ALFRED T. SCHOFIELD^ M.D., ON CHRISTIAN SANITY. 



27 



for a most interesting and valuable paper, especially for the remarks 

 upon self-control and God's control (pp. 20, 21). 



Much, however, as he admired the paper, he must dissent from its 

 definition of Sanity. If he understood aright this mechanical 

 definition (or illustration), the mind is supposed to be continually 

 oscillating between reason and emotion, as do the scales of a balance 

 between two opposed weights — these weights or " opposite forces " 

 being (in the case of the mind) reason and emotion. If, when both 

 the opposing forces are at rest, the scales are even and the mind in 

 a state of perfect equipoise, the balance is true and the mind is sane. 

 If, on the other hand, this be not the case, and " if either side of the 

 mental balance be depressed whe^i quite at rest, the mind is to that 

 extent unbalanced ; and if the condition be fixed and well marked, 

 is insane." 



The basic error in this definition lies in the supposition that 

 reason and emotion are two forces necessarily opposed (and equal). 

 This is far from being the case. The two are frequently in alliance. 

 Nothing is more consonant with reason than gratitude to God for 

 all His benefits, and love to Him, and to our relatives and friends ; 

 and gratitude and love are emotions. Nor is there necessity that 

 these two forces be equal, so that when both are at rest there is 

 *' mental equipoise " ; for it will hardly be questioned that two men 

 may have the one " an emotional temperament " and the other be 

 " unemotional," yet both be equally sane. Aristotle tells us that 

 sanity (croxppocruvr]) is the habit of self-control (iy/cpdreia), and 

 the importance of this habit can scarcely be exaggerated. 



In the speaker's own view all health consists in harmony between 

 the structure, powers, functions, of the subject and the environment. 

 Mental health (sanity) is harmony between the mind and its en- 

 vironment. " Christian sanity " must, therefore, include harmony 

 with Christ, and therefore with God. It is His gift to the heart- 

 believer in Christ, and has its statement in ii Tim. i, 7, and will be 

 found to include the five qualities on pp. 4 and 5 of the paper. 



He had great pleasure in asking the audience to pass by acclamation 

 a hearty vote of thanks to the able author for a paper marked by 

 that charm which invariably accompanied whatever he wrote or 

 said. 



