the soul of man-第3节

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intensify　strength：　　they　often　exaggerate　weakness。　　Byron　was

never　able　to　give　us　what　he　might　have　given　us。　　Shelley　escaped

better。　　Like　Byron；　he　got　out　of　England　as　soon　as　possible。

But　he　was　not　so　well　known。　　If　the　English　had　had　any　idea　of

what　a　great　poet　he　really　was；　they　would　have　fallen　on　him　with

tooth　and　nail；　and　made　his　life　as　unbearable　to　him　as　they

possibly　could。　　But　he　was　not　a　remarkable　figure　in　society；　and

consequently　he　escaped；　to　a　certain　degree。　　Still；　even　in

Shelley　the　note　of　rebellion　is　sometimes　too　strong。　　The　note　of

the　perfect　personality　is　not　rebellion；　but　peace。



It　will　be　a　marvellous　thing　…　the　true　personality　of　man　…　when

we　see　it。　　It　will　grow　naturally　and　simply；　flowerlike；　or　as　a

tree　grows。　　It　will　not　be　at　discord。　　It　will　never　argue　or

dispute。　　It　will　not　prove　things。　　It　will　know　everything。　　And

yet　it　will　not　busy　itself　about　knowledge。　　It　will　have　wisdom。

Its　value　will　not　be　measured　by　material　things。　　It　will　have

nothing。　　And　yet　it　will　have　everything；　and　whatever　one　takes

from　it；　it　will　still　have；　so　rich　will　it　be。　　It　will　not　be

always　meddling　with　others；　or　asking　them　to　be　like　itself。　　It

will　love　them　because　they　will　be　different。　　And　yet　while　it

will　not　meddle　with　others；　it　will　help　all；　as　a　beautiful　thing

helps　us；　by　being　what　it　is。　　The　personality　of　man　will　be　very

wonderful。　　It　will　be　as　wonderful　as　the　personality　of　a　child。



In　its　development　it　will　be　assisted　by　Christianity；　if　men

desire　that；　but　if　men　do　not　desire　that；　it　will　develop　none

the　less　surely。　　For　it　will　not　worry　itself　about　the　past；　nor

care　whether　things　happened　or　did　not　happen。　　Nor　will　it　admit

any　laws　but　its　own　laws；　nor　any　authority　but　its　own　authority。

Yet　it　will　love　those　who　sought　to　intensify　it；　and　speak　often

of　them。　　And　of　these　Christ　was　one。



'Know　thyself'　was　written　over　the　portal　of　the　antique　world。

Over　the　portal　of　the　new　world；　'Be　thyself'　shall　be　written。

And　the　message　of　Christ　to　man　was　simply　'Be　thyself。'　　That　is

the　secret　of　Christ。



When　Jesus　talks　about　the　poor　he　simply　means　personalities；　just

as　when　he　talks　about　the　rich　he　simply　means　people　who　have　not

developed　their　personalities。　　Jesus　moved　in　a　community　that

allowed　the　accumulation　of　private　property　just　as　ours　does；　and

the　gospel　that　he　preached　was　not　that　in　such　a　community　it　is

an　advantage　for　a　man　to　live　on　scanty；　unwholesome　food；　to　wear

ragged；　unwholesome　clothes；　to　sleep　in　horrid；　unwholesome

dwellings；　and　a　disadvantage　for　a　man　to　live　under　healthy；

pleasant；　and　decent　conditions。　　Such　a　view　would　have　been　wrong

there　and　then；　and　would；　of　course；　be　still　more　wrong　now　and

in　England；　for　as　man　moves　northward　the　material　necessities　of

life　become　of　more　vital　importance；　and　our　society　is　infinitely

more　complex；　and　displays　far　greater　extremes　of　luxury　and

pauperism　than　any　society　of　the　antique　world。　　What　Jesus　meant；

was　this。　　He　said　to　man；　'You　have　a　wonderful　personality。

Develop　it。　　Be　yourself。　　Don't　imagine　that　your　perfection　lies

in　accumulating　or　possessing　external　things。　　Your　affection　is

inside　of　you。　　If　only　you　could　realise　that；　you　would　not　want

to　be　rich。　　Ordinary　riches　can　be　stolen　from　a　man。　　Real　riches

cannot。　　In　the　treasury…house　of　your　soul；　there　are　infinitely

precious　things；　that　may　not　be　taken　from　you。　　And　so；　try　to　so

shape　your　life　that　external　things　will　not　harm　you。　　And　try

also　to　get　rid　of　personal　property。　　It　involves　sordid

preoccupation；　endless　industry；　continual　wrong。　　Personal

property　hinders　Individualism　at　every　step。'　　It　is　to　be　noted

that　Jesus　never　says　that　impoverished　people　are　necessarily

good；　or　wealthy　people　necessarily　bad。　　That　would　not　have　been

true。　　Wealthy　people　are；　as　a　class；　better　than　impoverished

people；　more　moral；　more　intellectual；　more　well…behaved。　　There　is

only　one　class　in　the　community　that　thinks　more　about　money　than

the　rich；　and　that　is　the　poor。　　The　poor　can　think　of　nothing

else。　　That　is　the　misery　of　being　poor。　　What　Jesus　does　say　is

that　man　reaches　his　perfection；　not　through　what　he　has；　not　even

through　what　he　does；　but　entirely　through　what　he　is。　　And　so　the

