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26 chapters
Will of Rev. John Bampton.
Will of Rev. John Bampton.
Extract From The Last Will And Testament Of The Late Rev. John Bampton, Canon Of Salisbury. “——I give and bequeath my Lands and Estates to the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University of Oxford for ever, to have and to hold all and singular the said Lands or Estates upon trust, and to the intents and purposes hereinafter mentioned; that is to say, I will and appoint that the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford for the time being shall take and receive all the rents, issues, an
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Preface.
Preface.
The word “free thought” is now commonly used, at least in foreign literature 6 , to express the result of the revolt of the mind against the pressure of external authority in any department of life or speculation. Information concerning the history of the term is given elsewhere. 7 It will be sufficient now to state, that the cognate term, free thinking , was appropriated by Collins early in the last century 8 to express Deism. It differs from the modern term free thought , both in being restric
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Lecture I.
Lecture I.
I. The law of the operation of the causes. II. The enumeration of the causes which act according to this assumed law. The empirical law, or formula descriptive of the action of reason on religion, is explained to be one form of the principle of progress by antagonism, the conservation or discovery of truth by means of inquiry and controversy; a merciful Providence leaving men responsible for their errors, but ultimately overruling evil for good. (p. 7 .) This great fact illustrated in the four C
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Lecture II.
Lecture II.
The literary opposition of Heathens against Christianity in the early ages. The first of the four crises of the faith. (pp. 39-74 .) Agreement and difference of this crisis with the modern. (p. 40 .) Sources for ascertaining its nature, the original writings of unbelievers being lost. (pp. 41 , 42 .) Preliminary explanation of four states of belief among the heathens in reference to religion, from which opposition to Christianity would arise: (pp. 43-118 ) viz. (1) the tendency to absolute disbe
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Lecture III.
Lecture III.
Free Thought during the middle ages, and at the Renaissance; together with its rise in modern times. This period embraces the second and third of the four epochs of doubt, and the commencement of the fourth. Brief outline of the events which it includes. (pp. 75 , 76 .) Second crisis , from A.D. 1100-1400. (pp. 76-92 .) It is a struggle political as well as intellectual, Ghibellinism as well as scepticism. (p. 76 .) The intellectual tendencies in this period are four: 1. The scepticism developed
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Lecture IV.
Lecture IV.
Deism in England previous to A.D. 1760. This lecture contains the first of the three forms which doubt has taken in the fourth crisis. (p. 116 .)—Sketch of the chief events, political and intellectual, which influenced the mind of England during the seventeenth century (p. 117 ); especial mention of the systems of Bacon and Descartes, as exhibiting the peculiarity that they were philosophies of method. (pp. 117 , 118 .) The history of Deism studied: I. Its rise traced, 1640-1700. (pp. 119-125 .)
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Lecture V.
Lecture V.
Infidelity in France in the eighteenth century; and unbelief in England subsequent to 1760. Infidelity in France (pp. 163-194 ).—This is the second phase of unbelief in the fourth crisis of faith. Sketch of the state of France, ecclesiastical, political (pp. 164 , 165 ,) and intellectual (partly through the philosophy of Condillac, pp. 166 , 167 ), which created such a mental and moral condition as to allow unbelief to gain a power there unknown elsewhere.—The unbelief stated to be caused chiefl
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Lecture VI.
Lecture VI.
Free Thought in the Theology of Germany, from 1750-1835. This is the third phase of free thought in that which was called the fourth crisis of faith.—Importance of the movement, which is called “rationalism,” as the theological phase of the literary movement of Germany (p. 210 ).—Deviation from the plan previously adopted, in that a sketch is here given of German theological inquiry generally, and not merely of unbelief (p. 211 ). Brief preliminary sketch of German theology since the Reformation
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Lecture VII.
Lecture VII.
Free Thought in Germany subsequently to 1835; and in France during the present century. Free Thought in Germany (continued).—History of the transition from Period II. named in the last lecture, to Period III. (pp. 262-274 .) Explanation of the attempt, noticed pp. 242 , 259 , of the Hegelian school to find a philosophy of Christianity. Critical remarks on Hegel's system, (pp. 263-267 -267); its tendency to create an “ideological” spirit in religion (p. 264 ):—the school which it at first formed
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Lecture VIII.
