Professional Documents
Culture Documents
iS
BERNARD BOSANQ,UET
Jftliata,
New lorb
HENRY W. SAGE
1891
BR 125
.B74
WHAT RELIGION
IS
S^(^M
MACMILLAN AND
LONDON
THE MACMILLAN
CO. OF TORONTO
CANADA,
Ltd.
WHAT
RELIGION
IS
BY
BERNARD BOSANQUET
D.C.L., LL.D.
MACMILLAN AND
ST.
CO.,
LIMITED
^So35lS
COPYRIGHT
First Edition igzo Reprinted 1920
PBEFACE
What I hope and desire to do
this Httle
in writing
who, while
religion, are
the necessity
of
which
it
am
not
I
We
at
is
have to say
in
we
an experience
we were prepared
vi
for.
RELIGION
Everything depends on the ex-
we
a
approach
it.
Religion
is
centre, of all
human
it
difficulties
if
it is it
we ask
the
wrong questions
ing responses.
To
all
examples
me my private and personal happiness ? To this, on the whole, I think we must answer No
Will religion guarantee
;
and
if
we approach
it
with a view to
And
who
are
inclined
to
religion.
rejoin, "
Well, but
esteem
if it
We
how
us,
is it
to
be anything to us
"
RELIGION
was the answer
to the question
;
vii
and
it
We might
it
"Does
is
make my
more worth
living ?"
that makes
life
Now
if I
chance to
and
its
simplicity.
I insist
on two expressions
in this
;
last sentence.
my
hope
is
religion to them.
to help
them
No man
is
viii
RELIGION
religion,
have a
though he
"
;
may
is
not, in
it
Hes.
And
" simplicity
for it
a familiar
all
complexity, yet
we go wrong mostly by
As
little
."
;
among mankeep
only keep
free
and sincere
away from
selfishness, self-conceit,
from
Open
of
it
largely as
you
It
can.
man who on
is
to truth.
RELIGION
men.
ix
But every
crisis
has
its
own
word
httle
demand
is
and the
right answer.
And
it it is
even
if
the
quite old,
makes perhaps a
your
difference
when
repeated in your
side.
ear
by a comrade
at
BERNARD BOSANQUET.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
The Peace of
tion BY Faith
I
PAOB
God SalvationJustifica-
CHAPTER n
Freedom and Power
. .
.15
CHAPTER
HI
. .
23
CHAPTER
IV
.
35
CHAPTER V
The Nature
of Sin
xi
.....
43
xii
RELIGION
Suffering
.....
CHAPTER Vn
.
CHAPTER
VI
PAGE
51
.65
CHAPTER Vm
The
Religious Temper
.
.73
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
THE PEACE OF GOD
SALVATION
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
" What must I
I
do to be saved ? "
the central knot and need of all religion, " What must I do to be saved ? " The
old monosyllable,
coming of Christ
it
would seem, an ultimate need. And Saved from what ? yet, what is it ? The old word does not say and this,
;
I think, is
very
significant.
We are to
"
we
do.
No, that
4
will
RELIGION
not do at
all.
Salvation
is
the
and the thorny path. Saved from sin ? That is more like it, but if we dwell much on
entrance to the strait gate
it,
We
explain.
strict
We
our meaning.
is
The
old absolute
word
We
we
cry out to
be " saved."
We
the answer.
When
are
saved and
how? Commonly we feel safe when we have nothing to fear. But safe and
saved are not quite the same.
thing has happened.
safe,
Some-
We
are.
;
were not
but
now we
And how?
us.
We
are
different,
or at
awakened.
saved, absolutely,
what.
We
And now we are we need not say from are at home in the universe.
RELIGION
and timid creatures as we are, there is nothing anywhere within the world or
without
it
that can
In other words,
rest.
at
Not
that
we have not
to fight
but
now
the battle
the victory.
own mind.
We
that
it is
We
have
innumer-
a matter of words
where you begin to caU it reUgion. Obviously there must be grades of the religious experience. I do not believe
that a
any other
him
as
you have
of
the universal
basis
and structure
6
religion.
RELIGION
Power and
perfection united,
we
are con-
as in the beautiful
we
are
we have
given
And now we
are saved,
we
and how.
