civilisation : Its Cause and Cure 



whom it was not only possible to know, but whom 

 to know and be united with was the alone salva- 

 tion. This, I take it, was the law of health — and 

 of holiness — as accepted at some elder time of 

 human history, and by us seen as thro' a glass 

 darkly. 



And the condition of disease, and of sin, under 

 the same view, was the reverse of this. Enfeeble- 

 ment, obscuration, duplicity — the central radiation 

 blocked ; lesser and insubordinate centres establish- 

 ing and asserting themselves as against it ; division, 

 discord, possession by devils. 



Thus in the body, the establishment of an in- 

 subordinate centre — a boil, a tumor, the introduc- 

 tion and spread of a germ with innumerable pro- 

 geny throughout the system, the enlargement 

 out of all reason of an existing organ — means 

 disease. In the mind, disease begins when any 

 passion asserts itself as an independent centre of 

 thought and action. The condition of health 

 in the mind is loyalty to the divine Man within it.^ 

 But if loyalty to money become an independent 

 centre of life, or greed of knowledge, or of fame, 

 or of drink ; jealousy, lust, the love of approbation ; 

 or mere following after any so-called virtue for 

 itself — purity, humility, consistency, or what not — 

 these may grow to seriously endanger the other. 

 They are, or should be, subordinates ; and though 



I No words or theory even of morality can express or formulate 

 tliis — no enthronement of any virtue can take its place ; for all 

 virtue enthroned before our humanity becomes vice, and worse 

 than vice. 



3a 



