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prestige undoubtedly； for it has the loquacity； it can challenge
you for proofs； and chop logic； and put you down with words。 But
it will fail to convince or convert you all the same； if your
dumb intuitions are opposed to its conclusions。 If you have
intuitions at all； they come from a deeper level of your nature
than the loquacious level which rationalism inhabits。 Your whole
subconscious life； your impulses； your faiths； your needs； your
divinations； have prepared the premises； of which your
consciousness now feels the weight of the result； and something
in you absolutely KNOWS that that result must be truer than any
logic…chopping rationalistic talk； however clever； that may
contradict it。 This inferiority of the rationalistic level in
founding belief is just as manifest when rationalism argues for
religion as when it argues against it。 That vast literature of
proofs of God's existence drawn from the order of nature； which a
century ago seemed so overwhelmingly convincing； to…day does
little more than gather dust in libraries； for the simple reason
that our generation has ceased to believe in the kind of God it
argued for。 Whatever sort of a being God may be； we KNOW to…day
that he is nevermore that mere external inventor of
〃contrivances〃 intended to make manifest his 〃glory〃 in which our
great…grandfathers took such satisfaction； though just how we
know this we cannot possibly make clear by words either to others
or to ourselves。 I defy any of you here fully to account for
your persuasion that if a God exist he must be a more cosmic and
tragic personage than that Being。
The truth is that in the metaphysical and religious sphere；
articulate reasons are cogent for us only when our inarticulate
feelings of reality have already been impressed in favor of the
same conclusion。 Then； indeed； our intuitions and our reason
work together； and great world…ruling systems； like that of the
Buddhist or of the Catholic philosophy； may grow up。 Our
impulsive belief is here always what sets up the original body of
truth； and our articulately verbalized philosophy is but its
showy translation into formulas。 The unreasoned and immediate
assurance is the deep thing in us； the reasoned argument is but a
surface exhibition。 Instinct leads； intelligence does but
follow。 If a person feels the presence of a living God after the
fashion shown by my quotations； your critical arguments； be they
never so superior； will vainly set themselves to change his
faith。
Please observe； however； that I do not yet say that it is BETTER
that the subconscious and non…rational should thus hold primacy
in the religious realm。 I confine myself to simply pointing out
that they do so hold it as a matter of fact。
So much for our sense of the reality of the religious objects。
Let me now say a brief word more about the attitudes they
characteristically awaken。
We have already agreed that they are SOLEMN； and we have seen
reason to think that the most distinctive of them is the sort of
joy which may result in extreme cases from absolute
self…surrender。 The sense of the kind of object to which the
surrender is made has much to do with determining the precise
complexion of the joy； and the whole phenomenon is more complex
than any simple formula allows。 In the literature of the
subject； sadness and gladness have each been emphasized in turn。
The ancient saying that the first maker of the Gods was fear
receives voluminous corroboration from every age of religious
history； but none the less does religious history show the part
which joy has evermore tended to play。 Sometimes the joy has
been primary； sometimes secondary； being the gladness of
deliverance from the fear。 This latter state of things； being the
more complex； is also the more complete； and as we proceed； I
think we shall have abundant reason for refusing to leave out
either the sadness or the gladness； if we look at religion with
the breadth of view which it demands。 Stated in the completest
possible terms； a man's religion involves both moods of
contraction and moods of expansion of his being。 But the
quantitative mixture and order of these moods vary so much from
one age of the world； from one system of thought； and from one
individual to another； that you may insist either on the dread
and the submission； or on the peace and the freedom as the
essence of the matter； and still remain materially within the
limits of the truth。 The constitutionally sombre and the
constitutionally sanguine onlooker are bound to emphasize
opposite aspects of what lies before their eyes。
The constitutionally sombre religious person makes even of his
religious peace a very sober thing。 Danger still hovers in the
air about it。 Flexion and contraction are not wholly checked。
It were sparrowlike and childish after our deliverance to explode
into twittering laughter and caper…cutting； and utterly to forget
the imminent hawk on bough。 Lie low； rather； lie low； for you
are in the hands of a living God。 In the Book of Job； for
example； the impotence of man and the omnipotence of God is the
exclusive burden of its author's mind。 〃It is as high as heaven；
what canst thou do？deeper than hell； what canst thou know？〃
There is an astringent relish about the truth of this conviction
which some men can feel； and which for them is as near an
approach as can be made to the feeling of religious joy。
〃In Job；〃 says that coldly truthful writer； the author of Mark
Rutherford； 〃God reminds us that man is not the measure of his
creation。 The world is immense； constructed on no plan or theory
which the intellect of man can grasp。 It is TRANSCENDENT
everywhere。 This is the burden of every verse； and is the secret
if there be one； of the poem。 Sufficient or insufficient； there
is nothing more。 。 。 。 God is great； we know not his ways。 He
takes from us all we have； but yet if we possess our souls in
patience； we MAY pass the valley of the shadow； and come out in
sunlight again。 We may or we may not！ 。 。 。 What more have we to
say now than God said from the whirlwind over two thousand five
hundred years ago？〃＇29＇
＇29＇ Mark Rutherford's Deliverance； London； 1885； pp。 196； 198。
If we turn to the sanguine onlooker； on the other hand； we find
that deliverance is felt as incomplete unless the burden be
altogether overcome and the danger forgotten。 Such onlookers
give us definitions that seem to the sombre minds of whom we have
just been speaking to leave out all the solemnity that makes
religious peace so different from merely animal joys。 In the
opinion of some writers an attitude might be called religious；
though no touch were left in it of sacrifice or submission； no
tendency to flexion； no bowing of the head。 Any 〃habitual and
regulated admiration；〃 says Professor J。 R。 Seeley；＇30＇ 〃is
worthy to be called a religion〃； and accordingly he thinks that
our Music； our Science； and our so…called 〃Civilization；〃 as
these things are now organized and admiringly believed in； form
the more genuine religions of our time。 Certainly the
unhesitating and unreasoning way in which we feel that we must
inflict our civilization upon 〃lower〃 races； by means of
Hotchkiss guns； etc。； reminds one of nothing so much as of the
early spirit of Islam spreading its religion by the sword。
＇30＇ In his book （too little read； I fear）； Natural Religion； 3d
edition； Boston； 1886； pp。 91； 122。
In my last lecture I quoted to you the ultra…radical opinion of
Mr。 Havelock Ellis； that laughter of any sort may be considered a
religious exercise； for it bears witness to the soul's
emancipation。 I quoted this opinion in order to deny its
adequacy。 But we must now settle our scores more carefully with
this whole optimistic way of thinking。 It is far too complex to
be decided off…hand。 I propose accordingly that we make of
religious optimism the theme of the next two lectures。