278 DISTINGUISHED CHURCHMEN
this year (1901) will be much the same as for last year. I mention this in refutation of the statement so often heard, that the Evangelicals are merely and mainly a preaching sect."
" Of course, Prebendary Webb-Peploe, you are mindful of the change which has come over Church thought during the last forty years. How, may I ask, has that change affected the West End ? "
" You mean the rise of the High Church party ? If you assume that has been felt in the West End you are right ; but there are still a good many Evangelical strongholds. But there is a darker side to the picture. Churchgoing is not so much a matter of practice as it used to be ; the rising generation are more negligent in this respect than the fathers and grandfathers were. I think it may be said that the faithful earnest preaching of entire consecration to God and the demand for the whole life, leads to the abandonment of attend ance of all the half-hearted and the worldly- minded. My own experience has been that parents with large families of young people have in too many cases been led to give up their own habits of devotion and service for God in order to follow the bent and fashions of the younger folk, among whom there is a want of discipline. One of the features of present-day life is seen in parties out of London for the week end ; and the half hearted can no longer tolerate services in which music is not the chief attraction. Preaching, we
�� �� �
