god the invisible king-第8章

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rd　of　the　rule　and　his　　insistence　that　his　disciples　should　seek　for　the　spirit　underlying　　and　often　masked　by　the　rule。　　His　Church；　being　made　of　baser　　matter；　has　followed　him　as　reluctantly　as　possible　and　no　further　　than　it　was　obliged。　　But　it　has　followed　him　far　enough　to　admit　　his　principle　that　in　all　these　matters　there　is　no　need　for　　superstitious　fear；　that　the　interpretation　of　the　divine　purpose　is　　left　to　the　unembarrassed　intelligence　of　men。　　The　church　has　　followed　him　far　enough　to　make　the　harsh　threatenings　of　priests　　and　ecclesiastics　against　what　they　are　pleased　to　consider　impurity　　or　sexual　impiety；　a　profound　inconsistency。　　One　seems　to　hear　　their　distant　protests　when　one　reads　of　Christ　and　the　Magdalen；　or　　of　Christ　eating　with　publicans　and　sinners。　　The　clergy　of　our　own　　days　play　the　part　of　the　New　Testament　Pharisees　with　the　utmost　　exactness　and　complete　unconsciousness。　　One　cannot　imagine　a　modern　　ecclesiastic　conversing　with　a　Magdalen　in　terms　of　ordinary　　civility；　unless　she　was　in　a　very　high　social　position　indeed；　or　　blending　with　disreputable　characters　without　a　dramatic　sense　of　　condescension　and　much　explanatory　by…play。　　Those　who　profess　　modern　religion　do　but　follow　in　these　matters　a　course　entirely　　compatible　with　what　has　survived　of　the　authentic　teachings　of　　Christ；　when　they　declare　that　God　is　not　sexual；　and　that　religious　　passion　and　insult　and　persecution　upon　the　score　of　sexual　things　　are　a　barbaric　inheritance。　But　lest　anyone　should　fling　off　here　with　some　hasty　assumption　　that　those　who　profess　the　religion　of　the　true　God　are　sexually　　anarchistic；　let　stress　be　laid　at　once　upon　the　opening　sentence　of　　the　preceding　paragraph；　and　let　me　a　little　anticipate　a　section　　which　follows。　　We　would　free　men　and　women　from　exact　and　　superstitious　rules　and　observances；　not　to　make　them　less　the　　instruments　of　God　but　more　wholly　his。　　The　claim　of　modern　　religion　is　that　one　should　give　oneself　unreservedly　to　God；　that　　there　is　no　other　salvation。　　The　believer　owes　all　his　being　and　　every　moment　of　his　life　to　God；　to　keep　mind　and　body　as　clean；　　fine；　wholesome；　active　and　completely　at　God's　service　as　he　can。　　　There　is　no　scope　for　indulgence　or　dissipation　in　such　a　　consecrated　life。　　It　is　a　matter　between　the　individual　and　his　　conscience　or　his　doctor　or　his　social　understanding　what　exactly　he　　may　do　or　not　do；　what　he　may　eat　or　drink　or　so　forth；　upon　any　　occasion。　　Nothing　can　exonerate　him　from　doing　his　utmost　to　　determine　and　perform　the　right　act。　　Nothing　can　excuse　his　failure　　to　do　so。　　But　what　is　here　being　insisted　upon　is　that　none　of　　these　things　has　immediately　to　do　with　God　or　religious　emotion；　　except　only　the　general　will　to　do　right　in　God's　service。　　The　　detailed　interpretation　of　that　〃right〃　is　for　the　dispassionate　　consideration　of　the　human　intelligence。　All　this　is　set　down　here　as　distinctly　as　possible。　　Because　of　the　　emotional　reservoirs　of　sex；　sexual　dogmas　are　among　the　most　　obstinately　recurrent　of　all　heresies；　and　sexual　excitement　is　　always　tending　to　leak　back　into　religious　feeling。　　Amongst　the　　sex…tormented　priesthood　of　the　Roman　communion　in　particular；　　ignorant　of　the　extreme　practices　of　the　Essenes　and　of　the　Orphic　　cult　and　suchlike　predecessors　of　Christianity；　there　seems　to　be　an　　extraordinary　belief　that　chastity　was　not　invented　until　　Christianity　came；　and　that　the　religious　life　is　largely　the　　propitiation　of　God　by　feats　of　sexual　abstinence。　　But　a　　superstitious　abstinence　that　scars　and　embitters　the　mind；　distorts　　the　imagination；　makes　the　body　gross　and　keeps　it　unclean；　is　just　　as　offensive　to　God　as　any　positive　depravity。

