Inthehourimmediatelybeforeus，Ishallinviteyoutoconsiderthesimplerkindsofreligioushappiness，leavingthemorecomplexsortstobetreatedonalaterday。
Inmanypersons，happinessiscongenitalandirreclaimable。
“Cosmicemotion“inevitablytakesinthemtheformofenthusiasmandfreedom。Ispeaknotonlyofthosewhoareanimallyhappy。
Imeanthosewho，whenunhappinessisofferedorproposedtothem，positivelyrefusetofeelit，asifitweresomethingmeanandwrong。Wefindsuchpersonsineveryage，passionatelyflingingthemselvesupontheirsenseofthegoodnessoflife，inspiteofthehardshipsoftheirowncondition，andinspiteofthesinistertheologiesintowhichtheymayheborn。Fromtheoutsettheirreligionisoneofunionwiththedivine。Thehereticswhowentbeforethereformationarelavishlyaccusedbythechurchwritersofantinomianpractices，justasthefirstChristianswereaccusedofindulgenceinorgiesbytheRomans。
Itisprobablethatthereneverhasbeenacenturyinwhichthedeliberaterefusaltothinkilloflifehasnotbeenidealizedbyasufficientnumberofpersonstoformsects，openorsecret，whoclaimedallnaturalthingstobepermitted。SaintAugustine’smaxim，Diligeetquodvisfac——ifyoubutlove[God]，youmaydoasyouincline——ismorallyoneoftheprofoundestofobservations，yetitispregnant，forsuchpersons，withpassportsbeyondtheboundsofconventionalmorality。Accordingtotheircharacterstheyhavebeenrefinedorgross；buttheirbeliefhasbeenatalltimessystematicenoughtoconstituteadefinitereligiousattitude。Godwasforthemagiveroffreedom，andthestingofevilwasovercome。SaintFrancisandhisimmediatediscipleswere，onthewhole，ofthiscompanyofspirits，ofwhichthereareofcourseinfinitevarieties。
Rousseauintheearlieryearsofhiswriting，Diderot，B。deSaintPierre，andmanyoftheleadersoftheeighteenthcenturyanti-Christianmovementwereofthisoptimistictype。TheyowedtheirinfluencetoacertainauthoritativenessintheirfeelingthatNature，ifyouwillonlytrusthersufficiently，isabsolutelygood。
Itistobehopedthatweallhavesomefriend，perhapsmoreoftenfemininethanmasculine，andyoungthanold，whosesoulisofthissky-bluetint，whoseaffinitiesareratherwithflowersandbirdsandallenchantinginnocenciesthanwithdarkhumanpassions，whocanthinknoillofmanorGod，andinwhomreligiousgladness，beinginpossessionfromtheoutset，needsnodeliverancefromanyantecedentburden。
“Godhastwofamiliesofchildrenonthisearth。”saysFrancisW。
Newman，[32]“theonce-bornandthetwice-born。”andtheonce-bornhedescribesasfollows：“TheyseeGod，notasastrictJudge，notasaGloriousPotentate；butastheanimatingSpiritofabeautifulharmoniousworld，BeneficentandKind，MercifulaswellasPure。Thesamecharactersgenerallyhavenometaphysicaltendencies：theydonotlookbackintothemselves。Hencetheyarenotdistressedbytheirownimperfections：yetitwouldbeabsurdtocallthemself-righteous；fortheyhardlythinkofthemselvesATALL。Thischildlikequalityoftheirnaturemakestheopeningofreligionveryhappytothem：fortheynomoreshrinkfromGod，thanachildfromanemperor，beforewhomtheparenttrembles：infact，theyhavenovividconceptionofANY
ofthequalitiesinwhichthesevererMajestyofGodconsists。[33]HeistothemtheimpersonationofKindnessandBeauty。Theyreadhischaracter，notinthedisorderedworldofman，butinromanticandharmoniousnature。Ofhumansintheyknowperhapslittleintheirownheartsandnotverymuchintheworld；andhumansufferingdoesbutmeltthemtotenderness。
Thus，whentheyapproachGod，noinwarddisturbanceensues；andwithoutbeingasyetspiritual，theyhaveacertaincomplacencyandperhapsromanticsenseofexcitementintheirsimpleworship。”
TheSoul；itsSorrowsanditsAspirations，3dedition，
