In the end, Brand protests the heavy plight lain upon him by his elders, and throws the key to the church into the fjord and makes for the mountain with the entire parish following him. He makes a speech, and urges the people to "lift their faith", to make their Christianity surge through their entire existence, and in a way make a "Church without limits" that is meant to embrace all sides of life. In the end, he states that they all shall be priests in the task of relieving all people in the country from mental thralldom. The other clergymen protest against this because they no longer have any sway over their flock. Brand is greatly loved and respected by the common people, but the test is in the end too hard. They are lured down to the valley again by the bailiff, who fakes news of great economic opportunity (a large amount of fish in the sea). The same people who followed Brand, then chase him with stones in their hands.