passages from an old volume of life-第30节

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　to　form　any　opinion　about　the　subjects　which　they　have　been　teaching；　or　trying　to　teach　him；　so　long！

A　minister　must　find　it　very　hard　work　to　preach　to　hearers　who　do　not　believe；　or　only　half　believe；　what　he　preaches。　　But　pews　without　heads　in　them　are　a　still　more　depressing　spectacle。　　He　may　convince　the　doubter　and　reform　the　profligate。　　But　he　cannot　produce　any　change　on　pine　and　mahogany　by　his　discourses；　and　the　more　wood　he　sees　as　he　looks　along　his　floor　and　galleries；　the　less　his　chance　of　being　useful。　　It　is　natural　that　in　times　like　the　present　changes　of　faith　and　of　place　of　worship　should　be　far　from　infrequent。　　It　is　not　less　natural　that　there　should　be　regrets　on　one　side　and　gratification　on　the　other；　when　such　changes　occur。　　It　even　happens　occasionally　that　the　regrets　become　aggravated　into　reproaches；　rarely　from　the　side　which　receives　the　new　accessions；　less　rarely　from　the　one　which　is　left。　　It　is　quite　conceivable　that　the　Roman　Church；　which　considers　itself　the　only　true　one；　should　look　on　those　who　leave　its　communion　as　guilty　of　a　great　offence。　It　is　equally　natural　that　a　church　which　considers　Pope　and　Pagan　a　pair　of　murderous　giants；　sitting　at　the　mouths　of　their　caves；　alike　in　their　hatred　to　true　Christians；　should　regard　any　of　its　members　who　go　over　to　Romanism　as　lost　in　fatal　error。　　But　within　the　Protestant　fold　there　are　many　compartments；　and　it　would　seem　that　it　is　not　a　deadly　defection　to　pass　from　one　to　another。

So　far　from　such　exchanges　between　sects　being　wrong；　they　ought　to　happen　a　great　deal　oftener　than　they　do。　　All　the　larger　bodies　of　Christians　should　be　constantly　exchanging　members。　　All　men　are　born　with　conservative　or　aggressive　tendencies：　they　belong　naturally　with　the　idol…worshippers　or　the　idol…breakers。　　Some　wear　their　fathers'　old　clothes；　and　some　will　have　a　new　suit。　　One　class　of　men　must　have　their　faith　hammered　in　like　a　nail；　by　authority；　another　class　must　have　it　worked　in　like　a　screw；　by　argument。　Members　of　one　of　these　classes　often　find　themselves　fixed　by　circumstances　in　the　other。　　The　late　Orestes　A。　　Brownson　used　to　preach　at　one　time　to　a　little　handful　of　persons；　in　a　small　upper　room；　where　some　of　them　got　from　him　their　first　lesson　about　the　substitution　of　reverence　for　idolatry；　in　dealing　with　the　books　they　hold　sacred。　　But　after　a　time　Mr。　　Brownson　found　he　had　mistaken　his　church；　and　went　over　to　the　Roman　Catholic　establishment；　of　which　he　became　and　remained　to　his　dying　day　one　of　the　most　stalwart　champions。　　Nature　is　prolific　and　ambidextrous。　While　this　strong　convert　was　trying　to　carry　us　back　to　the　ancient　faith；　another　of　her　sturdy　children；　Theodore　Parker；　was　trying　just　as　hard　to　provide　a　new　church　for　the　future。　　One　was　driving　the　sheep　into　the　ancient　fold；　while　the　other　was　taking　down　the　bars　that　kept　them　out　of　the　new　pasture。　　Neither　of　these　powerful　men　could　do　the　other's　work；　and　each　had　to　find　the　task　for　which　he　was　destined。

The　〃old　gospel　ship；〃　as　the　Methodist　song　calls　it；　carries　many　who　would　steer　by　the　wake　of　their　vessel。　　But　there　are　many　others　who　do　not　trouble　themselves　to　look　over　the　stern；　having　their　eyes　fixed　on　the　light…house　in　the　distance　before　them。　　In　less　figurative　language；　there　are　multitudes　of　persons　who　are　perfectly　contented　with　the　old　formulae　of　the　church　with　which　they　and　their　fathers　before　them　have　been　and　are　connected；　for　the　simple　reason　that　they　fit；　like　old　shoes；　because　they　have　been　worn　so　long；　and　mingled　with　these；　in　the　most　conservative　religious　body；　are　here　and　there　those　who　are　restless　in　the　fetters　of　a　confession　of　faith　to　which　they　have　pledged　themselves　without　believing　in　it。　　This　has　been　true　of　the　Athanasian　creed；　in　the　Anglican　Church；　for　two　centuries　more　or　less；　unless　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　Tillotson；　stood　alone　in　wishing　the　church　were　well　rid　of　it。　　In　fact；　it　has　happened　to　the　present　writer　to　hear　the　Thirty…nine　Articles　summarily　disposed　of　by　one　of　the　most　zealous　members　of　the　American　branch　of　that　communion；　in　a　verb　of　one　syllable；　more　familiar　to　the　ears　of　the　forecastle　than　to　those　of　the　vestry。

