Before that period many good sort of people were afraid of making their religious views very prominent, and were always separated from those who did.

Persons who made a profession at all beyond the low standard generally adopted in society were marked out as objects of fear or of distrust.

The anecdote at page 65 regarding the practice of family prayer fully proves this.
Now religious people and religion itself are not kept aloof from the ordinary current of men's thoughts and actions.

There is no such marked line as used to be drawn round persons who make a decided profession of religion.

Christian men and women have stepped over the line, and, without compromising their Christian principle, are not necessarily either morose, uncharitable, or exclusive.