Page:The unhallowed harvest (1917).djvu/101

96 folded the paper with trembling fingers, cleared his throat and began to read.

" that the vestry of Christ Church view with disapproval and alarm the tendency toward socialism and its dangerous theories as manifested in the recent sermons of our rector, the Reverend Mr. Farrar. We regard those theories as harmful to religion and destructive to society; and it is our request that our rector discontinue the preaching of such sermons, and confine himself hereafter to such doctrines as are commonly accepted by the Church, and taught in the Christian religion."

Before Claybank had scarcely finished reading, Mr. Hughes was on his feet.

"If the senior warden will take the chair," he said, "I will move the adoption of this resolution."

But, before the senior warden could put the question, or even assume charge of the meeting, Westgate broke in:

"Gentlemen," he exclaimed, "I hope this resolution will not be adopted nor put to vote. I was not consulted in its preparation or I should have disapproved of it. I am as heartily opposed to socialism as any man here. I have no sympathy even with Christian socialism. I regret that our rector sees fit to advocate it. But we should not be hasty in putting on him the indignity implied in that resolution. There is a better way out. We should approach him in a friendly, not in a hostile spirit. We should first reason together. I, myself, will undertake, in a half hour's friendly talk with him, to show him the utter fallacy of the whole socialistic creed. It is a mistake to pounce upon him suddenly in this fashion. I beg that the gentleman will withdraw his resolution."

But the Reverend Mr. Farrar did not wait for the resolution to be withdrawn. Westgate's last word was hardly out of his mouth before the rector was on his feet.