god the invisible king-第11节

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！


art　for　　all　the　tons　of　chalk　in　Kent　or　all　the　lumps　of　limestone　in　　Yorkshire？　　But　men　love　England；　which　is　made　up　of　such　things。　And　so　we　think　of　God　as　a　synthetic　reality；　though　he　has　neither　　body　nor　material　parts。　　And　so　too　we　may　obey　him　and　listen　to　　him；　though　we　think　but　lightly　of　the　men　whose　hands　or　voices　he　　sometimes　uses。　　And　we　may　think　of　him　as　having　moods　and　　aspectsas　a　man　hasand　a　consistency　we　call　his　character。　These　are　theorisings　about　God。　　These　are　statements　to　convey　　this　modern　idea　of　God。　　This；　we　say；　is　the　nature　of　the　person　　whose　will　and　thoughts　we　serve。　　No　one；　however；　who　understands　　the　religious　life　seeks　conversion　by　argument。　　First　one　must　　feel　the　need　of　God；　then　one　must　form　or　receive　an　acceptable　　idea　of　God。　　That　much　is　no　more　than　turning　one's　face　to　the　　east　to　see　the　coming　of　the　sun。　　One　may　still　doubt　if　that　　direction　is　the　east　or　whether　the　sun　will　rise。　　The　real　coming　　of　God　is　not　that。　　It　is　a　change；　an　irradiation　of　the　mind。　　　Everything　is　there　as　it　was　before；　only　now　it　is　aflame。　　　Suddenly　the　light　fills　one's　eyes；　and　one　knows　that　God　has　　risen　and　that　doubt　has　fled　for　ever。

3。　GOD　IS　YOUTH

The　third　thing　to　be　told　of　the　true　God　is　that　GOD　IS　YOUTH。　God；　we　hold；　began　and　is　always　beginning。　　He　looks　forever　into　　the　future。　Most　of　the　old　religions　derive　from　a　patriarchal　phase。　　God　is　　in　those　systems　the　Ancient　of　Days。　　I　know　of　no　Christian　　attempt　to　represent　or　symbolise　God　the　Father　which　is　not　a　　bearded；　aged　man。　　White　hair；　beard；　bearing；　wrinkles；　a　hundred　　such　symptoms　of　senile　decay　are　there。　　These　marks　of　senility　do　　not　astonish　our　modern　minds　in　the　picture　of　God；　only　because　　tradition　and　usage　have　blinded　our　eyes　to　the　absurdity　of　a　　time…worn　immortal。　　Jove　too　and　Wotan　are　figures　far　past　the　　prime　of　their　vigour。　　These　are　gods　after　the　ancient　habit　of　　the　human　mind；　that　turned　perpetually　backward　for　causes　and　　reasons　and　saw　all　things　to　come　as　no　more　than　the　working　out　　of　Fate；　　　　　　〃Of　Man's　first　disobedience　and　the　fruit　　　　　　　Of　that　forbidden　tree；　whose　mortal　taste　　　　　　　Brought　death　into　the　world　and　all　our　woe。〃　But　the　God　of　this　new　age；　we　repeat；　looks　not　to　our　past　but　　our　future；　and　if　a　figure　may　represent　him　it　must　be　the　figure　　of　a　beautiful　youth；　already　brave　and　wise；　but　hardly　come　to　his　　strength。　　He　should　stand　lightly　on　his　feet　in　the　morning　time；　　eager　to　go　forward；　as　though　he　had　but　newly　arisen　to　a　day　that　　was　still　but　a　promise；　he　should　bear　a　sword；　that　clean；　　discriminating　weapon；　his　eyes　should　be　as　bright　as　swords；　his　　lips　should　fall　apart　with　eagerness　for　the　great　adventure　before　　him；　and　he　should　be　in　very　fresh　and　golden　harness；　reflecting　　the　rising　sun。　　Death　should　still　hang　like　mists　and　cloud　banks　　and　shadows　in　the　valleys　of　the　wide　landscape　about　him。　　There　　should　be　dew　upon　the　threads　of　gossamer　and　little　leaves　and　　blades　of　the　turf　at　his　feet。　。　。　。

