god the invisible king-第14部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　the　fundamental　essential　of　religion；　which　　is　THE　DEVELOPMENT　AND　SYNTHESIS　OF　THE　DIVERGENT　AND　CONFLICTING　　MOTIVES　OF　THE　UNCONVERTED　LIFE；　AND　THE　IDENTIFICATION　OF　THE　　INDIVIDUAL　LIFE　WITH　THE　IMMORTAL　PURPOSE　OF　GOD。　　He　presents　a　　conception　of　religion　relieved　of　its　〃nonsense〃　as　the　cheerful　　self…determination　of　a　number　of　bright　little　individuals　（much　　stirred　but　by　no　means　overcome　by　Cosmic　Pity）　to　the　Service　of　　Man。　　As　he　seems　to　present　it；　it　is　as　outward　a　thing；　it　goes　　as　little　into　the　intimacy　of　their　lives；　as　though　they　had　after　　proper　consideration　agreed　to　send　a　subscription　to　a　Red　Cross　　Ambulance　or　take　part　in　a　public　demonstration　against　the　　Armenian　Massacres；　or　do　any　other　rather　nice…spirited　exterior　　thing。　　This　is　what　he　says：

〃I　hope　that　the　religion　of　the　future　will　devote　itself　wholly　to　　the　Service　of　Man。　　It　can　do　so　without　departing　from　the　　Christian　ideal　and　Christian　ethics。　　It　need　only　drop　all　that　is　　silly　and　disputable；　and　'mattering　not　neither　here　nor　there；'　of　　Christian　theologya　theology　virtually　absent　from　the　direct　　teaching　of　Christand　all　of　Judaistic　literature　or　prescriptions　　not　made　immortal　in　their　application　by　unassailable　truth　and　by　　the　confirmation　of　science。　　An　excellent　remedy　for　the　nonsense　　which　still　clings　about　religion　may　be　found　in　two　books：　Cotter　　Monson's　'Service　of　Man；'　which　was　published　as　long　ago　as　1887；　　and　has　since　been　re…issued　by　the　Rationalist　Press　Association　in　　its　well…known　sixpenny　series；　and　J。　Allanson　Picton's　'Man　and　　the　Bible。'　　Similarly；　those　who　wish　to　acquire　a　sane　view　of　the　　relations　between　man　and　God　would　do　well　to　read　Winwood　Reade's　　'Martyrdom　of　Man。'〃

Sir　Harry　in　fact　clears　the　ground　for　God　very　ably；　and　then　　makes　a　well…meaning　gesture　in　the　vacant　space。　　There　is　no　help　　nor　strength　in　his　gesture　unless　God　is　there。　　Without　God；　the　　〃Service　of　Man〃　is　no　better　than　a　hobby　or　a　sentimentality　or　an　　hypocrisy　in　the　undisciplined　prison　of　the　mortal　life。

