god the invisible king-第31章

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air　but　an　age　of　hope　in　Asia　as　in　　all　the　world　besides。　Islam　is　undergoing　a　process　of　revision　closely　parallel　to　that　　which　ransacks　Christianity。　　Tradition　and　mediaeval　doctrines　are　　being　thrust　aside　in　a　similar　way。　　There　is　much　probing　into　the　　spirit　and　intention　of　the　Founder。　　The　time　is　almost　ripe　for　a　　heart…searching　Dialogue　of　the　Dead；　〃How　we　settled　our　religions　　for　ever　and　ever；〃　between；　let　us　say；　Eusebius　of　Caesarea　and　　one　of　Nizam…al…Mulk's　tame　theologians。　　They　would　be　drawn　　together　by　the　same　tribulations；　they　would　be　in　the　closest　　sympathy　against　the　temerity　of　the　moderns；　they　would　have　a　　common　courtliness。　　The　Quran　is　but　little　read　by　Europeans；　it　　is　ignorantly　supposed　to　contain　many　things　that　it　does　not　　contain；　there　is　much　confusion　in　people's　minds　between　its　text　　and　the　ancient　Semitic　traditions　and　usages　retained　by　its　　followers；　in　places　it　may　seem　formless　and　barbaric；　but　what　it　　has　chiefly　to　tell　of　is　the　leadership　of　one　individualised　　militant　God　who　claims　the　rule　of　the　whole　world；　who　favours　　neither　rank　nor　race；　who　would　lead　men　to　righteousness。　　It　is　　much　more　free　from　sacramentalism；　from　vestiges　of　the　ancient　　blood　sacrifice；　and　its　associated　sacerdotalism；　than　　Christianity。　　The　religion　that　will　presently　sway　mankind　can　be　　reached　more　easily　from　that　starting…point　than　from　the　confused　　mysteries　of　Trinitarian　theology。　　Islam　was　never　saddled　with　a　　creed。　　With　the　very　name　〃Islam〃　（submission　to　God）　there　is　no　　quarrel　for　those　who　hold　the　new　faith。　。　。　。　All　the　world　over　there　is　this　stirring　in　the　dry　bones　of　the　　old　beliefs。　　There　is　scarcely　a　religion　that　has　not　its　Bahaism；　　its　Modernists；　its　Brahmo　Somaj；　its　〃religion　without　theology；〃　　its　attempts　to　escape　from　old　forms　and　hampering　associations　to　　that　living　and　world…wide　spiritual　reality　upon　which　the　human　　mind　almost　instinctively　insists。　。　。　。　It　is　the　same　God　we　all　seek；　he　becomes　more　and　more　plainly　the　　same　God。　So　that　all　this　religious　stir；　which　seems　so　multifold　and　　incidental　and　disconnected　and　confused　and　entirely　ineffective　　to…day；　may　be　and　most　probably　will　be；　in　quite　a　few　years　a　　great　flood　of　religious　unanimity　pouring　over　and　changing　all　　human　affairs；　sweeping　away　the　old　priesthoods　and　tabernacles　and　　symbols　and　shrines；　the　last　crumb　of　the　Orphic　victim　and　the　　last　rag　of　the　Serapeum；　and　turning　all　men　about　into　one　　direction；　as　the　ships　and　houseboats　swing　round　together　in　some　　great　river　with　the　uprush　of　the　tide。　。　。　。

3。　CAN　THERE　BE　A　TRUE　CHURCH？

Among　those　who　are　beginning　to　realise　the　differences　and　　identities　of　the　revived　religion　that　has　returned　to　them；　　certain　questions　of　organisation　and　assembly　are　being　discussed。　　　Every　new　religious　development　is　haunted　by　the　precedents　of　the　　religion　it　replaces；　and　it　was　only　to　be　expected　that　among　　those　who　have　recovered　their　faith　there　should　be　a　search　for　　apostles　and　disciples；　an　attempt　to　determine　sources　and　to　form　　original　congregations；　especially　among　people　with　European　　traditions。　These　dispositions　mark　a　relapse　from　understanding。　　They　are　　imitative。　　This　time　there　has　been　no　revelation　here　or　there；　　there　is　no　claim　to　a　revelation　but　simply　that　God　has　become　　visible。　　Men　have　thought　and　sought　until　insensibly　the　fog　of　　obsolete　theology　has　cleared　away。　　There　seems　no　need　therefore　　for　special　teachers　or　a　special　propaganda；　or　any　ritual　or　　observances　that　will　seem　to　insist　upon　differences。　　The　　Christian　precedent　of　a　church　is　particularly　misleading。　　The　　church　with　its　sacraments　and　its　sacerdotalism　is　the　disease　of　　Christianity。　　Save　for　a　few　doubtful　interpolations　there　is　no　　evidence　that　Christ　tolerated　either　blood　sacrifices　or　the　　mysteries　of　priesthood。　　All　these　antique　grossnesses　were　　superadded　after　his　martyrdom。　　He　preached　not　a　cult　but　a　　gospel；　he　sent　out　not　medicine　men　but　apostles。　No　doubt　all　who　believe　owe　an　apostolic　service　to　God。　　They　　become　naturally　apostolic。　　As　men　perceive　and　realise　God；　each　　will　be　disposed　in　his　own　fashion　to　call　his　neighbour's　　attention　to　what　he　sees。　　The　necessary　elements　of　religion　could　　be　written　on　a　post　card；　this　book；　small　as　it　is；　bulks　large　　not　by　what　it　tells　positively　but　because　it　deals　with　　misconceptions。　　We　may　（little　doubt　have　I　that　we　do）　need　　special　propagandas　and　organisations　to　discuss　errors　and　keep　　back　the　jungle　of　false　ideas；　to　maintain　free　speech　and　restrain　　the　enterprise　of　the　persecutor；　but　we　do　not　want　a　church　to　　keep　our　faith　for　us。　　We　want　our　faith　spread；　but　for　that　there　　is　no　need　for　orthodoxies　and　controlling　organisations　of　　statement。　　It　is　for　each　man　to　follow　his　own　impulse；　and　to　　speak　to　his　like　in　his　own　fashion。　Whatever　religious　congregations　men　may　form　henceforth　in　the　name　　of　the　true　God　must　be　for　their　own　sakes　and　not　to　take　charge　　of　religion。　The　history　of　Christianity；　with　its　encrustation　and　suffocation　　in　dogmas　and　usages；　its　dire　persecutions　of　the　faithful　by　the　　unfaithful；　its　desiccation　and　its　unlovely　decay；　its　invasion　by　　robes　and　rites　and　all　the　tricks　and　vices　of　the　Pharisees　whom　　Christ　detested　and　denounced；　is　full　of　warning　against　the　　dangers　of　a　church。　　Organisation　is　an　excellent　thing　for　the　　material　needs　of　men；　for　the　draining　of　towns；　the　marshalling　of　　traffic；　the　collecting　of　eggs；　and　the　carrying　of　letters；　the　　distribution　of　bread；　the　notification　of　measles；　for　hygiene　and　　economics　and　suchlike　affairs。　　The　better　we　organise　such　things；　　the　freer　and　better　equipped　we　leave　men's　minds　for　nobler　　purposes；　for　those　adventures　and　experiments　towards　God's　purpose　　which　are　the　reality　of　life。　　But　all　organisations　must　be　　watched；　for　whatever　is　organised　can　be　〃captured〃　and　misused。　　　Repentance；　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　f