The truth is that a phrase can be falsified by use without being false in fact.

-The Uses of Diversity (1921)

A joke is always a thought; it is grave and formal writing that can be quite literally thoughtless.

-The Uses of Diversity (1921)

When people begin to ignore human dignity, it will not be long before they begin to ignore human rights.

-All is Grist (1931)

"Oh, it's easy enough," said Lord Eden frankly. "Look how easily we remained in the saddle, in spite of democratic elections; how we managed to dominate the Commons as well as the Lords. It'll be the same with what they call Socialism. We shall still be there; only we shall be called bureaucrats instead of aristocrats."

-Tales of the Long Bow (1925)

"Yes," replied the smuggler placidly, "[...] I thought at first of dressing the pigs up as millionaires and members of Parliament; but when you come to look close, there's more difference than you would imagine to be possible [..]"

-Tales of the Long Bow (1925)

The things that men see every day are the things they never see at all.

-Lunacy and Letters (1958)

Even when brilliant men have led the world, it is by no means certain that they have not generally misled the world. It is easy to say that commonplace crowds of mediocre men will never be able to rise to the task of government; it is true to say that such crowds of such men can never in themselves be a complete substitute for leadership. But it is quite another thing to have anything like complete confidence in the leadership of the sort of men who commonly offer themselves to lead.

-September 16, 1935, Illustrated London News

We naturally expect that the protest against that more than usually barbaric form of birth control will be a protest of indignant instinct and the common conscience of men. We expect the infanticide to be called by its own name, which is murder at its worst; not only the brand of Cain but the brand of Herod. We expect the protest to be full of the honour of men, of the memory of mothers, of the natural love of children.

-June 3, 1922, Illustrated London News

It is quite proper and important to discuss whether Democracy leads to Socialism, whether it is consistent with Catholicism, whether it encourages war, whether it admits of art; whether Democracy is dull, whether Democracy is lawless. But there is a question for the modern man much more solemn and searching than all these: whether Democracy is democratic.

-July 22, 1911, Illustrated London News

A Hymn for the Church Militant

Great God, that bowest sky and star,
Bow down our towering thoughts to thee,
And grant us in a faltering war
The firm feet of humility.

Lord, we that snatch the swords of flame,
Lord, we that cry about Thy car.
We too are weak with pride and shame,
We too are as our foemen are.

Yea, we are mad as they are mad,
Yea, we are blind as they are blind,
Yea, we are very sick and sad
Who bring good news to all mankind.

The dreadful joy Thy Son has sent
Is heavier than any care;
We find, as Cain his punishment,
Our pardon more than we can bear.

Lord, when we cry Thee far and near
And thunder through all lands unknown
The gospel into every ear,
Lord, let us not forget our own.

Cleanse us from ire of creed or class,
The anger of the idle things;
Sow in our souls, like living grass,
The laughter of all lowly things.

Politics may or may not be a tyranny; politicians may or may not be parasites. But parasites do not cease to be parasites because we have grown weary of watching them as performing fleas. There are other functions that the parasites will still perform.

-August 4, 1923, Illustrated London News

I am not sure that the very fact that negative morality has a narrower scope does not sometimes mean that it leaves a wider liberty. If there are only Ten Commandments, it means that there are only ten things forbidden; and that means that there are ten million things that are not forbidden. Let us do justice to our ancestors, if they found it easier, and shorter, to describe what they forbade than what they permitted.

-October 1, 1932, Illustrated London News