CHAPTER　THE　FIFTH　THE　INVISIBLE　KING

1。　MODERN　RELIGION　A　POLITICAL　RELIGION

The　conception　of　a　young　and　energetic　God；　an　Invisible　Prince　　growing　in　strength　and　wisdom；　who　calls　men　and　women　to　his　　service　and　who　gives　salvation　from　self　and　mortality　only　through　　self…abandonment　to　his　service；　necessarily　involves　a　demand　for　a　　complete　revision　and　fresh　orientation　of　the　life　of　the　convert。　God　faces　the　blackness　of　the　Unknown　and　the　blind　joys　and　　confusions　and　cruelties　of　Life；　as　one　who　leads　mankind　through　a　　dark　jungle　to　a　great　conquest。　　He　brings　mankind　not　rest　but　a　　sword。　　It　is　plain　that　he　can　admit　no　divided　control　of　the　　world　he　claims。　　He　concedes　nothing　to　Caesar。　　In　our　philosophy　　there　are　no　human　things　that　are　God's　and　others　that　are　　Caesar's。　　Those　of　the　new　thought　cannot　render　unto　God　the　　things　that　are　God's；　and　to　Caesar　the　things　that　are　Caesar's。　　　Whatever　claim　Caesar　may　make　to　rule　men's　lives　and　direct　their　　destinies　outside　the　will　of　God；　is　a　usurpation。　　No　king　nor　　Caesar　has　any　right　to　tax　or　to　service　or　to　tolerance；　except　he　　claim　as　one　who　holds　for　and　under　God。　　And　he　must　make　good　his　　claim。　　The　steps　of　the　altar　of　the　God　of　Youth　are　no　safe　place　　for　the　sacrilegious　figure　of　a　king。　　Who　claims　〃divine　right〃　　plays　with　the　lightning。　The　new　conceptions　do　not　tolerate　either　kings　or　aristocracies　or　　democracies。　　Its　implicit　command　to　all　its　adherents　is　to　make　　plain　the　way　to　the　world　theocracy。　　Its　rule　of　life　is　the　　discovery　and　service　of　the　will　of　God；　which　dwells　in　the　hearts　　of　men；　and　the　performance　of　that　will；　not　only　in　the　private　　life　of　the　believer　but　in　the　acts　and　order　of　the　state　and　　nation　of　which　he　is　a　part。　　I　give　myself　to　God　not　only　because　　I　am　so　and　so　but　because　I　am　mankind。　　I　become　in　a　measure　　responsible　for　every　evil　in　the　world　of　men。　　I　become　a　knight　　in　God's　service。　　I　become　my　brother's　keeper。　　I　become　a　　responsible　minister　of　my　King。　　I　take　sides　against　injustice；　　disorder；　and　against　all　those　temporal　kings；　emperors；　princes；　　landlords；　and　owners；　who　set　themselves　up　against　God's　rule　and　　worship。　　Kings；　owners；　and　all　who　claim　rule　and　decisions　in　the　　world's　affairs；　must　either　show　themselves　clearly　the　fellow…　servants　of　the　believer　or　become　the　objects　of　his　steadfast　　antagonism。

2。　THE　WILL　OF　GOD

It　is　here　that　those　who　explain　this　modern　religiosity　will　seem　　most　arbitrary　to　the　inquirer。　　For　they　relate　of　God；　as　men　will　　relate　of　a　close　friend；　his　dispositions；　his　apparent　intentions；　　the　aims　of　his　kingship。　　And　just　as　they　advance　no　proof　　whatever　of　the　existence　of　God　but　their　realisation　of　him；　so　　with　regard　to　these　qualities　and　dispositions　they　have　little　　argument　but　profound　conviction。　　What　they　say　is　this；　that　if　　you　do　not　feel　God　then　there　is　no　persuading　you　of　him；　we　　cannot　win　over　the　incredulous。　　And　what　they　say　of　his　qualities　　is　this；　that　if　you　feel　God　then　you　will　know；　you　will　realise　　more　and　more　clearly；　that　thus　and　thus　and　no　other　is　his　method　　and　intention。　It　comes　as　no　great　shock　to　those　who　have　grasped　the　full　　implications　of　the　statement　that　God　is　Finite；　to　hear　it　　asserted　that　the　first　purpose　of　God　is　the　attainment　of　clear　　knowledge；　of　knowledge　as　a　means　to　more　knowledge；　and　of　　knowledge　as　a　means　to　power。　　For　that　he　must　use　human　eyes　and　　hands　and　brains。　And　as　God　gathers　power　he　uses　it　to　an　end　that　he　is　only　　beginning　to　apprehend；　and　that　he　will　apprehend　more　fully　as　　time　goes　on。　　But　it　is　possible　to　define　the　broad　outlines　of　　the　attainment　he　seeks。　　It　is　the　conquest　of　death。　It　is　the　conquest　of　death；　first　the　overcoming　of　death　in　the　　individual　by　the　incorporation　of　the　motives　of　his　life　into　an　　undying　purpose；　and　then　the　defeat　of　that　death　that　seems　to　　threaten　our　species　upon　a　cooling　planet　beneath　a　cooling　sun。　　　God　fights　against　death　in　every　form；　against　the　great　death　of　　the　race；　against　the　petty　death　of　indolence；　insufficiency；　　baseness；　misconception；　and　perversion。　　He　it　is　and　no　other　who　　can　deliver　us　〃from　the　body　of　this　death。〃　　This　is　the　battle　　that　grows　plainer；　this　is　the　purpose　to　which　he　calls　us　out　of　　the　animal's　round　of　eating；　drinking；　lusting；　quarrelling　and　　laughing　and　weeping；　fearing　and　failing；　and　presently　of　wearying　　and　dying；　which　is　the　whole　life　that　living　without　God　can　give　　us。　　And　from　these　great　propositions　there　follow　many　very　　definite　maxims　and　rules　of　life　for　those　who　serve　God。　　These　we　　will　immediately　consider。

