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to vice。 The spirits of indignation and of charity took terrible
and attractive forms； ranging from that monkish fierceness that
scourged like a dog the first and greatest of the Plantagenets；
to the sublime pity of St。 Catherine； who； in the official shambles；
kissed the bloody head of the criminal。 Poetry could be acted as
well as composed。 This heroic and monumental manner in ethics has
entirely vanished with supernatural religion。 They； being humble；
could parade themselves： but we are too proud to be prominent。
Our ethical teachers write reasonably for prison reform； but we
are not likely to see Mr。 Cadbury； or any eminent philanthropist；
go into Reading Gaol and embrace the strangled corpse before it
is cast into the quicklime。 Our ethical teachers write mildly
against the power of millionaires； but we are not likely to see
Mr。 Rockefeller； or any modern tyrant； publicly whipped in Westminster
Abbey。
Thus； the double charges of the secularists； though throwing
nothing but darkness and confusion on themselves； throw a real light on
the faith。 It is true that the historic Church has at once emphasised
celibacy and emphasised the family； has at once （if one may put it so）
been fiercely for having children and fiercely for not having children。
It has kept them side by side like two strong colours； red and white；
like the red and white upon the shield of St。 George。 It has
always had a healthy hatred of pink。 It hates that combination
of two colours which is the feeble expedient of the philosophers。
It hates that evolution of black into white which is tantamount to
a dirty gray。 In fact； the whole theory of the Church on virginity
might be symbolized in the statement that white is a colour：
not merely the absence of a colour。 All that I am urging here can
be expressed by saying that Christianity sought in most of these
cases to keep two colours coexistent but pure。 It is not a mixture
like russet or purple； it is rather like a shot silk； for a shot
silk is always at right angles； and is in the pattern of the cross。
So it is also； of course； with the contradictory charges
of the anti…Christians about submission and slaughter。 It IS true
that the Church told some men to fight and others not to fight；
and it IS true that those who fought were like thunderbolts
and those who did not fight were like statues。 All this simply
means that the Church preferred to use its Supermen and to use
its Tolstoyans。 There must be SOME good in the life of battle；
for so many good men have enjoyed being soldiers。 There must be
SOME good in the idea of non…resistance； for so many good men seem
to enjoy being Quakers。 All that the Church did （so far as that goes）
was to prevent either of these good things from ousting the other。
They existed side by side。 The Tolstoyans； having all the scruples
of monks； simply became monks。 The Quakers became a club instead
of becoming a sect。 Monks said all that Tolstoy says； they poured
out lucid lamentations about the cruelty of battles and the vanity
of revenge。 But the Tolstoyans are not quite right enough to run
the whole world； and in the ages of faith they were not allowed
to run it。 The world did not lose the last charge of Sir James
Douglas or the banner of Joan the Maid。 And sometimes this pure
gentleness and this pure fierceness met and justified their juncture；
the paradox of all the prophets was fulfilled； and； in the soul
of St。 Louis； the lion lay down with the lamb。 But remember that
this text is too lightly interpreted。 It is constantly assured；
especially in our Tolstoyan tendencies； that when the lion lies
down with the lamb the lion becomes lamb…like。 But that is brutal
annexation and imperialism on the part of the lamb。 That is simply
the lamb absorbing the lion instead of the lion eating the lamb。
The real problem isCan the lion lie down with the lamb and still
retain his royal ferocity？ THAT is the problem the Church attempted；
THAT is the miracle she achieved。
This is what I have called guessing the hidden eccentricities
of life。 This is knowing that a man's heart is to the left and not
in the middle。 This is knowing not only that the earth is round；
but knowing exactly where it is flat。 Christian doctrine detected
the oddities of life。 It not only discovered the law； but it
foresaw the exceptions。 Those underrate Christianity who say that
it discovered mercy； any one might discover mercy。 In fact every
one did。 But to discover a plan for being merciful and also severe
THAT was to anticipate a strange need of human nature。 For no one
wants to be forgiven for a big sin as if it were a little one。
Any one might say that we should be neither quite miserable nor
quite happy。 But to find out how far one MAY be quite miserable
without making it impossible to be quite happythat was a discovery
in psychology。 Any one might say； 〃Neither swagger nor grovel〃；
and it would have been a limit。 But to say； 〃Here you can swagger
and there you can grovel〃that was an emancipation。
This was the big fact about Christian ethics； the discovery
of the new balance。 Paganism had been like a pillar of marble；
upright because proportioned with symmetry。 Christianity was like
a huge and ragged and romantic rock； which； though it sways on its
pedestal at a touch； yet； because its exaggerated excrescences
exactly balance each other； is enthroned there for a thousand years。
In a Gothic cathedral the columns were all different； but they were
all necessary。 Every support seemed an accidental and fantastic support；
every buttress was a flying buttress。 So in Christendom apparent
accidents balanced。 Becket wore a hair shirt under his gold
and crimson； and there is much to be said for the combination；
for Becket got the benefit of the hair shirt while the people in
the street got the benefit of the crimson and gold。 It is at least
better than the manner of the modern millionaire； who has the black
and the drab outwardly for others； and the gold next his heart。
But the balance was not always in one man's body as in Becket's；
the balance was often distributed over the whole body of Christendom。
Because a man prayed and fasted on the Northern snows； flowers could
be flung at his festival in the Southern cities； and because fanatics
drank water on the sands of Syria； men could still drink cider in the
orchards of England。 This is what makes Christendom at once so much
more perplexing and so much more interesting than the Pagan empire；
just as Amiens Cathedral is not better but more interesting than
the Parthenon。 If any one wants a modern proof of all this；
let him consider the curious fact that； under Christianity；
Europe （while remaining a unity） has broken up into individual nations。
Patriotism is a perfect example of this deliberate balancing
of one emphasis against another emphasis。 The instinct of the
Pagan empire would have said； 〃You shall all be Roman citizens；
and grow alike； let the German grow less slow and reverent；
the Frenchmen less experimental and swift。〃 But the instinct
of Christian Europe says； 〃Let the German remain slow and reverent；
that the Frenchman may the more safely be swift and experimental。
We will make an equipoise out of these excesses。 The absurdity
called Germany shall correct the insanity called France。〃
Last and most important； it is exactly this which explains
what is so inexplicable to all the modern critics of the history
of Christianity。 I mean the monstrous wars about small points
of theology； the earthquakes of emotion about a gesture or a word。
It was only a matter of an inch； but an inch is everything when you
are balancing。 The Church could not afford to swerve a hair's breadth
on some things if she was to continue her great and daring experiment
of the irregular equilibrium。 Once let one idea become less powerful
and some other idea would become too powerful。 It was no flock of sheep
the Christian shepherd was leading； but a herd of bulls and tigers；
of terrible ideals and devouring doctrines； each one of them strong
enough to turn to a false religion and lay waste the world。
Remember that the Church went in specifically for dangerous ideas；
she was a lion tamer。 The idea of birth through a Holy Spirit；
of the death of a divine being； of the forgiveness of sins；
or the fulfilment