Page:Free Opinions, Freely Expressed on Certain Phases of Modern Social Life and Conduct.djvu/47

 still passionately asking to be taught and guided, still praying for strength and courage to fight against many natural besetting sins, and still seeking after such pure ideals of work and attainment as can alone make life worth living, it is not they, surely, who merit the term "pagan." They should not be so much blamed as compassionated, if, when searching for God's fair and open sunshine, they only stumble at the "fairy lamps," and, angered thereby, turn altogether away into the outer darkness. Such a term as "pagan" can be applied with far more justice to their teachers and preachers, who, having all the means of help and consolation at their disposal, fail to perform their high duties with either power, conviction or effect. It is quite easy to say "Pagan London," but what if one spoke of "pagan clergy"? What of certain ecclesiastics who do not believe one word of the creed they profess, and who daily play the part of Judas Iscariot over again in taking money for a new betrayal of Christ? What of the ordained ministers of Christianity who are un-Christian in every word and act of their daily lives? What of the surpliced hypocrites who preach to others what they never even try to practise? What of certain vicious and worldly clerical bon-vivants, who may constantly be met with in the houses of wealthy and titled persons, "clothed in fine linen and faring sumptuously every day," talking unsavoury society scandal with as much easy glibness as any dissolute "lay" decadent that ever cozened another man's wife away from the path of honour in the tricky disguise of a "Soul"? What of the spiteful, small-minded, quarrelsome "local" parsons, who,