第 3 节
作者:
莫莫言 更新:2022-08-21 16:32 字数:9322
At all events; we shall not escape our duty by being afraid of it; we shall
not escape our duty by inventing to ourselves some other duty; and calling
it 〃Order。〃 Elizabeth did so at first。 She tried to keep the peace with
Spain; she shrank from injuring the cause of Order (then a nobler one than
now; because it was the cause of Loyalty; and not merely of Mammon) by
assisting the Scotch and the Netherlanders: but her duty was forced upon
her; and she did it at last; cheerfully; boldly; utterly; like a hero; she put
herself at the head of the battle for the freedom of the world; and she
conquered; for God was with her; and so that seemingly most fearful of all
England's perils; when the real meaning of it was seen; and God's will in it
obeyed manfully; became the foundation of England's naval and colonial
empire; and laid the foundation of all her future glories。 So it was then;
so it is now; so it will be for ever: he who seeks to save his life will lose it:
he who willingly throws away his life for the cause of mankind; which is
the cause of God; the Father of mankind; he shall save it; and be rewarded
a hundred…fold。 That God may grant us; the children of the Elizabethan
heroes; all wisdom to see our duty; and courage to do it; even to the death;
should be our earliest prayer。 Our statesmen have done wisely and well
in refusing; in spite of hot…headed clamours; to appeal to the sword as long
as there was any chance of a peaceful settlement even of a single evil。
They are doing wisely and well now in declining to throw away the
scabbard as long as there is hope that a determined front will awe the
offender into submission: but the day may come when the scabbard must
be thrown away; and God grant that they may have the courage to do it。
It is reported that our rulers have said; that English diplomacy can no
longer recognise 〃nationalities;〃 but only existing 〃governments。〃 God
grant that they may see in time that the assertion of national life; as a
spiritual and indefeasible existence; was for centuries the central idea of
English policy; the idea by faith in which she delivered first herself; and
then the Protestant nations of the Continent; successively from the yokes
of Rome; of Spain; of France; and that they may reassert that most English
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of all truths again; let the apparent cost be what it may。
It is true; that this end will not be attained without what is called
nowadays 〃a destruction of human life。〃 But we have yet to learn (at
least if the doctrines which I have tried to illustrate in this little book have
any truth in them) whether shot or shell has the power of taking away
human life; and to believe; if we believe our Bibles; that human life can
only be destroyed by sin; and that all which is lost in battle is that animal
life of which it is written; 〃Fear not those who can kill the body; and after
that have no more that they can do: but I will forewarn you whom you
shall fear; him who; after he has killed; has power to destroy both body
and soul in hell。〃 Let a man fear him; the destroying devil; and fear
therefore cowardice; disloyalty; selfishness; sluggishness; which are his
works; and to be utterly afraid of which is to be truly brave。 God grant
that we of the clergy may remember this during the coming war; and
instead of weakening the righteous courage and honour of our countrymen
by instilling into them selfish and superstitious fears; and a theory of the
future state which represents God; not as a saviour; but a tormentor; may
boldly tell them that 〃He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for
all live unto Him;〃 and that he who renders up his animal life as a
worthless thing; in the cause of duty; commits his real and human life; his
very soul and self; into the hands of a just and merciful Father; who has
promised to leave no good deed unrewarded; and least of all that most
noble deed; the dying like a man for the sake not merely of this land of
England; but of the freedom and national life of half the world。
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LECTURE ITHE PTOLEMAIC
ERA
Before I begin to lecture upon the Physical and Metaphysical schools
of Alexandria; it may be better; perhaps; to define the meaning of these
two epithets。 Physical; we shall all agree; means that which belongs to
'Greek text: phusis'; natura; nature; that which 'Greek text: phuetai';
nascitur; grows; by an organic life; and therefore decays again; which has
a beginning; and therefore; I presume; an end。 And Metaphysical means
that which we learn to think of after we think of nature; that which is
supernatural; in fact; having neither beginning nor end; imperishable;
immovable; and eternal; which does not become; but always is。 These; at
least; are the wisest definitions of these two terms for us just now; for they
are those which were received by the whole Alexandrian school; even by
those commentators who say that Aristotle; the inventor of the term
Metaphysics; named his treatise so only on account of its following in
philosophic sequence his book on Physics。
But; according to these definitions; the whole history of Alexandria
might be to us; from one point of view; a physical school; for Alexandria;
its society and its philosophy; were born; and grew; and fed; and reached
their vigour; and had their old age; their death; even as a plant or an animal
has; and after they were dead and dissolved; the atoms of them formed
food for new creations; entered into new organisations; just as the atoms of
a dead plant or animal might do。 Was Alexandria then; from beginning to
end; merely a natural and physical phenomenon?
It may have been。 And yet we cannot deny that Alexandria was also
a metaphysical phenomenon; vast and deep enough; seeing that it held for
some eighteen hundred years a population of several hundred thousand
souls; each of whom; at least according to the Alexandrian philosophy;
stood in a very intimate relation to those metaphysic things which are
imperishable and immovable and eternal; and indeed; contained them
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more or less; each man; woman; and child of them in themselves; having
wills; reasons; consciences; affections; relations to each other; being
parents; children; helpmates; bound together by laws concerning right and
wrong; and numberless other unseen and spiritual relations。
Surely such a body was not merely natural; any more than any other
nation; society; or scientific school; made up of men and of the spirits;
thoughts; affections of men。 It; like them; was surely spiritual; and could
be only living and healthy; in as far as it was in harmony with certain
spiritual; unseen; and everlasting laws of God; perhaps; as certain
Alexandrian philosophers would have held; in as far as it was a pattern of
that ideal constitution and polity after which man was created; the city of
God which is eternal in the Heavens。 If so; may we not suspect of this
Alexandria that it was its own fault if it became a merely physical
phenomenon; and that it stooped to become a part of nature; and took its
place among the things which are born to die; only by breaking the law
which God had appointed for it; so fulfilling; in its own case; St。 Paul's
great words; that death entered into the world by sin; and that sin is the
transgression of the law?
Be that as it may; there must have been metaphysic enough to be learnt
in that; or any city of three hundred thousand inhabitants; even though it
had never contained lecture…room or philosoph