god the invisible king-第13章

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ntality　or　an　　hypocrisy　in　the　undisciplined　prison　of　the　mortal　life。

CHAPTER　THE　FIFTH　THE　INVISIBLE　KING

1。　MODERN　RELIGION　A　POLITICAL　RELIGION

The　conception　of　a　young　and　energetic　God；　an　Invisible　Prince　　growing　in　strength　and　wisdom；　who　calls　men　and　women　to　his　　service　and　who　gives　salvation　from　self　and　mortality　only　through　　self…abandonment　to　his　service；　necessarily　involves　a　demand　for　a　　complete　revision　and　fresh　orientation　of　the　life　of　the　convert。　God　faces　the　blackness　of　the　Unknown　and　the　blind　joys　and　　confusions　and　cruelties　of　Life；　as　one　who　leads　mankind　through　a　　dark　jungle　to　a　great　conquest。　　He　brings　mankind　not　rest　but　a　　sword。　　It　is　plain　that　he　can　admit　no　divided　control　of　the　　world　he　claims。　　He　concedes　nothing　to　Caesar。　　In　our　philosophy　　there　are　no　human　things　that　are　God's　and　others　that　are　　Caesar's。　　Those　of　the　new　thought　cannot　render　unto　God　the　　things　that　are　God's；　and　to　Caesar　the　things　that　are　Caesar's。　　　Whatever　claim　Caesar　may　make　to　rule　men's　lives　and　direct　their　　destinies　outside　the　will　of　God；　is　a　usurpation。　　No　king　nor　　Caesar　has　any　right　to　tax　or　to　service　or　to　tolerance；　except　he　　claim　as　one　who　holds　for　and　under　God。　　And　he　must　make　good　his　　claim。　　The　steps　of　the　altar　of　the　God　of　Youth　are　no　safe　place　　for　the　sacrilegious　figure　of　a　king。　　Who　claims　〃divine　right〃　　plays　with　the　lightning。　The　new　conceptions　do　not　tolerate　either　kings　or　aristocracies　or　　democracies。　　Its　implicit　command　to　all　its　adherents　is　to　make　　plain　the　way　to　the　world　theocracy。　　Its　rule　of　life　is　the　　discovery　and　service　of　the　will　of　God；　which　dwells　in　the　hearts　　of　men；　and　the　performance　of　that　will；　not　only　in　the　private　　life　of　the　believer　but　in　the　acts　and　order　of　the　state　and　　nation　of　which　he　is　a　part。　　I　give　myself　to　God　not　only　because　　I　am　so　and　so　but　because　I　am　mankind。　　I　become　in　a　measure　　responsible　for　every　evil　in　the　world　of　men。　　I　become　a　knight　　in　God's　service。　　I　become　my　brother's　keeper。　　I　become　a　　responsible　minister　of　my　King。　　I　take　sides　against　injustice；　　disorder；　and　against　all　those　temporal　kings；　emperors；　princes；　　landlords；　and　owners；　who　set　themselves　up　against　God's　rule　and　　worship。　　Kings；　owners；　and　all　who　claim　rule　and　decisions　in　the　　world's　affairs；　must　either　show　themselves　clearly　the　fellow…　servants　of　the　believer　or　become　the　objects　of　his　steadfast　　antagonism。

2。　THE　WILL　OF　GOD

It　is　here　that　those　who　explain　this　modern　religiosity　will　seem　　most　arbitrary　to　the　inquirer。　　For　they　relate　of　God；　as　men　will　　relate　of　a　close　friend；　his　dispositions；　his　apparent　intentions；　　the　aims　of　his　kingship。　　And　just　as　they　advance　no　proof　　whatever　of　the　existence　of　God　but　their　realisation　of　him；　so　　with　regard　to　these　qualities　and　dispositions　they　have　little　　argument　but　profound　conviction。　　What　they　say　is　this；　that　if　　you　do　not　feel　God　then　there　is　no　persuading　you　of　him；　we　　cannot　win　over　the　incredulous。　　And　what　they　say　of　his　qualities　　is　this；　that　if　you　feel　God　then　you　will　know；　you　will　realise　　more　and　more　clearly；　that　thus　and　thus　and　no　other　is　his　method　　and　intention。　It　comes　as　no　great　shock　to　those　who　have　grasped　the　full　　implications　of　the　statement　that　God　is　Finite；　to　hear　it　　asserted　that　the　first　purpose　of　God　is　the　attainment　of　clear　　knowledge；　of　knowledge　as　a　means　to　more　knowledge；　and　of　　knowledge　as　a　means　to　power。　　For　that　he　must　use　human　eyes　and　　hands　and　brains。　And　as　God　gathers　power　he　uses　it　to　an　end　that　he　is　only　　beginning　to　apprehend；　and　that　he　will　apprehend　more　fully　as　　time　goes　on。　　But　it　is　possible　to　define　the　broad　outlines　of　　the　attainment　he　seeks。　　It　is　the　conquest　of　death。　It　is　the　conquest　of　death；　first　the　overcoming　of　death　in　the　　individual　by　the　incorporation　of　the　motives　of　his　life　into　an　　undying　purpose；　and　then　the　defeat　of　that　death　that　seems　to　　threaten　our　species　upon　a　cooling　planet　beneath　a　cooling　sun。　　　God　fights　against　death　in　every　form；　against　the　great　death　of　　the　race；　against　the　petty　death　of　indolence；　insufficiency；　　baseness；　misconception；　and　perversion。　　He　it　is　and　no　other　who　　can　deliver　us　〃from　the　body　of　this　death。〃　　This　is　the　battle　　that　grows　plainer；　this　is　the　purpose　to　which　he　calls　us　out　of　　the　animal's　round　of　eating；　drinking；　lusting；　quarrelling　and　　laughing　and　weeping；　fearing　and　failing；　and　presently　of　wearying　　and　dying；　which　is　the　whole　life　that　living　without　God　can　give　　us。　　And　from　these　great　propositions　there　follow　many　very　　definite　maxims　and　rules　of　life　for　those　who　serve　God。　　These　we　　will　immediately　consider。

