the way of all flesh-第50部分

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professed　such　sentiments　were　liars。　　Now；　however；　it　was　clear
that　he　had　hoped　against　hope　too　long；　and　that　the　only　thing　to
do　was　to　go　and　ask　the　first　woman　who　would　listen　to　him　to　come
and　be　married　to　him　as　soon　as　possible。

He　broached　this　to　Pryer；　and　was　surprised　to　find　that　this
gentleman；　though　attentive　to　such　members　of　his　flock　as　were
young　and　good…looking；　was　strongly　in　favour　of　the　celibacy　of
the　clergy；　as　indeed　were　the　other　demure　young　clerics　to　whom
Pryer　had　introduced　Ernest。



CHAPTER　LII



〃You　know；　my　dear　Pontifex；〃　said　Pryer　to　him；　some　few　weeks
after　Ernest　had　become　acquainted　with　him；　when　the　two　were
taking　a　constitutional　one　day　in　Kensington　Gardens；　〃You　know；　my
dear　Pontifex；　it　is　all　very　well　to　quarrel　with　Rome；　but　Rome
has　reduced　the　treatment　of　the　human　soul　to　a　science；　while　our
own　Church；　though　so　much　purer　in　many　respects；　has　no　organised
system　either　of　diagnosis　or　pathologyI　mean；　of　course；
spiritual　diagnosis　and　spiritual　pathology。　　Our　Church　does　not
prescribe　remedies　upon　any　settled　system；　and；　what　is　still
worse；　even　when　her　physicians　have　according　to　their　lights
ascertained　the　disease　and　pointed　out　the　remedy；　she　has　no
discipline　which　will　ensure　its　being　actually　applied。　　If　our
patients　do　not　choose　to　do　as　we　tell　them；　we　cannot　make　them。
Perhaps　really　under　all　the　circumstances　this　is　as　well；　for　we
are　spiritually　mere　horse　doctors　as　compared　with　the　Roman
priesthood；　nor　can　we　hope　to　make　much　headway　against　the　sin　and
misery　that　surround　us；　till　we　return　in　some　respects　to　the
practice　of　our　forefathers　and　of　the　greater　part　of　Christendom。〃

Ernest　asked　in　what　respects　it　was　that　his　friend　desired　a
return　to　the　practice　of　our　forefathers。

〃Why；　my　dear　fellow；　can　you　really　be　ignorant？　　It　is　just　this；
either　the　priest　is　indeed　a　spiritual　guide；　as　being　able　to　show
people　how　they　ought　to　live　better　than　they　can　find　out　for
themselves；　or　he　is　nothing　at　allhe　has　no　raison　d'etre。　　If
the　priest　is　not　as　much　a　healer　and　director　of　men's　souls　as　a
physician　is　of　their　bodies；　what　is　he？　　The　history　of　all　ages
has　shownand　surely　you　must　know　this　as　well　as　I　dothat　as
men　cannot　cure　the　bodies　of　their　patients　if　they　have　not　been
properly　trained　in　hospitals　under　skilled　teachers；　so　neither　can
souls　be　cured　of　their　more　hidden　ailments　without　the　help　of　men
who　are　skilled　in　soul…craftor　in　other　words；　of　priests。　　What
do　one　half　of　our　formularies　and　rubrics　mean　if　not　this？　　How　in
the　name　of　all　that　is　reasonable　can　we　find　out　the　exact　nature
of　a　spiritual　malady；　unless　we　have　had　experience　of　other
similar　cases？　　How　can　we　get　this　without　express　training？　　At
present　we　have　to　begin　all　experiments　for　ourselves；　without
profiting　by　the　organised　experience　of　our　predecessors；　inasmuch
as　that　experience　is　never　organised　and　co…ordinated　at　all。　　At
the　outset；　therefore；　each　one　of　us　must　ruin　many　souls　which
could　be　saved　by　knowledge　of　a　few　elementary　principles。〃

