“No, because you do not know and love Him.”
“Love Him!” echoed Æmilius, “He is dead. You never saw Him at any time. It is impossible for any one to love one invisible, unseen, a mere historical character. See, we have all over Gallia Narbonensis thousands of Augustals; they form a sect, if you will. All their worship is of Augustus Cæsar, who died before your Christ. Do you suppose that one among those thousands loves him whom they worship, and after whom they are named, and who is their bond of connection? No—it is impossible. It cannot be.”
“But with us, to know is to love. Christ is the [pg 217]power of God, and we love Him because He first loved us.”
“Riddles, riddles!” said Æmilius, shaking his head.
“It is a riddle that may be solved to you some day. I would give my life that it were.”
“You would?”
“Aye, and with joy. You risked your life for me. I would give mine to win for you——”
“What?”
“Faith. Having that you would know how to love.”