lecture02-第4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！




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