phyllis of philistia-第8章

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s；　and　some　Members　of　Parliament　and　the　London　County　Council。

One　of　the　chaplains　of　the　bishop　occupied　a　seat　in　the　aisle；　according　to　the　facetious　newspaper　he　held　a　watching　brief。

The　rector　was；　of　course；　oblivious　of　his　brilliant　entourage。　He　could　not　even　tell　if　Phyllis　or　her　father　were　present。　（As　a　matter　of　fact　both　were　in　their　accustomed　seats　in　their　own　pew。）　He；　as　usual；　took　but　a　small　part　in　the　ritualas　Lord　Earlscourt　once　remarked；　George　Holland　wasn't　such　a　fool　as　to　keep　a　dog　and　do　the　barking　himself。　（It　has　already　been　stated　that　he　had　a　couple　of　excellent　curates。）　But　the　sermon　was　preached　by　himself；　as　indeed　it　usually　was　after　the　morning　service。

It　was　the　most　brilliant　of　all　his　efforts。　He　took　as　his　text　the　words；　〃All　Scripture　is　given　by　inspiration　and　is　profitable；〃　and　he　had　no　difficulty　in　showing　how　vast　was　the　profit　to　be　derived　from　a　consideration　of　every　portion　of　the　sacred　volume；　it　appeared　to　him；　than　the　account　given　of　the　early　history　of　the　Hebrew　race。　That　account　appealed　as　an　object　lesson　to　all　nations　on　the　face　of　the　earth。　It　allowed　every　people　to　see　the　course　which　the　children　of　Israel　had　pursued　at　various　periods　of　their　existence　and　to　profit　by　such　observation。　The　Hebrews　were　a　terrible　example　to　all　the　world。　If　they　were　slaves　when　in　the　land　of　Egypt；　that　was　their　own　fault。　Milton　had　magnificently　expressed　the　origin　of　slavery：

　〃He　that　hath　light　within　his　own　clear　breast　　　May　walk　i'　the　noontide　and　enjoy　bright　day；　　　But　he　that　hides　dark　deeds　and　foul　thoughts　。　。　。　　　Himself　is　his　own　dungeon。〃

The　bondage　of　Egypt　was；　he　believed；　self…imposed。　There　is　no　account　available；　he　said；　of　the　enslavement　of　the　Children　of　Israel　by　the　Egyptians；　but　a　careful　consideration　of　the　history　of　various　peoples　shows　beyond　the　possibility　of　a　mistake　being　made；　that　only　those　become　enslaved　who　are　best　fitted　for　enslavement。　A　king　arose　that　knew　not　Josepha　king　who　could　not　believe　that　at　any　time　there　was　belonging　to　that　race　of　strangers　a　man　of　supreme　intelligence。　The　Israelites　bowed　their　heads　to　the　yoke　of　the　superior　race；　the　Egyptians；　and　took　their　rightful　place　as　slaves。　After　many　days　a　man　of　extraordinary　intelligence　appeared　in　the　person　of　Moses。　A　patriot　of　patriots；　he　gave　the　race　their　Godthey　seemed　to　have　lived　in　a　perfectly　Godless　condition　in　Egypt；　and　their　theology　had　to　be　constructed　for　them　by　their　leader；　as　well　as　their　laws：　the　laws　for　the　desert　wanderers；　and　a　decalogue　for　all　humanity。　He　was　equal　to　any　emergency；　and　he　had　no　scruples。　He　almost　succeeded　in　making　a　great　nation　out　of　a　horde　of　superstitious　robbers。　Had　he　succeeded　the　record　would　have　thrown　civilization　back　a　thousand　years。　Happy　it　was　for　the　world　that　the　triumph　of　crime　was　brief。　The　cement　of　bloodshed　that　kept　the　kingdom　of　Israel　together　for　a　time　soon　dissolved。　Captivity　followed　captivity。　For　a　thousand　years　no　improvement　whatever　took　place　in　the　condition　of　the　peoplethey　had　no　arts；　they　lived　in　mud　huts　at　a　period　when　architecture　reached　a　higher　level　than　it　had　ever　attained　to　previously。　When　the　patriot　prophets　arose；　endeavoring　to　reform　them　with　words　of　firethe　sacred　fire　of　truththey　killed　them。　One　chance　remained　to　them。　They　were　offered　a　religion　that　would　have　purified　them；　in　place　of　the　superstition　that　had　demoralized　them；　and　they　cried　with　one　voice；　as　everyone　who　had　known　their　history　and　their　social　characteristics　knew　they　would　cry；　〃Not　this　Man；　but　Barabbas。〃　That　was　from　the　earliest　period　in　the　history　of　the　race　the　watchword　of　the　Hebrews。　Not　the　man；　but　the　robber。　All　that　is　good　and　noble　and　true　in　manhoodthe　mercy；　the　compassion；　the　self…sacrifice　that　are　comprised　in　true　manhoodthey　cast　beneath　their　feet；　they　spat　upon；　they　crucified；　but　all　of　the　Barabbas　in　man　they　embraced。　Thus　are　they　become　a　hissing　in　the　earth；　and　properly　so；　for　those　who　hiss　at　the　spirit　which　has　always　animated　Judaism　show　that　they　abhor　a　thing　that　is　abhorrent。　〃All　Scripture　is　profitable；〃　continued　the　preacher；　〃and　practically　all　that　is　referred　to　in　the　text　is　an　indictment　of　Judaism。　The　more　earnestly　we　hold　to　this　truth　the　greater　will　be　the　profit　accruing　to　us　from　a　consideration　of　the　Scripture。　But　what　more　terrible　indictment　of　the　Hebrew　systems　could　we　have　than　that　which　is　afforded　us　in　the　record　that　the　father　of　the　race　had　twelve　sons？　He　had。　But　where　are　ten　of　them　now？　Swept　out　of　existence　without　leaving　a　single　record　of　their　destruction　even　to　their　two　surviving　brethren。〃　He　concluded　his　sermon　by　stating　that　he　hoped　it　would　be　clearly　understood　that　he　recognized　the　fact　that　in　England　those　members　of　the　Hebrew　community　who　had　adopted　the　methods；　the　principles；　the　truths　of　Christianity　even　though　they　still　maintained　their　ancient　form　of　worship　in　their　synagogues；　were　on　a　line　with　civilization。　They　searched　their　scriptures　and　these　scriptures　had　been　profitable　to　them；　inasmuch　as　they　had　been　taught　by　those　scriptures　how　impossible　it　was　for　that　form　of　superstition　known　as　Judaism　to　be　the　guide　for　any　people　on　the　face　of　the　earth。



