“You have granted them heart.”
“Not much; but what there is, good.”
“That is allowing a great deal, though. Is it not hard then to say that such cannot understand him?”
“Why? They will get to heaven, which is all they want. And they will understand him one day, which is more than they pray for. Till they have done being anxious about their own salvation, we must forgive them that they can contemplate with calmness the damnation of a universe, and believe that God is yet more indifferent than they.”
“But do they not bring the charges likewise against you, of being unable to understand them?”
“Yes. And so it must remain, till the Spirit of God decide the matter, which I presume must take place by slow degrees. For this decision can only consist in the enlightenment of souls to see the truth; and therefore has to do with individuals only. There is no triumph for the Truth but that. She knows no glorying over the vanquished, for in her victory the vanquished is already of the vanquishers. Till then, the Right must be content to be called the Wrong, and—which is far harder—to seem the Wrong. There is no spiritual victory gained by a verbal conquest; or by any kind of torture, even should the rack employed be that of the purest logic. Nay more: so long as the wicked themselves remain impenitent, there is mourning in heaven; and when there is no longer any hope over one last remaining sinner, heaven itself must confess its defeat, heap upon that sinner what plagues you will.”
Hugh pondered, and continued pondering till they reached Falconer’s chambers. At the door Hugh paused.
“Will you not come in?”
“I fear I shall become troublesome.”
“No fear of that. I promise to get rid of you as soon as I find you so.”