Chapter XXVIII: The General as a Writer

None of us have yet any idea how voluminous a writer The General was, because so much of his writing was in the form of contributions to our many publications, or of letters to Officers.

We can only insert here a few, specimens of what he wrote at various dates, and remark that in private letters there was always the very same flow of happy earnest life, the same high ideal as finds expression in the following extracts. In his _Orders and Regulations for Field Officers_ he says:--

"It must always be remembered by the Field Officer, and by every
one who is desirous of producing any great moral or spiritual
changes in men, that the example of the individual attempting this
task will be much more powerful than the doctrines they set forth,
or any particular methods they adopt for teaching those doctrines,
however impressive these may be.

"The correctness of this statement has been proved over and over
again in this Salvation War. Everywhere the people measure the
truth and importance of what the Field Officer says by their
estimate of his character. If he produces the impression in their
minds that he is a mere talker or performer, they may listen to his
message, and--if he has more than ordinary ability--treat him with
a degree of respect; but if this be all, he will be next to
powerless in effecting any great change in their hearts and lives.
On the other hand, where the life of the Field Officer convinces
his Soldiers that he is himself what he wants them to be, truly
devoted to God, it will be found that he will possess a marvellous
mastery over their hearts and characters. In other words, if he
makes his Soldiers feel that he is real and consecrated, he will be
able to lead them almost at will; they will follow him to the
death.

"The same shot, with the same charge of gunpowder, from a rifled
cannon, will produce ten times a greater effect than from one with
a smooth bore. The make of the gun gives the extra force to the
shot. Just in the same way the truth from the lips of a man whom
his hearers believe to be holy and true will strike with a
hundredfold more force than the same message will from another who
has not so commended himself. The character of the man gives the
extra force to the truth.

"The Field Officer, by virtue of his position, stands out before
his Soldiers more prominently than any other man. To them he is the
Ambassador and Representative of God. He is their Captain, their
Brother, and Friend. Their eyes are on him night and day. They
regard him as the pattern expressly set for them to copy, the
leader who at all times it is their bounden duty to follow.

"How important it is, therefore, that every Officer should be
careful to perfect his character to the utmost in order that he may
be useful to the fullest extent.

"The Field Officer must lead his Soldiers on to the full
realisation of the baptism of the Holy Ghost; he must make them
Blood and Fire. The work of the Spirit is to fill the soul with
burning zeal for the Salvation of the world. Christ's work must be
finished. He has left that task to His people; it can only be
continued and carried on to completion by His Spirit working in the
hearts and through the lives of His people. The Holy Ghost was
promised for this end. This is what His people have, therefore, a
right to expect, and without it they are powerless for the War.

"In order that his Soldiers may be effective, the Field Officer
must not only act for the purification of his Soldiers, but to have
them filled with the Spirit of Christ, in order that they may be
competent for the mighty work they have to accomplish.

"This will make them wise. They will understand how to fight, what
to say, what to sing, how to pray, and how to talk to the
consciences and hearts of men. The Spirit of God will lead them
into right methods of action, will show them how to make
opportunities, and how to put these opportunities to the best use,
when they are made.

"The Holy Spirit will give them perseverance, keeping them going on
in the face of difficulty.

"The Holy Spirit will give them power, making them not only
willing to endure the Cross, but to glory in it.

"The Holy Spirit will give them the fire of love, the seraphic
spirit, the live coal from off the altar, making them both burn and
shine. With this they will come to Knee-Drill, to the Open-Air, to
face mocking crowds, and to endure the scorn, and hatred, and
persecution of men; not merely from a sense of duty, dragging
themselves to it, because it is the will of God; or for the good of
The Army; or as an example to their comrades; or even for the
Salvation of souls; but because they love it, and cannot stay away.

"This baptism will be a fire in their bones, which must have vent.
It will be a spirit that must have a voice. It will be a love, a
burning love in the heart, which all the waters that earth and Hell
can pour upon it, cannot quench a love with which no other love can
compare. It will be the Saviour again loving a dying world through
His people. It will be Christ indeed come again in the flesh.

"The Soldiers must be baptised with fire. It will give them the
Soldier's spirit; and, with that, all a Soldier needs in the way of
drill, and duty, and sacrifice will inevitably follow."

