第58章
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  Thepsychologicalreasonsforthislienearthesurface。Whenwedropabstractionsandtakewhatwecallourwillintheact,weseethatitisaverycomplexfunction。Itinvolvesbothstimulationsandinhibitions;itfollowsgeneralizedhabits;itisescortedbyreflectivecriticisms;anditleavesagoodorabadtasteofitselfbehind,accordingtothemanneroftheperformance。Theresultisthat,quiteapartfromtheimmediatepleasurewhichanysensibleexperiencemaygiveus,ourowngeneralmoralattitudeinprocuringorundergoingtheexperiencebringswithitasecondarysatisfactionordistaste。Somemenandwomen,indeed,therearewhocanliveonsmilesandtheword“yes“forever。Butforothersindeedformost,thisistootepidandrelaxedamoralclimate。Passivehappinessisslackandinsipid,andsoongrowsmawkishandintolerable。Someausterityandwintrynegativity,someroughness,danger,stringency,andeffort,some“no!no!”mustbemixedin,toproducethesenseofanexistencewithcharacterandtextureandpower。Therangeofindividualdifferencesinthisrespectisenormous;butwhateverthemixtureofyesesandnoesmaybe,thepersonisinfalliblyawarewhenhehasstruckitintherightproportionFORHIM。This,hefeels,ismypropervocation,thisistheOPTIMUM,thelaw,thelifeformetolive。HereIfindthedegreeofequilibrium,safety,calm,andleisurewhichI

  need,orhereIfindthechallenge,passion,fight,andhardshipwithoutwhichmysoul’senergyexpires。

  Everyindividualsoul,inshort,likeeveryindividualmachineororganism,hasitsownbestconditionsofefficiency。Agivenmachinewillrunbestunderacertainsteam-pressure,acertainamperage;anorganismunderacertaindiet,weight,orexercise。

  Youseemtodobest,Iheardadoctorsaytoapatient,atabout140millimetersofarterialtension。Anditisjustsowithoursundrysouls:somearehappiestincalmweather;someneedthesenseoftension,ofstrongvolition,tomakethemfeelaliveandwell。Fortheselattersouls,whateverisgainedfromdaytodaymustbepaidforbysacrificeandinhibition,orelseitcomestoocheapandhasnozest。

  Nowwhencharactersofthislattersortbecomereligious,theyareapttoturntheedgeoftheirneedofeffortandnegativityagainsttheirnaturalself;andtheasceticlifegetsevolvedasaconsequence。

  WhenProfessorTyndallinoneofhislecturestellsusthatThomasCarlyleputhimintohisbath-tubeverymorningofafreezingBerlinwinter,heproclaimedoneofthelowestgradesofasceticism。EvenwithoutCarlyle,mostofusfinditnecessarytooursoul’shealthtostartthedaywitharathercoolimmersion。Alittlefartheralongthescalewegetsuchstatementsasthis,fromoneofmycorrespondents,anagnostic:——

  “OftenatnightinmywarmbedIwouldfeelashamedtodependsoonthewarmth,andwheneverthethoughtwouldcomeovermeI

  wouldhavetogetup,nomatterwhattimeofnightitwas,andstandforaminuteinthecold,justsoastoprovemymanhood。”

  Suchcasesasthesebelongsimplytoourhead1。Inthenextcaseweprobablyhaveamixtureofheads2and3——theasceticismbecomesfarmoresystematicandpronounced。ThewriterisaProtestant,whosesenseofmoralenergycoulddoubtlessbegratifiedonnolowerterms,andItakehiscasefromStarbuck’smanuscriptcollection。

  “Ipracticedfastingandmortificationoftheflesh。Isecretlymadeburlapshirts,andputtheburrsnexttheskin,andworepebblesinmyshoes。Iwouldspendnightsflatonmybackonthefloorwithoutanycovering。”

  TheRomanChurchhasorganizedandcodifiedallthissortofthing,andgivenitamarket-valueintheshapeof“merit。”

  Butweseethecultivationofhardshipcroppingoutundereveryskyandineveryfaith,asaspontaneousneedofcharacter。ThuswereadofChanning,whenfirstsettledasaUnitarianminister,that——

