god the invisible king-第5章

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h　dark　veil　of　being　　through　which　the　light　of　consciousness　shinesthe　light　of　　consciousness　and　will　of　which　God　is　the　sun。　So　that　every　need　of　human　life；　every　disappointment　and　　dissatisfaction　and　call　for　help　and　effort；　is　a　means　whereby　men　　may　and　do　come　to　the　realisation　of　God。　There　is　no　cardinal　need；　there　is　no　sort　of　experience　in　human　　life　from　which　there　does　not　come　or　has　not　come　a　contribution　　to　men's　religious　ideas。　　At　every　challenge　men　have　to　put　forth　　effort；　feel　doubt　of　adequacy；　be　thwarted；　perceive　the　chill　　shadow　of　their　mortality。　　At　every　challenge　comes　the　possibility　　of　help　from　without；　the　idea　of　eluding　frustration；　the　　aspiration　towards　immortality。　　It　is　possible　to　classify　the　　appeals　men　make　for　God　under　the　headings　of　their　chief　system　of　　effort；　their　efforts　to　understand；　their　fear　and　their　struggles　　for　safety　and　happiness；　the　craving　of　their　restlessness　for　　peace；　their　angers　against　disorder　and　their　desire　for　the　　avenger；　their　sexual　passions　and　perplexities。　。　。　。　Each　of　these　great　systems　of　needs　and　efforts　brings　its　own　sort　　of　sediment　into　religion。　　Each；　that　is　to　say；　has　its　own　kind　　of　heresy；　its　distinctive　misapprehension　of　God。　　It　is　only　in　　the　synthesis　and　mutual　correction　of　many　divergent　ideas　that　the　　idea　of　God　grows　clear。　　The　effort　to　understand　completely；　for　　example；　leads　to　the　endless　Heresies　of　Theory。　　Men　trip　over　the　　inherent　infirmities　of　the　human　mind。　　But　in　these　days　one　does　　not　argue　greatly　about　dogma。　　Almost　every　conceivable　error　about　　unity；　about　personality；　about　time　and　quantity　and　genus　and　　species；　about　begetting　and　beginning　and　limitation　and　similarity　　and　every　kink　in　the　difficult　mind　of　man；　has　been　thrust　forward　　in　some　form　of　dogma。　　Beside　the　errors　of　thought　are　the　errors　　of　emotion。　　Fear　and　feebleness　go　straight　to　the　Heresies　that　　God　is　Magic　or　that　God　is　Providence；　restless　egotism　at　leisure　　and　unchallenged　by　urgent　elementary　realities　breeds　the　Heresies　　of　Mysticism；　anger　and　hate　call　for　God's　Judgments；　and　the　　stormy　emotions　of　sex　gave　mankind　the　Phallic　God。　　Those　who　find　　themselves　possessed　by　the　new　spirit　in　religion；　realise　very　　speedily　the　necessity　of　clearing　the　mind　of　all　these　　exaggerations；　transferences；　and　overflows　of　feeling。　　The　search　　for　divine　truth　is　like　gold　washing；　nothing　is　of　any　value　until　　most　has　been　swept　away。