In his _Letter to his Officers on his Eightieth Birthday_, he wrote:--

"On the coming 10th of April, in many lands and in many ways, the
Officers, Soldiers, and Friends of The Salvation Army will be
celebrating my Eightieth Birthday.

"The occasion is one which inspires in me many deep emotions; and,
next to the gratitude I feel to Almighty God for the unmeasured
blessings He has been pleased to vouchsafe to me, I find the desire
to write and tell you, my dear Officers, something of the love and
sympathy ever welling up in my heart towards you.

"The times and friends of long ago are sometimes said to have been
brighter or better than those of to-day. This may have been the
experience of some. It has not been mine. It is true that in the
early years of my Salvation Warfare there were battlings and
victories of deep interest and value, but no conflicts or triumphs
in those far-back times exceeded, or indeed equalled, in value and
interest the conflicts and triumphs of my later days.

"It is true that from the beginning I have been associated with
many remarkable men and women--men and women whose ability,
affection, and devotion to God have been of the greatest service to
me. But with, perhaps, one or two exceptions, I have had no
co-workers who have excelled, or even equalled, in ability, in
affection or devotion, the Comrades who at the present hour are
struggling with me all over the world for the highest well-being of
their fellows, and for the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord
Jesus Christ.

"Sixty-five years ago I chose the Salvation of men and the
extension of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ as the supreme object for
which I would live and labour.

"Although that choice was made in my early youth, in much ignorance
of the world, and of the religious needs of those about me, still,
it was not arrived at without much thought and some information;
and that purpose is still, and will be to the end, the object which
has shaped and mastered the thoughts, ambitions, and activities of
my whole life.

"From the hour of my first Prayer Meetings in one of the cottage
homes of my native town, down to the present moment, that object
has been the governing principle of my life. The adornments and
flowers and music and other pleasant things connected with
religious service have all been secondary to efficiency in the
search for that object and success in attaining it.

"My hourly usage with regard to every effort I put forth has been
to ask myself: What does this action contemplate? What will it
achieve? Can it be improved upon? I believe I can say that every
conversation and prayer and song and address and Meeting I have had
a hand in have been valued in proportion to their ability to
promote the realisation of that great purpose.

"No greater mistake can be made with respect to The Salvation Army
than to suppose that it is not a school for thought. Perhaps more
theories have been produced and more schemes invented by us for
gaining the highest ends of the Christian faith (bearing in mind
our age and the extent of our work) than by any other religious
movement in existence. Indeed, as I have often said in public, when
we have so many thousands of hearts inflamed with the love of
Christ for sinning, suffering, and dying men, and possessed with a
passionate desire for their rescue, you must have the constant
evolution of new plans and contrivances for that purpose.

"But, while thus inventive, The Army does not content itself with
hopes and theories merely; it seeks to put every fresh idea to the
test of practical application, waiting for the issue, before it
regards it of permanent value. At least, that has been my own
usage, and the practical character of my mind and work has come to
be generally allowed.

"While, then, I glory in the fact that our religion is Divine in
origin and manifestation, I equally maintain the necessity for
human skill, human energy, and human enterprise, in the efforts put
forth to establish and extend it; and, accordingly, I have only
adopted any efforts so far as they have proved themselves effective
in the school of experience.

"So with this confidence in my convictions I proceed once more to
push them upon your attention."

In the _Orders and Regulations for Soldiers_, perhaps the concisest description of earnest living ever written, he says:--

"The Salvation Soldier must have been converted or changed by the
power of the Holy Spirit from the old, worldly, selfish, sinful
nature, to the new, holy, heavenly, Divine nature; and not only
must he thus have received a new heart, but he must have the Holy
Spirit living in that heart, possessing it, and working through it,
to will and to do the good pleasure of God.

"This is the first and main condition of Soldiership. It is
understood that every Soldier has come into the possession of this
true Religion by passing through that change which is usually
described in The Army as being 'saved.' There is nothing more
common throughout our ranks than! the expression, 'I am glad I am
saved!'

