ascendancy　over　other　creeds。　At　last　it　either　prevails；　and
  becomes　the　general　opinion；　or　its　progress　stops；　it　keeps
  possession　of　the　ground　it　has　gained；　but　ceases　to　spread
  further。　When　either　of　these　results　has　become　apparent；　controversy
  on　the　subject　flags；　and　gradually　dies　away。　The　doctrine　has
  taken　its　place；　if　not　as　a　received　opinion；　as　one　of　the
  admitted　sects　or　divisions　of　opinion：　those　who　hold　it　have
  generally　inherited；　not　adopted　it；　and　conversion　from　one　of
  these　doctrines　to　another；　being　now　an　exceptional　fact；　occupies
  little　place　in　the　thoughts　of　their　professors。　Instead　of　being；　as
  at　first；　constantly　on　the　alert　either　to　defend　themselves
  against　the　world；　or　to　bring　the　world　over　to　them；　they　have
  subsided　into　acquiescence；　and　neither　listen；　when　they　can　help　it；
  to　arguments　against　their　creed；　nor　trouble　dissentients　（if　there
  be　such）　with　arguments　in　its　favour。　From　this　time　may　usually　be
  dated　the　decline　in　the　living　power　of　the　doctrine。
  We　often　hear　the　teachers　of　all　creeds　lamenting　the　difficulty　of
  keeping　up　in　the　minds　of　believers　a　lively　apprehension　of　the
  truth　which　they　nominally　recognise；　so　that　it　may　penetrate　the
  feelings；　and　acquire　a　real　mastery　over　the　conduct。　No　such
  difficulty　is　complained　of　while　the　creed　is　still　fighting　for
  its　existence：　even　the　weaker　combatants　then　know　and　feel　what　they
  are　fighting　for；　and　the　difference　between　it　and　other　doctrines；
  and　in　that　period　of　every　creed's　existence；　not　a　few　persons　may
  be　found；　who　have　realised　its　fundamental　principles　in　all　the
  forms　of　thought；　have　weighed　and　considered　them　in　all　their
  important　bearings；　and　have　experienced　the　full　effect　on　the
  character　which　belief　in　that　creed　ought　to　produce　in　a　mind
  thoroughly　imbued　with　it。　But　when　it　has　come　to　be　an　hereditary
  creed；　and　to　be　received　passively；　not　actively…　when　the　mind　is
  no　longer　compelled；　in　the　same　degree　as　at　first；　to　exercise　its
  vital　powers　on　the　questions　which　its　belief　presents　to　it；　there
  is　a　progressive　tendency　to　forget　all　of　the　belief　except　the
  formularies；　or　to　give　it　a　dull　and　torpid　assent；　as　if　accepting
  it　on　trust　dispensed　with　the　necessity　of　realising　it　in
  consciousness；　or　testing　it　by　personal　experience；　until　it　almost
  ceases　to　connect　itself　at　all　with　the　inner　life　of　the　human
  being。　Then　are　seen　the　cases；　so　frequent　in　this　age　of　the　world
  as　almost　to　form　the　majority；　in　which　the　creed　remains　as　it
  were　outside　the　mind；　incrusting　and　petrifying　it　against　all
  other　influences　addressed　to　the　higher　parts　of　our　nature；
  manifesting　its　power　by　not　suffering　any　fresh　and　living　conviction
  to　get　in；　but　itself　doing　nothing　for　the　mind　or　heart；　except
  standing　sentinel　over　them　to　keep　them　vacant。
  To　what　an　extent　doctrines　intrinsically　fitted　to　make　the　deepest
  impression　upon　the　mind　may　remain　in　it　as　dead　beliefs；　without
  being　ever　realised　in　the　imagination；　the　feelings；　or　the
  understanding；　is　exemplified　by　the　manner　in　which　the　majority　of
  believers　hold　the　doctrines　of　Christianity。　By　Christianity　I　here
  mean　what　is　accounted　such　by　all　churches　and　sects…　the　maxims　and
  precepts　contained　in　the　New　Testament。　These　are　considered
  sacred；　and　accepted　as　laws；　by　all　professing　Christians。　Yet　it
  is　scarcely　too　much　to　say　that　not　one　Christian　in　a　thousand
  guides　or　tests　his　individual　conduct　by　reference　to　those　laws。　The
  standard　to　which　he　does　refer　it；　is　the　custom　of　his　nation；　his
  class；　or　his　religious　profession。　He　has　thus；　on　the　one　hand；　a
  collection　of　ethical　maxims；　which　he　believes　to　have　been
  vouchsafed　to　him　by　infallible　wisdom　as　rules　for　his　government；
  and　on　the　other　a　set　of　every…day　judgments　and　practices；　which
  go　a　certain　length　with　some　of　those　maxims；　not　so　great　a　length
  with　others；　stand　in　direct　opposition　to　some；　and　are；　on　the
  whole；　a　compromise　between　the　Christian　creed　and　the　interests
  and　suggestions　of　worldly　life。　To　the　first　of　these　standards　he
  gives　his　homage；　to　the　other　his　real　allegiance。
  All　Christians　believe　that　the　blessed　are　the　poor　and　humble；　and
  those　who　are　ill…used　by　the　world；　that　it　is　easier　for　a　camel
