THOUGHTS

ON

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY.

BY THE

dian

REV. W GRESLEY,

VICAR OF BOYNE HILL, AND PREBENDARY OF LICHFIELD.

LONDON:

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

MDCCCLXXV.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY J. MASTERS AND CO.,

ALBION BUILDINGS, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE, E.C.

3-24-39 JA,

gt-wenley Lib

3-10-39

CONTENTS.

CHAP.

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

CONDUCT

II. How INFIDELITY SPREADS.-THE VACILLATING

OF RESPECTABLE PERIODICALS.--

THE "GUARDIAN."-REVIEW OF PROFESSOR

HUXLEY. THE "C

QUARTERLY REVIEW" ON

MR. HERBERT SPENCER. THE "SATURDAY

REVIEW" ON PROFESSOR TYNDALL.-MR. MI-

VART'S ESTEEM FOR PROFESSOR HUXLEY

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

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

PAGE

1

17

28

41

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.-PRIMEVAL RELIGION

PAGE

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

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

-VIII. ARGUMENT RESPECTING MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY.

-EXTREME CREDULITY OF UNBELIEVERS.

-THEIR UNHAPPY STATE

--

IX. FAITH OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE. WE

SHOULD AIM AT BOTH.-THE CASE OF THOSE

WHO HAVE NOT BEEN INSTRUCTED IN THE

FAITH

80

88

100

X. FAITH WITHOUT CHARITY.-CHARITY WITH-

OUT FAITH.-HOW TO UNITE THE TWO

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

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

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

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

XVII. PROFESSOR BAIN'S OPINION THAT "WE ARE

ALL BLOCKHEADS" ILLUSTRATED. "THE

FOOL HATH SAID IN HIS HEART, THERE IS

NO GOD."-ABSURD DREAD OF ANTHROPO-

MORPHISM. THE CASE OF ULTRA-EVOLU-

TIONISTS AND ANTI-TELEOLOGISTS.-LORD

LYTTON'S OPINION

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

GUMENTS CONSIDERED.-THREE SORTS OF

EVOLUTIONISTS. THE TWO FIRST ATHE-

ISTICAL, THE LAST NOT SO .

131

139

152

161

. 175