Mr. World and Miss Church-Member: A Twentieth Century AllegoryHarris, W. S. (William Shuler)
Religion
Mr. World and Miss Church-Member: A Twentieth Century Allegory
Harris, W. S. (William Shuler)
Christian fiction
He vigorously seized a book. “Here is a Bible, borrowed from a saint.
I turned its pages over and over that I might learn what pained the
heart of Christ most grievously, vexing his inmost soul with
indignation. What was it?” vociferously interrogated Fast Devil as he
flung the book to the scorching winds of Hell. “’Twas that which
hindered the cause of Christ most efficiently--_prostituting the house
of God to worldly purposes_. Have we forgotten the vehemence with which
this arch-enemy drove the money kings from His sacred abode, saying
unto them: ‘My house is a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den
of thieves,’ and how we like sneaking cowards crawled away, and thus
our glorious scheme went by default?”
Then Blackana uttered his final appeal with all the swing of his mighty
body and the low vibrant thunder of his voice. “Back to your forts!
Oh, back! ye dormant hosts around me! Not in the strength of arms, but
with the subtlest webs that Hell can weave, and with the snares of
silent treachery. We need no stronger weapons, and for our dress we
will don sheep’s clothing of the finest wool. Thus who amongst the
church can tell that we are not seeking her highest good? _Then as we
strike at the heart of voluntary offering in the church, so shall we
kill the spirit that gives it birth. The carcass of this dead spirit
unburied we shall drag through the church for ages, and the germs of
disease arising therefrom will bring more death into the ranks of our
foes than all our weapons of warfare ever did.”_
Blackana instantly resumed his former shape, and “while I was musing
the fire burned.” I then looked out toward the festival ground and saw
that Satan had returned to Mr. World and was explaining to him how
helpful these festivals were to Christians.
“Aside from the moral and religious influence,” he remarked, “how could
the church defray her expenses if she did not engage in some innocent
forms of merchandising, or use some novel scheme to decoy money from
her admirers. Surely there can be no better way,” continued the Devil
with an unholy grin. “If the church would maintain her honor before
the world, she must not do differently. I _am satisfied if wily thee
old way of voluntary giving is more and more discarded by the church.”_
“But you began your former recital,” reminded Mr. World, “to inform
me how the word ‘Festival’ originated. You have not yet succeeded in
making it clear to me.”
“It originated from the phrase of honor which was given the prize-
winner, Fast Devil, but we changed the wording somewhat so that it
might not seem obnoxious to the church.”
Then, by a peculiar method of concrete marking, Satan continued: “The
following is the process of development from the phrase to the word:
‘Fast Devil;’ ‘_Fest Evil_;’ ‘FESTIVAL.’”
CHAPTER XIX.
THE MISSIONARY COLLEGE.
1. Mr. World and Miss Church-Member visit the great college and are
strongly influenced in favor of Satan’s teachings concerning missionary
work.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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