over the teacups-第46节

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that　way　than　in　any　other　〃L'appetit　vient　en　mangeant；〃　the　French

saying　has　it。　　〃L'esprit　vient　en　causant；〃　that　is；　if　one　can　find

the　right　persons　to　talk　with。



The　subject　which　has　specially　interested　Number　Five　and　myself；　of

late；　was　suggested　to　me　in　the　following　way。



Some　two　years　ago　I　received　a　letter　from　a　clergyman　who　bears　by

inheritance　one　of　the　most　distinguished　names　which　has　done　honor

to　the　American　〃Orthodox〃　pulpit。　　This　letter　requested　of　me　〃a

contribution　to　a　proposed　work　which　was　to　present　in　their　own

language　the　views　of　'many　men　of　many　minds'　on　the　subject　of

future　punishment。　　It　was　in　my　mind　to　let　the　public　hear　not　only

from　professional　theologians；　but　from　other　professions；　as　from

jurists　on　the　alleged　but　disputed　value　of　the　hangman's　whip

overhanging　the　witness…box；　and　from　physicians　on　the　working　of

beliefs　about　the　future　life　in　the　minds　of　the　dangerously　sick。

And　I　could　not　help　thinking　what　a　good　thing　it　would　be　to　draw

out　the　present　writer　upon　his　favorite　borderland　between　the

spiritual　and　the　material。〃　　The　communication　came　to　me；　as　the

writer　reminds　me　in　a　recent　letter；　at　a　〃painfully　inopportune

time；〃　and　though　it　was　courteously　answered；　was　not　made　the

subject　of　a　special　reply。



This　request　confers　upon　me　a　certain　right　to　express　my　opinion　on

this　weighty　subject　without　fear　and　without　reproach　even　from

those　who　might　be　ready　to　take　offence　at　one　of　the　laity　for

meddling　with　pulpit　questions。　　It　shows　also　that　this　is　not　a

dead　issue　in　our　community；　as　some　of　the　younger　generation　seem

to　think。　　There　are　some；　there　may　be　many；　who　would　like　to　hear

what　impressions　one　has　received　on　the　subject　referred　to；　after　a

long　life　in　which　he　has　heard　and　read　a　great　deal　about　the

matter。　　There　is　a　certain　gravity　in　the　position　of　one　who　is；　in

the　order　of　nature　very　near　the　undiscovered　country。　　A　man　who

has　passed　his　eighth　decade　feels　as　if　be　were　already　in　the

antechamber　of　the　apartments　which　he　may　be　called　to　occupy　in　the

house　of　many　mansions。　　His　convictions　regarding　the　future　of　our

race　are　likely　to　be　serious；　and　his　expressions　not　lightly

uttered。　　The　question　my　correspondent　suggests　is　a　tremendous　one。

No　other　interest　compares　for　one　moment　with　that　belonging　to　it。

It　is　not　only　ourselves　that　it　concerns；　but　all　whom　we　love　or

ever　have　loved；　all　our　human　brotherhood；　as　well　as　our　whole　idea

of　the　Being　who　made　us　and　the　relation　in　which　He　stands　to　his

creatures。　　In　attempting　to　answer　my　correspondent's　question；　I

shall　no　doubt　repeat　many　things　I　have　said　before　in　different

forms；　on　different　occasions。　　This　is　no　more　than　every　clergyman

does　habitually；　and　it　would　be　hard　if　I　could　not　have　the　same

license　which　the　professional　preacher　enjoys　so　fully。



Number　Five　and　I　have　occasionally　talked　on　religious　questions；

and　discovered　many　points　of　agreement　in　our　views。　　Both　of　us

grew　up　under　the　old　〃Orthodox　〃　or　Calvinistic　system　of　belief。

Both　of　us　accepted　it　in　our　early　years　as　a　part　of　our　education。

Our　experience　is　a　common　one。　　William　Cullen　Bryant　says　of

himself；　〃The　Calvinistic　system　of　divinity　I　adopted　of　course；　as

I　heard　nothing　else　taught　from　the　pulpit；　and　supposed　it　to　be

the　accepted　belief　of　the　religious　world。〃　　But　it　was　not　the

〃five　points〃　which　remained　in　the　young　poet's　memory　and　shaped

his　higher　life。　　It　was　the　influence　of　his　mother　that　left　its

permanent　impression　after　the　questions　and　answers　of　the

Assembly's　Catechism　had　faded　out；　or　remained　in　memory　only　as

fossil　survivors　of　an　extinct　or　fast…disappearing　theological

formation。　　The　important　point　for　him；　as　for　so　many　other

children　of　Puritan　descent；　was　not　his　father's　creed；　but　his

mother's　character；　precepts；　and　example。　　〃She　was　a　person；〃　he

says；　〃of　excellent　practical　sense；　of　a　quick　and　sensitive　moral

judgment；　and　had　no　patience　with　any　form　of　deceit　or　duplicity。

Her　prompt　condemnation　of　injustice；　even　in　those　instances　in

which　it　is　tolerated　by　the　world；　made　a　strong　impression　upon　me

in　early　life；　and　if；　in　the　discussion　of　public　questions；　I　have

in　my　riper　age　endeavored　to　keep　in　view　the　great　rule　of　right

