war and the future-第28节

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of　the　war。　　I　came　back　from　my　visit　to　the　Somme　battlefields
to　find　the　sylvan　peace　of　Essex　invaded　by　a　number　of　ladies
in　blue　dresses　adorned　with　large　white　crosses；　who；　regardless
of　the　present　shortage　of　nurses；　were　visiting　every　home　in
the　place　on　some　mission　of　invitation　whose　details　remained
obscure。　　So　far　as　I　was　able　to　elucidate　this　project；　it　was
in　the　nature　of　a　magic　incantation；　a　satisfactory　end　of　the
war　was　to　be　brought　about　by　convergent　prayer　and　religious
assiduities。　　The　mission　was　shy　of　dealing　with　me　personally；
although　as　a　lapsed　communicant　I　should　have　thought　myself　a
particularly　hopeful　field　for　Anglican　effort；　and　it　came　to　my
wife　and　myself　merely　for　our　permission　and　countenance　in　an
appeal　to　our　domestic　servants。　　My　wife　consulted　the
household；　it　seemed　very　anxious　to　escape　from　that　appeal；　and
as　I　respect　Christianity　sufficiently　to　detest　the
identification　of　its　services　with　magic　processes；　the　mission
retiredcivilly　repulsed。　　But　the　incident　aroused　an　uneasy
curiosity　in　my　mind　with　regard　to　the　general　trend　of　Anglican
teaching　and　Anglican　activities　at　the　present　time。　　The　trend
of　my　enquiries　is　to　discover　the　church　much　more　incoherent
and　much　less　religiousin　any　decent　sense　of　the　wordthan　I
had　supposed　it　to　be。

Organisation　is　the　life　of　material　and　the　death　of　mental　and
spiritual　processes。　　There　could　be　no　more　melancholy
exemplification　of　this　than　the　spectacle　of　the　Anglican　and
Catholic　churches　at　the　present　time；　one　using　the　tragic
stresses　of　war　mainly　for　pew…rent　touting；　and　the　other
paralysed　by　its　Austrian　and　South　German　political　connections
from　any　clear　utterance　upon　the　moral　issues　of　the　war。
Through　the　opening　phases　of　the　war　the　Established　Church　of
England　was　inconspicuous；　this　is　no　longer　the　case；　but　it　may
be　doubted　whether　the　change　is　altogether　to　its　advantage。　　To
me　this　is　a　very　great　disappointment。　　I　have　always　had　a　very
high　opinion　of　the　intellectual　values　of　the　leading　divines　of
both　the　Anglican　and　Catholic　communions。　　The　self…styled
Intelligentsia　of　Great　Britain　is　all　too　prone　to　sneer　at
their　equipment；　but　I　do　not　see　how　any　impartial　person　can
deny　that　Father　Bernard　Vaughn　is　in　mental　energy；　vigour　of
expression；　richness　of　thought　and　variety　of　information　fully
the　equal　of　such　an　influential　lay　publicist　as　Mr。　Horatio
Bottomley。　　One　might　search　for　a　long　time　among　prominent
laymen　to　find　the　equal　of　the　Bishop　of　London。　　Nevertheless
it　is　impossible　to　conceal　the　impression　of　tawdriness　that
this　latter　gentleman's　work　as　head　of　the　National　Mission　has
left　upon　my　mind。　　Attired　in　khaki　he　has　recently　been
preaching　in　the　open　air　to　the　people　of　London　upon　Tower
Hill；　Piccadilly；　and　other　conspicuous　places。　　Obsessed　as　I　am
by　the　humanities；　and　impressed　as　I　have　always　been　by　the
inferiority　of　material　to　moral　facts；　I　would　willingly　have
exchanged　the　sight　of　two　burning　Zeppelins　for　this　spectacle
of　ecclesiastical　fervour。　　But　as　it　is；　I　am　obliged　to　trust
to　newspaper　reports　and　the　descriptions　of　hearers　and　eye…
witnesses。　　They　leave　to　me　but　little　doubt　of　the　regrettable
superficiality　of　the　bishop's　utterances。

We　have　a　multitude　of　people　chastened　by　losses；　ennobled　by　a
common　effort；　needing　support　in　that　effort；　perplexed　by　the
reality　of　evil　and　cruelty；　questioning　and　seeking　after　God。
What　does　the　National　Mission　offer？　　On　Tower　Hill　the　bishop
seems　to　have　been　chiefly　busy　with　a　wrangling　demonstration
that　ten　thousand　a　year　is　none　too　big　a　salary　for　a　man
subject　to　such　demands　and　expenses　as　his　see　involves。　　So　far
from　making　anything　out　of　his　see　he　was；　he　declared；　two
thousand　a　year　to　the　bad。　　Some　day；　when　the　church　has
studied　efficiency；　I　suppose　that　bishops　will　have　the　leisure
to　learn　something　about　the　general　state　of　opinion　and
education　in　their　dioceses。　　The　Bishop　of　London　was　evidently
unaware　of　the　almost　automatic　response　of　the　sharp　socialists
among　his　hearers。　　Their　first　enquiry　would　be　to　learn　how　he
came　by　that　mysterious　extra　two　thousand　a　year　with　which　he
supplemented　his　stipend。　　How　did　he　earn　/that？/　And　if　he
didn't　earn　it…！　　And　secondly；　they　would　probably　have
pointed　out　to　him　that　his　standard　of　housing；　clothing；　diet
and　entertaining　was　probably　a　little　higher　than　theirs。　　It　is
really　no　proof　of　virtuous　purity　that　a　man's　expenditure
exceeds　his　income。　　And　finally　some　other　of　his　hearers　were
left　unsatisfied　by　his　silence　with　regard　to　the　current
proposal　to　pool　all　clerical　stipends　for　the　common　purposes　of
the　church。　　It　is　a　reasonable　proposal；　and　if　bishops　must
dispute　about　stipends　instead　of　preaching　the　kingdom　of　God；
then　they　are　bound　to　face　it。　　The　sooner　they　do　so；　the　more
graceful　will　the　act　be。　　From　these　personal　apologetics　the
bishop　took　up　the　question　of　the　exemption；　at　the　request　of
the　bishops；　of　the　clergy　from　military　service。　　It　is　one　of
our　contrasts　with　French　conditionsand　it　is　all　to　the
disadvantage　of　the　British　churches。

