god the known and god the unknown-第2章
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being only one of scale; and the one being a miniature of the
other; as a ripple is an Atlantic wave in little; both have their
advantages and disadvantages; so that most organisms will take
the one course for one set of things and the other for another。
They will deal promptly with things which they can get at easily;
and which lie more upon the surface; those; however; which are
more troublesome to reach; and lie deeper; will be handled upon
more cataclysmic principles; being allowed longer periods of
repose followed by short periods of greater activity。
Animals breathe and circulate their blood by a little action many
times a minute; but they feed; some of them; only two or three
times a day; and breed for the most part not more than once a
year; their breeding season being much their busiest time。 It is
on the first principle that the modification of animal forms has
proceeded mainly; but it may be questioned whether what is called
a sport is not the organic expression of discontent which has
been long felt; but which has not been attended to; nor been met
step by step by as much small remedial modification as was found
practicable: so that when a change does come it comes by way of
revolution。 Or; again (only that it comes to much the same
thing); a sport may be compared to one of those happy thoughts
which sometimes come to us unbidden after we have been thinking
for a long time what to do; or how to arrange our ideas; and have
yet been unable to arrive at any conclusion。
So with politics; the smaller the matter the prompter; as a
general rule; the settlement; on the other hand; the more
sweeping the change that is felt to be necessary; the longer it
will be deferred。
The advantages of dealing with the larger questions by more
cataclysmic methods are obvious。 For; in the first place; all
composite things must have a system; or arrangement of parts; so
that some parts shall depend upon and be grouped round others; as
in the articulation of a skeleton and the arrangement of muscles;
nerves; tendons; etc。; which are attached to it。 To meddle with
the skeleton is like taking up the street; or the flooring of
one's house; it so upsets our arrangements that we put it off
till whatever else is found wanted; or whatever else seems likely
to be wanted for a long time hence; can be done at the same time。
Another advantage is in the rest which is given to the attention
during the long hollows; so to speak; of the waves between the
periods of resettlement。 Passion and prejudice have time to calm
down; and when attention is next directed to the same question;
it is a refreshed and invigorated attention…an attention;
moreover; which may be given with the help of new lights derived
from other quarters that were not luminous when the question was
last considered。 Thirdly; it is more easy and safer to make such
alterations as experience has proved to be necessary than to
forecast what is going to be wanted。 Reformers are like
paymasters; of whom there are only two bad kinds; those who pay
too soon; and those who do not pay at all。
CHAPTER II
COMMON GROUND
I HAVE now; perhaps; sufficiently proved my sympathy with the
reluctance felt by many to tolerate discussion upon such a
subject as the existence and nature of God。 I trust that I may
have made the reader feel that he need fear no sarcasm or levity
in my treatment of the subject which I have chosen。 I will;
therefore; proceed to sketch out a plan of what I hope to
establish; and this in no doubtful or unnatural sense; but by
attaching the same meanings to words as those which we usually
attach to them; and with the same certainty; precision; and
clearness as anything else is established which is commonly
called known。
As to what God is; beyond the fact that he is the Spirit and the
Life which creates; governs; and upholds all living things; I can
say nothing。 I cannot pretend that I can show more than others
have done in what Spirit and the Life consists; which governs
living things and animates them。 I cannot show the connection
between consciousness and the will; and the organ; much less can
I tear away the veil from the face of God; so as to show wherein
will and consciousness consist。 No philosopher; whether Christian
or Rationalist; has attempted this without discomfiture; but I
can; I hope; do two things: Firstly; I can demonstrate; perhaps
more clearly than modern science is prepared to admit; that there
does exist a single Being or Animator of all living things … a
single Spirit; whom we cannot think of under any meaner name than
God; and; secondly; I can show something more of the
persona or bodily expression; mask; and mouthpiece of this
vast Living Spirit than I know of as having been familiarly
expressed elsewhere; or as being accessible to myself or others;
though doubtless many works exist in which what I am going to say
has been already said。
Aware that much of this is widely accepted under the name of
Pantheism; I venture to think it differs from Pantheism with all
the difference that exists between a coherent; intelligible
conception and an incoherent unintelligible one。 I shall
therefore proceed to examine the doctrine called Pantheism; and
to show how incomprehensible and valueless it is。
I will then indicate the Living and Personal God about whose
existence and about many of whose attributes there is no room for
question; I will show that man has been so far made in the
likeness of this Person or God; that He possesses all its
essential characteristics; and that it is this God who has called
man and all other living forms; whether animals or plants; into
existence; so that our bodies are the temples of His spirit; that
it is this which sustains them in their life and growth; who is
one with them; living; moving; and having His being in them; in
whom; also; they live and move; they in Him and He in them; He
being not a Trinity in Unity only; but an Infinity in Unity; and
a Unity in an Infinity; eternal in time past; for so much time at
least that our minds can come no nearer to eternity than this;
eternal for the future as long as the universe shall exist; ever
changing; yet the same yesterday; and to…day; and for ever。 And I
will show this with so little ambiguity that it shall be
perceived not as a phantom or hallucination following upon a
painful straining of the mind and a vain endeavour 'sic' to give
coherency to incoherent and inconsistent ideas; but with the same
ease; comfort; and palpable flesh…and…blood clearness with which
we see those near to us ; whom; though we see them at the best as
through a glass darkly; we still see face to face; even as we are
ourselves seen。
I will also show in what way this Being exercises a moral
government over the world; and rewards and punishes us according
to His own laws。
Having done this I shall proceed to compare this conception of
God with those that are currently accepted; and will endeavour
'sic' to show that the ideas now current are in truth efforts to
grasp the one on which I shall here insist。 Finally; I shall
persuade the reader that the differences between the so…called
atheist and the so…called theist are differences rather about
words than things; inasmuch as not even the most prosaic of
modern scientists will be inclined to deny the existence of this
God; while few theists will feel that this; the natural
conception of God; is a less worthy one than that to which they
have been accustomed。
CHAPTER III
PANTHEISM。 I
THE Rev。 J。 H。 Blunt; in his 〃Dictionary of Sects; Heresies;
etc。;〃 defines Pantheists as 〃those who hold that God is