ALFRED T. SCHOFIELD, M.D., ON CHRISriAN^ SANITY. 19 



is base and frivolous in his life, and be content with all places, 

 and any service he can render. 



" He will calmly front the morrow in the negligency of that 

 trust which carries God with it, and so has the whole future 

 in the bottom of his heart.'' 



It is obvious this represents a high type of sa^nity, and there 

 can be no doubt that the standard of the man who is in direct 

 contact with Divine Wisdom is higher than the ordinary one. 



Two points may here be noted. First that we are speaking 

 of the life in normal times. Times of stress and storm (as in the 

 great War) call for exceptional conduct ; and indeed often actions 

 such as might be called mad in ordinary life. Secondly, we 

 must allow for temperament. S. James, we presume, would 

 always appear conspicuously sane, S. Peter certainly less so, and 

 S. Paul at times perhaps least of all. 



Observe in the beautiful Phwdrus of Plato how Socrates points 

 out that those that seek Grod are accounted mad. 



" They endeavour to discover of themselves the nature of 

 God, and when they grasp Him with their memory (being inspired 

 by Him) they receive from Him their manners and pursuits, so 

 far as it is possible for man to participate of God . . . Anyone 

 who is reminded of this time begins to recover his wings, and 

 having recovered them, longs to soar aloft ; but being unable to 

 do so, looks upward like a bird [a striking and pathetic simile] 

 and despising things below is deemed affected with madness. 

 When they see any resemblance of things there [in heaven] they 

 are amazed, and no longer masters of themselves [remembering] 

 when they beheld in the pure light — perfect, simple, calm, and 

 blessed visions.'' Surely Socrates here approaches very nearly 

 to what we have quoted of S. Paul," Whether vje he beside ourselves, 

 it is to God" (II Cor. v, 13). 



Further light maybe thrown upon our study of Christian sanity 

 by considering a few of the ideals and objects in the normal 

 averasje Christian life.* 



From childhood the general trend of Christian development is 

 away from the self-assertive. " ego " towards God and man, 

 towards spiritual and altruistic activities. 



The Christian ideal is chiefly that of doing good to others. 



* These are mainly obtained from Dr. Starbuck's well-known statistics 

 of Christian life. 



