THEISM BEING The Baird Lecture for 1876 BY ROBERT FLINT, D.D., LL.D. PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH AUTHOR OF 'THE PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY IN EUROPE,' ETC. WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MDCCCLXXVII PREFATORY NOTE. The Lectures in this volume have been delivered in Glasgow, St Andrews, and Edinburgh, in connection with the Lectureship founded by the late Mr James Baird of Auchmedden and Cambusdoon. They will be followed by a volume on Anti-theistic Theories, containing the Baird Lectures for 1877. The author has to thank the Baird Trustees for having twice appointed him Lecturer, and for much indulgence extended to him during his tenure of office. His special thanks are due to James A. Campbell, Esq., LL.D., of Stracathro, for kindly revising the sheets of this volume, and for suggesting many corrections and improvements. JOHNSTONE LODGE, CRAIGMILLAR PARK, EDINBURGH, _22d August 1877_. CONTENTS. LECT. PAGE I. ISSUES INVOLVED IN THE QUESTION TO BE DISCUSSED--WHENCE AND HOW WE GET THE IDEA OF GOD, 1 II. GENERAL IDEA OF RELIGION--COMPARISON OF POLYTHEISM AND PANTHEISM WITH THEISM--THE THREE GREAT THEISTIC RELIGIONS COMPARED--NO RELIGIOUS PROGRESS BEYOND THEISM, 30 III. THE NATURE, CONDITIONS, AND LIMITS OF THEISTIC PROOF, 59 IV. NATURE IS BUT THE NAME FOR AN EFFECT WHOSE CAUSE IS GOD, 96 V. THE ARGUMENT FROM ORDER, 131 VI. OBJECTIONS TO THE ARGUMENT FROM ORDER EXAMINED, 169 VII. MORAL ARGUMENT--TESTIMONY OF CONSCIENCE AND HISTORY, 210 VIII. CONSIDERATION OF OBJECTIONS TO THE DIVINE WISDOM, BENEVOLENCE, AND JUSTICE, 233 IX. _A PRIORI_ THEISTIC PROOF, 264 X. MERE THEISM INSUFFICIENT, 302 APPENDIX. NOTE PAGE I. NATURAL AND REVEALED RELIGION, 323 II. INFLUENCE OF RELIGION ON MORALITY, 329 III. ETHICS OF RELIGIOUS INQUIRY, 335 IV. TRADITIVE THEORY OF RELIGION, 338 V. NORMAL DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY, 340 VI. DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION BY THE HIGHEST TYPE, 342 VII. PSYCHOLOGICAL NATURE OF RELIGION, 343 VIII. ARGUMENT _E CONSENSU GENTIUM_, 348 IX. THE THEISTIC EVIDENCE COMPLEX AND COMPREHENSIVE, 350