god the invisible king-第4部分

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om　Plotinus　to　the　Hegelians　with　the　　delusion　that　such　negative　terms　as　the　Absolute　or　the　　Unconditioned；　can　assert　anything　at　all。　　At　the　back　of　all　known　　things　there　is　an　impenetrable　curtain；　the　ultimate　of　existence　　is　a　Veiled　Being；　which　seems　to　know　nothing　of　life　or　death　or　　good　or　ill。　　Of　that　Being；　whether　it　is　simple　or　complex　or　　divine；　we　know　nothing；　to　us　it　is　no　more　than　the　limit　of　　understanding；　the　unknown　beyond。　　It　may　be　of　practically　　limitless　intricacy　and　possibility。　　The　new　religion　does　not　　pretend　that　the　God　of　its　life　is　that　Being；　or　that　he　has　any　　relation　of　control　or　association　with　that　Being。　　It　does　not　　even　assert　that　God　knows　all　or　much　more　than　we　do　about　that　　ultimate　Being。　For　us　life　is　a　matter　of　our　personalities　in　space　and　time。　　　Human　analysis　probing　with　philosophy　and　science　towards　the　　Veiled　Being　reveals　nothing　of　God；　reveals　space　and　time　only　as　　necessary　forms　of　consciousness；　glimpses　a　dance　of　atoms；　of　　whirls　in　the　ether。　　Some　day　in　the　endless　future　there　may　be　a　　knowledge；　an　understanding　of　relationship；　a　power　and　courage　　that　will　pierce　into　those　black　wrappings。　　To　that　it　may　be　our　　God；　the　Captain　of　Mankind　will　take　us。　That　now　is　a　mere　speculation。　　The　veil　of　the　unknown　is　set　with　　the　stars；　its　outer　texture　is　ether　and　atom　and　crystal。　　The　　Veiled　Being；　enigmatical　and　incomprehensible；　broods　over　the　　mirror　upon　which　the　busy　shapes　of　life　are　moving。　　It　is　as　if　　it　waited　in　a　great　stillness。　　Our　lives　do　not　deal　with　it；　and　　cannot　deal　with　it。　　It　may　be　that　they　may　never　be　able　to　deal　　with　it。

