evolution and ethics and other essays-第42章

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　　　（3）　Dr。　Geikie　confirms；　on　the　ground　of　information　given
confidentially　by　other　officers；　＇259＇　Mr。　Redstone's　assertion　that
they　are　watched　and　reported　by　spies　from　headquarters。

　　　（4）　Mr。　Booth　refuses　to　guarantee　his　officers　any　fixed　amount　of
salary。　While　he　and　his　family　of　high　officials　live　in　comfort；　if
not　in　luxury；　the　pledged　slaves　whose　devotion　is　the　foundation　of
any　true　success　the　Army　has　met　with　often　have　〃hardly　food　enough
to　sustain　life。　One　good　fellow　frankly　told　me　that　when　he　had
nothing　he　just　went　and　begged。〃

At　this　point；　it　is　proper　that　I　should　interpose　an　apology　for
having　hastily　spoken　of　such　men　as　Francis　of　Assisi；　even　for
purposes　of　warning；　in　connection　with　Mr。　Booth。　Whatever　may　be
thought　of　the　wisdom　of　the　plans　of　the　founders　of　the　great
monastic　orders　of　the　middle　ages；　they　took　their　full　share　of
suffering　and　privation；　and　never　shirked　in　their　own　persons　the
sacrifices　they　imposed　on　their　followers。

I　have　already　expressed　the　opinion；　that　whatever　the　ostensible
purpose　of　the　scheme　under　discussion；　one　of　its　consequences　will
be　the　setting　up　and　endowment　of　a　new　Ranter…Socialist　sect。　I　may
now　add　that　another　effect　will　beindeed；　has　beento　set　up　and
endow　the　Booth　dynasty　with　unlimited　control　of　the　physical；　moral；
and　financial　resources　of　the　sect。　Mr。　Booth　is　already　a　printer
and　publisher；　who；　it　is　plainly　declared；　utilizes　the　officers　of
the　＇260＇　Army　as　agents　for　advertising　and　selling　his　publications；
and　some　of　them　are　so　strongly　impressed　with　the　belief　that　active
pushing　of　Mr。　Booth's　business　is　the　best　road　to　their　master's
favour；　that　when　the　public　obstinately　refuse　to　purchase　his　papers
they　buy　them　themselves　and　send　the　proceeds　to　headquarters。　Mr。
Booth　is　also　a　retail　trader　on　a　large　scale；　and　the　Dean　of　Wells
has；　most　seasonably；　drawn　attention　to　the　very　notable　banking
project　which　he　is　trying　to　float。　Any　one　who　follows　Dean
Plumptre's　clear　exposition　of　the　principles　of　this　financial
operation　can　have　little　doubt　that；　whether　they　are；　or　are　not；
adequate　to　the　attainment　of　the　first　and　second　of　Mr。　Booth's
ostensible　objects；　they　may　be　trusted　to　effect　a　wide　extension　of
any　kingdom　in　which　worldly　possessions　are　of　no　value。　We　are；　in
fact；　in　sight　of　a　financial　catastrophe　like　that　of　Law　a　century
ago。　Only　it　is　the　poor　who　will　suffer。

I　have　already　occupied　too　much　of　your　space；　and　yet　I　have　drawn
upon　only　one　of　the　sources　of　information　about　the　inner　working　of
the　Salvation　Army　at　my　disposition。　Far　graver　charges　than　any　here
dealt　with　are　publicly　brought　in　the　others。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　am；　Sir；　your　obedient　servant；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　T。　H。　Huxley。


＇261＇　P。S。　I　have　just　read　Mr。　Buchanan's　letter　in　the　Times　of
to…day。　　Mr。　Buchanan　is；　I　believe；　an　imaginative　writer。　I　am　not
acquainted　with　his　works；　but　nothing　in　the　way　of　fiction　he　has
yet　achieved　can　well　surpass　his　account　of　my　opinions　and　of　the
purport　of　my　writings。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IV

The　〃Times〃　December　20th；　1890

Sir；In　discussing　Mr。　Booth's　projects　I　have　hitherto　left　in　the
background　a　distinction　which　must　be　kept　well　in　sight　by　those　who
wish　to　form　a　fair　judgment　of　the　influence；　for　good　or　evil；　of
the　Salvation　Army。　Salvationism；　the　work　of　〃saving　souls〃　by
revivalist　methods；　is　one　thing；　Boothism；　the　utilization　of　the
workers　for　the　furtherance　of　Mr。　　Booth's　peculiar　projects；　is
another。　Mr。　Booth　has　captured；　and　harnessed　with　sharp　bits　and
effectual　blinkers；　a　multitude　of　ultra…Evangelical　missionaries　of
the　revivalist　school　who　were　wandering　at　large。　It　is　this
skilfully；　if　somewhat　mercilessly；　driven　team　which　has　dragged　the
〃General's〃　coach…load　of　projects　into　their　present　position。

