evolution and ethics and other essays-第40章

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placing　themselves　before　all　others。　So　no　faithful　man　now　believes
he　can　be　saved；　except　he　is　directed　by　the　counsels　of　the
Preachers　and　Minorites。〃Matthew　Paris's　English　History。　Translated
by　the　Rev。　J。　A。　　Giles；　1889；　Vol。　I。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II

The　〃Times；〃　December　9th；　1890

Sir；The　purpose　of　my　previous　letter　about　Mr。　Booth's　scheme　was
to　arouse　the　contributors　to　the　military　chest　of　the　Salvation　Army
to　a　clear　sense　of　what　they　are　doing。　I　thought　it　desirable　that
they　should　be　distinctly　aware　that　they　are　setting　up　and　endowing
a　sect；　in　many　ways　analogous　to　the　〃Ranters〃　and　〃Revivalists〃　of
undesirable　notoriety　in　former　times；　but　with　this　immensely
important　difference；　that　it　possesses　a　strong；　far…reaching；
centralized　organization；　the　disposal　of　the　physical；　moral；　and
financial　strength　of　which　rests　with　an　irresponsible　chief；　who；
according　to　his　own　account；　is　assured　of　the　blind　obedience　of
nearly　10；000　subordinates。　I　wish　them　to　ask　themselves；　Ought
prudent　men　and　good　citizens　to　aid　in　the　establishment　of　an
organization　which；　under　sundry；　by　no　means　improbable；
contingencies；　may　easily　become　a　worse　and　more　＇248＇　dangerous
nuisance　than　the　mendicant　friars　of　the　middle　ages？　If　this　is　an
academic　question；　I　really　do　not　know　what　questions　deserve　to　be
called　practical。　As　you　divined；　I　purposely　omitted　any
consideration　of　the　details　of　the　Salvationist　scheme；　and　of　the
principles　which　animate　those　who　work　it；　because　I　desired　that　the
public　appreciation　of　the　evils；　necessarily　inherent　in　all　such
plans　of　despotic　social　and　religious　regimentation　should　not　be
obscured　by　the　raising　of　points　of　less　comparative；　however　great
absolute；　importance。

But　it　is　now　time　to　undertake　a　more　particular　criticism　of
〃Darkest　England。〃　At　the　outset　of　my　examination　of　that　work；　I　was
startled　to　find　that　Mr。　Booth　had　put　forward　his　scheme　with　an
almost　incredibly　imperfect　knowledge　of　what　had　been　done　and　is
doing　in　the　same　direction。　A　simple　reader　might　well　imagine　that
the　author　of　〃Darkest　England〃　posed　as　the　Columbus；　or　at　any　rate
the　Cortez；　of　that　region。　　〃Go　to　Mudie's；〃　he　tells　us；　and　you
will　be　surprised　to　see　how　few　books　there　are　upon　the　social
problem。　That　may　or　may　not　be　correct；　but　if　Mr。　Booth　had　gone　to
a　certain　reading…room　not　far　from　Mudie's；　I　undertake　to　say　that
the　well…informed　and　obliging　staff　of　the　national　library　in
Bloomsbury　would　have　provided　him　with　more　books　on　this　topic；　in
almost　all　European　languages；　than　he　would　＇249＇　read　in　three
months。　　Has　socialism　no　literature？　And　what　is　socialism　but　an
incarnation　of　the　social　question？　Moreover；　I　am　persuaded　that　even
〃Mudie's〃　resources　could　have　furnished　Mr。　Booth　with　the　〃Life　of
Lord　Shaftesbury〃　and　Carlyle's　works。　Mr。　Booth　seems　to　have
undertaken　to　instruct　the　world　without　having　heard　of　〃Past　and
Present〃　or　of　〃Latter…Day　Pamphlets〃；　though；　somewhat　late　in　the
day；　a　judicious　friend　calls　his　attention　to　them。　To　those　of　my
contemporaries　on　whom；　as　on　myself；　Carlyle's　writings　on　this　topic
made　an　ineffaceable　impression　forty　years　ago；　who　know　that；　for
all　that　time；　hundreds　of　able　and　devoted　men；　both　clerical　and
lay；　have　worked　heart　and　soul　for　the　permanent　amendment　of　the
condition　of　the　poor；　Mr。　Booth's　〃Go　to　Mudie's〃　affords　an　apt
measure　of　the　depth　of　his　preliminary　studies。　However；　I　am　bound
to　admit　that　these　earlier　labourers　in　the　field　laboured　in　such　a
different　fashion；　that　the　originality　of　the　plan　started　by　Mr。
Booth　remains　largely　unaffected。　For　them　no　drums　have　beat；　no
trombones　brayed；　no　sanctified　buffoonery；　after　the　model　of　the
oration　of　the　Friar　in　Wallenstein's　camp　dear　to　the　readers　of
Schiller；　has　tickled　the　ears　of　the　groundlings　on　their　behalf。
Sadly　behind　the　great　age　of　rowdy　self…advertisement　in　which　their
lot　has　fallen；　they　seem　not　to　have　advanced　one　whit　＇250＇　beyond
John　the　Baptist　and　the　Apostles；　1800　years　ago；　in　their　notions　of
the　way　in　which　the　metanoia；　the　change　of　mind　of　the　ill…doer；　is
to　be　brought　about。　Yet　the　new　model　was　there；　ready　for　the
imitation　of　those　ancient　savers　of　souls。　The　ranting　and　roaring
mystagogues　of　some　of　the　most　venerable　of　Greek　and　Syrian　cults
also　had　their　processions　and　banners；　their　fifes　and　cymbals　and
holy　chants；　their　hierarchy　of　officers　to　whom　the　art　of　making
collections　was　not　wholly　unknown；　and　who；　as　freely　as　their　modern
imitators；　promised　an　Elysian　future　to　contributory　converts。　The
success　of　these　antique　Salvation　armies　was　enormous。　Simon　Magus
was　quite　as　notorious　a　personage；　and　probably　had　as　strong　a
following　as　Mr。　Booth。　Yet　the　Apostles；　with　their　old…fashioned
ways；　would　not　accept　such　a　success　as　a　satisfactory　sign　of　the
Divine　sanction；　nor　depart　from　their　own　methods　of　leading　the　way
to　the　higher　life。

