the evolution of theology-第6章

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the　worship　of　the　family　gods　or　teraphim；　was　practised　by

sincere　and　devout　Jahveh…worshippers；　that　the　ark；　with　its

protective　tent　or　tabernacle；　was　regarded　as　a　specially；　but

by　no　means　exclusively；　favoured　sanctuary　of　Jahveh；　that　the

ephod　appears　to　have　had　a　particular　value　for　those　who

desired　to　divine　by　the　help　of　Jahveh；　and　that　divination　by

lots　was　practised　before　Jahveh。　On　the　other　hand；　there　is

not　the　slightest　evidence　of　any　belief　in　retribution　after

death；　but　the　contrary；　ritual　obligations　have　at　least　as

strong　sanction　as　moral；　there　are　clear　indications　that　some

of　the　most　stringent　of　the　Levitical　laws　were　unknown　even　to

Samuel；　priests　often　appear　to　be　superseded　by　laymen；　even　in

the　performance　of　sacrifices　and　divination；　and　no　line　of

demarcation　can　be　drawn　between　necromancer；　wizard；　seer；

prophet；　and　priest；　each　of　whom　is　regarded；　like　all　the

rest；　as　a　medium　of　communication　between　the　world　of　Elohim

and　that　of　living　men。



The　theological　system　thus　defined　offers　to　the　anthropologist

no　feature　which　is　devoid　of　a　parallel　in　the　known　theologies

of　other　races　of　mankind；　even　of　those　who　inhabit　parts　of

the　world　most　remote　from　Palestine。　And　the　foundation　of　the

whole；　the　ghost　theory；　is　exactly　that　theological　speculation

which　is　the　most　widely　spread　of　all；　and　the　most　deeply

rooted　among　uncivilised　men。　I　am　able　to　base　this　statement；

to　some　extent；　on　facts　within　my　own　knowledge。　In　December

1848；　H。M。S。　Rattlesnake；　the　ship　to　which　I　then

belonged；　was　anchored　off　Mount　Ernest；　an　island　in　Torres

Straits。　The　people　were　few　and　well　disposed；　and；　when　a

friend　of　mine　（whom　I　will　call　B。）　and　I　went　ashore；　we　made

acquaintance　with　an　old　native；　Paouda　by　name。　In　course　of

time　we　became　quite　intimate　with　the　old　gentleman；　partly　by

the　rendering　of　mutual　good　offices；　but　chiefly　because　Paouda

believed　he　had　discovered　that　B。　was　his　father…in…law。

And　his　grounds　for　this　singular　conviction　were　very

remarkable。　We　had　made　a　long　stay　at　Cape　York　hard　by；

and；　in　accordance　with　a　theory　which　is　widely　spread　among

the　Australians；　that　white　men　are　the　reincarnated　spirits　of

black　men；　B。　was　held　to　be　the　ghost；　or　narki；　of　a

certain　Mount　Ernest　native；　one　Antarki；　who　had　lately　died；

on　the　ground　of　some　real　or　fancied　resemblance　to　the　latter。

Now　Paouda　had　taken　to　wife　a　daughter　of　Antarki's；　named

Domani；　and　as　soon　as　B。　informed　him　that　he　was　the　ghost　of

Antarki；　Paouda　at　once　admitted　the　relationship　and　acted　upon

it。　For；　as　all　the　women　on　the　island　had　hidden　away　in　fear

of　the　ship；　and　we　were　anxious　to　see　what　they　were　like；　B。

pleaded　pathetically　with　Paouda　that　it　would　be　very　unkind

not　to　let　him　see　his　daughter　and　grandchildren。　After　a　good

deal　of　hesitation　and　the　exaction　of　pledges　of　deep　secrecy；

Paouda　consented　to　take　B。；　and　myself　as　B。's　friend；　to　see

Domani　and　the　three　daughters；　by　whom　B。　was　received　quite　as

one　of　the　family；　while　I　was　courteously　welcomed　on

his　account。



This　scene　made　an　impression　upon　me　which　is　not　yet　effaced。

It　left　no　question　on　my　mind　of　the　sincerity　of　the　strange

ghost　theory　of　these　savages；　and　of　the　influence　which　their

belief　has　on　their　practical　life。　I　had　it　in　my　mind；　as　well

as　many　a　like　result　of　subsequent　anthropological　studies；

when；　in　1869；　I　wrote　as　follows：





There　are　savages　without　God　in　any　proper　sense　of　the　word；

but　none　without　ghosts。　And　the　Fetishism；　Ancestor…worship；

Hero…worship；　and　Demonology　of　primitive　savages　are　all；　I

believe；　different　manners　of　expression　of　their　belief　in

ghosts；　and　of　the　anthropomorphic　interpretation　of　out…of…the…

way　events　which　is　its　concomitant。　Witchcraft　and　sorcery　are

