第17章

“Theology。”saysDr。Starbuck，“takestheadolescenttendenciesandbuildsuponthem；itseesthattheessentialthinginadolescentgrowthisbringingthepersonoutofchildhoodintothenewlifeofmaturityandpersonalinsight。Itaccordinglybringsthosemeanstobearwhichwillintensifythenormaltendencies。Itshortensuptheperiodofdurationofstormandstress。”Theconversionphenomenaof“convictionofsin“last，bythisinvestigator’sstatistics，aboutonefifthaslongastheperiodsofadolescentstormandstressphenomenaofwhichhealsogotstatistics，buttheyareverymuchmoreintense。Bodilyaccompaniments，lossofsleepandappetite，forexample，aremuchmorefrequentinthem。“Theessentialdistinctionappearstobethatconversionintensifiesbutshortenstheperiodbybringingthepersontoadefinitecrisis。”[101]

[101]E。D。Starbuck：ThePsychologyofReligion，pp。224，262。

TheconversionswhichDr。Starbuckherehasinmindareofcoursemainlythoseofverycommonplacepersons，kepttruetoapre-appointedtypebyinstruction，appeal，andexample。Theparticularformwhichtheyaffectistheresultofsuggestionandimitation。[102]Iftheywentthroughtheirgrowth-crisisinotherfaithsandothercountries，althoughtheessenceofthechangewouldbethesame(sinceitisoneinthemainsoinevitable)，itsaccidentswouldbedifferent。InCatholiclands，forexample，andinourownEpiscopaliansects，nosuchanxietyandconvictionofsinisusualasinsectsthatencouragerevivals。Thesacramentsbeingmorereliedoninthesemorestrictlyecclesiasticalbodies，theindividual’spersonalacceptanceofsalvationneedslesstobeaccentuatedandledupto。

[102]NooneunderstandsthisbetterthanJonathanEdwardsunderstooditalready。Conversionnarrativesofthemorecommonplacesortmustalwaysbetakenwiththeallowanceswhichhesuggests：

“Arulereceivedandestablishedbycommonconsenthasaverygreat，thoughtomanypersonsaninsensibleinfluenceinformingtheirnotionsoftheprocessoftheirownexperience。Iknowverywellhowtheyproceedastothismatter，forIhavehadfrequentopportunitiesofobservingtheirconduct。Veryoftentheirexperienceatfirstappearslikeaconfusedchaos，butthenthosepartsareselectedwhichbearthenearestresemblancetosuchparticularstepsasareinsistedon；andthesearedweltuponintheirthoughts，andspokenoffromtimetotime，tilltheygrowmoreandmoreconspicuousintheirview，andotherpartswhichareneglectedgrowmoreandmoreobscure。Thuswhattheyhaveexperiencedisinsensiblystrained，soastobringittoanexactconformitytotheschemealreadyestablishedintheirminds。Anditbecomesnaturalalsoforministers，whohavetodealwiththosewhoinsistupondistinctnessandclearnessofmethod，todosotoo。”TreatiseonReligiousAffections。

Buteveryimitativephenomenonmustoncehavehaditsoriginal，andIproposethatforthefuturewekeepascloseasmaybetothemorefirst-handandoriginalformsofexperience。Thesearemorelikelytobefoundinsporadicadultcases。

ProfessorLeuba，inavaluablearticleonthepsychologyofconversion，[103]subordinatesthetheologicalaspectofthereligiouslifealmostentirelytoitsmoralaspect。Thereligioussensehedefinesas“thefeelingofunwholeness，ofmoralimperfection，ofsin，tousethetechnicalword，accompaniedbytheyearningafterthepeaceofunity。”“Theword’religion，’“hesays，“isgettingmoreandmoretosignifytheconglomerateofdesiresandemotionsspringingfromthesenseofsinanditsrelease“；andhegivesalargenumberofexamples，inwhichthesinrangesfromdrunkennesstospiritualpride，toshowthatthesenseofitmaybesetoneandcravereliefasurgentlyasdoestheanguishofthesickenedfleshoranyformofphysicalmisery。

[103]StudiesinthePsychologyofReligiousPhenomena，AmericanJournalofPsychology，vii。309(1896)。

Undoubtedlythisconceptioncoversanimmensenumberofcases。A

goodonetouseasanexampleisthatofMr。S。H。Hadley，whoafterhisconversionbecameanactiveandusefulrescuerofdrunkardsinNewYork。Hisexperiencerunsasfollows：——

“OneTuesdayeveningIsatinasalooninHarlem，ahomeless，friendless，dyingdrunkard。Ihadpawnedorsoldeverythingthatwouldbringadrink。IcouldnotsleepunlessIwasdeaddrunk。

