religious reality

8/19/2019 Religious Reality

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Religious Reality

A.E.J. Rawlinson

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Religious Reality, by A.E.J. Rawlinson

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Title3 Religious Reality

Author3 A.E.J. Rawlinson

Release $ate3 June, 4556 7EBook 89096:7'es, we are #ore than one year ahea" of sche"ule:7This file was first oste" on ete#ber 40, 4554:

E"ition3 /5

;anguage3 English

Character set enco"ing3 AC&&

((( TART


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& know that the authorFs one "esire is to hel #en to be #ore real intheir religion. & share his hoe, an" & belie!e that this book will "o#uch to acco#lish it.

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#ay be taken as being in rough correson"ence with the facts. TheGosels as a whole reresent retty faithfully the i#ression #a"e bythe life an" character of Jesus uon the #in"s an" #e#ories of thosewho knew -i# best.

)e are !ery at to regar" the Gosels con!entionally. An inherite"ortho"oy which has #a"e eace with the worl" takes the# for grante"

as %a tale of little #eaning, though the wor"s are strong.% Ani#atient reaction fro# ortho"oy sets the# asi"e as inco#rehensibleor uni#ortant. &t is worth while #aking the effort to e#ty our #in"sof reju"ice, an" to allow the Gosels to tell their own tale. )eshall fin" that they bring us face to face with a Portrait of surrising freshness an" ower.

&t is the ortrait of


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%;o, & co#e to "o Thy will, < G


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re#ains that aart fro# the assu#tion as a #atter of historical truththat Jesus was !eritably ali!e fro# the "ea", an" that -e showe"-i#self ali!e to -is "isciles by e!i"ences which were a"eHuate tocarry con!iction to their incre"ulous #in"s, the origins of historicalChristianity cannot really be elaine".

&n the Gosel accor"ing to . John it is state" that the crow"s sai"

of Jesus, %This is of a truth that Prohet that shoul" co#e into theworl"%3 an" so #uch, at the least, the a!erage English#an is rea"y toa"#it3 for to call Jesus Christ a Prohete!en to call -i# thesure#e Prohetis to clai# for -i# no #ore than a goo" @oha##e"anclai#s for @oha##e".

The wor" %rohet% in itself #eans one who seaks on behalf of another3 an" a rohet is "efine" to be a sokes#an on behalf of G


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co#arable to "arkness !isible. %&f any #an will co#e after @e, lethi# take u his Cross, an" follow @e%3 but #ost of us #ake it a tacitcon"ition of our Christianity that we shall DnotD be crucifie".

&s it not true that we habitually refuse to take seriously -isteaching about #an that we water "own -is ara"oes an"con!entionalie -is sayings that we blunt the sharness of -is

recets, an" shirk the tre#en"ous sternness of -is "e#an"s

An" "oes -is teaching about G


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is "i!ine, an" because also we feel that G


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#eant in the ersonal life an" faith of Jesus -i#self as on of Go"was so#ething entirely new3 while in JesusF reaching of the $i!ine?ing"o# there was a note of freshness an" originality, an" a siritualassurance of certainty, which carrie" con!iction of an entirely newkin" to the #in"s an" hearts of those who listene".

All the #ore o!erwhel#ing #ust ha!e see#e" to the "isciles the

"isaster of their @asterFs crucifiion. &t was not #erely that thehoes which in their #in"s ha" gathere" about -is erson wereshattere"3 their !ery faith in G


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of G


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As a #atter of fact, the "octrine of the -oly irit is of absolutely!ital i#ortance in the Christian sche#e3 an" like all the greatChristian "octrines, it has its basis in the realities of li!ingeerience. The oening chaters of the Acts of the Aostles setbefore us the icture of the earliest "isciles, assure" an" no longer "oubtful of the reality of the Resurrection, waiting in Jerusale# for

a ro#ise" en"ow#ent of %ower fro# on high.% An" the story of Pentecost is the recor" of the fulfil#ent of %the ro#ise of the*ather.%

)e are #aking a #istake if we fi our attention ri#arily uon theoutwar" sy#bols of win" an" fire, or confuse our #in"s with theerleities which are suggeste" by the references to %seaking withtongues.% These thingshowe!er won"erful to the #en of the Aostolicgenerationare in the#sel!es only ea#les of the sychologicalabnor#alities which not infreHuently acco#any religious re!i!als.They are, as it were, the foa# on the crest of the wa!e3 e!i"encesuon the surface of rofoun"er forces astir in the "eeer le!els of

ersonality. The "isciles felt the#sel!es taken hol" of an"transfor#e". -enceforth they were new #en. %G


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filial relationshi towar"s G


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irit, an" the eternal organiation an" institutions of the Church,aart fro# %-is !i!ifying breath, are a #ere e#ty shell. )here thereis no !ision the eole erish3 an" it is only un"er the insirationof the irit that #en see !isions an" "rea# "rea#s. Co#e fro# thefour win"s, < Breath, an" breathe uon these "ry bones of our #o"ernchurch#anshi, that we #ay li!e3 an" so at last shall we stan" urighton our feet, an ecee"ing great ar#y, an" go forth conHuering an" to

conHuer in the train of the !ictorious Christ.%

C-APTER &+

T-E -


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There was Jesus Christ. )ho was -e )hat "i" -e #ean )hat was -isrelation to #an, an" to G


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&t #ay be that so#eti#es we think we woul" rather be content to saysi#ly with . John that %Got stagnation, but life, is its characteristic note,e!en %that Eternal ;ife which was with the *ather, an" hath been#anifeste" unto us.% The Church which is truly ali!e unto G


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set before -i# en"ure" the Cross, the Church which is truly Huickene"an" insire" by the irit of Truth an" ;o!e an" Power, will always berea"y to %li!e "angerously% in the worl", not shrinking ti#orouslyfro# nee"e" change or eeri#ent, not hol"ing aloof fro# conflict an"a"!enture an" #o!e#ent, but facing courageously all new situations an"new hases whether of life or of thought as they arise, shirking noissues, welco#ing all newfoun" truth, bringing things both new an"

ol" out of her treasurehouse, so that she #ay both %ro!e all things%an" also %hol" fast that which is goo".%

There are concetions of G


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Jewish tra"itional belief%By the en!y of the $e!il sin entere" intothe worl", an" "eath by sin%3 an answer which in"ee" "eniese#hatically that e!il ha" its origin in G


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triu#h. But if this be true, then all suffering e!erywhere is set ina new an" a transfiguring light, for it assu#es the character of achallenge to beco#e artaker in the sufferings an" triu#h of theChrist. %Can ye "rink of the Cu that & "rink of%

o interrete", suffering ceases to be a groun" of etulance or of co#laint. &t is "isco!ere" to ha!e a !alue. &t is ju"ge" to be worth

while. An" it is ossible to fin" in such a faith the groun"s of acon!iction that behin" an" beneath all suffering is the lo!e whichre"ee#s it an" the urose which shall one "ay justify it, an" that in!ery truth no sarrow falls to the groun" without the -ea!enly*atherFs knowle"ge an" care.

C-APTER +&

&> A>$ RE$E@PT&

The Gosel affir#s that #en are calle" to be sons of G


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there is that in us which is both selfish an" selfco#lacent3 thatthere is a %law of sin in our #e#bers% which is in conflict with the%law of the irit of life%3 an" that %we ha!e no ower of oursel!esto hel oursel!es.% )e are at the #ercy of our own character, whichhas been wrongly #oul"e" an" for#e" a#iss by the sins an" follies, theselfin"ulgences an" the #oral slackness of our own ast beha!iour. )eare, in"ee", %tie" an" boun" by the chain of our sins.%

To ha!e realie" so #uch is to ha!e reache" the necessary startingoint of any fruitful consi"eration of the Christian Gosel of re"e#tion. The aeal of the Cross of Christ is to the hu#anconsciousness of sin an" the first effect of a true areciation of the #eaning of the Cross is to "eeen in us the realiation of whatsin really is. The crucifiion of Christ was not the result of anyeculiarly unea#le" wicke"ness on the art of in"i!i"uals. &t wassi#ly the natural an" ine!itable result of the #oral collisionbetween -is i"eals an" those of society at large. The chief actors inthe "ra#a were #en of like assions with oursel!es, who were actuate"by !ery or"inary hu#an #oti!es. &t is in"ee" easy for #en to say, %&f

we ha" been in the "ays of our fathers, we woul" not ha!e beenartakers with the# in the bloo" of the rohets%3 but in so sayingthey are #erely being witnesses unto the#sel!es that they are thechil"ren of the# which kille" the rohets. Are we in"ee" so far re#o!e" beyon" the reach of the #oral weakness which yiel"s againstits own better ju"g#ent to the cla#orous "e#an"s of ublic oinion, asto be in a osition to cast stones at Pilate Are we so ee#t fro#the te#tation to turn a "ishonest enny, or to throw o!er a frien"who has "isaointe" us, as to recognie no echo of oursel!es inJu"as -a!e we ne!er with the anhe"rin allowe" !este" interests towar our ju"g#ent, or resente" a too searching criticis# of our owncharacter an" rocee"ings, or sohisticate" our consciences into a

belief that we were offering G


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of a lo!e that is woun"e", cut to the heart an" crucifie", by thelo!elessness, the ingratitu"e, the trage"y of hu#an sin, but whichne!ertheless, in site of the ain, is willing to forgi!e.

But the Cross is no #ere assi!ity. &t is #ore than si#ly are!elation of $i!ine suffering, of the eternal atience of the lo!e of G


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obtain #ercy, an" fin" grace to hel in ti#e of nee".

C-APTER +&&

T-E C-=RC- A>$ -ER @&& &> T-E )


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an" until he is le" to conclu"e that so#e other e#bo"ies a fuller an"#ore synthetic resentation of religious truth. &t is a #istake for a#an to be content either to re#ain in ignorance of his own i##e"iatesiritual heritage or to refuse to try to un"erstan" what is"istincti!e an" !ital in the religious heritage of others. @ost fatalof all is the atte#t to co#bine ersonal loyalty to Christ with thereu"iation of organie" Christianity as a whole. True loyalty to

Christ #ost certainly in!ol!es co##on religious fellowshi uon thebasis of co##on #e#bershi in the eole of G


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C-APTER &I

ACRA@E>T

&t is so#eti#es aske" whether the sacra#ents of the Christian Churchare two or #ore than two in nu#ber. The answer "een"s in art uonhow the ter# %sacra#ent% is "efine". But the wisest teaching is thatwhich recognies in articular sacra#entssuch as Batis# an" theuer of the ;or"the oeration of a general rincile which runsthroughout all hu#an eerience, in things both sacre" an" rofane. %&ha!e no soul,% re#arke" a wellknown reacher on a fa#ous occasion, %&ha!e no soul, because & Da#D a soul3 & Dha!eD a bo"y.% &t woul" be"ifficult to eress #ore atly the rincile of sacra#ents, orwhatco#es to the sa#e thingthe true relationshi of the #aterial to thesiritual or"er.

