god the invisible king-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


offing　Atheist　to　mock　at　the　patent　absurdities　of　the　　official　creed。　　But　one　magnificent　protest　against　this　　theological　fantasy　must　have　been　the　work　of　a　sincerely　religious　　man；　the　cold　superb　humour　of　that　burlesque　creed；　ascribed；　at　　first　no　doubt　facetiously　and　then　quite　seriously；　to　Saint　　Athanasius　the　Great；　which；　by　an　irony　far　beyond　its　original　　intention；　has　become　at　last　the　accepted　creed　of　the　church。　The　long　truce　in　the　criticism　of　Trinitarian　theology　is　drawing　　to　its　end。　　It　is　when　men　most　urgently　need　God　that　they　become　　least　patient　with　foolish　presentations　and　dogmas。　　The　new　　believers　are　very　definitely　set　upon　a　thorough　analysis　of　the　　nature　and　growth　of　the　Christian　creeds　and　ideas。　　There　has　　grown　up　a　practice　of　assuming　that；　when　God　is　spoken　of；　the　　Hebrew…Christian　God　of　Nicaea　is　meant。　　But　that　God　trails　with　　him　a　thousand　misconceptions　and　bad　associations；　his　alleged　　infinite　nature；　his　jealousy；　his　strange　preferences；　his　　vindictive　Old　Testament　past。　　These　things　do　not　even　make　a　　caricature　of　the　True　God；　they　compose　an　altogether　different　and　　antagonistic　figure。　It　is　a　very　childish　and　unphilosophical　set　of　impulses　that　has　　led　the　theologians　of　nearly　every　faith　to　claim　infinite　　qualities　for　their　deity。　　One　has　to　remember　the　poorness　of　the　　mental　and　moral　quality　of　the　churchmen　of　the　third；　fourth；　and　　fifth　centuries　who　saddled　Christendom　with　its　characteristic　　dogmas；　and　the　extreme　poverty　and　confusion　of　the　circle　of　ideas　　within　which　they　thought。　　Many　of　these　makers　of　Christianity；　　like　Saint　Ambrose　of　Milan　（who　had　even　to　be　baptised　after　his　　election　to　his　bishopric）；　had　been　pitchforked　into　the　church　　from　civil　life；　they　lived　in　a　time　of　pitiless　factions　and　　personal　feuds；　they　had　to　conduct　their　disputations　amidst　the　　struggles　of　would…be　emperors；　court　eunuchs　and　favourites　swayed　　their　counsels；　and　popular　rioting　clinched　their　decisions。　　There　　was　less　freedom　of　discussion　then　in　the　Christian　world　than　　there　is　at　present　（1916）　in　Belgium；　and　the　whole　audience　of　　educated　opinion　by　which　a　theory　could　be　judged　did　not　equal；　　either　in　numbers　or　accuracy　of　information；　the　present　population　　of　Constantinople。　　To　these　conditions　we　owe　the　claim　that　the　　Christian　God　is　a　magic　god；　very　great　medicine　in　battle；　〃in　hoc　　signo　vinces；〃　and　the　argument　so　natural　to　the　minds　of　those　　days　and　so　absurd　to　ours；　that　since　he　had　ALL　power；　all　　knowledge；　and　existed　for　ever　and　ever；　it　was　no　use　whatever　to　　set　up　any　other　god　against　him。　。　。　。　By　the　fifth　century　Christianity　had　adopted　as　its　fundamental　　belief；　without　which　everyone　was　to　be　〃damned　everlastingly；〃　a　　conception　of　God　and　of　Christ's　relation　to　God；　of　which　even　by　　the　Christian　account　of　his　teaching；　Jesus　was　either　totally　　unaware　or　so　negligent　and　careless　of　the　future　comfort　of　his　　disciples　as　scarcely　to　make　mention。　　The　doctrine　of　the　Trinity；　　so　far　as　the　relationship　of　the　Third　Person　goes；　hangs　almost　　entirely　upon　one　ambiguous　and　disputed　utterance　in　St。　John's　　gospel　（XV。　26）。　　Most　of　the　teachings　of　Christian　orthodoxy　　resolve　themselves　to　the　attentive　student　into　assertions　of　the　　nature　of　contradiction　and　repartee。　　Someone　floats　an　opinion　in　　some　matter　that　has　been　hitherto　vague；　in　regard；　for　example；　to　　the　sonship　of　Christ　or　to　the　method　of　his　birth。　　The　new　　opinion　arouses　the　hostility　and　alarm　of　minds　unaccustomed　to　so　　definite　a　statement；　and　in　the　zeal　of　their　recoil　they　fly　to　a　　contrary　proposition。　　The　Christians　would　neither　admit　that　they　　worshipped　more　gods　than　one　because　of　the　Greeks；　nor　deny　the　　divinity　of　Christ　because　of　the　Jews。　　They　dreaded　to　be　　polytheistic；　equally　did　they　dread　the　least　apparent　detraction　　from　the　power　and　importance　of　their　Saviour。　　They　were　forced　　into　the　theory　of　the　Trinity　by　the　necessity　of　those　contrary　　assertions；　and　they　had　to　make　it　a　mystery　protected　by　curses　to　　save　it　from　a　reductio　ad　absurdam。　　The　entire　history　of　the　　growth　of　the　Christian　doctrine　in　those　disordered　early　centuries　　is　a　history　of　theology　by　committee；　a　history　of　furious　　wrangling；　of　hasty　compromises；　and　still　more　hasty　attempts　to　　clinch　matters　by　anathema。　　When　the　muddle　was　at　its　very　worst；　　the　church　was　confronted　by　enormous　political　opportunities。　　In　　order　that　it　should　seize　these　one　chief　thing　appeared　　imperative：　doctrinal　uniformity。　　The　emperor　himself；　albeit　　unbaptised　and　very　ignorant　of　Greek；　came　and　seated　himself　in　　the　midst　of　Christian　thought　upon　a　golden　throne。　　At　the　end　of　　it　all　Eusebius；　that　supreme　Trimmer；　was　prepared　to　damn　　everlastingly　all　those　who　doubted　that　consubstantiality　he　　himself　had　doubted　at　the　beginning　of　the　conference。　　It　is　quite　　clear　that　Constantine　did　not　care　who　was　damned　or　for　what　　period；　so　long　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