cametothen，andsincehaveheldto，thatthephysicalchangewhichcameatthattimewas，first，theresultofachangewroughtwithinmebyachangeofmentalstate；andsecondly，thatthatchangeofmentalstatewasnot，saveinaverysecondaryway，broughtaboutthroughtheinfluenceofanexcitedimagination，oraCONSCIOUSLYreceivedsuggestionofanhypnoticsort。Lastly，Ibelievethatthischangewastheresultofmyreceivingtelephathically，anduponamentalstratumquitebelowthelevelofimmediateconsciousness，ahealthierandmoreenergeticattitude，receivingitfromanotherpersonwhosethoughtwasdirecteduponmewiththeintentionofimpressingtheideaofthisattitudeuponme。Inmycasethediseasewasdistinctlywhatwouldbeclassedasnervous，notorganic；butfromsuchopportunitiesasIhavehadofobserving，Ihavecometotheconclusionthatthedividinglinethathasbeendrawnisanarbitraryone，thenervescontrollingtheinternalactivitiesandthenutritionofthebodythroughout；andIbelievethatthecentralnervoussystem，bystartingandinhibitinglocalcentres，canexerciseavastinfluenceupondiseaseofanykind，ifitcanbebroughttobear。Inmyjudgmentthequestionissimplyhowtobringittobear，andIthinkthattheuncertaintyandremarkabledifferencesintheresultsobtainedthroughmentalhealingdobutshowhowignorantweareasyetoftheforcesatworkandofthemeansweshouldtaketomakethemeffective。Thattheseresultsarenotduetochancecoincidencesmyobservationofmyselfandothersmakesmesure；thattheconsciousmind，theimagination，entersintothemasafactorinmanycasesisdoubtlesstrue，butinmanyothers，andsometimesveryextraordinaryones，ithardlyseemstoenterinatall。OnthewholeIaminclinedtothinkthatasthehealingaction，likethemorbidone，springsfromtheplaneofthenormallyUNconsciousmind，sothestrongestandmosteffectiveimpressionsarethosewhichITreceives，insomeasyetunknownsubtleway，DIRECTLYfromahealthiermindwhosestate，throughahiddenlawofsympathy，itreproduces。”
CASEII。“Attheurgentrequestoffriends，andwithnofaithandhardlyanyhopepossiblyowingtoapreviousunsuccessfulexperiencewithaChristianScientist，ourlittledaughterwasplacedunderthecareofahealer，andcuredofatroubleaboutwhichthephysicianhadbeenverydiscouraginginhisdiagnosis。
Thisinterestedme，andIbeganstudyingearnestlythemethodandphilosophyofthismethodofhealing。Graduallyaninnerpeaceandtranquillitycametomeinsopositiveawaythatmymannerchangedgreatly。Mychildrenandfriendsnoticedthechangeandcommenteduponit。Allfeelingsofirritabilitydisappeared。
Eventheexpressionofmyfacechangednoticeably。
“Ihadbeenbigoted，aggressive，andintolerantindiscussion，bothinpublicandprivate。Igrewbroadlytolerantandreceptivetowardtheviewsofothers。Ihadbeennervousandirritable，cominghometwoorthreetimesaweekwithasickheadacheinduced，asIthensupposed，bydyspepsiaandcatarrh。
Igrewsereneandgentle，andthephysicaltroublesentirelydisappeared。Ihadbeeninthehabitofapproachingeverybusinessinterviewwithanalmostmorbiddread。Inowmeeteveryonewithconfidenceandinnercalm。
“Imaysaythatthegrowthhasallbeentowardtheeliminationofselfishness。Idonotmeansimplythegrosser，moresensualforms，butthosesubtlerandgenerallyunrecognizedkinds，suchasexpressthemselvesinsorrow，grief，regret，envy，etc。Ithasbeeninthedirectionofapractical，workingrealizationoftheimmanenceofGodandtheDivinityofman’strue，innerself。
LecturesVIandVII
THESICKSOUL
Atourlastmeeting，weconsideredthehealthy-mindedtemperament，thetemperamentwhichhasaconstitutionalincapacityforprolongedsuffering，andinwhichthetendencytoseethingsoptimisticallyislikeawaterofcrystallizationinwhichtheindividual’scharacterisset。Wesawhowthistemperamentmaybecomethebasisforapeculiartypeofreligion，areligioninwhichgood，eventhegoodofthisworld’slife，isregardedastheessentialthingforarationalbeingtoattendto。Thisreligiondirectshimtosettlehisscoreswiththemoreevilaspectsoftheuniversebysystematicallydecliningtolaythemtoheartormakemuchofthem，byignoringtheminhisreflectivecalculations，oreven，onoccasion，bydenyingoutrightthattheyexist。Evilisadisease；andworryoverdiseaseisitselfanadditionalformofdisease，whichonlyaddstotheoriginalcomplaint。Evenrepentanceandremorse，affectionswhichcomeinthecharacterofministersofgood，maybebutsicklyandrelaxingimpulses。Thebestrepentanceistoupandactforrighteousness，andforgetthatyoueverhadrelationswithsin。