  “Hewasnowmoresimplethanever,andseemedtohavebecomeincapableofanyformofself-indulgence。Hetookthesmallestroominthehouseforhisstudy,thoughhemighteasilyhavecommandedonemorelight,airy,andineverywaymoresuitable;

  andchoseforhissleepingchamberanatticwhichhesharedwithayoungerbrother。Thefurnitureofthelattermighthaveansweredforthecellofananchorite,andconsistedofahardmattressonacot-bedstead,plainwoodenchairsandtable,withmattingonthefloor。Itwaswithoutfire,andtocoldhewasthroughoutlifeextremelysensitive;buthenevercomplainedorappearedinanywaytobeconsciousofinconvenience。’I

  recollect,’sayshisbrother,’afteronemostseverenight,thatinthemorninghesportivelythusalludedtohissuffering:“Ifmybedweremycountry,IshouldbesomewhatlikeBonaparte:I

  havenocontrolexceptoverthepartwhichIoccupy,theinstantImove,frosttakespossession。”’Insicknessonlywouldhechangeforthetimehisapartmentandacceptafewcomforts。Thedresstoothathehabituallyadoptedwasofmostinferiorquality;andgarmentswereconstantlywornwhichtheworldwouldcallmean,thoughanalmostfeminineneatnesspreservedhimfromtheleastappearanceofneglect。”[177]

  [177]MemoirsofW。E。Channing,Boston,1840,i。196。

  Channing’sasceticism,suchasitwas,wasevidentlyacompoundofhardihoodandloveofpurity。Thedemocracywhichisanoffshootoftheenthusiasmofhumanity,andofwhichIwillspeaklaterundertheheadofthecultofpoverty,doubtlessborealsoashare。Certainlytherewasnopessimisticelementinhiscase。

  Inthenextcasewehaveastronglypessimisticelement,sothatitbelongsunderhead4。JohnCennickwasMethodism’sfirstlaypreacher。In1735hewasconvictedofsin,whilewalkinginCheapside——

  “Andatonceleftoffsing-singing,card-playing,andattendingtheatres。Sometimeshewishedtogotoapopishmonastery,tospendhislifeindevoutretirement。Atothertimeshelongedtoliveinacave,sleepingonfallenleaves,andfeedingonforestfruits。Hefastedlongandoften,andprayedninetimesaday……Fancyingdrybreadtoogreatanindulgenceforsogreatasinnerashimself,hebegantofeedonpotatoes,acorns,crabs,andgrass;andoftenwishedthathecouldliveonrootsandherbs。Atlength,in1737,hefoundpeacewithGod,andwentonhiswayrejoicing。”[178]

  [178]L。Tyerman:TheLifeandTimesoftheRev。JohnWesley,i。

  274。

  Inthispoormanwehavemorbidmelancholyandfear,andthesacrificesmadearetopurgeoutsin,andtobuysafety。ThehopelessnessofChristiantheologyinrespectofthefleshandthenaturalmangenerallyhas,insystematizingfear,madeofitonetremendousincentivetoself-mortification。Itwouldbequiteunfair,however,inspiteofthefactthatthisincentivehasoftenbeenworkedinamercenarywayforhortatorypurposes,tocallitamercenaryincentive。Theimpulsetoexpiateanddopenanceis,initsfirstintention,fartooimmediateandspontaneousanexpressionofself-despairandanxietytobeobnoxioustoanysuchreproach。Intheformoflovingsacrifice,ofspendingallwehavetoshowourdevotion,asceticdisciplineoftheseverestsortmaybethefruitofhighlyoptimisticreligiousfeeling。

  M。Vianney,thecureofArs,wasaFrenchcountrypriest,whoseholinesswasexemplary。Wereadinhislifethefollowingaccountofhisinnerneedofsacrifice:——

  “’Onthispath,’M。Vianneysaid,“itisonlythefirststepthatcosts。Thereisinmortificationabalmandasavorwithoutwhichonecannotlivewhenonceonehasmadetheiracquaintance。

  Thereisbutonewayinwhichtogiveone’sselftoGod——thatis,togiveone’sselfentirely,andtokeepnothingforone’sself。Thelittlethatonekeepsisonlygoodtotroubleoneandmakeonesuffer。’Accordinglyheimposeditonhimselfthatheshouldneversmellaflower,neverdrinkwhenparchedwiththirst,neverdriveawayafly,nevershowdisgustbeforearepugnantobject,nevercomplainofanythingthathadtodowithhispersonalcomfort,neversitdown,neverleanuponhiselbowswhenhewaskneeling。TheCureofArswasverysensitivetocold,buthewouldnevertakemeanstoprotecthimselfagainstit。Duringaveryseverewinter,oneofhismissionariescontrivedafalsefloortohisconfessionalandplacedametalcaseofhotwaterbeneath。Thetricksucceeded,andtheSaintwasdeceived:’Godisverygood,’hesaidwithemotion。’Thisyear,throughallthecold,myfeethavealwaysbeenwarm。’

  “[179]

