"If humanity in the
mass asked us for Christ only; if men and women would deny
themselves the petty personal aim, the low vice, the crawling desire
to ingratiate themselves with Heaven, the Pharisaical affectation of
virtue--if they would themselves stand clear of 'vain repetition'
and obstinate egoism, and would of themselves live purely, the
Church would be pure! May I venture to suggest to you that men make
the Church, not the Church the men? We try to supply the spiritual
needs of the human being, such as his spiritual needs at present
are,--when he demands more we will give him more. At present his
needs are purely personal, and therefore low and tainted with
sensuality,--yet we drag him along through these emotions as near to
the blameless Christ as we can. When he is impersonal enough,
unselfish enough, loyal-hearted enough, to stand face to face with
the glorious manifestation of the Deity unaided, we can cast away
his props, such as superstitious observances, Saints and the like,
and leave him,--but then the Millennium will have come, and there
will be new heavens and a new earth!"
He spoke well, with force and fervour, and Aubrey Leigh was for a
moment impressed. After a slight pause however, he said,
"You admit the ignorance of human beings, and yet--you would keep
them ignorant?"
"Keep them ignorant!" Gherardi laughed lightly.
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