“3d。Asortofinnervisionofmyselfasafour-footedbeastwithaprotuberanceoneverypartofmybodywhereIhadsuffering，withmyownface，beggingmetoacknowledgeitasmyself。Iresolutelyfixedmyattentiononbeingwell，andrefusedtoevenlookatmyoldselfinthisform。
“4th。Againthevisionofthebeastfarinthebackground，withfaintvoice。Againrefusaltoacknowledge。
“5th。Oncemorethevision，butonlyofmyeyeswiththelonginglook；andagaintherefusal。Thencametheconviction，theinnerconsciousness，thatIwasperfectlywellandalwayshadbeen，forIwasSoul，anexpressionofGod’sPerfectThought。ThatwastometheperfectandcompletedseparationbetweenwhatIwasandwhatIappearedtobe。Isucceededinneverlosingsightafterthisofmyrealbeing，byconstantlyaffirmingthistruth，andbydegrees(thoughittookmetwoyearsofhardworktogetthere)I
expressedhealthcontinuouslythroughoutmywholebody。
“Inmysubsequentnineteenyears’experienceIhaveneverknownthisTruthtofailwhenIappliedit，thoughinmyignoranceI
haveoftenfailedtoapplyit，butthroughmyfailuresIhavelearnedthesimplicityandtrustfulnessofthelittlechild。”
ButIfearthatIrisktiringyoubysomanyexamples，andImustleadyoubacktophilosophicgeneralitiesagain。Youseealreadybysuchrecordsofexperiencehowimpossibleitisnottoclassmind-cureasprimarilyareligiousmovement。ItsdoctrineoftheonenessofourlifewithGod’slifeisinfactquiteindistinguishablefromaninterpretationofChrist’smessagewhichintheseveryGiffordlectureshasbeendefendedbysomeofyourveryablestScottishreligiousphilosophers。[52]
[52]TheCairds，forexample。InEdwardCaird’sGlasgowLecturesof1890-92passageslikethisabound：——
“ThedeclarationmadeinthebeginningoftheministryofJesusthat’thetimeisfulfilled，andthekingdomofheavenisathand，’passeswithscarceabreakintotheannouncementthat’thekingdomofGodisamongyou’；andtheimportanceofthisannouncementisassertedtobesuchthatitmakes，sotospeak，adifferenceINKINDbetweenthegreatestsaintsandprophetswholivedunderthepreviousreignofdivision，and’theleastinthekingdomofheaven。’Thehighestidealisbroughtclosetomenanddeclaredtobewithintheirreach，theyarecalledontobe’perfectastheirFatherinheavenisperfect。’ThesenseofalienationanddistancefromGodwhichhadgrownuponthepiousinIsraeljustinproportionastheyhadlearnedtolookuponHimasnomerenationaldivinity，butasaGodofjusticewhowouldpunishIsraelforitssinascertainlyasEdomorMoab，isdeclaredtobenolongerinplace；andthetypicalformofChristianprayerpointstotheabolitionofthecontrastbetweenthisworldandthenextwhichthroughallthehistoryoftheJewshadcontinuallybeengrowingwider：’Asinheaven，soonearth。’
ThesenseofthedivisionofmanfromGod，asafinitebeingfromtheInfinite，asweakandsinfulfromtheOmnipotentGoodness，isnotindeedlost；butitcannolongeroverpowertheconsciousnessofoneness。Theterms’Son’and’Father’atoncestatetheoppositionandmarkitslimit。Theyshowthatitisnotanabsoluteopposition，butonewhichpresupposesanindestructibleprincipleofunity，thatcanandmustbecomeaprincipleofreconciliation。”TheEvolutionofReligion，ii。pp。146，147。
Butphilosophersusuallyprofesstogiveaquasi-logicalexplanationoftheexistenceofevil，whereasofthegeneralfactofevilintheworld，theexistenceoftheselfish，suffering，timorousfiniteconsciousness，themind-curers，sofarasIamacquaintedwiththem，professtogivenospeculativeexplanationEvilisempiricallythereforthemasitisforeverybody，butthepracticalpointofviewpredominates，anditwouldillagreewiththespiritoftheirsystemtospendtimeinworryingoveritasa“mystery“or“problem。”orin“layingtoheart“thelessonofitsexperience，afterthemanneroftheEvangelicals。Don’treasonaboutit，asDantesays，butgiveaglanceandpassbeyond！ItisAvidhya，ignorance！somethingmerelytobeoutgrownandleftbehind，transcendedandforgotten。ChristianScienceso-called，thesectofMrs。Eddy，isthemostradicalbranchofmind-cureinitsdealingswithevil。ForitevilissimplyaLIE，andanyonewhomentionsitisaliar。Theoptimisticidealofdutyforbidsustopayitthecomplimentevenofexplicitattention。Ofcourse，asournextlectureswillshowus，thisisabadspeculativeomission，butitisintimatelylinkedwiththepracticalmeritsofthesystemweareexamining。
