4-2 Abjiormal Ideas and Nervous Siiper-Excitahility. 



changed to fire. Thus it appears that, whether the subjects 

 were fanatical heathen, or fanatical followers of a spurious 

 Christian teaching, the same principle actuated them, and 

 identical consequences were observable in both. As a means of 

 securing supreme happiness various exercises were prescribed. 

 For the penitent ascetic, merits attached to works availed. 

 With the contemplative ascetic softer emotions prevailed. The 

 tendency in the one was to a form of melancholy madness : in 

 the latter to incontrollable enthusiastic frenzy. The instruc- 

 tions in the sacred books of the Vedas for realising this supreme 

 happiness were all in the direction of physical efforts, with the 

 natural consequence of a serious disturbance of the brain with 

 all the evil effects of super-excitation. One devotee describes 

 these efforts in detail, and says that he relinquished them in 

 disgust. Another narrates the effect of the horrible practices 

 enjoined upon him until insensibility supervened. The ulti- 

 mate issue was such nervous excitation as to drive to the very 

 verge of madness. 



The effect of the exercises prescribed for, as we now under- 

 stand it ; " Salvation by Works " were similar m character ; 

 physical tortures, frequent ablutions, very necessary at all 

 times, and bodily privations ; all to produce an effect upon the 

 soul. Much of that which was supposed to be real and genuine 

 enthusiasm, not only among early, heathenish Christians, but 

 also among later emotional, frenzied, orthodox believers, was 

 due to an unfortunate development of nervous excitability. An 

 old bishop urges various bodily efforts in order to realise the 

 presence of God in prayer. Another pious father, whose words 

 are worth repeating on account of their unintelligible character 

 after stating that the soul, by a particular grace of God forms a 

 special conception of the Deity, says, " The next step is that it 

 considers its considerations, sees its views, discerns its dis- 

 cernment, examines to see if its tranquillity is tranquil, if its 

 quietude is quiet. The outcome of these steps is that the 

 quietude and repose of the soul increase, the powers of the soul 

 are, as it were, in a soft and agreeable supincness, during which, 



