登陆注册
5416500000160

第160章 Chapter VI(24)

A religion,however,represents more than can be estimated by this simple test.The poetical value of Homer is not destroyed by disproving the existence of the Pagan deisms,nor the value of the Hebrew Scriptures by disproving the existence of jehovah.The facts alleged may be fabulous and absurd;but they are also symbols for setting forth views of the world and of conduct,and so giving emphatic utterance to important truths.The old religions were attempts of men,in early stages of thought,to embody ideals of conduct which may really have been of the highest value to mankind.They were essential,again,to the social bonds which have,in fact,determined the formation of society and facilitated the growth of sympathy and philanthropy.

Therefore,if a religious creed be false when interpreted as a simple statement of fact,we have not exhausted its significance or even touched the really most important significance of the religion itself.Believers felt more or less clearly that such attacks as 'Philip Beauchamp'affected only externals,and left the need for religion unsatisfied.Only as the actual creed was pledged to maintain the truth of certain statements,which were daily becoming more incredible,the necessity appeared of finding some stronger position than the old Paley scheme,which virtually regarded religion as a mere statement of historical fact,or as a department of natural science.To trace the consequences would be to write a history of modern theology.I shall try only to indicate the relation to the Utilitarians of a few thinkers.Two main lines of thought were conspicuous in Mill's generation,and correspond to what Newman called 'liberalism'and 'dogmatism.'

VIII.LIBERALISM

A very instructive example of one phase of liberal thought was Frederick Denison Maurice (1805-1872).Before Mill's attack upon Mansel,Maurice had been engaged in a sharp controversy invoked by the Bampton Lecturer.No two men could be more thoroughly at cross-purposes.In their arguments each word bears a different signification for the two disputants.Each,of course,vehemently disapproved the other;and Mansel was provoked to call Maurice a liar(162)in direct terms.The real difficulty is to reduce the argument to any common measure;and Maurice's position,though not easy to define,is significant.

Maurice,(163)as I have said,was one of Mill's friendly adversaries in the early debating society.His references to Mill are always respectful,little as could be their intellectual sympathy;while Mill's judgment was that 'more intellectual power was wasted in Maurice than in any one else of my generation.'

Deep respect for Maurice,admiration of his subtlety and power of generalisation,only increased Mill's wonder that he could find all truth in the Thirty-nine Articles.(164)Maurice had been brought up as a Unitarian,and was profoundly impressed by the barren wrangling over the dogmatic partitions of various sects.

After long hesitation he at last found satisfaction in the Church of England and,as he declared,by accepting the Anglican formula in their obvious and most natural sense.To men of other persuasions,his interpretation appeared on the contrary to amount to a complete transformation of their natural meaning.

Maurice was therefore excluded from all the higher preferment,and passed for an insidious heresiarch.He replied by a full and frank,though hardly a lucid,assertion of his own convictions;and gradually proved,even to his enemies,his entire superiority to any worldly motives.He was expelled in 1853from his professorship at King's College for denying the truth of the popular version of hell,a little before the denial had become a commonplace.Disciples had already gathered round him and regarded him with the reverence due to the purity and loftiness of his character.As the head of the Christian Socialists in the critical period of 1848,he had at least given a proof that divines could take a genuine interest in the great social problems of the day.Maurice himself was little qualified for business details,and the whole movement failed for the time,like most others which start from the sympathy of the outsiders instead of the actual experience of the actual sufferers.It was,however,significant of a most important change,more easily underestimated than exaggerated.Maurice deserves all respect,as Mill observes,for his action,of which,moreover,it is only just to say that it was really characteristic of his whole position.

同类推荐
  • 辛巳泣蕲录

    辛巳泣蕲录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 吕氏春秋

    吕氏春秋

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Tom Swift & his Electric Runabout

    Tom Swift & his Electric Runabout

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 公孙龙子

    公孙龙子

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Is Shakespeare Dead

    Is Shakespeare Dead

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 死亡传说:粉骷髅之恋

    死亡传说:粉骷髅之恋

    我是一个普通的女人,几百年后是一具没有肉体,没有灵魂的粉骷髅。有一天,我的灵魂觉醒了,在与人类的接触中,我发觉,我爱上了一个人类的男人。被光明视为邪恶的我是选择黑暗的永生?还是选择也许没有结果的爱情?
  • 杀手也穿越系列之云无痕

