god the invisible king-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


o。　　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　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　corr