THEISM

BEING

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 Antitheistic 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.

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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

X. INTUITION, FEELING, BELIEF, AND KNOWLEDGE IN RELIGION, 355

XI. THE THEOLOGICAL INFERENCE FROM THE THEORY OF ENERGY, 359

XII. THE HISTORY OF THE ÆTIOLOGICAL ARGUMENT, 364

XIII. MATHEMATICS AND THE DESIGN ARGUMENT, 367

XIV. ASTRONOMY AND THE DESIGN ARGUMENT, 369

XV. CHEMISTRY AND THE DESIGN ARGUMENT, 373

XVI. GEOLOGY, GEOGRAPHY, ETC., AND THE DESIGN ARGUMENT, 375

XVII. THE ORGANIC KINGDOM AND DESIGN, 378

XVIII. EVIDENCES OF DESIGN IN ORGANISMS, 380

XIX. PSYCHOLOGY AND DESIGN, 383

XX. HISTORY AND DESIGN, 386

XXI. HISTORY OF THE TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT, 387

XXII. CREATION AND EVOLUTION, 390

XXIII. THEOLOGICAL INFERENCES FROM THE DOCTRINE OF SPONTANEOUS GENERATION, 394

XXIV. DARWIN AND PALEY, 396

XXV. KANT'S MORAL ARGUMENT, 397

XXVI. DR SCHENKEL'S VIEW OF CONSCIENCE AS THE ORGAN OF RELIGION 400

XXVII. CHALMERS AND ERSKINE ON THE ARGUMENT FROM CONSCIENCE, 401

XXVIII. ASSOCIATIONIST THEORY OF THE ORIGIN OF CONSCIENCE, 403

XXIX. CHALMERS AND BAIN ON THE PLEASURE OF MALEVOLENCE, 403

XXX. HISTORY OF THE MORAL PROOF, 406

XXXI. DEFECTS IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD, 413

XXXII. NO BEST POSSIBLE CREATED SYSTEM, 417

XXXIII. DEFECTS IN THE ORGANIC WORLD, 418

XXXIV. EPICUREAN DILEMMA, 420

XXXV. GOD AND DUTY, 422

XXXVI. HISTORIES OF THE THEISTIC PROOFS, 423

XXXVII. A PRIORI PROOF NOT PROOF FROM A CAUSE, 424

XXXVIII. SOME A PRIORI ARGUMENTS, 425