Search -
The Works of Joseph Butler to Which Is Prefixed; An Account of the Character and Writings of the Author
The Works of Joseph Butler to Which Is Prefixed An Account of the Character and Writings of the Author Author:Joseph Butler General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1848 Original Publisher: Carter Description: Vol. 2 has only special t.-p.: Sermons by ... Joseph Butler ... Subjects: Theology Apologetics Religion / Sermons / Christian Religion / Christian Theology / General Religion / Christian Theology / Apologetics Notes: This... more » is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: ANALOG/ OF RELIGION. PART II. OF REVEALED RELIGION. CHAP I. OF THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIANITY. Some persons, upon pretence of the sufficiency of the light of nature, avowedly reject all revelation, as, in its very notion, incredible, and what must be fictitious. And indeed it is certain, no revelation would have been given, had the light of nature been sufficient in such a sense, as to render one not wanting and useless. But no man, in seriousness and simplicity of mind, can possibly think it so, who considers the state of Religion in the heathen world before revelation, and its present state in those places which have borrowed no light from it: particu- larly the doubtfulness of some of the greatest men, con- cerning things of the utmost importance, as well as the natural inattention and ignorance of mankind in general. It is impossible to say, who would have been able to have reasoned out that whole system, which we call natural Religion, in its genuine simplicity, clear of super- stition: but there is certainly no ground to affirm that the generality could. If they could, there is no sort of probability that they would. Admitting there were, they would highly want a standing admonition to remind them , ef it, and inculcate it upon them. And further still, were they as much disposed to attend to Relig...« less