CHAPTER　THE　THIRD　THE　LIKENESS　OF　GOD

1。　GOD　IS　COURAGE　Now　having　set　down　what　those　who　profess　the　new　religion　regard　　as　the　chief　misconceptions　of　God；　having　put　these　systems　of　　ideas　aside　from　our　explanations；　the　path　is　cleared　for　the　　statement　of　what　God　is。　　Since　language　springs　entirely　from　　material；　spatial　things；　there　is　always　an　element　of　metaphor　in　　theological　statement。　　So　that　I　have　not　called　this　chapter　the　　Nature　of　God；　but　the　Likeness　of　God。　And　firstly；　GOD　IS　COURAGE。

2。　GOD　IS　A　PERSON

And　next　GOD　IS　A　PERSON。　Upon　this　point　those　who　are　beginning　to　profess　modern　religion　　are　very　insistent。　　It　is；　they　declare；　the　central　article；　the　　axis；　of　their　religion。　　God　is　a　person　who　can　be　known　as　one　　knows　a　friend；　who　can　be　served　and　who　receives　service；　who　　partakes　of　our　nature；　who　is；　like　us；　a　being　in　conflict　with　　the　unknown　and　the　limitless　and　the　forces　of　death；　who　values　　much　that　we　value　and　is　against　much　that　we　are　pitted　against。　　　He　is　our　king　to　whom　we　must　be　loyal；　he　is　our　captain；　and　to　　know　him　is　to　have　a　direction　in　our　lives。　　He　feels　us　and　knows　　us；　he　is　helped　and　gladdened　by　us。　　He　hopes　and　attempts。　。　。　。　　　God　is　no　abstraction　nor　trick　of　words；　no　Infinite。　　He　is　as　　real　as　a　bayonet　thrust　or　an　embrace。　Now　this　is　where　those　who　have　left　the　old　creeds　and　come　asking　　about　the　new　realisations　find　their　chief　difficulty。　　They　say；　　Show　us　this　person；　let　us　hear　him。　　（If　they　listen　to　the　　silences　within；　presently　they　will　hear　him。）　　But　when　one　　argues；　one　finds　oneself　suddenly　in　the　net　of　those　ancient　　controversies　between　species　and　individual；　between　the　one　and　　the　many；　which　arise　out　of　the　necessarily　imperfect　methods　of　　the　human　mind。　　Upon　these　matters　there　has　been　much　pregnant　　writing　during　the　last　half　century。　　Such　ideas　as　this　writer　has　　to　offer　are　to　be　found　in　a　previous　little　book　of　his；　〃First　　and　Last　Things；〃　in　which；　writing　as　one　without　authority　or　　specialisation　in　logic　and　philosophy；　as　an　ordinary　man　vividly　　interested；　for　others　in　a　like　case；　he　was　at　some　pains　to　　elucidate　the　imperfections　of　this　instrument　of　ours；　this　mind；　　by　which　we　must　seek　and　explain　and　reach　up　to　God。　　Suffice　it　　here　to　say　that　theological　discussion　may　very　easily　become　like　　the　vision　of　a　man　with　cataract；　a　mere　projection　of　inherent　　imperfections。　　If　we　do　not　use　our　phraseology　with　a　certain　　courage；　and　take　that　of　those　who　are　trying　to　convey　their　ideas　　to　us　with　a　certain　politeness　and　charity；　there　is　no　end　　possible　to　any　discussion　in　so　subtle　and　intimate　a　matter　as　　theology　but　assertions；　denials；　and　wranglings。　　And　about　this　　word　〃person〃　it　is　necessary　to　be　as　clear　and　explicit　as　　possible；　though　perfect　clearness；　a　definition　of　mathematical　　sharpness；　is　by　the　very　nature　of　the　case　impossible。　Now　when　we　speak　of　a　person　or　an　individual　we　think　typically　of　　a　man；　and　we　forget　that　he　was　once　an　embryo　and　will　presently　　decay；　we　forget　that　he　came　of　two　people　and　may　beget　many；　that　　he　has　forgotten　much　and　will　forget　more；　that　he　can　be　confused；　　divided　against　himself；　delirious；　drunken；　drugged；　or　asleep。　　On　　the　contrary　we　are；　in　our　hasty　way　of　thinking　of　him；　apt　to　　suppose　him　continuous；　definite；　acting　consistently　and　never　　forgetting。　　But　only　abstract　and　theoretical　persons　are　like　　that。　　We　couple　with　him　the　idea　of　a　body。　　Indeed；　in　the　common　　use　of　the　word　〃person〃　there　is　more　thought　of　body　than　of　mind。　　　We　speak　of　a　lover　possessing　the　person　of　his　mistress。　　