god the invisible king-第29章

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ral　terms　can　I　trace　the　other　origins　of　　these　present　views。　　I　do　not　think　modern　religion　owes　much　to　　what　is　called　Deism　or　Theism。　　The　rather　abstract　and　futile　　Deism　of　the　eighteenth　century；　of　〃votre　Etre　supreme〃　who　bored　　the　friends　of　Robespierre；　was　a　sterile　thing；　it　has　little　　relation　to　these　modern　developments；　it　conceived　of　God　as　an　　infinite　Being　of　no　particular　character　whereas　God　is　a　finite　　being　of　a　very　especial　character。　　On　the　other　hand　men　and　women　　who　have　set　themselves；　with　unavoidable　theological　　preconceptions；　it　is　true；　to　speculate　upon　the　actual　teachings　　and　quality　of　Christ；　have　produced　interpretations　that　have　　interwoven　insensibly　with　thoughts　more　apparently　new。　　There　is　a　　curious　modernity　about　very　many　of　Christ's　recorded　sayings。　　　Revived　religion　has　also；　no　doubt；　been　the　receiver　of　many　　religious　bankruptcies；　of　Positivism　for　example；　which　failed　　through　its　bleak　abstraction　and　an　unspiritual　texture。　　Religion；　　thus　restated；　must；　I　think；　presently　incorporate　great　sections　　of　thought　that　are　still　attached　to　formal　Christianity。　　The　time　　is　at　hand　when　many　of　the　organised　Christian　churches　will　be　　forced　to　define　their　positions；　either　in　terms　that　will　identify　　them　with　this　renascence；　or　that　will　lead　to　the　release　of　their　　more　liberal　adherents。　　Its　probable　obligations　to　Eastern　thought　　are　less　readily　estimated　by　a　European　writer。　Modern　religion　has　no　revelation　and　no　founder；　it　is　the　　privilege　and　possession　of　no　coterie　of　disciples　or　exponents；　it　　is　appearing　simultaneously　round　and　about　the　world　exactly　as　a　　crystallising　substance　appears　here　and　there　in　a　super…saturated　　solution。　　It　is　a　process　of　truth；　guided　by　the　divinity　in　men。　　　It　needs　no　other　guidance；　and　no　protection。　　It　needs　nothing　but　　freedom；　free　speech；　and　honest　statement。　　Out　of　the　most　mixed　　and　impure　solutions　a　growing　crystal　is　infallibly　able　to　select　　its　substance。　　The　diamond　arises　bright；　definite；　and　pure　out　of　　a　dark　matrix　of　structureless　confusion。　This　metaphor　of　crystallisation　is　perhaps　the　best　symbol　of　the　　advent　and　growth　of　the　new　understanding。　　It　has　no　church；　no　　authorities；　no　teachers；　no　orthodoxy。　　It　does　not　even　thrust　and　　struggle　among　the　other　things；　simply　it　grows　clear。　　There　will　　be　no　putting　an　end　to　it。　　It　arrives　inevitably；　and　it　will　　continue　to　separate　itself　out　from　confusing　ideas。　　It　becomes；　　as　it　were　the　Koh…i…noor；　it　is　a　Mountain　of　Light；　growing　and　　increasing。　　It　is　an　all…pervading　lucidity；　a　brightness　and　　clearness。　　It　has　no　head　to　smite；　no　body　you　can　destroy；　it　　overleaps　all　barriers；　it　breaks　out　in　despite　of　every　enclosure。　　　It　will　compel　all　things　to　orient　themselves　to　it。　It　comes　as　the　dawn　comes；　through　whatever　clouds　and　mists　may　be　　here　or　whatever　smoke　and　curtains　may　be　there。　　It　comes　as　the　　day　comes　to　the　ships　that　put　to　sea。　It　is　the　Kingdom　of　God　at　hand。


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