wealthy　young　man　who　comes　to　Jesus　is　represented　as　a　thoroughly

good　citizen；　who　has　broken　none　of　the　laws　of　his　state；　none　of

the　commandments　of　his　religion。　　He　is　quite　respectable；　in　the

ordinary　sense　of　that　extraordinary　word。　　Jesus　says　to　him；　'You

should　give　up　private　property。　　It　hinders　you　from　realising

your　perfection。　　It　is　a　drag　upon　you。　　It　is　a　burden。　　Your

personality　does　not　need　it。　　It　is　within　you；　and　not　outside　of

you；　that　you　will　find　what　you　really　are；　and　what　you　really

want。'　　To　his　own　friends　he　says　the　same　thing。　　He　tells　them

to　be　themselves；　and　not　to　be　always　worrying　about　other　things。

What　do　other　things　matter？　　Man　is　complete　in　himself。　　When

they　go　into　the　world；　the　world　will　disagree　with　them。　　That　is

inevitable。　　The　world　hates　Individualism。　　But　that　is　not　to

trouble　them。　　They　are　to　be　calm　and　self…centred。　　If　a　man

takes　their　cloak；　they　are　to　give　him　their　coat；　just　to　show

that　material　things　are　of　no　importance。　　If　people　abuse　them；

they　are　not　to　answer　back。　　What　does　it　signify？　　The　things

people　say　of　a　man　do　not　alter　a　man。　　He　is　what　he　is。　　Public

opinion　is　of　no　value　whatsoever。　　Even　if　people　employ　actual

violence；　they　are　not　to　be　violent　in　turn。　　That　would　be　to

fall　to　the　same　low　level。　　After　all；　even　in　prison；　a　man　can

be　quite　free。　　His　soul　can　be　free。　　His　personality　can　be

untroubled。　　He　can　be　at　peace。　　And；　above　all　things；　they　are

not　to　interfere　with　other　people　or　judge　them　in　any　way。

Personality　is　a　very　mysterious　thing。　　A　man　cannot　always　be

estimated　by　what　he　does。　　He　may　keep　the　law；　and　yet　be

worthless。　　He　may　break　the　law；　and　yet　be　fine。　　He　may　be　bad；

without　ever　doing　anything　bad。　　He　may　commit　a　sin　against

society；　and　yet　realise　through　that　sin　his　true　perfection。



There　was　a　woman　who　was　taken　in　adultery。　　We　are　not　told　the

history　of　her　love；　but　that　love　must　have　been　very　great；　for

Jesus　said　that　her　sins　were　forgiven　her；　not　because　she

repented；　but　because　her　love　was　so　intense　and　wonderful。　　Later

on；　a　short　time　before　his　death；　as　he　sat　at　a　feast；　the　woman

came　in　and　poured　costly　perfumes　on　his　hair。　　His　friends　tried

to　interfere　with　her；　and　said　that　it　was　an　extravagance；　and

that　the　money　that　the　perfume　cost　should　have　been　expended　on

charitable　relief　of　people　in　want；　or　something　of　that　kind。

Jesus　did　not　accept　that　view。　　He　pointed　out　that　the　material

needs　of　Man　were　great　and　very　permanent；　but　that　the　spiritual

needs　of　Man　were　greater　still；　and　that　in　one　divine　moment；　and

by　selecting　its　own　mode　of　expression；　a　personality　might　make

itself　perfect。　　The　world　worships　the　woman；　even　now；　as　a

saint。



Yes；　there　are　suggestive　things　in　Individualism。　　Socialism

annihilates　family　life；　for　instance。　　With　the　abolition　of

private　property；　marriage　in　its　present　form　must　disappear。

This　is　part　of　the　programme。　　Individualism　accepts　this　and

makes　it　fine。　　It　converts　the　abolition　of　legal　restraint　into　a

form　of　freedom　that　will　help　the　full　development　of　personality；

and　make　the　love　of　man　and　woman　more　wonderful；　more　beautiful；

and　more　ennobling。　　Jesus　knew　this。　　He　rejected　the　claims　of

family　life；　although　they　existed　in　his　day　and　community　in　a

very　marked　form。　　'Who　is　my　mother？　　Who　are　my　brothers？'　he

said；　when　he　was　told　that　they　wished　to　speak　to　him。　　When　one

of　his　followers　asked　leave　to　go　and　bury　his　father；　'Let　the

dead　bury　the　dead；'　was　his　terrible　answer。　　He　would　allow　no

claim　whatsoever　to　be　made　on　personality。



And　so　he　who　would　lead　a　Christlike　life　is　he　who　is　perfectly

and　absolutely　himself。　　He　may　be　a　great　poet；　or　a　great　man　of

science；　or　a　young　student　at　a　University；　or　one　who　watches

sheep　upon　a　moor；　or　a　maker　of　dramas；　like　Shakespeare；　or　a

thinker　about　God；　like　Spinoza；　or　a　child　who　plays　in　a　garden；

or　a　fisherman　who　throws　his　net　into　the　sea。　　It　does　not　matter

what　he　is；　as　long　as　he　realises　the　perfection　of　the　soul　that

is　within　him。　　All　imitation　in　morals　and　in　life　is　wrong。

Through　the　streets　of　Jerusalem　at　the　present　day　crawls　one　who

is　mad　and　carries　a　wooden　cross　on　his　shoulders。　　He　is　a　symbol

of　the　lives　that　are　marred　by　imitation。　　Father　Damien　was

Christlike　when　he　went　out　to　live　with　the　lepers；　because　i