Ionceheardaladydescribethepleasureitgavehertothinkthatshe“couldalwayscuddleuptoGod。”
IntheRomishChurchsuchcharactersfindamorecongenialsoiltogrowinthaninProtestantism，whosefashionsoffeelinghavebeensetbymindsofadecidedlypessimisticorder。ButeveninProtestantismtheyhavebeenabundantenough；andinitsrecent“liberal“developmentsofUnitarianismandlatitudinarianismgenerally，mindsofthisorderhaveplayedandstillareplayingleadingandconstructiveparts。Emersonhimselfisanadmirableexample。TheodoreParkerisanother——hereareacoupleofcharacteristicpassagesfromParker’scorrespondence。[34]
[34]JohnWeiss：LifeofTheodoreParker，i。152，32。
“Orthodoxscholarssay：’Intheheathenclassicsyoufindnoconsciousnessofsin。’Itisverytrue——Godbethankedforit。
Theywereconsciousofwrath，ofcruelty，avarice，drunkenness，lust，sloth，cowardice，andotheractualvices，andstruggledandgotridofthedeformities，buttheywerenotconsciousof’enmityagainstGod，’anddidn’tsitdownandwhineandgroanagainstnon-existentevil。Ihavedonewrongthingsenoughinmylife，anddothemnow；Imissthemark，drawbow，andtryagain。
ButIamnotconsciousofhatingGod，orman，orright，orlove，andIknowthereismuch’healthinme’，andinmybody，evennow，theredwellethmanyagoodthing，spiteofconsumptionandSaintPaul。”InanotherletterParkerwrites：“Ihaveswuminclearsweetwatersallmydays；andifsometimestheywerealittlecold，andthestreamranadverseandsomethingrough，itwasnevertoostrongtobebreastedandswumthrough。Fromthedaysofearliestboyhood，whenIwentstumblingthroughthegrass，……uptothegray-beardedmanhoodofthistime，thereisnonebuthasleftmehoneyinthehiveofmemorythatInowfeedonforpresentdelight。WhenIrecalltheyears……Iamfilledwithasenseofsweetnessandwonderthatsuchlittlethingscanmakeamortalsoexceedinglyrich。ButImustconfessthatthechiefestofallmydelightsisstillthereligious。”
Anothergoodexpressionofthe“once-born“typeofconsciousness，developingstraightandnatural，withnoelementofmorbidcompunctionorcrisis，iscontainedintheanswerofDr。EdwardEverettHale，theeminentUnitarianpreacherandwriter，tooneofDr。Starbuck’scirculars。Iquoteapartofit：——
“Iobserve，withprofoundregret，thereligiousstruggleswhichcomeintomanybiographies，asifalmostessentialtotheformationofthehero。Ioughttospeakofthese，tosaythatanymanhasanadvantage，nottobeestimated，whoisborn，asI
was，intoafamilywherethereligionissimpleandrational；whoistrainedinthetheoryofsuchareligion，sothatheneverknows，foranhour，whatthesereligiousorirreligiousstrugglesare。IalwaysknewGodlovedme，andIwasalwaysgratefultohimfortheworldheplacedmein。Ialwayslikedtotellhimso，andwasalwaysgladtoreceivehissuggestionstome……I
canrememberperfectlythatwhenIwascomingtomanhood，thehalf-philosophicalnovelsofthetimehadadealtosayabouttheyoungmenandmaidenswhowerefacingthe’problemoflife。’I
hadnoideawhateverwhattheproblemoflifewas。Tolivewithallmymightseemedtomeeasy；tolearnwheretherewassomuchtolearnseemedpleasantandalmostofcourse；tolendahand，ifonehadachance，natural；andifonedidthis，why，heenjoyedlifebecausehecouldnothelpit，andwithoutprovingtohimselfthatheoughttoenjoyit……AchildwhoisearlytaughtthatheisGod’schild，thathemayliveandmoveandhavehisbeinginGod，andthathehas，therefore，infinitestrengthathandfortheconqueringofanydifficulty，willtakelifemoreeasily，andprobablywillmakemoreofit，thanonewhoistoldthatheisbornthechildofwrathandwhollyincapableofgood。”
Starbuck：PsychologyofReligion，pp。
