the evolution of theology-第7章

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The　priest　first　bandaged　a　fillet　of　red　parrot　feathers　under

the　god's　chin；　which　was　called　his　pahau　or　beard；　this

bandage　was　made　of　a　certain　kind　of　sennet；　which　was　tied　on

in　a　peculiar　way。　When　this　was　done　it　was　taken　possession　of

by　the　Atua；　whose　spirit　entered　it。　The　priest　then　either

held　it　in　the　hand　and　vibrated　it　in　the　air　whilst　the

powerful　karakia　was　repeated；　or　he　tied　a　piece　of　string

（formed　of　the　centre　of　a　flax　leaf）　round　the　neck　of　the

image　and　stuck　it　in　the　ground。　He　sat　at　a　little　distance

from　it；　leaning　against　a　tuahu；　a　short　stone　pillar　stuck　in

the　ground　in　a　slanting　position　and；　holding　the　string　in　his

hand；　he　gave　the　god　a　jerk　to　arrest　his　attention；　lest　he

should　be　otherwise　engaged；　like　Baal　of　old；　either　hunting；

fishing；　or　sleeping；　and　therefore　must　be　awaked。　。。。　The　god

is　supposed　to　make　use　of　the　priest's　tongue　in　giving　a

reply。　Image…worship　appears　to　have　been　confined　to　one　part

of　the　island。　The　Atua　was　supposed　only　to　enter　the　image　for

the　occasion。　The　natives　declare　they　did　not　worship　the　image

itself；　but　only　the　Atua　it　represented；　and　that　the　image　was

merely　used　as　a　way　of　approaching　him。





This　is　the　excuse　for　image…worship　which　the　more　intelligent

idolaters　make　all　the　world　over；　but　it　is　more　interesting　to

observe　that；　in　the　present　case；　we　seem　to　have　the

equivalents　of　divination　by　teraphim；　with　the　aid　of　something

like　an　ephod　（which；　however；　is　used　to　sanctify　the　image　and

not　the　priest）　mixed　up　together。　Many　Hebrew　archaeologists

have　supposed　that　the　term　〃ephod〃　is　sometimes　used　for　an

image　（particularly　in　the　case　of　Gideon's　ephod）；　and　the

story　of　Micah；　in　the　book　of　Judges；　shows　that　images　were；

at　any　rate；　employed　in　close　association　with　the　ephod。

If　the　pulling　of　the　string　to　call　the　attention　of　the　god

seems　as　absurd　to　us　as　it　appears　to　have　done　to　the　worthy

missionary；　who　tells　us　of　the　practice；　it　should　be

recollected　that　the　high　priest　of　Jahveh　was　ordered　to　wear　a

garment　fringed　with　golden　bells。





And　it　shall　be　upon　Aaron　to　minister；　and　the　sound　thereof

shall　be　heard　when　he　goeth　in　unto　the　holy　place　before

Jahveh；　and　when　he　cometh　out；　that　he　die　not　（Exod。

xxviii。　35）。







An　escape　from　the　obvious　conclusion　suggested　by　this　passage

has　been　sought　in　the　supposition　that　these　bells　rang　for　the

sake　of　the　worshippers；　as　at　the　elevation　of　the　host　in　the

Roman　Catholic　ritual；　but　then　why　should　the　priest　be

threatened　with　the　well…known　penalty　for　inadvisedly　beholding

the　divinity？



In　truth；　the　intermediate　step　between　the　Maori　practice　and

that　of　the　old　Israelites　is　furnished　by　the　Kami　temples　in

Japan。　These　are　provided　with　bells　which　the　worshippers　who

present　themselves　ring；　in　order　to　call　the　attention　of　the

ancestor…god　to　their　presence。　Grant　the　fundamental　assumption

of　the　essentially　human　character　of　the　spirit；　whether　Atua；

Kami；　or　Elohim；　and　all　these　practices　are　equally　rational。



The　sacrifices　to　the　gods　in　Tonga；　and　elsewhere　in　Polynesia；

were　ordinarily　social　gatherings；　in　which　the　god；　either　in

his　own　person　or　in　that　of　his　priestly　representative；　was

supposed　to　take　part。　These　sacrifices　were　offered　on　every

occasion　of　importance；　and　even　the　daily　meals　were　prefaced

by　oblations　and　libations　of　food　and　drink；　exactly　answering

