god the invisible king-第7章

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of　the　　ENCYCLOPAEDIA　BRITANNICA；　nevertheless　it　appears　to　have　been　a　　very　illuminating　case。　　It　is　doubtful　if　the　church　would　　prosecute　or　condemn　either　Bishop　Colenso　or　Mr。　Voysey　to…day。

7。　GOD　AND　THE　NURSERY…MAID

Closely　related　to　the　Heresy　of　God　the　Avenger；　is　that　kind　of　　miniature　God　the　Avenger；　to　whom　the　nursery…maid　and　the　　overtaxed　parent　are　so　apt　to　appeal。　　You　stab　your　children　with　　such　a　God　and　he　poisons　all　their　lives。　　For　many　of　us　the　word　　〃God〃　first　came　into　our　lives　to　denote　a　wanton；　irrational　　restraint；　as　Bogey；　as　the　All…Seeing　and　quite　ungenerous　Eye。　　　God　Bogey　is　a　great　convenience　to　the　nursery…maid　who　wants　to　　leave　Fear　to　mind　her　charges　and　enforce　her　disciplines；　while　　she　goes　off　upon　her　own　aims。　　But　indeed；　the　teaching　of　God　　Bogey　is　an　outrage　upon　the　soul　of　a　child　scarcely　less　dreadful　　than　an　indecent　assault。　　The　reason　rebels　and　is　crushed　under　　this　horrible　and　pursuing　suggestion。　　Many　minds　never　rise　again　　from　their　injury。　　They　remain　for　the　rest　of　life　spiritually　　crippled　and　debased；　haunted　by　a　fear；　stained　with　a　persuasion　　of　relentless　cruelty　in　the　ultimate　cause　of　all　things。　I；　who　write；　was　so　set　against　God；　thus　rendered。　　He　and　his　　Hell　were　the　nightmare　of　my　childhood；　I　hated　him　while　I　still　　believed　in　him；　and　who　could　help　but　hate？　　I　thought　of　him　as　a　　fantastic　monster；　perpetually　spying；　perpetually　listening；　　perpetually　waiting　to　condemn　and　to　〃strike　me　dead〃；　his　flames　　as　ready　as　a　grill…room　fire。　　He　was　over　me　and　about　my　　feebleness　and　silliness　and　forgetfulness　as　the　sky　and　sea　would　　be　about　a　child　drowning　in　mid…Atlantic。　　When　I　was　still　only　a　　child　of　thirteen；　by　the　grace　of　the　true　God　in　me；　I　flung　this　　Lie　out　of　my　mind；　and　for　many　years；　until　I　came　to　see　that　God　　himself　had　done　this　thing　for　me；　the　name　of　God　meant　nothing　to　　me　but　the　hideous　scar　in　my　heart　where　a　fearful　demon　had　been。　I　see　about　me　to…day　many　dreadful　moral　and　mental　cripples　with　　this　bogey　God　of　the　nursery…maid；　with　his　black；　insane　revenges；　　still　living　like　a　horrible　parasite　in　their　hearts　in　the　place　　where　God　should　be。　　They　are　afraid；　afraid；　afraid；　they　dare　not　　be　kindly　to　formal　sinners；　they　dare　not　abandon　a　hundred　foolish　　observances；　they　dare　not　look　at　the　causes　of　things。　　They　are　　afraid　of　sunshine；　of　nakedness；　of　health；　of　adventure；　of　　science；　lest　that　old　watching　spider　take　offence。　　The　voice　of　　the　true　God　whispers　in　their　hearts；　echoes　in　speech　and　writing；　　but　they　avert　themselves；　fear…driven。　　For　the　true　God　has　no　　lash　of　fear。　　And　how　the　foul…minded　bigot；　with　his　ill…shaven　　face；　his　greasy　skin；　his　thick；　gesticulating　hands；　his　　bellowings　and　threatenings；　loves　to　reap　this　harvest　of　fear　the　　ignorant　cunning　of　the　nursery　girl　has　sown　for　him！　　How　he　loves　　the　importance　of　denunciation；　and；　himself　a　malignant　cripple；　to　　rally　the　company　of　these　crippled　souls　to　persecute　and　destroy　　the　happy　children　of　God！　。　。　。　Christian　priestcraft　turns　a　dreadful　face　to　children。　　There　is　a　　real　wickedness　of　the　priest　that　is　different　from　other　　wickedness；　and　that　affects　a　reasonable　mind　just　as　cruelty　and　　strange　perversions　of　instinct　affect　it。　　Let　a　former　Archbishop　　of　Canterbury　speak　for　me。　　This　that　follows　is　the　account　given　　by　Archbishop　Tait　in　a　debate　in　the　Upper　House　of　Convocation　　（July　3rd；　1877）　of　one　of　the　publications　of　a　certain　SOCIETY　OF　　THE　HOLY　CROSS：

