god the invisible king-第24节

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d　the　morning　star　of　　creedless　faith；　the　last　and　brightest　of　the　stars；　the　star　that　　owes　its　light　to　the　coming　sun　is　in　the　sky。　There　is　a　stirring　and　a　movement。　　There　is　a　stir；　like　the　stir　　before　a　breeze。　　Men　are　beginning　to　speak　of　religion　without　the　　bluster　of　the　Christian　formulae；　they　have　begun　to　speak　of　God　　without　any　reference　to　Omnipresence；　Omniscience；　Omnipotence。　　　The　Deists　and　Theists　of　an　older　generation；　be　it　noted；　never　　did　that。　　Their　〃Supreme　Being〃　repudiated　nothing。　　He　was　merely　　the　whittled　stump　of　the　Trinity。　　It　is　in　the　last　few　decades　　that　the　western　mind　has　slipped　loose　from　this　absolutist　　conception　of　God　that　has　dominated　the　intelligence　of　Christendom　　at　least；　for　many　centuries。　　Almost　unconsciously　the　new　thought　　is　taking　a　course　that　will　lead　it　far　away　from　the　moorings　of　　Omnipotence。　　It　is　like　a　ship　that　has　slipped　its　anchors　and　　drifts；　still　sleeping；　under　the　pale　and　vanishing　stars；　out　to　　the　open　sea。　。　。　。

2。　CONVERGENT　RELIGIOUS　MOVEMENTS

In　quite　a　little　while　the　whole　world　may　be　alive　with　this　　renascent　faith。　For　emancipation　from　the　Trinitarian　formularies　and　from　a　belief　　in　an　infinite　God　means　not　merely　a　great　revivification　of　minds　　trained　under　the　decadence　of　orthodox　Christianity；　minds　which　　have　hitherto　been　hopelessly　embarrassed　by　the　choice　between　　pseudo…Christian　religion　or　denial；　but　also　it　opens　the　way　　towards　the　completest　understanding　and　sympathy　and　participation　　with　the　kindred　movements　for　release　and　for　an　intensification　of　　the　religious　life；　that　are　going　on　outside　the　sphere　of　the　　Christian　tradition　and　influence　altogether。　　Allusion　has　already　　been　made　to　the　sympathetic　devotional　poetry　of　Rabindranath　　Tagore；　he　stands　for　a　movement　in　Brahminism　parallel　with　and　　assimilable　to　the　worship　of　the　true　God　of　mankind。　It　is　too　often　supposed　that　the　religious　tendency　of　the　East　is　　entirely　towards　other…worldness；　to　a　treatment　of　this　life　as　an　　evil　entanglement　and　of　death　as　a　release　and　a　blessing。　　It　is　　too　easily　assumed　that　Eastern　teaching　is　wholly　concerned　with　　renunciation；　not　merely　of　self　but　of　being；　with　the　escape　from　　all　effort　of　any　sort　into　an　exalted　vacuity。　　This　is　indeed　　neither　the　spirit　of　China　nor　of　Islam　nor　of　the　every…day　life　　of　any　people　in　the　world。　　It　is　not　the　spirit　of　the　Sikh　nor　of　　these　newer　developments　of　Hindu　thought。　　It　has　never　been　the　　spirit　of　Japan。　　To…day　less　than　ever　does　Asia　seem　disposed　to　　give　up　life　and　the　effort　of　life。　　Just　as　readily　as　Europeans；　　do　the　Asiatics　reach　out　their　arms　to　that　fuller　life　we　can　　live；　that　greater　intensity　of　existence；　to　which　we　can　attain　by　　escaping　from　ourselves。　　All　mankind　is　seeking　God。　　There　is　not　　a　nation　nor　a　city　in　the　globe　where　men　are　not　being　urged　at　　this　moment　by　the　spirit　of　God　in　them　towards　the　discovery　of　　God。　　This　is　not　an　age　of　despair　but　an　age　of　hope　in　Asia　as　in　　all　the　world　besides。　Islam　is　undergoing　a　process　of　revision　closely　parallel　to　that　　which　ransacks　Christianity。　　Tradition　and　mediaeval　doctrines　are　　being　thrust　aside　in　a　similar　way。　　There　is　much　probing　into　the　　spirit　and　intention　of　the　Founder。　　The　time　is　almost　ripe　for　a　　heart…searching　Dialogue　of　the　Dead；　〃How　we　settled　our　religions　　for　ever　and　ever；〃　between；　let　us　say；　Eusebius　of　Caesarea　and　　one　of　Nizam…al…Mulk's　tame　theologians。　　They　would　be　drawn　　together　by　the　same　tribulations；　they　would　be　in　the　closest　　sympathy　against　the　temerity　of　the　moderns；　they　would　have　a　　common　courtliness。　　The　Quran　is　but　little　read　by　Europeans；　it　　is　ignorantly　supposed　to　contain　many　things　that　it　does　not　　contain；　there　is　much　confusion　in　people's　minds　between　its　text　　and　the　ancient　Semitic　traditions　and　usages　retained　by　its　　followers；　in　places　it　may　seem　formless　and　barbaric；　but　what　it　　has　chiefly　to　tell　of　is　the　leadership　of　one　individualised　　militant　God　who　claims　the　rule　of　the　whole　world；　who　favours　　neither　rank　nor　race；　who　would　lead　men　to　righteousness。　　It　is　　much　more　free　from　sacramentalism；　from　vestiges　of　the　ancient　　blood　sacrifice；　and　its　associated　sacerdotalism；　than　　Christianity。　　The　religion　that　will　presently　sway　mankind　can　be　　reached　more　easily　from　that　starting…point　than　from　the　confused　　mysteries　of　Trinitarian　theology。　　Islam　was　never　saddled　with　a　　creed。　　With　the　very　name　〃Islam〃　（submission　to　God）　there　is　no　　quarrel　for　those　who　hold　the　new　faith。　。　。　。　All　the　world　over　there　is　this　stirring　in　the　dry　bones　of　the　　old　beliefs。　　There　is　scarcely　a　religion　that　has　not　its　Bahaism；　　its　Modernists；　its　Brahmo　Somaj；　its　〃religion　without　theology；〃　　its　attempts　to　escape　from　old　forms　and　hampering　associations　to　　that　living　and　world…wide　spiritual　reality　upon　which　the　human　　mind　almost　instinctively　insists。　。　。　。　It　is　the　same　God　we　all　seek；　he　becomes　more　and　more　plainly　the　　same　God。　So　that　all　this　religious　stir；　which　seems　so　multifold　and　　incidental　and　disconnected　and　confused　and　entirely　ineffective　　to…day；　may　be　and　most　probably　will　be；　in　quite　a　few　years　a　　great　flood　of　religious　unanimity　pouring　over　and　changing　all　　human　affairs；　sweeping　away　the　old　priesthoods　and　tabernacles　and　　symbols　and　shrines；　the　last　crumb　of　the　Orphic　victim　and　the　　last　rag　of　the　Serapeum；　and　turning　all　men　about　into　one　　direction；　as　the　ships　and　houseboats　swing　round　together　in　some　　great　river　with　the　uprush　of　the　tide。　。　。　。

