god the invisible king-第8节

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　usages　and　things　they　do　not　understand；　embodied　itself　in　this　　conception　of　a　malignant　and　partisan　Deity；　perpetually　〃upset〃　by　　the　little　things　people　did；　and　contriving　murder　and　vengeance。　　　Now　this　God　would　be　drowning　everybody　in　the　world；　now　he　would　　be　burning　Sodom　and　Gomorrah；　now　he　would　be　inciting　his　　congenial　Israelites　to　the　most　terrific　pogroms。　　This　divine　　〃frightfulness〃　is　of　course　the　natural　human　dislike　and　distrust　　for　queer　practices　or　for　too　sunny　a　carelessness；　a　dislike　　reinforced　by　the　latent　fierceness　of　the　ape　in　us；　liberating　the　　latent　fierceness　of　the　ape　in　us；　giving　it　an　excuse　and　pressing　　permission　upon　it；　handing　the　thing　hated　and　feared　over　to　its　　secular　arm。　。　。　。　*　It　is　not　so　generally　understood　as　it　should　be　among　English　　and　American　readers　that　a　very　large　proportion　of　early　　Christians　before　the　creeds　established　and　regularised　the　　doctrine　of　the　Trinity；　denied　absolutely　that　Jehovah　was　God；　　they　regarded　Christ　as　a　rebel　against　Jehovah　and　a　rescuer　of　　humanity　from　him；　just　as　Prometheus　was　a　rebel　against　Jove。　　　These　beliefs　survived　for　a　thousand　years　tbroughout　Christendom：　　they　were　held　by　a　great　multitude　of　persecuted　sects；　from　the　　Albigenses　and　Cathars　to　the　eastern　Paulicians。　　The　catholic　　church　found　it　necessary　to　prohibit　the　circulation　of　the　Old　　Testament　among　laymen　very　largely　on　account　of　the　polemics　of　　the　Cathars　against　the　Hebrew　God。　　But　in　this　book；　be　it　noted；　　the　word　Christian；　when　it　is　not　otherwise　defined；　is　used　to　　indicate　only　the　Trinitarians　who　accept　the　official　creeds。　It　is　a　human　paradox　that　the　desire　for　seemliness；　the　instinct　　for　restraints　and　fair　disciplines；　and　the　impulse　to　cherish　　sweet　familiar　things；　that　these　things　of　the　True　God　should　so　　readily　liberate　cruelty　and　tyranny。　　It　is　like　a　woman　going　with　　a　light　to　tend　and　protect　her　sleeping　child；　and　setting　the　　house　on　fire。　　None　the　less；　right　down　to　to…day；　the　heresy　of　　God　the　Revengeful；　God　the　Persecutor　and　Avenger；　haunts　religion。　　　It　is　only　in　quite　recent　years　that　the　growing　gentleness　of　　everyday　life　has　begun　to　make　men　a　little　ashamed　of　a　Deity　less　　tolerant　and　gentle　than　themselves。　　The　recent　literature　of　the　　Anglicans　abounds　in　the　evidence　of　this　trouble。　Bishop　Colenso　of　Natal　was　prosecuted　and　condemned　in　1863　for　　denying　the　irascibility　of　his　God　and　teaching　〃the　Kaffirs　of　　Natal〃　the　dangerous　heresy　that　God　is　all　mercy。　　〃We　cannot　allow　　it　to　be　said；〃　the　Dean　of　Cape　Town　insisted；　〃that　God　was　not　　angry　and　was　not　appeased　by　punishment。〃　He　was　angry　〃on　account　　of　Sin；　which　is　a　great　evil　and　a　great　insult　to　His　Majesty。〃　　　The　case　of　the　Rev。　Charles　Voysey；　which　occurred　in　1870；　was　a　　second　assertion　of　the　Church's　insistence　upon　the　fierceness　of　　her　God。　　This　case　is　not　to　be　found　in　the　ordinary　church　　histories　nor　is　it　even　mentioned　in　the　latest　edition　of　the　　ENCYCLOPAEDIA　BRITANNICA；　nevertheless　it　appears　to　have　been　a　　very　illuminating　case。　　It　is　doubtful　if　the　church　would　　prosecute　or　condemn　either　Bishop　Colenso　or　Mr。　Voysey　to…day。