  [179]A。Mounin:LeCured’Ars,viedeM。J。B。M。Vianney,1864,p。545,abridged。

  InthiscasethespontaneousimpulsetomakesacrificesforthepureloveofGodwasprobablytheuppermostconsciousmotive。Wemayclassit,then,underourhead3。Someauthorsthinkthattheimpulsetosacrificeisthemainreligiousphenomenon。Itisaprominent,auniversalphenomenoncertainly,andliesdeeperthananyspecialcreed。Here,forinstance,iswhatseemstobeaspontaneousexampleofit,simplyexpressingwhatseemedrightatthetimebetweentheindividualandhisMaker。CottonMather,theNewEnglandPuritandivine,isgenerallyreputedarathergrotesquepedant;yetwhatismoretouchinglysimplethanhisrelationofwhathappenedwhenhiswifecametodie?

  “WhenIsawtowhatapointofresignationIwasnowcalledoftheLord。”hesays,“Iresolved,withhishelp,thereintoglorifyhim。So,twohoursbeforemylovelyconsortexpired,I

  kneeledbyherbedside,andItookintomytwohandsadearhand,thedearestintheworld。Withherthusinmyhands,IsolemnlyandsincerelygaveherupuntotheLord:andintokenofmyrealRESIGNATION,Igentlyputheroutofmyhands,andlaidawayamostlovelyhand,resolvingthatIwouldnevertouchitmore。

  Thiswasthehardest,andperhapsthebravestactionthateverI

  did。She……toldmethatshesignedandsealedmyactofresignation。Andthoughbeforethatshecalledformecontinually,sheafterthisneveraskedformeanymore。”[180]

  [180]B。Wendell:CottonMather,NewYork,nodate,p。198。

  FatherVianney’sasceticismtakeninitstotalitywassimplytheresultofapermanentfloodofhighspiritualenthusiasm,longingtomakeproofofitself。TheRomanChurchhas,initsincomparablefashion,collectedallthemotivestowardsasceticismtogether,andsocodifiedthemthatanyonewishingtopursueChristianperfectionmayfindapracticalsystemmappedoutforhiminanyoneofanumberofready-mademanuals。[181]

  ThedominantChurchnotionofperfectionisofcoursethenegativeoneofavoidanceofsin。Sinproceedsfromconcupiscence,andconcupiscencefromourcarnalpassionsandtemptations,chiefofwhicharepride,sensualityinallitsforms,andthelovesofworldlyexcitementandpossession。Allthesesourcesofsinmustberesisted;anddisciplineandausteritiesareamostefficaciousmodeofmeetingthem。Hencetherearealwaysinthesebookschaptersonself-mortification。

  Butwheneveraprocedureiscodified,themoredelicatespiritofitevaporates,andifwewishtheundilutedasceticspirit——thepassionofself-contemptwreakingitselfonthepoorflesh,thedivineirrationalityofdevotionmakingasacrificialgiftofallithasitssensibilities,namelytotheobjectofitsadoration——wemustgotoautobiographies,orotherindividualdocuments。

  [181]ThatoftheearlierJesuit,Rodriguez,whichhasbeentranslatedintoalllanguages,isoneofthebestknown。A

  convenientmodernmanual,verywellputtogether,isL’AscetiqueChretienne,byM。J。Ribet,Paris,Poussielgue,nouvelleedition,1898。

  SaintJohnoftheCross,aSpanishmysticwhoflourished——orratherwhoexisted,fortherewaslittlethatsuggestedflourishingabouthim——inthesixteenthcentury,willsupplyapassagesuitableforourpurpose。

  “Firstofall,carefullyexciteinyourselfanhabitualaffectionatewillinallthingstoimitateJesusChrist。Ifanythingagreeableoffersitselftoyoursenses,yetdoesnotatthesametimetendpurelytothehonorandgloryofGod,renounceitandseparateyourselffromitfortheloveofChrist,whoallhislifelonghadnoothertasteorwishthantodothewillofhisFatherwhomhecalledhismeatandnourishment。Forexample,youtakesatisfactioninHEARINGofthingsinwhichthegloryofGodbearsnopart。Denyyourselfthissatisfaction,mortifyyourwishtolisten。YoutakepleasureinSEEINGobjectswhichdonotraiseyourmindtoGod:refuseyourselfthispleasure,andturnawayyoureyes。Thesamewithconversationsandallotherthings。Actsimilarly,sofarasyouareable,withalltheoperationsofthesenses,strivingtomakeyourselffreefromtheiryokes。

  “Theradicalremedyliesinthemortificationofthefourgreatnaturalpassions,joy,hope,fear,andgrief。Youmustseektodeprivetheseofeverysatisfactionandleavethemasitwereindarknessandthevoid。Letyoursoulthereforeturnalways:

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