3。　CAN　THERE　BE　A　TRUE　CHURCH？

Among　those　who　are　beginning　to　realise　the　differences　and　　identities　of　the　revived　religion　that　has　returned　to　them；　　certain　questions　of　organisation　and　assembly　are　being　discussed。　　　Every　new　religious　development　is　haunted　by　the　precedents　of　the　　religion　it　replaces；　and　it　was　only　to　be　expected　that　among　　those　who　have　recovered　their　faith　there　should　be　a　search　for　　apostles　and　disciples；　an　attempt　to　determine　sources　and　to　form　　original　congregations；　especially　among　people　with　European　　traditions。　These　dispositions　mark　a　relapse　from　understanding。　　They　are　　imitative。　　This　time　there　has　been　no　revelation　here　or　there；　　there　is　no　claim　to　a　revelation　but　simply　that　God　has　become　　visible。　　Men　have　thought　and　sought　until　insensibly　the　fog　of　　obsolete　theology　has　cleared　away。　　There　seems　no　need　therefore　　for　special　teachers　or　a　special　propaganda；　or　any　ritual　or　　observances　that　will　seem　to　insist　upon　differences。　　The　　Christian　precedent　of　a　church　is　particularly　misleading。　　The　　church　with　its　sacraments　and　its　sacerdotalism　is　the　disease　of　　Christianity。　　Save　for　a　few　doubtful　interpolations　there　is　no　　evidence　that　Christ　tolerated　either　blood　sacrifices　or　the　　mysteries　of　priesthood。　　All　these　antique　grossnesses　were　　superadded　after　his　martyrdom。　　He　preached　not　a　cult　but　a　　gospel；　he　sent　out　not　medicine　men　but　apostles。　No　doubt　all　who　believe　owe　an　apostolic　service　to　God。　　They　　become　naturally　apostolic。　　As　men　perceive　and　realise　God；　each　　will　be　disposed　in　his　own　fashion　to　call　his　neighbour's　　attention　to　what　he　sees。　　The　necessary　elements　of　religion　could　　be　written　on　a　post　card；　this　book；　small　as　it　is；　bulks　large　　not　by　what　it　tells　positively　but　because　it　deals　with　　misconceptions。　　We　may　（little　doubt　have　I　that　we　do）　need　　special　propagandas　and　organisations　to　discuss　errors　and　keep　　back　the　jungle　of　false　ideas；　to　maintain　free　speech　and　restrain　　the　enterprise　of　the　persecutor；　but　we　do　not　want　a　church　to　　keep　our　faith　for　us。　　We　want　our　faith　spread；　but　for　that　there　　is　no　need　for　orthodoxies　and　controlling　organisations　of　　statement。　　It　is　for　each　man　to　follow　his　own　impulse；　and　to　　speak　to　his　like　in　his　own　fashion。　Whatever　religious　congregations　men　may　form　henceforth　in　the　name　　of　the　true　God　must　be　for　their　own　sakes　and　not　to　take　charge　　of　religion。　The　history　of　Christianity；　with　its　encrustation　and　suffocation　　in　dogmas　and　usages；　its　dire　persecutions　of　the　faithful　by　the　　unfaithful；　its　desiccation　and　its　unlovely　decay；　its　invasion　by　　robes　and　rites　and　all　the　tricks　and　vices　of　the　Pharisees　whom　　Christ　detested　and　denounced；　is　full　of　warning　against　the　　dangers　of　a　church。　　Organisation　is　an　excellent　thing　for　the　　material　needs　of　men；　for　the　draining　of　towns；　the　marshalling　of　　traffic；　the　collecting　of　eggs；　and　the　carrying　of　letters；　the　　distribution　of　bread；　the　notification　of　measles；　for　hygiene　and　　economics　and　suchlike　affairs。　　The　better　we　organise　such　things；　　the　freer　and　better　equipped　we　leave　men's　minds　for　nobler　　purposes；　for　those　adventures　and　experiments　towards　God's　purpose　　which　are　the　reality　of　life。　　But　all　organisations　must　be　　watched；　for　whatever　is　organised　can　be　〃captured〃　and　misused。　　　Repentance；　moreover；　is　the　beginning　and　essential　of　the　　religious　life；　and　organisations　（acting　thr