perhaps crystallize it over again in new forms of language。
I did n't know you was a settled minister over this parish；said the
young fellow near me。
A sermon by a lay…preacher may be worth listeningI replied； calmly。
It gives the parallax of thought and feeling as they appear to the
observers from two very different points of view。 If you wish to get
the distance of a heavenly body； you know that you must take two
observations from remote points of the earth's orbit；in midsummer
and midwinter； for instance。 To get the parallax of heavenly truths；
you must take an observation from the position of the laity as well
as of the clergy。 Teachers and students of theology get a certain
look； certain conventional tones of voice； a clerical gait； a
professional neckcloth； and habits of mind as professional as their
externals。 They are scholarly men and read Bacon； and know well
enough what the 〃idols of the tribe〃 are。 Of course they have their
false gods； as all men that follow one exclusive calling are prone to
do。 The clergy have played the part of the flywheel in our modern
civilization。 They have never suffered it to stop。 They have often
carried on its movement； when other moving powers failed； by the
momentum stored in their vast body。 Sometimes； too； they have kept
it back by their vis inertia； when its wheels were like to grind the
bones of some old canonized error into fertilizers for the soil that
yields the bread of life。 But the mainspring of the world's onward
religious movement is not in them； nor in any one body of men； let me
tell you。 It is the people that makes the clergy； and not the clergy
that makes the people。 Of course； the profession reacts on its
source with variable energy。 But there never was a guild of dealers
or a company of craftsmen that did not need sharp looking after。
Our old friend； Dr。 Holyoke； whom we gave the dinner to some time
since； must have known many people that saw the great bonfire in
Harvard College yard。
Bonfire？shrieked the little man。 The bonfire when Robert
Calef's book was burned？
The same；I said；when Robert Calef the Boston merchant's book was
burned in the yard of Harvard College； by order of Increase Mather；
President of the College and Minister of the Gospel。 You remember
the old witchcraft revival of '92； and how stout Master Robert Calef；
trader of Boston； had the pluck to tell the ministers and judges what
a set of fools and worse than fools they were…
Remember it？said the little man。 I don't think I shall forget it；
as long as I can stretch this forefinger to point with； and see what
it wears。 There was a ring on it。
May I look at it？I said。
Where it is；said the little man；it will never come off； till it
falls off from the bone in the darkness and in the dust。
He pushed the high chair on which he sat slightly back from the
table； and dropped himself； standing； to the floor；his head being
only a little above the level of the table； as he stood。 With pain
and labor； lifting one foot over the other； as a drummer handles his
sticks； he took a few steps from his place；his motions and the
deadbeat of the misshapen boots announcing to my practised eye and
ear the malformation which is called in learned language talipes
varus； or inverted club…foot。
Stop！ stop！ I said；let me come to you。
The little man hobbled back； and lifted himself by the left arm； with
an ease approaching to grace which surprised me； into his high chair。
I walked to his side； and he stretched out the forefinger of his
right hand； with the ring upon it。 The ring had been put on long
ago； and could not pass the misshapen joint。 It was one of those
funeral rings which used to be given to relatives and friends after
the decease of persons of any note or importance。 Beneath a round
fit of glass was a death's head。 Engraved on one side of this； 〃L。
B。 AEt。 22；〃on the other； 〃Ob。 1692
My grandmother's grandmother；said the little man。 Hanged for a
witch。 It does n't seem a great while ago。 I knew my grandmother；
and loved her。 Her mother was daughter to the witch that Chief
Justice Sewall hanged and Cotton Mather delivered over to the Devil。…
…That was Salem； though； and not Boston。 No； not Boston。 Robert
Calef； the Boston merchant； it was that blew them all to…
Never mind where he blew them to；I said； for the little man was
getting red in the face； and I did n't know what might come next。
This episode broke me up； as the jockeys say； out of my square
conversational trot； but I settled down to it again。
A man that knows men； in the street； at their work； human nature in
its shirt…sleeves； who makes bargains with deacons； instead of
talking over texts with them； a man who has found out that there are
plenty of praying rogues and swearing saints in the world；above
all； who has found out； by living into the pith and core of life；
that all of the Deity which can be folded up between the sheets of
any human book is to the Deity of the firmament； of the strata； of
the hot aortic flood of throbbing human life； of this infinite；
instantaneous consciousness in which the soul's being consists；an
incandescent point in the filament connecting the negative pole of a
past eternity with the positive pole of an eternity that is to come；…
…that all of the Deity which any human book can hold is to this
larger Deity of the working battery of the universe only as the films
in a book of gold…leaf are to the broad seams and curdled lumps of
ore that lie in unsunned mines and virgin placers；Oh！I was saying
that a man who lives out…of…doors； among live people； gets some
things into his head he might not find in the index of his 〃Body of
Divinity。〃
I tell you what；the idea of the professions' digging a moat round
their close corporations； like that Japanese one at Jeddo； on the
bottom of which； if travellers do not lie； you could put Park Street
Church and look over the vane from its side； and try to stretch
another such spire across it without spanning the chasm；that idea；
I say； is pretty nearly worn out。 Now when a civilization or a
civilized custom falls into senile dementia； there is commonly a
judgment ripe for it； and it comes as plagues come； from a breath；
as fires come； from a spark。
Here； look at medicine。 Big wigs； gold…headed canes； Latin
prescriptions； shops full of abominations； recipes a yard long；
〃curing〃 patients by drugging as sailors bring a wind by whistling；
selling lies at a guinea apiece；a routine； in short； of giving
unfortunate sick people a mess of things either too odious to swallow
or too acrid to hold； or； if that were possible； both at once。
You don't know what I mean； indignant and not unintelligent
country…practitioner？ Then you don't know the history of medicine；
and that is not my fault。 But don't expose yourself in any outbreak
of eloquence； for； by the mortar in which Anaxarchus was pounded！ I
did not bring home Schenckius and Forestus and Hildanus； and all the
old folios in calf and vellum I will show you； to be bullied by the
proprietor； of a 〃Wood and Bache；〃 and a shelf of peppered sheepskin
reprints by Philadelphia Editors。 Besides； many of the profession
and I know a little something of each other； and you don't think I am
such a simpleton as to lose their good opinion by saying what the
better heads among them would condemn as unfair and untrue？ Now mark
how the great plague came on the generation of drugging doctors； and
in what form it fell。
A scheming drug…vender； （inventive genius；） an utterly untrustworthy
and incompetent observer； （profound searcher of Nature；） a shallow
dabbler in erudition； （sagacious scholar；） started the monstrous
fiction （founded the immortal system） of Homoeopathy。 I am very
fair； you see；…you can help yourself to either of these sets of
phrases。
All the reason in the world would not have had so rapid and general
an effect on the public mind to disabuse it of the idea that a drug
is a good thing in itself； instead of being； as it is； a bad thing；
as was produced by the trick （system） of this German charlatan
（theorist）。 Not that the wiser part of the profession needed him to
teach them； but the routinists and their employers； the 〃general
practitioners；〃 who lived by selling pills and mixtures； and their
drug…consuming customers； had to recognize that people could get
well； unpoisoned。 These dumb cattle would not learn it of
themselves； and so the murrain of Homoeopathy fell on them。
You don't know what plague has fallen on the practitioners of
theology？ I will tell you； then。 It is Spiritualism。 While some
are crying out against it as a delusion of the Devil； and some are
laughing at it as an hysteric folly； and some are getting angry with
it as a mere trick of interested or mischievous persons； Spiritualism
is quietly undermining the traditional ideas of the future state
which have been and are still accepted；not merely in those who
believe in it； but in the general sentiment of the community； to a
larger extent than most good people seem to be aware of。 It need n't
be true； to do this； any more than Homoeopathy need； to do its work。
The Spiritualists have some pretty strong instincts to pry over；
which no doubt have been roughly handled by theologians at different
times。 And the Nemesis of the pulpit comes； in a shape it little
thought of； beginning with the snap of a toe…joint； and ending with
such a crack of old beliefs that the roar of it is heard in all the
ministers' studies of Christendom？ Sir； you cannot have people of
cultivation； of pure character； sensible enough in common things；
large…hearted women； grave judges； shrewd business…men； men of
science； professing to be in communication with the spiritual world
and keeping up constant intercourse with it； without its gradually
reacting on the whole