_ CHAPTER XXII
"Not in Jerusalem alone,
God hears and answers prayer,
Nor on Samaria's mountain lone,
Dispenses blessings there.
But in the secrecy of thought,
Our silent souls may pray;
Or round the household altar brought,
Begin and close the day."
--
James Montgomery. Grace was busily engaged with "Hypatia." She felt for the first time she could bring out the peace and reposeful strength of character Kate had thought so sadly lacking, and one afternoon, a few days after the memorable walk, she sat down to her work with a pleasurable anticipation of bringing out her ideal. As she put the touches here and there that changed the expression, now adding to this feature, now taking from that, she was thinking of the changes needed in herself, and wondering how or by what process they would be wrought by the invisible Artist.
She was mixing some paint on her palette, when a rap was heard at the door. Before she had time to say or do anything, in walked Mrs. Dyke with a timid little woman who came in like a martyr, but one resolved to die at her post if necessary. Grace was too astonished to speak for an instant, then rising, she put down her palette, wiped her hands and went forward with an invitation to the ladies to be seated.
"Is this Miss Turner?" began Mrs. Dyke, with a critical glance about the apartment, and then at Grace.
"No, madam, Miss Turner is not in. She generally returns about five, but to-day--"
"Very well, we can come again, for it is very important business. Are you the young woman who lives with her?" asked Mrs. Dyke, as she seated herself with deliberate dignity. "This is Mrs. Linberger, and we have called as the church committee to look after Miss Turner's soul," she continued, waving her hand majestically toward her companion-in-arms.
"Indeed," gasped Grace, bowing slightly toward Mrs. Linberger, and coughing a little as she put her handkerchief to her mouth to hide a smile.
"She belongs to our church, and we have heard she is being led astray by this blasphemous kind of healing," pursued Mrs. Dyke, looking severely at Grace from under her thick grey veil which hung like a lowering cloud just above her eyes. "Mr. Narrow requested me and Mrs. Linberger to call and examine into the matter. I hope
you don't encourage such wickedness, young woman?"
"Certainly I am at enmity with any kind of wickedness, but I am not aware of any particular wickedness in Christian Healing," replied Grace, bracing herself for the storm she saw brewing.
"What! you don't see anything wrong in such awful heresy!" exclaimed Mrs. Dyke, again pushing her veil up, and looking with horrified eyes, first at Grace, then at Mrs. Linberger. "Perhaps you don't understand about it," she added, softening a little as she settled back in her chair.
"I must confess I know but very little about it, but what I do know only increases my desire to know more," said Grace, flushing, as she sat down in the nearest chair.
"Let me warn you not to read or hear another word about it then, for it will simply be the means of worse than death to you," continued Mrs. Dyke, raising her finger solemnly.
"It destroys the most important doctrines in the Bible, even taking away the belief in the devil and hell," added Mrs. Linberger, speaking for the first time.
"Yes; they even deny there ever was a devil or that there ever will be any future punishment. Just think of it," reiterated Mrs. Dyke. "I guess they will see, some time!" she added with a sort of steely satisfaction.
"Do you really believe they lay aside all future punishment?" asked Grace, willing to waive the application to herself, and anxious to hear Mrs. Dyke's views.
"Yes, they say there is no evil and no devil, so of course there is no need for punishment."
"But do they not regard the devil as Jesus did, after all?" asked Grace, again pursuing her advantage.
"U-m, well, Jesus recognized him and talked to him, telling him to get out, and he often referred to the everlasting punishment," added Mrs. Dyke again, with a solemn face.
"But, he did not mean a literal fire, did he, when He spoke of everlasting punishment?"
Mrs. Dyke was the catechized instead of the catechizer, and it was an unaccustomed
role, but she bore it like a soldier.
"Of course he did; several places in Matthew he described the lot of the wicked, and referred to the danger of hell-fire. Haven't you studied the Bible, Miss Hall?" suddenly turning to look straight at Grace with some severity.
"I am very much interested in it, Mrs. Dyke, but when I read that 'God's mercy endureth forever,' and that 'Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil,' I am inclined to think there must be some mistake about the dreadful wrath that is to last forever," calmly replied Grace.
"And you don't believe in eternal punishment?" cried Mrs. Dyke, in a shrill voice of astonishment.
"Don't believe in eternal punishment?" echoed Mrs. Linberger.
"I did not say that. I
do think there is punishment so long as there is sin, but when we believe Christ has destroyed or can destroy sin, sickness, sorrow or death, which are the devil's works, they
will be destroyed. It
must be so if we trust the words of the gospel."
"Well, I am thankful to find Miss Turner in such Christian company at any rate," said Mrs. Dyke, as she adjusted her veil, preparatory to her departure.