to　those　offered　by　the　old　Romans　to　their　manes；　penates；　and

lares。　The　sacrifices　had　no　moral　significance；　but　were　the

necessary　result　of　the　theory　that　the　god　was　either　a　deified

ghost　of　an　ancestor　or　chief；　or；　at　any　rate；　a　being　of　like

nature　to　these。　If　one　wanted　to　get　anything　out　of　him；

therefore；　the　first　step　was　to　put　him　in　good　humour　by

gifts；　and　if　one　desired　to　escape　his　wrath；　which　might　be

excited　by　the　most　trifling　neglect　or　unintentional

disrespect；　the　great　thing　was　to　pacify　him　by　costly

presents。　King　Finow　appears　to　have　been　somewhat　of　a

freethinker　（to　the　great　horror　of　his　subjects）；　and　it　was

only　his　untimely　death　which　prevented　him　from　dealing　with

the　priest　of　a　god；　who　had　not　returned　a　favourable　answer　to

his　supplications；　as　Saul　dealt　with　the　priests　of　the

sanctuary　of　Jahveh　at　Nob。　Nevertheless；　Finow　showed　his

practical　belief　in　the　gods　during　the　sickness　of　a　daughter；

to　whom　he　was　fondly　attached；　in　a　fashion　which　has　a　close

parallel　in　the　history　of　Israel。





〃If　the　gods　have　any　resentment　against　us；　let　the　whole

weight　of　vengeance　fall　on　my　head。　I　fear　not　their　vengeance

but　spare　my　child；　and　I　earnestly　entreat　you；　Toobo　Totai　

＇the　god　whom　he　had　evoked＇；　to　exert　all　your　influence　with

the　other　gods　that　I　alone　may　suffer　all　the　punishment　they

desire　to　inflict　（vol。　i。　p。　354）。





So　when　the　king　of　Israel　has　sinned　by　〃numbering　the　people；〃

and　they　are　punished　for　his　fault　by　a　pestilence　which　slays

seventy　thousand　innocent　men；　David　cries　to　Jahveh：





Lo；　I　have　sinned；　and　I　have　done　perversely；　but　these　sheep；

what　have　they　done？　let　thine　hand；　I　pray　thee；　be　against　me；

and　against　my　father's　house〃　（2　Sam。　xxiv。　17）。





Human　sacrifices　were　extremely　common　in　Polynesia；　and；　in

Tonga；　the　〃devotion〃　of　a　child　by　strangling　was　a　favourite

method　of　averting　the　wrath　of　the　gods。　The　well…known

instances　of　Jephthah's　sacrifice　of　his　daughter　and　of　David's

giving　up　the　seven　sons　of　Saul　to　be　sacrificed　by　the

Gibeonites　〃before　Jahveh；〃　appear　to　me　to　leave　no　doubt　that

the　old　Israelites；　even　when　devout　worshippers　of　Jahveh；

considered　human　sacrifices；　under　certain　circumstances；　to　be

not　only　permissible　but　laudable。　Samuel's　hewing　to　pieces　of

the　miserable　captive；　sole　survivor　of　his　nation；　Agag；

〃before　Jahveh；〃　can　hardly　be　viewed　in　any　other　light。

The　life　of　Moses　is　redeemed　from　Jahveh；　who　〃sought　to　slay

him；〃　by　Zipporah's　symbolical　sacrifice　of　her　child；　by　the

bloody　operation　of　circumcision。　Jahveh　expressly　affirms　that

the　first…born　males　of　men　and　beasts　are　devoted　to　him；

in　accordance　with　that　claim；　the　first…born　males　of　the

beasts　are　duly　sacrificed；　and　it　is　only　by　special　permission

that　the　claim　to　the　first…born　of　men　is　waived；　and　it　is

enacted　that　they　may　be　redeemed　（Exod。　xiii。　12…15）。　Is　it

possible　to　avoid　the　conclusion　that　immolation　of　their　first…

born　sons　would　have　been　incumbent　on　the　worshippers　of

Jahveh；　had　they　not　been　thus　specially　excused？　Can　any　other

conclusion　be　drawn　from　the　history　of　Abraham　and　Isaac？

Does　Abraham　exhibit　any　indication　of　surprise　when　he　receives

the　astounding　order　to　sacrifice　his　son？　Is　there　the

slightest　evidence　that　there　was　anything　in　his　intimate　and

personal　acquaintance　with　the　character　of　the　Deity；　who　had

eaten　the　meat　and　drunk　the　milk　which　Abraham　set　before　him

under　the　oaks　of　Mamre；　to　lead　him　to　hesitateeven　to　wait

