Ernestwasverymuchimpressed。

　　“Asformencuringthemselves。”continuedPryer，“theycannomorecuretheirownsoulsthantheycancuretheirownbodies，ormanagetheirownlawaffairs。Inthesetwolastcasestheyseethefollyofmeddlingwiththeirowncasesclearlyenough，andgotoaprofessionaladviserasamatterofcourse；surelyaman’ssoulisatonceamoredifficultandintricatemattertotreat，andatthesametimeitismoreimportanttohimthatitshouldbetreatedrightlythanthateitherhisbodyorhismoneyshouldbeso。WhatarewetothinkofthepracticeofaChurchwhichencouragespeopletorelyonunprofessionaladviceinmattersaffectingtheireternalwelfare，whentheywouldnotthinkofjeopardisingtheirworldlyaffairsbysuchinsaneconduct？”

　　Ernestcouldseenoweakplaceinthis。Theseideashadcrossedhisownmindvaguelybeforenow，buthehadneverlaidholdofthemorsettheminanorderlymannerbeforehimself。Norwashequickatdetectingfalseanalogiesandthemisuseofmetaphors；infacthewasamerechildinthehandsofhisfellowcurate。

　　“Andwhat。”resumedPryer，“doesallthispointto？Firstly，tothedutyofconfession——theoutcryagainstwhichisabsurdasanoutcrywouldbeagainstdissectionaspartofthetrainingofmedicalstudents。Grantedtheseyoungmenmustseeanddoagreatdealwedonotourselveslikeeventothinkof，buttheyshouldadoptsomeotherprofessionunlesstheyarepreparedforthis；theymayevengetinoculatedwithpoisonfromadeadbodyandlosetheirlives，buttheymuststandtheirchance。Soifweaspiretobepriestsindeedaswellasname，wemustfamiliariseourselveswiththeminutestandmostrepulsivedetailsofallkindsofsin，sothatwemayrecogniseitinallitsstages。Someofusmustdoubtlesslyperishspirituallyinsuchinvestigations。Wecannothelpit；allsciencemusthaveitsmartyrs，andnoneofthesewilldeservebetterofhumanitythanthosewhohavefalleninthepursuitofspiritualpathology。”

　　Ernestgrewmoreandmoreinterested，butinthemeeknessofhissoulsaidnothing。

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