按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Jonathan seems to hold （as against the Armenian position） that the
man （or his soul or his will） never creates an impulse itself； but
is moved to action by an impulse back of it。 That's sound！
Also； that of two or more things offered it； it infallibly chooses
the one which for the moment is most pleasing to ITSELF。 Perfectly
correct！ An immense admission for a man not otherwise sane。
Up to that point he could have written Chapters III & IV of my
suppressed Gospel。 But there we seem to separate。 He seems to
concede the indisputable & unshaken dominion of Motive & Necessity
（call them what he may； these are exterior forces & not under the
man's authority； guidance； or even suggestion）； then he suddenly
flies the logical track & （to all seeming） makes the man & not those
exterior forces responsible to God for the man's thoughts； words； &
acts。 It is frank insanity。
I think that when he concedes the autocratic dominion of Motive and
Necessity he grants a third position of minethat a man's mind is a
mere machinean automatic machinewhich is handled entirely from
the outside； the man himself furnishing it absolutely nothing； not
an ounce of its fuel； & not so much as a bare suggestion to that
exterior engineer as to what the machine shall do nor how it shall
do it nor when。
After that concession it was time for him to get alarmed & shirk
for he was pointed straight for the only rational & possible next
station on that piece of roadthe irresponsibility of man to God。
And so he shirked。 Shirked； and arrived at this handsome result：
Man is commanded to do so & so。
It has been ordained from the beginning of time that some men
sha'n't & others can't。
These are to blame： let them be damned。
I enjoy the Colonel very much； & shall enjoy the rest of him with an
obscene delight。
Joe； the whole tribe shout love to you & yours！
MARK。
Clemens was moved to set down some theology of his own； and did so in a
manuscript which he entitled； 〃If I Could Be There。〃 It is in the
dialogue form he often adopted for polemic writing。 It is a colloquy
between the Master of the Universe and a Stranger。 It begins：
I
If I could be there； hidden under the steps of the throne； I should hear
conversations like this：
A STRANGER。 Lord； there is one who needs to be punished； and has been
overlooked。 It is in the record。 I have found it。
LORD。 By searching？
S。 Yes； Lord。
L。 Who is it？ What is it？
S。 A man。
L。 Proceed。
S。 He died in sin。 Sin committed by his great…grandfather。
L。 When was this？
S。 Eleven million years ago。
L。 Do you know what a microbe is？
S。 Yes； Lord。 It is a creature too small to be detected by my eye。
L。 He commits depredations upon your blood？
S。 Yes； Lord。
L。 I give you leave to subject him to a billion years of misery for this
offense。 Go！ Work your will upon him。
S。 But； Lord； I have nothing against him； I am indifferent to him。
L。 Why？
S。 He is so infinitely small and contemptible。 I am to him as is a
mountain…range to a grain of sand。
L。 What am I to man？
S。 （Silent。）
L。 Am I not； to a man； as is a billion solar systems to a grain of sand？
S。 It is true； Lord。
L。 Some microbes are larger than others。 Does man regard the
difference？
S。 No； Lord。 To him there is no difference of consequence。 To him they
are all microbes； all infinitely little and equally inconsequential。
L。 To me there is no difference of consequence between a man & a
microbe。 Man looks down upon the speck at his feet called a microbe from
an altitude of a thousand miles； so to speak； and regards him with
indifference； I look down upon the specks called a man and a microbe from
an altitude of a billion leagues； so to speak； and to me they are of a
size。 To me both are inconsequential。 Man kills the microbes when he
can？
S。 Yes； Lord。
L。 Then what？ Does he keep him in mind years and years and go on
contriving miseries for him？
S。 No； Lord。
L。 Does he forget him？
S。 Yes； Lord。
L。 Why？
S。 He cares nothing more about him。
L。 Employs himself with more important matters？
S。 Yes； Lord。
L。 Apparently man is quite a rational and dignified person； and can
divorce his mind from uninteresting trivialities。 Why does he affront me
with the fancy that I interest Myself in trivialitieslike men and
microbes？
II
L。 Is it true the human race thinks the universe was created for its
convenience？
S。 Yes； Lord。
L。 The human race is modest。 Speaking as a member of it； what do you
think the other animals are for？
S。 To furnish food and labor for man。
L。 What is the sea for？
S。 To furnish food for man。 Fishes。
L。 And the air？
S。 To furnish sustenance for man。 Birds and breath。
L。 How many men are there？
S。 Fifteen hundred millions。
L。 （Referring to notes。） Take your pencil and set down some statistics。
In a healthy man's lower intestine 28；000；000 microbes are born daily and
die daily。 In the rest of a man's body 122；000；000 microbes are born
daily and die daily。 The two sums aggregate…what？
S。 About 150；000；000。
L。 In ten days the aggregate reaches what？
S。 Fifteen hundred millions。
L。 It is for one person。 What would it be for the whole human
population？
S。 Alas； Lord； it is beyond the power of figures to set down that
multitude。 It is billions of billions multiplied by billions of
billions； and these multiplied again and again by billions of billions。
The figures would stretch across the universe and hang over into space on
both sides。
L。 To what intent are these uncountable microbes introduced into the
human race？
S。 That they may eat。
L。 Now then； according to man's own reasoning； what is man for？
S。 Alas…alas！
L。 What is he for？
S。 To…to…furnish food for microbes。
L。 Manifestly。 A child could see it。 Now then； with this common…sense
light to aid your perceptions； what are the air； the land； and the ocean
for？
S。 To furnish food for man so that he may nourish； support； and multiply
and replenish the microbes。
L。 Manifestly。 Does one build a boarding…house for the sake of the
boarding…house itself or for the sake of the boarders？
S。 Certainly for the sake of the boarders。
L。 Man's a boarding…house。
S。 I perceive it； Lord。
L。 He is a boarding…house。 He was never intended for anything else。 If
he had had less vanity and a clearer insight into the great truths that
lie embedded in statistics he would have found it out early。 As concerns
the man who has gone unpunished eleven million years； is it your belief
that in life he did his duty by his microbes？
S。 Undoubtedly； Lord。 He could not help it。
L。 Then why punish him？ He had no other duty to perform。
Whatever else may be said of this kind of doctrine； it is at least
original and has a conclusive sound。 Mark Twain had