david elginbrod-第85部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

flying　glimpses　of　its　meaning；　scope；　and　drift。

〃I　seldom　go　to　church；〃　said　Falconer；　〃but　when　I　do；　I　come　here：
and　always　feel　that　I　am　in　the　presence　of　one　of　the　holy
servants　of　God's　great　temple　not　made　with　hands。　　I　heartily
trust　that　man。　　He　is　what　he　seems　to　be。〃

〃They　say　he　is　awfully　heterodox。〃

〃They　do。〃

〃How　then　can　he　remain　in　the　church；　if　he　is　as　honest　as　you
say？〃

〃In　this　way；　as　I　humbly　venture　to　think；〃　Falconer　answered。　〃He
looks　upon　the　formul？of　the　church　as　utterances　of　living
truthvital　embodimentsto　be　regarded　as　one　ought　to　regard
human　faces。　　In　these　human　faces；　others　may　see　this　or　that
inferior　expression；　may　find　out　the　mean　and　the　small　and　the
incomplete：　he　looks　for　and　finds　the　ideal；　the　grand；　sacred；
God…meant　meaning；　and　by　that　he　holds　as　the　meaning　of　the　human
countenances；　for　it　is　the　meaning　of　him　who　made　them。　　So　with
the　confession　of　the　Church　of　England：　he　believes　that　not　man
only；　but　God　also；　and　God　first　and　chief；　had　to　do　with　the
making　of　it；　and　therefore　he　looks　in　it　for　the　Eternal　and　the
Divine；　and　he　finds　what　he　seeks。　　And　as　no　words　can　avoid
bearing　in　them　the　possibility　of　a　variety　of　interpretations；　he
would　exclude　whatever　the　words　might　mean；　or；　regarded　merely　as
words；　do　mean；　in　a　narrow　exposition：　he　thinks　it　would　be
dishonest　to　take　the　low　meaning　as　the　meaning。　　To　return　to　the
faces：　he　passes　by　moods　and　tempers；　and　beholds　the　main
characterthat　on　whose　surface　the　temporal　and　transient　floats。
Both　in　faces　and　in　formul？he　loves　the　divine　substance；　with
his　true；　manly；　brave　heart；　and　as　for　the　faults　in　bothfor
man；　too；　has　his　share　in　bothI　believe　he　is　ready　to　die　by
them；　if　only　in　so　doing　he　might　die　for　them。I　had　a　vision　of
him　this　morning　as　I　sat　and　listened　to　his　voice；　which　always
seems　to　me　to　come　immediately　from　his　heart；　as　if　his　heart
spoke　with　lips　of　its　own。　　Shall　I　tell　you　my　vision？

〃I　saw　a　crowdpriests　and　laymenspeeding；　hurrying；　darting
away；　up　a　steep；　crumbling　height。　　Mitres；　hoods；　and　hats　rolled
behind　them　to　the　bottom。　　Every　one　for　himself；　with　hands　and
feet　they　scramble　and　flee；　to　save　their　souls　from　the　fires　of
hell　which　come　rolling　in　along　the　hollow　below　with　the　forward
'pointing　spires'　of　billowy　flame。　　But　beneath；　right　in　the
course　of　the　fire；　stands　one　man　upon　a　little　rock　which　goes
down　to　the　centre　of　the　great　world；　and　faces　the　approaching
flames。　　He　stands　bareheaded；　his　eyes　bright　with　faith　in　God；
and　the　mighty　mouth　that　utters　his　truth；　fixed　in　holy　defiance。
His　denial　comes　from　no　fear；　or　weak　dislike　to　that　which　is
painful。　　On　neither　side　will　he　tell　lies　for　peace。　　He　is　ready
to　be　lost　for　his　fellow…men。　　In　the　name　of　God　he　rebukes　the
flames　of　hell。　　The　fugitives　pause　on　the　top；　look　back；　call　him
lying　prophet；　and　shout　evil　opprobrious　names　at　the　man　who
counts　not　his　own　life　dear　to　him；　who　has　forgotten　his　own　soul
in　his　sacred　devotion　to　men；　who　fills　up　what　is　left　behind　of
the　sufferings　of　Christ；　for　his　body's　sakefor　the　human　race；
of　which　he　is　the　head。　　Be　sure　that；　come　what　may　of　the　rest；
let　the　flames　of　hell　ebb　or　flow；　that　man　is　safe；　for　he　is
delivered　already　from　the　only　devil　that　can　make　hell　itself　a
torture；　the　devil　of　selfishnessthe　only　one　that　can　possess　a
man　and　make　himself　his　own　living　hell。　　He　is　out　of　all　that
region　of　things；　and　already　dwelling　in　the　secret　place　of　the
Almighty。〃