)e are accusto#e", in the worl" as we know it, to "istinguish %sirit%fro# %#atter%3 an" we are te#te", by the #ere fact that we "raw a"istinction between the#, to think an" seak at ti#es as though siritan" #atter were necessarily oose". This is a great #istake. @atter,so far fro# being the oosite or the contra"iction of sirit, is the#e"iu# of its eression, the !ehicle of its #anifestation. irit an"#atter are correlati!es, but the ulti#ate reality of the worl" issiritual. &t is the whole urose an" function of #atter to eress,to e#bo"y, to incarnate, the irit. The reacher, therefore, wasHuite right. %& Da#D a soul%3 that is, & a# a ersonality, a sirit3an" to say that is to gi!e eression to the fun"a#ental truth of #y

eistence3 & Da#D a soul, an" & a# DnotD a bo"y. But %& Dha!eD abo"y%3 that is, #y ersonality is e#bo"ie" or incarnate3 & ha!e a bo"ywhich ser!es as the !ehicle or instru#ent of #y life as a #an hereuon earth3 a bo"y which is the organ of #y siritFs selferessionan" the #e"iu# both of #y lifeFs eerience an" of #y intercourse withother #en. & think, an" #y thoughts are #e"iate" by #o!e#ents of thebrain. & seak, an" the #o!e#ents of #y !ocal chor"s set u !ibrationsan" soun"wa!es which, i#inging uon the ner!es of anotherFs ear,affect in turn anotherFs brain3 an" the rocess, regar"e" fro# theoint of !iew of the hysiologist or the scientific obser!er, is ahysical rocess through an" through3 yet it #e"iates fro# #y D#in"D to the #in" of hi# who hears #e a #eaning which is wholly siritual.

This rincile of the #e"iation of the siritual by the #aterial isthe rincile of sacra#entalis#. &t is the rincile of incarnation,which runs throughout the worl". The bo"y is in this sense thesacra#ent of the sirit, soun" is the sacra#ent of seech, an"language the sacra#ent of thought. o in like #anner water is thesacra#ent of cleansing, han"s lai" uon a #anFs hea" are the sacra#entof authority or of bene"iction, foo" an" "rink are the sacra#ent of life. All life an" all eerience are in a true sense sacra#ental, theinwar" e!er seeking to re!eal itself in an" through the outwar", theoutwar" "eri!ing its whole significance fro# the fact that iteresses an" #e"iates the sirit3 so it is that a gesturea bow or a

salute#ay be a sacra#ent of oliteness, a han"shake the sacra#ent of greeting an" of frien"shi, the beauty of nature a sacra#ent of thecelestial beauty, the worl" a sacra#ent of G


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&t is in the light of this general rincile of sacra#ents that thesecific sacra#ents of Christianity are to be un"erstoo". &n Batis#the water of an outwar" washing is the sacra#ent both of initiationinto a siritual society, an" also of the cleansing an" regeneratingower of Ga#e of the *ather, an" of theon, an" of the -oly Ghost. The rite con!eye" an assurance of the

forgi!eness of sins. The going "own into the water sy#bolie" theburial of the "ea" ast. The co#ing u out of the water eresse" thei"ea of resurrection to newness of life in Christ. The new#a"eChristian was sai" to be born again of water an" of the irit3 the%ol" A"a#% was slain, the %new #an% raise" u. The can"i"ate washenceforwar" a %#e#ber of Christ,% a %chil" of G


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that they shoul" at a later stage recei!e syste#atic instruction inChristian faith an" ractice an" the )estern Church Kthough not theEasternL a"ote" the ractice of searating Confir#ation fro# Batis#,an" "eferring the for#er until such instruction ha" been recei!e". Thelan has ob!ious a"!antages, though it ten"s to obscure in so#eresects the essential #eaning of Confir#ation an" its original closerelation to the sacra#ent of Batis#.

&n #o"ern usage Batis# is nor#ally a"#inistere" by a riest,Confir#ation always by a Bisho. Can"i"ates are recei!e" by the latter uon the assurance of one of his subor"inate clergy that they area"eHuately instructe" an" rightly "isose" by faith an" enitence torecei!e the gifts of the -oly Ghost%the sirit of wis"o# an"un"erstan"ing, the sirit of counsel an" #ight, the sirit of knowle"ge an" of the fear of the ;or".% As an i##e"iate reli#inary tothe actual rite the can"i"ate sole#nly an" "eliberately "eclares hisaccetance of the obligations an" i#lications of his batis#. Thelaying on of han"s which follows is in one asect the recognition bythe Bisho, as chief astor of the flock of Christ in his own "iocese,

that the can"i"ate is henceforwar" of co##unicant status. &n another asect it is the bestowal through rayer of a fuller gift of the -olyGhost, whereby the can"i"ate is %confir#e"% KDi.e.D #a"e strongL. &tshoul" be note" that the BishoFs rayer for each can"i"ate is notthat he #ay be #a"e #agically erfect there an" then, but that he #ay%"aily increase% in G


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whosesoe!er sins ye retain, they are retaine".% The wor"s #ay ha!ebeen uttere" by the historical Jesus of >aareth, or they #ay notthey are ascribe" to the risen Christ in the *ourth Gosel. &n anye!ent they reresent the ChurchFs con!iction of her authority toeercise a reconciling #inistry, to re#it sins an" to retain the#.

&n early ti#es such gra!e offen"ers as by their "ee"s ha" brought

scan"al uon the Christian na#e were eclu"e" fro# Christianfellowshi until reconcile" by enance an" #any whose sins, beingsecret, #ight otherwise ha!e escae" "etection, referre" to #ake oenconfession of the# in the Christian asse#bly. %Confess your faults oneto another,% writes . Ja#es, %an" ray one for another, that ye #aybe heale".% The ancient syste# of ublic %enance% KDi.e.D enitenceLwas for a ti#e at least re!i!e" in a #o"ern for# by )esley.7*ootnote3The %class#eeting% of strict )esleyanis# is sai" to ha!e originallyin!ol!e" #utual confession of sins a#ong the #e#bers of the %class.%:&ts alication to notorious offen"ers is "escribe" in the EnglishPrayerbook as a %go"ly "isciline,% the restoration of which is %#uchto be wishe".% But it is har"ly racticable un"er the con"itions of

#o"ern Church life, an" it has "isa"!antages as well as a"!antages.&ts working in the early "ays of the Church was not foun" to be whollyfor goo".

Bur"ene" consciences ne!ertheless reHuire relief3 an" sin is not#erely a ri!ate affair between the soul an" G


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the first of the three lengthy ehortations to -oly Co##union, rinte"i##e"iately after the %Prayer for the Church @ilitant% in the Prayerbook.:The wor"s of . John . 4M are Huote" in the Anglican for#ulaof or"ination to the riesthoo" an" a for# of wor"s to be use" by theriest in the ri!ate absolution of enitents is rescribe" in the


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Throughout Christian history an" in all arts of Christen"o# thecentral an" highest focus of Christian worshi an" "e!otion, an" thegreat nor#al !i!ifying channel of siritual renewal an" ower, hasbeen the sacra#ent of -oly Co##union. &t has been celebrate" a#i"great "i!ersities of liturgy an" ritual an" circu#stance, an" has beenknown by #any "ifferent na#es an" titles#ass, eucharist, co##union,sacrifice3 essentially it is one thingthe sacra#ent of the Bo"y an"

Bloo" of Christ.

The Gosels recor" that at the ;ast uer on the night of -isbetrayal the ;or" Jesus took brea" an" blesse" an" broke it, saying,%Take, eat3 this is @y Bo"y, which is for you3 "o this in re#e#branceof @e%3 an" that in like #anner -e took a Cu of #ingle" wine an"water, an" when -e ha" gi!en thanks -e ga!e it to the#, saying, %ThisCu is the >ew Co!enant in @y Bloo", which is she" for you an" for #any for the re#ission of sins3 "o this, as often as ye shall "rinkit, in re#e#brance of @e.%

)ith the ecetions of the ociety of *rien"s an" the al!ation Ar#y,

e!ery eisting %"eno#ination% of Christians has continue" in one for#or another the obser!ance of this @ystical @eal. &n the Ro#an Church,an" in #any arishes of the Church of Englan", it is celebrate" "ailyan" it is e!i"ent fro# the ro!isions of her Prayerbook that theChurch of Englan" inten"s that there shall be a celebration of theCo##union in all nor#al arishes at least on all un"ays an" -oly$ays.

-istorically the institution of the weekly Eucharist is "eely roote"in the tra"ition of the Church, an" is the origin of the Christianun"ay, The Christians #et together week by week to kee on the "ay of the ;or"Fs rising that #e#orial of the crucifie" yet risen Christ

which is also ChristFs gift of -i#self to #en. &t woul" ha!e see#e"unthinkable in the early "ays of Christianity for any batie"Christian, who was not re!ente" by una!oi"able circu#stances fro#being resent, to be absent on the ;or"Fs $ay fro# the ;or"Fs Table.&t ought to be eHually unthinkable to"ay.

)ith regar" to the significance of the acra#ent, a #anFs !iew isnecessarily coloure" artly by his own eerience as a co##unicant,an" artly by the etent to which he is "isose" to attach weight tothe "e!otional tra"itions of Christen"o# as a whole an" it is worthre#e#bering that for#s of teaching about -oly Co##union which areintellectually cru"e #ay reresent a real, though an infelicitous,

atte#t to eress in thought certain ele#ents in eucharisticeerience which are "ee an" real, an" to which #ore attenuate" tyesof "octrine fail to "o justice.

