THOUGHTS

ON

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY.

BY THE
REV. W. GRESLEY,
VICAR OF BOYNE HILL, AND PREBENDARY OF LICHFIELD.

LONDON:
J. MASTERS AND CO., 78, NEW BOND STREET.

MDCCCLXXV.

141. m. 372

LONDON: PRINTED BY J. MASTERS AND CO., ALBION BUILDINGS, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE, E.C.

CONTENTS.

CHAP..

PAGE

I. NEED OF SPEAKING OUT.-THE PRESENT POSTURE

OF AFFAIRS.—THE TRUE CHARACTER OF

ATHEISTS.—THE CAUSES OF THEIR INCREASE

AND CONFIDENCE.-HOW THEY SHOULD BE

MET.- POSTSCRIPT.-BARROW'S DESCRIPTION

OF ATHEISTS .

. . .

II. How INFIDELITY SPREADS.—THE VACILLATING

CONDUCT OF RESPECTABLE PERIODICALS.-

THE “GUARDIAN.”—REVIEW OF PROFESSOR

HUXLEY.—THE “QUARTERLY REVIEW" ON

MR. HERBERT SPENCER.—THE “SATURDAY

REVIEW" ON PROFESSOR TYNDALL.—MR. MI-

VART'S ESTEEM FOR PROFESSOR HUXLEY , 17

III. LECTURES.—THE EVIL RESULTS OF ATHEISTIC

AND SEMI-ATHEISTIC LECTURES.DR. CAR-

PENTER AT SION COLLEGE.-PROFESSORS TYN-

DALL AND HUXLEY AT BELFAST.-PROFESSOR

TYNDALL'S EXPLANATION . . . . 28

IV. SOME WITH THE BEST INTENTIONS DO HARM BY

INCAUTIOUS ADMISSIONS.—DR. FARRAR’S“ LIFE

OF CHRIST.”—THE MIRACLE OF OUR LORD

WALKING ON THE SEA.—AND OF THE DEVILS

ENTERING INTO THE SWINE . . . . 41

CONTENTS.

СНАР.

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V. CHRISTIANITY SUFFERS EVEN FROM WELL-MEAN-

ING PHILOSOPHERS.—PROFESSOR Max MUL-

LER'S LECTURE ON "THE SCIENCE OF RELI-

GION.”—THE PILLAR OF THE CLOUD.-

CHRISTIANITY REGARDED AS ONE OF MANY

RELIGIONS.—PRIMÆVAL RELIGION . . 50

VI. THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED.-DR. CARPEN-

TER ON MENTAL PHYSIOLOGY.-HIS UNFOR-

TUNATE JEALOUSY OF THEOLOGIANS.—ETER-

NAL DEATH. HIS Low OPINION OF SPI-

RITUALISTS . . . . . . . 58

VII. “THE INEXORABLE LOGIC OF Facts.”—THE

TRUTH OF CHRISTIANTY RESTS ON THE CER-

TAIN EVIDENCE OF UNDENIABLE Facts.-

THOUGH WE ADMIT THE COGENCY OF OTHER

EVIDENCE, AS THE PURE MORALITY OF THE

GOSPEL, THE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY, THE

INEXPRESSIBLE COMFORT OF A CHRISTIAN

FAITH, WE SHOULD NEVER FOR A MOMENT

LET GO THE CERTAIN TESTIMONY OF FACTS.-

DEAN MANSEL'S OPINION . . . . 68

VIII. ARGUMENT RESPECTING MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY.

-EXTREME CREDULITY OF UNBELIEVERS.

-THEIR UNHAPPY STATE . . . . 80

IX. FAITH OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE. — WE

SHOULD AIM AT BOTH.—THE CASE OF THOSE

WHO HAVE NOT BEEN INSTRUCTED IN THE

FAITH . . . . . . . . 88

X. FAITH WITHOUT CHARITY.-CHARITY WITH.

out FAITH.-HOW TO UNITE THE TWO . 100

XI. WHAT IS BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY

GHOST ?-How CHRISTIAN PEOPLE SHOULD

REGARD IT, OR ANYTHING APPROACHING TO IT. 107

XII. LIGHT AND DARKNESS, SPIRITUAL AND INTEL-

LECTUAL.—THE GREAT FOLLY OF WALKING

CONTENTS.

CHAP.

PAGE

IN DARKNESS WHEN LIGHT IS SHINING

AROUND . . . . . . . 114

XIII. ON MYSTERY.—MANY THINGS INCOMPREHEN-

SIBLE TO OUR PRESENT FACULTIES.—CRE-

ATION OF MATTER, STILL MORE OF MIND.

-SPACE.-TIME.—How CAN WE COMPRE-

HEND THE NATURE OF THE ETERNAL GOD? 119

XIV. THE MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES.—THE LAMB

SLAIN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE

WORLD . . . . . . . 131

XV. “IT IS A HAPPY WORLD AFTER ALL.”—GOD'S

GOODNESS EVEN IN APPARENT EVIL.—THE

DEATH OF ANIMALS PERFECTLY CONSIS-

TENT WITH THIS VIEW.-SO ALSO DISEASE

AND LABOUR, AND EVEN OUR OWN DEATH.

DEATH THE CONSEQUENCE OF SIN, BUT

ALSO THE GATE OF HEAVEN . . . 139

XVI. THE PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN WEAKNESS.-

THE TRAVAIL OF WOMEN.-HELPLESSNESS

OF INFANTS MERCIFULLY DESIGNED.-SO

THE RELATION BETWEEN MAN AND WO-

MAN.-HOME A TRAINING FOR HEAVEN.-

EVEN THE SINS OF MEN CONVERTED BY

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER TO GOOD . . 152

XVII. PROFESSOR BAIN'S OPINION THAT “WE ARE

ALL BLOCKHEADS" ILLUSTRATED.-"THE

FOOL HATH SAID IN AIS HEART, THERE IS

No God.”—ABSURD DREAD OF ANTHROPO-

MORPHISM.—THE CASE OF ULTRA-EVOLU-

TIONISTS AND ANTI-TELEOLOGISTS.—LORD

LYTTON'S OPINION . . . . . 161

XVIII. EVOLUTION.-MR. HERBERT SPENCER'S AR-

GUMENTS CONSIDERED.—THREE SORTS OF

EVOLUTIONISTS.—THE Two FIRST ATHE-

ISTICAL, THE LAST NOT SO . . . . 175