Ihadnoteatenfordays，andforfournightsprecedingIhadsufferedwithdeliriumtremens，orthehorrors，frommidnighttillmorning。Ihadoftensaid，’Iwillneverbeatramp。I

willneverbecornered，forwhenthattimecomes，ifeveritcomes，Iwillfindahomeinthebottomoftheriver。’ButtheLordsoordereditthatwhenthattimedidcomeIwasnotabletowalkonequarterofthewaytotheriver。AsIsattherethinking，Iseemedtofeelsomegreatandmightypresence。Ididnotknowthenwhatitwas。IdidlearnafterwardsthatitwasJesus，thesinner’sfriend。IwalkeduptothebarandpoundeditwithmyfisttillImadetheglassesrattle。Thosewhostoodbydrinkinglookedonwithscornfulcuriosity。IsaidIwouldnevertakeanotherdrink，ifIdiedonthestreet，andreallyI

feltasthoughthatwouldhappenbeforemorning。Somethingsaid，’Ifyouwanttokeepthispromise，goandhaveyourselflockedup。’Iwenttotheneareststation-houseandhadmyselflockedup。

“Iwasplacedinanarrowcell，anditseemedasthoughallthedemonsthatcouldfindroomcameinthatplacewithme。ThiswasnotallthecompanyIhad，either。No，praisetheLord：thatdearSpiritthatcametomeinthesaloonwaspresent，andsaid，Pray。Ididpray，andthoughIdidnotfeelanygreathelp，Ikeptonpraying。AssoonasIwasabletoleavemycellIwastakentothepolicecourtandremandedbacktothecell。I

wasfinallyreleased，andfoundmywaytomybrother’shouse，whereeverycarewasgivenme。WhilelyinginbedtheadmonishingSpiritneverleftme，andwhenIarosethefollowingSabbathmorningIfeltthatdaywoulddecidemyfate，andtowardeveningitcameintomyheadtogotoJerryM’Auley’sMission。I

went。Thehousewaspacked，andwithgreatdifficultyImademywaytothespaceneartheplatform。ThereIsawtheapostletothedrunkardandtheoutcast——thatmanofGod，JerryM’Auley。Herose，andamiddeepsilencetoldhisexperience。Therewasasincerityaboutthismanthatcarriedconvictionwithit，andI

foundmyselfsaying，’IwonderifGodcansaveme？’Ilistenedtothetestimonyoftwenty-fiveorthirtypersons，everyoneofwhomhadbeensavedfromrum，andImadeupmymindthatIwouldbesavedordierightthere。Whentheinvitationwasgiven，I

kneltdownwithacrowdofdrunkards。Jerrymadethefirstprayer。ThenMrs。M’Auleyprayedferventlyforus。Oh，whataconflictwasgoingonformypoorsoul！Ablessedwhispersaid，’Come’；thedevilsaid，’Becareful。’Ihaltedbutamoment，andthen，withabreakingheart，Isaid，’DearJesus，canyouhelpme？’NeverwithmortaltonguecanIdescribethatmoment。

Althoughuptothatmomentmysoulhadbeenfilledwithindescribablegloom，Ifeltthegloriousbrightnessofthenoondaysunshineintomyheart。IfeltIwasafreeman。Oh，thepreciousfeelingofsafety，offreedom，ofrestingonJesus！

IfeltthatChristwithallhisbrightnessandpowerhadcomeintomylife；that，indeed，oldthingshadpassedawayandallthingshadbecomenew。

“FromthatmomenttillnowIhaveneverwantedadrinkofwhiskey，andIhaveneverseenmoneyenoughtomakemetakeone。

IpromisedGodthatnightthatifhewouldtakeawaytheappetiteforstrongdrink，Iwouldworkforhimallmylife。Hehasdonehispart，andIhavebeentryingtodomine。”[104]

[104]IhaveabridgedMr。Hadley’saccount。Forotherconversionsofdrunkards，seehispamphlet，RescueMissionWork，publishedattheOldJerryM’AuleyWaterStreetMission，NewYorkCity。AstrikingcollectionofcasesalsoappearsintheappendixtoProfessorLeuba’sarticle。

<200>Dr。Leubarightlyremarksthatthereislittledoctrinaltheologyinsuchanexperience，whichstartswiththeabsoluteneedofahigherhelper，andendswiththesensethathehashelpedus。Hegivesothercasesofdrunkards’conversionswhicharepurelyethical，containing，asrecorded，notheologicalbeliefswhatever。JohnB。Gough’scase，forinstance，ispractically，saysDr。Leuba，theconversionofanatheist——neitherGodnorJesusbeingmentioned。[105]Butinspiteoftheimportanceofthistypeofregeneration，withlittleornointellectualreadjustment，thiswritersurelymakesittooexclusive。Itcorrespondstothesubjectivelycenteredformofmorbidmelancholy，ofwhichBunyanandAllinewereexamples。Butwesawinourseventhlecturethatthereareobjectiveformsofmelancholyalso，inwhichthelackofrationalmeaningoftheuniverse，andoflifeanyhow，istheburdenthatweighsuponone——yourememberTolstoy’scase。[106]Sotherearedistinctelementsinconversion，andtheirrelationstoindividuallivesdeservetobediscriminated。[107]

