passages from an old volume of life-第32章

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　from　the　time　when　he　was　hardly　taller　than　one　of　his　father's　or　grandfather's　folios。　　What　are　the　names　of　ministers'　sons　which　most　readily　occur　to　our　memory　as　illustrating　these　advantages？　　Edward　Everett；　Joseph　Stevens　Buckminster；　Ralph　Waldo　Emerson；　George　Bancroft；　Richard　Hildreth；　James　Russell　Lowell；　Francis　Parkman；　Charles　Eliot　Norton；　were　all　ministers'　boys。　　John　Lothrop　Motley　was　the　grandson　of　the　clergyman　after　whom　he　was　named。　　George　Ticknor　was　next　door　to　such　a　descent；　for　his　father　was　a　deacon。　　This　is　a　group　which　it　did　not　take　a　long　or　a　wide　search　to　bring　together。

Men　such　as　the　ministers　who　have　been　described　could　not　fail　to　exercise　a　good　deal　of　authority　in　the　communities　to　which　they　belonged。　　The　effect　of　the　Revolution　must　have　been　to　create　a　tendency　to　rebel　against　spiritual　dictation。　　Republicanism　levels　in　religion　as　in　everything。　　It　might　have　been　expected；　therefore；　that　soon　after　civil　liberty　had　been　established　there　would　be　conflicts　between　the　traditional；　authority　of　the　minister　and　the　claims　of　the　now　free　and　independent　congregation。　　So　it　was；　in　fact；　as　for　instance　in　the　case　which　follows；　for　which　the　reader　is　indebted　to　Miss　Lamed's　book；　before　cited。

The　ministerial　veto　allowed　by　the　Saybrook　Platform　gave　rise；　in　the　year　1792；　to　a　fierce　conflict　in　the　town　of　Pomfret；　Connecticut。　　Zephaniah　Swift；　a　lawyer　of　Windham；　came　out　in　the　Windham　〃Herald；〃　in　all　the　vehemence　of　partisan　phraseology；　with　all　the　emphasis　of　italics　and　small　capitals。　　Was　it　not　time；　he　said；　for　people　to　look　about　them　and　see　whether　〃such　despotism　was　founded　in　Scripture；　in　reason；　in　policy；　or　on　the　rights　of　man！　　A　minister；　by　his　vote；　by　his　single　voice；　may　negative　the　unanimous　vote　of　the　church！　　Are　ministers　composed　of　finer　clay　than　the　rest　of　mankind；　that　entitles　them　to　this　preeminence？　Does　a　license　to　preach　transform　a　man　into　a　higher　order　of　beings　and　endow　him　with　a　natural　quality　to　govern？　　Are　the　laity　an　inferior　order　of　beings；　fit　only　to　be　slaves　and　to　be　governed？　　Is　it　good　policy　for　mankind　to　subject　themselves　to　such　degrading　vassalage　and　abject　submission？　　Reason；　common　sense；　and　the　Bible；　with　united　voice；　proclaim　to　all　mankind　that　they　are　all　born　free　and　equal；　that　every　member　of　a　church　or　Christian　congregation　must　be　on　the　same　footing　in　respect　of　church　government；　and　that　the　CONSTITUTION；　which　delegates　to　one　the　power　to　negative　the　vote　of　all　the　rest；　is　SUBVERSIVE　OF　THE　NATURAL　RIGHT　OF　MANKIND　AND　REPUGNANT　TO　THE　WORD　OF　GOD。〃

The　Reverend　Mr。　　Welch　replied　to　the　lawyer's　attack；　pronouncing　him　to　be　〃destitute　of　delicacy；　decency；　good　manners；　sound　judgment；　honesty；　manhood；　and　humanity；　a　poltroon；　a　cat's…paw；　the　infamous　tool　of　a　party；　a　partisan；　a　political　weathercock；　and　a　ragamuffin。〃

No　Fourth…of…July　orator　would　in　our　day　rant　like　the　lawyer；　and　no　clergyman　would　use　such　language　as　that　of　the　Reverend　Moses　Welch。　　The　clergy　have　been　pretty　well　republicanized　within　that　last　two　or　three　generations；　and　are　not　likely　to　provoke　quarrels　by　assertion　of　their　special　dignities　or　privileges。　　The　public　is　better　bred　than　to　carry　on　an　ecclesiastical　controversy　in　terms　which　political　brawlers　would　hardly　think　admissible。　　The　minister　of　religion　is　generally　treated　with　something　more　than　respect；　he　is　allowed　to　say　undisputed　what　would　be　sharply　controverted　in　anybody　else。　　Bishop　Gilbert　Haven；　of　happy　memory；　had　been　discussing　a　religious　subject　with　a　friend　who　was　not　convinced　by　his　arguments。　　〃Wait　till　you　hear　me　from　the　pulpit；〃　he　said；　〃there　you　cannot　answer　me。〃　　The　preacherif　I　may　use　an　image　which　would　hardly　have　suggested　itself　to　himhas　his　hearer's　head　in　chancery；　and　can　administer　punishment　ad　libitum。　　False　facts；　false　reasoning；　bad　rhetoric；　bad　grammar；　stale　images；　borrowed　passages；　if　not　borrowed　sermons；　are　listened　to　without　a　word　of　comment　or　a　look　of　disapprobation。