CHAPTER　VIII。

I　HOPE　THAT　YOU　WILL　NOT　EVENTUALLY　MARRY　AN　INFIDEL。

Some　of　the　congregation　were　greatly　disappointed。　They　had　expected　a　brilliant　and　startling　attack　upon　some　other　Bible　personages　who　had　hitherto　been　looked　on　with　respect　and　admiration。　But　the　sermon　had　only　attacked　the　Jewish　system　as　a　whole；　and　everyone　knows　that　there　is　nothing　piquant　in　an　attack；　however　eloquent　it　may　be；　upon　a　religious　system　in　the　abstract。　One　might　as　well　find　entertainment　in　an　attack　upon　the　Magnetic　Pole　or　a　denunciation　of　the　Precession　of　the　Equinoxes。　No　one　cared；　they　said；　anything　more　about　the　failure　of　the　laws　of　Moses　than　one　did　about　such　abstractions　as　the　Earth's　Axis；　or　the　Great　Glacial　Epoch。　It　was　quite　different　when　the　characters　of　well…known　individuals　were　subjected　to　an　assault。　People　could　listen　for　hours　to　an　attack　upon　celebrated　persons。　If　Mr。　Holland's　book　had　only　dealt　with　the　characteristics　of　the　religion　of　the　Jews；　it　would　never　have　attracted　attention；　these　critics　said。　It　had　called　for　notice　simply　because　of　its　trenchant　remarks　in　regard　to　some　of　those　Bible　celebrities　who；　it　was　generally　understood；　were　considered　worthy　of　admiration。

Why　could　Mr。　Holland　not　have　followed　up　the　course　indicated　in　his　book　by　showing　up　some　of　the　other　persons　in　the　Bible？　it　was　asked。　There　were　quite　a　number　of　characters　in　the　Bible　who　were　regarded　as　estimable。　Why　could　he　not　then　have　followed　up　his　original　scheme　of　〃showing　them　up？〃that　was　the　phrase　of　the　critics。　There　was　Solomon；　for　instance。　He　was　usually　regarded　as　a　person　of　high　intellectual　gifts；　but　there　was　surely　a　good　deal　in　his　career　which　was　susceptible　of　piquant　treatment。　And　then　someone　said　that　Noah　should　have　a　chapter　all　to　himself；　also　Lot；　and　what　about　the　spies　who　had　entered　Jericho？　Could　the　imagination　not　suggest　the　story　which　they　had　told　to　their　wives　on　their　return　to　the　camp；　relative　to　the　house　in　which　they　had　passed　all　their　spare　time？　They　supposed　that　Jericho　was　the　Paris　of　the　high　class　Jews　of　those　days。