〃Go　on；　go　on。〃

〃He　trusts　in　God　so　absolutely；　that　he　leaves　his　salvation　to
himutterly；　fearlessly；　and；　forgetting　it；　as　being　no　concern　of
his；　sets　himself　to　do　the　work　that　God　has　given　him　to　do；　even
as　his　Lord　did　before　him；　counting　that　alone　worthy　of　his　care。
Let　God's　will　be　done；　and　all　is　well。　　If　God's　will　be　done；　he
cannot　fare　ill。　　To　him；　God　is　all　in　all。　　If　it　be　possible　to
separate　such　things；　it　is　the　glory　of　God；　even　more　than　the
salvation　of　men；　that　he　seeks。　　He　will　not　have　it　that　his
Father　in　heaven　is　not　perfect。　　He　believes　entirely　that　God
loves；　yea；　is　love；　and；　therefore；　that　hell　itself　must　be
subservient　to　that　love；　and　but　an　embodiment　of　it；　that　the
grand　work　of　Justice　is　to　make　way　for　a　Love　which　will　give　to
every　man　that　which　is　right　and　ten　times　more；　even　if　it　should
be　by　means　of　awful　sufferinga　suffering　which　the　Love　of　the
Father　will　not　shun；　either　for　himself　or　his　children；　but　will
eagerly　meet　for　their　sakes；　that　he　may　give　them　all　that　is　in
his　heart。〃

〃Surely　you　speak　your　own　opinions　in　describing　thus　warmly　the
faith　of　the　preacher。〃

〃I　do。　　He　is　accountable　for　nothing　I　say。　　All　I　assert　is；　that
this　is　how　I　seem　to　myself　to　succeed　in　understanding　him。〃

〃How　is　it　that　so　many　good　people　call　him　heterodox？〃

〃I　do　not　mind　that。　　I　am　annoyed　only　when　good…hearted　people；
with　small　natures　and　cultivated　intellects；　patronise　him；　and
talk　forgivingly　of　his　warm　heart　and　unsound　judgment。　　To　these；
theology　must　be　like　a　mapwith　plenty　of　lines　in　it。　　They
cannot　trust　their　house　on　the　high　table…land　of　his　theology；
because　they　cannot　see　the　outlines　bounding　the　said　table…land。
It　is　not　small　enough　for　them。　　They　cannot　take　it　in。　　Such　can
hardly　be　satisfied　with　the　creation；　one　would　think；　seeing　there
is　no　line　of　division　anywhere　in　it。　　They　would　take　care　there
should　be　no　mistake。〃

〃Does　God　draw　no　lines；　then？〃

〃When　he　does；　they　are　pure　lines；　without　breadth；　and
consequently　invisible　to　mortal　eyes；　not　Chinese　walls　of
separation；　such　as　these　definers　would　construct。　　Such　minds　are
？priori　incapable　of　theorising　upon　his　theories。　　Or；　to　alter
the　figure；　they　will　discover　a　thousand　faults　in　his　drawing；　but
they　can　never　behold　the　figure　constructed　by　his　lines；　and
containing　the　faults　which　they　believe　they　discover。〃

