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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
by themselves are insufficient for determining the value； and the
best adepts of the higher criticism accordingly never confound
the existential with the spiritual problem。 With the same
conclusions of fact before them； some take one view； and some
another； of the Bible's value as a revelation； according as their
spiritual judgment as to the foundation of values differs。
I make these general remarks about the two sorts of judgment；
because there are many religious personssome of you now
present； possibly； are among themwho do not yet make a working
use of the distinction； and who may therefore feel first a little
startled at the purely existential point of view from which in
the following lectures the phenomena of religious experience must
be considered。 When I handle them biologically and
psychologically as if they were mere curious facts of individual
history； some of you may think it a degradation of so sublime a
subject； and may even suspect me； until my purpose gets more
fully expressed； of deliberately seeking to discredit the
religious side of life。
Such a result is of course absolutely alien to my intention； and
since such a prejudice on your part would seriously obstruct the
due effect of much of what I have to relate； I will devote a few
more words to the point。
There can be no doubt that as a matter of fact a religious life；
exclusively pursued； does tend to make the person exceptional and
eccentric。 I speak not now of your ordinary religious believer；
who follows the conventional observances of his country； whether
it be Buddhist； Christian； or Mohammedan。 His religion has been
made for him by others； communicated to him by tradition；
determined to fixed forms by imitation； and retained by habit。
It would profit us little to study this second…hand religious
life。 We must make search rather for the original experiences
which were the pattern…setters to all this mass of suggested
feeling and imitated conduct。 These experiences we can only find
in individuals for whom religion exists not as a dull habit； but
as an acute fever rather。 But such individuals are 〃geniuses〃 in
the religious line； and like many other geniuses who have brought
forth fruits effective enough for commemoration in the pages of
biography； such religious geniuses have often shown symptoms of
nervous instability。 Even more perhaps than other kinds of
genius； religious leaders have been subject to abnormal psychical
visitations。 Invariably they have been creatures of exalted
emotional sensibility。 Often they have led a discordant inner
life； and had melancholy during a part of their career。 They
have known no measure； been liable to obsessions and fixed ideas；
and frequently they have fallen into trances； heard voices； seen
visions； and presented all sorts of peculiarities which are
ordinarily classed as pathological。 Often； moreover； these
pathological features in their career have helped to give them
their religious authority and influence。
If you ask for a concrete example； there can be no better one
than is furnished by the person of George Fox。 The Quaker
religion which he founded is something which it is impossible to
overpraise。 In a day of shams； it was a religion of veracity
rooted in spiritual inwardness； and a return to something more
like the original gospel truth than men had ever known in
England。 So far as our Christian sects today are evolving into
liberality； they are simply reverting in essence to the position
which Fox and the early Quakers so long ago assumed。 No one can
pretend for a moment that in point of spiritual sagacity and
capacity； Fox's mind was unsound。 Everyone who confronted him
personally； from Oliver Cromwell down to county magistrates and
jailers； seems to have acknowledged his superior power。 Yet from
the point of view of his nervous constitution； Fox was a
psychopath or detraque of the deepest dye。 His Journal abounds
in entries of this sort：
〃As I was walking with several friends； I lifted up my head and
saw three steeple…house spires； and they struck at my life。 I
asked them what place that was？ They said； Lichfield。
Immediately the word of the Lord came to me； that I must go
thither。 Being come to the house we were going to； I wished the
friends to walk into the house； saying nothing to them of whither
I was to go。 As soon as they were gone I stept away； and went by
my eye over hedge and ditch till I came within a mile of
Lichfield where； in a great field； shepherds were keeping their
sheep。 Then was I commanded by the Lord to pull off my shoes。 I
stood still； for it was winter： but the word of the Lord was like
a fire in me。 So I put off my shoes and left them with the
shepherds； and the poor shepherds trembled； and were astonished。
Then I walked on about a mile； and as soon as I was got within
the city； the word of the Lord came to me again； saying： Cry； 'Wo
to the bloody city of Lichfield！' So I went up and down the
streets； crying with a loud voice； Wo to the bloody city of
Lichfield！ It being market day； I went into the market…place；
and to and fro in the several parts of it； and made stands；
crying as before； Wo to the bloody city of Lichfield！ And no one
laid hands on me。 As I went thus crying through the streets；
there seemed to me to be a channel of blood running down the
streets； and the market…place appeared like a pool of blood。 When
I had declared what was upon me； and felt myself clear； I went
out of the town in peace； and returning to the shepherds gave
them some money； and took my shoes of them again。 But the fire
of the Lord was so on my feet； and all over me； that I did not
matter to put on my shoes again； and was at a stand whether I
should or no； till I felt freedom from the Lord so to do： then；
after I had washed my feet； I put on my shoes again。 After this a
deep consideration came upon me； for what reason I should be sent
to cry against that city； and call it The bloody city！ For
though the parliament had the minister one while； and the king
another； and much blood had been shed in the town during the wars
between them； yet there was no more than had befallen many other
places。 But afterwards I came to understand； that in the Emperor
Diocletian's time a thousand Christians were martyr'd in
Lichfield。 So I was to go； without my shoes； through the
channel of their blood； and into the pool of their blood in the
market…place； that I might raise up the memorial of the blood of
those martyrs； which had been shed above a thousand years before；
and lay cold in their streets。 So the sense of this blood was
upon me； and I obeyed the word of the Lord。〃
Bent as we are on studying religion's existential conditions； we
cannot possibly ignore these pathological aspects of the subject。
We must describe and name them just as if they occurred in
non…religious men。 It is true that we instinctively recoil from
seeing an object to which our emotions and affections are
committed handled by the intellect as any other object is
handled。 The first thing the intellect does with an object is to
class it along with something else。 But any object that is
infinitely important to us and awakens our devotion feels to us
also as if it must be sui generis and unique。 Probably a crab
would be filled with a sense of personal outrage if it could hear
us class it without ado or apology as a crustacean； and thus
dispose of it。 〃I am no such thing； it would say； I am MYSELF；
MYSELF alone。
The next thing the intellect does is to lay bare the causes in
which the thing originates。 Spinoza says： 〃I will analyze the
actions and appetites of men as if it were a question of lines；
of planes； and of solids。〃 And elsewhere he remarks that he
will consider our passions and their properties with the same eye
with which he looks on all other natural things； since the
consequences of our affections flow from their nature with the
same necessity as it results from the nature of a triangle that
its three angles should be equal to two right angles。 Similarly
M。 Taine； in the introduction to his history of English
literature； has written： 〃Whether facts be moral or physical； it
makes no matter。 They always have their causes。 There are
causes for ambition； courage； veracity； just as there are for
digestion； muscula