world and no other seem as dry as sticks; as hard and crude as
blocks of stone or brick…bats。
In a general way; then; and 〃on the whole;〃'224' our abandonment
of theological criteria; and our testing of religion by practical
common sense and the empirical method; leave it in possession of
its towering place in history。 Economically; the saintly group
of qualities is indispensable to the world's welfare。 The great
saints are immediate successes; the smaller ones are at least
heralds and harbingers; and they may be leavens also; of a better
mundane order。 Let us be saints; then; if we can; whether or not
we succeed visibly and temporally。 But in our Father's house are
many mansions; and each of us must discover for himself the kind
of religion and the amount of saintship which best comports with
what he believes to be his powers and feels to be his truest
mission and vocation。 There are no successes to be guaranteed
and no set orders to be given to individuals; so long as we
follow the methods of empirical philosophy。
'224' See above; p。 321。
This is my conclusion so far。 I know that on some of your minds
it leaves a feeling of wonder that such a method should have been
applied to such a subject; and this in spite of all those remarks
about empiricism which I made at the beginning of Lecture
XIII。'225' How; you say; can religion; which believes in two
worlds and an invisible order; be estimated by the adaptation of
its fruits to this world's order alone? It is its truth; not its
utility; you insist; upon which our verdict ought to depend。 If
religion is true; its fruits are good fruits; even though in this
world they should prove uniformly ill adapted and full of naught
but pathos。 It goes back; then; after all; to the question of
the truth of theology。 The plot inevitably thickens upon us; we
cannot escape theoretical considerations。 I propose; then; that
to some degree we face the responsibility。 Religious persons
have often; though not uniformly; professed to see truth in a
special manner。 That manner is known as mysticism。 I will
consequently now proceed to treat at some length of mystical
phenomena; and after that; though more briefly; I will consider
religious philosophy。
'225' Above; pp。 321…327
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