god the invisible king-第4节

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　as　the　Christians　ceased　to　wrangle　among　　themselves。　　The　practical　unanimity　of　Nicaea　was　secured　by　　threats；　and　then；　turning　upon　the　victors；　he　sought　by　threats　to　　restore　Arius　to　communion。　　The　imperial　aim　was　a　common　faith　to　　unite　the　empire。　　The　crushing　out　of　the　Arians　and　of　the　　Paulicians　and　suchlike　heretics；　and　more　particularly　the　　systematic　destruction　by　the　orthodox　of　all　heretical　writings；　　had　about　it　none　of　that　quality　of　honest　conviction　which　comes　　to　those　who　have　a　real　knowledge　of　God；　it　was　a　bawling　down　of　　dissensions　that；　left　to　work　themselves　out；　would　have　spoilt　　good　business；　it　was　the　fist　of　Nicolas　of　Myra　over　again；　except　　that　after　the　days　of　Ambrose　the　sword　of　the　executioner　and　the　　fires　of　the　book…burner　were　added　to　the　weapon　of　the　human　　voice。　　Priscillian　was　the　first　human　sacrifice　formally　offered　　up　under　these　improved　conditions　to　the　greater　glory　of　the　　reinforced　Trinity。　　Thereafter　the　blood　of　the　heretics　was　the　　cement　of　Christian　unity。　It　is　with　these　things　in　mind　that　those　who　profess　the　new　faith　　are　becoming　so　markedly　anxious　to　distinguish　God　from　the　　Trinitarian's　deity。　　At　present　if　anyone　who　has　left　the　　Christian　communion　declares　himself　a　believer　in　God；　priest　and　　parson　swell　with　self…complacency。　　There　is　no　reason　why　they　　should　do　so。　　That　many　of　us　have　gone　from　them　and　found　God　is　　no　concern　of　theirs。　　It　is　not　that　we　who　went　out　into　the　　wilderness　which　we　thought　to　be　a　desert；　away　from　their　creeds　　and　dogmas；　have　turned　back　and　are　returning。　　It　is　that　we　have　　gone　on　still　further；　and　are　beyond　that　desolation。　　Never　more　　shall　we　return　to　those　who　gather　under　the　cross。　　By　faith　we　　disbelieved　and　denied。　　By　faith　we　said　of　that　stuffed　scarecrow　　of　divinity；　that　incoherent　accumulation　of　antique　theological　　notions；　the　Nicene　deity；　〃This　is　certainly　no　God。〃　　And　by　faith　　we　have　found　God。　。　。　。

3。　THE　INFINITE　BEING　IS　NOT　GOD

There　has　always　been　a　demand　upon　the　theological　teacher　that　he　　should　supply　a　cosmogony。　　It　has　always　been　an　effective　　propagandist　thing　to　say：　〃OUR　God　made　the　whole　universe。　　Don't　　you　think　that　it　would　be　wise　to　abandon　YOUR　deity；　who　did　not；　　as　you　admit；　do　anything　of　the　sort？〃　The　attentive　reader　of　the　lives　of　the　Saints　will　find　that　this　　style　of　argument　did　in　the　past　bring　many　tribes　and　nations　into　　the　Christian　fold。　　It　was　second　only　to　the　claim　of　magic　　advantages；　demonstrated　by　a　free　use　of　miracles。　　Only　one　great　　religious　system；　the　Buddhist；　seems　to　have　resisted　the　　temptation　to　secure　for　its　divinity　the　honour　and　title　of　　Creator。　　Modern　religion　is　like　Buddhism　in　that　respect。　　It　　offers　no　theory　whatever　about　the　origin　of　the　universe。　　It　does　　not　reach　behind　the　appearances　of　space　and　time。　　It　sees　only　a　　featureless　presumption　in　that　playing　with　superlatives　which　has　　entertained　so　many　minds　from　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　perce