第86部分(第1/7 页)

ood　or　towards　the　ill　—　and；　indeed；　the　faith　I　follow　declares　it　—　but　not　an　eternity　of　anything　decreed　on　the　deeds　of　ten　or　twenty　or　thirty　years　passed　among　the　surroundings　in　which　we　happened　to　be　born；　weighted　with　the　infirmities　and　inherited　tendencies　of　a　flesh　and　nature　that　we　did　not　choose。　Over　a　great　period　of　many　different　existences；　selected　according　to　the　elective　fitness　of　the　ego；　matters　and　opportunities　selves；　and　that　ego　would　follow　the　path　it　selected　to　its　inevitable　end。　But　one　life　of　a　maximum　of　thirty　years　full…stopped　with　doom　。　。　。　！

All　this；　however；　is　a　digression　from　my　arguments　to　which　I　now　return。

I　have　said　that　I　believe　in　the　truth　of　the　New　Testament　story；　and　that　to　my　mind　everything　hinges　upon　the　fact　of　the　Resurrection；　although　I　am　aware　that　many　who　call　themselves　Christians；　and　expect；　apparently；　to　receive　whatever　benefits　Christianity　can　bring；　give　no　credence　to　this　or　any　other　miracle。　Surely　these　might　as　well　expect　to　inherit　salvation　by　virtue　of　a　study　of　the　doctrines　of　Confucius。　I　hope　that　they　will　inherit　it　all　the　same；　since　God；　who　knows　what　is　in　man　and　the　clay　whereof　we　are　fashioned；　is　merciful；　and　there　may　be；　and　probably　are；　many　roads　to　the　gate　of　Life；　but　in　this　case　it　can　scarcely　be　reached　by　the　faint　and　wandering　path　of　a　materialised　and　eviscerated　Christianity。　Christianity　as　an　effective　creed　depends；　and　always　must　depend；　upon　the　Resurrection　of　its　Founder　while　He　dwelt　on　earth。　Or　so　I　hold。

How；　then；　is　this　necessary　faith　to　be　attained　by　those　who　doubt？　Perhaps　in　many　ways；　though　I　only　know　of　one　—　namely；　by　prayer。　It　is；　at　any　rate　in　its　higher　forms；　a　gift　accor