REV. W. R. INGE, D.D., ON FREEDOM AND DISCIPLINE. 259 



Germany), " right and wrong lose their usual meaning," and on 

 page 245 we find that England, standing for freedom, is less " likely 

 to commit great national crimes " : two remarkable statements, 

 clearly pointing out the drift of the two principles when humanly 

 carried to their logical conclusion. 



I admire the courage of the Dean (which indeed has never been 

 in question) when he voices what so many of us think, but so few 

 of us like to utter, that " we ought not to be surprised that the 

 Vatican was backing Germany all over the world." Some, he adds 

 (amongst whom the Dean was not to be included), who regarded 

 the war as part of the eternal struggle between evil and good, darkness 

 and light, bondage and spiritual liberty. 



On page 247 the Dean quotes an interesting statement from H. R. 

 Marshall to the effect that Reason represents the tendency to 

 variation in evolution, instinct the tendency to persistence. 



A little lower down I am much pleased to see that Dean Inge 

 emphasizes a difference which Modernism either fails to discern, or 

 denies outright. He speaks of " the intermediate field of morality " 

 as entirely distinct and below the spiritual life — a position of great 

 value at the present time. 



On page 248 Democracy is unveiled in all its nakedness : the Dean 

 declaring it " rests on a pure superstition — viz., that a large number 

 of admittedly foolish persons, voting together, will somehow evolve 

 political wisdom." 



The paper contains more profound truths than I can enumerate. 

 I will quote one or two. 



'* A fool cannot be free : and a man who cannot control himself 

 cannot be free." 



" Authority in religion always fears and distrusts the inner light." 



" There is not the slightest reason to connect Divine inspiration 

 with the power to upset the normal processes of nature. When we 

 have proved the miracle to our own satisfaction, we find that its 

 evidential value is nothing at all. The sons of the Pharisees (we 

 are told) cast out devils : and Charles II touched successfully for 

 the King's evil, but we should not specially value the opinion of the 

 former upon the grace of humility, nor that of the latter upon the 

 grace of chastity." 



" What we usually call socialism is more like individualism run 

 mad. It is anarchic and antinomian, sentimental and emotional. 



