01-what is man-第5章

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child　from　the　fire；　and　the　man　who　gave　the　needy　old　woman　his

twenty…five　cents　and　walked　home　in　the　stormthere　are　here

and　there　men　like　that　who　would　do　it。　　And　why？　　Because　they

couldn't　BEAR　to　see　a　fellow…being　struggling　in　the　water　and

not　jump　in　and　help。　　It　would　give　THEM　pain。　　They　would　save

the　fellow…being　on　that　account。　　THEY　WOULDN'T　DO　IT　OTHERWISE。

They　strictly　obey　the　law　which　I　have　been　insisting　upon。　　You

must　remember　and　always　distinguish　the　people　who　CAN'T　BEAR

things　from　people　who　CAN。　　It　will　throw　light　upon　a　number　of

apparently　〃self…sacrificing〃　cases。



Y。M。　　Oh；　dear；　it's　all　so　disgusting。



O。M。　　Yes。　　And　so　true。



Y。M。　　Cometake　the　good　boy　who　does　things　he　doesn't

want　to　do；　in　order　to　gratify　his　mother。



O。M。　　He　does　seven…tenths　of　the　act　because　it　gratifies

HIM　to　gratify　his　mother。　　Throw　the　bulk　of　advantage　the　other

way　and　the　good　boy　would　not　do　the　act。　　He　MUST　obey　the　iron

law。　　None　can　escape　it。



Y。M。　　Well；　take　the　case　of　a　bad　boy　who



O。M。　　You　needn't　mention　it；　it　is　a　waste　of　time。　　It　is

no　matter　about　the　bad　boy's　act。　　Whatever　it　was；　he　had　a

spirit…contenting　reason　for　it。　　Otherwise　you　have　been

misinformed；　and　he　didn't　do　it。



Y。M。　　It　is　very　exasperating。　　A　while　ago　you　said　that　man's

conscience　is　not　a　born　judge　of　morals　and　conduct；　but　has　to

be　taught　and　trained。　　Now　I　think　a　conscience　can　get　drowsy

and　lazy；　but　I　don't　think　it　can　go　wrong；　if　you　wake　it　up







A　Little　Story





O。M。　　I　will　tell　you　a　little　story：



Once　upon　a　time　an　Infidel　was　guest　in　the　house　of　a

Christian　widow　whose　little　boy　was　ill　and　near　to　death。　　The

Infidel　often　watched　by　the　bedside　and　entertained　the　boy　with

talk；　and　he　used　these　opportunities　to　satisfy　a　strong　longing

in　his　naturethat　desire　which　is　in　us　all　to　better　other

people's　condition　by　having　them　think　as　we　think。　　He　was

successful。　　But　the　dying　boy；　in　his　last　moments；　reproached

him　and　said：



〃I　BELIEVED；　AND　WAS　HAPPY　IN　IT；　YOU　HAVE　TAKEN　MY　BELIEF

AWAY；　AND　MY　COMFORT。　　NOW　I　HAVE　NOTHING　LEFT；　AND　I　DIE

MISERABLE；　FOR　THE　THINGS　WHICH　YOU　HAVE　TOLD　ME　DO　NOT　TAKE　THE

PLACE　OF　THAT　WHICH　I　HAVE　LOST。〃



And　the　mother；　also；　reproached　the　Infidel；　and　said：



〃MY　CHILD　IS　FOREVER　LOST；　AND　MY　HEART　IS　BROKEN。　　HOW

COULD　YOU　DO　THIS　CRUEL　THING？　　WE　HAVE　DONE　YOU　NO　HARM；　BUT

ONLY　KINDNESS；　WE　MADE　OUR　HOUSE　YOUR　HOME；　YOU　WERE　WELCOME　TO

ALL　WE　HAD；　AND　THIS　IS　OUR　REWARD。〃



