The Analogy of Religion to the Constitution and Course of Nature: To which are added two brief dissertations: I. On personal identity. II. On the nature of virtue.Butler, Joseph
Religion
The Analogy of Religion to the Constitution and Course of Nature: To which are added two brief dissertations: I. On personal identity. II. On the nature of virtue.
Butler, Joseph
Analogy (Religion); Apologetics -- Early works to 1800; Eschatology; Natural theology; Revelation
_Thirdly_, The answers above given to the objections against religion
cannot be made use of to invalidate the proof of it. For, upon
suspicion that God exercises a moral government over the world, analogy
does most strongly lead us to conclude, that this moral government must
be a scheme, or constitution, beyond our comprehension. A thousand
particular analogies show us, that parts of such a scheme, from their
relation to other parts, may conduce to accomplish ends, which we
should have thought they had no tendency to accomplish: nay ends, which
before experience, we should have thought such parts were contradictory
to, and had a tendency to prevent. Therefore all these analogies show,
that the way of arguing made use of in objecting against religion is
delusive: because they show it is not at all incredible, that, could we
comprehend the whole, we should find the permission of the disorders
objected against to be consistent with justice and goodness; and even
to be instances of them. Now this is not applicable to the proof of
religion, as it is to the objections against it;[130] and therefore
cannot invalidate that proof, as it does these objections.
_Lastly_, From the observation now made, it is easy to see, that the
answers above given to the objections against Providence, though,
in a general way of speaking, they may be said to be taken from our
ignorance; yet are by no means taken merely from that, but from
something which analogy shows us concerning it. For analogy shows us
positively, that our ignorance in the possibilities of things, and the
various relations in nature, renders us incompetent judges, and leads
us to false conclusions, in cases similar to this, in which we pretend
to judge and to object. So that the things above insisted upon are not
mere suppositions of unknown impossibilities and relations: but they
are suggested to our thoughts, and even forced upon the observation
of serious men, and rendered credible too, by the analogy of nature.
Therefore to take these things into the account, is to judge by
experience and what we do know: and it is not judging so, to take no
notice of them.
CONCLUSION.
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