muchasscholastictheismstruggledinitstime；andalthoughitwouldbeprematuretosaythatthereisnospeculativeissuewhateverfromthepuzzle，itisperfectlyfairtosaythatthereisnoclearoreasyissue，andthattheonlyOBVIOUSescapefromparadoxhereistocutloosefromthemonisticassumptionaltogether，andtoallowtheworldtohaveexistedfromitsorigininpluralisticform，asanaggregateorcollectionofhigherandlowerthingsandprinciples，ratherthananabsolutelyunitaryfact。Forthenevilwouldnotneedtobeessential；itmightbe，andmayalwayshavebeen，anindependentportionthathadnorationalorabsoluterighttolivewiththerest，andwhichwemightconceivablyhopetoseegotridofatlast。
Nowthegospelofhealthy-mindedness，aswehavedescribedit，castsitsvotedistinctlyforthispluralisticview。Whereasthemonisticphilosopherfindshimselfmoreorlessboundtosay，asHegelsaid，thateverythingactualisrational，andthatevil，asanelementdialecticallyrequired，mustbepinnedinandkeptandconsecratedandhaveafunctionawardedtoitinthefinalsystemoftruth，healthy-mindednessrefusestosayanythingofthesort。[69]Evil，itsays，isemphaticallyirrational，andNOTtobepinnedin，orpreserved，orconsecratedinanyfinalsystemoftruth。ItisapureabominationtotheLord，analienunreality，awasteelement，tobesloughedoffandnegated，andtheverymemoryofit，ifpossible，wipedoutandforgotten。Theideal，sofarfrombeingco-extensivewiththewholeactual，isamereEXTRACTfromtheactual，markedbyitsdeliverancefromallcontactwiththisdiseased，inferior，andexcrementitiousstuff。
[69]Isaythisinspiteofthemonisticutterancesofmanymind-curewriters；fortheseutterancesarereallyinconsistentwiththeirattitudetowardsdisease，andcaneasilybeshownnottobelogicallyinvolvedintheexperiencesofunionwithahigherPresencewithwhichtheyconnectthemselves。ThehigherPresence，namely，neednotbetheabsolutewholeofthings，itisquitesufficientforthelifeofreligiousexperiencetoregarditasapart，ifonlyitbethemostidealpart。
Herewehavetheinterestingnotionfairlyandsquarelypresentedtous，oftherebeingelementsoftheuniversewhichmaymakenorationalwholeinconjunctionwiththeotherelements，andwhich，fromthepointofviewofanysystemwhichthoseotherelementsmakeup，canonlybeconsideredsomuchirrelevanceandaccident——somuch“dirt。”asitwere，andmatteroutofplace。I
askyounownottoforgetthisnotion；foralthoughmostphilosophersseemeithertoforgetitortodisdainittoomuchevertomentionit，Ibelievethatweshallhavetoadmititourselvesintheendascontaininganelementoftruth。Themind-curegospelthusoncemoreappearstousashavingdignityandimportance。Wehaveseenittobeagenuinereligion，andnomeresillyappealtoimaginationtocuredisease；wehaveseenitsmethodofexperimentalverificationtobenotunlikethemethodofallscience；andnowherewefindmind-cureasthechampionofaperfectlydefiniteconceptionofthemetaphysicalstructureoftheworld。Ihopethat，inviewofallthis，youwillnotregretmyhavingpressedituponyourattentionatsuchlength。
Letusnowsaygood-byforawhiletoallthiswayofthinking，andturntowardsthosepersonswhocannotsoswiftlythrowofftheburdenoftheconsciousnessofevil，butarecongenitallyfatedtosufferfromitspresence。Justaswesawthatinhealthy-mindednessthereareshallowerandprofounderlevels，happinesslikethatofthemereanimal，andmoreregeneratesortsofhappiness，soalsoaretheredifferentlevelsofthemorbidmind，andtheoneismuchmoreformidablethantheother。Therearepeopleforwhomevilmeansonlyamal-adjustmentwithTHINGS，awrongcorrespondenceofone’slifewiththeenvironment。Suchevilasthisiscurable，inprincipleatleast，uponthenaturalplane，formerelybymodifyingeithertheselforthethings，orbothatonce，thetwotermsmaybemadetofit，andallgomerryasamarriagebellagain。Butthereareothersforwhomevilisnomererelationofthesubjecttoparticularouterthings，butsomethingmoreradicalandgeneral，awrongnessorviceinhisessentialnature，whichnoalterationoftheenvironment，oranysuperficialrearrangementoftheinnerself，cancure，andwhichrequiresasupernaturalremedy。Onthewhole，theLatinraceshaveleanedmoretowardstheformerwayoflookinguponevil，asmadeupofillsandsinsintheplural，removableindetail；whiletheGermanicraceshavetendedrathertothinkofSininthesingular，andwithacapitalS，asofsomethingineradicablyingrainedinournaturalsubjectivity，andnevertoberemovedbyanysuperficialpiecemealoperations。[70]