The celebration of the Eucharist is fro# one oint of !iew an enacte""ra#a, a "oing o!er again in the na#e an" in the erson of Christ of that which Christ "i" in -is own erson on the night of the ;astuer. Brea" is taken an" blesse" an" broken an" offere" to G


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that wor". They are a sacra#ent of Christ -i#self, who by #eans of the# #anifests -is resence in the #i"st of -is worshiing "iscilesto be the Brea" of life an" the *oo" of souls. %This is @y Bo"y%thatis, %This e#bo"ies @e3 where this is, & a#3 recei!ing this, yourecei!e @e.% %This is @y Bloo"%that is, %This is @y life3 @y lifewhich is gi!en for you3 @y life which in "eath & lai" "own an" inrising again fro# the "ea" & resu#e"3 @y life which is to be the

rincile of siritual life in you.% %Ecet ye eat the flesh of theon of @an, an" "rink -is bloo", ye ha!e no life in you. )hoso eateth@y flesh an" "rinketh @y bloo", hath eternal life.... -e that eateth@y flesh an" "rinketh @y bloo", "welleth in @e an" & in hi#.%

There is, then, in the co##union of the Bo"y an" Bloo" of Christ a#anifestation of ChristFs Real Presence, a siritual Presence in"ee",which is "iscerne" by the siritual !ision of Christian faith, but aPresence of which the reality is in"een"ent of in"i!i"ualfaithlessness, though not in"een"ent of the faith of the ChristianChurch as a whole.

This "octrine of the Real Presence Kas it is calle"L of course "oesnot i#ly that Christ is absent fro# -is Church at other ti#es or inother conneions. )e belie!e that all ti#es an" laces are resent tothe #in" of Christ, an" that therefore at all ti#es an" in all laceswe are in -is resence. )e belie!e, further, that Christ through theirit is e#bo"ie", howe!er ina"eHuately, in -is Church, an" that -e"wells siritually in the hearts of Christian #en. There is nothing,howe!er, in these truths to eclu"e the further truth that -isresence is secially #anifeste" through the Brea" which e#bo"ies -i#an" the )ine which is -is Bloo". Brea" an" wine, sole#nly set aartfor the urose of co##union an" hallowe" by the irit in resonse tothe rayer of the Church, ossess henceforwar" a significance which

"i" not belong to the# before. They are now !ehicles or sacra#ents of the Bo"y an" Bloo" of Christ.

The urose of the #anifestation of ChristFs Presence in -olyCo##union is that we shoul" recei!e -i#, an" a articiation in theser!ice which stos short of actual co##union is so far inco#lete.But it is gratuitous to assu#e that the reality of the sacra#entalPresence is li#ite" to the #o#ent of actual or in"i!i"ual recetion,an" it is untrue to say that atten"ance at the ser!ice, aart fro#in"i!i"ual recetion, is un#eaning. The habitual atten"ance of ersonswho are not regular co##unicantsunless it be in the case of thosewho for any reason are as yet unconfir#e"falls short of full

"iscileshi an" is intrinsically un"esirable. But this objection "oesnot aly to atten"ance at the ser!ice on the art of co##unicantChurch#en who yet on a articular occasion "o not co##unicate3 an" toatten" throughout the ser!ice without ersonally co##unicating is aroce"ure infinitely referable to the irre!erent #o"ern custo#, stillre!alent in too #any arishes, of lea!ing the Church in the course of a celebration of the Co##union, an" before the consecration has takenlace. &t is unfair to those who are rearing to recei!e Co##unionthat their "e!otions shoul" be "isturbe" by the noisy egress of alarge bo"y of worshiers. &t is also Huite unintelligible that anyChurch#an who consi"ers seriously the #eaning of the Eucharist shoul"be content to "eart before the liturgical "ra#a has reache" its

cli#a.

As regar"s actual recetion of -oly Co##union, it is a artaking of Christ, who gi!es -i#self therein to -is "isciles to be in the# a


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siritual rincile of life an" ower. . Paul "isco!ers in theEucharist a siritual foo" an" "rink which is the reality to which the@anna an" the )ater fro# the Rock of -ebrew story correson" as tyesan" sha"ows, an" he "eclares that the Brea" which we break is asharing of the Bo"y of Christ, an" that the Cu of Blessing which webless is a sharing of -is Bloo". At the sa#e ti#e the Co##union is notto be interrete" in any gross or carnal #anner, or in such a way as

to gi!e colour to the ancient taunt of Celsus, the heathen critic,that Christians were selfconfesse" cannibals. The *ourth Gosel,which, in a contet that is in a general sense eucharistic, ascribesto our ;or" strong hrases about the necessity of eating -is flesh an""rinking -is bloo", rocee"s in the sa#e contet to elain that %itis the irit that gi!eth life,% that %the flesh,% in itself,%rofiteth nothing.% %The sayings which & ha!e soken unto you aresirit an" are life.% &n other wor"s, we are to un"erstan" that whenour ;or" uses the ter#s %flesh% an" %bloo"% -e #eans the irit of which -is life in the flesh was the eression, an" the ;ife of which-is outoure" Bloo" was the rincile3 that the inwar" reality of theEucharist is to be "isco!ere", not in any Huasi#aterial fleshly

e#bo"i#ent which the Brea" conceals, or in any Huasiliteral Bloo",but rather in the irit an" the ;ife of Christ -i#self. The Brea" is-is Bo"y in the sense that it is an e#bo"i#ent of -is irit3 the )ineis -is Bloo" in the sense that it #e"iates -is ;ife. The sacra#ent isto be un"erstoo" as a %oint of ersonal contact with Jesus Christ.%Rightly to recei!e Co##union is to hol" siritual con!erse with therisen ;or" an" to fin" in -i# the Brea" of ;ife, the foo" an"sustenance of the soul. o it is that the Eucharist, at once sure#elynatural an" wholly suernatural, is the #eetinglace of earth an"hea!en. *ro# one oint of !iew our worshi is in the hea!enly lacesin Christ Jesus. &t is %with angels an" archangels an" with all theco#any of hea!en,% that we lau" an" #agnify Ga#e. )e join

in an eternal act of worshi, which is that of the whole Church, the"earte" with the li!ing, whose a"oration ascen"s continually beforethe throne of G


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therefore wrong, to ractise isolate" acts of interco##union whileecclesiastical "ifferences re#ain unresol!e"3 it is to conceal thefact of actual "isunion beneath the cloak of i##e"iate senti#ent. 'etthere is a true sense in which, through the irit, we DareD, in theact of co##union, #a"e one with the fellowshi of all faithful eolewhether in the shere of this earthly life or in the worl" that isbeyon" "eath an" tears3 with all those, of whate!er race or rank or

age or country, who a#i" whate!er "i!ersity of language an" liturgyan" "eno#inational loyalty, ha!e na#e" the na#e of Christ an" recei!e"the life of Christ in obe"ience to -is co##an" as they un"erstoo" it.There is no bon" co#arable to this bon", an" no eHuality like theeHuality of those who, high an" low, rich an" oor, one with another,kneel si"e by si"e as brothers an" sisters at the co##on Table of the;or".

An" lastly there is a further oint. The Bo"y of Christ is a brokenBo"y an" the Bloo" is Bloo" that is she". %This is @y Bo"y which isfor you%for you, an" ne!er for @yself. The Brea" is the Brea" of acrifice an" the Cu is the tirrucu of er!ice3 an" art, surely,

an" a great art, of the #eaning of the wor"s, %$o this in re#e#branceof @e,% is %Break your bo"ies in union with @y Bo"y broken3 gi!e your li!es in sacrifice for others, as & ha!e gi!en @ine.% The Eucharist,rightly regar"e", is the #ainsring an" #oti!eower of ser!ice, therincile of a life that is crucifie". An" all those who in their "ayan" generation ha!e sent their li!es unselfishly an" use" the#sel!esu in ro#oting causes not their own are artakers in that -oly*ellowshi.

At this resent ti#e of war an" tu#ult, when all the owers of -ellare abroa" an" league" together for the onset, we think of that whichalone can be the re"e#tion of war, e!en the self"e!otion of those

who, hating the whole "e!ilish business an" going into it only becausethey saw no alternati!e to $utyFs clear an" i#erati!e call, ha!e beencounte" worthy to show forth the lo!e than which no #an hath greater,e!en to lay "own their li!es for their frien"s. There is no one sounfortunate as not to ha!e known so#e such #en. An" at the Co##unioner!ice %in the act of conscious incororation into the fellowshi of the lo!e of Jesus,% it #ay be gi!en to us in so#e #easure toun"erstan" these things, an" to know that we are beco#e artakers inthe ower of a worl"wi"e crucifiion, a fellowshi of broken bo"iesan" li!es oure" out in Christ3 an" to know alsowith a knowle"gethat is not of this worl"that so#ehow, in it an" through it, theirit of G


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%-e shall co#e again in glory to ju"ge both the Huick an" the "ea",whose ?ing"o# shall ha!e no en".%

%& belie!e in the resurrection of the bo"y, an" the life e!erlasting.%

Jesus Christ soke in sy#bolical language of -is co#ing in the clou"s

of hea!en as on of @an with ower an" great glory, an" "eclare" thatthe $i!ine !er"ict uon the li!es an" "ee"s of #en shoul" be"eter#ine" by their relationshi to -i# an" to -is i"eals. Both in the"ays of the Aostles, an" for the #ost art a#ong succee"inggenerations of Christian eole "own to the resent ti#e, it woul"see# that a #ore literal signification was attache" to -is wor"s thanthey will really bear. The truth of the $i!ine Ju"g#ent uon #enFsli!es ne!ertheless stan"s. %G


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which the saints of G


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-ere this chater #ight en"3 but with regar" to the nature of theChristian concetion of the life of the worl" to co#e there isso#ething #ore to be sai"3 for the ChurchFs cree" contains theassertion of a belief in the Resurrection of the Bo"y, or e!en, in the;atin for# of the AostlesF Cree", an" in the translation whichaears in the Prayerbook er!ice for Batis#, in the Resurrection of

the *lesh. The lain #an #ay be te#te", brushing asi"e such a"octrine in its lain an" literal accetation as a #anifesti#ossibility, either to hol" aloof fro# a Church which retains suchan affir#ation in her cree", or else to conclu"e hastily that thewor"s are #eant only as a icturesHue way of eressing a belief inthe i##ortality of the soul. Either attitu"e woul" be a #istake. &t istrue that a literal resuscitation of Christian corses on so#e future$ay of Resurrection woul" be neither ossible nor "esirable.>e!ertheless the Christian "octrine of the life to co#e in!ol!es #orethan a bare assertion of the i##ortality of the soul.