4。　THE　LIFE　FORCE　IS　NOT　GOD

So　it　is　that　comprehensive　setting　of　the　universe　presents　itself　　to　the　modern　mind。　　It　is　altogether　outside　good　and　evil　and　love　　and　hate。　　It　is　outside　God；　who　is　love　and　goodness。　　And　coming　　out　of　this　veiled　being；　proceeding　out　of　it　in　a　manner　　altogether　inconceivable；　is　another　lesser　being；　an　impulse　　thrusting　through　matter　and　clothing　itself　in　continually　changing　　material　forms；　the　maker　of　our　world；　Life；　the　Will　to　Be。　　It　　comes　out　of　that　inscrutable　being　as　a　wave　comes　rolling　to　us　　from　beyond　the　horizon。　　It　is　as　it　were　a　great　wave　rushing　　through　matter　and　possessed　by　a　spirit。　　It　is　a　breeding；　　fighting　thing；　it　pants　through　the　jungle　track　as　the　tiger　and　　lifts　itself　towards　heaven　as　the　tree；　it　is　the　rabbit　bolting　　for　its　life　and　the　dove　calling　to　her　mate；　it　crawls；　it　flies；　　it　dives；　it　lusts　and　devours；　it　pursues　and　eats　itself　in　order　　to　live　still　more　eagerly　and　hastily；　it　is　every　living　thing；　of　　it　are　our　passions　and　desires　and　fears。　　And　it　is　aware　of　　itself　not　as　a　whole；　but　dispersedly　as　individual　self…　consciousness；　starting　out　dispersedly　from　every　one　of　the　　sentient　creatures　it　has　called　into　being。　　They　look　out　for　　their　little　moments；　red…eyed　and　fierce；　full　of　greed；　full　of　　the　passions　of　acquisition　and　assimilation　and　reproduction；　　submitting　only　to　brief　fellowships　of　defence　or　aggression。　　They　　are　beings　of　strain　and　conflict　and　competition。　　They　are　living　　substance　still　mingled　painfully　with　the　dust。　　The　forms　in　which　　this　being　clothes　itself　bear　thorns　and　fangs　and　claws；　are　　soaked　with　poison　and　bright　with　threats　or　allurements；　prey　　slyly　or　openly　on　one　another；　hold　their　own　for　a　little　while；　　breed　savagely　and　resentfully；　and　pass。　。　。　。　This　second　Being　men　have　called　the　Life　Force；　the　Will　to　Live；　　the　Struggle　for　Existence。　　They　have　figured　it　too　as　Mother　　Nature。　　We　may　speculate　whether　it　is　not　what　the　wiser　among　the　　Gnostics　meant　by　the　Demiurge；　but　since　the　Christians　destroyed　　all　the　Gnostic　books　that　must　remain　a　mere　curious　guess。　　We　may　　speculate　whether　this　heat　and　haste　and　wrath　of　life　about　us　is　　the　Dark　God　of　the　Manichees；　the　evil　spirit　of　the　sun　　worshippers。　　But　in　contemporary　thought　there　is　no　conviction　　apparent　that　this　Demiurge　is　either　good　or　evil；　it　is　conceived　　of　as　both　good　and　evil。　　If　it　gives　all　the　pain　and　conflict　of　　life；　it　gives　also　the　joy　of　the　sunshine；　the　delight　and　hope　of　　youth；　the　pleasures。　　If　it　has　elaborated　a　hundred　thousand　sorts　　of　parasite；　it　has　also　moulded　the　beautiful　limbs　of　man　and　　woman；　it　has　shaped　the　slug　and　the　flower。　　And　in　it；　as　part　of　　it；　taking　its　rewards；　responding　to　its　goads；　struggling　against　　the　final　abandonment　to　death；　do　we　all　live；　as　the　beasts　live；　　glad；　angry；　sorry；　revengeful；　hopeful；　weary；　disgusted；　　forgetful；　lustful；　happy；　excited；　bored；　in　pain；　mood　after　mood　　but　always　fearing　death；　with　no　certainty　and　no　coherence　within　　us；　until　we　find　God。　　And　God　comes　to　us　neither　out　of　the　stars　　nor　out　of　the　pride　of　life；　but　as　a　still　small　voice　within。

5。　GOD　IS　WITHIN

God　comes　we　know　not　whence；　into　the　conflict　of　life。　　He　works　　in　men　and　through　men。　　He　is　a　spirit；　a　single　spirit　and　a　　single　person；　he　has　begun　and　he　will　never　end。　　He　is　the　　immortal　part　and　leader　of　mankind。　　He　has　motives；　he　has　　characteristics；　he　has　an　aim。　　He　is　by　our　poor　scales　of　　measurement　boundless　love；　boundless　courage；　boundless　generosity。　　　He　is　thought　and　a　steadfast　will。　　He　is　our　friend　and　brother　　and　the　light　of　the　world。　　That　briefly　is　the　belief　of　the　　modern　mind　with　regard　to　God。　　There　is　no　very　novel　idea　about　　this　God；　unless　it　be　the　idea　that　he　had　a　beginning。　　This　is　　the　God　that　men　have　sought　and　found　in　all　ages；　as　God　or　as　the　　Messiah　or　the　Saviour。　　The　finding　of　him　is　salvation　from　the　　purposelessness　of　life。　　The　new　religion　has　but　disentangled　the　　idea　of　him　from　the　absolutes　and　infinities　and　mysteries　of　the　　Christian　theologians；　from　mythological　virgin　births　and　the　　cosmogonies　and　intellectual　pretentiousness　of　a　vanished　age。　Modern　religion　appeals　to　no　revelation；　no　authoritative　teaching；　　no　mystery。　　The　statement　it　makes　is；　it　declares；　a　mere　　statement　of　what　we　may　all　perceive　and　experience。　　We　all　live　　in　the　storm　of　life；　we　all　find　our　understandings　limited　by　the　　Veiled　Being；　if　we　seek　salvation　and　search　within　for　God；　　presently　we　find　him。　　All　this　is　in　the　nature　of　things。　　If　　every　one　who　perceives　and　states　it　were　to　be　instantly　killed　　and　blotted　out；　presently　other　people　would　find　their　way　to　the　　same　conclusions；　and　so　on　again　and　again。　　To　this　all　true　　religion；　casting　aside　its　hulls　of　misconception；　must　ultimately　　come。　　To　it　indeed　much　religion　is　already　coming。　　Christian　　thought　struggles　towards　it；　with　the　millstones　of　Syrian　theology　　and　an　outrageous　mythology　of　incarnation　and　resurrection　about　　its　neck。　　When　at　last　our　present　bench　of　bishops　join　the　early　　fathers　of　the　church　in　heaven　there　will　be；　I　fear；　a　note　of　　reproach　in　their　greeting　of　the　ingenious　person　who　saddled　them　　with　OMNIPOTENS。　　Still　more　disastrous　for　them　has　been　the　virgin　　birth；　with　the　terrible　fascination　of　its　detail　for　unpoetic　　minds。　　How　rich　is　the　literature　of　authoritative　Christianity　　with　decisions　upon　the　continuing　virginity　of　Mary　and　the　　virginity　of　Josephideas　that　first　arose　in　Arabia　as　a　Moslem　　gloss　upon　Christianityand　how　little　have　these　peepings　and　　pryings　to　do　with　the　needs　of　the　heart　and　the　finding　of　God！　Within　the　last　few　years　there　have　been　a　score　or　so　of　such　　volumes　as　that　recently　compiled　by　Dr。　Foakes　Jackson；　entitled　　〃The　Faith　and　the　War；〃　a　volume　in　which　the　curious　reader　may　　contemplate　deans　and　canons；　divines　and　church　dignitaries；　men　　intelligent　and　enquiring　and　religiously　disposed；　all　lying　like　　overladen　camels；　panting　under　this　load　of　obsolete　theological　　responsibility；　groaning　great　articles；　outside　the　needle's　eye　　that　leads　to　God。

