This is
practical, is it not? This is good, sound reasoning. You are a minister
of the Gospel, yet you can't deny it!"
"I can and do!" cried the minister bravely. "A belief that does not
shape the life of the believer is not religion! Faith that does not
light the path of the present is not the inspiration of Heaven! The
Spirit of Christ is an ever-present reagent, neutralizing every rancor
of human strife and blending all grief into harmonious concord. Every
human act should be weighed in the balance of a man's belief. If he
sacrifice divine faith to worldly ambition, he is in need of the
chastening rod, and God will surely punish him!"
"You do not preach that from your pulpit, Dr. Villard," he said slowly,
"and there is hardly a man in your congregation who does not need it."
Dr. Villard's thin face turned to a sickly pallor. It was a just
retribution. He accepted it meekly.
"We ministers are but human," he began, softly.
There was a rap on the door. It came as a welcome interruption.
When Mr. Forbes opened the door he saw his assistant, Mr. Watkins. The
young man's face was the color of a corpse, and his hollow eyes were red
from weeping.
"I must see you, if only for a minute, sir," he said hastily, then as he
caught sight of the visitor a flush spread over his features.
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