god the known and god the unknown-第3章

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end　of　time　all　things　shall　again　become　unity；　the　unity　of　

multiplicity。'　　Orpheus；　his　disciple；　taught　no　other　doctrine。〃



According　to　Pythagoras；　〃an　adept　in　the　Orphic　philosophy；〃　

〃the　soul　of　the　world　is　the　Divine　energy　which　interpenetrates　

every　portion　of　the　mass；　and　the　soul　of　man　is　an　efflux　of　

that　energy。　　The　world；　too；　is　an　exact　impress　of　the　Eternal　

Idea；　which　is　the　mind　of　God。〃　　John　Scotus　Erigena　taught　that　

〃all　is　God　and　God　is　all。〃　　William　of　Champeaux；　again；　two　

hundred　years　later；　maintained　that　〃all　individuality　is　one　in　

substance；　and　varies　only　in　its　non…essential　accidents　and　

transient　properties。〃　Amalric　of　Bena　and　David　of　Dinant　

followed　the　theory　out　〃into　a　thoroughgoing　Pantheism。〃　　

Amalric　held　that　〃All　is　God　and　God　is　all。　　The　Creator　and　the　

creature　are　one　Being。　　Ideas　are　at　once　creative　and　created；　

subjective　and　objective。　　God　is　the　end　of　all；　and　all　return　

to　Him。　　As　every　variety　of　humanity　forms　one　manhood；　so　the　

world　contains　individual　forms　of　one　eternal　essence。〃　　David　

of　Dinant　only　varied　upon　this　by　〃imagining　a　corporeal　unity。　　

Although　body；　soul；　and　eternal　substance　are　three；　these　three　

are　one　and　the　same　being。〃



Giordano　Bruno　maintained　the　world　of　sense　to　be　〃a　vast　animal　

having　the　Deity　for　its　living。　　soul。〃　The　inanimate　part　of　the　

world　is　thus　excluded　from　participation　in　the　Deity；　and　a　

conception　that　our　minds　can　embrace　is　offered　us　instead　of　

one　which　they　cannot　entertain；　except　as　in　a　dream；　

incoherently。　　But　without　such　a　view　of　evolution　as　was　

prevalent　at　the　beginning　of　this　century；　it　was　impossible　to　

see　〃the　world　of　sense〃　intelligently；　as　forming　〃a　vast　

animal。〃　　Unless；　therefore；　Giordano　Bruno　held　the　opinions　of　

Buffon；　Dr。　　Erasmus　Darwin；　and　Lamarck；　with　more　definiteness　

than　I　am　yet　aware　of　his　having　done；　his　contention　must　be　

considered　as　a　splendid　prophecy；　but　as　little　more　than　a　

prophecy。　　He　continues；　〃Birth　is　expansion　from　the　one　centre　

of　Life；　life　is　its　continuance；　and　death　is　the　necessary　

return　of　the　ray　to　the　centre　of　light。〃　This　begins　finely；　

but　ends　mystically。　　I　have　not；　however；　compared　the　English　

translation　with　the　original；　and　must　reserve　a　fuller　

examination　of　Giordano　Bruno's　teaching　for　another　opportunity。



Spinoza　disbelieved　in　the　world　rather　than　in　God。　　He　was　an　

Acosmist；　to　use　Jacobi's　expression；　rather　than　an　Atheist。　　

According　to　him；　〃the　Deity　and　the　Universe　are　but　one　

substance；　at　the　same　time　both　spirit　and　matter；　thought　and　

extension；　which　are　the　only　known　attributes　of　the　Deity。〃



My　readers　will；　I　think；　agree　with　me　that　there　is　very　little　

of　the　above　which　conveys　ideas　with　the　fluency　and　comfort　

which　accompany　good　words。　　Words　are　like　servants：　it　is　not　

enough　that　we　should　have　them…we　must　have　the　most　able　and　

willing　that　we　can　find；　and　at　the　smallest　wages　that　will　

content　them。　　Having　got　them　we　must　make　the　best　and　not　the　

worst　of　them。　　Surely；　in　the　greater　part　of　what　has　been　

quoted　above；　the　words　are　barren　letters　only：　they　do　not　

quicken　within　us　and　enable　us　to　conceive　a　thought；　such　as　we　

can　in　our　turn　impress　upon　dead　matter；　and　mould　＇sic＇　that　

matter　into　another　shape　than　its　own；　through　the　thought　which　

has　become　alive　within　us。　　No　offspring　of　ideas　has　followed　

upon　them；　or；　if　any　at　all；　yet　in　such　unwonted　shape；　and　

