state　of　habitual　rebellion　against　laws　and　ordinances；　and
  required　to　be　rigorously　chained　up　to　enable　the　persons　within
  their　reach　to　enjoy　any　particle　of　security。　In　our　times；　from
  the　highest　class　of　society　down　to　the　lowest；　every　one　lives　as
  under　the　eye　of　a　hostile　and　dreaded　censorship。　Not　only　in　what
  concerns　others；　but　in　what　concerns　only　themselves；　the
  individual　or　the　family　do　not　ask　themselves…　what　do　I　prefer？　or；
  what　would　suit　my　character　and　disposition？　or；　what　would　allow　the
  best　and　highest　in　me　to　have　fair　play；　and　enable　it　to　grow　and
  thrive？　They　ask　themselves；　what　is　suitable　to　my　position？　what
  is　usually　done　by　persons　of　my　station　and　pecuniary
  circumstances？　or　（worse　still）　what　is　usually　done　by　persons　of　a
  station　and　circumstances　superior　to　mine？　I　do　not　mean　that　they
  choose　what　is　customary　in　preference　to　what　suits　their　own
  inclination。　It　does　not　occur　to　them　to　have　any　inclination；　except
  for　what　is　customary。　Thus　the　mind　itself　is　bowed　to　the　yoke：　even
  in　what　people　do　for　pleasure；　conformity　is　the　first　thing
  thought　of；　they　like　in　crowds；　they　exercise　choice　only　among
  things　commonly　done：　peculiarity　of　taste；　eccentricity　of　conduct；
  are　shunned　equally　with　crimes：　until　by　dint　of　not　following
  their　own　nature　they　have　no　nature　to　follow：　their　human　capacities
  are　withered　and　starved：　they　become　incapable　of　any　strong　wishes
  or　native　pleasures；　and　are　generally　without　either　opinions　or
  feelings　of　home　growth；　or　properly　their　own。　Now　is　this；　or　is
  it　not；　the　desirable　condition　of　human　nature？
  It　is　so；　on　the　Calvinistic　theory。　According　to　that；　the　one
  great　offence　of　man　is　self…will。　All　the　good　of　which　humanity　is
  capable　is　comprised　in　obedience。　You　have　no　choice；　thus　you　must
  do；　and　no　otherwise：　〃whatever　is　not　a　duty；　is　a　sin。〃　Human　nature
  being　radically　corrupt；　there　is　no　redemption　for　any　one　until
  human　nature　is　killed　within　him。　To　one　holding　this　theory　of　life；
  crushing　out　any　of　the　human　faculties；　capacities；　and
  susceptibilities；　is　no　evil：　man　needs　no　capacity；　but　that　of
  surrendering　himself　to　the　will　of　God：　and　if　he　uses　any　of　his
  faculties　for　any　other　purpose　but　to　do　that　supposed　will　more
  effectually；　he　is　better　without　them。　This　is　the　theory　of
  Calvinism；　and　it　is　held；　in　a　mitigated　form；　by　many　who　do　not
  consider　themselves　Calvinists；　the　mitigation　consisting　in　giving
  a　less　ascetic　interpretation　to　the　alleged　will　of　God；　asserting　it
  to　be　his　will　that　mankind　should　gratify　some　of　their　inclinations；
  of　course　not　in　the　manner　they　themselves　prefer；　but　in　the　way
  of　obedience；　that　is；　in　a　way　prescribed　to　them　by　authority；
  and；　therefore；　by　the　necessary　condition　of　the　case；　the　same　for
  all。
  In　some　such　insidious　form　there　is　at　present　a　strong　tendency　to
  this　narrow　theory　of　life；　and　to　the　pinched　and　hidebound　type　of
  human　character　which　it　patronises。　Many　persons；　no　doubt；　sincerely
  think　that　human　beings　thus　cramped　and　dwarfed　are　as　their　Maker
  designed　them　to　be；　just　as　many　have　thought　that　trees　are　a　much
  finer　thing　when　clipped　into　pollards；　or　cut　out　into　figures　of
  animals；　than　as　nature　made　them。　But　if　it　be　any　part　of　religion
  to　believe　that　man　was　made　by　a　good　Being；　it　is　more　consistent
  with　that　faith　to　believe　that　this　Being　gave　all　human　faculties
  that　they　might　be　cultivated　and　unfolded；　not　rooted　out　and
  consumed；　and　that　he　takes　delight　in　every　nearer　approach　made　by
  his　creatures　to　the　ideal　conception　embodied　in　them；　every　increase
  in　any　of　their　capabilities　of　comprehension；　of　action；　or　of
  enjoyment。　There　is　a　different　type　of　human　excellence　from　the
  Calvinistic：　a　conception　of　humanity　as　having　its　nature　bestowed　on
  it　for　other　purposes　than　merely　to　be　abnegated。　〃Pagan
  self…assertion〃　is　one　of　the　elements　of　human　worth；　as　well　as
  〃Christian　self…denial。〃*　There　is　a　Greek　ideal　of
  self…development；　which　the　Platonic　and　Christian　ideal　of
  self…government　blends　with；　but　does　not　supersede。　It　may　be
  better　to　be　a　John　Knox　than　an　Alcibiades；　but　it　is　better　to　be
  a　Pericles　than　either；　nor　would　a　Pericles；　if　we　had　one　in　these