Lecture VIII.
Free Thought in England in the present century: Summary of the Course of Lectures: and Inferences in reference to present dangers and duties. Modern unbelief in England (continued from Lect V.):—Introductory remarks on the alteration of its tone. (pp. 306 , 307 .)—The cause of which is stated to be a general one, the subjective tone created (p. 308 ) by such influences as, (1) the modern poetry (p. 309 ), and (2) the two great attempts by Bentham and Coleridge to reconstruct philosophy. (pp. 309
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Lecture I. On The Subject, Method, And Purpose Of The Course Of Lectures.
Lecture I. On The Subject, Method, And Purpose Of The Course Of Lectures.
The present course of lectures relates to one of the conflicts exhibited in the history of the Church; viz. the struggle of the human spirit to free itself from the authority of the Christian faith. Christianity offers occasion for opposition by its inherent claims, independently of accidental causes. For it asserts authority over religious belief in virtue of being a supernatural communication from God, and claims the right to control human thought in virtue of possessing sacred books which are
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Lecture II. The Literary Opposition of Heathens Against Christianity in the Early Ages.
Lecture II. The Literary Opposition of Heathens Against Christianity in the Early Ages.
It has been already stated 120 , that in the first great struggle of the human mind against the Christian religion the action of reason in criticising its claims assumed two forms, Gnosticism or rationalism within the church, and unbelief without. The origin and history of the former of these two lines of thought were once discussed in an elaborate course of Bampton Lectures; 121 and though subsequent investigation has added new sources of information, 122 and it would be consonant to our genera
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Lecture III. Free Thought During The Middle Ages, and At The Renaissance; Together With Its Rise in Modern Times.
Lecture III. Free Thought During The Middle Ages, and At The Renaissance; Together With Its Rise in Modern Times.
We have studied the history of unbelief down to the fall of heathenism. A period of more than seven hundred years elapses before a second crisis of doubt occurs in church history. The interval was a time of social dissolution and reconstruction; and when the traces of the free criticism of religion reappear, the world in which they manifest themselves is new. Fresh races have been introduced, institutions unknown to the ancient civilization have been mingled with or have replaced the old; and th
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Lecture IV. Deism in England Previous to A.D. 1760.
Lecture IV. Deism in England Previous to A.D. 1760.
The forms assumed by free thought in the fourth great crisis of the Christian faith, which commenced with the rise of modern philosophy, and has continued with slight intervals to the present time, have been already stated 361 to be chiefly three, corresponding with the three nations in which they have been manifested. In this lecture we shall sketch the history of one of these forms—English Deism—by which name the form of unbelief is denominated which existed during the close of the seventeenth
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Lecture V. Infidelity in France in the Eighteenth Century, and Unbelief in England Subsequent to 1760.
Lecture V. Infidelity in France in the Eighteenth Century, and Unbelief in England Subsequent to 1760.
We now approach the study of a period remarkable no less in the history of the world than in that of religious thought, in which unbelief gained the victory in the empire of mind, and obtained the opportunity of reconstructing society and education according to its own views. The history of infidelity in France in the eighteenth century forms a real crisis in history, important by its effects as well as its character. For France has always been the prerogative nation of Europe. When wants intell
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Lecture VI. Free Thought In The Theology Of Germany From 1750-1835.
Lecture VI. Free Thought In The Theology Of Germany From 1750-1835.
We are about to study the history of the movement in German theology, which is usually described by the vague name of Rationalism, 656 —a movement which, whether viewed specially in its relation to theology, or to literature generally, must be regarded as one of the most memorable efforts of human thought. It was one aspect of the great outburst of mental activity in Germany, which within the last hundred years has created a literature, which not only vies with the most renowned of those which h
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Lecture VII. Free Thought: In Germany Subsequently To 1835; And In France During The Present Century.
Lecture VII. Free Thought: In Germany Subsequently To 1835; And In France During The Present Century.
The last lecture was brought to a close before we reached the final forms assumed by German theology. In the present one we must complete the narrative; and afterwards carry on the history of free thought in France, as affected by the influence of German literature, from the period at which the narrative was previously interrupted to the present time. We have noticed the traces of the reaction in favour of orthodoxy, which was produced in Germany by the influence of Schleiermacher. We treated th
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Lecture VIII. Free Thought in England in the Present Century; Summary of the Course of Lectures; Inferences in Reference to Present Dangers and Duties.