2。　HERESIES　OF　SPECULATION

One　sort　of　heresies　stands　apart　from　the　rest。　　It　is　infinitely　　the　most　various　sort。　　It　includes　all　those　heresies　which　result　　from　wrong…headed　mental　elaboration；　as　distinguished　from　those　　which　are　the　result　of　hasty　and　imperfect　apprehension；　the　　heresies　of　the　clever　rather　than　the　heresies　of　the　obtuse。　　The　　former　are　of　endless　variety　and　complexity；　the　latter　are　in　　comparison　natural；　simple　confusions。　　The　former　are　the　errors　of　　the　study；　the　latter　the　superstitions　that　spring　by　the　wayside；　　or　are　brought　down　to　us　in　our　social　structure　out　of　a　barbaric　　past。　To　the　heresies　of　thought　and　speculation　belong　the　elaborate　　doctrine　of　the　Trinity；　dogmas　about　God's　absolute　qualities；　such　　odd　deductions　as　the　accepted　Christian　teachings　about　the　　virginity　of　Mary　and　Joseph；　and　the　like。　　All　these　things　are　　parts　of　orthodox　Christianity。　　Yet　none　of　them　did　Christ；　even　　by　the　Christian　account；　expound　or　recommend。　　He　treated　them　as　　negligible。　　It　was　left　for　the　Alexandrians；　for　Alexander；　for　　little；　red…haired；　busy；　wire…pulling　Athanasius　to　find　out　　exactly　what　their　Master　was　driving　at；　three　centuries　after　　their　Master　was　dead。　。　。　。　Men　still　sit　at　little　desks　remote　from　God　or　life；　and　rack　　their　inadequate　brains　to　meet　fancied　difficulties　and　state　　unnecessary　perfections。　　They　seek　God　by　logic；　ignoring　the　　marginal　error　that　creeps　into　every　syllogism。　　Their　conceit　　blinds　them　to　the　limitations　upon　their　thinking。　　They　weave　　spider…like　webs　of　muddle　and　disputation　across　the　path　by　which　　men　come　to　God。　　It　would　not　matter　very　much　if　it　were　not　that　　simpler　souls　are　caught　in　these　webs。　　Every　great　religious　　system　in　the　world　is　choked　by　such　webs；　each　system　has　its　own。　　　Of　all　the　blood…stained　tangled　heresies　which　make　up　doctrinal　　Christianity　and　imprison　the　mind　of　the　western　world　to…day；　not　　one　seems　to　have　been　known　to　the　nominal　founder　of　Christianity。　　　Jesus　Christ　never　certainly　claimed　to　be　the　Messiah；　never　spoke　　clearly　of　the　Trinity；　was　vague　upon　the　scheme　of　salvation　and　　the　significance　of　his　martyrdom。　　We　are　asked　to　suppose　that　he　　left　his　apostles　without　instructions；　that　were　necessary　to　their　　eternal　happiness；　that　he　could　give　them　the　Lord's　Prayer　but　　leave　them　to　guess　at　the　all…important　Creed；*　and　that　the　Church　　staggered　along　blindly；　putting　its　foot　in　and　out　of　damnation；　　until　the　〃experts〃　of　Nicaea；　that　〃garland　of　priests；〃　marshalled　　by　Constantine's　officials；　came　to　its　rescue。　。　。　。　　From　the　　conversion　of　Paul　onward；　the　heresies　of　the　intellect　multiplied　　about　Christ's　memory　and　hid　him　from　the　sight　of　men。　　We　are　no　　longer　clear　about　the　doctrine　he　taught　nor　about　the　things　he　　said　and　did。　。　。　。　*　Even　the　〃Apostles'　Creed〃　is　not　traceable　earlier　than　the　　fourth　century。　　It　is　manifestly　an　old；　patched　formulary。　　　Rutinius　explains　that　it　was　not　written　down　for　a　long　time；　but　　transmitted　orally；　kept　secret；　and　used　as　a　sort　of　password　　among　the　elect。　We　are　all　so　weary　of　this　theology　of　the　Christians；　we　are　all　　at　heart　so　sceptical　about　their　Triune　God；　that　it　is　needless　　here　to　spend　any　time　or　space　upon　the　twenty　thousand　different　　formulae　in　which　the　orthodox　have　attempted　to　believe　in　　something　of　the　sort。　　There　are　several　useful　encyclopaedias　of　　sects　and　heresies；　compact；　but　still　bulky；　to　which　the　curious　　may　go。　　There　are　ten　thousand　different　expositions　of　orthodoxy。　　　No　one　who　really　seeks　God　thinks　of　the　Trinity；　either　the　　Trinity　of　the　Trinitarian　or　the　Trinity　of　the　Sabellian　or　the　　Trinity　of　the　Arian；　any　more　than　one　thinks　of　those　theories　　made　stone；　those　gods　with　three　heads　and　seven　hands；　who　sit　on　　lotus　leaves　and　flourish　lingams　and　what　not；　in　the　temples　of　　India。　　Let　us　leave；　therefore；　these　morbid　elaborations　of　the　　human　intelligence　to　drift　to　limbo；　and　come　rather　to　the　natural　　heresies　that　spring　from　fundamental　weaknesses　of　the　human　　character；　and　which　are　common　to　all　religions。　　Against　these　it　　is　necessary　to　keep　constant　watch。　　They　return　very　insidiously。

