Six—The report of the Malvern Conference in the CATHOLIC HERALD of February 7, gave no little prominence to the paper given by Mr. Middleton Murry.
We have heard a good deal about Mr. Murry of tate with regard to his views of the Churches-nominal, and now (as in his latest book The Betrayal of Christ by the Churches), we find him putting forward the same impracticable solution to the question of the Church's irrelevance in modern social problems; withdraw from the world and " seek centres of autonomous living where the true principles of life may be discovered and built up, perhaps, against some future day and generation."
It is unfortunate, also, to see Mr. Charles Davey, in his letter to the CATHOLIC HERALD of the same date, putting jorward a similar solution: to " cut the bons which bind us to the old world and evolve in community the proper way of living." Both, it should be noticed, are calling upon us as Christians, to break away from the decadent society in which we live, and build up our hopes and activities in some future society, yet scarcely formed.
Perhaps 1 am less farsighted than they, when I suggest that every generation possesses men with souls to save. This generation, and succeeding generations, and in fact every generation until the part played by Christian-community has become a significant force in the spreading of Christ's teaching, will require a mass of militant Christian enthusiasts willing to act at the present time for an immediate aim—the salvation of people who will not live to see the millenium of Mr. Middleton Murry.
Thus my argument is this: Mr. Murry and his fellow-thinkers are hoping to build up a society which will, IN COURSE OP TIME, bring about a Christian State and the subsequent conversion and salvation of thousands. But when they look around the world today do they not feel that the need is immediate? When they plan the formation of their communities which they hope will eventually bring the world to Christ—do they think of the millions who are on the verge of losing their souls now, at this very moment? Can they dare to be planning the building of a new bridge before they rescue those who are on the old one which is quickly giving way?
If, as Mr. Murry suggests, we withdraw from this world, and build up for some future time—if, as he suggests, the propagators of Christ's kingdom should cease teaching and concentrate their efforts for a while on planning this Christian State—a million billion martyrs will be required to shed their blood to regain the ground lost in this tran sition. We cannot for a moment cut the bonds which bind us to the Old World hecause that Old World needs Christ now more than ever before — perhaps as never again.
Desetosio Feeverco.
67, Broad Street, Birmingham, I.