In　his　Piccadilly　contribution　to　the　National　Mission　of
Repentance　and　Hope　the　bishop　did　not　talk　politics　but　sex。　　He
gave　his　hearers　the　sort　of　stuff　that　is　handed　out　so　freely
by　the　Cinema　Theatres；　White　Slave　Traffic　talk；　denunciations
of　〃Night　Hawks〃whatever　〃Night　Hawks〃　may　beand　so　on。　　One
this　or　another　occasion　the　bishophe　boasts　that　he　himself　is
a　healthy　bachelorlavished　his　eloquence　upon　the　Fall　in　the
Birth　Rate；　and　the　duty　of　all　married　people；　from　paupers
upward；　to　have　children　persistently。　　Now　sex；　like　diet；　is　a
department　of　conduct　and　a　very　important　department；　but　/it
isn't　religion！/　The　world　is　distressed　by　international
disorder；　by　the　monstrous　tragedy　of　war；　these　little　hot　talks
about　indulgence　and　begetting　have　about　as　much　to　do　with　the
vast　issues　that　concern　us　as；　let　us　say；　a　discussion　of　the
wickedness　of　eating　very　new　and　indigestible　bread。　　It　is
talking　round　and　about　the　essential　issue。　　It　is　fogging　the
essential　issue；　which　is　the　forgotten　and　neglected　kingship　of
God。　　The　sin　that　is　stirring　the　souls　of　men　is　the　sin　of
this　war。　　It　is　the　sin　of　national　egotism　and　the　devotion　of
men　to　loyalties；　ambitions；　sects；　churches；　feuds；　aggressions；
and　divisions　that　are　an　outrage　upon　God's　universal
kingdom。


2

The　common　clergy　of　France；　sharing　the　military　obligations　and
the　food　and　privations　of　their　fellow　parishioners；　contrast
very　vividly　with　the　home…staying　types　of　the　ministries　of　the
various　British　churches。　　I　met　and　talked　to　several。　　Near
Frise　there　were　some　barge　gunboatsthey　have　since　taken　their
place　in　the　fighting；　but　then　they　were　a　surpriseand　the　men
had　been　very　anxious　to　have　their　craft　visited　and　seen。　　The
priest　who　came　after　our　party　to　see　if　he　could　still　arrange
that；　had　been　decorated　for　gallantry。　　Of　course　the　English
too　have　their　gallant　chaplains；　but　they　are　men　of　the　officer
caste；　they　are　just　young　officers　with　peculiar　collars；　not
men　among　men；　as　are　the　French　priests。

There　can　be　no　doubt　that　the　behaviour　of　the　French　priests　in
this　war　has　enormously　diminished　anti…clerical　bitterness　in
France。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　France　is　far　more　a
religious　country　than　it　was　before　the　war。　　But　if　you　ask
whether　that　means　any　return　to　the　church；　any　reinstatement　of
the　church；　the　answer　is　a　doubtful　one。　　Religion　and　the
simple　priest　are　stronger　in　France　to…day；　the　church；　I　think；
is　weaker。

I　trench　on　no　theological　discussion　when　I　record　the
unfavourable　impression　made　upon　all　western　Europe　by　the
failure　of　the　Holy　Father　to　pronounce　definitely　upon　the
rights　and　wrongs　of　the　war。　　The　church　has　abrogated　its　right
of　moral　judgement。　　Such　at　least　seemed　to　be　the　opinion　of
the　Frenchmen　with　whom　I　discussed　a　remarkable　interview　with
Cardinal　Gasparri　that　I　found　one　morning　in　/Le　Journal。/

It　was　not　the　sort　of　interview　to　win　the　hearts　of　men　who
were　ready　to　give　their　lives　to　set　right　what　they　believe　to
be　the　greatest　outrage　that　has　ever　been　inflicted　upon
Christendom；　that　is　to　say　the　forty…three　years　of　military
preparation　and　of　diplomacy　by　threats　that　culminated　in　the
ultimatum　to　Serbia；　the　invasion　of　Belgium　and　the　murder　of
the　Vise　villagers。　　It　was　adorned　with　a　large　portrait
of　〃Benoit　XV。；〃　looking　grave　and　discouraging　over　his
spectacles；　and　the　headlines　insisted　it　was　〃/La
Pensee　du　Pape。/〃　Cross…heads　sufficiently　indicated
the　general　tone。　　One　read：

/〃Le　Saint　Siege　impartial。。。
Au…dessus　de　la　bataille。。。。〃/
The　good　Cardinal　would　have　made　a　good　lawyer。　　He　had　as
little　to　say　about　God　and　the　general　righteousness　of　things
as　the　Bishop　of　London。　　But　he　got　in　some　smug　reminders　of
the　severance　of　diplomatic　relations　with　the　Vatican