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himself inwardly capable of attaining, and for which he strives, so far as humanely possible more and more to approach. In a word, it is the longing of the finite man, who feels inwardly that he is more than finite that gives rise to these observances. It is in the striving and struggle of the individual to escape from the turmoils of earthly existence—with its petty cares anxieties and great sorrows, with its strife and discord, its complete immersion in sordid lusts of the worldin order that he may breathe a purer and freer atmosphere, that its origin should be sought for. And when studied in this light, we shall be able to winnow from every sort of religious observance, however insignificant or formal it may appear at first sight, the pure grain of religious principle. Those who renounce religion altogether, because they have become blind to the religious element within then may look with supercilious contempt on all observances and dub them with the name of superstition or formal ceremony or whatever they like, but the truth stands out no less clear than broad day light, that a religion, sprung up from
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