Natural religion.

Gall admits a fundamental faculty of God and religion. In my opinion the religious phenomena are the result of several faculties. Causality searches for a cause of every thing and of every event. Individuality personifies the Supreme cause it arrives at; another faculty inspires admiration and wonder, and believes in some relationship between God and man; a third feeling inspires respect and reverence, and religion exists. It is strengthened by the feelings of hope, conscientiousness and cautiousness.

Natural religion implies the belief in a Supreme Being and implicit obedience to his will, consisting in the laws of the creation, whilst revealed religions make known to men God's particular deNatural religion, therefore, distinguishes between the pretended ministers of God and their versions, and the Creator and his eternal laws.

crees.

Phrenology proves not only the innateness of religious feelings, but also their acting without understanding like all other feelings. Their direction depends on the use of reason. The reflective faculties ought not to be neglected in any religious consideration any more than in every other knowledge. Nay, natural religion may, like natural morality, become a science.

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It is commonly believed that there can be no religion without revelation. This however is an error, which will not be committed by those who understand the innate feelings of man. This is rather the language of priestcraft. It is to be regretted that religious people are averse to reason. It may be so since many points of their doctrine do not stand the scrutiny of reason. think with an able writer that 'religion has been wronged by nothing more than by being separated from intellect, and by being removed from the province of reason.' I also think with him that Christianity was given not to contradict and degrade the rational nature, but to call it forth, to enlarge its range and its powers; that it admits of endless developement, and is the last truth which should remain stationary.' I farther say with him; Religious and

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moral truth is appointed to carry forward mankind, but not as conceived and expounded by narrow minds, not as darkened by the ignorant, not as debased by the superstitious, not subtilized by the visionary, not as thundered out by the intolerant fanatic, not as turned into a drivelling cant by the hypocrite. Like all other truths it requires for its full reception and its powerful communication a free and vigorous intellect.' God gave reason to man, and why should its use be interdicted in the most important subject, religion.

Natural religion is entirely guided by reason, and the feelings proper to man. It seems hostile to priesthood to conceive the Supreme Being as reasonable. He is particularly described as having negative qualities, whilst his positive powers are those of the animal nature. Sometimes he is represented as an arbitrary tyrant, nay, very often he is demonised by fanatics. Atheism, however, would be preferable to demonism. We cannot conceive the whole nature of God. To be able to do so, we ought to be his equal. But to degrade him under the better part of our nature is abomination. Let the idea of him be formed at least after the image of a good, noble minded and reasonable man. Theologians and priestcraft have shockingly abused the religious sentiments of man and turned them to their advantage, quite forgetting the sublime lessons of Christianity. They think it sufficient to cover themselves with the shield of mysteriousness and to demand unbounded belief. But reason tells us that religious belief must work on kindness, reverence, justice in practice, and that religion cannot exclude intellect and moral conduct. It also tells us that any religious creed that does not tend to the glory of God and the general good of man is objectionable and may degenerate to demonism. Doctrines which are contradictory in themselves or contradict common sense must be surrounded with awe and imposed; this is expedient to selfish or superstitious theologians, but it is not in conformity with reason and pure Christianity. Reason cannot deny the reality of revelation; it even finds in it a great motive of moral conduct. But human reason does not discover that God is fond of

perfumes, tabernacles, songs, all sorts of fineries; sacrifices, &c; such things he must be told by God's messengers. In general no irrational notion of God's attributes, providence and likings can be admitted without being supported by special revelation, but the friends of mankind must lament the mischief priests have inflicted on their fellow creatures and on the good cause of religion, by their nonsensical views of God and his decrees. It would have been more profitable to mankind at large, if the teachers of religion had been penetrated with the superiority of pure Christianity, and if they had followed the example of their great model. Reason perfectly agrees with the precepts, to refer every thing to God as the first cause; to venerate his almighty power and providence; to submit to his decrees and arrangement of things; to feel gratitude for his benevolence; and to adore him in truth and in spirit. Natural religion, as well as the systems which are announced as revealed, endeavors to make us acquainted with God's attributes and with our duties to him, but having reason and the powers proper to man for its guide, it rejects all notions which are opposed to them.

