shadow of britain

Chapter 43 The Poor Man
When Arthur heard this, he stared at the other person's face earnestly for a while, and then smiled and stood up to bring a set of tea sets from the table beside him.

He put the teacup in front of Newman, poured tea for him and said, "Mr. Newman, you'd better drink some water first. Because I think this may be a long topic."

Newman looked up at the sky outside the window, nodded and said: "It's okay, Mr. Hastings. If there is not enough time, tomorrow, no, even the day after tomorrow, I can continue to come."

Taking advantage of Newman's focus on Arthur, Agares took a piece from the candy jar and threw it into his mouth.

The red devil sneered: "Arthur, do you know why I went to hell in the end? It's because heaven is full of such one-sided things. He is not in a hurry, but I am."

Arthur ignored Agares, just sat back in his seat with a smile.

He put his elbows on the desk and said, "Mr. Newman, it seems that you really want to know the answer. People like you shouldn't go to Oxford in the first place."

"Why?" Newman wondered, "Oxford provides the best education in England."

Arthur shook his head and said, "Really? But Cambridge also said the same. This kind of argument is too contradictory, just as it is impossible for a real Oxford priest to approve Thomas Paine, and it is impossible for England to have two first schools at the same time. "

Newman looked a little dazed, and he asked, "Why can't an Oxford priest approve of Thomas Paine?"

Arthur asked: "Then may I ask you, what do you think of Mr. Paine?"

Newman was taken aback by Arthur's question. He pondered for a long time before hesitatingly said.

"I don't hate some of his remarks, at most I feel that I disagree with him. For the rest of his remarks, I highly appreciate it."

Arthur warmed his hands while holding a teacup, "Then have you thought about why this phenomenon occurs?"

"This……"

Newman's expression seemed to be struggling. His right hand that was clenched to the cross on his chest burst out with veins, but after a moment of silence, he seemed to have given up halfway, and slumped back on the seat weakly.

"I'm a devout believer, and I admire Paine, but he's an atheist, and I'd rather die than betray God. If I lose my faith, what's the difference between me being dead?"

Arthur couldn't help showing a smile when he heard this.

He waved his hand and explained: "Mr. Newman, you may have taken the problem too seriously. Appreciating Paine and betraying God, these two things are not necessarily related.

Although Mr. Paine has always claimed to be an atheist, I think that far from being an atheist, I think he is a perfectly qualified Protestant, judging by what he does. "

Newman looked a little surprised when he heard this. His mouth was slightly opened, and he almost jumped up from the chair immediately, as if he had seen a miracle.

He pressed: "Mr. Hastings, what do you say?"

Arthur shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile: "Maybe it's because I have different standards from yours for judging whether a person has faith. I think judging whether a person has faith must be judged based on his behavior and the logic of his behavior.

As you said, Mr. Paine is an idealist who has got rid of vulgarity, has no self-interest, and is practicing the most difficult but correct path.

But haven't you discovered that in his short but great life, the ideas he adhered to include both Calvinism and Lutheranism.

From my point of view as a Catholic fundamentalist, Mr. Paine is the culmination of all the fine traditions of Calvinism and Lutheranism.

Calvinism does not pay attention to material life before death, but has extremely high requirements for the moral standards of believers, and is enthusiastic about participating in various social charity and poverty relief activities.

According to the statistics of our Scotland Yard, in the Greater London area alone, there are hundreds of relief and assistance groups spontaneously formed by Calvinist believers.

And every time when social donations are raised, the most active participants are also this group of Calvinist believers who also live a poor life.

They are the only remaining lights in the darkest areas of the city of London. Although these lights may not be dazzling, they can give hope to the poor who are about to fall into the abyss and struggle on the verge of life and death.

From a certain point of view, these believers have contributed more to reducing the crime rate in London than Scotland Yard. They are a group of admirable people, just like Mr. Thomas Paine.

And the Lutherans, they are staunch supporters of equality for all.

