A^< IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^ ^ // "%>. ^^i k:i4n .mi af'mmltmiAlt ?v fe>* h '< -\: NATURAL PHILOSOPHY AND DIVINE REVELATION. •And the Sorpent said unto the woman : Te shall not >urely die.' PREFACE. Wk purpose in the following pages to consider briefly, but carefuUy, the arguments and conclusions put before the, public on the subject of Divine Revelation by cer- tain recent writers on speculative theology. To pass in review and examine critically the writings of a number of individual authors who have published their thoughts and opinions on physical death, on an after state of existence, and on the nature of the future life (assuming such future life to be a reasonable pro- bability), would not have, we think, any practical utility, even supposing it were to be very well done. At best it could but add a few drops to the ocean of literature on the subject before, the public. Merel3i to heap up more arguments where the persevering and determined reader, if he proceed far enough, is already fated to be over- whelmed and sufibcated, would be, indeed, to perform the reverse of a beneficial and useful work. V ^ , "^ PaXFAOK. What we think is much needed, and by which a very useful purpose may be accomplished, is to separate into classes and to discriminate characteristically between the works of the various authors, and then to examine them fundamentally, not as to the plausibility of the arguments, not as to the learning and ability of the re- spective authors, nor as to the eloquence and refinement with which the arguments may be expressed, or the beauty and sublimity of tlie language in which the conclusions may be clothed, but, as to whether tlie arguments and conclusions be or bo not legitimate and reasonable. t i ir ,\ chaptj:r I. RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY. Classification. — As a primary and general classification Me propose to separate tlie writers on this subject into three groups : Ist. Those who have written in support of the exclu- sive dogmatic tenets of some one religious sect. 2nd. Those who have written with an avowed or in- herent disbelief in the existence of a personal God who has revealed Himself in any intelligible and distinct sense to man. 3rd. Those who, avowing a decided belief in the existence and attributes of a revealed God, have written in more or less doubt as to the precise nature and extent of the presumed rtn-elation. It is the works of the last class of writers that we purpose to consider here more particularly. Since the objections we wish to state in regard to the conclusions arrived at, are as to their non-scientific and unsafe charac- ter because improperhj arrived at, it will be most conve- nient and practically useful to take the works of some one author of great ability and repute for the purpose of defining, illustrating and making manifest the fallacy in the method of investigation which in our opinion vitiates and renders unsafe, in a greater or lesser degree, the con- ^jlusions arrived at thereby, not only ir ^he writings of the 'NATIJKAL IMllLOauPHV AND DIVINK UEVELATION.' Correction of I'ypoyraphical Error. Pago 36. . The bottom line; and ) ,,, Pago 34...The Hocond line from ( ^'^f- ' ♦^'hfiilnes. ' bottom. S '^~^'^- trustfulness. PREFACE. What we think is much needed, and by which a very useful purpose may be accomplished, is to separate into classes and to discriminate characteristically between the works of the various authors, and then to examine them fundamentally, not as to the plausibility of the arguments, not as to the learning and ability of tlie re- spective authors, nor as to the eloquence and refmement with which the arguments may be expressed, or the beauty and sublimity of the language in which the conclusions may be clothed, but, as to whether the arguments and conclusions »>e or be not legitimate and reasonable. i ' i i • ' \ ^^di? CHAPTER I. HKLIOIOUS PHILOSOPHY. Classification.— As a primary and general clasaification AVe propose to separate the writers on this subject into three groups : Ist. Those who liave written in support of the exclu- sive dogmatic tenets of some one religious sect. 2nd. Those who have written with an avowed or in- herent disbelief in tlie existence of a personal God who has revealed Himself in any intelligible and distinct sense to man. 3rd. Those who, avowing a decided belief in the existence and attributes of a revealed God, have written in more or less doubt as to the precise nature and extent of the presumed rLH-elation. It is the works of the last class of writers that we purpose to consider here more pai.lcularly. Since the objections we wish to state in regard to the conclusions arrived at, are as to their non-scientific and unsafe charac- ter because improiierhj arrived at, it will be most conve- nient and practically useful to take the works of some one author of great ability and repute for the purpose of defining, illustrating and making manifest the fallacy in the method of investigation which in