god the known and god the unknown-第9节

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any　diligence。



For　our　forefathers；　though　they　might　and　did　feel　the　existence　

of　a　Personal　God　in　the　world；　yet　could　not　demonstrate　this　

existence；　and　made　mistakes　in　their　endeavour　＇sic＇　to　persuade　

themselves　that　they　understood　thoroughly　a　truth　which　they　had　

as　yet　perceived　only　from　a　long　distance。　　Hence　all　the　

dogmatism　and　theology　of　many　centuries。　　It　was　impossible　for　

them　to　form　a　clear　or　definite　conception　concerning　God　until　

they　had　studied　His　works　more　deeply；　so　as　to　grasp　the　idea　

of　many　animals　of　different　kinds　and　with　no　apparent　

connection　between　them；　being　yet　truly　parts　of　one　and　the　

same　animal　which　comprised　them　in　the　same　way　as　a　tree　

comprises　all　its　buds。　　They　might　speak　of　this　by　a　figure　of　

speech；　but　they　could　not　see　it　as　a　fact。　　Before　this　could　be　

intended　literally；　Evolution　must　be　grasped；　and　not　Evolution　

as　taught　in　what　is　now　commonly　called　Darwinism；　but　the　old　

teleological　Darwinism　of　eighty　years　ago。　　Nor　is　this　again　

sufficient；　for　it　must　be　supplemented　by　a　perception　of　the　

oneness　of　personality　between　parents　and　offspring；　the　

persistence　of　memory　through　all　generations；　the　latency　of　

this　memory　until　rekindled　by　the　recurrence　of　the　associated　

ideas；　and　the　unconsciousness　with　which　repeated　acts　come　to　

be　performed。　　These　are　modern　ideas　which　might　be　caught　sight　

of　now　and　again　by　prophets　in　time　past；　but　which　are　even　now　

mastered　and　held　firmly　only　by　the　few。



When　once；　however；　these　ideas　have　been　accepted；　the　chief　

difference　between　the　orthodox　God　and　the　God　who　can　be　seen　

of　all　men　is；　that　the　first　is　supposed　to　have　existed　from　

all　time；　while　the　second　has　only　lived　for　more　millions　of　

years　than　our　minds　can　reckon　intelligently；　the　first　is　

omnipresent　in　all　space；　while　the　second　is　only　present　in　the　

living　forms　upon　this　earth…that　is　to　say；　is　only　more　widely　

present　than　our　minds　can　intelligently　embrace。　　The　first　is　

omnipotent　and　all…wise；　the　second　is　only　quasi…omnipotent　and　

quasi　all…wise。　　It　is　true；　then；　that　we　deprive　God　of　that　

infinity　which　orthodox　Theologians　have　ascribed　to　Him；　but　the　

bounds　we　leave　Him　are　of　such　incalculable　extent　that　nothing　

can　be　imagined　more　glorious　or　vaster；　and　in　return　for　the　

limitations　we　have　assigned　to　Him；　we　render　it　possible　for　

men　to　believe　in　Him　；　and　love　Him；　not　with　their　lips　only；　

but　with　their　hearts　and　lives。　　



Which；　I　may　now　venture　to　ask　my　readers；　is　the　true　God…the　

God　of　the　Theologian；　or　He　whom　we　may　see　around　us；　and　in　

whose　presence　we　stand　each　hour　and　moment　of　our　lives？　　





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　VIII



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　LIFE　EVERLASTING



Let　us　now　consider　the　life　which　we　can　look　forward　to　with　

certainty　after　death；　and　the　moral　government　of　the　world　here　

on　earth。



If　we　could　hear　the　leaves　complaining　to　one　another　that　they　

must　die；　and　commiserating　the　hardness　of　their　lot　in　having　

ever　been　induced　to　bud　forth；　we　should；　I　imagine；　despise　

them　for　their　peevishness　more　than　we　should　pity　them。　　We　

should　tell　them　that　though　we　could　not　see　reason　for　thinking　

that　they　would　ever　hang　again　upon　the　same…or　any　at　all　

similar…bough　as　the　same　individual　leaves；　after　they　had　once　

faded　and　fallen　off；　yet　that　as　they　had　been　changing　

personalities　without　feeling　it　during　the　whole　of　their　

leafhood；　so　they　would　on　death　continue　to　do　this　selfsame　

thing　by　entering　into　new　phases　of　life。　　True；　death　will　

deprive　them　of　conscious　memory　concerning　their　now　current　

life；　but；　though　they　die　as　leaves；　they　live　in　the　tree　whom　

they　have　helped　to　vivify；　and　whose　growth　and　continued　well…

being　is　due　solely　to　this　life　and　death　of　its　component　

personalities。



We　consider　the　cells　which　are　born　and　die　within　us　yearly　to　

have　been　sufficiently　honoured　＇sic＇　in　having　contributed　their　

quotum　to　our　life；　why　should　we　have　such　difficulty　in　seeing　

that　a　healthy　enjoyment　and　employment　of　our　life　will　give　us　

a　sufficient　reward　in　that　growth　of　God　wherein　we　may　live　

more　truly　and　effectually　after　death　than　we　have　lived　when　we　

