Oraredifferentfunctionsintheorganismofhumanityallottedtodifferenttypesofman，sothatsomemayreallybethebetterforareligionofconsolationandreassurance，whilstothersarebetterforoneofterrorandreproof？Itmightconceivablybeso；andweshall，Ithink，moreandmoresuspectittobesoaswegoon。Andifitbeso，howcananypossiblejudgeorcritichelpbeingbiasedinfavorofthereligionbywhichhisownneedsarebestmet？Heaspirestoimpartiality；butheistooclosetothestrugglenottobetosomedegreeaparticipant，andheissuretoapprovemostwarmlythosefruitsofpietyinotherswhichtastemostgoodandprovemostnourishingtoHIM。
IamwellawareofhowanarchicmuchofwhatIsaymaysound。
Expressingmyselfthusabstractlyandbriefly，Imayseemtodespairoftheverynotionoftruth。ButIbeseechyoutoreserveyourjudgmentuntilweseeitappliedtothedetailswhichliebeforeus。Idoindeeddisbelievethatweoranyothermortalmencanattainonagivendaytoabsolutelyincorrigibleandunimprovabletruthaboutsuchmattersoffactasthosewithwhichreligionsdeal。ButIrejectthisdogmaticidealnotoutofaperversedelightinintellectualinstability。Iamnoloverofdisorderanddoubtassuch。RatherdoIfeartolosetruthbythispretensiontopossessitalreadywholly。Thatwecangainmoreandmoreofitbymovingalwaysintherightdirection，I
believeasmuchasanyone，andIhopetobringyoualltomywayofthinkingbeforetheterminationoftheselectures。Tillthen，donot，Iprayyou，hardenyourmindsirrevocablyagainsttheempiricismwhichIprofess。
Iwillwastenomorewords，then，inabstractjustificationofmymethod，butseekimmediatelytouseituponthefacts。
Incriticallyjudgingofthevalueofreligiousphenomena，itisveryimportanttoinsistonthedistinctionbetweenreligionasanindividualpersonalfunction，andreligionasaninstitutional，corporate，ortribalproduct。Idrewthisdistinction，youmayremember，inmysecondlecture。Theword“religion。”asordinarilyused，isequivocal。Asurveyofhistoryshowsusthat，asarule，religiousgeniusesattractdisciples，andproducegroupsofsympathizers。Whenthesegroupsgetstrongenoughto“organize“themselves，theybecomeecclesiasticalinstitutionswithcorporateambitionsoftheirown。Thespiritofpoliticsandthelustofdogmaticrulearethenapttoenterandtocontaminatetheoriginallyinnocentthing；sothatwhenweheartheword“religion“nowadays，wethinkinevitablyofsome“church“orother；andtosomepersonstheword“church“suggestssomuchhypocrisyandtyrannyandmeannessandtenacityofsuperstitionthatinawholesaleundiscerningwaytheygloryinsayingthattheyare“down“onreligionaltogether。Evenwewhobelongtochurchesdonotexemptotherchurchesthanourownfromthegeneralcondemnation。
Butinthiscourseoflecturesecclesiasticalinstitutionshardlyconcernusatall。Thereligiousexperiencewhichwearestudyingisthatwhichlivesitselfoutwithintheprivatebreast。First-handindividualexperienceofthiskindhasalwaysappearedasahereticalsortofinnovationtothosewhowitnesseditsbirth。Nakedcomesitintotheworldandlonely；andithasalways，foratimeatleast，drivenhimwhohaditintothewilderness，oftenintotheliteralwildernessoutofdoors，wheretheBuddha，Jesus，Mohammed，St。Francis，GeorgeFox，andsomanyothershadtogo。GeorgeFoxexpresseswellthisisolation；andIcandonobetteratthispointthanreadtoyouapagefromhisJournal，referringtotheperiodofhisyouthwhenreligionbegantofermentwithinhimseriously。
“Ifastedmuch。”Foxsays，“walkedabroadinsolitaryplacesmanydays，andoftentookmyBible，andsatinhollowtreesandlonesomeplacesuntilnightcameon；andfrequentlyinthenightwalkedmournfullyaboutbymyself；forIwasamanofsorrowsinthetimeofthefirstworkingsoftheLordinme。
