eminent victorians-第34章

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Sunday'；　though　it　needed　a　more　familiar　eye　to　discern　the

subtleties　in　his　bearing　which　were　produced　by　the　approach　or

Advent；　and　the　solemn　thoughts　which　it　awakened　of　the　advance

of　human　life；　the　progress　of　the　human　race；　and　the　condition

of　the　Church　of　England。



At　the　end　of　the　evening　service；　the　culminating　moment　of　the

week　had　come：　the　Doctor　delivered　his　sermon。　It　was　not　until

then；　as　all　who　had　known　him　agreed；　it　was　not　until　one　had

heard　and　seen　him　in　the　pulpit；　that　one　could　fully　realise

what　it　was　to　be　face　to　face　with　Dr。　Arnold。　The　whole

character　of　the　manso　we　are　assuredstood　at　last　revealed。

His　congregation　sat　in　fixed　attention　（with　the　exception　of

the　younger　boys；　whose　thoughts　occasionally　wandered）；　while　he

propounded　the　general　principles　both　of　his　own　conduct　and

that　of　the　Almighty；　or　indicated　the　bearing　of　the　incidents

of　Jewish　history　in　the　sixth　century　B。C。　upon　the　conduct　of

English　schoolboys　in　1830。　Then；　more　than　ever；　his　deep

consciousness　of　the　invisible　world　became　evident；　then；　more

than　ever；　he　seemed　to　be　battling　with　the　wicked　one。　For　his

sermons　ran　on　the　eternal　themes　of　the　darkness　of　evil；　the

craft　of　the　tempter；　the　punishment　of　obliquity；　and　he

justified　the　persistence　with　which　he　dwelt　upon　these　painful

subjects　by　an　appeal　to　a　general　principle：　'The　spirit　of

Elijah；'　he　said；　'must　ever　precede　the　spirit　of　Christ。'



The　impression　produced　upon　the　boys　was　remarkable。　It　was

noticed　that　even　the　most　careless　would　sometimes；　during　the

course　of　the　week；　refer　almost　involuntarily　to　the　sermon　of

the　past　Sunday；　as　a　condemnation　of　what　they　were　doing。

Others　were　heard　to　wonder　how　it　was　that　the　Doctor's

preaching；　to　which　they　had　attended　at　the　time　so　assiduously；

seemed；　after　all；　to　have　such　a　small　effect　upon　what　they

did。　An　old　gentleman；　recalling　those　vanished　hours；　tried　to

recapture　in　words　his　state　of　mind　as　he　sat　in　the　darkened

chapel；　while　Dr。　Arnold's　sermons；　with　their　high…toned

exhortations；　their　grave　and　sombre　messages　of　incalculable

import；　clothed；　like　Dr。　Arnold's　body　in　its　gown　and　bands；　in

the　traditional　stiffness　of　a　formal　phraseology；　reverberated

through　his　adolescent　ears。　'I　used；'　he　said；　'to　listen　to

those　sermons　from　first　to　last　with　a　kind　of　awe。'



His　success　was　not　limited　to　his　pupils　and　immediate　auditors。

The　sermons　were　collected　into　five　large　volumes；　they　were　the

first　of　their　kind；　and　they　were　received　with　admiration　by　a

wide　circle　of　pious　readers。　Queen　Victoria　herself　possessed　a

copy　in　which　several　passages　were　marked　in　pencil；　by　the

Royal　hand。



Dr。　Arnold's　energies　were　by　no　means　exhausted　by　his　duties　at

Rugby。　He　became　known　not　merely　as　a　headmaster；　but　as　a

public　man。　He　held　decided　opinions　upon　a　large　number　of

topics；　and　he　enunciated　thembased　as　they　were　almost

invariably　upon　general　principlesin　pamphlets；　in　prefaces；

and　in　magazine　articles；　with　an　impressive　self…confidence。　He

was；　as　he　constantly　declared；　a　Liberal。　In　his　opinion；　by　the

very　constitution　of　human　nature；　the　principles　of　progress　and

reform　had　been　those　of　wisdom　and　justice　in　every　age　of　the

worldexcept　one：　that　which　had　preceded　the　fall　of　man　from

Paradise。　Had　he　lived　then；　Dr。　Arnold　would　have　been　a

Conservative。　As　it　was；　his　Liberalism　was　tempered　by　an

'abhorrence　of　the　spirit　of　1789；　of　the　American　War；　of　the

French　Economistes；　and　of　the　English　Whigs　of　the　latter　part

of　the　seventeenth　century'；　and　he　always　entertained　a　profound

respect　for　the　hereditary　peerage。　It　might　almost　be　said；　in

fact；　that　he　was　an　orthodox　Liberal。　He　believed　in　toleration

too；　within　limits；　that　is　to　say；　in　the　toleration　of　those

with　whom　he　agreed。　'I　would　give　James　Mill　as　much　opportunity

for　advocating　his　opinion；'　he　said；　'as　is　consistent　with　a

voyage　to　Botany　Bay。'



