Having  the  phenomenon  of  our  study  in  its  acutest
possible  form  to  start  with,  we  can  shade  down  as  much
as  we  please  later.  And  if  in  these  cases,  repulsive  as
they  are  to  our  ordinary  worldly  way  of  judging,  we  find
ourselves  compelled  to  acknowledge  religion's  value  and
treat  it  with  respect,  it  will  have  proved  in  some  way  its
value  for  life  at  large.  By  subtracting  and  toning  down
extravagances  we  may  thereupon  proceed  to  trace  the
boundaries  of  its  legitimate  sway.
To  be  sure,  it  makes  our  task  difficult  to  have  to  deal
so  much  with  eccentricities  and  extremes.     "How  can

^  1  owe  this  allegorical  iUostiation  to  my  lamented  colleague  and  friend,
Charles  Carroll  Everett.