Lecture VIII. Free Thought in England in the Present Century; Summary of the Course of Lectures; Inferences in Reference to Present Dangers and Duties.
In the last lecture we brought the history of unbelief on the continent down to the present time. In this, the concluding one of the series, we shall complete the history of it in our own country or language during this century; and afterwards deduce the moral of our whole historical sketch, and suggest practical inferences. In the account of unbelief in England, given in a previous lecture, 895 we hardly entered upon the present century, except so far as to observe the influence of the philosop
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Lecture I.
Lecture I.
Supposing the facts to be thus given, it is the province of the science of history to ascertain their causes. Two living writers, Mr. Mill ( System of Logic ), and Dr. Whewell ( Philosophy of Inductive Sciences ), have given an account of the logic of science. That of the latter is more suitable to the conception which we are here forming of history; for history is exactly one of the class of sciences which he calls “Palætiological.” (vol. i. b. x.) It requires first, that we recover the record
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Lecture II.
Lecture II.
The mystic and oriental tendency which Neo-Platonism embodied is seen as early as Philo in the middle of the first century; but it was Ammonius Saccus (A.D. 163-243) who developed the new system about A.D. 200. The chief teachers of it were Plotinus (born 203), who introduced it at Rome; Porphyry (233-305), who however manifested more of the mystic Pythagorean spirit and less of the dialectical Platonic; Iamblichus, a generation later, who also inclined to theurgy; and in the fifth century Hypat
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Lecture III.
Lecture III.
The rumours concerning the existence of a book with the title “De Tribus Impostoribus” commence in the thirteenth century. About the sixteenth, more definite but still unsatisfactory statements appear respecting its existence. Its authorship has been attributed to above twenty distinguished persons; such as Frederick II, Boccaccio, Pomponatius, Bruno, Vanini, &c.; the reasons for which in each case are explained in Marchand. De La Monnaie however wrote, questioning the existence of the b
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Lecture IV.
Lecture IV.
1. Infidel .—This word began to be restricted as a technical term, about the time of the Crusades and throughout the middle ages, to denote Mahometan; as being par excellence the kind of unbelievers with which Christians were brought into contact. Perhaps the first instance of its use in the more modern sense, of disbeliever generally, is in the Collect for Good Friday, “all Jews, Turks, infidels , heretics;” which words were apparently inserted by the Reformers in the first Prayer Book (1547);
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Lecture V.
Lecture V.
As the term Ideology has lately been employed in a novel theological sense, (e.g. Essays and Reviews , Ess. iv.), and as it is employed in these lectures in its ordinary sense, as known in metaphysical science, it may prevent ambiguity to state briefly the history of the term. The word Ideology , as denoting the term to express metaphysical science, seems to have arisen in the French school of De Tracy at the close of the last century. Cfr. Krug's Philos. Lexicon , sub voc. As early as Plato's t
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Lecture VI.
Lecture VI.
Spener followed (1635-1705). The private religious meetings which he established about 1675, Collegia Pietatis , were the origin of the application of the name Pietism to the movement. One of his pupils was the saintly A. H. Francke, whose memoir was translated 1837. Paul Gerhardt, the well known author of the German hymns, also belonged to the same party. The university of Halle became the home of Pietism; and the orphan-house established in that town was renowned over Europe. The opposition of
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Lecture VII.
Lecture VII.
Schelling and Hegel both seek to solve the problems of philosophy, by starting à priori with the idea of the absolute; but in Schelling's case it is perceived by a presentative power (intellectual intuition), and in Hegel's by a representative . The former faculty perceives the absolute object; the latter the absolute relation, if such a term be not a contradiction. In each case the percipient power is supposed to be “above consciousness;” i.e. not trammelled by those limitations of object and s
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Lecture VIII.
Lecture VIII.
It may be almost superfluous to name that the evidences are usually divided into 1. external, and 2. internal. Each of these requires a subdivision into (α) the divine, and (β) the human. The external divine are miracles and prophecy; the external human are the historical proof as to the authenticity and genuineness of the literature which contains the narrative of the miracles and the prophecy. The internal divine are sought in the accordance of the materials of the Revelation, the character of
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