the evolution of theology-第8章

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

David　are　strong…handed　men；　some　of　whom　are　not　outdone　by　any

Polynesian　chieftain　in　the　matter　of　murder　and　treachery；

while　Deborah's　jubilation　over　Jael's　violation　of　the　primary

duty　of　hospitality；　proffered　and　accepted　under　circumstances

which　give　a　peculiarly　atrocious　character　to　the　murder　of　the

guest；　and　her　witch…like　gloating　over　the　picture　of　the

disappointment　of　the　mother　of　the　victim





The　mother　of　Sisera　cried　through　the　lattice；

Why　is　his　chariot　so　long　in　coming？　（Jud。　v。　28。）





would　not　have　been　out　of　place　in　the　choral　service　of　the

most　sanguinary　god　in　the　Polynesian　pantheon。



With　respect　to　the　cannibalism　which　the　Tongans　occasionally

practised；　Mariner　says：





Although　a　few　young　ferocious　warriors　chose　to　imitate　what

they　considered　a　mark　of　courageous　fierceness　in　a

neighbouring　nation；　it　was　held　in　disgust　by　everybody　else

（vol。　ii。　p。　171）。





That　the　moral　standard　of　Tongan　life　was　less　elevated　than

that　indicated　in　the　〃Book　of　the　Covenant〃　（Exod。　xxi。…xxiii。）

may　be　freely　admitted。　But　then　the　evidence　that　this　Book　of

the　Covenant；　and　even　the　ten　commandments　as　given　in　Exodus；

were　known　to　the　Israelites　of　the　time　of　Samuel　and　Saul；　is

（to　say　the　least）　by　no　means　conclusive。　The　Deuteronomic

version　of　the　fourth　commandment　is　hopelessly　discrepant　from

that　which　stands　in　Exodus。　Would　any　later　writer　have

ventured　to　alter　the　commandments　as　given　from　Sinai；　if　he

had　had　before　him　that　which　professed　to　be　an　accurate

statement　of　the　〃ten　words〃　in　Exodus？　And　if　the　writer　of

Deuteronomy　had　not　Exodus　before　him；　what　is　the　value　of　the

claim　of　the　version　of　the　ten　commandments　therein　contained

to　authenticity？　From　one　end　to　the　other　of　the　books　of

Judges　and　Samuel；　the　only　〃commandments　of　Jahveh〃　which　are

specially　adduced　refer　to　the　prohibition　of　the　worship　of

other　gods；　or　are　orders　given　ad　hoc；　and　have　nothing

to　do　with　questions　of　morality。



In　Polynesia；　the　belief　in　witchcraft；　in　the　appearance　of

spiritual　beings　in　dreams；　in　possession　as　the　cause　of

diseases；　and　in　omens；　prevailed　universally。　Mariner　tells　a

story　of　a　woman　of　rank　who　was　greatly　attached　to　King　Finow；

and　who；　for　the　space　of　six　months　after　his　death；　scarcely

ever　slept　elsewhere　than　on　his　grave；　which　she　kept　carefully

decorated　with　flowers：





One　day　she　went；　with　the　deepest　affliction；　to　the　house　of

Mo…oonga　Toobo；　the　widow　of　the　deceased　chief；　to　communicate

what　had　happened　to　her　at　the　fytoca　＇grave＇　during

several　nights；　and　which　caused　her　the　greatest　anxiety。

She　related　that　she　had　dreamed　that　the　late　How　＇King＇

appeared　to　her　and；　with　a　countenance　full　of　disappointment；

asked　why　there　yet　remained　at　Vavaoo　so　many　evil…designing

persons；　for　he　declared　that；　since　he　had　been　at　Bolotoo；　his

spirit　had　been　disturbed　by　the　evil　machinations　of　wicked

men　conspiring　against　his　son；　but　he　declared　that　〃the　youth〃

should　not　be　molested　nor　his　power　shaken　by　the　spirit　of

rebellion；　that　he　therefore　came　to　her　with　a　warning　voice　to

prevent　such　disastrous　consequences　（vol。　i。　p。　424）。





On　inquiry　it　turned　out　that　the　charm　of　tattao　had

been　performed　on　Finow's　grave；　with　the　view　of　injuring　his

son；　the　reigning　king；　and　it　is　to　be　presumed　that　it　was

this　sorcerer's　work　which　had　〃disturbed〃　Finow's　spirit。　The

