Then，too，itmustbeconfessedthatsomeoftheweekdayprayersmadebylayprofessorslentthemselvesrathertooeasilytoparody。Oneofmyclassmates——sinceknownasagraveandrespectedjudge——wasespeciallygiftedinimitatingthesepetitions，withtheveryintonationsoftheirauthors，andtheseparodieswereingreatdemandonfestiveoccasions。Thepetphrases，thechoicerhetoric，andtheimpressiveoratoryoftheseprayerswerethusmadesofamiliartousincaricaturesthattheoriginalswerelittleconducivetodevotion。
TheinfluenceatYaleofmenlikeGoodrich，Taylor，Woolsey，andPorter，whomIsawintheirprofessors’chairs，wasindeedstronguponme。Irespectedandadmiredthem;buttheirpurelyreligiousteachingtookbutlittleholdonme;IcanrememberclearlybuttwoorthreesermonswhichIheardpreachedinYalechapel。Onewasatthesettingupofthechapelorgan，whenHoraceBushnellofHartfordpreacheduponmusic;andanotherwaswhenPresidentWoolseypreachedabaccalaureatesermonupon"RighteousAnger。"
Thefirstofthesesermonswasverybeautiful，butthesecondwaspowerful。Ithashadaninfluence——and，Ithink，agoodinfluence——onmythoughtsfromthatdaytothis;anditoughttobepreachedineverypulpitinourcountry，atleastonceayear，asanantidotetooursickly，mawkishlenitytocrimeandwrong。
InthosedaysconformitytoreligiousideaswascarriedveryfaratYale。Onweek—dayswehadearlyprayersataboutsixinthemorning，andeveningprayersataboutthesamehourintheafternoon;butonSundayswehadnotonlymorningandeveningprayersinthechapel，butmorningandafternoonserviceatchurch。IattendedSt。Paul’sEpiscopalchurch，sittinginoneofthegallerypewsassignedtoundergraduates;butcannotsaythatanythingthatIheardduringthisperiodofmylifeelevatedmeespecially。IjoinedinthereadingofthePsalter，inthesingingofthechantsandhymns，and，occasionally，inrecitingpartofthecreeds，thoughmoreandmorethislastexercisebecamepeculiarlydistastefultome。
Timehasbutconfirmedtheopinion，whichIthenbegantohold，that，ofallmistakenusagesinachurchservice，themostunfortunateisthisdemandwhichconfrontsamanwhowouldgladlyunitewithChristiansinChristianwork，and，inaspiritofloyaltytotheBlessedFounderofChristianity，wouldcheerfullybecomeamemberofthechurchandreceivethebenefitofitsministrations;——thedemandthatsuchamanstandanddeliveracreedmadenooneknowswhereorbywhom，andofwhichnohumanbeingcanadjustthemeaningstomodernknowledge，orindeedtohumancomprehension。
Mysympathies，tastes，andaimsledmetodesiretoenterfullyintothechurchinwhichIwasborn;therewasnootherpartoftheserviceinwhichIcouldnotdomypart;buttostandupandrecitethecreedsinalltheirclauses，honestly，Icouldnot。I
hadcometoknowonwhatslenderfoundationsrested，forexample，thedescentintohell;and，astothevirginbirth，myreadingshowedmesoweakabasisforitintheNewTestamenttakenasawhole，andsomanysimilarclaimsmadeinbehalfofdivinefoundersofreligions，thatwhenIreflecteduponthereasonsforholdingthedoctrinetobeanaftergrowthupontheoriginallegend，itwasimpossibleformetogoonloudlyproclaimingmybeliefinit。SometimesIhaverefrainedfromrecitinganypartofthecreed;butoften，inmyreverenceforwhatIadmireintheservice，inmyloveforthosewhomIhaveheardsodevoutlytakepartinitindaysgoneby，andinmysympathywiththoseaboutme，IhavebeenwonttodowhatIcould，——havejoinedinrepeatingpartsofit，leavingoutotherpartswhichI，atleast，oughtnottorepeat。
