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but at any rate it was a comfort to them。
These people have always been afraid of the astronomers；said the
Master。 They were shy； you know； of the Copernican system； for a
long while； well they might be with an oubliette waiting for them if
they ventured to think that the earth moved round the sun。 Science
settled that point finally for them； at length； and then it was all
right；when there was no use in disputing the fact any longer。 By
and by geology began turning up fossils that told extraordinary
stories about the duration of life upon our planet。 What subterfuges
were not used to get rid of their evidence！ Think of a man seeing
the fossilized skeleton of an animal split out of a quarry； his teeth
worn down by mastication； and the remains of food still visible in
his interior； and； in order to get rid of a piece of evidence
contrary to the traditions he holds to； seriously maintaining that
this skeleton never belonged to a living creature； but was created
with just these appearances； a make…believe； a sham； a Barnum's…
mermaid contrivance to amuse its Creator and impose upon his
intelligent children！ And now people talk about geological epochs
and hundreds of millions of years in the planet's history as calmly
as if they were discussing the age of their deceased great…
grandmothers。 Ten or a dozen years ago people said Sh！ Sh！ if you
ventured to meddle with any question supposed to involve a doubt of
the generally accepted Hebrew traditions。 To…day such questions are
recognized as perfectly fair subjects for general conversation； not
in the basement story； perhaps； or among the rank and file of the
curbstone congregations； but among intelligent and educated persons。
You may preach about them in your pulpit； you may lecture about them；
you may talk about them with the first sensible…looking person you
happen to meet； you may write magazine articles about them； and the
editor need not expect to receive remonstrances from angry
subscribers and withdrawals of subscriptions； as he would have been
sure to not a great many years ago。 Why； you may go to a tea…party
where the clergyman's wife shows her best cap and his daughters
display their shining ringlets； and you will hear the company
discussing the Darwinian theory of the origin of the human race as if
it were as harmless a question as that of the lineage of a spinster's
lapdog。 You may see a fine lady who is as particular in her
genuflections as any Buddhist or Mahometan saint in his
manifestations of reverence； who will talk over the anthropoid ape；
the supposed founder of the family to which we belong； and even go
back with you to the acephalous mollusk； first cousin to the clams
and mussels； whose rudimental spine was the hinted prophecy of
humanity； all this time never dreaming； apparently； that what she
takes for a matter of curious speculation involves the whole future
of human progress and destiny。
I can't help thinking that if we had talked as freely as we can and
do now in the days of the first boarder at this table；I mean the
one who introduced it to the public；it would have sounded a good
deal more aggressively than it does now。 The old Master got rather
warm in talking； perhaps the consciousness of having a number of
listeners had something to do with it。
This whole business is an open question；he said；and there is no
use in saying； 〃Hush！ don't talk about such things！ 〃People do talk
about 'em everywhere； and if they don't talk about 'em they think
about 'em； and that is worse；if there is anything bad about such
questions； that is。 If for the Fall of man； science comes to
substitute the RISE of man； sir； it means the utter disintegration of
all the spiritual pessimisms which have been like a spasm in the
heart and a cramp in the intellect of men for so many centuries。 And
yet who dares to say that it is not a perfectly legitimate and proper
question to be discussed； without the slightest regard to the fears
or the threats of Pope or prelate？
Sir； I believe；the Master rose from his chair as he spoke； and said
in a deep and solemn tone； but without any declamatory vehemence；
sir； I believe that we are at this moment in what will be recognized
not many centuries hence as one of the late watches in the night of
the dark ages。 There is a twilight ray； beyond question。 We know
something of the universe； a very little； and； strangely enough； we
know most of what is farthest from us。 We have weighed the planets
and analyzed the flames of thesun and stars。 We predict their
movements as if they were machines we ourselves had made and
regulated。 We know a good deal about the earth on which we live。
But the study of man has been so completely subjected to our
preconceived opinions； that we have got to begin all over again。 We
have studied anthropology through theology； we have now to begin the
study of theology through anthropology。 Until we have exhausted the
human element in every form of belief； and that can only be done by
what we may call comparative spiritual anatomy； we cannot begin to
deal with the alleged extra…human elements without blundering into
all imaginable puerilities。 If you think for one moment that there
is not a single religion in the world which does not come to us
through the medium of a preexisting language； and if you remember
that this language embodies absolutely nothing but human conceptions
and human passions； you will see at once that every religion
presupposes its own elements as already existing in those to whom it
is addressed。 I once went to a church in London and heard the famous
Edward Irving preach； and heard some of his congregation speak in the
strange words characteristic of their miraculous gift of tongues。 I
had a respect for the logical basis of this singular phenomenon。 I
have always thought it was natural that any celestial message should
demand a language of its own； only to be understood by divine
illumination。 All human words tend； of course； to stop short in
human meaning。 And the more I hear the most sacred terms employed；
the more I am satisfied that they have entirely and radically
different meanings in the minds of those who use them。 Yet they deal
with them as if they were as definite as mathematical quantities or
geometrical figures。 What would become of arithmetic if the figure 2
meant three for one man and five for another and twenty for a third；
and all the other numerals were in the same way variable quantities？
Mighty intelligent correspondence business men would have with each
other！ But how is this any worse than the difference of opinion
which led a famous clergyman to say to a brother theologian； 〃Oh； I
see； my dear sir； your God is my Devil。〃
Man has been studied proudly； contemptuously； rather； from the point
of view supposed to be authoritatively settled。 The self…sufficiency
of egotistic natures was never more fully shown than in the
expositions of the worthlessness and wretchedness of their fellow…
creatures given by the dogmatists who have 〃gone back；〃 as the vulgar
phrase is； on their race； their own flesh and blood。 Did you ever
read what Mr。 Bancroft says abou