evangelical teachers, it worried me for a
long while that I could not bring myself to argue with my boys about
their intellectual attitude to Christ. My Sunday class contained
several Jews whom I loved. I respected them more because they made no
verbal professions. I have seen Turkish religionists dancing and
whirling in Asia Minor at their prayers. I have seen much emotional
Christianity, and I fully realize the value of approaching men on
their emotional side. A demonstrative preacher impresses large crowds
of people at once. But all the same, I have learned from many
disillusionments to be afraid of overdoing emotionalism in religion.
Summing up the evidence of men's Christlikeness by their characters,
as I look back down my long list of loved and honoured helpers and
friends, I am certainly safe in saying that I at least should judge
that no section of Christ's Church has any monopoly of Christ's
spirit; and that I should like infinitely less to be examined on my
own dogmatic theology than I should thirty-five years ago. Combined
with this goes the fact that though I know the days of my stay on
earth are greatly reduced, I seem to be less rather than more anxious
about "the morrow." For though time has rounded off the corners of my
conceit, experience of God's dealing with such an unworthy midget as
myself has so strengthened the foundations on which faith stood, that
Christ now means more to me as a living Presence than when I laid more
emphasis on the dogmas concerning Him.

This chapter would not be complete without an endeavour to face the
task of trying to answer the questions so often asked: "What is your
position now? Do you still believe as you did when you first decided
to serve Christ?" I am still a communicant member "in good standing"
of the Episcopal Church. One hopes that one's religious ideas grow
like the rest of one's life. It is fools who are said to rush in where
angels fear to tread. The most powerful Christian churches in the
world, the Greek and the Roman, recognizing the great dangers
threatening, have countered by stereotyping the answer for all time,
assuming all responsibility, and permitting no individual freedom in
the matter. The numbers of their adherents testify to how vast a
proportion of mankind the course appeals. And yet we are sons of
God--and at our best value freedom in every department of our
being--spirit as well as mind and body. George Adam Smith says: "The
great causes of