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on of Man〃 or the 〃God of Mankind〃 or 〃God。〃 So far as the practical and moral ends of life are concerned； it does not matter how we explain or refuse to explain His presence in our lives。 There is but one possible gap left between the position of Dr。 Chalmers Mitchell and the position of this book。 In this book it is asserted that GOD RESPONDS； that he GIVES courage and the power of self…suppression to our weakness。
5。 A NOTE ON A LECTURE BY PROFESSOR GILBERT MURRAY
Let me now quote and discuss a very beautiful passage from a lecture upon Stoicism by Professor Gilbert Murray； which also displays the same characteristic of an involuntary shaping out of God in the forms of denial。 It is a passage remarkable for its conscientious and resolute Agnosticism。 And it is remarkable too for its blindness to the possibility of separating quite completely the idea of the Infinite Being from the idea of God。 It is another striking instance of that obsession of modern minds by merely Christian theology of which I have already complained。 Professor Murray has quoted Mr。 Bevan's phrase for God； 〃the Friend behind phenomena；〃 and he does not seem to realise that that phrase carries with it no obligation whatever to believe that this Friend is in control of the phenomena。 He assumes that he is supposed to be in control as if it were a matter of course：
〃We do seem to find；〃 Professor Murray writes； 〃not only in all religions； but in practically all philosophies； some belief that man is not quite alone in the universe； but is met in his endeavours towards the good by some external help or sympathy。 We find it everywhere in the unsophisticated man。 We find it in the unguarded self…revelations of the most severe and conscientious Atheists。 Now； the Stoics； like many other schools of thought； drew an argument from this consensus of all mankind。 It was not an absolute proof of the existence of the Gods or Providence； but it was a strong indication。 The existence of a common instinctive belief in the mind of man gives at least a presumption that there must be a good cause for that belief。 〃This is a reasonable position。 There must be some such cause。 But it does not follow that the only valid cause is the truth of the content of the belief。 I cannot help suspecting that this is precisely one of those points on which Stoicism； in company with almost all philosophy up to the present time； has gone astray through not sufficiently realising its dependence on the human mind as a natural biological product。 For it is very important in this matter to realise that the so…called belief is not really an intellectual judgment so much as a craving of the whole nature。 〃It is only of very late years that psychologists have begun to realise the enormous dominion of those forces in man of which he is normally unconscious。 We cannot escape as easily as these brave men dreamed from the grip of the blind powers beneath the threshold。 Indeed； as I see philosophy after philosophy falling into this unproven belief in the Friend behind phenomena； as I find that I myself cannot； except for a moment and by an effort； refrain from making the same assumption； it seems to me that perhaps here too we are under the spell of a very old ineradicable instinct。 We are gregarious animals； our ancestors have been such for countless ages。 We cannot help looking out on the world as gregarious animals do； we see it in terms of humanity and of fellowship。 Students of animals under domestication have shown us how the habits of a gregarious creature； taken away from his kind； are shaped in a thousand details by reference to the lost pack which is no longer therethe pack which a dog tries to smell his way back to all the time he is out walking； the pack he calls to for help when danger threatens。 It is a strange and touching thing； this eternal hunger of the gregarious animal for the herd of friends who are not there。 And it may be； it may very possibly be； that； in the matter of this Friend behind phenomena our own yearning and our own almost ineradicable instinctive conviction； since they are certainly not founded on either reason or observation； are in origin the groping of a lonely… souled gregarious animal to find its herd or its herd…leader in the great spaces between the stars。 〃At any rate； it is a belief very difficult to get rid of。〃
There the passage and the lecture end。 I would urge that here again is an inadvertent witness to the reality of God。 Professor Murray writes of gregarious animals as though there existed solitary animals that are not gregarious； pure individualists； 〃atheists〃 so to speak； and as though this appeal to a life beyond one's own was not the universal disposition of living things。 His classical training disposes him to a realistic exaggeration of individual difference。 But nearly every animal； and certainly every mentally considerable animal； begins under parental care； in a nest or a litter； mates to breed； and is associated for much of its life。 Even the great carnivores do not go alone except when they are old and have done with the most of life。 Every pack； every herd； begins at some point in a couple； it is the equivalent of the tiger's litter if that were to remain undispersed。 And it is within the memory of men still living that in many districts the African lion has with a change of game and conditions lapsed from a 〃solitary〃 to a gregarious； that is to say a prolonged family habit of life。 Man too； if in his ape…like phase he resembled the other higher apes； is an animal becoming more gregarious and not less。 He has passed within the historical period from a tribal gregariousness to a nearly cosmopolitan tolerance。 And he has his tribe about him。 He is not； as Professor Murray seems to suggest； a solitary LOST gregarious beast。 Why should his desire for God be regarded as the overflow of an unsatisfied gregarious instinct； when he has home； town； society； companionship； trade union； state； INCREASINGLY at hand to glut it？ Why should gregariousness drive a man to God rather than to the third…class carriage and the public…house？ Why should gregariousness drive men out of crowded Egyptian cities into the cells of the Thebaid？ Schopenhauer in a memorable passage （about the hedgehogs who assembled for warmth） is flatly opposed to Professor Murray； and seems far more plausible when he declares that the nature of man is insufficiently gregarious。 The parallel with the dog is not a valid one。 Does not the truth lie rather in the supposition that it is not the Friend that is the instinctive delusion but the isolation？ Is not the real deception； our belief that we are completely individualised； and is it not possible that this that Professor Murray calls 〃instinct〃 is really not a vestige but a new thing arising out of our increasing understanding； an intellectual penetration to that greater being of the species； that vine； of which we are the branches？ Why should not the soul of the species； many faceted indeed； be nevertheless a soul like our own？ Here； as in the case of Professor Metchnikoff； and in many other cases of atheism； it seems to me that nothing but an inadequate understanding of individuation bars the way to at least the intellectual recognition of the true God。
6。 RELIGION AS ETHICS
And while I am dealing with rationalists； let me note certain recent interesting utterances of Sir Harry Johnston's。 You will note that while in this book we use the word 〃God〃 to indicate the God of the Heart； Sir Harry uses 〃God〃 for that idea of God…of…the…Universe； which we have spoken of as the Infinite Being。 This use of the word 〃God〃 is of late theological origin； the original identity of the words 〃good〃 and 〃god〃 and all the stories of the gods are against him。 But Sir Harry takes up God only to define him away into incomprehensible necessity。 Thus：
〃We know absolutely nothing concerning the Force we call God； and； assuming such an intelligent ruling force to be in existence； permeating this universe of millions of stars and （no doubt） tens of millions of planets； we do not know under wh