It was not difficult to see, as early as half past one on Sunday afternoon last, that something was about to take place in Westminister Abbey.  A friendly policeman informed me that the service in the fine old pile of buildings did not commence till three o’clock, but that as Canon Farrar was announced to preach, and upon such an all-absorbing topic as General Booth’s new book, people were bent upon securing a good position by being in time.

Some three-quarters of an hour before the service commenced the gigantic building was crowded, and the trooping multitudes only arrived at the doors to find a crowd waiting for the least opportunity of getting in.  It was reported that thousands were turned away.

Canon Farrar had announced his subject as “Social Amelioration,” and at the outset stated that he alone was responsible for the opinions he proposed to express in connection with General Booth’s scheme.  In a very masterly and eloquent way he pictured the social evils which disgrace our civilisation, the small and ineffectual efforts being put forth for their removal, and the terrible responsibility resting upon us as a nation to do our utmost to forward any scheme which appeared likely to effect an amelioration.  He proceeded:—­

Well, here was General Booth’s scheme, which he had examined, and with which he had been deeply struck.  He pitied the cold heart which could read and not be stirred by “Darkest England.”  In his best judgment he believed the scheme to be full of promise if the necessary funds were provided, and he merely regarded it as his humble duty to render the undertaking such aid as he could.

Had any such scheme been proposed by a member of the Church of England, he should have given it every support.  He regarded the scheme as supplementing, not interfering with, the work of the Church, as preparing for, not hindering, the Church’s work.  The scheme, although no Christian scheme could be wholly dislinked from religion, was yet most prominently a social scheme; its origin was The Salvation Army, but it was intended to promote the work of the common Church.

Was the scheme to be thrown aside contemptuously at once on account of prejudice, because it emanated from The Salvation Army?  If any thought so, he blamed them not, but he for one declared he could not share their views.  He was, perhaps, more widely separated from some of the methods of the Salvation Army than many of his brethren, but the work of the Army had not been unblessed, and there was much that might be learned from an organisation which in so short a time had accomplished so great a work.  He dwelt upon the nature of The Salvation Army’s work, the officers who were exerting themselves in connection with it, the number of countries to which the organisation had spread.  The Salvation Army in its work and extent had credentials which could not be denied.  Were they to stand coldly, finically aside because they were too refined and nice, and full of culture to touch this work of The Salvation Army with the point of the finger?  He took it that he should fail grievously in his duty if insult or self-interest caused him to hold aloof from any movement which Christ, if He had been on earth, would have approved.