reformers-第4章

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so　he　wishes　that　the　same　healing　should　not　stop　in　his　thought；

but　should　penetrate　his　will　or　active　power。　　The　selfish　man

suffers　more　from　his　selfishness；　than　he　from　whom　that　selfishness

withholds　some　important　benefit。　　What　he　most　wishes　is　to　be

lifted　to　some　higher　platform；　that　he　may　see　beyond　his　present

fear　the　transalpine　good；　so　that　his　fear；　his　coldness；　his　custom

may　be　broken　up　like　fragments　of　ice；　melted　and　carried　away　in

the　great　stream　of　good　will。　　Do　you　ask　my　aid？　　I　also　wish　to　be

a　benefactor。　　I　wish　more　to　be　a　benefactor　and　servant；　than　you

wish　to　be　served　by　me；　and　surely　the　greatest　good　fortune　that

could　befall　me；　is　precisely　to　be　so　moved　by　you　that　I　should

say；　‘Take　me　and　all　nine；　and　use　me　and　mine　freely　to　your　ends'！

for；　I　could　not　say　it；　otherwise　than　because　a　great　enlargement

had　come　to　my　heart　and　mind；　which　made　me　superior　to　my　fortunes。

Here　we　are　paralyzed　with　fear；　we　hold　on　to　our　little　properties；

house　and　land；　office　and　money；　for　the　bread　which　they　have　in

our　experience　yielded　us；　although　we　confess；　that　our　being　does

not　flow　through　them。　　We　desire　to　be　made　great；　we　desire　to　be

touched　with　that　fire　which　shall　command　this　ice　to　stream；　and

make　our　existence　a　benefit。　　If　therefore　we　start　objections　to

your　project；　O　friend　of　the　slave；　or　friend　of　the　poor；　or　of　the

race；　understand　well；　that　it　is　because　we　wish　to　drive　you　to

drive　us　into　your　measures。　　We　wish　to　hear　ourselves　confuted。　　We

are　haunted　with　a　belief　that　you　have　a　secret；　which　it　would

highliest　advantage　us　to　learn；　and　we　would　force　you　to　impart　it

to　us；　though　it　should　bring　us　to　prison；　or　to　worse　extremity。

Nothing　shall　warp　me　from　the　belief；　that　every　man　is　a　lover　of

truth。　　There　is　no　pure　lie；　no　pure　malignity　in　nature。　　The

entertainment　of　the　proposition　of　depravity　is　the　last　profligacy

and　profanation。　　There　is　no　skepticism；　no　atheism　but　that。　　Could

it　be　received　into　common　belief；　suicide　would　unpeople　the　planet。

It　has　had　a　name　to　live　in　some　dogmatic　theology；　but　each　man's

innocence　and　his　real　liking　of　his　neighbor；　have　kept　it　a　dead

letter。　　I　remember　standing　at　the　polls　one　day；　when　the　anger　of

the　political　contest　gave　a　certain　grimness　to　the　faces　of　the

independent　electors；　and　a　good　man　at　my　side　looking　on　the

people；　remarked；　〃I　am　satisfied　that　the　largest　part　of　these　men；

on　either　side；　mean　to　vote　right。〃　I　suppose；　considerate　observers

looking　at　the　masses　of　men；　in　their　blameless；　and　in　their

equivocal　actions；　will　assent；　that　in　spite　of　selfishness　and

frivolity；　the　general　purpose　in　the　great　number　of　persons　is

fidelity。　　The　reason　why　any　one　refuses　his　assent　to　your　opinion；

or　his　aid　to　your　benevolent　design；　is　in　you：　he　refuses　to　accept

you　as　a　bringer　of　truth；　because；　though　you　think　you　have　it；　he

feels　that　you　have　it　not。　　You　have　not　given　him　the　authentic

sign。　　If　it　were　worth　while　to　run　into　details　this　general

doctrine　of　the　latent　but　ever　soliciting　Spirit；　it　would　be　easy

to　adduce　illustration　in　particulars　of　a　man's　equality　to　the

