the evolution of theology-第5章

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the　practical　expressions　of　these　beliefs；　and　they　stand　in

the　same　relation　to　religious　worship　as　the　simple

anthropomorphism　of　children　or　savages　does　to　theology。





I　do　not　quote　myself　with　any　intention　of　making　a　claim　to

originality　in　putting　forth　this　view；　for　I　have　since

discovered　that　the　same　conception　is　virtually　contained　in

the　great　〃Discours　sur　l'Histoire　Universelle〃　of　Bossuet；　now

more　than　two　centuries　old：





Le　culte　des　hommes　morta　faisoit　presque　tout　le　fond　de

l'idolatrie；　presque　tous　les　hommes　sacrificient　aux　manes；

c'est…a…dire　aux　ames　des　morts。　De　si　anciennes　erreurs　nous

font　voir　a　la　verite　combien　etoit　ancienne　la　croyance　de

l'immortalite　de　l'ame；　et　nous　montrent　qu'elle　doit　etre

rangee　parmi　les　premieres　traditions　du　genre　humain。

Mais　l'homme；　qui　gatoit　tout；　en　avoit　etrangement　abuse；

puisqu'elle　le　portoit　a　sacrificer　aux　morts。　On　alloit　meme

jusqu'a　cet　exces；　de　leur　sacrifier　des　hommes　vivans；　ou　tuoit

leurs　esclaves；　et　meme　leurs　femmes；　pour　les　aller　servir　dans

l'autre　monde。〃





Among　more　modern　writers　J。　G。　Muller；　in　his　excellent

〃Geschichte　der　amerikanischen　Urreligionen〃　（1855）；　clearly

recognises　〃gespensterhafter　Geisterglaube〃　as　the　foundation　of

all　savage　and　semi…civilised　theology；　and　I　need　do　no　more

than　mention　the　important　developments　of　the　same　view　which

are　to　be　found　in　Mr。　Tylor's　〃Primitive　Culture；〃　and　in　the

writings　of　Mr。　Herbert　Spencer；　especially　his　recently…

published　〃Ecclesiastical　Institutions。〃



It　is　a　matter　of　fact　that；　whether　we　direct　our　attention　to

the　older　conditions　of　civilised　societies；　in　Japan；　in　China；

in　Hindostan；　in　Greece；　or　in　Rome；　we　find；　underlying　all

other　theological　notions；　the　belief　in　ghosts；　with　its

inevitable　concomitant　sorcery；　and　a　primitive　cult；　in　the

shape　of　a　worship　of　ancestors；　which　is　essentially　an　attempt

to　please；　or　appease　their　ghosts。　The　same　thing　is　true　of

old　Mexico　and　Peru；　and　of　all　the　semi…civilised　or　savage

peoples　who　have　developed　a　definite　cult；　and　in　those　who；

like　the　natives　of　Australia；　have　not　even　a　cult；　the　belief

in；　and　fear　of；　ghosts　is　as　strong　as　anywhere　else。　The　most

clearly　demonstrable　article　of　the　theology　of　the　Israelites

in　the　eleventh　and　twelfth　centuries　B。C。　is　therefore　simply

the　article　which　is　to　be　found　in　all　primitive　theologies；

namely；　the　belief　that　a　man　has　a　soul　which　continues　to

exist　after　death　for　a　longer　or　shorter　time；　and　may　return；

as　a　ghost；　with　a　divine；　or　at　least　demonic；　character；　to

influence　for　good　or　evil　（and　usually　for　evil）　the　affairs　of

the　living。　But　the　correspondence　between　the　old　Israelitic

and　other　archaic　forms　of　theology　extends　to　details。　If；　in

order　to　avoid　all　chance　of　direct　communication；　we　direct　our

attention　to　the　theology　of　semi…civilised　people；　such　as　the

Polynesian　Islanders；　separated　by　the　greatest　possible

distance；　and　by　every　conceivable　physical　barrier；　from　the

inhabitants　of　Palestine；　we　shall　find　not　merely　that　all　the

features　of　old　Israelitic　theology；　which　are　revealed　in　the

records　cited；　are　found　among　them；　but　that　extant　information

as　to　the　inner　mind　of　these　people　tends　to　remove　many　of　the

difficulties　which　those　who　have　not　studied　anthropology　find

in　the　Hebrew　narrative。



One　of　the　best　sources；　if　not　the　best　source；　of　information

