the evolution of theology-第13部分

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fish　even；　gods　were　supposed　to　be　present。　A　man　would　eat

freely　of　what　was　regarded　as　the　incarnation　of　the　god　of

another　man；　but　the　incarnation　of　his　own　particular　god　he

would　consider　it　death　to　injure　or　eat。〃





We　have　here　that　which　appears　to　be　the　origin；　or　one　of　the

origins；　of　food　prohibitions；　on　the　one　hand；　and　of　totemism

on　the　other。　When　it　is　remembered　that　the　old　Israelites

sprang　from　ancestors　who　are　said　to　have　resided　near；　or　in；

one　of　the　great　seats　of　ancient　Babylonian　civilisation；　the

city　of　Ur；　that　they　had　been；　it　is　said　for　centuries；　in

close　contact　with　the　Egyptians；　and　that；　in　the　theology　of

both　the　Babylonians　and　the　Egyptians；　there　is　abundant

evidence；　notwithstanding　their　advanced　social　organisation；　of

the　belief　in　spirits；　with　sorcery；　ancestor…worship；　the

deification　of　animals；　and　the　converse　animalisation　of　gods

it　obviously　needs　very　strong　evidence　to　justify　the　belief

that　the　rude　tribes　of　Israel　did　not　share　the　notions　from

which　their　far　more　civilised　neighbours　had　not

emancipated　themselves。



But　it　is　surely　needless　to　carry　the　comparison　further。

Out　of　the　abundant　evidence　at　command；　I　think　that　sufficient

has　been　produced　to　furnish　ample　grounds　for　the　belief；　that

the　old　Israelites　of　the　time　of　Samuel　entertained　theological

conceptions　which　were　on　a　level　with　those　current　among　the

more　civilised　of　the　Polynesian　islanders；　though　their　ethical

code　may　possibly；　in　some　respects；　have　been

more　advanced。



A　theological　system　of　essentially　similar　character；

exhibiting　the　same　fundamental　conceptions　respecting　the

continued　existence　and　incessant　interference　in　human　affairs

of　disembodied　spirits；　prevails；　or　formerly　prevailed；　among

the　whole　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　Polynesian　and　Melanesian