Ernest　was　very　much　impressed。

〃As　for　men　curing　themselves；〃　continued　Pryer；　〃they　can　no　more
cure　their　own　souls　than　they　can　cure　their　own　bodies；　or　manage
their　own　law　affairs。　　In　these　two　last　cases　they　see　the　folly
of　meddling　with　their　own　cases　clearly　enough；　and　go　to　a
professional　adviser　as　a　matter　of　course；　surely　a　man's　soul　is
at　once　a　more　difficult　and　intricate　matter　to　treat；　and　at　the
same　time　it　is　more　important　to　him　that　it　should　be　treated
rightly　than　that　either　his　body　or　his　money　should　be　so。　　What
are　we　to　think　of　the　practice　of　a　Church　which　encourages　people
to　rely　on　unprofessional　advice　in　matters　affecting　their　eternal
welfare；　when　they　would　not　think　of　jeopardising　their　worldly
affairs　by　such　insane　conduct？〃

Ernest　could　see　no　weak　place　in　this。　　These　ideas　had　crossed　his
own　mind　vaguely　before　now；　but　he　had　never　laid　hold　of　them　or
set　them　in　an　orderly　manner　before　himself。　　Nor　was　he　quick　at
detecting　false　analogies　and　the　misuse　of　metaphors；　in　fact　he
was　a　mere　child　in　the　hands　of　his　fellow　curate。

〃And　what；〃　resumed　Pryer；　〃does　all　this　point　to？　　Firstly；　to　the
duty　of　confessionthe　outcry　against　which　is　absurd　as　an　outcry
would　be　against　dissection　as　part　of　the　training　of　medical
students。　　Granted　these　young　men　must　see　and　do　a　great　deal　we
do　not　ourselves　like　even　to　think　of；　but　they　should　adopt　some
other　profession　unless　they　are　prepared　for　this；　they　may　even
get　inoculated　with　poison　from　a　dead　body　and　lose　their　lives；
but　they　must　stand　their　chance。　　So　if　we　aspire　to　be　priests　in
deed　as　well　as　name；　we　must　familiarise　ourselves　with　the
minutest　and　most　repulsive　details　of　all　kinds　of　sin；　so　that　we
may　recognise　it　in　all　its　stages。　　Some　of　us　must　doubtlessly
perish　spiritually　in　such　investigations。　　We　cannot　help　it；　all
science　must　have　its　martyrs；　and　none　of　these　will　deserve　better
of　humanity　than　those　who　have　fallen　in　the　pursuit　of　spiritual
pathology。〃

Ernest　grew　more　and　more　interested；　but　in　the　meekness　of　his
soul　said　nothing。

〃I　do　not　desire　this　martyrdom　for　myself；〃　continued　the　other；
〃on　the　contrary　I　will　avoid　it　to　the　very　utmost　of　my　power；　but
if　it　be　God's　will　that　I　should　fall　while　studying　what　I　believe
most　calculated　to　advance　his　glorythen；　I　say；　not　my　will；　oh
Lord；　but　thine　be　done。〃

This　was　too　much　even　for　Ernest。　　〃I　heard　of　an　Irish…woman
once；〃　he　said；　with　a　smile；　〃who　said　she　was　a　martyr　to　the
drink。〃

〃And　so　she　was；〃　rejoined　Pryer　with　warmth；　and　he　went　on　to　show
that　this　good　woman　was　an　experimentalist　whose　experiment；　though
disastrous　in　its　effects　upon　herself；　was　pregnant　with
instruction　to　other　people。　　She　was　thus　a　true　martyr　or　witness
to　the　frightful　consequences　of　intemperance；　to　the　saving；
doubtless；　of　many　who　but　for　her　martyrdom　would　have　taken　to
drinking。　　She　was　one　of　a　forlorn　hope　whose　failure　to　take　a
certain　position　went　to　the　proving　it　to　be　impregnable　and
therefore　to　the　abandonment　of　all　attempt　to　take　it。　　This　was
almost　as　great　a　gain　to　mankind　as　the　actual　taking　of　the
position　would　have　been。

〃Besides；〃　he　added　more　hurriedly；　〃the　limits　of　vice　and　virtue
are　wretchedly　ill…defined。　　Half　the　vices　which　the　world　condemns
most　loudly　have　seeds　of　good　in　them　and　require　moderate　use
rather　than　total　abstinence。〃