3。　THE　CRUCIFIX

But　first　let　me　write　a　few　words　here　about　those　who　hold　a　kind　　of　intermediate　faith　between　the　worship　of　the　God　of　Youth　and　　the　vaguer　sort　of　Christianity。　　There　are　a　number　of　people　　closely　in　touch　with　those　who　have　found　the　new　religion　who；　　biased　probably　by　a　dread　of　too　complete　a　break　with　　Christianity；　have　adopted　a　theogony　which　is　very　reminiscent　of　　Gnosticism　and　of　the　Paulician；　Catharist；　and　kindred　sects　to　　which　allusion　has　already　been　made。　　He；　who　is　called　in　this　　book　God；　they　would　call　God…the…Son　or　Christ；　or　the　Logos；　and　　what　is　here　called　the　Darkness　or　the　Veiled　Being；　they　would　　call　God…the…Father。　　And　what　we　speak　of　here　as　Life；　they　would　　call；　with　a　certain　disregard　of　the　poor　brutes　that　perish；　Man。　　　And　they　would　assert；　what　we　of　the　new　belief；　pleading　our　　profound　ignorance；　would　neither　assert　nor　deny；　that　that　　Darkness；　out　of　which　came　Life　and　God；　since　it　produced　them　　must　be　ultimately　sympathetic　and　of　like　nature　with　them。　　And　　that　ultimately　Man；　being　redeemed　and　led　by　Christ　and　saved　from　　death　by　him；　would　be　reconciled　with　God　the　Father。*　　And　this　　great　adventurer　out　of　the　hearts　of　man　that　we　here　call　God；　　they　would　present　as　the　same　with　that　teacher　from　Galilee　who　　was　crucified　at　Jerusalem。　*　This　probably　was　the　conception　of　Spinoza。　　Christ　for　him　is　　the　wisdom　of　God　manifested　in　all　things；　and　chiefly　in　the　mind　　of　man。　　Through　him　we　reach　the　blessedness　of　an　intuitive　　knowledge　of　God。　　Salvation　is　an　escape　from　the　〃inadequate〃　　ideas　of　the　mortal　human　personality　to　the　〃adequate〃　and　timeless　　ideas　of　God。　Now　we　of　the　modern　way　would　offer　the　following　criticisms　upon　　this　apparent　compromise　between　our　faith　and　the　current　religion。　　　Firstly；　we　do　not　presume　to　theorise　about　the　nature　of　the　　veiled　being　nor　about　that　being's　relations　to　God　and　to　Life。　　　We　do　not　recognise　any　consistent　sympathetic　possibilities　between　　these　outer　beings　and　our　God。　　Our　God　is；　we　feel；　like　　Prometheus；　a　rebel。　　He　is　unfilial。　　And　the　accepted　figure　of　　Jesus；　instinct　with　meek　submission；　is　not　in　the　tone　of　our　　worship。　　It　is　not　by　suffering　that　God　conquers　death；　but　by　　fighting。　　Incidentally　our　God　dies　a　million　deaths；　but　the　thing　　that　matters　is　not　the　deaths　but　the　immortality。　　It　may　be　he　　cannot　escape　in　this　person　or　that　person　being　nailed　to　a　cross　　or　chained　to　be　torn　by　vultures　on　a　rock。　　These　may　be　necessary　　sufferings；　like　hunger　and　thirst　in　a　campaign；　they　do　not　in　　themselves　bring　victory。　　They　may　be　necessary；　but　they　are　not　　glorious。　　The　symbol　of　the　crucifixion；　the　drooping；　pain…　drenched　figure　of　Christ；　the　sorrowful　cry　to　his　Father；　〃My　God；　　my　God；　why　hast　thou　forsaken　me？〃　these　things　jar　with　our　　spirit。　　We　little　men　may　well　fail　and　repent；　but　it　is　our　faith　　that　our　God　does　not　fail　us　nor　himself。　　We　cannot　accept　the　　Christian's　crucifix；　or　pray　to　a　pitiful　God。　　We　cannot　accept　　the　Resurrection　as　though　it　were　an　after…thought　to　a　bitterly　　felt　death。　　