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lectures； and why I have seemed so bent on rehabilitating the
element of feeling in religion and subordinating its intellectual
part。 Individuality is founded in feeling； and the recesses of
feeling； the darker； blinder strata of character； are the only
places in the world in which we catch real fact in the making；
and directly perceive how events happen； and how work is actually
done。＇338＇ Compared with this world of living individualized
feelings； the world of generalized objects which the intellect
contemplates is without solidity or life。 As in stereoscopic or
kinetoscopic pictures seen outside the instrument； the third
dimension； the movement； the vital element； are not there。 We
get a beautiful picture of an express train supposed to be
moving； but where in the picture； as I have heard a friend say；
is the energy or the fifty miles an hour？＇339＇
＇338＇ Hume's criticism has banished causation from the world of
physical objects； and 〃Science〃 is absolutely satisfied to define
cause in terms of concomitant change…read Mach； Pearson； Ostwald。
The 〃original〃 of the notion of causation is in our inner
personal experience； and only there can causes in the
old…fashioned sense be directly observed and described。
＇339＇ When I read in a religious paper words like these：
〃Perhaps the best thing we can say of God is that he is THE
INEVITABLE INFERENCE；〃 I recognize the tendency to let religion
evaporate in intellectual terms。 Would martyrs have sung in the
flames for a mere inference； however inevitable it might be？
Original religious men； like Saint Francis； Luther； Behmen； have
usually been enemies of the intellect's pretension to meddle with
religious things。 Yet the intellect； everywhere invasive； shows
everywhere its shallowing effect。 See how the ancient spirit of
Methodism evaporates under those wonderfully able rationalistic
booklets （which every one should read） of a philosopher like
Professor Bowne （The Christian Revelation； The Christian Life The
Atonement： Cincinnati and New York； 1898； 1899； 1900）。 See the
positively expulsive purpose of philosophy properly so called：
〃Religion；〃 writes M。 Vacherot （La Religion； Paris； 1869； pp。
313； 436； et passim）； 〃answers to a transient state or condition；
not to a permanent determination of human nature； being merely an
expression of that stage of the human mind which is dominated by
the imagination。 。 。 。 Christianity has but a single possible
final heir to its estate； and that is scientific philosophy。〃
In a still more radical vein； Professor Ribot （Psychologie des
Sentiments； p。 310） describes the evaporation of religion。 He
sums it up in a single formulathe ever…growing predominance of
the rational intellectual element； with the gradual fading out of
the emotional element； this latter tending to enter into the
group of purely intellectual sentiments。 〃Of religious sentiment
properly so called； nothing survives at last save a vague respect
for the unknowable x which is a last relic of the fear； and a
certain attraction towards the ideal； which is a relic of the
love； that characterized the earlier periods of religious growth。
To state this more simply； religion tends to turn into religious
philosophy。These are psychologically entirely different things；
the one being a theoretic construction of ratiocination； whereas
the other is the living work of a group of persons； or of a great
inspired leader； calling into play the entire thinking and
feeling organism of man。〃
I find the same failure to recognize that the stronghold of
religion lies in individuality in attempts like those of
Professor Baldwin （Mental Development； Social and Ethical
Interpretations； ch。 x） and Mr。 H。 R。 Marshall （Instinct and
Reason； chaps。 viii。 to xii。） to make it a purely 〃conservative
social force。〃
Let us agree； then； that Religion； occupying herself with
personal destinies and keeping thus in contact with the only
absolute realities which we know； must necessarily play an
eternal part in human history。 The next thing to decide is what
she reveals about those destinies； or whether indeed she reveals
anything distinct enough to be considered a general message to
mankind。 We have done as you see； with our preliminaries； and
our final summing up can now begin。
I am well aware that after all the palpitating documents which I
have quoted； and all the perspectives of emotion…inspiring
institution and belief that my previous lectures have opened； the
dry analysis to which I now advance may appear to many of you
like an anti…climax； a tapering…off and flattening out of the
subject； instead of a crescendo of interest and result。 I said
awhile ago that the religious attitude of Protestants appears
poverty…stricken to the Catholic imagination。 Still more
poverty…stricken； I fear； may my final summing up of the subject
appear at first to some of you。 On which account I pray you now
to bear this point in mind； that in the present part of it I am
expressly trying to reduce religion to its lowest admissible
terms； to that minimum； free from individualistic excrescences；
which all religions contain as their nucleus； and on which it may
be hoped that all religious persons may agree。 That established；
we should have a result which might be small； but would at least
be solid； and on it and round it the ruddier additional beliefs
on which the different individuals make their venture might be
grafted； and flourish as richly as you please。 I shall add my
own over…belief （which will be； I confess； of a somewhat pallid
kind； as befits a critical philosopher）； and you will； I hope；
also add your over…beliefs； and we shall soon be in the varied
world of concrete religious constructions once more。 For the
moment； let me dryly pursue the analytic part of the task。
Both thought and feeling are determinants of conduct； and the
same conduct may be determined either by feeling or by thought。
When we survey the whole field of religion； we find a great
variety in the thoughts that have prevailed there； but the
feelings on the one hand and the conduct on the other are almost
always the same； for Stoic； Christian； and Buddhist saints are
practically indistinguishable in their lives。 The theories which
Religion generates； being thus variable； are secondary； and if
you wish to grasp her essence； you must look to the feelings and
the conduct as being the more constant elements。 It is between
these two elements that t