  days；　be　without　anything　good　which　belonged　to　John　Knox。
  *　Sterling's　Essays。
  It　is　not　by　wearing　down　into　uniformity　all　that　is　individual
  in　themselves；　but　by　cultivating　it；　and　calling　it　forth；　within　the
  limits　imposed　by　the　rights　and　interests　of　others；　that　human
  beings　become　a　noble　and　beautiful　object　of　contemplation；　and　as
  the　works　partake　the　character　of　those　who　do　them；　by　the　same
  process　human　life　also　becomes　rich；　diversified；　and　animating；
  furnishing　more　abundant　aliment　to　high　thoughts　and　elevating
  feelings；　and　strengthening　the　tie　which　binds　every　individual　to
  the　race；　by　making　the　race　infinitely　better　worth　belonging　to。
  In　proportion　to　the　development　of　his　individuality；　each　person
  becomes　more　valuable　to　himself；　and　is　therefore　capable　of　being
  more　valuable　to　others。　There　is　a　greater　fulness　of　life　about
  his　own　existence；　and　when　there　is　more　life　in　the　units　there　is
  more　in　the　mass　which　is　composed　of　them。　As　much　compression　as
  is　necessary　to　prevent　the　stronger　specimens　of　human　nature　from
  encroaching　on　the　rights　of　others　cannot　be　dispensed　with；　but
  for　this　there　is　ample　compensation　even　in　the　point　of　view　of
  human　development。　The　means　of　development　which　the　individual　loses
  by　being　prevented　from　gratifying　his　inclinations　to　the　injury　of
  others；　are　chiefly　obtained　at　the　expense　of　the　development　of
  other　people。　And　even　to　himself　there　is　a　full　equivalent　in　the
  better　development　of　the　social　part　of　his　nature；　rendered　possible
  by　the　restraint　put　upon　the　selfish　part。　To　be　held　to　rigid
  rules　of　justice　for　the　sake　of　others；　develops　the　feelings　and
  capacities　which　have　the　good　of　others　for　their　object。　But　to　be
  restrained　in　things　not　affecting　their　good；　by　their　mere
  displeasure；　develops　nothing　valuable；　except　such　force　of　character
  as　may　unfold　itself　in　resisting　the　restraint。　If　acquiesced　in；
  it　dulls　and　blunts　the　whole　nature。　To　give　any　fair　play　to　the
  nature　of　each；　it　is　essential　that　different　persons　should　be
  allowed　to　lead　different　lives。　In　proportion　as　this　latitude　has
  been　exercised　in　any　age；　has　that　age　been　noteworthy　to
  posterity。　Even　despotism　does　not　produce　its　worst　effects；　so
  long　as　individuality　exists　under　it；　and　whatever　crushes
  individuality　is　despotism；　by　whatever　name　it　may　be　called；　and
  whether　it　professes　to　be　enforcing　the　will　of　God　or　the
  injunctions　of　men。
  Having　said　that　the　individuality　is　the　same　thing　with
  development；　and　that　it　is　only　the　cultivation　of　individuality
  which　produces；　or　can　produce；　well…developed　human　beings；　I　might
  here　close　the　argument：　for　what　more　or　better　can　be　said　of　any
  condition　of　human　affairs　than　that　it　brings　human　beings　themselves
  nearer　to　the　best　thing　they　can　be？　or　what　worse　can　be　said　of　any
  obstruction　to　good　than　that　it　prevents　this？　Doubtless；　however；
  these　considerations　will　not　suffice　to　convince　those　who　most　need
  convincing；　and　it　is　necessary　further　to　show；　that　these　developed
  human　beings　are　of　some　use　to　the　undeveloped…　to　point　out　to
  those　who　do　not　desire　liberty；　and　would　not　avail　themselves　of　it；
  that　they　may　be　in　some　intelligible　manner　rewarded　for　allowing
  other　people　to　make　use　of　it　without　hindrance。
  In　the　first　place；　then；　I　would　suggest　that　they　might　possibly
  learn　something　from　them。　It　will　not　be　denied　by　anybody；　that
  originality　is　a　valuable　element　in　human　affairs。　There　is　always
  need　of　persons　not　only　to　discover　new　truths；　and　point　out　when
  what　were　once　truths　are　true　no　longer；　but　also　to　commence　new
  practices；　and　set　the　example　of　more　enlightened　conduct；　and　better
  taste　and　sense　in　human　life。　This　cannot　well　be　gainsaid　by　anybody
  who　does　not　believe　that　the　world　has　already　attained　perfection　in
  all　its　ways　and　practices。　It　is　true　that　this　benefit　is　not
  capable　of　being　rendered　by　everybody　alike：　there　are　but　few
  persons；　in　comparison　with　the　whole　of　mankind；　whose　experiments；
  if　adopted　by　others；　would　be　likely　to　be　any　improvement　on
  established　practice。　But　these　few　are　the　salt　of　the　earth；　without
  them；　human　life　would　become　a　stagnant　pool。　Not　only　is　it　they　who
  introduce