god the known and god the unknown-第9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！



rarity　of　suicide　even　among　those　who　rail　at　life　most　

bitterly。　　The　other　is　the　little　eagerness　with　which　those　who　

cry　out　most　loudly　for　a　resurrection　desire　to　begin　their　new　

life。　　When　comforting　a　husband　upon　the　loss　of　his　wife　we　do　

not　tell　him　we　hope　he　will　soon　join　her；　but　we　should　

certainly　do　this　if　we　could　even　pretend　we　thought　the　husband　

would　like　it。　　I　can　never　remember　having　felt　or　witnessed　any　

pain；　bodily　or　mental；　which　would　have　made　me　or　anyone　else　

receive　a　suggestion　that　we　had　better　commit　suicide　without　

indignantly　asking　how　our　adviser　would　like　to　commit　suicide　

himself。　　Yet　there　are　so　many　and　such　easy　ways　of　dying　that　

indignation　at　being　advised　to　commit　suicide　arises　more　from　

enjoyment　of　life　than　from　fear　of　the　mere　physical　pain　of　

dying。　　Granted　that　there　is　much　deplorable　pain　in　the　world　

from　ill…health；　loss　of　money；　loss　of　reputation；　misconduct　of　

those　nearest　to　us；　or　what　not；　and　granted　that　in　some　cases　

these　causes　do　drive　men　to　actual　self…destruction；　yet　

suffering　such　as　this　happens　to　a　comparatively　small　number；　

and　occupies　comparatively　a　small　space　in　the　lives　of　those　to　

whom　it　does　happen。



What；　however；　have　we　to　say　to　those　cases　in　which　suffering　

and　injustice　are　inflicted　upon　defenceless　＇sic＇　people　for　

years　and　years；　so　that　the　iron　enters　into　their　souls；　and　

they　have　no　avenger。　　Can　we　give　any　comfort　to　such　sufferers？　

and；　if　not；　is　our　religion　any　better　than　a　mockery…a　filling　

the　rich　with　good　things　and　sending　the　hungry　empty　away？　　Can　

we　tell　them；　when　they　are　oppressed　with　burdens；　yet　that　

their　cry　will　come　up　to　God　and　be　heard？　　The　question　

suggests　its　own　answer；　for　assuredly　our　God　knows　our　

innermost　secrets：　there　is　not　a　word　in　our　hearts　but　He　

knoweth　it　altogether；　He　knoweth　our　down…sitting　and　our　

uprising；　He　is　about　our　path　and　about　our　bed；　and　spieth　out　

all　our　ways；　He　has　fashioned　us　behind　and　before；　and　〃we　

cannot　attain　such　knowledge；〃　for；　like　all　knowledge　when　it　

has　become　perfect；　〃it　is　too　excellent　for　us。〃



〃Whither　then；〃　says　David；　〃shall　I　go　from　thy　Spirit；　or　

whither　shall　I　go；　then；　from　thy　presence？　　If　I　climb　up　into　

heaven　thou　art　there；　if　I　go　down　into　hell　thou　art　there　

also。　　If　I　take　the　wings　of　the　morning　and　remain　in　the　

uttermost　parts　of　the　sea；　even　there　also　shall　thy　hand　lead　

me；　and　thy　right　hand　shall　hold　me。　　If　I　say　peradventure　the　

darkness　shall　cover　me；　then　shall　my　night　be　turned　into　day：　

the　darkness　and　light　to　thee　are　both　alike。　　For　my　reins　

are　thine；　thou　hast　covered　me　in　my　mother's　womb。　　My　bones　

are　not　hid　from　thee：　though　I　be　made　secretly　and　fashioned　

beneath　in　the　earth；　thine　eyes　did　see　my　substance　yet　being　

unperfect；　and　in　thy　book　were　all　my　members　written；　which　day　

by　day　were　fashioned　when　as　yet　there　was　none　of　them。　　Do　I　

not　hate　them；　O　Lord；　that　hate　thee？　and　am　I　not　grieved　with　

them　that　rise　up　against　thee？　Yea；　I　hate　them　right　sore；　as　

though　they　were　mine　enemies。〃　（Psalm　CXXXIX。）　There　is　not　a　

