lecture03-第6章

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trackless　waste。〃







I　subjoin　some　more　examples　from　writers　of　different　ages　and



sexes。　　They　are　also　from　Professor　Starbuck's　collection；　and



their　number　might　be　greatly　multiplied。　　The　first　is　from　a



man　twenty…seven　years　old：







〃God　is　quite　real　to　me。　　I　talk　to　him　and　often　get　answers。



Thoughts　sudden　and　distinct　from　any　I　have　been　entertaining



come　to　my　mind　after　asking　God　for　his　direction。　　Something



over　a　year　ago　I　was　for　some　weeks　in　the　direst　perplexity。



When　the　trouble　first　appeared　before　me　I　was　dazed；　but　before



long　（two　or　three　hours）　I　could　hear　distinctly　a　passage　of



Scripture：　　'My　grace　is　sufficient　for　thee。'　　Every　time　my



thoughts　turned　to　the　trouble　I　could　hear　this　quotation。　　I



don't　think　I　ever　doubted　the　existence　of　God；　or　had　him　drop



out　of　my　consciousness。　　God　has　frequently　stepped　into　my



affairs　very　perceptibly；　and　I　feel　that　he　directs　many　little



details　all　the　time。　　But　on　two　or　three　occasions　he　has



ordered　ways　for　me　very　contrary　to　my　ambitions　and　plans。〃







Another　statement　（none　the　less　valuable　psychologically　for



being　so　decidedly　childish）　is　that　of　a　boy　of　seventeen：







〃Sometimes　as　I　go　to　church；　I　sit　down；　join　in　the　service；



and　before　I　go　out　I　feel　as　if　God　was　with　me；　right　side　of



me；　singing　and　reading　the　Psalms　with　me。　。　。　。　And　then　again



I　feel　as　if　I　could　sit　beside　him；　and　put　my　arms　around　him；



kiss　him；　etc。　　When　I　am　taking　Holy　Communion　at　the　altar；　I



try　to　get　with　him　and　generally　feel　his　presence。〃







I　let　a　few　other　cases　follow　at　random：







〃God　surrounds　me　like　the　physical　atmosphere。　　He　is　closer　to



me　than　my　own　breath。　　In　him　literally　I　live　and　move　and　have



my　being。〃







〃There　are　times　when　I　seem　to　stand　in　his　very　presence；　to



talk　with　him。　　Answers　to　prayer　have　come；　sometimes　direct　and



overwhelming　in　their　revelation　of　his　presence　and　powers。　



There　are　times　when　God　seems　far　off；　but　this　is　always　my　own



fault。〃







〃I　have　the　sense　of　a　presence；　strong；　and　at　the　same　time



soothing；　which　hovers　over　me。　　Sometimes　it　seems　to　enwrap　me



with　sustaining　arms。〃







Such　is　the　human　ontological　imagination；　and　such　is　the



convincingness　of　what　it　brings　to　birth。　　Unpicturable　beings



are　realized；　and　realized　with　an　intensity　almost　like　that　of



an　hallucination。　　They　determine　our　vital　attitude　as



decisively　as　the　vital　attitude　of　lovers　is　determined　by　the



habitual　sense；　by　which　each　is　haunted；　of　the　other　being　in



the　world。　　A　lover　has　notoriously　this　sense　of　the　continuous



being　of　his　idol；　even　when　his　attention　is　addressed　to　other



matters　and　he　no　longer　represents　her　features。　　He　cannot



forget　her；　she　uninterruptedly　affects　him　through　and　through。　



I　spoke　of　the　convincingness　of　these　feelings　of　reality；　and　I



must　dwell　a　moment　longer　on　that　point。　　They　are　as　convincing



to　those　who　have　them　as　any　direct　sensible　experiences　can　be；



and　they　are；　as　a　rule；　much　more　convincing　than　results



established　by　mere　logic　ever　are。　　One　may　indeed　be　entirely



without　them；　probably　more　than　one　of　you　here　present　is



without　them　in　any　marked　degree；　but　if　you　do　have　them；　and



have　them　at　all　strongly；　the　probability　is　that　you　cannot



help　regarding　them　as　genuine　perceptions　of　truth；　as



revelations　of　a　kind　of　reality　which　no　adverse　argument；



however　unanswerable　by　you　in　words；　can　expel　from　your　belief。







The　opinion　opposed　to　mysticism　in　philosophy　is　sometimes



spoken　of　as　RATIONALISM。　　Rationalism　insists　that　all　our



