74 QUAKER ASPECTS OF TRUTH 



Of course^ I know that in the past great and good 

 souls have worshipped God in deserts, finding in a 

 sense of harmony with nature and unity with all creation, 

 that element in worship which fellowship supplies. 

 Nor do I wish to dispute the fact that it is well for us all, 

 at times, to retire into solitude that we may there 

 commune with God, But it is none the less true that, 

 as a general rule, it is impossible to worship God in any 

 full and complete sense unless we have fellowship one 

 with another. This is why worship, to be fully realised, 

 must be a congregational and not merely an individual 

 experience. Ideal worship cannot be solitary, because 

 it cannot be selfish. 



It has been well and truly said that man is a gregarious 

 animal, for there is in every healthy-minded man and 

 woman, a natural craving for human fellowship which 

 nothing but fellowship can ever satisfy. Why is it 

 that our public houses are so full and our places of 

 , worship so empty ? Is it that drink can be bought in 

 |the public house and not in the place of worship ? I 

 think not 1 With shame be it confessed that the 

 fellowship in the public house is often a more real thing 

 than the fellowship in the place of worship. Think 

 for a moment how in the public house social distinctions 

 vanish and every man is a hale fellow well met. Would 

 that it were so in the place of worship ! It ought to be 

 so, but alas I it is not. Then again, think of how much 

 small-minded jealousy and spiteful gossip there is 

 amongst church-goers and chapel-goers ; and these 

 things seem quite compatible with a large amount of 

 outward piety, I very much doubt whether they are 

 as much in evidence amongst the frequenters of the 

 public house. Not that I hold any brief on behalf of 

 the public house. No one knows better than I do how 

 utterly demoralising is the fellowship of that institution. 

 But for all that, it is a real thing, and men know that it 



