Whence, then, but through a total misunderstanding, have arisen that
wild and disgraceful zeal for proselytism to a separate and peculiar
form of religion, and that horrible expression--"no salvation except
with us." As I have described to you the society of the pious, and as
it must needs be according to its intrinsic nature, it aims merely
at reciprocal communication, and subsists only between those who are
already in possession of religion, of whatever character it may be;
how then can it be its vocation to change the sentiments of those
who now acknowledge a definite system, or to introduce and consecrate
those who are totally destitute of one? The religion of this society,
as such, consists only in the religion of all the pious taken
together, as each one beholds it in the rest--it is Infinite; no
single individual can embrace it entirely, since so far as it is
individual it ceases to be one, and hence no man can attain such
elevation and completeness as to raise himself to its level. If any
one, then, has chosen a part in it for himself, whatever it may be,
were it not an absurd procedure for society to wish to deprive him of
that which is adapted to his nature--since it ought to comprise this
also within its limits, and hence some one must needs possess it?
[Illustration: THE THREE HERMITS Moritz Von Schwind]
And to what end should it desire to cultivate those who are yet
strangers to religion? Its own especial characteristic--the Infinite
Whole--of course it cannot impart to them; and the communication of
any specific element cannot be accomplished by the Whole, but only by
individuals.
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