Rev。　Richard　Taylor　says　in　the　work　already　cited：　〃The　account

given　of　the　witch　of　Endor　agrees　most　remarkably　with　the

witches　of　New　Zealand〃　（p。　45）。



The　Tongans　also　believed　in　a　mode　of　divination　（essentially

similar　to　the　casting　of　lots）　the　twirling　of　a　cocoanut。





The　object　of　inquiry　。。。　is　chiefly　whether　a　sick　person　will

recover；　for　this　purpose　the　nut　being　placed　on　the　ground；　a

relation　of　the　sick　person　determines　that；　if　the　nut；　when

again　at　rest；　points　to　such　a　quarter；　the　east　for　example；

that　the　sick　man　will　recover；　he　then　prays　aloud　to　the

patron　god　of　the　family　that　he　will　be　pleased　to　direct　the

nut　so　that　it　may　indicate　the　truth；　the　nut　being　next　spun；

the　result　is　attended　to　with　confidence；　at　least　with　a　full

conviction　that　it　will　truly　declare　the　intentions　of　the　gods

at　the　time　（vol。　ii。　p。　227）。





Does　not　the　action　of　Saul；　on　a　famous　occasion；　involve

exactly　the　same　theological　presuppositions？





Therefore　Saul　said　unto　Jahveh；　the　Elohim　of　Israel；　Shew　the

right。　And　Jonathan　and　Saul　were　taken　by　lot：　but　the　people

escaped。　And　Saul　said；　Cast　lots　between　me　and　Jonathan

my　son。　And　Jonathan　was　taken。　And　Saul　said　to　Jonathan；　Tell

me　what　thou　hast　done。　。。。　And　the　people　rescued　Jonathan　so

that　he　died　not　（1　Sam。　xiv。　41…45）。





As　the　Israelites　had　great　yearly　feasts；　so　had　the

Polynesians；　as　the　Israelites　practised　circumcision；　so　did

many　Polynesian　people；　as　the　Israelites　had　a　complex　and

often　arbitrary…seeming　multitude　of　distinctions　between　clean

and　unclean　things；　and　clean　and　unclean　states　of　men；　to

which　they　attached　great　importance；　so　had　the　Polynesians

their　notions　of　ceremonial　purity　and　their　tabu；　an

equally　extensive　and　strange　system　of　prohibitions；　violation

of　which　was　visited　by　death。　These　doctrines　of　cleanness　and

uncleanness　no　doubt　may　have　taken　their　rise　in　the　real　or

fancied　utility　of　the　prescriptions；　but　it　is　probable　that

the　origin　of　many　is　indicated　in　the　curious　habit　of　the

Samoans　to　make　fetishes　of　living　animals。　It　will　be

recollected　that　these　people　had　no　〃gods　made　with　hands；〃　but

they　substituted　animals　for　them。



At　his　birth





every　Samoan　was　supposed　to　be　taken　under　the　care　of　some

tutelary　god　or　aitu　＇=　Atua＇　as　it　was　called。　The　help

of　perhaps　half　a　dozen　different　gods　was　invoked　in　succession

on　the　occasion；　but　the　one　who　happened　to　be　addressed　just

as　the　child　was　born　was　marked　and　declared　to　be　the　child's

god　for　life。



These　gods　were　supposed　to　appear　in　some　visible

incarnation；　and　the　particular　thing　in　which　his　god　was

in　the　habit　of　appearing　was；　to　the　Samoan；　an　object　of

veneration。　It　was　in　fact　his　idol；　and　he　was　careful　never　to

injure　it　or　treat　it　with　contempt。　One；　for　instance；　saw　his

god　in　the　eel；　another　in　the　shark；　another　in　the　turtle；

another　in　the　dog；　another　in　the　owl；　another　in　the　lizard；

and　so　on；　throughout　all　the　fish　of　the　sea　and　birds　and

four…footed　beasts　and　creeping　things。　In　some　of　the　shell…

fish　even；　gods　were　supposed　to　be　present。　A　man　would　eat

freely　of　what　was　regarded　as　the　incarnation　of　the　god　of

another　man；　but　the　incarnation　of　his　own　particular　god　he

would　consider　it　death　to　injure　or　eat。〃





We　have　here　that　which　appears　to　be　the　origin；　or　one　of　the

origins；　of　food　prohibitions；　on　the　one　hand；　and　of　totemism

on　the　other。　When　it　is　remembered　that　the　old　Israelites