islands；　and　among　the　people　of　Australia；　notwithstanding　the

wide　differences　in　physical　character　and　in　grade　of

civilisation　which　obtain　among　them。　And　the　same　proposition

is　true　of　the　people　who　inhabit　the　riverain　shores　of　the

Pacific　Ocean　whether　Dyaks；　Malays；　Indo…Chinese；　Chinese；

Japanese；　the　wild　tribes　of　America；　or　the　highly　civilised

old　Mexicans　and　Peruvians。　It　is　no　less　true　of　the　Mongolic　

nomads　of　Northern　Asia；　of　the　Asiatic　Aryans　and　of　the

Ancient　Greeks　and　Romans；　and　it　holds　good　among　the

Dravidians　of　the　Dekhan　and　the　negro　tribes　of　Africa。

No　tribe　of　savages　which　has　yet　been　discovered；　has　been

conclusively　proved　to　have　so　poor　a　theological　equipment　as

to　be　devoid　of　a　belief　in　ghosts；　and　in　the　utility　of　some

form　of　witchcraft；　in　influencing　those　ghosts。　And　there　is　no

nation；　modern　or　ancient；　which；　even　at　this　moment；　has

wholly　given　up　the　belief；　and　in　which　it　has　not；　at　one　time

or　other；　played　a　great　part　in　practical　life。



This　sciotheism；　as　it　might　be　called；　is　found；　in

several　degrees　of　complexity；　in　rough　correspondence　with　the

stages　of　social　organisation；　and；　like　these；　separated　by　no

sudden　breaks。



In　its　simplest　condition；　such　as　may　be　met　with　among　the

Australian　savages；　theology　is　a　mere　belief　in　the　existence；

powers；　and　disposition　（usually　malignant）　of　ghostlike

entities　who　may　be　propitiated　or　scared　away；　but　no　cult　can

properly　be　said　to　exist。　And；　in　this　stage；　theology　is

wholly　independent　of　ethics。　The　moral　code；　such　as　is　implied

by　public　opinion；　derives　no　sanction　from　the　theological

dogmas；　and　the　influence　of　the　spirits　is　supposed　to　be

exerted　out　of　mere　caprice　or　malice。



As　a　next　stage；　the　fundamental　fear　of　ghosts　and　the

consequent　desire　to　propitiate　them　acquire　an　organised　ritual

in　simple　forms　of　ancestor…worship；　such　as　the　Rev。　Mr。　Turner

describes　among　the　people　of　Tanna　（l。c。　p。　88）；　and

this　line　of　development　may　be　followed　out　until　it　attains

its　acme　in　the　State…theology　of　China　and　the　Kami…

theology　of　Japan。　Each　of　these　is　essentially　ancestor…

worship；　the　ancestors　being　reckoned　back　through　family

groups；　of　higher　and　higher　order；　sometimes　with　strict

reference　to　the　principle　of　agnation；　as　in　old　Rome；　and；　as

in　the　latter；　it　is　intimately　bound　up　with　the　whole

organisation　of　the　State。　There　are　no　idols；　inscribed　tablets

in　China；　and　strips　of　paper　lodged　in　a　peculiar　portable

shrine　in　Japan；　represent　the　souls　of　the　deceased；　or　the

special　seats　which　they　occupy　when　sacrifices　are　offered　by

their　descendants。　In　Japan　it　is　interesting　to　observe　that　a

national　KamiTen…zio…dai…zinis　worshipped　as　a　sort　of

Jahveh　by　the　nation　in　general；　and　（as　Lippert　has　observed）

it　is　singular　that　his　special　seat　is　a　portable　litter…like

shrine；　termed　the　Mikosi；　in　some　sort　analogous　to　the

Israelitic　ark。　In　China；　the　emperor　is　the　representative　of

the　primitive　ancestors；　and　stands；　as　it　were；　between　them

and　the　supreme　cosmic　deitiesHeaven　and　Earthwho　are

superadded　to　them；　and　who　answer　to　the　Tangaloa　and　the　Maui

of　the　Polynesians。



Sciotheism；　under　the　form　of　the　deification　of　ancestral

ghosts；　in　its　most　pronounced　form；　is　therefore　the　chief

element　in　the　theology　of　a　great　moiety；　possibly　of　more　than

half；　of　the　human　race。　I　think　this　must　be　taken　to　be　a

matter　of　factthough　various　opinions　may　be　held　as　to　how

this　ancestor…worship　came　about。　But　on　the　other　hand；　it　is

no　less　a　matter　of　fact　that　there　are　very　few　people　without

additional　gods；　who　cannot；　with　certainty；　be　accounted　for　as

deified　ancestors。



With　all　respect　for　the　distinguished　authorities　on　the　other

side；　I　cannot　find　good　reasons　for　accepting　the　theory　that

the　cosmic　deitieswho　are　superadded　to　deified　ancestors　even

in　China；　who　are　found　all　over　Polynesia；　in　Tangaloa　and

Maui；　and　in　old　Peru；　in　the　Sunare　the　product　either　of　the

〃search　after　the　infinite；〃　or　of　mistakes　arising　out　of　the

confusion　of　a　great　chief's　name　with　the　thing　signified　by

the　name。　But；　however　this　may　be；　I　think　it　is　again　merely

matter　of　fact　that；　among　a　large　portion　of　mankind；　ancestor…

worship　is　more　or　less　thrown　into　the　background　either　by

such　cosmic　deities；　or　by　tribal　gods　of　uncertain　origin；　who

have　been　raised　to　eminence　by　the　superiority　in　warfare；　or

otherwise；　of　their　worshippers。



Among　certain　nations；　the　polytheistic　theology；　thus

constituted；　has　become　modified　by　the　selection　of　some　one

cosmic　or　tribal　god；　as　the　only　god　to　whom　worship　is　due　on

the　part　of　that　nation　（though　it　is　by　no　means　denied　that

other　nations　have　a　right　to　worship　other　gods）；　and　thus

results　a　worship　of　one　Godmonolatry；　as　Wellhausen

calls　itwhich　is　very　different　from　genuine　monotheism。

In　ancestral　sciotheism；　and　in　this　monol