passages from an old volume of life-第30章

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ting　currents　scattering　sand　and　gravel　and　stones　as　they　swept　over　the　continent。　　But　I　think　they　pleased　me　better　when　I　was　taught　that　the　Indians　built　them；　and　while　I　thank　Professor　Hitchcock；　I　sometimes　feel　as　if　I　should　like　to　found　a　chair　to　teach　the　ignorance　of　what　people　do　not　want　to　know。

〃Two　tickets　to　Boston。〃　　I　said　to　the　man　at　the　station。

But　the　little　ghost　whispered；　〃When　you　leave　this　place　you　leave　me　behind　you。〃

〃One　ticket　to　Boston；　if　you　please。　　Good　by；　little　ghost。〃

I　believe　the　boy…shadow　still　lingers　around　the　well…remembered　scenes　I　traversed　on　that　day；　and　that；　whenever　I　revisit　them；　I　shall　find　him　again　as　my　companion。






THE　PULPIT　AND　THE　PEW。

The　priest　is　dead　for　the　Protestant　world。　　Luther's　inkstand　did　not　kill　the　devil；　but　it　killed　the　priest；　at　least　for　us：　He　is　a　loss　in　many　respects　to　be　regretted。　　He　kept　alive　the　spirit　of　reverence。　　He　was　looked　up　to　as　possessing　qualities　superhuman　in　their　nature；　and　so　was　competent　to　be　the　stay　of　the　weak　and　their　defence　against　the　strong。　　If　one　end　of　religion　is　to　make　men　happier　in　this　world　as　well　as　in　the　next；　mankind　lost　a　great　source　of　happiness　when　the　priest　was　reduced　to　the　common　level　of　humanity；　and　became　only　a　minister。　　Priest；　which　was　presbyter；　corresponded　to　senator；　and　was　a　title　to　respect　and　honor。　　Minister　is　but　the　diminutive　of　magister；　and　implies　an　obligation　to　render　service。

It　was　promised　to　the　first　preachers　that　in　proof　of　their　divine　mission　they　should　have　the　power　of　casting　out　devils　and　talking　in　strange　tongues；　that　they　should　handle　serpents　and　drink　poisons　with　impunity；　that　they　should　lay　hands　on　the　sick　and　they　should　recover。　　The　Roman　Church　claims　some　of　these　powers　for　its　clergy　and　its　sacred　objects　to　this　day。　　Miracles；　it　is　professed；　are　wrought　by　them；　or　through　them；　as　in　the　days　of　the　apostles。　　Protestantism　proclaims　that　the　age　of　such　occurrences　as　the　apostles　witnessed　is　past。　　What　does　it　know　about　miracles？　　It　knows　a　great　many　records　of　miracles；　but　this　is　a　different　kind　of　knowledge。

The　minister　may　be　revered　for　his　character；　followed　for　his　eloquence；　admired　for　his　learning；　loved　for　his　amiable　qualities；　but　he　can　never　be　what　the　priest　was　in　past　ages；　and　is　still；　in　the　Roman　Church。　　Dr。　Arnold's　definition　may　be　found　fault　with；　but　it　has　a　very　real　meaning。　　〃The　essential　point　in　the　notion　of　a　priest　is　this：　that　he　is　a　person　made　necessary　to　our　intercourse　with　God；　without　being　necessary　or　beneficial　to　us　morally；an　unreasonable；　immoral；　spiritual　necessity。〃　　He　did　not　mean；　of　course；　that　the　priest　might　not　have　all　the　qualities　which　would　recommend　him　as　a　teacher　or　as　a　man；　but　that　he　had　a　special　power；　quite　independent　of　his　personal　character；　which　could　act；　as　it　were；　mechanically；　that　out　of　him　went　a　virtue；　as　from　the　hem　of　his　Master's　raiment；　to　those　with　whom　his　sacred　office　brought　him　in　contact。

It　was　a　great　comfort　to　poor　helpless　human　beings　to　have　a　tangible　personality　of　like　nature　with　themselves　as　a　mediator　between　them　and　the　heavenly　powers。　　Sympathy　can　do　much　for　the　sorrowing；　the　suffering；　the　dying；　but　to　hear　God　himself　speaking　directly　through　human　lips；　to　feel　the　touch　of　a　hand　which　is　the　channel　of　communication　with　the　unseen　Omnipotent；　this　was　and　is　the　privilege　of　those　who　looked　and　those　who　still　look　up　to　a　priesthood。　　It　has　been　said；　and　many　who　have　walked　the　hospitals　or　served　in　the　dispensaries　can　bear　witness　to　the　truth　of　the　assertion；　that　the　Roman　Catholics　know　how　to　die。　　The　same　thing　is　less　confidently　to　be　said　of　Protestants。　　How　frequently　is　the　story　told　of　the　most　exemplary　Protestant　Christians；　nay；　how　common　is　it　to　read　in　the　lives　of　the　most　exemplary　Protestant　ministers；　that　they　were　beset　with　doubts　and　terrors　in　their　last　days！　　The　blessing　of　the　viaticum　is　unknown　to　them。　　Man　is　essentially　an　idolater；that　is；　in　bondage　to　his　imagination；　for　there　is　no　more　harm　in　the　Greek　word　eidolon　than　in　the　Latin　word　imago。　　He　wants　a　visible　image　to　fix　his　thought；　a　scarabee　or　a　crux　ansata；　or　the　modern　symbols　which　are　to　our　own　time　what　these　were　to　the　ancient　Egyptians。　　He　wants　a　vicegerent　of　the　Almighty　to　take　his　dying　hand　and　bid　him　godspeed　on　his　last　journey。　　Who　but　such　an　immediate　representative　of　the　Divinity　would　have　dared　to　say　to　the　monarch　just　laying　his　head　on　the　block；　〃Fils　de　Saint　Louis；　monte　au　ciel〃？

