Perfectconductisarelationbetweenthreeterms：theactor，theobjectsforwhichheacts，andtherecipientsoftheaction。
Inorderthatconductshouldbeabstractlyperfect，allthreeterms，intention，execution，andreception，shouldbesuitedtooneanother。Thebestintentionwillfailifiteitherworkbyfalsemeansoraddressitselftothewrongrecipient。Thusnocriticorestimatorofthevalueofconductcanconfinehimselftotheactor’sanimusalone，apartfromtheotherelementsoftheperformance。Asthereisnoworseliethanatruthmisunderstoodbythosewhohearit，soreasonablearguments，challengestomagnanimity，andappealstosympathyorjustice，arefollywhenwearedealingwithhumancrocodilesandboa-constrictors。Thesaintmaysimplygivetheuniverseintothehandsoftheenemybyhistrustfulness。Hemaybynon-resistancecutoffhisownsurvival。
HerbertSpencertellsusthattheperfectman’sconductwillappearperfectonlywhentheenvironmentisperfect：tonoinferiorenvironmentisitsuitablyadapted。Wemayparaphrasethisbycordiallyadmittingthatsaintlyconductwouldbethemostperfectconductconceivableinanenvironmentwhereallweresaintsalready；butbyaddingthatinanenvironmentwherefewaresaints，andmanytheexactreverseofsaints，itmustbeilladapted。Wemustfranklyconfess，then，usingourempiricalcommonsenseandordinarypracticalprejudices，thatintheworldthatactuallyis，thevirtuesofsympathy，charity，andnon-resistancemaybe，andoftenhavebeen，manifestedinexcess。
Thepowersofdarknesshavesystematicallytakenadvantageofthem。Thewholemodernscientificorganizationofcharityisaconsequenceofthefailureofsimplygivingalms。Thewholehistoryofconstitutionalgovernmentisacommentaryontheexcellenceofresistingevil，andwhenonecheekissmitten，ofsmitingbackandnotturningtheothercheekalso。
Youwillagreetothisingeneral，forinspiteoftheGospel，inspiteofQuakerism，inspiteofTolstoi，youbelieveinfightingfirewithfire，inshootingdownusurpers，lockingupthieves，andfreezingoutvagabondsandswindlers。
Andyetyouaresure，asIamsure，thatweretheworldconfinedtothesehard-headed，hard-hearted，andhard-fistedmethodsexclusively，weretherenooneprompttohelpabrotherfirst，andfindoutafterwardswhetherhewereworthy；noonewillingtodrownhisprivatewrongsinpityforthewronger’sperson；noonereadytobedupedmanyatimeratherthanlivealwaysonsuspicion；noonegladtotreatindividualspassionatelyandimpulsivelyratherthanbygeneralrulesofprudence；theworldwouldbeaninfinitelyworseplacethanitisnowtolivein。
Thetendergrace，notofadaythatisdead，butofadayyettobebornsomehow，withthegoldenrulegrownnatural，wouldbecutoutfromtheperspectiveofourimaginations。
Thesaints，existinginthisway，may，withtheirextravagancesofhumantenderness，beprophetic。Nay，innumerabletimestheyhaveprovedthemselvesprophetic。Treatingthosewhomtheymet，inspiteofthepast，inspiteofallappearances，asworthy，theyhavestimulatedthemtoBEworthy，miraculouslytransformedthembytheirradiantexampleandbythechallengeoftheirexpectation。
Fromthispointofviewwemayadmitthehumancharitywhichwefindinallsaints，andthegreatexcessofitwhichwefindinsomesaints，tobeagenuinelycreativesocialforce，tendingtomakerealadegreeofvirtuewhichitaloneisreadytoassumeaspossible。Thesaintsareauthors，auctores，increasers，ofgoodness。Thepotentialitiesofdevelopmentinhumansoulsareunfathomable。Somanywhoseemedirretrievablyhardenedhaveinpointoffactbeensoftened，converted，regenerated，inwaysthatamazedthesubjectsevenmorethantheysurprisedthespectators，thatwenevercanbesureinadvanceofanymanthathissalvationbythewayofloveishopeless。Wehavenorighttospeakofhumancrocodilesandboa-constrictorsasoffixedlyincurablebeings。Weknownotthecomplexitiesofpersonality，thesmoulderingemotionalfires，theotherfacetsofthecharacter-polyhedron，theresourcesofthesubliminalregion。
