god the invisible king-第15节

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　　Why　should　gregariousness　drive　a　man　to　God　　rather　than　to　the　third…class　carriage　and　the　public…house？　　Why　　should　gregariousness　drive　men　out　of　crowded　Egyptian　cities　into　　the　cells　of　the　Thebaid？　　Schopenhauer　in　a　memorable　passage　　（about　the　hedgehogs　who　assembled　for　warmth）　is　flatly　opposed　to　　Professor　Murray；　and　seems　far　more　plausible　when　he　declares　that　　the　nature　of　man　is　insufficiently　gregarious。　　The　parallel　with　　the　dog　is　not　a　valid　one。　Does　not　the　truth　lie　rather　in　the　supposition　that　it　is　not　the　　Friend　that　is　the　instinctive　delusion　but　the　isolation？　　Is　not　　the　real　deception；　our　belief　that　we　are　completely　　individualised；　and　is　it　not　possible　that　this　that　Professor　　Murray　calls　〃instinct〃　is　really　not　a　vestige　but　a　new　thing　　arising　out　of　our　increasing　understanding；　an　intellectual　　penetration　to　that　greater　being　of　the　species；　that　vine；　of　　which　we　are　the　branches？　　Why　should　not　the　soul　of　the　species；　　many　faceted　indeed；　be　nevertheless　a　soul　like　our　own？　Here；　as　in　the　case　of　Professor　Metchnikoff；　and　in　many　other　　cases　of　atheism；　it　seems　to　me　that　nothing　but　an　inadequate　　understanding　of　individuation　bars　the　way　to　at　least　the　　intellectual　recognition　of　the　true　God。

6。　RELIGION　AS　ETHICS

And　while　I　am　dealing　with　rationalists；　let　me　note　certain　recent　　interesting　utterances　of　Sir　Harry　Johnston's。　　You　will　note　that　　while　in　this　book　we　use　the　word　〃God〃　to　indicate　the　God　of　the　　Heart；　Sir　Harry　uses　〃God〃　for　that　idea　of　God…of…the…Universe；　　which　we　have　spoken　of　as　the　Infinite　Being。　　This　use　of　the　word　　〃God〃　is　of　late　theological　origin；　the　original　identity　of　the　　words　〃good〃　and　〃god〃　and　all　the　stories　of　the　gods　are　against　　him。　　But　Sir　Harry　takes　up　God　only　to　define　him　away　into　　incomprehensible　necessity。　　Thus：

〃We　know　absolutely　nothing　concerning　the　Force　we　call　God；　and；　　assuming　such　an　intelligent　ruling　force　to　be　in　existence；　　permeating　this　universe　of　millions　of　stars　and　（no　doubt）　tens　of　　millions　of　planets；　we　do　not　know　under　what　conditions　and　　limitations　It　works。　　We　are　quite　entitled　to　assume　that　the　end　　of　such　an　influence　is　intended　to　be　order　out　of　chaos；　happiness　　and　perfection　out　of　incompleteness　and　misery；　and　we　are　entitled　　to　identify　the　reactionary　forces　of　brute　Nature　with　the　　anthropomorphic　Devil　of　primitive　religions；　the　power　of　darkness　　resisting　the　power　of　light。　　But　in　these　conjectures　we　must　　surely　come　to　the　conclusion　that　the　theoretical　potency　we　call　　'God'　makes　endless　experiments；　and　scrap…heaps　the　failures。　　　Think　of　the　Dinosaurs　and　the　expenditure　of　creative　energy　that　　went　to　their　differentiation　and　their　wellnigh　incredible　physical　　development。　。　。　。　〃To　such　a　Divine　Force　as　we　postulate；　the　whole　development　and　　perfecting　of　life　on　this　planet；　the　whole　production　of　man；　may　　seem　little　more　than　to　any　one　of　us　would　be　the　chipping　out；　　the　cutting；　the　carving；　and　the　polishing　of　a　gem；　and　we　should　　feel　as　little　remorse　or　pity　for　the　scattered　dust　and　fragments　　as　must　the　Creative　Force　of　the　immeasurably　vast　universe　feel　　for　the　DISJECTA　MEMBRA　of　perfected　life　on　this　planet。　。　。　。〃

