第52章
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  367。Andletusaskandanswer:John’stalk,itmustbeunderstood,iswithfuturepeople,notwiththeattendants。

  368。Mybookspeakson:thatis,topeopleofallfutures,becauseitcannotpassaway。

  371。Whattruth,etc。:thatis,truthissoonperverted,obscured,andoftenturnedintopositiveuntruth。

  372。Wonders,thatwouldprovedoctrine:thatis,whosepurposewastoprove。

  385。Comestobeconsideredassomethingoutsideof,anddistinctfrom,himself——”Nay,donotgivemewine,forIamstrong,ButplacemygospelwhereIputmyhands。”Isaythatmanwasmadetogrow,notstop;

  Thathelp,heneededonce,andneedsnomore,[425]

  Havinggrownbutaninchby,iswithdrawn:

  Forhehathnewneeds,andnewhelpstothese。

  Thisimportssolely,manshouldmountoneachNewheightinview;thehelpwherebyhemounts,Theladder-runghisfoothasleft,mayfall,[430]

  SinceallthingssufferchangesaveGodtheTruth。

  ManapprehendsHimnewlyateachstageWhereatearth’sladderdrops,itsservicedone;

  Andnothingshallprovetwicewhatoncewasproved。

  Youstickagarden-plotwithorderedtwigs[435]

  Toshowinsideliegermsofherbsunborn,Andcheckthecarelessstepwouldspoiltheirbirth;

  Butwhenherbswave,theguardiantwigsmaygo,Sinceshouldyedoubtofvirtues,questionkinds,Itisnolongerforoldtwigsyelook,[440]

  Whichprovedonceunderneathlaystoreofseed,Buttotheherb’sself,bywhatlightyeboast,Forwhatfruit’ssignsare。Thisbook’sfruitisplain,Normiraclesneedproveitanymore。

  Doththefruitshow?Thenmiraclesbade’ware[445]

  Atfirstofrootandstem,savedbothtillnowFromtramplingox,roughboar,andwantongoat。

  What?Wasmanmadeawheelworktowindup,Andbedischarged,andstraightwoundupanew?

  No!——grown,hisgrowthlasts;taught,hene’erforgets:[450]

  Maylearnathousandthings,nottwicethesame。

  Thismightbepaganteaching:nowhearmine——

  424。HereJohn’sanswerbeginstothequestioningandreasoningcontainedinvv。370-421。

  Invv。424-434,iscontainedafavoriteteachingofBrowning。

  Itappearsinvariousformsthroughouthispoetry。Seethequotationfrom`Luria’,p。38。

  428。Thisimportssolely:thisistheoneallimportantthing。

  428-430。Asimilarcomparisonisusedin`JuliusCaesar’,A。II。,S。I。,22-27:……”lowlinessisyoungambition’sladder,Wheretotheclimber-upwardturnshisface;

  Butwhenheonceattainstheupmostround,Hethenuntotheladderturnshisback,Looksintheclouds,scorningthebasedegreesBywhichhedidascend。”

  452。Thismightbepaganteaching:thatis,evenpaganteachingmightgosofarasthis——”Isay,thatasthebabe,youfeedawhile,Becomesaboyandfittofeedhimself,So,mindsatfirstmustbespoon-fedwithtruth:[455]

  Whentheycaneat,babe’snurtureiswithdrawn。

  Ifedthebabewhetheritwouldorno:

  Ibidtheboyorfeedhimselforstarve。

  Icriedonce,`ThatyemaybelieveinChrist,Beholdthisblindmanshallreceivehissight!’[460]

  Icrynow,`Urgestthou,FORIAMSHREWD,ANDSMILEATSTORIESHOWJOHN’SWORDCOULDCURE——

  REPEATTHATMIRACLEANDTAKEMYFAITH?’

  Isay,thatmiraclewasdulywroughtWhen,saveforit,nofaithwaspossible。[465]

  Whetherachangewerewroughti’theshowso’theworld,WhetherthechangecamefromourmindswhichseeOfshowso’theworldsomuchasandnomoreThanGodwillsforHispurpose,——whatdoI

  Seenow,supposeyou,therewhereyouseerock[470]

  Roundus?——Iknownot;suchwastheeffect,Sofaithgrew,makingvoidmoremiraclesBecausetoomuch:theywouldcompel,nothelp。

  Isay,theacknowledgmentofGodinChristAcceptedbythyreason,solvesforthee[475]

  Allquestionsintheearthandoutofit,Andhassofaradvancedtheetobewise。

  Wouldstthouunprovethistore-provetheproved?

  Inlife’smereminute,withpowertousethatproof,Leaveknowledgeandreverttohowitsprung?[480]

  Thouhastit;useitandforthwith,ordie!——

  472。Sofaithgrew,makingvoidmoremiracles:theoutwardmanifestationsofspiritualpowersdu/namis,`power’,`actofpower’,andshmei^on,`sign’,`token’,aretheoriginalwordsintheN。T。,whicharetranslated`miracle’gaveplacetosubjectiveproof。

  Christianitywasendorsedbyman’sownsoul。Tothismaybeadded,thateventhehistoricalbulwarksofChristianitymay,erelong,bedispensedwith。

  474-481。TheseversesmaybetakenaspresentingBrowning’sownconclusionastothewholedutyofman,inaspiritualdirection。