St。Paullongagomadeourancestorsfamiliarwiththeideathateverysoulisvirtuallysacred。SinceChristdiedforusallwithoutexception，St。Paulsaid，wemustdespairofnoone。
Thisbeliefintheessentialsacrednessofeveryoneexpressesitselfto-dayinallsortsofhumanecustomsandreformatoryinstitutions，andinagrowingaversiontothedeathpenaltyandtobrutalityinpunishment。Thesaints，withtheirextravaganceofhumantenderness，arethegreattorch-bearersofthisbelief，thetipofthewedge，theclearersofthedarkness。Likethesingledropswhichsparkleinthesunastheyareflungfaraheadoftheadvancingedgeofawave-crestorofaflood，theyshowthewayandareforerunners。Theworldisnotyetwiththem，sotheyoftenseeminthemidstoftheworld’saffairstobepreposterous。Yettheyareimpregnatorsoftheworld，vivifiersandanimatersofpotentialitiesofgoodnesswhichbutforthemwouldlieforeverdormant。Itisnotpossibletobequiteasmeanaswenaturallyare，whentheyhavepassedbeforeus。Onefirekindlesanother；andwithoutthatover-trustinhumanworthwhichtheyshow，therestofuswouldlieinspiritualstagnancy。
Momentarilyconsidered，then，thesaintmaywastehistendernessandbethedupeandvictimofhischaritablefever，butthegeneralfunctionofhischarityinsocialevolutionisvitalandessential。Ifthingsareevertomoveupward，someonemustbereadytotakethefirststep，andassumetheriskofit。Noonewhoisnotwillingtotrycharity，totrynon-resistanceasthesaintisalwayswilling，cantellwhetherthesemethodswillorwillnotsucceed。Whentheydosucceed，theyarefarmorepowerfullysuccessfulthanforceorworldlyprudence。Forcedestroysenemies；andthebestthatcanbesaidofprudenceisthatitkeepswhatwealreadyhaveinsafety。Butnon-resistance，whensuccessful，turnsenemiesintofriends；andcharityregeneratesitsobjects。Thesesaintlymethodsare，asI
said，creativeenergies；andgenuinesaintsfindintheelevatedexcitementwithwhichtheirfaithendowsthemanauthorityandimpressivenesswhichmakesthemirresistibleinsituationswheremenofshallowernaturecannotgetonatallwithouttheuseofworldlyprudence。Thispracticalproofthatworldlywisdommaybesafelytranscendedisthesaint’smagicgifttomankind。[215]
Notonlydoeshisvisionofabetterworldconsoleusforthegenerallyprevailingproseandbarrenness；butevenwhenonthewholewehavetoconfesshimilladapted，hemakessomeconverts，andtheenvironmentgetsbetterforhisministry。Heisaneffectivefermentofgoodness，aslowtransmuteroftheearthlyintoamoreheavenlyorder。
[215]Thebestmissionarylivesaboundinthevictoriouscombinationofnon-resistancewithpersonalauthority。JohnG。
Paton，forexample，intheNewHebrides，amongbrutishMelanesiancannibals，preservesacharmedlifebydintofit。Whenitcomestothepoint，nooneeverdaresactuallytostrikehim。Nativeconverts，inspiredbyhim，showedanalogousvirtue。“Oneofourchiefs，fulloftheChrist-kindleddesiretoseekandtosave，sentamessagetoaninlandchief，thatheandfourattendantswouldcomeonSabbathandtellthemthegospelofJehovahGod。
Thereplycamebacksternlyforbiddingtheirvisit，andthreateningwithdeathanyChristianthatapproachedtheirvillage。Ourchiefsentinresponsealovingmessage，tellingthemthatJehovahhadtaughttheChristianstoreturngoodforevil，andthattheywouldcomeunarmedtotellthemthestoryofhowtheSonofGodcameintotheworldanddiedinordertoblessandsavehisenemies。Theheathenchiefsentbackasternandpromptreplyoncemore：’Ifyoucome，youwillbekilled。’OnSabbathmorntheChristianchiefandhisfourcompanionsweremetoutsidethevillagebytheheathenchief，whoimploredandthreatenedthemoncemore。Buttheformersaid：——
“’Wecometoyouwithoutweaponsofwar！WecomeonlytotellyouaboutJesus。WebelievethatHewillprotectusto-day。’