The　heart　of　the　Infidel　was　filled　with　remorse　for　what　he

had　done；　and　he　said：



〃IT　WAS　WRONGI　SEE　IT　NOW；　BUT　I　WAS　ONLY　TRYING　TO　DO　HIM

GOOD。　　IN　MY　VIEW　HE　WAS　IN　ERROR；　IT　SEEMED　MY　DUTY　TO　TEACH　HIM

THE　TRUTH。〃



Then　the　mother　said：



〃I　HAD　TAUGHT　HIM；　ALL　HIS　LITTLE　LIFE；　WHAT　I　BELIEVED　TO

BE　THE　TRUTH；　AND　IN　HIS　BELIEVING　FAITH　BOTH　OF　US　WERE　HAPPY。

NOW　HE　IS　DEAD；AND　LOST；　AND　I　AM　MISERABLE。　　OUR　FAITH　CAME

DOWN　TO　US　THROUGH　CENTURIES　OF　BELIEVING　ANCESTORS；　WHAT　RIGHT

HAD　YOU；　OR　ANY　ONE；　TO　DISTURB　IT？　　WHERE　WAS　YOUR　HONOR；　WHERE

WAS　YOUR　SHAME？〃



Y。M。　　He　was　a　miscreant；　and　deserved　death！



O。M。　　He　thought　so　himself；　and　said　so。



Y。M。　　Ahyou　see；　HIS　CONSCIENCE　WAS　AWAKENED1！



O。M。　　Yes；　his　Self…Disapproval　was。　　It　PAINED　him　to　see

the　mother　suffer。　　He　was　sorry　he　had　done　a　thing　which

brought　HIM　pain。　　It　did　not　occur　to　him　to　think　of　the　mother

when　he　was　misteaching　the　boy；　for　he　was　absorbed　in　providing

PLEASURE　for　himself；　then。　　Providing　it　by　satisfying　what　he

believed　to　be　a　call　of　duty。



Y。M。　　Call　it　what　you　please；　it　is　to　me　a　case　of

AWAKENED　CONSCIENCE。　　That　awakened　conscience　could　never　get

itself　into　that　species　of　trouble　again。　　A　cure　like　that　is　a

PERMANENT　cure。



O。M。　　PardonI　had　not　finished　the　story。　　We　are

creatures　of　OUTSIDE　INFLUENCESwe　originate　NOTHING　within。

Whenever　we　take　a　new　line　of　thought　and　drift　into　a　new　line

of　belief　and　action；　the　impulse　is　ALWAYS　suggested　from　the

OUTSIDE。　　Remorse　so　preyed　upon　the　Infidel　that　it　dissolved

his　harshness　toward　the　boy's　religion　and　made　him　come　to

regard　it　with　tolerance；　next　with　kindness；　for　the　boy's　sake

and　the　mother's。　　Finally　he　found　himself　examining　it。　　From

that　moment　his　progress　in　his　new　trend　was　steady　and　rapid。

He　became　a　believing　Christian。　　And　now　his　remorse　for　having

robbed　the　dying　boy　of　his　faith　and　his　salvation　was　bitterer

than　ever。　　It　gave　him　no　rest；　no　peace。　　He　MUST　have　rest　and

peaceit　is　the　law　of　nature。　　There　seemed　but　one　way　to　get

it；　he　must　devote　himself　to　saving　imperiled　souls。　　He　became

a　missionary。　　He　landed　in　a　pagan　country　ill　and　helpless。　　A

native　widow　took　him　into　her　humble　home　and　nursed　him　back　to

convalescence。　　Then　her　young　boy　was　taken　hopelessly　ill；　and

the　grateful　missionary　helped　her　tend　him。　　Here　was　his　first

opportunity　to　repair　a　part　of　the　wrong　done　to　the　other　boy

by　doing　a　precious　service　for　this　one　by　undermining　his

foolish　faith　in　his　false　gods。　　He　was　successful。　　But　the

dying　boy　in　his　last　moments　reproached　him　and　said：



