god the invisible king-第21章

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ill　places　urgent　with　beauty；　into　which　men　　and　women　may　go　to　rest　from　the　clamour　of　the　day's　confusions；　I　　do　not　see　why　men　should　not　make　great　shrines　and　pictures　　expressing　their　sense　of　divine　things；　and　why　they　should　not　　combine　in　such　enterprises　rather　than　work　to　fill　heterogeneous　　and　chaotic　art　galleries。　　A　wave　of　religious　revival　and　　religious　clarification；　such　as　I　foresee；　will　most　certainly　　bring　with　it　a　great　revival　of　art；　religious　art；　music；　songs；　　and　writings　of　all　sorts；　drama；　the　making　of　shrines；　praying　　places；　tempies　and　retreats；　the　creation　of　pictures　and　　sculptures。　　It　is　not　necessary　to　have　priestcraft　and　an　　organised　church　for　such　ends。　　Such　enrichments　of　feeling　and　　thought　are　part　of　the　service　of　God。　And　again；　under　God；　there　may　be　associations　and　fraternities　for　　research　in　pure　science；　associations　for　the　teaching　and　　simplification　of　languages；　associations　for　promoting　and　watching　　education；　associations　for　the　discussion　of　political　problems　and　　the　determination　of　right　policies。　　In　all　these　ways　men　may　　multiply　their　use　by　union。　　Only　when　associations　seek　to　control　　things　of　belief；　to　dictate　formulae；　restrict　religious　activities　　or　the　freedom　of　religious　thought　and　teaching；　when　they　tend　to　　subdivide　those　who　believe　and　to　set　up　jealousies　or　exclusions；　　do　they　become　antagonistic　to　the　spirit　of　modern　religion。

5。　THE　STATE　IS　GOD'S　INSTRUMENT

Because　religion　cannot　be　organised；　because　God　is　everywhere　and　　immediately　accessible　to　every　human　being；　it　does　not　follow　that　　religion　cannot　organise　every　other　human　affair。　　It　is　indeed　　essential　to　the　idea　that　God　is　the　Invisible　King　of　this　round　　world　and　all　mankind；　that　we　should　see　in　every　government；　great　　and　small；　from　the　council　of　the　world…state　that　is　presently　　coming；　down　to　the　village　assembly；　the　instrument　of　God's　　practical　control。　　Religion　which　is　free；　speaking　freely　through　　whom　it　will；　subject　to　a　perpetual　unlimited　criticism；　will　be　　the　life　and　driving　power　of　the　whole　organised　world。　　So　that　if　　you　prefer　not　to　say　that　there　will　be　no　church；　if　you　choose　　rather　to　declare　that　the　world…state　is　God's　church；　you　may　have　　it　so　if　you　will。　　Provided　that　you　leave　conscience　and　speech　　and　writing　and　teaching　about　divine　things　absolutely　free；　and　　that　you　try　to　set　no　nets　about　God。　The　world　is　God's　and　he　takes　it。　　But　he　himself　remains　freedom；　　and　we　find　our　freedom　in　him。

