## Chapter 42: The Poor Soul
Arthur stared intently at the other man’s face for a while before finally rising with a smile and fetching a tea set from the table beside him.
He placed the teacup in front of Newman, pouring tea as he spoke, “Mr. Newman, perhaps you should have some water first. I suspect this will be a long conversation.”
Newman glanced at the sky outside, nodding, “It’s alright, Mr. Hastings. If we run out of time, I can come back tomorrow, or even the day after.”
Agareus, taking advantage of Newman’s full attention on Arthur, snatched a sugar cube from the jar and popped it in his mouth.
The red devil sneered, “Arthur, do you know why I ended up in hell? It’s because heaven is full of these stubborn fools. He’s not in a hurry, but I am.”
Arthur ignored Agareus, simply smiling and settling back into his chair.
He rested his elbows on the desk and said, “Mr. Newman, it seems you really want to know the answer. Someone like you shouldn’t have gone to Oxford.”
“Why?” Newman asked, perplexed. “Oxford offers the best education in all of England.”
Arthur shook his head, “Does it? Cambridge says the same thing. This kind of rhetoric is simply contradictory. Just as a true Oxford priest couldn’t possibly accept Thomas Paine, England can’t have two first-rate institutions at the same time.”
Newman seemed confused, “Why can’t an Oxford priest accept Thomas Paine?”
Arthur asked, “So, can I ask you, what are your actual thoughts on Mr. Paine?”
Newman was taken aback by Arthur’s question. He pondered for a long time before hesitantly replying.
“I don’t dislike some of his statements, I just disagree with them. As for the rest of his statements, I highly commend them.”
Arthur warmed his hands with the teacup, “Have you ever considered why this phenomenon occurs?”
“This…”
Newman’s expression seemed conflicted. The veins in his right hand, gripping the crucifix on his chest, bulged. But after a moment of silence, it was as if he had given up, slumping back into his chair with a sigh.
“I am a devout believer. I admire Paine, but he is an atheist, and I would rather die than betray God. Without faith, what’s the difference between me and the dead?”
Arthur couldn’t help but smile at these words.
He waved his hand dismissively, offering reassurance, “Mr. Newman, you might be overthinking things. Admiring Paine and betraying God have no necessary connection.
While Mr. Paine always claimed to be an atheist, from his actions, I believe he wasn’t an atheist at all, but rather a perfect example of a standard Protestant believer.”
Newman, startled by these words, opened his mouth slightly, practically jumping out of his chair, as if witnessing a miracle.
He pressed, “Mr. Hastings, how can you say that?”
Arthur shrugged, smiling, “Perhaps because my criteria for judging whether someone has faith is different from yours. I believe that judging whether someone has faith must be based on their actions and the logic behind their actions.
As you said, Mr. Paine was an idealist free from base desires, devoid of any selfish motives, pursuing the most arduous but also the most correct path.
But haven’t you noticed that his short but great life, the principles he adhered to, included both Calvinism and Lutheranism?
From my perspective as a Catholic fundamentalist, Mr. Paine is the epitome of all the fine traditions of Calvinism and Lutheranism.
Calvinism doesn’t focus on material life before death, holds very high moral standards for believers, and is enthusiastic about participating in various social charities and poverty relief activities.
According to our statistics from Scotland Yard, there are hundreds of relief and aid groups formed spontaneously by Calvinist believers in Greater London alone.
And every time social donations are raised, the most active and enthusiastic participants are these Calvinist believers, most of whom live in poverty themselves.
They are some of the only rays of light in the darkest areas of London. While these lights may not be dazzling, they give those who are about to fall into the abyss, those who struggle on the brink of life and death, a glimmer of hope.
In a way, these believers contribute more to lowering London’s crime rate than Scotland Yard. They are a group of people worthy of admiration, just like Mr. Thomas Paine.
And Lutheranism, they are staunch supporters of the equality of all people.
