god the invisible king-第6章

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charging　orthodox　　Christianity　here　with　nothing　that　has　ever　been　officially　　repudiated。　　I　find　indeed　the　essential　assumptions　of　Mr。　Landseer　　Mackenzie　repeated　in　endless　official　Christian　utterances　on　the　　part　of　German　and　British　and　Russian　divines。　　The　Bishop　of　　Chelmsford；　for　example；　has　recently　ascribed　our　difficulties　in　　the　war　to　our　impatience　with　long　sermonsamong　other　similar　　causes。　　Such　Christians　are　manifestly　convinced　that　God　can　be　　invoked　by　ritualfor　example　by　special　days　of　national　prayer　or　　an　increased　observance　of　Sundayor　made　malignant　by　neglect　or　　levity。　　It　is　almost　fundamental　in　their　idea　of　him。　　The　　ordinary　Mohammedan　seems　as　confident　of　this　magic　pettiness　of　　God；　and　the　belief　of　China　in　the　magic　propitiations　and　　resentments　of　〃Heaven〃　is　at　least　equally　strong。　But　the　true　God　as　those　of　the　new　religion　know　him　is　no　such　　God　of　luck　and　intervention。　　He　is　not　to　serve　men's　ends　or　the　　ends　of　nations　or　associations　of　men；　he　is　careless　of　our　　ceremonies　and　invocations。　　He　does　not　lose　his　temper　with　our　　follies　and　weaknesses。　　It　is　for　us　to　serve　Him。　　He　captains　us；　　he　does　not　coddle　us。　　He　has　his　own　ends　for　which　he　needs　　us。　。　。　。

4。　GOD　IS　NOT　PROVIDENCE

Closely　related　to　this　heresy　that　God　is　magic；　is　the　heresy　that　　calls　him　Providence；　that　declares　the　apparent　adequacy　of　cause　　and　effect　to　be　a　sham；　and　that　all　the　time；　incalculably；　he　is　　pulling　about　the　order　of　events　for　our　personal　advantages。　The　idea　of　Providence　was　very　gaily　travested　by　Daudet　in　　〃Tartarin　in　the　Alps。〃　　You　will　remember　how　Tartarin's　friend　　assured　him　that　all　Switzerland　was　one　great　Trust；　intent　upon　　attracting　tourists　and　far　too　wise　and　kind　to　permit　them　to　　venture　into　real　danger；　that　all　the　precipices　were　netted　　invisibly；　and　all　the　loose　rocks　guarded　against　falling；　that　　avalanches　were　prearranged　spectacles　and　the　crevasses　at　their　　worst　slippery　ways　down　into　kindly　catchment　bags。　　If　the　　mountaineer　tried　to　get　into　real　danger　he　was　turned　back　by　　specious　excuses。　　Inspired　by　this　persuasion　Tartarin　behaved　with　　incredible　daring。　。　。　。　　That　is　exactly　the　Providence　theory　of　　the　whole　world。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　it　does　enable　many　a　　timid　soul　to　get　through　life　with　a　certain　recklessness。　　And　　provided　there　is　no　slip　into　a　crevasse；　the　Providence　theory　　works　well。　　It　would　work　altogether　well　if　there　were　no　　crevasses。　Tartarin　was　reckless　because　of　his　faith　in　Providence；　and　　escaped。　　But　what　would　have　happened　to　him　if　he　had　fallen　into　　a　crevasse？　There　exists　a　very　touching　and　remarkable　book　by　Sir　Francis　　Younghusband　called　〃Within。〃　＇Williams　and　Norgate；　1912。＇　　It　is　　the　confession　of　a　man　who　lived　with　a　complete　confidence　in　　Providence　until　he　was　already　well　advanced　in　years。　　He　went　　through　battles　and　campaigns；　he　filled　positions　of　great　honour　　and　responsibility；　he　saw　much　of　the　life　of　men；　without　　altogether　losing　his　faith。　　The　loss　of　a　child；　an　Indian　famine；　　could　shake　it　but　not　overthrow　it。　　Then　coming　back　one　day　from　　some　races　in　France；　he　was　knocked　down　by　an　automobile　and　hurt　　very　cruelly。　　He　suffered　terribly　in　body　and　mind。　　His　　sufferings　caused　much　suffering　to　others。　　He　did　his　utmost　to　　see　the　hand　of　a　loving　Providence　in　his　and　their　disaster　and　　the　torment　it　inflicted；　and　being　a　man　of　sterling　honesty　and　a　　fine　essential　simplicity　of　mind；　he　confessed　at　last　that　he　　could　not　do　so。　　His　confidence　in　the　benevolent　intervention　of　　God　was　altogether　destroyed。　　His　book　tells　of　this　shattering；　　and　how　labouriously　he　reconstructed　his　religion　upon　less　　confident　lines。　　It　is　a　book　typical　of　an　age　and　of　a　very　　English　sort　of　mind；　a　book　well　worth　reading。　That　he　came　to　a　full　sense　of　the　true　God　cannot　be　asserted；　but　　how　near　he　came　to　God；　let　one　quotation　witness。