our opinion vitiates and renders unsafe, in a greater or lesser degree, the con- clusions arrived at thereby, not only in the writings of the one author but in those of the others also belonging to the same division. We will take therefore as the illustration and immedi- ate subject of our examination the works of the eminent American theologian, Theodore Parker. ^/f' t I r *» RBLr0I0U8 PHILOSOPHY. The Doctrines of Theodore Parker : In selecting for consideration the doctrines of this writer as the outcome nnd intellectual result of an earn- est but mistaken and illegitimate endeavour to solve by- means of natural philosophy, problems of great difficulty belonging to ideal science, we have been mindful of the educational advantages possessed by him, as well as of the natural ability displayed ia the use of those advantages, to justify lis in treating him as the intellectual representative of many other writers on speculative theology. We wish it to be understood that in critically examin- ing these writings we are not intending to praise, blame or pass judgment in any degree upon the author as an individual man, but upon his doctrines as a teacher and as the intellectual representative of a class. What were his qualifications ? He was a very learned man, possessed of much know- ledge of various kinds, a man of great industry, of per- severance, of superior natural ability, eloquent, excelling in literary skill, experienced as a natural philosopher in the application of reasoning to the affairs of the natural life. The record of his out-ward life exhibits him as a man of moral rectitude of conduct, of earnest religious feeling, and of devotion to the ministrations belonging to his office as a teacher and witness of God to the people under his charge. Let us first define the correct significance and value of certain of those expressions (verbal compounds) which have a necessary and important relation to the subject, and then proceed to examine with particularity the fallacy in the method of Mr. Parker's investigation. We have elsewhere defined scientific knowledge as RELIUIuL's) PHILOSOPUV. 9 knowledge which is in a strict sense misonable, i.e., which is true, certain and real. The difficulty is in certain cases for the individual man to discriminate, and to determine whether that which presents itself to him as scientific knowledge, actually i)ossesse8 these character- istics or not. Now, if each man was obliged to investigate every item of knowledge for himself, and was to refuse to believe anything to be true which he could not him- self demonstrate mathematically to be 80» his progress in the acquisition of knowledge would be bi-.t very slow, even supposing the difficulty of his thus making a com- mencement, could be surmounted. And then, again, un- less we suppose his mathematical ability perfect in an absolute sense, he would after all run the risk of fallacies in the demonstrations which seemed to him quite sound. But a man can in very many cases acquire compounded knowledge with reasonable certainty as to its truthful- ness and reality, although he may be himself quite un- able to directly verify it or to analyze it mathematically. Whenever the subject be of such kind that knowledge thereof can be acquired by humai observation, and a number of able and truthful men, having investigated and acquired knowledge of the subject, concur in stating a certain result or conclusion as demonstrated and certain, the individual man may accept such compounded know- ledge with certainty through his knowledge of the truth- fulness and reliability, or the wisdom and faithfulness, of those who communicate it to him. The question which he, as an intelligent being, has in such a case to decide for himself, is : What are the grounds of my confidence in the persons who inform me that this statement is true : do ihey suffice to justify my acceptance of their instruction? i\'f ;.. V f \ u Rrtioiors PHILCSOpiiy. I am urhiMo to inve8tigu(. the mnrter forn.ysflf. I can- "<'| '/' '.ht tlu' Mncerity «.ul truthfu x, of tl.ese person* .ndmdu..%. I feel sure that they have, each one of them, used the proper means to acquire knowledge of the sub- ject, and they all agree as to the fact. Therefore I believe the.r 8taten,ent, and accept it as certainly true. A n.au thusacfng nets reasonably, for what would be the con- 8e,p.enceif he pursued theopposite cot.rse, and persisted in accepting as true only his own personal judgments and conclusions. It is evident that his mind would be filled with prejudices and fallacies; he would be either con- sidered wrong-headed and insane by his neighbours or if any were foolish enough to accept his conclusions as right and true, their minds woul.I be also contaminated and the.nntellectual health in.paired by unsound judgments and false theories. ** Moreover, in thus accepting knowledge through rea- sonable trust an.l conH.lenoe i.i tlie teacher, the responsi bil.ty ,s mainly with the teaoiier and only in a minor de- gree with the recipient. He who