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If perhaps they have more self…control than the really mad； yet it happens oftener with them that the whole intelligent being falls under the dominion of evil。 The passion scarcely less than the obsession may darken the whole moral sky。 Repentance and atonement； nothing less will avail them after the storm has passed； and the sedulous preparation of defences and palliatives against the return of the storm。 This discussion of the lunatic's case gives us indeed； usefully coarse and large； the lines for the treatment of every human weakness by the servants of God。 A 〃weakness；〃 just like the lunatic's mania； becomes a particular charge under God； a special duty for the person it affects。 He has to minimise it； to isolate it； to keep it out of mischief。 If he can he must adopt preventive measures。 。 。 。 These passions and weaknesses that get control of us hamper our usefulness to God； they are an incessant anxiety and distress to us； they wound our self…respect and make us incomprehensible to many who would trust us； they discredit the faith we profess。 If they break through and break through again it is natural and proper that men and women should cease to believe in our faith； cease to work with us or to meet us frankly。 。 。 。 Our sins do everything evil to us and through us except separate us from God。 Yet let there be no mistake about one thing。 Here prayer is a power。 Here God can indeed work miracles。 A man with the light of God in his heart can defeat vicious habits； rise again combative and undaunted after a hundred falls； escape from the grip of lusts and revenges； make head against despair； thrust back the very onset of madness。 He is still the same man he was before he came to God； still with his libidinous； vindictive； boastful； or indolent vein； but now his will to prevail over those qualities can refer to an exterior standard and an external interest； he can draw upon a strength； almost boundless； beyond his own。
5。 BELIEVE； AND YOU ARE SAVED
But be a sin great or small； it cannot damn a man once he has found God。 You may kill and hang for it； you may rob or rape； the moment you truly repent and set yourself to such atonement and reparation as is possible there remains no barrier between you and God。 Directly you cease to hide or deny or escape； and turn manfully towards the consequences and the setting of things right； you take hold again of the hand of God。 Though you sin seventy times seven times； God will still forgive the poor rest of you。 Nothing but utter blindness of the spirit can shut a man off from God。 There is nothing one can suffer； no situation so unfortunate； that it can shut off one who has the thought of God； from God。 If you but lift up your head for a moment out of a stormy chaos of madness and cry to him； God is there； God will not fail you。 A convicted criminal； frankly penitent； and neither obdurate nor abject； whatever the evil of his yesterdays； may still die well and bravely on the gallows to the glory of God。 He may step straight from that death into the immortal being of God。 This persuasion is the very essence of the religion of the true God。 There is no sin； no state that； being regretted and repented of； can stand between God and man。
CHAPTER THE SEVENTH THE IDEA OF A CHURCH
1。 THE WORLD DAWN
As yet those who may be counted as belonging definitely to the new religion are few and scattered and unconfessed； their realisations are still uncertain and incomplete。 But that is no augury for the continuance of this state of affairs even for the next few decades。 There are many signs that the revival is coming very swiftly； it may be coming as swiftly as the morning comes after a tropical night。 It may seem at present as though nothing very much were happening； except for the fact that the old familiar constellations of theology have become a little pallid and lost something of their multitude of points。 But nothing fades of itself。 The deep stillness of the late night is broken by a stirring； and the morning star of creedless faith； the last and brightest of the stars； the star that owes its light to the coming sun is in the sky。 There is a stirring and a movement。 There is a stir； like the stir before a breeze。 Men are beginning to speak of religion without the bluster of the Christian formulae； they have begun to speak of God without any reference to Omnipresence； Omniscience； Omnipotence。 The Deists and Theists of an older generation； be it noted； never did that。 Their 〃Supreme Being〃 repudiated nothing。 He was merely the whittled stump of the Trinity。 It is in the last few decades that the western mind has slipped loose from this absolutist conception of God that has dominated the intelligence of Christendom at least； for many centuries。 Almost unconsciously the new thought is taking a course that will lead it far away from the moorings of Omnipotence。 It is like a ship that has slipped its anchors and drifts； still sleeping； under the pale and vanishing stars； out to the open sea。 。 。 。
2。 CONVERGENT RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS
In quite a little while the whole world may be alive with this renascent faith。 For emancipation from the Trinitarian formularies and from a belief in an infinite God means not merely a great revivification of minds trained under the decadence of orthodox Christianity； minds which have hitherto been hopelessly embarrassed by the choice between pseudo…Christian religion or denial； but also it opens the way towards the completest understanding and sympathy and participation with the kindred movements for release and for an intensification of the religious life； that are going on outside the sphere of the Christian tradition and influence altogether。 Allusion has already been made to the sympathetic devotional poetry of Rabindranath Tagore； he stands for a movement in Brahminism parallel with and assimilable to the worship of the true God of mankind。 It is too often supposed that the religious tendency of the East is entirely towards other…worldness； to a treatment of this life as an evil entanglement and of death as a release and a blessing。 It is too easily assumed that Eastern teaching is wholly concerned with renunciation； not merely of self but of being； with the escape from all effort of any sort into an exalted vacuity。 This is indeed neither the spirit of China nor of Islam nor of the every…day life of any people in the world。 It is not the spirit of the Sikh nor of these newer developments of Hindu thought。 It has never been the spirit of Japan。 To…day less than ever does Asia seem disposed to give up life and the effort of life。 Just as readily as Europeans； do the Asiatics reach out their arms to that fuller life we can live； that greater intensity of existence； to which we can attain by escaping from ourselves。 All mankind is seeking God。 There is not a nation nor a city in the globe where men are not being urged at this moment by the spirit of God in them towards the discovery of God。 This is not an age of despair but an age of hope in Asia as in all the world besides。 Islam is undergoing a process of revisi