addresses-第20节

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in　the　fireless　room　and　thought　of　the　still　moist　clay；　thought

how　the　water　would　freeze　in　the　pores　and　destroy　in　an　hour　the

dream　of　his　life。　　So　the　old　man　rose　from　his　couch　and　heaped

the　bed…clothes　reverently　round　his　work。　　In　the　morning　when　the

neighbors　entered　the　room　the　sculptor　was　dead；　but　the　statue

was　saved！



The　Image　of　Christ　that　is　forming　within　usthat　is　life's　one

charge。　　Let　every　project　stand　aside　for　that。　　The　spirit　of

God　who　brooded　upon　the　waters　thousands　of　years　ago；　is　busy

now　creating　men；　within　these　commonplace　lives　of　ours；　in　the

image　of　God。　　〃Till　Christ　be　formed；〃　no　man's　work　is　finished；

no　religion　crowned；　no　life　has　fulfilled　its　end。　　Is　the　infinite

task　begun？　　When；　how；　are　we　to　be　different？　　Time　cannot

change　men。　　Death　cannot　change　men。　　Christ　can。　　Wherefore　PUT

ON　CHRIST。











Dealing　With　Doubt。









There　is　a　subject　which　I　think　workers　amongst　young　men　cannot

afford　to　keep　out　of　sightI　mean　the　subject　of　〃Doubt。〃　　We　are

forced　to　face　that　subject。　　We　have　no　choice。　　I　would　rather

let　it　alone；　but　every　day　of　my　life　I　meet　men　who　doubt；　and　I

am　quite　sure　that　most　Christian　workers　among　men　have　innumerable

interviews　every　year　with　men　who　raise　skeptical　difficulties

about　religion。



Now　it　becomes　a　matter　of　great　practical　importance　that　we　should

know　how　to　deal　wisely　with　these。　　Upon　the　whole；　I　think　these

are　the　best　men　in　the　country。　　I　speak　of　my　own　country。　　I　speak

of　the　universities　with　which　I　am　familiar；　and　I　say　that　they

men　who　are　perplexed；the　men　who　come　to　you　with　serious　and

honest　difficulties；are　the　best　men。　　They　are　men　of　intellectual

honesty；　and　cannot　allow　themselves　to　be　put　to　rest　by　words；

or　phrases；　or　traditions；　or　theologies；　but　who　must　get　to　the

bottom　of　things　for　themselves。　　And　if　I　am　not　mistaken；



Christ　was　very　fond



of　these　men。　　The　outsiders　always　interested　Him；　and　touched　Him。

The　orthodox　peoplethe　PhariseesHe　was　much　less　interested

in。　　He　went　with　publicans　and　sinnerswith　people　who　were　in

revolt　against　the　respectability；　intellectual　and　religious；　of

the　day。　　And　following　Him；　we　are　entitled　to　give　sympathetic

consideration　to　those　whom　He　loved　and　took　trouble　with。



First；　let　me　speak　for　a　moment　or　two　about



The　origin　of　doubt。



In　the　first　place；　WE　ARE　BORN　QUESTIONERS。　　Look　at　the　wonderment

of　a　little　child　in　its　eyes　before　it　can　speak。　　The　child's

great　word　when　it　begins　to　speak　is；　〃Why？〃　　Every　child　is　full

of　every　kind　of　question；　about　every　kind　of　thing；　that　moves；

and　shines　and　changes；　in　the　little　world　in　which　it　lives。



That　is　the　incipient　doubt　in　the　nature　of　man。　　Respect　doubt

for　its　origin。　　It　is　an　inevitable　thing。　　It　is　not　a　thing　to

be　crushed。　　It　is　a　part　of　man　as　God　made　him。　　Heresy　is　truth

in　the　making；　and　doubt　is　the　prelude　of　knowledge。



Secondly：　　THE　WORLD　IS　A　SPHINX。　　It　is　a　vast　riddlean　unfathomable

mystery；　and　on　every　side　there　is　temptation　to　questioning。

In　every　leaf；　in　every　cell　of　every　leaf；　there　are　a　hundred

problems。　　There　are　ten　good　years　of　a　man's　life　in　investigating

what　is　in　a　leaf。　　God　has　planned　the　world　to　incite　men　to

intellectual　activity。



Thirdly：　　THE　INSTRUMENT　WITH　WHCIH　WE　ATTEMPT　TO　INVESTIGATE　TRUTH

IS　IMPAIRED。　　Some　say　it　fell；　and　the　glass　is　broken。　　Some

say　prejudice；　heredity；　or　sin；　have　spoiled　its　sight；　and　have

blinded　our　eyes　and　deadened　our　ears。　　In　any　case　the　instruments

with　which　we　work　upon　truth；　even　in　the　strongest　men；　are　feeble

and　inadequate　to　their　tremendous　task。



And　in　the　fourth　place；　ALL　RELIGIOUS　TRUTHS　ARE　DOUBTABLE。　　There

is　no　absolute　truth　for　any　one　of　them。　　Even　that　fundamental

truththe　existence　of　a　Godno　man　can　prove　by　reason。　　The

ordinary　proof　for　the　existence　of　a　God　involves　either　an

assumption；　argument　in　a　circle；　or　a　contradiction。　　The　impression

of　God　is　kept　up　by　experience；　not　by　logic。　　And　hence；　when

the　experimental　religion　of　a　man；　of　a　community；　or　of　a　nation

wanes；　religion　wanestheir　idea　of　God　grows　indistinct；　and　that

man；　community　or　nation　becomes　infidel。



Bear　in　mind；　then；　that　all　religious　truths　are　doubtableeven