But　thence　he　goes　on　to　a　curiously　imperfect　treatment　of　the　God　　of　man　as　if　he　consisted　in　nothing　more　than　some　vague　sort　of　　humanitarianism。　　Sir　Harry's　ideas　are　much　less　thoroughly　thought　　out　than　those　of　any　other　of　these　sceptical　writers　I　have　　quoted。　　On　that　account　they　are　perhaps　more　typical。　　He　speaks　　as　though　Christ　were　simply　an　eminent　but　illreported　and　　abominably　served　teacher　of　ethicsand　yet　of　the　only　right　ideal　　and　ethics。　　He　speaks　as　though　religions　were　nothing　more　than　　ethical　movements；　and　as　though　Christianity　were　merely　someone　　remarking　with　a　bright　impulsiveness　that　everything　was　simply　　horrid；　and　so；　〃Let　us　instal　loving　kindness　as　a　cardinal　axiom。　　　　He　ignores　altogether　the　fundamental　essential　of　religion；　which　　is　THE　DEVELOPMENT　AND　SYNTHESIS　OF　THE　DIVERGENT　AND　CONFLICTING　　MOTIVES　OF　THE　UNCONVERTED　LIFE；　AND　THE　IDENTIFICATION　OF　THE　　INDIVIDUAL　LIFE　WITH　THE　IMMORTAL　PURPOSE　OF　GOD。　　He　presents　a　　conception　of　religion　relieved　of　its　〃nonsense〃　as　the　cheerful　　self…determination　of　a　number　of　bright　little　individuals　（much　　stirred　but　by　no　means　overcome　by　Cosmic　Pity）　to　the　Service　of　　Man。　　As　he　seems　to　present　it；　it　is　as　outward　a　thing；　it　goes　　as　little　into　the　intimacy　of　their　lives；　as　though　they　had　after　　proper　consideration　agreed　to　send　a　subscription　to　a　Red　Cross　　Ambulance　or　take　part　in　a　public　demonstration　against　the　　Armenian　Massacres；　or　do　any　other　rather　nice…spirited　exterior　　thing。　　This　is　what　he　says：

〃I　hope　that　the　religion　of　the　future　will　devote　itself　wholly　to　　the　Service　of　Man。　　It　can　do　so　without　departing　from　the　　Christian　ideal　and　Christian　ethics。　　It　need　only　drop　all　that　is　　silly　and　disputable；　and　'mattering　not　neither　here　nor　there；'　of　　Christian　theologya　theology　virtually　absent　from　the　direct　　teaching　of　Christand　all　of　Judaistic　literature　or　prescriptions　　not　made　immortal　in　their　application　by　unassailable　truth　and　by　　the　confirmation　of　science。　　An　excellent　remedy　for　the　nonsense　　which　still　clings　about　religion　may　be　found　in　two　books：　Cotter　　Monson's　'Service　of　Man；'　which　was　published　as　long　ago　as　1887；　　and　has　since　been　re…issued　by　the　Rationalist　Press　Association　in　　its　well…known　sixpenny　series；　and　J。　Allanson　Picton's　'Man　and　　the　Bible。'　　Similarly；　those　who　wish　to　acquire　a　sane　view　of　the　　relations　between　man　and　God　would　do　well　to　read　Winwood　Reade's　　'Martyrdom　of　Man。'〃

Sir　Harry　in　fact　clears　the　ground　for　God　very　ably；　and　then　　makes　a　well…meaning　gesture　in　the　vacant　space。　　There　is　no　help　　nor　strength　in　his　gesture　unless　God　is　there。　　Without　God；　the　　〃Service　of　Man〃　is　no　better　than　a　hobby　or　a　sentimentality　or　an　　hypocrisy　in　the　undisciplined　prison　of　the　mortal　life。

