lectures14+15-第5章
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expressed his wants still by repeating 'Ali!' Begging or buying
at the bazaar; it was always 'Ali!' Treated ill or generously;
he would still harp on his monotonous 'Ali!' Latterly his zeal
assumed such tremendous proportions that; like a madman; he would
race; the whole day; up and down the streets of the town;
throwing his stick high up into the air; and shriek our; all the
while; at the top of his voice; 'Ali!' This dervish was
venerated by everybody as a saint; and received everywhere with
the greatest distinction。〃 Arminius Vambery; his Life and
Adventures; written by Himself; London; 1889; p。 69。 On the
anniversary of the death of Hussein; Ali's son; the Shi…ite
Moslems still make the air resound with cries of his name and
Ali's。
'200' Compare H。 C。 Warren: Buddhism in Translation; Cambridge;
U。S。; 1898; passim。
'201' Compare J。 L。 Merrick: The Life and Religion of Mohammed;
as contained in the Sheeah traditions of the Hyat…ul…Kuloob;
Boston。 1850; passim。
An immediate consequence of this condition of mind is jealousy
for the deity's honor。 How can the devotee show his loyalty
better than by sensitiveness in this regard? The slightest
affront or neglect must be resented; the deity's enemies must be
put to shame。 In exceedingly narrow minds and active wills; such
a care may become an engrossing preoccupation; and crusades have
been preached and massacres instigated for no other reason than
to remove a fancied slight upon the God。 Theologies representing
the gods as mindful of their glory; and churches with
imperialistic policies; have conspired to fan this temper to a
glow; so that intolerance and persecution have come to be vices
associated by some of us inseparably with the saintly mind。 They
are unquestionably its besetting sins。 The saintly temper is a
moral temper; and a moral temper has often to be cruel。 It is a
partisan temper; and that is cruel。 Between his own and
Jehovah's enemies a David knows no difference; a Catherine of
Siena; panting to stop the warfare among Christians which was the
scandal of her epoch; can think of no better method of union
among them than a crusade to massacre the Turks; Luther finds no
word of protest or regret over the atrocious tortures with which
the Anabaptist leaders were put to death; and a Cromwell praises
the Lord for delivering his enemies into his hands for
〃execution。〃 Politics come in in all such cases; but piety finds
the partnership not quite unnatural。 So; when 〃freethinkers〃
tell us that religion and fanaticism are twins; we cannot make an
unqualified denial of the charge。
Fanaticism must then be inscribed on the wrong side of religion's
account; so long as the religious person's intellect is on the
stage which the despotic kind of God satisfies。 But as soon as
the God is represented as less intent on his own honor and glory;
it ceases to be a danger。
Fanaticism is found only where the character is masterful and
aggressive。 In gentle characters; where devoutness is intense
and the intellect feeble; we have an imaginative absorption in
the love of God to the exclusion of all practical human
interests; which; though innocent enough; is too one…sided to be
admirable。 A mind too narrow has room but for one kind of
affection。 When the love of God takes possession of such a mind;
it expels all human loves and human uses。 There is no English
name for such a sweet excess of devotion; so I will refer to it
as a theopathic condition。
The blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque may serve as an example。
〃To be loved here upon the earth;〃 her recent biographer
exclaims: 〃to be loved by a noble; elevated; distinguished
being; to be loved with fidelity; with devotionwhat
enchantment! But to be loved by God! and loved by him to
distraction 'aime jusqu'a la folie'!Margaret melted away with
love at the thought of such a thing。 Like Saint Philip of Neri
in former times; or like Saint Francis Xavier; she said to God:
'Hold back; O my God; these torrents which overwhelm me; or else
enlarge my capacity for their reception。〃'202'
'202' Bougaud: Hist。 de la bienheureuse Marguerite Marie; Paris;
1894; p。 145。
The most signal proofs of God's love which Margaret Mary received
were her hallucinations of sight; touch; and hearing; and the
most signal in turn of these were the revelations of Christ's
sacred heart; 〃surrounded with rays more brilliant than the Sun;
and transparent like a crystal。 The wound which he received on
the cross visibly appeared upon it。 There was a crown of thorns
round about this divine Heart; and a cross above it。〃 At the
same time Christ's voice told her that; unable longer to contain
the flames of his love for mankind; he had chosen her by a
miracle to spread the knowledge of them。 He thereupon took out
her mortal heart; placed it inside of his own and inflamed it;
and then replaced it in her breast; adding: 〃Hitherto thou hast
taken the name of my slave; hereafter thou shalt be called the
well…beloved disciple of my Sacred Heart。〃
In a later vision the Saviour revealed to her in detail the
〃great design〃 which he wished to establish through her
instrumentality。 〃I ask of thee to bring it about that every
first Friday after the week of holy Sacrament shall be made into
a special holy day for honoring my Heart by a general communion
and by services intended to make honorable amends for the
indignities which it has received。 And I promise thee that my
Heart will dilate to shed with abundance the influences of its
love upon all those who pay to it these honors; or who bring it
about that others do the same。〃
〃This revelation;〃 says Mgr。 Bougaud; 〃is unquestionably the most
important of all the revelations which have illumined the Church
since that of the Incarnation and of the Lord's Supper。 。 。 。
After the Eucharist; the supreme effort of the Sacred
Heart。〃'203' Well; what were its good fruits for Margaret Mary's
life? Apparently little else but sufferings and prayers and
absences of mind and swoons and ecstasies。 She became
increasingly useless about the convent; her absorption in
Christ's love
〃which grew upon her daily; rendering her more and more incapable
of attending to external duties。 They tried her in the
infirmary; but without much success; although her kindness; zeal;
and devotion were without bounds; and her charity rose to acts of
such a heroism that our readers would not bear the recital of
them。 They tried her in the kitchen; but were forced to give it
up as hopelesseverything dropped out of her hands。 The
admirable humility with which she made amends for her clumsiness
could not prevent this from being prejudicial to the order and
regularity which must always reign in a community。 They put her
in the school; where the little girls cherished her; and cut
pieces out of her clothes 'for relics' as if she were already a
saint; but where she was too absorbed inwardly to pay the
necessary attention。 Poor dear sister; even less after her
visions than before them was she a denizen of earth; and they had
to leave her in her heaven。〃'204'
'203' Bougaud: Hist。 de la bienheureuse Marguerite Marie;
Paris; 1894; pp。 365; 241。
'204' Bougaud: Op。 cit。; p。 267。
Poor dear sister; indeed! Amiable and good; but so feeble of
inte