Then　the　conversation　of　these　critics　drifted　on　to　the　Paris　of　to…day；　and　the　sermon　and　its　lessons　were　forgotten　as　easily　as　is　an　ordinary　sermon。　But　all　the　same　it　was　plain　that　the　clergyman　had　fallen　short　of　what　was　expected　of　him　upon　this　occasion。　His　book　had　gone　far；　and　it　was　felt　that　he　should　have　gone　one　better　than　his　book；　so　to　speak。　Instead　of　that　his　sermon　had　been　one　to　which　scarcely　any　exception　could　be　taken。

But　the　bishop's　chaplain；　who　had　watched　at　intervals　of　praying；　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　was　a　good　deal　cleverer　than　the　majority　of　youngish　clergymen　who　endeavor　to　qualify　for　prosecution。　It　may　be　unorthodox　to　cross　one's　arms　with　the　regularity　of　clockwork　on　coming　to　certain　words　in　the　service；　and　young　clergymen　had　been　prosecuted　for　less；　but　it　was　not　unorthodox　to　speak　evil　of　the　Jewsfor　did　not　the　Church　pray　for　the　Jews　daily？　and　can　anyone　insult　a　man　more　than　by　praying　for　himunless；　of　course；　he　is　a　king；　in　which　case　it　is　understood　that　no　insult　is　intended？

The　bishop's　chaplain　prepared　a　report　of　the　sermon　for　his　lordship；　pointing　out　its　general　harmony；　broadly　speaking；　with　the　tenets　of　the　Church。

Mr。　Ayrton　also　seemed　to　perceive　a　sort　of　cleverness　in　the　sermon。　There　was　nothing　in　it　that　was　calculated　to　shock　even　the　most　susceptible　hearer。　Indeed；　it　seemed　to　Mr。　Ayrton　that　there　was　a　good　deal　in　it　that　was　calculated　to　soothe　the　nerves　of　those　who　had　been　shocked　by　the　book。　He　said　something　to　this　effect　to　his　daughter　as　they　walked　homeward。　He　was　rather　anxious　to　find　out　what　chance　George　Holland　had　of　being　restored　to　his　daughter's　favor。

But　Phyllis　was　firm　in　her　condemnation　of　the　methods　of　Mr。　Holland。

〃He　attacks　the　Jews　as　a　race　in　order　to　ridicule　the　statement　in　the　Bible　that　they　were　God's　chosen　people；　and　they　were；　you　know；　papa；〃　she　said。

〃They　took　so　much　for　granted　themselves；　at　any　rate；〃　said　her　father；　with　some　show　of　acquiescence。

〃But　they　were；　and　they　are　to　be　restored　to　their　own　land；〃　said　Phyllis。

〃Are　they；　my　dear？　I　should　like　to　see　the　prospectus　of　that　enterprise。〃

〃You　are　mocking；　papa。　They　are　to　be　restored；　it　says　so　in　the　Bible　quite　clearly。〃

〃I　am　not　mocking；　Phyllis。　If　gold　is　discovered　in　Palestine；　the　Jews　may　go　there　in　some　numbers；　but；　take　my　word　for　it；　they　won't　go　otherwise。　They　couldn't　live　in　their　own　land；　assuming　that　it　is　their　own；　which　is　going　pretty　far。　Palestine　wouldn't　support　all　the　Jews　alive　at　present；　it's　a　wretched　countryI　know　it　well。　Besides；　they　don't　want　to　return　to　it；　and　furthermore；　we　couldn't　spare　them。〃

〃I　believe　in　the　Bible；　and　I　have　faith；〃　said　Phyllis　firmly。

〃That's　right；〃　said　her　father。　〃I　hope　you　may　always　hold　to　both。　I　think　that　those　girls　who　expect　to　be　regarded　as　advanced；　because　they　scoff　at　the　Bible　and　at　faith；　are　quite　horrid。　I　also　hope　that　you　will　not　eventually　marry　an　infidel。〃

〃That　would　be　impossible；〃　said　Phyllis　firmly。

〃Would　it？〃　said　her　father。　〃There　is　a　stronger　influence　at　work　in　most　of　us；　at　times；　than　religion。　I　wonder　if　it　will　make　a　victim　of　you；　my　child；　though　you　did　send　George　Holland　about　his　business。〃

〃I　don't　quite　know　what　you　mean；〃　said　Phyllis；　with　only　the　slightest　possible　flush。

And　she　did　not　know　what　he　meant　until　six　months　had　passed；　but　then　she　knew。

Seeing　that　she　did　not　know　what　he　meant；　her　father　thanked　Heaven　that　Heaven　had　given　him　a　daughter　who　was　unlike　other　daughters。　He　prayed　that