orthodoxy-第24章

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It　looks　just　a　little　more　mathematical　and　regular　than　it　is；



its　exactitude　is　obvious；　but　its　inexactitude　is　hidden；



its　wildness　lies　in　wait。　　I　give　one　coarse　instance　of　what　I　mean。　



Suppose　some　mathematical　creature　from　the　moon　were　to　reckon



up　the　human　body；　he　would　at　once　see　that　the　essential　thing



about　it　was　that　it　was　duplicate。　　A　man　is　two　men；　he　on　the



right　exactly　resembling　him　on　the　left。　　Having　noted　that　there



was　an　arm　on　the　right　and　one　on　the　left；　a　leg　on　the　right



and　one　on　the　left；　he　might　go　further　and　still　find　on　each　side



the　same　number　of　fingers；　the　same　number　of　toes；　twin　eyes；



twin　ears；　twin　nostrils；　and　even　twin　lobes　of　the　brain。　



At　last　he　would　take　it　as　a　law；　and　then；　where　he　found　a　heart



on　one　side；　would　deduce　that　there　was　another　heart　on　the　other。　



And　just　then；　where　he　most　felt　he　was　right；　he　would　be　wrong。







　　　　　It　is　this　silent　swerving　from　accuracy　by　an　inch　that　is



the　uncanny　element　in　everything。　　It　seems　a　sort　of　secret



treason　in　the　universe。　　An　apple　or　an　orange　is　round　enough



to　get　itself　called　round；　and　yet　is　not　round　after　all。　



The　earth　itself　is　shaped　like　an　orange　in　order　to　lure　some



simple　astronomer　into　calling　it　a　globe。　　A　blade　of　grass　is



called　after　the　blade　of　a　sword；　because　it　comes　to　a　point；



but　it　doesn't。　Everywhere　in　things　there　is　this　element　of　the



quiet　and　incalculable。　　It　escapes　the　rationalists；　but　it　never



escapes　till　the　last　moment。　　From　the　grand　curve　of　our　earth　it



could　easily　be　inferred　that　every　inch　of　it　was　thus　curved。　



It　would　seem　rational　that　as　a　man　has　a　brain　on　both　sides；



he　should　have　a　heart　on　both　sides。　　Yet　scientific　men　are　still



organizing　expeditions　to　find　the　North　Pole；　because　they　are



so　fond　of　flat　country。　　Scientific　men　are　also　still　organizing



expeditions　to　find　a　man's　heart；　and　when　they　try　to　find　it；



they　generally　get　on　the　wrong　side　of　him。







　　　　　Now；　actual　insight　or　inspiration　is　best　tested　by　whether　it



guesses　these　hidden　malformations　or　surprises。　　If　our　mathematician



from　the　moon　saw　the　two　arms　and　the　two　ears；　he　might　deduce



the　two　shoulder…blades　and　the　two　halves　of　the　brain。　　But　if　he



guessed　that　the　man's　heart　was　in　the　right　place；　then　I　should



call　him　something　more　than　a　mathematician。　　Now；　this　is　exactly



the　claim　which　I　have　since　come　to　propound　for　Christianity。　



Not　merely　that　it　deduces　logical　truths；　but　that　when　it　suddenly



becomes　illogical；　it　has　found；　so　to　speak；　an　illogical　truth。　



It　not　only　goes　right　about　things；　but　it　goes　wrong　（if　one



may　say　so）　exactly　where　the　things　go　wrong。　　Its　plan　suits



the　secret　irregularities；　and　expects　the　unexpected。　　It　is　simple



about　the　simple　truth；　but　it　is　stubborn　about　the　subtle　truth。　



It　will　admit　that　a　man　has　two　hands；　it　will　not　admit　（though　all



the　Modernists　wail　to　it）　the　obvious　deduction　that　he　has　two　hearts。　



It　is　my　only　purpose　in　this　chapter　to　point　this　out；　to　show



that　whenever　we　feel　there　is　something　odd　in　Christian　theology；



we　shall　generally　find　that　there　is　something　odd　in　the　truth。







　　　　　I　have　alluded　to　an　unmeaning　phrase　to　the　effect　that



such　and　such　a　creed　cannot　be　believed　in　our　age。　　Of　course；



anything　can　be　believed　in　any　age。　　But；　oddly　enough；　there　really



is　a　sense　in　which　a　creed；　if　it　is　believed　at　all；　can　be



believed　more　fixedly　in　a　complex　society　than　in　a　simple　one。　



If　a　man　finds　Christianity　true　in　Birmingham；　he　has　actually　clearer



reasons　for　faith　than　if　he　had　found　it　true　in　Mercia。　　For　the　more



