god the invisible king-第23章

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　of　the　old　Arminian　teachings　of　Wesleyans　　and　Methodists；　in　its　insistence　upon　the　entirely　finite　nature　of　　God。　　Arminians　seem　merely　to　have　insisted　that　God　has　　conditioned　himself；　and　by　his　own　free　act　left　men　free　to　accept　　or　reject　salvation。　　To　the　realist　type　of　mindhere　as　always　I　　use　〃realist〃　in　its　proper　sense　as　the　opposite　of　nominalistto　　the　old…fashioned；　over…exact　and　over…accentuating　type　of　mind；　　such　ways　of　thinking　seem　vague　and　unsatisfying。　　Just　as　it　　distresses　the　more　downright　kind　of　intelligence　with　a　feeling　of　　disloyalty　to　admit　that　God　is　not　Almighty；　so　it　troubles　the　　same　sort　of　intelligence　to　hear　that　there　is　no　clear　line　to　be　　drawn　between　the　saved　and　the　lost。　　Realists　like　an　exclusive　　flavour　in　their　faith。　　Moreover；　it　is　a　natural　weakness　of　　humanity　to　be　forced　into　extreme　positions　by　argument。　　It　is　　probable；　as　I　have　already　suggested；　that　the　absolute　attributes　　of　God　were　forced　upon　Christianity　under　the　stresses　of　　propaganda；　and　it　is　probable　that　the　theory　of　a　super…human　　obstinancy　beyond　salvation　arose　out　of　the　irritations　natural　to　　theological　debate。　　It　is　but　a　step　from　the　realisation　that　　there　are　people　absolutely　unable　or　absolutely　unwilling　to　see　　God　as　we　see　him；　to　the　conviction　that　they　are　therefore　shut　　off　from　God　by　an　invincible　soul　blindness。　It　is　very　easy　to　believe　that　other　people　are　essentially　damned。　Beyond　the　little　world　of　our　sympathies　and　comprehension　there　　are　those　who　seem　inaccessible　to　God　by　any　means　within　our　　experience。　　They　are　people　answering　to　the　〃hard…hearted；〃　to　the　　〃stiff…necked　generation〃　of　the　Hebrew　prophets。　　They　betray　and　　even　confess　to　standards　that　seem　hopelessly　base　to　us。　　They　　show　themselves　incapable　of　any　disinterested　enthusiasm　for　beauty　　or　truth　or　goodness。　　They　are　altogether　remote　from　intelligent　　sacrifice。　　To　every　test　they　betray　vileness　of　texture；　they　are　　mean；　cold；　wicked。　　There　are　people　who　seem　to　cheat　with　a　　private　self…approval；　who　are　ever　ready　to　do　harsh　and　cruel　　things；　whose　use　for　social　feeling　is　the　malignant　boycott；　and　　for　prosperity；　monopolisation　and　humiliating　display；　who　seize　　upon　religion　and　turn　it　into　persecution；　and　upon　beauty　to　　torment　it　on　the　altars　of　some　joyless　vice。　　We　cannot　do　with　　such　souls；　we　have　no　use　for　them；　and　it　is　very　easy　indeed　to　　step　from　that　persuasion　to　the　belief　that　God　has　no　use　for　　them。　And　besides　these　base　people　there　are　the　stupid　people　and　the　　people　with　minds　so　poor　in　texture　that　they　cannot　even　grasp　the　　few　broad　and　simple　ideas　that　seem　necessary　to　the　salvation　we　　experience；　who　lapse　helplessly　into　fetishistic　and　fearful　　conceptions　of　God；　and　are　apparently　quite　incapable　of　　distinguishing　between　what　is　practically　and　what　is　spiritually　　good。　It　is　an　easy　thing　to　conclude　that　the　only　way　to　God　is　our　way　　to　God；　that　he　is　the　privilege　of　a　finer　and　better　sort　to　which　　we　of　course　belong；　that　he　is　no　more　the　God　of　the　card…sharper　　or　the　pickpocket　or　the　〃smart〃　woman　or　the　loan…monger　or　the　　village　oaf　than　he　is　of　the　swine　in　the　sty。　　But　are　we　　justified　in　thus　limiting　God　to　the　measure　of　our　moral　and　　intellectual　understandings？　　Because　some　people　seem　to　me　　steadfastly　and　consistently　base　or　hopelessly　and　incurably　dull　　and　confused；　does　it　follow　that　there　are　not　phases；　albeit　I　　have　never　chanced　to　see　them；　of　exaltation　in　the　one　case　and　　illumination　in　the　other？　　And　may　I　not　be　a　little　restricting　my　　perception　of　Good？　　While　I　have　been　ready　enough　to　pronounce　　this　or　that　person　as　being；　so　far　as　I　was　concerned；　thoroughly　　damnable　or　utterly　dull；　I　find　a　curious　reluctance　to　admit　the　　general　proposition　which　is　necessary　for　these　instances。　　It　is　　possible　that　the　difference　between　Arminian　and　Calvinist　is　a　　difference　of　essential　intellectual　temperament　rather　than　of　　theoretical　conviction。　　