thus accepts know- ledge which is actually unsound must suffer in some de- gree for the teacher's fault ; nevertheless if his trustful- ness :vere in itself reasonable, he will, even in such case nave gamed by his acceptance. ' Natural philosophy is systemized rcn.oning correctly applicable only to the Natural or Jfaterial world reason ing based on the natural human senses. If correc^v systemized and applied only to the subjects of natural science in .heir relations only to the natural world natural p. ■.r.J,, i^ , perfectly safe and reliable guide' but If It hv -;-,i;.d-. the spiritual subjects of ideal science without , knowledge y or with a neglect of;, • L&~ HiLniiora I'liii-osoi'iiv. 11 for myself. I can- 's of tliesf persons each one of them, vledge of the 8ub- 'herefore I believe liiily true. A man vould be the oon- rse, and persisted al judgments and id would be filled 'd be either con- neighbours, or, if iiclusions ns right ontaminated and sound judgments Ige through rea- er, the responsi- y^ in a minor de- accepts know- ffer in some de- I if his trustful- en in such case, )ning correctly world . . renson- 3. If correctly ects of natural natural world, reliable guide; Jjects of ideal a neglect of,, ' the rttrii-t ruk'« Uy which idone reasoning on suoh suh- Jffts is Huthorizfd, it uuiy then be cunsidored synony. mou8 with unmitud spiritnul philosophy, and become* liilhu-iuus and deceptive. The term true or sound kuoulalfje as applied to the major p.nt of hinnmi knowledge, necessarily means knowledge vwiicli, being imperiect or imperfectly npiirt bended, is essentially and characteristically true so far as apprehended, and which guides the mind accepting it truthfully in the right direction. It mi.y be that the light fiu-nished by it in a particular instance is not much, and even that little may not be light dhrctli/ derived from the great central source of light ; but if it be true knowledge it must k dcrivid from that source, and however dLn and small in quantity may be the ligiit furnished by it, it will illumine and make majiifest some portion of the jKith which leads towards the full clear light of the day. Thus the degree of perfection of sound knowledge is in a measure dependent upon the intellectual appre- hension and educated capacity of the recipient. All teachers know that to communicate simply and directly the full truth on subjects belonging to the ideal world would be in some cases to state what could not be intelli- glide, and ia other cases to astound and perplex the person they were desirous to instruct. Hence the advantageous and oftentimes necessary use of symbolic and figurative language, of fable, parable, and allegory, as vehicle of sound and true instruction on subjects belonging to ideal science. The primary characteristic of Parker's doctrines, whether considering him as an individual teacher or as ! •■ I 12 REtroiOUS PHILOSOPHY. the exponent and representative of a clas, of teachers, is that he rqects the Bible as the word of God, „r, to sp ak more „„„„„„, „, ,,, .„.^„^^^^^, -P™^ the Creator to H„ h„„,„ ereatures, and that he bases tire B,ble-a„d wl,j- does he prefer it? B^7™ of the consequences of this rejection of the The Bible i, too great a fact to be disregarded. That ^ san ,„ , „.,„,^„, ^„^ edncati„:al connection with the subject ,s too patent to be overlooked, and that t « to sonre extent at least inseparable fron, an, ,st L of Chns ,a„ theology is quite evident : hence the B^e " t ve of he act,ons and lives of men who were devoted to men tTr; : - ""^ '" "-' ""'=' -- «-'«"j tz ™t « ho were nevertheless either wilful i„,,,ost„rs or els ' '"^T" «-™ '-J-tions, Thi ultimate c! lute God of truth has at least recognised as true and approved as an educational „,ea„s,a°bookwhi: -lyessent,aUy untrue but which grossly misreprese" H.S character and relationship to „,anki„d. The basis which Parker chooses as the foundation of h.s doctnne ,s the idea of God evolved from the inner o„sc,ousuess. The precise moaning which he attaches this expression is not defined. It does not clearly appear that he is aware ti,at hi, system is left without • lass of teachers, is Grod, or, to speak evelation of God nd that he bases an upon another ediately suggests ich he prefers to stion, let us con- rejection of the regarded. That ional connection looked, and that rom any system nice the Bible is y, as the narra- vere devoted to * great and good le human race, ipostors or else lie ultimate co- that the abso- d as true, and t which is not misrepresents ft>uudation of om the inner iii he attaches s not clearly 3 left without KELIOIOUS PHILOSOPHY. 