On Sunday evening the chapel was packed. It was evident that many were
there, not for the service, but for what promised to be a sensational
after-meeting. Members of the Athletic Club were scattered through the
room, and the same dogged determination was on their faces as on the
night of the boxing affair.
Mr. McGowan hobbled up the pulpit stair. He announced his text: "Launch
out into the deep and let down your nets." Captain Pott felt Elizabeth,
who was sitting beside him, stiffen. Miss Pipkin leaned forward in her
eagerness to catch every word, and as the minister proceeded her
expression changed from perplexity and doubt to one of deep respect.
There were others who followed the thought of the sermon with keen
interest. Elder Fox was present, for the first time in weeks.
Occasionally, he would write something on a pad, and then lean back to
pull at his silky chops.
Throughout the sermon Mr. McGowan spoke with tense earnestness.
"The time has come when the church must cut the shore lines that have
been binding us to the past. If a man persists in dragging the shore
line he may get a few good fish, but that does not set aside the fact
that he is either a poor fisherman or a coward. He must know the habits
of the fish, and go where they are.... The same thing may be said of the
church. We may produce a few fair Christians by dragging shore lines of
church doctrine, but our success will be due more to luck than to a
knowledge of the working of God's laws.... We have been long-shore
Christians for a good many centuries; the day has come for us to break
away from the surf of man-made ideas, and launch out till we can feel
the swell of a boundless love, a love not confined to the letter of
denominational law or creed. We must get into us the spirit of
Christianity. We must recognize the fact that the spirit is not a thing
that we can confine to sand-lined beaches of narrow conceptions of
faith and salvation that now exist in our churches....
"Here in Little River we have been an excellent example of what I mean.
We have been admiring ourselves,--and not without just cause,--while the
world we ought to be serving is forced to take its stand on the outside,
ofttimes with ideals greater than our own.... We have substituted
doctrine for Christianity, the letter of the law for the spirit of
freedom. We have slavishly worshipped our beliefs about God, instead of
worshipping God.... And what is the result? We have shut our doors to
many who hold a greater faith than our own; or we have forced them out
with no faith because of our own selfish religious intoxication. Of this
very thing, this church has been guilty....
"We must admit blame for many conditions that exist in our town. Let us
purge ourselves before we seek to cleanse others. Let us first launch
out before we call to others to follow. Let us learn the laws by which
God works, and then shall we have no trouble to fill our nets."
After Mr. McGowan had finished, he stood looking out over his
congregation. The Captain whispered to Elizabeth, "Ain't he the
finest-looking specimen of human natur' you ever see, six foot of him
standing up there reading the riot act to 'em! And I got all he said,
too. I cal'late there's some here to-night that feel like they'd been
overhauled and set adrift."
Without announcing the usual closing hymn, Mr. McGowan very quietly
pronounced the benediction, and left the church by the rear door.
The only move that followed his leaving was made by the members of the
Athletic Club. They filed out one by one, but reconvened beneath the
window where the Captain sat inside. Captain Pott was plainly nervous
when Mr. Fox rose and went forward. He opened the window slightly as
though in need of fresh air.
The Elder clapped loudly for order, and the boys beneath the Captain's
window joined in so heartily that the Elder was forced to shout for
order.
"This meeting has been called for the members of this church, _only_!"
he shouted. "Will those who are not members in regular standing adjourn
to the rooms below to complete their visiting?"
Few heard, none obeyed. Instead, all began to take seats as near
the front as possible. Mr. Fox grew red in the face, and dark of
countenance. But he preserved his dignity.
"Must I repeat that this meeting has been called for the members of the
church. Will the others kindly leave us to ourselves?"
It became evident that there was no intention on the part of any to
leave the room, and so the Elder called the mixed crowd to order.
The first half-hour proved so tame that some who had remained to see
trouble, got up and went home. At last Mr. Beaver rose, and the audience
caught its breath. He poised himself on one foot, and began to pump,
blink, whistle, and finally to stutter.
"M-M-Mr. Ch-ch-ch-chairman!" he called in a high excited voice.
Elder Fox declared that Mr. Beaver had the floor, and Mr. Beaver
proceeded to take it, at least a good part of the section round which he
was hopping. People moved back and gave him room, for he needed plenty
of space in which to make himself understood.
"The p-p-parish c-committee h-h-has d-decided that M-Mr. McGowan is not
the m-m-man for our ch-ch-church. Elder F-F-Fox has the report of the
c-c-committee. I m-m-move we h-h-h-hear him now!"
Mr. Fox mounted the platform and came forward to the edge. He looked
into the faces of those before him with deep sadness in his own.
"Friends, this is one of the saddest moments of my life," he began, his
voice shaking with feeling. "Some--er--have come to love our young
brother who has been called to our church. And he has many very
estimable qualities. For that reason I feel very keenly what I am about
to say. The committee feels that Mr. McGowan holds ideas that are too
far advanced for our humble little church. We must not overlook the fact
that we hold sacred some of the things to which he flippantly referred
to-night, and it is our duty to protect--er--the sacred doctrines which
have been handed down to us from the more sacred memory of our fathers
and martyrs of the past.
"Our minister does not believe in the divine inspiration of the Bible.
The question was put to him by one of the members of this committee, and
he replied--er--that even if every jot and tittle were personally
dictated by God--which he doubted--the Bible would remain a sealed book
unless it inspired those who read it. It is evident from this answer
that he does not believe in--er--our sacred doctrine of the verbal
inspiration of Scripture.