One　of　the　ablest　and　most　conscientiously　laborious　of　our　clergymen　has　lately　ventured　to　question　whether　all　his　professional　brethren　invariably　give　utterance　to　their　sincerest　beliefs；　and　has　been　sharply　criticised　for　so　doing。　　The　layman；　who　sits　silent　in　his　pew；　has　his　rights　when　out　of　it；　and　among　them　is　the　right　of　questioning　that　which　has　been　addressed　to　him　from　the　privileged　eminence　of　the　pulpit；　or　in　any　way　sanctioned　by　his　religious　teacher。　　It　is　nearly　two　hundred　years　since　a　Boston　layman　wrote　these　words：　〃I　am　not　ignorant　that　the　pious　frauds　of　the　ancient；　and　the　inbred　fire　（I　do　not　call　it　pride）　of　many　of　our　modern　divines；　have　precipitated　them　to　propagate　and　maintain　truth　as　well　as　falsehoods；　in　such　an　unfair　manner　as　has　given　advantage　to　the　enemy　to　suspect　the　whole　doctrine　these　men　have　profest　to　be　nothing　but　a　mere　trick。〃

So　wrote　Robert　Calef；　the　Boston　merchant；　whose　book　the　Reverend　Increase　Mather；　president　of　Harvard　College；　burned　publicly　in　the　college　yard。　　But　the　pity　of　it　is　that　the　layman　had　not　cried　out　earlier　and　louder；　and　saved　the　community　from　the　horror　of　those　judicial　murders　for　witchcraft；　the　blame　of　which　was　so　largely　attributable　to　the　clergy。

Perhaps　no；　laymen　have　given　the　clergy　more　trouble　than　the　doctors。　　The　old　reproach　against　physicians；　that　where　there　were　three　of　them　together　there　were　two　atheists；　had　a　real　significance；　but　not　that　which　was　intended　by　the　sharp…tongued　ecclesiastic　who　first　uttered　it。　　Undoubtedly　there　is　a　strong　tendency　in　the　pursuits　of　the　medical　profession　to　produce　disbelief　in　that　figment　of　tradition　and　diseased　human　imagination　which　has　been　installed　in　the　seat　of　divinity　by　the　priesthood　of　cruel　and　ignorant　ages。　　It　is　impossible；　or　at　least　very　difficult；　for　a　physician　who　has　seen　the　perpetual　efforts　of　Naturewhose　diary　is　the　book　he　reads　oftenestto　heal　wounds；　to　expel　poisons；　to　do　the　best　that　can　be　done　under　the　given　conditions；it　is　very　difficult　for　him　to　believe　in　a　world　where　wounds　cannot　heal；　where　opiates　cannot　give　a　respite　from　pain；　where　sleep　never　comes　with　its　sweet　oblivion　of　suffering；　where　the　art　of　torture　is　the　only　science　cultivated；　and　the　capacity　for　being　tormented　is　the　only　faculty　which　remains　to　the　children　of　that　same　Father　who　cares　for　the　falling　sparrow。　　The　Deity　has　often　been　pictured　as　Moloch；　and　the　physician　has；　no　doubt；　frequently　repudiated　him　as　a　monstrosity。


On　the　other　hand；　the　physician　has　often　been　renowned　for　piety　as　well　as　for　his　peculiarly　professional　virtue　of　charity；led　upward　by　what　he　sees　to　the　source　of　all　the　daily　marvels　wrought　before　his　own　eyes。　　So　it　was　that　Galen　gave　utterance　to　that　psalm　of　praise　which　the　sweet　singer　of　Israel　need　not　have　been　ashamed　of；　and　if　this　〃heathen〃　could　be　lifted　into　such　a　strain　of　devotion；　we　need　not　be　surprised　to　find　so　many　devout　Christian　worshippers　among　the　crowd　of　medical　〃atheists。〃

No　two　professions　should　come　into　such　intimate　and　cordial　relations　as　those　to　which　belong　the　healers　of　the　body　and　the　headers　of　the　mind。　　There　can　be　no　more　fatal　mistake　than　that　which　brings　them　into　hostile　attitudes　with　reference　to　each　other；　both　having　in　view　the　welfare　of　their　fellow…creatures。　But　there　is　a　territory　always　liable　to　be　differed　about　between　them。　　There　are　patients　who　never　tell　their　physician　the　grief　which　lies　at　the　bottom　of　their　ailments。　　He　goes　through　his　accustomed　routine　with　them；　and　thinks　he　has　all　the　elements　needed　for　his　diagnosis。　　But　he　has　seen　no　deeper　into　the　breast　than　the　tongue；　and　got　no　nearer　the　heart　than　the　wrist。　　A　wise　and　experienced　clergyman；　coming　to　the　patient's　bedside；not　with　the　professional　look　on　his　face　which　suggests　the　undertaker　and　the　sexton；　but　with　a　serene　countenance　and　a　sympathetic　voice；　with　tact；　with　patience；　waiting　for　the　ri