Abnormal Ideas and Nervous Super-Excitability. 43 



forgetful of all things, and of itself, it reposes tranquilly in God. 

 The soul then loses itself, not knowing where it is, nor what it 

 is doing." No wonder that the outcome of a slate like this 

 is sleeplessness, gloomy preoccupations, and even suicidal 

 tendencies. 



Fortunately among Protestants " Salvation by Works" is not 

 the prevailing creed. On the other hand an undue develop- 

 ment of the collateral belief, " Salvation by Faith," is beset 

 with similar dangers. The statement that " The Kingdom of 

 Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force" 

 has given rise to the frenzied conduct of the Shakers, Jerkers, 

 Barkers and similar sects, and illustrates the effect of the 

 abandonment of reason to excessive uncontrolled emotions. 

 Impartial and intelligent travellers have described their personal 

 observations in this direction among certain classes in America, 

 Wales, the West of England, the Cevennes and elsewhere, so 

 that we need not enlarge upon them here. But in this, as in 

 most other similar cases, the via media is the correct, the safest 

 course. We must pause here, however, lest we usurp the 

 functions of the Theological chair. But the historian finds 

 embedded in the heart of Christianity superstitions of Celtic, 

 Hindoo, Greek and Roman origin, which, directly or indirectly, 

 have reference to magic, astrology, demons, ghosts, fairies, etc. 

 They are traceable to successive layers of religious thought, and 

 can only be eradicated by the pure and simple truth. Some of 

 the finest geniuses of Christendom, to wit, St. Augustine, 

 Luther, Wesley, have not succeeded in freeing themselves from 

 the waves of superstition and mysticism, and their followers 

 have in some cases been the victims of unrestrained emotion 

 and extravagant delirium. Hence in certain districts we have 

 little difficulty in tracing the prevalence of epilepsy and chorea 

 to their rightful cause. 



Finally, there are the troubles of the nervous system associated 

 with civilization. It is almost impossible to determine what 

 set of institutions, what combinations of systems go to make up 

 the complex idea of civilization, so it must be at once under- 



