Peak crossed his legs and made no reply.

’There is distinct need of an infusion of the scientific spirit into the work of the Church.  The churchman hitherto has been, as a matter of course, of the literary stamp; hence much of our trouble during the last half-century.  It behoves us to go in for science—­ physical, economic—­science of every kind.  Only thus can we resist the morbific influences which inevitably beset an Established Church in times such as these.  I say it boldly.  Let us throw aside our Hebrew and our Greek, our commentators ancient and modern!  Let us have done with polemics and with compromises!  What we have to do is to construct a spiritual edifice on the basis of scientific revelation.  I use the word revelation advisedly.  The results of science are the divine message to our age; to neglect them, to fear them, is to remain under the old law whilst the new is demanding our adherence, to repeat the Jewish error of bygone time.  Less of St Paul, and more of Darwin!  Less of Luther, and more of Herbert Spencer!’

’Shall I have the pleasure of hearing this doctrine at St Margaret’s?’ Peak inquired.

’In a form suitable to the intelligence of my parishioners, taken in the mass.  Were my hands perfectly free, I should begin by preaching a series of sermons on The Origin of species.  Sermons!  An obnoxious word!  One ought never to use it.  It signifies everything inept, inert.’

’Is it your serious belief, then, that the mass of parishioners here or elsewhere—­are ready for this form of spiritual instruction?’

’Most distinctly—­given the true capacity in the teacher.  Mark me; I don’t say that they are capable of receiving much absolute knowledge.  What I desire is that their minds shall be relieved from a state of harassing conflict—­put at the right point of view.  They are not to think that Jesus of Nazareth teaches faith and conduct incompatible with the doctrines of Evolutionism.  They are not to spend their lives in kicking against the pricks, and regard as meritorious the punctures which result to them.  The establishment in their minds of a few cardinal facts—­that is the first step.  Then let the interpretation follow—­the solace, the encouragement, the hope for eternity!’

‘You imagine,’ said Godwin, with a calm air, ’that the mind of the average church-goer is seriously disturbed on questions of faith?’

’How can you ignore it, my dear Peak?—­Permit me this familiarity; we are old fellow-collegians.—­The average churchgoer is the average citizen of our English commonwealth,—­a man necessarily aware of the great Radical movement, and all that it involves.  Forgive me.  There has been far too much blinking of actualities by zealous Christians whose faith is rooted in knowledge.  We gain nothing by it; we lose immensely.  Let us recognise that our churches are filled with sceptics, endeavouring to believe in spite of themselves.’