Mr. World and Miss Church-Member Part 4

The Broad Highway, after leaving the Optical College, was especially hard to travel. Here Mr. World secured a fas.h.i.+onable vehicle propelled by some secret force. Into this carriage he a.s.sisted Miss Church-Member, and each was delighted with the smooth descent down the gravity road.

"This is delightful traveling," she said, as she reclined upon the luxurious cus.h.i.+ons of the conveyance. Aided by her new gla.s.ses she enjoyed the scenery along the way more than ever. "I am glad you appreciate it," he smilingly returned. "According to my notion, riding is indeed preferable to walking. From these elevated carriages one can witness so much more of the world, and can also with more distinctness see the King's Highway with its trudging pilgrims seemingly unconscious of this better mode of travel."

Miss Church-Member took a mere casual glance at the Old Path and her former a.s.sociates, and seemed to feel thankful that she had risen from bigotry to a more charitable view of things.

Her Bible, although closed altogether too long, had never been surrendered. But she had received strict orders not to read it until her eyes were fully adjusted to the new lenses.

Now, however, she opened it and was reading it under the new light, lifting her eyes at close intervals so as to miss nothing of beauty or interest along this way of the world.

Mr. World observed her careless manner,--how she turned from chapter to chapter in brief succession and fixed but little attention on any particular portion.

"I would urge you," he kindly advised, "that if you feel aught of headache or heartache, through excessive reading, to close the book at once."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Miss Church-member was reading the Bible to her companion when there appeared to them an interpreter who was like unto an angel of light.]

She made no reply, but to his surprise was now deeply engaged in the perusal of the seventh chapter of Matthew.

"I have heard that some parts of that book are very interesting," he said in his good natured way. "Will you not read aloud to me?"

With a return of the old pa.s.sion for his conversion she gladly complied and read the whole chapter while they continued gliding smoothly along.

An interesting discussion ensued, during the course of which there joined them one who was like unto an angel of light.

After hearing his smooth sentences of general Bible-knowledge, Miss Church-Member exclaimed: "Who art thou, and how didst thou gain so great a knowledge of this Book?"

"I am but a harmless creature of the air, going whither I will. I have studied that Book through all the changes of time and understand every part of it. I would, even now, make any sentence as clear as light to thee."

"And thinkest thou that this part is true?" hopefully asked Miss Church-Member as she raised the open Bible and pointed to the chapter she had just read.

"Every sentence is true, but in reading it there is grave danger of misapprehension. Didst thou have difficulty with any particular part of the chapter?"

"With verses thirteen and fourteen," she replied.

The angelic interpreter then read them in a fine resonant voice.

"'Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in hereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.'"

"If these words are really true," quickly commented Miss Church-Member, "we must be traveling in the wrong way. Does it not appear so?" she queried, as she looked with increasing interest at the angelic being.

"Naturally it does," he shrewdly answered, "especially if you look merely at the surface of the text; but the pearls of truth lie deeper."

"I well know that the King's Highway is called the 'Narrow Way' and this, whereon we journey, the 'Broad Way.' Surely this part of Scripture is against us," insisted Miss Church-Member, as her countenance grew more troubled.

"Thou needst not stumble at such easy Scripture; behold, the meaning is quite clear! They who travel on the so-called King's Highway are continually exaggerating the _merits_ of the way, thereby making it appear greater and broader than it really is. They go so far as to claim that the way is broad enough to accommodate all the people of the world, were they minded to travel thereon. Therefore those who thus make the way broad by their own conceits will meet with destruction. This is the meaning of verse thirteen."

"It is certain, according to verse fourteen, that we have a strait gate, and none, on this road, imagine or claim that the way is broader than it is; so we are credited with having it called 'narrow,' for it is as narrow as we claim it to be."

"Notwithstanding your explanation and the relief these gla.s.ses have given me, my conscience is still troubled, and methinks I hear a voice from this Bible chiding me. This is the chief barrier to my real happiness," she boldly confessed.

"Thou shouldst not dwell in fear," spoke the s.h.i.+ning adviser. "Do not allow the errors of any false teaching to mar the peace and happiness of this way. Bid farewell to all thy inward doubting, and taste the imperishable sweetness of the world, turning a deaf ear to the voice that chides thee unkindly."

