The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-05
GUESSES In HIGHER BROWNING
Bishop BIourram,s Apology.


his very best, not his very worst. One of
the most helpful suggestions in reading
Browning is to read rapidly and mind your
pauses. Read his poetry exactly as if it
were proSe.-D. Z. B.
Coarsely expressed, the underlying
thought of this poem is There is money
in faith" 1 am much puzzled to know
whether the poet meant it as a satire or
only a picture of worldly shepherd of the
Catholic Church. Bishop Sylvester Bloug
ram lin partibus episcopus nee non' is a
clerical prince. He is clothed in purple and
fine linen and fares sunlptuously every day;
he wears a big Episcopal ring which all the
lesser clergy get down upon their marrow
bones and kiss; when he travels $50 he tells
us) he has ten white mules to haul his
carriage. He is now at dinner with his lit
erary parasite, Gigadibs (there is positive
genius in this name) who is fresh from
reading Strauss "Laben Jesu." This Gig
adibs is a slashing review writer. He has
been giving the bishop his opinion upon
Revelation. 1t is quite needless to say that
he rejects the whole business and agrees
with Straus that our Savior's miracles are
myths. Gigadibs is too smart a man to an
tagonize or say anything to ruffle SO use
full a superior as his host. Ii is not likely
that he even looked what he felt in his
heart of hearts, namely, 'how can so acute
man as Blougram accept such nonsense
as is in the Bible?" All the same, Bloug
rams conscience pricks him and he starts
off into monogram of a thousand lines,
the key of which Isl
How can we guard our unbelief
And make it bear fruit for us?"
The bishop begins by saying.
BEST be yourself, imperial, plain and true!
So, drawing comfortable breath again,
You weigh and find whatever more or less
boast of my ideal realized
Is nothing in the balance when opposed
To your ideal-your grand simple life
OF which you will not realize one jot.
be all
I would be merely much-you beat me
there"
The bishop apparently agrees with Giga-
dibs upon one point, and they both throw
overheard all dogmas as man-made and as
so much mere impedimenta in the investi-
cation of religious questions.
"Our dogmas then
With both of us, tho in unlike degree,
Missing full credence-overboard with
them
I mean to meet you. on your own premise
GOOD, there go mine in company with
yours"
The bishop then proceeds to remark that
belief well as unbeief shake us as if by
fits" Just when we are the most con-
tentedly dancing round the grand altar
called Perhaps the old questions start up
unbidden within us. Why not, says
Blougram, 1.-The Way, the Truth and the
Life" is, after all, right-who knows?
What have we gained then by our unbe-
lief
But a life of doubt diversified by faith,
For one of faith diversified by doubt"
The bishop then proceeds to show how
much wiser it is to adopt it's beliefs when
they bring with them the great church re-
wards of bread and butter, preferment and
great salaries instead of unbelef, which
has no rewards whatever to give.
Belief or unbeef
Bears upon life, determines it's whole
Begins at its beginning. See the world
Such as 1t is, you made it not, nor L;
| am to take it as it is, and you
Not so you'll take it, though you get
| know the special kind of life like,
What suits the most my jdiosyncrasy,
Brings out the best of me and bears me
In power. peace, pleasantness and length of
days.
I find that positive belief does this
For me, and unbelef, no whit of this.
IT'S clear, cannot lead my life, at least
Induce the world to let me live peaceably
Without declaring at the outset, Friends,
| l absolutely and peremptorily
If once we choose belief, on all accounts
we can't be too decisive in our faith,
Conclusive and exclusive in it's terms,
To suit the world which gives us the good
things"
The bishop then goes on to show that he
has made his belief pay, and pay big. He
enjoys an enormous salary and mankinds
respect and obedience. What does poor
Gigadibs with his unbelief enjoy? Abso-
lutey nothing He is the Lazarus, glad of
bone from Dives's table. Of course, this
is the grossest utilitarianism, and the con-
science stricken bishop imagines Gigadibs
to say:
so far my choice, no doubt, is success:
But were 1 made of better elements
With nobler instincts, purer tastes, like
you,
I would hardly account this thing success.
Though it do all for me 1 say
The bishop then proceeds to remark that
the great multitude of his church imbeciles
do not know the difference but reverence
him all the same for his profitable faith-it
is only the choice dozen that see through
his hypocrisy. Realizing this fact, he pro-
ceeds to ridicule:
Your picked twelve
Who profess themselves indignant scan
dalized
At thus being held unable to explain
How superior man who disbelieves
May not believe as WE'LL
He gets back at this imaginary dozen bv
saying:
Had 1 been born three hundred years ago
They'd say 'Blougram of course believes:'
And seventy years hence, 'disbelieves, of
But now, He may believe; and yet, and yet
How can hep"
Success succeeds, so does belief
Lord So-and-So-his coat bedropt with
wax,
All Peters chains about his waist. his back
Brave with the needlework of Noodledom
Believes Who wonders and who cares?'
Here the bishop goes into long disouisi-
ton about celebrated persons, for example:
Napoleon, the unbeliever and loud-mouthed
would-be champion of the rights of man as
against kings, got what? Elba and st.
Helena Shakespeare. by virtue of his con-
formity got a nice, comfortable house at
Stratford Luther, another enthusiastic be-
lever
Enthusiasm is the best thing, I repeat;
Ice makes no confiiction"-
got what? A real heaven in his heart
throughout his life. And Straus, another
urbeliever, got mo future" "Oh! You had
best believe"
The bishop now comes to the weak spot
in the whole argument. What kind of be-
lief? whole faith or none?" If BIougram
car only make out a case for a unitarian
faith as cOntradistinguished from a self
sacrificing faith. he can quiet his conscience
and at the same time keep his fat posi-
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