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！
stood still； for it was winter： but the word of the Lord was like
a fire in me。 So I put off my shoes and left them with the
shepherds； and the poor shepherds trembled； and were astonished。
Then I walked on about a mile； and as soon as I was got within
the city； the word of the Lord came to me again； saying： Cry； 'Wo
to the bloody city of Lichfield！' So I went up and down the
streets； crying with a loud voice； Wo to the bloody city of
Lichfield！ It being market day； I went into the market…place；
and to and fro in the several parts of it； and made stands；
crying as before； Wo to the bloody city of Lichfield！ And no one
laid hands on me。 As I went thus crying through the streets；
there seemed to me to be a channel of blood running down the
streets； and the market…place appeared like a pool of blood。 When
I had declared what was upon me； and felt myself clear； I went
out of the town in peace； and returning to the shepherds gave
them some money； and took my shoes of them again。 But the fire
of the Lord was so on my feet； and all over me； that I did not
matter to put on my shoes again； and was at a stand whether I
should or no； till I felt freedom from the Lord so to do： then；
after I had washed my feet； I put on my shoes again。 After this a
deep consideration came upon me； for what reason I should be sent
to cry against that city； and call it The bloody city！ For
though the parliament had the minister one while； and the king
another； and much blood had been shed in the town during the wars
between them； yet there was no more than had befallen many other
places。 But afterwards I came to understand； that in the Emperor
Diocletian's time a thousand Christians were martyr'd in
Lichfield。 So I was to go； without my shoes； through the
channel of their blood； and into the pool of their blood in the
market…place； that I might raise up the memorial of the blood of
those martyrs； which had been shed above a thousand years before；
and lay cold in their streets。 So the sense of this blood was
upon me； and I obeyed the word of the Lord。〃
Bent as we are on studying religion's existential conditions； we
cannot possibly ignore these pathological aspects of the subject。
We must describe and name them just as if they occurred in
non…religious men。 It is true that we instinctively recoil from
seeing an object to which our emotions and affections are
committed handled by the intellect as any other object is
handled。 The first thing the intellect does with an object is to
class it along with something else。 But any object that is
infinitely important to us and awakens our devotion feels to us
also as if it must be sui generis and unique。 Probably a crab
would be filled with a sense of personal outrage if it could hear
us class it without ado or apology as a crustacean； and thus
dispose of it。 〃I am no such thing； it would say； I am MYSELF；
MYSELF alone。
The next thing the intellect does is to lay bare the causes in
which the thing originates。 Spinoza says： 〃I will analyze the
actions and appetites of men as if it were a question of lines；
of planes； and of solids。〃 And elsewhere he remarks that he
will consider our passions and their properties with the same eye
with which he looks on all other natural things； since the
consequences of our affections flow from their nature with the
same necessity as it results from the nature of a triangle that
its three angles should be equal to two right angles。 Similarly
M。 Taine； in the introduction to his history of English
literature； has written： 〃Whether facts be moral or physical； it
makes no matter。 They always have their causes。 There are
causes for ambition； courage； veracity； just as there are for
digestion； muscular movement； animal heat。 Vice and virtue are
products like vitriol and sugar。〃 When we read such
proclamations of the intellect bent on showing the existential
conditions of absolutely everything； we feelquite apart from
our legitimate impatience at the somewhat ridiculous swagger of
the program； in view of what the authors are actually able to
performmenaced and negated in the springs of our innermost
life。 Such cold…blooded assimilations threaten； we think； to
undo our soul's vital secrets； as if the same breath which should
succeed in explaining their origin would simultaneously explain
away their significance； and make them appear of no more
preciousness； either； than the useful groceries of which M。 Taine
speaks。
Perhaps the commonest expression of this assumption that
spiritual value is undone if lowly origin be asserted is seen in
those comments which unsentimental people so often pass on their
more sentimental acquaintances。 Alfred believes in immortality
so strongly because his temperament is so emotional。 Fanny's
extraordinary conscientiousness is merely a matter of
overinstigated nerves。 William's melancholy about the universe
is due to bad digestionprobably his liver is torpid。 Eliza's
delight in her church is a symptom of her hysterical
constitution。 Peter would be less troubled about his soul if he
would take more exercise in the open air； etc。 A more fully
developed example of the same kind of reasoning is the fashion；
quite common nowadays among certain writers； of criticizing the
religious emotions by showing a connection between them and the
sexual life。 Conversion is a crisis of puberty and adolescence。
The macerations of saints； and the devotion of missionaries； are
only instances of the parental instinct of self…sacrifice gone
astray。 For the hysterical nun； starving for natural life；
Christ is but an imaginary substitute for a more earthly object
of affection。 And the like。＇1＇
＇1＇ As with many ideas that float in the air of one's time； this
notion shrinks from dogmatic general statement and expresses
itself only partially and by innuendo。 It seems to me that few
conceptions are less instructive than this re…interpretation of
religion as perverted sexuality。 It reminds one； so crudely is
it often employed； of the famous Catholic taunt； that the
Reformation may be best understood by remembering that its fons
et origo was Luther's wish to marry a nun：the effects are
infinitely wider than the alleged causes； and for the most part
opposite in nature。 It is true that in the vast collection of
religious phenomena； some are undisguisedly amatorye。g。；
sex…deities and obscene rites in polytheism； and ecstatic
feelings of union with the Savior in a few Christian mystics。
But then