7。　GOD　AND　THE　NURSERY…MAID

Closely　related　to　the　Heresy　of　God　the　Avenger；　is　that　kind　of　　miniature　God　the　Avenger；　to　whom　the　nursery…maid　and　the　　overtaxed　parent　are　so　apt　to　appeal。　　You　stab　your　children　with　　such　a　God　and　he　poisons　all　their　lives。　　For　many　of　us　the　word　　〃God〃　first　came　into　our　lives　to　denote　a　wanton；　irrational　　restraint；　as　Bogey；　as　the　All…Seeing　and　quite　ungenerous　Eye。　　　God　Bogey　is　a　great　convenience　to　the　nursery…maid　who　wants　to　　leave　Fear　to　mind　her　charges　and　enforce　her　disciplines；　while　　she　goes　off　upon　her　own　aims。　　But　indeed；　the　teaching　of　God　　Bogey　is　an　outrage　upon　the　soul　of　a　child　scarcely　less　dreadful　　than　an　indecent　assault。　　The　reason　rebels　and　is　crushed　under　　this　horrible　and　pursuing　suggestion。　　Many　minds　never　rise　again　　from　their　injury。　　They　remain　for　the　rest　of　life　spiritually　　crippled　and　debased；　haunted　by　a　fear；　stained　with　a　persuasion　　of　relentless　cruelty　in　the　ultimate　cause　of　all　things。　I；　who　write；　was　so　set　against　God；　thus　rendered。　　He　and　his　　Hell　were　the　nightmare　of　my　childhood；　I　hated　him　while　I　still　　believed　in　him；　and　who　could　help　but　hate？　　I　thought　of　him　as　a　　fantastic　monster；　perpetually　spying；　perpetually　listening；　　perpetually　waiting　to　condemn　and　to　〃strike　me　dead〃；　his　flames　　as　ready　as　a　grill…room　fire。　　He　was　over　me　and　about　my　　feebleness　and　silliness　and　forgetfulness　as　the　sky　and　sea　would　　be　about　a　child　drowning　in　mid…Atlantic。　　When　I　was　still　only　a　　child　of　thirteen；　by　the　grace　of　the　true　God　in　me；　I　flung　this　　Lie　out　of　my　mind；　and　for　many　years；　until　I　came　to　see　that　God　　himself　had　done　this　thing　for　me；　the　name　of　God　meant　nothing　to　　me　but　the　hideous　scar　in　my　heart　where　a　fearful　demon　had　been。　I　see　about　me　to…day　many　dreadful　moral　and　mental　cripples　with　　this　bogey　God　of　the　nursery…maid；　with　his　black；　insane　revenges；　　still　living　like　a　horrible　parasite　in　their　hearts　in　the　place　　where　God　should　be。　　They　are　afraid；　afraid；　afraid；　they　dare　not　　be　kindly　to　formal　sinners；　they　dare　not　abandon　a　hundred　foolish　　observances；　they　dare　not　look　at　the　causes　of　things。　　They　are　　afraid　of　sunshine；　of　nakedness；　of　health；　of　adventure；　of　　science；　lest　that　old　watching　spider　take　offence。　　The　voice　of　　the　true　God　whispers　in　their　hearts；　echoes　in　speech　and　writing；　　but　they　avert　themselves；　fear…driven。　　For　the　true　God　has　no　　lash　of　fear。　　And　how　the　foul…minded　bigot；　with　his　ill…shaven　　face；　his　greasy　skin；　his　thick；　gesticulating　hands；　his　　bellowings　and　threatenings；　loves　to　reap　this　harvest　of　fear　the　　ignorant　cunning　of　the　nursery　girl　has　sown　for　him！　　How　he　loves　　the　importance　of　denunciation；　and；　himself　a　malignant　cripple；　to　　rally　the　company　of　these　crippled　souls　to　persecute　and　destroy　　the　happy　children　of　God！　。　。　。　Christian　priestcraft　turns　a　dreadful　face　to　children。　　There　is　a　　real　wickedness　of　the　priest　that　is　different　from　other　　wickedness；　and　that　affects　a　reasonable　mind　just　as　cruelty　and　　strange　perversions　of　instinct　affect　it。　　Let　a　former　Archbishop　　of　Canterbury　speak　for　me。　　This　that　follows　is　the　account　given　　by　Archbishop　Tait　in　a　debate　in　the　Upper　House　of　Convocation　　（July　3rd；　1877）　of　one　of　the　publications　of　a　certain　SOCIETY　OF　　THE　HOLY　CROSS：