6。　THE　COMING　OF　GOD

Modern　religion　bases　its　knowledge　of　God　and　its　account　of　God　　entirely　upon　experience。　　It　has　encountered　God。　　It　does　not　　argue　about　God；　it　relates。　　It　relates　without　any　of　those　　wrappings　of　awe　and　reverence　that　fold　so　necessarily　about　　imposture；　it　relates　as　one　tells　of　a　friend　and　his　assistance；　　of　a　happy　adventure；　of　a　beautiful　thing　found　and　picked　up　by　　the　wayside。　So　far　as　its　psychological　phases　go　the　new　account　of　personal　　salvation　tallies　very　closely　with　the　account　of　〃conversion〃　as　　it　is　given　by　other　religions。　　It　has　little　to　tell　that　is　not　　already　familiar　to　the　reader　of　William　James's　〃Varieties　of　　Religious　Experience。〃　　It　describes　an　initial　state　of　distress　　with　the　aimlessness　and　cruelties　of　life；　and　particularly　with　　the　futility　of　the　individual　life；　a　state　of　helpless　self…　disgust；　of　inability　to　form　any　satisfactory　plan　of　living。　　This　　is　the　common　prelude　known　to　many　sorts　of　Christian　as　　〃conviction　of　sin〃；　it　is；　at　any　rate；　a　conviction　of　hopeless　　confusion。　。　。　。　　Then　in　some　way　the　idea　of　God　comes　into　the　　distressed　mind；　at　first　simply　as　an　idea；　without　substance　or　　belief。　　It　is　read　about　or　it　is　remembered；　it　is　expounded　by　　some　teacher　or　some　happy　convert。　　In　the　case　of　all　those　of　the　　new　faith　with　whose　personal　experience　I　have　any　intimacy；　the　　idea　of　God　has　remained　for　some　time　simply　as　an　idea　floating　　about　in　a　mind　still　dissatisfied。　　God　is　not　believed　in；　but　it　　is　realised　that　if　there　were　such　a　being　he　would　supply　the　　needed　consolation　and　direction；　his　continuing　purpose　would　knit　　together　the　scattered　effort　of　life；　his　immortality　would　take　　the　sting　from　death。　　Under　this　realisation　the　idea　is　pursued　　and　elaborated。　　For　a　time　there　is　a　curious　resistance　to　the　　suggestion　that　God　is　truly　a　person；　he　is　spoken　of　preferably　by　　such　phrases　as　the　Purpose　in　Things；　as　the　Racial　Consciousness；　　as　the　Collective　Mind。　I　believe　that　this　resistance　in　so　many　contemporary　minds　to　the　　idea　of　God　as　a　person　is　due　very　largely　to　the　enormous　　prejudice　against　divine　personality　created　by　th