〃I　take　this　book；　as　its　contents　show；　to　be　meant　for　the　　instruction　of　very　young　children。　　I　find；　in　one　of　the　pages　of　　it；　the　statement　that　between　the　ages　of　six　and　six　and　a　half　　years　would　be　the　proper　time　for　the　inculcation　of　the　teaching　　which　is　to　be　found　in　the　book。　　Now；　six　to　six　and　a　half　is　　certainly　a　very　tender　age；　and　to　these　children　I　find　these　　statements　addressed　in　the　book：

〃'It　is　to　the　priest；　and　to　the　priest　only；　that　the　child　must　　acknowledge　his　sins；　if　he　desires　that　God　should　forgive　him。'

〃I　hope　and　trust　the　person；　the　three　clergymen；　or　however　many　　there　were；　did　not　exactly　realise　what　they　were　writing；　that　　they　did　not　mean　to　say　that　a　child　was　not　to　confess　its　sins　to　　God　direct；　that　it　was　not　to　confess　its　sins；　at　the　age　of　six；　　to　its　mother；　or　to　its　father；　but　was　only　to　have　recourse　to　　the　priest。　　But　the　words；　to　say　the　least　of　them；　are　rash。　　　Then　comes　the　very　obvious　question：

〃'Do　you　know　why？　　It　is　because　God；　when　he　was　on　earth；　gave　to　　his　priests；　and　to　them　alone；　the　Divine　Power　of　forgiving　men　　their　sins。　　It　was　to　priests　alone　that　Jesus　said：　〃Receive　ye　　the　Holy　Ghost。〃　。　。　。　　Those　who　will　not　confess　will　not　be　　cured。　　Sin　is　a　terrible　sickness；　and　casts　souls　into　hell。'

〃That　is　addressed　to　a　child　six　years　of　age。

〃'I　have　known；'　the　book　continues；　'poor　children　who　concealed　　their　sins　in　confession　for　years；　they　were　very　unhappy；　were　　tormented　with　remorse；　and　if　they　had　died　in　that　state　they　　would　certainly　have　gone　to　the　everlasting　fires　of　hell。'〃　。　。　。

Now　here　is　something　against　nature；　something　that　I　have　seen　　time　after　time　in　the　faces　and　bearing　of　priests　and　heard　in　　their　preaching。　　It　is　a　distinct　lust。　　Much　nobility　and　devotion　　there　are　among　priests；　saintly　lives　and　kindly　lives；　lives　of　　real　worship；　lives　no　man　may　better；　this　that　I　write　is　not　of　　all；　perhaps　not　of　many　priests。　　But　there　has　been　in　all　ages　　that　have　known　sacerdotalism　this　terrible　type　of　the　priest；　　priestcraft　and　priestly　power　release　an　aggressive　and　narrow　　disposition　to　a　recklessness　of　suffering　and　a　hatred　of　liberty　　that　surely　exceeds　the　badness　of　any　other　sort　of　men。

8。　THE　CHILDREN'S　GOD

Children　do　not　naturally　love　God。　　They　have　no　great　capacity　for　　an　idea　so　subtle　and　mature　as　the　idea　of　God。　　While　they　are　　still　children　in　a　home　and　cared　for；　life　is　too　kind　and　easy　　for　them　to　feel　any　great　need　of　God。　　All　things　are　still　　something　God…like。　。　。　。　The　true　God；　our　modern　minds　insist　upon　believing；　can　have　no　　appetite　for　unnatural　praise　and　adoration。　　He　does　not　clamour　　for　the　attention　of　children。　　He　is　not　like　one　of　those　senile　　uncles　who　dream　of　glory　in　the　nursery；　who　love　to　hear　it　said；　　〃The　children　adore　him。〃　　If　children　are　loved　and　trained　to　　truth；　justice；　and　mutual　forbearance；　they　will　be　ready　for　the　　true　God　as　their　needs　bring　them　within　his　scope。　　They　should　be　　left　to　their　innocence；　and　to　their　trust　in　the　innocence　of　the　　world；　as　long　as　they　can　be。　　They　should　be　told　only　of　God　as　a　　Great　Friend　whom　some　day　they　will　need　more　and　understand　and　　know　better。　　That　is　as　much　as　most　children　need。　　The　phrases　of　　religion　put　too　early　into　their　mouths　may　become　a　cant；　　something　worse　than　blasphemy。　Yet　children　are　sometimes　very　near　to　God。　　Creative　passion　stirs　　in　their　play。　　At　times　they　display　a　divine　simplicity。　　But　it　　does　not　follow　that　therefore　they　should　be　afflicted　with　　theological　formulae　or　inducted　into　ceremonies　and　rites　that　they　　may　dislike　or　misinterpret。　　If　by　any　accident；　by　the　death　of　a　　friend　or　a　distressing　story；　the　thought　of　death　afflicts　a　　child；　then　he　may　begin　to　hear　of　God；　who　takes　those　that　serve　　him　out　of　their　slain　bodies　into　his　shining　immortality。　　Or　if　　by　some　menial　treachery；　through　some　prowling　priest；　the　whisper　　of　Old　Bogey　reaches　our　children；　then　we　may　set　their　minds　at　　ease　by　the　assurance　of　his　limitless　charity。　。　。　。　With　adolescence　comes　the　desire　for　God　and　to　know　more　of　God；　　and　that　is　the　most　suitable　time　for　religious　talk　and　teaching。