“DuringallthistimeIwasneverjoinedinprofessionofreligionwithany，butgaveupmyselftotheLord，havingforsakenallevilcompany，takingleaveoffatherandmother，andallotherrelations，andtraveledupanddownasastrangerontheearth，whichwaytheLordinclinedmyheart；takingachambertomyselfinthetownwhereIcame，andtarryingsometimesmore，sometimeslessinaplace：forIdurstnotstaylonginaplace，beingafraidbothofprofessorandprofane，lest，beingatenderyoungman，Ishouldbehurtbyconversingmuchwitheither。ForwhichreasonIkeptmuchasastranger，seekingheavenlywisdomandgettingknowledgefromtheLord；andwasbroughtofffromoutwardthings，torelyontheLordalone。AsIhadforsakenthepriests，soIlefttheseparatepreachersalso，andthosecalledthemostexperiencedpeople；forIsawtherewasnoneamongthemallthatcouldspeaktomycondition。AndwhenallmyhopesinthemandinallmenweregonesothatIhadnothingoutwardlytohelpme，norcouldtellwhattodo；then，ohthen，Iheardavoicewhichsaid，’Thereisone，evenJesusChrist，thatcanspeaktothycondition。’WhenIheardit，myheartdidleapforjoy。ThentheLordletmeseewhytherewasnoneupontheearththatcouldspeaktomycondition。Ihadnotfellowshipwithanypeople，priests，norprofessors，noranysortofseparatedpeople。Iwasafraidofallcarnaltalkandtalkers，forIcouldseenothingbutcorruptions。WhenIwasinthedeep，underallshutup，IcouldnotbelievethatIshouldeverovercome；mytroubles，mysorrows，andmytemptationsweresogreatthatI
oftenthoughtIshouldhavedespaired，Iwassotempted。ButwhenChristopenedtomehowhewastemptedbythesamedevil，andhadovercomehim，andhadbruisedhishead；andthatthroughhimandhispower，life，grace，andspirit，Ishouldovercomealso，Ihadconfidenceinhim。IfIhadhadaking’sdiet，palace，andattendance，allwouldhavebeenasnothing，fornothinggavemecomfortbuttheLordbyhispower。Isawprofessors，priests，andpeoplewerewholeandateaseinthatconditionwhichwasmymisery，andtheylovedthatwhichIwouldhavebeenridof。ButtheLorddidstaymydesiresuponhimself，andmycarewascastuponhimalone。”[198]
[198]GeorgeFox：Journal，Philadelphia，1800，pp。59-61，abridged。
Agenuinefirst-handreligiousexperiencelikethisisboundtobeaheterodoxytoitswitnesses，theprophetappearingasamerelonelymadman。Ifhisdoctrineprovecontagiousenoughtospreadtoanyothers，itbecomesadefiniteandlabeledheresy。Butifitthenstillprovecontagiousenoughtotriumphoverpersecution，itbecomesitselfanorthodoxy；andwhenareligionhasbecomeanorthodoxy，itsdayofinwardnessisover：thespringisdry；thefaithfulliveatsecondhandexclusivelyandstonetheprophetsintheirturn。Thenewchurch，inspiteofwhateverhumangoodnessitmayfoster，canbehenceforthcountedonasastaunchallyineveryattempttostiflethespontaneousreligiousspirit，andtostopalllaterbubblingsofthefountainfromwhichinpurerdaysitdrewitsownsupplyofinspiration。
Unless，indeed，byadoptingnewmovementsofthespirititcanmakecapitaloutofthemandusethemforitsselfishcorporatedesigns！Ofprotectiveactionofthispoliticsort，promptlyortardilydecidedon，thedealingsoftheRomanecclesiasticismwithmanyindividualsaintsandprophetsyieldexamplesenoughforourinstruction。
Theplainfactisthatmen’smindsarebuilt，ashasbeenoftensaid，inwater-tightcompartments。Religiousafterafashion，theyyethavemanyotherthingsinthembesidetheirreligion，andunholyentanglementsandassociationsinevitablyobtain。Thebasenessessocommonlychargedtoreligion’saccountarethus，almostallofthem，notchargeableatalltoreligionproper，butrathertoreligion’swickedpracticalpartner，thespiritofcorporatedominion。Andthebigotriesaremostofthemintheirturnchargeabletoreligion’swickedintellectualpartner，thespiritofdogmaticdominion，thepassionforlayingdownthelawintheformofanabsolutelyclosed-intheoreticsystem。Theecclesiasticalspiritingeneralisthesumofthesetwospiritsofdominion；andIbeseechyounevertoconfoundthephenomenaofmeretribalorcorporatepsychologywhichitpresentswiththosemanifestationsofthepurelyinteriorlifewhicharetheexclusiveobjectofourstudy。ThebaitingofJews，thehuntingofAlbigensesandWaldenses，thestoningofQuakersandduckingofMethodists，themurderingofMormonsandthemassacringofArmenians，expressmuchratherthataboriginalhumanneophobia，thatpugnacityofwhichweallsharethevestiges，andthatinbornhatredofthealienandofeccentricandnon-conformingmenasaliens，thantheyexpressthepositivepietyofthevariousperpetrators。Pietyisthemask，theinnerforceistribalinstinct。YoubelieveaslittleasIdo，inspiteoftheChristianunctionwithwhichtheGermanemperoraddressedhistroopsupontheirwaytoChina，thattheconductwhichhesuggested，andinwhichotherChristianarmieswentbeyondthem，hadanythingwhatevertodowiththeinteriorreligiouslifeofthoseconcernedintheperformance。