It　has　been　a　long　and　gradual　process　to　thoroughly　republicanize　the　American　Protestant　descendant　of　the　ancient　priesthood。　　The　history　of　the　Congregationalists　in　New　England　would　show　us　how　this　change　has　gone　on；　until　we　have　seen　the　church　become　a　hall　open　to　all　sorts　of　purposes；　the　pulpit　come　down　to　the　level　of　the　rostrum；　and　the　clergyman　take　on　the　character　of　a　popular　lecturer　who　deals　with　every　kind　of　subject；　including　religion。

Whatever　fault　we　may　find　with　many　of　their　beliefs；　we　have　a　right　to　be　proud　of　our　Pilgrim　and　Puritan　fathers　among　the　clergy。　　They　were　ready　to　do　and　to　suffer　anything　for　their　faith；　and　a　faith　which　breeds　heroes　is　better　than　an　unbelief　which　leaves　nothing　worth　being　a　hero　for。　　Only　let　us　be　fair；　and　not　defend　the　creed　of　Mohammed　because　it　nurtured　brave　men　and　enlightened　scholars；　or　refrain　from　condemning　polygamy　in　our　admiration　of　the　indomitable　spirit　and　perseverance　of　the　Pilgrim　Fathers　of　Mormonism；　or　justify　an　inhuman　belief；　or　a　cruel　or　foolish　superstition；　because　it　was　once　held　or　acquiesced　in　by　men　whose　nobility　of　character　we　heartily　recognize。　　The　New　England　clergy　can　look　back　to　a　noble　record；　but　the　pulpit　has　sometimes　required　a　homily　from　the　pew；　and　may　sometimes　find　it　worth　its　while　to　listen　to　one　even　in　our　own　days。

》From　the　settlement　of　the　country　to　the　present　time；　the　ministers　have　furnished　the　highest　type　of　character　to　the　people　among　whom　they　have　lived。　　They　have　lost　to　a　considerable　extent　the　position　of　leaders；　but　if　they　are　in　our　times　rather　to　be　looked　upon　as　representatives　of　their　congregations；　they　represent　what　is　best　among　those　of　whom　they　are　the　speaking　organs。　　We　have　a　right　to　expect　them　to　be　models　as　well　as　teachers　of　all　that　makes　the　best　citizens　for　this　world　and　the　next；　and　they　have　not　been；　and　are　not　in　these　later　days　unworthy　of　their　high　calling。　　They　have　worked　hard　for　small　earthly　compensation。　　They　have　been　the　most　learned　men　the　country　had　to　show；　when　learning　was　a　scarce　commodity。　　Called　by　their　consciences　to　self…denying　labors；　living　simply；　often　half…supported　by　the　toil　of　their　own　hands；　they　have　let　the　light；　such　light　as　shone　for　them；　into　the　minds　of　our　communities　as　the　settler's　axe　let　the　sunshine　into　their　log…huts　and　farm…houses。

Their　work　has　not　been　confined　to　their　professional　duties；　as　a　few　instances　will　illustrate。　　Often；　as　was　just　said；　they　toiled　like　day…laborers；　teasing　lean　harvests　out　of　their　small　inclosures　of　land；　for　the　New　England　soil　is　not　one　that　〃laughs　when　tickled　with　a　hoe；〃　but　rather　one　that　sulks　when　appealed　to　with　that　persuasive　implement。　　The　father　of　the　eminent　Boston　physician　whose　recent　loss　is　so　deeply　regretted；　the　Reverend　Pitt　Clarke；　forty…two　years　pastor　of　the　small　fold　in　the　town　of　Norton；　Massachusetts；　was　a　typical　example　of　this　union　of　the　two　callings；　and　it　would　be　hard　to　find　a　story　of　a　more　wholesome　and　useful　life；　within　a　limited　and　isolated　circle；　than　that　which　the　pious　care　of　one　of　his　children　commemorated。　　Sometimes　the　New　England　minister；　like　worthy　Mr。　Ward　of　Stratford…on…Avon；　in　old　England；　joined　the　practice　of　medicine　to　the　offices　of　his　holy　profession。　　Michael　Wigglesworth；　the　poet　of　〃The　Day　of　Doom；〃　and　Charles　Chauncy；　the　second　president　of　Harvard　College；　were　instan