Thesecomparisonsofracesarealwaysopentoexception，butundoubtedlythenortherntoneinreligionhasinclinedtothemoreintimatelypessimisticpersuasion，andthiswayoffeeling，beingthemoreextreme，weshallfindbyfarthemoreinstructiveforourstudy。
[70]Cf。J。Milsand：LutheretleSerf-Arbitre，1884，passim。
Recentpsychologyhasfoundgreatusefortheword“threshold“asasymbolicdesignationforthepointatwhichonestateofmindpassesintoanother。Thuswespeakofthethresholdofaman’sconsciousnessingeneral，toindicatetheamountofnoise，pressure，orotherouterstimuluswhichittakestoarousehisattentionatall。Onewithahighthresholdwilldozethroughanamountofracketbywhichonewithalowthresholdwouldbeimmediatelywaked。Similarly，whenoneissensitivetosmalldifferencesinanyorderofsensation，wesayhehasalow“difference-threshold“——hismindeasilystepsoveritintotheconsciousnessofthedifferencesinquestion。Andjustsowemightspeakofa“pain-threshold。”a“fear-threshold。”a“misery-threshold。”andfinditquicklyoverpassedbytheconsciousnessofsomeindividuals，butlyingtoohighinotherstobeoftenreachedbytheirconsciousness。Thesanguineandhealthy-mindedlivehabituallyonthesunnysideoftheirmisery-line，thedepressedandmelancholylivebeyondit，indarknessandapprehension。Therearemenwhoseemtohavestartedinlifewithabottleortwoofchampagneinscribedtotheircredit；whilstothersseemtohavebeenbornclosetothepain-threshold，whichtheslightestirritantsfatallysendthemover。
Doesitnotappearasifonewholivedmorehabituallyononesideofthepain-thresholdmightneedadifferentsortofreligionfromonewhohabituallylivedontheother？Thisquestion，oftherelativityofdifferenttypesofreligiontodifferenttypesofneed，arisesnaturallyatthispoint，andwillbecameaseriousproblemerewehavedone。Butbeforeweconfrontitingeneralterms，wemustaddressourselvestotheunpleasanttaskofhearingwhatthesicksouls，aswemaycallthemincontrasttothehealthy-minded，havetosayofthesecretsoftheirprison-house，theirownpeculiarformofconsciousness。Letusthenresolutelyturnourbacksontheonce-bornandtheirsky-blueoptimisticgospel；letusnotsimplycryout，inspiteofallappearances，“HurrahfortheUniverse！——God’sinhisHeaven，all’srightwiththeworld。”
Letusseeratherwhetherpity，pain，andfear，andthesentimentofhumanhelplessnessmaynotopenaprofounderviewandputintoourhandsamorecomplicatedkeytothemeaningofthesituation。
Tobeginwith，howCANthingssoinsecureasthesuccessfulexperiencesofthisworldaffordastableanchorage？Achainisnostrongerthanitsweakestlink，andlifeisafterallachain。
Inthehealthiestandmostprosperousexistence，howmanylinksofillness，danger，anddisasterarealwaysinterposed？
Unsuspectedlyfromthebottomofeveryfountainofpleasure，astheoldpoetsaid，somethingbitterrisesup：atouchofnausea，afallingdeadofthedelight，awhiffofmelancholy，thingsthatsoundaknell，forfugitiveastheymaybe，theybringafeelingofcomingfromadeeperregionandoftenhaveanappallingconvincingness。Thebuzzoflifeceasesattheirtouchasapiano-stringstopssoundingwhenthedamperfallsuponit。
Ofcoursethemusiccancommenceagain；——andagainandagain——atintervals。Butwiththisthehealthy-mindedconsciousnessisleftwithanirremediablesenseofprecariousness。Itisabellwithacrack；itdrawsitsbreathonsufferanceandbyanaccident。
