god the invisible king-第8章

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　of　Nicaea；　that　〃garland　of　priests；〃　marshalled　　by　Constantine's　officials；　came　to　its　rescue。　。　。　。　　From　the　　conversion　of　Paul　onward；　the　heresies　of　the　intellect　multiplied　　about　Christ's　memory　and　hid　him　from　the　sight　of　men。　　We　are　no　　longer　clear　about　the　doctrine　he　taught　nor　about　the　things　he　　said　and　did。　。　。　。　*　Even　the　〃Apostles'　Creed〃　is　not　traceable　earlier　than　the　　fourth　century。　　It　is　manifestly　an　old；　patched　formulary。　　　Rutinius　explains　that　it　was　not　written　down　for　a　long　time；　but　　transmitted　orally；　kept　secret；　and　used　as　a　sort　of　password　　among　the　elect。　We　are　all　so　weary　of　this　theology　of　the　Christians；　we　are　all　　at　heart　so　sceptical　about　their　Triune　God；　that　it　is　needless　　here　to　spend　any　time　or　space　upon　the　twenty　thousand　different　　formulae　in　which　the　orthodox　have　attempted　to　believe　in　　something　of　the　sort。　　There　are　several　useful　encyclopaedias　of　　sects　and　heresies；　compact；　but　still　bulky；　to　which　the　curious　　may　go。　　There　are　ten　thousand　different　expositions　of　orthodoxy。　　　No　one　who　really　seeks　God　thinks　of　the　Trinity；　either　the　　Trinity　of　the　Trinitarian　or　the　Trinity　of　the　Sabellian　or　the　　Trinity　of　the　Arian；　any　more　than　one　thinks　of　those　theories　　made　stone；　those　gods　with　three　heads　and　seven　hands；　who　sit　on　　lotus　leaves　and　flourish　lingams　and　what　not；　in　the　temples　of　　India。　　Let　us　leave；　therefore；　these　morbid　elaborations　of　the　　human　intelligence　to　drift　to　limbo；　and　come　rather　to　the　natural　　heresies　that　spring　from　fundamental　weaknesses　of　the　human　　character；　and　which　are　common　to　all　religions。　　Against　these　it　　is　necessary　to　keep　constant　watch。　　They　return　very　insidiously。

