The  third  point  that  I  would  emphasise  is,
that  we  are  manifestly  on  the  eve  of  new  applica
tions  of  Christ's  teaching,  which  will  revive  the
interest  of  the  people  in  Christianity  to  a  surprising
degree.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  features  in
the  history  of  Christian  progress  during  the  past
few  years  in  my  own  country  has  been  the
creation  of  a  new  organisation  of  a  very  simple
character  called  the  "  Brotherhood  Movement."
It  has  attracted  to  itself  hundreds  of  thousands
of  men  ;  and  the  secret  of  its  attraction  is  two
fold.  Firstly,  it  presents  for  their  acceptance  a
very  simple  faith,  and  secondly,  it  brings  them
to  close  quarters  with  certain  giant  social  evils
which  we  of  the  Churches  have  ignored  too  long.
It  may  seem  to  some  of  you  incredible,  but  it  is
literally  true,  that  it  came  as  a  revelation  to
multitudes  of  men  that  Christianity  had  anything
to  say  about  poverty  more  than  that  all  good
Christian  people  ought  to  be  charitable  to  the

273  s


The  Romance  of  Preaching

poor.  Meanwhile,  the  poor  themselves  were  in
scribing  on  their  banners  "Justice,  not  Charity,"
and  when  Christianity  was  carefully  examined,
the  surprising  discovery  was  made  that  Christ
Jesus  and  His  apostles  had  much  to  say  about
Righteousness  and  Justice,  and  comparatively
little  to  say  about  the  duty  of  being  charitable,
save  as  it  was  included  in  the  larger  ideal.
The  young  preachers  of  recent  years  have
explored  the  contents  of  the  word  "  Righteous
ness  "  with  the  enthusiasm  of  pioneers  opening
up  rich  and  fertile  lands  for  the  inheritance  of
the  future.  Something  has  been  happening  even
within  the  academic  borders  of  our  colleges.
