the evolution of theology-第18部分

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temples。　A　touching　ceremonythe　common　meal　originally　eaten

in　pious　memory　of　a　loved　teacherbecomes　metamorphosed　into　a

flesh…and…blood　sacrifice；　supposed　to　possess　exactly　that

redeeming　virtue　which　the　prophets　denied　to　the　flesh…and…

blood　sacrifices　of　their　day；　while　the　minute　observance　of

ritual　is　raised　to　a　degree　of　punctilious　refinement　which

Levitical　legislators　might　envy。　And　with　the　growth　of　this

theology；　grew　its　inevitable　concomitant；　the　belief　in　evil

spirits；　in　possession；　in　sorcery；　in　charms　and　omens；　until

the　Christians　of　the　twelfth　century　after　our　era　were　sunk　in

more　debased　and　brutal　superstitions　than　are　recorded　of　the

Israelites　in　the　twelfth　century　before　it。



The　greatest　men　of　the　Middle　Ages　are　unable　to　escape　the

infection。　Dante's　〃Inferno〃　would　be　revolting　if　it　were　not

so　often　sublime；　so　often　exquisitely　tender。　The　hideous

pictures　which　cover　a　vast　space　on　the　south　wall　of　the　Campo

Santo　of　Pisa　convey　information；　as　terrible　as　it　is

indisputable；　of　the　theological　conceptions　of　Dante's

countrymen　in　the　fourteenth　century；　whose　eyes　were　addressed

by　the　painters　of　those　disgusting　scenes；　and　whose

approbation　they　knew　how　to　win。　A　candid　Mexican　of　the　time

of　Cortez；　could　he　have　seen　this　Christian　burial…place；　would

have　taken　it　for　an　appropriately　adorned　Teocalli。

The　professed　disciple　of　the　God　of　justice　and　of　mercy　might

there　gloat　over　the　sufferings　of　his　fellowmen　depicted　as

undergoing　every　extremity　of　atrocious　and　sanguinary　torture

to　all　eternity；　for　theological　errors　no　less　than　for　moral

delinquencies；　while；　in　the　central　figure　of　Satan；

occupied　in　champing　up　souls　in　his　capacious　and　well…toothed

jaws；　to　void　them　again　for　the　purpose　of　undergoing　fresh

suffering；　we　have　the　counterpart　of　the　strange　Polynesian　and

Egyptian　dogma　that　there　were　certain　gods　who　employed

themselves　in　devouring　the　ghostly　flesh　of　the　Spirits　of　the

dead。　But　in　justice　to　the　Polynesians；　it　must　be　recollected

that；　after　three　such　operations；　they　thought　the　soul　was

purified　and　happy。　In　the　view　of　the　Christian　theologian　the

operation　was　only　a　preparation　for　new　tortures　continued　for

ever　and　aye。



With　the　growth　of　civilisation　in　Europe；　and　with　the　revival

of　letters　and　of　science　in　the　fourteenth　and　fifteenth

centuries；　the　ethical　and　intellectual　criticism　of　theology

once　more　recommenced；　and　arrived　at　a　temporary　resting…place

in　the　confessions　of　the　various　reformed　Protestant　sects　in

the　sixteenth　century；　almost　all　of　which；　as　soon　as　they　were

strong　enough；　began　to　persecute　those　who　carried　criticism

beyond　their　own　limit。　But　the　movement　was　not　arrested　by

these　ecclesiastical　barriers；　as　their　constructors　fondly

imagined　it　would　be；　it　was　continued；　tacitly　or　openly；　by

Galileo；　by　Hobbes；　by　Descartes；　and　especially　by　Spinoza；　in

the　seventeenth　century；　by　the　English　Freethinkers；　by

Rousseau；　by　the　French　Encyclopaedists；　and　by　the　German

Rationalists；　among　whom　Lessing　stands　out　a　head　and　shoulders

taller　than　the　rest；　throughout　the　eighteenth　century；　by　the

historians；　the　philologers；　the　Biblical　critics；　the

geologists；　and　the　biologists　in　the　nineteenth　century；　until

it　is　obvious　to　all　who　can　see　that　the　moral　sense　and　the