church；　of　his　equality　to　the　state；　and　of　his　equality　to　every

other　man。　　It　is　yet　in　all　men's　memory；　that；　a　few　years　ago；　the

liberal　churches　complained；　that　the　Calvinistic　church　denied　to

them　the　name　of　Christian。　　I　think　the　complaint　was　confession：　a

religious　church　would　not　complain。　　A　religious　man　like　Behmen；

Fox；　or　Swedenborg；　is　not　irritated　by　wanting　the　sanction　of　the

church；　but　the　church　feels　the　accusation　of　his　presence　and

belief。　　It　only　needs；　that　a　just　man　should　walk　in　our　streets；

to　make　it　appear　how　pitiful　and　inartificial　a　contrivance　is　our

legislation。　　The　man　whose　part　is　taken；　and　who　does　not　walt　for

society　in　anything；　has　a　power　which　society　cannot　choose　but

feel。　　The　familiar　experiment；　called　the　hydrostatic　paradox；　in

which　a　capillary　column　of　water　balances　the　ocean；　is　a　symbol　of

the　relation　of　one　man　to　the　whole　family　of　men。　　The　wise

Dandini；　on　hearing　the　lives　of　Socrates；　Pythagoras；　and　Diogenes

read；　〃judged　them　to　be　great　men　every　way；　excepting；　that　they

were　too　much　subjected　to　the　reverence　of　the　laws；　which　to　second

and　authorize；　true　virtue　must　abate　very；　much　of　its　original

vigor。〃　　And　as　a　man　is　equal　to　the　church；　and　equal　to　the　state；

so　he　is　equal　to　every　other　man。　　The　disparities　of　power　in　men

are　superficial；　and　all　frank　and　searching　conversation；　in　which　a

man　lays　himself　open　to　his　brother；　apprizes　each　of　their　radical

unity。　　When　two　persons　sit　and　converse　in　a　thoroughly　good

understanding；　the　remark　is　sure　to　be　made；　See　how　we　have

disputed　about　words！　Let　a　clear；　apprehensive　mind；　such　as　every

man　knows　among　his　friends；　converse　with　the　most　commanding　poetic

genius；　I　think；　it　would　appear　that　there　was　no　inequality　such　as

men　fancy　between　them；　that　a　perfect　understanding；　a　like

receiving；　a　like　perceiving；　abolished　differences；　and　the　poet

would　confess；　that　his　creative　imagination　gave　him　no　deep

advantage；　but　only　the　superficial　one；　that　he　could　express

himself；　and　the　other　could　not；　that　his　advantage　was　a　knack；

which　might　impose　on　indolent　men；　but　could　not　impose　on　lovers　of

truth；　for　they　know　the　tax　of　talent；　or；　what　a　price　of　greatness

the　power　of　expression　too　often　pays。　　I　believe　it　is　the

conviction　of　the　purest　men；　that　the　net　amount　of　man　and　man　does

not　much　vary。　　Each　is　incomparably　superior　to　his　companion　in

some　faculty。　　His　want　of　skill　in　other　directions；　has　added　to

his　fitness　for　his　own　work。　　Each　seems　to　have　some　compensation

yielded　to　him　by　his　infirmity；　and　every　hindrance　operates　as　a

concentration　of　his　force。　These　and　the　like　experiences　intimate；

that　man　stands　in　strict　connexion　with　a　higher　fact　never　yet

manifested。　　There　is　power　over　and　behind　us；　and　we　are　the

channels　of　its　communications。　　We　seek　to　say　thus　and　so；　and　over

our　head　some　spirit　sits；　which　contradicts　what　we　say。　　We　would

persuade　our　fellow　to　this　or　that；　another　self　within　our　eyes

dissuades　him。　　That　which　we　keep　back；　this　reveals。　　In　vain　we

compose　our　faces　and　our　words；　it　holds　uncontrollable

communication　with　the　enemy；　and　he　answers　civilly　to　us；　but

believes　the　spirit。　　We　exclaim；　‘There's　a　traitor　in　the　house！'

