large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb_15
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb
English
4813
It has become the modern fashion somewhat to belittle Puritanism. It is easy to emphasize its absurdities, to ridicule the almost fanatical fervor which goaded men to harshness and inconsistency. The fact remains that a tremendous selective force was needed to tear the Puritans away from the mother church and the mother country and fortify them in their struggle in a new land. It was religious zeal which furnished this motive power. IT HAS BECOME THE MODERN FASHION SOMEWHAT TO BELITTLE PURITANISM IT IS EASY TO EMPHASIZE ITS ABSURDITIES TO RIDICULE THE ALMOST FANATICAL FERVOR WHICH GOADED MEN TO HARSHNESS AND INCONSISTENCY THE FACT REMAINS THAT A TREMENDOUS SELECTIVE FORCE WAS NEEDED TO TEAR THE PURITANS AWAY FROM THE MOTHER CHURCH AND THE MOTHER COUNTRY AND FORTIFY THEM IN THEIR STRUGGLE IN A NEW LAND IT WAS RELIGIOUS ZEAL WHICH FURNISHED THIS MOTIVE POWER
 cheering, maybe we can forget or ignore the physical discomforts. But is the message cheering? Hell, damnation, eternal tortures, painful theological hair-splittings, harrowing self-examinations, and humiliating public confessions--this is what they gather on the narrow wooden benches to listen to hour after hour, searching their souls for sin with an almost frenzied eagerness. And yet, forlorn and tedious as the bleak service appears to us, there is no doubt that these stern-faced men and women wrenched an almost mystical inspiration from it; that a weird fascination emanated from this morbid dwelling on sin and punishment, appealing to the emotions quite as vividly--although through a different channel--as the most elaborate ceremonial. When the soul is wrought to a certain pitch each hardship is merely an added opportunity to prove its faith. It was this high pitch, attained and sustained by our Puritan fathers, which produced a dramatic and sometimes terrible blend of personality.  THESE CHILLY WALLS IS CHEERING MAYBE WE CAN FORGET OR IGNORE THE PHYSICAL DISCOMFORTS BUT IS THE MESSAGE CHEERING HELL DAMNATION ETERNAL TORTURES PAINFUL THEOLOGICAL HAIR SPLITTINGS HARROWING SELF EXAMINATIONS AND HUMILIATING PUBLIC CONFESSIONS THIS IS WHAT THEY GATHER ON THE NARROW WOODEN BENCHES TO LISTEN TO HOUR AFTER HOUR SEARCHING THEIR SOULS FOR SIN WITH AN ALMOST FRENZIED EAGERNESS AND YET FORLORN AND TEDIOUS AS THE BLEAK SERVICE APPEARS TO US THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THESE STERN FACED MEN AND WOMEN WRENCHED AN ALMOST MYSTICAL INSPIRATION FROM IT THAT A WEIRD FASCINATION EMANATED FROM THIS MORBID DWELLING ON SIN AND PUNISHMENT APPEALING TO THE EMOTIONS QUITE AS VIVIDLY ALTHOUGH THROUGH A DIFFERENT CHANNEL AS THE MOST ELABORATE CEREMONIAL WHEN THE SOUL IS WROUGHT TO A CERTAIN PITCH EACH HARDSHIP IS MERELY AN ADDED OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE ITS FAITH IT WAS THIS HIGH PITCH ATTAINED AND SUSTAINED BY OUR PURITAN FATHERS WHICH PRODUCED A DRAMATIC AND SOMETIMES TERRIBLE BLEND OF PERSONALITY
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb
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download/librilight/large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb.flac