ALFRED T. SCHOFIELT), M.D., ON CHRISTIAN SANITY. 21 



scientific position in England to go as a missionary to China ; 

 but lie was one of the most sober and sane men I ever knew. 



Look at what is known as the Keswick platform for the last 

 twenty years, and observe how carefully in teaching the highest 

 truths, reasonableness and self-control have ever been enforced. 



Religious mania, which so many erroneously believe is the 

 result of Bible teaching, springs from one of two causes of a 

 wholly different nature. It is either caused by a predously 

 unbalanced mind being taught some religious dogmas, or by 

 departing from the Divine Guide, and following some peculiar 

 and specialized teaching, more or less unbiblical and unchristian ; 

 and which unfortunately is only too common to-day. 



The truest sanity is that of Christians, for they alone obey 

 Browning's words : — 



" Trust God, see all, be not afraid.'' 



Their lives are sane and full of good works. 



To be under the guiding eye of God produces real sobriety 

 and steadiness of mind and action. To suppose otherwise would 

 be to make God the author of confusion. 



The man whose being is most controlled by God is farthest 

 removed from ill-balanced or hasty thoughts or deeds. 



So far, then, I have used the words sanity and insanity in a 

 somewhat loose and general way, and not in a medical or legal 

 sense. This I have done purposely, as this paper is addressed to 

 non-professional Christian men. In my closing remarks, however, 

 I should like to say a word on the subject from a medical stand- 

 point. 



I am persuaded that the perfect balance of Christian sanity 

 is far too frequently upset by what is loosely termed nervous 

 disorders, or more learnedly " psychasthenia," which is really 

 due to another caus3 altogether. 



I find no trace of such a condition in the life of Christ, although 

 the weadng unbelief and misunderstandings in Nazareth, and 

 the vile slanders abroad were more than enough to cause it. 

 I see, on the contrary, constant peace of spirit, and the perfect 

 balance of sobriety and wisdom. I am persuaded, therefore, that 

 most of the nervous breakdowns that one meets with are not due 

 to Christianity, but to the want of it, in its true sane power. 

 Those who go through life with the secret of Christ's yoke, find 



