Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/241

Rh strength but to crush the lowly, not to oppose the foe. They laid tithes and taxes on the people, to fill their own coffers, not for the grandeur of the land; and of all there scarce one spoke the truth, and of the lawyers none; but all they strove for was to entangle men in their talk and to make them bear false witness. And all I saw were hypocrites and liars, and it seemed to me that no man could be saved on the face of the whole earth, and I marvelled that God consumed them not with fire.

"Then the Spirit of Truth spake yet again and said: 'Now will I show to thee the sweetest, greatest spirit of all women that are upon the earth.' And he took me far across fields and villages and hills till he came to a house in Nazareth, and I said: 'This I know is where dwelleth the mother of the Lord.' And the Spirit of Truth said: 'She is blessed above all women, and many nations will worship her. Nevertheless, she is not divine, for all she hath been chosen to give earthly life to the Son of God. But priests of many countries will seek to make her so, in that they may catch the souls of women; for 't is ever women whom Satan first entangleth.'

"Then said I: 'Who then is Satan? and if God hath so great power, why doth He leave this man to buffet and seduce the world?'

"Then the Spirit of Truth spoke sternly to me: 'Be silent, and inquire not into the things of God! I, too, know not whence is Satan, nor wherefore. He was before the world was made. Of that knoweth only God. Canst tell how the lights do hang in heaven and how the seas do rise and fall, yet go no