The bo"y is the e#bo"i#ent or !ehicle of the sirit the sirit

"ise#bo"ie" woul" be a #ere wraith, a hantas# of the li!ing #an. Thelife of the worl" to co#e is not unreal or sha"owy as co#are" withthe concrete reality of the life of earth3 it is a life richer an"fuller, #ore concrete an" #ore glorious than the life of earth. TheChurch by her "octrine of the Resurrection #eans to affir# that thefull reality of that which #a"e the li!ing #an what he was is carrie"o!er into the life beyon". The burie" corse is not %the bo"y thatshall be.% %There is a natural bo"y, an" there is a siritual bo"y.% As to the nature of the future e#bo"i#ent of the sirit in the lifebeyon" the gra!e we are ignorant. %G


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is not won"erful if they fail. But sole#n rayer is offere" for the#at their or"ination3 an" the answer to the ChurchFs rayers isaccor"ing to the #easure of the ChurchFs faith.

The historical or Catholic syste# of #inistry in the Church consistsof a hierarchy in three or"ers or gra"ations. To the or"er of Bishosbelongs o!ersight or astorateinchief. &t is not the business of a

Bisho to be relatical, or to lor" it o!er G


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is si#ly an unor"aine" #e#ber of the eole of G


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eression of oinion whate!er, ortho"o or unortho"o, whether infaith or in #orals. Either si"e #ay "isagree with the other buteither ought to be reare" to listen to what the other has to say.

C-APTER I&&

T-E B&B;E

The Bible is the %sacre" Book% of Christianity, as the ?oran is thesacre" Book of @oha##e"anis# with this "ifference, howe!er, thatChristianity, as the religion of the irit, can ne!er be, like@oha##e"anis#, a %religion of the Book,% any #ore than it can be, likeancient Ju"ais#, a religion of the ;aw. The Biblical writings inclu"etwo #ain collections of books, known as the ewTesta#ent resecti!ely, of which the latter alone is "istincti!ely

Christian. &nter#e"iate between the two %Testa#ents% in oint of "ateare the writings known as the %Aocryha,% which though inferior, for the #ost art, in siritual !alue to the fully canonical books, an"freHuently o#itte" fro# rinte" e"itions of the Bible, are regar"e" bythe Church as canonical in a secon"ary sense.

The !arious books of the Bible originally beca#e canonical, that is,were inclu"e" in the %canon% or collection of sacre" writings, on thegroun" that they were rea" alou" or recite" in the course of $i!ineworshi. The ew Testa#ent are a si#ilar

collection of early Christian writings which were rea" si"e by si"ewith the


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The !arious books of the


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uon a kin" of "iary which . ;uke ket of his eeriences as .PaulFs co#anion an" hysician.

&t is robable that both the first an" the thir" of our four Goselswere in eistence shortly before, or at the latest !ery shortly after,the "estruction of Jerusale# by the Ro#ans in the year 15 A.$. Thesecon" Gosel, since they both "rew uon it, #ust be e!en earlier.

The Gosel accor"ing to . John is of a so#ewhat later "ate, an" bearsa "ifferent character. &t is reflecti!e an" #e"itati!e, an" isenetrate" throughout by a #ystical sy#bolis#. &n #any ways itsuggests rather a siritual interretation of the significance of Jesus than a literal ortrait of -i#. Again, it is the ro"uct of aGreek rather than of a Jewish at#oshere, though its narrati!eresents so #any touches of etraor"inary !i!i"ness, an" the author shows so eact a knowle"ge of Jewish institutions an" con"itions of life in Palestine, that it is "ifficult not to think that the book#ust ha!e been written by a Jew who knew Ju"ais# before its "ownfall.&t is suose" that the writing "ates fro# the closing years of the

first century, an" tra"ition "eclares that the author was . John inol" age at Ehesus. This state#ent is, howe!er, in "isute, an" theauthorshi of the Gosel is uncertain. &n oint of fact, it "oes not#atter who the writer was. There is no one of the interreters of Jesus who ha" "runk #ore "eely of -is irit than ha" he3 nor isthere any of the books of the >ew Testa#ent which brings Jesus closer to us than the Gosel accor"ing to . John, or seaks ho#e withgreater ower to the heart an" affections of the si#lest Christian.

PART &&

T-E PRACT&CE RE;&G&

C-APTER &

T-E C-R&T&A> A&@

Christianity in ractice #eans the "e"ication of life to the unselfishser!ice of G


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a li!ing instru#ent in the han"s of Another, calle" to cooerate in aurose not his own, though a urose which he is to e#brace, an" to D#akeD his own, in a sirit of loyal sonshi.

This #eans, a#ong other things, that life is to be interrete" inter#s of !ocation. &t #eans that for e!ery #an there is a %calling,% aarticular line of life which G


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thanks to G


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selfishness of the fa#ily, of the class, or of the nation, which bearsas bitter fruit in the worl" as "oes the selfishness of thein"i!i"ual. Christianity, in a wor", #eans the carrying out into "ailyractice of the i"eal of the Ditatio ChristiD, the i#itation of Jesus Christ, in the sirit if not in the letter. &t #eans that as -ewas, so are we to be in the worl". &t #eans that all things,whatsoe!er we "o, are to be "one in -is irit an" to -is glory3 that

our e!ery thought is to be le" cati!e un"er the obe"ience of Christ.&t #eans that we are to lo!e Ge!ertheless to lower the i"eal, to abate one jot of its se!erity, toco#ro#ise, on the score of hu#an weakness, though it were but in asingle articular, the flawless erfection of its stan"ar", were toro!e false to all that is highest within us, an" traitor to the causeof Christ.

%>e!er, < Christso stay #e fro# relentinghall there be trucebetwit #y flesh an" soul.%

C-APTER &&

T-E )A'


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both in"i!i"ual an" social. The conflict against the sirit of worl"liness which shoul" be one of the #arks of a genuine Christianlife is beset by eculiar "ifficulties, recisely because in a societywhich is in so#e resects artially Christian the issues are confuse".Public oinion in"ubitably tolerates #any things which shoul" not betolerate", an" con"ones others which shoul" not be con"one". Butublic oinion aro!es #uch that is goo", an" "oes liser!ice to a

!ariety of Christian i"eals, e!en while reser!ing the reality of its"e!otion for the worshi of success an" #aterial co#fort.

Perhas it #ay be sai" that the #ost fun"a#ental characteristic of essentially %worl"ly% oinion is absence of i"ealis#. )orl"liness isthe rincile of content#ent with things as they are. Againstworl"liness, so "efine", the Christian is co##itte" to a conflict allalong the line, since e!en in those regions of life an" con"uct inwhich the stan"ar"s recognie" by the worl" are right an" goo" so far as they go, %the goo" is the ene#y of the best.% To rest content atany oint with what has alrea"y been attaine" is fatal to allsiritual a"!ance. &t is, in effect, the "eath of the soul.

@r. )illia# Te#le has re#arke" that in the conflict of Christiansagainst the $e!il an" the *lesh the ublic oinion of the Church, as!isibly organie", is on their si"e, but that in their conflict withthe )orl" it is "eci"e"ly against the#. That is an o!erstate#ent, butit con!eys a truth. =n"oubte"ly the Church has #a"e co#ro#ises withthe )orl", a fact which arises artly as the result of the inclusionwithin her fol" of a large roortion of #erely no#inal #e#bers whoseChristianity is no #ore than an inherite" or con!entional tra"ition. Afurther oint of i#ortance is this. Two thousan" years is not a longerio" in relation to the scale of the worl"Fs history as a whole, an"Christianity is still a co#arati!ely young religion. The roble# of

worl"liness is #ainly a roble# of the relation of the Church to thesocial or"er an" there are reasons why it was natural that theworking out of the Christian i"eal of con"uct shoul" first ha!e been"e!eloe" in relation to the affairs of ri!ate an" "o#estic life.

Christians in the early "ays were a %little flock,% surroun"e" by asociety whose stan"ar"s an" con!entions an" beliefs were frankly aganan" hostile. o long as these con"itions obtaine" the issues werelain3 the contrast in i"eals between Church an" )orl" stoo" out sharan" clear. The worl", it was hel", was rea"y to erish, an" "estine"at no "istant "ate to "o so. %The whole worl",% writes . John, %liethin wicke"ness.% The Church stoo" aart as the siritual brotherhoo" of

G


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the cost of a certain aloofness fro# the rough an" tu#ble of worka"aylife. The Christianity of the @i""le Ages was fertilie" fro# thecloister, with the result that the siritual i"eals e!en of thoseChristians who re#aine" %in the worl"% ten"e" to be coloure" by the#onastic tra"ition. The Christian #an of the worl" who took seriouslythe ractice of his religion ai#e" at rero"ucing at secon" han" theChristianity of the #onk. The sal!ation of the in"i!i"ual soul ten"e"

to be regar"e" as the sure#e en" of Christian en"ea!our, rather thanthe ser!ice of the brethren.

The Refor#ation, when it ca#e, "i" nothing to "i#inish thisin"i!i"ualis# of the religious outlook, but rather accentuate" it. Thewhole e#hasis of Protestantis# was thrown uon the life of thein"i!i"ual soul in relation to G


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which, when #anifeste" in the religious shere, we know an" loathe asPharisais#. Pharisais#, like worl"liness, has enetrate" to analar#ing etent into the Church of Englan".

Parallel an" roortionate to the worl"Fs selfishness is its cynicis#.This also is largely unconscious. ;acking any true insight intosiritual realities, the worl" lacks !ision an" lacks hoe. &t

resu#es always that %the thing which has been, it is that which shallbe.% &t behol"s the e!il that is "one un"er the sun, an" ronounces itine!itable. &t fails to un"erstan" that to ronounce any e!iline!itable is to be guilty of blashe#y against the G


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of the flesh% consists in wrongful in"ulgence or lack of selfcontrolin resect of that which in itself is legiti#ate an" goo". TheChristian i"eal is not abstinence, but te#erance. A Christian will bete#erate, for ea#le, in slee, foo", alcohol, an" tobacco.&nte#erance #eans sla!ery to a habit, the loss of siritual self#astery, whereby the whole character is ener!ate", an" efficiency,both hysical an" #oral, is i#aire". %All things are lawful,% as .

Paul says, but a Christian is not to allow hi#self to be brought%un"er the DowerD of any.% -e is #eant to li!e har" an" to li!eclean.