Variousthingscombinedtoincreasemydistrustfortheprevailingorthodoxy。Ihadapassionforhistoricalreading，——indeed，atthattimehadprobablyreadmoreandthoughtmoreuponmyreadingthanhadmostmenofmyageincollege，——andthemoreIthusreadandthought，themoreevidentitbecametomethat，whilethesimplereligionoftheBlessedFounderofChristianityhasgoneonthroughtheagesproducingthenoblestgrowthsoffaith，hope，andcharity，manyofthebeliefsinsisteduponwithinthechurchasnecessarytosalvationweresurvivalsofprimevalsuperstition，orevolvedinobediencetopaganenvironmentorJewishhabitsofthoughtorGreekmetaphysicsormediaevalinterpolationsinoursacredbooks;thatmostofthefrightfulsystemsandeventsinmodernhistoryhavearisenfromtheologicaldogmatism;thatthelongreignofhideouscrueltyintheadministrationofthepenallaw，withitstorture—chambers，itsburningsofhereticsandwitches，itscrueltiesofeverysort，itsrepressionofsomuchofsanehumaninstinctandnoblehumanthought，arosefromthissource，directlyorindirectly;
andthatevensuchghastlyscenesasthoseoftheFrenchRevolutionwereprovokedbyanaturalreactioninthemindsofapeoplewhomthechurch，byitstheoryofdivineretribution，hadeducatedforagestobecruel。
Butwhatimpressedmemostdirectlyasregardsthewholeorthodoxpartofthechurchwasitsvirtualsupportofslaveryinthecrisisthenrapidlyapproaching。Excellentdivines，likeBishopHopkinsofVermont，theRev。DrParkerofNewJersey，andothersholdinghighpositionsinvarioussectsthroughoutthecountry，havingbasedelaboratedefensesofslaveryuponScripture，thechurchasawholehadacquiescedinthisview。Ihadbecomebitterlyopposed，firsttotheencroachmentsoftheslavepowerinthenewTerritoriesoftheUnitedStates，andfinallytoslaveryitself;andthisalliancebetweenitandorthodoxydeepenedmydistrustofwhatwasknownaboutmeasreligion。Asthestrugglebetweenslaveryandfreedomdeepened，thisfeelingofmineincreased。Duringmyfirstyearatcollegethefugitive—slavelawwaspassed，andthisseemedtometheacmeofabominations。Therewere，itistrue，afewreligiousmenwhotookhighgroundagainstslavery;buttheseweregenerallyNewEnglandUnitariansormembersofotherbodiesrejectedbytheorthodox，andthisfactincreasedmydistrustofthedominantreligion。
Someyearsbeforethis，whileyetaboypreparingforcollege，I
hadmetforthefirsttimeaclergymanofthissort——theRev。
SamuelJosephMay，pastoroftheUnitarianchurchinSyracuse;
andhehadattractedmefromthefirstmomentthatIsawhim。
Therewasabouthimsomethingverygenialandkindly，whichwonawaytoallhearts。ThoughIknewhimduringmanyyears，henevermadetheslightestefforttoproselyteme。Toeverygoodworkinthecommunity，andespeciallytoallwhoweredown—troddenoroppressed，hewassteadfastlydevoted;theOnondagaIndiansofcentralNewYorkfoundinhimastanchallyagainsttheencroachmentsoftheirschemingwhiteneighbors;fugitiveslavesknewhimastheirbestfriend，readytoriskhisownsafetyintheirbehalf。
AlthoughhewasthesonofanhonoredMassachusettsfamily，agraduateofHarvard，adiscipleofChanning，amanofsincerecharacterandelegantmanners，hewasevidentlydreadedbythegreatmajorityoftheorthodoxChristiansabouthim。IrememberspeakingtohimonceofaclergymanwhohadrecentlyarrivedinSyracuse，andwhowasanexcellentscholar。SaidMr。Maytome，"Ishouldliketoknowhim，ifthatwerepossible。"Iasked，"Whynotcalluponhim？"Heanswered，"Iwouldgladlydoso，butdoyousupposehewouldreturnmycall？""Ofcoursehewould，"I
