the unseen world and other essays-第21节

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he　effects　of　the　crucifixion　may　be　found　in　Salvador's　〃Jesus…Christ　et　sa　Doctrine〃；　but；　as　Zeller　has　shown；　the　theory　is　utterly　unsatisfactory。　The　natural　return　of　Jesus　to　his　disciples　never　could　have　given　rise　to　the　notion　of　his　resurrection；　since　the　natural　explanation　would　have　been　the　more　obvious　one；　besides　which；　if　we　were　to　adopt　this　hypothesis；　we　should　be　obliged　to　account　for　the　fact　that　the　historic　career　of　Jesus　ends　with　the　crucifixion。　The　most　probable　explanation；　on　the　whole；　is　the　one　suggested　by　the　accounts　in　the　gospels；　that　the　dogma　of　the　resurrection　is　due　originally　to　the　excited　imagination　of　Mary　of　Magdala。＇23＇　The　testimony　of　Paul　may　also　be　cited　in　favour　of　this　view；　since　he　always　alludes　to　earlier　Christophanies　in　just　the　same　language　which　he　uses　in　describing　his　own　vision　on　the　road　to　Damascus。

＇23＇　See　Taine；　De　l'Intelligence；　II。　192。


But　the　question　as　to　how　the　belief　in　the　resurrection　of　Jesus　originated　is　of　less　importance　than　the　question　as　to　how　it　should　have　produced　the　effect　that　it　did。　The　dogma　of　the　resurrection　has；　until　recent　times；　been　so　rarely　treated　from　the　historical　point　of　view；　that　the　student　of　history　at　first　finds　some　difficulty　in　thoroughly　realizing　its　import　to　the　minds　of　those　who　first　proclaimed　it。　We　cannot　hope　to　understand　it　without　bearing　in　mind　the　theories　of　the　Jews　and　early　Christians　concerning　the　structure　of　the　world　and　the　cosmic　location　of　departed　souls。　Since　the　time　of　Copernicus　modern　Christians　no　longer　attempt　to　locate　heaven　and　hell；　they　are　conceived　merely　as　mysterious　places　remote　from　the　earth。　The　theological　universe　no　longer　corresponds　to　that　which　physical　science　presents　for　our　contemplation。　It　was　quite　different　with　the　Jew。　His　conception　of　the　abode　of　Jehovah　and　the　angels；　and　of　departed　souls；　was　exceedingly　simple　and　definite。　In　the　Jewish　theory　the　universe　is　like　a　sort　of　three…story　house。　The　flat　earth　rests　upon　the　waters；　and　under　the　earth's　surface　is　the　land　of　graves；　called　Sheol；　where　after　death　the　souls　of　all　men　go；　the　righteous　as　well　as　the　wicked；　for　the　Jew　had　not　arrived　at　the　doctrine　of　heaven　and　hell。　The　Hebrew　Sheol　corresponds　strictly　to　the　Greek　Hades；　before　the　notions　of　Elysium　and　Tartarus　were　added　to　it；a　land　peopled　with　flitting　shadows；　suffering　no　torment；　but　experiencing　no　pleasure；　like　those　whom　Dante　met　in　one　of　the　upper　circles　of　his　Inferno。　Sheol　is　the　first　story　of　the　cosmic　house；　the　earth　is　the　second。　Above　the　earth　is　the　firmament　or　sky；　which；　according　to　the　book　of　Genesis　（chap。　i。　v。　6；　Hebrew　text）；　is　a　vast　plate　hammered　out　by　the　gods；　and　supports　a　great　ocean　like　that　upon　which　the　earth　rests。　Rain　is　caused　by　the　opening　of　little　windows　or　trap…doors　in　the　firmament；　through　which　pours　the　water　of　this　upper　ocean。　Upon　this　water　rests　the　land　of　heaven；　where　Jehovah　reigns；　surrounded　by　hosts　of　angels。　To　this　blessed　land　two　only　of　the　human　race　had　ever　been　admitted；Enoch　and　Elijah；　the　latter　of　whom　had　ascended　in　a　chariot　of　fire；　and　was　destined　to　return　to　earth　as　the　herald　and　forerunner　of　the　Messiah。　Heaven　forms　the　third　story　of　the　cosmic　house。　Between　the　firmament　and　the　earth　is　the　air；　which　is　the　habitation　of　evil　demons　ruled　by　Satan；　the　〃prince　of　the　powers　of　the　air。〃