We are saved, if we
;
must have a word, from isolation we are saved by giving ourselves to something which we cannot help holding
supreme.
You
said,
is
throughout
human life,
for
no
man
Every man, we must hope and believe, has somewhere an allegiance that binds him, some disloyalty which he would rather die than commit. And if you know what this is, then you know where his rehgion
really isolated.
'
Compare,
e.g.,
Rossetti's "Staff
and Scrip."
RELIGION
lies.
7
is
"
Where your
special
treasure
"
it
is
a true saying.
But the
we
very thor-
oughly present,
an attitude.
fact
if
them
as
What
its
is
when
est,
There
to
is
sum up
of religion
and
it
utters
all
those
characteristics
simply and
expression
plainly.
the
old
"Justification
practice
by
or
Faith."
And
whatever
doctrine
our
life is
RELIGION
religion
;
work of a
realise it
whereas whatever
may be
I think, in
the
strict
sense,
matter of religion at
in the end,
am
Every man, all. must judge for himself, and not preaching any particular form
I
am
or which I
am
whether they profess one or not. The situation which this expression
embodies is simple, though fundamental, the knot or centre, as we said, in which
the open secret of
all
human
nature
is
bound
up.
;
We
to
we
are
are
;
we cannot
what we
we can
ourselves
something in which
we
RELIGION
remain what we
something new.
in
are,
The
which
And
this
this,
and no
faith
It
is
which
is
but with
knowledge
may
But
cause
essential to
it
that
we
rise
They
in
other in
and nothing
It does
This
is
why
man.
his
weakness and
is
make him deny that they are real 'to make his whole being, as he accepts
to
10
RELIGION
it,
and affirms
real.
This
is
combined simplicity and profundity are here most plain. Nothing is so simple, nothing is so impossible. It is the cry from the heart of religion for all time, " Only believe." It is here that you must leave the distinctive ground of morality, while carrying with you its demands, and the social atmosphere which make it a halfway house to religion. For in the social whole the good is partly real, and partly, therefore, we are saved from the condemning " ought to be." But, in principle, mere rnorality says, "You
religion,
and
ought
to
be equal to
the
situation."
The good is imperative on you here and now, and you are to make it real in and by your wiU. Fail in doing this, in showing yourself perfectible in and by yourself, and to all conceivable ages you
are a moral failure, even
if
you claim a
RELIGION
life
11
Out
of every moral
up
ReUgion religious faith is different. For it, the good is indeed real, as morality claims that it should be but there is something more for in the end nothing And so you can be good, else is real. though you are not good, because as you are and as you stand, you yourself are not By worship and self - surrender real. you repudiate and reject your badness, and will and feel yourself as one with "Hear again the supreme goodness. the vehement expression of mysticism.
; ;
thee " thou art outside God," then answer thou, " No, I
'
am
God, I am in heaven, in it, in him, and for eternity will never leave him. The devil may keep my sins,
and the world
God's
my
flesh
live
life,
in his
be
my
12
will
RELIGION
my
will;
will
be dead in
my
all
reason that he
may
be
live in
me, and
" '"
my deeds
shall
his deeds.
from, and
I
answer
experience, which
And
more
is
who
considers
human
nature in the
hght of the
community, will see that the character which in religion comes to a climax, is its very
facts of love, loyalty,
Nobody
to something.
a whole."
unless
This, I beheve,
Strictly
speaking,
is
we need go no
Here
RELIGION
effectually gives
13
you
this,
you have
all
ordinarily simple, as
from a knot or
life
fulcrum, the
whole of
depends.
And
its
and connection,
would be worth doing. When we get away from this simple basis of rehgion, we are very apt to go further and fare worse. We add and explain and define to meet particular needs, pressures, troubles, doubts, and we insist on our explanations and perhaps lose contact,
whoUy
am
myself.
But
I will
make
the hazard,
and try to hint at the true proportions in which certain needs may be seen.
CHAPTER
II
16
CHAPTER
II
..."
When
we speak
in the tone
we have
one
been using, of a
that
is
spiritual
being absorbed
led to ask
in or surrendered to a greater or to
supreme,
we may be
of the experience.
curious to
possible.