the　practical　expressions　of　these　beliefs；　and　they　stand　in

the　same　relation　to　religious　worship　as　the　simple

anthropomorphism　of　children　or　savages　does　to　theology。





I　do　not　quote　myself　with　any　intention　of　making　a　claim　to

originality　in　putting　forth　this　view；　for　I　have　since

discovered　that　the　same　conception　is　virtually　contained　in

the　great　〃Discours　sur　l'Histoire　Universelle〃　of　Bossuet；　now

more　than　two　centuries　old：





Le　culte　des　hommes　morta　faisoit　presque　tout　le　fond　de

l'idolatrie；　presque　tous　les　hommes　sacrificient　aux　manes；

c'est…a…dire　aux　ames　des　morts。　De　si　anciennes　erreurs　nous

font　voir　a　la　verite　combien　etoit　ancienne　la　croyance　de

l'immortalite　de　l'ame；　et　nous　montrent　qu'elle　doit　etre

rangee　parmi　les　premieres　traditions　du　genre　humain。

Mais　l'homme；　qui　gatoit　tout；　en　avoit　etrangement　abuse；

puisqu'elle　le　portoit　a　sacrificer　aux　morts。　On　alloit　meme

jusqu'a　cet　exces；　de　leur　sacrifier　des　hommes　vivans；　ou　tuoit

leurs　esclaves；　et　meme　leurs　femmes；　pour　les　aller　servir　dans

l'autre　monde。〃





Among　more　modern　writers　J。　G。　Muller；　in　his　excellent

〃Geschichte　der　amerikanischen　Urreligionen〃　（1855）；　clearly

recognises　〃gespensterhafter　Geisterglaube〃　as　the　foundation　of

all　savage　and　semi…civilised　theology；　and　I　need　do　no　more

than　mention　the　important　developments　of　the　same　view　which

are　to　be　found　in　Mr。　Tylor's　〃Primitive　Culture；〃　and　in　the

writings　of　Mr。　Herbert　Spencer；　especially　his　recently…

published　〃Ecclesiastical　Institutions。〃



It　is　a　matter　of　fact　that；　whether　we　direct　our　attention　to

the　older　conditions　of　civilised　societies；　in　Japan；　in　China；

in　Hindostan；　in　Greece；　or　in　Rome；　we　find；　underlying　all

other　theological　notions；　the　belief　in　ghosts；　with　its

inevitable　concomitant　sorcery；　and　a　primitive　cult；　in　the

shape　of　a　worship　of　ancestors；　which　is　essentially　an　attempt

to　please；　or　appease　their　ghosts。　The　same　thing　is　true　of

old　Mexico　and　Peru；　and　of　all　the　semi…civilised　or　savage

peoples　who　have　developed　a　definite　cult；　and　in　those　who；

like　the　natives　of　Australia；　have　not　even　a　cult；　the　belief

in；　and　fear　of；　ghosts　is　as　strong　as　anywhere　else。　The　most

clearly　demonstrable　article　of　the　theology　of　the　Israelites

in　the　eleventh　and　twelfth　centuries　B。C。　is　therefore　simply

the　article　which　is　to　be　found　in　all　primitive　theologies；

namely；　the　belief　that　a　man　has　a　soul　which　continues　to

exist　after　death　for　a　longer　or　shorter　time；　and　may　return；

as　a　ghost；　with　a　divine；　or　at　least　demonic；　character；　to

influence　for　good　or　evil　（and　usually　for　evil）　the　affairs　of

the　living。　But　the　correspondence　between　the　old　Israelitic

and　other　archaic　forms　of　theology　extends　to　details。　If；　in

order　to　avoid　all　chance　of　direct　communication；　we　direct　our

attention　to　the　theology　of　semi…civilised　people；　such　as　the

Polynesian　Islanders；　separated　by　the　greatest　possible

distance；　and　by　every　conceivable　physical　barrier；　from　the

inhabitants　of　Palestine；　we　shall　find　not　merely　that　all　the

features　of　old　Israelitic　theology；　which　are　revealed　in　the

records　cited；　are　found　among　them；　but　that　extant　information

as　to　the　inner　mind　of　these　people　tends　to　remove　many　of　the

difficulties　which　those　who　have　not　studied　anthropology　find

in　the　Hebrew　narrative。



One　of　the　best　sources；　if　not　the　best　source；　of　information

on　these　topics　is　Mariner's　Tonga　Islands；　which　tells

us　of　the　condition　of　Cook's　〃Friendly　Islanders〃　eighty　years

ago；　before　European　influence　was　sensibly　felt　among　them。

Mariner；　a　youth　of　fair　education　and　of　no　inconsiderable

natural　ability　（as　the　work　which　was　drawn　up　from　the

materials　he　furnished　shows）；　was　about　fifteen　years　of　age

when　his　ship　was　attacked　and　plundered　by　the　Tongans：

he　remained　four　years　in　the　islands；　familiarised