He　had　become　convinced　of　the　duty　of　sympathising　with　the

lower　orders　ever　since　he　had　made　a　serious　study　of　the

Epistle　of　St。　James；　but　he　perceived　clearly　that　the　lower

orders　fell　into　two　classes；　and　that　it　was　necessary　to

distinguish　between　them。　There　were　the　'good　poor'and　there

were　the　others。　'I　am　glad　that　you　have　made　acquaintance　with

some　of　the　good　poor；'　he　wrote　to　a　Cambridge　undergraduate。　'I

quite　agree　with　you　that　it　is　most　instructive　to　visit　them。'

Dr。　Arnold　himself　occasionally　visited　them；　in　Rugby；　and　the

condescension　with　which　he　shook　hands　with　old　men　and　women　of

the　working　classes　was　long　remembered　in　the　neighbourhood。　As

for　the　others；　he　regarded　them　with　horror　and　alarm。　'The

disorders　in　our　social　state；'　he　wrote　to　the　Chevalier　Bunsen

in　1834；　'appear　to　me　to　continue　unabated。　You　have　heard；　I

doubt　not；　of　the　Trades　Unions；　a　fearful　engine　of　mischief；

ready　to　riot　or　to　assassinate；　and　I　see　no　counteracting

power。'



On　the　whole；　his　view　of　the　condition　of　England　was　a　gloomy

one。　He　recommended　a　correspondent　to　read　'Isaiah　iii；　v；　xxii；

Jeremiah　v；　xxii；　xxx；　Amos　iv；　and　Habakkuk　ii'；　adding；　'you

will　be　struck；　I　think；　with　the　close　resemblance　of　our　own

state　with　that　of　the　Jews　before　the　second　destruction　of

Jerusalem'。　When　he　was　told　that　the　gift　of　tongues　had

descended　on　the　Irvingites　at　Glasgow；　he　was　not　surprised。　'I

should　take　it；'　he　said；　'merely　as　a　sign　of　the　coming　of　the

day　of　the　Lord。'　And　he　was　convinced　that　the　day　of　the　Lord

was　coming'the　termination　of　one　of　the　great　aiones　of　the

human　race'。　Of　that　he　had　no　doubt　whatever；　wherever　he　looked

he　saw　'calamities；　wars；　tumults；　pestilences；　earthquakes；

etc。；　all　marking　the　time　of　one　of　God's　peculiar　seasons　of

visitation'。　His　only　uncertainty　was　whether　this　termination　of

an　aion　would　turn　out　to　be　the　absolutely　final　one；　but　that

he　believed　'no　created　being　knows　or　can　know'。　In　any　case；　he

had　'not　the　slightest　expectation　of　what　is　commonly　meant　by

the　Millennium'。　And　his　only　consolation　was　that　he　preferred

the　present　Ministry；　inefficient　as　it　was；　to　the　Tories。



He　had　planned　a　great　work　on　Church　and　State；　in　which　he

intended　to　lay　bare　the　causes　and　to　point　out　the　remedies　of

the　evils　which　afflicted　society。　Its　theme　was　to　be；　not　the

alliance　or　union；　but　the　absolute　identity　of　the　Church　and

the　State；　and　he　felt　sure　that　if　only　this　fundamental　truth

were　fully　realised　by　the　public；　a　general　reformation　would

follow。　Unfortunately；　however；　as　time　went　on；　the　public

seemed　to　realise　it　less　and　less。　In　spite　of　his　protests；　not

only　were　Jews　admitted　to　Parliament；　but　a　Jew　was　actually

appointed　a　governor　of　Christ's　Hospital；　and　Scripture　was　not

made　an　obligatory　subject　at　the　London　University。



There　was　one　point　in　his　theory　which　was　not　quite　plain　to

Dr。　Arnold。　If　Church　and　State　were　absolutely　identical；　it

became　important　to　decide　precisely　which　classes　of　persons

were　to　be　excluded；　owing　to　their　beliefs；　from　the　community。

Jews；　for　instance；　were　decidedly　outside　the　pale；　while

Dissentersso　Dr。　Arnold　arguedwere　as　decidedly　within　it。

But　what　was　the　position　of　the　Unitarians？　Were　they；　or　were

they　not；　members　of　the　Church　of　Christ？　This　was　one　of　those

