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Should one follow the letter of the law or its spirit? Most people, like the clergyman in this 1911 essay by John Galsworthy, would answer both, believing that the letter always embodies the spirit. But, the answer is not always so clear, especially when it comes to matters of faith, justice, and family values. Using the specific example of an unhappy marriage, Galsworthy calls into question the interpretation and practice of Christian teaching. Not surprisingly, such questions are just as relevant today as they were over a century ago, and, perhaps depressingly, the people on both sides of the divide will still come to their own conclusions without considering any argument against. As the man of faith said “Reason — coherence — philosophy. ... All that is nothing to me — nothing — nothing!”
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This oddment has been adapted from the essay included in first edition of The Inn of Tranquility, published by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York in October 1912. It differs slightly from the original essay published in The Antlantic Monthly, Vol 109, No. 2 in February 1912, in that it contains additional text, and uses British English spelling and grammar.
This article is not intended as, and should not be treated as, an academic text.
Illustation: Phil May (1864 – 1903), The Old Parson, 1892.
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