phyllis of philistia-第26章

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CHAPTER　XXIII。

ITS　MOUTHINGS　OF　THE　PAST　HAD　BECOME　ITS　MUMBLINGS　OF　THE　PRESENT。

It　was　very　distressingvery　disappointing！　The　bishop　would　neither　institute　proceedings　against　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　nor　state　plainly　if　it　was　his　intention　to　proceed　against　that　clergyman。　When　some　people　suggested　very　delicatelythe　way　ordinary　people　would　suggest　anything　to　a　bishopthat　it　was　surely　not　in　sympathy　with　the　organization　of　the　Church　for　any　clergyman　to　take　advantage　of　his　position　and　his　pulpit　to　cast　sometimes　ridicule；　sometimes　abuse；　upon　certain　〃scriptural　characters〃that　was　their　phrasewho　had　hitherto　always　been　regarded　as　sacred；　comparatively　sacred；　the　bishop　had　brought　the　tips　of　the　fingers　of　one　hand　in　immediate；　or　almost　immediate；　contact　with　the　tips　of　the　fingers　of　his　other　hand；　and　had　shaken　his　headmournfully；　sadly。　These　signs　of　acquiescence；　trifling　though　they　were；　had　encouraged　the　deputation　that　once　waited　on　his　lordshiptwo　military　men　（retired　on　the　age　clause）；　an　officer　of　engineers　（on　the　active　list）；　a　solicitor　（retired）；　and　a　member　of　the　London　County　Council　（by　occupation　an　ironmonger）；　to　express　the　direct　opinion　that　the　scandal　which　had　been　created　by　the　disseminationthe　unrebuked　disseminationof　the　doctrines　held　by　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　was　affording　the　friends　of　Disestablishment　an　additional　argument　in　favor　of　their　policy　of　spoliation。　At　this　statement　his　lordship　had　nodded　his　head　three　times　with　a　gravity　that　deeply　impressed　the　spokesman　of　the　deputation。　He　wondered　if　his　lordship　had　ever　before　heard　that　phrase　about　the　furnishing　of　an　additional　argument　to　the　friends　of　Disestablishment。　（As　a　matter　of　fact　his　lordship　had　heard　it　before。）

After　an　expression　of　the　deputation's　opinion　that　immediate　steps　should　be　taken　to　make　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　amenable　to　the　laws　of　the　Church；

His　lordship　replied。

（It　was　his　facility　in　making　conciliatory　replies　that　had　brought　about　his　elevation　in　the　Church）：

He　referred　to　（1）　his　deep　appreciation　of　the　sincerity　of　the　deputation；　（2）　his　own　sense　of　responsibility　in　regard　to　the　feelings　of　the　weaker　brethren；　（3）　his　appreciation　of　the　value　of　the　counsel　of　practical　men　in　many　affairs　of　the　Church；　（4）　the　existing　position　of　the　Church　in　regard　to　the　laity；　（5）　the　friendly　relations　that　had　always　existed　between　himself　personally　and　the　clergy　of　his　extensive　diocese；　（6）　his　earnest　and　prayerful　desire　that　these　relations　might　be　strengthened；　（7）　the　insecurity　of　a　house　divided　against　itself；　（8）　the　progress　of　socialism；　（9）　the　impossibility　of　socialism　commending　itself　to　Englishmen；　（10）　the　recent　anarchist　outrages；　（11）　the　purity　of　the　Court　of　her　Majesty　the　Queen；　（12）　the　union　of　all　Christian　Churches；　（13）　the　impossibility　of　such　union　ever　becoming　permanent；　（14）　the　value　of　Holy　Scripture　in　daily　life；　（15）　his　firm　belief　in　the　achievement　of　England's　greatness　by　means　of　the　open　Bible；　（16）　the　note　of　pessimism　in　modern　life；　（17）　the　necessity　for　the　Church's　combating　modern　pessimism；　（18）　the　Church's　position　as　a　purveyor　of　healthy　literature　for　the　young；　（19）　his　reluctance　to　take　up　any　more　of　their　valuable　time；　and　（20）　his　assurance　that　the　remarks　of　their　spokesman　would　have　his　earnest　and　prayerful　attention。