CHAPTER　THE　FIFTH　THE　INVISIBLE　KING

1。　MODERN　RELIGION　A　POLITICAL　RELIGION

The　conception　of　a　young　and　energetic　God；　an　Invisible　Prince　　growing　in　strength　and　wisdom；　who　calls　men　and　women　to　his　　service　and　who　gives　salvation　from　self　and　mortality　only　through　　self…abandonment　to　his　service；　necessarily　involves　a　demand　for　a　　complete　revision　and　fresh　orientation　of　the　life　of　the　convert。　God　faces　the　blackness　of　the　Unknown　and　the　blind　joys　and　　confusions　and　cruelties　of　Life；　as　one　who　leads　mankind　through　a　　dark　jungle　to　a　great　conquest。　　He　brings　mankind　not　rest　but　a　　sword。　　It　is　plain　that　he　can　admit　no　divided　control　of　the　　world　he　claims。　　He　concedes　nothing　to　Caesar。　　In　our　philosophy　　there　are　no　human　things　that　are　God's　and　others　that　are　　Caesar's。　　Those　of　the　new　thought　cannot　render　unto　God　the　　things　that　are　God's；　and　to　Caesar　the　things　that　are　Caesar's。　　　Whatever　claim　Caesar　may　make　to　rule　men's　lives　and　direct　their　　destinies　outside　the　will　of　God；　is　a　usurpation。　　No　king　nor　　Caesar　has　any　right　to　tax　or　to　service　or　to　tolerance；　except　he　　claim　as　one　who　holds　for　and　under　God。　　And　he　must　make　good　his　　claim。　　The　steps　of　the　altar　of　the　God　of　Youth　are　no　safe　place　　for　the　sacrilegious　figure　of　a　king。　　Who　claims　〃divine　right〃　　plays　with　the　lightning。　The　new　conceptions　do　not　tolerate　either　kings　or　aristocracies　or　　democracies。　　Its　implicit　command　to　all　its　adherents　is　to　make　　plain　the　way　to　the　world　theocracy。　　Its　rule　of　life　is　the　　discovery　and　service　of　the　will　of　God；　which　dwells　in　the　hearts　　of　men；　and　the　performance　of　that　will；　not　only　in　the　private　　life　of　the　believer　but　in　the　acts　and　order　of　the　state　and　　nation　of　which　he　is　a　part。　　I　give　myself　to　God　not　only　because　　I　am　so　and　so　but　because　I　am　mankind。　　I　become　in　a　measure　　responsible　for　every　evil　in　the　world　of　men。　　I　become　a　knight　　in　God's　service。　　I　become　my　brother's　keeper。　　I　become　a　　responsible　minister　of　my　King。　　I　take　sides　against　injustice；　　disorder；　and　against　all　those　temporal　kings；　emperors；　princes；　　landlords；　and　owners；　who　set　themselves　up　against　God's　rule　and　　worship。　　Kings；　owners；　and　all　who　claim　rule　and　decisions　in　the　　world's　affairs；　must　either　show　themselves　clearly　the　fellow…　servants　of　the　believer　or　become　the　objects　of　his　steadfast　　antagonism。

2。　THE　WILL　OF　GOD

It　is　here　that　those　who　explain　this　modern　religiosity　will　seem　　most　arbitrary　to　the　inquirer。　　For　they　relate　of　God；　as　men　will　　relate　of　a　close　friend；　his　dispositions；　his　apparent　intentions；　　the　aims　of　his　kingship。　　And　just　as　they　advance　no　proof　　whatever　of　the　existence　of　God　but　their　realisation　of　him；　so　　with　regard　to　these　qualities　and　dispositions　they　have　little　　argument　but　profound　conviction。　　What　they　say　is　this；　that　if　　you　do　not　feel　God　then　there　is　no　persuading　you　of　him；　we　　cannot　win　over　the　incredulous。　　And　what　they　say　of　his　qua