Greenwich Police Station, in Arthur's office.

Arthur sat at opposite ends of his desk with the rumored uninvited guest.

As the police officer who had gone to deliver the message to Arthur described, the guest wore a black burqa, a white shirt with a lapel underneath, a silver cross on his chest, a thin face with a high nose, and a pair of white hands with no calluses to be found.

All of the above information indicates that the guest must have come from a family of middle class or higher and had received a considerable level of education.

Arthur couldn't figure out what the other party meant, so he had to ask in as amiable a tone as possible, "I don't think I know you, I don't know what to call you?" ”

The other party also smiled politely, and he said, "Mr. Hastings, I really bothered you to come to the door suddenly.

I am a chaplain of St Mary's Parish of the University Church of Oxford and a Special Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford University – John Newman.

You can just call me pastor, or Mr. Newman, or just call me John if you prefer. ”

Oxford?

Priest?

Arthur couldn't help but take a deep breath.

For him, it is already difficult to deal with one of these two things, and the two can still be a person when they are one?

To make matters worse, the guest in front of him was actually a fellow at Oriel College, Oxford.

If Oxford University is the stronghold of conservatives in Great Britain, then Oriel College, which specializes in teaching theology and training Anglican priests, is simply the stronghold.

It is no exaggeration to say that, judging from Arthur's values and knowledge of Oriel College, everyone in it should be sentenced to death, and it must be carried out repeatedly.

However, Arthur had already met Darwin, who had graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge University, so he managed to maintain a calm expression when facing Mr. Newman, who worked at Oriel College, Oxford.

But that didn't stop the Red Devil sitting at his desk from laughing loudly.

Agareth pointed to Arthur's face, holding his stomach and salivaing and laughing.

"Arthur, look at your expression, whether you want to cry or not, whether you laugh or not, I don't know and think you smelled the poop in the Barr manure field."

Arthur listened, but only squeezed out a breath from his nose, and muttered in his mouth: "Agareth, I don't allow you to insult poop like this." ”

But the Reverend Newman, who was sitting opposite, obviously didn't hear Arthur's words clearly, and he was stunned: "What did you say? ”

Arthur hurriedly put on a smiling face: "It's nothing, I said that the rain today has caused a lack of light in the office." ”

He took advantage of Newman's lack of thought, and hurriedly changed the topic: "I don't know what you came to me for today?" ”

Hearing this, Newman pulled out two books from the leather bag he was carrying with him and placed them on Arthur's desk.

Arthur looked down and saw that the two books were Thomas Paine's "Human Rights" and "Common Sense" respectively.

His brow jumped, and he asked, "Can I reconfirm your profession?" Are you a pastor? ”

Newman nodded, "That's right. ”

Arthur asked, "Still a graduate of Oxford?" ”

Newman continued to nod: "Graduated in 1820. ”

Arthur took a deep breath and pinched his mouth with one hand, and he looked at Newman and then at the two books.

After watching it for a long time, he said, "To be honest, Mr. Newman, I don't understand you a little. Because I really can't make the connection between an Oxford-graduated pastor and these two books. ”

When Newman heard this, he suddenly showed a smile: "You have indeed read these two books. ”

Arthur shook his head, and he flatly denied it, "I haven't seen it. ”

Newman was stunned: "Then how do you know that you can't associate an Oxford priest with these two books?" ”

Arthur took a sip from the teacup on the table: "Because of the rules of Scotland Yard, I can't at least admit that I have seen it."

Although these two books are no longer considered illegal publications, they have only been released for a year.

Besides, our group of Scottish Yard police are at least nominally directly under the orders of His Majesty the King, and you should know very well what the former King George III is called in these two books. ”

"Are you talking about that?"

Newman picked up the book of Common Sense, skillfully flipped to the place where he had bookmarked, and read out the contents in his usual tone.

"George III is nothing more than a British royal brute, and he is the first evil of North American events. The British royal family is not sacred, because according to the history of the conquest of the British Isles, the ancestor of the British crown was nothing more than the leader of a group of unscrupulous people. ”

Arthur tugged at the corners of his mouth, exhaling and exhaling, and it took him a long time to pull the raised corners of his mouth back.

Arthur rubbed his face with his hands and said calmly: "Mr. Newman, there are things that you can read, and you don't have to read them. If you want me to lose my job, just say it, it's too bad to do that. ”

"Losing your job? Why should you lose your job because of this? ”

Newman stood up, pointed to the text on "Common Sense" in confusion and said, "Isn't this the truth? ”

Arthur glanced at the line of words, pursed his lips, and his voice trembled.

"Mr. Newman, you have to know that in most cases, the truth hurts the most."

The Red Devil took the opportunity to come over and pat him on the shoulder, and explained Arthur in a fake way: "Arthur, if you want to laugh, you can laugh." It's not good for your body to hold it all the time. ”

Newman sat back in his chair as if deflated: "To be honest, before reading these two books, I had always thought Thomas Paine was a cynical and evil man.

But now, I'm convinced by him. Although he was a non-believer, his actions and his ideals were more like a devout believer than anyone else. ”

"You've forgiven him like that?"

"I remember he also criticized the church, saying that 'the Christian system in religion is an affront to common sense.'"

He also said, 'They are utterly blasphemous to speak that book, which is called the Bible, as the Word of God.'" It was a book full of lies and contradictions, a history of very bad times and very bad people. ’

Because of his words, I remember that Oxford University had to drag him out and criticize him every once in a while! ”

"Maybe other people think that," Newman said, "Maybe everyone else thinks that, but I think it's because they don't know Thomas Paine." Look at the ideas he expressed, look at the contributions he made.

He criticized George III for his proposal for public education and a minimum wage, and he had to leave England for it.

He helped the North American colonies get rid of Great Britain and took part in the war himself, and American soldiers had a copy of Common Sense, and all Americans memorized what he said.

But after the independence of the United States, he was ostracized and dismissed for exposing corruption scandals within the government, and left the United States in disgrace.

He participated in the French Revolution, but was forced to leave France because of his opposition to Robespierre's execution of Louis XVI and their bloody policies.

He opposed Napoleon's claim to be emperor and rejected his conscription and invitation, but it did not affect Napoleon's appreciation of him.

In many cases, as long as he keeps his mouth shut, he can live his life in peace and prosperity, instead of dying alone in a rented hut.

But he doesn't, he never stops speaking up, he just sticks to what he thinks is right, sticks to his virtues, just like you did in court before.

Was he a non-believer? I think he's a true devout.

Sadly, Paine is dead and can no longer answer my questions.

But to my relief, I read you in the newspaper.

So I'm here today to ask you, who are just as unwilling to be silent as he is, what do you think about these issues? ”