"You have heard him to-night, asking us--er--in the common slang of the
dock to rid ourselves of all these doctrines on which the church has
been founded. What he said proves that he does not believe in the
fundamentals of Christian faith.
"I need not go back of this sermon so fresh in our minds to prove to
your intelligence that Mr. McGowan is not orthodox. I could call to
your attention many unfortunate statements, but I feel that it is not
necessary. Your committee has gone over every detail--er--prayerfully
and thoughtfully. Truly, it gives me a pain----"
"Get a bottle of Watkins' Relief!" piped a shrill voice through the
partially opened window.
Taken by surprise, and with his mouth open, the Elder lost every
expression of dignity as he gazed in the direction whence the advice had
come. Before he could again gather up the threads of his closing remarks
several men were demanding the floor. The Elder scanned the faces of
all, in order to place friend and foe. He then fixed his glance on some
one at the rear of the room. In answer to the Elder's nod a heavy basso
pealed forth.
Every head turned about, and as the buzz of comment broke from the
astonished crowd the Elder rapped for order. The Reverend Mr. Means of
New York City moved ponderously forward.
The faces of the sympathetic ones in the audience became exceedingly
serious as each looked into the face of the city clergyman. Certainly,
this meeting must be of tremendous importance to lead so great a man to
leave his metropolitan pulpit to attend a gathering in so small a
church.
"We must have better order!" cried Mr. Fox, smiling a welcome to the
visiting minister. "We have the unexpected pleasure of a visit
from--er--our much-loved friend and brother. Shall we dispense with the
business of the hour and hear what the Reverend Mr. Means may have on
his heart?"
Mr. Means took his position near the moderator. With a long sympathetic
look he searched the invisible among the shadows of the ceiling. He was
calm, too calm, thought the Captain. He drew his frock coat about him,
and plunged the fingers of his right hand in between the two buttons
over his heart. That attitude, as of one weary with the struggles of men
and yet tolerant because of long-suffering kindness, had an immediate
effect on part of the audience. From somewhere near the center of the
room applause started, and soon swelled to a moderate ovation. He
acknowledged the respect shown him by bringing his eyes down to the
level of his audience.
"Brethren,"--his voice trembled as he began to speak,--"I have no
special message for you to-night; my heart is too sore from the things I
have just seen and heard. I have been in the rear of this room during
your entire service. I have listened to the unfortunate sermon which
your bright young minister was so unwise as to preach. I do not marvel
that you are like a flock of sheep having no shepherd; that sermon was
enough to confuse even me, and I have been in the ministry a great many
years. I feel I must say something, but I earnestly pray that it may not
influence you in this matter which is yours to decide. I do not intend
to even suggest what action you ought to take on the report of your
parish committee. You must remember that what you do to-night may affect
the future of our young brother, and you must not wreck that future. Mr.
McGowan and I do not agree on matters of theology, but that fact does
not prevent me from admiring some of his fine qualities to which your
senior Elder referred to-night. Time may cool the ardor of his youth
into sane and safe ideas.
"But,"--he lifted his hands toward heaven and his voice toward the
people,--"what your parish committee chairman has told you in his report
is true, only too true. We cannot afford to permit our churches to
suffer from such teachings as those given you to-night, and I dare say,
which have been given you many times past. Brethren, as great as is our
love for this young minister, it is as nothing in comparison with the
devotion that should be ours where the doctrines of our church are
concerned. I opposed the ordination of Mr. McGowan in the New York
Presbytery a year ago on the ground that he was not sound in doctrine,
but when my brethren passed him over my protest I acquiesced as a
Christian must always do when the voice of the majority speaks. But I
must say that I greatly deplored the action taken at that time. Not that
I hold any personal feelings against the young man, but because I am
opposed to unorthodox men being called to our pulpits.
"Now, brethren, I should gladly waive all this," he continued, dropping
his voice to a soothing whisper, "but theological differences are not
all that stand between the young man and a faithful church. You've heard
him suggest that the church which should be the house of God, and which
Scripture calls the house of prayer, be turned into a playhouse for the
community. I cannot imagine any man with a passion to save souls holding
to an idea that he can accomplish this by desecrating the place of
Divine Worship by turning it into a gymnasium. The only explanation
possible is that Mr. McGowan has not been reared under the influences of
our best families. Not that this is anything against his character, but
fact is fact."
The room became quiet with interest in anticipation of what might
follow. It was true that their minister had come to them as an unknown
man, and they were certainly entitled to any disclosure of his past that
the city man might wish to give. But there was nothing more said on the
subject, and a murmur of disapproval ran over the audience.
"I have finished, except to say that I honor your Elder for the firm
stand he has taken. Mr. Fox, you are to be congratulated on your
courage, and although I repeat that I would not think of influencing the
action of this assembly, I hope that every man and woman present may see
fit to support you."
Captain Pott had grown more and more restless as time went on, and now
as the city minister began to move from the platform the Captain began
to move toward the open window.
"I am ready to entertain any motion which you care to make," announced
the chairman.
Mr. Beaver rose. With the first hiss from his lips, the Captain dropped
his hand over the sill and tapped the outside of the casing. Shouts went
up from the boys who stood beneath the window. These were answered by
cries of fire from various parts of town. The clang of the gong at the
fire-house broke through the stillness of the crowded room. Distant
alarms were rung with steady regularity. The meeting adjourned in a
body.
The seaman had kept his promise, and "Providence had cut the pack for
the new deal."