god the invisible king-第14章

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ff　never　faces　that　question。　　And　again；　what　of　the　man　　who　is　challenged　to　die　for　right　at　the　age　of　thirty？　　What　does　　the　prolongation　of　life　do　for　him？　　And　where　are　the　consolations　　for　accidental　misfortune；　for　the　tormenting　disease　or　the　lost　　limb？）　But　in　his　peroration　Professor　Metchnikoff　lapses　into　pure　　religiosity。　　The　prolongation　of　life　gives　place　to　sheer　self…　sacrifice　as　the　fundamental　〃remedy。〃　　And　indeed　what　other　remedy　　has　ever　been　conceived　for　the　general　evil　of　life？

〃On　the　other　hand；〃　he　writes；　〃the　knowledge　that　the　goal　of　　human　life　can　be　attained　only　by　the　development　of　a　high　degree　　of　solidarity　amongst　men　will　restrain　actual　egotism。　　The　mere　　fact　that　the　enjoyment　of　life　according　to　the　precepts　of　Solomon　　（Ecelesiastes　ix。　7…10）*　is　opposed　to　the　goal　of　human　life；　will　　lessen　luxury　and　the　evil　that　comes　from　luxury。　　Conviction　that　　science　alone　is　able　to　redress　the　disharmonies　of　the　human　　constitution　will　lead　directly　to　the　improvement　of　education　and　　to　the　solidarity　of　mankind。　*　Go　thy　way；　eat　thy　bread　with　joy；　and　drink　thy　wine　with　a　　merry　heart；　for　God　now　accepteth　thy　works。　　Let　thy　garments　be　　always　white；　and　let　thy　head　lack　no　ointment。　　Live　joyfully　with　　the　wife　whom　thou　lovest　all　the　days　of　the　life　of　thy　vanity；　　which　he　hath　given　thee　under　the　sun；　all　the　days　of　thy　vanity　　for　that　is　thy　portion　in　this　life；　and　in　thy　labour　which　thou　　takest　under　the　sun。　　whatsoever　thy　hand　findeth　to　do；　do　it　with　　thy　might；　for　there　is　no　work；　nor　device；　nor　knowledge；　nor　　wisdom；　in　the　grave；　whither　thou　goest。　〃In　progress　towards　the　goal；　nature　will　have　to　be　consulted　　continuously。　　Already；　in　the　case　of　the　ephemerids；　nature　has　　produced　a　complete　cycle　of　normal　life　ending　in　natural　death。　　　In　the　problem　of　his　own　fate；　man　must　not　be　content　with　the　　gifts　of　nature；　he　must　direct　them　by　his　own　efforts。　　Just　as　he　　has　been　able　to　modify　the　nature　of　animals　and　plants；　man　must　　attempt　to　modify　his　own　constitution；　so　as　to　readjust　its　　disharmonies。　。　。　。　〃To　modify　the　human　constitution；　it　will　be　necessary　first；　to　　frame　the　ideal；　and　thereafter　to　set　to　work　with　all　the　　resources　of　science。　〃If　there　can　be　formed　an　ideal　able　to　unite　men　in　a　kind　of　　religion　of　the　future；　this　ideal　must　be　founded　on　scientific　　principles。　　And　if　it　be　true；　as　has　been　asserted　so　often；　that　　man　can　live　by　faith　alone；　the　faith　must　be　in　the　power　of　　science。〃

Now　this；　after　all　the　flat　repudiations　that　have　preceded　it　of　　〃religion〃　and　〃philosophy〃　as　remedies　for　human　ills；　is　nothing　　less　than　the　fundamental　proposition　of　the　religious　life　　translated　into　terms　of　materialistic　science；　the　proposition　that　　damnation　is　really　over…individuation　and　that　salvahon　is　escape　　from　self　into　the　larger　being　of　life。　。　。　。　What　can　this　〃religion　of　the　future〃　be　but　that　devotion　to　the　　racial　adventure　under　the　captaincy　of　God　which　we　have　already　　found；　like　gold　in　the　bottom　of　the　vessel；　when　we　have　washed　　away　the　confusions　and　impurities　of　dogmatic　religion？　　By　an　　inquiry　setting　out　from　a　purely　religious　starting…point　we　have　　already　reached　conclusions　identical　with　this　ultimate　refuge　of　　an　extreme　materialist。　This　altar　to　the　Future　of　his；　we　can　claim　as　an　altar　to　our　　Godan　altar　rather　indistinctly　inscribed。