were　conscious　of　existence？　　Is　Handel　dead　when　he　influences　

and　sets　in　motion　more　human　beings　in　three　months　now　than　

during　the　whole；　probably；　of　the　years　in　which　he　thought　that　

he　was　alive？　What　is　being　alive　if　the　power　to　draw　men　for　

many　miles　in　order　that　they　may　put　themselves　en　

rapport　with　him　is　not　being　so？　True；　Handel　no　longer　

knows　the　power　which　he　has　over　us；　but　this　is　a　small　matter；　

he　no　longer　animates　six　feet　of　flesh　and　blood；　but　he　lives　

in　us　as　the　dead　leaf　lives　in　the　tree。　　He　is　with　God；　and　God　

knows　him　though　he　knows　himself　no　more。



This　should　suffice；　and　I　observe　in　practice　does　suffice；　for　

all　reasonable　persons。　　It　may　be　said　that　one　day　the　tree　

itself　must　die；　and　the　leaves　no　longer　live　therein；　and　so；　

also；　that　the　very　God　or　Life　of　the　World　will　one　day　perish；　

as　all　that　is　born　must　surely　in　the　end　die。　　But　they　who　fret　

upon　such　grounds　as　this　must　be　in　so　much　want　of　a　grievance　

that　it　were　a　cruelty　to　rob　them　of　one：　if　a　man　who　is　fond　

of　music　tortures　himself　on　the　ground　that　one　day　all　possible　

combinations　and　permutations　of　sounds　will　have　been　exhausted　

so　that　there　can　be　no　more　new　tunes；　the　only　thing　we　can　do　

with　him　is　to　pity　him　and　leave　him；　nor　is　there　any　better　

course　than　this　to　take　with　those　idle　people　who　worry　them

selves　and　others　on　the　score　that　they　will　one　day　be　unable　

to　remember　the　small　balance　of　their　lives　that　they　have　not　

already　forgotten　as　unimportant　to　them…that　they　will　one　day　

die　to　the　balance　of　what　they　have　not　already　died　to。　　I　never　

knew　a　well…bred　or　amiable　person　who　complained　seriously　of　

the　fact　that　he　would　have　to　die。　　Granted　we　must　all　some

times　find　ourselves　feeling　sorry　that　we　cannot　remain　for　ever　

at　our　present　age；　and　that　we　may　die　so　much　sooner　than　we　

like；　but　these　regrets　are　passing　with　well…disposed　people；　

and　are　a　sine　qua　non　for　the　existence　of　life　at　all。　　

For　if　people　could　live　for　ever　so　as　to　suffer　from　no　such　

regret；　there　would　be　no　growth　nor　development　in　life；　if；　on　

the　other　hand；　there　were　no　unwillingness　to　die；　people　would　

commit　suicide　upon　the　smallest　contradiction；　and　the　race　

would　end　in　a　twelvemonth。



We　then　offer　immortality；　but　we　do　not　offer　resurrection　from　

the　dead；　we　say　that　those　who　die　live　in　the　Lord　whether　they　

be　just　or　unjust；　and　that　the　present　growth　of　God　is　the　

outcome　of　all　past　lives；　but　we　believe　that　as　they　live　in　

God…in　the　effect　they　have　produced　upon　the　universal　life…when　

once　their　individual　life　is　ended；　so　it　is　God　who　knows　of　

their　life　thenceforward　and　not　themselves；　and　we　urge　that　

this　immortality；　this　entrance　into　the　joy　of　the　Lord；　this　

being　ever　with　God；　is　true；　and　can　be　apprehended　by　all　men；　

and　that　the　perception　of　it　should　and　will　tend　to　make　them　

lead　happier；　healthier　lives；　whereas　the　commonly　received　

opinion　is　true　with　a　stage　truth　only；　and　has　little　permanent　

effect　upon　those　who　are　best　worth　considering。　　Nevertheless　

the　expressions　in　common　use　among　the　orthodox　fit　in　so　

perfectly　with　facts；　which　we　must　all　acknowledge；　that　it　is　

impossible　not　to　regard　the　expressions　as　founded　upon　a　

prophetic　perception　of　the　facts。



Two　things　stand　out　with　sufficient　clearness。　　The　first　is　the　

rarity　of　suicide　even　among　those　who　rail　at　life　most　

bitterly。　　The　other　is　the　little　eagerness　with　which　those　who　

cry　out　most　loudly　for　a　resurrection　desire　to　begin　their　new　

life。　　When　comforting　a　husband　upon　the　loss　of　his　wife　we　do　

not　tell　him　we　hope　he　will　soon　join　her；　but　we　should　

certainly　do　this　if　we　could　even　pretend　we　thought　the　husband　

would　like　it。　　I　can　never　remember　having　felt　or　witnessed　any　

pain；　bodily　or　mental；　which　would　have　made　me　or　anyone　else　

receive　a　suggestion　that　we　had　better　commit　suicide　without　

indignantly　asking　how　our　adviser　would　like　to　commit　suicide　

himself。　　Yet　there　are　so　many　and　such　easy　ways　of　dying　that　

indignation　at　being　advised　to　commit　suicide　arises　more　from　

enjoyment　of　life　than　from　fear　of　the　mere　physical　pain　of　

dying。　　Granted　that　there　is　much　deplorable　pain　in　the　world　

from　ill…health；　loss　of　money；　loss　of　reputation；　misconduct　of　

those　nearest　to　us；　or　what　not；　and　granted　that　in　some　cases　

these　causes　do　drive　men　t