9。　GOD　IS　NOT　SEXUAL

In　the　last　two　or　three　hundred　years　there　has　been　a　very　　considerable　disentanglement　of　the　idea　of　God　from　the　complex　of　　sexual　thought　and　feeling。　　But　in　the　early　days　of　religion　the　　two　things　were　inseparably　bound　together；　the　fury　of　the　Hebrew　　prophets；　for　example；　is　continually　proclaiming　the　extraordinary　　〃wrath〃　of　their　God　at　this　or　that　little　dirtiness　or　　irregularity　or　breach　of　the　sexual　tabus。　　The　ceremony　of　　circumcision　is　clearly　indicative　of　the　original　nature　of　the　　Semitic　deity　who　developed　into　the　Trinitarian　God。　　So　far　as　　Christianity　dropped　this　rite；　so　far　Christianity　disavowed　the　　old　associations。　　But　to　this　day　the　representative　Christian　　churches　still　make　marriage　into　a　mystical　sacrament；　and；　with　　some　exceptions；　the　Roman　communion　exacts　the　sacrifice　of　　celibacy　from　its　priesthood；　regardless　of　the　mischievousness　and　　maliciousness　that　so　often　ensue。　　Nearly　every　Christian　church　　inflicts　as　much　discredit　and　injustice　as　it　can　contrive　upon　the　　illegitimate　child。　　They　do　not　treat　illegitimate　children　as　　unfortunate　children；　but　as　children　with　a　mystical　and　an　　incurable　taint　of　SIN。　　Kindly　easy…going　Christians　may　resent　　this　statement　because　it　does　not　tally　with　their　own　attitudes；　　but　let　them　consult　their　orthodox　authorities。　One　must　distinguish　clearly　here　between　what　is　held　to　be　sacred　　or　sinful　in　itself　and　what　is　held　to　be　one's　duty　or　a　nation's　　duty　because　it　is　in　itself　the　wisest；　cleanest；　clearest；　best　　thing　to　do。　　By　the　latter　tests　and　reasonable　arguments　most　or　　all　of　our　institutions　regulating　the　relations　of　the　sexes　may　be　　justifiable。　　But　my　case　is　not　whether　they　can　be　justified　by　　these　tests　but　that　it　is　not　by　these　tests　that　they　are　judged　　even　to…day；　by　the　professors　of　the　chief　religions　of　the　world。　　　It　is　the　temper　and　not　the　conclusions　of　the　religious　bodies　　that　I　would　criticise。　　These　sexual　questions　are　guarded　by　a　　holy　irascibility；　and　the　most　violent　efforts　are　madewith　a　　sense　of　complete　righteousnessto　prohibit　their　discussion。　　That　　fury　about　sexual　things　is　only　to　be　explained　on　the　hypothesis　　that　the　Christian　God　remains　a　sex　God　in　the　minds　of　great　　numbers　of　his　exponents。　　His　disentanglement　from　that　plexus　is　　incomplete。　　Sexual　things　are　still　to　the　orthodox　Christian；　　sacred　things。　Now　the　God　whom　those　of　the　new　faith　are　finding　is　only　　mediately　concerned　with　the　relations　of　men　and　women。　　He　is　no　　more　sexual　essentially　than　he　is　essentially　dietetic　or　hygienic。　　　The　God　of　Leviticus　was　all　these　things。　　He　is　represented　as　　prescribing　the　most　petty　and　intimate　of　observancesmany　of　　which　are　now　habitually　disregarded　by　the　Christians　who　profess　　him。　。　。　。　　It　is　part　of　the　evolution　of　the　idea　of　God　that　we　　have　now　so　largely　disentangled　our　conception　of　him　from　the　　dietary　and　regimen　and　meticulous　sexual　rules　that　were　once　　inseparably　bound　up　with　his　majesty。　　Christ　himself　was　one　of　　the　chief　forces　in　this　disentanglement；　there　is　the　clearest　　evidence　in　several　instances　of　his　disregard　of　the　rule　and　his　　insistence　that　his　disciples　should　seek　for　the　spirit　underlying　　and　oft