We
we
are apt to be
thing
is
So
so
in this case
raise a question
absorbed or devoted
is
suspect,
at the
How
can a
C
18
RELIGION
might be
idle
curiosity to ask whether he could have but we done otherwise than he did may be assailed by doubts whether
;
as described
thing.
We
this
about
power.
freedom
we were
sure
of
Now
is,
for rehgion,
merely a
and
asks
formulation, within
experience.
And what
is
you to do
as fully as
you
else,
can.
For
it is
"Out
is
of weakness are
the story of
all
all
Life
RELIGION
Their
19
whole structure and way of working is to throw themselves into something greater, something inclusive.
"
As
word
will
meet
are
We
And
?
if
one
are
But how
is
it
possible
"
we
to look at the
facets
of
human
nature,
and
is
possible."
We
love
are
human
trust.
only in as far as
It
is
we
and
no use to compare ourselves with other things, which we understand but imperfectly, and ask
whether we can be isolated or united in modes which apply to them. possess the mode which applies to us, and
We
aU we want. If we are to argue and define, we must not stop short of philosophy, which just
is
20
RELIGION
cerdiffi-
going into
is all
all
the
But that
and
it
here
we cannot
were.
sophers,
if
Our business is to see where and how you can really get the
we
trust in
your religion
but
you
are
and
even
"strong."
Action,
initiative,
you
like a spring
from
its
source.
The
source
may be
its
less its
flow
is
own.
You
divide
be helped by trying to up the unity and tell how much comes from " you " and how much from
will not
" God."
self in
You have
it, or let it deepen itself in you, whatever phrase expresses the fact best
RELIGION
to,
21
your mind.
The
fact, as
is
we
said,
religion.
If
you could break it up and arrange it in parts you would have destroyed it.
CHAPTER
III
23
CHAPTER
" In
III
our being.''
Plainly such a
trying to describe
have been
with God,
in all the
in unity
Nothing
is
consequences of religion
simpler or
again,
than
easily
this.
Nothing,
more
we may
way.
and our life is one with that of the Spirit which is the whole and the good. Then, surely, we and, one way or another, are eternal
are spirits,
;
We
this conviction.
Now
for
26
RELIGION
believe
is
you love to
strength.
It
few words from a clever popular book and I will not argue upon them, but
will ask the reader just to
turn them in
his
essence
describe
as I
we
tried
to
at
first.
do not for a
moment
from
whom
cited
meant
it
other-
Quite probably
felt in it
something
which
life
it
presents to me.
you
are thinking
is
of,
which,
come
to bedrock,
the only
interest,
all
any
and
is
virtually the
origin
of
re-
ligion."^
^
"We
p. 120.
RELIGION
feel
27
and experience that we are eternal." We should fairly set these two attitudes of mind side by side with each other and with the full religious temper which simply rests on its oneness with what is deeper than anything temporal. When we begin to restrict and define, do we not begin to omit and to diminish?
But again, our purpose here is not to make any man doubt his religion
it is
whatever
contact
he should take
complete
religion.
is
it
so
with
the
it
attitude
which makes
What
is
eternal.
But
how, how far, how transformed, or with what kind of consciousness, if consciousness
is
the right
name
at
all,
can
we
expect to
religion,
know
it
can
very
much matter ?
We
fining
28
RELIGION
we
think too hastily, of insisting on
make
which
all
here and
love,
unity
is
beauty, truth.
solid
and
plain
of
human
with
unity
man.
And
offer
here
again
many
questions
themselves.
What
historical,
Is there
and
happiness on earth
What,
in truth
?
and reaUty,
is
RELIGION
That spirits the end be
of religion.
in unity with in unity with
29
God must
in
one another
really asked in
?
People
who pray
saying
too
much it
is
an old folk-
pray themselvesthroughheaven
side,
and are
set
People
who
many
questions, claiming to be
it
seems
much
the same.
The shrewd
and saw perhaps that particularity and curiosity may harm the religious spirit. Science and Logic have their rights but we must not confuse them with
;
rehgion.
What
places
when he
faith,
himself
humbly and
of
reUgious
30
RELIGION
to without scruple.
It will
him hold
private interpretations, I
am
convinced
in the
warn him.
The
question
is
Is it really
religion
unity
that he
is
is
thinking
is it
something
for
the question
all
pureness of
The unity
the religious
of
man and
nature must
For
mind nature
is
the revela-
will.
