They are the words of a noble manhood.
There happened what was bound to happen: the men with pure hearts left the scramble for money and power to the impure.
Still the great appeal: “The Kingdom of Heaven is within you,” acted powerfully on the hearts of the poor, who were still full of life. The rich were more active, but less alive. The poor still wanted, most of all, the Kingdom of Heaven.
Until the pure men began to mistrust the figurative Kingdom of Heaven: “Not much Kingdom of Heaven for a hungry man,” they said.
This was a mistake, and a fall into impurity. For even if I die of hunger, the Kingdom of Heaven is within me, and I am within it, if I truly choose.
But once the pure man said this: “Not much Kingdom of Heaven for a hungry man,” the Soul began to die out of men.
By the old creed, every soul was equal in the sight of God. By the new creed, every body should be equal in the sight of men. And being equal meant, having equal possessions. And possessions were reckoned in terms of money.
So that money became the one absolute. And man figures as a money-possessor and a money-getter. The absolute, the God, the Kingdom of Heaven itself, became money; hard, hard cash. “The Kingdom of Heaven is within you” now means “The money is in your pocket.” “Then shall thy peace be as a river” now means “Then shall thy investments bring thee a safe and ample income.”
“L’homme est né libre” means “He is born without a son.” “Et on le trouve partout enchainé” means “He wears breeches, and must fill his pockets.”
So now there is a new (a new-old) aristocracy, completely unmysterious and scientific: the aristocracy of money. Have you a million gold? (for heaven’s sake, the gold standard!) Then you are a king. Have you five hundred thousand? Then you are a lord.