lectures14+15-第13节
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mix it with some worldly temper。 It has always found good men who
could follow most of its impulses; but who stopped short when it
came to non…resistance。 Christ himself was fierce upon occasion。
Cromwells; Stonewall Jacksons; Gordons; show that Christians can
be strong men also。
'223' We all know DAFT saints; and they inspire a queer kind of
aversion。 But in comparing saints with strong men we must choose
individuals on the same intellectual level。 The under…witted
strong man homologous in his sphere with the under…witted saint;
is the bully of the slums; the hooligan or rowdy。 Surely on this
level also the saint preserves a certain superiority。
How is success to be absolutely measured when there are so many
environments and so many ways of looking at the adaptation? It
cannot be measured absolutely; the verdict will vary according to
the point of view adopted。 From the biological point of view
Saint Paul was a failure; because he was beheaded。 Yet he was
magnificently adapted to the larger environment of history; and
so far as any saint's example is a leaven of righteousness in the
world; and draws it in the direction of more prevalent habits of
saintliness; he is a success; no matter what his immediate bad
fortune may be。 The greatest saints; the spiritual heroes whom
every one acknowledges; the Francises; Bernards; Luthers;
Loyolas; Wesleys; Channings; Moodys; Gratrys; the Phillips
Brookses; the Agnes Joneses; Margaret Hallahans; and Dora
Pattisons; are successes from the outset。 They show themselves;
and there is no question; every one perceives their strength and
stature。 Their sense of mystery in things; their passion; their
goodness; irradiate about them and enlarge their outlines while
they soften them。 They are like pictures with an atmosphere and
background; and; placed alongside of them; the strong men of this
world and no other seem as dry as sticks; as hard and crude as
blocks of stone or brick…bats。
In a general way; then; and 〃on the whole;〃'224' our abandonment
of theological criteria; and our testing of religion by practical
common sense and the empirical method; leave it in possession of
its towering place in history。 Economically; the saintly group
of qualities is indispensable to the world's welfare。 The great
saints are immediate successes; the smaller ones are at least
heralds and harbingers; and they may be leavens also; of a better
mundane order。 Let us be saints; then; if we can; whether or not
we succeed visibly and temporally。 But in our Father's house are
many mansions; and each of us must discover for himself the kind
of religion and the amount of saintship which best comports with
what he believes to be his powers and feels to be his truest
mission and vocation。 There are no successes to be guaranteed
and no set orders to be given to individuals; so long as we
follow the methods of empirical philosophy。
'224' See above; p。 321。
This is my conclusion so far。 I know that on some of your minds
it leaves a feeling of wonder that such a method should have been
applied to such a subject; and this in spite of all those remarks
about empiricism which I made at the beginning of Lecture
XIII。'225' How; you say; can religion; which believes in two
worlds and an invisible order; be estimated by the adaptation of
its fruits to this world's order alone? It is its truth; not its
utility; you insist; upon which our verdict ought to depend。 If
religion is true; its fruits are good fruits; even though in this
world they should prove uniformly ill adapted and full of naught
but pathos。 It goes back; then; after all; to the question of
the truth of theology。 The plot inevitably thickens upon us; we
cannot escape theoretical considerations。 I propose; then; that
to some degree we face the responsibility。 Religious persons
have often; though not uniformly; professed to see truth in a
special manner。 That manner is known as mysticism。 I will
consequently now proceed to treat at some length of mystical
phenomena; and after that; though more briefly; I will consider
religious philosophy。
'225' Above; pp。 321…327