on　these　topics　is　Mariner's　Tonga　Islands；　which　tells

us　of　the　condition　of　Cook's　〃Friendly　Islanders〃　eighty　years

ago；　before　European　influence　was　sensibly　felt　among　them。

Mariner；　a　youth　of　fair　education　and　of　no　inconsiderable

natural　ability　（as　the　work　which　was　drawn　up　from　the

materials　he　furnished　shows）；　was　about　fifteen　years　of　age

when　his　ship　was　attacked　and　plundered　by　the　Tongans：

he　remained　four　years　in　the　islands；　familiarised　himself　with

the　language；　lived　the　life　of　the　people；　became　intimate　with

many　of　them；　and　had　every　opportunity　of　acquainting　himself

with　their　opinions；　as　well　as　with　their　habits　and　customs。

He　seems　to　have　been　devoid　of　prejudices；　theological　or

other；　and　the　impression　of　strict　accuracy　which　his

statements　convey　has　been　justified　by　all　the　knowledge　of

Polynesian　life　which　has　been　subsequently　acquired。



It　is　desirable；　therefore；　to　pay　close　attention　to　that　which

Mariner　tells　us　about　the　theological　views　of　these　people：





The　human　soul；　after　its　separation　from　the　body；　is

termed　a　hotooa　（a　god　or　spirit）；　and　is　believed　to

exist　in　the　shape　of　the　body；　to　have　the　same　propensities　as

during　life；　but　to　be　corrected　by　a　more　enlightened

understanding；　by　which　it　readily　distinguishes　good　from　evil；

truth　from　falsehood；　right　from　wrong；　having　the　same

attributes　as　the　original　gods；　but　in　a　minor　degree；　and

having　its　dwelling　for　ever　in　the　happy　regions　of　Bolotoo；

holding　the　same　rank　in　regard　to　other　souls　as　during　this

life；　it　has；　however；　the　power　of　returning　to　Tonga　to

inspire　priests；　relations；　or　others；　or　to　appear　in　dreams　to

those　it　wishes　to　admonish；　and　sometimes　to　the　external　eye

in　the　form　of　a　ghost　or　apparition；　but　this　power　of

reappearance　at　Tonga　particularly　belongs　to　the　souls　of

chiefs　rather　than　of　matabooles〃　（vol。　ii。　p。　130）。





The　word　〃hotooa〃　is　the　same　as　that　which　is　usually　spelt

〃atua〃　by　Polynesian　philologues；　and　it　will　be　convenient　to

adopt　this　spelling。　Now　under　this　head　of　〃Atuas　or

supernatural　intelligent　beings〃　the　Tongans　include：





1。　The　original　gods。　2。　The　souls　of　nobles　that　have　all

attributes　in　common　with　the　first　but　inferior　in　degree。

3。　The　souls　of　matabooles　that　are　still　inferior；　and　have

not　the　power　as　the　two　first　have　of　coming　back　to　Tonga　to

inspire　the　priest；　though　they　are　supposed　to　have　the　power

of　appearing　to　their　relatives。　4。　The　original　attendants　or

servants；　as　it　were；　of　the　gods；　who；　although　they　had　their

origin　and　have　ever　since　existed　in　Bolotoo；　are　still

inferior　to　the　third　class。　5。　The　Atua　pow　or

mischievous　gods。　6。　Mooi；　or　the　god　that　supports　the

earth　and　does　not　belong　to　Bolotoo　（vol。　ii。　pp。　103；　104）。





From　this　it　appears　that　the　〃Atuas〃　of　the　Polynesian　are

exactly　equivalent　to　the　〃Elohim〃　of　the　old　Israelite。

They　comprise　everything　spiritual；　from　a　ghost　to　a　god；　and

from　〃the　merely　tutelar　gods　to　particular　private　families〃

（vol；　ii。　p。　104）；　to　Ta…li…y…Tooboo；　who　was　the　national　god

of　Tonga。　The　Tongans　had　no　doubt　that　these　Atuas　daily　and

hourly　influenced　their　destinies　and　could；　conversely；　be

influenced　by　them。　Hence　their　〃piety；〃　the　incessant　acts　of

sacrificial　worship　which　occupied　their　lives；　and　their　belief

in　omens　and　charms。　Moreover；　the　Atuas　were　believed　to　visit

particular　persons；their　own　priests　in　the　case　of　the　higher

gods；　but　apparently　anybody　in　that　of　the　lower；and　to

inspire　them　by　a　process　which　was　conceived　to　involve　the

