god the invisible king-第18章

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se　　things　are　for　themselves；　they　are　for　use；　none　are　magic；　all　are　　means。　　The　sword　must　be　sharp　and　clean。　　That　does　not　mean　that　　we　are　perpetually　to　sharpen　and　clean　itwhich　would　weaken　and　　waste　the　blade。　　The　sword　must　neither　be　drawn　constantly　nor　　always　rusting　in　its　sheath。　　Those　who　have　had　the　wits　and　soul　　to　come　to　God；　will　have　the　wits　and　soul　to　find　out　and　know　　what　is　waste；　what　is　vanity；　what　is　the　happiness　that　begets　　strength　of　body　and　spirit；　what　is　error；　where　vice　begins；　and　　to　avoid　and　repent　and　recoil　from　all　those　things　that　degrade。　　　These　are　matters　not　of　the　rule　of　life　but　of　the　application　of　　life。　　They　must　neither　be　neglected　nor　made　disproportionally　　important。　To　the　believer；　relationship　with　God　is　the　supreme　relationship。　　　It　is　difficult　to　imagine　how　the　association　of　lovers　and　friends　　can　be　very　fine　and　close　and　good　unless　the　two　who　love　are　each　　also　linked　to　God；　so　that　through　their　moods　and　fluctuations　and　　the　changes　of　years　they　can　be　held　steadfast　by　his　undying　　steadfastness。　　But　it　has　been　felt　by　many　deep…feeling　people　　that　there　is　so　much　kindred　between　the　love　and　trust　of　husband　　and　wife　and　the　feeling　we　have　for　God；　that　it　is　reasonable　to　　consider　the　former　also　as　a　sacred　thing。　　They　do　so　value　that　　close　love　of　mated　man　and　woman；　they　are　so　intent　upon　its　　permanence　and　completeness　and　to　lift　the　dear　relationship　out　of　　the　ruck　of　casual　and　transitory　things；　that　they　want　to　bring　　it；　as　it　were；　into　the　very　presence　and　assent　of　God。　　There　are　　many　who　dream　and　desire　that　they　are　as　deeply　and　completely　　mated　as　this；　many　more　who　would　fain　be　so；　and　some　who　are。　　　And　from　this　comes　the　earnest　desire　to　make　marriage　sacramental　　and　the　attempt　to　impose　upon　all　the　world　the　outward　appearance；　　the　restrictions；　the　pretence　at　least　of　such　a　sacramental　union。　There　may　be　such　a　quasi…sacramental　union　in　many　cases；　but　only　　after　years　can　one　be　sure　of　it；　it　is　not　to　be　brought　about　by　　vows　and　promises　but　by　an　essential　kindred　and　cleaving　of　body　　and　spirit；　and　it　concerns　only　the　two　who　can　dare　to　say　they　　have　it；　and　God。　　And　the　divine　thing　in　marriage；　the　thing　that　　is　most　like　the　love　of　God；　is；　even　then；　not　the　relationship　of　　the　man　and　woman　as　man　and　woman　but　the　comradeship　and　trust　and　　mutual　help　and　pity　that　joins　them。　　No　doubt　that　from　the　mutual　　necessities　of　bodily　love　and　the　common　adventure；　the　necessary　　honesties　and　helps　of　a　joint　life；　there　springs　the　stoutest；　　nearest；　most　enduring　and　best　of　human　companionship；　perhaps　only　　upon　that　root　can　the　best　of　mortal　comradeship　be　got；　but　it　　does　not　follow　that　the　mere　ordinary　coming　together　and　pairing　　off　of　men　and　women　is　in　itself　divine　or　sacramental　or　anything　　of　the　sort。　　Being　in　love　is　a　condition　that　may　have　its　moments　　of　sublime　exaltation；　but　it　is　for　the　most　part　an　experience　far　　down　the　scale　below　divine　experience；　it　is　often　love　only　in　so　　far　as　it　shares　the　name　with　better　things；　it　is　greed；　it　is　　admiration；　it　is　desire；　it　is　the　itch　for　excitement；　it　is　the　　instinct　for　competition；　it　is　lust；　it　is　curiosity；　it　is　　adventure；　it　is　jealousy；　it　is　hate。　　On　a　hundred　scores　'lovers'　　meet　and　part。　　Thereby　some　few　find　true　love　and　the　spirit　of　　God　in　themselves　or　others。　Lovers　may　love　God　in　one　another；　I　do　not　deny　it。　　That　is　no　　reason　why　the　imitation　and　outward　form　of　this　great　happiness　　should　be　made　an　obligation　upon　all　men　and　women　who　are　　attracted　by　one　another；　nor　why　it　should　be　woven　into　the　　essentials　of　religion。　　For　women　much　more　than　for　men　is　this　　confusion　dangerous；　lest　a　personal　love　should　shape　and　dominate　　their　lives　instead　of　God。　　〃He　for　God　only；　she　for　God　in　him；〃　　phrases　the　idea　of　Milton　and　of　ancient　Islam；　it　is　the　formula　　of　sexual　infatuation；　a　formula　quite　easily　inverted；　as　the　end　　of　Goethe's　Faust　（〃The　woman　soul　leadeth　us　upward　and　on〃）　may　　witness。　　The　whole　drift　of　modern　religious　feeling　is　against　　this　exaggeration　of　sexual　feeling；　these　moods　of　sexual　　slavishness；　in　spiritual　things。　　Between　the　healthy　love　of　　ordinary　mortal　lovers　in　love　and　the　love　of　God；　there　is　an　　essential　contrast　and　opposition　in　this；　that　preference；　　exclusiveness；　and　jealousy　seem　to　be　in　the　very　nature　of　the　　former　and　are　absolutely　incompatible　with　the　latter。　　The　former　　is　the　intensest　realisation　of　which　our　individualities　are　　capable；　the　latter　is　the　way　of　escape　from　the　limitations　of　　individuality。　　It　may　be　true　that　a　few　men　and　more　women　do　　achieve　the　completest　unselfishness　and　self…abandonment　in　earthly　　love。　　So　the　poets　and　romancers　tell　us。　　If　so；　it　is　that　by　an　　imaginative　perversion　they　have　given　to　some　attractive　person　a　　worship　that　should　be　reserved　for　God　and　a　devotion　that　is　　normally　evoked　only　by　little　children　in　their　mother's　heart。　　It　　is　not　the　way　between　most　of　the　men　and　women　one　meets　in　this　　world。　But　between　God　and　the　believer　there　is　no　other　way；　there　is　　nothing　else；　but　self…surrender　and　the　ending　of　self。

