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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