Enjoy thyself, for there is no real
enjoyment without self-denial. There is deep philosophy in Christian
asceticism, as the Positivists themselves are aware, and even insist.
But Christian asceticism aims not to destroy nature, as voluptuaries
pretend, but to regulate, direct, and restrain its abnormal
developments for its own good. It forces nature in her developments to
submit to a law which is not in her, but above her. The Positivists
pretend that this asceticism is itself a natural development, but that
cannot be a natural development which directs, controls, and restrains
natural development.

The Positivists confound nature at one time with the law of nature, and
at another the law of nature with nature herself, and take what is
called the natural law to be a natural development. Here is their
mistake, as it is the mistake of all who accept naturalistic theories.
Society, no doubt, is authorized by the law of nature to institute and
maintain government. But the law of nature is not a natural
development, nor is it in nature, or any part of nature. It is not a
natural force which operates in nature, and which is the developing
principle of nature. Do they say reason is natural, and the law of
nature is only reason? This is not precisely the fact. The natural law
is law proper, and is reason only in the sense that reason includes
both intellect and will, and nobody can pretend that nature in her
spontaneous developments acts from intelligence and volition. Reason,
as the faculty of knowing, is subjective and natural; but in the sense
in which it is coincident with the natural law, it is neither
subjective nor natural, but objective and divine, and is God affirming
himself and promulgating his law to his creature, man. It is, at
least, an immediate participation of the divine by which He reveals
himself and His will to the human understanding, and is not natural,
but supernatural, in the sense that God himself is supernatural. This
is wherefore reason is law, and every man is bound to submit or conform
to reason.

That legitimate governments are instituted under the natural law is
frankly conceded, but this is by no means the concession of government
as a natural development. The reason and will of which the natural law
is the expression are the reason and will of God. The natural law is
the divine law as much as the revealed law itself, and equally
obligatory. It is not a natural force developing its