I　am　temperamentally　Arminian　as　I　am　　temperamentally　Nominalist。　　I　feel　that　it　must　be　in　the　nature　of　　God　to　attempt　all　souls。　　There　must　be　accessibilities　I　can　only　　suspect；　and　accessibilities　of　which　I　know　nothing。　Yet　here　is　a　consideration　pointing　rather　the　other　way。　　If　you　　think；　as　you　must　think；　that　you　yourself　can　be　lost　to　God　and　　damned；　then　I　cannot　see　how　you　can　avoid　thinking　that　other　　people　can　be　damned。　　But　that　is　not　to　believe　that　there　are　　people　damned　at　the　outset　by　their　moral　and　intellectual　　insufficiency；　that　is　not　to　make　out　that　there　is　a　class　of　　essential　and　incurable　spiritual　defectives。　　The　religious　life　　preceded　clear　religious　understanding　and　extends　far　beyond　its　　range。　In　my　own　case　I　perceive　that　in　spite　of　the　value　I　attach　to　　true　belief；　the　reality　of　religion　is　not　an　intellectual　thing。　　　The　essential　religious　fact　is　in　another　than　the　mental　sphere。　　　I　am　passionately　anxious　to　have　the　idea　of　God　clear　in　my　own　　mind；　and　to　make　my　beliefs　plain　and　clear　to　other　people；　and　　particularly　to　other　people　who　may　seem　to　be　feeling　with　me；　I　　do　perceive　that　error　is　evil　if　only　because　a　faith　based　on　　confused　conceptions　and　partial　understandings　may　suffer　　irreparable　injury　through　the　collapse　of　its　substratum　of　ideas。　　　I　doubt　if　faith　can　be　complete　and　enduring　if　it　is　not　secured　　by　the　definite　knowledge　of　the　true　God。　　Yet　I　have　also　to　admit　　that　I　find　the　form　of　my　own　religious　emotion　paralleled　by　　people　with　whom　I　have　no　intellectual　sympathy　and　no　agreement　in　　phrase　or　formula　at　all。　There　is　for　example　this　practical　identity　of　religious　feeling　　and　this　discrepancy　of　interpretation　between　such　an　inquirer　as　　myself　and　a　convert　of　the　Salvation　Army。　　Here；　clothing　itself　　in　phrases　and　images　of　barbaric　sacrifice；　of　slaughtered　lambs　　and　fountains　of　precious　blood；　a　most　repulsive　and　　incomprehensible　idiom　to　me；　and　expressing　itself　by　shouts；　　clangour；　trumpeting；　gesticulations；　and　rhythmic　pacings　that　stun　　and　dismay　my　nerves；　I　find；　the　same　object　sought；　release　from　　self；　and　the　same　end；　the　end　of　identification　with　the　immortal；　　successfully　if　perhaps　rather　insecurely　achieved。　　I　see　God　　indubitably　present　in　these　excitements；　and　I　see　personalities　I　　could　easily　have　misjudged　as　too　base　or　too　dense　for　spiritual　　understandings；　lit　by　the　manifest　reflection　of　divinity。　　One　may　　be　led　into　the　absurdest　underestimates　of　religious　possibilities　　if　one　estimates　people　only　coldly　and　in　the　light　of　everyday　　life。　　There　is　a　sub…intellectual　religious　life　which；　very　　conceivably；　when　its　utmost　range　can　be　examined；　excludes　nothing　　human　from　religious　cooperation；　which　will　use　any　words　to　its　　tune；　which　takes　its　phrasing　ready…made　from　the　world　about　it；　　as　it　takes　the　street　for　its　temple；　and　yet　which　may　be　at　its　　inner　point　in　the　directest　contact　with　God。　　Religion　may　suffer　　from　aphasia　and　still　be　religion；　it　may　utter　misleading　or　　nonsensical　words　and　yet　intend　and　convey　the　truth。　　The　methods　　of　the　Salvation　Army　are　older　than　doctrinal　Christianity；　and　may　　long　survive　it。　　Men　and　women　may　still　chant　of　Beulah　Land　and　　cry　out　in　the　ecstasy　of　salvation；　the　tambourine；　that　modern　　revival　of　the　thrilling　Alexandrine　sistrum；　may　still　stir　dull　　nerves　to　a　first　apprehension　of　powers　and　a　call　beyond　the　　immediate　material　compulsion　of　life；　when　the　creeds　of　　Christianity　are　as　dead　as　the　lore　of　the　Druids。　The　emancipation　of　mankind　from　obsolete　theories　and　formularies　　may　be　accompanied　by　great　tides　of　moral　and　emotional　release　　among　types　and　strata　that　by　the　standards　of　a　trained　and　　explicit　intellectual；　may　seem　spiritually　hopeless。　　It　is　not　　necessary　to　imagine　the　whole　world　critical　and　lucid　in　order　to　　imagine　the　whole　world　unified　in　religious　sentiment；　　comprehending　the　same　phrases　and　coming　together　regardless　of　　class　and　race　and　quality；　in　the　worship　and　service　of　the