You should know better than me that Lutheranism has always adhered to the spirit of 'all laymen are priests', and believes that every Christian has equal status and rights in the church, can hold priesthood, and should not have any privileges .

Isn't this the most important point emphasized by Mr. Paine in Human Rights?
Calvinism and Lutheranism also agree with "justification by faith", and believe that people can become true Christians and be saved only if they have pure faith.

Mr. Newman, you know Mr. Paine's life better than I do. Can you find someone with a purer faith than Mr. Paine?
You're just being fooled by Mr. Paine's atheist title, thinking he has nothing but ideals.

But in my opinion, ideals are not enough to support him through the countryside of England, the grasslands of the United States and the fields of France. Only when ideals are purified into beliefs can they bring him such tenacity.

As a devout believer of God and a Catholic fundamentalist, I don't care what Mr. Paine said during his lifetime, but I will also be honored for his attempt to redeem himself and the public during his lifetime, and feel heavy sorrow for his passing.

His body has been corrupted, but his soul will ascend to heaven along with his lofty beliefs.

I seem to have seen him swimming in the heavenly abode, the seraph standing beside him, and the immortal light blooming from the depths of his soul. "

Newman listened quietly to Arthur's words. At the beginning, his eyes were a little dim, but by the end, there was a gleam of light in his pupils.

The rain on the street gradually stopped. Pastor Newman looked out of the window. Through the water droplets shining with colorful light, he seemed to see Thomas Paine's standing and solitary back and his indomitable figure among the receding dark clouds in the sky. strong arms.

Arthur smiled and looked at him, just took out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over.

It was only then that Newman realized that at some point, tears had already wet his cheeks, flowed down the bridge of his nose, and fell drop by drop on "Human Rights" and "Common Sense" on the desk.

"Mr. Hastings, I'm sorry..."

Newman took the handkerchief, wiped the wet corners of his eyes, and said with tears in his smile.

"It's really good of you. I now understand why you can convince judges and juries in court. Your words are like magic, and they can make people fall in love with you at any time."

Unexpectedly, Arthur shook his head when he heard the words, and he said: "My words have no magic power. The reason why my words can move people is because I tell what people think in their hearts.

It is precisely because you think so yourself that these ordinary words can arouse your thoughts and make you feel happy and sad.

The reason why you are confused is precisely because what you see, think, learn and what you think and accept in your heart cannot agree, which makes you fall into the abyss of pain.

It is precisely because of this that I say that Oxford cannot be counted as the number one university in England. Even though the knowledge they teach is beautifully decorated, it has been torn from the world after all.

Maybe students like you will be confused by their meticulously built Babylon Hanging Gardens when they are in school, but no matter how beautiful the garden is, it is still a castle in the air without a foundation.

When you enter this society after graduating from school, all illusions will collapse. If you don't break away from change in silence, you will gradually die in silence.

Don't forget the point emphasized by Thomas Paine in his writings that times change and everything changes with the times.

The good times of the past will eventually pass, and the prelude to the new century is just around the corner.

Although I don't think that all the beautiful pasts that remain in civilization will disappear, but if they can still remain, they must be presented to the public with a brand new look. "

Arthur stood up with a smile, and stretched out his hand to Pastor Newman. His eyes shone with the unique reddish look of the Red Devil.

"Mr. Newman, I am very happy to chat with you today."

Newman also stood up in a trance, and he held Arthur's hand.

"Mr. Hastings, I also had a very good chat today. However, I think I may not come tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. If I come again, it should be next month? No no No, maybe next month? I...I have to think about the issues you just mentioned."

click.

Newman walked out of the office in a daze, and closed the door behind him.

Agares watched him leave and muttered, "What a lunatic."

Arthur took the teacup and walked to the window. He just shook his head slightly when he heard what Agares said.

"He's not crazy. He's just like me, a poor man who can't find his place in the wave of the new era."

(End of this chapter)