god the invisible king-第24章

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ses　and　coming　together　regardless　of　　class　and　race　and　quality；　in　the　worship　and　service　of　the　true　　God。　　The　coming　kingship　of　God　if　it　is　to　be　more　than　hieratic　　tyranny　must　have　this　universality　of　appeal。　　As　the　head　grows　　clear　the　body　will　turn　in　the　right　direction。　　To　the　mass　of　men　　modern　religion　says；　〃This　is　the　God　it　has　always　been　in　your　　nature　to　apprehend。〃

11。　GOD　AND　THE　LOVE　AND　STATUS　OF　WOMEN

Now　that　we　are　discussing　the　general　question　of　individual　　conduct；　it　will　be　convenient　to　take　up　again　and　restate　in　that　　relationship；　propositions　already　made　very　plainly　in　the　second　　and　third　chapters。　　Here　there　are　several　excellent　reasons　for　a　　certain　amount　of　deliberate　repetition。　。　。　。　All　the　mystical　relations　of　chastity；　virginity；　and　the　like　with　　religion；　those　questions　of　physical　status　that　play　so　large　a　　part　in　most　contemporary　religions；　have　disappeared　from　modern　　faith。　　Let　us　be　as　clear　as　possible　upon　this。　　God　is　concerned　　by　the　health　and　fitness　and　vigour　of　his　servants；　we　owe　him　our　　best　and　utmost；　but　he　has　no　special　concern　and　no　special　　preferences　or　commandments　regarding　sexual　things。　Christ；　it　is　manifest；　was　of　the　modern　faith　in　these　matters；　he　　welcomed　the　Magdalen；　neither　would　he　condemn　the　woman　taken　in　　adultery。　　Manifestly　corruption　and　disease　were　not　to　stand　　between　him　and　those　who　sought　God　in　him。　　But　the　Christianity　　of　the　creeds；　in　this　as　in　so　many　respects；　does　not　rise　to　the　　level　of　its　founder；　and　it　is　as　necessary　to　repeat　to…day　as　　though　the　name　of　Christ　had　not　been　ascendant　for　nineteen　　centuries；　that　sex　is　a　secondary　thing　to　religion；　and　sexual　　status　of　no　account　in　the　presence　of　God。　　It　follows　quite　　logically　that　God　does　not　discriminate　between　man　and　woman　in　　any　essential　things。　　We　leave　our　individuality　behind　us　when　we　　come　into　the　presence　of　God。　　Sex　is　not　disavowed　but　forgotten。　　　Just　as　one's　last　meal　is　forgottenwhich　also　is　a　difference　　between　the　religious　moment　of　modern　faith　and　certain　Christian　　sacraments。　　You　are　a　believer　and　God　is　at　hand　to　you；　heed　not　　your　state；　reach　out　to　him　and　he　is　there。　　In　the　moment　of　　religion　you　are　human；　it　matters　not　what　else　you　are；　male　or　　female；　clean　or　unclean；　Hebrew　or　Gentile；　bond　or　free。　　It　is　　AFTER　the　moment　of　religion　that　we　become　concerned　about　our　　state　and　the　manner　in　which　we　use　ourselves。　We　have　to　follow　our　reason　as　our　sole　guide　in　our　individual　　treatment　of　all　such　things　as　food　and　health　and　sex。　　God　is　the　　king　of　the　whole　world；　he　is　the　owner　of　our　souls　and　bodies　and　　all　things。　　He　is　not　particularly　concerned　about　any　aspect；　　because　he　is　concerned　about　every　aspect。　　We　have　to　make　the　　best　use　of　ourselves　for　his　kingdom；　that　is　our　rule　of　life。　　　That　rule　means　neither　painful　nor　frantic　abstinences　nor　any　　forced　way　of　living。　　Purity；　cleanliness；　health；　none　of　these　　things　are　for　themselves；　they　are　for　use；　none　are　magic；　all　are　　means。　　The　sword　must　be　sharp　and　clean。　　That　does　not　mean　that　　we　are　perpetually　to　sharpen　and　clean　itwhich　would　weaken　and　　waste　the　blade。　　The　sword　must　neither　be　drawn　constantly　nor　　always　rusting　in　its　sheath。　　Those　who　have　had　the　wits　and　soul　　to　come　to　God；　will　have　the　wits　and　soul　to　find　out　and　know　　what　is　waste；　what　is　vanity；　what　is　the　happiness　that　begets　　strength　of　body　and　spirit；　what　is　error；　where　vice　begins；　and　　to　avoid　and　repent　and　recoil　from　all　those　things　that　degrade。　　　These　are　matters　not　of　the　rule　of　life　but　of　the　application　of　　life。　　They　must　neither　be　neglected　nor　made　disproportionally　　important。　To　the　believer；　relationship　with　God　is　the　supreme　relationship。　　　It　is　difficult　to　imagine　how　the　association　of　lovers　and　friends　　can　be　very　fine　and　close　and　good　unless　the　two　who　love　are　each　　also　linked　to　God；　so　that　through　their　moods　and　fluctuations　and　　the　changes　of　years　they　can　be　held　steadfast　by　his　undying　　steadfastness。　　