god the invisible king-第3部分

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e　quintessence　　of　the　religious　experience；　it　was　the　True　God　that　answered　them。　　　For　the　True　God　is　a　generous　God；　not　a　jealous　God；　the　very　　antithesis　of　that　bickering　monopolist　who　〃will　have　none　other　　gods　but　Me〃；　and　when　a　human　heart　cries　outto　what　name　it　　matters　notfor　a　larger　spirit　and　a　stronger　help　than　the　　visible　things　of　life　can　give；　straightway　the　nameless　Helper　is　　with　it　and　the　God　of　Man　answers　to　the　call。　　The　True　God　has　no　　scorn　nor　hate　for　those　who　have　accepted　the　many…handed　symbols　　of　the　Hindu　or　the　lacquered　idols　of　China。　　Where　there　is　faith；　　where　there　is　need；　there　is　the　True　God　ready　to　clasp　the　hands　　that　stretch　out　seeking　for　him　into　the　darkness　behind　the　ivory　　and　gold。　The　fact　that　God　is　FINITE　is　one　upon　which　those　who　think　　clearly　among　the　new　believers　are　very　insistent。　　He　is；　above　　everything　else；　a　personality；　and　to　be　a　personality　is　to　have　　characteristics；　to　be　limited　by　characteristics；　he　is　a　Being；　　not　us　but　dealing　with　us　and　through　us；　he　has　an　aim　and　that　　means　he　has　a　past　and　future；　he　is　within　time　and　not　outside　　it。　　And　they　point　out　that　this　is　really　what　everyone　who　prays　　sincerely　to　God　or　gets　help　from　God；　feels　and　believes。　　Our　　practice　with　God　is　better　than　our　theory。　　None　of　us　really　pray　　to　that　fantastic；　unqualified　danse　a　trois；　the　Trinity；　which　the　　wranglings　and　disputes　of　the　worthies　of　Alexandria　and　Syria　　declared　to　be　God。　　We　pray　to　one　single　understanding　person。　　　But　so　far　the　tactics　of　those　Trinitarians　at　Nicaea；　who　stuck　　their　fingers　in　their　ears；　have　prevailed　in　this　world；　this　was　　no　matter　for　discussion；　they　declared；　it　was　a　Holy　Mystery　full　　of　magical　terror；　and　few　religious　people　have　thought　it　worth　　while　to　revive　these　terrors　by　a　definite　contradiction。　　The　　truly　religious　have　been　content　to　lapse　quietly　into　the　　comparative　sanity　of　an　unformulated　Arianism；　they　have　left　it　to　　the　scoffing　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　　Unc