the evolution of theology-第14章

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theologico…political　organisation　based　on　the　ten　commandments

（though　certainly　not　quite　in　their　present　form）　and　the　Book

of　the　Covenant；　contained　in　our　present　book　of　Exodus。

But　whether　there　is　such　evidence　as　amounts　to　proof；　or；　I

had　better　say；　to　probability；　that　even　this　much　of　the

Pentateuch　owes　its　origin　to　Moses　is　another　matter。

The　mythical　character　of　the　accessories　of　the　Sinaitic

history　is　patent；　and　it　would　take　a　good　deal　more　evidence

than　is　afforded　by　the　bare　assertion　of　an　unknown　writer　to

justify　the　belief　that　the　people　who　〃saw　the　thunderings　and

the　lightnings　and　the　voice　of　the　trumpet　and　the　mountain

smoking〃　（Exod。　xx。　18）；　to　whom　Jahveh　orders　Moses　to　say；　〃Ye

yourselves　have　seen　that　I　have　talked　with　you　from　heaven。

Ye　shall　not　make　other　gods　with　me；　gods　of　silver　and　gods　of

gold　ye　shall　not　make　unto　you〃　（ibid。　22；　23）；　should；

less　than　six　weeks　afterwards；　have　done　the　exact　thing　they

were　thus　awfully　forbidden　to　do。　Nor　is　the　credibility　of　the

story　increased　by　the　statement　that　Aaron；　the　brother　of

Moses；　the　witness　and　fellow…worker　of　the　miracles　before

Pharaoh；　was　their　leader　and　the　artificer　of　the　idol。

And　yet；　at　the　same　time；　Aaron　was　apparently　so　ignorant　of

wrongdoing　that　he　made　proclamation；　〃Tomorrow　shall　be　a　feast

to　Jahveh；〃　and　the　people　proceeded　to　offer　their　burnt…

offerings　and　peace…offerings；　as　if　everything　in　their

proceedings　must　be　satisfactory　to　the　Deity　with　whom　they　had

just　made　a　solemn　covenant　to　abolish　image…worship。　It　seems

to　me　that；　on　a　survey　of　all　the　facts　of　the　case；　only　a

very　cautious　and　hypothetical　judgment　is　justifiable。　It　may

be　that　Moses　profited　by　the　opportunities　afforded　him　of

access　to　what　was　best　in　Egyptian　society　to　become

acquainted；　not　only　with　its　advanced　ethical　and　legal　code；

but　with　the　more　or　less　pantheistic　unification　of　the　Divine

to　which　the　speculations　of　the　Egyptian　thinkers；　like　those

of　all　polytheistic　philosophers；　from　Polynesia　to　Greece；

tend；　if　indeed　the　theology　of　the　period　of　the　nineteenth

dynasty　was　not；　as　some　Egyptologists　think；　a　modification　of

an　earlier；　more　distinctly　monotheistic　doctrine　of　a　long

antecedent　age。　It　took　only　half　a　dozen　centuries　for　the

theology　of　Paul　to　become　the　theology　of　Gregory　the　Great；

and　it　is　possible　that　twenty　centuries　lay　between　the

theology　of　the　first　worshippers　in　the　sanctuary　of　the　Sphinx

and　that　of　the　priests　of　Ramses　Maimun。



It　may　be　that　the　ten　commandments　and　the　Book　of　the　Covenant

are　based　upon　faithful　traditions　of　the　efforts　of　a　great

leader　to　raise　his　followers　to　his　own　level。　For　myself；　as　a

matter　of　pious　opinion；　I　like　to　think　so；　as　I　like　to

imagine　that；　between　Moses　and　Samuel；　there　may　have　been　many

a　seer；　many　a　herdsman　such　as　him　of　Tekoah；　lonely　amidst　the

hills　of　Ephraim　and　Judah；　who　cherished　and　kept　alive　these

traditions。　In　the　present　results　of　Biblical　criticism；

however；　I　can　discover　no　justification　for　the　common

assumption　that；　between　the　time　of　Joshua　and　that　of

Rehoboam；　the　Israelites　were　familiar　with　either　the

Deuteronomic　or　the　Levitical　legislation；　or　that　the　theology

of　the　Israelites；　from　the　king　who　sat　on　the　throne　to　the

lowest　of　his　subjects；　was　in　any　important　respect　different

from　that　which　might　naturally　be　expected　from　their　previous

history　and　the　conditions　of　their　existence。　But　there　is

excellent　evidence　to　the　contrary　effect。　And；　for　my　part；　I

see　no　reason　to　doubt　that；　like　the　rest　of　the　world；　the

Israelites　had　passed　through　a　period　of　mere　ghost…worship；

and　had　advanced　through　Ancestor…worship　and　Fetishism　and

Totemism　to　the　theological　level　at　which　we　find　them　in　the

books　of　Judges　and　Samuel。