We
Here
am
which we are
something
else, is
RELIGION
for the will of
this
is
31
God.
The
supernatural
what we
spiritual life
depend s upon.
Not merely,
for instance,
truth, love,
of
these as
they are,
to be to
though we might
anything
is
quite fairly do so
supernatural.
if
Now
fast
we go
into ourselves,
and keep
hold of religion,
all
we
it,
ways in which the revelation of supreme will and goodness comes in our mind and heart. Then
consequences of
the seeking for a sign
for
something
natural
like
marked
ception
If
as
an exception to
occurrences, or
what looks
into
an ex-
its
true place.
you cannot think of God without it, well and good think of Him, I believe
;
32 one must
RELIGION
say, as
you best
can.
Only,
let nothing,
no love of
striking proofs,
no yearning
citadel
in
Mansoul possesses religion oneness with the supreme good in every facet and issue of heart inand will. This is what matters numerable outgoings arise from it, and each must certainly be pursued and grasped for a certain distance. But in any one of them, if you are allured by it, it is easy to lose yourself, and forget the one thing needful. If you are
which
of what
it is
a certainty.
Is it really
is
perhaps tradition
associated with
it ?
controversy has
one, I repeat,
Every
must judge
need
in
for himself
is
The
absolute
judging
sincerity,
pureness of
heart.
Does
this really
belong to
my
RELIGION
oneness,
in
83
the
supreme good ? Does it flow from this, and confirm me in it ? If not, it may be an interesting and valuable speculation
;
but
it is
CHAPTER
IV
35
CHAPTER
"
IV
is
more
really
Plato.
Man
is
and an all-absorbing faith in the supremacy of good must affect his But here again action and expectation.
in particularising
we
run up
it
Nowhere
is
more important
full in sight.
point
In
religion,
it is
man acessential
knowledges his
it is
finiteness ;
basis.
Religion says.
You
38
good.
in the
RELIGION
It does not say that
you
can,
a finite
we construe the victory of the good to mean either the total sanctifithen,
cation of the finite spirit (you
and me)
fact,
morality in
state
of righteousness and
from rehgious faith. Faith, so far, is rather at one with common sense. It tells you that though your conflict is in
itself
a victory, yet
religious
it is
a conflict
trusts
still.
For the
man
in
no
him be
sin
and
self-contradiction.
For the
total
detailed
world or the
RELIGION
universe he lives
sight.
39
and not byBut for his private life and action I mean, in all that he has contact with, do not mean merely in self-regarding
faith his faith.
by
His vision and experience are not empty, but overflowingly full. He has " the water that I shall give him " he
;
is
filled
vidth
"what
is
real."
He
is
revealed to
him and
in him.
he
is
will
But what we
do know
all
is
sides confirmation
strangely
pendent with
and obstruction,
set.
40
RELIGION
enough
is
A cup holds
and
of the good
for it if it is full
Of Hope and
in
life,
Progress, as elements
the religious
man
has a solid
and they are rooted in the good with which he is united. He can see for here he has sight continuous with his faith he
grasp.
He
has
them
in himself,
organising,
ordering
the
world.
but in their
never
fail.
own
We
now
to
how near
are
things.
Evidently, there
common eye, no one of them has whoUy its own way in the course of things. It
is
not
except
by measuring
itself
RELIGION
of strength.
victory,
it
41
And
then,
even in
its
its
seems infected by
opposite,
itself.
is
This
always
more to be
learned, a further
power of
least.
But we
All
we ought
to say
is
is this,
that the
needful thing
faith
and what
really
demands and
really gives.
as
occurrence.
I take
it,
that through
appearances
And, saying so, it does not leave us with empty words or empty hands. It gives as much of good as our spirits can contain. It may be that all good demands for its
good
is
supreme.
realisation
Religion has
42
this.
RELIGION
It only requires us to rise
above
is
the appearance, and keep our unhesitating grasp on the reahty which
wholly good.
Perhaps
we may
we
" good
ate
" is
and to
It
It
is
decalogue,
black.
some
is
clear
white
against
life,
spirit,
a meaning,
to be
out.
say,
wrought out and to be fought To each of us, religion seems to it is and must be offered in our
own
individual form.
