god the invisible king-及13准
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!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
SE BONES。 The disputes in theoryI do not say the difference in reality between the modern believer and the atheist or agnosticbecomes at times almost as impalpable as that subtle discussion dear to students of physics察whether the scientific ;ether; is real or a formula。 Every material phenomenon is consonant with and helps to define this ether察which permeates and sustains and is all things察 which nevertheless is perceptible to no sense察which is reached only by an intellectual process。 Most minds are disposed to treat this ether as a reality。 But the acutely critical mind insists that what is only so attainable by inference is not real察it is no more than ;a formula that satisfies all phenomena。; But if it comes to that察am I anything more than the formula that satisfies all my forms of consciousness拭Intellectually there is hardly anything more than a certain will to believe察to divide the religious man who knows God to be utterly real察from the man who says that God is merely a formula to satisfy moral and spiritual phenomena。 The former has encountered him察the other has as yet felt only unassigned impulses。 One says God's will is so察the other that Right is so。 One says God moves me to do this or that察the other the Good Will in me which I share with you and all well´disposed men察moves me to do this or that。 But the former makes an exterior reference and escapes a risk of self´ righteousness。 I have recently been reading a book by Mr。 Joseph McCabe called ;The Tyranny of Shams察─in which he displays very typically this curious tendency to a sort of religion with God ;blacked out。; His is an extremely interesting case。 He is a writer who was formerly a Roman Catholic priest察and in his reaction from Catholicism he displays a resolution even sterner than Professor Metchnikoff's察to deny that anything religious or divine can exist察that there can be any aim in life except happiness察or any guide but ;science。; Butand here immediately he turns east againhe is careful not to say ;individual happiness。; And he says ;Pleasure is察as Epicureans insisted察only a part of a large ideal of happiness。; So he lets the happiness of devotion and sacrifice creep in。 So he opens indefinite possibilities of getting away from any merely materialistic rule of life。 And he writes
;In every civilised nation the mass of the people are inert and indifferent。 Some even make a pretence of justifying their inertness。 Why察they ask察should we stir at all拭 Is there such a thing as a duty to improve the earth拭 What is the meaning or purpose of life拭 Or has it a purpose拭 One generally finds that this kind of reasoning is merely a piece of controversial athletics or a thin excuse for idleness。 People tell you that the conflict of science and religionit would be better to say察the conflict of modern culture and ancient traditionshas robbed life of its plain significance。 The men who察 like Tolstoi察seriously urge this point fail to appreciate the modern outlook on life。 Certainly modern culturescience察history察 philosophy察and artfinds no purpose in life此that is to say察no purpose eternally fixed and to be discovered by man。 A great chemist said a few years ago that he could imagine 'a series of lucky accidents'the chance blowing by the wind of certain chemicals into pools on the primitive earthaccounting for the first appearance of life察and one might not unjustly sum up the influences which have lifted those early germs to the level of conscious beings as a similar series of lucky accidents。 ;But it is sheer affectation to say that this demoralises us。 If there is no purpose impressed on the universe察or prefixed to the development of humanity察it follows only that humanity may choose its own purpose and set up its own goal察and the most elementary sense of order will teach us that this choice must be social察not merely individual。 In whatever measure ill´controlled individuals may yield to personal impulses or attractions察the aim of the race must be a collective aim。 I do not mean an austere demand of self´ sacrifice from the individual察but an adjustmentas genial and generous as possibleof individual variations for common good。 Otherwise life becomes discordant and futile察and the pain and waste react on each individual。 So we raise again察in the twentieth century察the old question of 'the greatest good' which men discussed in the Stoa Poikile and the suburban groves of Athens察in the cool atria of patrician mansions on the Palatine and the Pincian察in the Museum at Alexandria察and the schools which Omar Khayyam frequented察in the straw´strewn schools of the Middle Ages and the opulent chambers of Cosimo dei Medici。;
And again
;The old dream of a co´operative effort to improve life察to bring happiness to as many minds of mortals as we can reach察shines above all the mists of the day。 Through the ruins of creeds and philosophies察which have for ages disdained it察we are retracing our steps toward that heightjust as the Athenians did two thousand years ago。 It rests on no metaphysic察no sacred legend察no disputable traditionnothing that scepticism can corrode or advancing knowledge undermine。 Its foundations are the fundamental and unchanging impulses of our nature。;
And again
;The revolt which burns in so much of the abler literature of our time is an unselfish revolt察or non´selfish revolt此it is an outcome of that larger spirit which conceives the self to be a part of the general social organism察and it is therefore neither egoistic nor altruistic。 It finds a sanction in the new intelligence察and an inspiration in the finer sentiments of our generation察but the glow which chiefly illumines it is the glow of the great vision of a happier earth。 It speaks of the claims of truth and justice察and assails untruth and injustice察for these are elemental principles of social life察but it appeals more confidently to the warmer sympathy which is linking the scattered children of the race察and it urges all to co´operate in the restriction of suffering and the creation of happiness。 The advance guard of the race察the men and women in whom mental alertness is associated with fine feeling察cry that they have reached Pisgah's slope and in increasing numbers men and women are pressing on to see if it be really the Promised Land。;
;Pisgahthe Promised Land ─ Mr。 McCabe in that passage sounds as if he were half´way to ;Oh Beulah Land ─and the tambourine。 That ;larger spirit察─we maintain察is God察those ;impulses; are the power of God察and Mr。 McCabe serves a Master he denies。 He has but to realise fully that God is not necessarily the Triune God of the Catholic Church察and banish his intense suspicion that he may yet be lured back to that altar he abandoned察he has but to look up from that preoccupation察and immediately he will begin to realise the presence of Divinity。
3。 GOD IS AN EXTERNAL REALITY
It may be argued that if atheists and agnostics when they set themselves to express the good will that is in them察do shape out God察that if their conception of right living falls in so completely with the conception of God's service as to be broadly identical察 then indeed God察like the ether of scientific speculation察is no more than a theory察no more than an imaginative externalisation of man's inherent good will。 Why trouble about God then拭 Is not the declaration of a good disposition a sufficient evidence of salvation拭 What is the difference between such benevolent unbelievers as Professor Metchnikoff or Mr。 McCabe and those who have found God拭The difference is this察that the benevolent atheist stands alone upon his own good will察without a reference察without a standard察 trusting to his own impulse to goodness察relying upon his own moral strength。 A certain immodesty察a certain self´righteousness察hangs like a precipice above him察incalculable temptations open like gulfs beneath his feet。 He has not really given himself or got away from himself。 He has no one to whom he can give himself。 He is still a masterless man。 His exaltation is self´centred察is priggishness察 his fall is unrestrained by any exterior obligation。 His devotion is only the good will in himself察a disposition察it is a mood that may change。 At any moment it may change。 He may have pledged himself to his own pride and honour察but who will hold him to his bargain拭 He has no source of strength beyond his own amiable sentiments察his conscience speaks with an unsupported voice察and no one watches while he sleeps。 He cannot pray察he can but ejaculate。 He has no real and living link with other men of good will。 And those whose acquiescence in the idea of God is merely intellectual are in no better case than those who deny God altogether。 They may have all the forms of truth and not divinity。 The religion of the atheist with a God´shaped blank at its heart and the persuasion of the unconverted theologian察are both like lamps unlit。 The lit lamp has no difference in form from the lamp unlit。 But the lit lamp is alive and the lamp unlit is asleep or dead。 The difference between the unconverted and the unbeliever