without　much　regard　to　persons；　it　has　been　owing　in　a　great　degree

to　the　force　of　her　example；　which　taught　me　never　to　countenance　a

wrong　because　others　did。〃



I　have　quoted　this　passage　because　it　was　an　experience　not　wholly


unlike　my　own；　and　in　certain　respects　like　that　of　Number　Five。　　To

grow　up　in　a　narrow　creed　and　to　grow　out　of　it　is　a　tremendous　trial

of　one's　nature。　　There　is　always　a　bond　of　fellowship　between　those

who　have　been　through　such　an　ordeal。



The　experiences　we　have　had　in　common　naturally　lead　us　to　talk　over

the　theological　questions　which　at　this　time　are　constantly

presenting　themselves　to　the　public；　not　only　in　the　books　and　papers

expressly　devoted　to　that　class　of　subjects；　but　in　many　of　the

newspapers　and　popular　periodicals；　from　the　weeklies　to　the

quarterlies。　　The　pulpit　used　to　lay　down　the　law　to　the　pews；　at　the

present　time；　it　is　of　more　consequence　what　the　pews　think　than　what

the　minister　does；　for　the　obvious　reason　that　the　pews　can　change

their　minister；　and　often　do；　whereas　the　minister　cannot　change　the

pews；　or　can　do　so　only　to　a　very　limited　extent。　　The　preacher's

garment　is　cut　according　to　the　pattern　of　that　of　the　hearers；　for

the　most　part。　　Thirty　years　ago；　when　I　was　writing　on　theological

subjects；　I　came　in　for　a　very　pretty　share　of　abuse；　such　as　it　was

the　fashion　of　that　day；　at　least　in　certain　quarters；　to　bestow　upon

those　who　were　outside　of　the　high…walled　enclosures　in　which　many

persons；　not　naturally　unamiable　or　exclusive；　found　themselves

imprisoned。　　Since　that　time　what　changes　have　taken　place！　　Who　will

believe　that　a　well…behaved　and　reputable　citizen　could　have　been

denounced　as　a　〃moral　parricide；〃　because　he　attacked　some　of　the

doctrines　in　which　he　was　supposed　to　have　been　brought　up？　　A　single

thought　should　have　prevented　the　masked　theologian　who　abused　his

incognito　from　using　such　libellous　language。



Much；　and　in　many　families　most；　of　the　religious　teaching　of

children　is　committed　to　the　mother。　　The　experience　of　William

Cullen　Bryant；　which　I　have　related　in　his　own　words；　is　that　of　many

New　England　children。　　Now；　the　sternest　dogmas　that　ever　came　from　a

soul　cramped　or　palsied　by　an　obsolete　creed　become　wonderfully

softened　in　passing　between　the　lips　of　a　mother。　　The　cruel　doctrine

at　which　all　but　case…hardened　〃professionals〃　shudder　cones　out；　as

she　teaches　and　illustrates　it；　as　unlike　its　original　as　the　milk

which　a　peasant　mother　gives　her　babe　is　unlike　the　coarse　food　which

furnishes　her　nourishment。　　The　virus　of　a　cursing　creed　is　rendered

comparatively　harmless　by　the　time　it　reaches　the　young　sinner　in　the

nursery。　　Its　effects　fall　as　far　short　of　what　might　have　been

expected　from　its　virulence　as　the　pearly　vaccine　vesicle　falls　short

of　the　terrors　of　the　confluent　small…pox。　　Controversialists　should

therefore　be　careful　（for　their　own　sakes；　for　they　hurt　nobody　so

much　as　themselves）　how　they　use　such　terms　as　〃parricide〃　as

characterizing　those　who　do　not　agree　in　all　points　with　the　fathers

whom　or　whose　memory　they　honor　and　venerate。　　They　might　with　as

much　propriety　call　them　matricides；　if　they　did　not　agree　with　the

milder　teachings　of　their　mothers。　　I　can　imagine　Jonathan　Edwards　in

the　nursery　with　his　three…year…old　child　upon　his　knee。　　The　child

looks　up　to　his　face　and　says　to　him；〃Papa；　nurse　tells　me　that　you

say　God　hates　me　worse　than　He　hates　one　of　those　horrid　ugly　snakes

that　crawl　all　round。　　Does　God　hate　me　so？〃



〃Alas！　　my　child；　it　is　but　too　true。　　So　long　as　you　are　out　of

Christ　you　are　as　a　viper；　and　worse　than　a　viper；　in　his　sight。〃



By　and　by；　Mrs。　　Edwards；　one　of　the　loveliest　of　women　and　sweetest

of　mothers；　comes　into　the　nursery。　　The　child　is　crying。



〃What　is　the　matter；　my　darling？〃



〃　Papa　has　been　telling　me　that　God　hates　me　worse　than　a　snake。〃



Poor；　gentle；　poetical；　sensitive；　spiritual；　almost　celestial　Mrs。

Jonathan　Edwards！　　On　the　one　hand　the　terrible　sentence　conceived；

written　down；　given　to　the　press；　by　the　child's　father；　on　the　other

side　the　trusting　child　looking　up　at　her；　and　all　the　mother

pleading　in　her　heart　against　the　frightful　dogma　of　her　revered

husband。　　Do　you　suppose　she　left　that　poison　to　rankle　in　the　tender

soul　of　her　darling？　　Would　it　have　been　moral　parricide　for　a　son　of

the　great　divine　to　have　repudiated　the　doctrine　which　degraded　his

blameless　infancy　to　the　condition　and　be