with　such　want　of　alacrity；　that　we　loathe　them　as　malformations　

and　miscarriages　of　our　minds。　　Granted　that　if　we　examine　them　

closely　we　shall　at　length　find　them　to　embody　a　little　germ　of　

truth…that　is　to　say；　of　coherency　with　our　other　ideas；　but　

there　is　too　little　truth　in　proportion　to　the　trouble　necessary　

to　get　at　it。　　We　can　get　more　truth；　that　is　to　say；　more　

coherency…for　truth　and　coherency　are　one…for　less　trouble　in　

other　ways。



But　it　may　be　urged　that　the　beginnings　of　all　tasks　are　

difficult　and　unremunerative；　and　that　later　developments　of　

Pantheism　may　be　more　intelligible　than　the　earlier　ones。　　

Unfortunately；　this　is　not　the　case。　　On　continuing　Mr。　　Blunt's　

article；　I　find　the　later　Pantheists　a　hundredfold　more　

perplexing　than　the　earlier　ones。　　With　Kant；　Schelling；　Fichte；　

and　Hegel；　we　feel　that　we　are　with　men　who　have　been　decoyed　

into　a　hopeless　quagmire；　we　understand　nothing　of　their　

language…we　doubt　whether　they　understand　themselves；　and　feel　

that　we　can　do　nothing　with　them　but　look　at　them　and　pass　them　

by。



In　my　next　chapter　I　propose　to　show　the　end　which　the　early　

Pantheists　were　striving　after；　and　the　reason　and　naturalness　of　

their　error。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　IV



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PANTHEISM。　　II



The　earlier　Pantheists　were　misled　by　the　endeavour　＇sic＇　to　lay　

hold　of　two　distinct　ideas；　the　one　of　which　was　a　reality　that　

has　since　been　grasped　and　is　of　inestimable　value；　the　other　a　

phantom　which　has　misled　all　who　have　followed　it。　　The　reality　is　

the　unity　of　Life；　the　oneness　of　the　guiding　and　animating　

spirit　which　quickens　animals　and　plants；　so　that　they　are　all　

the　outcome　and　expression　of　a　common　mind；　and　are　in　truth　one　

animal；　the　phantom　is　the　endeavour　＇sic＇　to　find　the　origin　of　

things；　to　reach　the　fountain…head　of　all　energy；　and　thus　to　lay　

the　foundations　on　which　a　philosophy　may　be　constructed　which　

none　can　accuse　of　being　baseless；　or　of　arguing　in　a　circle。



In　following　as　through　a　thick　wood　after　the　phantom　our　

forefathers　from　time　to　time　caught　glimpses　of　the　reality；　

which　seemed　so　wonderful　as　it　eluded　them；　and　flitted　back　

again　into　the　thickets；　that　they　declared　it　must　be　the　

phantom　they　were　in　search　of；　which　was　thus　evidenced　as　

actually　existing。　　Whereon；　instead　of　mastering　such　of　the　

facts　they　met　with　as　could　be　captured　easily…which　facts　would　

have　betrayed　the　hiding…places　of　others；　and　these　again　of　

others；　and　so　ad　infinitum…they　overlooked　what　was　

within　their　reach；　and　followed　hotly　through　brier　and　brake　

after　an　imaginary　greater　prize。



Great　thoughts　are　not　to　be　caught　in　this　way。　　They　must　

present　themselves　for　capture　of　their　own　free　will；　or　be　

taken　after　a　little　coyness　only。　　They　are　like　wealth　and　

power；　which；　if　a　man　is　not　born　to　them；　are　the　more　likely　

to　take　him；　the　more　he　has　restrained　himself　from　an　attempt　

to　snatch　them。　　They　hanker　after　those　only　who　have　tamed　their　

nearer　thoughts。　　Nevertheless；　it　is　impossible　not　to　feel　that　

the　early　Pantheists　were　true　prophets　and　seers；　though　the　

things　were　unknown　to　them　without　which　a　complete　view　was　

unattainable。　　What　does　Linus　mean；　we　ask　ourselves；　when　he　

says　：…　〃One　sole　energy　governs　all　things〃　？　How　can　one　sole　

energy　govern；　we　will　say；　the　reader　and　the　chair　on　which　he　

sits？　What　is　meant　by　an　energy　governing　a　chair？　If　by　an　

effort　we　have　made　ourselves　believe　we　understand　something　

