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第4节

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stamp us as lacking in understanding of our task。  Things are



more or less divine; states of mind are more or less religious;



reactions are more or less total; but the boundaries are always



misty; and it is everywhere a question of amount and degree。 



Nevertheless; at their extreme of development; there can never be



any question as to what experiences are religious。  The divinity



of the object and the solemnity of the reaction are too well



marked for doubt。  Hesitation as to whether a state of mind is



〃religious;〃 or 〃irreligious;〃 or 〃moral;〃 or 〃philosophical;〃 is



only likely to arise when the state of mind is weakly



characterized; but in that case it will be hardly worthy of our



study at all。  With states that can only by courtesy be called



religious we need have nothing to do; our only profitable



business being with what nobody can possibly feel tempted to call



anything else。  I said in my former lecture that we learn most



about a thing when we view it under a microscope; as it were; or



in its most exaggerated form。  This is as true of religious



phenomena as of any other kind of fact。  The only cases likely to



be profitable enough to repay our attention will therefore be



cases where the religious spirit is unmistakable and extreme。 



Its fainter manifestations we may tranquilly pass by。  Here; for



example; is the total reaction upon life of Frederick Locker



Lampson; whose autobiography; entitled  〃Confidences;〃 proves him



to have been a most amiable man。







〃I am so far resigned to my lot that I feel small pain at the



thought of having to part from what has been called the pleasant



habit of existence; the sweet fable of life。  I would not care to



live my wasted life over again; and so to prolong my span。 



Strange to say; I have but little wish to be younger。  I submit



with a chill at my heart。  I humbly submit because it is the



Divine Will; and my appointed destiny。  I dread the increase of



infirmities that will make me a burden to those around me; those



dear to me。  No! let me slip away as quietly and comfortably as I



can。  Let the end come; if peace come with it。







〃I do not know that there is a great deal to be said for this



world; or our sojourn here upon it; but it has pleased God so to



place us; and it must please me also。  I ask you; what is human



life?  Is not it a maimed happinesscare and weariness;



weariness and care; with the baseless expectation; the strange



cozenage of a brighter to…morrow?  At best it is but a froward



child; that must be played with and humored; to keep it quiet



till it falls asleep; and then the care is over。〃'13'







'13' Op。 cit。; pp。 314; 313。















This is a complex; a tender; a submissive; and a graceful state



of mind。  For myself; I should have no objection to calling it on



the whole a religious state of mind; although I dare say that to



many of you it may seem too listless and half…hearted to merit so



good a name。  But what matters it in the end whether we call such



a state of mind religious or not?  It is too insignificant for



our instruction in any case; and its very possessor wrote it down



in terms which he would not have used unless he had been thinking



of more energetically religious moods in others; with which he



found himself unable to compete。  It is with these more energetic



states that our sole business lies; and we can perfectly well



afford to let the minor notes and the uncertain border go。  It



was the extremer cases that I had in mind a little while ago



when I said that personal religion; even without theology or



ritual; would prove to embody some elements that morality pure



and simple does not contain。  You may remember that I promised



shortly to point out what those elements were。  In a general way



I can now say what I had in mind。







〃I accept the universe〃 is reported to have been a favorite



utterance of our New England transcendentalist; Margaret Fuller;



and when some one repeated this phrase to Thomas Carlyle; his



sardonic comment is said to have been:  〃Gad! she'd better!〃  At



bottom the whole concern of both morality and religion is with



the manner of our acceptance of the universe。  Do we accept it



only in part and grudgingly; or heartily and altogether?  Shall



our protests against certain things in it be radical and



unforgiving; or shall we think that; even with evil; there are



ways of living that must lead to good?  If we accept the whole;



shall we do so as if stunned into submissionas Carlyle would



have us〃Gad! we'd better!〃or shall we do so with enthusiastic



assent?  Morality pure and simple accepts the law of the whole



which it finds reigning; so far as to acknowledge and obey it;



but it may obey it with the heaviest and coldest heart; and never



cease to feel it as a yoke。  But for religion; in its strong and



fully developed manifestations; the service of the highest never



is felt as a yoke。  Dull submission is left far behind; and a



mood of welcome; which may fill any place on the scale between



cheerful serenity and enthusiastic gladness; has taken its place。







It makes a tremendous emotional and practical difference to one



whether one accept the universe in the drab discolored way of



stoic resignation to necessity; or with the passionate happiness



of Christian saints。  The difference is as great as that between



passivity and activity; as that between the defensive and the



aggressive mood。  Gradual as are the steps by which an individual



may grow from one state into the other; many as are the



intermediate stages which different individuals represent; yet



when you place the typical extremes beside each other for



comparison; you feel that two discontinuous psychological



universes confront you; and that in passing from one to the other



a 〃critical point〃 has been overcome。







If we compare stoic with Christian ejaculations we see much more



than a difference of doctrine; rather is it a difference of



emotional mood that parts them。  When Marcus Aurelius reflects on



the eternal reason that has ordered things; there is a frosty



chill about his words which you rarely find in a Jewish; and



never in a Christian piece of religious writing。  The universe is



〃accepted〃 by all these writers; but how devoid of passion or



exultation the spirit of the Roman Emperor is!  Compare his fine



sentence:  〃If gods care not for me or my children; here is a



reason for it;〃 with Job's cry:  〃Though he slay me; yet will I



trust in him!〃 and you immediately see the difference I mean。 



The anima mundi; to whose disposal of his own personal destiny



the Stoic consents; is there to be respected and submitted to;



but the Christian God is there to be loved; and the difference of



emotional atmosphere is like that between an arctic climate and



the tropics; though the outcome in the way of accepting actual



conditions uncomplainingly may seem in abstract terms to be much



the same。







〃It is a man's duty;〃 says Marcus Aurelius; 〃to comfort himself



and wait for the natural dissolution; and not to be vexed; but to



find refreshment solely in these thoughtsfirst that nothing



will happen to me which is not conformable to the nature of the



universe; and secondly that I need do nothing contrary to the God



and deity within me; for there is no man who can compel me to



transgress。  He is an abscess on the universe who withdraws



and separates himself from the reason of our common nature;



through being displeased with the things which happen。  For the



same nature produces these; and has produced thee too。  And so



accept everything which happens; even if it seem disagreeable;



because it leads to this; the health of the universe and to the



prosperity and felicity of Zeus。  For he would not have brought



on any man what he has brought if it were not useful for the



whole。  The integrity of the whole is mutilated if thou cuttest



off anything。  And thou dost cut off; as far as it is in thy



power; when thou art dissatisfied; and in a manner triest to put



anything out of the way。〃'14'







'14' Book V。; ch。 ix。 (abridged)。















Compare now this mood with that of the old Christian author of



the Theologia Germanica:







〃Where men are enlightened with the true light; they renounce all



desire and choice; and commit and commend themselves and all



things to the eternal Goodness; so that every enlightened man



could say:  'I wou

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