3。　GOD　IS　NOT　MAGIC

One　of　the　most　universal　of　these　natural　misconceptions　of　God　is　　to　consider　him　as　something　magic　serving　the　ends　of　men。　It　is　not　easy　for　us　to　grasp　at　first　the　full　meaning　of　giving　　our　souls　to　God。　　The　missionary　and　teacher　of　any　creed　is　all　　too　apt　to　hawk　God　for　what　he　will　fetch；　he　is　greedy　for　the　　poor　triumph　of　acquiescence；　and　so　it　comes　about　that　many　people　　who　have　been　led　to　believe　themselves　religious；　are　in　reality　　still　keeping　back　their　own　souls　and　trying　to　use　God　for　their　　own　purposes。　　God　is　nothing　more　for　them　as　yet　than　a　　magnificent　Fetish。　　They　did　not　really　want　him；　but　they　have　　heard　that　he　is　potent　stuff；　their　unripe　souls　think　to　make　use　　of　him。　　They　call　upon　his　name；　they　do　certain　things　that　are　　supposed　to　be　peculiarly　influential　with　him；　such　as　saying　　prayers　and　repeating　gross　praises　of　him；　or　reading　in　a　blind；　　industrious　way　that　strange　miscellany　of　Jewish　and　early　　Christian　literature；　the　Bible；　and　suchlike　mental　mortification；　　or　making　the　Sabbath　dull　and　uncomfortable。　　In　return　for　these　　fetishistic　propitiations　God　is　supposed　to　interfere　with　the　　normal　course　of　causation　in　their　favour。　　He　becomes　a　celestial　　log…roller。　　He　remedies　unfavourable　accidents；　cures　petty　　ailments；　contrives　unexpected　gifts　of　medicine；　money；　or　the　　like；　he　averts　bankruptcies；　arranges　profitable　transactions；　and　　does　a　thousand　such　services　for　his　little　clique　of　faithful　　people。　　The　pious　are　represented　as　being　constantly　delighted　by　　these　little　surprises；　these　bouquets　and　chocolate　boxes　from　the　　divinity。　　Or　contrawise　he　contrives　spiteful　turns　for　those　who　　fail　in　their　religious　attentions。　　He　murders　Sabbath…breaking　　children；　or　disorganises　the　careful　business　schemes　of　the　　ungodly。　　He　is　represented　as　going　Sabbath…breakering　on　Sunday　　morning　as　a　Staffordshire　worker　goes　ratting。　　Ordinary　everyday　　Christianity　is　saturated　with　this　fetishistic　conception　of　God。　　　It　may　be　disowned　in　THE　HIBBERT　JOURNAL；　but　it　is　unblushingly　　advocated　in　the　parish　magazine。　　It　is　an　idea　taken　over　by　　Christianity　with　the　rest　of　the　qualities　of　the　Hebrew　God。　　It　　is　natural　enough　in　minds　so　self…centred　that　their　recognition　of　　weakness　and　need　brings　with　it　no　real　self…surrender；　but　it　is　　entirely　inconsistent　with　the　modern　conception　of　the　true　God。　There　has　dropped　upon　the　table　as　I　write　a　modest　periodical　　called　THE　NORTHERN　BRITISH　ISRAEL　REVIEW；　illustrated　with　　portraits　of　various　clergymen　of　the　Church　of　England；　and　of　　ladies　and　gentlemen　who　belong　to　the　little　school　of　thought　　which　this　magazine　represents；　it　is；　I　should　judge；　a　sub…sect　　entirely　within　the　Established　Church　of　England；　that　is　to　say　　within　the　Anglican　communion　of　the　Trinitarian　Christians。　　It　　contains　among　other　papers　a　very　entertaining　summary　by　a　　gentleman　entitledI　cite　the　unusual　title…page　of　the　periodical　〃Landseer　Mackenzie；　Esq。；〃　of　the　views　of　Isaiah；　Ezekiel；　and　　Obadiah　upon　the　Kaiser　William。　　They　are　distinctly　hostile　views。　　　Mr。　Landseer　Mackenzie　discourses　not　only　upon　these　anticipatory　　condemnations　but　also　upon　the　relations　of　the　weather　to　this　　war。　　He　is　convinced　quite　simply　and　honestly　that　God　has　been　　persistently　rigging　the　weather　against　the　Germans。　　He　points　out　　that　the　absence　of　mist　on　the　North　Sea　was　of　great　help　to　the　　British　in　the　autumn　of　1914；　and　declares　that　it　was　the　wet　　state　of　the　country　that　really　held　up　the　Germans　in　Flanders　in　　the　winter　of　1914…15。　　He　ignores　the　part　played　by　the　weather　in　　delaying　the　relief　of　Kut…el…Amara；　and　he　has　not　thought　of　the　　difficult　question　why　the　Deity；　having　once　decided　upon　　intervention；　did　not；　instead　of　this　comparatively　trivial　　meteorological　assistance；　adopt　the　more　effective　course　of；　for　　example；　exploding　or　spoiling　the　German　stores　of　ammunition　by　　some　simple　atomic　miracle；　or　misdirecting　their　gunfire　by　a　　sudden　local　modification　of　the　laws　of　refraction　or　gravitation。　Since　these　views　of　God　come　from　Anglican　vicarages　I　can　only　　conclude　that　this　kind　of　belief　is　quite　orthodox　and　permissible　　in　the　established　church；　and　that　I　am　charging　orthodox　　Christianity　here　with　nothing　that　has　ever　been　officially　　repudiated。　　I　find