word　　of　this　which　we　cannot　endorse　with　more　significance；　as　

well　as　with　greater　heartiness　than　those　can　who　look　upon　God　

as　He　is　commonly　represented　to　them；　whatever　comfort；　

therefore；　those　in　distress　have　been　in　the　habit　of　receiving　

from　these　and　kindred　passages；　we　intensify　rather　than　not。　　We　

cannot；　alas！　make　pain　cease　to　be　pain；　nor　injustice　easy　to　

bear；　but　we　can　show　that　no　pain　is　bootless；　and　that　there　is　

a　tendency　in　all　injustice　to　right　itself；　suffering　is　not　

inflicted　wilfully；　＇sic＇　as　it　were　by　a　magician　who　could　have　

averted　it　；　nor　is　it　vain　in　its　results；　but　unless　we　are　cut　

off　from　God　by　having　dwelt　in　some　place　where　none　of　our　kind　

can　know　of　what　has　happened　to　us；　it　will　move　God's　heart　to　

redress　our　grievance；　and　will　tend　to　the　happiness　of　those　

who　come　after　us；　even　if　not　to　our　own。



The　moral　government　of　God　over　the　world　is　exercised　through　

us；　who　are　his　ministers　and　persons；　and　a　government　of　this　

description　is　the　only　one　which　can　be　observed　as　practically　

influencing　men's　conduct。　　God　helps　those　who　help　themselves；　

because　in　helping　themselves　they　are　helping　Him。　　Again；　Vox　

Populi　vox　Dei。　The　current　feeling　of　our　peers　is　what　we　

instinctively　turn　to　when　we　would　know　whether　such　and　such　a　

course　of　conduct　is　right　or　wrong；　and　so　Paul　clenches　his　

list　of　things　that　the　Philippians　were　to　hold　fast　with　the　

words；　〃whatsoever　things　are　of　good　fame〃…that　is　to　say；　he　

falls　back　upon　an　appeal　to　the　educated　conscience　of　his　age。　　

Certainly　the　wicked　do　sometimes　appear　to　escape　punishment；　

but　it　must　be　remembered　there　are　punishments　from　within　which　

do　not　meet　the　eye。　　If　these　fall　on　a　man；　he　is　sufficiently　

punished；　if　they　do　not　fall　on　him；　it　is　probable　we　have　been　

over　hasty　in　assuming　that　he　is　wicked。　　





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　IX



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　GOD　THE　UNKNOWN



The　reader　will　already　have　felt　that　the　panzoistic　conception　

of　God…the　conception；　that　is　to　say；　of　God　as　comprising　all　

living　units　in　His　own　single　person…does　not　help　us　to　

understand　the　origin　of　matter；　nor　yet　that　of　the　primordial　

cell　which　has　grown　and　unfolded　itself　into　the　present　life　of　

the　world。　　How　was　the　world　rendered　fit　for　the　habitation　of　

the　first　germ　of　Life？　How　came　it　to　have　air　and　water；　

without　which　nothing　that　we　know　of　as　living　can　exist？　Was　

the　world　fashioned　and　furnished　with　aqueous　and　atmospheric　

adjuncts　with　a　view　to　the　requirements　of　the　infant　monad；　and　

to　his　due　development？　　If　so；　we　have　evidence　of　design；　and　

if　so　of　a　designer；　and　if　so　there　must　be　Some　far　vaster　

Person　who　looms　out　behind　our　God；　and　who　stands　in　the　same　

relation　to　him　as　he　to　us。　　And　behind　this　vaster　and　more　

unknown　God　there　may　be　yet　another；　and　another；　and　another。



It　is　certain　that　Life　did　not　make　the　world　with　a　view　to　its　

own　future　requirements。　　For　the　world　was　at　one　time　red　hot；　

and　there　can　have　been　no　living　being　upon　it。　　Nor　is　it　

conceivable　that　matter　in　which　there　was　no　life…inasmuch　as　it　

was　infinitely　hotter　than　the　hottest　infusion　which　any　living　

