按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
combination create the impression that Christianity is something weak
and diseased。 First； for instance； that Jesus was a gentle creature；
sheepish and unworldly； a mere ineffectual appeal to the world； second；
that Christianity arose and flourished in the dark ages of ignorance；
and that to these the Church would drag us back； third； that the people
still strongly religious or （if you will） superstitioussuch people
as the Irishare weak； unpractical； and behind the times。
I only mention these ideas to affirm the same thing： that when I
looked into them independently I found； not that the conclusions
were unphilosophical； but simply that the facts were not facts。
Instead of looking at books and pictures about the New Testament I
looked at the New Testament。 There I found an account； not in the
least of a person with his hair parted in the middle or his hands
clasped in appeal； but of an extraordinary being with lips of thunder
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
i