sprang　from　ancestors　who　are　said　to　have　resided　near；　or　in；

one　of　the　great　seats　of　ancient　Babylonian　civilisation；　the

city　of　Ur；　that　they　had　been；　it　is　said　for　centuries；　in

close　contact　with　the　Egyptians；　and　that；　in　the　theology　of

both　the　Babylonians　and　the　Egyptians；　there　is　abundant

evidence；　notwithstanding　their　advanced　social　organisation；　of

the　belief　in　spirits；　with　sorcery；　ancestor…worship；　the

deification　of　animals；　and　the　converse　animalisation　of　gods

it　obviously　needs　very　strong　evidence　to　justify　the　belief

that　the　rude　tribes　of　Israel　did　not　share　the　notions　from

which　their　far　more　civilised　neighbours　had　not

emancipated　themselves。



But　it　is　surely　needless　to　carry　the　comparison　further。

Out　of　the　abundant　evidence　at　command；　I　think　that　sufficient

has　been　produced　to　furnish　ample　grounds　for　the　belief；　that

the　old　Israelites　of　the　time　of　Samuel　entertained　theological

conceptions　which　were　on　a　level　with　those　current　among　the

more　civilised　of　the　Polynesian　islanders；　though　their　ethical

code　may　possibly；　in　some　respects；　have　been

more　advanced。



A　theological　system　of　essentially　similar　character；

exhibiting　the　same　fundamental　conceptions　respecting　the

continued　existence　and　incessant　interference　in　human　affairs

of　disembodied　spirits；　prevails；　or　formerly　prevailed；　among

the　whole　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　Polynesian　and　Melanesian

islands；　and　among　the　people　of　Australia；　notwithstanding　the

wide　differences　in　physical　character　and　in　grade　of

civilisation　which　obtain　among　them。　And　the　same　proposition

is　true　of　the　people　who　inhabit　the　riverain　shores　of　the

Pacific　Ocean　whether　Dyaks；　Malays；　Indo…Chinese；　Chinese；

Japanese；　the　wild　tribes　of　America；　or　the　highly　civilised

old　Mexicans　and　Peruvians。　It　is　no　less　true　of　the　Mongolic　

nomads　of　Northern　Asia；　of　the　Asiatic　Aryans　and　of　the

Ancient　Greeks　and　Romans；　and　it　holds　good　among　the

Dravidians　of　the　Dekhan　and　the　negro　tribes　of　Africa。

No　tribe　of　savages　which　has　yet　been　discovered；　has　been

conclusively　proved　to　have　so　poor　a　theological　equipment　as

to　be　devoid　of　a　belief　in　ghosts；　and　in　the　utility　of　some

form　of　witchcraft；　in　influencing　those　ghosts。　And　there　is　no

nation；　modern　or　ancient；　which；　even　at　this　moment；　has

wholly　given　up　the　belief；　and　in　which　it　has　not；　at　one　time

or　other；　played　a　great　part　in　practical　life。



This　sciotheism；　as　it　might　be　called；　is　found；　in

several　degrees　of　complexity；　in　rough　correspondence　with　the

stages　of　social　organisation；　and；　like　these；　separated　by　no

sudden　breaks。



In　its　simplest　condition；　such　as　may　be　met　with　among　the

Australian　savages；　theology　is　a　mere　belief　in　the　existence；

powers；　and　disposition　（usually　malignant）　of　ghostlike

entities　who　may　be　propitiated　or　scared　away；　but　no　cult　can

properly　be　said　to　exist。　And；　in　this　stage；　theology　is

wholly　independent　of　ethics。　The　moral　code；　such　as　is　implied

by　public　opinion；　derives　no　sanction　from　the　theological

dogmas；　and　the　influence　of　the　spirits　is　supposed　to　be

exerted　out　of　mere　caprice　or　malice。



As　a　next　stage；　the　fundamental　fear　of　ghosts　and　the

consequent　desire　to　propitiate　them　acquire　an　organised　ritual

in　simple　forms　of　ancestor…worship；　such　as　the　Rev。　Mr。　Turner

describes　among　the　people　of　Tanna　（l。c。　p。　88）；　and

this　line　of　development　may　be　followed　out　until　it　attains