These, then, are the three first needs of civilized life; and the law for
every Christian man and woman is, that they shall be in direct service
toward one of these three needs, as far as is consistent with their own
special occupation, and if they have no special business, then wholly in
one of these services. And out of such exertion in plain duty all other
good will come; for in this direct contention with material evil, you will
find out the real nature of all evil; you will discern by the various
kinds of resistance, what is really the fault and main antagonism to good;
also you will find the most unexpected helps and profound lessons given,
and truths will come thus down to us which the speculation of all our
lives would never have raised us up to. You will find nearly every
educational problem solved, as soon as you truly want to do something;
everybody will become of use in their own fittest way, and will learn what
is best for them to know in that use. Competitive examination will then,
and not till then, be wholesome, because it will be daily, and calm, and
in practice; and on these familiar arts, and minute, but certain and
serviceable knowledges, will be surely edified and sustained the greater
arts and splendid theoretical sciences.

But much more than this. On such holy and simple practice will be founded,
indeed, at last, an infallible religion. The greatest of all the mysteries
of life, and the most terrible, is the corruption of even the sincerest
religion, which is not daily founded on rational, effective, humble, and
helpful action. Helpful action, observe! for there is just one law, which,
obeyed, keeps all religions pure--forgotten, makes them all false.
Whenever in any religious faith, dark or bright, we allow our minds to
dwell upon the points in which we differ from other people, we are wrong,
and in the devil's power. That is the essence of the Pharisee's
thanksgiving--"Lord, I thank Thee that I am not as other men are." At
every moment of our lives we should be trying to find out, not in what we
differ from other people, but in what we agree with them; and the moment
we find we can agree as to anything that should be done, kind or good (and
who but fools couldn't?) then do it; push at it together: you can't
quarrel in a side-by-side push; but the moment that even the best men stop
pushing, and begin talking, they mistake their pugnacity for piety, and
it's all over. I will not speak of the crim