The ractice of fasting, that is, of "eliberate te#orary self"isciline in these #atters, e!en below the stan"ar" of what woul"nor#ally be a reasonable in"ulgence, is a !aluable #eans of assertingan" retaining the self#astery which is essential to Christianfree"o#. But fasting shoul" not be allowe" to beco#e a #echanicalobser!ance, or erecte" into an un"uly rigi" law. The fish"inner uon*ri"ays an" other fast"ays of the Church is, as a #o"ern "ignitaryhas re#arke", innocuous an" it has the !alue which belongs to

confor#ity to a rule or reco##en"ation of the Christian brotherhoo"but whether or not it is obser!e" in ractice, it is har"ly a"eHuateby itself to the uroses of Christian self"isciline.

&t aears to be a fairly wi"esrea" "elusion in so#e sections of society that a Christian #ust necessarily be a teetotaller. The i"ealChristian olicy, here as elsewhere, if we #ay ju"ge fro# the ea#leof our ;or", woul" see# to be that of a te#erate use of the gifts of G


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fleshly te#tations, at least in the earlier years of #anhoo", arethose which are connecte" with the life of se. @any #ake shiwreckuon these rocks through lack of knowle"ge or want of thought butneither thought nor knowle"ge will a!ail to safeguar" a #anFs urityaart fro# soun" #oral rincile3 nor are e!en #oral rincileseffectual in the hour of strong te#tation aart fro# the grace of G


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ought not to be necessary to say that no Christian #an can ossiblytolerate a roosal to gi!e "eliberate ublic sanction to therostitution of a certain roortion of the nationFs wo#anhoo" to thelusts of #en, or acHuiesce in the co#lacent seselfishness which isconcerne" only for the hysical health of sinners of the #ale se.

The oint of !iew of the Christian Church is "eter#ine" by that of our

;or", who on the one han" nu#bere" a reclai#e" rostitute a#ong -isinti#ate frien"s, an" on the other taught that whoso looketh on awo#an to lust after her hath co##itte" a"ultery alrea"y in his heart.The Church, therefore, "iffers fro# the worl", first in hol"ing thatwhat is wrong for wo#en is eHually wrong for #en, that there is onean" the sa#e stan"ar" in these #atters for both sees, na#ely,absolute seual urity an" secon"ly, in eten"ing eHually to thefallen of both sees the ro#ise of $i!ine forgi!eness uon i"enticalter#s, na#ely, genuine reentance, unreser!e" confession, "esire an"urose of a#en"#ent, an" faith in G


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circu#stances of #any #enFs li!es "o not gi!e a"eHuate oortunity for thisL, te#erance in foo", an" eseciallyin the light of what hasbeen sai" abo!ete#erance in "rink, are all inci"entally of !alue asai"s to the #aintenance of urity. o also is the a!oi"ance of thehabit of lying in be" in a se#iso#nolent con"ition after true sleehas finally "earte". A ChristianFs bo"y is #eant to be a te#le of the -oly Ghost, an" no other sirit, whether of i#urity or of sloth,

shoul" be allowe" to ha!e "o#ination o!er hi#.


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ascribe" !arious "iseases, both functional an" organic, an" inarticular those unhay cases of obsession, fie" i"ea, an" #ultileersonality, which we shoul" now class un"er the general hea" of insanity, an" treat in asylu#s for the #entally "erange". The >ewTesta#ent writings are full of this oint of !iew, which is of courselargely foreign to our #in"s to"ay. The or"inary English#an is not agreat belie!er in "e!ils or sirits of e!il3 though he "oes in so#e

instances belie!e in ghosts, an" is incline" to the ractice of whatin for#er ages was calle" necro#ancythe atte#t to establish anillicit conneion with the sirits of the "earte"un"er the #o"ernna#e of sychical research. There are, no "oubt, so#e for#s of sychical research which are genuinely scientific an" legiti#ate. &tis robable enough that there eists a consi"erable area of what #aybe calle" bor"erlan" heno#ena to which scientific #etho"s of inHuiry#ay be foun" alicable, an" which it is theoretically the business of science to in!estigate. But it is a region in which the way liesrea"ily oen to all kin"s of suerstition an" self"eceit. The ursuitof truth for its own sake is essentially a religious thing3 but the#oti!es of #any a#ateur "abblers in sychical research are far fro#

being truly religious or siritual. @uch oular siritualis#, whether it assu#es the for# of tableturnings, of siritraings, or of #e"iu#istic seances, is thoroughly #orbi" an" un"esirable, an" theChristian Church has rightly "iscourage" it.

&t is not, howe!er, necessary to belie!e literally in the "e!il, or in"e!ilsconcerning whose eistence #any ersons will refer to re#ainagnosticin or"er to fin" in the figure of the "e!il, as he aearsin Biblical an" other literature, a con!enient ersonification of certain for#s of e!il. There is an at#oshere of e!il about us, a?ing"o# of E!il, o!er against the ?ing"o# of Goo"3 an" there aresuggestions an" i#ulses of e!il which fro# ti#e to ti#e arise in our

#in"s, whichwhate!er #ay be the literal truth about the#notinfreHuently resent the aearance of ha!ing been ro#te" by so#e#ysterious eternal Te#ter. Certainly "ee"s ha!e been "one in theresent war which can only be "escribe" as "e!ilish. The war hasre!eale" on a large scale an" in un#istakable ter#s the e!il of whichthe heart of #an is caable, an" how thin in #any cases is the !eneer which searates the outwar"ly ci!ilie" Euroean fro# the ri#iti!esa!age. %*or this urose was the on of G


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Christian i"eals of truthfulness, lo!e, an" hu#ility, with regar" toeach of which a few wor"s #ay usefully be sai".

KiL The "e!il is "escribe" in the >ew Testa#ent as %a liar an" thefather thereof.% A Christian is to be true an" just in all his"ealings, abhorring crooke"ness3 for the essence of lying is notineactitu"e in seech, but "eceitfulness of intention. Christian

!eracity #eans honesty, straightforwar"ness, an" sincerity in "ee" aswell as in wor". A writer of fiction is not a liar3 to i#ro!e in thetelling an anec"ote or a story is not necessarily to "ecei!e others inany culable sense an" #oralists ha!e fro# ti#e to ti#e "iscusse" theHuestion whether there #ay not be circu#stances in which to tell a!erbal lie is e!en a #oral "utyDe.g.D in or"er to re!ent a #ur"erer or a #a"#an fro# "isco!ering the whereabouts of his inten"e" !icti#.But casuistical roble#s of this kin" "o not !ery freHuently arise,an" in all or"inary circu#stances strict literal !eracity is the rightcourse to ursue. 7*ootnote3 otat ho#e,% %>o trouble at all,% or %Gla" to see you,% %>o, you are notinterruting #e,% etc., are har"ly to be classe" as %lies,% since they

"o not as a rule seriously #islea" others, but are #erely aneression of the will to be ci!il.:

Christian truthfulness, howe!er, is in any case a #uch wi"er thingthan #erely !erbal truthtelling3 it i#lies inwar" siritual reality,a genuine "esire to see things as they are, a thirst of the soul for truth, an" a hatre" of sha#s. The worst for# of lying is that in whicha #an is not #erely a "ecei!er of others but is self"ecei!e", an"suffers fro# %the lie in the soul.% The religion of Christ is alwaysre#orselessly oose" to e!ery for# or kin" of hu#bug or of sha#.Jesus Christ is the sure#e siritual realist of history. &n -is !iewthe %ublican% or acknowle"ge" sinner is referable to the Pharisee or

hyocrite for the recise reason that the for#er is a #ore genuinekin" of erson than the latter. An" to tell the truth in this "eeer sense, that is, genuinely to face realities an" to refuse to be utoff with sha#s, to see through the lausibilities an" to "etect thehollowness of #oral an" social retences an" con!entionalities, toha!e, in short, the siritual an" #oral instinct for reality, is a#uch har"er thing than to be !erbally !eracious. The true !eracity canco#e only fro# -i# who is the Truth3 it is a gift of the irit, an"rocee"s fro# G


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free.% 7*ootnote3 The #anifestations of the ersecuting sirit an"te#er are not confine" to the shere of religion the intolerance of the latfor# or of the ress can be as bigote" as that of the ulit3an" secular go!ern#ents also can ersecutenot only in *rance or inPrussia. That it is art of the #ission of Christianity to cast outthe e!il sirit of ersecution, to "estroy intolerance as it has"estroye" sla!ery, is none the less true, in site of the fact that

both sla!ery an" ersecution ha!e in the ast foun" Christian"efen"ers.:

KiiL &n the secon" lace, hatre" is of the "e!il, an" lo!e is of Christ3 the Christian is to lo!e e!en his ene#ies. &n a ti#e of war,that is to say, whene!er actual ene#ies eist, the natural #an"isco!ers in such an i"eal only an i##oral senti#entalis#, an" the"octrinaire acificist occasionally uses language which gi!es colour to the charge. But Christianity has nothing in co##on withsenti#entalis#, an" Christian is no #erely senti#ental affection whichignores the reality of e!il or elains away the wrongfulness of wrong. &n or"er to lo!e his ene#ies it is not necessary for a

Christian to reten" that they are not really hostile, to #ake ecusesfor things that are inecusable, or to be blin" to the #oral issueswhich #ay be at stake. &t has rightly been ointe" out that %;o!e your ene#ies% #eans %)ant the# to be your frien"s3 want the# to alter, sothat frien"shi between you an" the# #ay beco#e ossible.% @oregenerally what is #eant is that the Christian #an is by the grace of G


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G


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>e!ertheless it is the #ission of the Church to reare the way of the?ing"o#, an" it is for Christian #en to li!e as sons of the $i!ine?ing"o# e!en now, that is, as #en in whose hearts an" li!es G


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A syste# of e"ucation, #oreo!er, which was truly Christian, woul"ro!i"e not #erely for the training of #in" an" bo"y, an" for instructionon the basis of so#e inter"eno#inational #o"us !i!en"iyet to be achie!e"in #orality an" religion. &t woul" secure eHuallyfor the chil"ren of all classes oortunities for the training of theaesthetic faculties, for the culti!ation of art an" i#agination, for the filling of life with colour an" !ariety an" #o!e#ent. The

intolerable ugliness of the "o#estic architecture of our cities an"towns is a totally unnecessary offence to Got until #en ha!e learnt the secretof brotherhoo" in Christ will the white an" the coloure" races treat


