Itisfurthertobenoticedthatthenon-conformingsectsandvariantswhosepriesthoodishereunderdiscussion，varyamongthemselvesinthedegreeoftheirconformitytotheidealschemeofsacerdotallife。Inageneralwayitwillbefoundthatthedivergenceinthisrespectiswidestinthecaseoftherelativelyyoungdenominations，andespeciallyinthecaseofsuchofthenewerdenominationsashavechieflyalowermiddle-classconstituency。Theycommonlyshowalargeadmixtureofhumanitarian，philanthropic，orothermotiveswhichcannotbeclassedasexpressionsofthedevotionalattitude；suchasthedesireoflearningorofconviviality，whichenterlargelyintotheeffectiveinterestshownbymembersoftheseorganizations。
　　Thenon-conformingorsectarianmovementshavecommonlyproceededfromamixtureofmotives，someofwhichareatvariancewiththatsenseofstatusonwhichthepriestlyofficerests。
　　Sometimes，indeed，themotivehasbeeningoodpartarevulsionagainstasystemofstatus。Wherethisisthecasetheinstitutionofthepriesthoodhasbrokendowninthetransition，atleastpartially。Thespokesmanofsuchanorganizationisattheoutsetaservantandrepresentativeoftheorganization，ratherthanamemberofaspecialpriestlyclassandthespokesmanofadivinemaster。Anditisonlybyaprocessofgradualspecializationthat，insucceedinggenerations，thisspokesmanregainsthepositionofpriest，withafullinvestitureofsacerdotalauthority，andwithitsaccompanyingaustere，archaicandvicariousmanneroflife。Thelikeistrueofthebreakdownandredintegrationofdevoutritualaftersucharevulsion。Thepriestlyoffice，theschemeofsacerdotallife，andthescheduleofdevoutobservancesarerehabilitatedonlygradually，insensibly，andwithmoreorlessvariationindetails，asapersistenthumansenseofdevoutproprietyreassertsitsprimacyinquestionstouchingtheinterestinthepreternatural——anditmaybeadded，astheorganizationincreasesinwealth，andsoacquiresmoreofthepointofviewandthehabitsofthoughtofaleisureclass。
　　Beyondthepriestlyclass，andrangedinanascendinghierarchy，ordinarilycomesasuperhumanvicariousleisureclassofsaints，angels，etc——ortheirequivalentsintheethniccults。Theseriseingrade，oneaboveanother，accordingtoelaboratesystemofstatus。Theprincipleofstatusrunsthroughtheentirehierarchicalsystem，bothvisibleandinvisible。Thegoodfameoftheseseveralordersofthesupernaturalhierarchyalsocommonlyrequiresacertaintributeofvicariousconsumptionandvicariousleisure。Inmanycasestheyaccordinglyhavedevotedtotheirservicesub-ordersofattendantsordependentswhoperformavicariousleisureforthem，aftermuchthesamefashionaswasfoundinanearlierchaptertobetrueofthedependentleisureclassunderthepatriarchalsystem。
　　Itmaynotappearwithoutreflectionhowthesedevoutobservancesandthepeculiarityoftemperamentwhichtheyimply，ortheconsumptionofgoodsandserviceswhichiscomprisedinthecult，standrelatedtotheleisureclassofamoderncommunity，ortotheeconomicmotivesofwhichthatclassistheexponentinthemodernschemeoflifetothisendasummaryreviewofcertainfactsbearingonthisrelationwillbeuseful。
　　Itappearsfromanearlierpassageinthisdiscussionthatforthepurposeofthecollectivelifeoftoday，especiallysofarasconcernstheindustrialefficiencyofthemoderncommunity，thecharacteristictraitsofthedevouttemperamentareahindranceratherthanahelp。Itshouldaccordinglybefoundthatthemodernindustriallifetendsselectivelytoeliminatethesetraitsofhumannaturefromthespiritualconstitutionoftheclassesthatareimmediatelyengagedintheindustrialprocess。Itshouldholdtrue，approximately，thatdevoutnessisdecliningortendingtoobsolescenceamongthemembersofwhatmaybecalledtheeffectiveindustrialcommunity。
　　Atthesametimeitshouldappearthatthisaptitudeorhabitsurvivesinappreciablygreatervigoramongthoseclasseswhichdonotimmediatelyorprimarilyenterintothecommunity’slifeprocessasanindustrialfactor。
　　Ithasalreadybeenpointedoutthattheselatterclasses，whichliveby，ratherthanin，theindustrialprocess，areroughlycomprisedundertwocategories1theleisureclassproper，whichisshieldedfromthestressoftheeconomicsituation；and2theindigentclasses，includingthelower-classdelinquents，whichareundulyexposedtothestress。