All　the　more　remarkable；　therefore；　is　the　extraordinary　change

which　is　to　be　noted　in　the　eighth　century　B。C。　The　student　who

is　familiar　with　the　theology　implied；　or　expressed；　in　the

books　of　Judges；　Samuel；　and　the　first　book　of　Kings；　finds

himself　in　a　new　world　of　thought；　in　the　full　tide　of　a　great

reformation；　when　he　reads　Joel；　Amos；　Hosea；　Isaiah；　Micah；

and　Jeremiah。



The　essence　of　this　change　is　the　reversal　of　the　position

which；　in　primitive　society；　ethics　holds　in　relation　to

theology。　Originally；　that　which　men　worship　is　a　theological

hypothesis；　not　a　moral　ideal。　The　prophets；　in　substance；　if

not　always　in　form　preach　the　opposite　doctrine。　They　are

constantly　striving　to　free　the　moral　ideal　from　the　stifling

embrace　of　the　current　theology　and　its　concomitant　ritual。

Theirs　was　not　an　intellectual　criticism；　argued　on　strictly

scientific　grounds；　the　image…worshippers　and　the　believers　in

the　efficacy　of　sacrifices　and　ceremonies　might　logically　have

held　their　own　against　anything　the　prophets　have　to　say；　it　was

an　ethical　criticism。　From　the　height　of　his　moral　intuition

that　the　whole　duty　of　man　is　to　do　justice　and　to　love　mercy

and　to　bear　himself　as　humbly　as　befits　his　insignificance　in

face　of　the　Infinitethe　prophet　simply　laughs　at　the　idolaters

of　stocks　and　stones　and　the　idolaters　of　ritual。　Idols　of　the

first　kind；　in　his　experience；　were　inseparably　united　with　the

practice　of　immorality；　and　they　were　to　be　ruthlessly

destroyed。　As　for　sacrifices　and　ceremonies；　whatever　their

intrinsic　value　might　be；　they　might　be　tolerated　on　condition

of　ceasing　to　be　idols；　they　might　even　be　praiseworthy　on

condition　of　being　made　to　subserve　the　worship　of　the　true

Jahvehthe　moral　ideal。



If　the　realm　of　David　had　remained　undivided；　if　the　Assyrian

and　the　Chaldean　and　the　Egyptian　had　left　Israel　to　the

ordinary　course　of　development　of　an　Oriental　kingdom；　it　is

possible　that　the　effects　of　the　reforming　zeal　of　the　prophets

of　the　eighth　and　seventh　centuries　might　have　been　effaced　by

the　growth；　according　to　its　inevitable　tendencies；　of　the

theology　which　they　combated。　But　the　captivity　made　the　fortune

of　the　ideas　which　it　was　the　privilege　of　these　men　to　launch

upon　an　endless　career。　With　the　abolition　of　the　Temple…

services　for　more　than　half　a　century；　the　priest　must　have　lost

and　the　scribe　gained　influence。　The　puritanism　of　a　vigorous

minority　among　the　Babylonian　Jews　rooted　out　polytheism　from

all　its　hiding…places　in　the　theology　which　they　had　inherited；

they　created　the　first　consistent；　remorseless；　naked

monotheism；　which；　so　far　as　history　records；　appeared　in　the

world　（for　Zoroastrism　is　practically　ditheism；　and　Buddhism

any…theism　or　no…theism）；　and　they　inseparably　united　therewith

an　ethical　code；　which；　for　its　purity　and　for　its　efficiency　as

a　bond　of　social　life；　was　and　is；　unsurpassed。　So　I　think　we

must　not　judge　Ezra　and　Nehemiah　and　their　followers　too　hardly；

if　they　exemplified　the　usual　doom　of　poor　humanity　to　escape

from　one　error　only　to　fall　into　another；　if　they　failed　to　free

themselves　as　completely　from　the　idolatry　of　ritual　as　they　had

from　that　of　images　and　dogmas；　if　they　cherished　the　new

fetters　of　the　Levitical　legislation　which　they　had　fitted　upon

themselves　and　their　nation；　as　though　such　bonds　had　the

sanctity　of　the　obligations　of　morality；　and　if　they　led

succeeding　generations　to　spend　their　best　energies　in　building

that　〃hedge　round　the　Torah〃　which　was　meant　to　preserve　both

ethics　and　theology；　but　which　too　often　had　the　effect　of

pampering　the　latter　and　starving　the　former。　The　world　being

what　it　was；　it　is　to　be　doubted　whether　Israel　would　have

preserved　intact　the　pure　ore　of　religion；　which　the　prophets

had　extracted　for　the　use　of　mankind　as　well　as　for　their

nation；　had　not　the　leaders　of　the　nation　been　zealous；　even　to

death；　for　the　dross　of　the　law　in　which　it　was　embedded。

The　struggle　of　the　Jews；　under