The　deputation　then　thanked　his　lordship　and　withdrew。

But　still　the　bishop　made　no　move　in　the　matter；　and　the　friends　of　the　Rev。　George　Holland　felt　grievously　disappointed。　They　had　counted　on　the　bishop's　at　least　writing　a　letter　of　remonstrance　to　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's；　and　upon　the　publication　of　the　letter；　with　the　rector's　reply　in　the　newspapers；　but　now　quite　two　months　had　passed　since　the　appearance　of　〃Revised　Versions；〃　the　bishop　had　returned　from　the　Engadine；　and　still　there　were　no　indications　of　his　intention　to　make　the　Rev。　George　Holland　responsible　to　the　right　tribunalwhatever　that　wasfor　his　doctrines。　They　counted　on　his　martyrdom　within　six　months；　and；　consequently；　upon　his　election　to　a　position　of　distinction　in　the　eyes　of　his　fellow…country…menor；　at　least；　of　his　country…women。　But　the　bishop　they　found　to　be　a　poor　thing　after　all。　They　felt　sure　that　what　the　people　said　about　his　being　quite　humble　in　the　presence　of　his　wife　was　not　without　some　foundation；　and　they　thought　that；　after　all；　there　was　a　great　deal　to　be　said　in　favor　of　the　celibacy　of　priests　compulsory　in　the　Church　of　Rome。　If　the　bishops　of　the　Church　of　England　were　not　very　careful；　they　might　be　the　means　of　such　a　going　over　to　Rome　as　had　never　previously　been　witnessed　in　England。

George　Holland　may　have　been　disappointed；　or　he　may　have　been　pleased　at　the　inactivity　of　the　bishop。　He　made　no　sign　one　way　or　the　other。　Of　course　he　was　no　more　than　human：　he　would　have　regarded　a　letter　of　remonstrance　from　the　bishop　as　a　personal　compliment；　he　had　certainly　expected　such　a　letter；　for　he　had　already　put　together　the　heads　of　the　reply　he　would　makeand　publishto　any　official　remonstrance　that　might　be　offered　to　him。　Still　he　made　no　sign。　He　preached　at　least　one　sermon　every　Sunday　morning；　and　whenever　it　was　known　that　he　would　preach；　St。　Chad's　was　crowded　and　the　offertory　was　all　that　could　be　desired。　The　bishop's　chaplain　no　longer　held　a　watching　brief　in　regard　in　regard　to　those　sermons。　He　did　not　think　it　worth　while　to　do　so　much；　George　Holland's　friends　said；　shaking　their　heads　and　pursing　out　their　lips。　Oh；　yes！　there　could　be　no　doubt　that　the　bishop　was　a　very　weak　sort　of　man。

But　then　suddenly　there　appeared　in　the　new　number　of　the　/Zeit　Geist　Review/　an　article　above　the　signature　of　George　Holland；　entitled　〃The　Enemy　to　Christianity；〃　and　in　a　moment　it　became　pretty　plain　that　George　Holland　had　not　in　his　〃Revised　Versions；〃　said　the　last　word　that　he　had　to　say　regarding　the　attitude　of　the　Church　of　England　in　respect　of　the　non…church…goers　of　the　day。　When　people　read　the　article　they　asked　〃Who　is　the　Enemy　to　Christianity　referred　to　by　the　writer？〃　and　they　were　forced　to　conclude　that　the　answer　which　was　made　to　such　an　inquiry　by　the　article　itself　was；　〃The　Church。〃

He　pointed　out　the　infatuation　which　possessed　the　heads　of　the　Church　of　England　in　expecting　to　appeal　with　success　to　the　educated　people　of　the　present　day；　while　still　declining　to　move　with　the　course　of　thought　of　the　people。　Already　the　braying　of　a　trombone　out　of　tune；　and　the　barbarous　jingle　of　a　tambourine；　had　absorbed　some　hundred　thousand　of　possible　church…goers；　and　though；　of　course；　it　was　impossible　for　sensible　men　and　womenthe　people　whom　the　Church　should　endeavor　to　grapple　to　its　soul　with　hooks　of　steelto　look；　except　with　amused　sadness；　at　the　ludicrous　methods　and　vulgar　ineptitude　of　the　Salvation　Army；　still　the　Church　was　making　no　effort　to　provide　the　sensible；　thinking；　educated　people　of　England　with　an　equivalent　as　suitable　to　their　requirements　as　the　Salvation　Army　was　to　the　requirements　of　the　foolish；　the　hysterical；　the　unthinking　people　who　played　the　tambourines　and　brayed　on　the　tuneless　trombones。　Thus　it　is　that　one　man　says　to　another　nowadays；　when　he　has　got　nothing　better　to　talk　about；　〃Are　you　a　man　of　intelligence；　or　do　you　go　to　church？〃

