resurrection(复活)-第121章

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and　paradoxical　or　even　to　be　only　a　joke；　being　confirmed　more
and　more　often　by　life's　experience；　suddenly　appeared　as　the
simplest；　truest　certainty。　In　this　way　the　idea　that　the　only
certain　means　of　salvation　from　the　terrible　evil　from　which　men
were　suffering　was　that　they　should　always　acknowledge　themselves
to　be　sinning　against　God；　and　therefore　unable　to　punish　or
correct　others；　because　they　were　dear　to　Him。　It　became　clear　to
him　that　all　the　dreadful　evil　he　had　been　witnessing　in　prisons
and　jails　and　the　quiet　self…satisfaction　of　the　perpetrators　of
this　evil　were　the　consequences　of　men　trying　to　do　what　was
impossible；　trying　to　correct　evil　while　being　evil　themselves；
vicious　men　were　trying　to　correct　other　vicious　men；　and　thought
they　could　do　it　by　using　mechanical　means；　and　the　only
consequence　of　all　this　was　that　the　needs　and　the　cupidity　of
some　men　induced　them　to　take　up　this　so…called　punishment　and
correction　as　a　profession；　and　have　themselves　become　utterly
corrupt；　and　go　on　unceasingly　depraving　those　whom　they　torment。
Now　he　saw　clearly　what　all　the　terrors　he　had　seen　came　from；
and　what　ought　to　be　done　to　put　a　stop　to　them。　The　answer　he
could　not　find　was　the　same　that　Christ　gave　to　Peter。　It　was
that　we　should　forgive　always　an　infinite　number　of　times　because
there　are　no　men　who　have　not　sinned　themselves；　and　therefore
none　can　punish　or　correct　others。

〃But　surely　it　cannot　he　so　simple；〃　thought　Nekhludoff；　and　yet
he　saw　with　certainty；　strange　as　it　had　seemed　at　first；　that　it
was　not　only　a　theoretical　but　also　a　practical　solution　of　the
question。　The　usual　objection；　〃What　is　one　to　do　with　the　evil
doers？　Surely　not　let　them　go　unpunished？〃　no　longer　confused
him。　This　objection　might　have　a　meaning　if　it　were　proved　that
punishment　lessened　crime；　or　improved　the　criminal；　but　when　the
contrary　was　proved；　and　it　was　evident　that　it　was　not　in
people's　power　to　correct　each　other；　the　only　reasonable　thing
to　do　is　to　leave　off　doing　the　things　which　are　not　only
useless；　but　harmful；　immoral　and　cruel。

For　many　centuries　people　who　were　considered　criminals　have　been
tortured。　Well；　and　have　they　ceased　to　exist？　No；　their　numbers
have　been　increased　not　alone　by　the　criminals　corrupted　by
punishment　but　also　by　those　lawful　criminals；　the　judges；
procureurs；　magistrates　and　jailers；　who　judge　and　punish　men。
Nekhludoff　now　understood　that　society　and　order　in　general
exists　not　because　of　these　lawful　criminals　who　judge　and　punish
others；　but　because　in　spite　of　men　being　thus　depraved；　they
still　pity　and　love　one　another。

In　hopes　of　finding　a　confirmation　of　this　thought　in　the　Gospel；
Nekhludoff　began　reading　it　from　the　beginning。　When　he　had　read
the　Sermon　on　the　Mount；　which　had　always　touched　him；　he　saw　in
it　for　the　first　time　to…day　not　beautiful　abstract　thoughts；
setting　forth　for　the　most　part　exaggerated　and　impossible
demands；　but　simple；　clear；　practical　laws。　If　these　laws　were
carried　out　in　practice　（and　this　was　quite　possible）　they　would
establish　perfectly　new　and　surprising　conditions　of　social　life；
in　which　the　violence　that　filled　Nekhludoff　with　such
indignation　would　cease　of　itself。　Not　only　this；　but　the
greatest　blessing　that　is　obtainable　to　men；　the　Kingdom　of
Heaven　on　Earth　would　he　established。　There　were　five　of　these
laws。

The　first　（Matt。　v。　21…26）；　that　man　should　not　only　do　no
murder；　but　not　even　be　angry　with　his　brother；　should　not
consider　any　one　worthless：　〃Raca；〃　and　if　he　has　quarrelled　with
any　one　he　should　make　it　up　with　him　before　bringing　his　gift　to
Godi。e。；　before　praying。

