Out of the Past — page 40: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Out of the Past. 37 lessly. Finally she roused herself to pay proper attention. Benedict grew eloquent in his tribute to the beauty of the Catholic faith. “It seems to me,’ bs she said at last, “that you worship your church and not your God. You ask what I believe. I believe in the commands of Christ which require neither churches nor gowns nor public prayer. Those are all I believe, monsieur.’”’ She rose, nervously listening to the postman’s ring. Benedict proceeded to show that the church had been founded by St. Peter, disciple of the Christ, and there- fore carried with it the radiating power of God, being, by the same sequence, the only true church. Rose could hear the facteur speaking in the hall and made no reply until he was gone. Then she turned a pale face to Benedict, saying: “It has been proved, I think, that the gospels were not written before the second and third centuries, and the church was not established until it was wanted as a po- litical tool by the Roman government. The early Chris- tians were stoned and burned. Their church was the open field, their ceremonies were the cries of their hearts.”’ “A letter, ma’mselle,’ said Mme. Blanc, closing the door after her. Seeing her father’s handwriting, she opened the letter, COMMICLOO Sri