　　Inthecaseoftheformerclassanarchaichabitofmindpersistsbecausenoeffectualeconomicpressureconstrainsthisclasstoanadaptationofitshabitsofthoughttothechangingsituation；
　　whileinthelatterthereasonforafailuretoadjusttheirhabitsofthoughttothealteredrequirementsofindustrialefficiencyisinnutrition，absenceofsuchsurplusofenergyasisneededinordertomaketheadjustmentwithfacility，togetherwithalackofopportunitytoacquireandbecomehabituatedtothemodernpointofview。Thetrendoftheselectiveprocessrunsinmuchthesamedirectioninbothcases。
　　Fromthepointofviewwhichthemodernindustriallifeinculcates，phenomenaarehabituallysubsumedunderthequantitativerelationofmechanicalsequence。Theindigentclassesnotonlyfallshortofthemodicumofleisurenecessaryinordertoappropriateandassimilatethemorerecentgeneralizationsofsciencewhichthispointofviewinvolves，buttheyalsoordinarilystandinsucharelationofpersonaldependenceorsubserviencetotheirpecuniarysuperiorsasmateriallytoretardtheiremancipationfromhabitsofthoughtpropertotheregimeofstatus。Theresultisthattheseclassesinsomemeasureretainthatgeneralhabitofmindthechiefexpressionofwhichisastrongsenseofpersonalstatus，andofwhichdevoutnessisonefeature。
　　IntheoldercommunitiesoftheEuropeanculture，thehereditaryleisureclass，togetherwiththemassoftheindigentpopulation，aregiventodevoutobservancesinanappreciablyhigherdegreethantheaverageoftheindustriousmiddleclass，whereveraconsiderableclassofthelattercharacterexists。Butinsomeofthesecountries，thetwocategoriesofconservativehumanitynamedabovecomprisevirtuallythewholepopulation。
　　Wherethesetwoclassesgreatlypreponderate，theirbentshapespopularsentimenttosuchanextentastobeardownanypossibledivergenttendencyintheinconsiderablemiddleclass，andimposesadevoutattitudeuponthewholecommunity。
　　Thismust，ofcourse，notbeconstruedtosaythatsuchcommunitiesorsuchclassesasareexceptionallypronetodevoutobservancestendtoconforminanyexceptionaldegreetothespecificationsofanycodeofmoralsthatwemaybeaccustomedtoassociatewiththisorthatconfessionoffaith。AlargemeasureofthedevouthabitofmindneednotcarrywithitastrictobservanceoftheinjunctionsoftheDecalogueorofthecommonlaw。Indeed，itisbecomingsomewhatofacommonplacewithobserversofcriminallifeinEuropeancommunitiesthatthecriminalanddissoluteclassesare，ifanything，rathermoredevout，andmorenaivelyso，thantheaverageofthepopulation。
　　Itisamongthosewhoconstitutethepecuniarymiddleclassandthebodyoflaw-abidingcitizensthatarelativeexemptionfromthedevotionalattitudeistobelookedfor。Thosewhobestappreciatethemeritsofthehighercreedsandobservanceswouldobjecttoallthisandsaythatthedevoutnessofthelow-classdelinquentsisaspurious，oratthebestasuperstitiousdevoutness；andthepointisnodoubtwelltakenandgoesdirectlyandcogentlytothepurposeintended。Butforthepurposeofthepresentinquirytheseextra-economic，extra-psychologicaldistinctionsmustperforcebeneglected，howevervalidandhoweverdecisivetheymaybeforthepurposeforwhichtheyaremade。
　　Whathasactuallytakenplacewithregardtoclassemancipationfromthehabitofdevoutobservanceisshownbythelatter-daycomplaintoftheclergy——thatthechurchesarelosingthesympathyoftheartisanclasses，andarelosingtheirholduponthem。Atthesametimeitiscurrentlybelievedthatthemiddleclass，commonlysocalled，isalsofallingawayinthecordialityofitssupportofthechurch，especiallysofarasregardstheadultmaleportionofthatclass。Thesearecurrentlyrecognizedphenomena，anditmightseemthatasimplereferencetothesefactsshouldsufficientlysubstantiatethegeneralpositionoutlined。Suchanappealtothegeneralphenomenaofpopularchurchattendanceandchurchmembershipmaybesufficientlyconvincingforthepropositionhereadvanced。Butitwillstillbetothepurposetotraceinsomedetailthecourseofeventsandtheparticularforceswhichhavewroughtthischangeinthespiritualattitudeofthemoreadvancedindustrialcommunitiesoftoday。Itwillservetoillustratethemannerinwhicheconomiccausesworktowardsasecularizationofmen’shabitsofthought。InthisrespecttheAmericancommunityshouldaffordanexceptionallyconvincingillustration，sincethiscommunityhasbeentheleasttrammelledbyexternalcircumstancesofanyequallyimportantindustrialaggregate。