Evenifwesupposeamansopackedwithhealthy-mindednessasnevertohaveexperiencedinhisownpersonanyofthesesoberingintervals，still，ifheisareflectingbeing，hemustgeneralizeandclasshisownlotwiththatofothers；and，doingso，hemustseethathisescapeisjustaluckychanceandnoessentialdifference。Hemightjustaswellhavebeenborntoanentirelydifferentfortune。Andthenindeedthehollowsecurity！Whatkindofaframeofthingsisitofwhichthebestyoucansayis，“ThankGod，ithasletmeoffclearthistime！”Isnotitsblessednessafragilefiction？Isnotyourjoyinitaveryvulgarglee，notmuchunlikethesnickerofanyrogueathissuccess？Ifindeeditwereallsuccess，evenonsuchtermsasthat！Buttakethehappiestman，theonemostenviedbytheworld，andinninecasesoutoftenhisinmostconsciousnessisoneoffailure。Eitherhisidealsinthelineofhisachievementsarepitchedfarhigherthantheachievementsthemselves，orelsehehassecretidealsofwhichtheworldknowsnothing，andinregardtowhichheinwardlyknowshimselftobefoundwanting。
WhensuchaconqueringoptimistasGoethecanexpresshimselfinthiswise，howmustitbewithlesssuccessfulmen？
“Iwillsaynothing。”writesGoethein1824，“againstthecourseofmyexistence。Butatbottomithasbeennothingbutpainandburden，andIcanaffirmthatduringthewholeofmy75years，I
havenothadfourweeksofgenuinewell-being。Itisbuttheperpetualrollingofarockthatmustberaisedupagainforever。”
Whatsingle-handedmanwaseveronthewholeassuccessfulasLuther？Yetwhenhehadgrownold，helookedbackonhislifeasifitwereanabsolutefailure。
“Iamutterlywearyoflife。IpraytheLordwillcomeforthwithandcarrymehence。Lethimcome，aboveall，withhislastJudgment：Iwillstretchoutmyneck，thethunderwillburstforth，andIshallbeatrest。”——Andhavinganecklaceofwhiteagatesinhishandatthetimeheadded：“OGod，grantthatitmaycomewithoutdelay。Iwouldreadilyeatupthisnecklaceto-day，fortheJudgmenttocometo-morrow。”——TheElectressDowager，onedaywhenLutherwasdiningwithher，saidtohim：
“Doctor，Iwishyoumaylivefortyyearstocome。”“Madam。”
repliedhe，“ratherthanlivefortyyearsmore，IwouldgiveupmychanceofParadise。”
Failure，then，failure！sotheworldstampsusateveryturn。Westrewitwithourblunders，ourmisdeeds，ourlostopportunities，withallthememorialsofourinadequacytoourvocation。Andwithwhatadamningemphasisdoesitthenblotusout！Noeasyfine，nomereapologyorformalexpiation，willsatisfytheworld’sdemands，buteverypoundoffleshexactedissoakedwithallitsblood。Thesubtlestformsofsufferingknowntomanareconnectedwiththepoisonoushumiliationsincidentaltotheseresults。
Andtheyarepivotalhumanexperiences。Aprocesssoubiquitousandeverlastingisevidentlyanintegralpartoflife。“Thereisindeedoneelementinhumandestiny。”RobertLouisStevensonwrites，“thatnotblindnessitselfcancontrovert。Whateverelseweareintendedtodo，wearenotintendedtosucceed；failureisthefateallotted。”[71]Andournaturebeingthusrootedinfailure，isitanywonderthattheologiansshouldhaveheldittobeessential，andthoughtthatonlythroughthepersonalexperienceofhumiliationwhichitengendersthedeepersenseoflife’ssignificanceisreached？[72]
[71]Headdswithcharacteristichealthy-mindedness：“Ourbusinessistocontinuetofailingoodspirits。”
[72]TheGodofmanymenislittlemorethantheircourtofappealagainstthedamnatoryjudgmentpassedontheirfailuresbytheopinionofthisworld。Toourownconsciousnessthereisusuallyaresiduumofworthleftoverafteroursinsanderrorshavebeentoldoff——ourcapacityofacknowledgingandregrettingthemisthegermofabetterselfinposseatleast。Buttheworlddealswithusinactuandnotinposse：andofthishiddengerm，nottobeguessedatfromwithout，itnevertakesaccount。
ThenweturntotheAll-knower，whoknowsourbad，butknowsthisgoodinusalso，andwhoisjust。WecastourselveswithourrepentanceonhismercyonlybyanAll-knowercanwefinallybejudged。SotheneedofaGodverydefinitelyemergesfromthissortofexperienceoflife。
Butthisisonlythefirststageoftheworld-sickness。Makethehumanbeing’ssensitivenessalittlegreater，carryhimalittlefartheroverthemisery-threshold，andthegoodqualityofthesuccessfulmomentsthemselveswhentheyoccurisspoiledandvitiated。Allnaturalgoodsperish。Richestakewings；fameisabreath；loveisacheat；youthandhealthandpleasurevanish。
Canthingswhoseendisalwaysdustanddisappointmentbetherealgoodswhichoursoulsrequire？Backofeverythingisthegreatspectreofuniversaldeath，theall-encompassingblackness：