"As it is impossible for a Salvation Soldier to perform the duties
hereafter set forth with satisfaction to himself, and profit to
others, unless this change has been experienced, it will be well to
describe it rather particularly, so that every Soldier who reads
these Regulations will be able to satisfy himself whether he has
really undergone this change.

"If on reading this description, any Soldier should have reason to
believe that he has not experienced this change, and is still in
his sins, or that he has been unfaithful since he did realise it,
and is, therefore, a backslider, the first business of such an one
will be to go to God and seek Salvation; otherwise it will be
impossible for him to be a good Soldier.

"Salvation implies the devotion of the whole life to the
accomplishment of the purpose for which Christ lived and suffered
and died. It means that the Soldier becomes His disciple.

"Enlisting in His Army, the Soldier receives not only power to walk
in His commandments for himself, but to subdue other men to the
Lord.

"His new nature now continually cries out, 'What wilt Thou have me
to do?' and carries him forth with the feet of cheerful obedience
in the service of his new Master, to weep and suffer, and, if
necessary, to die, to bring others into the enjoyment of the
Salvation which he himself has found. He lives the same kind of
life and is actuated by the same purposes as God Himself."

In _Religion for Every Day_ he writes:--

"I am always talking to you about what we call religious duties,
such as praying and singing, making efforts to save your own soul
and the souls of the people about you. In these letters I propose
speaking of the things that men call secular, and which many people
reckon have nothing to do with Religion. But I want to show you, if
I can, that the Salvationist's conduct ought, in every particular,
to be religious; every meal he partakes of should be a sacrament;
and every thought and deed a service done to God. In doing this you
will see that I shall have to deal with many quite commonplace
subjects; and, in talking about them, I shall try to be as simple
and as practical as I possibly can.

"The first topic to which I shall call your attention is your daily
employment, and by that I mean the method by which you earn your
livelihood. Or, supposing that, having some independent means of
support, you are not compelled to labour for your daily bread, then
I shall point out that special form of work, the doing of which
Providence has plainly made to be your duty. Because it is
difficult to conceive of any Salvationist who has not some regular
employment, for which he holds himself responsible to God

"Work is a good thing, my comrades. To be unemployed is generally
counted an evil--any way, it is so in the case of a poor man; but
it seems to me that the obligation to be engaged in some
honourable and useful kind of labour is as truly devolved upon the
rich as upon the poor, perhaps more so. Work is necessary to the
well-being of men and women of every class, everywhere. To be
voluntarily idle, in any rank or condition of life, is to be a
curse to others and to be accursed yourself.

"You would utterly condemn me if you thought that I engaged in my
work in The Army merely to make a good show, or for some personal
profit, and did not care about what God thought of the matter. My
comrades, there are not two different standards of work--one for
you and one for me. You must, therefore, be under the same
obligation to do your work in the house or in the mine or in the
warehouse, or wherever the Providence of God has placed you" to
please your Heavenly Master, as I am on the platform, in the
council chamber, or wherever my duty may call me.

"But here another question arises. Do you accept Jesus Christ as
your Master in the affairs of your daily life? If not, of course,
this part of my argument will be thrown away; but if you do, then
it will be the most powerful of all.

"At the commencement of His ministry, Jesus Christ announced that
He was about to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on the earth. By
the Kingdom of Heaven He meant a Kingdom consisting of heavenly
government, heavenly laws, heavenly obedience, heavenly power,
heavenly love, heavenly joy. These, taken together, constitute the
chief characteristics of this Kingdom, and instead of being
confined, as it had been hitherto, to a handful of people in
Jerusalem and Judea, it was to cover the whole earth.

"Now the subjects of that Kingdom must accept Jesus Christ as their
Master and Lord. No one can either come into that Kingdom or remain
in it without compliance with this law. You cannot be a son without
being a servant.

"But you have written yourselves down as His servants, and said you
will 'no longer live unto yourselves,' nor to please the world, but
to do the will of Him who has redeemed you; that is, to please Him.
Now the Master's province, everybody knows, is, not only to choose
the work of His servants, but to get it done, if possible, to His
satisfaction.

