god the invisible king-第25节

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ance；　moreover；　is　the　beginning　and　essential　of　the　　religious　life；　and　organisations　（acting　through　their　secretaries　　and　officials）　never　repent。　　God　deals　only　with　the　individual　for　　the　individual's　surrender。　　He　takes　no　cognisance　of　committees。　Those　who　are　most　alive　to　the　realities　of　living　religion　are　　most　mistrustful　of　this　congregating　tendency。　　To　gather　together　　is　to　purchase　a　benefit　at　the　price　of　a　greater　loss；　to　　strengthen　one's　sense　of　brotherhood　by　excluding　the　majority　of　　mankind。　　Before　you　know　where　you　are　you　will　have　exchanged　the　　spirit　of　God　for　ESPRIT　DE　CORPS。　　You　will　have　reinvented　the　　SYMBOL；　you　will　have　begun　to　keep　anniversaries　and　establish　　sacramental　ceremonies。　　The　disposition　to　form　cliques　and　exclude　　and　conspire　against　unlike　people　is　all　too　strong　in　humanity；　to　　permit　of　its　formal　encouragement。　　Even　such　organisation　as　is　　implied　by　a　creed　is　to　be　avoided；　for　all　living　faith　coagulates　　as　you　phrase　it。　　In　this　book　I　have　not　given　so　much　as　a　　definite　name　to　the　faith　of　the　true　God。　　Organisation　for　　worship　and　collective　exaltation　also；　it　may　be　urged；　is　of　　little　manifest　good。　　You　cannot　appoint　beforehand　a　time　and　　place　for　God　to　irradiate　your　soul。　All　these　are　very　valid　objections　to　the　church…forming　　disposition。

4。　ORGANISATIONS　UNDER　GOD

Yet　still　this　leaves　many　dissatisfied。　　They　want　to　shout　out　　about　God。　　They　want　to　share　this　great　thing　with　all　mankind。　Why　should　they　not　shout　and　share？　Let　them　express　all　that　they　desire　to　express　in　their　own　　fashion　by　themselves　or　grouped　with　their　friends　as　they　will。　　　Let　them　shout　chorally　if　they　are　so　disposed。　　Let　them　work　in　a　　gang　if　so　they　can　work　the　better。　　But　let　them　guard　themselves　　against　the　idea　that　they　can　have　God　particularly　or　exclusively　　with　them　in　any　such　undertaking。　　Or　that　so　they　can　express　God　　rather　than　themselves。　That　I　think　states　the　attitude　of　the　modern　spirit　towards　the　　idea　of　a　church。　　Mankind　passes　for　ever　out　of　the　idolatry　of　　altars；　away　from　the　obscene　rites　of　circumcision　and　symbolical　　cannibalism；　beyond　the　sway　of　the　ceremonial　priest。　　But　if　the　　modern　spirit　holds　that　religion　cannot　be　organised　or　any　　intermediary　thrust　between　God　and　man；　that　does　not　preclude　　infinite　possibilities　of　organisation　and　collective　action　UNDER　　God　and　within　the　compass　of　religion。　　There　is　no　reason　why　　religious　men　should　not　band　themselves　the　better　to　attain　　specific　ends。　　To　borrow　a　term　from　British　politics；　there　is　no　　objection　to　AD　HOC　organisations。　　The　objection　lies　not　against　　subsidiary　organisations　for　service　but　against　organisations　that　　may　claim　to　be　comprehensive。　For　example　there　is　no　reason　why　one　should　notand　in　many　cases　　there　are　good　reasons　why　one　shouldorganise　or　join　associations　　for　the　criticism　of　religious　ideas；　an　employment　that　may　pass　　very　readily　into　propaganda。　Many　people　feel　the　need　of　prayer　to　resist　the　evil　in　themselves　　and　to　keep　them　in　mind　of　divine　emotion。　　And　many　want　not　　merely　prayer　but　formal　prayer　and　the　support　of　others；　praying　　in　unison。　　The　writer　does　not　understand　this　desire　or　need　for　　collective　prayer　very　well；　but　there　are　people　who　appear　to　do　　so　and　there　is　no　reason　why　they　should　not　assemble　for　that　　purpose。　　And　there　is　no　doubt　that　divine　poetry；　divine　maxims；　　religious　thought　finely　expressed；　may　be　heard；　rehearsed；　　collected；　published；　and　distributed　by　associations。　　The　desire　　for　expression　implies　a　sort　of　assembly；　a　hearer　at　least　as　well　　as　a　speaker。　　And　expression　has　many　forms。　　People　with　a　strong　　artistic　impulse　will　necessarily　want　to　express　themselves　by　art　　when　religion　touches　them；　and　many　arts；　architecture　and　the　　drama　for　example；　are　collective　undertakings。　　I　do　not　see　why　　there　should　not　be；　under　God；　associations　for　building　cathedrals　　and　suchlike　great　still　places　urgent　with　beauty；　into　which　men　　and　women　may　go　to　rest　from　the　clamour　of　the　day's　confusions；　I　　do　not　see　why　men　should　not　make　great　shrines　and　pictures　　expressing　their　sense　of　divine　things；　and　why　they　should　not　　combine　in　such　enterprises　rather　than　work　to　fill　heterogeneous　　and　chaotic　art　galleries。　　A　wave　of　religious　revival　and　　religious　clarification；　such　as　I　foresee；　will　most　certainly　　bring　with　it　a　great　revival　of　art；　religious　art；　music；　songs；　　and　writings　of　all　sorts；　drama；　the　making　of　shrines；　praying　　places；　tempies　and　retreats；　the　creation　of　pictures　and　　sculptures。　　It　is　not　necessary　to　have　priestcraft　and　an　　organised　church　for　such　ends。　　Such　enrichments　of　feeling　and　　thought　are　part　of　the　service　of　God。　And　again；　under　God；　there　may　be　associations　and　fraternities　for　　research　in　pure　science；　associations　for　the　teaching　and　　simplification　of　languages；　associations　for　promoting　and　watching　　education；　associations　for　the　discussion　of　political　problems　and　　the　determination　of　right　policies。　　In　all　these　ways　men　may　　multiply　their　use　by　union。　　Only　when　associations　seek　to　control　　things　of　belief；　to　dictate　formulae；　restrict　religious　activities　　or　the　freedom　of　religious　thought　and　teaching；　when　they　tend　to　　subdivide　those　who　believe　and　to　set　up　jealousies　or　exclusions；　　do　they　become　antagonistic　to　the　spirit　of　modern　religion。

