the way of all flesh-第56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！

perish　spiritually　in　such　investigations。　　We　cannot　help　it；　all
science　must　have　its　martyrs；　and　none　of　these　will　deserve　better
of　humanity　than　those　who　have　fallen　in　the　pursuit　of　spiritual
pathology。〃

Ernest　grew　more　and　more　interested；　but　in　the　meekness　of　his
soul　said　nothing。

〃I　do　not　desire　this　martyrdom　for　myself；〃　continued　the　other；
〃on　the　contrary　I　will　avoid　it　to　the　very　utmost　of　my　power；　but
if　it　be　God's　will　that　I　should　fall　while　studying　what　I　believe
most　calculated　to　advance　his　glorythen；　I　say；　not　my　will；　oh
Lord；　but　thine　be　done。〃

This　was　too　much　even　for　Ernest。　　〃I　heard　of　an　Irish…woman
once；〃　he　said；　with　a　smile；　〃who　said　she　was　a　martyr　to　the
drink。〃

〃And　so　she　was；〃　rejoined　Pryer　with　warmth；　and　he　went　on　to　show
that　this　good　woman　was　an　experimentalist　whose　experiment；　though
disastrous　in　its　effects　upon　herself；　was　pregnant　with
instruction　to　other　people。　　She　was　thus　a　true　martyr　or　witness
to　the　frightful　consequences　of　intemperance；　to　the　saving；
doubtless；　of　many　who　but　for　her　martyrdom　would　have　taken　to
drinking。　　She　was　one　of　a　forlorn　hope　whose　failure　to　take　a
certain　position　went　to　the　proving　it　to　be　impregnable　and
therefore　to　the　abandonment　of　all　attempt　to　take　it。　　This　was
almost　as　great　a　gain　to　mankind　as　the　actual　taking　of　the
position　would　have　been。

〃Besides；〃　he　added　more　hurriedly；　〃the　limits　of　vice　and　virtue
are　wretchedly　ill…defined。　　Half　the　vices　which　the　world　condemns
most　loudly　have　seeds　of　good　in　them　and　require　moderate　use
rather　than　total　abstinence。〃

Ernest　asked　timidly　for　an　instance。

〃No；　no；〃　said　Pryer；　〃I　will　give　you　no　instance；　but　I　will　give
you　a　formula　that　shall　embrace　all　instances。　　It　is　this；　that　no
practice　is　entirely　vicious　which　has　not　been　extinguished　among
the　comeliest；　most　vigorous；　and　most　cultivated　races　of　mankind
in　spite　of　centuries　of　endeavour　to　extirpate　it。　　If　a　vice　in
spite　of　such　efforts　can　still　hold　its　own　among　the　most　polished
nations；　it　must　be　founded　on　some　immutable　truth　or　fact　in　human
nature；　and　must　have　some　compensatory　advantage　which　we　cannot
afford　altogether　to　dispense　with。〃

〃But；〃　said　Ernest　timidly；　〃is　not　this　virtually　doing　away　with
all　distinction　between　right　and　wrong；　and　leaving　people　without
any　moral　guide　whatever？〃

〃Not　the　people；〃　was　the　answer：　　〃it　must　be　our　care　to　be　guides
to　these；　for　they　are　and　always　will　be　incapable　of　guiding
themselves　sufficiently。　　We　should　tell　them　what　they　must　do；　and
in　an　ideal　state　of　things　should　be　able　to　enforce　their　doing
it：　　perhaps　when　we　are　better　instructed　the　ideal　state　may　come
about；　nothing　will　so　advance　it　as　greater　knowledge　of　spiritual
pathology　on　our　own　part。　　For　this；　three　things　are　necessary；
firstly；　absolute　freedom　in　experiment　for　us　the　clergy；　secondly；
absolute　knowledge　of　what　the　laity　think　and　do；　and　of　what
thoughts　and　actions　result　in　what　spiritual　conditions；　and
thirdly；　a　compacter　organisation　among　ourselves。

〃If　we　are　to　do　any　good　we　must　be　a　closely　united　body；　and　must
be　sharply　divided　from　the　laity。　　Also　we　must　be　free　from　those
ties　which　a　wife　and　children　involve。　　I　can　hardly　express　the
horror　with　which　I　am　filled　by　seeing　English　priests　living　in
what　I　can　only　designate　as　'open　matrimony。'　　It　is　deplorable。
The　priest　must　be　absolutely　sexlessif　not　in　practice；　yet　at
any　rate　in　theory；　absolutelyand　that　too；　by　a　theory　so
universally　accepted　that　none　shall　venture　to　dispute　it。〃

〃But；〃　said　Ernest；　〃has　not　the　Bible　already　told　people　what　they
ought　and　ought　not　to　do；　and　is　it　not　enough　for　us　to　insist　on
what　can　be　found　here；　and　let　the　rest　alone？〃

〃If　you　begin　with　the　Bible；〃　was　the　rejoinder；　〃you　are　three
parts　gone　on　the　road　to　infidelity；　and　will　go　the　other　part
before　you　know　where　you　are。　　The　Bible　is　not　without　its　value
to　us　the　clergy；　but　for　the　laity　it　is　a　stumbling…block　which
cannot　be　taken　out　of　their　way　too　soon　or　too　completely。　　Of
course；　I　mean　on　the　supposition　that　they　read　it；　which；　happily；
they　seldom　do。　　If　people　read　the　Bible　as　the　ordinary　British
churchman　or　churchwoman　reads　it；　it　is　harmless　enough；　but　if
they　read　it　with　any　carewhich　we　should　assume　they　will　if　we
give　it　them　at　allit　is　fatal　to　them。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　said　Ernest；　more　and　more　astonished；　but　more
and　more　feeling　that　he　was　at　least　in　the　hands　of　a　man　who　had
definite　ideas。