CHAPTER　THE　SIXTH　MODERN　IDEAS　OF　SIN　AND　DAMNATION

1。　THE　BIOLOGICAL　EQUIVALENT　OF　SIN

If　the　reader　who　is　unfamiliar　with　scientific　things　will　obtain　　and　read　Metchnikoff's　〃Nature　of　Man；〃　he　will　find　there　an　　interesting　summary　of　the　biological　facts　that　bear　upon　and　　destroy　the　delusion　that　there　is　such　a　thing　as　individual　　perfection；　that　there　is　even　ideal　perfection　for　humanity。　　With　　an　abundance　of　convincing　instances　Professor　Metchnikoff　　demonstrates　that　life　is　a　system　of　〃disharmonies；〃　capable　of　no　　perfect　way；　that　there　is　no　〃perfect〃　dieting；　no　〃perfect〃　sexual　　life；　no　〃perfect〃　happiness；　no　〃perfect〃　conduct。　　He　releases　one　　from　the　arbitrary　but　all　too　easy　assumption　that　there　is　even　an　　ideal　〃perfection〃　in　organic　life。　　He　sweeps　out　of　the　mind　with　　all　the　confidence　and　conviction　of　a　physiological　specialist；　any　　idea　that　there　is　a　perfect　man　or　a　conceivable　perfect　man。　　It　　is　in　the　nature　of　every　man　to　fall　short　at　every　point　from　　perfection。　　From　the　biological　point　of　view　we　are　as　individuals　　a　series　of　involuntary　〃tries〃　on　the　part　of　an　imperfect　species　　towards　an　unknown　end。　Our　spiritual　nature　follows　our　bodily　as　a　glove　follows　a　hand。　　　We　are　disharmonious　beings　and　salvation　no　more　makes　an　end　to　　the　defects　of　our　souls　than　it　makes　an　end　to　the　decay　of　our　　teeth　or　to　those　vestigial　structures　of　our　body　that　endanger　our　　physical　welfare。　　Salvation　leaves　us　still　disharmonious；　and　adds　　not　an　inch　to　our　spiritual　and　moral　stature。

