would be rapidly dissolved, or worse
still, diseased, if the individual members of the community did not
make a constant effort to do that which in the present state of human
nature must mean an effort, to live the higher life. Mere state
systems could not bring about and still less sustain a reign of
unselfishness, without a cheerful decision on the part of the members
to forget selfishness even in little things, and for that most
difficult and at the same time most important personal decision
Christ made provision and the modern theorists make no provision at
all. Some modern Socialists do indeed see that something more is
necessary for the golden age than fixed incomes and universal stores
tickets, and that the fountain heads of all real improvement are to
be found in human temper and character. Mr. William Morris, for
instance, in his "News from Nowhere" gives a beautiful picture of a
land ruled by Love, and rightly grounds the give-and-take camaraderie
of his ideal state upon an assumed improvement in human nature. But
he does not tell us how such an improvement is to be effected, and
Christ did. Of Christ's actual method in this matter I shall speak
afterwards when dealing with the practical aspect, my object just now
is to compare the spiritual and emotional effects of the call of
Christ, as compared to those of the vision of Mr. William Morris.
When we compare the spiritual attitudes of two thinkers, one of whom
is considering whether social history has been sufficiently a course
of improvement to warrant him in believing that it will culminate in
universal altruism, while the other is considering whether he loves
other people enough to walk down tomorrow to the market-place and
distribute everything but his staff and his scrip, it will not be
denied that the latter is likely to undergo certain deep and acute
emotional experiences, which will be quite unknown to the former. And
these emotional experiences are what we understand as the spiritual
aspect of the distinction. For three characteristics at least the
Galilean programme makes more provision; humility, activity,
cheerfulness, the real triad of Christian virtues.

Humility is a grand, a stirring thing, the exalting paradox of
Christianity, and the sad want of it in our own time is, we believe,
what really makes us think life dull, like a cynic, instead o