5。　THE　STATE　IS　GOD'S　INSTRUMENT

Because　religion　cannot　be　organised；　because　God　is　everywhere　and　　immediately　accessible　to　every　human　being；　it　does　not　follow　that　　religion　cannot　organise　every　other　human　affair。　　It　is　indeed　　essential　to　the　idea　that　God　is　the　Invisible　King　of　this　round　　world　and　all　mankind；　that　we　should　see　in　every　government；　great　　and　small；　from　the　council　of　the　world…state　that　is　presently　　coming；　down　to　the　village　assembly；　the　instrument　of　God's　　practical　control。　　Religion　which　is　free；　speaking　freely　through　　whom　it　will；　subject　to　a　perpetual　unlimited　criticism；　will　be　　the　life　and　driving　power　of　the　whole　organised　world。　　So　that　if　　you　prefer　not　to　say　that　there　will　be　no　church；　if　you　choose　　rather　to　declare　that　the　world…state　is　God's　church；　you　may　have　　it　so　if　you　will。　　Provided　that　you　leave　conscience　and　speech　　and　writing　and　teaching　about　divine　things　absolutely　free；　and　　that　you　try　to　set　no　nets　about　God。　The　world　is　God's　and　he　takes　it。　　But　he　himself　remains　freedom；　　and　we　find　our　freedom　in　him。

THE　ENVOY

So　I　end　this　compact　statement　of　the　renascent　religion　which　I　　believe　to　be　crystallising　out　of　the　intellectual；　social；　and　　spiritual　confusions　of　this　time。　　It　is　an　account　rendered。　　It　　is　a　statement　and　record；　not　a　theory。　　There　is　nothing　in　all　　this　that　has　been　invented　or　constructed　by　the　writer；　I　have　　been　but　scribe　to　the　spirit　of　my　generation；　I　have　at　most　　assembled　and　put　together　things　and　thoughts　that　I　have　come　　upon；　have　transferred　the　statements　of　〃science〃　into　religious　　terminology；　rejected　obsolescent　definitions；　and　re…coordinated　　propositions　that　had　drifted　into　opposition。　　Thus；　I　see；　ideas　　are　developing；　and　thus　have　I　written　them　down。　　It　is　a　　secondary　matter　that　I　am　convinced　that　this　trend　of　intelligent　　opinion　is　a　discovery　of　truth。　　The　reader　is　told　of　my　own　　belief　merely　to　avoid　an　affectation　of　impartiality　and　aloofness。　The　theogony　here　set　forth　is　ancient；　one　can　trace　it　appearing　　and　disappearing　and　recurring　in　the　mutilated　records　of　many　　different　schools　of　speculation；　the　conception　of　God　as　finite　is　　one　that　has　been　discussed　very　illuminatingly　in　recent　years　in　　the　work　of　one　I　am　happy　to　write　of　as　my　friend　and　master；　that　　very　great　American；　the　late　William　James。　　It　was　an　idea　that　　became　increasingly　important　to　him　towards　the　end　of　his　life。　　　And　it　is　the　most　releasing　idea　in　the　system。　Only　in　the　most　general　terms　can　I　trace　the　other　origins　of　　these　present　views。　　I　do　not　think　modern　religion　owes　much　to　　what　is　called　Deism　or　Theism。　　The　rather　abstract　and　futile　　Deism　of　the　eighteenth　century；　of　〃votre　Etre　supreme〃　who　bored　　the　friends　of　Robespierre；　was　a　sterile　thing；　it　has　little　　relation　to　these　modern　developments；　it　conceived　of　God　as　an　　infinite　Being　of　no　particular　character　whereas　God　is　a　finite　　being　of　a　very　especial　character。　　On　the　other　hand　men　and　women　　who　have　set　themselves；　with　unavoidable　theological　　preconceptions；　it　is　true；　to　speculate　upon　the　actual　teachings　　and　quality　of　Christ；　have　produced　interpretations　that　have　　interwoven　insensibly　with　thoughts　more　apparently　new。　　There　is　a　　curious　modernity　about　very　many　of　Christ's　recorded　sayings。　　　Revived　religion　has　also；　no　doubt；　been　the　receiver　of　many　　religious　bankruptcies；　of　Positivism　for　example；　which　failed　　through　its　bleak　abstraction　and　an　unspiritual　texture。　　Religion；　　thus　restated；　must；　I　think；　presently　incorporate　great　sections　　of　thought　that　are　sti