He nodded his acknowledgment, and changed
the topic.
"I was surprised to hear Father Forbes say that he did not preach," he
remarked.
"Why should he?" asked the doctor, indifferently. "I suppose he hasn't
more than fifteen parishioners in a thousand who would understand him
if he did, and of these probably twelve would join in a complaint to his
Bishop about the heterodox tone of his sermon. There is no point in his
going to all that pains, merely to incur that risk. Nobody wants him to
preach, and he has reached an age where personal vanity no longer tempts
him to do so. What IS wanted of him is that he should be the paternal,
ceremonial, authoritative head and centre of his flock, adviser,
monitor, overseer, elder brother, friend, patron, seigneur--whatever you
like--everything except a bore. They draw the line at that. You see how
diametrically opposed this Catholic point of view is to the Protestant."
"The difference does seem extremely curious to me," said Theron. "Now,
those people in the hall--"
"Go on," put in the doctor, as the other faltered hesitatingly. "I know
what you were going to say.
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