germ　can　support…could　gradually　come　to　be　alive　without　

impregnation　from　a　living　parent。　　All　living　things　that　we　know　

of　have　come　from　other　living　things　with　bodies　and　souls；　

whose　existence　can　be　satisfactorily　established　in　spite　of　

their　being　often　too　small　for　our　detection。　　Since；　then；　the　

world　was　once　without　life；　and　since　no　analogy　points　in　the　

direction　of　thinking　that　life　can　spring　up　spontaneously；　we　

are　driven　to　suppose　that　it　was　introduced　into　this　world　from　

some　other　source　extraneous　to　it　altogether；　and　if　so　we　find　

ourselves　irresistibly　drawn　to　the　inquiry　whether　the　source　of　

the　life　that　is　in　the　world…the　impregnator　of　this　earth…may　

not　also　have　prepared　the　earth　for　the　reception　of　his　

offspring；　as　a　hen　makes　an　egg…shell　or　a　peach　a　stone　for　the　

protection　of　the　germ　within　it？　Not　only　are　we　drawn　to　the　

inquiry；　but　we　are　drawn　also　to　the　answer　that　the　earth　

was　so　prepared　designedly　by　a　Person　with　body　and　soul　

who　knew　beforehand　the　kind　of　thing　he　required；　and　who　took　

the　necessary　steps　to　bring　it　about。



If　this　is　so　we　are　members　indeed　of　the　God　of　this　world；　but　

we　are　not　his　children；　we　are　children　of　the　Unknown　and　

Vaster　God　who　called　him　into　existence；　and　this　in　a　far　more　

literal　sense　than　we　have　been　in　the　habit　of　realising　＇sic＇　

to　ourselves。　　For　it　may　be　doubted　whether　the　monads　are　not　as　

truly　seminal　in　character　as　the　procreative　matter　from　which　

all　animals　spring。



It　must　be　remembered　that　if　there　is　any　truth　in　the　view　put　

forward　in　〃Life　and　Habit；〃　and　in　〃Evolution　Old　and　New〃　（and　

I　have　met　with　no　serious　attempt　to　upset　the　line　of　argument　

taken　in　either　of　these　books）；　then　no　complex　animal　or　plant　

can　reach　its　full　development　without　having　already　gone　

through　the　stages　of　that　development　on　an　infinite　number　of　

past　occasions。　　An　egg　makes　itself　into　a　hen　because　it　knows　

the　way　to　do　so；　having　already　made　itself　into　a　hen　millions　

and　millions　of　times　over；　the　ease　and　unconsciousness　with　

which　it　grows　being　in　themselves　sufficient　demonstration　of　

this　fact。　　At　each　stage　in　its　growth　｛he　chicken　is　reminded；　

by　a　return　of　the　associated　ideas；　of　the　next　step　that　it　

should　take；　and　it　accordingly　takes　it。



But　if　this　is　so；　and　if　also　the　congeries　of　all　the　

living　forms　in　the　world　must　be　regarded　as　a　single　person；　

throughout　their　long　growth　from　the　primordial　cell　onwards　to　

the　present　day；　then；　by　parity　of　reasoning；　the　person　thus　

compounded…that　is　to　say；　Life　or　God…should　have　already　passed　

through　a　growth　analogous　to　that　which　we　find　he　has　taken　

upon　this　earth　on　an　infinite　number　of　past　occasions；　and　the　

development　of　each　class　of　life；　with　its　culmination　in　the　

vertebrate　animals　and　in　man；　should　be　due　to　recollection　

by　God　of　his　having　passed　through　the　same　stages；　or　nearly　

so；　in　worlds　and　universes；　which　we　know　of　from　personal　

recollection；　as　evidenced　in　the　growth　and　structure　of　our　

bodies；　but　concerning　which　we　have　no　other　knowledge　

whatsoever。



So　small　a　space　remains　to　me　that　I　cannot　pursue　further　the　

reflections　which　suggest　themselves。　　A　few　concluding　

considerations　a