Natural law in the spiritual world / by Henry Drummond.

  • Henry Drummond
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Natural law in the spiritual world / by Henry Drummond. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    48/456 page 16
    With regard to Butler’s great work in this de- partment, it is needless at this time of day to point out that his aims did not lie exactly in this direc- tion. He did not seek to indicate analogies between religion and the constitution and course of Nature. His theme was, “ The Analogy of Religion to the constitution and course of Nature.” And although he pointed out direct analogies of Phe- nomena, such as those between the metamorphoses of insects and the doctrine of a future state; and although he showed that “ the natural and moral constitution and government of the world are so connected as to make up together but one scheme,”1 his real intention was not so much to construct arguments as to repel objections. His emphasis accordingly was laid upon the difficulties of the two schemes rather than on their positive lines ; and so thoroughly has he made out his point, that as is well known, the effect upon many has been, not to lead them to accept the Spiritual World on the ground of the Natural, but to make them despair of both. Butler lived at a time when defence was more necessary than construction, when the materials for construction were scarce and insecure, and when, besides, some of the things to be defended were ‘ “Analogy,” chap, vii,
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