complicated　seems　the　coincidence；　the　less　it　can　be　a　coincidence。　



If　snowflakes　fell　in　the　shape；　say；　of　the　heart　of　Midlothian；



it　might　be　an　accident。　　But　if　snowflakes　fell　in　the　exact　shape



of　the　maze　at　Hampton　Court；　I　think　one　might　call　it　a　miracle。　



It　is　exactly　as　of　such　a　miracle　that　I　have　since　come　to　feel



of　the　philosophy　of　Christianity。　　The　complication　of　our　modern



world　proves　the　truth　of　the　creed　more　perfectly　than　any　of



the　plain　problems　of　the　ages　of　faith。　　It　was　in　Notting　Hill



and　Battersea　that　I　began　to　see　that　Christianity　was　true。　



This　is　why　the　faith　has　that　elaboration　of　doctrines　and　details



which　so　much　distresses　those　who　admire　Christianity　without



believing　in　it。　　When　once　one　believes　in　a　creed；　one　is　proud



of　its　complexity；　as　scientists　are　proud　of　the　complexity



of　science。　　It　shows　how　rich　it　is　in　discoveries。　　If　it　is　right



at　all；　it　is　a　compliment　to　say　that　it's　elaborately　right。　



A　stick　might　fit　a　hole　or　a　stone　a　hollow　by　accident。　



But　a　key　and　a　lock　are　both　complex。　　And　if　a　key　fits　a　lock；



you　know　it　is　the　right　key。







　　　　　But　this　involved　accuracy　of　the　thing　makes　it　very　difficult



to　do　what　I　now　have　to　do；　to　describe　this　accumulation　of　truth。　



It　is　very　hard　for　a　man　to　defend　anything　of　which　he　is



entirely　convinced。　　It　is　comparatively　easy　when　he　is　only



partially　convinced。　　He　is　partially　convinced　because　he　has



found　this　or　that　proof　of　the　thing；　and　he　can　expound　it。　



But　a　man　is　not　really　convinced　of　a　philosophic　theory　when　he



finds　that　something　proves　it。　　He　is　only　really　convinced　when　he



finds　that　everything　proves　it。　　And　the　more　converging　reasons　he



finds　pointing　to　this　conviction；　the　more　bewildered　he　is　if　asked



suddenly　to　sum　them　up。　　Thus；　if　one　asked　an　ordinary　intelligent　man；



on　the　spur　of　the　moment；　〃Why　do　you　prefer　civilization　to　savagery？〃



he　would　look　wildly　round　at　object　after　object；　and　would　only　be



able　to　answer　vaguely；　〃Why；　there　is　that　bookcase　。　。　。　and　the



coals　in　the　coal…scuttle　。　。　。　and　pianos　。　。　。　and　policemen。〃　



The　whole　case　for　civilization　is　that　the　case　for　it　is　complex。　



It　has　done　so　many　things。　　But　that　very　multiplicity　of　proof



which　ought　to　make　reply　overwhelming　makes　reply　impossible。







　　　　　There　is；　therefore；　about　all　complete　conviction　a　kind



of　huge　helplessness。　　The　belief　is　so　big　that　it　takes　a　long



time　to　get　it　into　action。　　And　this　hesitation　chiefly　arises；



oddly　enough；　from　an　indifference　about　where　one　should　begin。　



All　roads　lead　to　Rome；　which　is　one　reason　why　many　people　never



get　there。　　In　the　case　of　this　defence　of　the　Christian　conviction



I　confess　that　I　would　as　soon　begin　the　argument　with　one　thing



as　another；　I　would　begin　it　with　a　turnip　or　a　taximeter　cab。　



But　if　I　am　to　be　at　all　careful　about　making　my　meaning　clear；



it　will；　I　think；　be　wiser　to　continue　the　current　arguments



of　the　last　chapter；　which　was　concerned　to　urge　the　first　of



these　mystical　coincidences；　or　rather　ratifications。　　All　I　had



hitherto　heard　of　Christian　theology　had　alienated　me　from　it。　



I　was　a　pagan　at　the　age　of　twelve；　and　a　complete　agnostic　by　the



age　of　sixteen；　and　I　cannot　understand　any　one　passing　the　age



of　seventeen　without　having　asked　himself　so　simple　a　question。　



I　did；　indeed；　retain　a　cloudy　reverence　for　a　cosmic　deity



and　a　great　historical　interest　in　the　Founder　of　Christianity。　



But　I　certainly　regarded　Him　as　a　man；　though　perhaps　I　thought　that；



even　in　that　point；　He　had　an　advantage　over　some　of　His　modern　critics。　



I　read　the　scientific　and　sceptical　literature　of　my　timeall　of　it；



at　least；　that　I　could　find　written　in　English　a