What is worldliness? (By the General)

I was recently given 182 copies of 'The Bandsman and Songster' (later entitled 'The Bandsman, Songster and Local Officer') the editions date between 1908 and 1930 (the vast majority are pre 1926). There are some great articles and snippets from SA pioneers all of which are well worth a second airing. I will be blogging some of them over the next few weeks.

The first is an article by the Founder called 'What is worldliness'... happy reading.

"What is Worldliness? BY THE GENERAL

Some time ago on one of my world-wide journeys, I was invited out of respect to my position and in sympathy with my philan­thropic work, to a banquet at a ladies’ college. The building was imposing and commodious. The repast was set forth with great taste in the spacious lecture hall, the tables were highly ornamented and laden with almost, every luxury in season, while the guests included nearly every celebrity, religious and secular, of the City and neighbourhood.

Everything savoured to me of the worldliest of the worldly, and as I sat over my cup of tea- for it was 7pm – between a couple of high-class Doctors of Divinity, I could not refrain from remarking to one of the gentlemen something after the following:-

“You gentlemen are ever holding conventions where you discuss questions concerning the welfare of the Church, the main­tenance of sound doctrine, and the progress of religion generally; might it be useful if you could, on one or other of these occasions consider and settle what giving tip the world really signifies? In every country thousands of simple hearted souls are denying themselves the pleasures, comforts, and in some cases even the necessaries of life in order to comply with that renunciation of the world which they are taught to believe is required from them in the Bible; and yet I cannot conceive how we could have a more complete exhibition of that world which we are supposed to give up, than we have tonight in this college which is regarded as a fountain-head of religious teaching.”

I forget now what answer I received on that occasion, but I have often put the same question to myself since that day, and I desire to propose it again to you, my comrades, with a view to seeing if we cannot find an answer that will be useful to us. What is the worldliness that we are called to give up?

A DEADLY ENEMY.

Of its importance I need not wait one moment to speak. A single remark which, if received – and I don't think an individual will be prepared to contradict it - will prove, its importance, as we sometimes say, "up to the very hilt"; and that is, that worldliness is the most deadly enemy with which the Kingdom of Christ has to contend. In contests with Christianity of former days it has been victorious where every other foe has failed. Where persecution, heresy, poverty, and devils have had to acknowledge themselves defeated, worldliness has, without nose or stir, quietly succeeded, and left the Cause of Christ vanquished, like Samson of old, a byword, a reproach, and a laughing-stock to earth and hell.

Worldliness must not be confounded with respectability. - For instance, a man may be very worldly, and yet the reverse of respectable - witness your Card Sharper, Bogus Company-monger, and a host of other characters who live by their wits, and whose society would simply disgust the whole circle of wealthy, gay, and fashionable folk.

On the other hand, a man may, by his conduct, character, and appearance, com­mand the respect of a great many of the people around him, and yet be the opposite of what would ordinarily be termed worldly.

To be decent in manner and appearance is to be respectable, but surely it is not, worldly to speak correctly, have a clean face, with, the dirt brushed off your clothes, and your house swept up and set in order.

To be truthful, industrious, honest, and just is to be respectable, but surely it cannot in any way be counted worldly to avoid falsehood, to work hard, and to pay your debts.

To be intelligent and honourable in your dealings with men, and capable and methodical in your business, will command the respect of all around you, whether they hate your religion or admire it, but surely no one in their right senses would think of putting such, qualities down as being worldly.

THE GREAT CHANGE.

No; the most reprobate and dissolute wretch saved in The Salvation Army com­mences a career of respectability at the Penitent Form, if not with the first resolve to seek God that rises in his bosom. He goes home, embraces his wife, asks her for­giveness for past ill-treatment, kisses his children, and promises to be a good father. He turns up at the hour when work com­mences the next morning, gives up the drink to the amazement of his old companions, surprises the Publican and the Shopkeeper by announcing that he is going to pay his debts, takes his earning to his wife on the Saturday night, and appears at the Hall on the following Sunday morning in his right mind, and clothed with a suit that has been in the careful keeping of his "Uncle" for many a day. Consequently he comes at once to be a regarded by a large number of his old acquaintances as respectable man, and yet he is further from being a worldly man than he has ever been before, or ever expected to be.

Neither does worldliness consist in the possession of some of the good things of the World; that is, if they can be possessed under lawful conditions.

I prefer to have good wholesome bread on my table. I like fresh air in my crowded HaIls. I choose the shady side of the road in summer, if there is one, when the sun is high in the heavens, and am thankful for a warm-coat and a good fire in winter. That is when I can get these things without injury to the interests of those about me, but that does not make or prove me to be worldly in the sense in which worldliness is condemned in the Bible.

Neither does worldliness consist in any resemblance to the world in being con­formed in those of its usages which appear to us necessary to health and well-being.

For instance, I wear clothes; I live in a house; I use soap; I take a bath. Ought I to give up these practices because worldly men enjoy the same comforts? Again The Army has an account at what is, in a certain sense, a very worldly Bank; the Inter­national Headquarters are situated in a very worldly street, one of the best for high-class business, that is, worldly business, to be found in London; but these things do not prove either The General or The Army, or the International Headquarters to be worldly.

Neither does Worldliness consist in a man equalling or even excelling the world in some of its choicest or most valuable possessions or gifts.

For instance, it does not make a man worldly: -

• Because he wears a, more becoming and comfortable dress than the ordinary run of mortals, which is the case with Salvationists.
• Because he possesses a better voice for a song, which many, Salvationists do.
• Because he is more eloquent and effective in, speech, which many Salvationists certainly are.
• Because he has more brains - more com­mon sense - which is not at all an uncommon occurrence.
• Because he may possess greater wealth that is, if he makes a good use of it.
• Because he wields greater influence with the world around him for good which Salvationists doubtlessly do.
• Because he might be able to command a more imposing and commodious building for his Salvation Temple than the worldlings possess.

These good gifts of God, or good acquisi­tions of man, are not, I say again, sinful in themselves. If they were, Heaven where beauty, and wealth, and intellect, and every other good and perfect gift, will be found in perfection, would be the most sinful, place in the Universe, instead of being the most spiritual and holy, which it certainly is.

THE ANSWER.

What, then, is the worldliness condemned in the Bible, which is the enemy of our Salvation, and which every Officer and Sol­dier in The Army is bound to combat and forgo?

Worldliness is the possession, and the manifestation of an evil spirit. It is not the form in which this spirit makes itself manifest that is so important, but the evil spirit itself - it is not the fruit that needs so much to be considered as the tree on which it grows. It is the motive which settles the rightness or wrongness of moral action.

You may have the same conduct in two people, which in one may be benevolent, good, and, therefore, commendable; but in the other it may be selfish, bad, and therefore, to be execrated.

For instance, two men may each give twenty shillings to two other men, but one gives the twenty shillings to the first to assist a poor family in distress, and the other gives twenty shillings to the second to bribe him to give his vote contrary to the dictates of his conscience, and the interests of the community.

It is the motive which determines the moral character of actions. Just so you will see that two men may possess similar good things, and expend them; one on the gratification of his selfishness, and the other on the glory of Christ and the Salvation of men. One has a worldly and the other a divine spirit.

If therefore, we look in the light of this truth, at the spirit which controls and actuates men and women of all classes, around us, and carefully examine also our own hearts, we shall soon discover what worldliness is and what is not. "

Yours set apart, for the lost, in the Army

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