So the
English nation entrusts the welfare of its fleet and naval defences to a
First Lord of the Admiralty, who, not being a sailor can know nothing
about these matters except by acts of faith. There can be no doubt about
faith and not reason being the _ultima ratio_.
Even Euclid, who has laid himself as little open to the charge of
credulity as any writer who ever lived, cannot get beyond this. He has
no demonstrable first premise. He requires postulates and axioms which
transcend demonstration, and without which he can do nothing. His
superstructure indeed is demonstration, but his ground is faith. Nor
again can he get further than telling a man he is a fool if he persists
in differing from him. He says "which is absurd," and declines to
discuss the matter further. Faith and authority, therefore, prove to be
as necessary for him as for anyone else. "By faith in what, then," asked
Ernest of himself, "shall a just man endeavour to live at this present
time?" He answered to himself, "At any rate not by faith in the
supernatural element of the Christian religion."
And how should he best persuade his fellow-countrymen to leave off
believing in this supernatural element? Looking at the matter from a
practical point of view he thought the Archbishop of Canterbury afforded
the most promising key to the situation.
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