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is an elaborate working out of this thesis。 The ROOTS of a man's
virtue are inaccessible to us。 No appearances whatever are
infallible proofs of grace。 Our practice is the only sure
evidence； even to ourselves； that we are genuinely Christians。
〃In forming a judgment of ourselves now；〃 Edwards writes； we
should certainly adopt that evidence which our supreme Judge will
chiefly make use of when we come to stand before him at the last
day。 。 。 。 There is not one grace of the Spirit of God； of the
existence of which； in any professor of religion； Christian
practice is not the most decisive evidence。 。 。 。 The degree in
which our experience is productive of practice shows the degree
in which our experience is spiritual and divine。〃
Catholic writers are equally emphatic。 The good dispositions
which a vision； or voice； or other apparent heavenly favor leave
behind them are the only marks by which we may be sure they
are not possible deceptions of the tempter。 Says Saint Teresa：
〃Like imperfect sleep which； instead of giving more strength to
the head； doth but leave it the more exhausted； the result of
mere operations of the imagination is but to weaken the soul。
Instead of nourishment and energy she reaps only lassitude and
disgust： whereas a genuine heavenly vision yields to her a
harvest of ineffable spiritual riches； and an admirable renewal
of bodily strength。 I alleged these reasons to those who so
often accused my visions of being the work of the enemy of
mankind and the sport of my imagination。 。 。 。 I showed them the
jewels which the divine hand had left with me：they were my
actual dispositions。 All those who knew me saw that I was
changed； my confessor bore witness to the fact； this improvement；
palpable in all respects； far from being hidden； was brilliantly
evident to all men。 As for myself； it was impossible to believe
that if the demon were its author； he could have used； in order
to lose me and lead me to hell； an expedient so contrary to his
own interests as that of uprooting my vices； and filling me with
masculine courage and other virtues instead； for I saw clearly
that a single one of these visions was enough to enrich me with
all that wealth。〃＇6＇
＇6＇ Autobiography； ch。 xxviii。
I fear I may have made a longer excursus than was necessary； and
that fewer words would have dispelled the uneasiness which may
have arisen among some of you as I announced my pathological
programme。 At any rate you must all be ready now to judge the
religious life by its results exclusively； and I shall assume
that the bugaboo of morbid origin will scandalize your piety no
more。
Still； you may ask me； if its results are to be the ground of our
final spiritual estimate of a religious phenomenon； why threaten
us at all with so much existential study of its conditions？ Why
not simply leave pathological questions out？
To this I reply in two ways。 First； I say； irrepressible
curiosity imperiously leads one on； and I say； secondly； that it
always leads to a better understanding of a thing's significance
to consider its exaggerations and perversions its equivalents and
substitutes and nearest relatives elsewhere。 Not that we may
thereby swamp the thing in the wholesale condemnation which we
pass on its inferior congeners； but rather that we may by
contrast ascertain the more precisely in what its merits consist；
by learning at the same time to what particular dangers of
corruption it may also be exposed。
Insane conditions have this advantage； that they isolate special
factors of the mental life； and enable us to inspect them
unmasked by their more usual surroundings。 They play the part in
mental anatomy which the scalpel and the microscope play in the
anatomy of the body。 To understand a thing rightly we need to
see it both out of its environment and in it； and to have
acquaintance with the whole range of its variations。 The study
of hallucinations has in this way been for psychologists the key
to their comprehension of normal sensation； that of illusions has
been the key to the right comprehension of perception。 Morbid
impulses and imperative conceptions； 〃fixed ideas；〃 so called；
have thrown a flood of light on the psychology of the normal
will； and obsessions and delusions have performed the same
service for that of the normal faculty of belief。
Similarly； the nature of genius has been illuminated by the
attempts； of which I already made mention； to class it with
psychopathical phenomena。 Borderland insanity； crankiness；
insane temperament； loss of mental balance； psychopathic
degeneration （to use a few of the many synonyms by which it has
been called）； has certain peculiarities and liabilities which；
when combined with a superior quality of intellect in an
individual； make it more probable that he will make his mark and
affect his age； than if his temperament were less neurotic。
There is of course no special affinity between crankiness as such
and superior intellect；＇7＇ for most psychopaths have feeble
intellects； and superior intellects more commonly have normal
nervous systems。 But the psychopathic temperament； whatever be
the intellect with which it finds itself paired； often brings
with it ardor and excitability of character。 The cranky person
has extraordinary emotional susceptibility。 He
is liable to fixed ideas and obsessions。 His conceptions tend to
pass immediately into belief and action； and when he gets a new
idea； he has no rest till he proclaims it； or in some way 〃works
it off。〃 〃What shall I think of it？〃 a common person says to
himself about a vexed question； but in a 〃cranky〃 mind 〃What must
I do about it？〃 is the form the question tends to take。 In the
autobiography of that high…souled woman； Mrs。 Annie Besant； I
read the following passage： 〃Plenty of people wish well to any
good cause； but very few care to exert themselves to help it； and
still fewer will risk anything in its support。 'Someone ought to
do it； but why should I？' is the ever reechoed phrase of
weak…kneed amiability。 'Someone ought to do it； so why not I？' is
the cry of some earnest servant of man； eagerly forward springing
to face some perilous duty。 Between these two sentences lie
whole centuries of moral evolution。〃 True enough！ and between
these two sentences lie also the different destinies of the
ordinary sluggard and the psychopathic man。 Thus； when a
superior intellect and a psychopathic temperament coalesc