I　deem　it　unessential　to　verify　Mr。　Booth's　statistics。　The　exact
strength　of　the　population　of　the　realm　of　misery；　be　it　one；　two；　or
three　millions；　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　efficacy　of　any　means
proposed　for　the　highly　desirable　end　of　reducing　it　to　a　minimum。　The
sole　question　for　consideration　at　present　is　whether　the　scheme；
keeping　specially　in　view　the　spirit　in　which　it　is　to　be　worked；　is
likely　to　do　more　good　than　harm。

＇251＇　Mr。　Booth　tells　us；　with　commendable　frankness；　that　〃it　is
primarily　and　mainly　for　the　sake　of　saving　the　soul　that　I　seek　the
salvation　of　the　body〃　（p。　45）；　which　language；　being　interpreted；
means　that　the　propagation　of　the　special　Salvationist　creed　comes
first；　and　the　promotion　of　the　physical；　intellectual；　and　purely
moral　welfare　of　mankind　second　in　his　estimation。　Men　are　to　be　made
sober　and　industrious；　mainly；　that；　as　washed；　shorn；　and　docile
sheep；　they　may　be　driven　into　the　narrow　theological　fold　which　Mr。
Booth　patronizes。　If　they　refuse　to　enter；　for　all　their　moral
cleanliness；　they　will　have　to　take　their　place　among　the　goats　as
sinners；　only　less　dirty　than　the　rest。

I　have　been　in　the　habit　of　thinking　（and　I　believe　the　opinion　is
largely　shared　by　reasonable　men）　that　self…respect　and　thrift　are　the
rungs　of　the　ladder　by　which　men　may　most　surely　climb　out　of　the
slough　of　despond　of　want；　and　I　have　regarded　them　as　perhaps　the
most　eminent　of　the　practical　virtues。　That　is　not　Mr。　Booth's
opinion。　For　him　they　are　mere　varnished　sinsnothing　better　than
〃Pride　re…baptised〃　（p。　46）。　Shutting　his　eyes　to　the　necessary
consequences　of　the　struggle　for　life；　the　existence　of　which　he
accepts　as　fully　as　any　Darwinian；*　Mr。　Booth　tells　men；　whose　evil
case　is　one　of　those　consequences；　that　envy　is　a　corner…stone　of　our
＇252＇　competitive　system。　With　thrift　and　self…respect　denounced　as
sin；　with　the　suffering　of　starving　men　referred　to　the　sins　of　the
capitalist；　the　gospel　according　to　Mr。　Booth　may　save　souls；　but　it
will　hardly　save　society。

　　　　*　See　p。　100

In　estimating　the　social　and　political　influence　which　the　Salvation
Army　is　likely　to　exert；　it　is　important　to　reflect　that　the　officers
（pledged　to　blind　obedience　to　their　〃General〃）　are　not　to　confine
themselves　to　the　functions　of　mere　deacons　and　catechists　（though；
under　a　〃General〃　like　Cyril；　Alexandria　knew　to　her　cost　what　even
they　could　effect）；　they　are　to　be　〃tribunes　of　the　people；〃　who　are
to　act　as　their　gratuitous　legal　advisers；　and；　when　law　is　not
sufficiently　effective；　the　whole　force　of　the　army　is　to　obtain　what
the　said　tribunes　may　conceive　to　be　justice；　by　the　practice　of
ruthless　intimidation。　Society；　says　Mr。　Booth；　needs　〃mothering〃；　and
he　sets　forth；　with　much　complacency；　a　variety　of　〃cases；〃　by　which
we　may　estimate　the　sort　of　〃mothering〃　to　be　expected　at　his　parental
hands。　Those　who　study　the　materials　thus　set　before　them　will；　I
think；　be　driven　to　the　conclusion　that　the　〃mother〃　has　already
proved　herself　a　most　unscrupulous　meddler；　even　if　she　has　not　fallen