13 any other support : for he does not take any care to explain or show how this idea has of itself, without aid or support from the Bible, or those teachers whose lives belong essentially to the Bible, become developed into the theism or system of theology which he teaches. The positive portion of Mr. Parker's system is philo- sophically as inconsequential and incoherent as the negative. It appears to consist of three distinct theories irreconcilable with each other and incapable of combin- ing, and which are brought out sometimes singly and separately, and sometimes in a more or less mingled "Condition, as the exigencies of the argument or difficulties requiring explanation may call for. Theory 1. is materialistic. That the material world is the universe which has been made over as a possession to mankind, and that mankind has been continually improving and progressing from the earliest ages to the present. Their religious opinions and beliefs at eacih stage oi" this advancing civilization having been merely the intellectual product or resultof their mental condition. Theory 2, teaches a divinity of human nature. Each and every man is divinely inspired. Each and every man is continually progressing towards the divine perfection. A man's faults and sins improve and elevate him and assist his progress upwards although not so rapidly as if his actions were regulated by a more en- lightened understanding. The present life is only the first stage, and a man having become disburthened of his bodily incumbrance springs suddenly upwards or advances much more rapidly towards divine perfection. Theory 3. The Non-existence of intellectual individuality apart from God. — God liaving pre-ordained and pre- 14 RELIGIOUS PHlLOSOPliy for the ,.2 ""' ""'' °""™' »'«' «'«o fo the s aer,„g, a,,., priv„,i„,„ „, „„^ „„ .__ that the perfec i„,tc„V^ ""''"' "°"*'1''«"-' .' J ''™ of O'' must have provided an, not „hta„,ed„ share of „app,„,,„„„j .„ ,„,^ ^ most favoured or n»,t fortunate brother will reeeive that «™nce, to which he has a natural aud rightl ewl"' n'l«l t „ evidently i„eon,i,tent, is JI,- Parker's conception or apprehension, of the nature of ,^d j ?re utrt'' '^'"™ - "'^ '■■'*-•«' »l- It r ™''^ -neomplete, one-sided and imperfect ' :: i:f' "^ "'^ ^""-^ -'"«™ »f «od'tote ; theilChtl^l'S^^'Tr^^^^^ terrestri..] off-.- ' '""^ ^'■''^*^*' ^^ their =.~t;;dtr;:r~^^ dnrf • .! ' l"'"'sh"iont is according to his ' ^o*,ne „e expiation of sin ,y suffering. The s'ui^ri g rectify the consequences and absolve the shrner. la VllY. Jenetl or cun happen iral and intellectual le for the actions of nd crimes, and also nay undergo in this. as a consequence, fc liave provided aa idual man who has. liial to that of his- er wiJl receive that '"d rightful claim. ;h eitlier of which, is Mr. Parker's iture of God and Ilectual creatures, •d's presence and constant guidance ivine Spirit, are 1 very beautiful ' •ehension of the on of Himself in id and imperfect, 'n of God to men reme Ruler over irbiter of their rently recognize o do so indeed of punishment ccording to his . The suffering of itself sutHce* he sinner. la RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY. 1» this connection human justice is described as distinct and different in kind from divine justice, the punishment inflicted by human justice having the character of vengeance. That this item of doctrine is, whether considered as a theoretical assumption or as a con- clusion, certainly false and of a very dangerous ten- dency we have no hesitation in affirming. By human justice is to be understood perfect, or perfected, human justice, and between such human justice and divine justice there can be no differance in kind or distinction ; huma.! ■ ustice is divine justice applied by or through men to the terrestrial circumstances and affairs of men. To doubt this, or to suppose otherwise, is to suppose that the mind of God is different in kind from the mind of man, to deny or refuse to believe that man has been created in the image of God, and, consequently, to throw overboard at once all reasonable or intelligible reliance on the truthfulness, faithfulness, love and justice, of God. In connection with the imperfect recognition of God's relationship to man, as set forth in the Bible, is the non- recognition of obedience and submission to the will of God, on the one hand, of wilful disregard of God's commandments and rebellion against His authority and government, on the other. In this human scheme of man's existence and relation to his Maker, put forth by Mr. Parker, the rights and claims appear to be all on the one side. J[an as the created becomes entitled, in addition to the perpetuation of his existence, to assured happiness, to a progressive development, and to a num- ber of specific blessings, but it does not clearly appear that the Creator has acquired any rights in relation to man or is entitled to claim recognition, reverence and - 16 RELlaiocs PHILOSOPUV. tllZ "7 '^' '"*"'"'' "''"« '' '- ««"«i into connected with it have Jen frith! J?