Such　was　the　cosmology　of　the　ancient　Jew；　and　his　theology　was　equally　simple。　Sheol　was　the　destined　abode　of　all　men　after　death；　and　no　theory　of　moral　retribution　was　attached　to　the　conception。　The　rewards　and　punishments　known　to　the　authors　of　the　Pentateuch　and　the　early　Psalms　are　all　earthly　rewards　and　punishments。　But　in　course　of　time　the　prosperity　of　the　wicked　and　the　misfortunes　of　the　good　man　furnished　a　troublesome　problem　for　the　Jewish　thinker；　and　after　the　Babylonish　Captivity；　we　find　the　doctrine　of　a　resurrection　from　Sheol　devised　in　order　to　meet　this　case。　According　to　this　doctrinewhich　was　borrowed　from　the　Zarathustrian　theology　of　Persiathe　Messiah　on　his　arrival　was　to　free　from　Sheol　all　the　souls　of　the　righteous；　causing　them　to　ascend　reinvested　in　their　bodies　to　a　renewed　and　beautiful　earth；　while　on　the　other　hand　the　wicked　were　to　be　punished　with　tortures　like　those　of　the　valley　of　Hinnom；　or　were　to　be　immersed　in　liquid　brimstone；　like　that　which　had　rained　upon　Sodom　and　Gomorrah。　Here　we　get　the　first　announcement　of　a　future　state　of　retribution。　The　doctrine　was　peculiarly　Pharisaic；　and　the　Sadducees；　who　were　strict　adherents　to　the　letter　of　Mosaism；　rejected　it　to　the　last。　By　degrees　this　doctrine　became　coupled　with　the　Messianic　theories　of　the　Pharisees。　The　loss　of　Jewish　independence　under　the　dominion　of　Persians；　Macedonians；　and　Romans；　caused　the　people　to　look　ever　more　earnestly　toward　the　expected　time　when　the　Messiah　should　appear　in　Jerusalem　to　deliver　them　from　their　oppressors。　The　moral　doctrines　of　the　Psalms　and　earlier　prophets　assumed　an　increasingly　political　aspect。　The　Jews　were　the　righteous　〃under　a　cloud；〃　whose　sufferings　were　symbolically　depicted　by　the　younger　Isaiah　as　the　afflictions　of　the　〃servant　of　Jehovah〃；　while　on　the　other　hand；　the　〃wicked〃　were　the　Gentile　oppressors　of　the　holy　people。　Accordingly　the　Messiah；　on　his　arrival；　was　to　sit　in　judgment　in　the　valley　of　Jehoshaphat；　rectifying　the　wrongs　of　his　chosen　ones；　condemning　the　Gentile　tyrants　to　the　torments　of　Gehenna；　and　raising　from　Sheol　all　those　Jews　who　had　lived　and　died　during　the　evil　times　before　his　coming。　These　were　to　find　in　the　Messianic　kingdom　the　compensation　for　the　ills　which　they　had　suffered　in　their　first　earthly　existence。　Such　are　the　main　outlines　of　the　theory　found　in　the　Book　of　Enoch；　written　about　B。　C。　100；　and　it　is　adopted　in　the　Johannine　Apocalypse；　with　little　variation；　save　in　the　recognition　of　Jesus　as　the　Messiah；　and　in　the　transferrence　to　his　second　coming　of　all　these　wonderful　proceedings。　The　manner　of　the　Messiah's　coming　had　been　variously　imagined。　According　to　an　earlier　view；　he　was　to　enter　Jerusalem　as　a　King　of　the　house　of　David；　and　therefore　of　human　lineage。　According　to　a　later　view；　presented　in　the　Book　of　Daniel；　he　was　to　descend　from　the　sky；　and　appear　among　the　clouds。　Both　these　views　were　adopted　by　the　disciples　of　Jesus；　who　harmonized　them　by　referring　the　one　to　his　first　and　the　other　to　his　second　appearance。