3。　THE　CRUCIFIX

But　first　let　me　write　a　few　words　here　about　those　who　hold　a　kind　　of　intermediate　faith　between　the　worship　of　the　God　of　Youth　and　　the　vaguer　sort　of　Christianity。　　There　are　a　number　of　people　　closely　in　touch　with　those　who　have　found　the　new　religion　who；　　biased　probably　by　a　dread　of　too　complete　a　break　with　　Christianity；　have　adopted　a　theogony　which　is　very　reminiscent　of　　Gnosticism　and　of　the　Paulician；　Catharist；　and　kindred　sects　to　　which　allusion　has　already　been　made。　　He；　who　is　called　in　this　　book　God；　they　would　call　God…the…Son　or　Christ；　or　the　Logos；　and　　what　is　here　called　the　Darkness　or　the　Veiled　Being；　they　would　　call　God…the…Father。　　And　what　we　speak　of　here　as　Life；　they　would　　call；　with　a　certain　disregard　of　the　poor　brutes　that　perish；　Man。　　　And　they　would　assert；　what　we　of　the　new　belief；　pleading　our　　profound　ignorance；　would　neither　assert　nor　deny；　that　that　　Darkness；　out　of　which　came　Life　and　God；　since　it　produced　them　　must　be　ultimately　sympathetic　and　of　like　nature　with　them。　　And　　that　ultimately　Man；　being　redeemed　and　led　by　Christ　and　saved　from　　death　by　him；　would　be　reconciled　with　God　the　Father。*　　And　this　　great　adventurer　out　of　the　hearts　of　man　that　we　here　call　God；　　they　would　present　as　the　same　with　that　teacher　from　Galilee　who　　was　crucified　at　Jerusalem。　*　This　probably　was　the　conception　of　Spinoza。　　Christ　for　him　is　　the　wisdom　of　God　manifested　in　all　things；　and　chiefly　in　the　mind　　of　man。　　Through　him　we　reach　the　blessedness　of　an　intuitive　　knowledge　of　God。　　Salvation　is　an　escape　from　the　〃inadequate〃　　ideas　of　the　mortal　human　personality　to　the　〃adequate〃　and　timeless　　ideas　of　God。　Now　we　of　the　modern　way　would　offer　the　following　criticisms　upon　　this　apparent　compromise　between　our　faith　and　the　current　religion。　　　Firstly；　we　do　not　presume　to　theorise　about　the　nature　of　the　　veiled　being　nor　about　that　being's　relations　to　God　and　to　Life。　　　We　do　not　recognise　any　consistent　sympathetic　possibilities　between　　these　outer　beings　and　our　God。　　Our　God　is；　we　feel；　like　　Prometheus；　a　rebel。　　He　is　unfilial。　　And　the　accepted　figure　of　　Jesus；　instinct　with　meek　submission；　is　not　in　the　tone　of　our　　worship。　　It　is　not　by　suffering　that　God　conquers　death；　but　by　　fighting。　　Incidentally　our　God　dies　a　million　deaths；　but　the　thing　　that　matters　is　not　the　deaths　but　the　immortality。　　It　may　be　he　　cannot　escape　in　this　person　or　that　person　being　nailed　to　a　cross　　or　chained　to　be　torn　by　vultures　on　a　rock。　　These　may　be　necessary　　sufferings；　like　hunger　and　thirst　in　a　campaign；　they　do　not　in　　themselves　bring　victory。　　They　may　be　necessary；　but　they　are　not　　glorious。　　The　symbol　of　the　crucifixion；　the　drooping；　pain…　drenched　figure　of　Christ；　the　sorrowful　cry　to　his　Father；　〃My　God；　　my　God；　why　hast　thou　forsaken　me？〃　these　things　jar　with　our　　spirit。　　We　little　men　may　well　fail　and　repent；　but　it　is　our　faith　　that　our　God　does　not　fail　us　nor　himself。　　We　cannot　accept　the　　Christian's　crucifix；　or　pray　to　a　pitiful　God。　　We　cannot　accept　　the　Resurrection　as　though　it　were　an　after…thought　to　a　bitterly　　felt　death。　　Our　crucifix；　if　you　must　have　a　crucifix；　would　show　　God　with　a　hand　or　a　foot　already　torn　away　from　its　nail；　and　with　　eyes　not　downcast　but　resolute　against　the　sky；　a　face　without