Inthehourimmediatelybeforeus，Ishallinviteyoutoconsiderthesimplerkindsofreligioushappiness，leavingthemorecomplexsortstobetreatedonalaterday。
Inmanypersons，happinessiscongenitalandirreclaimable。
“Cosmicemotion“inevitablytakesinthemtheformofenthusiasmandfreedom。Ispeaknotonlyofthosewhoareanimallyhappy。
Imeanthosewho，whenunhappinessisofferedorproposedtothem，positivelyrefusetofeelit，asifitweresomethingmeanandwrong。Wefindsuchpersonsineveryage，passionatelyflingingthemselvesupontheirsenseofthegoodnessoflife，inspiteofthehardshipsoftheirowncondition，andinspiteofthesinistertheologiesintowhichtheymayheborn。Fromtheoutsettheirreligionisoneofunionwiththedivine。Thehereticswhowentbeforethereformationarelavishlyaccusedbythechurchwritersofantinomianpractices，justasthefirstChristianswereaccusedofindulgenceinorgiesbytheRomans。
Itisprobablethatthereneverhasbeenacenturyinwhichthedeliberaterefusaltothinkilloflifehasnotbeenidealizedbyasufficientnumberofpersonstoformsects，openorsecret，whoclaimedallnaturalthingstobepermitted。SaintAugustine’smaxim，Diligeetquodvisfac——ifyoubutlove[God]，youmaydoasyouincline——ismorallyoneoftheprofoundestofobservations，yetitispregnant，forsuchpersons，withpassportsbeyondtheboundsofconventionalmorality。Accordingtotheircharacterstheyhavebeenrefinedorgross；buttheirbeliefhasbeenatalltimessystematicenoughtoconstituteadefinitereligiousattitude。Godwasforthemagiveroffreedom，andthestingofevilwasovercome。SaintFrancisandhisimmediatediscipleswere，onthewhole，ofthiscompanyofspirits，ofwhichthereareofcourseinfinitevarieties。