to it."

"But not antagonistic to the mission of Christ."

"Granted. But the Christianity of Christ is one thing and modern
Christianity another thing. The ancient Church, you must remember,
absorbed Paganism. Van Meter's religion is, I grant you, a pretty
stiff mixture of Paganism and Christianity, but historically he
is in line with the Church and you are out of line with it. I'd do
one of two things--use Van Meter for all he is worth, or get out
of his church and let him alone. It's his. He and his kind built
it. You are an interloper."

"Perhaps so," Gordon mused.

"You know my opinion of your dream of social salvation. I say let
the fit survive and the weak go to the wall. If you could save all
the floating trash that so moves your pity, you would only lower
the standard of humanity. Hell is the furnace made to consume such
worthless rubbish. You are even apologising for hell because you
can't stand the odour of burning flesh. I like the old God of Israel
better than the ghost you moderns have set up. Honestly, Frank,
you have never treated Van Meter decently. He's a small man, but
he is in dead earnest, and he is historically a Christian. I don't
know what the devil you are, and I don't believe you know yourself.
Go to Van Meter, have a plain business talk with him, and see if
you can't come to an understanding."

"That's the only sensible thing you've said to me."