My battle is conit is
not quite
are sent
yours
is
yours helps
me
in mine, but it
We
all
of
them
CHAPTER V
THE NATURE OF
SIN
43
CHAPTER V
THE NATUEE OF
" Whatsoever
is
SIN
is
not of faith
sin."
The
of
For
and as its own particular limited self, and its own particular defective world and will. It
perfect,
lives in
its
exist.
And
it
;
belong to
which it holds to by faith, and the false and perverse, which it disowns but can4S
46
RELIGION
Thus the very working out of the good is a battle, in which our wiU actually fights against itself. The false will, which is disowned and condemned, which faith rejects and repels, none the less is there in fact, and opposes the will of faith in which
not abolish.
the soul
religion.
is
saved and at
home through
;
And
this
is
sin
for
it is
the
man
of the
dissecting the
and
sure
experience.
In the
religious unity,
we
find, a contradiction
pends upon
tion,
it.
which in religious
with
perfection,
is
made
one
has
detailed
Any
experience,
enter-
tained or pursued in a
way
hostile to
RELIGION
faith embodies,
is sinful.
47
and
are
rules
about
sin
may
point out
They
no
a sinful desire
It
may
may be
only
its
what the perfect will demands, that makes it a sin. There is no sin readier at the religious man's
special
case, to
elbow than to
feel that
moment
achieved,
that he has
Now this
is
not
It
is
down
at sight as "good."
if
Obviously
we
refine
and
reflect
shall
come
our
heresies
all
then,
48
RELIGION
On
is
the
other hand,
ours
is
if
a perfection which
it
not
matter what
we do ?
sin,
That we are
it,
in fact
outside
able doctrine.
It
is
We are refining,
Bona fides is the
fides.
and losing touch. Here is perhaps a plain though prosaic way of bringing
matters of conduct,
and
religion
is
Your heart is really given to the best you can conceive. But your actual life
is
will-
you
will, also,
its
enemy. Then
saved.
I.
we
and what
which
I
means to be
is
This,
am,
not reaUy
this self,
fide other,
and
though
am bona I am it.
RELIGION
I reject
49
is
and disown.
Sin
thus the
in which supremacy of
the good.
tion,
It
is
a deep self-contradicfaith,
would
being.
flat
and destroy
my
actual
the
embodiment of the
we
is
stay here.
actually
The good,
out,
take
it,
worked
will
is
and
has
the
where the
fairly
and
clearly
occupied in re-creating
itself.
position of
which
is
must always count as bad. In rehgion also he is always bad, but yet he is This depends really and truly good. on the nature of faith, and a religion
which gives you
need to see what
this gives
is
CHAPTER
SUFFERING
VI
61
CHAPTER
SUFFEUING
"The whole
together."
creation groaneth
VI
and
travaileth
Suffering seems a very much wider fact than sin. What bewilders us most
in
it,
I suppose,
is its
Religious
faith
does
not
seem to
On
54
that
it is
RELIGION
inevitable.
We
saw what a
tremendous working contradiction faith involves between the true reality and
the actual appearance.
This seems to
imply the possibility at least of a very fiery trial, though different no doubt
for different natures
and circumstances.
fact.
It
is
We
make
for
human
nature,
which we think exceptional, and then to infer " This, and a world to suit, is
and so religious faith, which takes the perfect good to be real, must be presupposed to promise
'
'
what ought to
exist
this
at
least."
But
all
this
seems
what the facts suggest. We saw that what we find is individual spirits, aU marked by different qualities and conditions,
RELIGION
battle
55
his line or
grow his
fibre of
There
special
is
mark
is
in
him
a sort of
mistake in the
life
of the
The recommend
for adoption as it
complete
must.
man and
You
him by adding a
his
sound body.
let
and
unique kind of
view of each other and of what he has to do and be. And you cannot
ment
in
privation, deprivation,
and
say,
This
56
is
RELIGION
dead
spiritual loss
be.
You may
what you think hardship or defect. But it is far beyond the facts to say
is
spiritual loss.
The man,
say, is blind.
Is he so far less than a man should be ? Would Mr. Fawcett have been less or
more
can
if
Who
if
tell
And
Mr. Kavanagh,
?
he
had had
will
his limbs
a bad son.