2。　SACRIFICE　IMPLIES　GOD

Almost　all　Agnostic　and　Atheistical　writings　that　show　any　fineness　　and　generosity　of　spirit；　have　this　tendency　to　become　as　it　were　　the　statement　of　an　anonymous　God。　　Everything　is　said　that　a　　religious　writer　would　sayexcept　that　God　is　not　named。　　Religious　　metaphors　abound。　　It　is　as　if　they　accepted　the　living　body　of　　religion　but　denied　the　bones　that　held　it　togetheras　they　might　　deny　the　bones　of　a　friend。　　It　is　true；　they　would　admit；　the　body　　moves　in　a　way　that　implies　bones　in　its　every　movement；　but　WE　　HAVE　NEVER　SEEN　THOSE　BONES。　The　disputes　in　theoryI　do　not　say　the　difference　in　reality　between　the　modern　believer　and　the　atheist　or　agnosticbecomes　at　　times　almost　as　impalpable　as　that　subtle　discussion　dear　to　　students　of　physics；　whether　the　scientific　〃ether〃　is　real　or　a　　formula。　　Every　material　phenomenon　is　consonant　with　and　helps　to　　define　this　ether；　which　permeates　and　sustains　and　is　all　things；　　which　nevertheless　is　perceptible　to　no　sense；　which　is　reached　only　　by　an　intellectual　process。　　Most　minds　are　disposed　to　treat　this　　ether　as　a　reality。　　But　the　acutely　critical　mind　insists　that　what　　is　only　so　attainable　by　inference　is　not　real；　it　is　no　more　than　　〃a　formula　that　satisfies　all　phenomena。〃　But　if　it　comes　to　that；　am　I　anything　more　than　the　formula　that　　satisfies　all　my　forms　of　consciousness？　Intellectually　there　is　hardly　anything　more　than　a　certain　will　to　　believe；　to　divide　the　religious　man　who　knows　God　to　be　utterly　　real；　from　the　man　who　says　that　God　is　merely　a　formula　to　satisfy　　moral　and　spiritual　phenomena。　　The　former　has　encountered　him；　the　　other　has　as　yet　felt　only　unassigned　impulses。　　One　says　God's　will　　is　so；　the　other　that　Right　is　so。　　One　says　God　moves　me　to　do　this　　or　that；　the　other　the　Good　Will　in　me　which　I　share　with　you　and　　all　well…disposed　men；　moves　me　to　do　this　or　that。　　But　the　former　　makes　an　exterior　reference　and　escapes　a　risk　of　self…　righteousness。　I　have　recently　been　reading　a　book　by　Mr。　Joseph　McCabe　called　〃The　　Tyranny　of　Shams；〃　in　which　he　displays　very　typically　this　curious　　tendency　to　a　sort　of　religion　with　God　〃blacked　out。〃　　His　is　an　　extremely　interesting　case。　　He　is　a　writer　who　was　formerly　a　Roman　　Catholic　priest；　and　in　his　reaction　from　Catholicism　he　displays　a　　resolution　even　sterner　than　Professor　Metchnikoff's；　to　deny　that　　anything　religious　or　divine　can　exist；　that　there　can　be　any　aim　in　　life　except　happiness；　or　any　guide　but　〃science。〃　　Butand　here　　immediately　he　turns　east　againhe　is　careful　not　to　say　　〃individual　happiness。〃　　And　he　says　〃Pleasure　is；　as　Epicureans　　insisted；　only　a　part　of　a　large　ideal　of　happiness。〃　　So　he　lets　　the　happiness　of　devotion　and　sacrifice　creep　in。　　So　he　opens　　indefinite　possibilities　of　getting　away　from　any　merely　　materialistic　rule　of　life。　　And　he　writes：

〃In　every　civilised　nation　the　mass　of　the　people　are　inert　and　　indifferent。　　Some　even　make　a　pretence　of　justifying　their　　inertness。　　Why；　they　ask；　should　we　stir　at　all？　　Is　there　such　a　　thing　as　a　duty　to　improve　the　earth？　　What　is　the　meaning　or　　purpose　of　life？　　Or　has　it　a　purpose？　〃One　generally　finds　that　this　kind　of　reasoning　is　merely　a　piece　　of　controversial　athletics　or　a　thin　excuse　for　idleness。　　People　　tell　you　that　the　conflict　of　science　and　religionit　would　be　　better　to　say；　the　conflict　of　modern　culture　and　ancient　　traditionshas　robbed　life　of　its　plain　significance。　　The　men　who；　　like　Tolstoi；　seriously　urge　this　point　fail　to　appreciate　the　　modern　outlook　on　life。　　Certainly　modern　culturescience；　history；　　philosophy；　and　artfinds　no　purpose　in　life：　that　is　to　say；　no　　purpose　eternally　fixed　and　to　be　discovered　by　man。　　A　great　　chemist　said　a　few　years　ago　that　he　could　imagine　'a　series　of　　lucky　accidents'the　chance　blowing　by　the　wind　of　certain　　chemicals　into　pools　on　the　primitive　earthaccounting　for　the　　first　appearance　of　life；　and　one　might　not　unjustly　sum　up　the　　influences　which　have　lifted　those　early　germs　to　the　level　of　　conscious　beings　as　a　similar　series　of　lucky　accidents。　〃But　it　is　sheer　affectation　to　say　that　this　demoralises　us。　　If　　there　is　no　purpose　impressed　on　the　universe；　or　prefixed　to　the　　development　of　humanity；　it　follows　only　that　humanity　may　choose　　its　own　purpose　and　set　up　its　own　goal；　and　the　most　elementary　　sense　of　order　will　teach　us　that　this　choice　must　be　social；　not　　merely　individual。　　In　whatever　measure　ill…controlled　individuals　　may　yield　to　personal　impulses　or　attractions；　the　aim　of　the　race　　must　be　a　collective　aim。　　I　do　not　mean　an　austere　demand　of　self…　sacrifice　from　the　individual；　but　an　adjustmenta