"But the voice comes from my Bible," she tremblingly declared.

"Truly said, Miss Church-Member; it comes far enough _from_ the Bible.

Why not listen to the voice that is the Bible. Thou art in harmony with every part of Scripture. Let not false voices drive thee on to deeper grief."

She then looked at the s.h.i.+ning form with more curiosity than ever before.

"Who can this be?" she asked Mr. World in a pa.s.sing whisper. "You have seen how he urges me to perfect peace, and so unselfishly."

"'Tis but a happy friend that comes in the hour of need. Should we not give heed to his kindly voice? If the studying of that Bible gives you pain, adding to the weight that already wearies your heart, why not close the book and, continuing on this way of ease, look more carefully on outward things again?"

"Think you, Mr. World, that I would lay down my Bible? This is the book that mother loved. It has always been my Book of books. It contains the code of laws that controls the whole spiritual world, and it is the only lamp that leads to light and to the gates of Heaven. You need it as much as I. Why ask me to lay it down?"

"_Nay, nay,_" spoke the angel of light, "_urge her not to discard her Bible, but rather to get a true understanding of it._ Perhaps," he continued, turning again to Miss Church-Member, "thou hast met with other mysterious verses in this chapter. If so, I will gladly serve thee, for I love to give light to an honest heart."

"I see nothing more now that gives me trouble. These gla.s.ses, which I got through the kindness of Mr. World, have helped me to understand your interpretation so that the rest of the chapter is quite clear to me."

"And how does the whole Bible appear since thy sight is so improved by those fortunate lenses?"

"It certainly appears vastly different," she confessed. "It is so much more liberal in its teachings than I ever before imagined."

"_Hast thou become so far advanced that thou canst, with thy more comprehensive view, distinguish between the inspired and the uninspired parts?_" asked the s.h.i.+ning one with an air of dignity.

"Not clearly so, although I have recently doubted the genuineness of some parts which still hold their place in the book."

"Thou art coming to the true light," he flatteringly replied. "Blessed is the event that ever changed thine eyes to see so great a truth. Oh, that all the world might thus drink from the fountain of knowledge!"

"When will the time ever come that the Bible will be rid of its errors?"

impatiently broke in Mr. World.

"In that happy day when the mists of superst.i.tion shall vanish before the true light of personal liberty and free thinking," came the answer from the bright-robed angel who was none else than a minion of the Devil in disguise.

"How could such a glorious work best be accomplished?" asked Mr. World whose interest now was more intensely aroused.

"Only by Christians who ought to appoint a committee from their own number,--persons like our friend Miss Church-Member. This committee could decide, by a majority vote, what parts of the Bible to expunge.

Then the church and the world would have a Bible reasonably free from errors. Our present Bible has so many objectionable parts which, of course, could not have been inspired, and any person who has the courage to correct it will be doing the world an incalculable service."

"Amen and amen!" enthusiastically spoke Mr. World. "The Bible is certainly a great book, but it would be vastly improved if once rid of its interpolations and errors of translation. Any preacher who would use in his pulpit such an abridged Bible would have my profoundest respect, and I hereby pledge half my fortune to the first minister who will do himself the honor of taking such a step."

"That will have its desired effect," smilingly commented Miss Church-Member, "for there are some gentlemen of the cloth who would quickly sacrifice any conviction for such a sum of money."

"And here," added the angel of light, "I hold in my hand a crown of fame set with the gems of honor. I hereby engage to place a crown like this on the head of each minister who will, in preaching and teaching, abridge the Bible and ridicule its weaknesses. Of course he must not cast reflection upon the real Word of G.o.d. He must only denounce and destroy the errors that have crept into it."

With these words the bright messenger disappeared, and Miss Church-Member endeavored again to know more about his ident.i.ty, but Mr. World did not altogether satisfy her curiosity.

Then, as they sped onward in their well-devised vehicle down the gravity road to h.e.l.l, Miss Church-Member continued reading her Bible quietly.

"How changed the teachings of this book appear," she soliloquized. "I can now see how foolish I once was in taking so narrow a view of its truths."