How
can
make
of the burden
We are not
entitled to
and equipment which the universe lays upon each individual is such as to impair and defeat the possibihties of
good.
would be better if we could make him and his conditions over to suit our
smoothed conception of what a and his Ufe should be.
RELIGION
Here
is
57
in question.
we take
as our standard
a complete
eiSciency of
are
our animal
system,
we
evolution as
arrangements
have
been
in
Now
if
we
is so,
does
it
universe is on the
is
wrong track ?
which
it
There
intimate
experience
ill
would
life
probably be
to violate or impair.
it
might not be
difficult to
show in more
how
58
RELIGION
which
little,
gave
rise.
In matters so be pronounced
and
that
this
it
might always
"exceptional."
it
Nevertheless I believe
feasible
would be
as
kind to produce a
conviction
contributed to
by what commonly
rid of that
tendency to standardise
and
and
their
down
what they
ought to have, and again so much and such as what is abnormal and they ought to be spared. Of course, health
is
we have a right to good things general if we can. make But health, as we saw, itself is relative,
a good thing, and
'
The
line of
thought of course
is
affected
by
Spinoza.
RELIGION
besides that spiritual creativeness
is
59
not
The
is
good
is
various world.
And
structure of suffering
beings prima
man
is
hurled
From change
His
to
soul's
It
is
in
the good
triumphant for
is its
nature in
Thus
it
60
spirit,
RELIGION
and on the other to the finite world. I do not mean, or believe, that
pain can be the sole feature of
is
life,
or
it
But
does seem to
me
that
we
are losing
we
assign
to
it
may
be suppressed, but
is
always im-
minent.
prima fade at
reality,
and with
may
but
its
Try to say what you think ought to be removed from any given private life in order to
furnish
its
RELIGION
presuppose, and, though you
certain
61
may
feel
at
first
which you
unreality,
start,
you
all
will
very shortly
extreme
circumor at
almost
definite
War,
and
And
too.
irre-
sponsible
wealth
That
And
commonplace
stances
all.
?
mediocrity
of
circum-
The worst
?
starting-point of
Certainly to be
self-sacrificing
mother ? The subtlest of moral dangers. You very soon find that you leave nothing standing. There is no normal. All is individual and every pushing fibre and tendril of the good is unique, and has its own root to start from and It is crude and its own issue to find. pagan, perhaps, to say that all good comes
;
by
suffering,
religious
and I do not say it. But faith seems to mean a going out
62
RELIGION
may be
exultant, but
fail
of oneself, which
can hardly
at times to
put the
finite
We
for
near to
argument.
himself
trust
But
let
how
Dante's lovemust be
It cannot
by a
finite creature.
be
simple
receiving.
It
demand.
And
own
conditions, should
we not
?
rule out
In a word, religion is just the weld of finite and infinite. Such an experience may be triumphant, but can it be
costless
?
"
The whole
see
creation
."
and yet
we do not
religion.
how
it
it
can aU share in
:
Yet
The
spirit
of the
worm beneath
'
itself
with God.
this
know
of.
At any
rate
the
RELIGION
apparently
necessary
values
;
63
finite
world seems to be a
arena
and
instrument
of
New
of mere
gems, but rather to more intimate and poignant realisations, united with a
deeper
victory.
perfection
It
is
and
profounder
this
something of
kind
And I
believe
we must take
it so,
it
CHAPTER
VII
65
CHAPTER
" After
be done."
this
VII
Thy
will
to be of the
And
all
when
separately
distorted.
suppose,
is,
is
the
or at the very
which enables us to reaUse and enter into, the unity which is religious
Worship, inward or outward,
It
is
is
faith.
some
direc-
F2
68
RELIGION
fortifies,
renews and
aid
faith
of
sympathetic communion,
will
and Every
its
which
is
religion.
it,
religion, I take
intends to
It wishes
help
them
spirit.
But here
curiosity,
as
elsewhere rationalism,
metaphor, operate by
way
of distortion.
When
spirit
faith
each
other,
meditation
and
inspiration
of unity
these words
may
But
all
them
offer
RELIGION
69
ceremony and for reflective inquisitiveness, in which the religious mind may
lose
itself.