〃Your　question　shows　me　that　you　have　never　read　your　Bible。　　A　more
unreliable　book　was　never　put　upon　paper。　　Take　my　advice　and　don't
read　it；　not　till　you　are　a　few　years　older；　and　may　do　so　safely。〃

〃But　surely　you　believe　the　Bible　when　it　tells　you　of　such　things
as　that　Christ　died　and　rose　from　the　dead？　　Surely　you　believe
this？〃　said　Ernest；　quite　prepared　to　be　told　that　Pryer　believed
nothing　of　the　kind。

〃I　do　not　believe　it；　I　know　it。〃

〃But　howif　the　testimony　of　the　Bible　fails？〃

〃On　that　of　the　living　voice　of　the　Church；　which　I　know　to　be
infallible　and　to　be　informed　of　Christ　himself。〃



CHAPTER　LIII



The　foregoing　conversation　and　others　like　it　made　a　deep　impression
upon　my　hero。　　If　next　day　he　had　taken　a　walk　with　Mr　Hawke；　and
heard　what　he　had　to　say　on　the　other　side；　he　would　have　been　just
as　much　struck；　and　as　ready　to　fling　off　what　Pryer　had　told　him；
as　he　now　was　to　throw　aside　all　he　had　ever　heard　from　anyone
except　Pryer；　but　there　was　no　Mr　Hawke　at　hand；　so　Pryer　had
everything　his　own　way。

Embryo　minds；　like　embryo　bodies；　pass　through　a　number　of　strange
metamorphoses　before　they　adopt　their　final　shape。　　It　is　no　more　to
be　wondered　at　that　one　who　is　going　to　turn　out　a　Roman　Catholic；
should　have　passed　through　the　stages　of　being　first　a　Methodist；
and　then　a　free　thinker；　than　that　a　man　should　at　some　former　time
have　been　a　mere　cell；　and　later　on　an　invertebrate　animal。　　Ernest；
however；　could　not　be　expected　to　know　this；　embryos　never　do。
Embryos　think　with　each　stage　of　their　development　that　they　have
now　reached　the　only　condition　which　really　suits　them。　　This；　they
say；　must　certainly　be　their　last；　inasmuch　as　its　close　will　be　so
great　a　shock　that　nothing　can　survive　it。　　Every　change　is　a　shock；
every　shock　is　a　pro　tanto　death。　　What　we　call　death　is　only　a
shock　great　enough　to　destroy　our　power　to　recognise　a　past　and　a
present　as　resembling　one　another。　　It　is　the　making　us　consider　the
points　of　difference　between　our　present　and　our　past　greater　than
the　points　of　resemblance；　so　that　we　can　no　longer　call　the　former
of　these　two　in　any　proper　sense　a　continuation　of　the　second；　but
find　it　less　trouble　to　think　of　it　as　something　that　we　choose　to
call　new。

But；　to　let　this　pass；　it　was　clear　that　spiritual　pathology　（I
confess　that　I　do　not　know　myself　what　spiritual　pathology　means
but　Pryer　and　Ernest　doubtless　did）　was　the　great　desideratum　of　the
age。　　It　seemed　to　Ernest　that　he　had　made　this　discovery　himself
and　been　familiar　with　it　all　his　life；　that　he　had　never　known；　in
fact；　of　anything　else。　　He　wrote　long　letters　to　his　college
friends　expounding　his　views　as　though　he　had　been　one　of　the
Apostolic　fathers。　　As　for　the　Old　Testament　writers；　he　had　no
patience　with　them。　　〃Do　oblige　me；〃　I　find　him　writing　to　one
friend；　〃by　reading　the　prophet　Zechariah；　and　giving　me　your　candid
opinion　upon　him。　　He　is　poor　stuff；　full　of　Yankee　bounce；　it　is
sickening　to　live　in　an　age　when　such　balderdash　can　be　gravely
admired　whether　as　poetry　or　prophecy。〃　　This　was　because　Pryer　had
set　him　against　Zechariah。　　I　do　not　know　what　Zechariah　had　done；　I
should　think　myself　that　Zechariah　was　a　very　good　prophet；　perhaps
it　was　because　he　was　a　Bible　writer；　and　not　a　very　prominent　one；
that　Pryer　selected　him　as　one　through　whom　to　disparage　the　Bible
in　comparison　with　the　Church。

To　his　friend　Dawson　I　find　him　saying　a　little　later　on：　　〃Pryer
and　I　continue　our　walks；　working　out　each　other's　thoughts。　　At
first　he　used　to　do　all　the　thinking；　but　I　think　I　am　pretty　well
abreast　of　him　now；　and　rather　chuckle　at　seeing　that　he　is　already
beginning　to　modify　some　of　the　views　he　held　most　strongly　when　I
first　knew　him。

〃Then　I　think　he　was　on　the　high　road　to　Rome；　now；　however；　he
seems　to　be　a　good　deal　struck　with　a　suggestion　of　mine　in　which
you；　too；　perhaps　may　be　interested。　　You　see　we　must　infuse　new
life　into　the　Church　somehow；　we　are　not　holding　our　own　against
either　Rome　or　infidelity。〃　　（I　may　say　in　passing　that　I　do　not
believe　Ernest　had　as　yet　ever　seen　an　infidelnot　to　speak　to。）
〃I　proposed；　therefore；　a　few　days　back　to　Pryerand　he　fell　in
eagerly　with　the　proposal　as　soon　as　he　saw　that　I　had　the　means　of
carrying　it　outthat　we　should　set　on　foot　a　spiritual　movement
somewhat　analogous　to　the　Young　England　movement　of　twenty　years
ago；　the　aim　of　which　shall　be　at　once　to　outbid　Rome　on　the　one
hand；　and　scep