those　which　we　hold　most　strongly。



What　does　this　brief　account　of　the　origin　of　doubt　teach　us？　　It

teaches　us



Great　intellectual　humility。



It　teaches　us　sympathy　and　toleration　with　all　men　who　venture　upon

the　ocean　of　truth　to　find　out　a　path　through　it　for　themselves。

Do　you　sometimes　feel　yourself　thinking　unkind　things　about　your

fellow…students　who　have　intellectual　difficulty？　　I　know　how　hard

it　is　always　to　feel　sympathy　and　toleration　for　them；　but　we　must

address　ourselves　to　that　most　carefully　and　most　religiously。　　If

my　brother　is　short…sighted　I　must　not　abuse　him　or　speak　against

him；　I　must　pity　him；　and　if　possible　try　to　improve　his　sight；　or

to　make　things　that　he　is　to　look　at　so　bright　that　he　cannot　help

seeing。　　But　never　let　us　think　evil　of　men　who　do　not　see　as　we

do。　　From　the　bottom　of　our　hearts　let　us　pity　them；　and　let　us　take

them　by　the　hand　and　spend　time　and　thought　over　them；　and　try　to

lead　them　to　the　true　light。



What　has　been



The　church's　treatment　of　doubt



in　the　past？　　It　has　been　very　simple。　　〃There　is　a　heretic。　　Burn

him！〃　　That　is　all。　　〃There　is　a　man　who　has　gone　off　the　road。

Bring　him　back　and　torture　him！〃



We　have　got　past　that　physically；　have　we　got　past　it　morally？　　What

does　the　modern　Church　say　to　a　man　who　is　skeptical？　　Not　〃Burn

him！〃　but　〃Brand　him！〃　〃Brand　him！〃call　him　a　bad　name。　　And

in　many　countries　at　the　present　time；　a　man　who　is　branded　as　a

heretic　is　despised；　tabooed　and　put　out　of　religious　society；　much

more　than　if　he　had　gone　wrong　in　morals。　　I　think　I　am　speaking

within　the　facts　when　I　say　that　a　man　who　is　unsound　is　looked

upon　in　many　communities　with　more　suspicion　and　with　more　pious

horror　than　a　man　who　now　and　then　gets　drunk。　　〃Burn　him！〃　　〃Brand

him！〃　　〃Excommunicate　him！〃　　That　has　been　the　Church's　treatment

of　doubt；　and　that　is　perhaps　to　some　extent　the　treatment　which

we　ourselves　are　inclined　to　give　to　the　men　who　cannot　see　the

truths　of　Christianity　as　we　see　them。



Contrast



Christ's　treatment



of　doubt。　　I　have　spoken　already　of　His　strange　partiality　for　the

outsidersfor　the　scattered　heretics　up　and　down　the　country；　of

the　care　with　which　He　loved　to　deal　with　them；　and　of　the　respect

in　which　He　held　their　intellectual　difficulties。　　Christ　never

failed　to　distinguish　between　doubt　and　unbelief。　　Doubt　is　〃CAN'T

BELIEVE〃；　unbelief　is　〃WON'T　BELIEVE。〃　　Doubt　is　honesty；　unbelief

is　obstinacy。　　Doubt　is　looking　for　light；　unbelief　is　content　with

darkness。　　Loving　darkness　rather　than　lightthat　is　what　Christ

attacked；　and　attacked　unsparingly。　　But　for　the　intellectual

questioning　of　Thomas；　and　Philip；　and　Nicodemus；　and　the　many

others　who　came　to　Him　to　have　their　great　problems　solved；　He　was

respectful　and　generous　and　tolerant。



And　how　did　He　meet　their　doubts？　　The　Church；　as　I　have　said；

says；　〃Brand　him！〃　　Christ　said；　〃Teach　him。〃　　He　destroyed　by

fulfilling。　　When　Thomas　came　to　Him　and　denied　His　very　resurrection；

and　stood　before　Him　waiting　for　the　scathing　words　and　lashing

for　his　unbelief；　they　never　came。　　They　never　came！　　Christ　gave

him　factsfacts！　　No　men　can　go　around　facts。　　Christ　said；　〃Behold

My　hands　and　My　feet。〃　　The　great　god　of　science　at　the　present

time　is　a　fact。　　It　words　with　facts。　　Its　cry　is；　〃Give　me　facts。

Found　anything　you　like　upon　facts　and　we　will　believe　it。〃　　The

spirit　of　Christ　was　the　scientific　spirit。　　He　founded　His　religion

upon　facts；　and　He　asked　all　men　to　found　their　religion　upon　facts。



Now；　get　up　the　facts　of　Christianity；　and　take　men　to　the　facts。

Theologiesand　I　am　not　speaking　disrespectfully　of　theology；

theology　is　as　scientific　a　thing　as　any　other　science　of　factsbut

theologies　are



Human　versions



of　Divine　truths；　and　hence　the　varieties　of　the　versions　and　the

inconsistencies　of　them。　　I　would　allow　a　man　to　select　whichever

version　of　this　truth　he　liked　AFTERWARDS；　but　I　would　ask　him

to　begin　with　no　version；　but　go　back　to　the　facts　and　base　his

Christian　life　upon　these。



That　is　the　great　lesson　of　the　New　Testament　way　of　looking　at

doubtof　Christ's　treatment　of　doubt。　　It　is　not　〃Brand　him！〃but

lovingly；　wisely　and　tenderly　to　teach　him。　　Faith　is　never　opposed

to　reason　in　the　New　Testament；　it　is　opposed　to　sight。　　You　will

find　that　a　principle　worth　thinking　over。　　FAITH　IS　NEVER　OPPOSED

TO　REASON　IN　THE　NEW　TESTAMENT；　BUT　TO　SIGHT。



With　these　p