4。　WHEN　WE　SAY　GOD　IS　LOVE

One　of　the　sayings　about　God　that　have　grown　at　the　same　time　most　　trite　and　most　sacred；　is　that　God　is　Love。　　This　is　a　saying　that　　deserves　careful　examination。　　Love　is　a　word　very　loosely　used；　　there　are　people　who　will　say　they　love　new　potatoes；　there　are　a　　multitude　of　loves　of　different　colours　and　values。　　There　is　the　　love　of　a　mother　for　her　child；　there　is　the　love　of　brothers；　there　　is　the　love　of　youth　and　maiden；　and　the　love　of　husband　and　wife；　　there　is　illicit　love　and　the　love　one　bears　one's　home　or　one's　　country；　there　are　dog…lovers　and　the　loves　of　the　Olympians；　and　　love　which　is　a　passion　of　jealousy。　　Love　is　frequently　a　mere　　blend　of　appetite　and　preference；　it　may　be　almost　pure　greed；　it　　may　have　scarcely　any　devotion　nor　be　a　whit　self…forgetful　nor　　generous。　　It　is　possible　so　to　phrase　things　that　the　furtive　　craving　of　a　man　for　another　man's　wife　may　be　made　out　to　be　a　　light　from　God。　　Yet　about　all　the　better　sorts　of　love；　the　sorts　　of　love　that　people　will　call　〃true　love；〃　there　is　something　of　　that　same　exaltation　out　of　the　narrow　self　that　is　the　essential　　quality　of　the　knowledge　of　God。　Only　while　the　exaltation　of　the　love　passion　comes　and　goes；　the　　exaltation　of　religious　passion　comes　to　remain。　　Lovers　are　the　　windows　by　which　we　may　look　out　of　the　prison　of　self；　but　God　is　　the　open　door　by　which　we　freely　go。　　And　God　never　dies；　nor　　disappoints；　nor　betrays。　The　love　of　a　woman　and　a　man　has　usually；　and　particularly　in　its　　earlier　phases　of　excitement；　far　too　much　desire；　far　too　much　　possessiveness　and　exclusiveness；　far　too　much　distrust　or　forced　　trust；　and　far　too　great　a　kindred　with　jealousy　to　be　like　the　love　　of　God。　　The　former　is　a　dramatic　relationship　that　drifts　to　a　　climax；　and　then　again　seeks　presently　a　climax；　and　that　may　be　　satiated　or　fatigued。　　But　the　latter　is　far　more　like　the　love　of　　comrades；　or　like　the　love　of　a　man　and　a　woman　who　have　loved　and　　been　through　much　trouble　together；　who　have　hurt　one　another　and　　forgiven；　and　come　to　a　complete　and　generous　fellowship。　　There　is　　a　strange　and　beautiful　love　that　men　tell　of　that　will　spring　up　on　　battlefields　between　sorely　wounded　men；　and　often　they　are　men　who　　have　fought　together；　so　that　they　will　do　almost　incredibly　brave　　and　tender　things　for　one　another；　though　but　recently　they　have　　been　trying　to　kill　each　other。　　There　is　often　a　pure　exaltation　of　　feeling　between　those　who　stand　side　by　side　manfully　in　any　great　　stress。　　These　are　the　forms　of　love　that　perhaps　come　nearest　to　　what　we　mean　when　we　speak　of　the　love　of　God。　That　is　man's　love　of　God；　but　there　is　also　something　else；　there　　is　the　love　God　bears　for　man　in　the　individual　believer。　　Now　this　　is　not　an　indulgent；　instinctive；　and　sacrificing　love　like　the　love　　of　a　woman　for　her　baby。　　It　is　the　love　of　the　captain　for　his　men；　　God　must　love　his　followers　as　a　great　captain　loves　his　men；　who　　are　so　foolish；　so　helpless　in　themselves；　so　confiding；　and　yet　　whose　faith　alone　makes　him　possible。　　It　is　an　austere　love。　　The　　spirit　of　God　will　not　hesitate　to　send　us　to　torment　and　bodily　　death。　。　。　。　And　God　waits　for　us；　for　all　of　us　who　have　the　quality　to　reach　　him。　　He　has　need　of　us　as　we　of　him。　　He　desires　us　and　desires　to　　make　himself　known　to　us。　　When　at　last　the　individual　breaks　　through　the　limiting　darknesses　to　him；　the　irradiation　of　that　　moment；　the　smile　and　soul　clasp；　is　in　God　as　well　as　in　man。　　He　　has　won　us　from　his　enemy。　　We　come　staggering　through　into　the　　golden　light　of　his　kingdom；　to　fight　for　his　kingdom　henceforth；　　until　at　last　we　are　altogether　taken　up　into　his　being。

