in darkest england and the way out-第73部分

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that　an　ever…increasing　multitude　of　men　and　women　must　eventually　be　won。

That　all　this　has　not　amounted　to　the　creation　of　a　mere　passing　gust　of　feeling；　may　best　be　demonstrated　perhaps　from　the　fact　that　the　Army　has　accumulated　no　less　than　#775；000　worth　of　property；　pays　rentals　amounting　to　#220；000　per　annum　for　its　meeting　places；　and　has　a　total　income　from　all　sources　of　three…quarters　of　a　million　per　annum。　　Now　consider　from　whence　all　this　has　sprung。　It　is　only　twenty…five　years　since　the　author　of　this　volume　stood　absolutely　alone　in　the　East　of　London；　to　endeavour　to　Christianise　its　irreligious　multitudes；　without　the　remotest　conception　in　his　own　mind　of　the　possibility　of　any　such　Organisation　being　created。

Consider；　moreover；　through　what　opposition　the　Salvation　Army　has　ever　had　to　make　its　way。

In　each　country　it　has　to　face　universal　prejudice；　distrust；　and　contempt；　and　often　stronger　antipathy　still。　　This　opposition　has　generally　found　expression　in　systematic；　Governmental；　and　Police　restriction；　followed　in　too　many　cases　by　imprisonment；　and　by　the　condemnatory　outpourings　of　Bishops；　Clergy；　Pressmen　and　others；　naturally　followed　in　too　many　instances　by　the　oaths　and　curses；　the　blows　and　insults　of　the　populace。　　Through　all　this；　in　country　after　country；　the　Army　makes　its　way　to　the　position　of　universal　respect；　that　respect；　at　any　rate；　which　is　shown　to　those　who　have　conquered。　　And　of　what　material　has　this　conquering　host　been　made？　Wherever　the　Army　goes　it　gathers　into　its　meetings；　in　the　first　instance；　a　crowd　of　the　most　debased；　brutal；　blasphemous　elements　that　can　be　found　who；　if　permitted；　interrupt　the　services；　and　if　they　see　the　slightest　sign　of　police　tolerance　for　their　misconduct；　frequently　fall　upon　the　Army　officers　or　their　property　with　violence。　　Yet　a　couple　of　Officers　face　such　an　audience　with　the　absolute　certainty　of　recruiting　out　of　it　an　Army　Corps。　Many　thousands　of　those　who　are　now　most　prominent　in　the　ranks　of　the　Army　never　knew　what　it　was　to　pray　before　they　attended　its　services；　and　large　numbers　of　them　had　settled　into　a　profound　conviction　that　everything　connected　with　religion　was　utterly　false。　　It　is　out　of　such　material　that　God　has　constructed　what　is　admitted　to　be　one　of　the　most　fervid　bodies　of　believers　ever　seen　on　the　face　of　the　earth。

Many　persons　in　looking　at　the　progress　of　the　Army　have　shown　a　strange　want　of　discernment　in　talking　and　writing　as　though　all　this　had　been　done　in　a　most　haphazard　fashion；　or　as　though　an　individual　could　by　the　mere　effort　of　his　will　produce　such　changes　in　the　lives　of　others　as　he　chose。　　The　slightest　reflection　will　be　sufficient　we　are　sure　to　convince　any　impartial　individual　that　the　gigantic　results　attained　by　the　Salvation　Army　could　only　be　reached　by　steady　unaltering　processes　adapted　to　this　end。　　And　what　are　the　processes　by　which　this　great　Army　has　been　made？

1。　The　foundation　of　all　the　Army's　success；　looked　at　apart　from　its　divine　source　of　strength；　is　its　continued　direct　attack　upon　those　whom　it　seeks　to　bring　under　the　influence　of　the　Gospel。　The　Salvation　Army　Officer；　instead　of　standing　upon　some　dignified　pedestal；　to　describe　the　fallen　condition　of　his　fellow　men；　in　the　hope　that　though　far　from　him；　they　may　thus；　by　some　mysterious　process；　come　to　a　better　life；　goes　down　into　the　street；　and　from　door　to　door；　and　from　room　to　room；　lays　his　hands　on　those　who　are　spiritually　sick；　and　leads　them　to　the　Almighty　Healer。　　In　its　forms　of　speech　and　writing　the　Army　constantly　exhibits　this　same　characteristic。　Instead　of　propounding　religious　theories　or　pretending　to　teach　a　system　of　theology；　it　speaks　much　after　the　fashion　of　the　old　Prophet　or　Apostle；　to　each　individual；　about　his　or　her　sin　and　duty；　thus　bringing　to　bear　upon　each　heart　and　conscience　the　light　and　power　from　heaven；　by　which　alone　the　world　can　be　transformed。

2。　And　step　by　step；　along　with　this　human　contact　goes　unmistakably　something　that　is　not　human。

The　puzzlement　and　self…contradiction　of　most　critics　of　the　Army　springs　undoubtedly　from　the　fact　that　they　are　bound　to　account　for　its　success　without　admitting　that　any　superhuman　power　attends　its　ministry；　yet　day　after　day；　and　night　after　night；　the　wonderful　facts　go　on　multiplying。　　The　man　who　last　night　was　drunk　in　a　London　slum；　is　to…night　standing　up　for　Christ　on　an　Army　platform。　　The　clever　sceptic；　who　a　few　weeks　ago　was　interrupting　the　speakers　in　Berlin；　and　pouring　contempt　upon　their　claims　to　a　personal　knowledge　of　the　unseen　Saviour；　is　to…day　as　thorough　a　believer　as　any　of　them。　The　poor　girl；　lost　to　shame　and　hope；　who　a　month　ago　was　an　outcast　of　Paris；　is　to…day　a　modest　devoted　follower　of　Christ；　working　in　a　humble　situation。　　To　those　who　admit　we　are　right　in　saying　〃this　is　the　Lord's　doing；〃　all　is　simple　enough；　and　our　certainty　that　the　dregs　of　Society　can　become　its　ornaments　requires　no　further　explanation。