＇262＇　Looking；　then；　at　the　host　of　Salvationists　proper；　from　the
〃captains〃　downwards　（to　whom；　in　my　judgment；　the　family　hierarchy
stands　in　the　relation　of　the　Old　Man　of　the　Sea　to　Sinbad）；　as　an
independent　entity；　I　desire　to　say　that　the　evidence　before　me；
whether　hostile　or　friendly　to　the　General　and　his　schemes；　is
distinctly　favourable　to　them。　　It　exhibits　them　as；　in　the　main；
poor；　uninstructed；　not　unfrequently　fanatical；　enthusiasts；　the
purity　of　whose　lives；　the　sincerity　of　whose　belief；　and　the
cheerfulness　of　whose　endurance　of　privation　and　rough　usage；　in　what
they　consider　a　just　cause；　command　sincere　respect。　For　my　part；
though　I　conceive　the　corybantic　method　of　soul…saving　to　be　full　of
dangers；　and　though　the　theological　speculations　of　these　good　people
are　to　me　wholly　unacceptable；　yet　I　believe　that　the　evils　which　must
follow　in　the　track　of　such　errors；　as　of　all　other　errors；　will　be
largely　outweighed　by　the　moral　and　social　improvement　of　the　people
whom　they　convert。　I　would　no　more　raise　my　voice　against　them　（so
long　as　they　abstain　from　annoying　their　neighbours）　than　I　would
quarrel　with　a　man；　vigorously　sweeping　out　a　stye；　on　account　of　the
shape　of　his　broom；　or　because　he　made　a　great　noise　over　his　work。　I
have　always　had　a　strong　faith　in　the　principle　of　the　injunction；
〃Thou　shalt　not　muzzle　the　ox　that　treadeth　out　the　corn。〃　If　a
kingdom　is　worth　a　Mass；　as　a　great　＇263＇　ruler　said；　surely　the　reign
of　clean　living；　industry；　and　thrift　is　worth　any　quantity　of
tambourines　and　eccentric　doctrinal　hypotheses。　All　that　I　have
hitherto　said；　and　propose　further　to　say；　is　directed　against　Mr。
Booth's　extremely　clever；　audacious；　and　hitherto　successful　attempt
to　utilize　the　credit　won　by　all　this　honest　devotion　and
self…sacrifice　for　the　purposes　of　his　socialistic　autocracy。

I　now　propose　to　bring　forward　a　little　more　evidence　as　to　how　things
really　stand　where　Mr。　Booth's　system　has　had　a　fair　trial。　I　obtain
it；　mainly；　from　a　curious　pamphlet；　the　title　of　which　runs：　〃The　New
Papacy。　　Behind　the　Scenes　in　the　Salvation　Army；〃　by　an　ex…Staff
Officer。　〃Make　not　my　Father's　house　a　house　of　merchandise〃　（John　ii。
16）。　1889。　Published　at　Toronto；　by　A。　Britnell。　On　the　cover　it　is
stated　that　〃This　is　the　book　which　was　burned　by　the　authorities　of
the　Salvation　Army。〃　I　remind　the　reader；　once　more；　that　the
statements　which　I　shall　cite　must　be　regarded　as　ex　parte；　all　I　can
vouch　for　is　that；　on　grounds　of　internal　evidence　and　from　other
concurrent　testimony　respecting　the　ways　of　the　Booth　hierarchy；　I
feel　justified　in　using　them。

This　is　the　picture　the　writer　draws　of　the　army　in　the　early　days　of
its　invasion　of　the　Dominion　of　Canada：

＇264＇　〃Then；　it　will　be　remembered；　it　professed　to　be　the　humble
handmaid　of　the　existing　churches；　its　professed　object　was　the
evangelization　of　the　masses。　It　repudiated　the　idea　of　building　up　a
separate　religious　body；　and　it　denounced　the　practice　of　gathering
together　wealth　and　the　accumulation　of　property。　Men　and　women　other
than　its　own　converts　gathered　around　it　and　threw　themselves　heart
and　soul　into　the　work；　for　the　simple　reason　that　it　offered；　as　they
supposed；　a　more　extended　and　widely　open　field　for　evangelical
effort。　Ministers　everywhere　were　invited　and　welcomed　to　its
platforms；　majors　and　colonels　were　few　and　far　between；　and　the
supremacy　and　power　of　the　General　were　things　unknown　。　。　。　　Care　was
taken　to　avoid　anything　like　proselytism；　its　converts　were　never
coerced　into　joining　its　ranks。。。　　In　a　word；　the　organization
occupied　the　position　of　an　auxiliary　mission　and　recruiting　agency
for　the　various　religious　bodies。。。。　The　meetings　were　crowded；　people
professed　conversion　by　the　score；　the　public　liberally　supplied　the
means　to　carry　on　the　work　in　their　respective　communities；　therefore
every　corps　was　wholly　self…supporting；　its　officers　were　properly；　if
not　luxuriously；　cared　for；　the　local　expenditure　was　amply　provided；
and；　under　the　supervision　of　the　secretary；　a　local　member；　and　the
officer　in　charge；　the　funds　were　disbursed　in　the　towns　where　they
were　collected；　and