"He has appointed me my work. He has arranged that I should direct
the movements of this great Army, preach Salvation, write Letters
for you to read, save as many sinners as I can, and strive to get
my Soldiers safely landed on the Celestial Shore. Before all else,
I must do this Work, as nearly as I can, to satisfy my Lord--and
nothing short of the best work I can produce will accomplish that.

"And as with me so with you. He has chosen your work, if you have
put your life into His hands, just as truly as He has chosen mine,
although it may be of a different kind. I am writing this letter in
the train. I am a poor writer at best. When I was a child my
schoolmaster neglected to teach me to hold my pen properly. In this
respect he did not do good work, and I have had to suffer for it
ever since. Still, I am doing my work as well as I can, in order
that it may profit you and please my Lord.

"In settling how much work he will do, a man must have due regard
to the claims of his own health. If he rushes at his work without
due discretion, and does more than his strength will reasonably
allow, he will probably break down, and so prevent his working
altogether, or for a season, at least. Whereas, if he exhausts no
more energy than he can recover by sleep and food and rest, at the
time he can go steadily forward, and by doing so, accomplish a
great deal more, in the long run, than he would by temporary
extravagant exertion. When speaking on this subject, I sometimes
say that I use my body as I should use a horse, if I had one--that
is, I should not seek to get the most labour out of him for a week,
regardless of the future, but I should feed and manage him with a
view to getting the most I could get out of him all the year round.
That is, doubtless, the way a man should use his body, and to do
this he should take as much time for his food and daily rest as is
necessary to replace the energies he has used up by his work.

"In the leisure taken for this purpose, it will be necessary to
have specified hours, as otherwise, those who are without principle
will take advantage of the weak, and anything like system will be
impossible.

"Then, again, when the proper performance of a particular task
depends upon the united labour of a number of individuals, who have
agreed to work in co-operation, it will be necessary, in the
interests of the whole, that each should conform to the regulations
laid down, always supposing that such rules are in harmony with
truth and righteousness.

"The wishes and interests of employers have also to be taken into
consideration. But, in every case, the principle is equally
obligatory upon all.

"These duties will demand, and must have devoted to them, a
measure of the time at our control. What that amount of time shall
be, must be determined by the relative importance of those duties.
For instance:--

"There is the work a man can do for his earthly employers, over and
above the amount that is considered to be a strict and just return
for his wages. Here, again, he must be guided by Jesus Christ's
rule, and to do unto his master as he would that his master should
do unto him.

"There is the work that he ought to do for his family, apart and
beyond the bare earnings of their daily bread. This is work which
no one else can do so well, and which, if it be neglected by him,
will probably not be done at all.

"There is the effort that every workman should put forth for his
own personal improvement. For instance, a youth of seventeen works,
we will say, ten hours a day for his employer, who would very much
like him to put in another hour at the same task, and would be
willing to pay him extra for doing so. This, we will suppose, the
youth could do without any injurious effect to his health. But
then, by reading his Bible, or cultivating his mind, he might
qualify himself to become an Officer, or to fill some other
important position, in either case fitting himself for a field of
greater usefulness, in the future, than the one he already
occupies. Under such circumstances, it must be the duty of that
youth to take that hour for his own improvement, rather than to use
it to enrich his master or increase his earnings.

"Then, every Soldier of Jesus Christ must duly consider and obey
the claims of the Salvation War. That is, he must strive to take
his fair share in that conflict. Whether he is his own master,
having the direct control of his time, or whether he works for an
employer, who only allows him many hours for leisure, he must
conscientiously devote much of that time as he can to saving his
fellow-men, settling this question, he must use his common sense,
and claim the promised direction of the Holy Spirit. God will guide
him.

"What I protest against here is the notion, born of indolence and
selfishness, which affirms that we should do little, rather than as
much, work as is consistent with the maintenance of health, and
with the claims arising out of the relations in which we stand to
those about us.

Soldiers. God and a sinning suffering world cal you to rise up and meet your great opportunity. Do it and do it with your might.

For the present I must say farewell; but always think of ****

Your affectionate General Williams S. Booth

Cape Town, _October 12, 1908_

AN AUTOGRAPH MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL]

"However, circumstances will transpire, during the earthly career
of every one of us, calling for self-sacrificing work that must be
performed, regardless of consequences to health or any other
interest.

