars　of　a　man's　equality　to　the

church；　of　his　equality　to　the　state；　and　of　his　equality　to　every

other　man。　　It　is　yet　in　all　men's　memory；　that；　a　few　years　ago；　the

liberal　churches　complained；　that　the　Calvinistic　church　denied　to

them　the　name　of　Christian。　　I　think　the　complaint　was　confession：　a

religious　church　would　not　complain。　　A　religious　man　like　Behmen；

Fox；　or　Swedenborg；　is　not　irritated　by　wanting　the　sanction　of　the

church；　but　the　church　feels　the　accusation　of　his　presence　and

belief。　　It　only　needs；　that　a　just　man　should　walk　in　our　streets；

to　make　it　appear　how　pitiful　and　inartificial　a　contrivance　is　our

legislation。　　The　man　whose　part　is　taken；　and　who　does　not　walt　for

society　in　anything；　has　a　power　which　society　cannot　choose　but

feel。　　The　familiar　experiment；　called　the　hydrostatic　paradox；　in

which　a　capillary　column　of　water　balances　the　ocean；　is　a　symbol　of

the　relation　of　one　man　to　the　whole　family　of　men。　　The　wise

Dandini；　on　hearing　the　lives　of　Socrates；　Pythagoras；　and　Diogenes

read；　〃judged　them　to　be　great　men　every　way；　excepting；　that　they

were　too　much　subjected　to　the　reverence　of　the　laws；　which　to　second

and　authorize；　true　virtue　must　abate　very；　much　of　its　original

vigor。〃　　And　as　a　man　is　equal　to　the　church；　and　equal　to　the　state；

so　he　is　equal　to　every　other　man。　　The　disparities　of　power　in　men

are　superficial；　and　all　frank　and　searching　conversation；　in　which　a

man　lays　himself　open　to　his　brother；　apprizes　each　of　their　radical

unity。　　When　two　persons　sit　and　converse　in　a　thoroughly　good

understanding；　the　remark　is　sure　to　be　made；　See　how　we　have

disputed　about　words！　Let　a　clear；　apprehensive　mind；　such　as　every

man　knows　among　his　friends；　converse　with　the　most　commanding　poetic

genius；　I　think；　it　would　appear　that　there　was　no　inequality　such　as

men　fancy　between　them；　that　a　perfect　understanding；　a　like

receiving；　a　like　perceiving；　abolished　differences；　and　the　poet

would　confess；　that　his　creative　imagination　gave　him　no　deep

advantage；　but　only　the　superficial　one；　that　he　could　express

himself；　and　the　other　could　not；　that　his　advantage　was　a　knack；

which　might　impose　on　indolent　men；　but　could　not　impose　on　lovers　of

truth；　for　they　know　the　tax　of　talent；　or；　what　a　price　of　greatness

the　power　of　expression　too　often　pays。　　I　believe　it　is　the

conviction　of　the　purest　men；　that　the　net　amount　of　man　and　man　does

not　much　vary。　　Each　is　incomparably　superior　to　his　companion　in

some　faculty。　　His　want　of　skill　in　other　directions；　has　added　to

his　fitness　for　his　own　work。　　Each　seems　to　have　some　compensation

yielded　to　him　by　his　infirmity；　and　every　hindrance　operates　as　a

concentration　of　his　force。　These　and　the　like　experiences　intimate；

that　man　stands　in　strict　connexion　with　a　higher　fact　never　yet

manifested。　　There　is　power　over　and　behind　us；　and　we　are　the

channels　of　its　communications。　　We　seek　to　say　thus　and　so；　and　over

our　head　some　spirit　sits；　which　contradicts　what　we　say。　　We　would

persuade　our　fellow　to　this　or　that；　another　self　within　our　eyes

dissuades　him。　　That　which　we　keep　back；　this　reveals。　　In　vain　we

compose　our　faces　and　our　words；　it　holds　uncontrollable

communication　with　the　enemy；　and　he　answers　civilly　to　us；　but

believes　the　spirit。　　We　exclaim；　‘There's　a　traitor　in　the　house！'

but　at　last　it　appears　that　he　is　the　true　man；　and　I　am　the　traitor。

This　open　channel　to　the　highest　life　is　the　first　and　last　reality；

so　subtle；　so　quiet；　yet　so　tenacious；　that　although　I　have　never

expressed　the　truth；　and　although　I　have　never　heard　the　expression

of　it　from　any　other；　I　know　that　the　whole　truth　is　here　for　me。

What　if　I　cannot　answer　your