“As He pleases,” said Gerhardt quietly.
“But, man!—if you are a man, and not a stone—don’t you know that the Church has authority from God to bind and loose—that her sentence is His also?”
“Your Church has no jurisdiction over mine.”
“My Church, forsooth! I am speaking of the Catholic Church, which has authority over every Christian on earth.”
“Where is it?”
“Every where.”
“The Church that is every where consists of faithful souls, elect of God. That Church will not condemn me for being faithful to the Word of God.”
“Oh, I can’t split straws like you, nor preach like a doctor of the schools either. But one thing I can do, and that is to say, Gerard, you are in danger—much more danger than the rest. Get away while you can, and leave them to meet it. They won’t do half so much to them as to you.”
“‘He that is an hireling, when he seeth the wolf coming, leaveth the sheep and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.’ Is that conduct you recommend, Stephen?”
“I recommend you to get outside of Oxford as fast as you can, and take your womankind with you; and if you don’t, you’ll be sorry, that’s all. Now be off, and don’t forget that you’ve been warned. Good night!”