twelve　or　fourteen　hours　for　a　repetition　of　the　command？　Not　a

whit。　We　are　told　that　〃Abraham　rose　early　in　the　morning〃　and

led　his　only　child　to　the　slaughter；　as　if　it　were　the　most

ordinary　business　imaginable。　Whether　the　story　has　any

historical　foundation　or　not；　it　is　valuable　as　showing　that　the

writer　of　it　conceived　Jahveh　as　a　deity　whose　requirement　of

such　a　sacrifice　need　excite　neither　astonishment　nor　suspicion

of　mistake　on　the　part　of　his　devotee。　Hence；　when　the　incessant

human　sacrifices　in　Israel；　during　the　age　of　the　kings；　are　put

down　to　the　influence　of　foreign　idolatries；　we　may　fairly

inquire　whether　editorial　Bowdlerising　has　not　prevailed　over

historical　truth。



An　attempt　to　compare　the　ethical　standards　of　two　nations；　one

of　which　has　a　written　code；　while　the　other　has　not；　is　beset

with　difficulties。　With　all　that　is　strange　and；　in　many　cases；

repulsive　to　us　in　the　social　arrangements　and　opinions

respecting　moral　obligation　among　the　Tongans；　as　they　are

placed　before　us；　with　perfect　candour；　in　Mariner's　account；

there　is　much　that　indicates　a　strong　ethical　sense。　They　showed

great　kindliness　to　one　another；　and　faithfulness　in　standing　by

their　comrades　in　war。　No　people　could　have　better　observed

either　the　third　or　the　fifth　commandment；　for　they　had　a

particular　horror　of　blasphemy；　and　their　respectful　tenderness

towards　their　parents　and；　indeed；　towards　old　people　in

general；　was　remarkable。



It　cannot　be　said　that　the　eighth　commandment　was　generally

observed；　especially　where　Europeans　were　concerned；

nevertheless　a　well…bred　Tongan　looked　upon　theft　as　a　meanness

to　which　he　would　not　condescend。　As　to　the　seventh　commandment；

any　breach　of　it　was　considered　scandalous　in　women　and　as

something　to　be　avoided　in　self…respecting　men；　but；　among

unmarried　and　widowed　people；　chastity　was　held　very　cheap。

Nevertheless　the　women　were　extremely　well　treated；　and　often

showed　themselves　capable　of　great　devotion　and　entire

faithfulness。　In　the　matter　of　cruelty；　treachery；　and

bloodthirstiness；　these　islanders　were　neither　better　nor　worse

than　most　peoples　of　antiquity。　It　is　to　the　credit　of　the

Tongans　that　they　particularly　objected　to　slander；　nor　can

covetousness　be　regarded　as　their　characteristic；

for　Mariner　says：





When　any　one　is　about　to　eat；　he　always　shares　out　what　he　has

to　those　about　him；　without　any　hesitation；　and　a　contrary

conduct　would　be　considered　exceedingly　vile　and　selfish　（vol。

ii　p。　145）。





In　fact；　they　thought　very　badly　of　the　English　when　Mariner

told　them　that　his　countrymen　did　not　act　exactly　on　that

principle。　It　further　appears　that　they　decidedly　belonged　to

the　school　of　intuitive　moral　philosophers；　and　believed　that

virtue　is　its　own　reward；　for





Many　of　the　chiefs；　on　being　asked　by　Mr。　Mariner　what　motives

they　had　for　conducting　themselves　with　propriety；　besides　the

fear　of　misfortunes　in　this　life；　replied；　the　agreeable　and

happy　feeling　which　a　man　experiences　within　himself　when　he

does　any　good　action　or　conducts　himself　nobly　and　generously　as

a　man　ought　to　do；　and　this　question　they　answered　as　if　they

wondered　such　a　question　should　be　asked〃　（vol。　ii。　p。　161）。





One　may　read　from　the　beginning　of　the　book　of　Judges　to　the　end

of　the　books　of　Samuel　without　discovering　that　the　old

Israelites　had　a　moral　standard　which　differs；　in　any　essential

respect　（except　perhaps　in　regard　to　the　chastity　of　unmarried

women）；　from　that　of　the　Tongans。　Gideon；　Jephthah；　Samson；　and

David　are　strong…handed　men；　some　of　whom　are　n