〃The　existence　of　an　outside　Providence；〃　he　writes；　〃who　created　　us；　who　watches　over　us；　and　who　guides　our　lives　like　a　Merciful　　Father；　we　have　found　impossible　longer　to　believe　in。　　But　of　the　　existence　of　a　Holy　Spirit　radiating　upward　through　all　animate　　beings；　and　finding　its　fullest　expression；　in　man　in　love；　and　in　　the　flowers　in　beauty；　we　can　be　as　certain　as　of　anything　in　the　　world。　　This　fiery　spiritual　impulsion　at　the　centre　and　the　source　　of　things；　ever　burning　in　us；　is　the　supremely　important　factor　in　　our　existence。　　It　does　not　always　attain　to　light。　　In　many　　directions　it　fails；　the　conditions　are　too　hard　and　it　is　utterly　　blocked。　　In　others　it　only　partially　succeeds。　　But　in　a　few　it　　bursts　forth　into　radiant　light。　　There　are　few　who　in　some　heavenly　　moment　of　their　lives　have　not　been　conscious　of　its　presence。　　We　　may　not　be　able　to　give　it　outward　expression；　but　we　know　that　it　　is　there。〃　。　。　。

God　does　not　guide　our　feet。　　He　is　no　sedulous　governess　　restraining　and　correcting　the　wayward　steps　of　men。　　If　you　would　　fly　into　the　air；　there　is　no　God　to　bank　your　aeroplane　correctly　　for　you　or　keep　an　ill…tended　engine　going；　if　you　would　cross　a　　glacier；　no　God　nor　angel　guides　your　steps　amidst　the　slippery　　places。　　He　will　not　even　mind　your　innocent　children　for　you　if　you　　leave　them　before　an　unguarded　fire。　　Cherish　no　delusions；　for　　yourself　and　others　you　challenge　danger　and　chance　on　your　own　　strength；　no　talisman；　no　God；　can　help　you　or　those　you　care　for。　　　Nothing　of　such　things　will　God　do；　it　is　an　idle　dream。　　But　God　　will　be　with　you　nevertheless。　　In　the　reeling　aeroplane　or　the　dark　　ice…cave　God　will　be　your　courage。　　Though　you　suffer　or　are　killed；　　it　is　not　an　end。　　He　will　be　with　you　as　you　face　death；　he　will　　die　with　you　as　he　has　died　already　countless　myriads　of　brave　　deaths。　　He　will　come　so　close　to　you　that　at　the　last　you　will　not　　know　whether　it　is　you　or　he　who　dies；　and　the　present　death　will　be　　swallowed　up　in　his　victory。

5。　THE　HERESY　OF　QUIETISM

God　comes　to　us　within　and　takes　us　for　his　own。　　He　releases　us　　from　ourselves；　he　incorporates　us　with　his　own　undying　experience　　and　adventure；　he　receives　us　and　gives　himself。　　He　is　a　stimulant；　　he　makes　us　live　immortally　and　more　abundantly。　　I　have　compared　　him　to　the　sensation　of　a　dear；　strong　friend　who　comes　and　stands　　quietly　beside　one；　shoulder　to　shoulder。　The　finding　of　God　is　the　beginning　of　service。　　It　is　not　an　escape　　from　life　and　action；　it　is　the　release　of　life　and　action　from　the　　prison　of　the　mortal　self。　　Not　to　realise　that；　is　the　heresy　of　　Quietism；　of　many　mystics。　　Commonly　such　people　are　people　of　some　　wealth；　able　to　command　services　for　all　their　everyday　needs。　　They　　make　religion　a　method　of　indolence。　　They　turn　their　backs　on　the　　toil　and　stresses　of　existence　and　give　themselves　up　to　a　delicious　　reverie　in　which　they　flirt　with　the　divinity。　　They　will　recount　　their　privileges　and　ecstasies；　and　how　ingeniously　and　wonderfully　　God　has　tried　and　proved　them。　　But　indeed　the　true　God　was　not　the　　lover　of　Madame　Guyon。　　The　true　God　is　not　a　spiritual　troubadour　　wooing　the　hearts　of　men　and　women　to　no　purpose。　　The　true　God　goes　　through　the　world　like　fifes　and　drums　and　flags；　calling　for　　recruits　along　the　street。　　We　must　go　out　to　him。　　We　must　accept　　his　discipline　and　fight　his　battle。　　The　peace　of　God　comes　not　by　　thinking　about　it　but　by　forgetting　oneself　in　him。

