THE CHURCH AND THE ARMY. 



207 



there is no distinct idea of the scheme of salvation, no clear concep- 

 tion of God, no thankfulness for God's mercy in Christ Jesus. Can 

 we deny to such persons all hope of salvation in the world to come ? 

 Are they not ready to follow the exarr.ple of Him Who says : 

 " Greater love can no man show than this, that a man lay down his 

 life for his friend " ? 



Surely such men as these have the root of the matter in them. 

 They may not be able to formulate in proper theological language 

 their view of the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Atonement, and the 

 various other doctrines of the Faith, concerning which theologians 

 have written so many vast tomes, and have disputed so fiercely, 

 and are disputing still. But at least such souls as we have in view 

 recognize the duty of the imitation of Christ. Millions of them are 

 ready to lay down their lives for their friends, and to recognize in 

 fellow-creatures whom they have never seen, brethren whose title 

 to be called friends they are ready practically to recognize. Is 

 not this following the example of the Master ? And does not the 

 Beloved Disciple remind us that all our conceptions about God 

 must begin by recognizing His image in His creatures ? " If a man 

 say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar : for he that 

 loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God 

 Whom he hath not seen ? " The love of God, then, is impossible until 

 we first learn to love our neighbour. And the love of our neighbour 

 is proved, not by words but by acts. 



General Sir Henry Geary : — 



I write with special reference to the second paragraph on page 186 : 

 " The Church has failed to bring the average man into any kind of 

 real touch with Him Whom we believe to be the Saviour of the 

 World." In my opinion the Church of England has failed, inasmuch as 

 her religious teaching does not proceed regularly and systematically. 

 Partly this is due to the somewhat casual teaching in the Govern- 

 ment schools. I consider that the two sacraments are equallv 

 necessary. My idea is that from the day of the children's baptism 

 they should be looked upon as adopted, as being the spiritual concern 

 of the whole parish, who have themselves been baptized, and should 

 not be left entirely to their parents or guardians, who are in many 

 cases too occupied in earning their bread to give their children the 