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one another as brothers. >ot until the nations, as nations, aregenuinely Christian an" ha!e learnt, in their "ealings one withanother, to #anifest the sirit of unselfishness an" lo!e, will the"ay be in sight when they shall beat their swor"s into loughsharesan" be content to learn war no #ore. This too, if the Gosel #eansanything at all, is art of the will of Gee".D: %we see# to see a great ar#y "rawn fro#e!ery nation un"er hea!en, fro# e!ery social class, fro# e!ery sectionof ChristFs Church, le"ge" to one thing an" to one thing onlytheestablish#ent of ChristFs ?ing"o# uon earth by -is #etho" of sacrifice an" the alication of -is rincile of brotherhoo" to e!eryhase of hu#an life. An" as they labour there takes shae a worl" #uchlike our own, an" yet how "ifferent2 till in"i!i"uals an"co##unities, but the in"i!i"ual always ser!ing the co##unity an" theco##unity rotecting the in"i!i"ual3 still city an" country life, with

all their #anifol" ursuits, but no lea"ing into cati!ity an" noco#laining in our streets3 still Eastern an" )estern, but no grasingworl"liness in the )est, no "ea"ening essi#is# in the East3 stillricher an" oorer, but no thoughtless luury, no grin"ing "estitution3still sorrow, but no bitterness3 still failure, but no oression3still riest an" eole, yet both alike unite"ly resenting before theEternal *ather the one unceasing sacrifice for hu#an life in bo"ybroken an" bloo" she"3 still Church an" )orl", yet both together celebrating uninter#ittently the one $i!ine er!ice, which is theser!ice of #ankin". An" in that cli#a of a !ision, which, if we arefaithful, shall be rohecy, what is it that has haene"

%FThe king"o#s of this worl" ha!e beco#e the ?ing"o# of our G


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C-APTER +&

C-R&T&A>&T' A>$ C


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Enough has been sai" to #ake it e!i"ent that in the worl" of #o"ernbusiness there is a battle to be fought on behalf of Christ. Preciselyfor the reason that the !ocation of a Christian in this shere is inso#e ways the #ost "ifficult it is also the #ost necessary. There is acall for courage an" consecration, for har" thinking an" rea"iness for sacrifice, an" fro# the nature of the case it #ust be #ainly alay#enFs battle. There #ay ha!e to be financial #artyr"o#s for the

sake of Christ before the !ictory is won. But the rie an" the goalis worth stri!ing for, for it is nothing less than the re"e#tion of alarge ele#ent in hu#an life fro# the tyranny of selfishness an" gree".7*ootnote3 &t #ay, of course, be argue" that so long as theco#etiti!e syste# re!ails in the business worl", a Christian #an inbusiness #ust co#ete, just as in the eisting state though in ani"eally Christian worl" co#etition woul" be relace" by cooerati!ean" war woul" be unknown. This is erfecti!ely true. But it shoul" beossible, ne!ertheless, to hol" fast the Christian i"eal as aregulati!e rincile e!en un"er resent con"itions. &T' A>$ &>$=TR'

;abour roble#s ha!e always eiste", but the "e!elo#ent of in"ustrialis# as we know it to"ay is co#arati!ely #o"ern. &t "atesfro# the intro"uction of #achinery an" #echanical transort, an"

coinci"e" in its beginnings with the !ogue of the socalle"%@anchester chool% in olitical an" econo#ic theory. The #o"ern worl"of in"ustry has been built u by the enterrise of caitalists workinguon the basis of unrestricte" co#etition. Jointstock co#anies an"


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%trusts% are si#ly caitalistic co#binations for the eloitation of in"ustrial oortunities uon a larger scale.

The econo#ic theorists of the @anchester chool regar"e" wages asnecessarily go!erne" by the working of the %iron law% of suly an""e#an". &t was the %interest% of the e#loyer to buy such labour aswas reHuire" at as chea a rate as ossible. &t was assu#e" that in

this, as in other #atters of %business,% his roce"ure #ust be"eter#ine" wholly by selfinterest, to the eclusion of %senti#ental%consi"erations. &n"i!i"ual e#loyers #ight be better than their cree",an" in the s#aller %concerns% the relations between e#loyer an"e#loye" were often hu#anie" by ersonal knowle"ge an" intercourse.)ith the a"!ent of the jointstock co#any this no longer hel" goo".%A cororation has no bowels.% $irectors were not ersonally incontact with their workeole, an" their #ain consi"eration was for their sharehol"ers. The whole ten"ency of the in"ustrial or"er of society as it "e!eloe" was in the "irection of the eloitation of the work#an in the interests of %caital.%

&t was not that #e#bers of the e#loying class were consciouslyinhu#an. &t was si#ly that they were blin"e" to the hu#an roble#swhich were in!ol!e". They ha" beco#e accusto#e" to regar" as naturalan" ine!itable a wagesla!ery of the #any to the few. ;abour was aco##o"ity in the #arket. The work#an was a unit of labour. Regar"e"fro# the oint of !iew of Caital he reresente" si#ly theotentiality of so #any footoun"s of #ore or less intelligently"irecte" energy Der "ie#D. -is life as a hu#an being, aart fro# theecono#ic !alue of his labour, was fro# the %business% oint of !iewirrele!ant.

The syste# was base" uon a lie. %Treat hu#an beings as #achines as

#uch as you will, the fact re#ains that they are incurably ersonal.%The wagesla!es of the #o"ern worl" asserte" their ersonality, an"the #o"ern ocialist;abour @o!e#ent is the result. The forces of organie" labour ha!e won so#e notable !ictories. They are arecognie" ower in the lan". There are those who hoe, an" those whofear, that they will in the en" beco#e socially an" oliticallyo#niotent. &t is now generally recognie" that society rior to thewar was on the brink of a struggle between the classes of greatbitterness, an" that the social con"ition of the country after the war is likely to be fraught with for#i"able ossibilities. There are #anyobser!ers who regar" a social re!olution, in one for# or another, asine!itable.

@uch, no "oubt, will "een" uon the te#er of the returning troos,both officers an" #en. That #en an" officers ha!e learnt to know an"to resect one another uon the battlefiel" is acknowle"ge", but thosewho i#agine that herein is containe" a solution of social an" labour roble#s are likely to ro!e grie!ously "isaointe". A great "eal of nonsense is being talke" about the effects of %"isciline% uon the#en. @ilitary "isciline has its a"#irers3 but #en of #ature years an"ci!ilian tra"itions who in the resent conflict ha!e ser!e" Din theranksD of -is @ajestyFs Ar#y are not inclu"e" a#ong their nu#ber. Theyha!e sub#itte" to "isciline for the erio" of their #ilitary ser!ice.They are Huite able to recognie that it is essential to the

efficiency of the ar#y as a fighting #achine. But they concei!ethe#sel!es to ha!e been fighting for free"o#3 an" their own free"o#an" that of their chil"ren an" of their class is inclu"e" in their eyes a#ong the objects for which they fight. They will be #ore than


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e!er jealous, after the war, of their reco!ere" liberties, an""eter#ine" to assert the#. &t is robable that one result of "e#obiliation will be an enor#ous accession of strength to the ranksof the ocialist an" ;abour arties. The %class war% with whichsociety was threatene" before the Euroean )ar broke out is not likelyto be a less resent "anger when %that which now restraineth% isre#o!e" by the conclusion of eace.

)hat in relation to these roble#s is the #essage of the ChristianChurch The "istincti!ely Christian ethic is base" not uon selfassertion but uon selfsacrifice, not uon class "istinctions butuon brotherhoo". %;et no #an seek his own, but each his neighbourFsgoo".% The rincile is of cororate as well as of in"i!i"ualalication. &n an i"eally Christian society, the interests of %;abour% woul" be the sole concern of %Caital,% the interests of %Caital% the sole concern of %;abour%3 an" the #essage of the Churchto the conten"ing arties shoul" be, now as always, %irs, ye arebrethren.%

>either arty, howe!er, is likely at resent to ay #uch hee" to sucha #essage, which is at to soun" like an abstract an" theoreticaltruis# re#ote fro# the actualities of life. &n oint of fact, thelarge sections of the oulation who li!e er#anently near or belowthe o!erty line are largely reclu"e" by lack of leisure fro#entering into the Christian heritage of the siritual life, an" aretoo #uch obsesse" by the "aily struggle for #aterial eistence to ha!eatience with ehortations to regar" with sy#athy either thete#tations or the goo" intentions of the wellto"o. The latter inturn are at to resent any atte#t to stir in the# a social consciencewith regar" to the roble#s of o!erty or the fun"a#ental causes of labour %unrest,% to regar" the security of "i!i"en"s as con!eniently

guarantee" by the laws of G


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C-R&T&A>&T' A>$ P


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"eter#ine their own affairs, an" also for the "uty of nations as of in"i!i"uals to lo!e their neighbours as the#sel!es, an" to seekri#arily not their own but each otherFs goo". &f these rofessionsare to be #ore than no#inal they #ust #ean a rea"iness for nationalsacrifices an" for national unselfishness in ti#e of eace as in ti#eof war.

C-APTER &I

C-R&T&A>&T' A>$ )AR

Christianity is oose" to war, in the sense that if #en an" nationsuni!ersally beha!e" as Christians, wars woul" cease. The i"eal of the?ing"o# of G


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in "isute is the Huestion of the for# which, in the contet of agi!en set of national an" olitical circu#stances, #ay rightfully begi!en to the alication of the Christian rincile of uni!ersal,righteous, an" selfsacrificing ;o!e. >o one can "isute the fact thatin certain circu#stances Christianity #ay "e#an" the rea"iness to "iefor others. Are there any circu#stances in which Christianity #ay"e#an" the rea"iness to DslayD for others, either ersonally, or

#e"iately through ser!ice in a #ilitary #achine which as a whole isthe instru#ent of a national urose only to be achie!e" through theslaughter of those in the ranks of the oosing ar#ies

The #ajority of Christians ha!e answere" this Huestion in theaffir#ati!e. They ha!e hel" that there are circu#stances in which theclai#s of ;o!e are #ore genuinely an" a"eHuately acknowle"ge" bytaking art in warfare than by abstaining fro# it. They ha!e insiste"that there are circu#stances in which it is no true act of lo!e, e!entowar"s the aggressor, or erhas towar"s the aggressor least of all,to er#it hi# to achie!e an e!il urose unchecke"3 that resistance,e!en by force of ar#s, #ay be in the truest interests of the ene#y

hi#self. They ha!e #aintaine" that it is ossible to fight in aChristian te#er an" sirit, without either ersonal #alice or hatre"of the foe3 that not all killing is #ur"er, an" that to rob a #an of hysical life, as an inci"ent in the assertion of the clai#s of righteousness, is not, fro# the oint of !iew of those who belie!e inhu#an i##ortality, to "o hi# that ulti#ate an" essential injury whichit #ight otherwise be hel" to be.