Men　of　intelligence　do　not　go　to　church　nowadays；　Mr。　Holland　announced　in　that　article　of　his　in　the　/Zeit　Geist/；　many　women　of　intelligence　refrain　from　going；　he　added；　though　many　beautifully　dressed　women　were　still　frequent　attenders。　There　was　no　blinking　the　fact　that　the　crass　stupidity　of　the　Church　had　made　church…going　unpopularalmost　impossiblewith　intelligent　men　and　women。　The　Church　insulted　the　intelligence　by　trying　to　reconcile　the　teachings　of　Judaism　with　the　teachings　of　Christianity；　when　the　two　were　absolutely　irreconcilable。　It　was　the　crass　stupidity　of　the　Church　that　had　caused　itfor　its　self…protection；　it　fanciedto　bitterly　oppose　every　truth　that　was　revealed　to　man。　The　Church　had　tortured　and　burned　at　the　stake　the　great　men　to　whom　God　had　revealed　the　great　facts　of　nature's　workingsthe　motion　of　the　earth　and　the　other　planets。　But　these　facts；　being　Divine　Truth；　became　accepted　by　the　world　in　spite　of　the　thumb…screws　and　the　fagotsthe　arguments　of　the　Church　against　Divine　Truth。　The　list　of　the　Divine　Truths　which　the　Church　had　bitterly　opposed　was　a　sickening　document。　Geography；　Geology；　Biologythe　progress　of　all　had；　even　within　recent　years；　been　bitterly　opposed　by　the　Church；　and　yet　the　self…　constituted　arbiters　between　Truth　and　falsehood　had　been　compelled　to　eat　their　own　wordsto　devour　their　own　denunciations　when　they　found　that　the　Truth　was　accepted　by　the　intelligence　of　the　people　in　spite　of　the　anathemas　of　the　Church。

The　intelligence　of　the　Church　was　equal　only　to　the　duty　of　burning　witches。　It　burned　them　by　the　thousand；　simply　because　ancient　Judaism　had　a　profound　belief　in　the　witch　and　because　a　blood…thirsty　Jewish　murderer…monarch　had　organized　a　witch　hunt。

And　yet　with　such　a　record　against　ita　record　of　the　murder　of　innocent　men　and　women　who　endeavored　to　promulgate　the　Divine　Truths　of　naturethe　Church　still　arrogated　to　itself　the　right　to　lay　down　a　rule　of　life　for　intelligent　peoplea　rule　of　life　founded　upon　that　impossible　amalgamation　of　Judaism　and　Christianity。　The　science　of　the　Church　was　not　equal　to　the　task　of　amalgamating　two　such　deadly　opponents。

Was　it　any　wonder；　then；　that　church…going　had　become　practically　obsolete　among　intelligent　men　and　women？　the　writer　asked。

He　then　went　on　to　refer　to　the　nature　of　the　existing　services　of　the　Church　of　England。　He　dealt　only　casually　with　the　mockery　of　the　response　of　the　congregation　to　the　reading　out　of　the　Fourth　Commandment　by　the　priest；　when　no　one　in　the　Church　paid　the　least　respect　to　the　Seventh　Day。　This　was　additional　proof　of　the　absurdity　of　the　attempted　amalgamation　of　Judaism　and　Christianity。　But　what　he　dealt　most　fully　with　was　the　indiscriminate　selection　of　what　were　very　properly　termed　the　〃Lessons〃　from　the　Hebrew　Bible。　It　was；　he　said；　far　from　edifying　to　hear　some　chapters　read　out　from　the　lectern　without　comment；　though　fortunately　the　readers　were　as　a　rule　so　imperfectly　trained　that　the　most　objectionable　passages　had　their　potentiality　of　mischief　minimized。　He　concluded　his　indictment　by　a　reference　to　a　sermon　preached　by　the　average　clergyman　of　the　Church　of　England。　This　was；　usually；　he　said；　either　a　theological　essay　founded　upon　an　obsolete　system　of　theology；　or　a　series　of　platitudes　of　morality　delivered　by　an　unpractical　man。　The　first　was　an　insult　to　the　intelligence　of　an　average　man；　the　second　was　an　insult　to　the　intelligence　of　an　average　schoolgirl。

His　summing　up　of　the　whole　case　against　the　Church　was　as　logical　as　it　was　trenchant。　The　Church　had　surely　become；　he　said；　like　unto　the　Giant　Pagan　in　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress；〃　who；　when　incapable　of　doing　mischief；　sat　mumbling　at　the　mouth　of　his　cave　on　the　roadside。　The　Church　had　become　toothless；　decrepit　either　for　evil　or　for　good。　I