SEARCH
0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Prev | Current Page 381 | Next

James, William, 1842-1910

"Varieties of Religious Experience, a Study in Human Nature"

Years later we can find him making such
an entry as this in his diary: "On Wednesday the 12th I preached
at a wedding, and had the happiness thereby to be the means of
excluding carnal mirth."
The next case I will give is that of a correspondent of Professor
Leuba, printed in the latter's article, already cited, in vol.
vi. of the American Journal of Psychology. This subject was an
Oxford graduate, the son of a clergyman, and the story resembles
in many points the classic case of Colonel Gardiner, which
everybody may be supposed to know. Here it is, somewhat
abridged:--
"Between the period of leaving Oxford and my conversion I never
darkened the door of my father's church, although I lived with
him for eight years, making what money I wanted by journalism,
and spending it in high carousal with any one who would sit with
me and drink it away. So I lived, sometimes drunk for a week
together, and then a terrible repentance, and would not touch a
drop for a whole month.
"In all this period, that is, up to thirty-three years of age, I
never had a desire to reform on religious grounds.


Pages:
369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393