replied;"heisagentleman。""Yes，"saidMr。May，"nodoubtheis，andsoaretheotherclergymen;yetIhavecalledonthemastheyhavecome，andonlytwoorthreeofthemallhaveeverenteredmyhousesince。"Orthodoxfanaticscametoremonstrateandpraywithhim，butthesehegenerallyovercamewithhissweetandkindlymanner。Toslaveryhewasanuncompromisingfoe，beingcloselyassociatedwithGarrison，Phillips，andtheleadersoftheantislaverymovement;andsoIcametoseethattherewasasidetoChristianitynotnecessarilyfriendlytoslavery:butI
alsosawthatitwasasidenotwelcomedbythechurchesingeneral，andespeciallydistrustedinmyownfamily。Iremembertakingtohimonceanoldfriendofmine，amanofmostsevereorthodoxy;andafterwehadleftMr。May’shouseIaskedmyfriendwhathethoughtofthekindlyheretic。Heanswered，"Thoseofuswhoshallbesofortunateastoreachheavenaretobegreatlysurprisedatsomeofthepeoplewearetomeetthere。"
AsaYalestudentIfoundanadditionaladvantageinthefactthatIcouldnowfrequentlyheardistinguishedclergymenwhoweremoreorlessoutsidetheorthodoxpale。OftheseweretheliberalCongregationalistsofNewYork，Brooklyn，andBoston，and，aboveall，HenryWardBeecher，EdwinChapin，andTheodoreParker。AtvarioustimesduringmycollegecourseIvisitedBoston，andwastakenbymyclassmateandoldfriendGeorgeWashburnSmalleytohearParker。Hedrewimmensecrowdsofthoughtfulpeople。Themusic—hall，wherehespoke，containedaboutfourthousandseats，andateachvisitofmineeveryseat，sofarasIcouldsee，wasfilled。BothParker’sprayersandsermonswereinspiring。Hewasadeeplyreligiousman;probablythemostthoroughAmericanscholar，orthodoxorunorthodox，ofhistime;devotedtothepublicgoodandanintensehaterofslavery。Hisinfluenceovermythinkingwas，Ibelieve，excellent;hisbooks，andthoseofChanningwhichIreadatthistime，didmegreatgoodbycheckingallinclinationtocynicismandscoffing;morethananyotherpersonhestrengthenedmytheisticideasandstoppedanytendencytoatheism;theintenseconvictionwithwhichmenlikeChanning，Parker，andMayspokeofaGodintheuniversegaveadirectiontomythinkingwhichhasneverbeenlost。
AstoBeecher，nothingcouldexceedhisboldbrilliancy。Hewasamanofgenius;evenmoreapoetthananorator;insympathywitheverynoblecause;andutterlywithoutfearofthepew—holdersinsidehischurchorofthemoboutside。Heresy—huntersdidnotdaunthim。Humorplayedovermuchofhissermonizing;witcoruscatedthroughit;buttherewasattimesapathoswhichpervadedthedeepplacesofthehumanheart。Byvirtueofhispoeticinsighthesoundeddepthsofthoughtandfeelingwhichnomeretheologicalreasoningcouldeverreach。Hewasaman，——indeed，agreatman，——buttotheendofhislifeheretainedthefreshnessofyouth。GeneralGrant，whogreatlyadmiredhim，oncesaidtome，"Beecherisaboy——agloriousboy。"
Beecher’sloveofnaturewasapassion。DuringoneofhisvisitstoCornellUniversity，Iwasdrivingthroughthewoodswithhim，andhewasinthefulltideofbrilliantdiscoursewhen，suddenly，hegraspedmyhandwhichheldthereinsandsaidperemptorily，"Stop！"Iobeyed，andallwasstillsavethenoteofabirdintheneighboringthicket。Ourstopandsilencelastedperhapsfiveminutes，whenhesaid，"Didyouhearthatbird？Thatisthe————（givinganameIhaveforgotten）。Youareluckytohavehimhere;Iwouldgiveahundreddollarstohavehimnestasnearme。"
Duringthisvisitofhistomyhouse，Irememberfinding，onemorning，thathehadbeenoutofdoorssincedaylight;andonmyexpressingsurpriseathisrisingsoearlyaftersittingupsolate，hesaid，"Iwantedtoenjoythesquirrelsinyourtrees。"
Wonderful，too，washisfacility，notmerelyinpreaching，butinthinking。When，onanothervisit，hestayedwithme，hetooknothoughtregardinghissermonattheuniversitychapel，sofarasonecouldsee。Everywakingmomentwasfilledwiththingswhichapparentlymade...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：