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completely under water。 And now people are walking up and down the
beach and judging for themselves how far inland the chair of King
Canute is like to be moved while they and their children are looking
on； at the rate in which it is edging backward。 And it is quite too
late to go into hysterics about it。
The shore； solid； substantial； a great deal more than eighteen
hundred years old； is natural humanity。 The beach which the ocean of
knowledgeyou may call it science if you likeis flowing over； is
theological humanity。 Somewhere between the Sermon on the Mount and
the teachings of Saint Augustine sin was made a transferable chattel。
（I leave the interval wide for others to make narrow。）
The doctrine of heritable guilt； with its mechanical consequences；
has done for our moral nature what the doctrine of demoniac
possession has done in barbarous times and still does among barbarous
tribes for disease。 Out of that black cloud came the lightning which
struck the compass of humanity。 Conscience； which from the dawn of
moral being had pointed to the poles of right and wrong only as the
great current of will flowed through the soul； was demagnetized；
paralyzed； and knew henceforth no fixed meridian； but stayed where
the priest or the council placed it。 There is nothing to be done but
to polarize the needle over again。 And for this purpose we must
study the lines of direction of all the forces which traverse our
human nature。
We must study man as we have studied stars and rocks。 We need not
go； we are told； to our sacred books for astronomy or geology or
other scientific knowledge。 Do not stop there！ Pull Canute's chair
back fifty rods at once； and do not wait until he is wet to the
knees！ Say now； bravely； as you will sooner or later have to say；
that we need not go to any ancient records for our anthropology。 Do
we not all hold； at least； that the doctrine of man's being a
blighted abortion； a miserable disappointment to his Creator； and
hostile and hateful to him from his birth； may give way to the belief
that he is the latest terrestrial manifestation of an ever upward…
striving movement of divine power？ If there lives a man who does not
want to disbelieve the popular notions about the condition and
destiny of the bulk of his race； I should like to have him look me in
the face and tell me so。
I am not writing for the basement story or the nursery； and I do not
pretend to be； but I say nothing in these pages which would not be
said without fear of offence in any intelligent circle； such as
clergymen of the higher castes are in the habit of frequenting。
There are teachers in type for our grandmothers and our grandchildren
who vaccinate the two childhoods with wholesome doctrine； transmitted
harmlessly from one infant to another。 But we three men at our table
have taken the disease of thinking in the natural way。 It is an
epidemic in these times； and those who are afraid of it must shut
themselves up close or they will catch it。
I hope none of us are wanting in reverence。 One at least of us is a
regular church…goer； and believes a man may be devout and yet very
free in the expression of his opinions on the gravest subjects。
There may be some good people who think that our young friend who
puts his thoughts in verse is going sounding over perilous depths；
and are frightened every time he throws the lead。 There is nothing
to be frightened at。 This is a manly world we live in。 Our
reverence is good for nothing if it does not begin with self…respect。
Occidental manhood springs from that as its basis； Oriental manhood
finds the greatest satisfaction in self…abasement。 There is no use
in trying to graft the tropical palm upon the Northern pine。 The
same divine forces underlie the growth of both； but leaf and flower
and fruit must follow the law of race； of soil； of climate。 Whether
the questions which assail my young friend have risen in my reader's
mind or not； he knows perfectly well that nobody can keep such
questions from springing up in every young mind of any force or
honesty。 As for the excellent little wretches who grow up in what
they are taught； with never a scruple or a query； Protestant or
Catholic； Jew or Mormon； Mahometan or Buddhist； they signify nothing
in the intellectual life of the race。 If the world had been wholly
peopled with such half…vitalized mental negatives； there never would
have been a creed like that of Christendom。
I entirely agree with the spirit of the verses I have looked over； in
this point at least； that a true man's allegiance is given to that
which is highest in his own nature。 He reverences truth； he loves
kindness； he respects justice。 The two first qualities he
understands well enough。 But the last； justice； at least as between
the Infinite and the finite； has been so utterly dehumanized；
disintegrated； decomposed； and diabolized in passing through the
minds of the half…civilized banditti who have peopled and unpeopled
the world for some scores of generations； that it has become a mere
algebraic x； and has no fixed value whatever as a human conception。
As for power； we are outgrowing all superstition about that。 We have
not the slightest respect for it as such； and it is just as well to
remember this in all our spiritual adjustments。 We fear power when
we cannot master it； but just as far as we can master it； we make a
slave and a beast of burden of it without hesitation。 We cannot
change the ebb and flow of the tides； or the course of the seasons；
but we come as near it as we can。 We dam out the ocean； we make
roses bloom in winter and water freeze in summer。 We have no more
reverence for the sun than we have for a fish…tail gas…burner； we
stare into his face with telescopes as at a ballet…dancer with opera…
glasses； we pick his rays to pieces with prisms as if they were so
many skeins of colored yarn； we tell him we do not want his company
and shut him out like a troublesome vagrant。 The gods of the old
heathen are the servants of to…day。 Neptune； Vulcan； Aolus； and the
bearer of the thunderbolt himself have stepped down from their
pedestals and put on our livery。 We cannot always master them；
neither can we always master our servant； the horse； but we have put
a bridle on the wildest natural agencies。 The mob of elemental
forces is as noisy and turbulent as ever； but the standing army of
civilization keeps it well under； except for an occasional outbreak。
When I read the Lady's letter printed some time since； I could not
help honoring the feeling which prompted her in writing it。 But
while I respect the innocent incapacity of tender age and the
limitations of the comparatively uninstructed classes； it is quite
out of the question to act as if matters of common intelligence and
universal interest were the private property of a secret society；
only to be meddled with by those who know the grip and the password。
We must get over the habit of transferring the limitations of the
nervous temperament and of hectic constitutions to the great Source
of all the mighty forces of nature； animate and inanimate。 We may
confidently trust that we have ov