The　second　（Matt。　v。　27…32）；　that　man　should　not　only　not　commit
adultery　but　should　not　even　seek　for　enjoyment　in　a　woman's
beauty；　and　if　he　has　once　come　together　with　a　woman　he　should
never　be　faithless　to　her。

The　third　（Matt。　33…37）；　that　man　should　never　bind　himself　by
oath。

The　fourth　（Matt。　38…42）；　that　man　should　not　only　not　demand　an
eye　for　an　eye；　but　when　struck　on　one　cheek　should　hold　out　the
other；　should　forgive　an　offence　and　bear　it　humbly；　and　never
refuse　the　service　others　demand　of　him。

The　fifth　（Matt。　43…48）；　that　man　should　not　only　not　hate　his
enemy　and　not　fight　him；　but　love　him；　help　him；　serve　him。

Nekhludoff　sat　staring　at　the　lamp　and　his　heart　stood　still。
Recalling　the　monstrous　confusion　of　the　life　we　lead；　he
distinctly　saw　what　that　life　could　be　if　men　were　brought　up　to
obey　these　rules；　and　rapture　such　as　he　had　long　not　felt　filled
his　soul；　just　as　if　after　long　days　of　weariness　and　suffering
he　had　suddenly　found　ease　and　freedom。

He　did　not　sleep　all　night；　and　as　it　happens　to　many　and　many　a
man　who　reads　the　Gospels　he　understood　for　the　first　time　the
full　meaning　of　the　words　read　so　often　before　but　passed　by
unnoticed。　He　imbibed　all　these　necessary；　important　and　joyful
revelations　as　a　sponge　imbibes　water。　And　all　he　read　seemed　so
familiar　and　seemed　to　confirm；　to　form　into　a　conception；　what
he　had　known　long　ago；　but　had　never　realised　and　never　quite
believed。　Now　he　realised　and　believed　it；　and　not　only　realised
and　believed　that　if　men　would　obey　these　laws　they　would　obtain
the　highest　blessing　they　can　attain　to；　he　also　realised　and
believed　that　the　only　duty　of　every　man　is　to　fulfil　these　laws；
that　in　this　lies　the　only　reasonable　meaning　of　life；　that　every
stepping　aside　from　these　laws　is　a　mistake　which　is　immediately
followed　by　retribution。　This　flowed　from　the　whole　of　the
teaching；　and　was　most　strongly　and　clearly　illustrated　in　the
parable　of　the　vineyard。

The　husbandman　imagined　that　the　vineyard　in　which　they　were　sent
to　work　for　their　master　was　their　own；　that　all　that　was　in　was
made　for　them；　and　that　their　business　was　to　enjoy　life　in　this
vineyard；　forgetting　the　Master　and　killing　all　those　who
reminded　them　of　his　existence。　〃Are　we　do　not　doing　the　same；〃
Nekhludoff　thought；　〃when　we　imagine　ourselves　to　be　masters　of
our　lives；　and　that　life　is　given　us　for　enjoyment？　This
evidently　is　an　incongruity。　We　were　sent　here　by　some　one's　will
and　for　some　reason。　And　we　have　concluded　that　we　live　only　for
our　own　joy；　and　of　course　we　feel　unhappy　as　labourers　do　when
not　fulfilling　their　Master's　orders。　The　Master's　will　is
expressed　in　these　commandments。　If　men　will　only　fulfil　these
laws；　the　Kingdom　of　Heaven　will　be　established　on　earth；　and　men
will　receive　the　greatest　good　that　they　can　attain　to。

〃'Seek　ye　first　the　Kingdom　and　His　righteousness；　and　all　these
things　shall　be　added　unto　you。'

〃And　so　here　it　is；　the　business　of　my　life。　Scarcely　have　I
finished　one　and　another　has　commenced。〃　And　a　perfectly　new　life
dawned　that　night　for　Nekhludoff；　not　because　he　had　entered　into
new　conditions　of　life；　but　because　everything　he　did　after　that
night　had　a　new　and　quite　different　significance　than　before。　How
this　new　period　of　his　life　will　end　time　alone　will　prove。





End　XFIR驗MZ