Phrenology brings new light. Hitherto reason alone was considered as a sufficient guide in natural religion; but reason is influenced by the feelings as well as by intellectual notions, as by materials on which it acts. If our knowledge be incorrect, our judgment cannot be sound. In the same way our judgment of religious subjects depends on the feelings with which we are animated. But then it is a law of the Creator that reason places the feelings proper to man above those which are common to him and animals. Those who believe in natural religion as well as those who rely on revelation, will modify their religious conceptions according to their 'innate dispositions or gifts, and he who possesses the human feelings and the reflective faculties in a high degree, will reject any revealed law or interpretation that contradicts human sentiments and reason.

According to reason the Supreme Being is all perfection, and can neither gain nor lose in felicity by the terrestrial creation. If

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his happiness depended on his creatures, on their respect to him or on their regulations, his nature were imperfect. The giving glory to God,' says Bishop Taylor,* and doing homage to him, are nothing for his advantage, but only for ours; and God created us, not that we can increase his felicity, but that he might have a subject receptive of felicity from him.' It seems, on the other hand, reasonable to admit that all sentient beings have been created for their own happiness, and that to secure this the Creator has traced them determinate laws. The end of natural religion, then, is an entire submission to the Will of the Creator, be it accomplished by love or by fear; For this is the love of God,' says St. John, that we keep his commandments.' We may suppose that he prefers the motive of love to that of fear, which, however, is also reasonable, since he makes no exceptions, but applies his laws invariably. The first law, says Michel Montague, which God gave to man was that of obedience. Thus, if we can do nothing for the sake of God, nothing to promote his happiness, it follows that all our doings concern ourselves, our like, and the other beings of creation, or that in this life religion consists in morality, and that morality becomes religious as far as it is the will of God. All religious regulations, therefore, ought to be only auxiliary means of rendering mankind morally good. Hence it is presumptuous and pitiful to perform ceremonies by way of rendering service to God. Many ceremonies destined to glorify God, are ridiculous, and rather calculated to amuse children than to edify reasonable beings. Their aim, which may be laudable and respectable, ought never to be disguised, nor obscured by absurdities or immoral proceedings. It is edifying to assemble and to sing together the greatness of God's perfections, but it is ridiculous to attribute to him qualities for which we despise each other in society; let us reflect on the benevolence and justice of the Supreme Being, but let us not debase him by low passions; particularly, let us never lose sight of the principal object of religion, viz. the moral improvement of man. As we can understand God's nature Essais, liv. ii. ch. 19.

* Sermon xii.

First Epistle, v. 3.

only as far as we possess qualities in common with him, and as we possess qualities in common with animals, and others which are proper to man, it is evident that in speaking of man being created in the likeness of God, only his higher nature can be said to constitute this likeness. Our religion or union with God or liking to him, then, only consists in exertions of such powers, which constitute our higher nature. In unfolding and enlarging these powers we truly honor God. Nothing foreign to our original constitution can be required from us, and the cultivation of our rational and moral existence is evidently the noblest tribute we can render to our Creator and the end of our godlike nature.

Importance of Revelation.

It is certain that religious and moral feelings are innate, but the regulation of their manifestations is an important point. We learn from history that the functions of these powers have been liable to infinite abuses and disorders. The principal object of revelation then is, to regulate and direct the actions of the religious and moral feelings. Reasonable persons, therefore, will never object to revealed laws, but they will not submit indiscriminately to every thing commanded in the name of God. It is really of consummate importance to bear in mind that the pretended ministers of God are men, and therefore liable to be deceived themselves as well as to deceive others. We should never forget that a revealed law must be in harmony with the skill of the Creator, or adapted to human nature, and tend to the honor of God and the welfare of mankind. Interpretations to the contrary give a deathblow to all assumed prerogatives of infallibility.

It is remarkable that the belief in Divine revelation is quite general. It is known that the most ancient governments were theocratical and that their civil and religious regulations were imposed as the will of God. Farther, a peculiar kind of craft, or the same spirit has always guided those who call themselves the ministers or confidents of God, and there is something common to all the relig