6。　GOD　DOES　NOT　PUNISH

Man　is　a　social　animal；　and　there　is　in　him　a　great　faculty　for　　moral　indignation。　　Many　of　the　early　Gods　were　mainly　Gods　of　Fear。　　　They　were　more　often　〃wrath〃　than　not。　　Such　was　the　temperament　of　　the　Semitic　deity　who；　as　the　Hebrew　Jehovah；　proliferated；　perhaps　　under　the　influence　of　the　Alexandrian　Serapeum；　into　the　Christian　　Trinity　and　who　became　also　the　Moslem　God。*　　The　natural　hatred　of　　unregenerate　men　against　everything　that　is　unlike　themselves；　　against　strange　people　and　cheerful　people；　against　unfamiliar　　usages　and　things　they　do　not　understand；　embodied　itself　in　this　　conception　of　a　malignant　and　partisan　Deity；　perpetually　〃upset〃　by　　the　little　things　people　did；　and　contriving　murder　and　vengeance。　　　Now　this　God　would　be　drowning　everybody　in　the　world；　now　he　would　　be　burning　Sodom　and　Gomorrah；　now　he　would　be　inciting　his　　congenial　Israelites　to　the　most　terrific　pogroms。　　This　divine　　〃frightfulness〃　is　of　course　the　natural　human　dislike　and　distrust　　for　queer　practices　or　for　too　sunny　a　carelessness；　a　dislike　　reinforced　by　the　latent　fierceness　of　the　ape　in　us；　liberating　the　　latent　fierceness　of　the　ape　in　us；　giving　it　an　excuse　and　pressing　　permission　upon　it；　handing　the　thing　hated　and　feared　over　to　its　　secular　arm。　。　。　。　*　It　is　not　so　generally　understood　as　it　should　be　among　English　　and　American　readers　that　a　very　large　proportion　of　early　　Christians　before　the　creeds　established　and　regularised　the　　doctrine　of　the　Trinity；　denied　absolutely　that　Jehovah　was　God；　　they　regarded　Christ　as　a　rebel　against　Jehovah　and　a　rescuer　of　　humanity　from　him；　just　as　Prometheus　was　a　rebel　against　Jove。　　　These　beliefs　survived　for　a　thousand　years　tbroughout　Christendom：　　they　were　held　by　a　great　multitude　of　persecuted　sects；　from　the　　Albigenses　and　Cathars　to　the　eastern　Paulicians。　　The　catholic　　church　found　it　necessary　to　prohibit　the　circulation　of　the　Old　　Testament　among　laymen　very　largely　on　account　of　the　polemics　of　　the　Cathars　against　the　Hebrew　God。　　But　in　this　book；　be　it　noted；　　the　word　Christian；　when　it　is　not　otherwise　defined；　is　used　to　　indicate　only　the　Trinitarians　who　accept　the　official　creeds。　It　is　a　human　paradox　that　the　desire　for　seemliness；　the　instinct　　for　restraints　and　fair　disciplines；　and　the　impulse　to　cherish　　sweet　familiar　things；　that　these　things　of　the　True　God　should　so　　readily　liberate　cruelty　and　tyranny。　　It　is　like　a　woman　going　with　　a　light　to　tend　and　protect　her　sleeping　child；　and　setting　the　　house　on　fire。　　None　the　less；　right　down　to　to…day；　the　heresy　of　　God　the　Revengeful；　God　the　Persecutor　and　Avenger；　haunts　religion。　　　It　is　only　in　quite　recent　years　that　the　growing　gentleness　of　　everyday　life　has　begun　to　make　men　a　little　ashamed　of　a　Deity　less　　tolerant　and　gentle　than　themselves。　　The　recent　literature　of　the　　Anglicans　abounds　in　the　evidence　of　this　trouble。　Bishop　Colenso　of　Natal　was　prosecuted　and　condemned　in　1863　for　　denying　the　irascibility　of　his　God　and　teaching　〃the　Kaffirs　of　　Natal〃　the　dangerous　heresy　that　God　is　all　mercy。　　〃We　cannot　allow　　it　to　be　said；〃　the　Dean　of　Cape　Town　insisted；　〃that　God　was　not　　angry　and　was　not　appeased　by　punishment。〃　He　was　angry　〃on　account　　of　Sin；　which　is　a　great　evil　and　a　great　insult　to　His　Majesty。〃　　　The　case　of　the　Rev。　Charles　Voysey；　which　occurred　in　1870；　was　a　　second　assertion　of　the　Church's　insistence　upon　the　fierceness　of　　her　God。　　This　case　is　not　to　be　found　in　the　ordinary　church　　histories　nor　is　it　even　mentioned　in　the　latest　edition　of　the　　ENCYCLOPAEDIA　BRITANNICA；　nevertheless　it　appears　to　have　been　a　　very　illuminating　case。　　I