evolution and ethics and other essays-第39章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


rather　than　another　on　which　the　founder　laid　stress；　it　was　that　his
army　of　friars　should　be　absolute　mendicants；　keeping　themselves
sternly　apart　from　all　worldly　entanglements。　Yet；　even　before　the
death　of　Francis；　in　1226；　a　strong　party；　headed　by　Elias　of　Cortona；
the　deputy　of　his　own　appointment；　began　to　hanker　after　these　very
things；　and；　within　thirty　years　of　that　time；　the　Franciscans　had
become　one　of　the　most　powerful；　wealthy；　and　worldly　corporations　in
Christendom；　with　their　fingers　in　every　sink　of　political　and　social
corruption；　if　so　be　profit　for　the　order　could　be　fished　out　of　it；
their　principal　interest　being　to　fight　their　rivals；　the　Dominicans；
and　to　persecute　such　of　their　own　brethren　as　were　honest　enough　to
try　to　carry　out　their　founder's　plainest　injunctions。　We　also　know
what　has　become　of　Loyola's　experiment。　For　two　centuries　the　Jesuits
have　been　the　hope　of　the　enemies　of　the　Papacy；　whenever　it　becomes
too　prosperous；　they　are　sure　to　bring　about　a　catastrophe　by　their
corrupt　use　of　the　political　and　social　influence　which　their
organization　and　their　wealth　secure。

　　　　*　See　note　pp。　245…247＇

＇242＇　With　these　examples　of　that　which　may　happen　to　institutions
founded　by　noble　men；　with　high　aims；　in　the　hands　of　successors　of　a
different　stamp；　armed　with　despotic　authority；　before　me；　common
prudence　surely　requires　that；　before　advising　the　handing　over　of　a
large　sum　of　money　to　the　general　of　a　new　order　of　mendicants；　I
should　ask　what　guarantee　there　is　that；　thirty　years　hence；　the
〃General〃　who　then　autocratically　controls　the　action；　say；　of　100；000
officers　pledged　to　blind　obedience；　distributed　through　the　whole
length　and　breadth　of　the　poorer　classes；　and　each　with　his　finger　on
the　trigger　of　a　mine　charged　with　discontent　and　religious
fanaticism；　with　the　absolute　control；　say；　of　eight　or　ten　millions
sterling　of　capital　and　as　many　of　income；　with　barracks　in　every　town；
with　estates　scattered　over　the　country；　and　with　settlements　in　the
colonieswill　exercise　his　enormous　powers；　not　merely　honestly；　but
wisely？　What　shadow　of　security　is　there　that　the　person　who　wields
this　uncontrolled　authority　over　many　thousands　of　men　shall　use　it
solely　for　those　philanthropic　and　religious　objects　which；　I　do　not
doubt；　are　alone　in　the　mind　of　Mr。　Booth？　Who　is　to　say　that　the
Salvation　Army；　in　the　year　＇243＇　1920；　shall　not　be　a　replica　of　what
the　Franciscan　order　had　become　in　the　year　1260？

The　personal　character　and　the　intentions　of　the　founders　of　such
organizations　as　we　are　considering　count　for　very　little　in　the
formation　of　a　forecast　of　their　future；　and　if　they　did；　it　is　no
disrespect　to　Mr。　　Booth　to　say　that　he　is　not　the　peer　of　Francis　of
Assisi。　But　if　Francis's　judgment　of　men　was　so　imperfect　as　to　permit
him　to　appoint　an　ambitious　intriguer　of　the　stamp　of　Brother　Elias
his　deputy；　we　have　no　right　to　be　sanguine　about　the　perspicacity　of
Mr。　Booth　in　a　like　matter。

Adding　to　all　these　considerations　the　fact　that　Mr。　Llewelyn　Davies；
the　warmth　of　whose　philanthropy　is　beyond　question；　and　in　whose
competency　and　fairness　I；　for　one；　place　implicit　reliance；　flatly
denies　the　boasted　success　of　the　Salvation　Army　in　its　professed
mission；　I　have　arrived　at　the　conclusion　that；　as　at　present　advised；
I　cannot　be　the　instrument　of　carrying　out　my　friend's　proposal。

Mr。　Booth　has　pithily　characterized　certain　benevolent　schemes　as
doing　sixpennyworth　of　good　and　a　shilling's　worth　of　harm。　I　grieve
to　say　that；　in　my　opinion；　the　definition　exactly　fits　his　own
project。　Few　social　evils　are　of　greater　magnitude　than　uninstructed
and　unchastened　religious　fanaticism；　no　personal　habit　more　surely
degrades　the　conscience　and　the　intellect　than　＇244＇　blind　and
unhesitating　obedience　to　unlimited　authority。　Undoubtedly；　harlotry
and　intemperance　are　sore　evils；　and　starvation　is　hard　to　bear；　or
even　to　know　of；　but　the　prostitution　of　the　mind；　the　soddening　of
the　conscience；　the　dwarfing　of　manhood　are　worse　calamities。　It　is　a
greater　evil　to　have　the　intellect　of　a　nation　put　down　by　organized
fanaticism；　to　see　its　political　and　industrial　affairs　at　the　mercy
of　a　despot　whose　chief　thought　is　to　make　that　fanaticism　prevail；　to
watch　the　degradation　of　men；　who　should　feel　themselves　individually
responsible　for　their　own　and　their　country's　fates；　to　mere　brute
instruments；　ready　to　the　hand　of　a　master　for　any　use　to　which　he　may
put　them。

