uld develop their own discipline, not borrow
its details from the past: for they would soon find that some drill was
necessary to them, and that luxury, idleness, self-indulgence and
indifference to the common-good were in conflict with the inner spirit
of the herd. They would inevitably come to practise that sane
asceticism, not incompatible with gaiety of heart, which consists in
concentration on the real, and quiet avoidance of the attractive sham.
Plainness and simplicity do help the spiritual life, and these are more
easy and wholesome when practised in common than when they are displayed
by individuals in defiance of the social order that surrounds them. The
differences of temperament and of spiritual level in the group members
would prevent monotony; and insure that variety of reaction to the life
of the Spirit which we so much wish to preserve. Those whose chief gift
was for action would thus be directly supported by those natural
contemplatives who might, if they remained in solitude, find it
difficult to make their special gift serve their fellows as it must.
Group-consciousness would cause the spreading and equalization of that
spiritual sensitiveness which is, as a matter of fact, very unequally
distributed amongst men. And in the backing up of the predominantly
active workers by the organized prayerful will of the group, all the
real values of intercession would be obtained: for this has really
nothing to do with trying to persuade God to do specific acts, it is a
particular way of exerting love, and thus of reaching and using
spiritual power.

This incorporation, as I see it, would be made for the express purpose
of getting driving force with which to act directly upon life. For
spirituality, as we have seen all along, must not be a lovely fluid
notion or a merely self-regarding education; but an education for
action, for the insertion of eternal values into the time-world, in
conformity with the incarnational philosophy which justifies it. Such
action--such Insertion--depends on constant recourse to the sources of
spiritual power. At present we tend to starve our possible centres of
regeneration, or let them starve themselves, by our encouragement of the
active at the expense of the contemplative life; and till this is
mended, we shall get nothing really done. Forgetting St. Teresa's
warning, that to give our Lord a perfect service, Martha and Mary must
combine,[154] we represent the service of man as bei