I hold that the broad direction of conduct follows necessarily from belief. The believer does not require rewards and punishments to direct him to the right. Motive1 and idea are not so separable. To believe truly is to want to do right. To get salvation2 is to be unified3 by a comprehending idea of a purpose and by a ruling motive.
The believer wants to do right, he naturally and necessarily seeks to do right. If he fails to do right, if he finds he has done wrong instead of right, he is not greatly distressed4 or terrified, he naturally and cheerfully does his best to correct his error. He can be damned only by the fading and loss of his belief. And naturally he recurs5 to and refreshes his belief.
I write in phrases that the evangelical Christianity of my childhood made familiar to me, because they are the most expressive6 phrases I have ever met for the psychological facts with which I am dealing7.
But faith, though it banishes8 fear and despair and brings with it a real prevailing9 desire to know and do the Good, does not in itself determine what is the Good or supply any simple guide to the choice between alternatives. If it did, there would be nothing more to be said, this book upon conduct would be unnecessary.
1 motive | |
n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的 | |
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2 salvation | |
n.(尤指基督)救世,超度,拯救,解困 | |
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3 unified | |
(unify 的过去式和过去分词); 统一的; 统一标准的; 一元化的 | |
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4 distressed | |
痛苦的 | |
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5 recurs | |
再发生,复发( recur的第三人称单数 ) | |
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6 expressive | |
adj.表现的,表达…的,富于表情的 | |
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7 dealing | |
n.经商方法,待人态度 | |
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8 banishes | |
v.放逐,驱逐( banish的第三人称单数 ) | |
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9 prevailing | |
adj.盛行的;占优势的;主要的 | |
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