"Yes, indeed; it is a pleasure to see such an earnest young Christian," added Mrs. Linberger, with a sigh of satisfaction.
"But, ladies," began Grace, "I am not such a----"
"We shall be pleased to have you accompany Miss Turner to our meetings some time, Miss Hall," interrupted Mrs. Dyke, not heeding what Grace was saying. "Here is a card announcing the regular weekly services, and here are some tracts for you to read." She dealt out a liberal supply, which Grace took as she again started to explain, but a sudden haste had seized her visitors, and they left, saying they would try and call some other time, when Miss Turner was at home.
As Grace turned to go back to her painting, she caught a glance of her reflection in the glass. After looking at it a moment with a quizzical expression, she suddenly burst into a merry laugh, saying: "I did not know you had turned Bible teacher. Well, well, it
was funny, but I could not help it, that she went away with the wrong impression of me, for she would not listen to my explanation."
When Kate came home she brought another letter from Mrs. Hayden, but before it was read Grace told her all about the call by the "church committee." Kate looked a little grave at first, but finally straightening up as she took off her gloves and hat, she said:
"Well, Grace, it is not very pleasant to be waited upon in this fashion, but I suppose if they take me in hand I can't help myself, and so I will be resigned to fate." She smiled and spoke cheerily, but a little tremor of the old fear touched her, notwithstanding.
"Let us read the letter now," suggested Grace, thinking that would be the best thing to revive Kate's dampened courage.
"Yes, I am anxious to read it; Mr. Hayden told me it is on the Bible, and very helpful."
"I am so glad!" she exclaimed, when it was finished. "Now I can interpret more freely myself, as I plainly see we must use our judgment about the Bible, as well as anything else. But what does it mean about the creeds?" she added suddenly, appealing to Grace with the old anxious look in her eyes.
"It means," said Grace, "that the ordinary orthodox interpretation of doctrinal points was voted upon by bishops, presbyters and laity generally, and because the majority of votes indicated a preference for a certain interpretation, it was adopted and became the established creed, and thus we have what is called the Apostles' Creed, which is the basis of all orthodox churches throughout Christendom. And so with all creeds; they are all established by majority vote."
"I should never have known anything about this," she continued, "if I had not been searching so eagerly for some religion that would satisfy, and in my rambles I came across this information."
"Are you sure it is reliable?" was Kate's almost feverish question. It seemed that she must hold on to something or the last straw that bound her to the teachings of childhood, would break.
"It is a matter of history, and you see Mrs. Hayden has touched upon it, though very lightly. But it is the grandest historical truth I ever read, for it gives personal liberty. I shall never forget how happy I was to learn that the creeds were simply man-made or man-expressed opinions, for in that case, I too, had liberty to read and think for myself, just as well as those who voted upon these various interpretations."
Grace was handsome when filled with enthusiasm, and as Kate looked at her at this moment she thought her face perfectly angelic, but one more question she must ask of this noble friend, who knew just what she needed to know and could tell it when she needed it most. "Do you think Christian Healing does away with the creeds of the church?"
"No, not necessarily. So far as I can see, it merely seeks truth, and whatever of truth is found anywhere is retained. It is only the husks that are thrown away. Indeed I can see more in the church than I ever could before I knew anything of Christian Healing," replied Grace, thoughtfully.
"Why, how is that?" asked Kate in surprise.
"The fundamental oneness in their search after God. What is back of the creed but a desire to reverence Deity? That was the origin, no matter into what it has degenerated now, and we must judge according to the spirit, not the letter. Oh, when will the world worship in the unity of the spirit?" sighed Grace, longing for the time when questionings and controversies would be at an end.
"Here is Mrs. Dyke, for instance," she resumed, presently, "what is she striving for but to live the true religion as she understands it? I can respect any honest people who live up to their belief, and the Christian who moans and sighs and looks doleful because he thinks it is his duty to do so, is much higher in my estimation than the one who believes it to be right, but fails to live accordingly."
"The spirit of religion washes away all differences in the letter," concluded Kate, with a lighter heart than she had when they began their conversation.
The vague terror that had occasionally thrust itself upon her during these last few weeks had loosened its hold upon her, and she realized, as never before, that fear, more than anything else, had kept her back; fear of deviating from the traditional and accepted opinions. The Bible lesson was especially valuable, because it touched these very points, and after this little conversation with Grace on the subject she was like another person.
When Mrs. Dyke called a few evenings later, after a similar interview to the one with Grace, she left the battlefield a wiser soldier than when she entered it, for Kate had so beautifully proven her religious earnestness, and more than all had shown such a Christ-like spirit, that the "sword was beaten into a plowshare and the spear into a pruning hook." _