“Astheypressedsteadilyforwardtowardsthevillage，spearsbegantobethrownatthem。Sometheyevaded，beingallexceptonedexterouswarriors；andotherstheyliterallyreceivedwiththeirbarehands，andturnedthemasideinanincrediblemanner。
Theheathen，apparentlythunderstruckatthesementhusapproachingthemwithoutweaponsofwar，andnotevenflingingbacktheirownspearswhichtheyhadcaught，afterhavingthrownwhattheoldchiefcalled’ashowerofspears，’desistedfrommeresurprise。OurChristianchiefcalledout，asheandhiscompanionsdrewupinthemidstofthemonthevillagepublicground：——
“’Jehovahthusprotectsus。Hehasgivenusallyourspears！
Oncewewouldhavethrownthembackatyouandkilledyou。Butnowwecome，nottofightbuttotellyouaboutJesus。Hehaschangedourdarkhearts。Heasksyounowtolaydownalltheseyourotherweaponsofwar，andtohearwhatwecantellyouabouttheloveofGod，ourgreatFather，theonlylivingGod。’
“Theheathenwereperfectlyoverawed。TheymanifestlylookedontheseChristiansasprotectedbysomeInvisibleOne。TheylistenedforthefirsttimetothestoryoftheGospelandoftheCross。WelivedtoseethatchiefandallhistribesittingintheschoolofChrist。Andthereisperhapsnotanislandinthesesouthernseas，amongstallthosewonforChrist，wheresimilaractsofheroismonthepartofconvertscannotberecited。”JohnG。Paton，MissionarytotheNewHebrides，AnAutobiography，secondpart，London，1890，p。243。
InthisrespecttheUtopiandreamsofsocialjusticeinwhichmanycontemporarysocialistsandanarchistsindulgeare，inspiteoftheirimpracticabilityandnon-adaptationtopresentenvironmentalconditions，analogoustothesaint’sbeliefinanexistentkingdomofheaven。Theyhelptobreaktheedgeofthegeneralreignofhardnessandareslowleavensofabetterorder。
ThenexttopicinorderisAsceticism，whichIfancyyouareallreadytoconsiderwithoutargumentavirtueliabletoextravaganceandexcess。Theoptimismandrefinementofthemodernimaginationhas，asIhavealreadysaidelsewhere，changedtheattitudeofthechurchtowardscorporealmortification，andaSusooraSaintPeterofAlcantara[216]appeartousto-dayratherinthelightoftragicmountebanksthanofsanemeninspiringuswithrespect。Iftheinnerdispositionsareright，weask，whatneedofallthistorment，thisviolationoftheouternature？Itkeepstheouternaturetooimportant。Anyonewhoisgenuinelyemancipatedfromthefleshwilllookonpleasuresandpains，abundanceandprivation，asalikeirrelevantandindifferent。Hecanengageinactionsandexperienceenjoymentswithoutfearofcorruptionorenslavement。AstheBhagavad-Gitasays，onlythoseneedrenounceworldlyactionswhoarestillinwardlyattachedthereto。Ifonebereallyunattachedtothefruitsofaction，onemaymixintheworldwithequanimity。IquotedinaformerlectureSaintAugustine’santinomiansaying：IfyouonlyloveGodenough，youmaysafelyfollowallyourinclinations。“Heneedsnodevotionalpractices。”isoneofRamakrishna’smaxims，“whoseheartismovedtotearsatthemerementionofthenameofHari。”[217]
AndtheBuddha，inpointingoutwhathecalled“themiddleway“
tohisdisciples，toldthemtoabstainfrombothextremes，excessivemortificationbeingasunrealandunworthyasmeredesireandpleasure。Theonlyperfectlife，hesaid，isthatofinnerwisdom，whichmakesonethingasindifferenttousasanother，andthusleadstorest，topeace，andtoNirvana。[218]
[216]SaintPeter，SaintTeresatellsusinherautobiographyFrenchtranslation，p。333，“hadpassedfortyyearswithouteversleepingmorethananhourandahalfaday。Ofallhismortifications，thiswastheonethathadcosthimthemost。Tocompassit，hekeptalwaysonhiskneesoronhisfeet。Thelittlesleepheallowednaturetotakewassnatchedinasittingposture，hisheadleaningagainstapieceofwoodfixedinthewall。Evenhadhewishedtoliedown，itwouldhavebeenimpossible，becausehiscellwasonlyfourfeetandahalflong。