Hodder fairly startled these out of their preconceived notions of Christianity.  Let them shake out of their minds everything they had thought it to mean, churchgoing, acceptance of creed and dogma, contributive charity, withdrawal from the world, rites and ceremonies:  it was none of these.

The motive in the world to-day was the acquisition of property; the motive of Christianity was absolutely and uncompromisingly opposed to this.  Shock their practical sense as it might, Christianity looked forward with steadfast faith to a time when the incentive to amass property would be done away with, since it was a source of evil and a curse to mankind.  If they would be Christians, let them face that.  Let them enter into life, into the struggles going on around them to-day against greed, corruption, slavery, poverty, vice and crime.  Let them protest, let them fight, even as Jesus Christ had fought and protested.  For as sure as they sat there the day would come when they would be called to account, would be asked the question—­what had they done to make the United States of America a better place to live in?

There were in the Apostolic writings and tradition misinterpretations of life which had done much harm.  Early Christianity had kept its eyes fixed on another world, and had ignored this:  had overlooked the fact that every man and woman was put here to do a particular work.  In the first epistle of Peter the advice was given, “submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake.”  But Christ had preached democracy, responsibility, had foreseen a millennium, the fulfilment of his Kingdom, when all men, inspired by the Spirit, would make and keep in spirit the ordinances of God.

Before they could do God’s work and man’s work they must first be awakened, filled with desire.  Desire was power.  And he prayed that some of them, on this day, would receive that desire, that power which nothing could resist.  The desire which would lead each and every one to the gates of the Inner World which was limitless and eternal, filled with dazzling light . . . .

Let them have faith then.  Not credulity in a vague God they could not imagine, but faith in the Spirit of the Universe, humanity, in Jesus Christ who had been the complete human revelation of that Spirit, who had suffered and died that man might not live in ignorance of it.  To doubt humanity,—­such was the Great Refusal, the sin against the Holy Ghost, the repudiation of the only true God!

After a pause, he spoke simply of his hope for St. John’s.  If he remained here his ambition was that it would be the free temple of humanity, of Jesus Christ, supported not by a few, but by all,—­each in accordance with his means.  Of those who could afford nothing, nothing would be required.  Perhaps this did not sound practical, nor would it be so if the transforming inspiration failed.  He could only trust and try, hold up to them the vision of the Church as a community of willing workers for the Kingdom . . .