™*™"''" feet, not to sav very bad B T! T^ '"P"" has anywhere "tat^ I """""' ""'' """ ^ existe„r: """""''^ <^""*'"'" of human Mrilybe *" ™"»")«™ces thereof must neces- What are those conditions? A number of intellectnal ' < .Hermg ,n their mclinations and passions, i„ the acti ^1^1 'Tf"'' '''"' ""^ '» '"^'' -A- earhTh °*f ' "° ""' *» "™ '"^^fer on the earth, each one under the control, within certain limits of ->.» own will, having to learn for himself, by i ™™ ference between nght and wrong, and the conLuences o:dttT"f"'"""*'^- "'"'"--videnttlat: conduct of each one individual must affect others- his e P~ T "' T:' "' "' -" "P"- and au^ ♦JApense ot others. If he Hp oTr^,. =^ n i- J • ^^^^ '^0 well dlSDOSed anrt *s,ro„s to do right, he has to learn to discrim'i ntte and • lY. he has called into as his own welfare th permit, to the h inequalities, and of great trouble cable mystery to g outside convic- nd justice of the ns to set matters ude that the plan the arrangements first very imper- inot find that he itions of human rrestrial life, and io{ must neces- ir of intellectual tirely, ignorant, IS, in the acti- heir capacities )gether on the certain limits, 'f, by his own sason, the dif- consequences i'ident tliat the it others; his iseandatthe disposed and riminate and BELIOIOUS PHILOSOPHY, ir choose the right from the wrong. But he has animal passions and inclinations, and inteUectual passions and inclinations. What if he be wilful and selfish; and, knowing what right is, does not choose the right but deliberately does that which is evil ? Must not some other individual or individuals suffer the consequences^ whether he himself eventually gains or loses thereby ? Very much of the inequality, injustice, pain, and miseries in the world are thus rt aJily accounted for. Very much of the difficulty and mystery attaching to an indiscri- minate disorderly consideration of a number of hetero- geneous phenomena is at once eliminated. To men thus circumstanced, so soon as some knowledge had been ac- quired, the definite question would suggest itself: I» this life which we enjoy here, or which we spend in labour and trouble here, the end and sole object of our existence ? We feel that we are, as intellectual beings, in some degree distinct from and superior to our bodies. After a time the body dies and the human being disap- pears from the apprehension of his fellows, but does he necessarily cease to exist as an intellectual being ? Can we reasonably expect to live after this bodily terrestrial life is ended ? Putting aside the immediate reply to this ques- tion, we know that many who have written on this sub- ject have expressed the opinion that the terrestrial human life is not in itself a state of existence to be thankful for ; that, were it not for the hope of something much better to follow, it would be scarcely endurable, or even quite unendurable. We believe such to be the deliberate opi- nion of, comparatively speaking, but very few individuuls. If the whole human race could be canvassed at the pre- sent time, or, if at any former period of the world's I I 18 HELiarous PHiLosopnr. h,st.,y ,„eh a complete coUecHo,, of the „pi„i„„, „f .„ could have been made, we feel sure the result would h.ve shown the agreement b, a vast majority, that 7, our present existence is a pleasure to u„ ' boon fo »h,ch we are grateful and which we do not Ih to forego u„t,l our allotted time has expired A httle reflection will suggest some considerations in h,s connecfon which may not be immediately apparen even tl,„se less considerate of the welfare and h.ppines fee. g that .l,ey are benefiting or have benefited other people Now a cond.t.on of barbarism is fraught with har sh,ps, pr,vations,and miseries which in a condition of ed, the,r place bemg supplied by pleasures and eniov- ": be ": r,"*'°" "' " """' perfect civili Z n.nst be preceded by a partial or less perf-ect ; and that »gau,, by a condition of barbarism. Those, theUre, wlj ■ve m a t,me when the less perfect civiLation p.;v" , have the safsfaction of knowing, if their lives are pe reasonably and usefully, that, in addition to whaZv , easnre and enjoyment their lives aiTord thems* they are also benefiting and adding to the happi 2 of their successors. pp"iess Let us now proceed to the question : Have we, or can we obtain any evidence or reliable information at . <»nt,nuation of our existence in a life after the death of be human body. The primary question npon which this IS dependent is , do we possess demonstration of the existence of God the Creaort With exceptio, o . not wish to HELIOIOUS PHIL080PHT. 19 few individuals all educated men are agreed that the world is full of evidences that God exists. Then, if there be an after existence for men, God must know it, and must certainly be able to communicate the knowledge to men, if he please. Now if there be an after- life, it at once follows as extremely probable, nay almost certain, that the present life with its conditions has rela- tion, as introductory or preparatory, to the after-life. Again, if this life be related to an after existence as a place of preparation, or training school, it is evidently important that men should have reliable information of sucli a fact, and an inference of the very strongest des- cription is forced upon the mind, that God halving the knowledge and wishing, as by the supposition he must meut in this respect evidently