  Andseethequotationfrom`ChristmasEve’andtheremarkswhichfollow,onpp。63and64。{Inetext,ChapterII,Section3ofIntroduction。}——”ForIsay,thisisdeathandthesoledeath,Whenaman’slosscomestohimfromhisgain,Darknessfromlight,fromknowledgeignorance,Andlackoflovefromlovemademanifest;[485]

  Alamp’sdeathwhen,repletewithoil,itchokes;

  Astomach’swhen,surchargedwithfood,itstarves。

  Withignorancewassuretyofacure。

  Whenman,appalledatnature,questionedfirst`Whatiftherelurkamightbehindthismight?’[490]

  HeneededsatisfactionGodcouldgive,Anddidgive,asyehavethewrittenword:

  Butwhenhefindsmightstillredoublemight,Yetasks,`Sinceallismight,whatuseofwill?’——

  Will,theonesourceofmight,——hebeingman[495]

  Withaman’swillandaman’smight,toteachInlittlehowthetwocombineinlarge,——

  Thatmanhasturnedroundonhimselfandstands,Whichinthecourseofnatureis,todie。”Andwhenmanquestioned,`Whatiftherebelove[500]

  Behindthewillandmight,asrealasthey?’——

  HeneededsatisfactionGodcouldgive,Anddidgive,asyehavethewrittenword:

  Butwhen,beholdingthatloveeverywhere,Hereasons,`Sincesuchloveiseverywhere,[505]

  Andsinceourselvescanloveandwouldbeloved,Weourselvesmakethelove,andChristwasnot’,——

  Howshallyehelpthismanwhoknowshimself,Thathemustloveandwouldbelovedagain,Yet,owninghisownlovethatprovethChrist,[510]

  RejectethChristthroughveryneedofHim?

  Thelampo’erswimswithoil,thestomachflagsLoadedwithnurture,andthatman’ssouldies。”Ifherejoin,`ButthiswasallthewhileAtrick;thefaultwas,firstofall,inthee,[515]

  Thystoryoftheplaces,namesanddates,Where,when,andhowtheultimatetruthhadrise,——Thypriortruth,atlastdiscoverednone,Whencenowthesecondsuffersdetriment。

  Whatgoodofgivingknowledgeif,because[520]

  O’themannerofthegift,itsprofitfail?

  AndwhyrefusewhatmodicumofhelpHadstoppedtheafter-doubt,impossibleI’thefaceoftruth——truthabsolute,uniform?

  WhymustIhitofthisandmissofthat,[525]

  DistinguishjustasIbeweakorstrong,Andnotaskoftheeandhaveanswerprompt,Wasthisonce,wasitnotonce?——thenandnowAndevermore,plaintruthfrommantoman。

  IsJohn’sprocedurejusttheheathenbard’s?[530]

  PutquestionofhisfamousplayagainHowfortheephemerals’sake,Jove’sfirewasfilched,Andcarriedinacaneandbroughttoearth:

  THEFACTISINTHEFABLE,crythewise,MORTALSOBTAINEDTHEBOON,SOMUCHISFACT,[535]

  THOUGHFIREBESPIRITANDPRODUCEDONEARTH。

  AswiththeTitan’s,sonowwiththytale:

  Whybreedinusperplexity,mistake,Nortellthewholetruthintheproperwords?’——

  514-539。JohnanticipatesanotherobjectionthatwillbemadetohisGospel,namely,thatsomanythingsthereinarenotclearedup,thatthewholetruthisnottoldintheproperwords,thescepticclaimingthateverythingshouldhavebeensoproved”ThattheprobationbearnohingenorloopTohangadoubton”;

  thatallafter-doubt,impossibleinthefaceoftruth——truthabsolute,uniform,mighthavebeenstopped。

  523。Hadstopped:wouldhavestopped。

  530。theheathenbard’s:Aeschylus’。

  531。famousplay:`PrometheusBound’。

  532。ephemerals’:mortals’。

  537。Titan’s:Prometheus’——”Ianswer,Haveyenottoargueout[540]

  Theveryprimalthesis,plainestlaw,——ManisnotGodbuthathGod’sendtoserve,Amastertoobey,acoursetotake,Somewhattocastoff,somewhattobecome?

  Grantthis,thenmanmustpassfromoldtonew,[545]

  Fromvaintoreal,frommistaketofact,Fromwhatonceseemedgood,towhatnowprovesbest。

  Howcouldmanhaveprogressionotherwise?

  Beforethepointwasmooted`WhatisGod?’

  Nosavagemaninquired`Whatismyself?’[550]

  Muchlessreplied,`First,last,andbestofthings。’

  MantakesthattitlenowifhebelievesMightcanexistwithneitherwillnorlove,InGod’scase——whathenamesnowNature’sLaw——

  Whileinhimselfherecognizeslove[555]

  Nolessthanmightandwill:andrightlytakes。

  SinceifmanprovethesoleexistentthingWherethesecombine,whatevertheirdegree,Howeverweakthemightorwillorlove,Sotheybefoundthere,putinevidence,——[560]

  HeisassurelyhigherinthescaleThananymightwithneitherlovenorwill,Aslife,apparentinthepoorestmidgeWhenthefaintdust-speckflits,yeguessitswing,IsmarvellousbeyonddeadAtlas’self——[565]

  Giventothenoblermidgeforresting-place!

  Thus,manprovesbestandhighest——God,infine,Andthusthevictoryleadsbuttodefeat,Thegaintoloss,bestrisetotheworstfall,Hislifebecomesimpossible,whichisdeath。[570]

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