But no sooner were they on their way than recurrence was had to the subject of the morning sermon.
“I like Mr. Farrar,” said Westgate. “I believe he intends to say and do the right thing. But he has permitted himself, by reason of his sympathy with toiling humanity, to be led off into strange paths.”
“I like him too,” responded Ruth. “And I can’t help feeling that he’s on the right track. I don’t believe there’s any other way than the one he suggests to evangelize the working people. Just think what he’s done already. Did you ever see more persons of all kinds coming to the services at Christ Church than he is drawing there now?”
“No; but big congregations do not necessarily make the Church prosperous, nor advance the cause of religion. These people come because it pleases them to hear attacks made on the rich, and commendation given to the poor. It is simply an expression of class consciousness with them. They have no religious motive in coming.”
“But how else are you going to get them at all under the influence of the Church? Here I’ve been doing guild work for years. I’ve distributed I don’t know how many bushels of food and loads of outgrown garments to the poor; and how many people do you suppose I’ve been able to bring into the Church by doing it? Just four. I counted them up yesterday. I tell you, Phil, these people will not be bribed into accepting religion. What they want, as Mr. Farrar explained, is recognition, not charity. When they get that we’ll get them into the Church. The Church needs new life, and Mr. Farrar has chosen the only way to supply it.”
“I’m afraid he’s putting into it more discord than life. I can’t believe that the pulpit is the place from which to propound doctrines of social and political economy. And there are many in Christ Church that are not only like-minded with me, but who resent the rector’s attitude far more than I do.”
“That’s because you’re all of you behind the times. Because you’re over conservative, just as mother is; just as all these people are who have more than enough for themselves, and can’t begin to appreciate the desires and struggles and needs of the poor.”
Westgate’s patience was ebbing. He felt that the girl was taking an entirely unreasonable attitude.
“Ruth,” he said, “you are losing your head over this thing. You are being carried away by your sympathies and by this man’s plausible appeal. You don’t detect the fallacies in his position. You are not exercising your judgment.”
“Oh,” she replied, “I know my own mind, and I’ve thought it all out, and I’ve read, and I’ve investigated on my own account, and I’ve come to the conclusion that if all these dreadful social ills, and this degrading and unremitting toil, and this hopeless poverty are ever to be done away with, the Church must be the leader in the movement to abolish them. There’s no earthly power or influence that can accomplish the task unaided by the power and influence of the Church. Oh, I know that Mr. Farrar is going about the work in the right way, and I know that in the end his work will produce splendid results.”