really　scientific　method　of　seeking　for　truth　are　once　more

predominating　over　false　science。　Once　more　ethics　and　theology

are　parting　company。



It　is　my　conviction　that；　with　the　spread　of　true　scientific

culture；　whatever　may　be　the　medium；　historical；　philological；

philosophical；　or　physical；　through　which　that　culture　is

conveyed；　and　with　its　necessary　concomitant；　a　constant

elevation　of　the　standard　of　veracity；　the　end　of　the　evolution　

of　theology　will　be　like　its　beginningit　will　cease　to　have

any　relation　to　ethics。　I　suppose　that；　so　long　as　the　human

mind　exists；　it　will　not　escape　its　deep…seated　instinct　to

personify　its　intellectual　conceptions。　The　science　of　the

present　day　is　as　full　of　this　particular　form　of　intellectual

shadow…worship　as　is　the　nescience　of　ignorant　ages。

The　difference　is　that　the　philosopher　who　is　worthy　of　the　name

knows　that　his　personified　hypotheses；　such　as　law；　and　force；

and　ether；　and　the　like；　are　merely　useful　symbols；　while　the

ignorant　and　the　careless　take　them　for　adequate　expressions　of

reality。　So；　it　may　be；　that　the　majority　of　mankind　may　find

the　practice　of　morality　made　easier　by　the　use　of　theological

symbols。　And　unless　these　are　converted　from　symbols　into　idols；

I　do　not　see　that　science　has　anything　to　say　to　the　practice；

except　to　give　an　occasional　warning　of　its　dangers。　But；　when

such　symbols　are　dealt　with　as　real　existences；　I　think　the

highest　duty　which　is　laid　upon　men　of　science　is　to　show　that

these　dogmatic　idols　have　no　greater　value　than　the　fabrications

of　men's　hands；　the　stocks　and　the　stones；　which　they

have　replaced。





FOOTNOTES



（1）　Even　the　most　sturdy　believers　in　the　popular　theory　that

the　proper　or　titular　names　attached　to　the　books　of　the　Bible

are　those　of　their　authors　will　hardly　be　prepared　to　maintain

that　Jephthah；　Gideon；　and　their　colleagues　wrote　the　book　of

Judges。　Nor　is　it　easily　admissible　that　Samuel　wrote　the　two

books　which　pass　under　his　name；　one　of　which　deals　entirely

with　events　which　took　place　after　his　death。　In　fact；　no　one

knows　who　wrote　either　Judges　or　Samuel；　nor　when；　within　the

range　of　100　years；　their　present　form　was　given　to　these　books。



（2）　My　citations　are　taken　from　the　Revised　Version；　but　for

Lord　and　God　I　have　substituted　Jahveh　and　Elohim。



（3）　I　need　hardly　say　that　I　depend　upon　authoritative　Biblical

critics；　whenever　a　question　of　interpretation　of　the　text

arises。　As　Reuss　appears　to　me　to　be　one　of　the　most　learned；

acute；　and　fair…minded　of　those　whose　works　I　have　studied；　I

have　made　most　use　of　the　commentary　and　dissertations　in　his

splendid　French　edition　of　the　Bible。　But　I　have　also　had

recourse　to　the　works　of　Dillman；　Kalisch；　Kuenen；　Thenius；

Tuch；　and　others；　in　cases　in　which　another　opinion

seemed　desirable。



（4）　See　〃Divination；〃　by　Hazoral；　Journal　of

Anthropology；　Bombay；　vol。　i。　No。　1。



（5）　See；　for　example；　the　message　of　Jephthah　to　the　King　of　the

Ammonites：　〃So　now　Jahveh；　the　Elohim　of　Israel；　hath

dispossessed　the　Amorites　from　before　his　people　Israel；　and

shouldest　thou　possess　them？　Wilt　not　thou　possess　that　which

Chemosh；　thy　Elohim；　giveth　thee　to　possess？〃　（Jud。　xi。　23；　24）。

For　Jephthah；　Chemosh　is　obviously　as　real　a　personage

as　Jahveh。



（6）　For　example：　〃My　oblation；　my　food　for　my　offerings　made　by

fire；　of　a　sweet　savour　to　me；　shall　ye　observe　to　offer　unto　me

in　their　due　season〃　（Num。　xxviii。　2）。



（7）　In　2　Samuel　xv。　27　David　says　to　Zad