82 
C. L. Herrick 
Again, the consciousness of repeated failure, the cumulative 
degradation of a life of sin, is fatal to successful conquest of new 
ideals. The load of past sin must be removed. Stripped of all 
refinements of technical phraseology, the purging of the individ- 
ual ideal from those defects, the creation of the new self, this is 
the new birth and is likewise from above. Every sin reveals a 
discrepancy^ between the ideal self and the self of experience, and 
such sin casts a smirch upon the ideal which must be washed away 
before the will can act in view of the ideal perfection. The like- 
ness of the perfect self must be set up afresh for each new effort. 
the data of our mental activities as valid. Coherence is the criterion. Yet we are 
not going about denying our personal existence. So later, when the socms-ideas 
arise, we discover our experiences to be one with the generalized experience of society 
or “society-experience,’’ i.e., we discover that all others also have certain feelings, 
susceptibilities, rights and responsibilities. All of this comes to us through our own 
experience and the validity of the society-experience rests on the same law of 
coherence. But no one will deny that we are influenced by society, even though we 
recognize that social influence must first be reflected in our individual socms-sense. 
Finally, when we recognize the universality of laws, when we discover that we are 
part of a great universe which expresses a great movement or has a vast significance, 
even though we imperfectly understand it, and even though we may be as pagan 
as Marcus Aurelius, yet this recognition of the greatest of all realities is reflected back 
with great power into self. We say, “O Universe, I will as thou wiliest.” 
But, you say, this power is from within. In one sense^ Yes, but in a truer sense, 
No. It emanated from within, but it is reflected back with new power from with- 
out — from the truth we discover. It is a pull from above just as truly as the social 
impulses are pulls from without. 
If this great meaning — this significant career or teleology of the universe be anthro- 
pomorphized and endowed with human attributes, it still is a response to human 
longing and its real proof is its power to cause reactions (regeneration) in the indi- 
vidual life and the philosophical consideration above stated that it is impossible for 
us to live in two universes. The going out on the part of our nature is indispensable; 
but, if there were nothing to respond to this going forth, there would be no “ pull 
from above.” A stone could experience no change of heart, but even the exploring 
dove must find land before it can bring back the olive branch of peace to the soul. 
If humanity at large finds a response to its interpretive out-goings, it attempts 
a flight into the unknown. If it catches glimpses of design and recognizes that we 
are part of some destiny that embraces all, and if thereby mankind at large is helped 
“ Im ganzen, guten, schonen, 
Resolut zu leben, ” 
as Goethe says, then the same law of congruousness or coherence that obliges us to 
believe in self and in society obliges us to recognize this greater reality and its “ pull 
from above.” 