CHAPTER　THE　FOURTH　THE　RELIGION　OF　ATHEISTS

1。　THE　SCIENTIFIC　ATHEIST

It　is　a　curious　thing　that　while　most　organised　religions　seem　to　　drape　about　and　conceal　and　smother　the　statement　of　the　true　God；　　the　honest　Atheist；　with　his　passionate　impulse　to　strip　the　truth　　bare；　is　constantly　and　unwittingly　reproducing　the　divine　likeness。　　　It　will　be　interesting　here　to　call　a　witness　or　so　to　the　extreme　　instability　of　absolute　negation。　Here；　for　example；　is　a　deliverance　from　Professor　Metchnikoff；　who　　was　a　very　typical　antagonist　of　all　religion。　　He　died　only　the　　other　day。　　He　was　a　very　great　physiologist　indeed；　he　was　a　man　　almost　of　the　rank　and　quality　of　Pasteur　or　Charles　Darwin。　　A　　decade　or　more　ago　he　wrote　a　book　called　〃The　Nature　of　Man；〃　in　　which　he　set　out　very　plainly　a　number　of　illuminating　facts　about　　life。　　They　are　facts　so　illuminating　that　presently；　in　our　　discussion　of　sin；　they　will　be　referred　to　again。　　But　it　is　not　　Professor　Metchnikoff's　intention　to　provide　material　for　a　　religious　discussion。　　He　sets　out　his　facts　in　order　to　overthrow　　theology　as　he　conceives　it。　　The　remarkable　thing　about　his　book；　　the　thing　upon　which　I　would　now　lay　stress；　is　that　he　betrays　no　　inkling　of　the　fact　that　he　has　no　longer　the　right　to　conceive　　theology　as　he　conceives　it。　　The　development　of　his　science　has　　destroyed　that　right。　He　does　not　realise　how　profoundly　modern　biology　has　affected　our　　ideas　of　individuality　and　species；　and　how　the　import　of　theology　　is　modified　through　these　changes。　　When　he　comes　from　his　own　world　　of　modern　biology　to　religion　and　philosophy　he　goes　back　in　time。　　　He　attacks　religion　as　he　understood　it　when　first　he　fell　out　with　　it　fifty　years　or　more　ago。　Let　us　state　as　compactly　as　possible　the　nature　of　these　changes　　that　biological　science　has　wrought　almost　imperceptibly　in　the　　general　scheme　and　method　of　our　thinking。　The　influence　of　biology　upon　thought　in　general　consists　　essentially　in　diminishing　the　importance　of　the　individual　and　　developing　the　realisation　of　the　species；　as　if　it　were　a　kind　of　　super…individual；　a　modifying　and　immortal　super…individual；　　maintaining　itself　against　the　outer　universe　by　the　birth　and　death　　of　its　constituent　individuals。　　Natural　History；　which　began　by　　putting　individuals　into　species　as　if　the　latter　w