"Supposing, by way of illustration, a ship has sprung a leak,
through which the water is rushing rapidly in, endangering the
lives of both the passengers and crew. Under such conditions, would
not every man on board be justified in working night and day to
prevent the threatened calamity? Nay, further, would not the laws
of humanity call upon every one concerned to do so at the risk of
crippling themselves, or even sacrificing life itself, in order to
gain the greater good of saving the vessel from destruction, and
rescuing a number of their fellows from a watery grave?

"My contention then, is, that whether in the shop or on the ship,
in the parlour or in the kitchen, in the factory or in the field,
on the Salvation platform or in the coal mine, whether Officers or
Soldiers, we are all alike, as servants of God, under the
obligation to do all we possibly can in the service of men; and to
do it with the holy motive of pleasing our Heavenly Master.

"Here let me review my warrant for requiring from you the kind of
loving labour that I advocate.

"The Bible enjoins it. We have already quoted Paul's words to the
Ephesians, in which he says that our work is to be done, 'Not with
eye-service as men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing
the will of God from the heart; with goodwill doing service, as to
the Lord, and not to men.' That is all I ask for.

"It is enjoined by the doctrine of brotherly love. I cannot
understand how any one can suppose, for a moment, that he is living
a life acceptable to God unless he is striving, with all his might,
to fulfil the Divine command, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself.' Your master, or whoever has a claim upon your service,
must be included in the term 'neighbour'; and to comply with the
command of the Saviour, you must work for that master, or mistress,
as the case may be, from the voluntary principle of love rather
than the earthly and selfish principle of gain.

"Is not the disinterested method I am urging upon you in keeping
with the loftiest ideals the world possesses with respect to work?
About whom does it write its poetry? Whom does it laud to the
heavens in the pulpit, on the platform, and in the Press? Whose
names does it describe the highest in its Temples of Fame, or hand
down to posterity as examples for rich and poor, old and young
alike, to follow? Is it the man who makes his own ease and
enrichment his only aim in life, and who toils and spins for
nothing higher than his own gratification? Nothing of the kind. It
is the generous, self-sacrificing, disinterested being who uses
himself up for the benefit of his fellows.

"Nay, at whom does that same world ceaselessly sneer, and whom does
it most pitilessly despise? Is it not the mean and narrow spirit
whose conduct is governed by selfish greed and sensual indulgences?
Whatever may be its practice, in this respect, the sentiment of the
world is in the right direction. It asks for benevolence evidenced
by unselfish labour, and admires it when it finds it.

"A paragraph went the round of the newspaper world, a little time
back, describing how an American millionaire had decided to spend
the rest of his days on a Leper Island in the Pacific Ocean, in
order to labour for the amelioration of the miseries of its
unfortunate inhabitants. Wonder and admiration everywhere greeted
the announcement.

"Shall we go back on all this spirit of self-sacrifice? Shall this
kind of thing die out, or only have an existence in poetry books,
platform quotations, or anecdote collections? Shall we change over
to the 'pound-of-flesh' principle, and hire out the work of our
hands, the thoughts of our minds, and the burning passions of our
souls, for the largest amount of filthy lucre, and the greatest
measure of earthly comfort, that we can obtain for them; so
justifying the lying libel on humanity, long since spoken, and
still often sneeringly quoted, that every man has his price? Or
shall we say that love--the love of God and man--is the highest and
divinest motive of labour--a motive possible not only to the sons
and daughters of genius, but accessible to the plainest, humblest
man or woman who suffers and toils on the lowest round of the
ladder of life.

"I argue in favour of this doctrine on the ground of its
profitableness to the worker. My readers will probably have asked
long before this, How far do these propositions harmonise with the
interests of the servant? Ought he not to take his own well-being
into account? Certainly. He must have just as true a regard for his
own welfare and the welfare of those dependent upon him, as he has
for that of others. The command, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself,' can only be rightly interpreted by another, like unto
it, which reads: 'Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do
ye even so to them.' Therefore, he must ask, that others should do
unto him as he would do unto them, supposing they occupied changed
positions. This must mean that, while righteously concerned for the
interests of others, he must be reasonably concerned for his own.