If prayer,
we
argue,
can
keep us
can
it
not do
What
do
From
any miracle we chance to set our hearts on, aU seems possible to it. Here is an example of what we must come to
till
sense.
of Kinghorn,
was
and
Maker with
length
such
impatience
of displeasure,
complaining so
it
bitterly, that at
was
said
70
child sitting
fair.
. .
RELIGION
up
in the
:"
religious unity of spirit
is
The
broken
and
its
maintenance
thus
the
coming to
influence
be
under
by natural
terpret.
efforts
With the growing distinction and remoteness of the human and divine factors the whole nature of prayer and worship transforms itself. It comes to be modelled on the normal relations between an inferior and a superior in
the asking of favours and the rendering
of honour.
Now
here as throughout
it is for
the
what
shapes of the
really involved
answer to prayer
are
Heart of Midlothian.
RELIGION
as
71
and metaphor along paths which lead us away from what religious faith most strictly implies.
curiosity
we pursue
What we
is
our religious
including,
as
we
To
this
creed and
feeling
more
generally, of
and
practice,
being instrumental.
ligious in
And what
it,
is
re-
them, I take
is
all
that
which contributes to keep true religion Praise and supplicaalive in the heart. tion, so far as they do not help in this,
seem not to be
religious at
all.
CHAPTER
VIII
73
CHAPTER
" As a
Uttle child
VIII
."
Here
is
"It is customarj- ... to contrast the humihty required by the Gospel with the supposed arrogance and self-suflficiency of the philosophical spirit. Yet
if
we
take
men
so different and so
differences
as
representative
Plato,
in their
Bacon,
and
Spinoza,
we
find
them
tive
its
'
all
of the
light,
should
76
surrender
its
76
'idols'
RELIGION
and 'become
eternity,'
its
as a little child,'
'
that
it
under the
^
form of
confusion of
own
wisdom
pose
it
is
a remarkable thing.
I sup-
points to
them except
;
by a total sincerity and candour. Humility no doubt is demanded but humility taken by itself may be an obsession and distraction, just like vanity, amour propre, curiosity, the charm of contrivance and ingenuity. What is aimed at is rather not to be preoccupied
with yourself at
all;
not to be preor
own weakness
The
1, 152.
own goodness
'
RELIGION
ing and admission of defect
is,
77
I imagine,
presupposed
simple
spirit
is
Now this
same time the spirit of complete appreciation, which alone can seize the whole fact in its due shape and proportion. This is what in any
at the
matter of
say, only
common
life
we
get, as
we
really care."
"
knowledge
love."
The
for
artist, too,
we
is
single,
To
It
is
one of the
noted advantages
in the
and birth maintain, that the worn and patched and piece-meal experience of
the aged scholar or statesman, perhaps
78
RELIGION
is
not perpetuated
of the
full traces
mode
in which
was painfully acquired. In being swept away along with its possessor, it makes room for the fresh and
it
total
contemplative
activity
of
new
In the gaze of the rising generation all this is wiped away. It comes, or should come, dehghted and unwearied,
to seize directly and vigorously
on
its
its
total contours
it,
is
offered to
and so
RELIGION
to accept the experience in
real proportions.
its
79
fuU and
Something of this kind is what the religious temper demands. Here even the veteran expert in life must stand to his own mature experience somewhat as the younger generation stands to its
predecessor's.
He
to take
it
and
for its
own
sake.
To
;
be one with
is
that
is
rehgion
and to be
is
the
Then
all
the riches
of the spirit
may add
themselves to the
For they
right
tions
;
aU, as
we
saw, belong to
it
of
80
child
RELIGION
means to keep
;
hold, so to speak, of
;
to remain in touch
not to go wandering
and
that.
supreme bona fides, sincerity of mood and temper, and care about one's religion mainly and especially with reference to those features in it which are truly and
strictly
religious,
believe
the gain
would be
great.
And
gradually and
would come about a certain discrimination between what is necessary in religion, and what is more or less superfluous, and, if emnaturally, I suppose, there
phatically insisted
on, tends
even to
sincere
become harmful.
believe that to
religious
self
But
most firmly
a sound and
may
its
in
it-
be superfluous can
into
place
useful,
Yet a
RELIGION
proportion,
if it
81
could be promoted by
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