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and acts of lurid decision； flinging down tables； casting out devils；
passing with the wild secrecy of the wind from mountain isolation to a
sort of dreadful demagogy； a being who often acted like an angry god
and always like a god。 Christ had even a literary style of his own；
not to be found； I think； elsewhere； it consists of an almost furious
use of the A FORTIORI。 His 〃how much more〃 is piled one upon
another like castle upon castle in the clouds。 The diction used
ABOUT Christ has been； and perhaps wisely； sweet and submissive。
But the diction used by Christ is quite curiously gigantesque；
it is full of camels leaping through needles and mountains hurled
into the sea。 Morally it is equally terrific； he called himself
a sword of slaughter； and told men to buy swords if they sold their
coats for them。 That he used other even wilder words on the side
of non…resistance greatly increases the mystery； but it also；
if anything； rather increases the violence。 We cannot even explain
it by calling such a being insane； for insanity is usually along one
consistent channel。 The maniac is generally a monomaniac。 Here we
must remember the difficult definition of Christianity already given；
Christianity is a superhuman paradox whereby two opposite passions
may blaze beside each other。 The one explanation of the Gospel
language that does explain it； is that it is the survey of one
who from some supernatural height beholds some more startling synthesis。
I take in order the next instance offered： the idea that
Christianity belongs to the Dark Ages。 Here I did not satisfy myself
with reading modern generalisations； I read a little history。
And in history I found that Christianity； so far from belonging to the
Dark Ages； was the one path across the Dark Ages that was not dark。
It was a shining bridge connecting two shining civilizations。
If any one says that the faith arose in ignorance and savagery
the answer is simple： it didn't。 It arose in the Mediterranean
civilization in the full summer of the Roman Empire。 The world
was swarming with sceptics； and pantheism was as plain as the sun；
when Constantine nailed the cross to the mast。 It is perfectly true
that afterwards the ship sank； but it is far more extraordinary that
the ship came up again： repainted and glittering； with the cross
still at the top。 This is the amazing thing the religion did：
it turned a sunken ship into a submarine。 The ark lived under the load
of waters； after being buried under the debris of dynasties and clans；
we arose and remembered Rome。 If our faith had been a mere fad
of the fading empire； fad would have followed fad in the twilight；
and if the civilization ever re…emerged （and many such have
never re…emerged） it would have been under some new barbaric flag。
But the Christian Church was the last life of the old society and
was also the first life of the new。 She took the people who were
forgetting how to make an arch and she taught them to invent the
Gothic arch。 In a word； the most absurd thing that could be said
of the Church is the thing we have all heard said of it。 How can
we say that the Church wishes to bring us back into the Dark Ages？
The Church was the only thing that ever brought us out of them。
I added in this second trinity of objections an idle instance
taken from those who feel such people as the Irish to be weakened
or made stagnant by superstition。 I only added it because this
is a peculiar case of a statement of fact that turns out to be
a statement of falsehood。 It is constantly said of the Irish that
they are impractical。 But if we refrain for a moment from looking
at what is said about them and look at what is DONE about them；
we shall see that the Irish are not only practical； but quite
painfully successful。 The poverty of their country； the minority
of their members are simply the conditions under which they were asked
to work； but no other group in the British Empire has done so much
with such conditions。 The Nationalists were the only minority
that ever succeeded in twisting the whole British Parliament sharply
out of its path。 The Irish peasants are the only poor men in these
islands who have forced their masters to disgorge。 These people；
whom we call priest…ridden； are the only Britons who will not be
squire…ridden。 And when I came to look at the actual Irish character；
the case was the same。 Irishmen are best at the specially
HARD professionsthe trades of iron； the lawyer； and the soldier。
In all these cases； therefore； I came back to the same conclusion：
the sceptic was quite right to go by the facts； only he had not
looked at the facts。 The sceptic is too credulous； he believes
in newspapers or even in encyclopedias。 Again the three questions
left me with three very antagonistic questions。 The average sceptic
wanted to know how I explained the namby…pamby note in the Gospel；
the connection of the creed with mediaeval darkness and the political
impracticability of the Celtic Christians。 But I wanted to ask；
and to ask with an earnestness amounting to urgency； 〃What is this
incomparable energy which appears first in one walking the earth
like a living judgment and this energy which can die with a dying
civilization and yet force it to a resurrection from the dead；
this energy which last of all can inflame a bankrupt peasantry
with so fixed a faith in justice that they get what they ask；
while others go empty away； so that the most helpless island
of the Empire can actually help itself？〃
There is an answer： it is an answer to say that the energy
is truly from outside the world； that it is psychic； or at least
one of the results of a real psychical disturbance。 The highest
gratitude and respect are due to the great human civilizations such
as the old Egyptian or the existing Chinese。 Nevertheless it is
no injustice for them to say that only modern Europe has exhibited
incessantly a power of self…renewal recurring often at the shortest
intervals and descending to the smallest facts of building or costume。
All other societies die finally and with dignity。 We die daily。
We are always being born again with almost indecent obstetrics。
It is hardly an exaggeration to say that there is in historic
Christendom a sort of unnatural life： it could be explained as a
supernatural life。 It could be explained as an awful galvanic life
working in what would have been a corpse。 For our civilization OUGHT
to have died； by all parallels； by all sociological probability；
in the Ragnorak of the end of Rome。 That is the weird inspiration
of our estate： you and I have no business to be here at all。 We are
all REVENANTS； all living Christians are dead pagans walking about。
Just as Europe was about to be gathered in silence to Assyria
and Babylon； something entered into its body。 And Europe has had
a strange lifeit is not too much to say that it has had the JUMPS
ever since。
I have dealt at length with such typical triads of doubt
in order to convey the main contentionthat my own case for
Christianity is rational； but it is not simple。 It is an accumulation
of varied facts； like the attitude of the ordinary agnostic。
But the ordinary agnostic has got his facts all wrong。
He is a non…believer for a multitude of reasons； but they are
untrue reasons。 He doubts because the Middle Ages were barbaric；
but they weren't； because Darwinism is demonstrated； but it isn't；
because miracles do not happen； but they do； because monks were lazy；
but they were very industrious； because nuns are unhappy； but they
are particularly cheerful； because Christian art was sad and pale；
but it was picked out in peculiarly bright colours and gay with gold；
because modern science is moving away from the supernatural；
but it isn't； it is moving towards the supernatural with the rapidity
of a railway train。
But among these million facts all flowing one way there is；
of course； one question sufficiently solid and separate to be
treated briefly； but by itself； I mean the objective occurrence
of the supernatural。 In another chapter I have indicated the fallacy
of the ordinary supposition that the world must be impersonal because it
is orderly。 A person is just as likely to desire an orderly thing
as a disorderly thing。 But my own positive conviction that personal
creation is more conceivable th