But　it　has　been　felt　by　many　deep…feeling　people　　that　there　is　so　much　kindred　between　the　love　and　trust　of　husband　　and　wife　and　the　feeling　we　have　for　God；　that　it　is　reasonable　to　　consider　the　former　also　as　a　sacred　thing。　　They　do　so　value　that　　close　love　of　mated　man　and　woman；　they　are　so　intent　upon　its　　permanence　and　completeness　and　to　lift　the　dear　relationship　out　of　　the　ruck　of　casual　and　transitory　things；　that　they　want　to　bring　　it；　as　it　were；　into　the　very　presence　and　assent　of　God。　　There　are　　many　who　dream　and　desire　that　they　are　as　deeply　and　completely　　mated　as　this；　many　more　who　would　fain　be　so；　and　some　who　are。　　　And　from　this　comes　the　earnest　desire　to　make　marriage　sacramental　　and　the　attempt　to　impose　upon　all　the　world　the　outward　appearance；　　the　restrictions；　the　pretence　at　least　of　such　a　sacramental　union。　There　may　be　such　a　quasi…sacramental　union　in　many　cases；　but　only　　after　years　can　one　be　sure　of　it；　it　is　not　to　be　brought　about　by　　vows　and　promises　but　by　an　essential　kindred　and　cleaving　of　body　　and　spirit；　and　it　concerns　only　the　two　who　can　dare　to　say　they　　have　it；　and　God。　　And　the　divine　thing　in　marriage；　the　thing　that　　is　most　like　the　love　of　God；　is；　even　then；　not　the　relationship　of　　the　man　and　woman　as　man　and　woman　but　the　comradeship　and　trust　and　　mutual　help　and　pity　that　joins　them。　　No　doubt　that　from　the　mutual　　necessities　of　bodily　love　and　the　common　adventure；　the　necessary　　honesties　and　helps　of　a　joint　life；　there　springs　the　stoutest；　　nearest；　most　enduring　and　best　of　human　companionship；　perhaps　only　　upon　that　root　can　the　best　of　mortal　comradeship　be　got；　but　it　　does　not　follow　that　the　mere　ordinary　coming　together　and　pairing　　off　of　men　and　women　is　in　itself　divine　or　sacramental　or　anything　　of　the　sort。　　Being　in　love　is　a　condition　that　may　have　its　moments　　of　sublime　exaltation；　but　it　is　for　the　most　part　an　experience　far　　down　the　scale　below　divine　experience；　it　is　often　love　only　in　so　　far　as　it　shares　the　name　with　better　things；　it　is　greed；　it　is　　admiration；　it　is　desire；　it　is　the　itch　for　excitement；　it　is　the　　instinct　for　competition；　it　is　lust；　it　is　curiosity；　it　is　　adventure；　it　is　jealousy；　it　is　hate。　　On　a　hundred　scores　'lovers'　　meet　and　part。　　Thereby　some　few　find　true　love　and　the　spirit　of　　God　in　themselves　or　others。　Lovers　may　love　God　in　one　another；　I　do　not　deny　it。　　That　is　no　　reason　why　the　imitation　and　outward　form　of　this　great　happiness　　should　be　made　an　obligation　upon　all　men　and　women　who　are　　attracted　by　one　another；　nor　why　it　should　be　woven　into　the　　essentials　of　religion。　　For　women　much　more　than　for　men　is　this　　confusion　dangerous；　lest　a　personal　love　should　shape　and　dominate　　their　lives　instead　of　God。　　〃He　for　God　only；　she　for　God　in　him；〃　　phrases　the　idea　of　Milton　and　of　ancient　Islam；　it　is　the　formula　　of　sexual　infatuation；　a　formula　quite　easily　inverted；　as　the　end　　of　Goethe's　Faust　（〃The　woman　soul　leadeth　us　upward　and　on〃）　may　　witness。　　The　whole　drift　of　modern　religious　feeling　is　against　　this　exaggeration　of　sexual　feeling；　these　moods　of　sexual　　slavishness；　in　spiritual　things。　　Between　the　healthy　love　of　　ordinary　mortal　lovers　in　love　and　the　love　of　God；　there　is　an　　essential　contrast　and　opposition　in　this；　that　preference；　　exclusiveness；　and　jealousy　seem　to　be　in　the　very　nature　of　the　　former　and　are　absolutely　incompatible　with　the　latter。　　The　former　　is　the　intensest　realisation　of　which　our　individualities　are　　capable；　the　latter　is　the　way　of　escape　from　the　limitations　of　　individuality。　　It　may　be　true　that　a　few　men　and　more　women　do　　achieve　the　completest　unselfishness　and　self…abandonment　in　earthly　　love。　　So　the　poets　and　romancers　tell　us。　　If　so；　it　is　that　by　an　　imaginative　perversion　they　have　given　to　some　attractive　person　a　　worship　that　should　be　reserved　for　God　and　a　devotion　that　is　　normally　evoked　only　by　little　children　in　their　mother's　heart。　　It　　is　not　the　way　between　most　of　the　men　and　women　one