but　at　last　it　appears　that　he　is　the　true　man；　and　I　am　the　traitor。

This　open　channel　to　the　highest　life　is　the　first　and　last　reality；

so　subtle；　so　quiet；　yet　so　tenacious；　that　although　I　have　never

expressed　the　truth；　and　although　I　have　never　heard　the　expression

of　it　from　any　other；　I　know　that　the　whole　truth　is　here　for　me。

What　if　I　cannot　answer　your　questions？　　I　am　not　pained　that　I

cannot　frame　a　reply　to　the　question；　What　is　the　operation　we　call

Providence？　　There　lies　the　unspoken　thing；　present；　omnipresent。

Every　time　we　converse；　we　seek　to　translate　it　into　speech；　but

whether　we　hit；　or　whether　we　miss；　we　have　the　fact。　　Every

discourse　is　an　approximate　answer：　but　it　is　of　small　consequence；

that　we　do　not　get　it　into　verbs　and　nouns；　whilst　it　abides　for

contemplation　forever。　　If　the　auguries　of　the　prophesying　heart

shall　make　themselves　good　in　time；　the　man　who　shall　be　born；　whose

advent　men　and　events　prepare　and　foreshow；　is　one　who　shall　enjoy

his　connexion　with　a　higher　life；　with　the　man　within　man；　shall

destroy　distrust　by　his　trust；　shall　use　his　native　but　forgotten

methods；　shall　not　take　counsel　of　flesh　and　blood；　but　shall　rely　on

the　Law　alive　and　beautiful；　which　works　over　our　heads　and　under　our

feet。　　Pitiless；　it　avails　itself　of　our　success；　when　we　obey　it；

and　of　our　ruin；　when　we　contravene　it。　　Men　are　all　secret　believers

in　it；　else；　the　word　justice　would　have　no　meaning：　they　believe

that　the　best　is　the　true；　that　right　is　done　at　last；　or　chaos　would

come。　　It　rewards　actions　after　their　nature；　and　not　after　the

design　of　the　agent。　　‘Work；'　it　saith　to　man；　‘in　every　hour；　paid

or　unpaid；　see　only　that　thou　work；　and　thou　canst　not　escape　the

reward：　whether　thy　work　be　fine　or　coarse；　planting　corn；　or　writing

epics；　so　only　it　be　honest　work；　done　to　thine　own　approbation；　it

shall　earn　a　reward　to　the　senses　as　well　as　to　the　thought：　no

matter；　how　often　defeated；　you　are　born　to　victory。　　The　reward　of　a

thing　well　done；　is　to　have　done　it。'　As　soon　as　a　man　is　wonted　to

look　beyond　surfaces；　and　to　see　how　this　high　will　prevails　without

an　exception　or　an　interval；　he　settles　himself　into　serenity。　　He

can　already　rely　on　the　laws　of　gravity；　that　every　stone　will　fall

where　it　is　due；　the　good　globe　is　faithful；　and　carries　us　securely

through　the　celestial　spaces；　anxious　or　resigned：　we　need　not

interfere　to　help　it　on；　and　he　will　learn；　one　day；　the　mild　lesson

they　teach；　that　our　own　orbit　is　all　our　task；　and　we　need　not

assist　the　administration　of　the　universe。　　Do　not　be　so　impatient　to

set　the　town　right　concerning　the　unfounded　pretensions　and　the　false

reputation　of　certain　men　of　standing。　　They　are　laboring　harder　to

set　the　town　right　concerning　themselves；　and　will　certainly　succeed。

Suppress　for　a　few　days　your　criticism　on　the　insufficiency　of　this

or　that　teacher　or　experimenter；　and　he　will　have　demonstrated　his

insufficiency　to　all　men's　eyes。　　In　like　manner；　let　a　man　fall　into

the　divine　circuits；　and　he　is　enlarged。　　Obedience　to　his　genius　is

the　only　liberating　influence。　　We　wish　to　escape　from　subjection；

and　a　sense　of　inferiority；　　and　we　make　self…denying　ordinances；

we　drink　water；　we　eat　grass；　we　refuse　the　laws；　we　go　to　jail：　it

is　all　in　vain；　only　by　obedience　to　his　genius；　only　by　the　freest

activity　in　the　way　constitutional　to　him；　does　an　angel　seem　to

arise　before　a　man；　and　lead　him　by　the　hand　out　of　all　the　wards　of

the　prison。　　That　which　befits　us；　embosomed　in　beauty　and　wonder　as

we　are；　is　cheerfulness　and　courage；　and　the　endeavor　to　realize　our

aspirations。　　The　life　of　man　is　the　true　romance；　which；　when　it　is

valiantly　conducted；　will　yield　the　imagination　a　higher　joy　than　any

fiction。　　All　around　us；　what　powers　are　wrapped　up　under　the　coarse

mattings　of　custom；　and　all　wonder　prevented。　　It　is　so　wonderful　to

our　neurologists　that　a　man　can　see　without　his　eyes；　that　it　does

not　occur　to　them；　that　it　is　just　as　wonderful；　that　he　should　see

with　them；　and　that　is　ever　the　difference　between　the　wise　and　the

unwise：　the　latter　wonders　at　what　is　unusual；　the　wise　man　wonders

at　the　usual。　　Shall　not　the　heart　which　has　received　so　much；　trust

the　Power　by　which　it　lives？　　May　it　not　quit　o