2。　WHAT　IS　DAMNATION？

Let　us　now　take　up　the　question　of　what　is　Sin？　and　what　we　mean　by　　the　term　〃damnation；〃　in　the　light　of　this　view　of　human　reality。　　　Most　of　the　great　world　religions　are　as　clear　as　Professor　　Metchnikoff　that　life　in　the　world　is　a　tangle　of　disharmonies；　and　　in　most　cases　they　supply　a　more　or　less　myth…like　explanation；　they　　declare　that　evil　is　one　side　of　the　conflict　between　Ahriman　and　　Ormazd；　or　that　it　is　the　punishment　of　an　act　of　disobedience；　of　　the　fall　of　man　and　world　alike　from　a　state　of　harmony。　　Their　　case；　like　his；　is　that　THIS　world　is　damned。　We　do　not　find　the　belief　that　superposed　upon　the　miseries　of　this　　world　there　are　the　still　bitterer　miseries　of　punishments　after　　death；　so　nearly　universal。　　The　endless　punishments　of　hell　appear　　to　be　an　exploit　of　theory；　they　have　a　superadded　appearance　even　　in　the　Christian　system；　the　same　common　tendency　to　superlatives　　and　absolutes　that　makes　men　ashamed　to　admit　that　God　is　finite；　　makes　them　seek　to　enhance　the　merits　of　their　Saviour　by　the　device　　of　everlasting　fire。　　Conquest　over　the　sorrow　of　life　and　the　fear　　of　death　do　not　seem　to　them　sufficient　for　Christ's　glory。　Now　the　turning　round　of　the　modern　mind　from　a　conception　of　the　　universe　as　something　derived　deductively　from　the　past　to　a　　conception　of　it　as　something　gathering　itself　adventurously　towards　　the　future；　involves　a　release　from　the　supposed　necessity　to　tell　a　　story　and　explain　why。　　Instead　comes　the　inquiry；　〃To　what　end？〃　　　We　can　say　without　mental　discomfort；　these　disharmonies　are　here；　　this　damnation　is　hereinexplicably。　　We　can；　without　any　　distressful　inquiry　into　ultimate　origins；　bring　our　minds　to　the　　conception　of　a　spontaneous　and　developing　God　arising　out　of　those　　stresses　in　our　hearts　and　in　the　universe；　and　arising　to　overcome　　them。　　Salvation　for　the　individual　is　escape　from　the　individual　　distress　at　disharmony　and　the　individual　defeat　by　death；　into　the　　Kingdom　of　God。　　And　damnation　can　be　nothing　more　and　nothing　less　　than　the　failure　or　inability　or　disinclination　to　make　that　escape。　Something　of　that　idea　of　damnation　as　a　lack　of　the　will　for　　salvation　has　crept　at　a　number　of　points　into　contemporary　　religious　thought。　　It　was　the　fine　fancy　of　Swedenborg　that　the　　damned　go　to　their　own　hells　of　their　own　accord。　　It　underlies　a　　queer　poem；　〃Simpson；〃　by　that　interesting　essayist　upon　modern　　Christianity；　Mr。　Clutton　Brock；　which　I　have　recently　read。　　　Simpson　dies　and　goes　to　hellit　is　rather　like　the　Cromwell　Road　and　approves　of　it　very　highly；　and　then　and　then　only　is　he　　completely　damned。　　Not　to　realise　that　one　can　be　damned　is　　certainly　to　be　damned；　such　is　Mr。　Brock's　idea。　　It　is　his　　definition　of　damnation。　　Satisfaction　with　existing　things　is　　damnation。　　It　is　surrender　to　limitation；　it　is　acquiescence　in　　〃disharmony〃；　it　is　making　peace　with　that　enemy　against　whom　God　　fights　for　ever。　（But　whether　there　are　indeed　Simpsons　who　acquiesce　always　and　for　　ever　remains　for　me；　as　I　have　already　confessed　in　the　previous　　chapter；　a　quite　open　question。　　My　Arminian　temperament　turns　me　　from　the　Calvinistic　conclusion　of　Mr。　Brock's　satire。）

3。　SIN　IS　NOT　DAMNATION

Now　the　question　of　sin　will　hardly　concern　those　damned　and　lost　by　　nature；　if　such　there　be。　　Sin　is　not　the　same　thing　as　damnation；　　as　we　have　just　defined　damnation。　　Damnation　is　a　state；　but　sin　is　　an　incident。　　One　is　an　essential　and　the　other　an　incidental　　separation　from　God。　　It　is　possible　to　sin　without　being　damned；　　and　to　be　damned　is　to　be　in　a　state　when　sin　scarcely　matters；　like　　ink　upon　a　blackamoor。　　You　cannot　have　questions　of　more　or　less　　among　absolute　things。　It　is　the　amazing　and　distressful　discovery　of　every　believer　so　　soon　as　the　first　exaltation　of　belief　is　past；　that　one　does　not　　remain　always　in　touch　with　God。　　At　first　it　seems　incredible　that　　one　should　ever　have　any　motive　again　that　is　not　also　God's　motive。　　　Then　one　finds　oneself　caught　unawares　by　a　base　impulse。　　We　　discover　that　discontinuousness　of　our　apparently　homogeneous　　selves；　the　unincorporated　and　warring　elements　that　seemed　at　first　　altogether　absent　from　the　synthesis　of　conversion。　　We　are　tripped　　up　by　forgetfulness；　by　distraction；　by　old　habits；　by　tricks　of　　appearance。