3。　GOD　IS　NOT　MAGIC

One　of　the　most　universal　of　these　natural　misconceptions　of　God　is　　to　consider　him　as　something　magic　serving　the　ends　of　men。　It　is　not　easy　for　us　to　grasp　at　first　the　full　meaning　of　giving　　our　souls　to　God。　　The　missionary　and　teacher　of　any　creed　is　all　　too　apt　to　hawk　God　for　what　he　will　fetch；　he　is　greedy　for　the　　poor　triumph　of　acquiescence；　and　so　it　comes　about　that　many　people　　who　have　been　led　to　believe　themselves　religious；　are　in　reality　　still　keeping　back　their　own　souls　and　trying　to　use　God　for　their　　own　purposes。　　God　is　nothing　more　for　them　as　yet　than　a　　magnificent　Fetish。　　They　did　not　really　want　him；　but　they　have　　heard　that　he　is　potent　stuff；　their　unripe　souls　think　to　make　use　　of　him。　　They　call　upon　his　name；　they　do　certain　things　that　are　　supposed　to　be　peculiarly　influential　with　him；　such　as　saying　　prayers　and　repeating　gross　praises　of　him；　or　reading　in　a　blind；　　industrious　way　that　strange　miscellany　of　Jewish　and　early　　Christian　literature；　the　Bible；　and　suchlike　mental　mortification；　　or　making　the　Sabbath　dull　and　uncomfortable。　　In　return　for　these　　fetishistic　propitiations　God　is　supposed　to　interfere　with　the　　normal　course　of　causation　in　their　favour。　　He　becomes　a　celestial　　log…roller。　　He　remedies　unfavourable　accidents；　cures　petty　　ailments；　contrives　unexpected　gifts　of　medicine；　money；　or　the　　like；　he　averts　bankruptcies；　arranges　profitable　transactions；　and　　does　a　thousand　such　services　for　his　little　clique　of　faithful　　people。　　The　pious　are　represented　as　being　constantly　delighted　by　　these　little　surprises；　these　bouquets　and　chocolate　boxes　from　the　　divinity。　　Or　contrawise　he　contrives　spiteful　turns　for　those　who　　fail　in　their　religious　attentions。　　He　murders　Sabbath…breaking　　children；　or　disorganises　the　careful　business　schemes　of　the　　ungodly。　　He　is　represented　as　going　Sabbath…breakering　on　Sunday　　morning　as　a　Staffordshire　worker　goes　ratting。　　Ordinary　everyday　　Christianity　is　saturated　with　this　fetishistic　conception　of　God。　　　It　may　be　disowned　in　THE　HIBBERT　JOURNAL；　but　it　is　unblushingly　　advocated　in　the　parish　magazine。　　It　is　an　idea　taken　over　by　　Christianity　with　the　rest　of　the　qualities　of　the　Hebrew　God。　　It　　is　natural　enough　in　minds　so　self…centred　that　their　recognition　of　　weakness　and　need　brings　with　it　no　real　self…surrender；　but　it　is　　entirely　inconsistent　with　the　modern　conception　of　the　true　God。　There　has　dropped　upon　the　table　as　I　write　a　modest　periodical　　called　THE　NORTHERN　BRITISH　ISRAEL　REVIEW；　illustrated　with　　portraits　of　various　clergymen　of　the　Church　of　England；　and　of　　ladies　and　gentlemen　who　belong　to　the　little　school　of　thought　　which　this　magazine　represents；　it　is；　I　should　judge；　a　sub…sect　　entirely　within　the　Established　Church　of　England；　that　is　to　say　　within　the　Anglican　communion　of　the　Trinitarian　Christians。　　It　　contains　among　other　papers　a　very　entertaining　summary　by　a　　gentleman　entitledI　cite　the　unusual　title…page　of　the　periodical　〃Landseer　Mackenzie；　Esq。；〃　of　the　views　of　Isaiah；　Ezekiel；　and　　Obadiah　upon　the　Kaiser　William。　　They　are　distinctly　hostile　views。　　　Mr。　Landseer　Mackenzie　discourses　not　only　upon　these　anticipatory　　condemnations　but　also　upon　the　relations　of　the　weather　to　this　　war。　　He　is　convinced　quite　simply　and　honestly　that　God　has　been　　persistently　rigging　the　weather　against　the　Germans。　　He　points　out　　that　the　absence　of　mist　on　the　North　Sea　was　of　great　help　to　the　　British　in　the　autumn　of　1914；　and　declares　that　it　was　the　wet　　state　of　the　country　that　really　held　up　the　Germans　in　Flanders　in　　the　winter　of　1914…15。　　He　ignores　the　part　played　by　the　weather　in　　delaying　the　relief　of　Kut…el…Amara；　and　he　has　not　thought　of　the　　difficult　question　why　the　Deity；　having　once　decided　upon　　intervention；　did　not；　instead　of　this　comparatively　trivial　　meteorological　assistance；　adopt　the　more　effective　course　of；　for　　example；　exploding　or　spoiling　the　German　stores　of　ammunition　by　　some　simple　atomic　miracle；　or　misdirecting　their　gunfire　by　a　　sudden　local　modification　of　the　laws　of　refraction　or　gravitation。　Since　these　views　of　God　come　from　Anglican　vicarages　I　can　only　　conclude　that　this　kind　of　belief　is　quite　orthodox　and　permissible　　in　the　established　church；　and　that　I　am　charging　orthodox　　Christianity　here　with　nothing　that　has　ever　been　officially　　repudiated。　　I　find　indeed　the　essential　assumptions　of　Mr。　Landseer　　Mackenzie　repeated　in　endless　official　Christian　utterances　on　the　　part　of　German　and　British　and　Russian　divines。　　The　Bishop　of　　Chelmsford；　for　example；　has　recently　ascribed　our　difficulties　in　　the　war　to　our　impatience　with　long　sermonsamong　other　similar　　causes。　　Such　Christians　are　manifestly　convinced　that　God　can　be　　invoked　by　ritualfor　example　by　special　days　of　national　prayer　or　　an　increased　observance　of　Sundayor　made　malignant　by　neglect　or　　levity。　　It　is　almost　fundamental　in　their　idea　of　him。　　The　　ordinary　Mohammedan　seems　as　confident　of　this　magic　pettiness　of　　God；　and　the　belief　of　China　in　the　magic　propitiations　and　　resentments　of　〃Heaven〃　is　at　least　equally　strong。　But　the　true　God　as　those　of　the　new　religion　know　him　is　no　such　　God　of　luck　and　intervention。　　He　is　not　to　serve　men's　ends　or　the　　ends　of　nations　or　associations　of　men；　he　is　careless　of　our　　ceremonies　and　invocations。　　He　does　not　lose　his　temper　with　our