An apology for atheism : $b addressed to religious investigators of every denomination by one of its apostlesSouthwell, Charles
Religion
An apology for atheism : $b addressed to religious investigators of every denomination by one of its apostles
Southwell, Charles
Atheism
Nor is it easy to persuade oneself that Locke could so
far have done violence to his own principles as to feel 'lively faith'
in a 'science' with no other aim, end, or ground-work, than 'the
knowledge and attributes of the unknown.'
By a late writer in the Edinburgh Review, we are told that 'some of the
opinions avowed by Milton,' were so 'heterodox,' as to have 'excited
considerable amazement.' We can scarcely conceive, says this writer,
that any one could have read his Paradise Lost without suspecting him of
heterodoxy; nor do we think that any reader acquainted with the history
of his life, ought to be much startled by his opinions on marriage. The
opinions which he expressed regarding the nature of the Deity, the
eternity of matter, and the observation of the Sabbath, might, we think,
have caused more just surprise. [95:1] Add to this good reader,
Dr. Johnson's statement, ('Lives of the Poets,' p. 134, Art. Milton,)
that in the distribution of his (Milton's) hours _there was no hour of
prayer, either solitary or with his household_; and then come, if you
can, to the conclusion that he was a Christian.
The piety of Newton we are not prepared to dispute. It is certain he
manufactured for himself a God, inasmuch as to space he ascribed the
honor of being His sensorium. It is equally clear that he believed
Christianity a divine system, inasmuch as he wrote, and rushed into
print with, a lot of exquisite nonsense about the exquisitely
nonsensical Apocalypse. But we defy pietists to ferret out of his
religious writings, any argument in defence of religion, not absolutely
beneath contempt; the best of them are execrably bad--mere ravings of a
disordered and o'erwrought intellect. 'The sublime Newton,' said
D'Holbach, 'is but a child when he quits physical science, to lose
himself in the imaginary regions of theology.' He failed, nevertheless,
to achieve the favour, or escape the wrath, of thorough-going
theologians who were in ecstacies at his childishness, but bitterly
detested him, as they detested every man who had the audacity to open up
new, and widen old fields, of investigation; to reject chimera and hold
fast by fact in the pursuit of knowledge, and to teach a series of
scientific truths, no ability can reconcile with the philosophy (?) of
Jesus and Moses, who, according to wise Dr. Epps, never intended to
teach man NATURAL SCIENCE, which he defines to be 'God in Creation;' but
'came to teach, in referring to natural events, SCIENTIFIC UNTRUTHS.
[95:2]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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