    杀手也穿越系列之云无痕

    【本情节纯属虚构,请勿模仿】她柔若无骨的手轻滑过他愤怒的脸颊,指若兰花,笑眼盈盈:“虽然我胆子小,看见血就害怕,但是杀一两个人的胆子却还是有的。”她是另外一个时空穿越过来的女杀手,笑,是她最好的武器。盈盈一笑间,谁生谁死?谁心沉浮?
  • 新武界之最强校长

    新武界之最强校长

    前生,他是华夏最具盛名的教育领头羊,今世,他是新武界最菜中学的校长。学生考不上大专?没关系,且看我校长让你大脑膨胀,轻轻松松走进考场。学生上不了本科?没关系,且看我校长让你武逆乾坤,随随便便定级武道。----------新书《世界最强领主》已发布一款能造家的系统改变了这个世界,本来在一个赤铜级势力当老大的肖扬,一觉醒来后却发现,自己一跃成为了一个不入流势力的家主……谁说开局一把刀,装备全靠捡?谁说一个不入流势力的家主,夺不了世界的霸权?这本书吧,主要是秉承干就完了的精神,热血为主,逻辑为辅,保证各位客官看的舒服看的爽!
  • 毒妃凰后

    毒妃凰后

    震惊!传说中冷酷无情杀人如麻的东凰国君后宫竟然只有寥寥无几的失宠嫔妃。外人传:原来冷酷无情的大魔头是那方面不行啊。威风凛凛的大魔头闻之,满脸黑线:尔等才不行,孤王是想行也不行!想他一代风流倜傥的国君竟沦落到睡书房的地步!于是乎,东凰国君怕老婆的消息沸腾了整片大陆。东凰国百姓:简直一派胡言!咱们国君可是一统天下的镇国国君!不可能!不可能!敌国将士:开玩笑呢吧?打败我们的居然是个惧内之人!某天夜里,某国君大人撒娇卖萌加卖惨,最后还是被赶出了闺房,抱着花枕可怜兮兮的在外头吹冷风,抬头望明月,深深感叹:讨好夫人不容易啊……论苦逼王爷的漫漫追妻之路,真香会迟到,但永远不会缺席!1v1,文风不定,欢迎入坑。
  • 你的剧我来唱

    你的剧我来唱

    简介之后再写(*?︶?*)(*?︶?*)
  • 时光等等我

    时光等等我

    时光荏苒,转眼我已长大,很多事不会等我足够有能力的时候再发生,也有很多人,不会等我有能力的时候再去陪伴。
  • 私人生活的变革

    私人生活的变革

    《私人生活的变革》是以东北的下岬村为调查对象,分别从纵观下岬村这一本土道德世界的变化、农村青年择偶过程的变化、这一转变过程的各种细节、家庭财产分割过程中三种相互关联的习俗沿革以及在彩礼上体现出来的巨大变化等,讨论了作为独立个体的个人的出现与发展和国家在私人生活的转型以及个人主体性的形成中所起的重要作用。在过去半个世纪里,农民的私人生活经历了双重的转型,这一转型的核心在于个人作为独立主体的兴起。基于此,作者反思了中国近现代以来农村情感生活、亲属关系等私人世界的发展与变迁,与国家对于私人生活领域的巨大推力。
  • 小路,才是用来回家的

    小路,才是用来回家的

    本书是一本刘醒龙散文合集,从人生感怀、乡土、亲情、文化、游记等几个方面收录了其感人至深、内涵深厚的散文30多篇,表达了刘醒龙对人生经历的感怀,对故乡的坚守,对亲情的珍惜,对文化的独到见解和对美好事物的欣赏。
  • 冥门之秀

    冥门之秀

    俞景然的脸青了,愤怒像一把镰刀,一刀一刀地在他的身体上游走直至满泄。他听到一个冷嗖嗖的声音在他的耳边碎念:动手吧,动手吧……这时,他的手上不知道什么时候多了一把刀。他的身子很重,正缓缓地游向最后一个紫色团花纹锦缎的大木盒……
  • 无限无限无限0a

    无限无限无限0a

    新人练手神农们慢慢试毒吧,前几章在下自己都看不下去了~见谅……