passages from an old volume of life-第28节
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！
The confidence； if not the spirit of prophecy； lasted down to a later period。 〃In half a century；〃 said the venerable Dr。 Porter of Conway； New Hampshire； in 1822； 〃there will be no Pagans； Jews； Mohammedans； Unitarians； or Methodists。〃 The half…century has more than elapsed； and the prediction seems to stand in need of an extension； like many other prophetic utterances。
The story is told of David Osgood； the shaggy…browed old minister of Medford； that he had expressed his belief that not more than one soul in two thousand would be saved。 Seeing a knot of his parishioners in debate； he asked them what they were discussing； and was told that they were questioning which of the Medford people was the elected one； the population being just two thousand； and that opinion was divided whether it would be the minister or one of his deacons。 The story may or may not be literally true； but it illustrates the popular belief of those days； that the clergyman saw a good deal farther into the councils of the Almighty than his successors could claim the power of doing。
The objects about me； as I am writing； call to mind the varied accomplishments of some of the New England clergy。 The face of the Revolutionary preacher； Samuel Cooper； as Copley painted it； looks upon me with the pleasantest of smiles and a liveliness of expression which makes him seem a contemporary after a hundred years' experience of eternity。 The Plato on this lower shelf bears the inscription：〃 Ezroe Stiles； 1766。 Olim e libris Rev。 Jaredis Eliot de Killingworth。〃 Both were noted scholars and philosophers。 The hand… lens before me was imported； with other philosophical instruments； by the Reverend John Prince of Salem； an earlier student of science in the town since distinguished by the labors of the Essex Institute。 Jeremy Belknap holds an honored place in that unpretending row of local historians。 And in the pages of his 〃History of New Hampshire〃 may be found a chapter contributed in part by the most remarkable man； in many respects； among all the older clergymen preacher； lawyer； physician； astronomer； botanist； entomologist； explorer； colonist； legislator in state and national governments； and only not seated on the bench of the Supreme Court of a Territory because he declined the office when Washington offered it to him。 This manifold individual was the minister of Hamilton； a pleasant little town in Essex County； Massachusetts；the Reverend Manasseh Cutler。 These reminiscences from surrounding objects came up unexpectedly； of themselves： and have a right here； as showing how wide is the range of intelligence in the clerical body thus accidentally represented in a single library making no special pretensions。
It is not so exalted a claim to make for them； but it may be added that they were often the wits and humorists of their localities。 Mather Byles's facetie are among the colonial classic reminiscences。 But these were； for the most part； verbal quips and quibbles。 True humor is an outgrowth of character。 It is never found in greater perfection than in old clergymen and old college professors。 Dr。 Sprague's 〃Annals of the American Pulpit〃 tells many stories of our old ministers as good as Dean Ramsay's 〃Scottish Reminiscences。〃 He has not recorded the following； which is to be found in Miss Larned's excellent and most interesting History of Windham County； Connecticut。 The Reverend Josiah Dwight was the minister of Woodstock； Connecticut； about the year 1700。 He was not old； it is true； but he must have caught the ways of the old ministers。 The 〃sensational〃 pulpit of our own time could hardly surpass him in the drollery of its expressions。 A specimen or two may dispose the reader to turn over the pages which follow in a good…natured frame of mind。 〃If unconverted men ever got to heaven；〃 he said； 〃they would feel as uneasy as a shad up the crotch of a white…oak。〃 Some of his ministerial associates took offence at his eccentricities； and called on a visit of admonition to the offending clergyman。 〃 Mr。 Dwight received their reproofs with great meekness； frankly acknowledged his faults； and promised amendment； but； in prayer at parting； after returning thanks for the brotherly visit and admonition； 'hoped that they might so hitch their horses on earth that they should never kick in the stables of everlasting salvation。'〃
It is a good thing to have some of the blood of one of these old ministers in one's veins。 An English bishop proclaimed the fact before an assembly of physicians the other day that he was not ashamed to say that he had a son who was a doctor。 Very kind that was in the bishop； and very proud his medical audience must have felt。 Perhaps he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Luke； 〃the beloved physician；〃 or even of the teachings which came from the lips of one who was a carpenter； and the son of a carpenter。 So a New…Englander； even if he were a bishop； need not be ashamed to say that he consented to have an ancestor who was a minister。 On the contrary； he has a right to be grateful for a probable inheritance of good instincts； a good name； and a bringing up in a library where he bumped about among books 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 borrowe