"But here a little difficulty comes into our argument, arising out
of the play of the higher motives of affection. What does love care
for gain in its calculations of service? The husband who loves his
wife as Christ loved the Church, does not stop to consider the
claims of duty, or the advantages following its discharge in
toiling for her welfare. He will be willing to die for her, as
Christ died for the Church.

"He does not say, 'I will toil for my delicate wife, and deny
myself pleasant things, in order to obtain for her the necessaries
and comforts she requires, because she would do the same for me, if
I were in her place and she in mine.' Nothing of the kind! The wife
I spoke of, who told me the other day that she had not had her
clothes off for seventeen days and nights in nursing her husband
did not make it appear that she thought she was doing anything
extraordinary, or that she rendered this service to her companion
in life because she felt sure that had he been the wife and she the
husband, he would have gladly done the same for her.

"Had the newspapers thought that the American millionaire was going
to the Leper Island, with his gold, to make something out of it for
himself and family, or to make a name in the world, instead of his
being greeted with a chorus of admiration, there would have been a
universal chorus of execration at his selfishness. It was because
they believed that he was going to make the sacrifice of his own
gain, if not of his own self, for the benefit of the poor
sufferers, that they praised him.

"Supposing, however, that we come down to the low level of
self-interest, we insist then, that those who work from the motive
of love, rather than the motive of gain, will not necessarily be
sufferers in consequence, so far as this world goes. But it may be
asked, 'Will not unprincipled masters or mistresses be likely to
take advantage of this docile and unselfish spirit?' Perhaps, nay,
doubtless, in many cases, they will. The Salvation Army has been
taken advantage of all through its past history, and so have all
the true saints of God, because they have submitted to wrong, and
have not fought the injustice and false representations and
persecutions inflicted upon them from the beginning. It will
possibly be so to the end, but that does not affect the principle
for which I argue, which is, that we _must_ do good work, and as
much of it as we can, regardless of what the world may give us in
return.

"But, I think, I have sufficiently shown, as I have gone along,
that this class of service is not without its earthly rewards, and
that every interest of human nature--selfish and otherwise
alike--testify to the probability of its proving profitable to
those who practise it.

"If, however, the reward does not come in the form of money, or
houses, or lands, there will be gain in that which is far more
valuable than money and houses and lands, and which money and
houses and lands cannot buy. There will be the gain in peace, in
satisfaction, and in joy in the Holy Ghost in this life, to say
nothing of the gain in the world to come. But, on this point, I
shall have more to say another time.

"I remember hearing a gentleman relate the following incident in a
large meeting: 'Some time back,' he said, 'I was passing through
the streets of Liverpool. It was a cold, raw, wintry day. The
streets were ankle-deep in an unpleasant mixture of mud and ice,
and battling through it all, the came along a little procession of
ragged, haggard, hungry looking boys. Splash, splash, on they went,
through freezing slush, at every step making the onlookers
shudddered as they stood by in their warm, comfortable coats and
furs." In the front rank was a little fellow, who was scarcely more
than a bag of bones, half-naked, barefooted, his whole frame
shivering every time he put his foot down on the melting snow.

"'All at once, a big boy came forward, and, stooping down, bade the
lad put his arms round his neck, and, lifting him up on his back,
took his perished feet one in each hand and jogged along with his
burden.

"'I was moved,' said the speaker, 'at the sight; and going up to
the boy, commended him for his kindness. In his Lancashire brogue
the lad replied, "Aye, aye, sir; two feet in the cold slush are
not so bad as four." After a while,' said the speaker, 'I offered
to carry the little chap myself" but the honest fellow shook his
head, and said, "Nay, nay,' Mister; I winna part with him. I can
carry him; and he's a-warming o' my back."'

"And so, if seeking the good of others may not bring as much
worldly gain as a selfish course of action, it does ensure that
joyful warmth of heart which all loving service brings, and which
is among the most valuable of all the treasures of earth or Heaven.
Every man who acts on this principle is adding to the general sum
of human happiness. What is the sum of celestial happiness, the
happiness of God, the happiness of the angels, the happiness of the
Blood-washed spirits who are safely landed there? In what does this
happiness chiefly consist?

