lecture20-第11章

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than　those　of　the　phenomenon　it　is　immediately　invoked　to



explain；　otherwise　it　is　not　prolific　enough。　　God；　meaning　only



what　enters　into　the　religious　man's　experience　of　union；　falls



short　of　being　an　hypothesis　of　this　more　useful　order。　　He　needs



to　enter　into　wider　cosmic　relations　in　order　to　justify　the



subject's　absolute　confidence　and　peace。







That　the　God　with　whom；　starting　from　the　hither　side　of　our　own



extra…marginal　self；　we　come　at　its　remoter　margin　into　commerce



should　be　the　absolute　world…ruler；　is　of　course　a　very



considerable　over…belief。　　Over…belief　as　it　is；　though；　it　is　an



article　of　almost　every　one's　religion。　　Most　of　us　pretend　in



some　way　to　prop　it　upon　our　philosophy；　but　the　philosophy



itself　is　really　propped　upon　this　faith。　What　is　this　but　to　say



that　Religion；　in　her　fullest　exercise　of　function；　is　not　a　mere



illumination　of　facts　already　elsewhere　given；　not　a　mere



passion；　like　love；　which　views　things　in　a　rosier　light。　　It　is



indeed　that；　as　we　have　seen　abundantly。　　But　it　is　something



more；　namely；　a　postulator　of　new　FACTS　as　well。　　The　world



interpreted　religiously　is　not　the　materialistic　world　over



again；　with　an　altered　expression；　it　must　have；　over　and　above



the　altered　expression；　a　natural　constitution　different　at　some



point　from　that　which　a　materialistic　world　would　have。　　It　must



be　such　that　different　events　can　be　expected　in　it；　different



conduct　must　be　required。







This　thoroughly　〃pragmatic〃　view　of　religion　has　usually　been



taken　as　a　matter　of　course　by　common　men。　　They　have



interpolated　divine　miracles　into　the　field　of　nature；　they　have



built　a　heaven　out　beyond　the　grave。　　It　is　only



transcendentalist　metaphysicians　who　think　that；　without　adding



any　concrete　details　to　Nature；　or　subtracting　any；　but　by



simply　calling　it　the　expression　of　absolute　spirit；　you　make　it



more　divine　just　as　it　stands。　　I　believe　the　pragmatic　way　of



taking　religion　to　be　the　deeper　way。　　It　gives　it　body　as　well



as　soul；　it　makes　it　claim；　as　everything　real　must　claim；　some



characteristic　realm　of　fact　as　its　very　own。　What　the　more



characteristically　divine　facts　are；　apart　from　the　actual　inflow



of　energy　in　the　faith…state　and　the　prayer…state；　I　know　not。　



But　the　over…belief　on　which　I　am　ready　to　make　my　personal



venture　is　that　they　exist。　　The　whole　drift　of　my　education　goes



to　persuade　me　that　the　world　of　our　present　consciousness　is



only　one　out　of　many　worlds　of　consciousness　that　exist；　and　that



those　other　worlds　must　contain　experiences　which　have　a　meaning



for　our　life　also；　and　that　although　in　the　main　their



experiences　and　those　of　this　world　keep　discrete；　yet　the　two



become　continuous　at　certain　points；　and　higher　energies　filter



in。　　By　being　faithful　in　my　poor　measure　to　this　over…belief；　I



seem　to　myself　to　keep　more　sane　and　true。　　I　CAN；　of　course；　put



myself　into　the　sectarian　scientist's　attitude；　and　imagine



vividly　that　the　world　of　sensations　and　of　scientific　laws　and



objects　may　be　all。　　But　whenever　I　do　this；　I　hear　that　inward



monitor　of　which　W。　K。　Clifford　once　wrote；　whispering　the　word



〃bosh！〃　　Humbug　is　humbug；　even　though　it　bear　the　scientific



name；　and　the　total　expression　of　human　experience；　as　I　view　it



objectively；　invincibly　urges　me　beyond　the　narrow　〃scientific〃



bounds。　　Assuredly；　the　real　world　is　of　a　different



temperamentmore　intricately　built　than　physical　science　allows。







So　my　objective　and　my　subjective　conscience　both　hold　me　to　the



over…belief　which　I　express。　　Who　knows　whether　the　faithfulness



of　individuals　here　below　to　their　own　poor　over…beliefs　may　not



actually　help　God　in　turn　to　be　more　effectively　faithful　to　his



own　greater　tasks？