the world. Being of a rationalistic turn of mind, I was naturally
very favorably impressed with Unitarianism and its teaching. I sent
for a number of their works and read them with great interest. I
learned many things that have been a benediction to my life ever
since, but you will see later on how far it satisfied my
rationalistic proclivities. I learned to my delight that I could
enter a Unitarian theological school to prepare for the ministry
without first joining a church or signing a creed. For a person in my
state of mind nothing better could have presented itself. I
determined to go there and make a thorough study of the Bible and all
the different religious bodies, and to fearlessly follow the truth
wherever it might lead me.

The time came and I entered the school. And a fine school it was from
an intellectual standpoint and for the purpose of investigation. I
have been a student at six educational institutions since I left the
high school, but this was far ahead of the others for the development
of the logical and philosophical faculties. Here there was absolutely
no restraint to thought; and all kinds of systems and ideas were
represented, from philosophical anarchy to socialism and from
mysticism to materialism. The moral and spiritual earnestness I
expected to find among the Unitarians I did not find, especially
among the younger and more radical ones. Its effect, on the whole,
was to relax rather than intensify the moral fiber. Their ideals
seemed so grand and noble that I thought those possessed with them
could scarcely find time to eat and sleep in their zeal to put them
into practise; but I discovered that they not only had plenty of time
to eat and sleep, but also for dancing, card-playing, theater-going,
etc. Many of the young men studying for the ministry often spent a
large part of the night in card-playing, and the Sunday-school room