There is an empiricism of religion which is worth attention.  It challenges the sceptic to explain both the conversion of the sinner and the beauty of the saint.  If religion can change a man’s whole character in the twinkling of an eye, if it can give a beauty of holiness to human nature such as is felt by all men to be the highest expression of man’s spirit, truly it is a science of life which works, and one which its critics must explain.  The theories of dogmatist and traditionalist are not the authentic documents of the Christian religion.  Let the sceptic bring his indictment against the changed lives of those who attribute to Christ alone the daily miracle of their gladness.

What men and women want to know in these days, Miss Royden assures me out of the richness of her great experience, is whether Christianity works, whether it does things.  The majority of people, she feels sure, are looking about for “something that helps”—­something that will strengthen men and women to fight down their lower nature, that will convince them that their higher nature is a reality, and that will give them a living sense of companionship in their difficult lives—­lives often as drab and depressing as they are morally difficult.

Because she can convey this great sense of the power of Christianity, people all over the country go to hear her preach and lecture.  She is, I think, one of the most persuasive preachers of the power of Christianity in any English-speaking country.  It is impossible to feel of her that she is merely speaking of something she has read about in books, or of something which she recommends because it is apostolic and traditional; she brings home to the mind of the most cynical and ironical that her message, so modestly and gently given, is nevertheless torn out of her inmost soul by a deep inward experience and by a sympathy with humanity which altogether transfigures her simple words.

It must be difficult, I should think, for any fairminded sceptic not to give this religion at least a practical trial after hearing Miss Royden’s exposition of it and after learning from her the manner in which that experiment should be carried out.  For she speaks as one having the authority of a deep personal experience, making no dogmatic claims, expressing sympathy with all those who fail, but assuring her hearers that when the moment comes for their illumination it will come, and that it will be a veritable dayspring from on high.  Earnestness is hers of the highest and tenderest order, but also the convincing authority of one who has found the peace which passes understanding.

She has spoken to me with sympathy of Mr. Studdert-Kennedy, whose trench-like methods in the pulpit are thoroughly distasteful to a great number of people.  It is characteristic of Miss Royden that she should fasten on the real cause of this violence.  “I don’t like jargon,” she said, “particularly the jargon of Christian Science and Theosophy.  I love English literature too much for that; and I don’t like slang, particularly slang of a brutal order; but I feel a deep sympathy with anybody who is trying, as Mr. Studdert-Kennedy is trying, to put life and power into institutionalism.  It wants it so badly—­oh, so very badly—­life, life, life and power.”