Theism Doctrinal and Practical, or, Didactic Religious Utterances. By Francis W. Newman |
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Object of Teaching.
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Object of Teaching.
Animals, as they are more intelligent, may more receive man's training,
Who teaches them to fear his displeasure, to honour his superiority,
To understand his indications and perform his commands.
Thus are the horse and the ass and the camel commonly trained,
Thus in some measure the ox, but still more the elephant.
But these for the most part are made only intelligent tools,
Which exert no judgment, but merely do as they are bid.
Higher is the culture, where judgment is exercised;
As when the sagacious mule learns to pick his own paths,
And laden unnaturally, on an unnatural country,
By memory and observation and judgment attains safety.
Or as when the shepherd's dog, uncommanded by his master,
Runs to save a sheep from danger which he foresees.
Only few of the lower creatures can thus be trained:
It belongs to nobler powers, and it is pre-eminent in Man.
Who teaches them to fear his displeasure, to honour his superiority,
To understand his indications and perform his commands.
Thus are the horse and the ass and the camel commonly trained,
Thus in some measure the ox, but still more the elephant.
But these for the most part are made only intelligent tools,
Which exert no judgment, but merely do as they are bid.
Higher is the culture, where judgment is exercised;
As when the sagacious mule learns to pick his own paths,
And laden unnaturally, on an unnatural country,
By memory and observation and judgment attains safety.
Or as when the shepherd's dog, uncommanded by his master,
Runs to save a sheep from danger which he foresees.
Only few of the lower creatures can thus be trained:
It belongs to nobler powers, and it is pre-eminent in Man.
Man, possessing Free Will, is made for Judgment:
Made for the exercise of judgment, and made to be judged.
To train man as a mere tool, may belong to special industries,
A temporary necessity not to be reproved.
Hand-skill is often but habitual and mechanical,
Nor other is the aptness which the soldier gains by drill:
But if life had no other training, life were not worth much.
Moreover it is visible, that as higher Invention grows,
We use powers without us to perform mechanical acts,
And hereby relieve fellow-men from tedious drudgery.
Tame cattle first began the long career of civilization,
Which fire, wind, water and steam are continuing.
And even where these are not available, yet the wise know well,
That one who works with judgment is far better than a tool;
As the soldier who has patriotism, zeal, forethought, calculation,
Is worth more than a well-drilled obedient wooden machine;
And in a healthy society, Judgment is better paid than Routine,
As more fruitful in high results, and more eminently human.
Made for the exercise of judgment, and made to be judged.
To train man as a mere tool, may belong to special industries,
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Hand-skill is often but habitual and mechanical,
Nor other is the aptness which the soldier gains by drill:
But if life had no other training, life were not worth much.
Moreover it is visible, that as higher Invention grows,
We use powers without us to perform mechanical acts,
And hereby relieve fellow-men from tedious drudgery.
Tame cattle first began the long career of civilization,
Which fire, wind, water and steam are continuing.
And even where these are not available, yet the wise know well,
That one who works with judgment is far better than a tool;
As the soldier who has patriotism, zeal, forethought, calculation,
Is worth more than a well-drilled obedient wooden machine;
And in a healthy society, Judgment is better paid than Routine,
As more fruitful in high results, and more eminently human.
Knowledge is not always a training of man's mind,
For one may know much, and remain very foolish and very weak;
But knowledge of each subject is needful to sound judgment.
Nevertheless, even so, the Faculty is more valuable than the Knowledge;
For the knowledge is the means, and the faculty is the end;
And the chief aim in sound training is to impart new Power.
Nor does the teacher train the pupil merely to submit to orders,
To believe on authority and to receive knowledge;
But to exert his faculties, and to attain skill in using them.
Even where Judgment has the narrowest field, the same thing appears;
For even the mathematician trains his pupils to be his equals,
Yea, if possible, to be his superiors; to win all his results
More easily than he himself won them, and to start with advantage,
Armed with high power more early, and with a wider survey.
For one may know much, and remain very foolish and very weak;
But knowledge of each subject is needful to sound judgment.
Nevertheless, even so, the Faculty is more valuable than the Knowledge;
For the knowledge is the means, and the faculty is the end;
And the chief aim in sound training is to impart new Power.
Nor does the teacher train the pupil merely to submit to orders,
To believe on authority and to receive knowledge;
But to exert his faculties, and to attain skill in using them.
Even where Judgment has the narrowest field, the same thing appears;
For even the mathematician trains his pupils to be his equals,
Yea, if possible, to be his superiors; to win all his results
More easily than he himself won them, and to start with advantage,
Armed with high power more early, and with a wider survey.
So neither would the wise painter impart a mere routine of skill,
Or limit the love of beauty to his own few tastes and powers:
But would teach the pupil to cherish delicate perception;
Then, as sight and feeling and love all grow, so will he execute better,
And love will teach discrimination, and hand-work will feed love.
Thus even in pursuits not Moral, human training spreads wide
Beyond blind receptivity into Power and Choice and Love.
Or limit the love of beauty to his own few tastes and powers:
But would teach the pupil to cherish delicate perception;
Then, as sight and feeling and love all grow, so will he execute better,
And love will teach discrimination, and hand-work will feed love.
Thus even in pursuits not Moral, human training spreads wide
Beyond blind receptivity into Power and Choice and Love.
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But in things properly Moral, the same is pre-eminently necessary
To all manly culture, and even to advancing childhood,
Because of Free Will, which must be trained to choose aright
By the force of sound wisdom, of right loves and right habits.
The Moral and Spiritual teacher has done little, or next to nothing,
Until his words have become a Power within the learner;
Until the learner has attained Judgment of his own,
Approving that which is Right, and choosing that which he
approves.
While he is merely receptive and obedient, he is as a child, and without stability.
Hence the noblest aim of spiritual teaching has been “to minister the Spirit,”
To impart spiritual powers that may equal or surpass the teacher
Both in knowledge and discernment and also in strength of goodness:
And the teacher who aims not at this, knows not his proper duty.
To all manly culture, and even to advancing childhood,
Because of Free Will, which must be trained to choose aright
By the force of sound wisdom, of right loves and right habits.
The Moral and Spiritual teacher has done little, or next to nothing,
Until his words have become a Power within the learner;
Until the learner has attained Judgment of his own,
Approving that which is Right, and choosing that which he
approves.
While he is merely receptive and obedient, he is as a child, and without stability.
Hence the noblest aim of spiritual teaching has been “to minister the Spirit,”
To impart spiritual powers that may equal or surpass the teacher
Both in knowledge and discernment and also in strength of goodness:
And the teacher who aims not at this, knows not his proper duty.
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