Onecanbutrecognizeinsuchwritersasthesethepresenceofatemperamentorganicallyweightedonthesideofcheerandfatallyforbiddentolinger，asthoseofoppositetemperamentlinger，overthedarkeraspectsoftheuniverse。Insomeindividualsoptimismmaybecomequasi-pathological。Thecapacityforevenatransientsadnessoramomentaryhumilityseemscutofffromthemasbyakindofcongenitalanaesthesia。[36]
“Iknownottowhatphysicallawsphilosopherswillsomedayreferthefeelingsofmelancholy。Formyself，Ifindthattheyarethemostvoluptuousofallsensations。”writesSaintPierre，andaccordinglyhedevotesaseriesofsectionsofhisworkonNaturetothePlaisirsdelaRuine，PlaisirsdesTombeaux，RuinesdelaNature，PlaisirsdelaSolitude——eachofthemmoreoptimisticthanthelast。
Thisfindingofaluxuryinwoeisverycommonduringadolescence。Thetruth-tellingMarieBashkirtseffexpressesitwell：——
“Inhisdepressionanddreadfuluninterruptedsuffering，Idon’tcondemnlife。Onthecontrary，Ilikeitandfinditgood。Canyoubelieveit？Ifindeverythinggoodandpleasant，evenmytears，mygrief。Ienjoyweeping，Ienjoymydespair。Ienjoybeingexasperatedandsad。Ifeelasiftheseweresomanydiversions，andIlovelifeinspiteofthemall。Iwanttoliveon。ItwouldbecrueltohavemediewhenIamsoaccommodating。
Icry，Igrieve，andatthesametimeIampleased——no，notexactlythat——Iknownothowtoexpressit。Buteverythinginlifepleasesme。Ifindeverythingagreeable，andintheverymidstofmyprayersforhappiness，Ifindmyselfhappyatbeingmiserable。ItisnotIwhoundergoallthis——mybodyweepsandcries；butsomethinginsideofmewhichisabovemeisgladofitall。”
JournaldeMarieBashkirtseff，i。67。
ThesupremecontemporaryexampleofsuchaninabilitytofeelevilisofcourseWaltWhitman。
“Hisfavoriteoccupation。”writeshisdisciple，Dr。Bucke“seemedtobestrollingorsaunteringaboutoutdoorsbyhimself，lookingatthegrass，thetrees，theflowers，thevistasoflight，thevaryingaspectsofthesky，andlisteningtothebirds，thecrickets，thetreefrogs，andallthehundredsofnaturalsounds。
Itwasevidentthatthesethingsgavehimapleasurefarbeyondwhattheygivetoordinarypeople。UntilIknewtheman。”
continuesDr。Bucke，“ithadnotoccurredtomethatanyonecouldderivesomuchabsolutehappinessfromthesethingsashedid。Hewasveryfondofflowers，eitherwildorcultivated；
likedallsorts。Ithinkheadmiredlilacsandsunflowersjustasmuchasroses。Perhaps，indeed，nomanwhoeverlivedlikedsomanythingsanddislikedsofewasWaltWhitman。Allnaturalobjectsseemedtohaveacharmforhim。Allsightsandsoundsseemedtopleasehim。Heappearedtolike(andIbelievehedidlike)allthemen，women，andchildrenhesaw(thoughIneverknewhimtosaythathelikedanyone)，buteachwhoknewhimfeltthathelikedhimorher，andthathelikedothersalso。I
neverknewhimtoargueordispute，andheneverspokeaboutmoney。Healwaysjustified，sometimesplayfully，sometimesquiteseriously，thosewhospokeharshlyofhimselforhiswritings，andIoftenthoughtheeventookpleasureintheoppositionofenemies。WhenIfirstknew[him]，Iusedtothinkthathewatchedhimself，andwouldnotallowhistonguetogiveexpressiontofretfulness，antipathy，complaint，andremonstrance。Itdidnotoccurtomeaspossiblethatthesementalstatescouldbeabsentinhim。Afterlongobservation，however，Isatisfiedmyselfthatsuchabsenceorunconsciousnesswasentirelyreal。Heneverspokedeprecatinglyofanynationalityorclassofmen，ortimeintheworld’shistory，oragainstanytradesoroccupations——notevenagainstanyanimals，insects，orinanimatethings，noranyofthelawsofnature，noranyoftheresultsofthoselaws，suchasillness，deformity，anddeath。Henevercomplainedorgrumbledeitherattheweather，pain，illness，oranythingelse。Heneverswore。Hecouldnotverywell，sinceheneverspokeinangerandapparentlyneverwasangry。Heneverexhibitedfear，andIdonotbelieveheeverfeltit。”