fails. Nevertheless, on a more general knowledge only, Agamemnon's consent to obey the commandment com- mends itself as reasonable ; but the immediate grounds of his decision would probably have been recognition of the duty of an individual to give up his private interest or affections for the good of the State, this recog- nition being, however, based on belief in the power, providence, and supervision of God. His reflections might have been (in brief) as follows : ' God has commanded me by Calchas to do this thing; Can the expedi- tion succeed without the blessing of God, or contrary to His will? No. Is it reasonable to expect His blessing on the expedition, if I, as the leader of the expedition refuse to obey ? Certainly not. I love my child very much, and it will make me very unhappy ; but that is my private affair and no justification for my refusing to do my duty.' 86 SUPERSTITION. enlightened, wise, and the reverse of superstitious. Whereas, if he had come to the opposite conclusion, on the grounds specified by Mr. Parker, and persitfed in refusing to obey, he would have been guilty of wilful superstition.* In the second case, that of Abraham and his son, we know, on evidence, that there was a distinct recognition of God's right to make such a demand, and an assured reliance upon His Wisdom and Power. The purpose of the required act has been also in this case in- directly made known to us, namely,that the spiritual sons of Abraham, i. c, his sons by spiritual filiation, were to become the spiritual subjects and sons of God, and,in order that this purpose should be carried out, it was requisite that the father or founder of the nation should prove his perfect truthfulness and obedience by the willing (/. c, * DeRnition of the word superHition. If the aroidance of superstition is absolutely dependent upon knowle<{ge, or upon an enlightened understand- ing, it ia evident that, since perfect freedom from superstition would require perfect knowledge, the most enlightened of the human race must be very far from having attained such a condition. But our definition of the word assumes that a man who applies whatever knowledge be possesses reason- ably (whether that knowledge be greater or less), is not superstitious ; and if he act reasonably, making the right use of such light as bis know- ledge and understanding afford him, he does not act superstitiously. The expression, therefore, is relative and not absolute. We would discriminate between wilful and ignorant superstition. Wil- ful superstition comprises those cases where, the reasonable conclusion being actually recognized by the mind, the disobedience to God, or disre- gard of the dictates of duty, as declared by the voice of reason, is disguised and masked under the pretense of regard for natural affection, of obedience to traditional or conventional authority, of the claims and rights of some deity other than the God of reason, of obedience to reason itself; in these or any cases belonging to the same class, although a man may easily suc- ceed in very nearly deceiving himself, and although it may be almost im- possible for the most enlightened human being, of himself, to ^together avoid going wrong, it ia not, strictly speaking, suRprstition, but wilful dis- obedience. SfPERSTITION. 87 readily consenting) resignation into the hands of God, of that vvhicli was most precious and dear to liini. Tim reality and sincerity of such trustfulness and submission to the Will of God would be most thoroughly tested by the commandment to sacrifice liis son, and was demons- trated by i^braliam's '-iady obedience witliout expostula- tion or hesitation. Of the other examples and supposed instances of super- stition brougiit together by Mr. Parker, some (if them, unquestionably, are correctly denoted by that expression, whilst others of them, on the contrary, are acts showing a wise recognition, on the jiart of the individuals per- forming them, of the higher spiritual relationship secured by the promise and covenant >A God to that part of man- kind which chooses to avail itself of the privileges belong- ing to that relationship, by acceptance and compliance with the conditions attached to the covenant, namely, u willing submission to the systematic spiritual discii>line ar d training requisite to prepare and educate the mind of a human being for the duties essentially pertaining to the higher sniritual existence. An unreasoning and unreasonable fear of God as a wrathful, malevolent, and cruel Being, requiring to be constantly appeased and propitiated, very difficult to please, easily provoked, unforgiving and intolerant, is certainly superstition. It is no doubt a degraded form of religiousfeeling, very unworthy and discreditable to the intelligence of any educated man. To worship God with such feeling'is undoubtedly a form of idolatry, which, although not perhaps of the worst type, must be extre- mely offensive to Him who has revealed Himself, alike in the natural and the intellectual world, as the Giver r • • • • 1 1 <