war and the future-第32章

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bishop　took　up　the　question　of　the　exemption；　at　the　request　of
the　bishops；　of　the　clergy　from　military　service。　　It　is　one　of
our　contrasts　with　French　conditionsand　it　is　all　to　the
disadvantage　of　the　British　churches。

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


2

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

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

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

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

/〃Le　Saint　Siege　impartial。。。
Au…dessus　de　la　bataille。。。。〃/
The　good　Cardinal　would　have　made　a　good　lawyer。　　He　had　as
little　to　say　about　God　and　the　general　righteousness　of　things
as　the　Bishop　of　London。　　But　he　got　in　some　smug　reminders　of
the　severance　of　diplomatic　relations　with　the　Vatican。　　Perhaps
now　France　will　be　wiser。　　He　pointed　out　that　the　Holy　See　in
its　Consistorial　Allocution　of　January　22nd；　1915；　invited　the
belligerents　to　observe　the　rules　of　war。　　Could　anything　more　be
done　than　that？　　Oh！in　the　general　issue　of　the　war；　if　you
want　a　judgement　on　the　war　as　a　whole；　how　is　it　possible　that
the　Vatican　to　decide？　　Surely　the　French　know　that　excellent
principle　of　justice；　/Audiatur　et　altera　pars/；　and　how
under　existing　circumstances　can　the　Vatican　do　that。。。？　　The
Vatican　is　cut　off　from　communication　with　Austria　and　Germany。
The　Vatican　has　been　deprived　of　its　temporal　power　and　local
independence　（another　neat　point）。。。。

So　France　is　bowed　out。　　When　peace　is　restored；　the　Vatican　will
perhaps　be　able　to　enquire　if　there　was　a　big　German　army　in
1914；　if　German　diplomacy　was　aggressive　from　1875　onward；　if
Belgium　was　invaded　unrighteously；　if　（Catholic）　Austria　forced
the　pace　upon　（non…Catholic）　Russia。　　But　nownow　the　Holy　See
must　remain　as　impartial　as　an　unbought　mascot　in　a　shop
window。。。。

The　next　column　of　/Le　Journal/　contained　an　account　of　the
Armenian　massacres；　the　blood　of　the　Armenian　cries　out　past　the
Holy　Father　to　heaven；　but　then　Armenians　are　after　all　heretics；
and　here　again　the　principle　of　/Audiatur　et　altera　pars/
comes　in。　　Communications　are　not　open　with　the　Turks。　　Moreover；
Armenians；　like　Serbs；　are　worse　than　infidels；　they　are
heretics。　　Perhaps　God　is　punishing　them。。。。

/Audiatur　et　altera　pars/；　and　the　Vatican　has　not　forgotten
the　infidelity　and　disrespect　of　both　France　and　Italy　in　the
past。　　These　are　the　things；　it　seems；　that　really　matter　to　the
Vatican。　　Cardinal　Gasparri's　portrait；　in　the　same　issue　of
/Le　Journal/；　displays　a　countenance　of　serene　contentment；
a　sort　of　incarnate　〃Told…you…so。〃

So　the　Vatican　lifts　its　pontifical　skirts　and　shakes　the　dust　of
western　Europe　off　its　feet。

It　is　the　most　astounding　renunciation　in　history。

Indubitably　the　Christian　church　took　a　wide　stride　from　the
kingship　of　God　when　it　placed　a　golden　throne　for　the　unbaptised
Constantine　in　the　midst　of　its　most　sacred　deliberations　at
Nicaea。　　But　it　seems　to　me　that　this　abandonment　of　moral
judgments　in　the　present　case　by　the　Holy　See　is　an　almost　wider
step　from　the　church's　allegiance　to　God。。。。


3

Thought　about　the　great　questions　of　life；　thought　and　reasoned
direction；　this　is　what　the　multitude　demands　mutely　and　weakly；
and　what　the　organised　churches　are　failing　to　give。　　They　have
not　the　courage　of　their　creeds。　　Either　their　creeds　are
intellectual　flummery　or　they　are　the　solution　to　the　riddles
with　which　the　world　is　struggling。　　But　the　churches　make　no
mention　of　their　creeds。　　They　chatter　about　sex　and　the　magic
effect　of　church　attendance　and　simple　faith。　　If　simple　faith　is
enough；　the　churches　and　their　differences　are　an　imposture。　　Men
are　stirred　to　the　deepest　questions　about　life　and　God；　and　the
Anglican　church；　for　example；　obligesas　I　have　described。

It　is　necessary　to　struggle　against　the　unfavourable　impression
made　by　these　things。　　They　must　not　blind　us　to　the　deeper
movement　that　is　in　progress　in　a　quite　considerable　number　of
minds　in　England　and　France　alike　towards　the　realisation　of　the
kingdom　of　God。

What　I　conceive　to　be　the　reality　of　the　religious　revival　is　to
be　found　in　quarters　remote　from　the　religious　professionals。
Let　me　give　but　one　instance　of　several　that　occur　to　me。　　I　met
soon　after　my　return　from　France　a　man　who　has　stirred　my
curiosity　for　years；　Mr。　David　Lubin；　the　prime　mover　in　the
organisation　of　the　International　Institute　of　Agriculture　in
Rome。　　It　is　a　movement　that　has　always　appealed　to　my
imagination。　　The　idea　is　to　establish　and　keep　up　to　date　a
record　of　the　food　supplies　in　the　world　with　a　view　to　the
ultimate　world　control　of　food　supply　and　distribution。　　When　its
machinery　has　developed　sufficiently　to　a　control　in　the
interests　of　civilisation　of　many　other　staples　besides