PROBLEMS OF RURAL SOCIAL LIFE 347 



nonmembers can possibly become, since nonmembers would 

 lack the stimulating influences which go with membership. The 

 only danger is that the churches, some of them at least, will fail 

 to see the point, or refuse to see it, and continue to hug the 

 delusion that they are under the guidance of a higher power 

 than political economy, and may therefore safely ignore its 

 laws. That would be a delusion, because a law is a law, and 

 the words higher and lower have no application. To believe 

 that there may be a conflict between divine law and physical 

 law, or between divine law and economic law, is to believe that 

 this is an irrational universe, at war with itself. Moreover, we 

 must form our conclusions as to the will of God and the duty 

 of man on the basis of the observed facts and uniformities of 

 the world of actual experience ; and the laws of political econ- 

 omy are among these observed uniformities. Our only way of 

 knowing that we are in tune with the Infinite is by observing 

 that we are in tune with the finite ; and we cannot possibly be 

 in tune with the finite unless we act in harmony with known 

 physical and economic laws. 



There may be some excellent people who hold that it should 

 not be the mission of the church to make good farmers, but 

 to convert to Christianity those who are already good farmers. 

 Reliance upon the process of conversion may appeal to some as 

 the right policy for the church to pursue ; but unless conversion 

 means increased efficiency, greater adaptability, greater fitness 

 for the struggle for existence, better conservation of human 

 energy, the church can scarcely hold the ground which it wins 

 by that process, but will be continually losing ground through 

 economic competition with the more efficient non-Christians. 



But if this is a rational universe, must we not conclude that 

 any religion or any religious movement, however attractive it 

 may seem, is proved a false religion or a misdirected religious 

 movement, which does not increase the capacity of its followers 



