tone of religion in the country declined, they partook in the
general decay; an inspiring leader might be taken away and no
like-minded successor arise to fill his place; or men who had received
no real call beforehand might join the school and pass through the
curriculum without receiving it. Only they had learned the trick of
speech and got by rote the language of religion. They had no personal
knowledge of God or message obtained directly from Him; but it was not
difficult to put on the prophet's mantle and talk in the traditional
prophetic tones. The fundamental charge against the false prophets is
always this: "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not
spoken unto them, yet they prophesy."

If I am right in tracing the origin of false prophecy to the schools
of the prophets, this gives a suggestive hint as to the point at which
the same danger may beset ourselves. It is obviously the duty of the
authorities of the Church to make provision for the training of those
who are to be the future ministers of the Gospel; and it is natural
for those who have the honour of the Church at heart to covet for her
service the talents of the gifted. Parents, too, will often be found
cherishing an intense desire that the choicest of their sons should
become ministers. These wishes of superiors have a legitimate
influence in determining the choice of our life-work. The wishes and
prayers of pious parents are especially entitled to have very great
weight. Yet there is a danger of an outward influence of this kind
being substituted for genuine personal experience and an inward call.
When, a generation ago, in the rural parts of England, the church in
many a parish was looked upon as "a living," to be allocated to a
junior member of the family, who was educated for the position as a
matter of course, the custom, whatever happy results it might produce
in exceptional cases, was not fitted to fill the pulpits of the land
with men of prophetic character. The pious wishes of parents, however
beautiful they may be, require to be made absolutely conditional on a
vocation of a higher kind; otherwise we get a manufactured ministry,
without a message, in place of men in whom the spirit of inspiration
is stirring and who speak because they believe.

* * * * *

Having no message of their own, what were the false prophets to do?
The best they could do was to repeat and imitate what had been said by