the professor at the breakfast table-第74部分

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part　lest　somebody　should　〃unsettle　〃　somebody's　faith；as　if　faith

did　not　require　exercise　as　much　as　any　other　living　thing；　and　were

not　all　the　better　for　a　shaking　up　now　and　then。　　I　don't　mean　that

it　would　be　fair　to　bother　Bridget；　the　wild　Irish　girl；　or　Joice

Heth；　the　centenarian；　or　any　other　intellectual　non…combatant；　but

all　persons　who　proclaim　a　belief　which　passes　judgment　on　their

neighbors　must　be　ready　to　have　it　〃unsettled；〃　that　is；　questioned；

at　all　times　and　by　anybody；just　as　those　who　set　up　bars　across　a

thoroughfare　must　expect　to　have　them　taken　down　by　every　one　who

wants　to　pass；　if　he　is　strong　enough。



Besides；　to　think　of　trying　to　water…proof　the　American　mind　against

the　questions　that　Heaven　rains　down　upon　it　shows　a　misapprehension

of　our　new　conditions。　　If　to　question　everything　be　unlawful　and

dangerous；　we　had　better　undeclare　our　independence　at　once；　for

what　the　Declaration　means　is　the　right　to　question　everything；　even

the　truth　of　its　own　fundamental　proposition。



The　old…world　order　of　things　is　an　arrangement　of　locks　and　canals；

where　everything　depends　on　keeping　the　gates　shut；　and　so　holding

the　upper　waters　at　their　level；　but　the　system　under　which　the

young　republican　American　is　born　trusts　the　whole　unimpeded　tide　of

life　to　the　great　elemental　influences；　as　the　vast　rivers　of　the

continent　settle　their　own　level　in　obedience　to　the　laws　that

govern　the　planet　and　the　spheres　that　surround　it。



The　divinity…student　was　not　quite　up　to　the　idea　of　the

commonwealth；　as　our　young　friend　the　Marylander；　for　instance；

understood　it。　　He　could　not　get　rid　of　that　notion　of　private

property　in　truth；　with　the　right　to　fence　it　in；　and　put　up　a　sign…

board；　thus：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ALL　TRESPASSERS　ARE　WARNED　OFF　THESE

