are produced to establish the truth that Germany； though still
largely wicked and impenitent； is being slowly and conclusively
beaten by the sanity； courage and persistence of the Allied
common men； then the Genteel Whig retorts with his last defensive
absurdity。 He invents a national psychology for Germany。
Germany； he invents； loves us and wants to be our dearest friend。
Germany has always loved us。 The Germans are a loving； unenvious
people。 They have been a little misleadbut nice people do not
insist upon that fact。 But beware of beating Germany； beware of
humiliating Germany； then indeed trouble will come。 Germany will
begin to dislike us。 She will plan a revenge。 Turning aside
from her erstwhile innocent career； she may even think of hate。
What are our obligations to France； Italy； Serbia and Russia；
what is the happiness of a few thousands of the Herero； a few
millions of the Belgianswhose numbers moreover are constantly
diminishingwhen we might weigh them against the danger； the
most terrible danger； of incurring /permanent German
hostility？。。。/
A Frenchman I talked to knew better than that。 〃What will happen
to Germany；〃 I asked； 〃if we are able to do so to her and so；
would she take to dreams of a /Revanche？/〃
〃She will take to Anglomania；〃 he said； and added after a flash
of reflection； 〃In the long run it will be the worse for you。〃
III。 THE RELIGIOUS REVIVAL
1
One of the indisputable things about the war； so far as Britain
and France goand I have reason to believe that on a lesser
scale things are similar in Italyis that it has produced a very
great volume of religious thought and feeling。 About Russia in
these matters we hear but little at the present time； but one
guesses at parallelism。 People habitually religious have been
stirred to new depths of reality and sincerity； and people are
thinking of religion who never thought of religion before。 But
as I have already pointed out； thinking and feeling about a
matter is of no permanent value unless something is /thought
out/； unless there is a change of boundary or relationship；
and it an altogether different question to ask whether any
definite change is resulting from this universal ferment。 If it
is not doing so； then the sleeper merely dreams a dream that he
will forget again。。。。
Now in no sort of general popular mental activity is there so
much froth and waste as in religious excitements。 This has been
the case in all periods of religious revival。 The number who are
rather impressed； who for a few days or weeks take to reading
their Bibles or going to a new place of worship or praying or
fasting or being kind and unselfish； is always enormous in
relation to the people whose lives are permanently changed。 The
effort needed if a contemporary is to blow off the froth； is
always very considerable。
Among the froth that I would blow off is I think most of the
tremendous efforts being made in England by the Anglican church
to attract favourable attention to itself /apropos/
of the war。 I came back from my visit to the Somme battlefields
to find the sylvan peace of Essex invaded by a number of ladies
in blue dresses adorned with large white crosses； who； regardless
of the present shortage of nurses； were visiting every home in
the place on some mission of invitation whose details remained
obscure。 So far as I was able to elucidate this project； it was
in the nature of a magic incantation； a satisfactory end of the
war was to be brought about by convergent prayer and religious
assiduities。 The mission was shy of dealing with me personally；
although as a lapsed communicant I should have thought myself a
particularly hopeful field for Anglican effort； and it came to my
wife and myself merely for our permission and countenance in an
appeal to our domestic servants。 My wife consulted the
household； it seemed very anxious to escape from that appeal； and
as I respect Christianity sufficiently to detest the
identification of its services with magic processes； the mission
retiredcivilly repulsed。 But the incident aroused an uneasy
curiosity in my mind with regard to the general trend of Anglican
teaching and Anglican activities at the present time。 The trend
of my enquiries is to discover the church much more incoherent
and much less religiousin any decent sense of the wordthan I
had supposed it to be。
Organisation is the life of material and the death of mental and
spiritual processes。 There could be no more melancholy
exemplification of this than the spectacle of the Anglican and
Catholic churches at the present time； one using the tragic
stresses of war mainly for pew…rent touting； and the other
paralysed by its Austrian and South German political connections
from any clear utterance upon the moral issues of the war。
Through the opening phases of the war the Established Church of
England was inconspicuous； this is no longer the case； but it may
be doubted whether the change is altogether to its advantage。 To
me this is a very great disappointment。 I have always had a very
high opinion of the intellectual values of the leading divines of
both the Anglican and Catholic communions。 The self…styled
Intelligentsia of Great Britain is all too prone to sneer at
their equipment； but I do not see how any impartial person can
deny that Father Bernard Vaughn is in mental energy； vigour of
expression； richness of thought and variety of information fully
the equal of such an influential lay publicist as Mr。 Horatio
Bottomley。 One might search for a long time among prominent
laymen to find the equal of the Bishop of London。 Nevertheless
it is impossible to conceal the impression of tawdriness that
this latter gentleman's work as head of the National Mission has
left upon my mind。 Attired in khaki he has recently been
preaching in the open air to the people of London upon Tower
Hill； Piccadilly； and other conspicuous places。 Obsessed as I am
by the humanities； and impressed as I have always been by the
inferiority of material to moral facts； I would willingly have
exchanged the sight of two burning Zeppelins for this spectacle
of ecclesiastical fervour。 But as it is； I am obliged to trust
to newspaper reports and the descriptions of hearers and eye…
witnesses。 They leave to me but little doubt of the regrettable
superficiality of the bishop's utterances。
We have a multitude of people chastened by losses； ennobled by a
common effort； needing support in that effort； perplexed by the
reality of evil and cruelty； questioning and seeking after God。
What does the National Mission offer？ On Tower Hill the bishop
seems to have been chiefly busy with a wrangling demonstration
that ten thousand a year is none too big a salary for a man
subject to such demands and expenses as his see involves。 So far
from making anything out of his see he was； he declared； two
thousand a year to the bad。 Some day； when the church has
studied efficiency； I suppose that bishops will have the leisure
to learn something about the general state of opinion and
education in their dioceses。 The Bishop of London was evidently
unaware of the almost automatic response of the sharp socialists
among his hearers。 Their first enquiry would be to learn how he
came by that mysterious extra two thousand a year with which he
supplemented his stipend。 How did he earn /that？/ And if he
didn't earn it…！ And secondly； they would probably have
pointed out to him that his standard of housing； clothing； diet
and entertaining was probably a little higher than theirs。 It is
really no proof of virtuous purity that a man's expenditure
exceeds his income。 And finally some other of his hearers were
left unsatisfied by his silence with regard to the current
proposal to pool all clerical stipends for the common purposes of
the church。 It is a reasonable proposal； and if bishops must
dispute about stipends instead of preaching the kingdom of God；
then they are bound to face it。 The sooner they do so； the more
graceful will the act be。 From these personal apologetics the
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 ga