Arminell: A Social Romance, Vol. 2Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
General
Arminell: A Social Romance, Vol. 2
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
English fiction -- 19th century
“There was neither sword nor spear found among the Israelites,”
continued Saltren, “and yet they overthrew their enemies, and the way
was scattered with their garments and weapons as far as Jordan. I am an
ignorant and a foolish man, and yet I am sent to you commissioned from
above. I cannot forbear, for I am driven on. Moses was in favour with
the Egyptians, and yet he threw away his advantages because of the
sighing and the groaning of his people. I have had no favour with the
Egyptians, but I have been sent to lead Israel out of captivity. I would
keep silence, but I may not. I have had a call as had Jonah, and if I
try like him to fly, I shall be brought back. I must deliver my message.
If I were sunk in the sea, the sea would throw me up. If I were covered
by the mountains falling, I should come forth to proclaim the message.
That is why I stand here before you. I have wrestled with myself. I have
shrunk from declaring what I have seen and heard, but if I were to hold
my peace, I should be broken as a rotten branch, and be consumed in the
fire. Therefore I must speak.”
He paused and drew a long breath, and again wiped his brow. All the
audience drew a long breath with him. Overhead the wind muttered and
puffed, and along the horizon at the back the dark spires bent and
righted themselves.
“I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day,” said Saltren, and at once, as
he said the words, the man was changed. His tremors ceased, his knees no
longer shook, he stood firm with head erect, and with a face as that of
a frozen man and his hands clasped before his breast.
“I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day,” he repeated. “I was here, hard
by, down by the water—no, on the water, in the old quarry, engaged in
prayer. Then, suddenly, I saw a light from heaven above the brightness
of the sun, and I was as one dazzled and in a trance; and I heard a
voice, like the voice of a trumpet calling to me, and saying, Saltren,
Saltren, Saltren! Then, before I could answer, I saw an angel flying in
the midst of heaven, having a little book in his hand, and he held it
aloft, and cried, ‘This is the Book of the Everlasting Gospel, this is
the truth hid from the earth for ten thousand years, and now at length
revealed unto men.’ Then I cried, Give me the book. And the angel cast
it down, and said, ‘This is the Everlasting Gospel, all men are equal,
all are the sons of the one Adam, and are children of one family. There
shall be no more rich and poor, noble and common; all shall be equal,
and so all shall be one.’”
Then some of those who heard, carried away by their emotions, began to
leap and hold up their hands, and cry, “Glory, Allelulia!” and the woman
on her knees was joined by others who united in cries for mercy. For a
few moments a whirlwind of groans and exclamations and general commotion
swept over the assembly, and as suddenly died away again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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