"I Don’t Like Salvationists, But I Believe God Does!"

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 45, 17 May 1935, Page 22

"I Don’t Like Salvationists, But I Believe God Does!"

St. John Ervine’s Life of William Booth |

Me. ST, JOHN ERVINE is esseutially a dramatist-and a good: dramatist at that. So perhaps there is excuse for the fact, that he has turned the life of General William Booth, the man who founded the Salvation Army, into a series of dramatic incidents anil written a book that is full of ni¢elytimed "curtains." This is the third biography of William Booth-and it is, perhaps, the best. \ But Mr, Ervine is likely to stir up bad blood by allowing himself to ‘be drawn into taking sides in an unhappy quarrel which has been decently interred since the election of Byangeline Booth to the generalship. His allusions to the new general, who created such an excellent impression when she visited New Zealand some weeks ago, will be strongly resented in some quarters. The. life story of General Booth is real human drama and provides, as" well, legitimate material for eritical discussion, But the Salvation Army crisis of 1929 is another matter altogether. Its most pitiful feature is the fact that both sides were at fault and that both were utterly and obstinately sincere. The man to examine the evidence, to impute motives and to draw conclusions about the Army’s future is emphatically not the man who, in discussing a difference of opinion on doctrinal matters between ‘ Catherine Booth and the Plymouth Brenthren, ean loftily observe that "it is unprofitable‘ to examine sterile beliefs." The word "sterile’ as applied to the beliefs of the woman whose influence moulded the Salvation Army almost takes one’s © breath away, and it is certain that nobody can pass a just verdict on the tragedy of Bramwell Booth and the parts played by his commissioners who has no closer understanding than this of the real Salvationist spirit, But in spite of these blemishes, "God’s Soldier" is a wonderful study. We are shown a2 man born in desperate poverty (the facts as now stated appear to be final), whose life was shaped to that of a saint by the fire of- the Spirit, and the hourly impact of a hard | world. We appreciate him despite his weaknesses, and are fascinated by the repeated evidence of Divinity which guided him to its own ends in spite of much rough hewing. "Booth," Mr. Drvine tells us, "rarely replied to complaining critics, ‘Don’t answer them,’ he advised ‘his resent- *

ful subordinates. ‘Get on with the work,’ . .. He would disperse their rage by telling them his favourite story of a clergyman who, when asked for his opinion of the Salvation Army. said

‘Well, to tell you the truth, I don’t like it at all; but to be candid with you, I ' believe God Almighty does.’ " "God’s Soldier: General William Booth." St. John Drvine. Heinemann,