But  men  that  will  stand  in  a  free  pulpit  are  rare.  Now,  you
must  preach  for  me."

"But  how  can  I?"  said  Mr.  Forrest.  "I  haven't
preached  these  three  years ;  and,  besides,  I  haven't  a  sermon."

"Must  you  have  a  written  one?  "

"  No.  I  can  talk,  after  a  fashion,  if  I  have  any  thing  to
say.  But  the  only  thing  I've  been  thinking  of  in  a  religious
way,  of  late,  is,  the  characteristic  points  of  the  heathen
religions,  and  their  relations  to  Christianity."

"But  that's  capital.  Why  won't  you  talk  on  that?
Nothing  would  suit  my  people  better."

"  Well,  if  it  will  help  you  out,  I'll  try  it."

And  so  the  next  Sunday  he  stood  once  more  in  the  pul
pit.  But  how  were  all  things  changed  !  His  old  friends
thought  he  had  given  up  all.  He  felt  that  he  had  gained
all.  God  was  no  more  an  exclusive  God,  and  religion  no


ADRIFT.  237

longer  a  petty  squabble  of  sects.  The  universe  was  his
Bible ;  of  which  the  old  Hebrew  and  Christian  Scriptures,
still  dear  and  sacred,  were,  after  all,  only  chapters.
He  announced  as  his  subject,  "The  Natural  Develop
ment  of  Religions."  As  a  part  of  his  lesson,  he  read  "The
Problem  "  of  Emerson ;  and  he  gave  special  emphasis  to  the

words,  —

"  Not  from  a  vain  or  shallow  thought

His  awful  Jove  young  Phidias  brought;
Never  from  lips  of  cunning  fell
The  thrilling  Delphic  oracle  :
Out  of  the  heart  of  Nature  rolled
The  burdens  of  the  Bible  old;
The  litanies  of  nations  came,
Like  the  volcano's  tongue  of  flame,
Up  from  the  burning  core  below. —
The  temples  grew  as  grows  the  grass.
The  word  unto  the  prophet  spoken
Was  writ  on  tables  yet  unbroken.
