Blood and Fire

By HENRY W. NEVINSON

MY first astonishment about these two stupendous volumes is that they should have been written by Mr. St. John Ervine. He himself admits that it is amazing. Mr. Ervine is famous as one of the most successful of living dramatists. And yet he tells us that he has - spent six years in the pro- duction of these two vast tomes upon General Booth and

the history of the Salvation Army. I do not wonder that

the task has taken him that time, for the amount of research required must have been enormous, and he tells us he has read every single number of the War Cry since its first appearance—

a labour- enough to break anyone's spirit. Six years ! Why should such a man have undertaken so immense a labour ? Iu his own words, he replies :

" For many years I have wanted- to write about William Booth, who had qualities that I greatly admire. My interest and admira- tion is engaged by those who, having no social influence, rebel against authority, defeat authority, and create authority."

'Certainly, William Booth was the man to excite such

interest and admiration. He rebelled against authority, he defeated it, and he established an authority hardly equalled in the history of government or religion. Born and bred in Methodism, he left it as too tame. He joined the " New Connexion," and left it for the same reason. Then he started out upon his lonely crusade and established himself as the sole autocrat of an enormous religious and social movement in which his word was absolute law. No infallible Pope has spoken with such- authority over millions, and even a Pope works through a Council of Cardinals. His stroke of genius was the adoption of the word " Army " for his host. The

first title was " The Volunteer Army," but by a second stroke of genius he changed the title to " Salvation Army," and that is the name which has gone round the world. An Army

implies obedience, discipline, and devotion to the death. In outward appearance the devotion was maintained, though it was inwardly shaken towards the end of General

Bramwell Booth's life. The t`. Epilogue " which. Mr. Ervine

adds to his book must be a distressing chapter to many whose faith in the Army had hitherto remained unshaken.

But there is more in an Army than mere obedience and self-surrender. One of the English Church's prayers contains, the fine phrase " Whose service is perfect freedom," and it is that sense of freedom, and even joy in service that makes an Army irresistible. Hence the look of calm happiness or even ecstasy that one may see on the faces of Salvationist men and women. Their being is, as it were, wiped clean of fear, and, in the early days, the greater the persecution, the brighter their faces shone.

William Booth's one purpose was " to save souls," and with that purpose he inspired the whole Army. Other purposes grew up around the central object : hospitals,

shelters, supplies of food for the unemployed and destitute. But Booth himself had 1110 care for philanthropy or charity organization. His inspiring object was to preach the. Gospel to the poor. First and last, he was an Evangelist, and he had no doubt that every soul might be saved. He never despaired of any living being, no matter what his ignorance, his wickedness, his poverty, or even his wealth and learning., One can imagine him trying to bring a millionaire or a philosopher to Christ. But he began in the East End, and'

he always acted on the belief that the Kingdom of Heaven is to the poor.

Vod's Soldier General William Booth. By St. John Ervine. (Heinemann. 36s.)

In his own words, " We are moral scavengers, netting the very sewers," and his appeal was not to the mind or reason,

but to that basis of emotion that is called the heart. To the hearts of the common people he appealed by persuasive preaching and the Army appealed by stirring drums, trumpets and tambourines, shouts of glory, battle-songs of victory, unrestrained, eloquence and vulgar symbolism; parodies of

popular songs, utter disregard of respectability, and realistic descriptions of heaven and of hell. " The people must have hell fire flashed before their eyes," he said. No appeal was omitted that might work on the emotions to " convert," to bring the soul to Christ. The Salvationists were assailed and persecuted in nearly every town of England, partly because their temperance doctrine reduced the income of the public houses, but chiefly because they were new, strange, and took no care of reputation. The crowd set upon them as sparrows set upon a canary. But their strength only grew.. Even when Professor Huxley wrote a series of attacks upon " Corybantic Christianity,' that made no difference: Few understood " Corybantic," and no one cared.

Like the few English saints, Wycliffe, Runyan,. Cromwell, and the Wesleys, Booth was born of poorish parents in the Midlands. From his mother he inherited the Jewish nose and the Jewish persistence, perhaps even the Jewish spiritual power. Dyspeptic throughout life,' he suffered periods of depression, and in 1912 he died blind and worn out. But his one purpose was fulfilled. He had " saved souls." In the words of John Masefield's poem " The Everlasting Mercy," he had poured into souls " the burning cataracts of Christ." As he told King Edward in one of his conversations with him, he had " a passion for souls." How long the emotion of " conversion " lasted, no one can say, but thousands were " saved." To him there was no distinction between " deserving " and " undeserving " cases. In India his followers made no distinction between Brahmins and " Untouchables." All God's children had souls, even if 'they were ignorant of God. I should suppose that in India, for instance, his preacher Booth-Tucker did more for unity and peace than all the White Papers and Reports ever could, and the Salvation Army throughout the world did more for dis- armament than all the years of the League of Nations have accomplished. As Mr Ervine truly says

' " Men will do for God what they will not do for money. The humblest soldier knows in his heart more than is known by the pro- foundest politician ; he has learnt that there is no satisfaction except in service, and the richest men on earth are those who have spent themselves without stint."

One would like to mention all the splendid officers that worked so loyally under the General in the early years, and above all, the wife who was driven from place to place without settled home, but with rather sickly children (with eight in all), herself 'alWaYs ailing; and ultimately

stricken with the most terrible disease, but always wise, uncomplaining, a superb preacher for souls, and far more kindly and humorous than her famous husband. So they vanished from the world, and their works follow them.

Whether their works will vanish, too,. is still dubious. The " Epilogue," which Mr. Ervine had to write twice and in parts a dozen times, is not cheerful reading. It tells of personal intrigues, painful family squabbles, a great deal about the legal rights of property, and " Deed Poll." But I do not, suppose that any human soul has ever been saved by t)eed