We　speak　　of　offences　against　the　person　as　opposed　to　insults；　libels；　or　　offences　against　property。　　And　the　gods　of　primitive　men　and　the　　earlier　civilisations　were　quite　of　that　quality　of　person。　　They　　were　thought　of　as　living　in　very　splendid　bodies　and　as　acting　　consistently。　　If　they　were　invisible　in　the　ordinary　world　it　was　　because　they　were　aloof　or　because　their　〃persons〃　were　too　splendid　　for　weak　human　eyes。　　Moses　was　permitted　a　mitigated　view　of　the　　person　of　the　Hebrew　God　on　Mount　Horeb；　and　Semele；　who　insisted　　upon　seeing　Zeus　in　the　glories　that　were　sacred　to　Juno；　was　　utterly　consumed。　　The　early　Islamic　conception　of　God；　like　the　　conception　of　most　honest；　simple　Christians　to…day；　was　clearly；　in　　spite　of　the　theologians；　of　a　very　exalted　anthropomorphic　　personality　away　somewhere　in　Heaven。　　The　personal　appearance　of　　the　Christian　God　is　described　in　The　Revelation；　and　however　much　　that　description　may　be　explained　away　by　commentators　as　　symbolical；　it　is　certainly　taken　by　most　straightforward　believers　　as　a　statement　of　concrete　reality。　　Now　if　we　are　going　to　insist　　upon　this　primary　meaning　of　person　and　individual；　then　certainly　　God　as　he　is　now　conceived　is　not　a　person　and　not　an　individual。　　　The　true　God　will　never　promenade　an　Eden　or　a　Heaven；　nor　sit　upon　　a　throne。　But　current　Christianity；　modern　developments　of　Islam；　much　Indian　　theological　thoughtthat；　for　instance；　which　has　found　such　　delicate　and　attractive　expression　in　the　devotional　poetry　of　　Rabindranath　Tagorehas　long　since　abandoned　this　anthropomorphic　　insistence　upon　a　body。　　From　the　earliest　ages　man's　mind　has　found　　little　or　no　difficulty　in　the　idea　of　something　essential　to　the　　personality；　a　soul　or　a　spirit　or　both；　existing　apart　from　the　　body　and　continuing　after　the　destruction　of　the　body；　and　being　　still　a　person　and　an　individual。　　From　this　it　is　a　small　step　to　　the　thought　of　a　person　existing　independently　of　any　existing　or　　pre…existing　body。　　That　is　the　idea　of　theological　Christianity；　as　　distinguished　from　the　Christianity　of　simple　faith。　　The　Triune　　Personsomnipresent；　omniscient；　and　omnipotentexist　for　all　　time；　superior　to　and　independent　of　matter。　　They　are　supremely　　disembodied。　　One　became　incarnateas　a　wind　eddy　might　take　up　a　　whirl　of　dust。　。　。　。　　Those　who　profess　modern　religion　conceive　　that　this　is　an　excessive　abstraction　of　the　idea　of　spirituality；　a　　disembodiment　of　the　idea　of　personality　beyond　the　limits　of　the　　conceivable；　nevertheless　they　accept　the　conception　that　a　person；　　a　spiritual　individual；　may　be　without　an　ordinary　mortal　body。　。　。　。　　　They　declare　that　God　is　without　any　specific　body；　that　he　is　　immaterial；　that　he　can　affect　the　material　universeand　that　means　　that　he　can　only　reach　our　sight；　our　hearing；　our　touchthrough　　the　bodies　of　those　who　believe　in　him　and　serve　him。　His　nature　is　of　the　nature　of　thought　and　will。　　Not　only　has　he；　　in　his　essence；　nothing　to　do　with　matter；　but　nothing　to　do　with　　space。　　He　is　not　of　matter　nor　of　space。　　He　comes　into　them。　　　Since　the　period　when　all　the　great　theologies　that　prevail　to…day　　were　developed；　there　have　been　great　changes　in　the　ideas　of　men　　towards　the　dimensions　of　time　and　space。　　We　owe　to　Kant　the　　release　from　the　rule　of　these　ideas　as　essential　ideas。　　Our　modern　　psychology　is　alive　to　the　possibility　of　Being　that　has　no　　extension　in　space　at　all；　even　as　our　speculative　geometry　can　　entertain　the　possibility　of　dimensionsfourth；　fifth；　Nth　　dimensionsoutside　the　three…dimensional　universe　of　our　　experience。　　And　God　being　non…spatial　is　not　thereby　banished　to　an　　infinite　remoteness；　but　brought　nearer　to　us；　he　is　everywhere　　immediately　at　hand；　even　as　a　fourth　d