Now　to　the　imaginations　of　these　earliest　disciples　the　belief　in　the　resurrection　of　Jesus　presented　itself　as　a　needful　guarantee　of　his　Messiahship。　Their　faith；　which　must　have　been　shaken　by　his　execution　and　descent　into　Sheol；　received　welcome　confirmation　by　the　springing　up　of　the　belief　that　he　had　been　again　seen　upon　the　face　of　the　earth。　Applying　the　imagery　of　Daniel；　it　became　a　logical　conclusion　that　he　must　have　ascended　into　the　sky；　whence　he　might　shortly　be　expected　to　make　his　appearance；　to　enact　the　scenes　foretold　in　prophecy。　That　such　was　the　actual　process　of　inference　is　shown　by　the　legend　of　the　Ascension　in　the　first　chapter　of　the　〃Acts；〃　and　especially　by　the　words；　〃This　Jesus　who　hath　been　taken　up　from　you　into　heaven；　will　come　in　the　same　manner　in　which　ye　beheld　him　going　into　heaven。〃　In　the　Apocalypse；　written　A。　D。　68；　just　after　the　death　of　Nero；　this　second　coming　is　described　as　something　immediately　to　happen；　and　the　colours　in　which　it　is　depicted　show　how　closely　allied　were　the　Johannine　notions　to　those　of　the　Pharisees。　The　glories　of　the　New　Jerusalem　are　to　be　reserved　for　Jews；　while　for　the　Roman　tyrants　of　Judaea　is　reserved　a　fearful　retribution。　They　are　to　be　trodden　underfoot　by　the　Messiah；　like　grapes　in　a　wine…press；　until　the　gushing　blood　shall　rise　to　the　height　of　the　horse's　bridle。

In　the　writings　of　Paul　the　dogma　of　the　resurrection　assumes　a　very　different　aspect。　Though　Paul；　like　the　older　apostles；　held　that　Jesus；　as　the　Messiah；　was　to　return　to　the　earth　within　a　few　years；　yet　to　his　catholic　mind　this　anticipated　event　had　become　divested　of　its　narrow　Jewish　significance。　In　the　eyes　of　Paul；　the　religion　preached　by　Jesus　was　an　abrogation　of　Mosaism；　and　the　truths　contained　in　it　were　a　free　gift　to　the　Gentile　as　well　as　to　the　Jewish　world。　According　to　Paul；　death　came　into　the　world　as　a　punishment　for　the　sin　of　Adam。　By　this　he　meant　that；　had　it　not　been　for　the　original　transgression；　all　men　escaping　death　would　either　have　remained　upon　earth　or　have　been　conveyed　to　heaven；　like　Enoch　and　Elijah；　in　incorruptible　bodies。　But　in　reality　as　a　penance　for　disobedience；　all　men；　with　these　two　exceptions；　had　suffered　death；　and　been　exiled　to　the　gloomy　caverns　of　Sheol。　The　Mosaic　ritual　was　powerless　to　free　men　from　this　repulsive　doom；　but　it　had　nevertheless　served　a　good　purpose　in　keeping　men's　minds　directed　toward　holiness；　preparing　them；　as　a　schoolmaster　would　prepare　his　pupils；　to　receive　the　vitalizing　truths　of　Christ。　Now；　at　last；　the　Messiah　or　Christ　had　come　as　a　second　Adam；　and　being　without　sin　had　been　raised　by　Jehovah　o