第77章 THE NINTH - THE THIRD VISION(21)

There is no righteousness in the world, there is no right government, except it be the kingdom of God.'"He paused and looked at them.They were all listening to him now.But he was still haunted by a dread of preaching in his own family.He dropped to the conversational note again.

"You see what I had in mind.I saw I must come out of this, and preach the kingdom of God.That was my idea.I don't want to force it upon you, but I want you to understand why I acted as Idid.But let me come to the particular thing that has happened to-day.I did not think when I made my final decision to leave the church that it meant such poverty as this we are living in--permanently.That is what I want to make clear to you.I thought there would be a temporary dip into dinginess, but that was all.

There was a plan; at the time it seemed a right and reasonable plan; for setting up a chapel in London, a very plain and simple undenominational chapel, for the simple preaching of the world kingdom of God.There was some one who seemed prepared to meet all the immediate demands for such a chapel.""Was it Lady Sunderbund?" asked Clementina.

Scrope was pulled up abruptly."Yes," he said."It seemed at first a quite hopeful project.""We'd have hated that," said Clementina, with a glance as if for assent, at her mother."We should all have hated that.""Anyhow it has fallen through."

"We don't mind that," said Clementina, and Daphne echoed her words.

"I don't see that there is any necessity to import this note of --hostility to Lady Sunderbund into this matter." He addressed himself rather more definitely to Lady Ella."She's a woman of a very extraordinary character, highly emotional, energetic, generous to an extraordinary extent...."Daphne made a little noise like a comment.

A faint acerbity in her father's voice responded.

"Anyhow you make a mistake if you think that the personality of Lady Sunderbund has very much to do with this thing now.Her quality may have brought out certain aspects of the situation rather more sharply than they might have been brought out under other circumstances, but if this chapel enterprise had been suggested by quite a different sort of person, by a man, or by a committee, in the end I think I should have come to the same conclusion.Leave Lady Sunderbund out.Any chapel was impossible.

It is just this specialization that has been the trouble with religion.It is just this tendency to make it the business of a special sort of man, in a special sort of building, on a special day--Every man, every building, every day belongs equally to God.

That is my conviction.I think that the only possible existing sort of religions meeting is something after the fashion of the Quaker meeting.In that there is no professional religious man at all; not a trace of the sacrifices to the ancient gods....And no room for a professional religions man...." He felt his argument did a little escape him.He snatched, "That is what I want to make clear to you.God is not a speciality; he is a universal interest."He stopped.Both Daphne and Clementina seemed disposed to say something and did not say anything.

Miriam was the first to speak."Daddy," she said, "I know I'm stupid.But are we still Christians?""I want you to think for yourselves."

"But I mean," said Miriam, "are we--something like Quakers--a sort of very broad Christians?"

"You are what you choose to be.If you want to keep in the church, then you must keep in the church.If you feel that the Christian doctrine is alive, then it is alive so far as you are concerned.""But the creeds?" asked Clementina.

He shook his head."So far as Christianity is defined by its creeds, I am not a Christian.If we are going to call any sort of religious feeling that has a respect for Jesus, Christianity, then no doubt I am a Christian.But so was Mohammed at that rate.

Let me tell you what I believe.I believe in God, I believe in the immediate presence of God in every human life, I believe that our lives have to serve the Kingdom of God....""That practically is what Mr.Chasters calls 'The Core of Truth in Chrlstianity.'""You have been reading him?"

"Eleanor lent me the book.But Mr.Chasters keeps his living.""I am not Chasters," said Scrope stiffly, and then relenting:

"What he does may be right for him.But I could not do as he does."Lady Ella had said no word for some time.

"I would be ashamed," she said quietly, "if you had not done as you have done.I don't mind--The girls don't mind--all this....

Not when we understand--as we do now.

That was the limit of her eloquence.

"Not now that we understand, Daddy," said Clementina, and a faint flavour of Lady Sunderbund seemed to pass and vanish.

There was a queer little pause.He stood rather distressed and perplexed, because the talk had not gone quite as he had intended it to go.It had deteriorated towards personal issues.Phoebe broke the awkwardness by jumping up and coming to her father.

"Dear Daddy," she said, and kissed him.

"We didn't understand properly," said Clementina, in the tone of one who explains away much--that had never been spoken....

"Daddy," said Miriam with an inspiration, "may I play something to you presently?""But the fire!" interjected Lady Ella, disposing of that idea.

"I want you to know, all of you, the faith I have," he said.

Daphne had remained seated at the table.

"Are we never to go to church again?" she asked, as if at a loss.

(17)

Scrope went back into his little study.He felt shy and awkward with his daughters now.He felt it would be difficult to get back to usualness with them.To-night it would be impossible.