ct. In this matter Mr.
Schroeder is simply the follower, at an interval, of St. Paul. We must
work not on the object, but on the impure mind affected by the object.
If the impure heart is not suppressed it is useless to suppress the
impure object, while if the heart is renewed the whole task is achieved.
Certainly there are books, pictures, and other things in life so unclean
that they can never be pure even to the purest, but these things by
their loathsomeness are harmless to all healthy minds; they can only
corrupt minds which are corrupt already. Unfortunately, when ignorant
police officials and custom-house officers are entrusted with the task
of searching for the obscene, it is not to these things that their
attention is exclusively directed. Such persons, it seems, cannot
distinguish between these things and the noblest productions of human
art and intellect, and the law has proved powerless to set them right;
in all civilized countries the list is indeed formidable of the splendid
and inspiring productions, from the Bible downwards, which officials or
the law courts have been pleased to declare "obscene." So that while the
task of moralizing the community by force must absolutely fail of its
object, it may at the same time suffice to effect much mischief.

It is one of the ironies of history that the passion for extinguishing
immorality by law and administration should have arisen in what used to
be called Christendom. For Christianity is precisely the most brilliant
proof the world has ever seen of the truth that immorality cannot so be
suppressed. From the standpoint of classic Rome Christianity was an
aggressive attack on Roman morality from every side. It was not so only
in appearance, but in reality, as modern historians fully recognize.[218]
Merely as a new religion Christianity would have been received with calm
indifference, even with a certain welcome, as other new religions were
received. But Christianity denied the supremacy of the State, carried on
an anti-military propaganda in the army, openly flouted established
social conventions, loosened family life, preached and practised
asceticism to an age that was already painfully aware that, above all
things, it needed men. The fatal though doubtless inevitable step was
taken of attempting to suppress the potent poison of this manifold
immorality by force. The triumph of Christianity was largely due to the
fine qualities which were brought out by that ann