The Varieties of Religious Experience - Penn State University

The Varieties of Religious Experiencewas none among them all that could speak to my condition. Andwhen all my hopes in them and in all men were gone so that I hadnothing outwardly to help me, nor could tell what to do; then, ohthen, I heard a voice which said, ‘There is one, even Jesus Christ,that can speak to thy condition.’ When I heard it, my heart did leapfor joy. Then the Lord let me see why there was none upon the earththat could speak to my condition. I had not fellowship with anypeople, priests, nor professors, nor any sort of separated people. Iwas afraid of all carnal talk and talkers, for I could see nothing butcorruptions. When I was in the deep, under all shut up, I could notbelieve that I should ever overcome; my troubles, my sorrows, andmy temptations were so great that I often thought I should havedespaired, I was so tempted. But when Christ opened to me how hewas tempted by the same devil, and had overcome him, and hadbruised his head; and that through him and his power, life, grace,and spirit, I should overcome also, I had confidence in him. If I hadhad a king’s diet, palace, and attendance, all would have been asnothing, for nothing gave me comfort but the Lord by his power. Isaw professors, priests, and people were whole and at ease in thatcondition which was my misery, and they loved that which I wouldhave been rid of. But the Lord did stay my desires upon himself,and my care was cast upon him alone.”198A genuine first-hand religious experience like this is bound tobe a heterodoxy to its witnesses, the prophet appearing as a merelonely madman. If his doctrine prove contagious enough to spreadto any others, it becomes a definite and labeled heresy. But if itthen still prove contagious enough to triumph over persecution, itbecomes itself an orthodoxy; and when a religion has become anorthodoxy, its day of inwardness is over: the spring is dry; thefaithful live at second hand exclusively and stone the prophets intheir turn. The new church, in spite of whatever human goodnessit may foster, can be henceforth counted on as a staunch ally inevery attempt to stifle the spontaneous religious spirit, and to stopall later bubblings of the fountain from which in purer days itdrew its own supply of inspiration. Unless, indeed, by adopting198 George Fox: Journal, Philadelphia, 1800, pp. 59-61, abridged.302