But　on　the　other　hand；　it　is　far　from　uncommon　to　meet　with　persons　among　the　so…called　〃liberal〃　denominations　who　are　uneasy　for　want　of　a　more　definite　ritual　and　a　more　formal　organization　than　they　find　in　their　own　body。　　Now；　the　rector　or　the　minister　must　be　well　aware　that　there　are　such　cases；　and　each　of　them　must　be　aware　that　there　are　individuals　under　his　guidance　whom　he　cannot　satisfy　by　argument；　and　who　really　belong　by　all　their　instincts　to　another　communion。　　It　seems　as　if　a　thoroughly　honest；　straight…collared　clergyman　would　say　frankly　to　his　restless　parishioner：　〃You　do　not　believe　the　central　doctrines　of　the　church　which　you　are　in　the　habit　of　attending。　　You　belong　properly　to　Brother　A。's　or　Brother　B。's　fold；　and　it　will　be　more　manly　and　probably　more　profitable　for　you　to　go　there　than　to　stay　with　us。〃　　And；　again；　the　rolling…　collared　clergyman　might　be　expected　to　say　to　this　or　that　uneasy　listener：　〃You　are　longing　for　a　church　which　will　settle　your　beliefs　for　you；　and　relieve　you　to　a　great　extent　from　the　task；　to　which　you　seem　to　be　unequal；　of　working　out　your　own　salvation　with　fear　and　trembling。　　Go　over　the　way　to　Brother　C。's　or　Brother　D。's；　your　spine　is　weak；　and　they　will　furnish　you　a　back…board　which　will　keep　you　straight　and　make　you　comfortable。〃　　Patients　are　not　the　property　of　their　physicians；　nor　parishioners　of　their　ministers。

As　for　the　children　of　clergymen；　the　presumption　is　that　they　will　adhere　to　the　general　belief　professed　by　their　fathers。　　But　they　do　not　lose　their　birthright　or　their　individuality；　and　have　the　world　all　before　them　to　choose　their　creed　from；　like　other　persons。　　They　are　sometimes　called　to　account　for　attacking　the　dogmas　they　are　supposed　to　have　heard　preached　from　their　childhood。　　They　cannot　defend　themselves；　for　various　good　reasons。　　If　they　did；　one　would　have　to　say　he　got　more　preaching　than　was　good　for　him；　and　came　at　last　to　feel　about　sermons　and　their　doctrines　as　confectioners'　children　do　about　candy。　　Another　would　have　to　own　that　he　got　his　religious　belief；　not　from　his　father；　but　from　his　mother。　　That　would　account　for　a　great　deal；　for　the　milk　in　a　woman's　veins　sweetens；　or　at　least；　dilutes　an　acrid　doctrine；　as　the　blood　of　the　motherly　cow　softens　the　virulence　of　small…pox；　so　that　its　mark　survives　only　as　the　seal　of　immunity。　　Another　would　plead　atavism；　and　say　he　got　his　religious　instincts　from　his　great…grandfather；　as　some　do　their　complexion　or　their　temper。　　Others　would　be　compelled　to　confess　that　the　belief　of　a　wife　or　a　sister　had　displaced　that　which　they　naturally　inherited。　　No　man　can　be　expected　to　go　thus　into　the　details　of　his　family　history；　and；　therefore；　it　is　an　ill…　bred　and　indecent　thing　to　fling　a　man's　father's　creed　in　his　face；　as　if　he　had　broken　the　fifth　commandment　in　thinking　for　himself　in　the　light　of　a　new　generation。　　Common　delicacy　would　prevent　him　from　saying　that　he　did　not　get　his　faith　from　his　father；　but　from　somebody　else；　perhaps　from　his　grandmother　Lois　and　his　mother　Eunice；　like　the　young　man　whom　the　Apostle　cautioned　against　total　abstinence。

It　is　always　the　right；　and　may　sometimes　be　the　duty；　of　the　layman　to　call　the　attention　of　the　clergy　to　the　short…comings　and　errors；　not　only　of　their　own　time；　but　also　of　the　preceding　generations；　of　which　they　are　the　intellectual　and　moral　product。　　This　is　especially　true　when　the　authority　of　great　names　is　fallen　back　upon　as　a　defence　of　opinions　not　in　themselves　deserving　to　be　upheld。　It　may　be　very　important　to　show　that　the　champions　of　this　or　that　set　of　dogmas；　some　of　which　are　extinct　or　obsolete　as　beliefs；　while　others　retain　their　vitality；　held　certain　general　notions　which　vitiated　their　conclusions。　　And　in　proportion　to　the　eminence　of　such　champions；　and　the　frequency　with　which　their　names　are　appealed　to　as　a　bulwark　of　any　particular　creed　or　set　of　doctrines；　is　it　urgent　to　show　into　what　obliquities　or　extravagances　or　contradictions　of　thought　they　have　been　betrayed。

In　summing　up　the　religious　history　of　New　England；　it　would　be　just　and　proper　to　show　the　agency　of　the　Mathers；　father　and　son；　in　the　witchcraft　delusion。　　It　would　be　quite　fair　to　plead　in　their　behalf　the　common　beliefs　of　their　time。　　It　would　be　an　extenuation　of　their　acts　that；　not　many　years　before；　the　great　and　good　magistrate；　Sir　Matthew　Hale；　had　sanctioned　the　conviction　of　prisoners　accused　of　witchcraft。　　To　fall　back　on　the　errors　of　the　time　is　very　proper　when　we　are　trying　our　predecessors　in　foro　conscientace：　The　houses　they　dwelt　in　may　have　had　some　weak　or　decayed　beams　and　rafters；　but　they　served　for　their　shelter；　at　any　rate。　　It　is　quite　another　matter　when　those　rotten　timbers　are　used　in　holding　up　the　roofs　over　our　own　heads。　　Still　more；　if　one　of　our　ancestors　built　on　an　unsafe　or　an　unwholesome　foundation；