〃I　take　this　book；　as　its　contents　show；　to　be　meant　for　the　　instruction　of　very　young　children。　　I　find；　in　one　of　the　pages　of　　it；　the　statement　that　between　the　ages　of　six　and　six　and　a　half　　years　would　be　the　proper　time　for　the　inculcation　of　the　teaching　　which　is　to　be　found　in　the　book。　　Now；　six　to　six　and　a　half　is　　certainly　a　very　tender　age；　and　to　these　children　I　find　these　　statements　addressed　in　the　book：

〃'It　is　to　the　priest；　and　to　the　priest　only；　that　the　child　must　　acknowledge　his　sins；　if　he　desires　that　God　should　forgive　him。'

〃I　hope　and　trust　the　person；　the　three　clergymen；　or　however　many　　there　were；　did　not　exactly　realise　what　they　were　writing；　that　　they　did　not　mean　to　say　that　a　child　was　not　to　confess　its　sins　to　　God　direct；　that　it　was　not　to　confess　its　sins；　at　the　age　of　six；　　to　its　mother；　or　to　its　father；　but　was　only　to　have　recourse　to　　the　priest。　　But　the　words；　to　say　the　least　of　them；　are　rash。　　　Then　comes　the　very　obvious　question：

〃'Do　you　know　why？　　It　is　because　God；　when　he　was　on　earth；　gave　to　　his　priests；　and　to　them　alone；　the　Divine　Power　of　forgiving　men　　their　sins。　　It　was　to　priests　alone　that　Jesus　said：　〃Receive　ye　　the　Holy　Ghost。〃　。　。　。　　Those　who　will　not　confess　will　not　be　　cured。　　Sin　is　a　terrible　sickness；　and　casts　souls　into　hell。'

〃That　is　addressed　to　a　child　six　years　of　age。

〃'I　have　known；'　the　book　continues；　'poor　children　who　concealed　　their　sins　in　confession　for　years；　they　were　very　unhappy；　were　　tormented　with　remorse；　and　if　they　had　died　in　that　state　they　　would　certainly　have　gone　to　the　everlasting　fires　of　hell。'〃　。　。　。

Now　here　is　something　against　nature；　something　that　I　have　seen　　time　after　time　in　the　faces　and　bearing　of　priests　and　heard　in　　their　preaching。　　It　is　a　distinct　lust。　　Much　nobility　and　devotion　　there　are　among　priests；　saintly　lives　and　kindly　lives；　lives　of　　real　worship；　lives　no　man　may　better；　this　that　I　write　is　not　of　　all；　perhaps　not　of　many　priests。　　But　there　has　been　in　all　ages　　that　have　known　sacerdotalism　this　terrible　type　of　the　priest；　　priestcraft　and　priestly　power　release　an　aggressive　and　narrow　　disposition　to　a　recklessness　of　suffering　and　a　hatred　of　liberty　　that　surely　exceeds　the　badness　of　any　other　sort　of　men。

8。　THE　CHILDREN'S　GOD

Children　do　not　naturally　love　God。　　They　have　no　great　capacity　for　　an　idea　so　subtle　and　mature　as　the　idea　of　God。　　While　they　are　　still　children　in　a　home　and　cared　for；　life　is　too　kind　and　easy　　for　them　to　feel　any　great　need