Spinoza’sphilosophyhasthissortofhealthy-mindednesswovenintotheheartofit，andthishasbeenonesecretofitsfascination。HewhomReasonleads，accordingtoSpinoza，isledaltogetherbytheinfluenceoverhismindofgood。Knowledgeofevilisan“inadequate“knowledge，fitonlyforslavishminds。
SoSpinozacategoricallycondemnsrepentance。Whenmenmakemistakes，hesays——
“Onemightperhapsexpectgnawingsofconscienceandrepentancetohelptobringthemontherightpath，andmightthereuponconcludeaseveryonedoesconcludethattheseaffectionsaregoodthings。Yetwhenwelookatthematterclosely，weshallfindthatnotonlyaretheynotgood，butonthecontrarydeleteriousandevilpassions。Foritismanifestthatwecanalwaysgetalongbetterbyreasonandloveoftruththanbyworryofconscienceandremorse。Harmfularetheseandevil，inasmuchastheyformaparticularkindofsadness；andthedisadvantagesofsadness。”hecontinues，“Ihavealreadyproved，andshownthatweshouldstrivetokeepitfromourlife。Justsoweshouldendeavor，sinceuneasinessofconscienceandremorseareofthiskindofcomplexion，tofleeandshunthesestatesofmind。”[66]
[66]TractonGod，Man，andHappiness，Bookii。ch。x。
WithintheChristianbody，forwhichrepentanceofsinshasfromthebeginningbeenthecriticalreligiousact，healthy-mindednesshasalwayscomeforwardwithitsmilderinterpretation。
Repentanceaccordingtosuchhealthy-mindedChristiansmeansGETTINGAWAYFROMthesin，notgroaningandwrithingoveritscommission。TheCatholicpracticeofconfessionandabsolutionisinoneofitsaspectslittlemorethanasystematicmethodofkeepinghealthy-mindednessontop。Byitaman’saccountswithevilareperiodicallysquaredandaudited，sothathemaystartthecleanpagewithnoolddebtsinscribed。AnyCatholicwilltellushowcleanandfreshandfreehefeelsafterthepurgingoperation。MartinLutherbynomeansbelongedtothehealthy-mindedtypeintheradicalsenseinwhichwehavediscussedit，andherepudiatedpriestlyabsolutionforsin。Yetinthismatterofrepentancehehadsomeveryhealthy-mindedideas，dueinthemaintothelargenessofhisconceptionofGod。
“WhenIwasamonk。”hesays“IthoughtthatIwasutterlycastaway，ifatanytimeIfeltthelustoftheflesh：thatistosay，ifIfeltanyevilmotion，fleshlylust，wrath，hatred，orenvyagainstanybrother。Iassayedmanywaystohelptoquietmyconscience，butItwouldnotbe；fortheconcupiscenceandlustofmyfleshdidalwaysreturn，sothatIcouldnotrest，butwascontinuallyvexedwiththesethoughts：Thisorthatsinthouhastcommitted：thouartinfectedwithenvy，withimpatiency，andsuchothersins：thereforethouartenteredintothisholyorderinvain，andallthygoodworksareunprofitable。ButifthenIhadrightlyunderstoodthesesentencesofPaul：’ThefleshlustethcontrarytotheSpirit，andtheSpiritcontrarytotheflesh；andthesetwoareoneagainstanother，sothatyecannotdothethingsthatyewoulddo，’Ishouldnothavesomiserablytormentedmyself，butshouldhavethoughtandsaidtomyself，asnowcommonlyIdo，’Martin，thoushaltnotutterlybewithoutsin，forthouhastflesh；thoushaltthereforefeelthebattlethereof。’IrememberthatStaupitzwaswonttosay，’I
havevoweduntoGodaboveathousandtimesthatIwouldbecomeabetterman：butIneverperformedthatwhichIvowed。HereafterIwillmakenosuchvow：forIhavenowlearnedbyexperiencethatIamnotabletoperformit。Unless，therefore，GodbefavorableandmercifuluntomeforChrist’ssake，Ishallnotbeable，withallmyvowsandallmygooddeeds，tostandbeforehim。’ThisofStaupitz’swasnotonlyatrue，butalsoagodlyandaholydesperation；andthismusttheyallconfess，bothwithmouthandheart，whowillbesaved。Forthegodlytrustnottotheirownrighteousness。TheylookuntoChristtheirreconcilerwhogavehislifefortheirsins。Moreover，theyknowthattheremnantofsinwhichisintheirfleshisnotlaidtotheircharge，butfreelypardoned。Notwithstanding，inthemeanwhiletheyfightinspiritagainsttheflesh，lesttheyshouldFULFILL