  to　pass　through　the　eye　of　a　needle　than　for　a　rich　man　to　enter　the
  kingdom　of　heaven；　that　they　should　judge　not；　lest　they　be　judged；
  that　they　should　swear　not　at　all；　that　they　should　love　their
  neighbour　as　themselves；　that　if　one　take　their　cloak；　they　should
  give　him　their　coat　also；　that　they　should　take　no　thought　for　the
  morrow；　that　if　they　would　be　perfect　they　should　sell　all　that　they
  have　and　give　it　to　the　poor。　They　are　not　insincere　when　they　say
  that　they　believe　these　things。　They　do　believe　them；　as　people
  believe　what　they　have　always　heard　lauded　and　never　discussed。　But　in
  the　sense　of　that　living　belief　which　regulates　conduct；　they
  believe　these　doctrines　just　up　to　the　point　to　which　it　is　usual　to
  act　upon　them。　The　doctrines　in　their　integrity　are　serviceable　to
  pelt　adversaries　with；　and　it　is　understood　that　they　are　to　be　put
  forward　（when　possible）　as　the　reasons　for　whatever　people　do　that
  they　think　laudable。　But　any　one　who　reminded　them　that　the　maxims
  require　an　infinity　of　things　which　they　never　even　think　of　doing；
  would　gain　nothing　but　to　be　classed　among　those　very　unpopular
  characters　who　affect　to　be　better　than　other　people。　The　doctrines
  have　no　hold　on　ordinary　believers…　are　not　a　power　in　their　minds。
  They　have　an　habitual　respect　for　the　sound　of　them；　but　no　feeling
  which　spreads　from　the　words　to　the　things　signified；　and　forces　the
  mind　to　take　them　in；　and　make　them　conform　to　the　formula。　Whenever
  conduct　is　concerned；　they　look　round　for　Mr。　A　and　B　to　direct　them
  how　far　to　go　in　obeying　Christ。
  Now　we　may　be　well　assured　that　the　case　was　not　thus；　but　far
  otherwise；　with　the　early　Christians。　Had　it　been　thus；　Christianity
  never　would　have　expanded　from　an　obscure　sect　of　the　despised　Hebrews
  into　the　religion　of　the　Roman　empire。　When　their　enemies　said；　〃See
  how　these　Christians　love　one　another〃　（a　remark　not　likely　to　be　made
  by　anybody　now）；　they　assuredly　had　a　much　livelier　feeling　of　the
  meaning　of　their　creed　than　they　have　ever　had　since。　And　to　this
  cause；　probably；　it　is　chiefly　owing　that　Christianity　now　makes　so
  little　progress　in　extending　its　domain；　and　after　eighteen
  centuries　is　still　nearly　confined　to　Europeans　and　the　descendants　of
  Europeans。　Even　with　the　strictly　religious；　who　are　much　in　earnest
  about　their　doctrines；　and　attach　a　greater　amount　of　meaning　to
  many　of　them　than　people　in　general；　it　commonly　happens　that　the　part
  which　is　thus　comparatively　active　in　their　minds　is　that　which　was
  made　by　Calvin；　or　Knox；　or　some　such　person　much　nearer　in
  character　to　themselves。　The　sayings　of　Christ　coexist　passively　in
  their　minds；　producing　hardly　any　effect　beyond　what　is　caused　by　mere
  listening　to　words　so　amiable　and　bland。　There　are　many　reasons；
  doubtless；　why　doctrines　which　are　the　badge　of　a　sect　retain　more
  of　their　vitality　than　those　common　to　all　recognised　sects；　and　why
  more　pains　are　taken　by　teachers　to　keep　their　meaning　alive；　but
  one　reason　certainly　is；　that　the　peculiar　doctrines　are　more
  questioned；　and　have　to　be　oftener　defended　against　open　gainsayers。
  Both　teachers　and　learners　go　to　sleep　at　their　post；　as　soon　as　there
  is　no　enemy　in　the　field。
  The　same　thing　holds　true；　generally　speaking；　of　all　traditional
  doctrines…　those　of　prudence　and　knowledge　of　life；　as　well　as　of
  morals　or　religion。　All　languages　and　literatures　are　full　of
  general　observations　on　life；　both　as　to　what　it　is；　and　how　to
  conduct　oneself　in　it；　observations　which　everybody　knows；　which
  everybody　repeats；　or　hears　with　acquiescence；　which　are　received　as
  truisms；　yet　of　which　most　people　first　truly　learn　the　meaning　when
  experience；　generally　of　a　painful　kind；　has　made　it　a　reality　to
  them。　How　often；　when　smarting　under　some　unforeseen　misfortune　or
  disappointment；　does　a　person　call　to　mind　some　proverb　or　common
  saying；　familiar　to　him　all　his　life；　the　meaning　of　which；　if　he
  had　ever　before　felt　it　as　he　does　now；　would　have　saved　him　from
  the　calamity。　There　are　indeed　reasons　for　this；　other　than　the
  absence　of　discussion；　there　are　many　truths　of　which　the　full　meaning
  cannot　be　realised　until　personal　experience　has　brought　it　home。
  But　much　more　of　the　meaning　even　of　these　would　have　been　understood；
  and　what　was　unders