The Belief in Satanic Miracles, having been universal among Protestants and Roman 21 Bodin-Rationalistic Spirit fully manifested in Montaigne-Charron-Rapid and silent Decadence of the Belief in Witches-Opinions and Influence of La Bruyère, Bayle, Descartes, Malebranche, and Voltaire-Gradual Cessation of the Persecution in France-In England, the First Law against Witchcraft was made under Henry VIII.-Repealed in the following Reign, but renewed under Elizabeth-Cranmer and Jewel-Reginald Scott pronounced Witchcraft a delusion-The Law of James I.— Opinions of Coke, Bacon, Shakespeare, Browne, and Selden-English Witchcraft reached its climax in the Commonwealth-Declined immediately after the Restora- tion-The Three Causes were, the Reaction against Puritanism, the Influence of Hobbes, and the Baconian Philosophy as represented by the Royal Society-Charge of Sir Matthew Hale-Glanvil undertakes the Defence of the Belief-Supported by Henry More, Cudworth, Casaubon, &c.-Opposed by Webster and Wagstaafe-Baxter vainly tries to revive the Belief by Accounts of Witch Trials in America-Rapid Progress of the Scepticism-Trial of Jane Wenham-Repeal of the Laws against Witchcraft-Wesley's Summary of the History of the Movement-Great Moderation of the English Church as compared with Puritanism-Extreme Atrocity of the Witch Persecution in Scotland, and its Causes-Slow Decline of the Belief in Scot- Miracles related by the Fathers and Medieval Writers as ordinary and undoubted Occur- rences-Rapid Growth of Scepticism on the Subject since the Reformation-The Sceptical Habit of Mind acts more powerfully on Contemporary than on Historical Narrations-Among the early Protestants, the Cessation of Miracles supposed to have taken place when the Fathers passed away-Persecution regarded by some Eng- lish Divines as a Substitute for Miracles-Opinions of Locke and Newton on the Subject-Tendencies of the Eighteenth Century adverse to the Miraculous-Middle- ton-Discussion of his Principles by Church, Dodwell, Gibbon, Hume, Farmer, War- burton, and Douglas-General Abandonment of the Patristic Miracles-Rise of Tractarianism-Small Place Catholic Miracles occupied in the Discussion it evoked- Weakness of the common Arguments against the continuance of Miracles-Develop- ment of Continental Protestantism into Rationalism-Rationalistic Tendencies in Roman Catholic Countries-Origin and Decline of the Evidential School in England -Modification of the Conception of Miracles-Reasonableness of the Doctrine of Interference-Summary of the Stages of Rationalism in its relation to the Miracu- CHAPTER III. ESTHETIC, SCIENTIFIC, AND MORAL DEVELOPMENTS OF RATIONALISM. Systems of Scriptural Interpretation-Allegorical School of Origen-St. Augustine De Genesi―Literal School-Controversy about the Antipodes-Cosmas-Virgilius-Rise of the Copernican System-Condemnation of Foscarini and of Galileo-Influence of Theology on the Progress of Science-Opinion of Bacon-Astronomy displaces the Ancient Notion of Man's Position in the Universe-Philosophical Importance of As- trology-Refutation by Geology of the Doctrine of the Penal Nature of Death-In- creasing Sense of Law-Reasons why apparently Capricious Phenomena were es- pecially associated with Religious Ideas-On Lots-Irreligious Character attributed to Scientific Explanations-Difference between the Conception of the Divinity in a Scientific and Unscientific Age-Growth of Astronomy-Comets-Influence of Para- celsus, Bayle, and Halley-Rise of Scientific Academies-Ascendency of the Belief in Law-Harsher Features of Theology thereby corrected-The Morphological Theory of the Universe-Its Influence on History-Illegitimate Effects of Science-Influence on Biblical Interpretation-La Peyrère-Spinoza-Kant-Lessing-Moral Develop- ment accompanies the Intellectual Movement-Illustrations of its Nature--Moral Genius-Relations of Theology to Morals-Complete Separation in Antiquity-Origi- nality of the Moral Type of Christianity-Conceptions of the Divinity-Evanescence of Duties unconnected with our Moral Nature-History of Religious Terrorism— Patristic Conception of Hell-Origen and Gregory of Nyssa-Faint Notions of the Jews and Heathens on the Subject-Doctrine of Purgatory-Scotus Erigena-Ex- treme Terrorism of the Fourteenth Century-Destruction of Natural Religion by the Conception of Hell-Its Effect in habituating Men to contemplate the Sufferings of others with complacency-Illustration of this from Tertullian-and from the History of Persecution--and from that of Torture-Abolition of Torture in France, Spain, Prussia, Italy, and Russia-Relations between the prevailing Sense of the Enormity of Sin and the Severity of the Penal Code--Decline of the Medieval Notions of Hell due partly to the Progress of Moral Philosophy, and partly to that of Psychology— Apparitions and the Belief in Hell the Corner-stones of the Psychology of the Fathers -Repudiation of Platonism-Two Schools of Materialism-Materialism of the Middle Ages-Impulse given to Psychology by Averroes-and by the Mystics of the Four- teenth Century-Descartes-Swinden, Whiston, Horbery-Change in the Ecclesiasti- cal Type of Character-Part taken by Theologians in ameliorating the English Penal Code-First Impulse due to Voltaire and Beccaria-Bentham-Elimination of the Persecution is the result, not of the personal Character of the Persecutors, but of the System their relative Importance-These Sentiments gradually converted into Dogmas, under the Names of Justification by Works and Justification by Faith-Dogmas unfaithful Expressions of Moral Sentiments-The Conception of Hereditary Guilt-Theories to account for it-The Progress of Democratic Habits destroys itIts dogmatic Expression the Doctrine that all Men are by Nature doomed to Damnation-Unanimity of the Fathers concerning the Non-salvability of unbaptised Infants-Divergence concerning their Fate--The Greek Fathers believed in a LimboThe Latin Fathers denied this-Augustine, Fulgentius-Origen associates the Doctrine with that of Pre-existence-Pseudo-baptisms of the Middle Ages-The Reformation produced conflicting Tendencies on the subject, diminishing the Sense of the Efficacy of Ceremonies, increasing that of imputed Guilt-The Lutherans and Calvinists held a Doctrine that was less superstitious but more revolting than that of Catholicism-Jonathan Edwards-Dogmatic Character of early Protestantism-Rationalism appeared with Socinus-Antecedents of Italian Rationalism-Socinus rejects Original Sin-as also does Zuinglius-Rationalistic Tendencies of this ReformerRapid Progress of his View of Baptism-The Scope of the Doctrine of the Condemnation of all Men extends to Adults-Sentiments of the Fathers on the Damnation of the Heathen-Great Use of this Doctrine of Exclusive Salvation in consolidating the Power of the Church-and in abbreviating the Paroxysms of the ReformationThe Protestants almost all accepted it-Protest of Zuinglius-Opposition between Dcgmatic and Natural Religion resulting from the Doctrine-Influence on Predestinarianism-Augustine-Luther De Servo Arbitrio-Calvin and Beza-Injurious Influence of the Doctrine of Exclusive Salvation on Morals-and on the Sense of Truth -Pious Frauds--Total Destruction in the Middle Ages of the Sense of Truth resulting from the Influence of Theology-The Classes who were most addicted to Falsehood proclaimed Credulity a Virtue-Doctrine of Probabilities of Pascal and CraigRevival of the Sense of Truth due to Secular Philosophers of the Seventeenth Century-Causes of the Influence of Bacon, Descartes, and Locke-The Decline of Theological Belief a necessary Antecedent of their Success Page 353 |