3。　All　these　modern　miracles　would；　however；　have　been　comparatively　useless　but　for　the　Army's　system　of　utilising　the　gifts　and　energy　of　our　converts　to　the　uttermost。　　Suppose　that　without　any　claim　to　Divine　power　the　Army　had　succeeded　in　raising　up　tens　of　thousands　of　persons；　formerly　unknown　and　unseen　in　the　community；　and　made　them　into　Singers；　Speakers；　Musicians；　and　Orderlies；　that　would　surely　in　itself　have　been　a　remarkable　fact。　　But　not　only　have　these　engaged　in　various　labours　for　the　benefit　of　the　community。　　They　have　been　filled　with　a　burning　ambition　to　attain　the　highest　possible　degree　of　usefulness。　　No　one　can　wonder　that　we　expect　to　see　the　same　process　carried　on　successfully　amongst　our　new　friends　of　the　Casual　Ward　and　the　Slum。　　And　if　the　Army　has　been　able　to　accomplish　all　this　utilisation　of　human　talents　for　the　highest　purposes；　in　spite　of　an　almost　universally　prevailing　contrary　practice　amongst　the　Churches；　what　may　not　its　Social　Wing　be　expected　to　do；　with　the　example　of　the　Army　before　it？

4。　The　maintenance　of　all　this　system　has；　of　course；　been　largely　due　to　the　unqualified　acceptance　of　military　government　and　discipline。　But　for　this　we　cannot　be　blind　to　the　fact　that　even　in　our　own　ranks　difficulties　would　every　day　arise　as　to　the　exaltation　to　front　seats　of　those　who　were　formerly　persecutors　and　injurious。　　The　old　feeling　which　would　have　kept　Paul　suspected；　in　the　background；　after　his　conversion　is；　unfortunately；　a　part　of　the　conservative　groundwork　of　human　nature　that　continues　to　exist　everywhere；　and　which　has　to　be　overcome　by　rigid　discipline　in　order　to　secure　that　everywhere　and　always；　the　new　convert　should　be　made　the　most　of　for　Christ。　But　our　Army　system　is　a　great　indisputable　fact；　so　much　so　that　our　enemies　sometimes　reproach　us　with　it。　　That　it　should　be　possible　to　create　an　Army　Organisation；　and　to　secure　faithful　execution　of　duty　daily　is　indeed　a　wonder；　but　a　wonder　accomplished；　just　as　completely　amongst　the　Republicans　of　America　and　France；　as　amongst　the　militarily　trained　Germans；　or　the　subjects　of　the　British　monarchy。　It　is　notorious　that　we　can　send　an　officer　from　London；　possessed　of　no　extraordinary　ability；　to　take　command　of　any　corps　in　the　world；　with　a　certainty　that　he　will　find　soldiers　eager　to　do　his　bidding；　and　without　a　thought　of　disputing　his　commands；　so　long　as　he　continues　faithful　to　the　orders　and　regulations　under　which　his　men　are　enlisted。

5。　But　those　show　a　curious　ignorance　who　set　down　our　successes　to　this　discipline；　as　though　it　were　something　of　the　prison　order；　although　enforced　without　any　of　the　power　lying　either　behind　the　prison　warder　or　the　Catholic　priest。　　On　the　contrary；　wherever　the　discipline　of　the　Army　has　been　endangered；　and　its　regular　success　for　a　time　interrupted；　it　has　been　through　an　attempt　to　enforce　it　without　enough　of　that　joyous；　cheerful　spirit　of　love　which　is　its　main　spring。　　Nobody　can　become　acquainted　with　our　soldiers　in　any　land；　without　being　almost　immediately　struck　with　their　extraordinary　gladness；　and　this　joy　is　in　itself　one　of　the　most　infectious　and　influential　elements　of　the　Army's　success。　　But　if　this　be　so；　amid　the　comparatively　well　to　do；　judge　of　what　its　results　are　likely　to　be　amongst　the　poorest　and　most　wretched！　　To　those　who　have　never　known　bright　days；　the　mere　sight　of　a　happy　face　is　as　it　were　a　revelation　and　inspiration　in　one。

6。　But　the　Army's　success　does　not　come　with　magical　rapidity；　it　depends；　like　that　of　all　real　work；　upon　infinite　perseverance。

To　say　nothing　of　the　perseverance　of　the　Officer　who　has　made　the　saving　of　men　his　life　work；　and　who；　occupied　and　absorbed　with　this　great　pursuit；　may　naturally　enough　be　expected　to　remain　faithful；　there　are　multitudes　of　our　Soldiers　who；　after　a　hard　day's　toil　for　their　daily　bread；　have　but　a　few　hours　of　leisure；　but　devote　it　ungrudgingly　to　the　service　of　the　War。　　Again　and　again；　when　the　remains　of　some　Soldier　are　laid　to　rest；　amid　the　almost　universal　respect　of　a　town；　which　once　knew　him　only　as　an　evil…doer；　we　hear　it　said　that　this　man；　since