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　GROUNDS！



He　took　the　young　Marylander　to　task　for　going　to　the　Church　of　the

Galileans；　where　he　had　several　times　accompanied　Iris　of　late。



I　am　a　Churchman；the　young　man　said；by　education　and　habit。　　I

love　my　old　Church　for　many　reasons；　but　most　of　all　because　I　think

it　has　educated　me　out　of　its　own　forms　into　the　spirit　of　its


highest　teachings。　　I　think　I　belong　to　the　〃Broad　Church；〃　if　any

of　you　can　tell　what　that　means。



I　had　the　rashness　to　attempt　to　answer　the　question　myself。　Some

say　the　Broad　Church　means　the　collective　mass　of　good　people　of　all

denominations。　　Others　say　that　such　a　definition　is　nonsense；　that

a　church　is　an　organization；　and　the　scattered　good　folks　are　no

organization　at　all。　　They　think　that　men　will　eventually　come

together　on　the　basis　of　one　or　two　or　more　common　articles　of

belief；　and　form　a　great　unity。　　Do　they　see　what　this　amounts　to？

It　means　an　equal　division　of　intellect！　　It　is　mental　agrarianism！

a　thing　that　never　was　and　never　will　be　until　national　and

individual　idiosyncrasies　have　ceased　to　exist。　　The　man　of　thirty…

nine　beliefs　holds　the　man　of　one　belief　a　pauper；　he　is　not　going

to　give　up　thirty…eight　of　them　for　the　sake　of　fraternizing　with

the　other　in　the　temple　which　bears　on　its　front；　〃Deo　erexit

Voltaire。〃　　A　church　is　a　garden；　I　have　heard　it　said；　and　the

illustration　was　neatly　handled。　　Yes；　and　there　is　no　such　thing　as

a　broad　garden。　　It　must　be　fenced　in；　and　whatever　is　fenced　in　is

narrow。　　You　cannot　have　arctic　and　tropical　plants　growing　together

in　it；　except　by　the　forcing　system；　which　is　a　mighty　narrow　piece

of　business。　　You　can't　make　a　village　or　a　parish　or　a　family　think

alike；　yet　you　suppose　that　you　can　make　a　world　pinch　its　beliefs

or　pad　them　to　a　single　pattern！　　Why；　the　very　life　of　an

ecclesiastical　organization　is　a　life　of　induction；　a　state　of

perpetually　disturbed　equilibrium　kept　up　by　another　charged　body　in

the　neighborhood。　　If　the　two　bodies　touch　and　share　their

respective　charges；　down　goes　the　index　of　the　electrometer！



Do　you　know　that　every　man　has　a　religious　belief　peculiar　to

himself？　　Smith　is　always　a　Smithite。　　He　takes　in　exactly　Smith's…

worth　of　knowledge；　Smith's…worth　of　truth；　of　beauty；　of　divinity。

And　Brown　has　from　time　immemorial　been　trying　to　burn　him；　to

excommunicate　him；　to　anonymous…article　him；　because　he　did　not　take

in　Brown's…worth　of　knowledge；　truth；　beauty；　divinity。　　He　cannot

do　it；　any　more　than　a　pint…pot　can　hold　a　quart；　or　a　quart…pot　be

filled　by　a　pint。　　Iron　is　essentially　the　same　everywhere　and

always；　but　the　sulphate　of　iron　is　never　the　same　as　the　carbonate

of　iron。　　Truth　is　invariable；　but　the　Smithate　of　truth　must　always

differ　from　the　Brownate　of　truth。



The　wider　the　intellect；　the　larger　and　simpler　the　expressions　in

which　its　knowledge　is　embodied。　　The　inferior　race；　the　degraded

and　enslaved　people；　the　small…minded　individual；　live　in　the

details　which　to　larger　minds　and　more　advanced　tribes　of　men　reduce

themselves　to　axioms　and　laws。　　As　races　and　individual　minds　must

always　differ　just　as　sulphates　and　carbonates　do；　I　cannot　see

ground　for　expecting　the　Broad　Church　to　be　founded　on　any　fusion　of

intellectual　beliefs；　which　of　course　implies　that　those　who　hold

the　larger　number　of　doctrines　as　essential　shall　come　down　to　those

who　hold　the　smaller　number。　　These　doctrines　are　to　the　negative

aristocracy　what　the　quarterings　of　their　coats　are　to　the　positive

orders　of　nobility。



The　Broad　Church；　I　think；　will　never　be　based　on　anything　that

requires　the　use　of　language。　Freemasonry　gives　an　idea　of　such　a

church；　and　a　brother　is　known　and　cared　for　in　a　strange　land　where

no　word　of　his　can　be　understood。　　The　apostle　of　this　church　may　be

a　deaf　mute　carrying　a　cup　of　cold　water　to　a　thirsting

fellow…creature。　　The　cup　of　cold　water　does　not　require　to　be

translated　for　a　foreigner　to　understand　it。　　I　am　afraid　the　only

Broad　Church　possible　is　one　that　has　its　creed　in　the　heart；　and

not　in　the　head；that　we　shall　know　its　members　by　their　fruits；

and　not　by　their　words。　　If　you　say　this　communion　of　well…doers　is

no　church；　I　can　only　answer；　that　all　organized　bodies　have　their

limits　of　size；　and　that　when　we　find　a　man　a　hundred　feet　high　and

thirty　feet　broad　across　the　shoulders；　we　will　look　out　for　an

organization　that　shall　include　all　Christendom。



Some　of　us　do　practically　recognize　a　Broad　Church　and　a　Narrow

Church；　however。　　The　Narrow　Church　may　be　seen　in　the　ship's　boats

of　humanity；　in　the　long　boat；　in　the　jolly　boat；　in　the　captain's

gig；　lying　off　the　poor　old　vessel；　thanking　God　that　they　are　safe；

and　reckoning　how　soon　the　hulk　containing　the　mass　of　their

fellow…creatures　will　go　down。　　The　Broad　Church　is　on　board；

working　hard　at　the　pumps；　and　very　slow　to　believe　that　the　ship

will　be　swallowed　up　with　so　many　poor　people　in　it；　fastened　down

under　the　hatches　ever　since　it　floated。



All　this；　of　course；　was　nothing　but　my　poor　notion　about　these

matters