Whyregretaphilosophyofevil，amind-curerwouldaskus，ifI
canputyouinpossessionofalifeofgood？
Afterall，itisthelifethattells；andmind-curehasdevelopedalivingsystemofmentalhygienewhichmaywellclaimtohavethrownallpreviousliteratureoftheDiatetitderSeeleintotheshade。Thissystemiswhollyandexclusivelycompactedofoptimism：“Pessimismleadstoweakness。Optimismleadstopower。”“Thoughtsarethings。”asoneofthemostvigorousmind-curewritersprintsinboldtypeatthebottomofeachofhispages；andifyourthoughtsareofhealth，youth，vigor，andsuccess，beforeyouknowitthesethingswillalsobeyouroutwardportion。Noonecanfailoftheregenerativeinfluenceofoptimisticthinking，pertinaciouslypursued。Everymanownsindefeasiblythisinlettothedivine。Fear，onthecontrary，andallthecontractedandegoisticmodesofthought，areinletstodestruction。Mostmind-curersherebringinadoctrinethatthoughtsare“forces。”andthat，byvirtueofalawthatlikeattractslike，oneman’sthoughtsdrawtothemselvesasalliesallthethoughtsofthesamecharacterthatexisttheworldover。
Thusonegets，byone’sthinking，reinforcementsfromelsewherefortherealizationofone’sdesires；andthegreatpointintheconductoflifeistogettheheavenlyforcesonone’ssidebyopeningone’sownmindtotheirinflux。
Onthewhole，oneisstruckbyapsychologicalsimilaritybetweenthemind-curemovementandtheLutheranandWesleyanmovements。
Tothebelieverinmoralismandworks，withhisanxiousquery，“WhatshallIdotobesaved？”LutherandWesleyreplied：“Youaresavednow，ifyouwouldbutbelieveit。”Andthemind-curerscomewithpreciselysimilarwordsofemancipation。Theyspeak，itistrue，topersonsforwhomtheconceptionofsalvationhaslostitsancienttheologicalmeaning，butwholaborneverthelesswiththesameeternalhumandifficulty。THINGSAREWRONGWITH
THEM；and“WhatshallIdotobeclear，right，sound，whole，well？”istheformoftheirquestion。Andtheansweris：“YouAREwell，sound，andclearalready，ifyoudidbutknowit。”
“Thewholemattermaybesummedupinonesentence。”saysoneoftheauthorswhomIhavealreadyquoted，“GODISWELL，ANDSOARE
YOU。Youmustawakentotheknowledgeofyourrealbeing。”
Theadequacyoftheirmessagetothementalneedsofalargefractionofmankindiswhatgaveforcetothoseearliergospels。
Exactlythesameadequacyholdsinthecaseofthemind-curemessage，foolishasitmaysounduponitssurface；andseeingitsrapidgrowthininfluence，anditstherapeutictriumphs，oneistemptedtoaskwhetheritmaynotbedestined(probablybyveryreasonofthecrudityandextravaganceofmanyofitsmanifestations[53])toplayapartalmostasgreatintheevolutionofthepopularreligionofthefutureasdidthoseearliermovementsintheirday。
[53]ItremainstobeseenwhethertheschoolofMr。Dresser，whichassumesmoreandmoretheformofmind-cureexperienceandacademicphilosophymutuallyimpregnatingeachother，willscorethepracticaltriumphsofthelesscriticalandrationalsects。
ButIherefearthatImaybeginto“jaruponthenerves“ofsomeofthemembersofthisacademicaudience。Suchcontemporaryvagaries，youmaythink，shouldhardlytakesolargeaplaceindignifiedGiffordlectures。Icanonlybeseechyoutohavepatience。Thewholeoutcomeoftheselectureswill，Iimagine，betheemphasizingtoyourmindoftheenormousdiversitieswhichthespirituallivesofdifferentmenexhibit。Theirwants，theirsusceptibilities，andtheircapacitiesallvaryandmustbeclassedunderdifferentheads。Theresultisthatwehavereallydifferenttypesofreligiousexperience；and，seekingintheselecturescloseracquaintancewiththehealthy-mindedtype，wemusttakeitwherewefinditinmostradicalform。Thepsychologyofindividualtypesofcharacterhashardlybeguneventobesketchedasyet——ourlecturesmaypossiblyserveasacrumb-likecontributiontothestructure。Thefirstthingtobearinmind(especiallyifweourselvesbelongtotheclerico-academic-scientifictype，theofficiallyandconventionally“correct“type，“thedeadlyrespectable“type，forwhichtoignoreothersisabesettingtemptation)isthatnothingcanbemorestupidthantobaroutphenomenafromournotice，merelybecauseweareincapableoftakingpartinanythinglikethemourselves。
