The Philosophy of Religion; Or, An Illustration of the Moral Laws of the Universe

the young, and modes by which they are trained, 366. Schools,
and school-boys, 367. Diversions of the young, 368. Boxing,
and its disgraceful effects, 369. Deficiencies in our seminaries of
instruction, 370. Malignity as displayed in the various scenes of

324

365

Page

social life, 371. General disposition to detraction, 372. Public

Amusements--cock-fighting---bull-baiting--horse-racing---dog-

fighting-field-sports, &c. 373. Benevolent character of an Abys-

sinian, 376. Spanish bull-fights, and character of the Spaniards,

376-380. Literary Amusements--books for the nursery, 380.

Waverly, Novels, Character of Sir W. Scott, 381. Futility of

works of fiction, 382--385. Literary and scientific characters,

Publishers, distressed Authors, &c. 385. Penal codes of civilized

nations, 386. Prison discipline, 387. Sanguinary character of

penal statutes--executions in the reign of Henry VIII. 388. Cru-

elties inflicted on criminals--execution in Berlin, 389. Russian

punishments 390. Execution of Damiens--British penal statute,

391. Beccaria's sarcastic remark in relation to the torture, 392.

Summary view of the various punishments in different countries,

ibid. Slave trade, wreckers, warlike dispositions, tyranny, bar-

barous Sardinian edict, 393. State of morals in Poland, 395.

Moral state of Cuba, 396. Depravity amidst scenes of danger-

Shipwreck of Byron, 397. Conduct of the crew of the Medusa

Frigate, 398. Loss of the Kent East Indiaman, 400. Shocking

practices in Carolina and Georgia, 401.

SECT. IV. Moral state of the Christian world,

Dispositions of the primitive Christians, 403. Causes which

produced the decay of Christian love, 403. Divisions, supersti

tions, and intolerance under the reign of Christian Emperors, 404.

Intemperate zeal of Theodosius-Murder of Hypatia, 406. Dis-

putes and vain speculations, 407. Superstitions of the middle

ages, 409. Pillar-saints, religious devotees, and flagellants, 410.

Power of the clergy, 411. Theological speculations and absurdi-

ties, 412. Feast of the Ass-qualifications of a Christian-indul-

gences, 413. Morals of the clergy, 414. Holy wars, 416. In-

quisition--burning of heretics, 416. Instruments of torture, 418.

Number of victims destroyed by the Inquisition, 419. Bartholo-

mew massacre, 420. Dragooning, 421. Religious wars and per-

secutions, 422. Persecutions in Britain, 423. Reflections, 424.

Present moral state of Catholic_countries-Cuba, 425. Naples, 426.

Tuscany, Rome, &c. 427. Remarks of Buonaparte on this sub-

ject, ibid. MORAL STATE OF THE PROTESTANT CHURCH.--Denom-

inations of the Christian world, 428. Tempers displayed by re-

ligious controversialists, 429. Jealousies of the different sectaries,

432. Illiberality and incivility of certain bodies of religionists 433.

Contentions in Christian societies, 434. Spirit of Persecution and

intolerance exemplified by church-men, Presbyterians and Inde-

pendents, 435. Persecution in Barbadoes, and Demerara, 437. in

Switzerland, 439 in England, 439. General reflections, 442. Prac-

ticability of the universal operation of benevolence, exemplified in

the case of the Apostles, Howard, Venning, &c. 444. Moravians,

Quakers, Anecdote, 447. Means of promoting Christian morali-

ty, 448. General conclusions,-subject of preaching, 450. Church

censures, 454. Union of Christians, 456. Future state of hap-

piness, 458. Future state of misery, 461.

403

THE

PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION.

INTRODUCTION.

THE objects of human knowledge may be reduced to two classes-the relations of matter and the relations of mind; or, in other words, the material and the intellectual universe. Of these two departments of science, the intellectual universe is, in many respects, the most interesting and important. For, in so far as our knowledge and researches extend, it appears highly probable, if not absolutely certain, that the material universe exists solely for the sake of sentient and intelligent beings-in order to afford a sensible manifestation of the attributes of the Great First Cause, and to serve as a vehicle of thought and a medium of enjoyment to subordinate intelligences. So intimately related, however, are these two objects of human investigation, that a knowledge of the one cannot be obtained but through the medium of the other. The operations of mind cannot be carried on without the intervention of external objects; for if the material universe had never existed, we could never have prosecuted a train of thought; and the beauties and sublimities of external

The whole train of ideas which passes through our minds on any subject may be considered as the images of external objects variously modified and combined. These images we receive through the medium of our senses, by which we hold a communication with the material world. All our ideas of God, and of the objects of religion, are derived from the same source. The illustrations of the attributes of the Deity, and of his moral administration, contained in Scripture, are

nature can be perceived only by thinking beings, without the existence of which, the material universe would remain like a mighty blank, and might be said to have been created in vain. Hence it appears, that, previous to our inquiries into the nature and relations of mind, it is necessary, in the first place, to study the phenomena of the material world, and the external actions of all those percipient beings with which it is peopled; for the knowledge of the facts we acquire in relation to these objects must form the ground-work of all our investigations.

We are surrounded, on every hand, with minds of various descriptions, which evince the faculties of which they are possessed, by the various senses and active powers with which they are furnished. These minds are of various gradations, in point of intellectual capacity and acumen, from Man downwards, through all the animated tribes which traverse the regions of earth, air, and sea. We have the strongest reason to believe, that the distant regions of the material world are also replenished with intellectual beings, of various orders, in, which there may be a gradation upwards, in the scale of intellect above that of man, as diversified as that which we perceive in the descending scale, from man downwards to the immaterial principle which animates a muscle, a snail, or a microscopic animalcula. When we consider the variety of original forms and of intellectual capacities which abounds in our terrestrial system, and that there is an infinite gap in the scale of being between the human mind and the Supreme Intelligence, it appears quite conformable to the magnificent harmony of the universe, and to the wisdom and benevolence of its Almighty Author, to suppose, that there

derived from the external scenes of creation, and from the relations of human society; consequently, had the material world never existed, we could have formed no conceptions of the divine perfections similar to those which we now entertain, nor have prosecuted a train of thought on any other subject; for the material universe is the basis of all the knowledge we have hitherto acquired, or can acquire, respecting ourselves, our Creator, or other intelligences. Any person who is disposed to call in question this position, must be prepared to point out, distinctly and specifically, those ideas or trains of thought which are not derived through the medium of the external senses, and from the objects on which they are exercised.

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