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But it is when he deals with the Sinner that he is most romantic, in the sense of most real. The world had always loved the Saint[122a] as being the nearest possible approach to the perfection of God. Christ, through some divine instinct in him, seems to have always loved the sinner as being the nearest possible approach to the perfection of man. His primary desire was not to reform people, any more than his primary desire was to relieve suffering[122b]. To turn an interesting thief into a tedious honest man was not his aim. He would have thought little of the Prisoners’ Aid Society[122.1] and other modern movements of the kind. The conversion of a Publican into a Pharisee[122.2] would not have seemed to him a great achievement by any means. But in a manner not yet understood of the world he regarded sin and suffering as being in themselves beautiful, holy things, and modes of perfection[122c]. It sounds a very dangerous idea. It is so. All great ideas are dangerous. That it was Christ’s creed admits of no doubt[122d]. That it is the true creed I don’t doubt myself.
但是，在跟罪人打交道时他才显得最浪漫，在这个意义上说是最真实。世人向来喜爱基督[122a]，以此作为接近上帝至善至美的最佳快捷方式。而基督呢，因为内心某种神性的本能，却似乎向来喜爱罪人，以此作为接近人的至善至美的最佳快捷方式。他最根本的意愿，不在于改造世人，就像不在于解除痛苦[122b]。把一个有趣的盗贼变成一个乏味的君子可不是他的目的。“囚犯救援会”之类的现代运动，要是在耶稣看来就算不了什么。把一个税吏转化成一个道学先生，在他看来怎么也算不上是大功德。但他却以一种尚未被世人理解的方式，把犯罪与受罪都视为本身是美好、神圣的东西，视为达到至善至美的方式[122c]。这理念听起来非常危险。是很危险的。一切伟大的理念都是危险的。它是基督的教义，这一点不容置疑[122d]。它是天下真正的教义，这一点我本人不怀疑。
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