NowthehistoryofLutheransalvationbyfaith，ofmethodisticconversions，andofwhatIcallthemind-curemovementseemstoprovetheexistenceofnumerouspersonsinwhom——atanyrateatacertainstageintheirdevelopment——achangeofcharacterforthebetter，sofarfrombeingfacilitatedbytheruleslaiddownbyofficialmoralists，willtakeplaceallthemoresuccessfullyifthoserulesbeexactlyreversed。Officialmoralistsadviseusnevertorelaxourstrenuousness。“Bevigilant，dayandnight。”
theyadjureus；“holdyourpassivetendenciesincheck；shrinkfromnoeffort；keepyourwilllikeabowalwaysbent。”ButthepersonsIspeakoffindthatallthisconsciouseffortleadstonothingbutfailureandvexationintheirhands，andonlymakesthemtwofoldmorethechildrenofhelltheywerebefore。Thetenseandvoluntaryattitudebecomesinthemanimpossiblefeverandtorment。Theirmachineryrefusestorunatallwhenthebearingsaremadesohotandthebeltssotight。
Underthesecircumstancesthewaytosuccess，asvouchedforbyinnumerableauthenticpersonalnarrations，isbyananti-moralisticmethod，bythe“surrender“ofwhichIspokeinmysecondlecture。Passivity，notactivity；relaxation，notintentness，shouldbenowtherule。Giveupthefeelingofresponsibility，letgoyourhold，resignthecareofyourdestinytohigherpowers，begenuinelyindifferentastowhatbecomesofitall，andyouwillfindnotonlythatyougainaperfectinwardrelief，butoftenalso，inaddition，theparticulargoodsyousincerelythoughtyouwererenouncing。Thisisthesalvationthroughself-despair，thedyingtobetrulyborn，ofLutherantheology，thepassageintoNOTHINGofwhichJacobBehmenwrites。
Togettoit，acriticalpointmustusuallybepassed，acornerturnedwithinone。Somethingmustgiveway，anativehardnessmustbreakdownandliquefy；andthisevent(asweshallabundantlyseehereafter)isfrequentlysuddenandautomatic，andleavesontheSubjectanimpressionthathehasbeenwroughtonbyanexternalpower。
Whateveritsultimatesignificancemayprovetobe，thisiscertainlyonefundamentalformofhumanexperience。Somesaythatthecapacityorincapacityforitiswhatdividesthereligiousfromthemerelymoralisticcharacter。Withthosewhoundergoitinitsfullness，nocriticismavailstocastdoubtonitsreality。TheyKNOW；fortheyhaveactuallyFELTthehigherpowers，ingivingupthetensionoftheirpersonalwill。
Astorywhichrevivalistpreachersoftentellisthatofamanwhofoundhimselfatnightslippingdownthesideofaprecipice。
Atlasthecaughtabranchwhichstoppedhisfall，andremainedclingingtoitinmiseryforhours。Butfinallyhisfingershadtoloosetheirhold，andwithadespairingfarewelltolife，helethimselfdrop。Hefelljustsixinches。Ifhehadgivenupthestruggleearlier，hisagonywouldhavebeenspared。Asthemotherearthreceivedhim，so，thepreacherstellus，willtheeverlastingarmsreceiveusifweconfideabsolutelyinthem，andgiveupthehereditaryhabitofrelyingonourpersonalstrength，withitsprecautionsthatcannotshelterandsafeguardsthatneversave。
Themind-curershavegiventhewidestscopetothissortofexperience。Theyhavedemonstratedthataformofregenerationbyrelaxing，bylettinggo，psychologicallyindistinguishablefromtheLutheranjustificationbyfaithandtheWesleyanacceptanceoffreegrace，iswithinthereachofpersonswhohavenoconvictionofsinandcarenothingfortheLutherantheology。
Itisbutgivingyourlittleprivateconvulsiveselfarest，andfindingthatagreaterSelfisthere。Theresults，sloworsudden，orgreatorsmall，ofthecombinedoptimismandexpectancy，theregenerativephenomenawhichensueontheabandonmentofeffort，remainfirmfactsofhumannature，nomatterwhetherweadoptatheistic，apantheistic-idealistic，oramedical-materialisticviewoftheirultimatecausalexplanation。[54]
