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the whole a religious state of mind; although I dare say that to



many of you it may seem too listless and half…hearted to merit so



good a name。  But what matters it in the end whether we call such



a state of mind religious or not?  It is too insignificant for



our instruction in any case; and its very possessor wrote it down



in terms which he would not have used unless he had been thinking



of more energetically religious moods in others; with which he



found himself unable to compete。  It is with these more energetic



states that our sole business lies; and we can perfectly well



afford to let the minor notes and the uncertain border go。  It



was the extremer cases that I had in mind a little while ago



when I said that personal religion; even without theology or



ritual; would prove to embody some elements that morality pure



and simple does not contain。  You may remember that I promised



shortly to point out what those elements were。  In a general way



I can now say what I had in mind。







〃I accept the universe〃 is reported to have been a favorite



utterance of our New England transcendentalist; Margaret Fuller;



and when some one repeated this phrase to Thomas Carlyle; his



sardonic comment is said to have been:  〃Gad! she'd better!〃  At



bottom the whole concern of both morality and religion is with



the manner of our acceptance of the universe。  Do we accept it



only in part and grudgingly; or heartily and altogether?  Shall



our protests against certain things in it be radical and



unforgiving; or shall we think that; even with evil; there are



ways of living that must lead to good?  If we accept the whole;



shall we do so as if stunned into submissionas Carlyle would



have us〃Gad! we'd better!〃or shall we do so with enthusiastic



assent?  Morality pure and simple accepts the law of the whole



which it finds reigning; so far as to acknowledge and obey it;



but it may obey it with the heaviest and coldest heart; and never



cease to feel it as a yoke。  But for religion; in its strong and



fully developed manifestations; the service of the highest never



is felt as a yoke。  Dull submission is left far behind; and a



mood of welcome; which may fill any place on the scale between



cheerful serenity and enthusiastic gladness; has taken its place。







It makes a tremendous emotional and practical difference to one



whether one accept the universe in the drab discolored way of



stoic resignation to necessity; or with the passionate happiness



of Christian saints。  The difference is as great as that between



passivity and activity; as that between the defensive and the



aggressive mood。  Gradual as are the steps by which an individual



may grow from one state into the other; many as are the



intermediate stages which different individuals represent; yet



when you place the typical extremes beside each other for



comparison; you feel that two discontinuous psychological



universes confront you; and that in passing from one to the other



a 〃critical point〃 has been overcome。







If we compare stoic with Christian ejaculations we see much more



than a difference of doctrine; rather is it a difference of



emotional mood that parts them。  When Marcus Aurelius reflects on



the eternal reason that has ordered things; there is a frosty



chill about his words which you rarely find in a Jewish; and



never in a Christian piece of religious writing。  The universe is



〃accepted〃 by all these writers; but how devoid of passion or



exultation the spirit of the Roman Emperor is!  Compare his fine



sentence:  〃If gods care not for me or my children; here is a



reason for it;〃 with Job's cry:  〃Though he slay me; yet will I



trust in him!〃 and you immediately see the difference I mean。 



The anima mundi; to whose disposal of his own personal destiny



the Stoic consents; is there to be respected and submitted to;



but the Christian God is there to be loved; and the difference of



emotional atmosphere is like that between an arctic climate and



the tropics; though the outcome in the way of accepting actual



conditions uncomplainingly may seem in abstract terms to be much



the same。







〃It is a man's duty;〃 says Marcus Aurelius; 〃to comfort himself



and wait for the natural dissolution; and not to be vexed; but to



find refreshment solely in these thoughtsfirst that nothing



will happen to me which is not conformable to the nature of the



universe; and secondly that I need do nothing contrary to the God



and deity within me; for there is no man who can compel me to



transgress。  He is an abscess on the universe who withdraws



and separates himself from the reason of our common nature;



through being displeased with the things which happen。  For the



same nature produces these; and has produced thee too。  And so



accept everything which happens; even if it seem disagreeable;



because it leads to this; the health of the universe and to the



prosperity and felicity of Zeus。  For he would not have brought



on any man what he has brought if it were not useful for the



whole。  The integrity of the whole is mutilated if thou cuttest



off anything。  And thou dost cut off; as far as it is in thy



power; when thou art dissatisfied; and in a manner triest to put



anything out of the way。〃'14'







