over the teacups-第53章

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inevitable　with　a　composure　which　showed　that　their　belief；　whether

or　not　the　best　to　live　by；　was　a　better　one　to　die　by　than　most　of

the　harder　creeds　which　have　replaced　it。



In　the　more　intelligent　circles　of　American　society　one　may　question

anything　and　everything；　if　he　will　only　do　it　civilly。　　We　may　talk

about　eschatology；　the　science　of　last　things；or；　if　you　will；　the

natural　history　of　the　undiscovered　country；　without　offence　before

anybody　except　young　children　and　very　old　women　of　both　sexes。　　In

our　New　England　the　great　Andover　discussion　and　the　heretical

missionary　question　have　benumbed　all　sensibility　on　this　subject　as

entirely；　as　completely；　as　the　new　local　anaesthetic；　cocaine；

deadens　the　sensibility　of　the　part　to　which　it　is　applied；　so　that

the　eye　may　have　its　mote　or　beam　plucked　out　without　feeling　it；as

the　novels　of　Zola　and　Maupassant　have　hardened　the　delicate　nerve…

centres　of　the　women　who　have　fed　their　imaginations　on　the　food　they

have　furnished。



The　generally　professed　belief　of　the　Protestant　world　as　embodied　in

their　published　creeds　is　that　the　great　mass　of　mankind　are　destined

to　an　eternity　of　suffering。　　That　this　eternity　is　to　be　one　of

bodily　painof　〃torment　〃is　the　literal　teaching　of　Scripture；

which　has　been　literally　interpreted　by　the　theologians；　the　poets；

and　the　artists　of　many　long　ages　which　followed　the　acceptance　of

the　recorded　legends　of　the　church　as　infallible。　　The　doctrine　has

always　been　recognized；　as　it　is　now；　as　a　very　terrible　one。　　It　has

found　a　support　in　the　story　of　the　fall　of　man；　and　the　view　taken

of　the　relation　of　man　to　his　Maker　since　that　event。　　The　hatred　of

God　to　mankind　in　virtue　of　their　〃first　disobedience〃　and　inherited

depravity　is　at　the　bottom　of　it。　　The　extent　to　which　that　idea　was

carried　is　well　shown　in　the　expressions　I　have　borrowed　from

Jonathan　Edwards。　　According　to　his　teaching；and　he　was　a　reasoner

who　knew　what　he　was　talking　about；　what　was　involved　in　the　premises

of　the　faith　he　accepted；man　inherits　the　curse　of　God　as　his

principal　birthright。



What　shall　we　say　to　the　doctrine　of　the　fall　of　man　as　the　ground　of

inflicting　endless　misery　on　the　human　race？　　A　man　to　be　punished

for　what　he　could　not　help！　　He　was　expected　to　be　called　to　account

for　Adam's　sin。　　It　is　singular　to　notice　that　the　reasoning　of　the

wolf　with　the　lamb　should　be　transferred　to　the　dealings　of　the

Creator　with　his　creatures。　　〃You　stirred　the　brook　up　and　made　my

drinking…place　muddy。〃　　〃But；　please　your　wolfship；　I　couldn't　do

that；　for　I　stirred　the　water　far　down　the　stream；below　your

drinking…place。〃　　〃Well；　anyhow；　your　father　troubled　it　a　year　or

two　ago；　and　that　is　the　same　thing。〃　　So　the　wolf　falls　upon　the

lamb　and　makes　a　meal　of　him。　　That　is　wolf　logic；and　theological

reasoning。



How　shall　we　characterize　the　doctrine　of　endless　torture　as　the

destiny　of　most　of　those　who　have　lived；　and　are　living；　on　this

planet？　　I　prefer　to　let　another　writer　speak　of　it。　　Mr。　John　Morley

uses　the　following　words：　〃The　horrors　of　what　is　perhaps　the　most

frightful　idea　that　has　ever　corroded　human　character；the　idea　of

eternal　punishment。〃　　Sismondi；　the　great　historian；　heard　a　sermon

on　eternal　punishment；　and　vowed　never　again　to　enter　another　church

holding　the　same　creed。　　Romanism　he　considered　a　religion　of　mercy

and　peace　by　the　side　of　what　the　English　call　the　Reformation。　I

mention　these　protests　because　I　happen　to　find　them　among　my　notes；

but　it　would　be　easy　to　accumulate　examples　of　the　same　kind。　　When

Cowper；　at　about　the　end　of　the　last　century；　said　satirically　of　the

minister　he　was　attacking；



　　　　　　　　　　〃He　never　mentioned　hell　to　ears　polite；　〃



he　was　giving　unconscious　evidence　that　the　sense　of　the　barbarism　of

the　idea　was　finding　its　way　into　the　pulpit。　　When　Burns；　in　the