"I reply, Not in the golden streets, the unfading flowers, the
marvellous music, nor all the other wonders of the Celestial Land
put together, but in Love. Love is the essence of the bliss of
Heaven, for 'Love is Heaven, and Heaven is Love.' This happiness we
can have below. It is not the love others bear to us that makes our
felicity, but the love we bear to them; and, thank God, we can as
truly love on earth as we can in Heaven.

"And then, as I have been saying all along, acting on this
principle constitutes true religion. As labour done from selfish,
fleshly motives is of the earth, and as the results which follow it
will perish with the earth, even so labour done to bless mankind
and to please God is Divine, and the results flowing out of it must
be everlasting honour and joy. Where this principle is carried into
effect, every part of human conduct becomes religious--nay, a
positive act of Divine worship, and an acceptable song of praise."

Important Events Connected With The General's Life And Work

1827. Jan. 17th Catherine Mumford--afterwards Mrs Booth--born at
Ashbourne, Derbyshire

Apr. 10th William Booth born at Nottingham.

1844. Conversion of Catherine Mumford and William Booth.

1852. Apr. 10th William Booth entered the Methodist Ministry.

1855. June 16th Marriage of William Booth and Catherine Mumford.

1856. March 8th Birth of William Bramwell (now General) Booth.

1859. Mrs. Booth's first pamphlet "Female Ministry" published.

1861. Commenced to travel as Revivalist.

1865. July 5th Commenced Mission Work in East of London.

First Headquarters opened in Whitechapel Road.

1868. Christian Mission commenced work in Scotland.

1870. Publication of "How to reach the Masses" by the Rev. W.
Booth.

1875. Publication of the first volume of music.

1878. First Deed Poll, signed legally, constituting The
Christian Mission.

" Xmas. The name of the Christian Mission altered to The
Salvation Army, and the Rev. William Booth assume the
title of General.

First Corps flag presented by Mrs. Booth.

"Practical Christianity" by Mrs. Booth published.

1879. Dec. 29th Publication of the first number of the "War Cry."

Formation of the first Salvation Army Band at Consett.

1880. Headquarters removed to Queen Victoria Street.

Opening of the work in the United States and Australia.

Opening of first Training College.

Publication of first "Orders and Regulations."

"Godliness," by Mrs. Booth, published.

1881. Work extended to France.

First number of the "Little Soldier" issued.

1882. Opening of the Congress Hall and International Training
College at Clapton.

Marriage of W. Bramwell Booth and Captain Florence
Soper.

Work extended to Switzerland, Canada, Sweden and India.

Publication of "Life and Death" by Mrs. Booth.

First Prison-Gate Home opened in London.

1883. Work extended to South Africa and New Zealand.

1884. "The Training of Children," by the General, published.

First Band Journal issued.

First Rescue Home opened.

1885. "All the World" first published.

Criminal Law Amendment Act passed.

Trial and acquittal of W. Bramwell Booth.

1886. Death of The Army's first French Martyr.

The General paid his first visit to France, the United
States and Canada.

First International Congress held in London.

Work extended to Germany.

"Musical Salvationist" published.

Self-Denial Week established.

First "Orders and Regulations for Field Officers"
published, and first "Orders and Regulations for Staff
Officers" published.

1887. Thousand British Corps established.

First Slum Settlement established.

Work extended to Holland, Denmark and Zululand.

First Crystal Palace Anniversary Demonstration.

Auxiliary League founded.

General paid his first visit to Denmark, Sweden and
Norway.

"Popular Christianity," by Mrs. Booth, published.

1888. First Food Depot opened at Limehouse.

Work extended to Norway, Argentine, Finland and Belgium.

" June 21st. Mrs. Booth gave her last public address.

1889. The Petition for the Sunday Closing of Public-houses,
with 436,500 signatures, presented to the House of
Commons by the General.

Publication of "The Deliverer."

General visited Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and France.

1890. 25th Anniversary of The Army celebrated at the Crystal
Palace.

Oct. 4th. Mrs. Booth's Death.

" " 13th. Funeral Service at Olympia--36,000 present.

" " 14th. Funeral at Abney Park.