>o one, howe!er, who has ha" anything to "o with #o"ern war can "oubtthat it is intrinsically beastly an" "e!ilish, or that it is at toarouse assions, in all but the saintliest of #en, which are of anetre#ely ugly kin". To affir# that it is ossible, as a #atter of

theory, to fight in a wholly Christian sirit an" te#er, is not toassert that in actual ractice #ore than a s#all #inority of sol"ierssuccee" in "oing so. &t is ossible to be "e!outly thankful that whenthe issue was ose" by the con"uct of the Ger#anic owers in the August of /0/6 the British E#ire relie" by entering uon war, tohol" that it was e#hatically the right thing to "o, an" that itreresente" a course of con"uct #ore intrinsically Christian thanneutrality woul" ha!e been. But it is not ossible to #aintain withtruth that the British nation as a whole has been fighting either in aChristian te#er or fro# Christian #oti!es. &t is un"eniable thatuglier #oti!es an" assions ha!e cret in. er#ons in Christianulits uon such the#es as the "uty of forgi!eness or the Christian

i"eal of lo!e towar"s the ene#y ha!e been neither freHuent nor oular. =n"oubte"ly the Ger#an Go!ern#ent in its general olicy, an"articular units of the Ger#an Ar#y an" >a!y uon #any occasions, ha!eacte" in such a way as to gi!e ro!ocation of the !ery strongest kin"to the unregenerate hu#an i#ulses of hatre" an" of re!enge. &t is notsurrising, though it is regrettable, that un"er the influence of thisro!ocation #any ersons, otherwise Christian, ha!e either franklyaban"one" the Christian "octrine of hu#an brotherhoo", or else ha!e"enie" that the Ger#ans are to be regar"e" as hu#an beings.


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assions. &t is to be hoe" an" anticiate" that there will be astrong reaction after the war both against #ilitaris# an" the less"esirable asects of the #ilitary #in", an" also against thebelligerent te#er an" siritesecially, erhas, on the art of the#en who ha!e the#sel!es ser!e" an" suffere" in the fiel".

C-APTER I

;o ele#ent in Christian ractice has been #ore wi"ely challenge" in#o"ern ti#es than the Christian i"eal of #arriage.


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A Christian husban" takes his wife in #atri#ony %for better for worse,for richer for oorer, in sickness an" in health, to lo!e an" tocherish, till "eath the# "o art, accor"ing to Ga#e.% A few wor"s #ay usefully be sai" un"er these hea"s.

KiL @arriage ought to be base" uon lo!e an" lo!e, though naturallyan" nor#ally in!ol!ing the ele#ent of seual attraction, ought toinclu"e also other an" "eeer ele#ents. A Christian #an who has li!e"a clean an" "isciline" life ought to be sufficiently #aster of hisassions to a!oi" #istaking a #erely te#orary infatuation for such agenuine siritual affinity as will sur!i!e the satisfaction of i##e"iate "esires an" ro!e the stable basis of a lifeco#anionshi.-asty #arriages are a co##on an" a!oi"able cause of subseHuent

unhainess. &t is ob!iously un"esirable that coules shoul" enter uon #atri#ony until there has been a sufficiently rolonge" an"inti#ate acHuaintance to enable the# to beco#e reasonably sure both of the#sel!es an" of one another. &n #any cases there is #uch to be sai"for regar"ing betrothals in the first instance as ro!isional. &t isbetter to break the# off at the last #o#ent than to #arry the wrongerson.

The +ictorian con!entions with regar" to all these #atters werethoroughly ba". Girls were brought u in carefullyguar"e" ignoranceof the i#lications of #atri#ony an" shiel"e" by eretual chaeronagefro# anything aroaching co#ra"eshi with the oosite se.

E!entually they were in #any cases sta#e"e" into a #arriage which ha"its origin either in a clan"estine flirtation or in the "esigningoerations of so#e #atch#aking relati!e, who #a"e it her businessfirst to %throw the young eole together% an" then to suggest thatthey were !irtually co##itte" to one another by the #ere fact of ha!ing #et.

The reaction which has taken lace against all this is uon the wholesalutary. The new social tra"ition which is growing u #akes itossible for the un#arrie" of both sees to #eet one another withco#arati!e free"o#, an" to establish relations of frien"shi, which#ay subseHuently rien into lo!e, unha#ere" by any such #orbi"ly

eciting at#oshere of intrigue an" suggestion on the art of relati!es an" frien"s. But the new free"o# of social intercourse, if it is not in its turn to ro!e "isastrous, "e#an"s on the art of theyoung of both sees a higher stan"ar" both of resonsibility an" selfcontrol, an" of knowle"ge of what is i#lie" in the fact of se. Theeerience of #arrie" life is, #oreo!er, not likely to ro!e asuccess, sa!e in rare instances, unless there is between the arties areal co##unity of interests an" tastes, unani#ity, so far as #ay be,of i"eals an" of religious con!ictions, an" at least no !ery great"isarity of e"ucational an" intellectual eHui#ent.

KiiL A Christian #arriage inclu"es a#ong its uroses the rocreation

of chil"ren. &t is here #ost of all that unani#ity of i"eal an" of con!iction between husban" an" wife is essential. A #an an" a wo#anought not to take one another in #arriage without first being assure"of each otherFs #in" uon this subject. %&f #arriage is to be a


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success each #ust learn resect for the otherFs ersonality, real gi!ean" take, an" the horror of treating the other just as a #eans to hisown leasure, whether siritual, intellectual, or hysical3 an" both#ust think seriously of the resonsibilities of arenthoo". -usban"an" wife #ust work out their i"eals together, in erfect frankness an"sincerity, an" it is i#ossible to ha!e true an" sacre" i"eals of their joint hysical life unless there is the sa#e oenness an"

un"erstan"ing an" sy#athy on this oint as on all others.% 7*ootnote3 D&"eals of -o#eD, by Ge##a Bailey K>ational @ission Paer, >o. 6ML.:There #ust be #utual consi"eration an" selfcontrol3 the nee" for selfrestraint an" continence "oes not "isaear with the entry uon#arital relations3 it is if anything intensifie".

There is a real roble# here which nee"s to be thought out. To theractice of %racesuici"e,% by which is #eant the artificialrestriction of arentage by the use of #echanical or other %re!enti!es,% Christian #orality is !iolently oose".


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of the fusion of two ersonalities, whereby they are at oncein"i!i"ually an" #utually enriche", an" at the sa#e ti#e #ysticallyan" siritually knit together in such a way as to beco#e in the sightof G


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rather than the theory of religion3 "e!otions in which "octrine isi#licit, rather than "octrine as such. As their #in"s ean" theywill ask the reasons for what they "o an" the #eaning of the worshiin which they engage, an" they will nee" to ha!e suggeste" to the# anele#entary, but not a stereotye", theology. They shoul" fro# thebeginning be encourage" to think an" Huestion freely on religioussubjects.

K6L They shoul" occasionally acco#any their arents to Church, an" inarticular shoul" fro# ti#e to ti#e be resent when the latter recei!e-oly Co##union. They shoul" ha!e the ser!ice elaine" to the# in asi#le fashion, an" shoul" be encourage" to look forwar" to the ti#ewhen they will be confir#e", an" beco#e co##unicants the#sel!es.

PART &&&

T-E @A&>TE>A>CE ;&*E

C-APTER &

-

The ractice of Christianity "een"s for its ossibility uon theeistence an" #aintenance within the soul of an inwar" rincile of siritual life towar"s G


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has been brought to realie in the light of the Cross that the"ifference between what he is an" what he #ight ha!e been is treacheryto -i# whose #an Kin !irtue of his batis#L he was #eant to be, an"that by being what he is, an" acting as he has acte", he hasconsciously or unconsciously contribute" to the woun"s wherewithEternal ;o!e is woun"e" in the house of -is frien"s.

The #easure of a #anFs enitence, whether early or late "e!eloe" inhi#, is !ery at to be the #easure of his siritual insight an" of hissiritual sincerity. The fa#iliar wor"s of the hy#n

%They who fain woul" ser!e Thee best Are conscious #ost of wrong within,%

are rofoun"ly true to Christian eerience. But reentancewhich issorrow for sin in the light of the Crossis aborti!e an" #erelyresults in siritual aralysis unless it issues in confessionthatis, frank an" oen acknowle"g#ent before G


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PRA'ER

Prayer is a "ifficult #atter, both in theory an" in ractice. But itis essential to learn to ray.

&t is i#ortant to recognie that the scoe of Christian rayer is

#uch wi"er than #ere intercession or etition. &t is the co##union of the soul with Ga#e is holy, an" to be hallowe"3 it is inre!erence an" "eeest worshi that we bow before -i#. -e is ?ing, an"

we ray that -is ?ingshi #ay be realie", in earth as it is inhea!en3 an" that -is will #ay be "onethat is the sure#e "esire of our hearts, an" the highest object of our etitions.

An" therefore we are !owe" to -is ser!ice3 an" because we are surethat -e will suly whate!er we really nee" to that en", we ray inconfi"ence for "aily nee"s both siritual an" bo"ily%Gi!e us this"ay our "aily brea".% An" re#e#bering that we are unrofitable an"faithless an" "isloyal ser!ants we ask forgi!eness for our sins, wellknowing that we can only be forgi!en as we oursel!es are rea"y toforgi!e. An" so looking to the future an" #in"ful of our frailty weray that G


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his erleities, his sins3 let hi# ask for forgi!eness3 let hi# gi!ethanks3 let hi# ray for the co#ing of G


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rayer, ne!ertheless, there #ust also be3 an" a #an shoul" at leastray in the #orning uon rising an" in the e!ening before going tobe". &f a ti#e can also be secure" for #i""ay rayer, so #uch thebetter3 but this is #ore "ifficult. To ha!e for#e" a really fie" an"stable habit of "aily rayer is an enor#ous ste forwar"s in Christianlife. @uch "een"s uon learning to rise regularly at a fie" hour before breakfast3 an" this in turn "een"s uon a regularity in going

to be", which un"er #o"ern con"itions of life it is not always easy toachie!e. &f a #an is oblige" to be u so late at night that it is#orally certain that he will be too tire" to ray with #uch realitybefore turning in, he shoul" en"ea!our, if it is at all ossible, tosecure so#e ti#e for rayer at an earlier stage in the e!ening.