theluststhereof；andalthoughtheyfeelthefleshtorageandrebel，andthemselvesalsodofallsometimesintosinthroughinfirmity，yetaretheynotdiscouraged，northinkthereforethattheirstateandkindoflife，andtheworkswhicharedoneaccordingtotheircalling，displeaseGod；buttheyraiseupthemselvesbyfaith。”[67]
[67]CommentaryonGalatians，Philadelphia，1891，pp。510-514
abridged。
OneoftheheresiesforwhichtheJesuitsgotthatspiritualgenius，Molinos，thefounderofQuietism，soabominablycondemnedwashishealthy-mindedopinionofrepentance：——
“Whenthoufallestintoafault，inwhatmattersoeveritbedonottroublenorafflictthyselfforit。FortheyareeffectsofourfrailNature，stainedbyOriginalSin。Thecommonenemywillmaketheebelieve，assoonasthoufallestintoanyfault，thatthouwalkestinerror，andthereforeartoutofGodandhisfavor，andherewithwouldhemaketheedistrustofthedivineGrace，tellingtheeofthymisery，andmakingagiantofit；andputtingitintothyheadthateverydaythysoulgrowsworseinsteadofbetter，whilstitsooftenrepeatsthesefailings。O
blessedSoul，openthineeyes；andshutthegateagainstthesediabolicalsuggestions，knowingthymisery，andtrustinginthemercydivine。Wouldnothebeamerefoolwho，runningattournamentwithothers，andfallinginthebestofthecareer，shouldlieweepingonthegroundandafflictinghimselfwithdiscoursesuponhisfall？Mantheywouldtellhim，losenotime，getupandtakethecourseagain，forhethatrisesagainquicklyandcontinueshisraceisasifhehadneverfallen。Ifthouseestthyselffallenonceandathousandtimes，thououghtesttomakeuseoftheremedywhichIhavegiventhee，thatis，alovingconfidenceinthedivinemercy。Thesearetheweaponswithwhichthoumustfightandconquercowardiceandvainthoughts。Thisisthemeansthououghtesttouse——nottolosetime，nottodisturbthyself，andreapnogood。”[68]
[68]Molinos：SpiritualGuide，BookII。，chaps。xvii。，xviii。
abridged。
Nowincontrastwithsuchhealthy-mindedviewsasthese，ifwetreatthemasawayofdeliberatelyminimizingevil，standsaradicallyoppositeview，awayofmaximizingevil，ifyoupleasesotocallit，basedonthepersuasionthattheevilaspectsofourlifeareofitsveryessence，andthattheworld’smeaningmostcomeshometouswhenwelaythemmosttoheart。Wehavenowtoaddressourselvestothismoremorbidwayoflookingatthesituation。ButasIclosedourlasthourwithageneralphilosophicalreflectiononthehealthy-mindedwayoftakinglife，Ishouldlikeatthispointtomakeanotherphilosophicalreflectionuponitbeforeturningtothatheaviertask。Youwillexcusethebriefdelay。
Ifweadmitthatevilisanessentialpartofourbeingandthekeytotheinterpretationofourlife，weloadourselvesdownwithadifficultythathasalwaysprovedburdensomeinphilosophiesofreligion。Theism，wheneverithaserecteditselfintoasystematicphilosophyoftheuniverse，hasshownareluctancetoletGodbeanythinglessthanAll-in-All。Inotherwords，philosophictheismhasalwaysshownatendencytobecomepantheisticandmonistic，andtoconsidertheworldasoneunitofabsolutefact；andthishasbeenatvariancewithpopularorpracticaltheism，whichlatterhaseverbeenmoreorlessfranklypluralistic，nottosaypolytheistic，andshownitselfperfectlywellsatisfiedwithauniversecomposedofmanyoriginalprinciples，providedwebeonlyallowedtobelievethatthedivineprincipleremainssupreme，andthattheothersaresubordinate。InthislattercaseGodisnotnecessarilyresponsiblefortheexistenceofevil；hewouldonlyberesponsibleifitwerenotfinallyovercome。Butonthemonisticorpantheisticview，evil，likeeverythingelse，musthaveitsfoundationinGod；andthedifficultyistoseehowthiscanpossiblybethecaseifGodbeabsolutelygood。Thisdifficultyfacesusineveryformofphilosophyinwhichtheworldappearsasoneflawlessunitoffact。SuchaunitisanINDIVIDUAL，andinittheworstpartsmustbeasessentialasthebest，mustbeasnecessarytomaketheindividualwhatheis；sinceifanypartwhateverinanindividualweretovanishoralter，itwouldnolongerbeTHATindividualatall。Thephilosophyofabsoluteidealism，sovigorouslyrepresentedbothinScotlandandAmericato-day，hastostrugglewiththisdifficultyquiteas