Publication of "In Darkest England" by the General.

1891. Work extended to Italy and Uruguay.

General first visited South Africa, Australia, New
Zealand and India.

£1,000. 0. 0. subscribed for "Darkest England" Scheme.

General signed "Darkest England" Trust Deed.

Opening of Industrial and Land Colony at Hadleigh, Essex.

Publication of "Social Gazette."

1892. General visited Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

Publication of "Life of Catherine Booth."

1892. Work extended to West Indies.

1893. General visited Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Holland and
Norway.

1894. International Congress, in connection with the General's
Jubilee, held in London.

General visited America and South European Countries.

Work extended to Java.

1895. General visited South Africa, Australia and various
European Countries.

Work extended to Japan and British Guiana.

Naval and Military League established.

1896. General visited Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark.
Preached to 12,000 in Kings Gardens, Copenhagen.

First Salvation Army Exhibition--Agricultural Hall,
London.

Work extended to Malta.

1897. General inspected work in European countries.

1898. General visited United States, Canada and European
countries.

"Orders and Regulations for Social Officers" published.

1899. Second Salvation Army Exhibition--Agricultural Hall.

Visited Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon and European
countries.

Officers sent to the front to work amongst both sides in
the South African War.

1900. General visited European countries.

1901. General visited European countries.

Opening of first Inebriates' Home at Hadleigh.

1902. General visited United States, Canada and European
countries.

Publication of "Religion for Everyday" by the General.

1903. General visited America, Canada and European countries.

Received by President Roosevelt.

1904. June 24th. The General received by His Majesty, King Edward the
Seventh, at Buckingham Palace.

" June 25th. International Congress opened by the General in London.

" July 23rd. General received by Her Majesty, Queen Alexandra, at
Buckingham Palace.

August. Commenced his Motor Campaign.

Work extended to Panama.

General visited various European countries.

1905. General visited Palestine, Australia and various
European countries.

First Emigration Ship sails from Liverpool for Canada
with 1,000 emigrants.

The General created Honorary D.C.L., Oxford.

General received Freedom Cities of London and
Nottingham.

1906 Establishment of Anti-Suicide Bureau.

General conducted lengthy Campaigns Continental
countries.

1907. General visited Japan, America, Canada etc.

General received by Kings of Denmark and Norway, and
Queen of Sweden, and Emperor of Japan.

1908. Work extended to Korea.

General visited South Africa.

1909. General visited Russia, Finland and other European
countries.

General received by Kings of Norway and Sweden.

General received by Prince and Princess of Wales, now
King and Queen of England.

General received by Queen Alexandra and the Dowager
Empress of Russia.

80th Birthday Celebration at Albert Hall, London.

Met with accident involving loss of sight of one eye.

1910. General visited various European countries.

1911. General visited Italy and other European countries.

General conducted International Social Council in
London attended by Officers from all over the world.

1912. General visited North European Staff Council in Norway.

" May 23rd. Operation on remaining eye, followed by complete loss
of sight.

" Aug. 20th. The General laid down his Sword.

Footnotes

A. The general tendency towards indifference quite as much as the better impulses of our age have produced such a toning down of the teachings of Calvin, both in and out of Switzerland, that it may be startling to some to be reminded that, except the Lutheran and Methodist, every Church still has in its list of Doctrines those of Election and Predestination. If it were true that every human being was predestined, before birth, either to a good or a bad life, there would, of course, be no meaning in a Saviour or a Gospel; and we can understand the indignation of this honest lad, when he was asked to undertake to teach such things. He never learned how to reconcile the profession of a set of doctrines one does not believe with any religion. The recollection of this incident helped him in limiting to the utmost possible extent, the Doctrinal Declarations of The Army. But whatever he asked any one to subscribe to he expected them truly to believe and earnestly to teach.

1. Transcriber's note: In the original, the words "in the United States and Denmark, yet it will only make" were repeated. The entire paragraph, with original linebreaks preserved, read:

This may possibly seem specially and curiously unfair
in the United States and Denmark, yet it will only make
in the United States and Denmark, yet it will only make
the principle of this omission from The General's own
records and ours the more clear.

The repeated line has been removed since this is clearly a printer's error.