The sun., 1918-09-15


human necessities
- Some DeterminiSts fancy that Christianity in
vented Ii dogma like free will for fun-a mere con-
tradiction This is absurd. You have the contra
dicton, whatever you are. Dcterminists tell me,
with degree of truth, that Dcterminism makes no
difference to daily life. That means that although
the Determinist knows men have no free will yet
he goes on treating them if they had.
1.-The difference, then, is very simple. The
Christian puts the contradiction into his philoso
ply The Determinist puts il into his daily habits.
The Christian states as an avowed mystery what
the Determnist calls nonsense. The Determinist
has the same nonsense for breakfast, dinner tea
and supper every day of his life.
THE Christian, repeat puts the mystery into
his philosophy That mystery by its darkness en-
lightens all things. Once grant him that, and life
is fe and bread is bread and cheese is cheese; he
can laugh and fight The Determinist makes the
matter of the will logical and lucid; and in the
light of that lucdty all things darkened, words
have no meaning, actions aim. He has made his
philosophy syllogism and himself gibbering
lunatic.
. 1t is not question between mysticism and
nationality. 1t is question between mysticism and
madness. For mysticism, and mysticism alone has
kept men sane from the beginning of the world
to Anarchsm or to passive obedience to treating
the universe as a clockwork of matter or else as
deusion of mind. 1t is only the Mystic, the man
who accepts the contradictions, who can laugh and
walk easily through the world.
:" Are you surprised that the same civilization
which believed in the Trinity discovered steam?'
The Greatest Paradox of All,
''The proof of the pudding is III the eating. The
proof of the truth of Christianity lies according to
Mr. CHEsTERToN, in the comparative practical sue
cess of the Christian civilization
% Christianity, which is a very my >tical religion,
has nevertheless been the religion of the most prac-
teal section of mankind 1t has far more para
doxes than the Eastern philosophers but it also
builds far better roads.
1.-THE Moslem has pure and logical concep-
tion of GoD, the one Monistic Allah But he re-
mains barbarian in Europe and the grass will
not grow where he sets his foot The Christian has
Triune COP, "a tangled trinity, which seems a
mere capricious contradiction III terms. But in
action he bestrdes the EARTH and the cleverest
Eastern only fight him by initiating him first.
The East has logic and lives rice. Christendom
has mysteries motor ears.
When Mr.. CHEsTERTON comes to the explicit de-
fence OF Christian doctrines he pursues the same
line of argument. Man must have some philosophy
to live by. we are all Agnostics until we discover
that AgnOsticism will not work 1t is all very
well to tell man. the Agnostics do TO cultivate
his garden. But suppose man ignores everything
outside his garden, and among them ignores the sun
and raini' Man cannot live by philosophy which
denies the existence Of anything good behind the
Universe. Such philosophy leads to pessimism
and despair. As little can he live by philosophy
which recognizes the visible Universe itself as
divinity and exemplar-by Pantheism or Nature
Worship. Such philosophy leads to Anarchism
and crime. 'The one leads logically to murder and
the other to suicide. But then comes fantastic
thing and says to us: lyon right to enjoy
the birds, but wicked to copy them. There is q
good thing behind all these things, yet all these
things lower than you. The Universe is right,
but the world is wicked. The thing behind all is
not cruel, like a bird but good, like man." And
the wholesome thing in us says: Il have found
the high road After an agony Of
thought the world saw the sane path. 1t
was the Christian COP He made Nature but He