god the known and god the unknown-第9章

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individual　citizen　of　a　community　is　a　member　of　one　state；　or　as　

each　cell　of　our　own　bodies　is　a　separate　person；　or　each　bud　of　

a　tree　a　separate　plant。　　We　must　therefore　see　the　whole　varied　

congeries　of　living　things　as　a　single　very　ancient　Being；　

of　inconceivable　vastness；　and　animated　by　one　Spirit。



We　call　the　octogenarian　one　person　with　the　embryo　of　a　few　days　

old　from　which　he　has　developed。　　An　oak　or　yew　tree　may　be　two　

thousand　years　old；　but　we　call　it　one　plant　with　the　seed　from　

which　it　has　grown。　　Millions　of　individual　buds　have　come　and　

gone；　to　the　yearly　wasting　and　repairing　of　its　substance；　but　

the　tree　still　lives　and　thrives；　and　the　dead　leaves　have　life　

therein。　　So　the　Tree　of　Life　still　lives　and　thrives　as　a　single　

person；　no　matter　how　many　new　features　it　has　acquired　during　

its　development；　nor；　again；　how　many　of　its　individual　leaves　

fall　yellow　to　the　ground　daily。　　The　spirit　or　soul　of　this　

person　is　the　Spirit　of　God；　and　its　body…for　we　know　of　no　soul　

or　spirit　without　a　body；　nor　of　any　living　body　without　a　spirit　

or　soul；　and　if　there　is　a　God　at　all　there　must　be　a　body　of　

God…is　the　many…membered　outgrowth　of　protoplasm；　the　

ensemble　of　animal　and　vegetable　life。



To　repeat。　　The　Theologian　of　to…day　tells　us　that　there　is　a　God；　

but　is　horrified　at　the　idea　of　that　God　having　a　body。　　We　say　

that　we　believe　in　God；　but　that　our　minds　refuse　to　realise　

＇sic＇　an　intelligent　Being　who　has　no　bodily　person。　　〃Where　

then；〃　says　the　Theologian；　〃　is　the　body　of　your　God？〃　We　have　

answered；　〃In　the　living　forms　upon　the　earth；　which；　though　they　

look　many；　are；　when　we　regard　them　by　the　light　of　their　history　

and　of　true　analogies；　one　person　only。〃　The　spiritual　connection　

between　them　is　a　more　real　bond　of　union　than　the　visible　

discontinuity　of　material　parts　is　ground　for　separating　them　in　

our　thoughts。



Let　the　reader　look　at　a　case　of　moths　in　the　shop…window　of　a　

naturalist；　and　note　the　unspeakable　delicacy；　beauty；　and　yet　

serviceableness　of　their　wings；　or　let　him　look　at　a　case　of　

humming…birds；　and　remember　how　infinitely　small　a　part　of　Nature　

is　the　whole　group　of　the　animals　he　may　be　considering；　and　how　

infinitely　small　a　part　of　that　group　is　the　case　that　he　is　

looking　at。　　Let　him　bear　in　mind　that　he　is　looking　on　the　dead　

husks　only　of　what　was　inconceivably　more　marvellous　＇sic＇　when　

the　moths　or　humming…birds　were　alive。　　Let　him　think　of　the　

vastness　of　the　earth；　and　of　the　activity　by　day　and　night　

through　countless　ages　of　such　countless　forms　of　animal　and　

vegetable　life　as　that　no　human　mind　can　form　the　faintest　

approach　to　anything　that　can　be　called　a　conception　of　their　

multitude；　and　let　him　remember　that　all　these　forms　have　touched　

and　touched　and　touched　other　living　beings　till　they　meet　back　

on　a　common　substance　in　which　they　are　rooted；　and　from　which　

they　all　branch　forth　so　as　to　be　one　animal。　　Will　he　not　in　this　

real　and　tangible　existence　find　a　God　who　is　as　much　more　worthy　

of　admiration　than　the　God　of　the　ordinary　Theologian…as　He　is　

also　more　easy　of　comprehension？



For　the　Theologian　dreams　of　a　God　sitting　above　the　clouds　among　

the　cherubim；　who　blow　their　loud　uplifted　angel　trumpets　before　

Him；　and　humour　＇sic＇　Him　as　though　He　were　some　despot　in　an　

Oriental　tale；　but　we　enthrone　Him　upon　the　wings　of　birds；　on　

the　petals　of　flowers；　on　the　faces　of　our　friends；　and　upon　

whatever　we　most　delight　in　of　all　that　lives　upon　the　earth。　　We　

then　can　not　only　love　Him；　but　we　can　do　that　without　which　love　

has　neither　power　nor　sweetness；　but　is　a　phantom　only；　an　

impersonal　person；　a　vain　stretching　forth　of　arms　towards　

something　that　can　never　fill　them…we　can　express　our　love　and　

have　it　expressed　to　us　in　return。　　And　this　not　in　the　uprearing　

of　stone　temples…for　the　Lord　dwelleth　＇sic＇　in　temples　made　with　

other　organs　than　hands…nor　yet　in　the　cleansing　of　our　hearts；　

but　in　the　caress　bestowed　upon　horse　and　dog；　and　kisses　upon　

the　lips　of　those　we　love。　　



Wide；　however；　as　is　the　difference　between　the　orthodox　

Theologian　and　ourselves；　it　is　not　more　remarkable　than　the　

number　of　the　points　on　which　we　can　agree　with　him；　and　on　

which；　moreover；　we　can　make　his　meaning　clearer　to　himself　than　

it　can　have　ever　hitherto　been。　　He；　for　example；　says　that　man　

has　been　made　in　the　image　of　God；　but　he　cannot　mean　what　he　

says；　unless　his　God　has　a　material　body；　we；　on　the　other　hand；　

do　not　indeed　believe　that　the　body　of　God…the　incorporation　of　

all　life…is　like　the　body　of　a　man；　more　than　we　believe　each　one　

of　our　own　cells　or　subordinate　personalities　to　be　like　a　man　in　

miniature；　but　we　nevertheless　hold　that　each　of　our　tributary　

selves　is　so　far　made　after　the　likeness　of　the　body　corporate　

that　it　possesses　all　our　main　and　essential　characteristics…that　

is　to　say；　that　it　can　waste　and　repair　itself；　can　feel；　move；　

and　remember。　　To　this　extent；　also；　we…who　stand　in　mean　

proportional　between　our　tributary　personalities　and　God…are　made　

in　the　likeness　of　God；　for　we；　and　God；　and　our　subordinate　

cells　alike　possess　the　essential　characteristics　of　life　which　

have　been　above　recited。　　It　is　more　true；　therefore；　for　us　to　

say　that　we　are　made　in　the　likeness　of　God　than　for　the　orthodox　

Theologian　to　do　so。



Nor；　again；　do　we　find　difficulty　in　adopting　such　an　expression　

as　that　〃God　has　taken　our　nature　upon　Him。〃　We　hold　this　as　

firmly；　and　much　more　so；　than　Christians　can　do；　but　we　say　that　

this　is　no　new　thing　for　Him　to　do；　for　that　He　has　taken　flesh　

and　dwelt　among　us　from　the　day　that　He　first　assumed　our　shape；　

some　millions　of　years　ago；　until　now。　　God　cannot　become　man　more　

especially　than　He　can　become　other　living　forms；　any　more　than　

we　can　be　our　eyes　more　especially　than　any　other　of　our　

organs。　　We　may　develop　larger　eyes；　so　that　our　eyes　may　come　to　

occupy　a　still　more　important　place　in　our　economy　than　they　do　

at　present；　and　in　a　similar　way　the　human　race　may　become　a　more　

predominant　part　of　God　than　it　now　is…but　we　cannot　admit　that　

one　living　form　is　more　like　God　than　another；　we　must　hold　all　

equally　like　Him；　inasmuch　as　they　〃keep　ever；〃　as　Buffon　says；　

〃the　same　fundamental　unity；　in　spite　of　differences　of　detail…

nutrition；　development；　reproduction〃　（and；　I　would　add；　

〃memory〃）　〃being　the　common　traits　of　all　organic　bodies。〃　　The　

utmost　we　can　admit　is；　that　some　embodiments　of　the　Spirit　of　

Life　may　be　more　important　than　others　to　the　welfare　of　Life　as　

a　whole；　in　the　same　way　as　some　of　our　organs　are　more　important　

than　others　to　ourselves。



But　the　above　resemblances　between　the　language　which　we　can　

adopt　intelligently　and　that　which　Theologians　use　vaguely；　seem　

to　reduce　the　differences　of　opinion　between　the　two　contending　

parties　to　disputes　about　detail。　　For　even　those　who　believe　

their　ideas　to　be　the　most　definite；　and　who　picture　to　

themselves　a　God　as　anthropomorphic　as　He　was　represented　by　

Raffaelle；　are　yet　not　prepared　to　stand　by　their　ideas　if　they　

are　hard　pressed　in　the　same　way　as　we　are　by　ours。　　Those　who　say　

that　God　became　man　and　took　flesh　upon　Him；　and　that　He　is　now　

perfect　God　and　perfect　man　of　a　reasonable　soul　and　human　flesh　

subsisting；　will　yet　not　mean　that　Christ　has　a　heart；　blood；　a　

stomach；　etc。；　like　man's；　which；　if　he　has　not；　it　is　idle　to　

speak　of　him　as　〃perfect　man。〃　I　am　persuaded　that　they　do　not　

mean　this；　nor　wish　to　mean　it；　but　that　they　have　been　led　into　

saying　it　by　a　series　of　steps　which　it　is　very　easy　to　

understand　and　sympathise　＇sic＇　with；　if　they　are　considered　with　

any　diligence。



For　our　forefathers；　though　they　might　and　did　feel　the　existence　

of　a　Personal　God　in　the　world；　yet　could　not　demo