god the known and god the unknown-第4章
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considered as a splendid prophecy; but as little more than a
prophecy。 He continues; 〃Birth is expansion from the one centre
of Life; life is its continuance; and death is the necessary
return of the ray to the centre of light。〃 This begins finely;
but ends mystically。 I have not; however; compared the English
translation with the original; and must reserve a fuller
examination of Giordano Bruno's teaching for another opportunity。
Spinoza disbelieved in the world rather than in God。 He was an
Acosmist; to use Jacobi's expression; rather than an Atheist。
According to him; 〃the Deity and the Universe are but one
substance; at the same time both spirit and matter; thought and
extension; which are the only known attributes of the Deity。〃
My readers will; I think; agree with me that there is very little
of the above which conveys ideas with the fluency and comfort
which accompany good words。 Words are like servants: it is not
enough that we should have them…we must have the most able and
willing that we can find; and at the smallest wages that will
content them。 Having got them we must make the best and not the
worst of them。 Surely; in the greater part of what has been
quoted above; the words are barren letters only: they do not
quicken within us and enable us to conceive a thought; such as we
can in our turn impress upon dead matter; and mould 'sic' that
matter into another shape than its own; through the thought which
has become alive within us。 No offspring of ideas has followed
upon them; or; if any at all; yet in such unwonted shape; and
with such want of alacrity; that we loathe them as malformations
and miscarriages of our minds。 Granted that if we examine them
closely we shall at length find them to embody a little germ of
truth…that is to say; of coherency with our other ideas; but
there is too little truth in proportion to the trouble necessary
to get at it。 We can get more truth; that is to say; more
coherency…for truth and coherency are one…for less trouble in
other ways。
But it may be urged that the beginnings of all tasks are
difficult and unremunerative; and that later developments of
Pantheism may be more intelligible than the earlier ones。
Unfortunately; this is not the case。 On continuing Mr。 Blunt's
article; I find the later Pantheists a hundredfold more
perplexing than the earlier ones。 With Kant; Schelling; Fichte;
and Hegel; we feel that we are with men who have been decoyed
into a hopeless quagmire; we understand nothing of their
language…we doubt whether they understand themselves; and feel
that we can do nothing with them but look at them and pass them
by。
In my next chapter I propose to show the end which the early
Pantheists were striving after; and the reason and naturalness of
their error。
CHAPTER IV
PANTHEISM。 II
The earlier Pantheists were misled by the endeavour 'sic' to lay
hold of two distinct ideas; the one of which was a reality that
has since been grasped and is of inestimable value; the other a
phantom which has misled all who have followed it。 The reality is
the unity of Life; the oneness of the guiding and animating
spirit which quickens animals and plants; so that they are all
the outcome and expression of a common mind; and are in truth one
animal; the phantom is the endeavour 'sic' to find the origin of
things; to reach the fountain…head of all energy; and thus to lay
the foundations on which a philosophy may be constructed which
none can accuse of being baseless; or of arguing in a circle。
In following as through a thick wood after the phantom our
forefathers from time to time caught glimpses of the reality;
which seemed so wonderful as it eluded them; and flitted back
again into the thickets; that they declared it must be the
phantom they were in search of; which was thus evidenced as
actually existing。 Whereon; instead of mastering such of the
facts they met with as could be captured easily…which facts would
have betrayed the hiding…places of others; and these again of
others; and so ad infinitum…they overlooked what was
within their reach; and followed hotly through brier and brake
after an imaginary greater prize。
Great thoughts are not to be caught in this way。 They must
present themselves for capture of their own free will; or be
taken after a little coyness only。 They are like wealth and
power; which; if a man is not born to them; are the more likely
to take him; the more he has restrained himself from an attempt
to snatch them。 They hanker after those only who have tamed their
nearer thoughts。 Nevertheless; it is impossible not to feel that
the early Pantheists were true prophets and seers; though the
things were unknown to them without which a complete view was
unattainable。 What does Linus mean; we ask ourselves; when he
says :… 〃One sole energy governs all things〃 ? How can one sole
energy govern; we will say; the reader and the chair on which he
sits? What is meant by an energy governing a chair? If by an
effort we have made ourselves believe we understand something
which can be better expressed by these words than by any others;
no sooner do we turn our backs than the ideas so painfully
collected fly apart again。 No matter how often we go in search of
them; and force them into juxtaposition; they prove to have none
of that innate coherent power with which ideas combine that we
can hold as true and profitable。
Yet if Linus had confined his statement to living things; and had
said that one sole energy governed all plants and animals; he
would have come near both to being intelligible and true。 For if;
as we now believe; all animals and plants are descended from a
single cell; they must be considered as cousins to one another;
and as forming a single tree…like animal; every individual plant
or animal of which is as truly one and the same person with the
primordial cell as the oak a thousand years old is one and the
same plant with the acorn out of which it has grown。 This is
easily understood; but will; I trust; be made to appear simpler
presently。
When Linus says; 〃All things are unity; and each portion is All;
for of one integer all things were born;〃 it is impossible for
plain people…who do not wish to use words unless they mean the
same things by them as both they and others have been in the
habit of meaning…to understand what is intended。 How can each
portion be all? How can one Londoner be all London? I know that
this; too; can in a way be shown; but the resulting idea is too
far to fetch; and when fetched does not fit in well enough with
our other ideas to give it practical and commercial value。 How;
again; can all things be said to be born of one integer; unless
the statement is confined to living things; which can alone be
born at all; and unless a theory of evolution is intended; such
as Linus would hardly have accepted?
Yet limit the 〃all things〃 to 〃all living things;〃 grant the
theory of evolution; and explain 〃each portion is All〃 to mean
that all life is akin; and possesses the same essential
fundamental characteristics; and it is surprising how nearly
Linus approaches both to truth and intelligibility。
It may be said that the animate and the inanimate have the same
fundamental substance; so that a chair might rot and be absorbed
by grass; which grass might be eaten by a cow; which cow might be
eaten by a man; and by similar processes the man might become a
chair; but these facts are not presented to the mind by saying
that 〃one energy governs all things〃…a chair; we will say; and a
man; we could only say that one energy governed a man and a
chair; if the chair were a reasonable living person; who was
actively and consciously engaged in helping t