Ernest　asked　timidly　for　an　instance。

〃No；　no；〃　said　Pryer；　〃I　will　give　you　no　instance；　but　I　will　give
you　a　formula　that　shall　embrace　all　instances。　　It　is　this；　that　no
practice　is　entirely　vicious　which　has　not　been　extinguished　among
the　comeliest；　most　vigorous；　and　most　cultivated　races　of　mankind
in　spite　of　centuries　of　endeavour　to　extirpate　it。　　If　a　vice　in
spite　of　such　efforts　can　still　hold　its　own　among　the　most　polished
nations；　it　must　be　founded　on　some　immutable　truth　or　fact　in　human
nature；　and　must　have　some　compensatory　advantage　which　we　cannot
afford　altogether　to　dispense　with。〃

〃But；〃　said　Ernest　timidly；　〃is　not　this　virtually　doing　away　with
all　distinction　between　right　and　wrong；　and　leaving　people　without
any　moral　guide　whatever？〃

〃Not　the　people；〃　was　the　answer：　　〃it　must　be　our　care　to　be　guides
to　these；　for　they　are　and　always　will　be　incapable　of　guiding
themselves　sufficiently。　　We　should　tell　them　what　they　must　do；　and
in　an　ideal　state　of　things　should　be　able　to　enforce　their　doing
it：　　perhaps　when　we　are　better　instructed　the　ideal　state　may　come
about；　nothing　will　so　advance　it　as　greater　knowledge　of　spiritual
pathology　on　our　own　part。　　For　this；　three　things　are　necessary；
firstly；　absolute　freedom　in　experiment　for　us　the　clergy；　secondly；
absolute　knowledge　of　what　the　laity　think　and　do；　and　of　what
thoughts　and　actions　result　in　what　spiritual　conditions；　and
thirdly；　a　compacter　organisation　among　ourselves。

〃If　we　are　to　do　any　good　we　must　be　a　closely　united　body；　and　must
be　sharply　divided　from　the　laity。　　Also　we　must　be　free　from　those
ties　which　a　wife　and　children　involve。　　I　can　hardly　express　the
horror　with　which　I　am　filled　by　seeing　English　priests　living　in
what　I　can　only　designate　as　'open　matrimony。'　　It　is　deplorable。
The　priest　must　be　absolutely　sexlessif　not　in　practice；　yet　at
any　rate　in　theory；　absolutelyand　that　too；　by　a　theory　so
universally　accepted　that　none　shall　venture　to　dispute　it。〃

〃But；〃　said　Ernest；　〃has　not　the　Bible　already　told　people　what　they
ought　and　ought　not　to　do；　and　is　it　not　enough　for　us　to　insist　on
what　can　be　found　here；　and　let　the　rest　alone？〃

〃If　you　begin　with　the　Bible；〃　was　the　rejoinder；　〃you　are　three
parts　gone　on　the　road　to　infidelity；　and　will　go　the　other　part
before　you　know　where　you　are。　　The　Bible　is　not　without　its　value
to　us　the　clergy；　but　for　the　laity　it　is　a　stumbling…block　which
cannot　be　taken　out　of　their　way　too　soon　or　too　completely。　　Of
course；　I　mean　on　the　supposition　that　they　read　it；　which；　happily；
they　seldom　do。　　If　people　read　the　Bible　as　the　ordinary　British
churchman　or　churchwoman　reads　it；　it　is　harmless　enough；　but　if
they　read　it　with　any　carewhich　we　should　assume　they　will　if　we
give　it　them　at　allit　is　fatal　to　them。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　said　Ernest；　more　and　more　astonished；　but　more
and　more　feeling　that　he　was　at　least　in　the　hands　of　a　man　who　had
definite　ideas。

〃Your　question　shows　me　that　you　have　never　read　your　Bible。　　A　more
unreliable　book　was　never　put　upon　paper。　　Take　my　advice　and　don't
read　it；　not　till　you　are　a　few　years　older；　and　may　do　so　safely。〃

〃But　surely　you　believe　the　Bible　when　it　tells　you　of　such　things
as　that　Christ　died　and　rose　from　the　dead？　　Surely　you　believe
this？〃　said　Ernest；　quite　prepared　to　be　told　that　Pryer　believed
nothing　of　the　kind。

〃I　do　not　believe　it；　I　know　it。〃

〃But　howif　the　testimony　of　the　Bible　fails？〃

〃On