unassailable truth and by the
confirmation of science. An excellent remedy for the nonsense which
still clings about religion may be found in two books: Cotter Monson's
'Service of Man,' which was published as long ago as 1887, and has since
been re-issued by the Rationalist Press Association in its well-known
sixpenny series, and J. Allanson Picton's 'Man and the Bible.'
Similarly, those who wish to acquire a sane view of the relations
between man and God would do well to read Winwood Reade's 'Martyrdom of
Man.'"

Sir Harry in fact clears the ground for God very ably, and then makes a
well-meaning gesture in the vacant space. There is no help nor strength
in his gesture unless God is there. Without God, the "Service of Man"
is no better than a hobby or a sentimentality or an hypocrisy in the
undisciplined prison of the mortal life.

CHAPTER THE FIFTH

THE INVISIBLE KING

1. MODERN RELIGION A POLITICAL RELIGION

The conception of a young and energetic God, an Invisible Prince growing
in strength and wisdom, who calls men and women to his service and who
gives salvation from self and mortality only through self-abandonment to
his service, necessarily involves a demand for a complete revision and
fresh orientation of the life of the convert.

God faces the blackness of the Unknown and the blind joys and confusions
and cruelties of Life, as one who leads mankind through a dark jungle
to a great conquest. He brings mankind not rest but a sword. It is plain
that he can admit no divided control of the world he claims. He concedes
nothing to Caesar. In our philosophy there are no human things that
are God's and others that are Caesar's. Those of the new thought cannot
render unto God the things that are God's, and to Caesar the things that
are Caesar's. Whatever claim Caesar may make to rule men's lives and
direct their destinies outside the will of God, is a usurpation. No king
nor Caesar has any right to tax or to service or to tolerance, except
he claim as one who holds for and under God. And he must make good his
claim. The steps of the altar of the God of Youth are no safe place for
the sacrilegious figure of a king. Who claims "divine right" plays with
the lightning.

The new conceptions do not tolerate either kings or aristocracies or
democracies. Its implicit command to all its adherents is to make plain
the way to the world theocracy. Its rule of life is the discovery and
service of the will of God