What a drop in the sea were those with
whom he and Pryer were brought into direct communication in comparison
with those whom he must reach and move if he were to produce much
effect of any kind, one way or the other. Why, there were between
fifteen and twenty thousand poor in the parish, of whom but the merest
fraction ever attended a place of worship. Some few went to dissenting
chapels, a few were Roman Catholics; by far the greater number,
however, were practically infidels, if not actively hostile, at any
rate indifferent to religion, while many were avowed Atheists-
admirers of Tom Paine, of whom he now heard for the first time; but he
never met and conversed with any of these.
Was he really doing everything that could be expected of him? It was
all very well to say that he was doing as much as other young
clergymen did; that was not the kind of answer which Jesus Christ
was likely to accept; why, the Pharisees themselves in all probability
did as much as the other Pharisees did. What he should do was to go
into the highways and byways, and compel people to come in. Was he
doing this? Or were not they rather compelling him to keep out-
outside their doors at any rate? He began to have an uneasy feeling as
though ere long, unless he kept a sharp lookout, he should drift
into being a sham.
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