father and son-第49部分

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Nothing　seemed　left　to　which　I　could　appeal。　We　had；　I　found；　no　common　ground。　The　Holy　Scriptures　had　no　longer　any　authority：　you　had　taught　yourself　to　evade　their　inspiration。　Any　particular　Oracle　of　God　which　pressed　you；　you　could　easily　explain　away；　even　the　very　character　of　God　you　weighed　in　your　balance　of　fallen　reason；　and　fashioned　it　accordingly。　You　were　thus　sailing　down　the　rapid　tide　of　time　towards　Eternity；　without　a　single　authoritative　guide　（having　cast　your　chart　overboard）；　except　what　you　might　fashion　and　forge　on　your　own　anvil；except　what　you　might　guess；　in　fact。

Do　not　think　I　am　speaking　in　passion；　and　using　unwarrantable　strength　of　words。　If　the　written　Word　is　not　absolutely　authoritative；　what　do　we　know　of　God？　What　more　than　we　can　infer；　that　is；　guess；as　the　thoughtful　heathens　guessed；　Plato；　Socrates；　Cicero；

from　dim　and　mute　surrounding　phenomena？　What　do　we　know　of　Eternity？　Of　our　relations　to　God？　Especially　of　the　relations　of　a　sinner　to　God？　What　of　reconciliation？　What　of　the　capital　questionHow　can　a　God　of　perfect　spotless　rectitude　deal　with　me；　a　corrupt　sinner；　who　have　trampled　on　those　of　His　laws　which　were　even　written　on　my　conscience？。。。

This　dreadful　conduct　of　yours　I　had　intended；　after　much　prayer；　to　pass　by　in　entire　silence；　but　your　apparently　sincere　inquiries　after　the　cause　of　my　sorrow　have　led　me　to　go　to　the　root　of　the　matter；　and　I　could　not　stop　short　of　the　development　contained　in　this　letter。　It　is　with　pain；　not　in　anger；　that　I　send　it；　hoping　that　you　may　be　induced　to　review　the　whole　course；　of　which　this　is　only　a　stage；　before　God。　If　this　grace　were　granted　to　you；　oh！　how　joyfully　should　I　bury　all　the　past；　and　again　have　sweet　and　tender　fellowship　with　my　beloved　Son；　as　of　old。

The　reader　who　has　done　me　the　favour　to　follow　this　record　of　the　clash　of　two　temperaments　will　not　fail　to　perceive　the　crowning　importance　of　the　letter　from　which　I　have　just　made　a　long　quotation。　It　sums　up；　with　the　closest　logic；　the　whole　history　of　the　situation；　and　I　may　leave　it　to　form　the　epigraph　of　this　little　book。

All　that　I　need　further　say　is　to　point　out　that　when　such　defiance　is　offered　to　the　intelligence　of　a　thoughtful　and　honest　young　man　with　the　normal　impulses　of　his　twenty…one　years；　there　are　but　two　alternatives。　Either　he　must　cease　to　think　for　himself；　or　his　individualism　must　be　instantly　confirmed；　and　the　necessity　of　religious　independence　must　be　emphasized。

No　compromise；　it　is　seen；　was　offered；　no　proposal　of　a　truce　would　have　been　acceptable。　It　was　a　case　of　'Everything　or　Nothing'；　and　thus　desperately　challenged；　the　young　man's　conscience　threw　off　once　for　all　the　yoke　of　his　'dedication'；　and；　as　respectfully　as　he　could；　without　parade　or　remonstrance；　he　took　a　human　being's　privilege　to　fashion　his　inner　life　for　himself。





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