"Suppose but two were left in hell--Judas Iscariot and Herbert Spencer--the first great sinner after Jesus and the last of any consequence. One betrayed his master and the other did likewise, only with far greater subtlety and wickedness--teaching thousands to disbelieve his claims to godhood--to regard Christianity as a crude compound of Greek mythology and Jewish tradition--a thing built of myth and fable. Even if these two were damned and all the rest were saved--can you not see that a knowledge of their suffering would embitter heaven itself to another hell? Father Riley was good enough to tell us last week of the state of unbaptised infants after death. Will you please consider coldly the infinite, good God setting a difference for all eternity between two babies, because over the hairless pate of one a priest had sprinkled water and spoken words? Can you not see that this is untrue because it is absurd to our God-given senses of humour and justice? Do you not see that such a God, in the act of separating those children, taking into heaven the one that had had its little head wetted by a good man, and sending the reprobate into what Father Riley terms, 'in a wide sense, a state of damnation'--" Father Riley smiled upon him with winning sweetness. "--do you not see that such a God would be shamed off his throne and out of heaven by the pitying laugh that would go up--even from sinners? "You insist that the truth touching faith and morals is in your Bible, despite its historical inaccuracies. But do you not see that you are losing influence with the world because this is not so--because a higher standard of ethics than yours prevails out in the world--a demand for a veritable fatherhood of God and a veritable brotherhood of man--to replace the caricatures of those doctrines that Christianity submits." "Our young friend seems to think exceeding well of human nature," chirped Father Riley. "Yes," rejoined Bernal. "Isn't it droll that this poor, fallen human nature, despised and reviled, 'conceived in sin and born in iniquity,' should at last call the Christian God and Saviour to account, weigh them by its own standard, find them wanting, and replace them with a greater God born of itself? Is not that an eloquent proof of the living God that abides in us?" "Has it ever occurred to you, young man, that human nature has its selfish moments?" asked the high-church rector--between sips of claret and water. "Has it ever occurred to you that human nature has _any_ but selfish moments?" replied Bernal. "If so, your impression was incorrect." "Really, Mr. Linford, have you not just been telling us how glorious is this nature of man--" "I know--I will explain to you," he went on, moving Father Riley to another indulgent smile by his willingness to instruct the gray-bearded Congregationalist who had interrupted.