'14' Book V。; ch。 ix。 (abridged)。















Compare now this mood with that of the old Christian author of



the Theologia Germanica:







〃Where men are enlightened with the true light; they renounce all



desire and choice; and commit and commend themselves and all



things to the eternal Goodness; so that every enlightened man



could say:  'I would fain be to the Eternal Goodness what his own



hand is to a man。'  Such men are in a state of freedom; because



they have lost the fear of pain or hell; and the hope of reward



or heaven; and are living in pure submission to the eternal



Goodness; in the perfect freedom of fervent love。  When a man



truly perceiveth and considereth himself; who and what he is; and



findeth himself utterly vile and wicked and unworthy; he falleth



into such a deep abasement that it seemeth to him reasonable that



all creatures in heaven and earth should rise up against him。 



And therefore he will not and dare not desire any consolation and



release; but he is willing to be unconsoled and unreleased; and



he doth not grieve over his sufferings; for they are right in his



eyes; and he hath nothing to say against them。  This is what is



meant by true repentance for sin; and he who in this present time



entereth into this hell; none may console him。  Now God hath not



forsaken a man in this hell; but He is laying his hand upon him;



that the man may not desire nor regard anything but the eternal



Good only。  And then; when the man neither careth for nor



desireth anything but the eternal Good alone; and seeketh not



himself nor his own things; but the honour of God only; he is



made a partaker of all manner of joy; bliss; peace; rest; and



consolation; and so the man is henceforth in the kingdom of



heaven。  This hell and this heaven are two good safe ways for a



man; and happy is he who truly findeth them。〃'15'







'15' Chaps。 x。; xi。  (abridged):  Winkworth's translation。















How much more active and positive the impulse of the Christian



writer to accept his place in the universe is! Marcus Aurelius



agrees TO the schemethe German theologian agrees WITH it。  He



literally ABOUNDS in agreement; he runs out to embrace the divine



decrees。







Occasionally; it is true; the stoic rises to something like a



Christian warmth of sentiment; as in the often quoted passage of



Marcus Aurelius:







〃Everything harmonizes with me which is harmonious to thee; O



Universe。  Nothing for me is too early nor too late; which is in



due time for thee。  Everything is fruit to me which thy seasons



bring; O Nature:  from thee are all things; in thee are all



things; to thee all things return。  The poet says; Dear City of



Cecrops; and wilt thou not say; Dear City of Zeus?〃'16'







'16' Book IV。; 523















But compare even as devout a passage as this with a genuine



Christian outpouring; and it seems a little cold。 Turn; for



instance; to the Imitation of Christ:







〃Lord; thou knowest what is best; let this or that be according



as thou wilt。  Give what thou wilt; so much as thou wilt; when



thou wilt。  Do with me as thou knowest best; and as shall be most



to thine honour。  Place me where thou wilt; and freely work thy



will with me in all things。 。 。 。  When could it be evil when



thou wert near?  I had rather be poor for thy sake than rich



without thee。  I choose rather to be a pilgrim upon the earth



with thee; than without thee to possess heaven。  Where thou art;



there is heaven; and where thou art not; behold there death and



hell。〃'17'







'17' Benham's translation:  Book III。; chaps。  xv。; lix。  Compare



Mary Moody Emerson:  〃Let me be a blot on this fair world; the



obscurest the loneliest sufferer; with one provisothat I know



it is His agency。  I will love Him though He shed frost and



darkness on every way of mine。〃  R。 W。 Emerson:  Lectures and



Biographical Sketches; p。 188。















It is a good rule in physiology; when we are studying the meaning



of an organ; to ask after its most peculiar and characteristic



sort of performance; a

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