[105]ArestaurantwaiterservedprovisionallyasGough’s’Saviour。’GeneralBooth，thefounderoftheSalvationArmy，considersthatthefirstvitalstepinsavingoutcastsconsistsinmakingthemfeelthatsomedecenthumanbeingcaresenoughforthemtotakeaninterestinthequestionwhethertheyaretoriseorsink。

[106]Thecrisisofapatheticmelancholy——nouseinlife——intowhichJ。S。Millrecordsthathefell，fromwhichheemergedbythereadingofMarmontel’sMemoirs(Heavensavethemark！)andWordsworth’spoetry，isanotherintellectualandgeneralmetaphysicalcase。SeeMill’sAutobiography，NewYork，

Starbuck，inadditionto“escapefromsin。”discriminates“spiritualillumination“asadistincttypeofconversionexperience。PsychologyofReligion，p。

Somepersons，forinstance，neverare，andpossiblyneverunderanycircumstancescouldbe，converted。Religiousideascannotbecomethecentreoftheirspiritualenergy。Theymaybeexcellentpersons，servantsofGodinpracticalways，buttheyarenotchildrenofhiskingdom。Theyareeitherincapableofimaginingtheinvisible；orelse，inthelanguageofdevotion，theyarelife-longsubjectsof“barrenness“and“dryness。”

Suchinaptitudeforreligiousfaithmayinsomecasesbeintellectualinitsorigin。Theirreligiousfacultiesmaybecheckedintheirnaturaltendencytoexpand，bybeliefsabouttheworldthatareinhibitive，thepessimisticandmaterialisticbeliefs，forexample，withinwhichsomanygoodsouls，whoinformertimeswouldhavefreelyindulgedtheirreligiouspropensities，findthemselvesnowadays，asitwere，frozen；ortheagnosticvetoesuponfaithassomethingweakandshameful，underwhichsomanyofustodayliecowering，afraidtouseourinstincts。Inmanypersonssuchinhibitionsareneverovercome。

Totheendoftheirdaystheyrefusetobelieve，theirpersonalenergynevergetstoitsreligiouscentre，andthelatterremainsinactiveinperpetuity。

Inotherpersonsthetroubleisprofounder。Therearemenanaestheticonthereligiousside，deficientinthatcategoryofsensibility。Justasabloodlessorganismcannever，inspiteofallitsgoodwill，attaintothereckless“animalspirits“enjoyedbythoseofsanguinetemperament；sothenaturewhichisspirituallybarrenmayadmireandenvyfaithinothers，butcannevercompasstheenthusiasmandpeacewhichthosewhoaretemperamentallyqualifiedforfaithenjoy。Allthismay，however，turnouteventuallytohavebeenamatteroftemporaryinhibition。Evenlateinlifesomethaw，somereleasemaytakeplace，someboltbeshotbackinthebarrenestbreast，andtheman’shardheartmaysoftenandbreakintoreligiousfeeling。

Suchcasesmorethananyotherssuggesttheideathatsuddenconversionisbymiracle。Solongastheyexist，wemustnotimagineourselvestodealwithirretrievablyfixedclasses。

Nowtherearetwoformsofmentaloccurrenceinhumanbeings，whichleadtoastrikingdifferenceintheconversionprocess，adifferencetowhichProfessorStarbuckhascalledattention。Youknowhowitiswhenyoutrytorecollectaforgottenname。

Usuallyyouhelptherecallbyworkingforit，bymentallyrunningovertheplaces，persons，andthingswithwhichthewordwasconnected。Butsometimesthiseffortfails：youfeelthenasiftheharderyoutriedthelesshopetherewouldbe，asthoughthenamewereJAMMED，andpressureinitsdirectiononlykeptitallthemorefromrising。Andthentheoppositeexpedientoftensucceeds。Giveuptheeffortentirely；thinkofsomethingaltogetherdifferent，andinhalfanhourthelostnamecomessaunteringintoyourmind，asEmersonsays，ascarelesslyasifithadneverbeeninvited。Somehiddenprocesswasstartedinyoubytheeffort，whichwentonaftertheeffortceased，andmadetheresultcomeasifitcamespontaneously。Acertainmusicteacher，saysDr。Starbuck，saystoherpupilsafterthethingtobedonehasbeenclearlypointedout，andunsuccessfullyattempted：“Stoptryinganditwilldoitself！”[108]