〃I　BELIEVED；　AND　WAS　HAPPY　IN　IT；　YOU　HAVE　TAKEN　MY　BELIEF

AWAY；　AND　MY　COMFORT。　　NOW　I　HAVE　NOTHING　LEFT；　AND　I　DIE

MISERABLE；　FOR　THE　THINGS　WHICH　YOU　HAVE　TOLD　ME　DO　NOT　TAKE　THE

PLACE　OF　THAT　WHICH　I　HAVE　LOST。〃



And　the　mother；　also；　reproached　the　missionary；　and　said：



〃MY　CHILD　IS　FOREVER　LOST；　AND　MY　HEART　IS　BROKEN。　　HOW

COULD　YOU　DO　THIS　CRUEL　THING？　　WE　HAD　DONE　YOU　NO　HARM；　BUT　ONLY

KINDNESS；　WE　MADE　OUR　HOUSE　YOUR　HOME；　YOU　WERE　WELCOME　TO　ALL　WE

HAD；　AND　THIS　IS　OUR　REWARD。〃



The　heart　of　the　missionary　was　filled　with　remorse　for　what

he　had　done；　and　he　said：



〃IT　WAS　WRONGI　SEE　IT　NOW；　BUT　I　WAS　ONLY　TRYING　TO　DO　HIM

GOOD。　　IN　MY　VIEW　HE　WAS　IN　ERROR；　IT　SEEMED　MY　DUTY　TO　TEACH　HIM

THE　TRUTH。〃



Then　the　mother　said：



〃I　HAD　TAUGHT　HIM；　ALL　HIS　LITTLE　LIFE；　WHAT　I　BELIEVED　TO

BE　THE　TRUTH；　AND　IN　HIS　BELIEVING　FAITH　BOTH　OF　US　WERE　HAPPY。

NOW　HE　IS　DEADAND　LOST；　AND　I　AM　MISERABLE。　　OUR　FAITH　CAME

DOWN　TO　US　THROUGH　CENTURIES　OF　BELIEVING　ANCESTORS；　WHAT　RIGHT

HAD　YOU；　OR　ANY　ONE；　TO　DISTURB　IT？　　WHERE　WAS　YOUR　HONOR；　WHERE

WAS　YOUR　SHAME？〃



The　missionary's　anguish　of　remorse　and　sense　of　treachery

were　as　bitter　and　persecuting　and　unappeasable；　now；　as　they　had

been　in　the　former　case。　　The　story　is　finished。　　What　is　your

comment？



Y。M。　　The　man's　conscience　is　a　fool！　　It　was　morbid。　　It

didn't　know　right　from　wrong。



O。M。　　I　am　not　sorry　to　hear　you　say　that。　　If　you　grant

that　ONE　man's　conscience　doesn't　know　right　from　wrong；　it　is　an

admission　that　there　are　others　like　it。　　This　single　admission

pulls　down　the　whole　doctrine　of　infallibility　of　judgment　in

consciences。　　Meantime　there　is　one　thing　which　I　ask　you　to

notice。



Y。M。　　What　is　that？



O。M。　　That　in　both　cases　the　man's　ACT　gave　him　no　spiritual

discomfort；　and　that　he　was　quite　satisfied　with　it　and　got

pleasure　out　of　it。　　But　afterward　when　it　resulted　in　PAIN　to

HIM；　he　was　sorry。　　Sorry　it　had　inflicted　pain　upon　the　others；

BUT　FOR　NO　REASON　UNDER　THE　SUN　EXCEPT　THAT　THEIR　PAIN　GAVE　HIM

PAIN。　　Our　consciences　take　NO　notice　of　pain　inflicted　upon

others　until　it　reaches　a　point　where　it　gives　pain　to　US。　　In

ALL　cases　without　exception　we　are　absolutely　indifferent　to

another　person's　pain　until　his　sufferings　make　us　uncomfortable。

Many　an　infidel　would　not　have　been　troubled　by　that　Christian

mother's　distress。　　Don't　you　believe　that？



Y。M。　　Yes。　　You　might　almost　say　it　of　the　AVERAGE　infidel；

I　think。



O。M。　　And　many　a　missionary；　　sternly　fortified　by　his　sense

of　duty；　would　not　have　been　troubled　by　the　pagan　mother's

distressJes