It was a great idea; Pragmatism, a thing he had only half-believed in before, would thus be given a test worthy of its powers--would, he believed, win through and make the world what it ought to be--theologically up-to-date. The saints under the Throne crying ‘How long?’ would suddenly change their tune, take up the initiative, and with spiritual Coué-ings themselves fix the date. It was a bold democratic conception, and since he had always been a whole-hearted democrat there was no inconsistency--though he now thought of it for the first time--in applying it to things doctrinal. Man had his spiritual destiny--including dates--in his own hands; all he needed was unanimity or, failing that, a commanding majority. He had never had it, had never applied it till now. Had he done so the millennium would already have bloomed into being. And the means to this spiritual unanimity, or commanding majority, by which the race was to be won? In the moment of inspiration that also had been flashed into his brain, and Civilization stood explained. The conquests of science were to become the weapons of faith, and publicity the final expression of religious art. What countless missionaries could not have done in a previous age a single voice would do now. All that was required was a world-wide audience of converts to Second Adventism, a voice going out into all lands, a trumpet signal, and a shout, and at that shout the walls of Jericho would fall flat: Faith would vanish into sight, Hope be emptied in delight, and every man would go up straight before him and possess the city of his inheritance. Nor had Mr. Trimblerigg any doubt--in that first flush of inspiration--whose the voice was to be. As for the trumpet whose blast was to rend the veil of a new world, science had providentially supplied the instrument. It would be a big business to get possession of it; but once done, it would be Big Business indeed. At the stroke of a wizard’s wand--or call it Aaron’s rod--trade and commerce were to become spiritualized, and the fiery chariot of Elijah would be found among men once more, conveying the voice of prophecy to the far ends of earth--in that moment, that division of a breath, that twinkling of an eye of which older prophecy had spoken. Or to put the matter quite prosaically--on that business footing which was to prove the secret of its success--a monopoly of Broadcasting throughout the English-speaking world was revealed to him as the means for the coming of the Kingdom on Earth. ‘The coming of the Kingdom’? The phrase was picturesque; but it was old and obsolete. ‘Making Heaven safe for Democracy’ was better. That was what Mr. Trimblerigg intended to do. CHAPTER THIRTY ‘_Arise, Shine!_’