〃But　can　those　theories　in　religion　be　correct　which　are　so　hard　to
see？〃

〃They　are　only　hard　to　certain　natures。〃

〃But　those　natures　are　above　the　average。〃

〃Yes；　in　intellect　and　its　cultivationnothing　more。〃

〃You　have　granted　them　heart。〃

〃Not　much；　but　what　there　is；　good。〃

〃That　is　allowing　a　great　deal；　though。　　Is　it　not　hard　then　to　say
that　such　cannot　understand　him？〃

〃Why？　　They　will　get　to　heaven；　which　is　all　they　want。　　And　they
will　understand　him　one　day；　which　is　more　than　they　pray　for。　　Till
they　have　done　being　anxious　about　their　own　salvation；　we　must
forgive　them　that　they　can　contemplate　with　calmness　the　damnation
of　a　universe；　and　believe　that　God　is　yet　more　indifferent　than
they。〃

〃But　do　they　not　bring　the　charges　likewise　against　you；　of　being
unable　to　understand　them？〃

〃Yes。　And　so　it　must　remain；　till　the　Spirit　of　God　decide　the
matter；　which　I　presume　must　take　place　by　slow　degrees。　　For　this
decision　can　only　consist　in　the　enlightenment　of　souls　to　see　the
truth；　and　therefore　has　to　do　with　individuals　only。　　There　is　no
triumph　for　the　Truth　but　that。　　She　knows　no　glorying　over　the
vanquished；　for　in　her　victory　the　vanquished　is　already　of　the
vanquishers。　　Till　then；　the　Right　must　be　content　to　be　called　the
Wrong；　andwhich　is　far　harderto　seem　the　Wrong。　　There　is　no
spiritual　victory　gained　by　a　verbal　conquest；　or　by　any　kind　of
torture；　even　should　the　rack　employed　be　that　of　the　purest　logic。
Nay　more：　so　long　as　the　wicked　themselves　remain　impenitent；　there
is　mourning　in　heaven；　and　when　there　is　no　longer　any　hope　over　one
last　remaining　sinner；　heaven　itself　must　confess　its　defeat；　heap
upon　that　sinner　what　plagues　you　will。〃

Hugh　pondered；　and　continued　pondering　till　they　reached　Falconer's
chambers。　　At　the　door　Hugh　paused。

〃Will　you　not　come　in？〃

〃I　fear　I　shall　become　troublesome。〃

〃No　fear　of　that。　　I　promise　to　get　rid　of　you　as　soon　as　I　find　you
so。〃

〃Thank　you。　　Just　let　me　know　when　you　have　had　enough　of　me。〃

They　entered。　　Mrs。　Ashton；　who；　unlike　her　class；　was　never　missing
when　wanted；　got　them　some　bread　and　cheese；　and　Falconer's
Fortunatus…purse　of　a　cellarthe　bottom　of　his　cupboardsupplied
its　usual　bottle　of　port；　to　which　fare　the　friends　sat　down。

The　conversation；　like　a　bird　descending　in　spirals；　settled　at　last
upon　the　subject　which　had　more　or　less　occupied　Hugh's　thoughts
ever　since　his　unsatisfactory　conversation　with　Funkelstein；　at
their　first　meeting；　and　still　more　since　he　had　learned　that　this
man　himself　exercised　an　unlawful　influence　over　Euphra。　　He　begged
Falconer；　if　he　had　any　theory　comprehending　such　things；　to　let　him
know　what　kind　of　a　relation　it　was；　in　which　Miss　Cameron　stood　to
Funkelstein；　or　Count　von　Halkar。

〃I　have　had　occasion　to　think　a　good　deal　about　those　things；〃　said
Falconer。　〃The　first　thing　evident　is；　that　Miss　Cameron　is
peculiarly　constituted；　belonging　to　a　class　which　is；　however；
larger　than　is　commonly　supposed；　circumstances　rarely　combining　to
bring　ou