But　that　is　the　end　to　which；　in　my　opinion；　all　such　organizations　as
that　to　which　kindly　people；　who　do　not　look　to　the　consequences　of
their　acts；　are　now　giving　their　thousands；　inevitably　tend。　Unless
clear　proof　that　I　am　wrong　is　furnished；　another　thousand　shall　not
be　added　by　my　instrumentality。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　am；　Sir；　your　obedient　servant；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　T。　H。　Huxley。

＇245＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NOTE。

An　authoritative　contemporary　historian；　Matthew　Paris；　writes　thus　of
the　Minorite；　or　Franciscan；　Friars　in　England　in　1235；　just　nine
years　after　the　death　of　Francis　of　Assisi：

〃At　this　time　some　of　the　Minorite　brethren；　as　well　as　some　of　the
Order　of　Preachers；　unmindful　of　their　profession　and　the　restrictions
of　their　order；　impudently　entered　the　territories　of　some　noble
monasteries；　under　pretense　of　fulfilling　their　duties　of　preaching；
as　if　intending　to　depart　after　preaching　the　next　day。　Under　pretence
of　sickness；　or　on　some　other　pretext；　however；　they　remained；　and；
constructing　an　altar　of　wood；　they　placed　on　it　a　consecrated　stone
altar；　which　they　had　brought　with　them；　and　clandestinely　and　in　a
low　voice　performed　mass；　and　even　received　the　confessions　of　many　of
the　parishioners；　to　the　prejudice　of　the　priests。　　And　if　by　chance
they　were　not　satisfied　with　this；　they　broke　forth　in　insults　and
threats；　reviling　every　other　order　except　their　own；　and　asserting
that　all　the　rest　were　doomed　to　damnation；　and　that　they　would　not
spare　the　soles　of　their　feet　till　they　had　exhausted　the　wealth　of
their　opposers；　however　great　it　might　be。　The　religious　men；
therefore；　gave　way　to　them　in　many　points；　yielding　to　avoid　scandal；
and　offending　those　in　power。　For　they　were　the　councillors　and
messengers　of　the　nobles；　and　even　secretaries　of　the　Pope；　and
therefore　obtained　much　＇246＇　secular　favour。　Some；　however；　finding
themselves　opposed　by　the　Court　of　Rome；　were　restrained　by　obvious
reasons；　and　went　away　in　confusion；　for　the　Supreme　Pontiff；　with　a
scowling　look；　said　to　them；　'What　means　this；　my　brethren？　　To　what
lengths　are　you　going？　Have　you　not　professed　voluntary　poverty；　and
that　you　would　traverse　towns　and　castles　and　distant　places；　as　the
case　required；　barefooted　and　unostentatiously；　in　order　to　preach　the
word　of　God　in　all　humility？　And　do　you　now　presume　to　usurp　these
estates　to　yourselves　against　the　will　of　the　lords　of　these　fees？
Your　religion　appears　to　be　in　a　great　measure　dying　away；　and　your
doctrines　to　be　confuted。〃

Under　date　of　1243；　Matthew　writes：

〃For　three　or　four　hundred　years　or　more　the　monastic　order　did　not
hasten　to　destruction　so　quickly　as　their　order　＇Minorites　and
Preachers＇　of　whom　now　the　brothers；　twenty…four　years　having　scarcely
elapsed；　had　first　built　in　England　dwellings　which　rivalled　regal
palaces　in　height。　These　are　they　who　daily　expose　to　view　their
inestimable　treasures；　in　enlarging　their　sumptuous　edifices；　and
erecting　lofty　walls；　thereby　impudently　transgressing　the　limits　of
their　original　poverty　and　violating　the　basis　of　their　religion；
according　to　the　prophecy　of　German　Hildegarde。　When　noblemen　and　rich
men　are　at　the　point　of　death；　whom　they　know　to　be　possessed　of　great
riches；　they；　in　their　love　of　gain；　diligently　urge　them；　to　the
injury　and　loss　of　the　ordinary　pastors；　and　extort　confessions　and
hidden　wills；　lauding　themselves　and　their　own　order　only；　＇247＇　and
placing　themselves　before　all　others。　So　no　faithful　man　now　believes
he　can　be　saved；　except　he　is　directed　by　the　counsels　of　the
Preachers　and　Minorites。〃Mat