Our　crucifix；　if　you　must　have　a　crucifix；　would　show　　God　with　a　hand　or　a　foot　already　torn　away　from　its　nail；　and　with　　eyes　not　downcast　but　resolute　against　the　sky；　a　face　without　pain；　　pain　lost　and　forgotten　in　the　surpassing　glory　of　the　struggle　and　　the　inflexible　will　to　live　and　prevail。　。　。　。　But　we　do　not　care　how　long　the　thorns　are　drawn；　nor　how　terrible　　the　wounds；　so　long　as　he　does　not　droop。　　God　is　courage。　　God　is　　courage　beyond　any　conceivable　suffering。　But　when　all　this　has　been　said；　it　is　well　to　add　that　it　concerns　　the　figure　of　Christ　only　in　so　far　as　that　professes　to　be　the　　figure　of　God；　and　the　crucifix　only　so　far　as　that　stands　for　　divine　action。　　The　figure　of　Christ　crucified；　so　soon　as　we　think　　of　it　as　being　no　more　than　the　tragic　memorial　of　Jesus；　of　the　man　　who　proclaimed　the　loving…kindness　of　God　and　the　supremacy　of　God's　　kingdom　over　the　individual　life；　and　who；　in　the　extreme　agony　of　　his　pain　and　exhaustion；　cried　out　that　he　was　deserted；　becomes　　something　altogether　distinct　from　a　theological　symbol。　　　Immediately　that　we　cease　to　worship；　we　can　begin　to　love　and　pity。　　　Here　was　a　being　of　extreme　gentleness　and　delicacy　and　of　great　　courage；　of　the　utmost　tolerance　and　the　subtlest　sympathy；　a　saint　　of　non…resistance。　。　。　。　We　of　the　new　faith　repudiate　the　teaching　of　non…resistance。　　We　　are　the　militant　followers　of　and　participators　in　a　militant　God。　　　We　can　appreciate　and　admire　the　greatness　of　Christ；　this　gentle　　being　upon　whose　nobility　the　theologians　trade。　　But　submission　is　　the　remotest　quality　of　all　from　our　God；　and　a　moribund　figure　is　　the　completest　inversion　of　his　likeness　as　we　know　him。　　A　　Christianity　which　shows；　for　its　daily　symbol；　Christ　risen　and　　trampling　victoriously　upon　a　broken　cross；　would　be　far　more　in　the　　spirit　of　our　worship。*　*　It　is　curious；　after　writing　the　above；　to　find　in　a　letter　　written　by　Foss　Westcott；　Bishop　of　Durham；　to　that　pertinacious　　correspondent；　the　late　Lady　Victoria　Welby；　almost　exactly　the　same　　sentiments　I　have　here　expressed。　　〃If　I　could　fill　the　Crucifix　　with　life　as　you　do；〃　he　says；　〃I　would　gladly　look　on　it；　but　the　　fallen　Head　and　the　closed　Eye　exclude　from　my　thought　the　idea　of　　glorified　humanity。　　The　Christ　to　whom　we　are　led　is　One　who　'hath　　been　crucified；'　who　hath　passed　the　trial　victoriously　and　borne　　the　fruits　to　heaven。　　I　dare　not　then　rest　on　this　side　of　the　　glory。〃　I　find；　too；　a　still　more　remarkable　expression　of　the　modern　spirit　　in　a　tract；　〃The　Call　of　the　Kingdom；〃　by　that　very　able　and　subtle；　　Anglican　theologian；　the　Rev。　W。　Temple；　who　declares　that　under　the　　vitalising　stresses　of　the　war　we　are　winning　〃faith　in　Christ　as　an　　heroic　leader。　　We　have　thought　of　Him　so　much　as　meek　and　gentle　　that　there　is　no　ground　in　our　picture　of　Him；　for　the　vision　which　　His　disciple　had　of　Him：　'His　head　and　His　hair　were　white；　as　white　　wool；　white　as　snow；　and　His　eyes　were　as　a　flame　of　fire：　and　His　　feet　like　unto　burnished　brass；　as　if　it　had　been　refined　in　a　　furnace；　and　His　voice　was　as　the　voice　of　many　waters。　　And　He　had　　in　His　right　hand　seven　stars；　and　out　of　His　mouth　proceeded　a　　sharp　two…edged