Moral government? Where is it to day? Look at
France--Italy--Spain! Count up the lies told by the priests in these
countries to feed the follies of the ignorant! Did Christ ever tell
lies? No. Then why, if you are His follower, do you tell them?"
"I repeat, I did not speak to you," said Moretti, his eyes sparkling
with fury,--"To me you are a heretic, accursed, and excommunicate!--
thrust out of salvation, and beyond my province to deal with!"
"Oh, that a man should be thrust out of salvation in these Christian
days!" exclaimed Cyrillon with a flashing look of scorn, "And that
he should find a servant of Christ to tell him so! Accursed and
excommunicate! Then I am a kind of leper in the social community!
And you, as a disciple of your Master, should heal me of my
infirmity--and cleanse me of my Leprosy! Loathsome as leprosy is
whether of mind or body, Christ never thrust it out of salvation!"
"The leper must wish to be cleansed!" said Moretti fiercely, "If he
does not himself seek to be healed of his evil, no miracle can help
him."
"Oh but I do seek!" And young Vergniaud threw back his handsome head
with a splendid gesture of appeal, "With all my soul, if I am
diseased, I wish to be cleansed! Will YOU cleanse me? CAN you? I
wish to stand up whole and pure, face to face with the Divine in
this world, and praise Him for His goodness to me.
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