THE　ENVOY

So　I　end　this　compact　statement　of　the　renascent　religion　which　I　　believe　to　be　crystallising　out　of　the　intellectual；　social；　and　　spiritual　confusions　of　this　time。　　It　is　an　account　rendered。　　It　　is　a　statement　and　record；　not　a　theory。　　There　is　nothing　in　all　　this　that　has　been　invented　or　constructed　by　the　writer；　I　have　　been　but　scribe　to　the　spirit　of　my　generation；　I　have　at　most　　assembled　and　put　together　things　and　thoughts　that　I　have　come　　upon；　have　transferred　the　statements　of　〃science〃　into　religious　　terminology；　rejected　obsolescent　definitions；　and　re…coordinated　　propositions　that　had　drifted　into　opposition。　　Thus；　I　see；　ideas　　are　developing；　and　thus　have　I　written　them　down。　　It　is　a　　secondary　matter　that　I　am　convinced　that　this　trend　of　intelligent　　opinion　is　a　discovery　of　truth。　　The　reader　is　told　of　my　own　　belief　merely　to　avoid　an　affectation　of　impartiality　and　aloofness。　The　theogony　here　set　forth　is　ancient；　one　can　trace　it　appearing　　and　disappearing　and　recurring　in　the　mutilated　records　of　many　　different　schools　of　speculation；　the　conception　of　God　as　finite　is　　one　that　has　been　discussed　very　illuminatingly　in　recent　years　in　　the　work　of　one　I　am　happy　to　write　of　as　my　friend　and　master；　that　　very　great　American；　the　late　William　James。　　It　was　an　idea　that　　became　increasingly　important　to　him　towards　the　end　of　his　life。　　　And　it　is　the　most　releasing　idea　in　the　system。　Only　in　the　most　general　terms　can　I　trace　the　other　origins　of　　these　present　views。　　I　do　not　think　modern　religion　owes　much　to　　what　is　called　Deism　or　Theism。　　The　rather　abstract　and　futile　　Deism　of　the　eighteenth　century；　of　〃votre　Etre　supreme〃　who　bored　　the　friends　of　Robespierre；　was　a　sterile　thing；　it　has　little　　relation　to　these　modern　developments；　it　conceived　of　God　as　an　　infinite　Being　of　no　particular　character　whereas　God　is　a　finite　　being　of　a　very　especial　character。　　On　the　other　hand　men　and　women　　who　have　set　themselves；　with　unavoidable　theological　　preconceptions；　it　is　true；　to　speculate　upon　the　actual　teachings　　and　quality　of　Christ；　have　produced　interpretations　that　have　　interwoven　insensibly　with　thoughts　more　apparently　new。　　There　is　a　　curious　modernity　about　very　many　of　Christ's　recorded　sayings。　　　Revived　religion　has　also；　no　doubt；　been　the　receiver　of　many　　religious　bankruptcies；　of　Positivism　for　example；　which　failed　　through　its　bleak　abstraction　and　an　unspiritual　texture。　　Religion；　　thus　restated；　must；　I　think；　presently　incorporate　great　sections　　of　thought　that　are　still　attached　to　formal　Christianity。　　The　time　　is　at　hand　when　many　of　the　organised　Christian　churches　will　be　　forced　to　define　their　positions；　either　in　terms　that　will　identify　　them　with　this　renascence；　or　that　will　lead　to　the　release　of　their　　more　liberal　adherents。　　Its　probable　obligations　to　Eastern　thought　　are　less　readily　estimated　by　a　European　writer。　Modern　religion　has　no　revelation　and　no　founder；　it　is　the　　privilege　and　possession　of　no　coterie　of　disciples　or　exponents；　it　　is　appearing　simultaneously　round　and　about　the　world　exactly　as　a　　crystallising　substance　appears　here　and　there　in　a　super…saturated　　solution。　　It　is　a　process　of　truth；　guided　by　the　divinity　in　men。　　　It　needs　no　other　guidance；　and　no　protection。　　It　needs　nothing　but　　freedom；　free　speech；　and　honest　statement。　　Out　of　the　most　mixed　　and　impure　solutions　a　growing　crystal　is　infallibly　able　to　select　　its　substance。　　The　diamond　arises　bright；　definite；　and　pure　out　of　　a　dark　matrix　of　structureless　confusion。　This　metaphor　of　crystallisation　is　perhaps　the　best　symbol　of　the　　advent　and　growth　of　the　new　understanding。　　It　has　no　church；　no　　authorities；　no　teachers；　no　orthodoxy。　　It　does　not　even　thrust　and　　struggle　among　the　other　things；　simply　it　grows　clear。　　There　will　　be　no　putting　an　end　to　it。　　It　arrives　inevitably；　and　it　will　　continue　to　separate　itself　out　from　confusing　ideas。　　It　becomes；　　as　it　were　the　Koh…i…noor；　it　is　a　Mountain　of　Light；　growing　and　　increasing。　　It　is　an　all…pervading　lucidity；　a　brightness　and　　clearness。　　It　has　no　head　to　smite；　no　body　you　can　destroy；　it　　overleaps　all　barriers；　it　breaks　out　in　despite　of　every　enclosure。　　　It　will　compel　all　things　to　orient　themselves　to　it。　It　comes　as　the　dawn　comes；　through　whatever　clouds　and　mists　may　be　　here　or　whatever　smoke　and　curtains　may　be　there。　　It　comes　as　the　　day　comes　to　the　ships　that　put　to　sea。　It　is　the　Kingdom　of　God　at　hand。


End