General. Holy Martyrs! Is that the way you'd have me
behave towards, for instance, the Bashi-Oozooks, who in
Asiatic Turkey massacre the women and children of the
Armenian villages. You think I ought to stand before
them making touching gestures, saying touching words and
making a tender religious appeal to them.
Mr. Z. Your words would not be heard owing to the instance of the murderers, and if heard would not be understood since you know not one another's languages. Then as regards gestures, as you will of course, but I should have thought that under the circumstances the best gesture one could think out for the occasion would be the firing of a few volleys.
Lady. But, seriously, could the General have explained his Christian sentiments to the Bashi-Oozooks?
Prince. I did not at all assume that the Russian army should have acted according to the spirit of the Gospel when dealing with the Bashi-Oozooks. But I do say that a man filled with the true spirit of the Gospel would have found even the possibility then of awakening in dark souls that good which lies hidden in every human being.
Mr. Z. You really think that!
Prince. Not a whit do I doubt.
Mr. Z. Well, do you think that Christ Himself was sufficiently filled with the true spirit of the Gospel?
Prince. Is that a question or a joke?
Mr. Z. I put the question because I'd like to know why Christ did not so apply the true spirit of the Gospel as to awaken the good hidden in the souls of Judas and Herod and of the Jewish chief priests and of the wicked thief of whom we commonly forget when speaking of his repentant brother. . . .
Which confuses the issue because Christianity is not
a converting of non-Christians to itself, it is a way of
bearing oneself with regard to the world and God, a
witnessing of the truth. This life is not truth. For that
reason among others, Christ does not save Himself from
death; material gains on earth are not real gains, so to
the man who would take the coat the cloak is given also;
the kingdom of this world is not a real kingdom, so
Christ turns His back on the Devil when the presidency