puzzling　questions　which　deepened　the　frown　upon　the　Doctor's

forehead　and　intensified　the　pursing　of　his　lips。　He　thought　long

and　earnestly　upon　the　subject；　he　wrote　elaborate　letters　on　it

to　various　correspondents；　but　his　conclusions　remained

indefinite。　'My　great　objection　to　Unitarianism；'　he　wrote；　'in

its　present　form　in　England；　is　that　it　makes　Christ　virtually

dead。'　Yet　he　expressed　'a　fervent　hope　that　if　we　could　get　rid

of　the　Athanasian　Creed　many　good　Unitarians　would　join　their

fellow　Christians　in　bowing　the　knee　to　Him　who　is　Lord　both　of

the　dead　and　the　living'。　Amid　these　perplexities；　it　was

disquieting　to　learn　that　'Unitarianism　is　becoming　very

prevalent　in　Boston'。　He　inquired　anxiously　as　to　its

'complexion'　there；　but　received　no　very　illuminating　answer。　The

whole　matter　continued　to　be　wrapped　in　a　painful　obscurity；

There　were；　he　believed；　Unitarians　and　Unitarians；　and　he　could

say　no　more。



In　the　meantime；　pending　the　completion　of　his　great　work；　he

occupied　himself　with　putting　forward　various　suggestions　of　a

practical　kind。　He　advocated　the　restoration　of　the　Order　of

Deacons；　which；　he　observed；　had　long　been　'quoad　the　reality；

dead；　for　he　believed　that　'some　plan　of　this　sort　might　be　the

small　end　of　the　wedge；　by　which　Antichrist　might　hereafter　be

burst　asunder　like　the　Dragon　of　Bel's　temple'。　But　the　Order　of

Deacons　was　never　restored；　and　Dr。　Arnold　turned　his　attention

elsewhere；　urging　in　a　weighty　pamphlet　the　desirabitity　of

authorising　military　officers；　in　congregations　where　it　was

impossible　to　procure　the　presence　of　clergy；　to　administer　the

Eucharist；　as　well　as　Baptism。　It　was　with　the　object　of　laying

such　views　as　these　before　the　public'to　tell　them　plainly'；　as

he　said；　'the　evils　that　exist；　and　lead　them；　if　I　can；　to　their

causes　and　remedies'that　he　started；　in　1831；　a　weekly

newspaper；　〃The　Englishman's　Register〃。　The　paper　was　not　a

success；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　it　set　out　to　improve　its

readers　morally　and；　that　it　preserved；　in　every　article；　an

avowedly　Christian　tone。　After　a　few　weeks；　and　after　he　had

spent　upon　it　more　than　￡200；　it　came　to　an　end。



Altogether；　the　prospect　was　decidedly　discouraging。　After　all

his　efforts；　the　absolute　identity　of　Church　and　State　remained

as　unrecognised　as　ever。　'So　deep'；　he　was　at　last　obliged　to　

confess；　'is　the　distinction　between　the　Church　and　the　State

seated　in　our　laws；　our　language；　and　our　very　notions；　that

nothing　less　than　a　miraculous　interposition　of　God's　Providence

seems　capable　of　eradicating　it。'　Dr。　Arnold　waited　in　vain。



But；　he　did　not　wait　in　idleness。　He　attacked　the　same　question

from　another　side：　he　explored　the　writings　of　the　Christian

Fathers；　and　began　to　compose　a　commentary　on　the　New　Testament。

In　his　view；　the　Scriptures　were　as　fit　a　subject　as　any　other

book　for　free　inquiry　and　the　exercise　of　the　individual

judgment；　and　it　was　in　this　spirit　that　he　set　about　the

interpretation　of　them。　He　was　not　afraid　of　facing　apparent

difficulties；　of　admitting　inconsistencies；　or　even　errors；　in

the　sacred　text。　Thus　he　observed　that　'in　Chronicles　xi；　20　and

xiii；　2；　there　is　a　decided　difference　in　the　parentage　of

Abijah's　mother；'　'which'；　he　added；　'is　curious　on　any

supposition'。　And　at　one　time　he　had　serious　doubts　as　to　the

authorship　of　the　Epistle　t