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It makes the sky and the hills sublime； and the silent song of
the stars is it。 It is the beatitude of man。 It makes him
illimitable。 When he says 'I ought'； when love warns him； when
he chooses； warned from on high； the good and great deed； then；
deep melodies wander through his soul from supreme wisdom。 Then
he can worship； and be enlarged by his worship； for he can never
go behind this sentiment。 All the expressions of this sentiment
are sacred and permanent in proportion to their purity。 ＇They＇
affect us more than all other compositions。 The sentences of the
olden time； which ejaculate this piety； are still fresh and
fragrant。 And the unique impression of Jesus upon mankind； whose
name is not so much written as ploughed into the history of this
world； is proof of the subtle virtue of this infusion。〃＇10＇
＇10＇ Miscellanies； 1868； p。 120 （abridged）。
Such is the Emersonian religion。 The universe has a divine soul
of order； which soul is moral； being also the soul within the
soul of man。 But whether this soul of the universe be a mere
quality like the eye's brilliancy or the skin's softness； or
whether it be a self…conscious life like the eye's seeing or the
skin's feeling； is a decision that never unmistakably appears in
Emerson's pages。 It quivers on the boundary of these things；
sometimes leaning one way sometimes the other； to suit the
literary rather than the philosophic need。 Whatever it is；
though； it is active。 As much as if it were a God； we can trust
it to protect all ideal interests and keep the world's balance
straight。 The sentences in which Emerson； to the very end； gave
utterance to this faith are as fine as anything in literature：
〃If you love and serve men； you cannot by any hiding or stratagem
escape the remuneration。 Secret retributions are always
restoring the level； when disturbed； of the divine justice。 It
is impossible to tilt the beam。 All the tyrants and proprietors
and monopolists of the world in vain set their shoulders to heave
the bar。 Settles forevermore the ponderous equator to its line；
and man and mote； and star and sun； must range to it； or be
pulverized by the recoil。〃＇11＇
＇11＇ Lectures and Biographical Sketches； 1868； p。 186。
Now it would be too absurd to say that the inner experiences that
underlie such expressions of faith as this and impel the writer
to their utterance are quite unworthy to be called religious
experiences。 The sort of appeal that Emersonian optimism； on the
one hand； and Buddhistic pessimism； on the other； make to the
individual and the son of response which he makes to them in his
life are in fact indistinguishable from； and in many respects
identical with； the best Christian appeal and response。 We must
therefore； from the experiential point of view； call these
godless or quasi…godless creeds 〃religions〃； and accordingly when
in our definition of religion we speak of the individual's
relation to 〃what he considers the divine；〃 we must interpret the
term 〃divine〃 very broadly； as denoting any object that is god…
LIKE； whether it be a concrete deity or not。 But the term
〃godlike；〃 if thus treated as a floating general quality； becomes
exceedingly vague； for many gods have flourished in religious
history； and their attributes have been discrepant enough。 What
then is that essentially godlike qualitybe it embodied in a
concrete deity or notour relation to which determines our
character as religious men？ It will repay us to seek some answer
to this question before we proceed farther。
For one thing； gods are conceived to be first things in the way
of being and power。 They overarch and envelop； and from them
there is no escape。 What relates to them is the first and last
word in the way of truth。 Whatever then were most primal and
enveloping and deeply true might at this rate be treated as
godlike； and a man's religion might thus be identified with his
attitude； whatever it might be； toward what he felt to be the
primal truth。
Such a definition as this would in a way be defensible。 Religion；
whatever it is； is a man's total reaction upon life； so why not
say that any total reaction upon life is a religion？ Total
reactions are different from casual reactions； and total
attitudes are different from usual or professional attitudes。 To
get at them you must go behind the foreground of existence and
reach down to that curious sense of the whole residual cosmos as
an everlasting presence； intimate or alien； terrible or amusing；
lovable or odious； which in some degree everyone possesses。 This
sense of the world's presence； appealing as it does to our
peculiar individual temperament； makes us either strenuous or
careless； devout or blasphemous； gloomy or exultant； about life
at large； and our reaction； involuntary and inarticulate and
often half unconscious as it is； is the completest of all our
answers to the question； 〃What is the character of this universe
in which we dwell？〃 It expresses our individual sense of it in
the most definite way。 Why then not call these reactions our
religion； no matter what specific character they may have？
Non…religious as some of these reactions may be； in one sense of
the word 〃religious；〃 they yet belong to THE GENERAL SPHERE OF
THE RELIGIOUS LIFE； and so should generically be classed as
religious reactions。 〃He believes in No…God； and he worships
him；〃 said a colleague of mine of a student who was manifesting a
fine atheistic ardor； and the more fervent opponents of Christian
doctrine have often enough shown a temper which； psychologically
considered； is indistinguishable from religious zeal。
But so very broad a use of the word 〃religion〃 would be
inconvenient； however defensible it might remain on logical
grounds。 There are trifling； sneering attitudes even toward the
whole of life； and in some men these attitudes are final and
systematic。 It would strain the ordinary use of language too
much to call such attitudes religious； even though； from the
point of view of an unbiased critical philosophy； they might
conceivably be perfectly reasonable ways of looking upon life。
Voltaire； for example； writes thus to a friend； at the age of
seventy…three： 〃As for myself；〃 he says； 〃weak as I am； I carry
on the war to the last moment； I get a hundred pike…thrusts； I
return two hundred； and I laugh。 I see near my door Geneva on
fire with quarrels over nothing； and I laugh again； and； thank
God； I can look upon the wo