The Varieties of Religious Experience - Penn State University

William JamesIn the autobiography of Thomas Elwood, an early Quaker, whoat one time was secretary to John Milton, we find an exquisitelyquaint and candid account of the trials he underwent both at homeand abroad, in following Fox’s canons of sincerity. The anecdotesare too lengthy for citation; but Elwood sets down his manner offeeling about these things in a shorter passage, which I will quote asa characteristic utterance of spiritual sensibility:—“By this divine light, then,” says Elwood, “I saw that though Ihad not the evil of the common uncleanliness, debauchery, profaneness,and pollutions of the world to put away, because I had,through the great goodness of God and a civil education, been preservedout of those grosser evils, yet I had many other evils to putaway and to cease from; some of which were not by the world,which lies in wickedness (I John v. 19), accounted evils, but by thelight of Christ were made manifest to me to be evils, and as suchcondemned in me.“As particularly those fruits and effects of pride that discover themselvesin the vanity and superfluity of apparel; which I took toomuch delight in. This evil of my doings I was required to put awayand cease from; and judgment lay upon me till I did so.“I took off from my apparel those unnecessary trimmings of lace,ribbons, and useless buttons, which had no real service, but were set ononly for that which was by mistake called ornament; and I ceased towear rings.“Again, the giving of flattering titles to men between whom andme there was not any relation to which such titles could be pretendedto belong. This was an evil I had been much addicted to,and was accounted a ready artist in; therefore this evil also was Irequired to put away and cease from. So that thenceforward I durstnot say, Sir, Master, My Lord, Madam (or My Dame); or say YourServant to any one to whom I did not stand in the real relation of aservant, which I had never done to any.“Again, respect of persons, in uncovering the head and bowingthe knee or body in salutation, was a practice I had been much inthe use of; and this, being one of the vain customs of the world,introduced by the spirit of the world, instead of the true honorwhich this is a false representation of, and used in deceit as a token265