midst　of　the　sulphurous　orthodoxy　of　Scotland；　dared　to　say；



　　　　　　　　　〃The　fear　o'　hell　's　a　hangman's　whip

　　　　　　　　　　To　haud　the　wretch　in　order；〃



he　was　oily　appealing　to　the　common　sense　and　common　humanity　of　his

fellow…countrymen。



All　the　reasoning　in　the　world；　all　the　proof…texts　in　old

manuscripts；　cannot　reconcile　this　supposition　of　a　world　of

sleepless　and　endless　torment　with　the　declaration　that　〃God　is

love。〃



Where　did　this　〃frightful　idea〃　come　from？　　We　are　surprised；　as　we

grow　older；　to　find　that　the　legendary　hell　of　the　church　is　nothing

more　nor　less　than　the　Tartarus　of　the　old　heathen　world。　　It　has

every　mark　of　coming　from　the　cruel　heart　of　a　barbarous　despot。

Some　malignant　and　vindictive　Sheik；　some　brutal　Mezentius；　must　have

sat　for　many　pictures　of　the　Divinity。　　It　was　not　enough　to　kill　his

captive　enemy；　after　torturing　him　as　much　as　ingenuity　could

contrive　to　do　it。　　He　escaped　at　last　by　death；　but　his　conqueror

could　not　give　him　up　so　easily；　and　so　his　vengeance　followed　him

into　the　unseen　and　unknown　world。　　How　the　doctrine　got　in　among；

the　legends　of　the　church　we　are　no　more　bound　to　show　than　we　are　to

account　for　the　intercalation　of　the　〃three　witnesses〃　text；　or　the

false　insertion；　or　false　omission；　whichever　it　may　be；　of　the　last

twelve　verses　of　the　Gospel　of　St　Mark。　　We　do　not　hang　our

grandmothers　now；　as　our　ancestors　did　theirs；　on　the　strength　of　the

positive　command；　〃Thou　shalt　not　suffer　a　witch　to　live。〃



The　simple　truth　is　that　civilization　has　outgrown　witchcraft；　and　is

outgrowing　the　Christian　Tartarus。　　The　pulpit　no　longer　troubles

itself　about　witches　and　their　evil　doings。　　All　the　legends　in　the

world　could　not　arrest　the　decay　of　that　superstition　and　all　the

edicts　that　grew　out　of　it。　　All　the　stories　that　can　be　found　in　old

manuscripts　will　never　prevent　the　going　out　of　the　fires　of　the

legendary　Inferno。　　It　is　not　much　talked　about　nowadays　to　ears

polite　or　impolite。　　Humanity　is　shocked　and　repelled　by　it。　　The

heart　of　woman　is　in　unconquerable　rebellion　against　it。　　The　more

humane　sects　tear　it　from　their　〃Bodies　of　Divinity〃　as　if　it　were

the　flaming　shirt　of　Nessus。　　A　few　doctrines　with　which　it　was　bound

up　have　dropped　or　are　dropping　away　from　it：　the　primal　curse；

consequential　damages　to　give　infinite　extension　to　every

transgression　of　the　law　of　God；　inverting　the　natural　order　of

relative　obligations；　stretching　the　smallest　of　finite　offenses　to

the　proportions　of　the　infinite；　making　the　babe　in　arms　the

responsible　being；　and　not　the　parent　who　gave　it　birth　and

determined　its　conditions　of　existence。



After　a　doctrine　like　〃the　hangman's　whip〃　has　served　its　purpose；

if　it　ever　had　any　useful　purpose；after　a　doctrine　like　that　of

witchcraft　has　hanged　old　women　enough；　civilization　contrives　to　get

rid　of　it。　　When　we　say　that　civilization　crowds　out　the　old

superstitious　legends；　we　recognize　two　chief　causes。　　The　first　is

the　naked　individual　protest；　the　voice　of　the　inspiration　which

giveth　man　understanding。　　This　shows　itself　conspicuously　in　the

modern　poets。　　Burns　in　Scotland；　Bryant；　Longfellow；　Whittier；　in

America；　preached　a　new　gospel　to　the　successors　of　men　like　Thomas

Boston　and　Jonathan　Edwards。　　In　due　season；　the　growth　of　knowledge；

chiefly　under　the　form　of　that　part　of　knowledge　called　science；　so

changes　the　views　of　the　universe　that　many　of　its　long…unchallenged

legends　become　no　more　than　nursery　tales。　　The　text…books　of

astronomy　and　geology　work　their　way　in　between　the　questions　and

answers　of　the　time…honored　catechisms。　　The　doctrine　of　evolution；

so　far　as　it　is　accepted；　changes　the　whole　relations　of　man　to　the

creative　power。　　It　substitutes　infinite　hope　in　the　place　of

infinite　despair　for　the　vast　majority　of　mankind。　　Instead　of　a

shipwreck；　from　which　a　few　cabin　passengers　and　others　are　to　be

saved　in　the　long…boat；　it　gives　mankind　a　vessel　built　to　endure　the

tempests；　and　at　la