中国人的精神3.9
方疏桐
The Church, many people believe, is founded to teach men the belief in God. But that is a great mistake. It is this great mistake of the Christian Churches in modern times which has made honest men like the late Mr.J.A. Froude feel disgusted with the modern Christian Churches. Mr. Froude says: “Many a hundred sermons have I heard in England on the mysteries of the faith, on the divine mission of the clergy, on apostolic succession, etc., but never one that I can recollect on common honesty, on those primitive commandments,' Thou shalt not lie' and ' Thou shalt not steal.' " But then, with all deference to Mr.Froude, I think he is also wrong when he says here that the Church, the Christian Church, ought to teach morality. The aim of the establishment of the Church no doubt is to make men moral, to make men obey the rules of moral conduct such as “Thou shalt not lie” and “Thou shalt not steal.” But the function, the true function of the Church in all the great religions of the world, is not to teach morality, but to teach religion, which, as I have shown you, is not a dead square rule such as “Thou shalt not lie” and “Thou shalt not steal,” but an inspiration, a living emotion to make men obey those rules. The true function of the Church, therefore, is not to teach morality, but toinspire morality, to inspire men to be moral; in fact, to inspire and fire men with a living emotion which makes them moral. In other words, the Church in all the great religions of the world is an organisation, as I said, for awakening and kindling an inspiration or living emotion in men necessary to make them obey the rules of moral conduct. But how does the Church awaken and kindle this inspiration in men?
京公网安备 11010802032529号