　　Aftermakingdueallowanceforexceptionsandsporadicdeparturesfromthenormal，thesituationhereatthepresenttimemaybesummarizedquitebriefly。Asageneralruletheclassesthatarelowineconomicefficiency，orinintelligence，orboth，arepeculiarlydevout——as，forinstance，theNegropopulationoftheSouth，muchofthelower-classforeignpopulation，muchoftheruralpopulation，especiallyinthosesectionswhicharebackwardineducation，inthestageofdevelopmentoftheirindustry，orinrespectoftheirindustrialcontactwiththerestofthecommunity。Soalsosuchfragmentsaswepossessofaspecializedorhereditaryindigentclass，orofasegregatedcriminalordissoluteclass；althoughamongtheselatterthedevouthabitofmindisapttotaketheformofanaiveanimisticbeliefinluckandintheefficacyofshamanisticpracticesperhapsmorefrequentlythanittakestheformofaformaladherencetoanyaccreditedcreed。Theartisanclass，ontheotherhand，isnotoriouslyfallingawayfromtheaccreditedanthropomorphiccreedsandfromalldevoutobservances。Thisclassisinanespecialdegreeexposedtothecharacteristicintellectualandspiritualstressofmodernorganizedindustry，whichrequiresaconstantrecognitionoftheundisguisedphenomenaofimpersonal，matter-of-factsequenceandanunreservedconformitytothelawofcauseandeffect。Thisclassisatthesametimenotunderfednorover-workedtosuchanextentastoleavenomarginofenergyfortheworkofadaptation。
　　ThecaseofthelowerordoubtfulleisureclassinAmerica——themiddleclasscommonlysocalled——issomewhatpeculiar。
　　ItdiffersinrespectofitsdevotionallifefromitsEuropeancounterpart，butitdiffersindegreeandmethodratherthaninsubstance。Thechurchesstillhavethepecuniarysupportofthisclass；althoughthecreedstowhichtheclassadhereswiththegreatestfacilityarerelativelypoorinanthropomorphiccontent。
　　Atthesametimetheeffectivemiddle-classcongregationtends，inmanycases，moreorlessremotelyperhaps，tobecomeacongregationofwomenandminors。Thereisanappreciablelackofdevotionalfervoramongtheadultmalesofthemiddleclass，althoughtoaconsiderableextenttheresurvivesamongthemacertaincomplacent，reputableassenttotheoutlinesoftheaccreditedcreedunderwhichtheywereborn。Theireverydaylifeiscarriedoninamoreorlessclosecontactwiththeindustrialprocess。
　　Thispeculiarsexualdifferentiation，whichtendstodelegatedevoutobservancestothewomenandtheirchildren，isdue，atleastinpart，tothefactthatthemiddle-classwomenareingreatmeasureavicariousleisureclass。Thesameistrueinalessdegreeofthewomenofthelower，artisanclasses。
　　Theyliveunderaregimeofstatushandeddownfromanearlierstageofindustrialdevelopment，andtherebytheypreserveaframeofmindandhabitsofthoughtwhichinclinethemtoanarchaicviewofthingsgenerally。Atthesametimetheystandinnosuchdirectorganicrelationtotheindustrialprocessatlargeaswouldtendstronglytobreakdownthosehabitsofthoughtwhich，forthemodernindustrialpurpose，areobsolete。
　　Thatistosay，thepeculiardevoutnessofwomenisaparticularexpressionofthatconservatismwhichthewomenofcivilizedcommunitiesowe，ingreatmeasure，totheireconomicposition。
　　Forthemodernmanthepatriarchalrelationofstatusisbynomeansthedominantfeatureoflife；butforthewomenontheotherhand，andfortheuppermiddle-classwomenespecially，confinedastheyarebyprescriptionandbyeconomiccircumstancestotheir“domesticsphere，“thisrelationisthemostrealandmostformativefactoroflife。Henceahabitofmindfavorabletodevoutobservancesandtotheinterpretationofthefactsoflifegenerallyintermsofpersonalstatus。Thelogic，andthelogicalprocesses，ofhereverydaydomesticlifearecarriedoverintotherealmofthesupernatural，andthewomanfindsherselfathomeandcontentinarangeofideaswhichtothemanareingreatmeasurealienandimbecile。