Well，nomoreforpastatrocitiesthanforthisatrocityshouldwemakepietyresponsible。Atmostwemayblamepietyfornotavailingtocheckournaturalpassions，andsometimesforsupplyingthemwithhypocriticalpretexts。Buthypocrisyalsoimposesobligations，andwiththepretextusuallycouplessomerestriction；andwhenthepassiongustisover，thepietymaybringareactionofrepentancewhichtheirreligiousnaturalmanwouldnothaveshown。
Formanyofthehistoricaberrationswhichhavebeenlaidtohercharge，religionassuch，then，isnottoblame。Yetofthechargethatover-zealousnessorfanaticismisoneofherliabilitieswecannotwhollyacquither，soIwillnextmakearemarkuponthatpoint。ButIwillprefaceitbyapreliminaryremarkwhichconnectsitselfwithmuchthatfollows。
Oursurveyofthephenomenaofsaintlinesshasunquestionablyproducedinyourmindsanimpressionofextravagance。Isitnecessary，someofyouhaveasked，asoneexampleafteranothercamebeforeus，tobequitesofantasticallygoodasthat？Wewhohavenovocationfortheextremerrangesofsanctitywillsurelybeletoffatthelastdayifourhumility，asceticism，anddevoutnessproveofalessconvulsivesort。Thispracticallyamountstosayingthatmuchthatitislegitimatetoadmireinthisfieldneedneverthelessnotbeimitated，andthatreligiousphenomena，likeallotherhumanphenomena，aresubjecttothelawofthegoldenmean。Politicalreformersaccomplishtheirsuccessivetasksinthehistoryofnationsbybeingblindforthetimetoothercauses。Greatschoolsofartworkouttheeffectswhichitistheirmissiontoreveal，atthecostofaone-sidednessforwhichotherschoolsmustmakeamends。WeacceptaJohnHoward，aMazzini，aBotticelli，aMichaelAngelo，withakindofindulgence。Wearegladtheyexistedtoshowusthatway，butwearegladtherearealsootherwaysofseeingandtakinglife。Soofmanyofthesaintswhomwehavelookedat。
Weareproudofahumannaturethatcouldbesopassionatelyextreme，butweshrinkfromadvisingotherstofollowtheexample。Theconductweblameourselvesfornotfollowingliesnearertothemiddlelineofhumaneffort。Itislessdependentonparticularbeliefsanddoctrines。Itissuchaswearswellindifferentages，suchasunderdifferentskiesalljudgesareabletocommend。
Thefruitsofreligion，inotherwords，are，likeallhumanproducts，liabletocorruptionbyexcess。Commonsensemustjudgethem。Itneednotblamethevotary；butitmaybeabletopraisehimonlyconditionally，asonewhoactsfaithfullyaccordingtohislights。Heshowsusheroisminoneway，buttheunconditionallygoodwayisthatforwhichnoindulgenceneedbeasked。
Wefindthaterrorbyexcessisexemplifiedbyeverysaintlyvirtue。Excess，inhumanfaculties，meansusuallyone-sidednessorwantofbalance；foritishardtoimagineanessentialfacultytoostrong，ifonlyotherfacultiesequallystrongbetheretocooperatewithitinaction。Strongaffectionsneedastrongwill；strongactivepowersneedastrongintellect；strongintellectneedsstrongsympathies，tokeeplifesteady。Ifthebalanceexist，noonefacultycanpossiblybetoostrong——weonlygetthestrongerall-roundcharacter。Inthelifeofsaints，technicallysocalled，thespiritualfacultiesarestrong，butwhatgivestheimpressionofextravaganceprovesusuallyonexaminationtobearelativedeficiencyofintellect。Spiritualexcitementtakespathologicalformswheneverotherinterestsaretoofewandtheintellecttoonarrow。Wefindthisexemplifiedbyallthesaintlyattributesinturn——devoutloveofGod，purity，charity，asceticism，allmayleadastray。Iwillrunoverthesevirtuesinsuccession。