$ifficulties in the life of rayer beset e!erybo"y. Thoughts ha!e away of wan"ering, the %saying% of rayers ten"s to beco#e #echanical,#oo"s !ary, an" there are ti#es in #ost #enFs li!es when they feel ital#ost i#ossible to ray with any sense of reality. A #an shoul" notlightly be "iscourage". -e #ay be reco##en"e" to re#in" hi#self thatG$ REPE>TA>CE


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%The unea#ine" life,% sai" Plato, %is not worth li!ing.% i#ilar a"!ice was gi!en by @arcus Aurelius. The ractice of selfea#ination,therefore, is not "istincti!e of Christianity3 it is an ob!ious"ictate of wis"o#, where!er life an" con"uct are regar"e" seriously,that a #an shoul" fro# ti#e to ti#e take stock of hi#self in the light

of his i"eals an" learn to know an" recognie in "etail where an" howhe has fallen short, an" what are the besetting sins an" weaknessesagainst which he #ust conten".

The Christian #an will ju"ge an" try his life by the stan"ar"s of Christ, with growing sensiti!eness of conscience as siritualeerience "eeens3 not shrinking fro# the confession of sin an"failure, "esiring not to be self"ecei!e", but to know an" toacknowle"ge the truth. There is nothing in this of riggishness or unreality. &t is a necessary "isciline. The Christian life is #eantto bear the fruit of a character "e!eloing in growing likeness to thecharacter of Christ3 but none is su""enly #a"e erfect3 the ol" A"a#

"ies har"3 an" the Christian by confession of reeate" failure #ay atleast learn the lesson of hu#ility an" self"istrust.

The rightful co#le#ent of self"istrust is trust in G


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The for#s #ost co##only suggeste" in #anuals of "e!otion are base"uon the Ten Co##an"#ents. This is in accor"ance with the teaching of the co#ilers of the English Prayerbook, who, after bi""ing inten"ingco##unicants to %search an" ea#ine% their %own consciences Kan" thatnot lightly, an" after the #anner of "isse#blers with G


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#anner an honest atte#t to "isco!er his own shortco#ings an" failuresbefore G


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hea!en, an" before you, that & ha!e sinne" in thought, wor", an" "ee",by #y own fault. Esecially & accuse #yself that Ksince #y lastconfession, which was...agoL & ha!e co##itte" the following sins....7-ere follows the confession in "etail3 after which:. ... *or thesean" all #y other sins which & cannot now re#e#ber, & hu#bly ask ar"onof G


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&t is an ancient rule or custo# of the Church to recei!e -olyCo##union fasting, gi!ing rece"ence to the foo" of the soul o!er thatof the bo"y. To insist rigi"ly uon such a rule in any an" e!ery setof circu#stances is a iece of unintelligent an" unchristian legalis#3but #any ersons are of oinion that to obser!e it where!er it isreasonably ossible to "o so #akes for reality. There is a real !aluein the ele#ent of asceticis# an" self"isciline in!ol!e" in the

effort to rise early an" co#e fasting to church3 an" the fast #ay beinterrete" as a kin" of outwar" sacra#ent of the inwar" reality of siritual rearationa rearation of the bo"y correson"ing to therearation of the soul, &t is, #oreo!er, an a"!antage of the early#orning hour that the #in" is un"istracte" by the occuations an""i!ersions of the "ay. *or all these reasons the early #orningCo##union is to be referre" to Co##union at a later hour.

)hether a #an is a weekly co##unicant or not, he shoul" Din any casebe resent as a worshierD at -oly Co##union un"ay by un"ay, an"shoul" regar" atten"ance at the weekly Eucharist as the #ost essentialart of churchgoing. >o one who #akes it a rule of his life to be

resent on un"ays an" other festi!als of the Church at -oly Co##unione!er has cause to regret ha!ing "one so.

A #an who for any reason KDe.g.D by the nature of his e#loy#entL is"ebarre" fro# atten"ing regularly on un"ays shoul", if ossible,secure an oortunity of regular atten"ance at -oly Co##union on aweek"ay. There are usually churches to be foun", at least in thetowns, which ha!e an early #orning Eucharist "aily throughout theweek3 an" a"!antage can also be taken of this if on any articular occasion the regular un"ay Co##union has been #isse". &f neither un"ay nor week"ay oortunities are a!ailable, the nee" shoul" be#et by what is known as %siritual co##union%3 that is to say, a #an

shoul" rea" o!er the ;iturgy in ri!ate, unite hi#self in sirit withthe Eucharist as celebrate" in the articular church with which hehaens to be #ost fa#iliar Kas reresenting for hi# the worshi of the Church =ni!ersalL, an" ray that he #ay recei!e the siritualbenefits of Co##union though "eri!e" for the ti#e being of the actualacra#ent. Aart fro# the %early ser!ice,% which is now al#ostuni!ersal, sche#es of worshi uon un"ay #ornings !ary in "ifferentarishes. &n so#e churches @atins an" ;itany are sung an" a ser#onreache", a late Eucharist without #usic being co##only celebrate"about noon3 in other arishes @atins is sai" Huietly without #usic ata co#arati!ely early hour, an" the Eucharist is sole#nly sung, with aser#on, as the rincial ser!ice of the forenoon, usually without #ore

than a !ery li#ite" nu#ber of co##unicants, artly because if the bulkof the congregation co##unicate at a sung Eucharist the ser!icebeco#es intolerably long, an" artly because the #ajority of those"esiring to recei!e Co##union ha!e "one so fasting at an earlier hour.

&n large towns a #an can usually fin" churches of either tyeaccor"ing to his reference. &n %singlechurch areas% he ought for thesake of fellowshi an" goo" ea#le to confor#, as a rule, to what iscusto#ary. &t is "esirable, in a general way, to be i"entifie" withthe cororate worshi of the arish3 but it is worth re#arking that,aart fro# the weight "ue to this general consi"eration, there is noarticular sacre"ness about the hour of ele!en oFclock, an" a #an who

has co##unicate" before breakfast, an" erhas conte#latesatten"ance, later on, at E!ensong, #ay not unreasonably feel justifie"in "e!oting the forenoon of un"ay Kwhich is usually his solitary#orningFs leisure in the weekL to other uroses than those of


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worshi. &f the reacher is worth listening to Kwhich is notin!ariably the caseL it is a goo" thing to go an" hear hi#3 an" it iswell, therefore, to atten" one or other of the ser!ices K#orning or e!eningL at which a ser#on is reache". But it is not essential toatten" both3 an" the Huestion #ay be raise" whether one ser#on aun"ay is not as #uch as #ost #en can rofitably "igest. A ser#on isin any case Kecet at the EucharistL a "etachable aen"i to a

Church ser!ice an" it is both ossible an" legiti#ate either toatten" the ser!ice an" lea!e the church before the ser#on, or to a!oi"the ser!ice an" co#e in ti#e to hear the ser#on, accor"ing toreference or oortunity.

As regar"s eternal "etails of obser!ance, kneeling, an" notsHuatting, shoul" be the attitu"e a"ote" for rayer. &t is custo#aryto turn eastwar"s for the Cree", an" in so#e churches, though not inothers, to kneel at the reference to the &ncarnation in the course of the >icene Cree". &t is also a co##on ractice in so#e churches togenuflect KDi.e.D to "ro for a #o#ent uon one kneeL on rising fro#oneFs lace to go u to the altar to co##unicate, in re!erence for the

Blesse" acra#ent. A #an shoul" a"at his ersonal usage in these#inor "etails to whate!er aears to be custo#ary in the articular church in which he is worshiing.

&t is often etre#ely "ifficult for the clergy to know ersonally the#en of their congregations, since it is rare in #ost neighbourhoo"sfor the #en to be at ho#e "uring the hours when it is ossible for theclergy to !isit. &n these circu#stances a #an ought to be willing totake the initiati!e in #aking hi#self known to the clergy of hisarish, an" to cooerate as far as ossible in any effort which #aybe #a"e, through arochial Church Councils or otherwise, to "e!elothe sirit of fellowshi in a congregation. There is !ery often about

Anglican Church worshi a stiffness an" frigi"ity which ba"ly nee"s tobe broken "own. Aroriate" seats, where they eist, are a articular curse, an" anything which can be "one in the way of aban"oning chosenseats, e!en if %bought an" ai" for,% to strangers in the interests of charity is a real iece of Christian ser!ice. A stranger ought not tobe #a"e to feel unco#fortable, but to be welco#e" in e!ery ossibleway. The i"eal is that e!ery church, in e!ery art of it, shoul" befree an" oen at all ti#es to all co#ers.

C-APTER +

T-E $E+


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There are two "istinct #etho"s of rea"ing the Bible which are of !alue. G A>$ *AT&>G

The two things were originally closely connecte". @en faste" in or"er to gi!e to others the sa!ings which resulte" fro# a re"uce"een"iture on ersonal nee"s. %;ent sa!ings% reresent a #o"ernre!i!al of this i"ea. The essence of Christian al#sgi!ing is that itshoul" be the eression of Christian charity or lo!e3 an" lo!e #eans

the willingness to ser!e others, at cost to self. Gifts an"subscritions which reresent #erely the largess of a #anFssuerfluity an" cost nothing in the way of ersonal self"enial arenot really in this sense al#sgi!ing. The Gosel refers the wi"owFs#ite to the rich #anFs large but not really generous contribution, incases where the larger su# reresents the lesser ersonal cost.

&t was the rule of the ancient Jewish ;aw that a #an shoul" gi!e awaya tenth art of what he ossesse", but this ought not to be a"ote"un"er #o"ern con"itions as a literal recet. The oor cannot affor"to sare so large a fraction of their inco#es. The wealthy can in #anycases gi!e away a #uch larger roortion without feeling articularly

stinte". &t is the "uty of e!ery #an whose inco#e is abo!e the line of actual o!erty KDi.e.D ecee"s what is necessary for the literalsubsistence in foo", shelter, an" clothing of hi#self an" those"een"ent uon hi# for suortL to consi"er with his own conscience


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before G$


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an" the ewsletter.

htt3www.ibiblio.orggutenbergetet5M or ft3ft.ibiblio.orgub"ocsbooksgutenbergetet5M

ewsletters.

&nfor#ation about Project Gutenberg Kone ageL

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