which　can　be　better　expressed　by　these　words　than　by　any　others；　

no　sooner　do　we　turn　our　backs　than　the　ideas　so　painfully　

collected　fly　apart　again。　　No　matter　how　often　we　go　in　search　of　

them；　and　force　them　into　juxtaposition；　they　prove　to　have　none　

of　that　innate　coherent　power　with　which　ideas　combine　that　we　

can　hold　as　true　and　profitable。



Yet　if　Linus　had　confined　his　statement　to　living　things；　and　had　

said　that　one　sole　energy　governed　all　plants　and　animals；　he　

would　have　come　near　both　to　being　intelligible　and　true。　　For　if；　

as　we　now　believe；　all　animals　and　plants　are　descended　from　a　

single　cell；　they　must　be　considered　as　cousins　to　one　another；　

and　as　forming　a　single　tree…like　animal；　every　individual　plant　

or　animal　of　which　is　as　truly　one　and　the　same　person　with　the　

primordial　cell　as　the　oak　a　thousand　years　old　is　one　and　the　

same　plant　with　the　acorn　out　of　which　it　has　grown。　　This　is　

easily　understood；　but　will；　I　trust；　be　made　to　appear　simpler　

presently。



When　Linus　says；　〃All　things　are　unity；　and　each　portion　is　All；　

for　of　one　integer　all　things　were　born；〃　it　is　impossible　for　

plain　people…who　do　not　wish　to　use　words　unless　they　mean　the　

same　things　by　them　as　both　they　and　others　have　been　in　the　

habit　of　meaning…to　understand　what　is　intended。　　How　can　each　

portion　be　all？　How　can　one　Londoner　be　all　London？　I　know　that　

this；　too；　can　in　a　way　be　shown；　but　the　resulting　idea　is　too　

far　to　fetch；　and　when　fetched　does　not　fit　in　well　enough　with　

our　other　ideas　to　give　it　practical　and　commercial　value。　　How；　

again；　can　all　things　be　said　to　be　born　of　one　integer；　unless　

the　statement　is　confined　to　living　things；　which　can　alone　be　

born　at　all；　and　unless　a　theory　of　evolution　is　intended；　such　

as　Linus　would　hardly　have　accepted？



Yet　limit　the　〃all　things〃　to　〃all　living　things；〃　grant　the　

theory　of　evolution；　and　explain　〃each　portion　is　All〃　to　mean　

that　all　life　is　akin；　and　possesses　the　same　essential　

fundamental　characteristics；　and　it　is　surprising　how　nearly　

Linus　approaches　both　to　truth　and　intelligibility。



It　may　be　said　that　the　animate　and　the　inanimate　have　the　same　

fundamental　substance；　so　that　a　chair　might　rot　and　be　absorbed　

by　grass；　which　grass　might　be　eaten　by　a　cow；　which　cow　might　be　

eaten　by　a　man；　and　by　similar　processes　the　man　might　become　a　

chair；　but　these　facts　are　not　presented　to　the　mind　by　saying　

that　〃one　energy　governs　all　things〃…a　chair；　we　will　say；　and　a　

man；　we　could　only　say　that　one　energy　governed　a　man　and　a　

chair；　if　the　chair　were　a　reasonable　living　person；　who　was　

actively　and　consciously　engaged　in　helping　the　man　to　attain　a　

certain　end；　unless；　that　is　to　say；　we　are　to　depart　from　all　

usual　interpretation　of　words；　in　which　case　we　invalidate　the　

advantages　of　language　and　all　the　sanctions　of　morality。



〃All　things　shall　again　become　unity〃　is　intelligible　as　meaning　

that　all　things　probably　have　come　from　a　single　elementary　

substance；　say　hydrogen　or　what　not；　and　that　they　will　return　to　

it；　but　the　explanation　of　unity　as　being　the　〃unity　of　

multiplicity〃　puzzles；　if　there　is　any　meaning　it　is　too　

recondite　to　be　of　service　to　us。



What；　again；　is　meant　by　saying　that　〃the　soul　of　the　world　is　

the　Divine　energy　which　interpenetrates　every　portion　of　the　

mass〃　？　The　soul　of　the　world　is　an　expression　which；　to　myself；　

and；　I　should　imagine；　to　most　people；　is　without　propriety。　　We　

cannot　think　of　the　world　except　as　earth；　air；　and　water；　in　

this　or　that　state；　on　and　in　which　there　grow　plants　and　

animals。　　What　is　meant