beliefs　ought　ultimately　to　find　for　themselves　articulate



grounds。　　Such　grounds；　for　rationalism；　must　consist　of　four



things：　　（1）　definitely　statable　abstract　principles；　（2）



definite　facts　of　sensation；　（3）　definite　hypotheses　based　on



such　facts；　and　（4）　definite　inferences　logically　drawn。　　Vague



impressions　of　something　indefinable　have　no　place　in　the



rationalistic　system；　which　on　its　positive　side　is　surely　a



splendid　intellectual　tendency；　for　not　only　are　all　our



philosophies　fruits　of　it；　but　physical　science　（amongst　other



good　things）　is　its　result。







Nevertheless；　if　we　look　on　man's　whole　mental　life　as　it　exists；



on　the　life　of　men　that　lies　in　them　apart　from　their　learning



and　science；　and　that　they　inwardly　and　privately　follow；　we　have



to　confess　that　the　part　of　it　of　which　rationalism　can　give　an



account　is　relatively　superficial。　　It　is　the　part　that　has　the



prestige　undoubtedly；　for　it　has　the　loquacity；　it　can　challenge



you　for　proofs；　and　chop　logic；　and　put　you　down　with　words。　　But



it　will　fail　to　convince　or　convert　you　all　the　same；　if　your



dumb　intuitions　are　opposed　to　its　conclusions。　　If　you　have



intuitions　at　all；　they　come　from　a　deeper　level　of　your　nature



than　the　loquacious　level　which　rationalism　inhabits。　　Your　whole



subconscious　life；　your　impulses；　your　faiths；　your　needs；　your



divinations；　have　prepared　the　premises；　of　which　your



consciousness　now　feels　the　weight　of　the　result；　and　something



in　you　absolutely　KNOWS　that　that　result　must　be　truer　than　any



logic…chopping　rationalistic　talk；　however　clever；　that　may



contradict　it。　　This　inferiority　of　the　rationalistic　level　in



founding　belief　is　just　as　manifest　when　rationalism　argues　for



religion　as　when　it　argues　against　it。　　That　vast　literature　of



proofs　of　God's　existence　drawn　from　the　order　of　nature；　which　a



century　ago　seemed　so　overwhelmingly　convincing；　to…day　does



little　more　than　gather　dust　in　libraries；　for　the　simple　reason



that　our　generation　has　ceased　to　believe　in　the　kind　of　God　it



argued　for。　　Whatever　sort　of　a　being　God　may　be；　we　KNOW　to…day



that　he　is　nevermore　that　mere　external　inventor　of



〃contrivances〃　intended　to　make　manifest　his　〃glory〃　in　which　our



great…grandfathers　took　such　satisfaction；　though　just　how　we



know　this　we　cannot　possibly　make　clear　by　words　either　to　others



or　to　ourselves。　　I　defy　any　of　you　here　fully　to　account　for



your　persuasion　that　if　a　God　exist　he　must　be　a　more　cosmic　and



tragic　personage　than　that　Being。







The　truth　is　that　in　the　metaphysical　and　religious　sphere；



articulate　reasons　are　cogent　for　us　only　when　our　inarticulate



feelings　of　reality　have　already　been　impressed　in　favor　of　the



same　conclusion。　　Then；　indeed；　our　intuitions　and　our　reason



work　together；　and　great　world…ruling　systems；　like　that　of　the



Buddhist　or　of　the　Catholic　philosophy；　may　grow　up。　Our



impulsive　belief　is　here　always　what　sets　up　the　original　body　of



truth；　and　our　articulately　verbalized　philosophy　is　but　its



showy　translation　into　formulas。　　The　unreasoned　and　immediate



assurance　is　the　deep　thing　in　us；　the　reasoned　argument　is　but　a



surface　exhibition。　　Instinct　leads；　intelligence　does　but



follow。　　If　a　person　feels　the　presence　of　a　living　God　after　the



fashion　shown　by　my　quotations；　your　critical　arguments；　be　they



never　so　superior；　will　vainly　set　themselves　to　change　his



faith。







Please　observe；　however；　that　I　do　not　yet　say　that　it　is　BETTER



that　the　subconscious　and　non…rational　should　thus　hold　primacy



in　the　religious　realm。　　I　confine　myself　to　simply　pointing　out



that　they　do　so　hold　it　as　a　matter　of　fact。







So　much　for　our　sense　of　the　reality　of　the　religious　objects。



Let　me　now　say　a　brief　word　more　about