[128] Sanger, _History of Prostitution_, p. 116. [129] See Blunt's _Dictionary of Sects_, art. "Manichæans." [130] _De Civitate Dei_, ii. 4. [131] Mosheim, _Cent. 2_, chap. v. sec. 4. [132] _Dictionary of Sects_, p. 13. [133] Lea, _Hist. of Sacerdotal Celibacy_, 1884, p. 42. [134] Cited by Michelet, _Priests, Women, and Families_, p. 130. [135] _Spiritual Wives_, ii. pp. 55-6. [136] _Spiritual Wives_, pp. 176-7, 181. [137] _Ibid._, pp. 84-6. [138] _The Russian Church and Russian Dissent_, p. 201. [139] Lea, _Hist. of Sacerdotal Celibacy_, p. 40. [140] _Visit to the Russian Empire_, i. p. 254. Merejkowski, in his historical novel, _Peter and Alexis_, gives a more detailed account of the sexual ceremonies of this sect. See also Heard's description, _Russian Church_, p. 258. [141] _Russian Church and Russian Dissent_, p. 262. CHAPTER SEVEN CONVERSION From what has been already said, it should be clear that a complete understanding of religious phenomena--whether legitimately or wrongly so called--involves acquaintance with a number of factors that are not usually called religious. Man's religious beliefs are usually a very composite product; they are built up from a number of states of feeling and mental convictions, some of which have only an accidental connection with the religious idea itself. Unfortunately, the training given to professional religious teachers rarely equips them for dealing with religion from the scientific point of view. Their training gives them a knowledge of several ancient languages, makes them acquainted with the rise and fall of certain doctrines, the nature of Church ritual and the like, all of which, while interesting enough in themselves, give little more genuine enlightenment than a knowledge of the dates of English monarchs provides of the character of genuine historic processes. One writer pertinently asks:-- "What does the ordinary seminary graduate know of the histology, anatomy, and physiology of the soul? Absolutely nothing. He must stumble along through years of trying experience and look back over countless mistakes before he understands these things even in a general way. What does the ordinary graduate understand about doubt? It is all classed together, whether in adolescents or in hardened sinners, and one dose is applied. What does the graduate know about sexuality, so closely allied with certain forms of religious manifestations? What about ecstasy, in its various forms, the numerous methods of faith cure thrust upon an illiterate but credulous people, or the significance or insignificance of visions and dreams?"[142]