You should know better than me that Lutheranism has always insisted on the ‘priesthood of all believers,’ believing that every Christian has equal status and rights in the church, can serve as a priest, and none should have any privileges.
Isn’t this the most important point that Mr. Paine emphasized in ‘The Rights of Man’?
And both Calvinism and Lutheranism also agree on ‘justification by faith,’ believing that only those with genuine faith can become true Christians and be saved.
Mr. Newman, you know Mr. Paine’s life better than I do. Can you find anyone with purer faith than Mr. Paine?
You’ve simply been misled by Mr. Paine’s label as an atheist, thinking he only possesses ideals.
But in my view, ideals aren’t enough to sustain him through the English countryside, the American prairies, and the fields of France. Only when ideals are purified into faith can they bring him such resilient strength.
As a devout believer in God, a Catholic fundamentalist, I don’t care what Mr. Paine said in his lifetime, but I would also be honored by his actions in trying to redeem himself and redeem others during his life, and I would feel deeply saddened by his passing.
His flesh has decayed, but his soul will ascend to heaven with his noble faith.
I can almost see him swimming in his heavenly abode, seeing the six-winged angels standing beside him, and the eternal light radiating from the depths of his soul.”
Newman listened silently as Arthur finished speaking. At first, his eyes were dull, but by the end, a glimmer of light appeared in his pupils.
The rain on the street gradually stopped. The Reverend Newman looked out the window. Through the water droplets shimmering with a rainbow of colors, he seemed to see the towering silhouette and the unwavering, strong arms of Thomas Paine amidst the receding clouds in the sky.
Arthur smiled at him, simply pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket and handing it over.
Newman then realized that at some point, tears had already soaked his cheeks, flowing down his high, straight nose, dripping one by one onto ‘The Rights of Man’ and ‘Common Sense’ lying on the desk.
“Mr. Hastings, I’m sorry…”
Newman took the handkerchief and wiped away the dampness from the corners of his eyes. With tears in his eyes, he said,
“What you said was truly excellent. Now I understand why you could convince the judges and jury in court. Your words are simply magical, they can make anyone bow down to you at any time.”
But Arthur shook his head at these words. He said,
“My words have no magic. The reason my words can move people is because I reveal what is in their hearts.
It’s because you think the same way that these ordinary words can stir your thoughts and make you feel joy and sorrow.
The reason you’re lost is because what you see, think, and learn doesn’t align with what you think and accept in your heart. This is what plunges you into the abyss of suffering.
That’s why I say Oxford can’t be considered the top university in England. The knowledge they teach, even though it’s beautifully decorated, is ultimately disconnected from the world.
Perhaps students like you, when you were at school, were still captivated by their meticulously constructed Babylonian Hanging Gardens. But even the most beautiful garden is ultimately an ungrounded sky castle.
When you graduate from school and enter society, all illusions will crumble. You won’t escape change by remaining silent, you’ll gradually die in silence.
Remember what Thomas Paine emphasized in his writings, times are changing, everything must change with the times.
Those past glories of civilization will eventually pass. The curtain of the new century is right before our eyes.
While I don’t think those good things that remain in civilization will completely disappear, if they can still remain, it will definitely be in a completely new form in front of the public.”
Arthur smiled and stood up, extending his hand towards the Reverend Newman. His eyes sparkled with the unique reddish glow of the Red Devil.
“Mr. Newman, I’m very happy to chat with you today.”
Newman also stood up in a daze. He took Arthur’s hand.
“Mr. Hastings, I’ve had a very pleasant conversation today as well. However, I think I might not come back tomorrow, or even the day after. If I come back, will it be next month? No, no, maybe the month after? I… I need to think carefully about what you just said.”
Click.
Newman left the office in a daze, closing the door behind him.
Agareus watched him leave, muttering, “What a madman.”
Arthur walked to the window with his teacup. He heard Agareus’s words and simply shook his head slightly.
“He’s not a madman. He’s just like me, a poor soul who can’t find his place in the wave of the new era.”
(End of Chapter)