actual　residence　of　the　god；　for　the　time　being；　in　the　person

inspired；　who　was　thus　rendered　capable　of　prophesying　（vol。　ii。

p。　100）。　For　the　Tongan；　therefore；　inspiration　indubitably

was　possession。



When　one　of　the　higher　gods　was　invoked；　through　his　priest；　by

a　chief　who　wished　to　consult　the　oracle；　or；　in　old　Israelitic

phraseology；　to　〃inquire　of；〃　the　god；　a　hog　was　killed　and

cooked　over　night；　and；　together　with　plantains；　yams；　and　the

materials　for　making　the　peculiar　drink　kava　（of　which

the　Tongans　were　very　fond）；　was　carried　next　day　to　the　priest。

A　circle；　as　for　an　ordinary　kava…drinking　entertainment；　was

then　formed；　but　the　priest；　as　the　representative　of　the　god；

took　the　highest　place；　while　the　chiefs　sat　outside　the　circle；

as　an　expression　of　humility　calculated　to　please　the　god。





As　soon　as　they　are　all　seated　the　priest　is　considered　as

inspired；　the　god　being　supposed　to　exist　within　him　from　that

moment。　He　remains　for　a　considerable　time　in　silence　with　his

hands　clasped　before　him；　his　eyes　are　cast　down　and　he　rests

perfectly　still。　During　the　time　the　victuals　are　being　shared

out　and　the　kava　preparing；　the　matabooles　sometimes　begin　to

consult　him；　sometimes　he　answers；　and　at　other　times　not；

in　either　case　he　remains　with　his　eyes　cast　down。　Frequently　he

will　not　utter　a　word　till　the　repast　is　finished　and　the　kava

too。　When　he　speaks　he　generally　begins　in　a　low　and　very

altered　tone　of　voice；　which　gradually　rises　to　nearly　its

natural　pitch；　though　sometimes　a　little　above　it。　All　that　he

says　is　supposed　to　be　the　declaration　of　the　god；　and　he

accordingly　speaks　in　the　first　person；　as　if　he　were　the　god。

All　this　is　done　generally　without　any　apparent　inward　emotion

or　outward　agitation；　but；　on　some　occasions；　his　countenance

becomes　fierce；　and　as　it　were　inflamed；　and　his　whole　frame

agitated　with　inward　feeling；　he　is　seized　with　an　universal

trembling；　the　perspiration　breaks　out　on　his　forehead；　and　his

lips　turning　black　are　convulsed；　at　length　tears　start　in

floods　from　his　eyes；　his　breast　heaves　with　great　emotion；　and

his　utterance　is　choked。　These　symptoms　gradually　subside。

Before　this　paroxysm　comes　on；　and　after　it　is　over；　he　often

eats　as　much　as　four　hungry　men　under　other　circumstances　could

devour。　The　fit　being　now　gone　off；　he　remains　for　some　time

calm　and　then　takes　up　a　club　that　is　placed　by　him　for　the

purpose；　turns　it　over　and　regards　it　attentively；　he　then　looks

up　earnestly；　now　to　the　right；　now　to　the　left；　and　now　again

at　the　club；　afterwards　he　looks　up　again　and　about　him　in　like

manner；　and　then　again　fixes　his　eyes　on　the　club；　and　so　on　for

several　times。　At　length　he　suddenly　raises　the　club；　and；　after

a　moment's　pause；　strikes　the　ground　or　the　adjacent　part　of　the

house　with　considerable　force；　immediately　the　god　leaves　him；

and　he　rises　up　and　retires　to　the　back　of　the　ring　among　the

people　（vol。　i。　pp。　100；　101）。





The　phenomena　thus　described；　in　language　which；　to　any　one　who

is　familiar　with　the　manifestations　of　abnormal　mental　states

among　ourselves；　bears　the　stamp　of　fidelity；　furnish　a　most

instructive　commentary　upon　the　story　of　the　wise　woman　of

Endor。　As　in　the　latter；　we　have　the　possession　by　the　spirit　or

soul　（Atua；　Elohim）；　the　strange　voice；　the　speaking　in　the

first　person。　Unfortunately　nothing　（beyond　the　loud　cry）　is

mentioned　as　to　the　state　of　the　wise　woman　of　Endor。　But　what

we　learn　from　other　sources　（e。g。　1　Sam。　x。　20…24）

respecting　the　physical